The last week has seen some insanely busy activity around here and I am so excited to share some incredible news with my readers! What I started as a small health change for myself has become a huge benefit for Dylan.
About a month a half ago I signed up to begin the Body by Vi 90 Day Challenge. I received my shake mix and faithfully made my yummy shakes every morning. Within a few days I noticed how much better I was feeling. I had more energy, was sleeping more soundly, and had a significantly more positive outlook on life. Soon after I noticed I was running further and faster, and had lost the few stubborn pounds I had been trying to shed for months. And most importantly, I hadn't had a single hypoglycemic episode since starting the challenge. That's pretty amazing considering I usually have 4 or 5 per week.
I sat down and thoroughly read the nutritional information about the product. I did some research on the company history and management, and read numerous articles and blogs written by others that has experience with this product. Everything was positive. This stuff really works.
And then the light bulb went on. If this product was making me feel so fabulous, what if I gave it to Dylan? It says "diabetes friendly" on the bag, but what does that really mean? So I made Dylan a shake one morning (with the suggested child serving size) and we monitored his blood sugar afterwards. We tested prior to the shake, and his pump delivered insulin based on his current blood sugar, iob, and the carbs he was about to ingest. We tested every 10 minutes for 2 hours after drinking the shake and the results spoke for themselves. No big spike, not even a medium spike. This product resulted in almost no change in his blood sugar at all.
So what is it? The nutritional shake mix is a powder substance that is added to a minimum of water or milk. But the best way to take it is in a smoothie, which is how Dylan loves it. His first shake consisted of 1 scoop of shake mix, 8 ounces of skim milk, 1/2 a large banana, and 1/2 dozen medium fresh strawberries. Total carbs without the shake mix would have been 33 grams, including 3.2 grams of dietary fiber, leaving 29.8 grams net carbs. It also would have had 1 gram of fat and 167 calories.
The shake mix, per child sized serving, adds the following benefits: 6 grams of easily digestible protein, 2.8 of fiber, probiotics, and 30% of your recommended daily needs of many vitamins and minerals. Plus, it has only 45 calories, 0.5 grams of fat, and only 1 carb!
What does that mean for a type 1 or type 2 diabetic? It means someone like Dylan can actually enjoy a fruit smoothie without having to deal with the super spike in blood sugar that would usually follow, because the high protein slows down the release of glucose (from the fruit) into the bloodstream. This means that the glucose is released steadily over about a 2 hour period, instead of all at once 15 minutes after ingesting. Not to mention the fiber makes him full for a while and the vitamins and minerals and helping his body stay at its optimal condition. Finally, the product is gluten free, lactose free, contains a soy based protein (no animal products), is low sodium, and costs only 75 cents per child size serving. This is something that we will continue to use in our household for a long time to come.
Questions? Leave me a comment or send me a message and I'd be happy to answer! Or check out this website for more info:
Body by Vi 90 Day Challenge.
