She counts carbohydrates and gets exercise.

Kitchen tip: Gladys searches a few trusted Web sites for recipes, and uses a slow cooker frequently to make healthy eating easier. She likes to cook with seasonings, adding flavor without extra fat or calories.

Personal contributions: Gladys has an impressive diabetes-advocacy resume, including participating in a study on oral therapy, starting her own support group, staging a skit on how blood sugar affects the body, mentoring newly diagnosed patients, and more.

Why she makes self-care a priority: After nearly losing a foot to diabetes, the reality of the disease hit her. Gladys decided it was time to take control of diabetes, before it controlled her.