All those with diabetes mellitus should seek their physician's advice on how best to control their blood sugar through lifestyle changes and if needed medication. This brochure will not discuss IDDM diabetes other than to say those who do have it should not attempt to treat it on their own. Obesity can result in insulin resistance, a major characteristic of diabetes. Therefore, achieving and maintaining an ideal body weight is important for both preventing and managing diabetes. They should, again, in most cases, avoid snacking or even drinking juice between meals or at bedtimes.
Exercise lowers blood sugar levels and reduces the risk of getting diabetes.
When diet, exercise, and weight management do not produce the desired results alone, physicians may also prescribe oral hypoglycemic medication or insulin. A high-fat diet contributes to diabetes and its resulting complications. Ideally, approximately 20-30 percent of the total calories in the diet should come from fat. Not more than 10 percent of the calories should come from saturated fat. Because heart disease is the leading cause of death for those who have diabetes, such persons should limit the amount of cholesterol they eat to not more than 100 milligrams per 1000 calories.