A comprehensive guide to managing diabetes from the author of The Best Life Diet , featuring a three-phase program, meal plans, and recipes—now in paperback. Let Bob Greene help you take control of your health and claim the life you deserve! Bob Greene has helped millions of Americans become fit and healthy with his life-changing Best Life plan. Now, for the first time, Oprah’s trusted expert on diet and fitness teams up with a leading endocrinologist and an expert dietitian to offer a Best Life program tailored to the needs of people with diabetes and pre-diabetes. Coping with the unique challenges of living with these conditions can feel like a full-time job, but The Best Life Guide to Managing Diabetes and Pre-Diabetes gives you a gradual, three-phase plan designed to improve your blood sugar and stave off heart disease, neuropathy, and other diabetes- and pre-diabetes-related conditions. Whether you are controlling your disease simply with diet and exercise, taking drugs orally, or need injected insulin, this comprehensive volume gives you all the information you need to stay healthy and motivated. Detailed but flexible meal plans take the guesswork out of eating, and recipes for budget- and family-friendly dishes come with complete nutritional analyses. Extensive reference sections, including a complete guide to diabetes drugs and a chart of the carbohydrate value of foods, give you quick answers you can trust, while a log for tracking your blood sugar readings, exercise, diet, and medication helps you stay organized without hassle or added expense. With The Best Life Guide to Managing Diabetes and Pre-Diabetes , you won’t have to let your life be defined by your diagnosis. Bob Greene is an exercise physiologist and certified personal trainer specializing in fitness, metabolism, and weight loss. He holds a master’s degree from the University of Arizona and is a member of the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Council on Exercise. For the past seventeen years, he has worked with clients and consulted on the design and management of fitness, spa, and sports medicine programs. Bob has been a guest on the Oprah Winfrey Show . He is also a contributing writer and editor for O, The Oprah Magazine , and writes articles on health and fitness for Oprah.com. Greene is the bestselling author of The Best Life Diet Cookbook ; The Best Life Diet, Revised and Updated ; The Best Life Diet ; The Best Life Diet Daily Journal ; The Total Body Makeover ; Get With the Program! ; The Get With the Program! Daily Journal ; The Get With the Program! Guide to Good Eating ; and Make the Connection. Janis Jibrin , M.S., R.D., is the lead nutritionist for thebestlife.com, Bob Greene’s weight loss and fitness website. She is also a contributing editor for Self magazine, the author of The Supermarket Diet and other weight loss books, and freelances for other national magazines. In her private practice, she specializes in weight loss and eating disorders. The Best Life Guide to Managing Diabetes and Pre-Diabetes INTRODUCTION WHEN YOU FIRST FOUND out that you had diabetes or pre-diabetes, you probably experienced a wave of emotions: concern, fear, confusion, maybe even anger. But despite the fact that both are serious conditions, the good news is that there’s a lot you can do to stay healthy and improve your quality of life; there are so many more treatment options and resources at your disposal than just fifteen years ago. This is, in large part, a reaction to the epidemic in this country—about 24 million Americans have been diagnosed with diabetes and another 57 million have pre-diabetes, a precursor of the disease. Though this may not be positive news for us as a country, it’s placed diabetes high on the national health agenda. There are millions of people with these conditions, just like you, who are able to continue living a healthy and fulfilled life. Always keep in mind that how well you fare after your diagnosis is largely up to you. Diabetes and pre-diabetes are conditions that you can manage well by making some important lifestyle changes. When you take the reins and do what you can to manage these conditions, you can dramatically improve your life. I’ve seen this firsthand—in family members who have diabetes as well as clients I’ve worked with over the years. The Best Life Guide to Managing Diabetes and Pre-Diabetes will map out a clear and practical plan for living your healthiest, happiest, fullest life. Once you know what diabetes and pre-diabetes are, how they affect you, and what you can do to stay healthy, you’ll feel more in control and less afraid. The Best Life program’s design reflects the three pillars of diabetes management: diet, exercise, and medication. It’s no accident that I’ve listed medication last—diet and exercise are the drivers here. Eat right and move enough, and you won’t need as many drugs. In some cases, you can eliminate the drugs altogethe