Alan L. Rubin

Diabetes, which is excessive glucose in your blood, leads to serious health problems if left untreated.You should follow the American Diabetes Association screening guidelines to get tested for diabetes at the earliest possible time.If you have diabetes, this Cheat Sheet is a handy reference to screening guidelines, rules for living with diabetes, and continuing your diabetes care to better control the disease.

The first step to dealing with high blood pressure is understanding your blood pressure measurement — those over and under numbers. When you know what your blood pressure is, you need to know what to do next. The good news is, you may be able to prevent high blood pressure or reduce your blood pressure by making some lifestyle changes.

Prediabetes affects approximately 60 million people in the United States alone. Left untreated, the condition can lead to diabetes and serious long-term health problems. Prediabetes can be stopped and even reversed through changes in diet and exercise. Get healthy by figuring out whether you’re at risk for prediabetes; knowing what blood glucose levels identify prediabetes and diabetes; having other medical tests done to monitor your health; and improving your eating habits.

Vitamin D is essential for good health; however, it is a required nutrient only when you don't get enough ultraviolet B (UVB) rays from the sun. Unfortunately, many people can't get enough sun exposure and need to get vitamin D from their diet or from supplements. When you have enough vitamin D in your body, you can protect the health of your bones and prevent osteoporosis.

Thyroid problems affect around 30 million people in the United States, says the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists. If you suffer from a thyroid condition, this Cheat Sheet is here to help you to recognize and manage your symptoms, and avoid the triggers that can cause a flare-up of thyroid problems.

Some foods are just big-time healthy, and with diabetes so closely connected to food and nutrition, these are the foods you want to incorporate into your daily eating habits.Oats are a whole grain, so they are a great start toward healthy right off the bat.Oats are most noted for bringing a specific soluble fiber called beta-glucans to the rescue.

Much about managing diabetes can be costly, but food doesn’t need to be one of them. A diet that’s right for diabetes is a diet that’s right for virtually anyone, and there are enough foods that fit the bill for blood glucose control and heart health that your budget can remain flexible, and your choices are still many.

An elevated body mass index (BMI), where body weight to height falls into the overweight, obese, or even higher category on that scale, is very common among people with type 2 diabetes, and it isn’t just a coincidence. Excess weight is a distinct risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes, and excess weight makes blood glucose more difficult to control after diabetes is diagnosed.

You may think that giving up the diet you’ve followed all your life in favor of the Mediterranean diet requires a major upheaval in your lifestyle. The process may not be simple, but you aren’t giving up good taste. You’ll enjoy the diet — and your blood glucose, blood pressure, cholesterol, and weight will all take a turn for the better.