Blood Sugar Blues: Overcoming the Hidden Dangers of Insulin Resistance

by Miryam Ehrlich Williamson

Book Overview

An estimated 20 percent of Americans (more than 55 million people) have insulin resistance -- and most of them don't know it! If your diet is high in carbohydrates, what you eat could cause your body... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0802776108
• ISBN13: 9780802776105
• Release Date: November 2001
• Publisher: Walker & Company
• Length: 234 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.0" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

one of the best low carb books available

This book is for both low carb newcomers and veterans alike. It covers the basics for the new folks while keeping us veterans engaged with lots of new little "nuggets," peices to the puzzle of why this way of eating improves health in so many ways. For me, reading books like this keep me motivated and on track. I probably have 30 low carb books, and this is one of my very favorites.I'm 44 and I've been low carbing for 21 months.I have lost 80 lbs. through diet and exercise, and have reversed all of the following conditions: acne, leathery skin, overgrowth of moles, high blood pressure, painful legs and feet, anxiety, brain fog, PCOS, IBS, asthma, allergy to pollens and nuts, and heart palpitations. I feel like twenty years have been erased.Miryam E. Williamson is a very intelligent and caring author as you will discover if you read her book. She is commited to this way of eating because it saved her as it as saved so many of us. Add this book to your library and enjoy.

Right On the Money If Your Problem Is Insulin Resistance

Miryam Williamson's "Blood Sugar Blues" is an excellent book for people who find themselves suffering from a multitude of health problems that are often difficult for mainstream doctors to diagnose. Although insulin resistance is often the culprit, it is frequently overlooked by traditionally trained internists who, when all common blood and other testing comes back normal, don't understand the condition enough to explore it as the possible answer to their patients' complaints.Williamson does an excellent job spelling out symptoms caused by insulin resistance-- which makes it easy for the reader to discern if this, in fact, is his or her problem. Her writing shows she has researched this condition thoroughly and understands how it can lead to severe illnesses including heart disease, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and cancer-- and she writes in such a way that her research is easy for the lay person to understand. While the book does provide a good bit of scientific information about disease processes, she has written a book that is highly accessible to most anyone who reads it.She also clearly presents strategies for altering one's diet and lifestyle to reduce damage caused by systemic dysfunction that leads to the body losing its ability to produce, process, and use insulin the way it is supposed to. She offers concise advice for helping restore the body to its healthier state and offers a comparison of 5 different popular diets in a way that helps the reader choose which one may be best for him/her.Williamson obviously believes that, with proper information and guidance, many of us can make changes in our lives that will help us feel better and ward off serious disease, and she does an excellent job passing along that hopefulness to her readers.Finally, she provides lists of 'safe' foods for people suffering from insulin resistance and a number of simple and tasty recipes that incorporate foods in combinations that help relieve symptoms of the disorder. "Blood Sugar Blues" is a well-written and easily understood primer for anyone dealing with insulin resistance and the ills it can cause.

Read This Book First!

I feel very fortunate that I read Miryam Williamson's Blood Sugar Blues first on my search for insulin resistance. She was able to put together pieces of the health puzzle that even my doctor did not see. She is able to clearly convey a lot of complex metabolic issues so that everything starts to make sense. One of the best chapters is the one on choosing a low carbohydrate eating plan, in which she reviews five different plans, pros and cons. This saved me a lot of time and experimentation and was therefore successful from the start.

It's About Time: Williamson Gets it Right!

Finally, a doctor with a thorough grasp of the English language has written a book with solid, verifiable references that are used in the main text. I am disturbed when authors fail to mention their sources--clearly not the case here--as if we're stupid enough to say, "Okay, I believe whatever you say..." Dr. Williamson has a real gem here on EXACTLY the subject I've been looking for: "The surprising link between starches and sugars and: high blood pressure, heart disease, high cholesterol, diabetes and much more. This is the brightest new entry into the ranks of neurophysiological links between the diet and specifically how foods and hormones affect the body. As a bonus, the publisher didn't get carried away with aggressive typestyles that jump off the page at you or distract you with unrelated inserts. We now have a well-written, elegant sourcebook, up-to-date on the latest research linking insulin resistance to secondary and tertiery physiological affects. What really makes the book believable is the unbiased style of the author, gloriously free of emotional undertones and the scolding dietitian who implies that we're going to die tomorrow if we don't quit eating this food or that. Instead, Williamson adeptly presents her latest research and findings objectively and lets the reader decide which course of dietetic theraphy we should seek, along with the indispensible help of a physician. I haven't even scratched the surface of the detail Miryam covers, and it will be a real treat to discover how she ties everything together in relatively jargon-free narrative prose. She's got her sources right at the bottom of each page where necessary, and I love that! Authors, take note! This is how to do practical research about an important health issue and present it correctly to your audience. Absolute top recommendation. And you don't need to be a doctor or a graduate student to grasp it's concepts. Buy "Blood Sugar Blues" today. After researching over 400 books, this one is a non-pareil, having no equal to date.

Not Another Diet Book

This is a well written, thought provoking book showing the link between insulin resistance and many treatable illnesses. I especially appreciated the section in which the author compares and comments on the low-carb eating plans which are offered in books such as The Carbohydrate Addict's Diet, Life Without Bread, and Atkins. Whether the reader is battling diabetes, weight gain, osteoporosis or fibromyalgia, there are facts, case histories and resources to help you understand and control insulin resistance. I read the book over a weekend and began controlling my carbohydrate intake at the same time. Two weeks later I've lost five pounds and have not craved bread, pizza, candy bars or any of the other foods which used to be the staples of my diet. I would highly recommend Blood Sugar Blues to anyone who thinks they, or a loved one, may be insulin resistant.