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Embracing Diabetes
Type One Determination is a memoir and self-help book written to help those with Type 1 Diabetes understand their bodies better and help them gain control over their health. Why was this an important book for you to write?
I grew up in a rigid healthcare system and I found a way to thrive outside of it with personalized knowledge and stepping up my self-sufficiency game. Diabetes is a unique disease that can change how a person feels about their body and their future overnight. I had a rough start diagnosed as a kid with big responsibilities weighed down by a bad attitude. My experiences are a testament to what we face but also what we are capable of because of our daily challenges. By embracing diabetes, I found the missing ingredients that drove me to take ownership over my life. In the book, I provide tips and tools that can open up the possibilities for people living with diabetes, their families, and inspire diabetes professionals to become more effective educators.
What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?
Nutrition and exercise are complex subjects in diabetes and I wanted to master a method of action to improve my health. Along the way, I realized that if I didn’t change my attitude and thinking to an optimistic mindset, I would be stuck in the unhealthy cycle that I was in. I needed to find who I was under the stigma and unmotivating advice that didn’t fit, and start making better decisions. Diabetes runs deep emotionally, requiring extra mental and spiritual care. These factors became important in my self-discovery and crucial elements to uplift.
What is one piece of advice you wish someone had given you when you were younger?
The realization that I had to become the person I needed most when I was a teen is how I became a fitness instructor and diabetes educator. Even then, I’m not sure my angry young self would listen to this positive older me! If I was willing to listen, operative words could’ve helped me channel my frustration into a positive direction. I did not want to hear that someday, everything would be okay; I needed encouragement to believe that I could be more than a kid with diabetes and feel confident that an intelligent warrior woman was inside of me.
Another idea: “Ride your bike hard. NOW!” Might have worked.
What do you hope is one thing readers take away from your story?
Through nutrition, exercise, and attitude, life with diabetes can be upgraded far beyond the historic perception of a sad diagnosis. It is up to us to choose a path of perseverance through knowledge, courage, and ironlike determination.
Author Links: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Website
—M. Jennifer Abuzzahab MD, pediatric endocrinologist
There are over 460 million people on the planet living with diabetes. Many of us are diagnosed young and raised within a rigid healthcare system based on blood tests, food rules, and fear.
A life of pokes and injections is no walk in the park but growing up knowing almost nothing about taking care of yourself is the ultimate puncture wound.
In a world filled with countless temptations, what do you do when you feel hopeless, when no one is listening, or when the act of improving your health seems impossible?
You do the only thing left that doesn’t require a prescription:
You take over.
In this book, Lauren Plunkett offers a revolutionary look from her perspective of a patient, certified diabetes care & education specialist, and registered dietitian.
Inside this book, find:
strategies for becoming more self-sufficient as a person living with type 1 diabetes
tools for healing physically and mentally through strategic nutrition
methods for exercising safely and confidently
and reference articles and digital resources to take hands-on action
By embracing the challenges of diabetes as individuals, we become commanders of our health.
Through the interactive science of blood sugar, insulin, nutrition, and exercise, we acquire lifelong skills to become our best and brightest advocates.
Part memoir, part science-based adventure in nutrition and exercise, Type One Determination tells the story of the author’s life with T1D and how she grew up to become a fiery example of drawing strength from disease.
Literary Titan Gold Book Award September 2022
The Literary Titan Book Awards are awarded to books that have astounded and amazed us with unique writing styles, vivid worlds, complex characters, and original ideas. These books deserve extraordinary praise and we are proud to acknowledge the hard work, dedication, and writing talent of these brilliant authors.
Gold Award Recipients
INFINITY: Book of Matthew II by Catalina DuBois
Visit the Literary Titan Book Awards page to see award information.
Literary Titan Silver Book Award September 2022
The Literary Titan Book Awards are awarded to books that have astounded and amazed us with unique writing styles, vivid worlds, complex characters, and original ideas. These books deserve extraordinary praise and we are proud to acknowledge the hard work, dedication, and writing talent of these brilliant authors.
Silver Award Recipients
Visit the Literary Titan Book Awards page to see award information.
All In With Love
James Gardiner’s memoir, All in With Love: My Journey to the Hero Within, is a story of perseverance, compassion, and the many iterations of love. The story opens in Rhode Island, where “little Jimmy” is a severe asthmatic dreaming of athletic glory. Gardiner takes us through attempts at sports, hospital stays, and even young love. This section was by far the most positive and left the reader with a sense of hope. The writing is full of wit and humor. It’s clear that Gardiner has fond memories of his youth, and I smiled reading his recollections.
He then moves into adulthood, where Jim chases dreams of acting. Gardiner does work as a professional actor but writes about achieving success in such a hollow way that it leaves the reader disappointed in him. He illustrates loss in such a poetic way it moved me to tears. These sections were written to be more emotional, and I found them harder to read. He works to become a better version of himself, which is a concept readers can relate to, as we all want to remake aspects of ourselves. Gardiner ultimately finds the “hero within” is his dream-filled youth, which feels somewhat nostalgic.
All in With Love: My Journey to the Hero Within takes the reader on a journey through the life of James Gardiner but also serves to help readers reveal who they are and who they want to become. I found his writing engaging, and the way he tells his story is full of passion, regret, and creativity, leaving me feeling that I understand him. There were parts I didn’t find quite as intriguing or well-written as others, but overall I enjoyed reading Gardiner’s story, and many unexpected twists kept me on my toes. This emotional memoir reminds readers to live an authentic life and to hold on to the things that matter most.
Pages: 482 | ASIN : B0BB8VYPH2
It’s Not about the Money
Chuck Denison has amassed a wealth of knowledge and wisdom throughout his lifetime. In his book, It’s Not about the Money: Creating a Fulfilling Life, he shares his own perspectives in bite-sized chapters, each of which begins with a one-word title that highlights the core theme. After that, he generally plunges straight into the subject, presenting different sides to an argument and reasoning his way out of each of them, thus creating a kind of dialogue with the reader. At the end of the chapter, there’s a list of relevant quotes to help consolidate readers understanding of the idea. The message he is trying to spread is quite convincing. But ultimately, it’s up to us to decide what drives us to do something. Is it all about the money?
This book is dedicated to his son on his wedding day. The author recounts the adventures of a man who has seen it all in these pages. He has been to prison, done drugs, found friends in the most unexpected places, changed his beliefs, studied spirituality, fell in love, had his heart broken, found love again, got married, and lived – what one might call a really eventful life.
There is a lot that readers can learn from the wisdom he provides in this memoir. Particularly about kindness and the urge to be kind to others that may or may not always come naturally to us. It is worth noticing how Chuck never shies away from expressing his own opinions or following his instinct, no matter what others think of it. In fact, he faithfully follows his motto to ‘hurl himself like a spear into Life with all his might’ and bravely endures the consequences of his decisions. Surprisingly, they are often invigorating. Using a language that is both simple and conversational, he cajoles his audience into listening to him spellbound, like one would listen to a wise sermon. Perhaps, this comparison is not so incidental. After all, he has been a preacher too.
Yet, the most inspiring and heartwarming part of this book is not the things he has done but the things he struggled with. His wish to be more kind, his need to acknowledge Grace, and the innate urge to keep his sense of wonder alive. Those are the points that make him genuinely humane and more relatable.
It’s Not about the Money: Creating a Fulfilling Life is an inspiring and interesting memoir from a man that has made the study of life and people his life purpose. Readers that want to experience all that life has to offer through the view of an unfiltered perspective will find this book hard to put down.
Pages: 106 | ISBN : 1948801469
Obadiah Hunter Art
Obadiah Hunter Art by Obadiah Hunter is a heartfelt and humorous recount of his life as an artist and a globe trotter. It begins in New England, where Obadiah spent his teenage years, recounting the moment he decided he wanted to paint for the rest of his life. Traveling fifty countries, from the ‘90s to the ‘10s, Obadiah carries his few belongings, his paints, and a vision that inspires kindness and curiosity in the people he meets. He dwells on the struggles, such as the time he slept in a capsized boat, and the highlights, like meeting his wife. He even injects little bits of humor, like the time a gang of kids ambushed him with water guns. Mr. Hunter’s book was a relaxing and heartwarming read.
I found myself smiling at the bits and pieces of ordinary life that Obadiah Hunter injected into his story. He writes conversationally, taking readers on the journey with him, always making sure to return to those moments that made the greatest impact on him. I found myself getting lost at times, realizing that the story wasn’t necessarily told in chronological order. At times the memories could be prosaic—rundown showers and the meal he had at a bar, but these are grounding features that allow the reader to connect with the author and understand that this is not all about grandiose adventures; sometimes the beauty is in the humdrum of life. I stuck around for the ride, seeing the world through his eyes and imagining these exotic countries I haven’t had the privilege of seeing yet.
My favorite painting was his Luang Praband Waterfall from Laos. His landscape scenes are exquisite. Particularly, I found myself enthralled with the Laos and Sonoma landscapes later in the book. There’s a scene for everyone in this book. Whether you read memoirs, art books, or want a conversation starter for your living room, The Stories and Plein Air Paintings of a Globe-Trotting Traveler is an excellent art memoir.
Pages: 126 | ASIN: B0B8JX7YDY
How to Run a Marathon in 13 Years
How to Run a Marathon in 13 Years is a captivating memoir detailing the author’s incredible odyssey towards running a marathon after battling a series of injuries, medical issues and a mental health crisis. The journey is long and full of obstacles, but JP Mac shows readers that perseverance and determination are all it takes to overcome the variety of challenges that life throws at us.
JP Mac was a middle-aged man who loved running marathons. While training for his biggest marathon he noticed an odd, sharp pain in his left knee, a condition he named SPITLK (pronounced spit-lick). The knee pain didn’t leave on its own like he thought it would, instead he was forced to go from doctor to doctor, from appointment to appointment, and his health was only getting worse. As time progressed he had knee surgery, and shoulder surgery, and with that gained a lot of weight. Add to it he was then diagnosed with cancer and it’s no wonder that all this took a toll on his mental health. However, after a lot of uphill battles, years later he managed to get back to his marathons and was better than he ever was.
This is an inspirational story with a style and tone that make the book feel like a diary. This gives this extraordinary story a personal feel, which helps connect readers to JP and ensures we feel all the heartache and triumphs along the way. We learn that the author is tough and tenacious. To have gone through what he’s gone through takes so much on its own, and he still had the willpower to continue with running. This inspiring read is perfect for readers who are going through a tough time as the author shares his personal experiences while keeping a great sense of humor.
At the beginning of every chapter the author provides the year and the best picture (movie), Super Bowl champ, top song, U.S. President and the top web browser, which I found to be interesting and added a cultural point-in-time feel to the story. This was also interesting for me because I could look back at my life and remember what I was doing at that time and compare it to what the author was going through. I found it humorous that the author compared running to that of an ex girlfriend and it shows just how enticing running is to the author.
How to Run a Marathon in 13 Years is an emotional, fun, and inspiring memoir that serves as a beacon of hope to anyone that thinks they can’t pull themselves out of the rut they find themselves in. Mac’s story touched me deeply and made me think about my own life. I recommend this uplifting memoir to anyone who needs to find the motivation, willpower, and strength to push forward regardless of the goal you are trying to reach, or to readers looking for a riveting memoir about an intriguing person that faced some tough obstacles.
Pages: 174 | ASIN: B0B6MP879R
Chasing Numbers: Starve, Sleep, Repeat
Scott Ellis was a normal child, living his life, not thinking about counting calories or how his body should look. Scott joined his school’s cross country team and with practice became quite good at it. He began experimenting with diets and lived by a set of rules when it came to eating. No matter what weight he reached, he was never satisfied and felt like he needed to lose more despite all of the pain his body was going through. In 11th grade he got his license and began to socialize with friends at fast food places which caused him to gain weight. Scott put himself back on a diet by his senior year in order to lose the weight. To cope with his depression he started to drink, which made his depression severe and he became suicidal. After suffering from severe chest pains, he made the choice to go to the hospital to seek help. Scott’s journey towards recovery is winding and emotional, but ultimately uplifting and illuminating.
Scott Ellis gives readers an up close and personal look at how anorexia affects someone mentally, physically, and emotionally. I was unaware of these issues and I really appreciated the detail that was provided as I felt it made things less abstract and made them more vivid and real. I appreciated the authors candid nature throughout the book. The beginning of the story helps readers connect with him as a person first, so that you end up rooting for him throughout the entire ordeal.
Because of the brutal honesty there were times when the story was hard to read, especially when reading about how much the author was suffering with being overwhelmed with thoughts of hunger, his body constantly hurting and always being depressed. I continued reading on in hopes that the author would find peace and begin to recover. This is an emotionally heavy memoir, so be ready to take some breaks to absorb what you just read.
This book is educational for both people who suffer from anorexia and people who just want to know more about it. I learned that there is a support group out there for people who are suffering from anorexia, and there is also forums of people sharing tips and tricks to lose weight and also encouraging one another to continue on a self-destructive path. It’s shocking, but it helps open your eyes to a different world.
This emotionally stirring memoir focuses on Scott, but I would have liked to have known more about Scott’s parents and their side of the story. His parents are supportive of him once he did tell them that he was suffering from anorexia.
Chasing Numbers is a powerful story detailing the author’s battle with anorexia. I highly recommend this enlightening memoir to young readers to inform them of the dangers of anorexia and to let them know that there is more to life than trying to look like people in magazines or on TV.
Pages: 145 | ASIN: B0B8Q13Q87
LITERARY TITAN 