“I tell my clients that the closer it is to how God made it and the less man has touched it, the lower it most likely going to be on the glycemic index, “says Lund. “For example, if you decide to have slow-cooked oatmeal, that’s going to be low glycemic because it has lots of fiber in it and fiber lowers the absorption of sugar into the blood. But if you choose sweetened instant oatmeal, the fiber has been removed, and ingredients are added.”

That means making it a habit to follow this system to increase chances of weight-loss success.

“I find that a lot of people come to me with diabetes or prediabetes, and they want to lose weight and are so focused on the weight itself that they’re not focused on the root cause,” Lund says. “The root cause is the glycemic index. It’s all about getting that blood sugar regulated -- which this helps to do.”

2.    Try to get your microbiome to work for you -- not against you.

The human microbiome consists of microbes that live in the human body. And they just might play a central role in diabetes management.

Research shows that microbiota are essential to health. In fact, they may play a role in the development of Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). It is thought that microbiota change during the development of T2DM and its associated conditions.

The human microbiome may contribute to just how fat we become, particularly when it comes to gut bacteria. Research suggests that a lack of gut bacteria balance can cause weight gain in animals.

“There have been studies where researchers have taken the bacteria in thin mice and put it in obese mice and vice versa. The thin mice became fat, and the fat mice became thin,” Lund says. “So we’re now discovering that having the right gut bacteria actually affects your blood sugar levels. You want to have a good microbiome to lower blood sugar levels.”