When you have diabetes, your blood glucose levels are higher than normal. Diabetes is a serious disease that can cause heart attack, stroke, blindness, or kidney failure. The good news is that type 2 diabetes can be delayed, or prevented in people with prediabetes, through effective lifestyle programs. Nutrition is key to a health lifestyle. It is recommended that individuals follow a healthy diet, maintain an ideal body weight, and exercise to help prevent the onset or progression of disease.