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Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Solution: The Complete Guide to Achieving Normal Blood Sugars |  | Author: Richard K. Bernstein
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Category: Book
List Price: $29.99
Buy New: $15.22
as of 11/21/2009 04:11 CST details
You Save: $14.77 (49%)
New (32) Used (14) from $15.20
Seller: a1books
Rating:  106 reviews
Sales Rank: 4481
Media: Hardcover
Edition: Rev Upd
Pages: 544
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.6
Dimensions (in): 9.4 x 5.9 x 1.5
ISBN: 0316167169
Dewey Decimal Number: 616.462
EAN: 9780316167161
ASIN: 0316167169
Publication Date: March 22, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
The standard text on living with diabetes, newly revised and updated with all the latest scientific findings. Since its first publication in 1997, DR. BERNSTEIN'S DIABETES SOLUTION has become the treatment of choice in the medical field. In this revised and updated edition of his work, Dr. Bernstein provides an accessible, detailed guide to his revolutionary approach to normalizing blood sugars and thereby preventing or reversing long-term complications of diabetes. He offers the most up-to-date information on new products, medications, and supplements, and outlines a plan to reverse the obesity that underlies most cases of Type II diabetes. Dr. Bernstein discusses breakthrough science and potential cures, and has added information on the new insulins and insulin pumps. The only book to detail step-by-step methods for normalizing blood sugars in both Type I and Type II diabetes, DR. BERNSTEIN'S DIABETES SOLUTION will enable patients to take charge of their health and live longer, healthier lives.
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Showing reviews 1-5 of 106
 This book changed my life. October 29, 2009
Donna J. King (McCall, Id United States)
This is the most amazing thing that I ever read. I was in a lot of trouble with diabetes. I was trying to follow my doctors advise and I was trying to do what the diatician told me to do but no matter what I did, I was in trouble. I had the begining of kidney disease, I had two frozen shoulders, I had severe gastroparisis, I had many lazer surgeries on my eyes, I had severe probems with my feet. I had a severe inflamation with one of my legs, and my blood sugar was over 400 every morning.
One morning, at about 4AM, I got up and searched the internet. I went to the website for the insulins I used, and I finally went to Amazon.com. I initially found many of the books I already had. Then I found, The Diabetes Solution. I was interested, but I was skeptical. The customer comments were incouraging, so I ordered the book and when I got it I devoured it. I decided to do it. Within 6 weeks, my A1C went from 9.9 to 6.9. My doctor said "congratulations"!! I was from then on my way. It is now almost 10 years later, I am consistantly at 5.0 A1C, and I have gotten rid of gastropariasis, eye problems, frozen shoulders, inflamed leg, kidney disease, and everything else. I walk two miles a day, and I am 58 years old. I am not near as hungry,and I love my new life. This book can change your life I promise.
A Diabetes Compendium October 21, 2009
Bill Jordin (Smyrna, GA USA)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Solution (2007) is a major work on the state of diabetes research and practice. It covers everything from the types of diabetes to the loading of insulin syringes. It describes relevant medications, vitamins and supplements and provides dietary menus. It also includes several appendices, a glossary and two indices.
Richard K. Bernstein was a pioneer in the modern treatment of diabetes. A Type I (juvenile onset) diabetic, he struggled with the treatment methods of his day and found himself becoming progressively worse while being assured that he was doing well. His physicians were basically expecting him to die at an early age like so many had done before him.
Obtaining an early version of the glucometer, Bernstein studied his own changes in blood sugar levels and based his insulin usage on the meter readings. He gradually learned what caused his blood sugar to increase or decrease and managed to regulate these levels. Then he wrote a paper on his methodology, which was submitted to -- and rejected by -- every medical journal that he thought might be interested.
Eventually, Bernstein convinced a few people to try his approach. Then he entered medical school and became a physician himself. He started his own diabetic practice and continued to lead the field in diabetic treatment for decades.
One of the factors underlying Bernstein's problems was the advice provided by the American Diabetes Association. Unless things have changed recently, their recommendations are directly contradicted by Bernstein's findings. Personally, I would trust Bernstein and my physician over the ADA.
Bernstein puts the responsibility for controlling diabetes on the patients themselves. Individuals must monitor their blood sugar levels rather that depending on periodic visits to their physicians. However, the medical profession has a very crucial role to play in the treatment of diabetes.
Your physician should know more about diabetes than you do. Reading the lifelong dedication of Bernstein to tracking information on related subjects should suggest the time and effort required to become expert in this field. If your physician does not keep up with the latest advances, find a new physician. Just don't try to do it yourself.
I am a Type II diabetic with hypertension and a history of congestive heart failure. Because of my cardiac problems, my treatment for diabetes is somewhat different than for those without such problems. Thus, my experiences with diabetes medications differs from others.
As an example of interaction with your physician, consider six medications mentioned in this book. All are still on the market, but later data and changes in my health have influenced their application in my diabetic treatment. These medications are metformin (Glucophage), pioglitazine (Actos), rosiglitozone (Avandia), glyburide (Diabeta), glipizide (Glucotrol), and sitagliptin (Januvia).
Metformin is still the primary blood sugar control medication for Type II diabetes. Both my daughter and myself use it in the manner and dosages described by this book. My daughter's endocrinologist prescribes a higher dose of this medication than does my physician, but both of us are within the limits described herein. However, my dosage has gone up and her's has gone down, especially during her pregnancies.
Both pioglitazone and rosiglitozone have been prescribed for myself, but discontinued because of the side effects, including those for cardiac conditions. Such interactions are mentioned in the book, but are scattered throughout the text.
Glyburide is mentioned in the book, but the insulin-like effects that can force hypoglycemia are not stated. My physician discontinued this medication and substituted glipizide instead.
Glipizide is also mentioned in the book. It has similar effects, but does not drive blood sugar levels as low as glyburide (or insulin).
Sitagliptin is a fairly new medication which is mentioned twice in the book, but not is any great detail. My physician has recently prescribed this drug, but I have not noticed any significant changes.
These examples strongly suggest the need for individuals to consult with their physicians. Explain your problems to your doctor and listen to their advice. If your physician won't listen to you, find one who does!
Like all medical texts, however, this book was probably outdated before it hit the streets. Medical knowledge has grown by leaps and bounds, so the information in this book cannot be considered the last word in diabetes treatment. The website supporting this book would be a better source of current information, but it was apparently never intended to be such a resource.
This work -- like all medical texts -- is concerned with application, not theory. Classical medicine was based on the disproved humors theory, which often killed the patients rather than cured them. But current DNA theory is beginning to turn biology into a science rather than a speculation. Yet the Human Genome Project only mapped the genes and complete knowledge of the human genome is still forthcoming.
Research into human genes has produce detailed information about some genetic processes and disorders, but the genetic basis of diabetes is not yet clear. When better information is discovered and communicated, this book probably will be updated. Nonetheless, future editions will never be current with the latest research. Hopefully, Bernstein or others will establish a website for new information.
This book is a Very good overview of both Type I and Type II diabetes, but the devil is in the details. Have a physician supervise and advise you in your treatment plan.
Highly recommended for diabetics and for anyone related to diabetics. Do not consider it as the final word, but use it to shape questions for your physician.
-Bill Jordin
The proof is in the... not pudding... September 30, 2009
J. P. Narkinsky (Louisa, VA)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
The proof of a book on health issues is in the results it gets you, and it's very hard to argue with the results I've gotten from following Dr. Bernstein's plan. Many others have reviewed this book more capably than I can, but let me just say that after a few months of following Dr. B's diet, I've lost 50 lbs., gotten normal blood sugars, and feel better than I've felt in years. Highly recommended!
This book can save your life August 10, 2009
slo (San Francisco, CA United States)
7 out of 7 found this review helpful
Dr. Bernstein is a truly remarkable man - he is both brilliant and really cares about diabetics (unlike some other authors I have read who seem more interested in promoting their own agenda). I know there are things he'd rather be doing at this point, but he continues to try to get information and help out to the rest of us, despite being treated quite poorly by much of the medical community, even as they gradually work their way to saying what he's been saying all along.
Dr. B may be the oldest living (74 yrs old) Type I diabetic; he essentially cured himself of a number of severe diabetic complications (severe kidney disease among others) by experimenting on himself and learning how to keep his blood sugars constantly in the normal range. He believes that diabetics are entitled to the same blood sugars non-diabetics have. This is uncommon in the medical community, most of whom advocate target blood sugars for diabetics that are well above normal - and I guess they think we should just accept these high levels and the complications that flow from them.
Since I discovered Dr. Bernstein, I've read his book and have also been listening to the Teleseminars he gives, for free, once a month, to answer questions people have ([...] - but please, read the book first - people who ask questions answered in the book will not be appreciated). I have learned a phenomenal amount.
Anyway, about the book. It starts w/Dr. Bernstein's personal story, which is amazing but also a good way of introducing the basic approach he has come to and the rationale behind it.
Exercise:
Dr. Bernstein is a huge advocate of exercise for diabetics (especially Type II w/insulin resistance), and he discusses what he considers to be the best type of exercise for improving insulin sensitivity and reversing cardiovascular complications. He himself has a body-fat percentage of seven and (I've seen him in video) has amazing muscle tone for a man of any age, much less a diabetic man in his 70s.
Diet:
Dr. Bernstein also advocates a very low carbohydrate diet*, and the rationale is sound.
a. For Type IIs, carbs are of course the source of glucose, and eating them forces whatever pancreatic beta cells you have left to wear themselves out producing insulin to cover what you ate. And, more than likely, if you're a Type II, you are insulin resistant which means you need to produce much more insulin than a normal person would to cover your carb intake. So, keeping carbs to a minimun gives your pancreas a break and may let you recover some (but probably not all) of the beta cells you've lost to overwork and glucose-related damage.
b. For Type Is or insulin-dependent Type IIs, trying to accurately estimate how much insulin you need if you are eating a high carbohydrate meal is virtually impossible. Apparently, food manufacturers are allowed to be up to 20% off in their estimates of nutrient content. So, if you think you are eating a 100 g carb meal, you could be eating only 80g, in which case you've taken too much insulin and could have a hypoglycemic reaction, or you could be eating 120g, in which case your blood sugar will be too high.
Medication:
Because he is committed to the idea that diabetics are entitled to fully normal blood sugars (which he estimates to be 83 plus or minus 2), he readily advocates medications, up to and including insulin, if diet and exercise have not be enough to get blood sugars to normal levels. And again, the rationale is there. Most importantly, by the time you get fasting blood sugars in the pre-diabetic or diabetic range, you've lost a large percentage of your pancreatic beta cell function. [Why docs don't routinely do post-prandial blood sugars and/or Hemoglobin A1C screening is a mystery to me - if they did, many of us would have been in a position to prevent this damage much earlier.] In any case, you can give your pancreas a rest and allow your not-yet-dead beta cells to recover by a) reducing insulin resistance (with Insulin Sensitizing agents) and/or b) providing an external source of insulin (injecting) so that your pancreas doesn't have to do the work.
Dr. B. discusses the various medications available, how they work and why he does or does not use them. He also covers information that is only relevant to people on insulin, but it is very interesting, and the practical details he covers really gives you a sense that this is someone who deals with diabetes and diabetics every day.
I would especially encourage medical professionals to read this book. We desperately need more medical professionals who understand these things. If you are a diabetic or pre-diabetic, read the book (I'd recommend reading it a couple times) and pass it on to your doctor.
Hope this was helpful to someone.
*I have been a huge carb eater all my life, but cutting them out has not been nearly as difficult as I would have imagined. Even if you read this and think "I just couldn't do that," read the book anyway. Then decide.
Very HIGH energry now Because I know what to eat, and not eat! July 17, 2009
D. Nunez
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Read it and do it now! Bernstein's diet will change your life. I was always tired and always in the kitchen looking for more food. Now that I know what to eat and what to avoid, my energy level is super high. I used to plop on the sofa and need a break every day, but now I am looking for things to do. I expect my next A1C to be well below 6%, even after quitting metformin 1000mg x2 daily.
Most importantly, I showed this diet to my primary care doctor using my kindle notes from this book (his Diabetes Diet version) and he agreed with it completely. This includes agreeing that high protein diets do not cause kidney problems. I quit the metformin a few days after leaving his office because of the improvement in my BS. I started this diet after the doctor visit and my BS readings went down to the 80's and even a few 70's.
Avoiding carbs is not difficult once you experience the full feeling and high energy levels that this diet will provide.
Take the time to learn something new and change those life long carb habits.
Talk to your doctor before starting a new diet. Show your doc the Appendix of this book that explains why low carb/high protein is okay.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 106
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