3 posts tagged “diabetic diet”
This week we've had the privilege of being featured on two excellent authors' blogs, both praising Know Your Numbers, Outlive Your Diabetes as "just what the doctor ordered" for people with diabetes everywhere.
First off, emerging novelist Martha O'Connor has hosted a lengthy interview with me, Amy Tenderich, all about how the KYN book came to be, what's behind it, and what the co-authoring experience was like. (Writers eat that stuff up,
Martha's interest in diabetes is highly personal, as one of her 9-year-old twins was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes about two years ago. Among other things, she asks : "What advice would you give to us parents about getting our kids responsible for their own health without scaring them? How can this book benefit us and them?" which struck me right in the heart, being a mother of three myself.
Here's my reply: "... I think if it were my children, I’d want to send them off into the world with the clearest possible strategy for living well with diabetes and avoiding diabetic complications. That means in addition to checking their blood glucose before meals and fine-tuning insulin doses, they need to keep an eye on the “big picture” by monitoring these 5 key health risks regularly.
"I hear so many stories of kids that did well under their parents’ care, but then went into serious “neglect mode” for a whole chunk of years during college and young adulthood. As a parent, I would try to drum into their heads that they need to know their A1C, blood pressure, lipid, microalbumin, and eye exam scores at all times, and know what to do about it if something is out of range. Even if complications start to set in, all of the damage is treatable or in many cases reversible if it’s caught early."
All of these factors should be checked regularly in anyone with diabetes passed puberty. This book truly was meant to be the instructional guide to long-term good health with diabetes, so we do hope that parents can apply this knowledge to preparing their Type 1 kids for taking care of themselves down the road. Thank you, Martha! (Read the full interview HERE)
Next up, journalist and health author Connie Bennett welcomes Know Your Numbers to her Sugar Shock! blog. Connie's had a personal struggle with reactive hypoglycemia, and has become an expert on the topic. She calls herself the "ex-sugar-shrew," having eradicated refined sugar from her diet.
Connie is a big supporter of the hands-on-strategies approach of our book, and even remarks: "No longer can people with diabetes plead: 'Oh, I don't know what to do.' Neither will they be able to bemoan: 'I'm confused about how to manage my diabetes' ...
... (because) the new book teaches readers to understand, track, and prioritize their five
most critical health factors -- A1c, blood pressure, lipids (HDL, LDL,
triglycerides), microalbumin, and yearly eye exam. What's more, patients who find that any of those five values are out
of range, will find in the book "detailed strategies and doable action
plans for improving them."
You got it, Connie! Thanks for helping us get the word out. Read Connie's complete KYN post HERE.
Our Virtual Book Tour for the Know Your Numbers, Outlive Your Diabetes Book has begun!
Have a look at our first stop over at Healthy Concerns.com. Elisa Camahort reports on "health care from the patient's point of view." She features an interview with Dr. Jackson on a variety of topics, including:
* Don't patients know the symptoms of pre-diabetes?
* Do insurers cover the basic health risk tests?
and
* What about vegetarian and vegan diets and diabetes?
Check it out!
Next stop is at the interesting and highly influential Health Care Blog by Matthew Holt. This expert on the in's and out's of the health care system was kind enough to invite me to shed some light on diabetes care and why our book represents a turning point.
It's a do-it-yourself (DIY) disease, after all.
Commenters have some interesting things to say:
"Physician-centered chronic disease care works poorly." Yup.
"... the actual quality measures right now mean very little in regards to the actual day-to-day care of a chronic disease. Just a big disconnect." Agreed!
"One thing this book won't do is change the junk food crap and industrial food crap causing diabetes." Weeelll...
I responded to that last one by saying we actually do include a big, fat chapter on dealing with food (pun sort-of intended). It's harder, of course, when people have grown up with unhealthy eating habits and are used to overindulging. But we're working to chip away at this epidemic with some very practical advice.
Also see my latest column on dLife.com: "Good Health by the Numbers: A DIY Approach." This pretty well sums it up. Stay tuned for more Virtual Book Tour.
“What a great book! It helps you not only understand your five most essential health factors, but also guides you in setting doable action plans. You’ll find very serious topics – including the complications of diabetes – addressed in a fresh, upbeat (and even humorous) style. Dr. Jackson, a seasoned Joslin endocrinologist and researcher, and Amy Tenderich, a journalist who has type 1 diabetes, make a perfect team blending academics and real-world diabetes experience. They give readers confidence and hope that a long and healthy life with diabetes is possible. This book can be a huge help for anyone with diabetes!”
— Melinda D. Maryniuk, Certified Diabetes Educator, Joslin Diabetes Center Boston, named American Diabetes Association Outstanding Educator of the year for 2005
