Gretchen Scalpi - The Everything Guide to Managing and Reversing Pre-Diabetes: Your Complete Guide to Treating Pre-Diabetes Symptoms

THE

GUIDE TO MANAGING AND
REVERSING PRE-DIABETES,

2ND EDITION

Dear Reader,

The news that you have pre-diabetes is something you should take seriously. Whether you have just heard this news, or you have known for a while, you probably realize that healthy eating and lifestyle changes are necessary parts of your future. The Everything Guide to Managing and Reversing Pre-Diabetes, 2nd Edition is a resource designed to help you make the transition to a healthier lifestyle and way of eating.

As a dietitian and diabetes educator in private practice, Ive had many new clients come to my office who have just learned they have pre-diabetes. Invariably there is much confusion over the question What can I eat? There is often anticipation of hearing that favorite foods are going to be taken away. After we discuss what pre-diabetes is and how to make healthy eating and lifestyle choices, most of my clients leave their first appointments feeling pleasantly surprised. They have learned that managing pre-diabetes is about common sense and moderation, not deprivation.

It is my sincere hope that the information in this book helps you on your path to managing your pre-diabetes. Your perseverance and follow-through with the recommendations may make it possible to reverse the pre-diabetes. Taking action is the first step toward halting the progression of pre-diabetes.

For me, developing and testing the recipes found in this book has been a very enjoyable extension of my work as a Certified Diabetes Educator. When recipes result in great-tasting foods, cooking becomes a pleasure. I hope you will come away feeling pleasantly surprised!

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THE

Your complete guide to treating
pre-diabetes symptoms

Gretchen Scalpi, RD, CDN, CDE

Foreword by Robert Vigersky, MD

To my all of my clients with pre-diabetes and
diabetes who have taught me so much about the
challenges and rewards of managing their health.

Copyright 2013, 2011 by F+W Media, Inc. All rights reserved.
This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced
in any form without permission from the publisher; exceptions
are made for brief excerpts used in published reviews.

An Everything Series Book.
Everything and everything.com are registered trademarks of F+W Media, Inc.

Published by Adams Media, a division of F+W Media, Inc.
57 Littlefield Street, Avon, MA 02322 U.S.A.
www.adamsmedia.com

ISBN 10: 1-4405-5761-6
ISBN 13: 978-1-4405-5761-3
eISBN 10: 1-4405-5762-4
eISBN 13: 978-1-4405-5762-0

Printed in the United States of America.

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

This book is intended as general information only, and should not be used to diagnose or treat any health condition. In light of the complex, individual, and specific nature of health problems, this book is not intended to replace professional medical advice. The ideas, procedures, and suggestions in this book are intended to supplement, not replace, the advice of a trained medical professional. Consult your physician before adopting any of the suggestions in this book, as well as about any condition that may require diagnosis or medical attention. The author and publisher disclaim any liability arising directly or indirectly from the use of this book.

Many of the designations used by manufacturers and sellers to distinguish their products are claimed as trademarks. Where those designations appear in this book and F+W Media was aware of a trademark claim, the designations have been printed with initial capital letters.

This book is available at quantity discounts for bulk purchases.
For information, please call 1-800-289-0963.

I would like to thank the staff at Adams Media for their advice and technical support.

A special thank you to my husband John, who for thirty-nine years has supported all of my career endeavors by making my life easier during busy times. He has always been willing to sample the many new recipes that made their way to the dinner table.

In remembrance and appreciation of my dear friend Jon Hines, who shared his wonderfully creative ideas, great food, and everlasting friendship.

WE ARE IN THE midst of a world-wide tsunami of obesity and diabetesor diabesity as it is commonly referred to because the two conditions are closely linked. Both obesity and diabetes have early stages, called overweight and pre-diabetes, that can be successfully targeted to prevent their progression to these more serious diagnoses.

The urgency of the problem is emphasized by an ugly statistic: nearly 79 million Americans have pre-diabetes as of 2010, yet only 10 percent have been told they have it. Knowing your diagnosis and doing something about it is critical. First and foremost, ask you healthcare provider to check you for pre-diabetes and diabetes particularly if you are in one of the high risk groups as outlined in the first chapter of this book. Dont wait for symptoms to appear since they often come late in the disease.

As a practicing endocrinologist, I regularly see patients ravaged by these dreaded diabetic complicationsblindness, amputations, kidney failure, and heart diseasewho learned they had pre-diabetes or diabetes too late. Even if patients are successful in preventing this damage, it is likely to have caused substantial changes in their lives and lifestyles (and those of their loved ones). One reason for this is that patients with diabetes take an average of eight medications a day (one of which is often insulin) to control their blood sugar and its commonly associated conditions of high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Much of this could have been avoided if they had asked their healthcare provider to check for pre-diabetes and then followed the advice about how to manage it.