Mastering Diabetes – by Dr. Cyrus Khambatta & Robby Barbaro

There are many competing diets out there, for dealing with diabetes. Most focus on different strategies for keeping blood sugar levels even, but that’s only part of the story, and that approach will run into problems if undertaken in isolation, because insulin sensitivity—or as the case may be, insulin resistance—is ultimately the more important factor, and contrary to popular belief, the two things (insulin sensitivity and blood sugar levels) are not so perfectly linked as many might think.

For this reason, this book focuses on reducing insulin resistance, by minimizing how much insulin-triggering food we consume in favor of foods that help rather than harm. Based on extensive research (discussed in detail in the book), this doesn’t mean “low-carb at all costs”, but rather, sensible carbs (a lot of whole fruits and vegetables) while avoiding insulin triggers (refined carbs, animal products, especially fatty ones, because yes, that triggers insulin too).

However, this is a lot more than 400 pages to say “eat some fruit”.

Rather, the authors (Type 1 Diabetics themselves) discuss the different tiers of foods with respect to insulin response, various tests that can and should be done (this is not a “just trust us” approach), and flowcharts to personalize one’s own ideal diet.

The style is a good balance of being to-the-point and yet comprehensive, with a very heavy weight of evidence and many studies to back every claim. It’s also very easy to read as a reference guide, with many tables of information, callout boxes of key points, and the like.

Bottom line: if you have any kind of diabetes, or just want to take care of your metabolic health, this book provides not only a blueprint for doing so, but also for personalizing it to your own physiology as you go, so that you can be sure of the results and ongoing beneficial effects, without guesswork.

Click here to check out Mastering Diabetes, and take control of your insulin sensitivity!