by Marilyn Helton
It's February, as this column is being written; do you know where your New Year's resolution is? Did you even make a New Year's resolution? If so, how is that coming along? If you're like most people, you made a New Year's resolution; but by February you probably found yourself losing steam. Setting goals is fun, but achieving them is even better. Don't give up, as help is on the way. Even though you're reading this column in April, here are a few good books to help you keep your 2004 resolve to improve your health.
If exercise is your biggest hang-up, you can take a big step in the right direction with the American Diabetes Association's Small Steps, Big Rewards, Walking Your Way to Better Health. No matter what your fitness level, age or physical condition, you can improve your circulation, lower your blood sugar, burn fat and even lose weight--by walking. The easy-to-read format of this little walking book is full of helpful advice and tips including:
* The best time to walk to burn off fat and calories
* Stretching and strengthening techniques
* Motivation to get you moving
* Best foods to fuel your body
* Expert advice on maximizing your results
Regular exercise offers big rewards for anyone who has diabetes. It will help you lose weight, reduce stress, lower your blood sugar, improve circulation, boost your memory and re-energize your mind, not to mention the bigger picture--helping to prevent heart attack/strokes, lowering your cancer risk and diabetes-related complications.
Your bonus in the Small Steps, Big Rewards walking kit is the inclusion of a high-quality pedometer, with which you can count every step you take. Wear it for a few days, see how far you normally walk, and then gradually increase your daily step count--at your own pace! Turn every step you take into a do-your-mind-and-body-good walk--whether heading to the mailbox, a meeting, the garden or even the mall. Highly recommended, to jump-start or re-energize your 2004 exercise program.
Having professionally reviewed hundreds of books on diabetes for both online and print publications, I was happy to find one that was "just right" for all needs in The Everything Diabetes Book, (c)2004 by Adams Media. Authors Paula Ford-Martin and Ian Blumer, M.D effectively pair their collective writing and medical expertise to serve the needs of all readers, from the newly diagnosed, to parents and caregivers of those with all types and levels of diabetes.
I especially appreciated the FAQ easy-to-read format of the book, which allows the reader to access specific information on an as-needed basis. In The Everything Diabetes Book you'll find:
* In-depth information on type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes
* 22 chapters covering treatment, diet, lifestyle issues, complications, coping and more
* Special chapters on diabetes in men, diabetes in women, and diabetes in childhood
* Three appendices with Internet resources, conversion charts, and preventive care
Diabetes is a family disease, and in the simplest terms, this is the single best resource I've reviewed for meeting the needs of anyone or everyone who must deal with the complex issues presented by a diagnosis of diabetes. I have a brother who was just diagnosed with adult-onset, type 2 diabetes, and if I could choose just ONE book as a road map to help him through the complexities of understanding the condition, The Everything Diabetes Book would be just what this doctor would order. Highly recommended! For more information on The Everything Diabetes Book, the authors, contact information, or quantity discounts for bulk purchases, visit the book website at www.everythingdiabetes.com
Caring for your emotions is just as important as caring for your physical health. According to a just-released study, researchers state that depressive symptoms appear to be predictive of the development of type 2 diabetes (Diabetes Care 2004;27:429-435). Researchers found that more than 11,000 individuals, subjects in the highest quartile of depressive symptoms, had a 63% increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared to those in the lowest quartile (relative hazard 1.63). These new findings further support the importance of taking care of the emotional side of living with your diabetes after the diagnosis. Diabetes, Caring for Your Emotions as Well as Your Health, Revised Edition, by Jerry Edelwich and Archie Brodsky, is a great tool and reference guide to help you get started.
Authors Edelwich and Brodsky are right on point with helping the reader to understand how emotions can strongly influence diabetes control, and they cover all the vital information about the emotional side of living with diabetes that doctors just don't have time to discuss. From adjusting to the initial diagnosis, to making decisions about diet, exercise, types of medication, and new technologies, the authors take you through the twists and turns of facing the uncertainty surrounding complications, and how diabetes can affect your marriage and family, sex and career choices. Especially helpful are the "further reading" resources at the end of each chapter. One only has to glance through the table of contents to realize how extensively the authors have covered just about every area of life touched by a diagnosis of diabetes. Great anecdotal examples in the form of "true life" stories bring Diabetes, Caring for Your Emotions as Well as Your Health (c)1998, home to roost. Good resource for your bookshelf and recommended reading for physicians and health care practitioners who care for patients with diabetes.
No column would be complete without at least one new book from my favorite part of the shelf, and most of you who read this column regularly know that means a cookbook review. I firmly believe good nutrition is the medicine of the future, and it's really important for what you put in your mouth to taste good, too. If you like to cook it easy, and get it to the table fast, you'll just love Diabetes Snacks, Treats & Easy Eats, by Barbara Grunes with Linda R.Yoakam, RD, MS.
This brand new, hot-off-the-press 2004 release features 130 recipes you'll make again and again. Barbara Grunes, author of over 40 cookbooks (many of which are in my personal collection), has clearly written another winner. Grunes is no stranger to diabetes, as her husband, Jerry, has type 1 diabetes. She stresses the importance of having some "safe and ready" snacks available when he comes home from work, tired, hungry and looking forward to dinner.
Diabetes Snacks, Treats & Easy Eats focuses on the consumption of good, wholesome foods, and not just "making junk food less junky." All the dishes in this cookbook are really easy to make and most take less than 20 minutes to prepare. Cooking level is easy to moderate and all recipes, with clear identification of those low in fat, carbohydrates and sodium, are created especially for people with diabetes. And, if you have regular chocolate cravings, you can sample two of the desserts, Chocolate Yogurt Pie and Jenny's Brownies, in the "Chocolate Obsession" feature in the February issue of the Cinnamon Hearts website at www.cinnamonhearts.com
You'll love this quick and easy cookbook, complete with nutritional analyses and exchanges; another great find published by Surrey Books, Inc. Very highly recommended.
That's it for the spring issue, folks. If you're still buried under a layer of snow when this reaches you in April, come and enjoy the daffodils in "The Daffodil Principal" (March 2004) on the Cinnamon Hearts website. In the meantime, make your own sunshine wherever you're planted.
Marilyn Helton, diabetic since 1993, is the publisher of Cinnamon Hearts: The Art of Living a Winning Diabetic Lifestyle, a positive-power E-zine for diabetics and their families. Visit the Cinnamon Hearts website: www.cinnamonhearts.com.