Diabetes: A Guide to Living Well : A Program of Individualized Self-Care

Book by Lowe, Ernest, Arsham, Gary, M.D., Ph.D.

"There are three kinds of people with diabetes: those who cooperate completely in maintaining a normal blood glucose range; those who do this part time; and those who never do it." This updated third edition of Diabetes: A Guide to Living Well was written for all three groups. The authors have diabetes themselves: "We temper medical experts' views with first-hand knowledge of the challenges, threats, and gifts of diabetes."

They cover not only blood glucose control, but also integrating diabetes management with all the other aspects of your life: emotional well-being, dealing with crisis, managing stress, maintaining an active lifestyle, following a balanced and moderate meal plan, and working to increase your adherence to your self-care program. For all this to work, you have to pick a regimen that fits you personally, and that you will willingly follow, so you get your choice of an "intensive," "moderate," or "loose" regimen. Frequent questionnaires, logs, assessment tests, personal notes from the authors, and action steps help you personalize the information. "Living well depends less on how we care for our diabetes than on how we care for ourselves," write the authors, and they help you do both. --Joan Price