Soul food health trends

Last updated
Healthy soul food
Soul Food Dinner.jpg
CourseMain course
Place of origin Antebellum South
Region or stateNortheastern, Midwestern, Mid-Atlantic, Southern (list), Western, Southwestern and other
Associated cuisine American
Main ingredients
  • blueberry
  • corn
  • okra
  • pecan
  • potato
  • pumpkin
  • sunflower seed

Soul food is a kind of African American cuisine that encompasses a variety of fried, roasted, and boiled food dishes consisting of chicken and pork meats, sweet potatoes, corn, leafy greens and other vegetables. [1] [2] Soul food has long been embedded in African American culture, but pushes towards healthy eating habits, for both physical and mental health, have adapted soul food cuisine to fit within health trends. This article will describe modifications of traditional soul food within health trends, including soul food with low carb, soul food with low sugar, soul food with low fat, soul food for vegan and soul food in gluten-free.

Contents

The culture and history of soul food

Being one kind of traditional cuisine of American Americans in the Southern U.S, soul food is also described as “seductive, satisfying, filling, spicy, high-fat, spiritual, traditional cuisine of Black Americans, especially southern Blacks”. [3]   Soul food cuisine evolves from a long history of slavery, persecution and segregation against Black Americans. To produce the distinctive African American cuisine, enslaved workers that were brought to the USA combined their West African cooking methods with European and Native American cuisine patterns in a process known as Creolization. [4] African Americans often had to cook with whatever foods that were accessible to them, developing eating habits that were distinct from wealthier white Americans. [2] [5]

Functions of soul food

Troisi and Wrigh (2017) [6] claimed that food consumption of food is not only out of hunger, but also for its emotional, cultural and symbolic meanings. To prove that idea, an empirical research was done to analyse how food works in both physical and mental aspects. After the research, they[ who? ] concluded that people's thought, desire and evolution for particular food depend on their mental association and social psychological processes. In other words, both biological and psychological needs affect food choice, implying that comfort food can be applied in psychology. [6]

Factors affecting healthier food choices

There are beliefs, barriers and self-efficiency issues that affect food consumption and food choice. Most commonly, people suffer from time scarcity because of the effort involved in planning, shopping, preparation, cooking, eating and cleaning. A survey was conducted between 57 African Americans to assess their those aspects that relate to healthy eating. It is found that although people have awareness and knowledge about healthy eating, the survey showed that there are barriers that restrict people's healthy eating, with price of healthy food as main barriers in food choice. [7] In addition to price, access to healthy and natural ingredients is another obstacle for many Americans as food insecurity is rampant and many Americans live in a Food desert. [8]

More broadly, a project conducted showed that factors that influence diet and life styles come from individual, social, cultural and community aspects. [1] The research showed that high-fat traditional food preferences, frying and addition of salted meats to vegetables are based on ethnic differences in dietary intake and culture traditions. [9]

As a result, with those barriers prevent people from healthy eating, the increasing consumption relates to the demand of unhealthy soul food leads to health disparities, such as obesity, diabetes or hypertension. This is especially common among African American, which is one of the largest ethnic minority groups in United States. [7]

Traditional Soul Food Soul Food at Powell's Place.jpg
Traditional Soul Food

With the improvement of economic status, the number of people who suffer from hunger has dramatically decreased, especially in developed countries. However, more and more people are experiencing high stress levels, overconsumption of fast food and sweets, getting less sleep, etc., which contributes to depression, anxiety, obesity, diabetes, hypertension, cancers and so on, especially among African Americans. As a result, more and more people claim that focus should be on the quality of food rather than quantity.[ citation needed ]

Although many healthy foods comprise soul food (f.e. collards, okra, rice, legumes and sweet potato), soul food also can be high in fat from various meats, especially pork, seasoned with lard or other animal fats. [7] Along with barriers that prevent African Americans from choosing healthy food, they suffer from chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes. Diet as one of the important lifestyle factors, is important in preventing health conditions, thus recipes of soul food should be modified to be healthy, accessible and affordable, especially in aspects of alternative ingredients and cooking methods.[ citation needed ]

Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension to produce healthy soul food is one example of diet plan, to reduce risks of diseases that caused by unhealthy diet. It maintains flavour and acceptability of traditional soul foods and meet people's nutrient requirement at the same time. [3] Moreover, Food of Health and Soul is another local faith community that “support families’ interest in retaining their cultural foods while reducing dietary fat, sodium, and sugar and increasing fiber”. [10]

Low carb is also known as low carbohydrate, high fat. Diabetes Research and clinical Practice found that low carb positively affects glucose control in patients with type 2 diabetes, triglycerides and HDL (high density lipoprotein). [11] It is suggested that ideal diet requires less than 130 g of carbohydrate a day and claims to be promoted as a permanent lifestyle choice through books and websites. For example, people are suggested to eat green vegetables, meat, fish, eggs, and just as well as whole fat dairy and olive oil. [11]

Soul food with low sugar

Desserts with high sugar are commonly consumed for hedonistic rewards, especially among women. [12] However, high sugar intake tends to increase risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, cardio-metabolic diseases and compromised oral health. [13]

Soul food with low fat

Although low-fat and nonfat contain more sugar than regular products, the UK government announced guidelines that encourage people to consume low-fat products for the aim of reducing cholesterol and saturated fat in the diet. [14]

When preparing recipes, spices and herbs can be used to replace sodium and fat for flavour enhancers. [10] Soups are one of good examples with low fat but satisfying. Firstly, they are quick and easy to prepare. Some of them are only need to be boiled with water and simple spices, such as pumpkin soup, tomato and egg soup, etc. They have significantly less calories and also convenient and cost-effective. Secondly, since soups can be cooked with various vegetables or meat, such as pork ribs and carrot soup, chicken soup with spinach, etc. that provide different kinds of nutrition that people need. [15]

Moreover, seen as a comfort food in history, soups help lessen cold symptoms and warm the soul, especially in Winter. As Elizabeth Arndt said, soup increases the feeling of fullness while reducing the total calorie intake. Besides, soups with chowders and stews effectively help meet the recorded daily needs for fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals, thus having positive effects on people's health and wellbeing. [15]

Soul food in gluten-free

Study showed that gluten-containing food have risks of causing celiac diseases and gluten-induced disorder for those who are in genetically susceptible individuals and there are also people that are wheat allergy. Under that circumstance, Lu, Zhang, Luoto and Ren suggested more choices and variation in the diet, especially for breakfast. [16] In addition, peas with 85% protein have a rich amino acid profile that will be ideal for people with celiac disease, gluten intolerance and other food allergy. [15] Besides, some grains including brown rice, sorghum, amaranth, quinoa, millet and wild rice are also gluten-free in nature. [15]

However, the research showed that the subjective difficulty in following a gluten-free diet (GFD) comes from main reasons of age, education level, advice on starting a GFD, duration before discovering a gluten intolerance, food choices and ways of GFD management. Accordingly, education about celiac disease and gluten-induced disorder can be conducted among healthcare practitioners to increase their awareness, as well as early diagnosis and intervention of gluten-induced disorders. [16]

High profile advocates: promotes

People are increasingly paying attention to healthy lifestyle. Although soul food are fast and easy to consume in the fast-paced life, where people suffer from healthy issues, modifying soul food within healthy trends become necessary. To better promote soul food within healthy trends, there are three ways for advocating.

  1. Healthy soul food can be used to satisfy both biological and psychological needs. [6]
  2. Secondly, since women mainly prepare food in the family and make effects on later generation, the nutrition programs can mainly target women, as well as people in different socioeconomic groups. [1]
  3. Thirdly, culture can be embedded into diet and healthy eating can be advocated in community level. Under that circumstance, It will be familiar and relevant to African American, helping reach them and change their food choice and intake. [7]
  4. Moreover, the program can embrace culture facility and relevance and consider environmental influences. [1] Food For Health and Soul is a successful example of culturally appropriate approach that effectively reaches African American and promotes their healthy food intake. [10]

Since chronic diseases commonly happen on people all around the world, modifying soul food within healthy trends should be promoted not only among African Americans, but also people all over the world. Healthy eating along with regular physical activities, as two main lifestyle factors, can work together in promote health and wellbeing.

Related Research Articles

Dieting is the practice of eating food in a regulated way to decrease, maintain, or increase body weight, or to prevent and treat diseases such as diabetes and obesity. As weight loss depends on calorie intake, different kinds of calorie-reduced diets, such as those emphasising particular macronutrients, have been shown to be no more effective than one another. As weight regain is common, diet success is best predicted by long-term adherence. Regardless, the outcome of a diet can vary widely depending on the individual.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paleolithic diet</span> Fad diet based on the presumed diet of Paleolithic humans

The Paleolithic diet, Paleo diet, caveman diet, or Stone Age diet is a modern fad diet consisting of foods thought by its proponents to mirror those eaten by humans during the Paleolithic era.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Low-carbohydrate diet</span> Diets restricting carbohydrate consumption

Low-carbohydrate diets restrict carbohydrate consumption relative to the average diet. Foods high in carbohydrates are limited, and replaced with foods containing a higher percentage of fat and protein, as well as low carbohydrate foods.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mediterranean diet</span> Diet inspired by the Mediterranean region

The Mediterranean diet is a concept first invented in 1975 by the American biologist Ancel Keys and chemist Margaret Keys. The diet took inspiration from the supposed eating habits and traditional food typical of Crete, much of the rest of Greece, and southern Italy, and formulated in the early 1960s. It is distinct from Mediterranean cuisine, which covers the actual cuisines of the Mediterranean countries, and from the Atlantic diet of northwestern Spain and Portugal. While inspired by a specific time and place, the "Mediterranean diet" was later refined based on the results of multiple scientific studies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Okinawa diet</span> Eating habits of the indigenous people of the Ryukyu Islands

The Okinawa diet describes the traditional dietary practices of indigenous people of the Ryukyu Islands, which were claimed to have contributed to their relative longevity over a period of study in the 20th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diet (nutrition)</span> Sum of food consumed by an organism

In nutrition, diet is the sum of food consumed by a person or other organism. The word diet often implies the use of specific intake of nutrition for health or weight-management reasons. Although humans are omnivores, each culture and each person holds some food preferences or some food taboos. This may be due to personal tastes or ethical reasons. Individual dietary choices may be more or less healthy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gluten-free diet</span> Diet excluding proteins found in wheat, barley, and rye

A gluten-free diet (GFD) is a nutritional plan that strictly excludes gluten, which is a mixture of prolamin proteins found in wheat, as well as barley, rye, and oats. The inclusion of oats in a gluten-free diet remains controversial, and may depend on the oat cultivar and the frequent cross-contamination with other gluten-containing cereals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plant-based diet</span> Diet consisting mostly or entirely of plant-based foods

A plant-based diet is a diet consisting mostly or entirely of plant-based foods. Plant-based diets encompass a wide range of dietary patterns that contain low amounts of animal products and high amounts of fiber-rich plant products such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds. They do not need to be vegan or vegetarian, but are defined in terms of low frequency of animal food consumption.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Healthy diet</span> Type of diet

A healthy diet is a diet that maintains or improves overall health. A healthy diet provides the body with essential nutrition: fluid, macronutrients such as protein, micronutrients such as vitamins, and adequate fibre and food energy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whole grain</span> Cereal containing endosperm, germ, and bran

A whole grain is a grain of any cereal and pseudocereal that contains the endosperm, germ, and bran, in contrast to refined grains, which retain only the endosperm.

A diabetic diet is a diet that is used by people with diabetes mellitus or high blood sugar to minimize symptoms and dangerous complications of long-term elevations in blood sugar.

The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension or the DASH diet is a diet to control hypertension promoted by the U.S.-based National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services. The DASH diet is rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy foods. It includes meat, fish, poultry, nuts, and beans, and is limited in sugar-sweetened foods and beverages, red meat, and added fats. In addition to its effect on blood pressure, it is designed to be a well-balanced approach to eating for the general public. DASH is recommended by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) as a healthy eating plan. The DASH diet is one of three healthy diets recommended in the 2015–20 U.S. Dietary Guidelines, which also include the Mediterranean diet and a vegetarian diet. The American Heart Association (AHA) considers the DASH diet "specific and well-documented across age, sex and ethnically diverse groups."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Western pattern diet</span> Modern dietary pattern

The Western pattern diet is a modern dietary pattern that is generally characterized by high intakes of pre-packaged foods, refined grains, red meat, processed meat, high-sugar drinks, candy and sweets, fried foods, industrially produced animal products, butter and other high-fat dairy products, eggs, potatoes, corn, and low intakes of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, pasture-raised animal products, fish, nuts, and seeds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sustainable diet</span> Diet that contributes to the broader environmental and social sustainability

Sustainable diets are "dietary patterns that promote all dimensions of individuals’ health and wellbeing; have low environmental pressure and impact; are accessible, affordable, safe and equitable; and are culturally acceptable". These diets are nutritious, eco-friendly, economically sustainable, and accessible to people of various socioeconomic backgrounds. Sustainable diets attempt to address nutrient deficiencies and excesses, while accounting for ecological phenomena such as climate change, loss of biodiversity and land degradation. These diets are comparable to the climatarian diet, with the added domains of economic sustainability and accessibility.

Obesity in Mexico is a relatively recent phenomenon, having been widespread since the 1980s with the introduction of ultra-processed food into much of the Mexican food market. Prior to that, dietary issues were limited to under and malnutrition, which is still a problem in various parts of the country. Following trends already ongoing in other parts of the world, Mexicans have been foregoing the traditional Mexican diet high in whole grains, fruits, legumes and vegetables in favor of a diet with more animal products and ultra-processed foods. It has seen dietary energy intake and rates of overweight and obese people rise with seven out of ten at least overweight and a third clinically obese.

A health claim found on a food labels and in food marketing is a claim by a food manufacturer that their product will reduce the risk of developing a disease or condition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Weight management</span> Techniques for maintaining body weight

Weight management refers to behaviors, techniques, and physiological processes that contribute to a person's ability to attain and maintain a healthy weight. Most weight management techniques encompass long-term lifestyle strategies that promote healthy eating and daily physical activity. Moreover, weight management involves developing meaningful ways to track weight over time and to identify the ideal body weights for different individuals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Obesity in the Middle East and North Africa</span>

Obesity in the Middle East and North Africa is a notable health issue. Out of the 15 fattest nations in the world as of 2014, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), five were located in the Middle East and North Africa region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Preventive nutrition</span> Branch of nutrition science

Preventive Nutrition is a branch of nutrition science with the goal of preventing, delaying, and/or reducing the impacts of disease and disease-related complications. It is concerned with a high level of personal well-being, disease prevention, and diagnosis of recurring health problems or symptoms of discomfort which are often precursors to health issues. The overweight and obese population numbers have increased over the last 40 years and numerous chronic diseases are associated with obesity. Preventive nutrition may assist in prolonging the onset of non-communicable diseases and may allow adults to experience more "healthy living years." There are various ways of educating the public about preventive nutrition. Information regarding preventive nutrition is often communicated through public health forums, government programs and policies, or nutritional education. For example, in the United States, preventive nutrition is taught to the public through the use of the food pyramid or MyPlate initiatives.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 James, Delores (November 2004). "Factors influencing food choices, dietary intake, and nutrition-related attitudes among African Americans: Application of a culturally sensitive model". Ethnicity & Health. 9 (4): 349–367. doi:10.1080/1355785042000285375. PMID   15570680. S2CID   28675715.
  2. 1 2 Carney, Judith Ann (2011). In the shadow of slavery : Africa's botanical legacy in the Atlantic world. Richard Nicholas Rosomoff. Berkeley [Calif.]: University of California Press. ISBN   978-0-520-94953-9. OCLC   759158601.
  3. 1 2 Rankins, Jenice; Wortham, Jaleena; Brown, Linda L. (2007). "Modifying soul food for the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension diet (DASH) plan: implications for metabolic syndrome (DASH of Soul)". Ethnicity & Disease. 17 (3 Suppl 4): S4–7–12. CiteSeerX   10.1.1.604.7215 . PMID   17987695. S2CID   25164395.
  4. ↑ Ferguson, Leland G. (1992). Uncommon ground : archaeology and early African America, 1650-1800. Washington, D.C. ISBN   1-56098-058-3. OCLC   23583254.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  5. ↑ Whit, William C. (2007). African American Foodways. United States: University of Illinois Press. p. 55. ISBN   9780252076305.
  6. 1 2 3 Troisi, Jordan D.; Wright, Julian W. C. (January 2017). "Comfort Food: Nourishing Our Collective Stomachs and Our Collective Minds". Teaching of Psychology. 44 (1): 78–84. doi:10.1177/0098628316679972. S2CID   151621417.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Pawlak, Roman; Colby, Sarah (2009). "Benefits, barriers, self-efficacy and knowledge regarding healthy foods; perception of African Americans living in eastern North Carolina". Nutrition Research and Practice. 3 (1): 56–63. doi:10.4162/nrp.2009.3.1.56. PMC   2788162 . PMID   20016703.
  8. ↑ Hanna Garth; Ashanté M. Reese (2020). Black food matters : racial justice in the wake of food justice. Minneapolis. ISBN   978-1-4529-6194-1. OCLC   1158502985.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  9. ↑ Bovell-Benjamin, Adelia C.; Dawkin, Norma; Pace, Ralphenia D.; Shikany, James M. (2009). "Use of focus groups to understand African-Americans' dietary practices: Implications for modifying a food frequency questionnaire". Preventive Medicine. 48 (6): 549–554. doi:10.1016/j.ypmed.2009.03.006. PMC   5492884 . PMID   19285101.
  10. 1 2 3 Woodson, Joyce M.; Braxton-Calhoun, Millicent; Benedict, Jamie (November 2005). "Food for Health and Soul: A Curriculum Designed to Facilitate Healthful Recipe Modifications to Family Favorites". Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior. 37 (6): 323–324. doi:10.1016/s1499-4046(06)60164-4. PMID   16242065.
  11. 1 2 Feinmann, Jane (13 March 2018). "Low calorie and low carb diets for weight loss in primary care". BMJ. 360: k1122. doi:10.1136/bmj.k1122. PMID   29535083. S2CID   3962739.
  12. ↑ Churruca, Kate; Ussher, Jane M.; Perz, Janette (August 2017). "Just Desserts? Exploring Constructions of Food in Women's Experiences of Bulimia". Qualitative Health Research. 27 (10): 1491–1506. doi:10.1177/1049732316672644. PMID   27738258. S2CID   3183690.
  13. ↑ Radnitz, Cynthia; Beezhold, Bonnie; DiMatteo, Julie (July 2015). "Investigation of lifestyle choices of individuals following a vegan diet for health and ethical reasons". Appetite. 90: 31–36. doi:10.1016/j.appet.2015.02.026. PMID   25725486. S2CID   35772111.
  14. ↑ Booth, Paula; Edmonds, Caroline; Slivova, Jana (November 2018). "The effects of attitudes, knowledge and beliefs about healthy eating on sugar and low-fat product intake". Appetite. 130: 299. doi:10.1016/j.appet.2018.05.162. S2CID   53257440.
  15. 1 2 3 4 Mannie, Elizabeth (January 2010). "Soup for the Soul". Prepared Foods.
  16. 1 2 Lu, Zhenxing; Zhang, Haoyang; Luoto, Sanna; Ren, Xiang (August 2018). "Gluten-free living in China: The characteristics, food choices and difficulties in following a gluten-free diet – An online survey". Appetite. 127: 242–248. doi:10.1016/j.appet.2018.05.007. PMID   29753760. S2CID   21733442.
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