Blood sugar levels can be controlled to a certain extent with proper diet, exercise, and healthy weight maintenance. A healthy lifestyle can also help control or lower blood pressure and control blood fats, thus reducing the risk for heart disease.

Proper meal planning should include spacing out smaller meals throughout the day to maintain steady blood sugar levels. Eating a big meal only once or twice a day can cause extreme high or low blood sugar levels. In addition, if the exercise regimen is changed, changes should be made to the diet accordingly, to maintain weight control and to control blood sugar levels.

Whether you do or do not have diabetes, following the food pyramid guidelines, created by the US Department of Agriculture, for proper nutrition is beneficial to your health. The food pyramid is constructed as a pyramid to demonstrate a foundation of grains - bread, cereal, rice, and pasta (which our bodies need the most of) - with fats, oils, and sweets at the peak of the pyramid, demonstrating our body's need for only limited quantities. According to the food pyramid, daily intake of food should include the following*:

• 6 - 11 servings of starchy vegetables, grains, and beans
• 3 - 5 servings of vegetables
• 2 - 4 servings of fruits
• 2 - 3 servings of milk and yogurt
• 2 - 3 servings of protein foods
• small amounts of fats and oils
• small amounts of sugary foods

*The number of servings from each food grouping may differ for a person with diabetes, based on his/her recommended treatment plan, diabetic goals, calorie intake, and lifestyle. Always consult your physician or a registered dietitian (RD) for dietary recommendations.