There's no special diet for diabetes. Diets high in fat or protein may lead to kidney damage or other problems. High-fat diets also raise your risk of heart disease. Cutting back too much on carbs can set you up for low blood glucose, also called low blood sugar.

Your best bet: eating a balanced diet that is about 35%-40% carbohydrates, 15%-20% protein, and 30%-35% healthy fat. An easy way to think about it is in terms of your plate: 

• Fill about half of your plate with green vegetables
• Fill a quarter of it with whole grains, starchy vegetables like sweet potatoes or corn, or fruit
• Fill the last quarter with lean meat, fish, or tofu 

Many people can keep good blood sugar levels without medicine. The key is to lose any extra weight, exercise regularly, watch your meal portions, and spread the carbohydrates you eat throughout the day.

If you're already taking diabetes medication, you may be able to cut back or even stop taking it if you lose weight or get more active. But don't cut back on medicine without your doctor's OK.

A cup (8 ounces) of low-fat milk or four or five saltine crackers can give you a quick pick up if your blood glucose drops.

If you take medicine that can cause a drop in blood sugar, always carry a 15-gram fast-acting carb snack. That could be five or six pieces of hard candy, three or four glucose tablets, or 2 tablespoons of raisins. Recheck your blood sugar in 15 minutes and eat again if it's still low. Keep doing this until your blood sugar gets better.

You may eventually have to take insulin even if you’ve done a good job controlling your blood glucose for a long time with diet and exercise. In some people, type 2 diabetes can get worse with time. Your body may make less insulin as you age. Or you may become resistant to insulin because of weight gain or stress.

Taking insulin injections if you need them isn’t defeat. It can add to all the other work you’ve done and help keep your blood glucose at a healthy level.

A man with nerve and artery damage from diabetes may have erectile dysfunction -- his penis can't get or stay hard enough for sex. Nerve damage in women can cause pain or dryness during sex or less feeling in your genitals. That can make orgasms difficult or impossible. Managing your diabetes can help prevent these problems, but of course talk to your doctor if they happen.

When it comes to blood sugar levels, it's the total number of carbs that really counts -- not whether or not a food is sweet. So a brownie or a bowl of rice with the same number of carbs will have the same effect.

As long as you follow a balanced meal plan, it's OK to swap an occasional sweet for another food with the same carb count. Just make sure to eat healthy overall and don't pile on extra calories if you're trying to lose weight.

You can use your forearm, thigh, or even the fleshy part of your hand with some blood glucose meters. But it's still best to test blood from your fingertip, especially when you feel low blood sugars coming on, after meals or taking insulin, when you’re exercising, or when you're sick or stressed. Blood sugar levels in your fingertips show changes faster than other parts of the body.

Drinking a lot of alcohol or drinking on an empty stomach can cause dangerously low blood sugar -- especially if you take insulin or oral medicine for type 2 diabetes.

If you drink, stick to no more than one drink a day if you're a woman and two a day if you're a man. Always drink with a meal that includes carbs or a carb snack like whole wheat crackers. Don't drink late at night, which can cause low blood sugar during sleep. If your blood glucose is below 140 mg/dL at bedtime, eat some yogurt, peanut butter, or low-fat cheese.

Fresh, frozen, or canned fruits with no added sugars are an important part of healthy eating. Some fruits, however, are higher in fiber and don’t affect your blood sugar level as much. Fresh citrus fruits and berries are packed with fiber. Melons and pineapple tend to raise blood sugar more. 

Dried fruits, like raisins and dates, have a big impact on blood sugar, so eat them in small portions. Learning about the glycemic index -- which rates foods according to how they affect your blood sugar -- may help you spot problem foods. It’s a complicated system, however, and you may need a dietitian’s help to master it.   

Pain or numbness in your feet, legs, hands, and arms are some of the most common symptoms of nerve damage from diabetes. It's called peripheral neuropathy. But other symptoms include:

• Skin, hair, and nail changes
• Muscle weakness, especially in the hip muscles
• Loss of sensitivity to touch

Keeping your blood sugar under control can protect your nerves. 

Getting to a healthy weight can help manage your diabetes. Losing even a few pounds can really improve your blood glucose control. For example, if you weigh 180 pounds, losing 9 to 18 pounds can help reduce your blood sugar. Talk to your doctor about a weight loss plan that will work for you. The dietitian on your diabetes care team can help you get started.

You should get 150 minutes of moderate-to-intense aerobic exercise a week, even if you're very overweight or have diabetes complications. That's 30 minutes of aerobics at least five days a week. Strength training is also important in managing diabetes. So aim for two or three days a week of core-muscle strengthening.

Talk to your doctor about a safe exercise plan for you.

The A1C test can tell you how much extra glucose has been in your bloodstream over the past few months. A higher A1C raises your risk of complications. For most people with diabetes, around 7% is a good goal, especially during the first few years after diagnosis.

Type 2 diabetes -- especially if it's not well controlled -- raises your risk for gum disease. Severe gum disease, in turn, can raise your blood sugar, making it harder to control. Besides brushing and flossing daily, get regular dental checkups and exams. See your dentist right away if your gums are swollen, tender, or bleeding, or pull away from your teeth (are receding).

High blood pressure is a sign you may be headed for diabetes complications like heart failure, stroke, and kidney and eye disease. Experts say blood pressure should be below 130/80 mmHg when you have diabetes to help you avoid complications. If you have complications, your doctor may give you a different blood pressure goal.

You can't always prevent hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, and some people may not feel it when it happens. But by monitoring your blood sugar and knowing the symptoms, you can treat it before it gets dangerous.

Sweating, hunger, pale skin, and trouble focusing are symptoms of low blood sugar.

If your blood sugar is low when you test it, take some quick-acting sugar like juice, a tablespoon of honey, or 4 teaspoons of sugar. Wait 15 minutes, check your blood sugar. If it is still low, have some more sugar and wait another 15 minutes. Repeat until you feel normal.  

If you can’t check your blood sugar but are feeling shaky or have other low-blood sugar symptoms, you should also take some quick-acting sugar. Wait 15 minutes to see if you feel better. If not, repeat the process -- eat, wait, and see how you feel -- until you feel better.