Know The Enemy: Preventing Weight Gain, Diabetes & Disease Reviews
"I found the book to be very engaging and not overly technical. I loved how it begins with your personal journey and gradually delves into the more technical aspects as you read on. Your firsthand experiences were eye opening and really shares your journey and how much time and knowledge had led up to youwriting this book. You’ve put in so much effort over the years, and I’m thrilled that you’re sharing your journey with others. It helped me and I know its going to make an impact on others as well. I picked up many useful tips, especially about using the scale. I’ve always been a bit timid about it but checking it daily has really helped me monitor my progress and understand how my eating habits affect me.Chapter 9 was particularly helpful for me, as I could relate much of the information to my PCOS, which issignificantly influenced by my diet. Chapter 20 was another favorite; it provided a clear framework for organizing my workouts. I can be both independent and dependent so that was helpful in helping me adjust my routine accordingly. Also, Chapter 23 was so creative!!! Even though I don’t have children, I have a niece and two nephews, and I found the ideas in that chapter to be both innovative and heartfelt. The only challenging part for me was facing some hard truths that I needed to acknowledge asfar as my accountability and habits go. Discussions around weight, diet, and exercise have always been stressful for me since I was a little girl. I found your book really helpful especially for my PCOS and would highly recommend it to any woman who is trying to heal there PCOS. Thank you again for sharing your passion and knowledge; it has truly inspired me. I often turn to your book on tough body image days for motivation to keep going.
Sydney Grace
Human Resources
“Numbers are scary: 40% of US population is obese. If you add up overweight people to this number, this makes 70% of our population. Obesity is not an American problem. More than 1 billion people in the world are now living with obesity. Obesity is the disease of century: it is an end product of our environment. It is almost like fate unless we find a way to break out of this routine lifestyle built for us. Watch more tv, work long hours, eat what is easily available and to relax, watch more tv. It is difficult, we individuals need to fight against our "environment" daily, it can be exhausting. Thus, we need easy, practical solutions. That`s why Jodi`s book is here to help you. She is a busy working mom, who brought up a kid with Type 1 DM. Over years, she worked with physicians, dietitians, diabetes educators and created a lifestyle to keep her family healthy. She is now sharing her wisdom with all of us. The tips she shared here have a different melody: they are not from an authoritarian health care professional or from theoretical diet books, but from a practical mother who brought up a healthy child with Type 1 DM. As an endocrinologist, my passion is to keep my patients with diabetes and weight problems healthy. I find in my daily practice, a big void for practical information. We all say to our patients to work out 150 minutes a week. In her book Jodi is showing how she keeps moving while also preparing breakfast for her kids early in the morning before she goes to work. She shows you how and makes it easy for you. I applaud Jodi`s work and practical wisdom. You can use this book to navigate busy daily life and still win with healthy habits. I will recommend Jodi`s book to all my patients who desires to lose weight and or have a healthy life style. This book bundled with advice from your healthcare professionals will do wonders for you. It is difficult to lose and maintain a healthy weight but Jodi shows us, it is doable. As Henry Ford said: "whether you think you can, or you think you can't, you're right!"
Esra Karslioglu French M
Board-Certified Physician in Endocrinology and ObesityMedicine
“This is an easy and informative read for anyone who wants to control diabetes (type 1 or 2) or help prevent type 2 development. Jodi speaks from the experience of controlling her daughter’s diabetes for many years, and both have benefitted from the lifestyle changes she made.Jodi offers realistic suggestions for preventing sugar from sneaking into your life and that of your children. She even has an extensive list of activities you can use to reward kids instead of giving them sugary treats. All of the suggestions she makes are simple and easily accomplished by anyone. Give it a try. You wont be sorry!”
Anna Carlile, BSN RN
Retired OR Nurse
Know the Enemy … Preventing Weight Gain Diabetes & Disease should be a required read in schools. Parents who want to raise their children with a healthy lifestyle should read this book! The last chapter is a bonus for kids!
Michael Beas
The Book Revue
"The author Jodi Velazquez, writes of her own experiences raising a child, who at 19 months was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. She readily admits she is not an expert on the disease, however as I learned a long time ago as a pediatric nurse, the mother knows her own child better than anyone else. So, it is fitting that as a mom Mrs. Velazquez should share her journey of 20 years living with a child with diabetes. One of the interesting challenges she pointed out was food intake while her child was away fromhome. There are snacks everywhere and for everything! There are snacks in school, ice cream offered at lunchtime, and classmate’s birthday parties almost daily! She also addresses after-school activities, sports events, and weekend sleepovers. These are things many parents may not have to deal with but to a family with a child with diabetes, it is crucial for blood sugar control. The author also offers insight into an increasingly sedentary lifestyle and its role in diabetes control and obesity. She offers many great affordable ideas for increasing play and activity times. Mrs. Velazquez addresses some interesting issues such as food additives and highly processed foods which may contribute to increased obesity and other health risks such as cardiovascular disease. As a former diabetes educator, I know that people who are newly diagnosed with diabetes are often overwhelmed with information and become frustrated. This author first and foremost notes how important it is to involve professionals in the care such as endocrinologists, dietitians, educators, andschool nurses. They work together as a team along with the family and newly diagnosed individuals. By sharing her family’s journey with Type I diabetes over 20 years Mrs. Velazquez shows in avery positive way it is possible and realistic to have a healthy life with diabetes."
Kathy Harrison
Retired Pediatric Nurse