Amy Tenderich's blog

More Praise for "Know Your Numbers"

News flash!  Two more exciting endorsements that came in just this week:

Martha Funnell, diabetes educator

"Knowledge is power. This book provides important information that people with diabetes need for making decisions and taking charge of their health."

 — Martha M. Funnell, MS, RN, CDE,

University of Michigan Diabetes Research and Training Center

Gary Scheiner, diabetes educator

“There is no need to hide in fear of diabetic complications.  ‘Know Your Numbers’ takes some rather serious and complex issues and simplifies them so that everyone can benefit.  The ‘Health Account’ concept alone makes the book a must-read!”

— Gary Scheiner MS, CDE,

Owner/Director, Integrated Diabetes Services

Author, Think Like a Pancreas and The Ultimate Guide to Accurate Carb Counting   

KYN Diabetes Book: Rave Reviews at Revolution Health & ChronicBabe

Dr. Jackson and I are delighted to announce two more very positive reviews of our "Know Your Numbers, Outlive Your Diabetes" book by some of our favorite authors/bloggers:

First off, James Hirsch, who himself recently published the fantastic diabetes narrative "Cheating Destiny" has read our book and liked it (whew!) 

Revolution Health

His review appears in Diabetes Close Up, the industry newsletter produced by Kelly Close's razor-sharp consultancy, CloseConcerns, and also on Kelly's new Q&A page at Revolution Health.  Lucky us!  Here's are some excerpts from what Jim had to say:

"Breaking new ground in a diabetes book isn’t easy. As the epidemic has spiraled, dozens of 'how-to' books have been published in recent years – how to maintain normal blood sugars, how to eat properly, how to care for your eyes, your feet, and your heart; how to exercise or, for that matter, how not to exercise and still maintain good control. Know Your Numbers, Outlive Your Diabetes is also a how-to book. In straight-forward prose, the last two-thirds cover the usual bases (exercise, food, medications, low-blood sugars, complications, travel tips, etc.) It’s a good primer for newcomers to diabetes and a solid, if overly long, refresher for diabetic veterans."

"Part of the book’s strength is the blending of authoritative medical information with the real-world experience of living with the disease."

"... the authors not only create a coherent framework for your health but also deliver a message of empowerment. The burden falls to the patient to act and act now. The book is actually written for patients with type 2 diabetes, though most of the material is relevant to all types of diabetes, and type 1 patients will appreciate the overview of insulins, pens, and pumps."

Jim felt we were somewhat wordy and repetitive in spots, but thinking it over, I wouldn't change a thing even if I could -- because the repetition was intentional: one of the core goals of this book was to drum the basics into patients' heads. Our "real-world" stories illustrate that the details of health/diabetes management often don't sink in the second, third, or even fourth time that patients hear them.  So we'll just keep reminding you!!

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Over at ChronicBabe.com, a fave blog for women with chronic health issues, medical writer Michelle Haus was even more enthusiastic:

Chronic Babe blog

"In the almost nine months since I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, I've read numerous books, countless articles in magazines, tens of web sites and blogs... and gotten a great deal of information from doctors, dieticians, and various diabetes educators, but this is far and away the most positive, hopeful and -- most importantly -- best read of any of the books."

"The bottom line from this book is exercise," she concludes.  "Get up and get moving, because that, my friends, is the most positive thing one can do to overcome the negative, long-term effects of diabetes. And the first thing I recommend you do is get up and get this book!"

Thank you, Michelle, looks like all that repetition did the trick for you on the exercise message ;)

Also have a look at our Author Interview at ChronicBabe, in which we get to extrapolate even more (wink!) on why we wrote this practical guidebook and how these 5 tests (A1C, blood pressure, microalbumin, lipids, and eye exam) are so critical to managing your long-term health. 

Know Your Numbers, Outlive Your Diabetes is available in all major bookstores, on Amazon.com, or with a special offer of 5 free ExtendBar snacks on DiabetesMine.com.

"Know Your Numbers" at the Joslin Store, etc.

Well now, I suppose you know your book about diabetes is ON THE MAP when it's available via the Joslin Diabetes Center online store.  Of course, it helps that Dr. Jackson has been a fixture at that world-leading diabetes treatment

Joslin Center in Boston

center for over 20 years. 

He is Medical Director Joslin's highly successful DO IT (Diabetes Outpatient Intensive Treatment) program -- an intensive outpatient seminar that combines teaching and training with actual on-site exercise and meal sessions. In other words, patients spend 3-1/2 days of intensive time with Joslin doctors, nutritionists and exercise physiologists getting to the bottom of their own most pressing health issues with diabetes.  There's nothing quite like it.

And Dr. Jackson always felt that the majority of patients attending the DO IT program would have been in much better shape upon arrival if they'd had early access to the info in our book, i.e. the details of the 5 key tests to monitor your health with diabetes.  This was his major incentive to write the book, he tells me.

The reason that we both care is that we both know lots of people who have feelings, ideas, and opinions about their diabetes, but don’t really know the actual status of their own health. Too often they focus one factor, like glucose readings, or food… with constant frustration... because their idea of "doing good" is very vague indeed.  But we felt there must be a better way  Because now, for the first time in history, the specific tools and knowledge you need to live long and well with diabetes are readily available.

Consider this (from our Preface):

In the past, people were essentially groping in the dark with their diabetes. The tests and methods available were so primitive that it really was like fumbling in a dark room towards the door marked "Exit Here for a Long and Health Life" that you knew was there, but couldn’t see.

Since doctors could only guess at their daily glucose levels, for example, patients were subjected to all sorts of drills—like eating the same bland food for dinner every night for years on end—in the hopes that this would keep their diabetes in control.

But now the light in that dark room has been switched on!  Improved laboratory tests and advanced tools like home glucose meters let you see where you’re going—and sometimes you’ll find there are even different paths to reach the same door marked "Exit Here for a Long and Health Life" on the other side of room. So you even have some flexibility in your health improvement choices.

That's the approach, folks.  Publisher's Group UK calls it "a brilliant idea whose time has come."

Authors Feature Know Your Numbers: "Just What the Doctor Ordered"

This week we've had the privilege of being featured on two excellent authors' blogs, both praising Know Your Numbers, Outlive Your Diabetes as "just what the doctor ordered" for people with diabetes everywhere.

First off, emerging novelist Martha O'Connor has hosted a lengthy interview with me, Amy Tenderich, all about how the KYN book came to be, what's behind it, and what the co-authoring experience was like.  (Writers eat that stuff up,

Martha O'Connor

you know.)

Martha's interest in diabetes is highly personal, as one of her 9-year-old twins was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes about two years ago.  Among other things, she asks : "What advice would you give to us parents about getting our kids responsible for their own health without scaring them? How can this book benefit us and them?" which struck me right in the heart, being a mother of three myself.

Here's my reply: "... I think if it were my children, I’d want to send them off into the world with the clearest possible strategy for living well with diabetes and avoiding diabetic complications. That means in addition to checking their blood glucose before meals and fine-tuning insulin doses, they need to keep an eye on the “big picture” by monitoring these 5 key health risks regularly.

"I hear so many stories of kids that did well under their parents’ care, but then went into serious “neglect mode” for a whole chunk of years during college and young adulthood. As a parent, I would try to drum into their heads that they need to know their A1C, blood pressure, lipid, microalbumin, and eye exam scores at all times, and know what to do about it if something is out of range. Even if complications start to set in, all of the damage is treatable or in many cases reversible if it’s caught early."

All of these factors should be checked regularly in anyone with diabetes passed puberty. This book truly was meant to be the instructional guide to long-term good health with diabetes, so we do hope that parents can apply this knowledge to preparing their Type 1 kids for taking care of themselves down the road.  Thank you, Martha!  (Read the full interview HERE)

Next up, journalist and health author Connie Bennett welcomes Know Your Numbers to her Sugar Shock! blog. Connie's had a personal struggle with reactive hypoglycemia, and has become an expert on the topic. She calls herself the "ex-sugar-shrew," having eradicated refined sugar from her diet.

Connie Bennett

Connie is a big supporter of the hands-on-strategies approach of our book, and even remarks: "No longer can people with diabetes plead: 'Oh, I don't know what to do.' Neither will they be able to bemoan: 'I'm confused about how to manage my diabetes' ...

... (because) the new book teaches readers to understand, track, and prioritize their five most critical health factors -- A1c, blood pressure, lipids (HDL, LDL, triglycerides), microalbumin, and yearly eye exam.  What's more, patients who find that any of those five values are out of range, will find in the book "detailed strategies and doable action plans for improving them."

You got it, Connie!  Thanks for helping us get the word out.  Read Connie's complete KYN post HERE.

"The Perfect Diabetes Reference Handbook," Says NYTimes' About.com

Score!!  Deb Manzella, a respected NY-based RN who writes for the New York Times Company's About.com/diabetes, has just come out giving Know Your Numbers, Outlive Your Diabetes perfect marks.  Here's what she had to say:

"Cons? There are no cons. It's the perfect diabetes reference handbook."

Deb Manzella, RN

This after she offers a meaty list of Pros for the book:

• Gives a comprehensive gameplan for managing the five most important areas of diabetes management
• Outlines the tests you need and tells you why they're important
• Gives you the science behind the numbers in easy to understand language
• Gives you the tools to bring your test results into the range you need.
• Gives additional advice about nutrition, exercise, medications, and much, much more.

"...This book is a terrific resource for diabetes management. After you learn the five most important tests, the book gives you the tools you need to keep your test results as normal as possible. Exercise, nutrition, medications, glucometers and other equipment all influence what your own personal test results will be.

"Beyond the basics, Dr. Jackson and Ms. Tenderich also address coping issues, healthcare basics, and resources to turn to for support and more information.

"Also, charts and diary pages to help you keep track of your results and your progress. This book stresses that knowing your numbers and working to improve them is the road to a complication-free life, and it gives you the tools to achieve it, too."

Read the FULL REVIEW here.

We're especially pleased with Deb's response knowing that she has extensive experience helping patients with diabetes, from teaching the newly diagnosed, to providing continuing care for diabetic patients in the hospital.  She's a strong advocate for "Knowledge Is Power" -- a lady after our own hearts...

"The Key to Outliving Diabetes"

Wow, more high praise from the ultimate source: a very knowledgeable and articulate patient.  Allie Beatty, who reports on all things diabetes over at TheDiabetesBlog.com and lives with Type 1 herself, has published a glowing review of "Know Your Numbers, Outlive Your Diabetes."  Here's what she has to say:

Health-key

"The book is a priceless addition to any diabetic library. It begins by explaining the five tests that are the cornerstones for monitoring your overall health with diabetes. These tests are: A1c, blood pressure, lipids, microalbumin, and an annual eye exam. You may think you know it all because you've been there, done that. But do you really know - what it tests, why it's done, and what your numbers should look like....?"

"I was impressed beyond my expectations... I was looking for a good guidebook on diabetes care. No ma'am. This book is AWESOME!"

See the full review HERE.  Thank you kindly, Allie and the Weblogs, Inc., team. 

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In addition, see our latest Virtual Book Tour appearances at these fine blogs:

Diabetes Notes - Rob Rummel-Hudson says "I’m not saying that your very SURVIVAL depends on you going and purchasing Amy’s book just as soon as you finish reading this. But really, why take the chance?" (~grin~)

GruntDoc - Dr. Robert Allen kindly notes, "If it at all interests you, please get a copy!"

Talking with the Low-Carb Crowd

Low Carb is Big

Our exciting new hands-on guide to controlling your health with diabetes, Know Your Numbers, Outlive Your Diabetes, continues its tour of the Internet this week at Kudos for Low-Carb, a fitness and health blog by certified sports nutritionist Dr. Carol Bardelli.

Dr. Bardelli has hosted an interview with me, Amy (please squint when viewing the huge photo; I look younger that way) covering an awful lot of ground.  She wanted to know everything from "Why are patients often non-compliant?" to
"Why is exercise so crucial to diabetes management, and how can people get motivated to fit it into their busy lifestyles?"  Oy, lots to say on that second one there.

Not surprisingly, we also talk a lot about foods and eating. "What's your take on limiting refined carbohydrate foods like white rice, white flour breads, potatoes and pasta?" Dr. Bardelli asks.

Weeelll... personally, living gluten-free, I eat a lot of protein -- fish, chicken, and lean beef -- and vegetables in every imaginable form. I still take a fiber supplement because the gluten-free baked goods are generally made from rice or potato flour, which don't offer as much dietary fiber as the nice whole-grain breads other people can eat.

Here are a few general tips on eating with diabetes that we offer in the book:

• A carb is a carb — most carbs, whatever kind they are, have the same effect on your body; they convert to glucose, so keeping tabs on the overall amount of carbs you eat is important

• "Sugar-free" is not carb-free! — don't let marketing labels fool you into believing that some carbs "don't count"

• Fiber does the trick — high fiber content in a food (more than 5 grams per serving) can reduce the impact of that food on your blood glucose

• Eye on portion size — the most important thing you can do when dining out is limiting the "super-size" portions served. Try sharing an entree with a friend, or using the 50-50 Plate Rule, which says you should fill half your plate with high-fiber foods like fruit, fibrous vegetables, and grains, and the other half should be split between protein and other vegetables.

We also stress that when you have diabetes, striking a balance is everything. Your body needs a variety of foods in moderate amounts. And eating should be enjoyable.

Check out the interview at Kudos for Low Carb now.  What I liked best about this experience was Dr. B's reply email to me, saying that her husband had proof-read the piece, and "commented that he expected a dry and boring piece because of the subject matter, but (he) was pleasantly surprised and found it very intriguing and readable!"

Thank you kindly, Mr. Dr. B. I try to make it a point never to write anything "dry and boring" -- and this goes for our book as well, I do hope!  

"Outlive Your Diabetes" Tours the Net

Our Virtual Book Tour for the Know Your Numbers, Outlive Your Diabetes Book has begun!

This book can help

Have a look at our first stop over at Healthy Concerns.com.  Elisa Camahort reports on "health care from the patient's point of view."  She features an interview with Dr. Jackson on a variety of topics, including:

* Don't patients know the symptoms of pre-diabetes?
* Do insurers cover the basic health risk tests?
and
* What about vegetarian and vegan diets and diabetes?

Check it out!

Next stop is at the interesting and highly influential Health Care Blog by Matthew Holt. This expert on the in's and out's of the health care system was kind enough to invite me to shed some light on diabetes care and why our book represents a turning point.

It's a do-it-yourself (DIY) disease, after all. 

Commenters have some interesting things to say:

"Physician-centered chronic disease care works poorly."  Yup.

"... the actual quality measures right now mean very little in regards to the actual day-to-day care of a chronic disease. Just a big disconnect."  Agreed!

"One thing this book won't do is change the junk food crap and industrial food crap causing diabetes."  Weeelll...

I responded to that last one by saying we actually do include a big, fat chapter on dealing with food (pun sort-of intended).  It's harder, of course, when people have grown up with unhealthy eating habits and are used to overindulging.  But we're working to chip away at this epidemic with some very practical advice.

Also see my latest column on dLife.com: "Good Health by the Numbers: A DIY Approach."  This pretty well sums it up.  Stay tuned for more Virtual Book Tour. 
 

First Book Review - "Best Since Bernstein"

Manny hernandez

We got our official first book review a few days ago.  Manny Hernandez, bilingual healthcare blogger and Top Amazon reviewer, had this to say:

"Since the publishing of Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Solution, I haven't encountered such a compelling and intuitive title for diabetics. I highly recommend it."

Quite the compliment!!  We are honored, to say the least.

Here's the full text of Manny's review:

I am a type I diabetic. Then again, I am also an Amazon.com reviewer. So whenever I can get my hands on a good book on diabetes or its treatment, I do. The most recent book on the topic I've had a chance to read has been Know Your Numbers, Outlive Your Diabetes: 5 Essential Health Factors You Can Master to Enjoy a Long and Healthy Life.

The book, which takes a little under 300 pages, combines the medical knowledge of Dr. Jackson with the real life experience of Amy, who dedicated herself to writing about diabetes after being diagnosed with type I diabetes in May 2003, in her mid-thirties. The result is an amazing title aimed at focusing the diabetic patient on five fundamental factors to help him/her lead a long and healthy life. These factors are: your A1C, your blood pressure, your lipids, your microalbumin and your eye exam, to discard retinopathy.

After showing readers through the five main indicators, the authors present courses of action to track them and maintain them in control through exercise, food/diet, medications and monitoring. Towards the end of the book, there are chapters dedicated to the understanding of both type II and type I diabetes, as well as the so-called metabolic syndrome and the actual dangers faced by children of diabetics. The last few chapters deal with travel, feet and mouth care, emotional care and alternative treatment options for diabetics.

Though the book has a slight emphasis on type II diabetes, honestly all diabetics can find useful information in it. Since the publishing of Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Solution, I haven't encountered such a compelling and intuitive title for diabetics. I highly recommend it.

Confidence and Hope with Diabetes

“What a great book!  It helps you not only understand your five most essential health factors, but also guides you in setting doable action plans.  You’ll find very serious topics – including the complications of diabetes – addressed in a fresh, upbeat (and even humorous) style.  Dr. Jackson, a seasoned Joslin endocrinologist and researcher, and Amy Tenderich, a journalist who has type 1 diabetes, make a perfect team blending academics and real-world diabetes experience.  They give readers confidence and hope that a long and healthy life with diabetes is possible.  This book can be a huge help for anyone with diabetes!”

Maryniuk

— Melinda D. Maryniuk, Certified Diabetes Educator, Joslin Diabetes Center Boston, named American Diabetes Association Outstanding Educator of the year for 2005