Blood Sugar Blues : Overcoming the Hidden Dangers of Insulin Resistance [Paperback]

Miryam Ehrlich Williamson (Author), R. Paul St. Amand M.D. (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2001

A vitally important new book about a widespread condition we’re just beginning to understand

An estimated 20 percent of Americans (55 million people) are insulin resistant—and most of them don't know it! Their high carbohydrate intake is causing their bodies to become immune to their own insulin, and the resulting high blood sugar levels are increasingly linked to diseases and disorders, from Type II diabetes and heart disease to Syndrome X. Medical journalist Miryam Williamson, herself afflicted with insulin resistance (IR), draws on the latest medical studies and reports, explains the links between IR and each condition, and offers essential advice on making lifestyle changes that can control or even reverse IR.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Williamson (The Fibromyalgia Relief Book), a medical writer, offers an overview of various medical conditions diabetes, heart disease, high cholesterol related to insulin resistance, a phenomenon caused by diet whereby people become immune to their own insulin, causing their blood sugar levels to fluctuate. While diabetics are usually aware of their dietary restrictions, Williamson believes that millions of other people are suffering, sometimes needlessly, because they eat the wrong foods, especially carbohydrates. With anecdotal and scientific evidence, she advocates a low carbohydrate/high protein diet for everyone. Much of the book focuses on several medical conditions (rather than on one sensationalized condition like "Syndrome X") and various treatments. Williamson reviews several popular diets, offering pros and cons, but lets readers decide which is for them. In clean, engaging prose, Williamson ably explains complicated jargon. However, if she indeed convinces readers to alter their eating habits, they may be disappointed that the book only offers one brief chapter with sample menus and recipes, and no actual diet program. Unfortunately, with so many books in this category, readers might choose a complete diet guide over this worthy argument for culinary change. (Nov. 15)Forecast: The increasing number of popular diet experts advocating low-carb programs have paved the way for further studies. But less prescriptive books like this one may be overshadowed by guides that tell readers what to do; expect middling sales.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Insulin resistance is a condition in which the body is unable to use its own insulin properly to convert sugar into energy. Medical journalist Williamson (Fibromyalgia) believes that 75 percent of the world's population suffers from some degree of insulin resistance, which is considerably higher than other estimates. She details her rationale for advocating a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet through a historical look at food habits, employing alarmist language and dubious research. She lists hidden triggers of insulin resistance without mentioning obesity, one of the major identified causes. Most of the volume indicts high-carbohydrate diets for common American diseases such as obesity, diabetes, gallstones, yeast infections, irritable bowel disease, and more, in direct conflict with current American Dietetic Association guidelines. Low-carb recipes, a small food diary, Internet sites, and a bibliography are included. Gerald M. Reaven's Syndrome X: Overcoming the Silent Killer That Can Give You a Heart Attack (LJ 2/1/00) is far superior. Not recommended. Janet M. Schneider, James A. Haley Veterans' Hosp., Tampa, FL
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Walker & Company (November 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802776108
• ISBN-13: 978-0802776105
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #645,534 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

58 of 60 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Right On the Money If Your Problem Is Insulin Resistance, October 16, 2002

By 

Kerry Hart (Providence, RI) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Blood Sugar Blues : Overcoming the Hidden Dangers of Insulin Resistance (Paperback)

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.

42 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's About Time: Williamson Gets it Right!, February 15, 2002

By 

M. D. MCGINLEY "Chief Highliner" (United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Blood Sugar Blues : Overcoming the Hidden Dangers of Insulin Resistance (Paperback)

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 neuro-physiological 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 type faces 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 tertiary 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 therapy we should seek, along with the indispensable help of a physician. I actually reached conclusion about the dangers of too much sugar in my diet which I pointed out in my own book, Highliner: The Nature, Philosophy and Science of Automobile Driving, since knowledge works in harmony together, even for a drivers ed book and drivers education that helped to develop a drivers bible, which helps to reduce bad driving and aggressive driving leading to road rage and traffic fatalities. I haven't even scratched the surface of the detail that the author 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. After researching over 400 books, this one is a non-pareil, having no equal to date.

45 of 48 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars one of the best low carb books available, March 21, 2004

By 

Teresa L. Varnhagen "ttvarnhagen" (Ridgecrest, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Blood Sugar Blues : Overcoming the Hidden Dangers of Insulin Resistance (Paperback)

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.