Atkins Diabetes Revolution: Control Your Carbs to Prevent and Manage Type 2 Diabetes

The twin epidemics of obesity and diabetes are a 21st-century time bomb. The Atkins organisation is renowned for their work on diabetes and this book sets out a controlled carb diet and nutrition regime to help people lose weight and prevent, treat and even reverse diabetes. The conventional 'healthy' Western diet, based upon large amounts of carbohydrates and a small amount of protein and fat, results for many people in a state of hyperinsulinism, a key factor in developing diabetes. Insulin is a hormone that helps to regulate blood sugar levels in the body. The Atkins nutritional plan, based on eating the foods that balance your hormones to regulate blood sugar levels, controls the production of insulin and is therefore a great tool in treating and preventing diabetes. The Atkins plan also promotes healthy weight loss and freedom from other conditions, such as high blood pressure and heart disease. The book contains all the nutritional information diabetes sufferers need to plan their new, healthy diet, as well as recipes so the plan can be put into practice. Two colleagues of the late Dr. Robert Atkins take on the obesity epidemic's deadly twin: type 2 diabetes. Dr. Mary Vernon and Jacqueline Eberstein, RN, adapt the carb-cutting, fat-allowing Atkins nutritional approach as a preemptive strike against this fast-growing killer. Diabetes--defined here as a condition in which glucose or blood sugar is above the normal range--is viewed as a preventable problem. "What we hope we have created in this book is a realistic and practical guide to wiping out type 2, one person at a time." Since obesity is the major risk factor for diabetes, they begin with the "fat lie" (i.e., the belief that fat causes obesity) to voice the Atkins mantra: low fat means high carbs and high carbs are broken down into sugar. With a convincing mix of essay/picture testimonials, clinical studies, quizzes, checklists, and menu planners and recipes, Vernon and Eberstein make the case for diet and lifestyle changes to alter the metabolism of those at risk for diabetes. They have done a yeoman's job of translating Atkins's medical nutrition advice into a step-by-step program. One can quibble about their missionary zeal or the omnipresent eggs in the breakfast sample menus. At times, the scientific data are overly detailed or hidden within a quiz. Thankfully, there is a spot-on summary of the book's paradigm-busting ideas in the appendix. -- Barbara Mackoff