Does Dr. Hyman's Blood Sugar Solution Really Work?

The results are in!

Three months ago I found out I was pre-diabetic.  Unlike the seventy-five percent who choose to do nothing about this news, I set out to put my diabetic gears in reverse.  That's when I heard about Dr. Hyman.  I bought his book and decided to give it a try.


Please note:  This is an unbiased review of the Blood Sugar Solution book.  Both it and the cookbook were purchased with my own money.  This is not a sponsored/solicited review. 

You might have heard of Dr. Hyman.  He's been all over the media lately promoting his latest book: The Blood Sugar Solution 10-Day Detox Diet.   Dr. Hyman believes that a "whole-foods, low-glycemic, predominately plant-based, phytonutrient-rich diet is the foundation of health and prevents and can treat most chronic diseases".  The Blood Sugar Solution book (Available here on Amazon or Amazon Canada) is different than the 10 day detox book in that it offers a long-term solution to those suffering from problems related to insulin resistance.    It identifies the underlying causes, teaches you how to get tested for diabetes, and provides a six week plan to improve your health and radically lower your blood sugar.

Many people think pre-diabetes is simply a warning, but reading this book helped me understand the seriousness of it.   In 2008, the American College of Endocrinology and the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists gathered 22 experts to review all scientific data on pre-diabetes and diabetes. They concluded that the "diagnosis of pre-diabetes and diabetes is arbitrary" and that complications from diabetes (heart disease, cancer, dementia, stroke, kidney and nerve damage) started at much lower numbers than people considered normal.  One study even found that about two-thirds of all patients admitted to the emergency room with heart attacks had pre-diabetes or undiagnosed diabetes.

I am living proof of this.  The only reason I found out I was pre-diabetic was because I was already symptomatic. 

Seven things I liked about Dr. Mark Hyman's Blood Sugar Solution book

1.  The number one thing that drew me to The Blood Sugar Solution was its holistic approach.  I already ate non-gmo, mostly organic and consumed very little processed foods, so right away I felt at peace with what I was reading.   I could tell this wasn't just another "diet" book.

2.  My favourite quote of the book is "Food is information".   Your body needs good information to work properly and to heal.

3.  It explained the intricate body so simply.  I didn't realize how insulin, digestion, hormones and inflammation could create such a vicious cycle.  This book gave me the information and tools I needed to feed my body properly.

4.  There are two plans to follow.  The Advanced Plan and the Basic Plan.  The Advanced Plan consists of green and yellow foods (see #5).   I felt the advanced plan was a bit too restrictive whereas the basic plan has a good variety of foods I could eat for the rest of my life.  And it allows for small amounts of dark chocolate too.  If you don't know me, the basic plan had me at chocolate :)

5.  There's is no counting of calories.  I hate counting calories and writing everything down. Instead you eat according to a perfect plate" comprised of three main food groups.

• Green Foods...Foods so nutritious they are unlimited (Mostly greens and non-starchy carbs).   
• Yellow Foods...meats, legumes, nuts, berries, healthy oils
• Red Foods...Healthier starchy carbs (fruits, starchy vegetables, gluten-free grains)

I kept a diagram of my "perfect plate" on my fridge with all the foods I could eat. 

The list of non-starchy "green food" carbs is surprisingly extensively and I often felt like I was eating too much.



6.  It opened my mind.  Six months ago, I would have rather died than give up gluten and dairy.  I wasn't pleased when The Blood Sugar Solution suggested I do just that for six weeks!  I decided to give it a try.  My asthma, chronic heartburn and most of my joint pain disappeared overnight.  After two weeks,  I didn't care about gluten or dairy anymore.   I tried new foods, learned to adapt my favourite recipes and quickly figured out what to order in restaurants.

7. The Blood Sugar Solution focuses on wellness ... not just the number on a scale.  I actually didn't weigh myself for three months choosing to focus on how I felt. Scales can be discouraging and don't always tell the whole story.  The book encouraged me to measure my success with blood tests and quizzes instead.

3 Things I didn't like about Dr. Hyman's The Blood Sugar Solution

1. The whole doomsday feeling.  It leaves you feeling like you're at death's door....but maybe that's a good thing.

2. Some of the recipes in the Blood Sugar Solution book conflict with the plans. For example, some of the recipes call for bananas or honey.   I was okay with that but it seemed to confuse quite a few people on Dr. Hyman's online forums.

I also bought the digital version of  The Blood Sugar Solution Cookbook.   I wish I had ordered the actual physical book as I found following recipes on the computer or a device cumbersome.   The cookbook does has some great recipes that will be very helpful especially if you're not used to cooking from scratch.

3. There's a big push to buy supplements from Dr.Hyman's website.  If you don't believe in supplements you might be annoyed.  That said, I did find the information in the supplement chapter interesting, specifically which supplements to take for the foot neuropathy.

There's also a big push for PGX.  PGX is the brand name for Glucomannan also known as Konjac Root.  It is a special type of fiber from a Japanese root combined with seaweed.   I didn't take this but a lot of people find PGX helpful to stabilize blood sugars and curb appetite.   You can find the exact same PGX products featured on Dr. Hyman's website for much cheaper on iherb.com.

Does Dr. Hyman's Blood Sugar Solution really work?

When I found out I was pre-diabetic my blood tests revealed my A1C was 6.1.  According to my doctor 6.0 means you're pre-diabetic but most endocrinologists consider 5.7 pre-diabetic.   (Diabetes is 6.5)

The first two weeks were the most challenging.  I did skip the recommended detox weeks as I already ate non-processed, sugar-free and caffeine-free. If you eat otherwise, please don't skip this.  The biggest detox symptom I felt was tiredness.  I was falling asleep on the sofa by 7pm each night.   

Foodwise, I felt confused about how to cook gluten and dairy-free for my family.  Let's just say my husband ordered a lot of pizza :)  For those first two weeks I basically cooked simple salads for myself.     I also bought a Vitamix and started each day with a veggie and berry smoothie.

Week three I started to feel great!  I figured out how to cook for the family.  During this time we had a couple of parties to attend and I found it so much easier to stay on plan being dairy and gluten-free.    I learned to make creamy soups full of veggies.  I actually found eating 50-75% vegetables pretty easy.

After six weeks I decided to continue eating the Blood Sugar Solution way.  Except for the odd tiny bit of cream or cheese I continue to eat dairy and gluten-free.    I just feel so much better.

My 19 year old daughter also decided to try the Blood Sugar Solution diet.  She's extremely busy and her goal was to simply get back on track with healthy eating.  She found the first three weeks dairy and gluten-free much harder than I (even though she had me as a personal chef) but quickly realized how much better she felt.   She now plans her healthy breakfasts and lunches each day.  I find her less cranky :)

It's now been three months since I started the Blood Sugar Solution diet.  I rarely get heart palpitation  (only when I wait too long to eat).  I also lost 26 pounds (even though I ate a lot and only did mild exercise).  My blood pressure today was 120/80.  But the most gratifying news is that my A1C is down to 5.6!  That means I'm no longer considered pre-diabetic! 

So yes, The Blood Sugar Solution diet does work.  This is a great book for those that are overweight, have trouble losing weight because of insulin resistance, are pre-diabetic or diabetic.  If you already eat fairly 'clean' you will love this book.  If you don't, the initial results are so fast and astounding....it could change the way you eat forever.  Either way I truly recommend reading this book!