An Encounter with... Diabetic Treats

Name    : Ivie ong

Age        : 33

Where Are You From?  : Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Currently Residing In… : Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

What Do You Do For A Living? : Can I say “Live-in maid where I get my main income from and a  baker for side income”? J

AEW      : Why did you come up with the idea to research and experiment with making diabetic treats?

IV        : I enjoy baking since I was young.  I find baking therapeutic and satisfying when the end products turn out well. Of course, it sucks when I fail and have to finish the baked goods all by myself or throw it away.  Anyway, I started baking from home ever since I quit my office-bound, politic-abundant I.T. job (I am a lousy shoe-polisher). My main ‘supporters’ at that time were mainly family members, especially during festive seasons. Long story short, the idea of making diabetic treats just struck me one day after a few personal encounters with people I know.

My late grandmother was a diabetic for years. She loved her treats, especially nyonya kuih. As guilty as we knew, we continued to buy her treats. There wasn’t much of an avenue to go to for diabetic-friendly treats.

My mother-in-law is a diabetic. Her blood sugar level may not be super high but she is very strict with her food intake, especially on sweet treats. Ever since we discovered natural sugar replacer, I started baking for her on and off. I once baked some cookies for her afternoon snack. She loved them a lot and she had to ration herself to only 1 or 2 cookies a day so that the container of cookies could last longer! 

As we laughed about it, it just hit me subconsciously that it was so sad. I have a soft spot for desserts and I can’t imagine myself having to only look at desserts and not be able to eat it. How many restaurants and cafes I go to actually serve something that are diabetic-friendly? Not even a handful. In fact, I haven’t seen any myself! And that was how I decided to embark on this journey… A little niche market but I am enjoying the journey of experimenting and modifying recipes to provide a little indulgence to these people.

AEW      : What got me interested about you and what you have to offer is the fact that my Dad is diabetic. But he has a sweet tooth. Any advice?  

IV        : First of all, I am not a dietician or nutritionist, thus, I can’t give any advice from a professional point of view. Neither am I qualified to come up with diet plans. However, I do learn a lot from reading and the internet has been a wonderful source of knowledge for me. It’s about change of lifestyle to start with. Instead of refraining himself from eating sweet treats, he should slowly change his diet, slowly cut down on his sugar and carbohydrate intake. He has to take food that doesn’t suddenly raise his blood sugar level sky high. Try to go for food with as low Glycemic index (GI) as possible. Replace ‘white stuff’ such as white rice and white bread with ‘brown stuff’. Take Basmati rice instead of white rice. Take wholegrain such as barley, whole grain bread; consume legumes, fresh vegetables and fruits with low GI. Pasta in general has lower GI compared to rice and cook pasta to al dente texture (not over-cooked).

There has been a vast selection of sugar replacer in the market – artificial (i.e. aspartame such as Equal, acesulfame potassium) and natural (i.e. maltitol, isomalt, xylitol). These sugar replacers have been approved by FDA. They lower one’s calorie intake and do not raise one’s blood sugar level as high as normal sugar and carbohydrate do. However, one should still use them with controlled proportion. That boils down to portion and balance. So, if your dad still can’t take his drinks ‘kosong’ (without sugar), add a little bit of sugar replacer and he can continue to enjoy his drink. How can a Chinese "Tong Sui' have no sweetness in it? Again, he can use a little sugar replacer.Being a diabetic doesn’t mean your dad has to strictly stay off his favourite desserts forever. If all fails and there isn’t any other substitutes for his beloved desserts, he can always allow himself a tiny little piece of that sweet-little-thing while reducing the portion of other food such as bread or noodle. Last but not least, you and I know very well that we can’t ignore exercise in our life.

AEW      : I usually buy him some of those off-the-shelves cookies, jams, chocolate that are suitable for diabetic patients. How does those stuff compare to what you make?    

IV        : Freshness with lots of TLC. Hahahaha… I bake the products as close to delivery date as possible. Sugar is not the only thing diabetics have to avoid. Carbohydrates, fats and salt should also be consumed in controlled portion, something that shall be applied to everyone. Through experiments and tastings, thanks to some ‘guinea pig’ friends of mine and their honest comments, I try to produce something with less fat, salt and higher fiber content. At times, I do substitute and replace certain ingredients with something healthier such as yoghurt and oats.

AEW       : Of course, these commercialized diabetic treats cost a bloody bomb! Why are they so expensive? Is it only this part of the world that it is expensive or it is more or less a global thing?

IV        : Why? That was exactly the same question I asked my supplier. The answer I received was, there are technologies and loads of R&D done on sugar replacers. Thus, it is expensive. I am not exactly sure of the price in other parts of the world but from what I know, sugar replacer is much cheaper in countries with stronger currency, dollar to dollar. Unfortunately, with currency conversion it becomes a ‘bomb’ here.

Besides, as I mentioned earlier on, I modify and replace ingredients and certain ingredients are unfortunately not the cheapest in the market, especially when I can’t get them in bulk all the time.

AEW      : So that means a lot of poor people who are diabetic can't quite afford to satisfy their sweet-tooth?  

IV        : Yeah. That was one of the few things in my mind when I first started this. I wanted products that were not overly-priced. Unfortunately, I can’t price it too low due to the ingredients used in the products. I try to find a reasonable price model and something that is value for money. I do feel it’s a matter of perspective and personal choice. A simple local snack from the roadside stall or cafe will cost you an average of RM0.80 each. With that amount, or slightly more, you could get yourself diabetic-friendly treats. Of course, it’s still different but what I am trying to say is, it is not extremely expensive to spend slightly more on something more friendly to your body. Besides, just because these products are diabetic-friendly, it doesn’t mean you can gulp down everything at once. Which is why I emphasize on the little indulgence one can get.

AEW      : Tell me, which is your best item so far? As in, your favourite that you have researched experimented, made and finally perfected. Is this also your best-selling item?   

IV        : Personally, I love my modified version of the Lemon Sour Cream cake. I have not promoted a lot of cakes. So, I will say that my Orange Almond Cookies and Biscotti are my two best selling items.

AEW      : Do you think you will soon grow into a full-fledged Café?    

IV        : Hahahaha…. The idea of opening a café was my objective when I quit my job but that was related to gourmet coffee rather than just a café. Anyway, the idea has now been put on the back-burner and I decided to bake from home instead. So, the café idea is not in the pipeline for now but I will go as far as my diabetic treats can take me. I am always open to ideas and suggestions.

AEW      : Hmmmm…. Do you take orders? J How much advanced notice required?

IV        : Of course! For non-festive season, at least 2 days in advanced. For festive season, 1 week in advanced would be good. Do contact me beforehand, just in case I am out of town! 

AEW     : Thank you so much for your time! I would need to get my Dad some of that little treats of yours and will certainly be placing an order during the CNY! 

** Do visit Ivie's Facebook Page to see what she has to offer!