Top 5 Best Type 2 Diabetes Books

Today is ‘Read A Book’ day!

I love a good old fashioned paper book. Sure, I love eBooks too, but there’s nothing quite like the smell of a brand new book.

I also love to write notes in the margins, use highlighters to highlight things that really stand out to me, ear mark the pages, or use a favorite bookmark. There’s just something about having a physical book in your hands that I find relaxing.

What about you?

Do you love to read?

I’m assuming if you’re reading this post that you do, so I’d love to share my 5 best type 2 diabetes books that I’d like to recommend.

#1 Best Type 2 Diabetes Diet Book

One of my favorite books on diet for type 2 diabetes is ‘The Blood Sugar Solution‘ by Dr Mark Hyman.

I guess I love it because of his approach to diet, it really aligns with how I view things.

Dr Mark Hyman is a medical doctor but he also practices ‘functional medicine’, which is much more open minded than traditional medical practice, and takes the ‘function’ of the body into account. The basic philosophy is that if you get the body to function properly, then your disease disappears, which totally makes sense to me.

The Blood Sugar Solution is based on a whole foods diet plan, similar to the one we promote here at Diabetes Meal Plans, and it covers things like metabolism, detoxification, inflammation, and various aspects of nutrition. The book outlines a self-based plan that you can put together to help overcome your diabetes struggles.

It’s definitely one of my favorites and I often refer to it for info.

#2 Best Type 2 Diabetes Health Book

Another book I’d recommend is a book called ‘The Belly Fat Effect‘ by Mike Mutzel.

It’s not a book directly about type 2 diabetes, but really delves into metabolic problems and how they develop.

Type 2 diabetes is a metabolic problem, and Mike digs into some very controversial issues and new concepts that are right at the forefront of research right now – things like inflammation, the role of gut bacteria, and how those key things are linked to our metabolism and the development of disease, including diabetes.

When it first arrived I was surprised that the book was thicker than I imagined. Then I flicked through the pages and realized that half the book was references!

It’s definitely one of the most researched books I’ve ever come across and it really gets you thinking about your body in a new light.

#3 Best Type 2 Diabetes Food Book

Again, this is not a book that’s directly for diabetes, it’s a book about fermenting foods – Fermentation for Beginners: The step-by-step guide to fermentation and probiotic foods.

The art of making fermented foods is slowly coming back into fashion, and for very good reason. Research now shows that many of us have an imbalance of healthy bacteria in our gut, and the studies are suggesting that this imbalance contributes to the development of disease.

This may sound like a strange idea but 70% of our immune system starts in the gut with the types of bacteria we have there. These bacteria communicate with the body, brain, and even our DNA, telling our body what to do, our cells how to function.

I recently attended a talk on this with a variety of researchers – one was looking into how gut bacteria effects respiratory issues, the other how it contributes to obesity. It truly is fascinating.

One very effective way we can grow the healthy colonies of gut bacteria and improve our health is by eating more fermented foods like pickles, sauerkraut, kefir and yogurt. And it’s surprisingly easy to ferment things.

#4 Best Type 2 Diabetes Weight Loss Book

One of the very best books I’ve ever read about weight loss is a book by Dr Rick Kausman called ‘If not dieting, then what‘.

It is not a book about what to eat, or what exercise to do – like most books. Instead, this book is all about the unspoken stuff.

You know you need to lose weight but we all know how hard it is to diet and lose weight, right?

Well Dr Kausman takes a person centered approach to things, meaning he puts the focus on what is happening on the inside, in our heads and in our hearts. He shows us how to overcome those inner obstacles, and when we can do that, we can learn to make permanent changes that stick.

I had a conversation with Dr Kausman recently and we talked about his book – he is such a wonderful, happy, and caring guy.

One thing that stuck out to me was how important it is to move from a place of ‘weight loss to wellness’ – if we stop focusing on weight loss, and start focusing on wellness, great things begin to occur. And that’s the point.

It’s all about where we put our focus, so ‘If not dieting, then what‘ is all about the weight loss mindset stuff and I’d have to say it’s one of my favorites. It’s been read more than a few times and has highlights and things written in the margins all throughout the book.

#5 Amazon Bestselling Type 2 Diabetes Book

I haven’t read this one yet but I just purchased it when I was over browsing on Amazon. ‘The First Year: Type 2 Diabetes: An Essential Guide for the Newly Diagnosed‘ by Gretchen Becker.

I like the fact that this book is written by someone who has had diabetes and written about their experiences, and included important knowledge too.

Here’s what the book covers:

* choosing the diet that is best for you;
* the role of exercise;
* daily blood-glucose testing routines and understanding lab tests;
* medications and supplements;
* networking with others;
* insurance issues;
* traveling and socializing.

Like I said, I just ordered this myself, and as far as I can see, it’s going to be a good read with a 4.5 star rating and lots of great Amazon reviews.

So there you have it, those are the top 5 type 2 diabetes books I’d recommend you read.

Though a few of them aren’t written for diabetics, they are still totally relevant to improving your health.

I know the knowledge you will gain from them will completely change how you look at things, and that is the most important thing when it comes to our health.

Hope you enjoy reading them as much as me.