Regular exercise and a healthy diet should be a part of everyone's life.

The U.S. Surgeon General's Report on Physical Activity and Health urges all Americans to get regular exercise. It recommends at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity on most days of the week. This advice is especially important for people with type 1 diabetes. That's because exercise lowers blood sugar. It also can help to prevent heart disease. People with diabetes have an unusually high risk of heart disease.

Food, drink and physical activity will affect blood-sugar levels. Therefore, they also will affect the amount of insulin needed. You can learn to keep these three elements — diet, exercise and insulin — in balance. But it takes practice and careful planning.

Plus, eating right and staying active help everyone stay healthier in the long run. This includes people with diabetes.