Today I want to talk to you about some of the best things that you can do to help combat diabetes and start feeling better about your health and lifestyle.

You see, I get people writing to me all the time about their issues and more often than not, if they'd just change a thing or two with their overall program approach, their 'issues' would completely disappear.

I know firsthand how this works. I did not always lead a healthy lifestyle. Back years ago, when my diabetes first began, I was doing everything but. In fact, it took a serious wake-up call from my doctor telling me that I would only have a few more years to live if it didn't make some drastic lifestyle changes. My cholesterol was through the roof, my weight, while not that high yet was climbing at an alarming pace, and my day-to-day choices were not preventing disease at all.

Fortunately, I took that wake-up call seriously. And I want you to do that too. Very often we complain about our current state of health but don't really know what to do to change it.

One thing I want you to remember is that nothing will change until you change your day-to-day activities. This is step one and must be in place to see results. So this said, let me share with you my perfect day. I do these things about 80% of the time and they really help me get and keep my diabetic symptoms under control.

— I wake up after only having 8 hours of sleep. Getting less than this hinders insulin sensitivity, which is something want to avoid at all costs. I take my sleep needs very seriously.

— Upon waking, I down one tall glass of water and then go for a brisk walk. Both of these will help jumpstart my metabolism while promoting better blood sugar control.

— For breakfast, I think fiber and protein. All my meals, regardless of which foods I have, are rich in these two nutrients. I am to avoid sugar at all costs.

— From here, I make sure that I have something to eat (200-400 calories per snack or meal) every 3-4 hours. I rarely, if ever, let myself go longer than 4 hours without eating. I know I'll wind up way overeating if I do so.

— At lunch, I sneak away to the gym for some strength training. This is key to my diabetes management. It helps me not only manage my blood glucose levels but also burn more calories daily as well, leading to superior rates of fat loss.

— For dinner, I eat salmon three nights per week. I make a commitment to making sure I am eating enough omega-3 fatty acids during the week.

— After dinner, I'll take another brisk walk around the blood to help use up some of the glucose that may be in my bloodstream from dinner. Rather than using a very low carb diet, I prefer to simply work on managing my blood glucose levels through good food choices and enough exercise. I feel this helps me keep my nutritional intake up while still controlling my blood glucose levels.

— Before retiring to bed, I take 10 minutes to practice meditation. I've noticed a big difference in my overall stress levels since doing this and that has helped me better control my weight gain and blood sugar levels as well.

So there you have it! My perfect day. Obviously sometimes life does get in the way of this, but I do focus on doing my absolute best at all times to stick to this schedule as often as I can.

So what lifestyle changes will you begin making? What daily adjustments could you be making that will better lend to success?