What Foods That You Believe Are Needed For Good Health?

While most people know that eating well is important to staying healthy and for prolonging life, poverty makes it difficult to access good nutritious food. Easy access to abundant food is not

The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver, depicts many examples that differentiates America from Africa. Things such as clothing, culture, and overall daily lives are vastly different from one another. To simply say that Africa is different from America is an understatement, the cultures and traditions that define each place are literal opposites from one another, so different to the point where it was practically impossible for the Price family to integrate into their temporary home.

For last 50 years many researchers throughout the world have shown that the foods we eat have a profound impact on our health and longevity. A healthy diet

Agriculture and food is also a unique aspect of African American culture. The cultivation and use of many agricultural products, such as yams, peanuts, rice, okra, grits, and cotton, can be traced to African and African American influences. African American foods reflect creative

African food spread to the United States because of the slave trade. Fufu, which is very popular in all of Africa, is recognized as a form of cornmeal in America. It was actually how cornmeal was brought to this country by the southern slaves, and made so popular. From fufu this country got porridge, ground millet, cassava flour which makes fritters, and other batters, flatbreads and even the every so popular in the south grits. These dishes are part of southern American culture but are all African foods according to the book South African Gourmet Food and Wine: Traditional South African Food and More.

“In summer, parents promote the health of their children by, giving them lok, a mixture of bitter tea leaves, juice, sugar cane syrup, and oil. (Colin, 2014)” Haitians tend to have high blood pressure and diabetes due to the high salt and sugars in their diet. Heart disease and cancer is prevalent due to the fact that Haitians consume high amounts of fat within their dietary intake. They are also known to have sickle cell anemia which isn’t related to a dietary practice, but predisposed to by genetics. (Colin, 2014)

African American, also known Black American, is a very mixed and compacted culture. From history to present day, traditions taken back from slavery to the hip hop age. Incorporating details from all different times in history. Starting with the Music, African Americans have a very intellectual way of expressing their feelings, pain, history and teaching lessons, which really started from old hymns sung by slaves. From Jazz, to blues, to hip hop, all different forms of music to express the way of their lives. Music isn’t the only thing African Americans have to be proud of, they also so have a strong background of cultural food. Soul Food is very common and eaten by many across the world, and is used a lot with another tradition of African

Traditionally, the African American diet consisted of leafy green vegetables, fish, poultry, and beans. However, the cooking methods, such as deep frying, the heavy use of gravy, pork fat, and butter add a large amount fat and cholesterol to an otherwise heart-healthy diet. “Soul food” with its fried chicken, fried pork chops, and corn bread have become the traditional comfort food, and there is a large significant placed in the African-American culture on community and family gatherings centered around food. Historically, African-Americans lived a highly active lifestyle that compensated for a higher than average fat content in their diet. As modern trends swing toward a more sedentary lifestyle, the direct result is heart disease rising to be the leading cause of death among African-Americans (Cowling, 2006, p8).

African Americans were brought to the United States in the 1700s and have adapted tremendously since then. After their emancipation from slavery, African-American traditions continued to flourish, such as linguistic style, radical innovations in music, art, and literature, religion, and cultural cuisine. The greatest influence of African cultural practices on European culture is found below the Mason-Dixon line within the American South.

America have a variety of food with no staple food to eat with every meal, unlike in Vietnam where the food is more exotic, but very easily to get sick of. Both countries daily meals consist of cooked goods, vegetables, and a variety of foods. Daily routine for eating is the same for both countries consisting of breakfast, lunch and dinner. But where there are similarities, there are differences such as the food cultures. Both the countries have difference regions, so of course each region vary on what they eat, and what they have access to. In America, the southern region’s foods are different than the cooked foods in other regions. In the same way, the foods that the southern region

According to Donald D. Hensrud of the Mayo Clinic on Healthy Weight, “Eating well – choosing a plant-based diet, which emphasizes vegetables, fruits and whole grains – also will reduce your risks of some of our nation’s biggest killers and related conditions. Many cancers, heart disease and high blood pressure, among other conditions, are linked to diet, most notably to diets high in fat and saturated fat. Even without weight loss, adopting a healthier eating style can be beneficial. (Hensrud 49)”

The majority of rural Africans customarily eat one main meal a day and this is usually the evening meal. Upon arising, coffee, tea or milk or curds may form a small light meal while some people may be content to nibble on seeds. Throughout the day snacks of fruits, seeds, or nuts may be accompanied with beverages. In some areas a midday meal of fufu/ugali and relishes may be traditionally larger than the evening meal, which in this case would then be a cereal dish alone of gruel or fufu.

Africa is a continent that is rich and diverse in terms of culture and traditions. The continent is also considered to be the agricultural hub in the world. Due to this, most of African culture is ultimately intertwined with the foodstuffs that the land has to offer. In general, most of the inhabitants of Africa live within the rural areas and rely on subsistent farming to meet their day to day food needs. Fast food restaurants and supermarkets where processed and packaged food is sold are usually frowned upon and considered a waste of money and resources (AIG, 2011).

Unlike diets, eating healthy is a not a temporary solution. Eating healthy and choosing a variety of foods from each food group – grams, proteins, fruits, vegetables and diary combined with routine physical activity can result in a long and healthy lifestyle. When choosing food for one’s family it is important to look for food low in fat and sugar, relatively low in calories, rich in vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients important to health.

A metaphor for my life story: healthy eating is my suit of armor. I always aim to expand my knowledge of the best food choices available. This knowledge is something I carry with me to every restaurant, café and market I stumble upon, and it accumulates indefinitely. Some of the healthiest meals I have eaten consist of a variety of food in every color, and I strive for eating small quantities of food from many different dishes. Ethiopian cuisine is one of my favorites partially for that very reason. I know consistently eating healthy will keep me energized, establish smart habits, and protect me later on in life. I am a strong advocate of foods like pumpkin, beans and flaxseed, as well as a leader by example. When I attend overnight programs,