Making changes to your diet can be difficult and can be intimidating. You may not know where to start, and all the recommendations you find online can make things very confusing. The good news is that you can improve your type 2 diabetes with just a few simple but highly effective dietary changes.

Let us take the confusion out of what foods you should and shouldn’t enjoy by talking about five simple but effective dietary changes you can make to improve your blood sugar levels…

1. Eliminate fruit juice. Fruit juice often contains a lot of added sugar. Combine the added sugar with the sugar naturally found in fruit, and you’re sure to experience a spike in blood sugar. Avoid fruit juices and choose water, unsweetened sparkling water, or sweeten the water with freshly squeezed fruit juice.

2. Read food labels. Reading food labels can be your best tool when it comes to controlling your blood sugar! Checking food labels for added sugars by looking for anything that ends in “ose” can be a great way to weed out foods that contain added sweeteners. Make it a habit to read the back of each label before purchasing a packaged food. The more you do this, the better it will be at detecting added sugars!

3. Choose Complex Carbs vs. Refined Carbs. Choose complex carbohydrates like rolled oats, quinoa, and brown rice instead of white pasta, white rice, breads, and cakes. Complex carbohydrates will be absorbed more slowly and are less likely to cause a spike in blood sugar. Also, complex carbohydrates like quinoa or brown rice in their natural, whole-grain state won’t contain added sugar like bread and cakes.

4. Avoid high fructose corn syrup. High fructose corn syrup is found in soft drinks, crackers, candy, and even bread. It is one of the main causes of obesity and can lead to type 2 diabetes. It is essential to stay away from high fructose corn syrup at all costs. Instead, choose foods that contain natural sweeteners such as…

• fruit,

• pure maple syrup,

• raw honey, gold

• stevia

However, keep in mind that foods like dried fruits and honey can cause blood sugar imbalances when consumed in excess and these foods should only be eaten once in a while.

5. Stay away from trans and hydrogenated fats. Trans and hydrogenated fats are commonly found in fried and processed foods. Fast food items are notorious for being full of these harmful fats that can help cause…

• obesity,

• heart disease, and may

• trigger inflammation.

These fats can also increase your cholesterol level. Stay away from these fats and choose healthier options like…

• extra virgin olive oil,

• lawyers,

• walnuts,

• chia

• flax seeds.

Take your health into your own hands and make a difference in your health and in your life. Start by making one change a week until you’ve done all five. In just a short period of time, you could be in better control of your type 2 diabetes and live a healthier life!