Swap burgers and butter for fish and olive oil

8 ways to prevent diabetes

Millions of Canadians are living with diabetes and prediabetes. There are steps and lifestyle changes you can take to ward off the disease

PreviousSlide 9 of 9

8. Swap burgers and butter for fish and olive oil

Each bite of a burger and each smear of butter you consume is full of saturated fat. These fats not only clog arteries, they also increase insulin resistance, which propels you down the path to genuine diabetes. Saturated fats also trigger inflammation, which is toxic to cells, including those that handle blood sugar. Fish and olive oil have the exact opposite effect and could actually lower your diabetes risk. The same goes for nuts (including peanuts) and canola oil.

Of course, you don't want to overdo even these good fats, which are high in kilojoules. Cutting total fat intake as well as saturated fat helped participants in the US Diabetes Prevention Program study cut their diabetes risk. Participants limited their intake of saturated fat to 7 per cent of total kilojoules a day, which is about the amount in 60 g of cheese plus 5 g of butter if you eat 8400 kilojoules a day.