Nancy Heinrich of Vero Beach has authored a little book with a huge mission. Her small 4 by 5 inch book, Healthy Living with Diabetes: One Small Step at a Time, published by OurLittleBooks in the summer of 2009, takes aim at the diabetes epidemic and offers sound and practical advice on how to prevent the serious complications of this disease through dietary habits that maintain healthy blood sugar naturally.

An epidemiologist who has worked extensively in communicable disease control, Heinrich is presently the CEO of Economic Wellness Works, L.L.C., which provides education and coaching to individuals and businesses aimed at maintaining wellness through nutrition and exercise.

Heinrich's literary crusade began in July 2008 when she met the publishers of OurLittleBooks at a business workshop. "I didn't know it then, but that's when the seed for Healthy Living with Diabetes: One Small Step at a Time was planted. I realized this company's format was the perfect vehicle for a big message with a strong voice.OurLittleBooks provides people with simple facts about what they need to know the most but receive the least, delivered in a clear, concise little book that fits easily in a pocket or purse. The books are affordable and easy to carry for reference at the grocery store or doctor's office," explains Heinrich.

There were a number of factors that prompted Heinrich to agree to the book contract proposed by OurLittleBooks. "I've worked with hundreds of patients who have all told me the same thing: 'Why hasn't anyone taught me this before? If I would have known this when I was first diagnosed with diabetes, I wouldn't be dealing with all these problems. Now I get it,'"reveals Heinrich.

Heinrich was motivated by the understanding that listening to patients can be crucial to enabling them to learn how to control their blood sugar, blood pressure, and blood cholesterol. "What people with diabetes need the most is the simple truth about food. It can make all the difference in their present and future health.I believe it is unethical to allow people to develop preventable complications which will forever alter their quality and quantity of life," says Heinrich.

Working with recently diagnosed diabetes patients, Heinrich was repeatedly frustrated with the realization of how little practical information patients were receiving at their doctors' offices. She also observed providers quickly labeling patients "non-compliant with recommendations for diet and exercise"when the patients were not receiving relevant, patient-centered, clear education at the time of diagnosis. "Getting this easily digestible book into the hands of people with diabetes or pre-diabetes is my priority because the sooner people know the truth, the sooner they can take action to prevent complications. The information contained in the book will change peoples' outlooks on their health issues and empower them to change their lives," Heinrich emphasizes.

Pointing out the tremendous cost of preventable healthcare problems, Heinrich states emphatically, "We've got to keep health literacy simple, transparent, and economical. We can't afford not to."

In addition to authoring Healthy Living with Diabetes, Heinrich is actively involved in Growing Healthy Kids, an organization she founded to promote nutritional education for children. In partnership with the Vero Beach Kiwanis Club and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Indian River County, Growing Healthy Kids is sponsoring the planting of vegetable gardens by children across Indian River County.

To order Healthy Living With Diabetes: One Small Step at a Time, go to http://www.ourlittlebooks.com/healthylivinganddiabetes.html. To contact Nancy Heinrich at Economic Wellness Works call (772) 453-3413 or visit www.economicwellnessworks.com.