on your bread is important, too!
Replace butter with avocado
or natural nut butters on toast,
and choose healthy sandwich
fillings with plenty of salad
and some lean protein.
So, what’s the story on fat?
We need some fat to provide
essential fatty acids and fat-
soluble vitamins. But many of us
eat too much. The type of fat we
eat also matters. Despite all the
recent claims that ‘butter is back’,
saturated fat is still something to
limit when you have diabetes.
Higher intakes of saturated fat
worsen insulin resistance, the
underlying problem in type 2,
and diets high in saturated fat
are associated with an increased
risk of developing type 2.
Replacing saturated fat with
healthier monounsaturated and
polyunsaturated fat also reduces
the risk of heart disease. This
means cutting down on animal
fats, palm and coconut oil and
most high-fat processed foods,
and replacing these with the fats
found in avocado, nuts, seeds,
olives, olive oil and fish.CUT DOWN ON
COCONUT
OIL – I THOUGHT
IT WAS A HEALTHY
CHOICE?
Despite all the claims, there’s
little evidence to support the
health benefits of coconut
oil. Unlike other vegetable
oils, coconut oil is high in
saturated fat, which can
worsen insulin resistance
and may increase heart
disease risk. While the types
of saturated fat in coconut
oil don’t seem to have the
same negative effect on
blood fats as other foods such
as animal fats and butter,
opting for a monounsaturated
or polyunsaturated oil has
greater health benefits. By
all means, use small amounts
for flavour in certain dishes,
but don’t make this your
everyday cooking oil. Olive oil
is a much better choice.The right bread can be
a healthy carb choice
diabetic living MARCH/APRIL 2019 93