@Escoffier Proper diet and exercise does wonders. I've helped one of my good friends almost completely reverse his type 2 diabetes by eliminating simple carbs and sugar from his diet.
@Escoffier His doc said he'd never seen anyone come off insulin once he'd prescribed it. I've also heard talk of genetic carb disposition, like Asians processing rice better while Irish process potatoes better. No idea how true it is, but it sounds plausible.