But a class at King's Daughters Medical Center aims at helping those who have no choice but to alter their eating habits because of diabetes. Registered Nurse Amy Case said the key to keeping healthy, with or without diabetes, is just to eat smart.

"There are a lot of different plans, but you just have to find which one works best for you," she said.

The diabetes class, which meets every Tuesday at the Education Annex at KDMC, focuses each week on a different eating plan or health issue that faces diabetics. The class has no registration, so coming on an irregular basis won't hurt, Case said.

On Tuesday the class discussed the link between heart disease and diabetes, as most people with diabetes have high blood pressure as well. Case stressed the importance of exercise and a healthy eating plan to keep blood sugar and blood pressure at healthy levels.

"You've got to eat right, exercise and take your medicine as prescribed," she said, adding that it's best for a diabetic to check his or her blood sugar twice a day, varying the times, and to keep up with the average.

"Keep that number down," she said. "You've got to keep your blood sugar under control."

The group talked about complications from high blood pressure, which include strokes and kidney disease among other problems.

"If your blood sugar and your blood pressure are high, you're looking for trouble," Case said. "You need to keep it less than 130 over 80, and to get that number down you have to reduce your salt, lose weight, and cut out your alcohol and smoking."

It helps blood pressure and blood sugar to eat foods high in fiber, as well as eliminating excess fats from meats. Just cutting the fat off the meat before cooking it can make a difference.

In addition, Case said, portion control is key, which drew good-natured groans from the class.

"If I'm gonna have beans, that's what I want to have - beans!" said class attendee Ron Norris. "Plenty of them!"

Case said even just cutting servings of favorite foods in half, or switching from a standard 12-inch plate to a 9-inch plate to give the subconscious the idea that it has received as much food as before.

"It takes 20 minutes to an hour for your stomach to tell your brain it's full," Case said. "If you eat until you're full, you've overeaten, so eat slow and enjoy your food."

Little things like switching from whole milk to skim milk can make a difference, too, Case said. She said a good plan is to switch gradually, going from whole to 2 percent, down to 1 percent, and then making the final switch to skim.

"If you're used to drinking whole milk and just buy the skim, I can tell you you're not going to like it," she said.

Case encouraged the attendees of the class to keep up the good work, and to use the class as a support group.

"Some of this takes practice, but if you keep coming and keep listening, you'll get the hang of it," she said.