It's not an oxymoron -- it's quite possible to control the rise of blood sugar with the foods you eat. This does not entail culinary tomfoolery, skipping meals or any shenanigans you ordinarily would expect from a quick fix. Many of these tips come from a fully certified dietician, Joy Bauer.

Joy suggests pairing every meal with a lean protein. Protein helps slow the absorption of carbohydrates, so include lean red meat, skinless turkey and chicken, egg whites, seafood, legumes or tofu with every meal. She also suggests you choose blood-sugar friendly carbs, such as those higher in fiber. Fiber is that part of the food that we cannot break down and absorb. As Americans looked for convenience, many people turned to processed foods and away from the fresh vegetables and fruits that could provide adequate fiber, which also slowed the absorption of sugar into the blood stream. If you must eat pasta -- cook your pasta al dente. The more pasta cooks, the more starch breaks down, making it easier and quicker to digest (thus, raising blood sugar faster). For those of you who are willing to give it a try, checkout Dreamfields pasta. It has only 5 grams of digestible carbs per serving and 5 grams of fiber.

Focus as much as possible on the fiber-rich foods. Joy suggests eating more legumes. This is accomplished by adding chickpeas to salads and stir-fry's, kidney beans to chili, and lentils to soups, or pureeing beans to make dips. One more little tip to reduce the sugar shock into the body: add acid to your meals! Vinegar, yogurt and lemon can each slow blood sugar response. Enjoy vinaigrette on salad, yogurt with fresh fruit, or fresh lemon juice on vegetables. If you'd rather eat your fiber in a good old fashioned muffin, check out Miracle Muffins. Just add water and bake. With approximately 100 calories per muffin and over 6 grams of fiber you can't go wrong. Bon appétit, everybody!

The results of a new study show that those who consumed more fiber were less likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those who ate less fiber.

The researchers note that consuming fiber may help with the body's ability to handle blood sugar. The pooled results of several studies showed that people who ate the most cereal fiber had a 33% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes than those who ate the least. A study conducted at Harvard confirmed foods including whole grain breads, high-fiber cereals, yogurt, beans and peanut butter lessened the probability of developing diabetes by 28%.

The miraculous benefits of fiber keeping adding up. Whether your motive is to reduce your risk of diabetes, lower cholesterol, hamper IBS, or suppress your hunger -- there's a reason for each of us to invite a little more fiber into our diet. Snack on your cereals, bake your muffins, or enjoy a fresh cup of blueberries -- fiber is your friend. Friends don't let friends develop diabetes.