I have been compensated by Glucerna for this post; however, I am sharing my own thoughts. All opinions are my own. #SteadyIsExciting

Very often I refer to my maternal grandmother in my posts, she was a great cook. I owe my passion for cooking to her. One of my favorite things to do when I visited her, was to kneel on a chair next to the kitchen counter, where I could see firsthand how she scaled and cleaned fresh fish, plucked feathers off a chicken after soaking it in boiling water, and I learn most of the basic cooking at a very early age watching her. What I’ve never mentioned here is that my Tata suffered greatly with diabetes. She was the strongest woman I’ll ever know. Growing up I never paid enough attention to the insulin shots she had to give herself every day, or the different type of sugar she used to put in her coffee. She was strong, demanding, and very strict, as any Latina grandma would be. It wasn’t until my teenage years, when I had to move in with grandma in order to attend banking school; that I noticed how quickly she was deteriorating due to diabetes. First, she lost her vision, this happened gradually, but it got to a point where she would ask me to turn the light on, when it was on. She couldn’t cook anymore, or go anywhere without one of us to guide her. It was really hard to see the strong, independent woman I knew, become dependent to everyone else’s schedule. When Tata passed, at 65, she was only half of the person she used to be. She had been blind for 10 years, she had both legs amputated, most importantly, she had lost herself in the fight with diabetes, and her heart gave up.

Diabetes is a complicated illness, there are different types. I am no expert, the way I understand it is, that diabetes causes your body’s sugar levels to rise higher than normal. The pancreas normally produces insulin to help storage the sugar, for people with diabetes the sugar levels are so high that at some point the pancreas cannot create enough insulin, or simply stops creating it. I didn’t realize that Hispanics and Latinos are at high risk for developing type 2 diabetes. It is very important for people that suffer with diabetes to follow a strict diet, and always follow doctor’s advice. Here is where Glucerna comes in. Glucerna was created to help manage blood sugar spikes using CARBSTEADY® – slowly digestible carbs, which break down slower than regular carbs – to help minimize blood sugar response.

Glucerna has a variety of products, that makes it easy to incorporate them in a daily meal plan, including shakes, and nutrition bars. Single servings are easy to grab on the go. You can find all the products, and information about Glucerna on their website.

Glucerna is the #1 Doctor recommended brand of nutritional products formulated for people with diabetes. It contains CARBSTEADY®, a blend of slow-digestible carbohydrates clinically proven to help minimize blood sugar spikes. With a variety of flavors, Glucerna shakes and bars help people with diabetes manage both their blood sugar spikes and hunger. Get 10% Off Glucerna Shakes & Nutrition Bars at Target.

This past weekend we planned to make dinner with my in-laws. I thought it would be the perfect way to introduce my mother-in-law, who is diabetic, to Glucerna. I headed over to Target in Sun Prairie, it was really easy to find Glucerna; I figured it would be in the same aisle as the nutrition bars and shakes, it actually has its own display at the end of the aisle, in front of the pharmacy. I was also able to get a 10% discount using the Target Cartwheel offer! 🙂

For this Carrot & Ginger soup recipe, I am using the Glucerna Vanilla Shake. This recipe is really easy, it can be done in 20 minutes or so, and it reheats nicely. The vanilla shake is used in place of cream, the ginger flavor is subtle, and the orange peel gives this soup a nice aroma, and an elevated after taste that is simply delicious. Now that you know a little bit more about diabetes, and Glucerna, let’s get cooking.

Ingredients:
(Serves 4)

2 8oz. bottles Vanilla Glucerna Shake
1 lb. baby carrots
1 1/2 tablespoon margarine
1 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 teaspoon chicken soup base
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 teaspoon peeled and chopped ginger root
3/4 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon grated orange peel
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

In a medium pan, boil the carrots until tender. Meanwhile, heat a skillet over medium heat, melt margarine, add chopped onions and chicken soup base. Cook until the onion is translucent, about 8 minutes. In a blender, combine onion mixture, cooked carrots, Glucerna shake, water, ginger, coriander, orange peel, and pepper. Blend until smooth. Heat to serving temperature, making sure it doesn’t boil. Serve & enjoy!
Optional: save one tablespoon Glucerna Shake to garnish the soup after serving.

On a personal note, I always wonder if there was anything more I could’ve done to help my Tata. If you, or anyone you love, struggles trying to manage diabetes; you can help by getting informed, and helping them stay on track. Here is a good article from Glucerna – 8 Easy ways to control your diabetes.

The 10% Off Glucerna Shakes and Nutrition Bars at Target, ends January 30th.

My mother in law was delighted with this soup! 🙂