People, take note: the quickest way to get a sneer from me – AND my belly – is to present a product advertising low-carb and/or diabetes friendly.
I’m pretty sceptical of anything (aside from insulin of course) that is marketed specifically for diabetics. I’ve been burned far too many times. I practically broke my teeth on the diabetic candies given to me as a child, and diabetic chocolate, oh man, can you say Norwalk!
And don’t even get me started on low-carb. I know there’s a large faction of diabetics, and regular people for that matter too, who believe carbs are the devil incarnate. Yes, I understand that carbs are a huge challenge for us given that that’s where insulin dosages come in, but I do not, do not, DO NOT believe in scrapping carbs from my diet. Good, whole carbs are so freaking beneficial to overall health, they should NOT, in any way, be eliminated. And if you try and tell me that certain fruits are bad for me, I’ll pretty much punch you in the face!
Yet, it’s really quite, hmm, funny, how today I am going to sing the praises for a product that boasts both low-carb and diabetic-friendly. What???
Recently, when I received an email from Ethan Lewis, founder of Level Life Foods, asking if I’d be interested in trying his product, I’m not gonna lie, my nose did turn up, and I almost deleted the email. But there was something about it that had me clicking on the company website. I wasn’t sold, but I was intrigued.
What??? Why the change?
Simple: Ethan is a diabetic. Level Life is like FUBU for diabetics!
I was sent a large box of products – an assortment of protein drinks and granola bars. All low-carb, low sugar, high protein.
FROM THE WEBSITE: The Level Life Program and Products are designed for people who refuse to let diabetes get in their way. It’s designed to help lose weight, help level blood sugars, and help keep you moving forward.
Now, there are a lot of things about the website I don’t agree with and it’s probably because of my history with low-carb diets (I did a major one about 12 years ago, pretty much stopped eating anything with carbs, including fruit, lost an insane amount of weight, only to gain it all and then some back as soon as I stopped the diet… not cool!) but if I looked at these products as easy snacks, post-run protein shakes, and blood sugar elevators, then hells yeah, it’s a pretty darn good product.
I LOVED the milk chocolate protein drink – it was like dessert in my mouth! I kid you not, it tasted just as good, if not better than chocolate Muscle Milk! The caramel protein drink was also a lovely post-run sweet drink that not only quenched my thirst, but given its 19 grams of protein, likely also helped repair my exhausted muscles.
And the best part: there was NO holding my bum, running to the washroom episodes. For a diabetic product, that’s pretty freaking amazing!
TONIGHT’S TEMPO:
5 p.m. BG before: 8.5
Temp. basal: none
Carbs: 1/2c applesauce and 1/4c pecans (no bolus)
Time: 30 minutes, 5′ warmup, 25′ tempo
Distance: 5.44 km
Average tempo pace: 5:26 min/km (bit slower than I’d like)
6:30 p.m. BG after: 5.2
YOUR TURN: Level Life Foods is sponsoring a giveaway on this here blog. So, if you’re interested in the product for whatever reason (they’re also gluten free if you care about that!) check out the Level Life website at www.levelfoods.com, and then come back here and leave a comment as to what product you’d most like to try and why – what can I say, I’m nosy 😉 The winner will receive a premier bundle pack of bars and shakes worth $60.
A winner will be selected on Sunday, Aug. 17.
(Note: As always, while the product was sent to me free of charge, all views are my own; I was not paid in any way, shape or form to write this post.)
This couldn’t have come at a better time. I kid you not, I just text one of my best friends last night when I got back from my run asking if she knew of any lower carb, high protein recovery drinks I could have after my runs that would keep my blood sugar leveled. (I’m sick of just drinking a little Gatorade because I’m not hungry and my BS tanking again an hour later!) I would looooove to try the chocolate shake! Thanks for the giveaway!
This couldn’t have come at a better time. I kid you not, I just text one of my best friends last night when I got back from my run asking if she knew of any lower carb, high protein recovery drinks I could have after my runs that would keep my blood sugar leveled. (I’m sick of just drinking a little Gatorade because I’m not hungry and my BS tanking again an hour later!) I would looooove to try the chocolate shake! Thanks for the giveaway!
Ooohh… that caramel protein shake sounds like everything I never let myself order at coffee shops! Would love to try it.
The caramel glucose gel looks pretty freaking fantastic, but the chocolatey peanut crunch bars intrigue me too. It all looks pretty delicious, to be honest, and I, like you, tend to turn my nose up at most “diabetes friendly” foods.
would love to have my daughter try the glucose gels! Cake gel is great to keep for emergencies – but I hate the fact you need scissors to open them! these look like a great alternative for her medical kit!
The caramel shake sounds so yummy! I want to try it because most companies don’t have a caramel protein drink flavor and I happen to love caramel. Thanks for the giveaway 🙂 The bar flavors all sound great, too!
I’d like to try the chocolate shake and the Double Chocolatey Chip Bar. I’m a recently-diagnosed diabetic and I do miss my sweet treats!
I’d like to try the chocolate shake and the Double Chocolatey Chip Bar. I’m a recently-diagnosed diabetic and I miss my sweet treats!
Mmmmm I want to try…all of them?