Dominique Wilkins Scores Off-Court with Diabetes Education Watch this video message about my personal crusade in the fight against diabetes. Click here to see the video.

Dominique Wilkins, former Atlanta Hawks Hall-of-Fame basketball player and current Hawks' Vice President of Basketball, has diabetes, just like you. He is partnering with Novo Nordisk as a Diabetes Ambassador and appeared at several events with the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC) to help raise awareness about what you can do to stay healthy and live life to the fullest. Here's his off-court success story.

Q. When did you first find out you had diabetes?

Wilkins: Around ten years ago, I was feeling a little off. I went to the doctor and I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. At first, I was in denial but my doctor made me realize that there were three things I had to do to manage my condition which included diet, exercise and medication. That was an eye-opening experience for me but I realized that I was not going to allow this disease to do to me what it did to my father and grandfather.

Q. How did diabetes affect your father and grandfather?

Wilkins: My father and grandfather both died of complications from Type 1 diabetes. My dad died after going into a diabetic coma and that's when I realized how serious this disease was. By the way, my mother is currently living with diabetes. Now my number one mission is to let people know that they can manage diabetes with proper diet, exercise and medication.

What were your symptoms before you were diagnosed?

Wilkins: I had a lot of symptoms. I had dizziness, frequent urination, I felt tired all the time and I had vision problems. I started wearing glasses because I thought it was just because I was getting older. I went to the doctor and he made me realize that I had Type 2 diabetes.

Q. How has your life changed since you have been diagnosed with diabetes?

Wilkins: My life is very busy now. I go around the country talking about diabetes education and helping encourage patients like you, and healthcare providers, like the caring folks at HHC, to keep fighting against this disease. I want people to know that there are things that you can do to manage diabetes and to live an active life. It's all about putting a system in place, like working out, eating properly and taking your medication as prescribed. That's why I visited patients and staff at Kings County Hospital and Woodhull Medical Center to let them know that they can win the fight against diabetes.

Q. What diet do you recommend for diabetics?

Wilkins: I can tell you what meals I eat and what works for me. I eat a lot of chicken, fish and turkey. I also eat a lot of vegetables. I avoid fried foods and don't use much salt and butter. I also cook with lots of olive oil. When it comes to fruits, I eat mostly bananas and oranges. I admit, I sometimes cheat because I think that you have to live a little as long as you do it in moderation. I eat oranges but I don't drink orange juice because it raises my blood sugar. I read nutritional grids on packages and I don't buy anything that contains more than 5 grams of sugar. Water is my beverage of choice. Sometimes, I drink one to two gallons of water a day to keep my system flushed. When you have the right diet, you feel more vibrant and have more energy. The best thing is to work with a nutritionist to develop and enjoy a meal plan that's right for you.

Q. You mentioned that exercise is important, do you have any suggestions?

Wilkins: I do a walk-run routine everyday on the treadmill for around 20-25 minutes to get my heart rate up. Then, I shoot 250 shots of basketball a day. Just being active is important in managing diabetes. You have to develop a workout system that's best for you. You can do little things like taking a long walk with your family. Try doing things outdoors more often like washing your car or working in your yard. For me, it's the treadmill and shooting basketball, but you should speak to your diabetes educator at HHC about an exercise plan that's best for you.

Q. Are you on any medications for diabetes?

Wilkins: I'm on two different diabetes medications. I take an oral medication and an H-blocker. I take medication twice a day, once in morning and again during the evening. You must build a strong relationship with your doctor to find out what works for you. When I first met my doctor, I didn't like him at all because I thought that he was always telling me bad news. Now, I can tell you that my doctor and I are best friends because he only wants what's best for me. I treat my diabetes aggressively and I feel better now than I did 15 years ago. The key to fighting diabetes is to work with your HHC doctors and other members of the healthcare team to find out what medications work best for you.

Q. What is a common myth or misconception about diabetes?

Wilkins: I think the biggest misconception is that diabetes is a curse. People look at diabetes as the kiss of death and all of a sudden they stop living. Diabetes is like any other challenge you encounter in life. It's not so terrible, if you just take control of your health. To me, it's just another competition. It's another competitive thing to manage this disease by taking it full-force, by the horn and dealing with it. At the end of the day, if you do the right thing you can defeat diabetes just by managing it.

Q. What can people do to educate themselves about diabetes?

Wilkins: You can get a lot of great information from your doctor but the library is a big, big resource for diabetes information. You can also use the Internet to access diabetes information online. If you don't have access to a computer, it's free at your local library. I'm featured on HHC's online diabetes website. It's a good source for helpful diabetes information such as advice from medical experts, tips from other diabetics and useful tools for monitoring diabetes.

Dominique Wilkins is a Novo Nordisk Diabetes Ambassador