IMO, the goal is not to avoid medication, but to get your BG down to as close to normal as possible.
Following Dr. Bernstein's protocols is a good way to go.
Everyone is different, and for some the dawn phenomena is very real - high BG levels in the morning.
In my experience there are 4-things that work generally 1. Reduce your carbohydrate intake dramatically - start out with a consistent carbohydrate diet of 2-servings per meal - and remember that up to 50% of the protein that you ingest can be converted to glucose. 2. Exercise everyday consistently and if you can lift weights to increase your muscle mass - it makes a huge difference. 3. Lose weight, especially belly fat. Of course this is difficult even going on a Newcastle type diet for 4 or 5 days makes a difference in the amount of viseral fat you have and if you can go on a day or two fast every week until you get your weight down - I'm on insulin so its not easy - one way is to mostly not eat high density calories of all kinds. 4. Remember this is not a sprint its s Marathon and losing even 5% of your body weight and increasing your muscle mass can make a big difference