The Diabetes Revolution Workbook
Saturday, November 28th, 2009
Janet Saunders is a lawyer and a certified health counselor who has diabetes. Not one to be on the sidelines, she approached her illness head on and created this book of coaching techniques to empower other people with diabetes to take control of their life and as she says on the tile page, Transform Your Mind, Nurture Your Body, Change Your life. Janet also notes on the title page that the information in her handbook is not meant to replace medical advice or to address anyone’s individual problems. So this is actually a supplement to whatever medical information a diabetic is receiving.
Saunders notes that in the United States, diabetes affects 20 million people and if we add pre-diabetics, the number is 60 million. Diabetes is a a major health problem in our country. I have seen many ads on TV, a slew of books and cookbooks on the subject, and articles in the paper on diabetes. Just last week The Philadelphia Inquirer had an entire section of the paper devoted to diabetes. Life is definitely not sweet when you have diabetes! For example, in the www.zooscape.com newsletter, there is a sentence that is worth quoting. “Diabetes can lead to slow wound-healing, a higher risk of infection, and various other ailments involving kidneys, nerves and heart.”
I like Janet’s approach to diabetes. She encourages the notion that many people want to participate in their own healing and this 130 page, 8 1/2″ X 11″ spiral bound book helps the reader do just that. The first four chapters address Coming to Terms with Diabetes, The Crisis and the Opportunity, and The Dynamics of Change, as well as how Janet developed The Diabetes Coaching System. The Diabetes Primer discusses how diabetes develops, including dietary guidelines. Her coaching system has the following elements:
1. Find out where you stand physically, mentally, and spiritually
2. Reverse situations that affect your health negatively.
3. Establish goals
4. Exercise success habits
5. Resources
6. Investing in yourself
7. Validating your strategy
8. Enjoying life
I met Janet at a local gym last year and have spent time with her. She lives what she writes about and helps others with diabetes live their fullest lives. In fact, her company is called Great Life, Inc. The book is so comprehensive that I don’t even know what parts are best to highlight, so I chose page 103 at random. It lists Tips for Cutting Back on Sugar that are common sense suggestions, such as getting enough sleep and rest, since a tired body needs energy and that may lead to a sugar binge.
This page is followed by several charts entitled The Empowered Pantry Shopping Guide and in this section, the reader can easily stock the pantry with foods that , as Janet says, support your overall health. The categories include starchy and non-starchy vegetables, fruit and whole grains, bread products, legumes, protein sources, good fats & oils, nut & seeds, dairy or dairy substitutes, seasoning, condiments, and miscellaneous. These charts alone are worth the guide!
Janet also includes some of her simple recipes. For example, on page 99, she provides a recipe for Lemon/Lime Spritzer that helps the reader kick the soda habit.
Ingredients
8 oz. sparkling water
2-3 slices lemon or lime
2-3 drops Liquid Stevia* (Sweet Leaf Brand – Plain or Lemon Drop
Ice cubes as desired
Directions
Pour the sparkling water into a glass.
- Slice the lemon/lime and squeeze some of the juice into the sparkling water; then asdd thelemon/limeinto the sparkling water
- Add 2-3 drops of Stevia to the sparkling water.
- Add ice cubes and enjoy!
*Stevia is a natural sweetener from the leaves of the plant.
I read this book from cover to cover. Even without the threat of diabetes, the information is invaluable for anyone who wants to improve his or her lifestyle habits. What I especially like are Janet’s reflections that tell you how committed she is to her own health and to helping others. It makes the book more personal and more real.
To order your copy of the Diabetes Revolution Workbook, which at $17.95 is a bargain, contact Janet at www.DiabetesCoaching.com.
She will also coach via phone and email.
