Just one serving of red meat daily increases type II diabetes risk by almost 20%.

In the largest study of its kind (204,157 participants followed for 20+ years), Harvard University researchers have found that using whole grains, nuts or low-fat dairy such as yogurt to replace one daily serving of red meat can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes by 16-35%. Eating only 4 ounces of red meat per day raised the risk by 19%. Using processed meats like hot dog or sausage increased the risk by 51%.

PositiveTip: Sugary sweets and sodas are not the only thing that increases the risk of diabetes--limit your red meat consumption to lower your risk.

Soluble fiber and exercise appears to slow belly fat accumulation

Belly fat or visceral fat increases the risk of future impaired glucose tolerance and type 2 diabetes.  Studying African and Hispanic Americans researchers found that for every 10 grams of soluble fiber eaten daily, there was a decrease in visceral fat of 3.7% per five years while moderate exercise reduced the rate of visceral fat accumulation by 7.4% and subcutaneous fat by 3.6%.  

PositiveTip:  Increase your soluble fiber intakes by eating more fruits, vegetables, and legumes--and when you exercise wear a pedometer and aim for 10,000 per day.