How to prevent or delay diabetes, or minimize its effects if you already have it:

According to the NIH:

Diabetes prevention is proven, possible, and powerful. Studies show that people at high risk for diabetes can prevent or delay the onset of the disease by losing 5 to 7 percent of their weight, if they are overweight—that’s 10 to 14 pounds for a 200-pound person. Two keys to success:

Get at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity [more here] five days a week.

Eat a variety of foods that are low in fat and reduce the number of calories you eat per day.

In other words, you don’t have to knock yourself out to prevent diabetes.

Muscle-building exercise can reduce diabetes risk, as can any moderate exercise, or even brief but intense exercise (more here).

Studies have shown that diabetes may be prevented or delayed by

Getting enough magnesium (more here), vitamin D, and resveratrol in the diet or supplements;

Avoiding air pollution, rotating shift work, sugar (more here), and high fructose corn syrup AKA corn sugar;

Taking chromium, alpha-lipoicacid, and Coenzyme Q10 supplements;

Being specific in planning food choices and keeping fat intake under 30% of total calories;

Eating

Omega-3 rich foods (more here, especially fish - more here);

Foods containing monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), such as vegetable oils, olives, nuts (especially walnuts, more here, here, and here) and seeds (especially cashew seeds and flaxseeds), avocados, and dark chocolate;

Cocoa (but beware of adding sugar);

Beans, green vegetables (more here), citrus fruit, sweet potatoes, berries, tomatoes, whole grains, and fat-free milk and yogurt;

Apple cider vinegar (more here and here);

Cinnamon; and

Using olive oil (more here) for salad dressings and cooking.

Drinking coffee and tea (see more here on coffee) can make a difference, but drinking coffee won't help you if you drink it along with fatty fast foods.

Sue McLaughlin of the American Diabetes Association recommends “lots of produce [more here], whole grains, lean protein and healthy fats; and minimal amounts of refined sugars, refined starches, red meat (more here) and salt.” Dr. Arthur Agatston of South Beach Diet fame has many of the same recommendations. Dr. Andrew Weil says it's important to choose foods with a low glycemic index (foods that don't cause high spikes in blood sugar as do refined sugars and starches).

And the Harvard Medical School says coffee, [a moderate amount of] alcohol, nuts (more here), and fiber reduce the risk of getting diabetes.

Getting enough sleep (more here) in a room with no lights (or a sleep mask) is also important to reducing diabetes risk, as is reducing stress.