Instead of drugs Whitaker recommends a diet high in carbs which dont affect blood sugar that much, moderate protein, low in fat (with emphasis on "good" fats), and high in fiber. He also advocates exercise and lots of nutritional supplements.

I bought this book for my husbands health. Hes a newly diagnosed diabetic. I cant say whether or not it works since he already was eating the way the book recommends for the most part, and he already exercised, too. And we havent started supplements yet. However, I can say that I have read quite a few books lately on nutrition and heart disease, and the most of the literature agrees with Dr. Whitaker. I have also heard that the glycemic index system which is advocated in this book is widely used in Europe for weight control.

There are a couple of flaws which prevented me from giving the book 5 stars. The first is that Whitaker recommends some therapies which I have heard are controversial. For example, chelation therapy is recommended. I have heard elsewhere that while chelation is good for removing heavy metals from your system, there is no proof that it is good for other medical conditions. The therapies which I considered questionable were a very minor part of the book. The second flaw is that the book is very lightly sprinkled with commercialism trying to get you to go to Whitakers Wellness Institute, his private clinic/medical resort or use some of his formulated products. Kind of a like an infomercial. Although this happened very little, it just started getting to me.