Defeating Diabetes

Most of the book reasonably covers the disease and associated problems. The problem is that the authors advocate the mostly carbohydrate diet which may not work well if you have Type II diabetes with obesity and insulin resistance. If you have Type II diabetes and you are obese, you most likely have "thrifty genes" so large amounts of carbohydrates do not make any sense to me to either control blood glucose or loose weight. If you have the apple shape you may want to consider other dietary options. I suggest that you use your meter or at least your HB1AC readings to determine what is right for you. If carbs make you numbers go high, then carbs may not be for you.

This book gives comprehensive dietary and nutrition information to empower readers. Because diet and lifestyle factors are the primary causes of Type 2 diabetes, most Type 2's can control their diabetes completely. This is good news because the health problems that can occur as a result of untreated diabetes include blindness, early heart disease, and amputation of body parts. With over half of those with Type 2 not knowing they have it, following the suggestions in the book makes sense whether you have diabetes or not. The authors explain ways to catch diabetes and pre-diabetes (the precursor to diabetes). They explain insulin resistance and point out that although being overweight puts one at high risk for diabetes, one can be thin and have insulin problems due to "metabolic obesity," which is explained further in the book. Blood-sugar levels and factors affecting them are clearly explained. The myth that simple sugars are bad and complex carbohydrates are not is dispelled. "This is not only a gross oversimplification; it is inaccurate. Simple carbohydrates are found in highly refined, nutrient-depleted foods like table sugar, but they are also found in highly nutritious whole foods like fruits and vegetables. Complex carbohydrates are found in heavily processed foods like white bread and pastries, but are also present in nutrient-dense foods such as wheat berries and beans." Knowing glycemic indexes is important, but understanding how other foods affect blood-sugar control (like fats) is also important. Factors such as the following are considered: the number of grams of carbohydrate present; the type of sugar (glucose, fructose, sucrose, lactose); the amount and type of fiber present; the kind of the starch (amylose versus amylopectin); the form of the food (cooked, raw, dry, liquefied, paste, ground, or otherwise processed); and the presence of other components in the food or in foods eaten with the carbohydrate-rich food. The authors offer a two-step process for dietary reform. "Step 1 - Take out the trash" and "Step 2 - Pile on the protectors." Trans fatty acids are an example of an item on the trash list. In a recent Nurses Health Study, replacing 2 % of calories from trans fatty acids with polyunsaturated fat reduced the risk for type 2 diabetes by 40%. The authors pinpoint many health-promoting foods. For example, many whole plant foods contain phytochemicals and antioxidants, and blueberries are "one of the most protective foods on the planet." Their ability to quench free radicals from the body was found to be the highest, often 5 times higher than most other vegetables and fruits. Other protectors in food such as fiber, plant protein, and certain fats are given thorough treatments as well. Another section of the book includes "Healthy Weight for Life." "Obesity . . .elevates your risk of most of the chronic degenerative diseases plaguing the Western world. The strength of this link cannot be ignored." The problems with hi