Winning Your Blood Sugar Battle: How to Prevent and Control Type 2 Diabetes

by Richard Furman

As of 2017, more than 30 million Americans have diabetes. Another 84 million--more than 30% of the adult population--have elevated blood sugar levels that put them at risk for developing Type 2 diabetes. For most of us, it takes a medical emergency to get us to make vital changes to our eating, exercise habits, and weight control. At that point it is often too little, too late. The unfortunate reality is that 80% of diabetics will die of a heart attack. This book is the trigger for you to make lifestyle changes before any medical emergency ever occurs.

In Winning Your Blood Sugar Battle, Dr. Richard Furman shows you the three essential steps to take in order to defeat diabetes before it defeats you. He carefully explains the latest medical literature, offers proven guidelines on what to eat (and what not to eat), and outlines an effective exercise program for keeping the heart healthy.

Anyone who is diabetic, prediabetic, or overweight, as well as the loved one or caregiver who wants specific directions for supporting the diabetic in their life as they make vital lifestyle changes, will find this book a lifeline.

Genres: Health, Nonfiction

199 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 2, 2019

Reviews

[ReadAlongWithSue ★⋆. ࿐࿔catching up · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was diagnosed borderline diabetic last year and decided to handle it by eating properly.
This I didn’t always manage so was put on medication.

I was so confused by good carbs, bad carbs, sugar.

I learnt a lot since then and am losing weight which is a huge bonus.

This book has added extra extension to my learning of the disease as well as not pulling back as telling you exactly what could/can happen if you don’t take control of it right now.
Yep, scary indeed.

But the author doesn’t leave it like that with you swimming an ocean of confusion. He lets you know what diabetes is, types of diabetes.

He teaches you how important it is to get exercise, even a walk daily will help.

The food.
What to have, what to have occasionally and what to avoid and why.

This has been one of the most impressive books I’ve read that’s been so helpful to me.

[Pauline · Rating 4 out of 5]

An informative book giving advice on how to eat healthy to reduce your weight and blood sugar levels. It also gives advice on exercise and changing your eating habits.
I will certainly be trying to follow some of this advice.
Thank you to NetGalley and Revell for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Ell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Winning Your Blood Sugar Battle is an excellent information-packed guide on understanding diabetes and blood sugar. While I don’t have diabetes myself, loved ones do, so I wanted better insight into this disease. Winning Your Blood Sugar Battle was the perfect book to choose. It’s comprehensive, concise and easy to understand. It covers the disease itself and how it affects the heart and brain and the midlife years, as well as provides greater insight into prediabetes, medicine, diet, exercise and habits to manage it. If you or a loved one are affected by diabetes or are prediabetic, I highly recommend this book.

[Nursebookie · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a member of the medical field dealing with patients with chronic conditions such as Diabetes, I found that this book by Dr. Furman a wonderful read for both medical and non-medical alike. I found that Dr. Furman emphasized the importance of eating, exercise habits, and weight control to manage the long-term effects of Diabetes in the heart, the brains and other vital organs. This book certainly ensured to teach how to make lifestyle changes before any medical emergency ever occurs and before it is too late.

In Winning Your Blood Sugar Battle, Dr. Richard Furman clearly and carefully explains the latest medical literature and ensuring that his information is backed by the latest evidence and literature from well-known journals without having it become too complicated with numbers. Dr. Furman is able to present those complicated information and present it in a meaningful way to actually know how to make a change for the better. There are clear guidelines that are easy to follow on what to eat (and what not to eat), an effective exercise program and other suggestions to improve a Diabetic's life.

This book is for anyone who is diabetic, prediabetic, overweight, has a family member who is a diabetic, at risk for diabetes. The information is valuable to understand and mitigate the deadly complications from this terrible disease.

Thank you to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to voluntarily review this book. All opinions are my own.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

WINNING YOUR BLOOD SUGAR BATTLE is a comprehensive guide to diabetes. What is it? How do doctors determine if you have it? What will happen if you do? Do you have to take medication? How can you control it without medication? What can you eat and what should you avoid? And more.
My husband was diagnosed with diabetes about two years ago and he decided to try to manage it by diet and exercise. Our doctor was not so encouraging, he wanted Steve on medication. Steve refused to even fill the prescriptions and studied up on it and for a while, he did great. Then he stopped being careful and his fasting blood sugar was over 500. Oops! We're back on the diabete bandwagon now, eating lots of vegetables and avoiding sugar.
I love that this book lists the foods you can eat and the foods you should limit and avoid. I love the sample menus. This is good. The doctor did tell Steve he needed to eat fish -- but he didn't say why or what kind. WINNING YOUR BLOOD SUGAR BATTLE does tell you why and also what kind.
If you are diabetic or prediabetic (or worry about getting it) or take care of someone who is, then WINNING YOUR BLOOD SUGAR BATTLE is a book you need to read. A great resource for those of us determined to avoid medication as much as possible. And it tells us what it is and so much more. This book is going in my personal library and will be read and reread.
I was given a copy free and all opinions are my own.

[Sara Wise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dr. Richard Furman has added to his many medical books with “Winning Your Blood Sugar Battle: How to Prevent and Control Type 2 Diabetes,” a book that dives deeply into diabetes and its causes and impacts.

Because complications from diabetes are the seventh leading cause of deaths in America, Dr. Furman wrote this book as a source of hope for people suffering from prediabetes and diabetes. According to 2017 statistics he quotes, 12 percent of adults in the U.S. suffered from diabetes, and one in three adults were prediabetic.

So Dr. Furman carefully explains what diabetes is, the contributing factors that lead to it, other complications that can arise (artery and heart problems as well as Alzheimer’s) and what steps to take to either prevent or reverse diabetes.

His main message that runs throughout his book is people need to make major lifestyle changes — changes that include weight loss, diet and exercise. He emphasizes that we need to change habits from bad to good ones.

Dr. Furman hopes that by reading this book and therefore learning what is happening in one’s body and proper steps to take, readers will take the first step on the road of recovery from diabetes. By following his suggestions, they will live longer with more quality to their life.

At times this book reads like a research paper, so if you do well with scholastic-type health books, this is the one for you. Written in two parts — understanding diabetes and defeating diabetes with lifestyle choices — I did feel it was more educational and less practical. He writes with the assumption that knowledge is power, and once the reader knows what their lifestyle choices are doing to their bodies, they will automatically be inspired to make changes — without really offering specific game plans.

Most of his helpful information was on the vague side — eat good fats, not bad fats, and good carbs, not bad carbs, for example — and he does offer a VERY generic sample daily menu, but without much guidance.

I would have liked to have seen a bit more practical advice to add to the medical class vibe.

So if you are looking for a good read on the medical side of diabetes and the effects it and your lifestyle choices will have on you, this is the book for you! If you’re looking for a practical, help me get through each day with some guidance, this won’t be the book for you.

Four stars out of five.

Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group, provided this complimentary copy for my honest, unbiased review.

[Monica H (TeaandBooks) · Rating 5 out of 5]

More than thirty million Americans have diabetes. Another eighty-four million have elevated blood sugar levels that put them at risk for developing type 2 diabetes. These statistics from the back of the book cover of Winning Your Blood Sugar Battle by Richard Furman look staggering to me. I do not have that diagnosis and I do not want it so I want to do what I can to prevent it. Whether you have high blood sugar or you want to prevent it, Dr. Furman has a book full of information that can help.


Winning Your Blood Sugar Battle is divided in to two parts: Understanding Diabetes and Defeating Diabetes: Lifestyle choices for your health. Dr. Furman tells plainly how diabetes can start and how to prevent it. He backs all of his information up with solid statistics and information from studies as well as his own work with patients. Dr. Furman addresses these issues from the point of view of a doctor that has worked as a vascular surgeon for more than thirty years.



I found Winning Your Blood Sugar Battle to be easy to understand and a book that could be helpful to anyone wanting to keep their blood sugar under control. He gives solid information in layman's terms and backs it all up, which I appreciate. I wish I could get some loved ones to read this book and make the changes to lower their blood sugar. Unfortunately, I think this book is most helpful to someone who truly WANTS to make changes and improve their health. I found the information to be redundant and preachy in a couple of places, but I think that Dr. Furman does that to drive the information home to those who don't really want to hear it but truly need it. I also thought that this information was clearly up-to-date and relevant for our modern times. However, I am not sure about his information on eggs. He backs up his stance but I have read other studies that contradict his information, so I am not sure about this. I also like that he shared how he gave up his favorite food, cheese, for his own health after cleaning out a patient's carotid artery. Even though he encourages readers to follow a strict plan, he also follows what he preaches which is admirable. I would encourage anyone to read Winning Your Blood Sugar Battle who wants to make their health a priority and add years to their life--especially those who are newly diagnosed with diabetes or high blood sugar. Finally, I would add that I like that Dr. Furman is a Christian and shares his faith with the reader at the end of the book.


I received this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a review. All opinions are my own.

[Rachel DeVaughn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Isn't that startling? I've had gestational diabetes when I was pregnant and blood sugar issues and diabetes runs in my family; I was very interested in reading this book. I also have friends and co-workers struggling with diabetes so I know this threat is very real and dangerous! A person I went to school with actually died a couple years ago from diabetes and all its complications and he was in his early 30s! So sad and scary!!

It's divided up in 2 main parts... Part 1 focuses on UNDERSTANDING DIABETES-medicine, insulin resistance, the connection between diabetes and your heart and brain. Part 2 focuses on DEFEATING DIABETES-habits, exercise, what to eat and body weight.

I read this book cover to cover, marking it with a yellow highlighter. I appreciate all the medical research and study that Dr. Furman put into reading this book. I found it very easy to read and took several days to go through the book in detail.

In part 2 he talks about creating exercise habits and what to eat and not eat. If you are looking for a book that will give you specific meal plans, recipes and exercise routines-you will NOT find them in this book. But don't let that deter you from reading this book and applying the principles. Use this book/research to empower you to look up more specific books about preventing diabetes and specific meal plans and recipes.

I received a copy of this book complimentary for blog and social media review. All opinions are my own.

[Amy Bell]

I was interested in learning more about preventing Type 2 diabetes so I picked up this book. The author had a lot of information about diabetes and its co-morbities but I struggled to connect. His plan is really restrictive and not something I will likely follow.
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book for my honest opinion..

[Danielle Urban · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book, Winning Your Blood Sugar Battle, by Richard Furman, MD, is an educational journey. The type 2 diabetes is explained and explored upon these pages. The risks from this disease are also explained and taught to readers. I found it frightening. I love sugar. I have sugary foods all the time. Desserts, snacks, etc. I have cannot resist them. I do a walking exercise to stay highly active on daily basis. While I am still not fit, I am better than I was before. I have lost weight. Limiting my sugar intake has been a constant battle. The doctor here, shows that the battle is worth fighting to stay alive and well. Yes, his writing scares me. Meaning, it shows me what could go wrong if I continued to ignore the amount of sugar I take. Eating healthy and taking out half the sugary foods I do consume is tough, but it was possible. I recommend reading this nonfiction book to all. Regardless of your age, this is a helpful read. 

I received this copy from the publisher. This is my voluntary review.

[AcademicEditor · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's not a lot here that hasn't been published elsewhere, but hopefully anyone who picks up this book will be inspired to treat the causes of Type 2 diabetes, rather than just medicate the symptoms. He makes the great points that lifestyle changes are twice as effective as medication, and that "You are the only one who can wholeheartedly treat your condition, not your doctor." Will people like to hear this? Unlikely. Will people be willing to drastically change their eating and exercise habits? Probably not most, but here's hoping Dr. Furman can help some on the journey back to health.

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for a digital ARC for the purpose of an unbiased review.

[Mackenzie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't understand the high rating for this book. I've been diagnosed with diabetes for 7 years now, but I have a condition that quickens the path to diabetes type 2 because I do not store fats externally. I know my condition makes things a little different, but that's beside the fact that much of this book has directly gone against what my diabetic doctors have stated as well as what many online medical journeys state.

First, I would like to say that he did describe diabetes in a far more clearer description than most have explained to me and I appreciated that. Because of that, I read the whole book despite some of the glaring inaccuracies and accusatory language.

1. Being diagnosed with diabetes is not equivalent to experiencing your first heart attack. Maybe if you found out you had diabetes by slipping into a diabetic coma and then awaking to your diagnosis, sure. But most people find out from a blood test.
2. A large portion of this book focuses on heart health, which is good and all, but I'm reading about diabetes. He will mention what you should avoid as a diabetic briefly and then go into great detail on what you should avoid for heart health. Yes, but what about my diabetes?
3. His food avoidant list was filled with plenty of foods that diabetics can and should be eating. I've never in my life been told to avoid beets by a doctor. Also avoid pumpkin and squash?
4. Dr. Furman doesn't believe in "eating in moderation". He claims it's a trap, however, with his strict list of no red meats, no white grains, no egg yolks, no cream, no rice, no parsnips, turnips, watermelon, papaya, pumpkin, squash, and beets - you're left with not a whole lot of choices. Stock up on carrots and broccoli and strap in.
5. The way he organized each chapter was: Present Topic. Give personal story about topic (often including his mother chastising him as a child). Repeat topic thesis several times. Provide a title of a medical journal. Repeat thesis again. Continue to repeat thesis. Provide another weird story/lesson about/from his mom.
6. Exercise - this criticism may be unfair since my condition makes things different. However, I've read several books on diabetes and despite what athletic journals may tell you, exercise is good for heart health but is not linked to weight loss. Weight loss is driven purely by diet. Not a single book suggests avoiding exercise, but it shows you that diet is far more important than exercise. This book was mostly about exercise and calling the reader fat. In my case, exercise does not lead to weight loss. I gain weight during volleyball and track season - this may be muscle growth which is common with my condition, but it's incredibly hard to tell. It's also incredibly hard to monitor success through weight loss because of this. However, knowing diet is the main contributor to weight loss, his over enthusiasm for exercising is misplaced. Additionally, my diagnosis for diabetes came at the height of track season where I was running 3-4 miles a day in short sprints. He states, "Not every diabetic can run a 4 minute mile..." but I can and your surefooted language doesn't fit for all of us.

Overall, aside from the targeted criticisms I have, this book focuses much more on heart health than diabetic health. A good portion repeats the same thesis over and over again and no new knowledge is gained after the first couple pages of each chapter. There is knowledge to be gained from this book, but it's hidden within his attack on weight, strange anecdotes, and repeated information.

[Iola · Rating 3 out of 5]

Winning Your Blood Sugar Battle is aimed at those who have been diagnosed with Type II diabetes. The first part of the book takes the reader through the results of numerous studies linking Type II diabetes with a host of other health complaints, especially heart disease. And that's the strength of the book: Dr. Furman has reviewed what feels like hundreds of medical studies from around the world, and successfully translates dense medical research into everyday English for the lay reader. Frankly, the early chapters are scary and convincing. Our health is in our own hands, and diabetes is largely a product of poor lifestyle choices.

His main point is that while we have medicines to keep diabetes under control, those medicines don't prevent associated illnesses (like heart disease). Instead, we should adopt a healthy lifestyle, lowering blood sugar and reducing—or eliminating—our risk of Type II diabetes through a combination of diet and exercise.

The weakness of the book, unfortunately, is the diet advice. Anyone who has read a diet book or a women's magazine in the last thirty years knows we'd all be better off if we ate more grains, fibre, and vegetables, and limited our meat intake to white meat (i.e. chicken and fish) or fish such as salmon that's high in Omega fatty acids, with a few nuts for variety.

The problem is that for those of us who like food, we can't think of anything more boring than a diet of oats or granola for breakfast, and chicken or salmon salad for lunch and dinner. Every day. Even Thanksgiving and Christmas—because Dr. Furman believes in an abstinence approach to food. As such, he believes we should never eat unhealthy foods. Ever. We're better to wean our bodies off our addiction to sugar, wheat, potatoes, white bread, white rice and the bad monounsaturated fats found in whole milk, cheese, butter, and fried food, and red meat.

Okay, I'm with him on fried foot and white carbohydrates, but I'm also wary of any diet that tells us to cut out entire food groups—like red meat and dairy. For myself, I know that my iron levels fall if I don't eat enough red meat, which means vitamin injections. Surely red meat in moderation is better than regular trips to the doctor for blood tests and injections? I'm also wary when someone tries to tell me rapeseed oil (generally marketed as Canola oil) is better for me than, say, peanut oil or avocado oil (especially when that same someone extols the virtues of avocados and peanuts).
Yes, Dr. Furman has convinced me of the importance of keeping our weight, blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar at manageable levels to prevent diabetes, heart disease, and possibly Alzheimer's. But I'm not convinced his diet is going to be achievable for many people. Yes, he says:

"If you're reading this book, you've already proven you have the desire to change."

But the desire isn't enough if the solution feels impossible—as it will for many people on low or fixed incomes (i.e. not doctor incomes). Having said that, five of his six "secrets" to weight loss are sensible and achievable ("secrets" because they're not secret. They're common-sense things most of us don't or won't do). Even the sixth "secret" is sensible. It's just he didn't convince me his hard abstinence line was practical or achievable.

Thanks to Baker Publishing and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

[Doug · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book is nutritionally biased, repetitious and limited in scope

Making lifestyle changes is never easy, especially when we’ve been doing the same things over and over for years – and especially when it’s beneficial to our overall health and well-being.

In his new book, “Winning Your Blood Sugar Battle: How to Prevent and Control Type 2 Diabetes,” Richard Furman, M.D. writes that making very specific changes in the way we eat, as well as exercise in controlling our blood sugar can actually better our health and extend our lives.

Published by Revell Reads, his 208-page book gives advice about controlling blood sugar, along with a few lifestyle changes. However, his book reads more like a textbook and could have been summed up in a few pages: exercise, cut out sweets and snacks, no red meat (best-selling Christian author and nutritionist Jordan Rubin would beg to differ on this one), eat steel-cut whole grain oatmeal and live on leafy green salads from here on out.

While Furman’s suggestions may help control blood sugar, he specifically frowns on eggs. However, there is extensive research to back up the many health benefits of eating eggs – especially for protein, Vitamin A, lutein and choline alone, and ironically, the reduced risk of heart disease, stroke, and yes, even diabetes, despite Furman’s claims of eggs’ supposed detriments. (Most plant-based meal plans also include sweet potatoes, which he also denounces.)

Although Furman’s book is well-written, it is very repetitious, limited in scope and may also be confusing in parts (i.e., his mention of “The Fake Hunger Syndrome,” page 168-169). He has a very one-sided, biased view of overall health and nutrition that’s very restrictive and confining. Most people may also need to either go on or stay on diabetes medications while making lifestyle changes to naturally lower their blood sugar.

Moreover, with the many books out there on meal plans and lifestyle changes to help prevent and control diabetes, finding what works best for you and your specific needs can be very daunting (i.e., there are even meal plans individually designed according to your specific blood type).

Bottom line: Please do not take any medical or nutritional advice without first consulting your own family physician. For specific nutritional advice, consult a certified dietician.

I gave it a 3 out of 4 stars.

Full disclosure: In accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, I received this book free through the Bloggers Program of Revell Reads, a division of Baker Books. My opinions are my own and I wasn’t required to write a positive review.

© 2019 by Doug S., M.A.

[Fay Jacobsohn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having Type 1 diabetes, I thought this would be an interesting book to read and thought I might gain some insights and ideas about dealing with diabetes. This book deals with Type 2 diabetes and will either discourage you or inspire you to fight it.

Type 2 diabetes can be prevented and even cured with weight loss, diet, and exercise. Many doctors don't have the time to tell you all the risks involved and how to change your life to make a difference. They often just give you meds to deal with it. Dr. Furman tries to explain all the risks of diabetes—it has been compared to having your first heart attack—and that can be discouraging. Diabetes has been linked to heart attacks, strokes, Alzheimer's, amputations, etc. It can shorten your life by 15 years. Dr. Furman hopes this book will be a wake-up call to action.

He discusses insulin resistance, obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and inactivity as well, something most diabetics have. He then gives an action plan to lose weight, get active and make changes in your diet. Doing these things can reduce the effects of diabetes and even cure it in many cases.

The second half of the book is a plan for weight loss and keeping it off through exercise and diet. He is totally against snacking, desserts, eggs, red meat, etc. His goal is to not only get the weight off and encourage exercise but to lower cholesterol as well. It takes sixty days to cure an addiction—and that means not eating any—as opposed to eating foods in moderation.

Even though I have Type 1 diabetes which is caused by different reasons and cannot ever be cured, I am putting some of his ideas to work. I assume the risks of diabetes are the same for both types. If you have pre-diabetes or Type 2 diabetes and want to reduce the risks involved, this would be a great book to read.

(Please Note: Although an e-copy of this book for provided to me for review by Baker Publishing Group, the opinions expressed are my own.)

[Patricia Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would recommend this book for the newly diagnosed type 2 diabetic AND as a 'refresher'. REAd it again, in 6 months, in a year, in 2 years. It is a clearly written, straightforward short read about diagnosing the disease AND managing the disease. There is also a thread of encouragement running throughout the book; that you can do these things for your SELF and to believe in your Self.
I really appreciate Dr. Furman's emphasis on the role of exercise and food management in controlling the disease and it's concomitant effects on blood pressure, the heart, organs, circulation and neuropathy. He pulls no punches-- THIS is what's going to happen if you don't become your OWN best doctor ! Too often, and perhaps mostly, doctors simply prescribe and the patient simply accepts the Rx without 'thinking' of alternatives, of what else they could do. It's not enough that your doctor is 'watching' your blood sugar and levels.
Dr. Furman emphasizes the role of establishing immediate goals (those you can accomplish right now), intermediate goals, and long term goals. This is a wonderful method to keep you on mark (e.g. immediate goal: I will eat a salad without a simple dressing for lunch; long term goal: I will eat healthy , I will lose 20 lbs. ).
It is my hope that in the next editions he will additionally publish a list of resources for good nutrition; perhaps something like Mr. Food's Everyday Diabetic recipes. These resources could be internet links. I would also prefer that he emphasize what is a processed food; I don't know that when he recommends the intake of nuts and peanut butter that everyone will know to use real...real..ground peanuts and not the hydrogenated shortening, dextrose, fructose , nut mixture on the grocery shelf. As an academician, I'd like to have the studies that he refers to in the book to be cross referenced so I could look at the particular study he addresses.

Overall, a good book from GoodReads!!

[TheConsultingWriter · Rating 5 out of 5]

"If only I had known…" a common phrase for those that meet with a personal unexpected medical emergency. Though sometimes, is it really unexpected? The way we live our lives, are we setting ourselves up for failure? Dr. Furman discusses the common factors that lead up to diabetes and how lifestyle changes can change that. Dr. Furman lays out simple guidelines to follow that will help. No complicated rules on what you can and cannot eat. I have a hard time with that. Either because of time, remembering the long list of foods to avoid vs foods to eat, and especially if there's time involving like 30 days of this, or a few weeks of that. With my busy schedule, I just want the basics. Give it to me plain. 5 days of moderately intensive exercise? Define "moderately intensive". He does. How should I change my diet without getting to the point of wanting to give up? He shares that too, including what to increase in our diet and how to break a bad habit as well as create good ones. For those who've already been diagnosed with diabetes, this book is just as much for you as for those that haven't been diagnosed. It's a book that covers preventative measures as well as secondary prevention, i.e. making it possible to prevent the worsening of the symptoms of diabetes. Don't want until you've been diagnosed, or until it gets to that medical emergency where doctors have to decide on how to treat severe ulcers. Things like amputation are what we'd all like to avoid. The science is explained. The “how to’s” are simple. Don’t wait. Grab a copy for you, or for a loved one you know would benefit. I received a complimentary copy of Winning Your Blood Sugar Battle from Revell. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was really looking forward to receiving this book not because I have diabetes. I was looking forward to it because I know from past experience that a diabetic diet can help you lose weight and be healthy or at least healthier. However, though I do think it is a good read and has good information in it. I do feel like some of the information provided is common sense or can be found in many other places. I was also really hoping that it would possibly have some recipes in it for good healthy options to make for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. However, it did not have any recipes. It did have a sample daily menu and a list of good foods to eat. As well as wanting some good healthy recipes, I was looking for some possible workout exercises and/or routines to be included (maybe even with diagrams). But I did not really see what I wanted in regards to exercise either. Within the chapter on “Importance of Ideal Weight”, the author says that the ideal weight for a woman should be calculated by taking 95 pounds as a base and adding 4 pounds for every inch over 5 feet that you are. Well I am 5 foot 3 inches and I just feel like if I only weighed 107 pounds that I would look way too thin. I feel like your body fat percentage should be taken into account when calculating your ideal weight. Overall I did think that the information on how diabetes relates to your heart and brain were interesting but the rest of the book just did not seem like something I would specifically go out and get this book for.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in order to give an honest review of it.

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

reason for wanting to review this book is because I am one of the 30 million Americans who deal with diabetes daily. And even though mine is more of a border line level, I would very much like to be able to control diabeties more.

The contents page is where I started because I wanted to see what Dr. Furman would be talking about. The book is in two sections. The first section is about the whys and hows of how diabetes starts. This book is written with more of the medical aspects of this disease, so theres a lot of info to show how your diabetes gets started. The second part is the down to earth part of how to get diabetes under control. The main thing he talks about is the lifestyle changes that needs to be made. He has some sample meals and foods to eat, but honestly, if I ate exactly like he says all of the time, it would get boring, and I would go right back to my old habits. So I think I will approach this information by taking his advise on everything and try to come up with lifestyle changes I can live with. So though this book is great if you want the medical side, I think other materials can help more with the diet side. But I do recommend this book, it’s interesting to see the medical side, and that’s information we all need.

A copy of this book was given to me by the author or publisher. I am not required to write a positive review. The opinions here in this review are totally mine alone. I am disclosing this with my review in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

[Jill Rey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have several loved ones and friends that currently have type two diabetes, given the vast majority of Americans suffer from this disease I felt I had nothing to lose by picking up this book and better educating myself. The author is a vascular surgeon and does a great job of using his expertise and research to scare readers straight! While this book is peppered with facts, figures and research, I did not feel overwhelmed by the content. Rather, this book spurred me into action, not only causing me to be more aware of my own actions but helping to better educate my loved ones into making fundamental changes.

Diabetes is considered the equivalent of a heart attack, a shocking statement to read for sure. Type two diabetes is preventable and often the factors that cause it also led to high blood pressure, high cholesterol and increased risk of heart disease, stroke and Alzheimer’s – a scary list for sure! In fact, diabetes is the 7th leading cause of death! But, the author provides tips and tricks to prevent, reduce and even reverse diabetes.
Do yourself a favor, read this book and actively work to prevent or control the onset of diabetes, your heart and loved ones will forever be grateful.

*Disclaimer: A review copy of this book was provided by the publisher. All opinions are my own.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is very blunt, and rightly so, in getting across its message: you need to take the steps to keep healthier regarding diabetes as well as other diseases that are more prevalent in diabetics or you will greatly decrease your lifespan. Dr. Furman explains insulin resistance, prediabetes, and diabetes in terms the common man can understand. He shows how other diseases are much more likely for diabetics to die of percentage wise. He describes study after study where getting exercise, maintaining a better weight, and putting the right types of fat into your body can put add years to your life. He gives a good general outline of what the right foods to eat are and how to get in the habit of living in a healthy way that can be maintained.

The book is repetitively redundant (sorry, I couldn't resist) but it is that way because Furman notes that he realized the need for repetition when studying for medical school. The Afterward brings religion into the equation. If you don't like that, skip those few pages. It is added in a tasteful way, like your grandpa was talking to you. I recommend this book for anyone who is diabetic, prediabetic, or overweight or who loves someone who is. I will be passing my copy around. Starting with a friend whose Mom is newly diabetic.

I received this book in a goodreads giveaway.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes a book eligible for review grabs me, and this one did. Three years ago, I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, and it resulted in necessary life changes.

The book has two sections. Part one has six chapters on understanding diabetes. Part two has four chapters on defeating diabetes: lifestyle choices for your health. Those four chapters are: habits, exercise, what should you eat?, and the importance of ideal weight.

The book is written in an easy to read style, and has a lot of useful information. To be honest, I feel the majority of the book should have been dedicated to the second part.....though the book is to prevent, not just control. I guess the first part might be more helpful for those wanting to prevent it, while the second part is more helpful to those of us who already have it and want to control it. As a diabetic, I definitely need information on how to control it. Though the whole book is helpful, I would have appreciated and found more helpful an expanded section on controlling it. If you are interested in causes of it and how to prevent it, the first section is definitely helpful for that.

I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.

[Sherri Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I first selected this book I thought it would be perfect for learning ways to avoid the looming Type 2 Diabetes that many people are contracting, primarily due to poor eating habits.

So knowing that most battles with this disease can be combatted with diet and exercise, I was curious to read of Richard's take. To see how motivating he would be in the realm of things.

While the information that he shared was informative, it didn't really encourage me to delve further into the chapters. Found myself going "eh" about halfway through. Especially when he told his coworkers not to eat cheese. Really? No cheese?!? And second of all, why make them feel guilty for eating cheese. Honestly, that's about when I mentally checked out of the book. While there are good tidbits, the idea that to eat and prevent diabetes no longer becomes a choice but "foolish" decisions if you choose wrong.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell Publishing. I was not required to write a positive review. These are my honest thoughts and opinions.

[Claudia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had high hopes for this book. Maybe because I've read so much on the subject, I didn't find too much that was new to me. It was a reminder of some things that we have begun to go a little slack on. My husband's prediabetes diagnosis going on three years ago was the catalyst for my research and our weight loss. He has done very well maintaining his loss of thirty-two pounds. His A1C has very much improved. I am not discrediting the material in this book, just saying it largely wasn't new to us.

If you are new to working on controlling your weight and dealing with diabetes, this may very well be the book to motivate and inform you. If you begin to read it, and find it repetitive, and are tempted to abandon it, I would suggest skipping ahead and reading chapters nine, ten and eleven.

I am grateful to have received a copy of this book from Revell publishing in exchange for my honest opinion. I was under no obligation to provide a positive review and received no monetary compensation.

[Janelle Cole · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you do not have a bunch of people in your life battling Type 2 Diabetes, you might be in denial. I continue to be amazed at how many people in my life have Type 2 Diabetes. It seems like an epidemic to me.

Winning Your Blood Sugar Battle is a fantastic book that helps to deal straight with what is causing this disease, but also how to battle it.

No one in my home has Type 2 Diabetes, but that does not make the information in this book any less valuable and educational.

When reading this book, and learning the science behind what is going on in a person’s body, how they are diagnosed with this disease, but most of all learning that diet & exercise play a HUGE role, it made me wonder why so many people are not doing anything about it.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book, it taught me so many things that are important for all of us to know and understand and it inspired me to get my family smarter on what we eat, why we eat it and how to make better choices!

NOTE : I was offered a copy of Winning Your Blood Sugar Battle in exchange for an honest review.

[Jeffery Axelrod · Rating 5 out of 5]

After my DIABETES TYPE 2 diagnosis, I had typical symptoms of thirst, lethargy, severe tiredness, urinary frequency, hearing loss and ringing in the ears, vision problems, dehydration and weight gain. I was placed on metformin twice daily for several months, the symptoms only seemed to worsened. I began to do a lot of research and learnt about a DIABETES HERBAL TREATMENT from Health Herbs Clinic and their success rate with the Diabetes treatment, i immediately started on the treatment, i started experiencing decline in major symptoms, the severe thirst, dry mouth, tiredness, urinary problems, dehydration and fatigue all disappeared.. Visit Health Herbs Clinic ww w. healthherbsclinic. c om . I did another blood test after the treatment, My blood sugars are lower and I’ve been able to significantly reduce the amount of insulin that I was taking. I have even lost some weight and am feeling much much better than before we got the herbal treatment, I have also lost over 35 pounds since treatment.

[Cozy Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity. . My review is my own. .
I was pleased to receive this book for review as I am a extreme hypoglycemic patient. I am not diabetic My blood sugar disorder is rare and I am always researching informative books regarding education on blood sugar issues. I found this very well researched and a excellent source of knowledge. As a vegan I approve of the doctors health advice regarding taking people off a dairy heavy diet as dairy products are very unhealthy and full of sugar. He has included here not just a change of diet advice, but how to address your own weight issues and maintain a healthy attitude and permanent healthy change of eating. I highly recommend this book for all who seek information on changing to a healthy lifestyle and managing their blood sugar issues.

[Gerry · Rating 2 out of 5]

I expected a book titled, " winning your blood sugar battle' to have more than a brief mention about carbohydrates. The author was entirely focused on heart and vascular health, barely recognizing the importance of carb control. Of course, by exercising and practicing healthy eating habits, one is hopefully decreasing glucose levels as well as hypertension. But I guess that a reader must understand this before opening the book.
The text was very repetitive. Once you read two chapters, you pretty well get the message that is then substantiated with the results of study after study, and summarized at the end of almost every chapter.
Analogies were insultingly simplistic. I just wanted to scream, " I get it! Move on. ' But when I forced myself to read all the way to the end, that's all there was.
Important information, but not a complete picture for a newly diagnosed diabetic.

[Michelle Castaneda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Winning Your Blood Sugar Battle by Richard Furman MD, FACS is a wonderful look at the research and best practices to prevent or help diabetes. I think the author does a fantastic job of this and really sets a positive tone for the book, bringing great hope at what a person can do to improve their health. This is not a detailed plan with menus or action steps, rather, this is a conceptual guide to overall lifestyle change. I think it is wonderfully written and I highly recommend it. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

[Kim Hill Markland · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really good book for anyone struggling with blood sugar issues-----either pre-diabetic or diabetic. I am pre-diabetic and though my lifestyle is not horrible, I can make some changes that will make a difference. I've been eating Keto for the better part of a year thinking that it would be beneficial to me only to go to the doctor for a check-up and find out that my LDL Cholesterol is high. This book explained why that is not a good way for people with insulin resistance to eat. Very good information explained well.