Dietary Habits and Health - Essay Example

Topic: Soul Food: Dietary Habits and Health Due April 2, 2009 Soul Food The consumption by African-Americans of traditional soul food cooking can lead to health risks associated with high blood pressure and diabetes. What is Soul Food Soul food is what is often referred to as a type of cultural cuisine which has its origins and roots in the indigenous African-American people of the southern regions of the United States. Through transfer and migration to the northern parts of America, "soul food" is also a part of the regional diets of African-Americans across the nation, as it was handed down from the African peoples who fed many generations with this variation on southern cooking. The main dishes of this long-standing cultural tradition are often high in sugar, fat (cholesterol), and salt. Some examples of soul food are pig feet and pig ears (often 'pickled,' or soaked in salt brine); chitterlings (hog intestines); sweet meats (animal brains); souse (pig congealment); cornbread and cracklin' bread (cornbread with crunchy fried pork baked in); black eyed peas; hog maw (pig jowls); collard greens; "hoppin' john" (black eyed peas with rice); red rice (rice and tomatoes); grits and gravy; fried catfish; homemade biscuits; barbecued pork ribs; fried pork chops; neckbones; oxtails; candied yams; cheese, rice and broccoli casserole; rutabagas cooked in bacon drippings; smothered steak; macaroni and cheese; egg custard; bread pudding; sweet potato pie; peach cobbler; pound cake; blackberry cobbler; Red Velvet cake; banana pudding; fried chicken; baked hen and cornbread dressing; okra, corn and tomatoes; and fried corn and fried okra, as well as fried green tomatoes, amongst hundreds of other variations of recipes using different meats, fruits and vegetables. From where did soul food originate Soul food, as we now know it, actually came from a combination of foods grown and raised in America coupled with an African and Native American "spin" on the style and methods of cooking. Much of this food was derived from the leftovers from the plates and tables of plantation owners in the south. For instance, slaves who prepared foods for the master's table had to prepare the "better" parts of a ham or chicken for the big house and often found themselves eating the parts of the animal that the master and his family and guests did not care to eat, such as the guts, skin, feet, neck and "cock's comb." The slaves has to find ways to improvise on what was given to them, so they found ways to dress it up and make it taste good. While it is true that much of soul food was prepared from poorer quality foods that were essentially "throw-outs" given to slaves (in much the same manner as the slaves would "slop" a hog or feed a dog by giving it table scraps), over time the quality got better. These days, soul food is made from much higher quality meats, as well as fresher produce, than the times in which it was derived. Methods of preparation African-Americans, just as did many white settlers, adapted much of their food prep and cooking methods from Native American tribes, particularly the Cherokee. Cooking in large community pots and digging pits for underground overnight roasting of pigs are still common ways of cooking for larger crowds in the Deep South. Also adapted were many methods of canning and preserving foods for the long hard winters when little was available, this is how "pickling" and jar foods came into existence.[1] Other methods, such as soaking, basting, and marinating different foods for flavoring also came from the Native Americans; however, it is important to remember that Africans imported to America from the Motherland did not routinely eat raw foods. African people were traditionally taught as youth the importance of using moist heat to keep meats tender and juicy, and of using many different kinds of spices or rubs to enhance the coloring and flavor on what may have been otherwise considered as "bland" unappetizing foods. The Culture of Soul Food Cooking A well-known saying is that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. People often use food and the way it is prepared as an expression of love for those for whom it is cooked. We often show either our love or hatred of persons by the way we prepare and present our meals and dishes. It is called a "labor of love" to put much time and expense into meal times, including dressing and garnishing the tables and plates used when entertaining. The movie "Soul Food" was a vivid depiction of what many of us recall as Sunday after church at Big Mama's house. The movie scenes portrayed the many hands and cooking styles and "cooking sensuality" that go into preparing that special Sunday dinner that either started off or ended everyone's week. No other day of the week was like it. Traditionally, the height of a week in African-American communities was the post-church gatherings around someone's dinner table. Other family events that are centered on soul food cooking are family reunions, holidays such as Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas, as well as the superstition surrounding the importance of having hog maw and collard greens on New Year's Eve. Hog maw was for good luck and greens for prosperity in the coming year. Believe it or not, even the smaller "snack food" buffets that are associated with Happy Hour in many African-American cafes and nightclubs (formerly "juke joints") can be traced back to family gatherings that featured the dinner table itself as the centerpiece of attention. Incidences of High Blood Pressure due to Dietary Habits According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia, African-Americans have a higher prevalence or incidence of high blood pressure that is traceable to embellished eating habits. Though 30% of Americans overall are taking high blood pressure and cholesterol-lowering medications, African-Americans represent 40-44 percent of the numbers represented. According to that same CDC study, a few keys to preventing and controlling high blood pressure are linked to weight, diet and exercise, or the lack thereof.[2] Incidences of Diabetes due to Dietary Habits "After adjusting for population age differences, 2004 to 2006 national survey data for people aged 20 years or older indicate that 6.6 percent of non-Hispanic whites, 7.5 percent of Asian Americans, 10.4 percent of Hispanics, and 11.8 percent of non-Hispanic blacks had diagnosed diabetes." [3] Type 2 diabetes is hereditary. African Americans are at a high risk for developing Type II diabetes and its complications. Gestational diabetes is a form of glucose intolerance diagnosed during pregnancy that occurs more frequently among African Americans and is more common amongst obese women and women with a family history of diabetes. "NHIS conducted from 1991 to 1992 indicate higher rates of diabetes among African Americans than among white Americans. At age 45 or older, the prevalence of diabetes is 1.4 to 2.3 times as frequent in blacks as in whites." [4] Prevention of Type II diabetes is achieved by consuming a diet low in calories and saturated fats, which may result in the development of insulin resistance which speeds up the development of diabetes. Conclusions So is all soul food unhealthy or generally on the same level as "junk" food Not necessarily. "Soul food" in and of itself is not particularly unhealthy. What is mostly unhealthy about it is the methods of preparation and cooking, including the potential for "overcooking" which is known for removing needed nutrients during processing. Food additives, such as high cholesterol cooking oils and lard, butter, salt, breadings, coatings and "thickening" made from flour and corn meal and sometimes cornstarch, various cheeses, fatty and salted meats used for seasonings, and large amounts of sugar and whole eggs with yolk are the root cause of what is unhealthy about soul food. Key Factors in Improving Dietary Health without Getting Rid of Soul Food Altogether 1. Eat in moderation Control consumed portions by using smaller plates or eating rich content foods no more than once or twice a week. 2. Soul food preparation is unhealthy; but can be improved Substituting healthier oils, such as olive oil and things like yogurt or cottage cheese for sour cream; using egg whites only instead of whole eggs; and cutting way down on the use of salt (using salt substitutes, sea salt or salt-free seasonings, like Mrs. Dash) and also using herb spices rather than meat fats for seasoning vegetables can lead to tremendous and helpful dietary changes. 3. Eat more of the healthier foods There are actually healthy foods to be found in the soul food diet, like collard greens or cabbage or rutabagas cooked without meat fats; eating the sweet potato without the "candied" elements of sugar and butter or corn syrup; and using cholesterol-cutting toppings like Smart Balance and plain yogurt on baked potatoes instead of butter and sour cream. Things like mustard and fresh herb spices can be used without fear of hypertensive or diabetic retribution. And when it comes to satisfying that sweet tooth when fruit just won't do, try eating Angel food cake (made with egg whites and minimum amounts of sugar) instead of that buttery half-dozen whole egg pound cake. Increase dietary fibers with wild rice, whole grains, and green and yellow vegetables and wherever possible, try using rice or soy milk instead of whole or even two-percent milk. Most importantly, the use of fresh "non-spiked" water is paramount. Teas, coffee, diet colas, Kool-Aid, and fruit juices are not a substitute for plain pure unadulterated drinking water, which is said to also act as an appetite suppressant. Conquering High Blood Pressure and Diabetes: When sitting still just won't do In other words, get some exercise! Walk, weight-train, swim, play tennis, bike, play softball, golf, hit the elliptical and incline bikes, Stairmasters, go skiing or row-boating or even hikingwhatever it takes. Get out, get some fresh air, and stay active. You don't need to be a marathon runner or an Olympic gold medalist; just do it. Studies have shown that more physical activity leads to weight loss and weight loss not only takes a bite out of obesity factors, but delivers a nice right jab and left hook to cravings for "bad" or junk food. [5] Works Cited 1Elliot Essman. "Life in the USA - America Eats." Life in the USA: A Complete Guide to American Life for Immigrants and Americans. 2007. . 2Chobanian AV, Bakris GL, Black HR, Cushman WC, Green LA, Izzo JL Jr, et al. "Seventh Report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure. Hypertension." 42 (2003): 1206-1252. 3National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. National Diabetes Statistics, 2007 fact sheet. Bethesda, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, 2008. 4"Diabetes in African Americans" Black HealthCare.com. 1999-2000. 5Reviewed by Grayson Mathis M.D., Charlotte E. "Snack Attack: Coping with Cravings." Healthy Eating & Diet, WebMD Feature article. 2002. Read More