Voice of the Diabetic

Voice of the Diabetic

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BOOK REVIEWS

by Marilyn Helton

Greetings Readers! Once again it's Spring, a time which we associate with rebirth

and new beginnings. With that thought in mind, I'd like some reader-feedback

regarding your choice of the type of books you would like to see reviewed in

this column. Please choose from the following four categories:

1. Cookbooks—All types of nutrition and food preparation

for adults and children with diabetes; proper nutrition as a prescription for

diabetes; obesity/weight loss through proper nutrition as associated with diabetes.

2. Juveniles and Diabetes—Recognizing and dealing with

children and teens with type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

3. Motivational/spiritual books on coping with diabetes, for

those who have diabetes, their caregivers, and family members.

4. Medical or in-depth publications written to recognize and

deal with the complications of diabetes.

Please send your thoughts to [email protected]

and put "VOD Book Reviews" in the subject line. Please put your choice(s)

in order of preference. If you don't have access to a computer, drop a postcard

to: Marilyn Helton, VOD Book Reviews, P.O. Box 8340, Modesto, CA 95357-8340.

I need to have your feedback BEFORE my writing deadline of May 15, 2002, in

order to share the results with you in the Summer issue of the VOICE OF THE

DIABETIC, which will be published in July 2002.

Here are the current review selections for your Spring reading. As I always

recommend, look through them at your local book store or better yet, check them

out of the library and read them before you decide to buy. My personal rule-of-thumb

has always been, "If I check it out more than twice, I should own it!"

**********

12 THINGS YOU MUST KNOW ABOUT DIABETES CARE RIGHT NOW!

In this age of HMO-controlled medical care and drive-through

medical appointments (the kind where you sit for an hour in the waiting room

in order to see your healthcare provider for 10 minutes or less), it's essential

to know the right questions to ask and tests you should have to manage your

diabetes. How many times have you come out of your doctor's office feeling like

you didn't know any more than the last visit regarding the management of your

diabetes? For the first five years or so after my diagnosis, that's exactly

the way I felt, until I started researching the disease and reviewing books

on diabetes and its complications.

Divided into 12 areas of concern, "12 Things You Must Know

about Diabetes Care—Right Now!" covers how to choose the members of

your health care team, what check-ups you need and when you need them, what

kinds of medical tests you should have done and what the results mean to you,

and what important questions you should ask your health care provider so you

can make your own well-informed self-care decisions. Also discussed are topics

such as diabetes and pregnancy, diabetic eye disease, lipids and exercise, hypertension,

diabetic neuropathy (nerve damage) and nephropathy (kidney complications). There

are two good appendices on the drugs used for the treatment of diabetes and

diabetes-related world-wide web sites. What a wealth of information packed into

180 pages!

Written by Irl B. Hirsch, MD, Medical Director of the Diabetes

Care Center at the University of Washington Medical Center, the book is designed

to make sure the patient is getting the best medical care according to the American

Diabetes Association's latest "Standards of Care."

It's really a wonderful read, specifically designed to help

you ask your doctor the right questions. If you want to get top medical care,

you should read "12 Things You Must Know About Diabetes Care Right Now,"

© 2000 by the American Diabetes Association, Inc. Highly recommended.

**********

UNBELIEVEABLE DESSERTS WITH SPLENDA

For those of you who still can't quite believe you can have small amounts of

refined sugar (per serving) in your diabetic recipes, I've recently received

three cookbooks for review which have recipes that do not use refined or natural

sugars (fruit sugars). One of these three is "UNBELIEVEABLE DESSERTS WITH

SPLENDA," by Marlene Koch, RD, a culinary nutritionist who combines her

love for great-tasting food with her knowledge of nutrition in the recipes she's

created using Splenda, a no-calorie sweetener made from sugar, so it tastes

just like sugar.

Splenda (sucralose) is made through a multi-step process that

selectively replaces three hydrogen-oxygen groups on the sugar molecule with

three chlorine atoms. The result is an exceptionally stable sweetener that tastes

like sugar but without sugar's same properties, and which, after consumption,

is able to pass through the body without being broken down.

Since Splenda has no unpleasant after-taste, it can be used

virtually anywhere sugar is used, and it stays sweet at high temperatures, so

it can be used in cooking and baking.

In the Low Sugar Baking Secrets section of the book, Ms. Koch

informs the reader flat out that "sugar is sugar is sugar." Honey,

juice concentrates, dried fruits, fructose, etc., are all different forms of

sugar and the consumer should not be fooled by that "no-sugar cookie recipe"

which is full of honey. Your body knows what sugars are and so should you! This

section goes on to explain what the role of sugar is in the recipes and how

to adjust your own recipes to use Splenda..

The recipes section of the book includes Hot & Cold Beverages;

Muffins, Coffeecakes, & Breakfast Breads; Cookies; Pies, Crisps, & Cobblers;

Cakes for Any Occasion; Cheesecakes to Die For; Puddings & Specialty Desserts;

and Simple Sauces & Toppings. I have not tried any of the recipes, but one

of my sisters made the cheesecake and said it "tasted like the real thing"

and was just wonderful!

"Unbelievable Desserts With Splenda," © 2001

by Marlene M. Koch is published by M. Evans and Company, Inc. Since my sweet

tooth is my albatross, I think I'll try it ~ I might even like it!

**********

REAL LIFE PARENTING OF KIDS WITH DIABETES

Having a child diagnosed with a chronic illness is a frightening

experience, and parenting a child with diabetes can be wrought with fear, anxiety,

and so many questions. After all, how do you explain the importance of a finger

prick to a small child who only feels pain? How do you help them live life like

any other kid their age? How can parents learn to handle the practical, day-to-day

aspects of this challenge while also figuring out how to cope—and how to

help their children cope—with the emotional and psychological fallout?

Author Virginia Nasmyth Loy, whose two sons were diagnosed with type 1 diabetes

on Thanksgiving Day one year apart (one was seven, the other six years old)

gives parents a down-to-earth guide with information about raising a child with

diabetes. The reader will gain valuable insight with tips and suggestions for:

(1) developing a testing and medication routine, (2) organizing a play group,

(3), finding a doctor, (4) making sure their diabetic child gets the exercise

he/she needs, (5) preparing for sports and activities, (6) traveling with diabetes,

(7) and how to provide emotional support to your diabetic child and your spouse

when the challenges of diabetes get the best of both of you. The importance

of staying positive in the face of adversity while making sure your diabetic

child stays positive as well, is the primary theme throughout this book. Diabetes

shouldn't keep your children from living the life they want to live!

From making the decision to "take charge" to driving,

drinking and parents' issues, this is a great guide for parenting a child with

diabetes. Written in practical terms; highly recommended. "Real Life Parenting

of Kids with Diabetes," © 2001 by Virginia Nasmyth Loy, published

by the American Diabetes Association.

**********

MR. FOOD'S QUICK & EASY DIABETIC COOKING

Almost every cookbook collector or good ol' recipe enthusiast

is probably familiar with Mr. Food's (aka Art Ginsburg) quick, easy and delicious

style of food preparation. Well, now he's made it possible for us to share some

of his tasty recipes with our diabetic loved ones.

Citing that many of his fans had written to him over the years

asking for a cookbook with recipes for diabetics, Art Ginsburg teamed with Nicole

Johnson, Miss America 1999 (and type 1 diabetic), to produce over 150 recipes

for "MR. FOOD'S QUICK & EASY DIABETIC COOKING." Filled with numerous

food tips and helpful hints for keeping you on track, each recipe has a complete

nutritional analysis and Exchanges. Many of the recipes are old family favorites

which have been updated to healthier versions; and since I love desserts, I

was pleased to find that chapter well represented. Roasted Veggie Melt, Balsamic

Chicken, Garlic Shrimp Linguine, Carmelized Cola Roast, and Banana Cream Pie

are a few of Nicole's contributions I'm eager to try.

A good and easy cookbook for all cooking levels; recommended.

Published by the American Diabetes Association; © 2001 Cogin, Inc.; $16.95.

Until we meet again this Summer, try to stay balanced and centered.

Life is too short to not “live in the moment.”

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