eBars

Superfuel is a term used to describe something we eat with supposed health benefits. While some may find this word controversial, David and Jan Dalton believe they may have found something that gives this word a run for its money through eBars. A highly organic, certified gluten-free, energy bar, eBars are made with the power of mushrooms. The product is so effective, it’s even been blessed by scientists from Miami University and is manufactured right here in Tennessee.

When we visited David and Jan at their factory in Franklin, we expected to find a massive production with conveyor belts and cooking machines, but what we actually found was the exact opposite. No signs. No logos. And that’s the way David likes to keep it. “We’ve been flying under the radar for a long time now, and that’s the way we like it. This isn’t something we have any interest in rushing because when you do, you’re going to sacrifice quality,” David explains.

Quality ingredients like non-GMO honey from Brazil, almonds from Spain and mushrooms from California are just a few of the products that make up eBars. “We’re changing the way people think about protein bars and snacking. No longer will you eat a bar because you’re hungry or trying to get some ‘accessory’ calories in your body. Ebars are a purpose-driven consumption,” David explains.

“I remember a moment at the supermarket [10 years ago] when I had picked up a bar, taken a bite, and said ‘That’s it.’ I just couldn’t eat this anymore. I was unhappy with the quality of some of the ingredients and I’d had enough.”

With so many protein and energy bars on the market, it’s easy to share in David’s frustration. The desire to create a product for men, women and children packed full of immune-building foods was clear, and David was now on a mission to change the game.

“When I first started out on my journey, I challenged myself to not look at any competitive products or write down any of my recipes. I wanted to be innovative and constantly evolving,” David recalls.

During our discussion, David used words like wholeceuticals and superfuel, which are actually trademarked words of eBars.

“I make sure I write down our mission statement at least a few times a day,” David says. “We help purpose driven people function at their peak levels by combining healthy wholefood with organic performance enhancing nutrition.”

It took a few years of experimentation for David to craft what would eventually become known as the first eBar, The MAN bar, but it was an exciting milestone. “Mushrooms hadn’t even been utilized in my early recipes yet. This was 2007, and I was using oats, grains, honey and protein powder,” David explains.

His then-teenage son Christopher liked eating MAN bars so much, he was taking them to his friends at school and selling them for $2 a bar. “I never did teach him about ‘kickback’ though,” David recalls laughing.

“Soon the requests for more bars became more than we could fill from home,” Jan recalls. “Though we had no experience with manufacturing and production, we knew a huge transition was coming. I remember the day we bought our first packaging machine,” Jan recalls. “David wanted to purchase it at a food manufacturing convention and I asked if it was going to fit in our garage,” she says with a laugh. “We knew it was time for an upgrade.”

“Now our organically dedicated manufacturing facility holds the highest credentials possible in food purity of any sport and functional bar nutrition company in the U.S.” And David isn’t bragging when he says this. It’s a fact.

Countless hours have been invested into researching the ingredients most potent and unique to gender, function and sport. “Think about the impact these products will have on our kids too,” Jan says.

Let’s say you have a big meeting coming up and you want to really dial-in your brain to prepare for it. A FOCUS bar may be perfect for you. “Now, there are many synthetic products in the market that can help a person focus,” David explains. “The majority of products are in the form of either a pill, tablet, or drink and are not engineered around organic wholefood. Why is this so important? Because the best possible delivery system for natural and gradual absorption into your bloodstream is wholefood.”

“For Optimal Clarity Under Stress,” David continues, counting off each word on his fingers. “That’s what FOCUS stands for. This bar is filled with high octane brain foods such as lion’s mane [mushroom], cordyceps militaris [mushroom], guarana [whole and not extract], and flax seed and supports a balanced stimulation of your brain’s neurotransmitters: dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine. These neurotransmitters are going to play an important role in regulating your mood and keeping you calm and focused under stressful conditions.”

What if you are having a stressful day or know you are about to be in a stressful situation? You might consume a CALM bar. “[A CALM bar] naturally helps stimulate serotonin and dopamine, and helps level out the feelings of anxiety. Additionally, it won’t make you sleepy. When it does come to bedtime, and your natural biorhythms are slowing you down, the CALM bar can help bring a person ‘home’ to initiate a restful sleep. The CALM bar was actually created in partnership with StressRx, a Tennessee based company who is in stress reduction nutrition.

“Calm Anxiety Limit Mayhem. Simply put, this bar is going to improve focus and emotional energy while reducing your cortisol levels,” David explains. “Clinical studies have shown that ingredients like ashwagandha and rhodiola help reduce cortisol levels and help protect us against stress-related symptoms.”  And, like the FOCUS bar, because it’s being introduced into your bloodstream through the natural processes of a wholefood, your body responds to it more naturally.   

“Ebars is ever evolving though. We’ve gone through no-less than fifteen renditions [of most bars] and we are constantly changing for the better to help make sure we’re using the most innovative and natural superfoods available,” David says.

Even though eBars has been developing for years now, David still considers them to be early in their journey. “You might as well call this article eBars 1.0 because this is just the beginning for us.” We share a laugh. We know what it feels like to come so far and have so much more to give. The excitement David and Jan have for their future is encouraging and we couldn’t be happier to share eBars with our audience.

Author: NFM Staff