Sweet Food for a Sweeter Life

I am a food lover. It's so obvious with my physique right? My Mom told me that she rarely remembers an instance where I said no to food even if I am sick. When I was on my teenage years I experienced tipping the bathroom scale. I always eat to my hearts content until I was diagnosed with Diabetes at age 15.

After Diabetes came into my young life, things turned around 360 degrees. I learned to chose the food I eat to live a longer life. At that time, Diabetes is so young in the Philippines. Diabetic-friendly food choices are so scarce. I have no choice but to stick to my limited food choices which is a huge sacrifice.

And then, Sugarfree came. Starting out with Sodas to Sugar Substitute packets to Sugarfree candies and chocolates. It was indeed a heaven's sent to Diabetics like me, but the downside is, they are also priced heavenly and availability is somewhat limited.

I can say that Diabetics now here in our country are much blessed compared to us before. Insulin can now stay on room temperature whereas before it was not. Food choices are now huge. Diabetic food supplements and vitamins are available over the counter at Local Pharmacies. Diabetic medicines now are budget friendly.

I was not deprived of food nowadays because I always have alternative options to my favorites. Here are some of the "Guilty Pleasures" that I enjoy and one of the reasons why live a sweet life!

1. Polvoron - According to Panlasangpinoy.com, Polvoron is a semi-sweet concoction made of toasted flour, powdered milk, sugar, and butter. This is considered as a dessert or snack in the Philippines wherein roasted rice puffs referred to locally as “pinipig” is added.

This is one stuff I love and I even asked my Mom to create a batch of it for me and I can finish it in a snap! But because of Diabetes, I wasn't able to get a taste of it in years until I stumble upon this incredible stuff!

Sura

Whosoever thought of creating this is a genius! It was one ordinary day after office when I was roaming around the stalls inside the Mall before I actually head home. I saw the booth of H.O.P. or House Of Polvoron. I remember the moments when I used indulge myself in this sweet stuff before. While reminiscing and looking at their products, I saw the "No Sugar Added" printed on one box.

I took 1 box to read the ingredient contents and here's what I got:

Thanks so much to Mr. Benson Tanoja, Marketing Manager of MFP Home of Quality Food Corp. for giving me a sample of  this stuff. Yummy!



2. Frozen Yogurt - It is a frozen dessert like Ice cream that usually consists of milk solids, some kind of sweetener, milk fat, yogurt culture, coloring, and flavoring. (Wikipedia).

Ice Cream became my best friend turned worst enemy. When I eat this stuff, hyperglycemia comes in in minutes! It is also very fattening because it uses whole cream so I stay away from it to the best of my ability.

Strawberry Yogurt Drink from Sta. Maria Dairy in Mercato Centrale BGC. One of my motivators to do LSD runs on Sunday Mornings.

I love my Frozen Yogurt topped with Almonds, Walnuts and Cashews!

Then I discovered this amazing alternative! FroYo! Instead of whole cream, this dessert uses yogurt culture as its base. It is not too sweet and has a light sour taste that gives it the best flavor to savor inside your mouth. Besides that, this has billions of live good bacteria that is very yummy for our tummies!

Yogurt prices varies from one store to another. Usually 80php for the small cup and 120php for the large cup. 15 pesos for every toppings you'll add on it!


3. Sugarfree Chocolate Bar - When times are hard that cravings are stronger than the will, I go for this treat. They have varieties like Mint, Milk Chocolate and with Almonds but this Dark Chocolate hits the right spot!

No carbs, no sugar! Available at Healthy Options Stores

4. Jelly Cubes - Gelatins are virtually calorie-free, unless it has sugars on it. That is why I make my own Jellies at home in which I can control what I put on it.

What I do is I buy a Gelatin Mix in powdered form. There are 2 types, one that is made from protein found in the tissues, ligaments and tendons of cows and pigs, and the other one from algae or seaweed. I chose the latter.

I boil it on 2 liters of water and stirring it along the way. When you see bubbles appearing on the pan, put Stevia or artificial sweeteners like Splenda or Equal to taste, then you can turn off the heat and place it in a container where you'll allow it to cool for about 30 minutes. Test the gelatin by touching it. If it doesn't stick to your hands, it's ready to be refrigerated. Leave it a least an hour.

After that, drain the excess water and cut it in cubes and store it in a tight fitting container and back to the fridge. Whenever I feel hungry, this is my first option to munch on.

The whole gelatin when it if cooled already.

Finish product! I love taking this out of the fridge when hunger strikes just before bedtime. YUM!

These are the guilty pleasures that I consider lesser evil. Living with Diabetes doesn't mean you are prohibited of eating the sweet food, you just have to be wise and chose the alternatives.

Please take note that "Sugarfree" doesn't necessarily mean healthy. Artificial sweeteners are not good when consumed in bigger volumes. Diabetics can still eat sweets, but in small portions. Always chose the healthier options. Eat healthy, live healthy, get the sweet life!

Good Vibes everyone and Sweet Running! ^_^