While a diagnosis of chronic kidney disease (CKD) may seem scary at first, and it’s most likely leaving you with a lot of questions, it can be managed very effectively. It just requires a little bit of time, patience, and exploration, so you can see all the pieces of the big picture. The first step in managing kidney disease is understanding it. In this chapter, we’ll review the vital role your kidneys play, what goes wrong when you develop kidney disease, and how diet plays an extremely important role in managing kidney disease.