Individuals with prediabetes or diabetes have additional food considerations, especially limiting simple carbohydrates. Simple carbs are found in foods like table sugar, cake, soda, candy, and jellies, and consuming them causes an increase in blood glucose.

With so many food options, it can be difficult realize which ones are healthy. If you have prediabetes or diabetes, this chart will help you determine the best choices.

Keep a Food and Blood Glucose Log
By writing down what you eat, when you eat it, and how it affects your glucose levels, you can keep better track of how foods affect your body. Check your blood sugar one hour to one-and-a-half hours after eating to see how your body reacts to various foods. Download and print this week-at-a-glance tracker to record your glucose levels.

Healthy Eating and a Busy Lifestyle
Today, most Americans are on the go and don't spend a whole lot of time at home. Even when your own kitchen isn't convenient, eating right should still be a priority.

"After being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, I took some time off to reflect and realized that due to my busy work schedule, I would put in 14-16-hour days with erratic meal schedules," said Barbara, who was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 2006. "When I did eat at work, I didn't make good food choices. I decided that no matter how much I loved to eat unhealthy foods, it wasn't worth dying for, and it was time to make a change."

With a little forethought, you can properly nourish your body wherever life takes you. Remember these tips for eating on the go:

• Bring a healthy lunch and snacks to eat throughout the day. This will help you stick to healthy food options and be less tempted by unhealthy ones that are perhaps more convenient.
• Reduce your caffeine intake and stay hydrated. Keep a bottle of water handy to drink throughout the day.

Eat Healthy on a Budget
Read our Top 10 Tips for making healthy choices without breaking the bank.

Discover Diabetes-Friendly Recipes
"Being from North Carolina, a lot of my favorite home-cooked dishes are, unfortunately, unhealthy," said Janet. "Luckily, after being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, I learned that a few small changes to my favorite recipes allow me to continue eating my favorite Southern recipes."

The American Heart Association has assembled an online collection of tasty, diabetes-friendly recipes to satisfy your cravings, whether sweet, savory, or somewhere in between.

Nutrition Center
Visit the American Heart Association's online Nutrition Center to find out how small changes in your diet can put you and your family on the road to healthier hearts and longer lives.

Individuals with prediabetes or diabetes have additional food considerations, especially limiting simple carbohydrates. Simple carbs are found in foods like table sugar, cake, soda, candy, and jellies, and consuming them causes an increase in blood glucose.

With so many food options, it can be difficult realize which ones are healthy. If you have prediabetes or diabetes, this chart will help you determine the best choices.

Keep a Food and Blood Glucose Log
By writing down what you eat, when you eat it, and how it affects your glucose levels, you can keep better track of how foods affect your body. Check your blood sugar one hour to one-and-a-half hours after eating to see how your body reacts to various foods. Download and print this week-at-a-glance tracker to record your glucose levels.

Healthy Eating and a Busy Lifestyle
Today, most Americans are on the go and don't spend a whole lot of time at home. Even when your own kitchen isn't convenient, eating right should still be a priority.

"After being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, I took some time off to reflect and realized that due to my busy work schedule, I would put in 14-16-hour days with erratic meal schedules," said Barbara, who was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 2006. "When I did eat at work, I didn't make good food choices. I decided that no matter how much I loved to eat unhealthy foods, it wasn't worth dying for, and it was time to make a change."

With a little forethought, you can properly nourish your body wherever life takes you. Remember these tips for eating on the go:

• Bring a healthy lunch and snacks to eat throughout the day. This will help you stick to healthy food options and be less tempted by unhealthy ones that are perhaps more convenient.
• Reduce your caffeine intake and stay hydrated. Keep a bottle of water handy to drink throughout the day.

Eat Healthy on a Budget
Read our Top 10 Tips for making healthy choices without breaking the bank.

Discover Diabetes-Friendly Recipes
"Being from North Carolina, a lot of my favorite home-cooked dishes are, unfortunately, unhealthy," said Janet. "Luckily, after being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, I learned that a few small changes to my favorite recipes allow me to continue eating my favorite Southern recipes."

The American Heart Association has assembled an online collection of tasty, diabetes-friendly recipes to satisfy your cravings, whether sweet, savory, or somewhere in between.

Nutrition Center
Visit the American Heart Association's online Nutrition Center to find out how small changes in your diet can put you and your family on the road to healthier hearts and longer lives.

One of the first steps to attaining a healthy body weight is speaking with your health care provider to assess your current health and physical abilities. Together, you can determine the amount and type of physical activity that is appropriate. As a general rule, moderate exercise such as brisk walking for as little as 30 minutes per day most days of the week is recommended. In addition to helping manage body weight, this level of physical activity can help improve blood cholesterol, prevent and manage high blood pressure, boost the immune system, improve mental wellness, help blood circulation, and reduce the risk of heart disease, among other things.

"After being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, I knew it was time to get serious about my health," said Harry, who also struggled with obesity. "I started by making small changes, such as walking for 10 minutes each day, in order to stay active and lose weight. Each week I increased my walking by one minute. A year later, I was walking 60 minutes a day, seven days a week, and lost 139 pounds."

You, too, can enjoy the benefits of physical activity. Work with your health care team to customize a plan for you to get moving and get resources about getting active from the American Heart Association.

Stress affects people in different ways. It can:

• Impact a person's emotional wellbeing
• Cause a variety of aches and pains from headaches to stomach aches
• Diminish energy level
• Interrupt sleep
• Trigger a variety of unhealthy responses from overeating to drinking excessive alcohol or smoking, and from procrastination to burning the candle at both ends

While people cannot totally alleviate stress from their lives, there are ways to deal with it in a healthy manner. Find out more about stress management.