All
Americans
African
-Americans
Dr. Ian says that one of the
biggest challenges for
African-Americans is changing
their diet. He points out some
harmful practices in the African
American diet and ways to
correct them without loosing
the “soul” in your soul food.
Using too much salt
Salt adds taste to food and is
not a bad thing when used in
moderation, but most people eat
much more salt than they need.
Try to limit your salt intake to
less than 1 teaspoon per day,
and reduce your risk of
developing high blood pressure.
Frying Up A Storm
Fried foods seem to taste so
much better, but they are loaded
with all kinds of bad fats and
calories. Limit your fried meals
to a maximum of 3 times per
week, and eventually try to
reduce that to 2 times. Instead,
bake, roast, grill, steam, or
sauté your food.
Overcooking vegetables
Vegetables are full of critical
vitamins and minerals, but when
they are cooked too long, all of
these powerful nutrients are
destroyed and leach out into the
cooking water. Try to cook your
vegetables for less than 15
minutes or eat them raw,
steamed, grilled, or sautéed.
Butter/Lard/Bacon/Fat Back
The reason why we like to add
these things to our pots of lima
beans or collards is because the
fat adds so much taste. But fat
also adds so many extra calories
and reduces the healthiness of
foods. Try to use these fats
very sparingly. It might take
some time, but you can grow to
enjoy the more natural taste of
the food.
Fatty meats
Instead of buying the fattier
cuts of meat, try the leaner
cuts. Your arteries and heart
will thank you!
1)
Why do you African
Americans have a higher rate of
obesity?
3) One of
the main components of this
campaign is to educate African
American youth on the importance
of a healthy lifestyle. How do
you plan on carrying this out?
4) I know
that for lower income African
Americans there is often the
whole issue of
