Cheese cake? Don't worry. Being diabetic does not mean you have to suffer. Diabetes becomes a disease only when your blood glucose rises above or falls below normal. Keeping it there is up to you.

So, eat dessert. Just make sure the rest of your meal, and other meals in the day, are low in fat and sugar. Food like green leafy vegetables, cereals and fresh fruits with indigestible fibres that slow down the conversion of carbohydrates to glucose.

Eat low-fat food. Know your carbohydrates. So you can balance your food and eat anything you want.

Lose weight. Exercise reduces the risk of diabetes complications. A few walks a week can reduce insulin needs (possibly allowing people with type 2 diabetes to get off insulin altogether). Lower blood pressure and cholesterol, reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, the leading killer of people with diabetes.

An occasional drink is allowed, provided you avoid fried papad, nuts, wafers with your drink. Ask you doctor for more information that will help you lead a worry-free life.