There are hundreds of self-help eBooks published every year. I must admit, when I decided to take a look at yet another book about diabetes and diet, I expected to find the same old stuff rehashed into a new form.
I was delightfully surprised. The author, JM Hanf, although not diabetic herself, has a lifetime of experience with the disease through friends and family members. Though it contains a fair amount of "how to"diabetic diet information and will obviously be of particular interest to diabetics, How To Play the Diabetes Game is not a diet book. The author, JM Hanf is a researcher and her primary interest is in helping those of us with health challenges sort through the piles of information, good and bad, and simplifying them so we are able to make informed decisions concerning our plan for the rest of our lives.
She offers a wealth of fascinating material drawn from medicine, child development, psychology, and neurobiology, among other fields. Her account is easily read and understood, yet its even backed by an extensive glossary of scientific diabetic terms and their definitions.
Hanf begins with an introduction to her concept of treating your disease like a game - a game you want to win. She has you develop a "team" of specialists and examine your "playing field" and come up with a "game plan". The analogy works well.
She has chapters on the connection between disease and mental stress. I particularly liked the chapter comparing sugar substitutes and their effects on your system. Successive chapters then describe prevention, associated health problems such as neuropathy and retinopathy. food, menus, recipes, history obesity, future developments and more.
Hanf starts each chapter with a pertinent quotation. I enjoyed the one by Oprah. Her writing style is easy, informative and light. Apart from a story about her own diabetic family, Hanf relies not at all on anecdotal tales but on research. She has answered the most asked questions about diabetes and diet.
Woven through out this easy read is the theme of taking responsibility for your health, your diet, your weight and your attitude.
This book is not just for diabetics. Prevention is also a key theme. There is an optimistic look at the future and ongoing research that will give anyone battling this disease a real boost.
As you can tell, I was impressed by the book.
It is something I would buy for someone who has just been diagnosed or for someone with diabetic kids. I think it would help you focus on what is really important and cut through all the misinformation spread out there in the name of "retail marketing" of new greatest pill, diet book, exercise plan and so on. You can find out more about her book at http://www.diabetesbegone.com/dietletter/index.html

About the Author
The author currently writes articles for magazines such as RV Digest, Doggone News, and Coast to Coast. Her current website: http://www.informationtoo.com is dedicated to offering easy internet business ideas to those with writers block.. on or offline.