12 posts tagged “insulin resistance”
Dr. William Polonsky, author of Diabetes Burnout and founder of the San-Diego based Behavioral Diabetes Institute loves Know Your Numbers, Outlive Your Diabetes. Here's what he had to say:
"What a wonderful book! While diabetes can feel confusing and overwhelming, we know that it doesn't have to be --
Thanks for the insights, Bill. Check out the book on Amazon.com HERE.
Kevin McMahon is President & CEO of Diabetech, makers of the GlucoMON wireless blood glucose monitoring system, the HomeCheck A1c system, and more. He will be speaking on "remote diagnostics tools" at the upcoming
"What a refreshing read! KISS for Diabetes might be an alternative title that
describes this book and how people can approach their diabetes. As a healthcare
technologist and provider of diabetes programs, we see patients all the time who
don't know what to do and are standing in place with their diabetes. This is a
progressive disease and if you don't keep up it can easily get away from
you."
"Providing an easy to read guide that points out a few basic diagnostic tests (measure) and what those #s mean (understand), a person with minimal confidence and proficiency has a step by step guide for action (act)."
"I especially appreciated a key message on page 9, 'Learning to take care of your health is like learning to drive; with good driving skills you can successfully navigate your own road, and even take your own detours if need be. Taking control of your diabetes is therefore not a one-time deal but an ongoing program.'"
"My hope is that more people will pick up this book and
understand that diabetes is about connecting the dots and making sense of your
numbers as a reflection of where you've been, reorient yourself with that
understanding and head off in a strategic direction. This book can help any
person with diabetes to take that next step toward better control of their
diabetes."
-- Kevin McMahon, President & CEO, Diabetech, LP
www.healthcordia.com
Wow! And as if that weren't enough to make these two authors happy, the June issue of Costco's monthly member magazine, Costco Connection is out, with a nice write-up on the Know Your Numbers book on page 37. Read the article HERE.
A little something for everyone connected to diabetes, ay?
News flash! Two more exciting endorsements that came in just this week:
"Knowledge is power. This book provides important information that people with diabetes need for making decisions and taking charge of their health."
— Martha M. Funnell,
MS, RN, CDE,
University of Michigan Diabetes Research and Training Center
“There is no need to hide in fear of diabetic complications. ‘Know Your Numbers’ takes some rather serious and complex issues and simplifies them so that everyone can benefit. The ‘Health Account’ concept alone makes the book a must-read!”
— Gary Scheiner
MS, CDE,
Owner/Director, Integrated Diabetes Services
Author, Think Like a Pancreas and The Ultimate Guide to Accurate Carb Counting
Well now, I suppose you know your book about diabetes is ON THE MAP when it's available via the Joslin Diabetes Center online store. Of course, it helps that Dr. Jackson has been a fixture at that world-leading diabetes treatment
He is Medical Director Joslin's highly successful DO IT (Diabetes Outpatient Intensive Treatment) program -- an intensive outpatient seminar that combines teaching and training with actual on-site exercise and meal sessions. In other words, patients spend 3-1/2 days of intensive time with Joslin doctors, nutritionists and exercise physiologists getting to the bottom of their own most pressing health issues with diabetes. There's nothing quite like it.
And Dr. Jackson always felt that the majority of patients attending the DO IT program would have been in much better shape upon arrival if they'd had early access to the info in our book, i.e. the details of the 5 key tests to monitor your health with diabetes. This was his major incentive to write the book, he tells me.
The reason that we both care is that we both know lots of people who have feelings, ideas, and
opinions about their diabetes, but don’t really know the actual status of their
own health. Too often they focus one
factor, like glucose readings, or food… with
constant frustration... because their idea of "doing good" is very vague indeed. But we felt there must be a better way Because now, for the first time in history,
the specific tools and knowledge you
need to live long and well with diabetes are readily available.
Consider this (from our Preface):
In the
past, people were essentially groping in the dark with their diabetes. The
tests and methods available were so primitive that it really was like fumbling
in a dark room towards the door marked "Exit Here for a Long and Health Life" that you knew was there, but couldn’t see.
Since doctors could only guess at their daily glucose levels, for example, patients were subjected to all sorts of drills—like eating the same bland food for dinner every night for years on end—in the hopes that this would keep their diabetes in control.
But now
the light in that dark room has been switched on! Improved laboratory tests and
advanced tools like home glucose meters let you see where you’re going—and
sometimes you’ll find there are even different paths to reach the same door marked "Exit Here for a Long and Health Life" on the other side of room. So you even have some flexibility in your
health improvement choices.
That's the approach, folks. Publisher's Group UK calls it "a brilliant idea whose time has come."
Score!! Deb Manzella, a respected NY-based RN who writes for the New York Times Company's About.com/diabetes, has just come out giving Know Your Numbers, Outlive Your Diabetes perfect marks. Here's what she had to say:
"Cons? There are no cons. It's the perfect diabetes reference handbook."
This after she offers a meaty list of Pros for the book:
- Gives a comprehensive gameplan for managing the five most important areas of diabetes management
- Outlines the tests you need and tells you why they're important
- Gives you the science behind the numbers in easy to understand language
- Gives you the tools to bring your test results into the range you need.
- Gives additional advice about nutrition, exercise, medications, and much, much more.
"...This book is a terrific resource for diabetes management. After you learn the five most important tests, the book gives you the tools you need to keep your test results as normal as possible. Exercise, nutrition, medications, glucometers and other equipment all influence what your own personal test results will be.
"Beyond the basics, Dr. Jackson and Ms. Tenderich also address coping issues, healthcare basics, and resources to turn to for support and more information.
"Also, charts and diary pages to help you keep track of your results and your progress. This book stresses that knowing your numbers and working to improve them is the road to a complication-free life, and it gives you the tools to achieve it, too."
Read the FULL REVIEW here.
We're especially pleased with Deb's response knowing that she has extensive experience helping patients with diabetes, from teaching the newly
diagnosed, to providing continuing care for diabetic
patients in the hospital. She's a strong advocate for "Knowledge Is Power" -- a lady after our own hearts...
Wow, more high praise from the ultimate source: a very knowledgeable and articulate patient. Allie Beatty, who reports on all things diabetes over at TheDiabetesBlog.com and lives with Type 1 herself, has published a glowing review of "Know Your Numbers, Outlive Your Diabetes." Here's what she has to say:
"The book is a priceless addition to any diabetic library. It begins by explaining the five tests that are the cornerstones for monitoring your overall health with diabetes. These tests are: A1c, blood pressure, lipids, microalbumin, and an annual eye exam. You may think you know it all because you've been there, done that. But do you really know - what it tests, why it's done, and what your numbers should look like....?"
"I was impressed beyond my expectations... I was looking for a
good guidebook on diabetes care. No ma'am. This book is AWESOME!"
See the full review HERE. Thank you kindly, Allie and the Weblogs, Inc., team.
* * *
In addition, see our latest Virtual Book Tour appearances at these fine blogs:
Diabetes Notes - Rob Rummel-Hudson says "I’m not saying that your very SURVIVAL depends on you going and purchasing Amy’s book just as soon as you finish reading this. But really, why take the chance?" (~grin~)
GruntDoc - Dr. Robert Allen kindly notes, "If it at all interests you, please get a copy!"
Our exciting new hands-on guide to controlling your health with diabetes, Know Your Numbers, Outlive Your Diabetes, continues its tour of the Internet this week at Kudos for Low-Carb, a fitness and health blog by certified sports nutritionist Dr. Carol Bardelli.
Dr. Bardelli has hosted an interview with me, Amy (please squint when viewing the huge photo; I look younger that way) covering an awful lot of ground. She wanted to know everything from "Why are patients often non-compliant?" to
"Why is exercise so crucial to diabetes management, and how can people get motivated to fit it into their busy lifestyles?" Oy, lots to say on that second one there.
Not surprisingly, we also talk a lot about foods and eating. "What's your take on limiting refined carbohydrate foods like white rice, white flour breads, potatoes and pasta?" Dr. Bardelli asks.
Weeelll... personally, living gluten-free, I eat a lot of protein -- fish, chicken, and lean beef -- and vegetables in every imaginable form. I still take a fiber supplement because the gluten-free baked goods are generally made from rice or potato flour, which don't offer as much dietary fiber as the nice whole-grain breads other people can eat.
Here are a few general tips on eating with diabetes that we offer in the book:
• A carb is a carb — most carbs, whatever kind they are, have the same effect on your body; they convert to glucose, so keeping tabs on the overall amount of carbs you eat is important
• "Sugar-free" is not carb-free! — don't let marketing labels fool you into believing that some carbs "don't count"
• Fiber does the trick — high fiber content in a food (more than 5 grams per serving) can reduce the impact of that food on your blood glucose
• Eye on portion size — the most important thing you can do when dining out is limiting the "super-size" portions served. Try sharing an entree with a friend, or using the 50-50 Plate Rule, which says you should fill half your plate with high-fiber foods like fruit, fibrous vegetables, and grains, and the other half should be split between protein and other vegetables.
We also stress that when you have diabetes, striking a balance is everything. Your body needs a variety of foods in moderate amounts. And eating should be enjoyable.
Check out the interview at Kudos for Low Carb now. What I liked best about this experience was Dr. B's reply email to me, saying that her husband had proof-read the piece, and "commented that he expected a dry and boring piece because of the subject matter, but (he) was pleasantly surprised and found it very intriguing and readable!"
Thank you kindly, Mr. Dr. B. I try to make it a point never to write anything "dry and boring" -- and this goes for our book as well, I do hope!
We got our official first book review a few days ago. Manny Hernandez, bilingual healthcare blogger and Top Amazon reviewer, had this to say:
"Since the publishing of Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Solution, I haven't encountered such a compelling and intuitive title for diabetics. I highly recommend it."
Quite the compliment!! We are honored, to say the least.
Here's the full text of Manny's review:
I am a type I diabetic. Then again, I am also an Amazon.com reviewer.
So whenever I can get my hands on a good book on diabetes or its
treatment, I do. The most recent book on the topic I've had a chance to
read has been Know Your Numbers, Outlive Your Diabetes: 5 Essential Health Factors You Can Master to Enjoy a Long and Healthy Life.
The book, which takes a little under 300 pages, combines the medical knowledge of Dr. Jackson with the real life experience of Amy, who dedicated herself to writing about diabetes after being diagnosed with type I diabetes in May 2003, in her mid-thirties. The result is an amazing title aimed at focusing the diabetic patient on five fundamental factors to help him/her lead a long and healthy life. These factors are: your A1C, your blood pressure, your lipids, your microalbumin and your eye exam, to discard retinopathy.
After showing readers through the five main indicators, the authors present courses of action to track them and maintain them in control through exercise, food/diet, medications and monitoring. Towards the end of the book, there are chapters dedicated to the understanding of both type II and type I diabetes, as well as the so-called metabolic syndrome and the actual dangers faced by children of diabetics. The last few chapters deal with travel, feet and mouth care, emotional care and alternative treatment options for diabetics.
Though the book has a slight emphasis on type II diabetes, honestly all diabetics can find useful information in it. Since the publishing of Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Solution, I haven't encountered such a compelling and intuitive title for diabetics. I highly recommend it.
“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
“Even those without diabetes will wish they had it just so they can use this book. Know Your Numbers, Outlive Your Diabetes is written by two great authors espousing a positive and practical approach to better health. This book allows even the mathematically inept to understand their lab values and what area of their health is most important to work on. Targets for the five critical areas: A1c, blood pressure, lipids, microalbumin, and the eye exam, how to achieve them, and what order is most important to work on are presented.”
— John Walsh, PA, CDE, and Ruth Roberts, MA, authors of Pumping Insulin and Using Insulin
