In our African American culture, we have a rich tradition of what we call soul food, golden delicious deep fried chicken, collard greens with fat back, white rice and plenty of gravy, plenty of bread, rich desserts and plenty of sweet, sweet drinks. This brings back a lot of memories for me, unfortunately, I cannot leave out the high rates of obesity in our communities, high blood pressure, diabetes and many other lifestyle diseases that can be prevented with just a few lifestyle changes. According to blackhealthcare.com, Diabetes mellitus is one of the serious health challenges facing the nearly 30 million African Americans.
African Americans with diabetes are more likely than white Americans to experience complications from this disease.
According to the office on minority health,
African Americans are twice as likely to be diagnosed with diabetes as non-Hispanic whites. In addition, they are more likely to suffer complications from diabetes, such as end-stage renal disease and lower extremity amputations. Although African Americans have the same or lower rate of high cholesterol as their non-Hispanic white counterparts, they are more likely to have high blood pressure.
African American adults are twice as likely than non-Hispanic white adults to have been diagnosed with diabetes by a physician.
In 2006, African American men were 2.2 times as likely to start treatment for end-stage renal disease related to diabetes, as compared to non-Hispanic white men.
In 2005, diabetic African Americans were twice as likely as diabetic Whites to be hospitalized.
In 2006, African Americans were 2.3 times as likely as non-Hispanic Whites to die from diabetes.
As a natural health professional, I understand that under the right conditions the body will function properly. When we provide our body with the proper fuel, we are also providing our cells the needed nutrients to sustain a healthy life. These warrior cells provide the defense for would be invaders. Like any army though, these cells must be properly fed, when we feed our body valuless foods highly processed and laden with refined sugars we make the process of eliminating harmful bacteria a tedious one, and the end result will be dis-ease. A weak immune sytem is one of the major reasons that people get sick, and foods high in refined sugars suppress our immune system function. There is a sugar that I have found and it is called sugar in the raw. It is a raw natural cane sugar, it is not refined.
The refining process removes the vitamins and minerals out and leaves you with pure refined carbohydrates, thats why it is so dangerous. It is an empty or naked calorie, it is pure sucrose. Raw sugar (sugar in the raw) Can be purchased at your grocery store (you may have to look hard) but it is natural and the nutrients remain intact. Sugar in the raw can be used to replace that pure cane refined sugar in your lemonade or ice tea recipes, also use fresh real lemons instead of processed lemon drinks or koolade as these contain hidden sugars and artificial flavorings as well. Lemons have beneficial health benefits that will last a lifetime.
Lets talk about bleached flour and cooking oil, most people when frying chicked use white bleached flour and lots of cooking oil, but there is a better healthier way. Replace that bleached flour with unbleached whole wheat flour, bleach flour is very poisonous because in the refining process, all the nutritous grain is removed. White flour also contains a diabetes causing contaminant called alloxan, alloxan is the chemical that makes white flour beautiful and clean, now is that worth your health?.
According to the Organic Consumers Association, Scientists have known of the alloxan-diabetes connection for years; in fact, researchers who are studying diabetes commonly use the chemical to induce the disorder in lab animals. In the research sense, giving alloxan to an animal is similar to injecting that animal with a deadly virus, as both alloxan and the virus are being used specifically to cause illness. Every day, consumers ingest foods made with alloxan-contaminated flour. Would they just as willingly consume foods tainted with a deadly virus? Unless they had a death wish, they probably would not. Unfortunately, most consumers are unaware of alloxan and its potentially fatal link to diabetes because these facts are not well publicized by the food industry.
Wheat flour is nutritous and I use it for my oven fried chicken recipe. I coat my chicked with the wheat flour, of course I use all natural sea salt and herbal seasoning, fresh garlic powders...no season salt with msg (monosodium glutamate) or table salt. I oil my oven pan lightly with olive oil, no need to drown the chicken, and then I cook at 350 degrees for 45 minutes each side...delicious and good for you oven fried chicken and noone even has to know you cooked it in the oven! Taking the time to just replace refined sugars and ingredients in your recipes will greatly impact your overall health, and do not forget after that delicious meal, take a family walk around the block or make time in your daily shedule for some form of exercise. Now, that is soul food for your wellness, stay tuned as we discuss more topics for African American Wellness.
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