DiabetaMil: Healthy Food Choices Not Just for Diabetics

Diabetes is one of the top causes of death worldwide. A study done by the World Health Organization in August 2011 showed that in the Philippines, more than 2.7 million deaths in 2000 were diabetes-related. And most of the time, people do not die of diabetes. They die of complications arising from diabetes, such as heart disease, stroke, blindness, amputation, kidney disease and nerve problems. My own dad was a diabetic who died 10 years ago from heart complications.

Because diabetes is in our family history, I have to be conscious about what I eat. Thankfully, my sugar level does not seem to show any signs of diabetes but I still had to learn to tame my once sweet tooth. I also try to teach my kids to choose healthier meal and snack alternatives since diabetes can oftentimes skip a generation and manifest in their generation.

I recently got a sample of a cookie snack item drink made specifically for diabetics as well as for those who just want to have healthier food choices.

DiabetaMil Nutritious Drink can be a meal substitute for diabetics. It comes in two flavors: vanilla and chocolate. Cereal and oat flakes in the drink give that feeling of fullness and curb appetite. Each box contains 6 sachets and based on directions, each serving involves mixing 2 sachets of the drink with warm water. One serving is 250 calories.

The DiabetaMil Cookies come in Nutty Chocolate and Vanilla Dried Fruit variants. I got the dried fruit variant and liked the dried raisins that were embedded in the cookies. Each box contains 5 sachets, two cookies per sachet. One serving (2 cookies) contains 100 calories. I ate the cookies in one sachet and they taste good.

Both the drink and cookies are sugar-free. They are flavored using Tropicana Slim Sweetener, a sugar-free sweetener known for a low glycemic index (GI) which helps to control blood sugar. (Note: I had no chance to test the exact effect on the GI so I am relying on the representations made)

All variants of DiabetaMil are said to contain a higher amount of chromium polynicotinate, which is believed to help keep blood sugar levels in check by improving the way the body uses insulin.

If you have diabetes, this could be something you may want to add to your list of food choices. But, as it is with any medical condition, I recommend you check first with your dietitian.

DiabetaMil is available in major drugstores and supermarkets. They also have a Facebook page at www.facebook/DiabetaMil Philippines.