Most Americans get far more protein than this. Most of us -- even those who follow a very low-carb diet -- can save money by reducing the amount of protein in our diet and improving our health in the bargain. A surplus of protein turns into glucose, which means higher blood sugar levels. Low-carb means high fat -- not high protein.

The Physical Activity Cornerstone
One of the least expensive cornerstones of diabetes management is physical activity. For most of us all that it takes is a good pair of walking or hiking shoes or boots. Most of us already have more than enough of these in our closets. Even a set of dumbbells costs very little. Exercise machines are considerably more expensive and unless you are a lot more disciplined than I am, you probably won’t give them and yourself the workout you need.

The Stress Management Cornerstone
Managing the stress of daily living might not be easy but it certainly is the least expensive. It just means for us to slow down, and unlike with a motor vehicle we won’t burn out any brake linings when we do.

My preferred stress reduction is meditation. I often think of the takeoff on encouraging us to respond, “Don’t do something! Just sit there!”

Ironically, this is just the opposite of the physical activity we also need. Or maybe it isn’t. Maybe just sitting on the couch is the opposite. But watching TV not only doesn’t give us any of the physical activity we need but it also doesn’t help to reduce our stress.

Learning how to meditate is easy. You don’t need a lot of instruction to do so, but if you don’t have anyone to help you, I can highly recommend a book that I got years ago and still refer to. Wherever You Go There You Are by Jon Kabat-Zinn will set you back less than $10 and will save you much more than than as your life becomes free of heavy stress.

Each of these cornerstones of diabetes management carries some cost now. Think of them as investments in a long happy and healthy future.