Diabetic's Journey product reviews

Having previously read one of Ernest Quansah's publications, I was interested to be given a review copy of this, his latest book. I admit to being impressed by the cover, which reflects the book's title by depicting a man setting out on a journey where the road appears endless and devoid of any identifying features - possibly representing the journey into an unknown future that Quansah initially undertook, but mapped himself as he progressed.

Stylistically, the book is very easy to read. Quansah's prose is highly accessible; he uses everyday language to put his point across and supports his arguments with copies of test results - although these are so reduced that I needed a magnifying glass to read the small print! However, the quality was high so I was able to access the smaller figures in that way.

I enjoyed the anecdotes that Quansah includes to flesh out his journey although I did feel somewhat uncomfortable reading the "Angie" and "Mr Walters" segment. I felt it digressed from the purpose of the book by providing too much information, some quite emotional. It read as an indictment of the people described which does not sit well in a narrative designed to educate, even if the format of the book is reasonably informal.

I do appreciate that, while Quansah's aim is to assure the reader that Type 2 diabetes is curable if his program is followed, he also includes disclaimers on several occasions. On the copyright page he states "This book is not written to provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment." This is formatted in bold, and is repeated later in the text itself.

Although Quansah's explanation for the onset of diabetes is that it is the result of poor lifestyle choices (bad diet, lack of exercise, and vitamin and mineral deficiencies), there is also the x-factor which may explain why some people develop the disease and others do not. (Recently it has been claimed that there is a genetic predisposition linked to obesity and diabetes, which often go hand in hand, but this is still in the research stage.)

I was intrigued to see that stevia and agave are the only sweeteners Quansah endorses for diabetics - he does not give a reason as to why other sweeteners are unsuitable. He makes a strong case against sucrose, which is to be expected, but what about other artificial sweeteners? I would like to have seen more information included. Or, better still, encouragement to gradually phase out sweeteners altogether apart from those occurring naturally in fruit and vegetables?

The website referred to in the book (diabeticsjourney.com) is intuitive. I found it easy to navigate and informative, although most of the material was taken from the book itself. I think it would be more useful to explore the website before reading the book as it provides a good introduction to the expanded content. However, it does also provide links to other products such as customised programs and consultations, and those can be purchased online.

So would I endorse this book? Yes, so long as the reader is aware that there is still no universal solution. Quansah has worked out a method that works for him, and much of what he writes is plain common sense in terms of following a healthy lifestyle. However, as he himself points out, his advice is based on his own experience rather than on medical expertise. While it certainly will do no harm to follow his guidelines, it is important to consult one's own medical professional as well and not just accept the book as the only tool needed. What works for some may not work for others, especially if there are other factors to consider.