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The Diabetes Diet: Dr. Bernstein's Low-Carbohydrate Solution
This low-carb diet book is geared towards diabetics. An engineer by training, Bernstein pioneered blood glucose self-monitoring and the tight control of blood sugar that is now accepted as the standard treatment of diabetes.
291 pages, Hardcover
First published January 3, 2005
149 people are currently reading
163 people want to read
About the author
Richard K. Bernstein
10 books35 followersRichard K. Bernstein was an American physician and an advocate for a low-carbohydrate diabetes diet to help achieve normal blood sugars for diabetics. Bernstein had type 1 diabetes. His private medical practice in Mamaroneck, New York was devoted solely to treating diabetes and prediabetes.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
October 15, 2008
The Diabetes Diet
By Richard K. Bernstein M.D.
SYNOPSIS:
This is not a novel. It’s informative text on one diabetic/doctor’s experience with this disease. He offers incite into the cause, management and prevention to this problem that is plaguing Americans.
REVIEW:
Did you know that insulin is the ONLY reason we retain fat! Well this idea was news to me and caught me from the beginning. I also learned what it means to have a ‘carb addiction’ and what happens when you are insulin resistant. I was absolutely astounded when I read which foods cause blood sugar levels to spike. I knew it wasn’t just refined sugar, but I had no idea whole grains were a nemesis along with some beans and practically ALL fruit! Wow.
Not only was I impressed by the information provided but I also loved how Dr. Bernstein came to these findings and conclusions. He has been a diabetic since his youth and started running experiments on himself. He was a forty-something-year-old engineer when he decided to go to medical school in order for his research to be taken seriously by the medical community. I loved that! It’s never too late to do hard things and accomplish your hearts desire.
I think I read the entire book with my mouth opened in disbelief at what was being presented. Rather than blindly take his word for it, I decided to get my own blood sugar meter and put it to the test. Many finger pricks and 10 lost pounds later, he made a believer out of me. Some critics will say his stringent diet is unnecessary due to the availability of insulin injections, medications and/or a functioning pancreas. To them I say…it may be so, but if I can be disciplined to only fuel my body with what is necessary won’t that empower me in more ways than one? I thoroughly enjoyed this book and give it 4-stars.
By Richard K. Bernstein M.D.
SYNOPSIS:
This is not a novel. It’s informative text on one diabetic/doctor’s experience with this disease. He offers incite into the cause, management and prevention to this problem that is plaguing Americans.
REVIEW:
Did you know that insulin is the ONLY reason we retain fat! Well this idea was news to me and caught me from the beginning. I also learned what it means to have a ‘carb addiction’ and what happens when you are insulin resistant. I was absolutely astounded when I read which foods cause blood sugar levels to spike. I knew it wasn’t just refined sugar, but I had no idea whole grains were a nemesis along with some beans and practically ALL fruit! Wow.
Not only was I impressed by the information provided but I also loved how Dr. Bernstein came to these findings and conclusions. He has been a diabetic since his youth and started running experiments on himself. He was a forty-something-year-old engineer when he decided to go to medical school in order for his research to be taken seriously by the medical community. I loved that! It’s never too late to do hard things and accomplish your hearts desire.
I think I read the entire book with my mouth opened in disbelief at what was being presented. Rather than blindly take his word for it, I decided to get my own blood sugar meter and put it to the test. Many finger pricks and 10 lost pounds later, he made a believer out of me. Some critics will say his stringent diet is unnecessary due to the availability of insulin injections, medications and/or a functioning pancreas. To them I say…it may be so, but if I can be disciplined to only fuel my body with what is necessary won’t that empower me in more ways than one? I thoroughly enjoyed this book and give it 4-stars.
January 20, 2013
I had diabetes while pregnant and I never want to give myself insulin injections again. The best defence against adult-onset diabetes is to have a normal to lean body weight. However, I have wrestled with conflicting recommendations on how to lose weight. I asked myself, why wait until I have diabetes to eat in a way that controls my blood sugar. This book is full of useful information. Let's see whether I can make this way of eating work for me over the long-term.
June 18, 2019
I read this book, primarily to get the recipes, after reading Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Solution book. Much of this book (except the recipes) is taken from that larger tome.
First of all, the recipes... They are really good! I served the citrus swordfish at a dinner party and my guests loved it. Just make sure that you do your own carb calculations. I found the carbs for the chili to be off because the recipe claimed fewer carbs in the specified chili base than the jar stated. But I find this problem with all low carb cookbooks. Ingredients are of different sizes, commercial products change; recipe books can't keep up.
Neither this book or Bernstein's other book are for the faint of heart, that is those that are not deadly serious about controlling their blood sugar without the up and down roller coaster of insulin injections. If you think you are serious but don't want to give up fruit, whole grains, and other so called 'healthy' food, you probably won't appreciate the approach.
Although the ADA keeps inching closer, most doctors following ADA guidelines also don't embrace the premises that Dr. Bernstein asserts, either. But it works. I manage the diabetes of a newly diagnosed loved one; when he eats high protein/ very low carb, his blood sugar stays low and steady. When he eats even a 25 carb meal (still low by most standards) he goes way high and then way low.
Understand that a main point in the book is that diabetics deserve the same low, steady blood sugars as non-diabetics. But doctors worry that low BG targets will lead to hypoglycemia. They miss the point that such a diet eliminates the highs and lows so there is LESS chance of hypoglycemia.
So try it for yourself but be prepared to do battle with you doctor, nutritionist, and other 'experts'.
First of all, the recipes... They are really good! I served the citrus swordfish at a dinner party and my guests loved it. Just make sure that you do your own carb calculations. I found the carbs for the chili to be off because the recipe claimed fewer carbs in the specified chili base than the jar stated. But I find this problem with all low carb cookbooks. Ingredients are of different sizes, commercial products change; recipe books can't keep up.
Neither this book or Bernstein's other book are for the faint of heart, that is those that are not deadly serious about controlling their blood sugar without the up and down roller coaster of insulin injections. If you think you are serious but don't want to give up fruit, whole grains, and other so called 'healthy' food, you probably won't appreciate the approach.
Although the ADA keeps inching closer, most doctors following ADA guidelines also don't embrace the premises that Dr. Bernstein asserts, either. But it works. I manage the diabetes of a newly diagnosed loved one; when he eats high protein/ very low carb, his blood sugar stays low and steady. When he eats even a 25 carb meal (still low by most standards) he goes way high and then way low.
Understand that a main point in the book is that diabetics deserve the same low, steady blood sugars as non-diabetics. But doctors worry that low BG targets will lead to hypoglycemia. They miss the point that such a diet eliminates the highs and lows so there is LESS chance of hypoglycemia.
So try it for yourself but be prepared to do battle with you doctor, nutritionist, and other 'experts'.
July 29, 2019
I first met the work of Dr. Bernstein in an article in Diabetes Self-Management Magazine, and as a result bought his book Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Solution, which I have also reviewed. I consider his work something that changed my life. I was headed towards increased problems caused by my failure to get control over my blood sugar, and Dr. Bernstein showed me how to do it. Most doctors say "diet-and-exercise" as if they were one word, but in controlling Diabetes the most important thing is diet, and in this book Dr. Bernstein offers suggestions that he has found are consistent with blood sugars in the normal range, i.e., not diabetic. At this point I am in my seventh year of following this, and my blood sugars do not look like those of a diabetic (e.g. my a1c is always around 5.5). I would recommend reading Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Solution first, and then picking this up since the theory behind it will be clear.
June 13, 2011
I'm determined to control my blood sugar without the use of medication for as long as possible & a low-carb diet is the way to do that. I'm not quite ready to try the extreme low-carb diet the author suggests, but I am taking many of the things I learned about food & the effect on blood sugar control & implementing them into my food plan.
I like that this is a protein-based diet plan with vegetables included. I don't think I could go to a strict vegan/vegetarian only diet as other diabetic solution books offer. I do think I want more of a balance. I'm not quite willing to give up whole-wheat products & all fruit quite yet, but I will only be eating them sparingly.
The recipes in the back are great! I'm giving the book 4 stars for the recipes. I've tried a few & plan to try many more.
I like that this is a protein-based diet plan with vegetables included. I don't think I could go to a strict vegan/vegetarian only diet as other diabetic solution books offer. I do think I want more of a balance. I'm not quite willing to give up whole-wheat products & all fruit quite yet, but I will only be eating them sparingly.
The recipes in the back are great! I'm giving the book 4 stars for the recipes. I've tried a few & plan to try many more.
January 2, 2022
Enormously helpful. The introduction is a nice summary of Bernstein's career. He is an American hero, in my opinion.
February 23, 2025
The Diabetes Diet, Richard K. Bernstein, recipes by Marcia Miele, 2005, 291 pages, Dewey 616.462064, ISBN 0316737844
Most but not all of this is also in his larger book, The Diabetes Solution. This 2005 Diabetes Diet book gives page numbers for the 2003 second edition of the larger book. The most-recent Diabetes Solution book is the 2011 4th edition: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... . See also the books' website, www.diabetes-book.com which has extensive excerpts and journal articles.
Diabetes is not a "you have it or you don't" thing: it's a continuum: your glucose concentration gradually rises over time until it causes blood-vessel, nerve, and organ damage. p. 129. The benefits of a low-carb diet are nearly as profound for those who do not have diabetes as for those who do. p. ix.
Your blood sugar should be the same after eating as it was before. p. 113.
Avoid anything sweet or starchy. pp. 77, 110, 113-115.
Low-carb means at most 6 grams carbs for breakfast, 12 grams for lunch, 12 grams for supper: only slow-acting carbs, as in fibrous vegetables, not starchy nor sweet. pp. 110-112.
Eating carbs increases insulin (or requires insulin injections for type-1 diabetics), which prevents burning fat. p. 47.
Avoid additives ending in -ose (sugars) and -ol (sugar alcohols). p. 55.
Limit cherry tomatoes to one per cup of salad. p. 67.
As a rule of thumb, 2/3 cup of cooked vegetable, 1/4 cup mashed cooked vegetable, or a cup of mixed salad acts upon blood sugar as if it contains 6 grams of carbohydrate. pp. 75-77.
Eat some bean sprouts, spinach, broccoli, brussels sprouts, or cauliflower each day for B vitamins, including folic acid. p. 104.
Space meals at least 4 hours apart. p. 117.
ERRATA
He says on p. 41 that a calorie is the heat required to raise the temperature of one milliliter of water 1 degree Centigrade. That's true as the word is used in chemistry--but for food, the word calorie always refers to what chemists call a kilocalorie--1000 of the above.
On p. 122, where he says that 3 ounces of American cheese contains 3 ounces of protein and 3 grams of carbohydrate, it seems like a typo, but it's not. In this book, he measures protein in ounces (of protein-rich food). In The Diabetes Solution, 2011 edition, he tells us to estimate 6 grams of protein per ounce of protein-rich food such as meat.
Most but not all of this is also in his larger book, The Diabetes Solution. This 2005 Diabetes Diet book gives page numbers for the 2003 second edition of the larger book. The most-recent Diabetes Solution book is the 2011 4th edition: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... . See also the books' website, www.diabetes-book.com which has extensive excerpts and journal articles.
Diabetes is not a "you have it or you don't" thing: it's a continuum: your glucose concentration gradually rises over time until it causes blood-vessel, nerve, and organ damage. p. 129. The benefits of a low-carb diet are nearly as profound for those who do not have diabetes as for those who do. p. ix.
Your blood sugar should be the same after eating as it was before. p. 113.
Avoid anything sweet or starchy. pp. 77, 110, 113-115.
Low-carb means at most 6 grams carbs for breakfast, 12 grams for lunch, 12 grams for supper: only slow-acting carbs, as in fibrous vegetables, not starchy nor sweet. pp. 110-112.
Eating carbs increases insulin (or requires insulin injections for type-1 diabetics), which prevents burning fat. p. 47.
Avoid additives ending in -ose (sugars) and -ol (sugar alcohols). p. 55.
Limit cherry tomatoes to one per cup of salad. p. 67.
As a rule of thumb, 2/3 cup of cooked vegetable, 1/4 cup mashed cooked vegetable, or a cup of mixed salad acts upon blood sugar as if it contains 6 grams of carbohydrate. pp. 75-77.
Eat some bean sprouts, spinach, broccoli, brussels sprouts, or cauliflower each day for B vitamins, including folic acid. p. 104.
Space meals at least 4 hours apart. p. 117.
ERRATA
He says on p. 41 that a calorie is the heat required to raise the temperature of one milliliter of water 1 degree Centigrade. That's true as the word is used in chemistry--but for food, the word calorie always refers to what chemists call a kilocalorie--1000 of the above.
On p. 122, where he says that 3 ounces of American cheese contains 3 ounces of protein and 3 grams of carbohydrate, it seems like a typo, but it's not. In this book, he measures protein in ounces (of protein-rich food). In The Diabetes Solution, 2011 edition, he tells us to estimate 6 grams of protein per ounce of protein-rich food such as meat.
February 22, 2024
Has some helpful info. It's a bit outdated with some of the food recommendations... I wonder if there are more and better options available now. Sometimes I wished it was more explicit on Type 1 advice; there was a lot of stuff about type 2 that I skimmed over. I don't think I can convince my husband to eat like this but it's a good ideal role model to work towards over time.
May 15, 2019
For diabetics, but educational for non-diabetics.
February 9, 2020
Very informative. As a long time diabetic I read to stay informed. Dr Bernstein has solid advice and research.
January 4, 2021
A bit dated but very helpful in ideas to control my blood sugar.
October 16, 2021
Good overall information with great recipes. Seems a little dated. So many more products/foods out now with low carb options.
Read
July 30, 202450% cookbook
25% memoir
15% “fat good, carbs bad”
5% trashing the Glycemic Index
5% anecdotal evidence
Same thing as every other low-carb book out there. Probably worth looking at for the recipes.
25% memoir
15% “fat good, carbs bad”
5% trashing the Glycemic Index
5% anecdotal evidence
Same thing as every other low-carb book out there. Probably worth looking at for the recipes.
October 2, 2025
Another 5 stars for the diabetic legend
January 13, 2014
Anyone who is overweight, diabetic, ill or just not feeling up to par could benefit from these recipes. They have been thoroughly scrutinized by Dr B. working with professional chefs and are nutritious and balanced.
The first part of the book explains what the plan is and why, and the second part is over a hundred tasty recipes. I like knowing why I am eating this way and how to balance carbohydrates. The recipes have done all the math.
Discipline is needed to nutritionally control food intake, and it matters and is worth eating less of all those sodas, cakes and candies if one can get rid of many pounds of body fat, or save a foot from amputation. Hey, it's worth it just to simply feel better.
This is among my top three cookbooks of my life.
The first part of the book explains what the plan is and why, and the second part is over a hundred tasty recipes. I like knowing why I am eating this way and how to balance carbohydrates. The recipes have done all the math.
Discipline is needed to nutritionally control food intake, and it matters and is worth eating less of all those sodas, cakes and candies if one can get rid of many pounds of body fat, or save a foot from amputation. Hey, it's worth it just to simply feel better.
This is among my top three cookbooks of my life.
March 31, 2015
Good information
April 19, 2015
I'm dissapointed that it doesn't give any additional recommendations for managing bloodsugar while excercising and preventing of treating lows during activity
November 2, 2015
There is some great information in this book, but it is not a standalone. Nearly every page contains a reference to one of the author's other books.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews