So recently, I explored Glucerna after seeing reviews over it and decided to see what it is all about. Because my mom has type 2 diabetes and it was difficult having to see her not being able to enjoy food, especially Malaysian food. I'm sure many of you can relate. But it is not just my mom, a pretty fascinating fact is every 1 in 5 Malaysians are affected by diabetes since a survey was done in 2019. In fact obesity is also in every 1 in 2 Malaysians!
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Diabetes is a chronic disease that occurs either when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or when the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces. Due to COVID-19, people with diabetes experience fear and suffering because
1. They have increased risk of severe disease and death when infected with COVID-19
2. Delay in diagnosis may result in more advanced disease and complications
3. Delayed, incomplete, interrupted treatment
So why do I mention obesity? Because high body fat leads to many and every health complications! Ever heard your doctor telling you to watch what you eat or to lose some weight if you wanna be or feel better? But do you know that even the doctor feels it is impossible for you to lose weight, because if it was possible, such an issue won't even occur in the first place right and you wouldn't even end up visiting them in the first place too right? This is why we need to take care of ourselves. And then there are some who are genetically at higher risk of getting Diabetes, if you look up on type 1 and type 2 diabetes, there's a difference.
In Abbott Malaysia’s recent survey where 158 respondents participated, the results showed high levels of Diabetes Burnout in individuals with diabetes, which in turn causes poor adherence, reduced self-care and poor glucose control. More than three-fourths of survey respondents said that maintaining a healthy weight and following a healthy diet were the two main stressors. The top two aspects of dietary management that cause the most stress are following a diet suitable for people with diabetes (72%) and keeping count of calories or carbohydrates daily (73%).
Professor Dr Winnie Chee from the department of nutrition & dietetics, International Medical University mentioned that stress can affect diabetes control, therefore managing the emotional and psychological state is as important as managing glucose readings. “People with diabetes are often burdened by many aspects of self-care, particularly dietary choices. Knowing the ‘right’ foods to eat that will not raise their blood sugar is a formidable challenge for most individuals. Diet control plays a key role in managing diabetes and delaying complications, hence a multidisciplinary healthcare team which includes a dietitian can assist people with diabetes in learning how to eat well with less stress and better manage their diabetes.”
This is why I took up this be in control in 4 weeks with Glucerna to see the effect of this. Because a good meal needs to be properly sufficient with good nutrients and well balanced diet and lifestyle together. That being said, many milk products out there contains high sugar content that is not supportive of the diabetic patients in malaysia at all.
1. The new Glucerna® offers a new and improved Low Glycaemic Carbohydrate System to help manage blood sugar, where special carbohydrates that are digested relatively slowly release glucose over a longer length of the gastrointestinal tract than simpler forms of carbohydrates, thus helping to improve post-meal glycaemic response.
2. The new Glucerna® has 4X Higher Myo-inositol as compared to the previous version of Glucerna®. Scientific studies have shown that myo-inositol helps to improve insulin sensitivity, leading to better glucose control
3. Its dual fibre blend of soluble fibres (Fibersol-2 and FOS) and insoluble fibre (oat fibre) helps promote growth of good bacteria and helps maintain a healthy digestive system.
4. It has a unique lipid blend containing Omega-3, Omega-6 & Omega-9 (monounsaturated fatty acid) and is low in cholesterol to support heart health.
5. The new Glucerna® has 28 vitamins and minerals, including increased vitamin D, calcium, zinc and iron to help meet the nutritional needs of people with diabetes.
6. It contains 35% higher folic acid and 56% higher iron (New Glucerna® Vanilla vs previous version of Glucerna® Vanilla) to help meet the increased needs of women during pregnancy, making it suitable for women with gestational diabetes.
7. Glucerna® can be incorporated into a well-balanced diet as part of a diabetes management plan.
8. In a study where 1-2 servings of Glucerna® are taken daily within a lifestyle intervention that included a structured lifestyle plan (with energy intake recommendations, education, exercise and motivational interviews), participants achieved reduced HbA1c by 1.1% from the baseline in 6 months.
9. Glucerna® starts working from Day 1 of consumption, with research showing that post-meal glucose levels after taking Glucerna® was significantly lower than after taking oatmeal of a similar caloric level.
With the above being said, I would say that monitoring my moms progress on the Glucerna definitely I do see a good support that can be incorporate into the lifestyles of those with diabetes. Most important, it doesn't taste too sweet. Therefore, I can conclude that with a good happy lifestyle of well-balance body movement activity like home workouts, tai-chi, yoga and online exercise routines to follow easily from home, a well-balanced meal of good portions that suits your body, paired with healthier choice of cooking methods and supplements that are clinically studied and is measurable to improve health, most importantly approved by KKM; And paired with Glucerna, you are definitely on a better path to a healthier lifestyle. A balance of everything in moderation.
Additional info to take note :
● The new Glucerna® is suitable for individuals with pre-diabetes, diabetes and gestational diabetes.
● People with diabetes can incorporate 1-2 servings of Glucerna® as a low calorie meal replacement or a healthy snack alternative to support diabetes management, depending on criteria such as BMI, glycaemic control and nutritional needs, as advised by a healthcare professional.
● The new Glucerna® is available in 3 delicious flavours – vanilla, chocolate and wheat.
● The new Glucerna® is halal-certified.
● The new Glucerna® contains dairy protein (calcium caseinate and milk protein concentrate) and vitamin D3 from lanolin, and is thus suitable for vegetarians who consume dairy products.
● Each serving of Glucerna® Vanilla and Wheat provides 228 kcal of energy, Glucerna® Chocolate provides 226 kcal. When used as a meal replacement, may help to reduce total calorie intake, thus supporting weight management.
● However, consumption of Glucerna® without making any calorie adjustments or increasing physical activity level may lead to weight gain due to total energy intake exceeding total energy expenditure.
The new and advanced Glucerna® is designed to unlock the therapeutic benefits of nutrition to support the effective management of diabetes. Glucerna®’s unique blend is scientifically designed to promote the secretion of Insulin through the GLP-1 pathway and has 4X higher Myo-inositol*, which is a potent insulin sensitiser that helps improve insulin sensitivity for glycaemic control.
Scientifically formulated to support diabetes management. And consumption is pretty easy, just take note of the below :
Mother of 2 boys, an Entrepreneur of SY Universal Resources, a freelance writer/graphic designer, a fulltime blogger and a Certified Access Bars & Facelift Practitioner of Access Consciousness. 
