India is full of diabetics. There is a fair chance that you, the reader is diabetic and there is a very slim chance that you do not know anyone who is a diabetic around you. So when a naturopath, Charmaine D’souza, writes about managing diabetics, – you pick up the book Blood Sugar & Spice Living with Diabetes. Does the book help in managing Diabetes? – Yes and No.
Yes, because they tell you what you should know. Even if you know everything written in the book, you get reminded of many things that you may not have been cautious about. It is like another visit to the doctor when you come back with a resolve to follow all instructions. And be absolutely careful about your diet, exercise and daily routine till you lose focus once again.
No, because the book is written not to help you, but to highlight the need for the practitioner writing the book. They will tell you many things but only to lead you to their clinic. As a business – fair enough, as a medical person – not too sure.
Charmaine D’Souza gives a total insight into the disease of diabetes. She tells you the types of disease, the symptoms, the precautions you need to take. Also, the diet that is important and all that. She also tells you the spices in your kitchen can do wonders for your diabetes control. She gives a long list of all the spices and what they do to your system and how to take them for best use. Now, of course, you cannot figure out how much of what to take for your typical condition and for that you need to consult her. She also gives you some recipes for healthy eating and her bio on the book says she has earlier authored a cookbook. I skipped the recipes as I hardly cook but I am sure they would be worth trying.
In the book, Blood Sugar & Spice Living with Diabetes read the spices chapter most carefully. I believe there may lay a solution not yet found to this monstrous disease. The thought that crossed my mind while reading that chapter was – Were we always a society prone to diabetes? Hence our cuisine had so many spices built-in in it to handle the disease? Not sure if there has been a research in this space, but I feel there may be some answers there. I wish someone could give me an easy way to leverage the spices in my kitchen. Or the spice market next door to tackle diabetes. Having said that Charmaine D’Souza does give me some hope. Hope that the solution may lie more in the kitchen than in the medical store.
Hope to meet Charmaine D’souza sometimes in person and have a chat about it.
Reading this book is not a waste of time – it may help you or the diabetic near you.
You may buy this book – Blood Sugar & Spice Living with Diabetes by Charmaine D’Souza at Amazon.

It’s a good thing Charmaine has written this book for people with diabetes and their care givers. Great review Anuradha.
Thanks Kalpanaa…