36 // ADCES IN PRACTICE // July 2020 FOOD FOR THOUGHT | MATTERS OF LIFESTYLE f Many diabetes self-management education programs exist, yet only 5% to 7% of people with diabetes (PWD) utilize these services. 1 Studies show that PWD have better health outcomes when they receive diabetes self-management education that entails individualized care and psychosocial and behavioral support. 2 As such, there is a dire need for creative, integrative interventions for PWD. Diabetes self-management involves taking medications, managing meals, checking glucose levels, and incorporating physical activity. These tasks can take an emotional and physical toll on a person with diabetes and may lead to diabetes distress, which is described as feeling burned out, stressed, or worried from the ongoing management of the disease. Up to 40% of PWD experience diabetes distress at one point in their lives, and this is linked to higher A1C and suboptimal nutrition management, including overeating, binge eating, and higher postprandial blood glucose levels. 3-5 Eating and Thriving With Diabetes: A Coached Meal Group is a novel, 4-week pilot program at the Cleveland Clinic Diabetes Center. The program aims to improve diabetes self-management skills, nutrition skills, and the psychosocial impact of living with diabetes. The program uses an adult learning model of experiential learning, a process of gaining refections and insights through hands- Eating and Thriving With Diabetes: A Coached Meal Group ANNY HA, MS, RD, CEDRD, CDCES DIANA ISAACS, PHARMD, BCPS, BC-ADM, CDCES JULIA E. BLANCHETTE, PHD, RN, CDCES CAROLYN FISHER, PHD