I purchased a cookbook for diabetics last night. No, this isn't my way of telling the world that I have diabetes...but being that I have diabetic relatives from both branches of my family tree, it is disease of which I am constantly aware. "Nutritious high-fiber, low-fat, low sugar recipes for diabetics!" it advertises from the front cover. Sound familiar? I'm sure it does to anyone who knows me, because it outlines the lifestyle I lead, diabetic or not.

I flipped through the book this morning, and found myself salivating at many of the recipes...including, but not restricted to, the Garlic Lentil Soup, Turkish Shrimp Pilaf, Whole-Wheat Pasta with Caraway Cabbage, and, mouthwateringly, Red Pepper Risotto. I love cookbooks that give me pictures of every recipe...love, love LOVE them. The appetizer and entrée sections were surprisingly short. It isn't a large book, I'll grant you. It boasts of a mere 50 recipes, but through the aforementioned chapters, the book, which had an extensive introduction, was only half-finished with its recipe-dishing charge.

The largest percent of the pages in this cookbook? This DIABETIC cookbook? Desserts and Cakes, Baked Goods, and Candies. Forgive me if I break into a Charlie-ism for a moment here. My brother is quite the conspiracy theorist...at such an extent to be nicknamed "Mel" by my mother, in honor of the Mel Gibson movie of the related title. Spend too much time listening to Charlie's view on life, you won't want to leave your house, eat anything that you didn't grow yourself, or touch anything WITH YOUR OWN SKIN. I don't know how many times he used the hand sanitizer yesterday at the hospital. He avoided the elevators from the parking garage, and kicked open doors with his feet. He'll make ya itchy with heebie-jeebies if you let him.

So, I am going to slip into his mentality for a moment here, and I ask for your patience while I morph. It is not my nature to be suspicious. I fully believed it when my mother proclaimed that we weren't overweight! Oh, no! We were under-tall!

Now, what reason, really, does a company—drug or publishing—have to help us beat disease? A lot of companies make a lot of money off of the diseased. We're not as lucrative healthy. Would diabetic cookbooks sell if everybody had their diabetes in check? Think about it. Of course not. Treatments must somewhat-treat a disorder, and somewhat-help it grow at the same time. They must give enough faith to make the people come back for more, yet nourish the evil to breed further profit. Of course diabetics should avoid sugar! Consume fiber! Keep their weight in check! AND EAT COOKIES!