Diabetes Book for Engineers / Scientists?

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Essex

Essex

Well-Known Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
Hi,

As a very recent addition to the statistics (Type 2 - I'm so new that when I hear 'Type 2' I still think of a VW camper) I am already so thankful for this forum - thank you!

I am an Engineering research scientist in a university and my (psychologist) wife tells me 'I am well on the spectrum' wrt some autistic traits (I'm not 'autistic' tho, that must be hard, sometimes, for some people).

So, anyway I love 'how it works' books

I have had problems with depression / anxiety (thankfully finally sorted now :D, get proffesional help early is my advice, not like me) and one of the books that helped me personally with this, and set my geek mind at rest was The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook as recommended by my first and excellent psychiatrist, since it explains what happens physiologically in panic attacks etc, and loads of other useful stuff that you can dip in and out of.
I found this book a game changer, as for me, understanding something took almost all of the fear away.

Anyway, is there a similar kind of book for (type 2) Diabetes?

One that explains the science and mechanisms behind all of this?

I don't need plans and diets etc, just the science

And I don't mind heavy reading - I am used to it - I even like it 😱:D

I have just read Maggie Davey's open letter - amazing!

And am about to get stuck into Becker's book too.
 
Hi. I'm an engineer and I think most of us scientist and engineers are 'on the spectrum'! We look for and absorb knowledge in great detail to apply to our work and most other things. I'm not aware of any specific T2 book or even a general diabetes book. Most of the published knowledge on the subject and cook books etc are wrong. It's only forums like this one and similar where the most valid knowledge can be absorbed from the posts over time by people who actually have diabetes.
 
Essex said:
Hi,

As a very recent addition to the statistics (Type 2 - I'm so new that when I hear 'Type 2' I still think of a VW camper) I am already so thankful for this forum - thank you!

I am an Engineering research scientist in a university and my (psychologist) wife tells me 'I am well on the spectrum' wrt some autistic traits (I'm not 'autistic' tho, that must be hard, sometimes, for some people).

So, anyway I love 'how it works' books

I have had problems with depression / anxiety (thankfully finally sorted now :D, get proffesional help early is my advice, not like me) and one of the books that helped me personally with this, and set my geek mind at rest was The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook as recommended by my first and excellent psychiatrist, since it explains what happens physiologically in panic attacks etc, and loads of other useful stuff that you can dip in and out of.
I found this book a game changer, as for me, understanding something took almost all of the fear away.

Anyway, is there a similar kind of book for (type 2) Diabetes?

One that explains the science and mechanisms behind all of this?

I don't need plans and diets etc, just the science

And I don't mind heavy reading - I am used to it - I even like it 😱:D

I have just read Maggie Davey's open letter - amazing!

And am about to get stuck into Becker's book too.
Click to expand...
You might find the Diabetes Code by Dr Jason Fung interesting, theory, mechanism of metabolism and some case studies. I found after reading it everything made sense.
 
@DaveB
Thanks, I find forums the most helpful, but feel the need for some background knowledge to help me ask the right questions

@Leadinglights
(nautical connection?) Thanks, I'll give it a look.
 
Hello @Essex - I see the problem as very simple - having checked with my meter, I can't cope with carbohydrates. I 'fixed' the diabetes, but if I eat as I was advised to do for almost half a century I put on weight very easily.
I simply experimented on myself until my numbers after eating were in the normal range and continued to eat the same way. Six months after diagnosis I was just in the normal range and so I stuck to the same foods - all under 11 percent carbs except the 95 percent cocoa chocolate bars.
It seems to be a permanent solution.
 
Thanks Drummer, I am just realising that carbs may be my problem
I think I have to get testing to find out for myself
I like to know what's happening 'inside the black box system' though
 
When I was first diagnosed, I researched metabolism and cell respiration amongst others, they explain the creation of blood glucose and its conversion to ATP, the fuel that cells use. I read a lot of papers on university web sites. There are many out there.
 
Thanks @Robert459
Did you write a book I can read?
Sorry, being cheeky - I'm trying to avoid more research as its my day job 😉
 
No problem 🙂 I have a folder on stuff that I printed. I could try to type a few URLs


They may or may not work. Printed in 2004. Good luck

Edit: only one still exists. Maybe search on ATP
 
Essex said:
Thanks Drummer, I am just realising that carbs may be my problem
I think I have to get testing to find out for myself
I like to know what's happening 'inside the black box system' though
Click to expand...
My thinking is more on the lines of 'How to make things work'.
For me carbohydrate is the wrong fuel. When I switch to protein and fat with a mere 40 gm as the limit on carbs I feel really well and a lot younger than my actual age.
 
Carbs is the key to controlling diabetes. When first diagnosed, went on a zero carb diet for a year or so. Kept my BG level between 4 and 5 with no basal. It was a hard diet, eventually gave up but it did work. Can't recommend it but it did help me learn about human metabolism. It could work but is very hard. We used cheese slices as the 'bread' in our sliced chicken/other protein, sandwiches. An engineer's approach to sudden late onset dm type 1
 
Robert459 said:
No problem 🙂 I have a folder on stuff that I printed. I could try to type a few URLs


They may or may not work. Printed in 2004. Good luck

Edit: only one still exists. Maybe search on ATP
Click to expand...
Thanks, even thatone will keep me going for a while
Perhaps I will get the for dummies one instead 🙂
 
Drummer said:
My thinking is more on the lines of 'How to make things work'.
For me carbohydrate is the wrong fuel. When I switch to protein and fat with a mere 40 gm as the limit on carbs I feel really well and a lot younger than my actual age.
Click to expand...
Thats what I should do too ...
 
Robert459 said:
Carbs is the key to controlling diabetes. When first diagnosed, went on a zero carb diet for a year or so. Kept my BG level between 4 and 5 with no basal. It was a hard diet, eventually gave up but it did work. Can't recommend it but it did help me learn about human metabolism. It could work but is very hard. We used cheese slices as the 'bread' in our sliced chicken/other protein, sandwiches. An engineer's approach to sudden late onset dm type 1
Click to expand...
I think that is what I need to learn. I had no idea!
 
Since I think of Forums not just as conversations but also as very useful Encyclopedias,
For anyone finding this thread in a search, I can now answer my own question

The book I was looking for was The First Year: Type 2 Diabetes by Gretchen Becker

Beginning guides you in gently and calms your nerves but gets more detailed as it progresses and later she goes into a lot of depth, including into mechanisms etc, without bamboozling you, and does it in a dry humorous style

Its great!
 
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