Rethinking Diabetes

An eye-opening investigation into the history of diabetes research and treatment by the award-winning journalist and best-selling author of Why We Get Fat • "[Gary] Taubes’s meticulous, science-based work makes him the Bryan Stevenson of nutrition, an early voice in the wilderness for an unorthodox view that is increasingly becoming accepted."—Niel Barsky, The Guardian Before the discovery of insulin, diabetes was treated almost exclusively through diet, from subsistence on meat, to reliance on fats, to repeated fasting and near-starvation regimens. After two centuries of conflicting medical advice, most authorities today believe that those with diabetes can have the same dietary freedom enjoyed by the rest of us, leaving the job of controlling their disease to insulin therapy and other blood-sugar-lowering medications. Rather than embark on “futile” efforts to restrict sugar or carbohydrate intake, people with diabetes can lead a normal life, complete with the occasional ice-cream cake, side of fries, or soda. These guiding principles, however, have been accompanied by an explosive rise in diabetes over the last fifty years, particularly among underserved populations. And the health of those with diabetes is expected to continue to deteriorate inexorably over time, with ever-increasing financial, physical, and psychological burdens. In Rethinking Diabetes, Gary Taubes explores the history underpinning the treatment of diabetes, types 1 and 2, elucidating how decades-old research that is rife with misconceptions has continued to influence the guidance physicians offer—at the expense of their patients’ long-term well-being. The result of Taubes’s work is a reimagining of diabetes care that argues for a recentering of diet—particularly, fewer carbohydrates and more fat—over a reliance on insulin. Taubes argues critically and passionately that doctors and medical researchers should question the established wisdom that may have enabled the current epidemic of diabetes and obesity, and renew their focus on clinical trials to resolve controversies that are now a century in the making.

In Rethinking Diabetes, Emily Mendenhall investigates how global and local factors transform how diabetes is perceived, experienced, and embodied from place to place. Mendenhall argues that the link between sugar and diabetes overshadows the ways in which underlying biological processes linking hunger, oppression, trauma, unbridled stress, and chronic mental distress produce diabetes. The life history narratives in the book show how deeply embedded these factors are in the ways diabetes is experienced and (re)produced among poor communities around the world. Rethinking Diabetes focuses on the stories of women living with diabetes near or below the poverty line in urban settings in the United States, India, South Africa, and Kenya. Mendenhall shows how women's experiences of living with diabetes cannot be dissociated from their social responsibilities of caregiving, demanding family roles, expectations, and gendered experiences of violence that often displace their ability to care for themselves first. These case studies reveal the ways in which a global story of diabetes overlooks the unique social, political, and cultural factors that produce syndemic diabetes differently across contexts. From the case studies, Rethinking Diabetes clearly provides some important parallels for scholars to consider: significant social and economic inequalities, health systems that are a mix of public and private (with substandard provisions for low-income patients), and rising diabetes incidence and prevalence. At the same time, Mendenhall asks us to unpack how social, cultural, and epidemiological factors shape people's experiences and why we need to take these differences seriously when we think about what drives diabetes and how it affects the lives of the poor.

Millions suffer from diabetes despite the best efforts of medical professionals. Might a century-old misunderstanding be a roadblock towards better treatment and possible eradication of diabetes? This small book offers a fresh approach towards understanding the root causes of diabetes, bringing hope to diabetics and offering medical professionals and medical researchers new directions by which great advancements might be made, potentially relieving the suffering of millions.

An eye-opening investigation into the history of diabetes research and treatment by the award-winning journalist and best-selling author of Why We Get Fat • "[Gary] Taubes’s meticulous, science-based work makes him the Bryan Stevenson of nutrition, an early voice in the wilderness for an unorthodox view that is increasingly becoming accepted."—Niel Barsky, The Guardian Before the discovery of insulin, diabetes was treated almost exclusively through diet, from subsistence on meat, to reliance on fats, to repeated fasting and near-starvation regimens. After two centuries of conflicting medical advice, most authorities today believe that those with diabetes can have the same dietary freedom enjoyed by the rest of us, leaving the job of controlling their disease to insulin therapy and other blood-sugar-lowering medications. Rather than embark on “futile” efforts to restrict sugar or carbohydrate intake, people with diabetes can lead a normal life, complete with the occasional ice-cream cake, side of fries, or soda. These guiding principles, however, have been accompanied by an explosive rise in diabetes over the last fifty years, particularly among underserved populations. And the health of those with diabetes is expected to continue to deteriorate inexorably over time, with ever-increasing financial, physical, and psychological burdens. In Rethinking Diabetes, Gary Taubes explores the history underpinning the treatment of diabetes, types 1 and 2, elucidating how decades-old research that is rife with misconceptions has continued to influence the guidance physicians offer—at the expense of their patients’ long-term well-being. The result of Taubes’s work is a reimagining of diabetes care that argues for a recentering of diet—particularly, fewer carbohydrates and more fat—over a reliance on insulin. Taubes argues critically and passionately that doctors and medical researchers should question the established wisdom that may have enabled the current epidemic of diabetes and obesity, and renew their focus on clinical trials to resolve controversies that are now a century in the making.

Get the Summary of Gary Taubes's Rethinking Diabetes in 20 minutes. Please note: This is a summary & not the original book. "Rethinking Diabetes" by Gary Taubes examines the evolution of diabetes treatment, focusing on the role of diet and insulin therapy. The book traces the history of diabetes management, from early low-carbohydrate, high-fat diets to the introduction of insulin in 1921, which shifted dietary recommendations towards high-carbohydrate intake. Taubes discusses the influence of the fat-cholesterol hypothesis on diabetes treatment, despite conflicting evidence from clinical trials...

The discovery of insulin at the University of Toronto in 1921-22 was one of the most dramatic events in the history of the treatment of disease. Insulin was a wonder-drug with ability to bring patients back from the very brink of death, and it was no surprise that in 1923 the Nobel Prize for Medicine was awarded to its discoverers, the Canadian research team of Banting, Best, Collip, and Macleod. In this engaging and award-winning account, historian Michael Bliss recounts the fascinating story behind the discovery of insulin – a story as much filled with fiery confrontation and intense competition as medical dedication and scientific genius. Originally published in 1982 and updated in 1996, The Discovery of Insulin has won the City of Toronto Book Award, the Jason Hannah Medal of the Royal Society of Canada, and the William H. Welch Medal of the American Association for the History of Medicine.

Roland Fleurizier made a detour by studying medicines, after he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, a Bachelor of Arts in General Administration, a Bachelor of Sciences in Accounting, a Master in Management, and a Diploma of higher specialized studies in economics of Development. He became among other things a Master Herbalist before he studied to be a Naturopathic Doctor and a Practitioner of Traditional Chinese Holistic Energy Medicine. His knowledge of herbs has helped others to BE WELL. Nowadays he practices Energy Medicine to first balance people on the energetic and emotional levels, but still believes that herbs could be suitable for some individuals mostly depending on the ailments they may have developed. Roland Fleurizier, N.D., has a background in Naturopathy and Applied Kinesiology. His dedication and passion for natural and holistic energy medicine is an extension of the various experiences he has accumulated to date. He conducts seminars and weekly radio programs on diabetes, blood pressure, cancer, osteoporosis, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, thyroid, etc. for the sake of bringing Haitian expatriates and other ethnicities easier access to information on general health. Diabetes has become the most common disease in the United States. It has been associated with the rapid spread of proper lifestyle choices. Roland Fleurizier teaches a health class and believes that the way to tackle diabetes is even largely unknown to most physicians. He also believes that most diabetics do not fully comprehend all the aspects of the ailments. With this in mind, he has undertaken this research and initiated a comprehensive, restorative agenda for diabetics to use in order to subjugate their disease. www.myvitamax.net

Examines the disease that is becoming America's fastest-growing epidemic, revealing the author's own bout with Type 1 diabetes, the science behind the disease, and the social and economic impact of diabetes in the United States.