The Best Life Guide to Managing Diabetes and Pre-Diabetes

by Bob Greene, John J. Merendino Jr., Janis Jibrin

Bob Greene has helped millions of Americans become fit and healthy with his life-changing Best Life plan. Now, for the first time, Oprah's trusted expert on diet and fitness teams up with a leading endocrinologist and an expert dietitian to offer a Best Life program tailored to the needs of people with diabetes and pre-diabetes. Coping with the unique challenges of living with these conditions can feel like a full-time job. That's why The Best Life Guide to Managing Diabetes and Pre-Diabetes takes a gradual, three-phase approach to improving diet and increasing physical activity and provides strategies for staying motivated. While offering clear guidance, the program is flexible enough that you can tailor it to your needs and abilities. The A way of living that improves blood sugar and helps you stave off heart disease, neuropathy, and other diabetes- and pre-diabetes-related conditions while reaching and maintaining a healthy weight. This comprehensive yet readable volume offers the information you need to protect your health whether you are controlling your disease simply with diet and exercise, are taking drugs orally, or need injected insulin. Detailed but flexible meal plans take the guesswork out of eating without making you a slave to the food scale or measuring cups. With complete nutritional analyses, the recipes for budget- and family-friendly dishes such as Vanilla Peanut Butter Smoothie, Cheesy Cornbread, and Slow-Cooked Pork ensure that you never have to sacrifice tasty food. Extensive reference sections, including a complete guide to diabetes drugs and a chart of the carbohydrate value of foods, give you quick answers you can trust, while a log for tracking your blood sugar readings, exercise, and medication helps you stay organized without hassle or added expense. With The Best Life Guide to Managing Diabetes and Pre-Diabetes, you won't have to let your life be defined by your diagnosis.

Genres: Health, Nonfiction

396 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 12, 2009

About the author

Bob Greene is a personal trainer who writes on health and weight loss. He works and writes with Oprah Winfrey.

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Reviews

[William Schram · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am an American. It may surprise you to hear that I am overweight, but it is true. I don’t exercise as much as I should, I drink soda, and my life outside work is sedentary. I feel the problem is how cities get designed in America, but I digress.

The Best Life Guide to Managing Diabetes and Pre-Diabetes is a comprehensive resource for helping people understand their diabetic symptoms. It explains what diabetes is and the different flavors it comes in.

We have type one diabetes, which is autoimmune, and type two diabetes, where the body doesn’t respond to insulin. Insulin is a hormone that facilitates the body’s response to glucose. In type one diabetes, the pancreas doesn’t produce enough insulin.

The authors set out a complete diet and exercise regimen to manage the symptoms of diabetes. There are three pillars: glucose management, diet and exercise, and medication.

I enjoyed the book. Thanks for reading my review and see you next time.

[Susanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

In my country pre-diabetes doesn't even exist - officially. I was fortunate to end up at a doctor who spotted it in a blood test and who required further testing afterwards (OK, I was lucky to be able to afford private medical care and I think this doctor really is above the rest around here. He's a bit of a Dr. House: he's also mad and rides a motorbike). It can be reversed but you have to live pretty much like a person who has diabetes type 2. Not everyone will have symptoms with pre-diabetes. I did. I already have my vision affected, for example, I was going to the toilet every 10 minutes sometimes and was always tired (and feeling guilty about being tired). But if I go into a job I will have no protection, which means that the rule of eating regularly might not be respected by my employer. I am just starting the programme suggested by Bob Greene (not that I must because I am already a lot better but I need to incorportate exercise into my routine, which I haven't done yet). I am also on metformin and since I started to take it I am a different person. That man saved my life. A lot of doctors wait until you're diabetic. You don't have to. There are tests that will see it coming. Bob Green's information is consistent with the information I was given by my doctor.

[Teri Stich · Rating 3 out of 5]

As my husband was recently diagnosed with pre-diabetes, I set about learning more. Unfortunately my local library only had two books on the subject and both older. This one does have a lot to offer but again, it's old and some of the information dated. Probably would have given it more stars had I read it when it first came out. I would recommend reading though it but when the understanding there is better current information. Gleam what you can and continue one's research.

[Gloria · Rating 3 out of 5]

I always find Bob Greene encouraging and helpful. At times, he gets mired down in the details. Here he has very good, basic advice such as exercise a lot and drink lots of water, but it seems wearisome when he starts talking about 7 grams of this and 1/4 cup of that. Just lots of food and exercise and medical measurements referred to. If you like to count carbs, this one is for you. Generally thorough but with a special emphasis on exercise.

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Snagged out of the bookmobile, this is my first exposure to a managing-diabetes book, and I like it. It successfully relates the need for exercise and dieting in ways I can understand; it's very motivating and helps me understand the diabetic processes in the body in ways never explained to me by health professionals.

[Fredrick Danysh · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author describes diabetes and how it affects the body. Several management techniques, menus, diets, and exercises are presented. There are also several diabetes friendly recipes. Different drug treatments and their effects are discussed.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

It wouldn't hurt if all of us ate better and exercised. Great book for people who have been diagnosed with insulin resistance or any type of diabetes.

[Caramia]

I'm just reading to get info. about the kind of diet a person who is watching their sugar intake. Very well written and easy to understand.

[K.D. Bissonette · Rating 5 out of 5]

very good book with lots of great and helpful ideas for dealing with diabetes.

[Malia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mostly the same stuff found elsewhere, but I liked the baby steps program. One thing at a time, then get used to it before adding more. I also liked the exercise chart.

[Louis · Rating 3 out of 5]

If this were the only book I've read on this topic, it would be very good. However, I believe much of the information is already known to myself, thus I only rate this as "good".

[B]

Barely skimmed.