The Mind-Body Diabetes Revolution: A Proven New Program for Better Blood Sugar Control - Hardcover

Surwit, Richard S.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0743249917 ISBN 13: 9780743249911

Publisher: Free Press, 2004

Synopsis

Recommends a six-week program designed to supplement traditional diabetes treatments that involves the reduction of condition-aggravating stress, outlining a step-by-step process that the author believes can help reduce such side effects as organ disease, eye problems, and nerve damage. 30,000 first printing.

About this title

Review

The idea of stress contributing to poor health is an old one, but often patients are simply told to "relax"--and it's even rarer that researchers take the time to carefully study how relaxation can improve physical conditions. Tackling both these issues, Dr. Richard Surwit combines specific relaxation techniques with a solid research background in an effort to help control blood sugar levels. The first few chapters are rather technical but are explained in an approachable manner. He identifies several chemicals such as cortisol and growth hormone that are related to blood sugar management and discusses how depression, hostility, and anxiety can affect these chemicals. He refers to specific research, both with mice and with humans, and includes simple tests to help you analyze these problems and develop a combination of techniques to combat them. Later chapters explain these techniques in detail, particularly progressive relaxation therapy (similar to biofeedback, but without the machine) and cognitive behavior therapy. Each routine is broken down into simple daily steps, and pages can be used as workbook sheets --much of the daily effort involved is simply tracking your progress. While nowhere does Dr. Surwit suggest these as a total replacement for diet control and insulin treatments, the specific steps aren't difficult to add to your daily routine and may make just the difference you've been hoping for. --Jill Lightner

From the Inside Flap

"Mind-body approaches are generally neglected in clinical medicine, and almost no one thinks of using them in the treatment of diabetes. Dr. Surwit is a welcome exception. In this book he explains how to take advantage of the mind-body connection to control blood sugar in ways that are less expensive, less toxic, and as effective as conventional approaches. I will recommend The Mind-Body Diabetes Revolution to all patients with this disease." --Andrew Weil, M.D.

"At last, a book about diabetes that fills in the missing mind/body piece and gives individuals precisely the tools they need to thrive on all levels." --Christiane Northrup, M.D., author of Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom and The Wisdom of Menopause

"Having had the privilege of being a colleague of Dr. Surwit for more than twenty-five years, I believe there is no better individual to convey the important and beneficial contributions of a mind/body program to the management of diabetes." --Herbert Benson, M.D., author of The Relaxation Response and The Breakout Principle

"Dr. Richard Surwit, the world's leading expert in diabetes and the mind-body connection, has written the premier guidebook to living a healed, whole and healthy life with diabetes." --Joan Borysenko, Ph.D. author of MINDING THE BODY, MENDING THE MIND

"Dr. Surwit shows that diabetes has a mind of its own--in other words, stress can raise the blood glucose higher than all the dietary indiscretions and indulgence that most humans allow themselves. With Dr. Surwit's easy-to-follow program for managing stress and its ugly companion, depression, people with diabetes can conquer their demons and take charge of their health. Dr. Surwit's book is a must-read for physicians and their patients." --Lois Jovanovic, M.D., Director and Chief Scientific Officer, Sansum Medical Research Institute; Clinical Professor of Medicine, University of Southern California and Adjunct Professor of Biomolecular Science and Engineering, University of California-Santa Barbara

"I highly recommend that all health care professionals and people with diabetes learn Dr. Surwit’s methods of stress management and make them part of their diabetic care." --Clifton Bogardus, M.D., internationally recognized diabetes researcher

"A world-renowned expert and pioneer in understanding the interaction of behavior and diabetes, Dr. Surwit presents great mind-body strategies for managing the disease and keeping blood glucose under better control. The Mind-Body Diabetes Revolution is also a pleasure to read, and individuals who use it as part of their diabetes self-care program increase their chances of living better and longer lives." -- Steven E. Locke, M.D., President, American Psychosomatic Society; Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School

"This is an outstanding book! Drawing upon his decades of experience working with diabetic patients, Dr. Surwit has given us not only a practical and useful step-by-step approach for achieving control of diabetes, but also an inspiring roadmap to mental well being." --Patrick Lustman, Ph.D., Professor of Psychiatry at Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis

Edition details

• Publisher: Free Press
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 0743249917
• ISBN 13: 9780743249911
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 288