Diabetes

Hail Merry Snacks are suitable for diabetics because they contain low amounts of carbohydrates, no refined sugars but plenty of fiber, raw plant oils including coconut oil and flavor! In fact our Grawnola contains 30-50% fewer carbs than leading brands!!

Diabetes has been our focus all week. 1 in 12 Americans has diabetes and 1 in 4 is prediabetic – that’s over 100 million of us! If diabetes is not taken seriously NOW- it will cripple our nation with health care costs. Luckily, it is possible to reverse the growing diabetes epidemic by Feeding Your Body Royally! Diabetes occurs when the body is unable to regulate the level of glucose in the blood, resulting in too much glucose being present. Over time, high blood glucose levels increase the risk of heart attack, stroke, impotence, and foot problems; and may cause serious complications, such as damaged eye blood vessels, nerve cells and kidneys. Prediabetes means that your blood sugar level is higher than normal, but it’s not yet increased enough to be classified as diabetes. Still, without intervention, prediabetes is likely to become diabetes in 10 years or less. For more information about the disease  visit the World Diabetes Foundation's site. 

Luckily a healthy lifestyle, such as eating nutritious foods, being physically active and maintaining a healthy weight can bring your blood sugar level back to normal. Carbohydrates make your blood glucose level go up. The more carbohydrates you eat, the higher your blood sugar. Therefore people with diabetes and prediabetes should count carbohydrates and eat a low-carb diet.
Hail Merry Grawnola= 17 grams carbohydrate
Hail Merry Macaroons= 10 grams carbohydrates
Hail Merry Miracle Tart= 9 grams carbohydrates

Here’s a breakdown of how exactly Hail Merry snacks fit into a diabetic plan:

Diets high in refined “long chain” polyunsaturated vegetable oils (corn, soy and canola) contribute to weight gain and increase your risk of type 2 diabetes. People who incorporate medium chain 'fatty acids', such as those found in coconut oil, into their diets can regulate blood sugar and lose body fat, thereby reducing the symptoms of type 2 diabetes.

Yesterday’s blog talked about how type 2 diabetes has reached epidemic proportions in the US and we offered some lifestyle changes to reduce your risk of developing the disease. Diabetes occurs when the body is unable to regulate the level of glucose (sugar) in the blood, resulting in too much glucose being present. Over time, high blood glucose levels increase the risk of heart attack, stroke, impotence, and foot problems; and may cause serious complications, such as damaged eye blood vessels, nerve cells and kidneys. Luckily a healthy lifestyle, such as eating nutritious foods, being physically active and maintaining a healthy weight can bring your blood sugar level back to normal.

When it comes to diet, much of the focus for diabetics is on carbohydrates. But one of the simplest diet changes you can make is to replace refined “long chain” polyunsaturated oils found in corn, soy and canola with “medium chain” fats. Fats of all types are used as building blocks for cell membranes. Refined (oxidized) polyunsaturated fats contain free radicals that adversely affect our cell membranes’ ability to allow glucose to move freely in and out of cells. Then the pancreas needs to release insulin (the fat storing hormone) to help control glucose levels and these fats are then stored in the cells for later use. In contrast, the saturated fats in coconut oil are medium chain fatty acids (MCFA’s) which are quickly broken down in the liver and absorbed into the blood as energy. Therefore, the pancreas does not need to release insulin and MCFA’s are NOT stored like long chain fats. This action helps regulate blood sugar levels. The oils in coconuts also boost energy and endurance levels and increase metabolism, which can help you lose weight and body fat, both critical to controlling diabetes. Many endurance athletes eat 1 to 3 tablespoons of coconut oil per day.

Coconut oil is a saturated fat, but contains no cholesterol since it is a plant based food. In addition, coconut oil improves digestion and absorption of fat soluble vitamins, minerals (especially calcium and magnesium), and amino acids. Diabetics can use coconut oil to help regulate blood glucose levels, increase energy levels and lose fat.

Luckily, Hail Merry offers a variety of raw, vegan and gluten-free snacks that contain coconut oil. Each serving of Merry’s Miracle Tart contains ½ tablespoon of raw coconut oil.