The End of Diabetes

The End of Diabetes: The Eat to Live Plan to Prevent and Reverse Diabetes by Joel Fuhrman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

An advocate for treating the cause of disease rather than just the symptoms, Fuhrman disagrees with doctors who tell their patients that once diagnosed with diabetes, they will always have diabetes.

He claims to have successfully treated hundreds/thousands of patients through a regimen of diet and exercise.

He dubs his recommended mode of eating as a nutrarian diet, which really is nothing more than a vegetarian diet that emphasizes whole, nutrient rich plant foods while avoiding processed foods of plant or animal origin. "Beans and greens." These are the basis of his eating plan.

And while he does recommend a handful of supplements in passing, he tends to put more emphasis on getting the nutrients we need from our diet, which he says is pretty easy if you follow the plan. I think this is a strength of the book as it seems more in line with the research we have to date which historically has shown that not only is supplementation often not helpful, but it is sometimes detrimental to one's health.

The reality is any diet that focuses on fruits and veggies as well as whole vs. processed foods is bound to lead to improved health and weight loss.

As a doctor, he often treats patients that are already taking insulin and thus monitors them very closely as he quickly tries to first wean them off of insulin. He also makes a point of reminding readers that those with diabetes may require a stricter diet, at least until their blood sugar is under control and they have successfully shed some of the extra weight.

I also think he does a decent job of gearing the book toward diabetics, although his advice could apply to anyone, even those without diabetes.