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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: $14.95
as of 9/8/2010 04:19 CDT details
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New (39) Used (25) from $13.00
Seller: Rx4betterhealth
Rating:  116 reviews
Sales Rank: 4846
Media: Hardcover
Edition: Rev Upd
Pages: 544
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.9
Dimensions (in): 9.4 x 5.9 x 1.9
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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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 116
 A book for all diabetics and their families July 27, 2010
Katia Bennetti (Adelaide Australia)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I purchased this book in November in an effort to try and better manage my Type 2 diabetes which was is a state of deterioration. At first, I wasn't sure that it would be doable, however within in month I was losing weight without being hungry, by putting Dr Bernstein's recommendations into practice. My blood glucose readings were also improved. The HBA1C was reduced from 7.9% in one month and then in May it was 5.3%. I have also lost 30lb in weight. Now 8 month later, I have BGL reading in the 80-90s.
Dr Bernsteins book contains pretty much all the tools and information to help a motivated person take charge of their health. I, like many others, have diligently followed the usual suspects, like the ADAs recommendations, without seeing improvement in my health, just getting fatter and fatter and sicker.
This is the only program that I have found that gets results. It requires commitment and an acknowledgement that diabetes is a serious disease that requires serious management. If you follow the program you will get results, enjoy better health and stave off the awful complications.
Thank you Dr Bernstein.
This is the bible for diabetics and low carbers! July 17, 2010
Roger M. Moery (Mount Dora, FL. USA)
This book is the absolute bible for diabetics and folks who want to improve their diets by greatly reducing their carbohydrates. I have been a follower for almost 3 years (am a Type 2) and this man and his book have improved my life greatly. It's not easy to follow at first but it is considerably easier than killing yourself with high blood sugars. I am a convinced this is the way we all should be eating- not just diabetics and I'm a pretty skeptical person. I have read this book at least 4 times from cover to cover and refer to it weekly. Buy it and follow it religiously. It will change your life-for the better!
Who's the quack now? July 10, 2010
An Average Joe
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I am a member of the Skeptics Society, so I am no friend of "alternative" medicine, quackery, conspiracy theories, etc. But, in the case of diet and diabetes medicine, it's the establishment-- ADA, AMA, US Dept. of Agriculture, etc. that are the quacks. A charge of "Conspiracy" is a bit extreme, but the processed food industry, Big Agra, Big Pharma, and miss-informed medical professionals all have a vested interest in the status quo.
With mounting scientific evidence that blood sugar control through low-carb is superior to high-carb/low fat, the ADA, etc., have changed their criticism to "Well, it may work, but it's a diet that no one can adhere to..."
Bernstein's detractors seem to be saying, "But life-saving measures are soooooo inconvenient! (Translation: "Eat what you want, then inject yourself with 'industrial strength' shots of insulin!")
I haven't seen any scientific studies of rate of adherence to ADA-type recommendations, but how many people do you know who lose weight permanently on these diets? The first winner of "The Biggest Loser" is now as heavy ever. One website did an extrapolation from the scant data on the success rate of a popular for-profit weight reduction club that uses a diet aligned with the current US Food Pyramid. Result: only 2 out of 1,000 members reach their goal and maintain it for 6 months. Could a low-carb diet be any worse?
Following Dr. Bernstein's recommendations, I maintain normal blood sugar 24/7 without insulin or drugs. I probably would no longer be flagged as diabetic by many tests. A low carb diet is a bit monotonous, but it completely removes my cravings for sweets. On the ADA diet, I was constantly fighting urges for baked goods and snacks.
Bernstein's recommendation of frequent monitoring of blood sugar, rather than being inconvenient, is instead highly motivational. Most people on diets rely on the occasional sudden drop in weight measured on a scale for positive feedback. I have frequent daily glucose readings to reinforce my commitment to healthy (Yes, healthy!) eating and lifestyle. (Incidentally, the AMA was once violently opposed to allowing diabetics to monitor their own glucose with meters. Go figure...)
Dr. Bernstein's books are not for someone who wants to shed pounds quickly by following a regimen for a short period of time. It's for people who realize they have a life-threatening condition and are seriously committed to responding to that threat no matter how "inconvenient" that may be.
Diabetes Solutiions July 9, 2010
Thomas R. Hester (LOUISVILLE, KY, US)
Dr Bernstein's book gives the diabetic everything needed to live with diabetes and to avoid complications. As far as I'm concerned, he saved my life. I have literally given away dozens of this book to diabetic friends. That is how much I believe in its worth and benefit. I highly recommend it if you are diabetic, live with a diabetic or have diabetes in your family tree. I have read many books on diabetes and this one is the best. Take it from a guy that has lived with diabetes over thirty years.
It's a Shame Dr. Bernstein's Program Isn't More Widely Known May 27, 2010
Steven Parker (Arizona USA)
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
Dr. Bernstein gives away thousands of dollars' worth of medical advice in this masterpiece, Diabetes Solution. It's a summation of his entire medical career and a gift to the diabetes community.
The book starts off with some incredible testimonials: reversal of diabetic nerve damage, eye damage, and erectile dysfunction. They're a bit off-putting to a skeptic like me, like an infomercial. Dr. Bernstein is either lying about these or he's not; I believe him. His strongest testimonial is his own. He's been a type 1 diabetic most of his life, having acquired the disease at a time when most type 1's never saw 55 candles on a birthday cake. He's in his mid-70s now and still working vigorously.
I only found one obvious error and assume it's a misprint. He writes that 95% of people born today in the U.S. will eventually develop diabetes. That's preposterous. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control predicts that one in three born in 2000 will be diagnosed.
Dr. Bernstein delivers lots of facts that I can neither confirm nor refute. He's a full-time diabetologist; I am not.
The central problem in type 1 diabetes is that, due to a lack of insulin, ingested carbohydrates lead to spikes (elevations) in blood sugar. The sugar elevations themselves are toxic. The usual insulin injections are not good imitators of a healthy pancreas gland. So Dr. Bernstein is an advocate of low-carb eating (about 30 g daily compared to the usual American 250-300 g). He says the available insulins CAN handle the glucose produced by a high-protein meal.
Dr. B reminds us that insulin is the main fat-building hormone, which is one reason diabetics gain weight when they start insulin, and why type 2 diabetics with insulin resistance (and high blood insulin levels) are overweight and have trouble losing weight. You can have resistance to insulin's blood sugar lowering action yet no resistance to its fat-building (fat-storing) action. Insulin also stimulates hunger, so insulin-resistant diabetics are often hungry.
"Carbohydrate counting" is a popular method for determining a dose of injected insulin. Dr. B says the gram counts on most foods are only a rough estimate--far too rough. He minimizes the error by minimizing the input (ingested carbs). From his days as an engineer, he notes "small inputs, small mistakes."
Dr. B also cites problems with the absorption of injected insulin. Absorption is variable: the larger the dose, the greater the variability. So don't eat a lot of carbs that require a large insulin dose. For adult type 1 diabetics, his recommended rapid-acting insulins doses are usually three to five units. If a dose larger than seven units is needed, split it into different sites.
He recommends diabetics aim for normal glucoses (90 mg/dl or less) almost all the time, and hemoglobin A1c of 5% or less. This is extremely tight control, tighter than any expert panel recommends. He says this is the best way to avoid the serious complications of diabetes.
Here's a smattering of "facts" in the book that made an impact on me, a physician practicing internal medicine for over two decades. I want to remember them, incorporate into my practice, or research further to confirm:
*Hemoglobin A1c of 5% equals an average blood sugar of 100 mg/dl (5.56 mmol/l). For each one % higher, average glucose is 40 mg/dl (2.22 mmol/l) higher.
*He's against any drugs that overstimulate ("burn out") the remaining pancreas function in type 2 diabetics: sulfonylureas, meglitinides, "phenylalanine derivatives". Pancreas-provoking agents cause hypoglycemia and destroy beta cell function.
*The insulin sensitizers are metformin and thiazolidinediones. He likes these.
*Blood sugar normalization in type 2 diabetes and early-stage type 1 can help restore beta cell function.
*He believes in "insulin-mimetic agents" like alpha lipoic acid (especially R-ALA, and take biotin with either form) and evening primrose oil. These are no substitute for insulin injections but allow for lower insulin doses.
*He says many cardiologists take ALA for its antioxidant properties [news to me]
*One of his goals is to preserve beta cell function if at all possible
*He prefers rosiglitazone over pioglitazone due to fewer drug interactions
*"Americans are fat largely because of sugar, starches, and other high-carbohydrate foods."
*He's convinced that people who crave carbohydrates have inherited the problem, which also predisposes to insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Low-carb diets decrease the cravings for many, in his experience.
*If you're in a restaurant, you can use urine sugar test strips and saliva to test for presence of sugar or flour in food
*A rule of thumb: one gram of carbohydrate will raise blood sugar about 5 mg/dl (0.28 mmol/l) or less for most diabetic adults weighing 140 lb (64 kg) and about 2.5 mg/dl (0.139 mmol/l) in a 280-pounder (127 kg). This must refer to type 1 diabetics or a type 2 with little residual pancreas beta cell function; variable degrees of insulin resistance and beta cell reserve in many type 2s would make this formula unreliable.
*Be wary of maltodextrin in Splenda: it does raise blood sugar.
*Much new to me in his section on artificial sweeteners. Be wary of them.
*He avoids fruits, beets, corn, potatoes, beans, grains, breads, crackers, barley, oats, rice, and pasta.
*Most diet sodas are OK.
*Coffee with 1-2 tsp milk is OK. Cream is fine.
*Avoid nuts: too easy to overeat.
*Yogurt? Plain, whole milk, unsweetened. Flavor with cinnamon, Da Vinci syrups, baking flavor extracts, stevia or Equal.
*"Ideally, your blood sugar should be the same after eating as it was before." 85 mg/dl (4.72 mmol/l) is his usual goal. If blood sugar rises by more than 10 mg/dl (0.56 mmol/l) after a meal, either the meal has to be changed or medication changed.
*Protein is a source of glucose: keep protein amounts at meals constant from day to day, especially if taking glucose-lowering drugs.
*He promotes strenuous, prolonged exercise, especially weight training (extensive discussion and instruction in book).
*Many diabetics on insulin need dose adjustments in 1/2 and 1/4 unit increments [news to me: if I ordered 4 and 1/4 units of insulin at the hospital, the nurses would laugh].
*Typical rapid-acting insulin doses for his adult type 1 patients are 3-5 units. The "industrial doses" of insulin seen or recommended by many physicians reflect diets too high in carbohydrate.
*He says Lantus only acts for nine hours (nighttime injection) or 18 hours (AM injection).
*He doesn't like mixed insulins (e.g., 70/30).
*Humalog and Novolog are more potent than regular insulin, so the dose is about 2/3 of the regular insulin dose
*"Only a few of the 20 available [home glucose monitoring] machines are suitably accurate for our purposes." "None are suitably accurate or precise above 200 mg/dl [11.11 mmol/l]."
*Vitamin C in doses over 250 mg interferes with fingertip glucose monitors. Later he says doses over 500 mg cause falsely low readings.
*He prefers regular insulin (45 minutes before meal) over Novolog and Humalog, because of its five-hour duration of action.
*His personal basal insulin is 3 units Lantus twice daily.
*He says hypoglycemia is rare on his regimen.
His recommended eating program in a nutshell:
*Some similarities to the Atkins diet, which he never mentions.
*No simple sugars or "fast-acting" carbs like bread and potatoes, because even type 2s have impaired or nonexistent phase 1 insulin response.
*Limit carbs to an amount that will work with your injected insulin or your remaining phase 2 insulin response, if any.
*"Stop eating when you no longer feel hungry, not when you're stuffed."
*Follow a predetermined meal plan (each meal: same grams of carb and ounces of protein)
*Six g (or less) of carbs at breakfast, 12 g (or less) at lunch and evening meal. So his patients count carb grams and protein ounces.
*Supplements are not required IF glucoses are controlled and eating a variety of veggies. Otherwise you may need B-complex or multivitamin/multimineral supplement.
*Recipes are provided.
His has four basic drug treatment plans, tailored to the individual. They are outlined in the book. Dr. B provides detailed notes on what he does with his personal patients.
Overall impressions:
*Too complicated for most, and they won't give up higher carb consumption. It requires a high degree of committment and discipline. In fact, none of the diabetics I've met in person were on the Bernstein program.
*If I had type 1 diabetes, I might well follow his plan or the Diabetic Mediterranean Diet, NOT the high-carb diet recommended by the ADA and many dietitians.
*And if I had type 2 diabetes? Diabetic Mediterranean Diet first, Diabetes Solution as second choice.
*If one can get his hemoglobins A1c down to 5% with other methods, would that be just as good? Dr. B would argue that all other methods have blood sugar swings that are too wide.
*Many new ideas and techniques here, at least to me.
*He pretty much reveals his entire program here, which is priceless.
*I'm not sure this plan will work unless the patient's treating physician is on-board.
*His personal testimony and breadth of knowledge are very persuasive.
Steve Parker, M.D., author of The Advanced Mediterranean Diet: Lose Weight, Feel Better, Live Longer
Disclosure: I was given nothing of value by Dr. Bernstein or his publisher in return for this review.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 116
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