Rating: 
Summary: Nicely written book about Diabetes
Review: I have been just diagonosed Jan 16th with Diabetes 2. After reading Elizabeth Hiser's Book all the things that had been going wrong in my body for a very long time came to light. I could easily understand the workings of diabetes, what it does to the body, the extreme need for exercise (this was the most exciting part for me because it has motivated me to exercise 1 hour a day and actually enjoy doing it because I now understand why I need to do it.)Everything about this book is great. I carry it around each day in case I want to refer to it. Thank you Elizabeth Hiser for writing this book I'm very pleased and feel better now after only 36 days than I have in years. Not to mention I've lost 16 lbs in that time with the exercise, 2 qts of water a day, & the 1500 calorie menu. Sincerely Happy, Ida Brassard Williston, Vt.
Rating: 
Summary: The Only One You Need
Review: I usually don't write a review for books that have been well-reviewed by others. But there are so many different diabetes advice books available, and, like one of the previous reviewers, I have wasted money on several of them. So I wanted to add my voice in praise of this book. Backing her information with clearly explained scientific evidence, Ms. Hiser debunks many of the myths about type II (the "other", i.e. not juvenile) diabetes, particularly about food. Ms. Hiser's book has the clearest information about the insulin resistance, which is, in fact, what most early type II diabetics or pre, or borderline diabetics have. In other words, we make the insulin, but our cells do not respond to it as efficiently as they should. The key thing to know here is that if you, the patient, do not take control NOW to reduce that insulin resistance, eventually, you will burn out the cells in your pancreas that make insulin and then there really is no turning back. This is why it has been so emphasized that in its early stages, the outcome of type II diabetes is virtually completely in the hands of the patient, not the medical profession. Ms. Hiser puts together all the best scientific data specific to type II diabetes (which is quite different from type I, and therefore leads to considerable confusion), principally the "Mediterranean diet". She explains that counting carbohydrate and fat grams per se is not effective; it is the TYPE of fat and carbohydrate you eat that affects all the factors type II diabetics need to control (LDL, HDL and triglycerides). In fact, if you eat a lowfat diet consisting of refined (fiber-depleted) carbohydrates and hydrogenated (artificially saturated) fats, you are doing yourself more harm than good. Hydrogenated fats, aside from being "bad"/saturated fats, also contain trans fats, which are the absolute worst fats you could be putting into your body, in terms of diabetes, heart disease and cancer risks. So the diabetic diet advice books I have read whose menus consist of processed, fast and junk foods are not only worthless, they are dangerous. Another positive about Ms. Hiser's book is that she emphasizes that her menu plans and recipes are only a starting off point. If the patient does not adapt the eating style to suit their preferences, then the "diet" is useless because the diet is meant to be a way of life from this point onward, not something you struggle to stick to for a few weeks and then go back to your old way of eating. Ms. Hiser also tackles a subject that most books gloss over or give outright misinformation about - including moderate alcohol in your diet. Contrary to other books that have the patient count a serving of alcohol as a fat exchange, Ms. Hiser presents the studies that show that one or two glasses or wine per day may actually reduce insulin resistance. Of course, more alcohol has the opposite effect, raising blood pressure, triglycerides and worsening the cholesterol profile. Exercise plays a role as important as diet in controlling type II diabetes, which Ms. Hiser emphasizes, but since that should go without saying, I won't address that in this review. So much media attention has been given to the "Mediterranean diet", I won't go into much detail, only to say, as Ms. Hiser does, the bottom line is to eat the "right" fats (monounsaturated) like olive and canola oils, to increase fiber and to control calories (by controlling portion sizes), especially if you need to lose weight, as most type II diabetics need to do. With this in mind, it is easy to adapt MANY of your favorite recipes (as I have done) very successfully, substituting canola oil and flaxseed meal for butter, and lowfat buttermilk or fat-free yogurt for milk and cream, for instance. The biggest challenge to those who, due to time constraints, currently eat mostly fast and processed food is the commitment to preparing your own food and snacks (her sample menus include three meals and two snacks a day). Ms. Hiser makes this as easy as possible by suggesting canned or frozen vegetables and fruits as substitutes for preparing absolutely everything from scratch. One of the key factors I personally have found in keeping eating satisfaction high is to use flavor boosters such as garlic, herbs or chilies in the recipes. And one bit of information I have not seen anywhere else is that one-quarter teaspoon of cinnamon has been reported as increasing insulin sensitivity! Such a painless experiment to try on your coffee or in your cereal! (Much easier for me than adapting to flaxseed....although I have, with the help of ground flaxseed meal). I have been on Ms. Hiser's plan for two weeks and have lost several pounds without suffering. I especially enjoy the herbed yogurt cheese and yogurt cream recipes with dinner or dessert (cinnamon baked apple with vanilla yogurt cream - yum!) . More importantly, the peripheral neuropathy pains in my hands and feet have much lessened. I await the results of my blood tests in four more weeks, but I feel sure that my glycosylated hemoglobin and cholesterol profile will be improved. Bravo and many thanks, Ms. Hiser for helping me more than any other source since I found out that I was borderline or pre-diabetic.
Rating:
Summary: excellent
Review: I was diagnosed with diabetes about 2 years ago. I have read a number of books on the subject. What I like about this book is that it talks about real food. The dessert recipes are made with real sugar. They are low sugar of course, but a number of the recipes can be fed to company. The book also confirmed something I had recently noticed. If I eat less fat, I can eat more carbohydrates with less effect on my blood sugar. I believe this book would be a great place to start for the newly diagnosed, but it is also a great review book that includes a lot of the newest ideas and theories. In addition, it has the basic understanding that food is good and good food is even better.
Rating:
Summary: excellent
Review: I was diagnosed with diabetes about 2 years ago. I have read a number of books on the subject. What I like about this book is that it talks about real food. The dessert recipes are made with real sugar. They are low sugar of course, but a number of the recipes can be fed to company. The book also confirmed something I had recently noticed. If I eat less fat, I can eat more carbohydrates with less effect on my blood sugar. I believe this book would be a great place to start for the newly diagnosed, but it is also a great review book that includes a lot of the newest ideas and theories. In addition, it has the basic understanding that food is good and good food is even better.
Rating:
Summary: 6 MONTHS AND STILL GLOWING
Review: I WROTE A REVIEW BACK IN FEBRUARY OF 2001 WHEN I HAD JUST LOST 20 LBS AFTER READING THIS WONDERFUL BOOK. I HAVE CONTINUED TO DO WHAT ELIZABETH RECOMMENDED IN HER BOOK AND NOW HAVE 45 LBS OFF. I HAVE NEVER FELT SO HEALTHY AND FOUND LOSING WEIGHT SO EASY. SHE EXPLAINS THE "WHY" OF DIABETES AND INSULIN RESISTANCE IN EVERY DAY LANGUAGE SO I COULD PUT IT INTO PRACTICE WITH JOY AND ENTHUSIAM. I WILL ALWAYS BE GRATEFUL TO HER FOR WRITING THIS BOOK. MY LAST A1C TEST ONE WEEK AGO WAS 5.0. THANKS ELIZABETH!!!! THIS BOOK IS FOR ANYONE WHO WANTS TO LOSE WEIGHT THE HEALTHY WAY, NOT JUST DIABETICS.
Rating:
Summary: Easy to understand, very informative and fun to read.
Review: Ms. Hiser is a gifted writer because she can write about very complecated scientific topics in a way that is not only easy for the average reader to understand, it is fun and entertaining, as well as extremely informative. I would recommend this all-in-one book to anyone suffering from or at risk for Type II Diabetes, and at Hiser's suggestion, the Mediterranean Diet to anyone who wants to live a long, healthy life!
Rating: 
Summary: Average summary on Type II diabetes
Review: This book offers an average summary on Type II diabetes. I read it in one sitting and immediately passed it along to someone else. It is not a book that I felt that I ever would need to refer to again, but I didn't feel like it was inaccurate, incomplete or misleading either.
Rating:
Summary: Nutrition for People with Type 2 Diabetes
Review: This is a book about type 2 diabetes, the type that is most prevalent, but the one that does not get its due share of publicity. The perspective of the book is good nutrition and how that impacts type 2 diabetes. You will read about "good fats" (monounsaturated), fiber, carbohydrates, and supplements. You'll get lots of recipes-almost half the book consists of meal plans and recipes. And beyond nutrition, there is some general information on type 2 diabetes, exercise, and weight loss. This is not a comprehensive book on type 2 diabetes, but its focus on nutrition is very practical. And you don't need to have diabetes to benefit from the nutrition information presented in this book. The book is interesting, almost conversational in tone, and when I was finished I felt like I learned a lot about nutrition and "the other diabetes."
Rating:
Summary: Diabetes prevention as well as treatment
Review: This superb and highly readable book provide much information to help a person with type 2 diabetes take an active role in managing his or her illness. But the book also has information that is important to anyone who is at risk for type 2 diabetes. If you have a family history of type 2 diabetes, or if you are overweight and sedentary, you should read this book soon -- BEFORE you succumb to the illness. Once you get diabetes, you can't put it back: it's non-returnable.
Rating:
Summary: Great for Beginners
Review: When my husband was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, I knew nothing about diabetes or what to do to help. I purchased 3 books and then 3 more. This book was the greatest help to me. Ms. Hiser explains enough, and then she tells you how to handle this condition. Her suggestions were so reasonable and explained in a way that gives you the confidence to proceed. The recipes in the back are very tasty and easy to prepare. This book is the best of the 6 I have read on this subject, both for information and for practical help with the everyday management of type 2 diabetes. Thank you Ms. Hiser!
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