Straight forward, witty and timeless. #TellItLikeItIs, a blog for our generation
‘Health and wellness’ is a key phrase in this day and age that we live in. Especially amidst these coronavirus times as we all strive to live longer healthier lives past 2021. In addition to now diligently keeping a regular stock of vitamins at home in order to remain as healthy as possible, dear Gen Y, I think it’s time we had ‘The Talk.’
During the course of our life, getting sick with something like the common cold, a flu, stomach ache or even a strained muscle or two from playing sports or going on a hike is pretty normal. And it’s no real bother to us Gen Y, because with these ailments, something we could always rely on was a local remedy from our mother, which was passed on to her by her mother and her mother before her ‘granny and great granny’.
Traditional medicine plays a big role in Dominican households despite the availability of western medicine thanks to our rich African and Kalinago cultural practices still existent today. A strong bush tea to clear a cold is easier accessed, healthier, more soothing and preferable over Tylenol any day. And for the sore legs and muscles there is always some homemade concoction to be rubbed on the area to make the pain go away. Drinking ‘young guava leaf’ to cure a ‘bad stomach’ and most of granny’s other methods work. As a matter of fact, many local bushes and plants have conclusive healing properties and have been documented.
It is always comforting to know a home remedy exists for basic ailments. Also comforting is granny’s cooking. From chicken pelaw to pig snout, souse, deep fried chicken, baked macaroni, fig pie and the works; delicacies handed down through out the generations. But just how good are these foods past the pleasures delivered to our taste buds?
Let’s have that talk. Granny’s food is not good y’all. I mean not that it doesn’t taste good, that’s a given. What I mean is that it’s not good for our health over time to eat this way every day. There is a common misconception that because we are Caribbean and more so Dominican, that we are naturally inclined to live longer, but that’s not true. And while we can surely say that our daily diets thankfully do consist of less fat and sugar than the typical American fast food diet for instance, we are still not in the clear. We simply cannot keep riding off of Ma Pampo’s 128 years achievement, even if she has said that her claims to success were based on a diet of dumplings and bush tea (bush tea maybe).
Research has shown that the foods that make up most of our Caribbean and local diet contain high levels of salt and starch which are not good for our health. Needless to say, these are direct contributors to a major problem facing our and future generations today- Diabetes, hypertension and other such non- communicable diseases. Granny’s secret ingredient to that Saturday broth is not just special herbs and seasonings from her garden, but salt salt and more salt. What about our regular weekday lunch packed with dasheen, yam, plantain, rice and sweet potato? These foods are super high in starch and can raise our blood sugar levels. Speaking of sugar, let’s not forget to mention the enjoyable confectioneries – tamarind balls, gooseberry jams, coconut cheese and all the like that are loaded with tons of it.
A Pan American Health Organization study on Dominica conducted in 2012, showed that trends recorded over 2006 – 2010 uncovered the leading causes of mortality in Dominica to be cerebrovascular disease, followed by diabetes and ischemic heart disease (page 263). Another study shows us the top 10 causes of death and disability by diseases in Dominica, depicted below. Check out the high ranking ones in blue.
From the looks of things, it seems like hypertension and diabetes appears to be in the family cooking pot more than in our family genetics. Here’s another little fact that you probably weren’t aware of, granny’s foods are handed down from slavery times. If Ma Pampo were still here she could validate the same, that “our enslaved ancestors were forced to eat whatever was provided to them by the slave owners. They often ate the entrails and appendages of farm animals, including pig’s feet, cow’s tongue, liver and oxtail. These foods had little nutritional value but the slaves made these scraps as palatable as possible by adding herbs as well as large amounts of the fat, sugar and salt that were readily available. This diet from the days of slavery was so entrenched in their day-to -day existence that most of them continued to eat the same food years after emancipation.” quoted from thecaribbeancamera.com.
Judging by the statistics, this cycle of delicious but deadly foods need to be broken with us, and quickly. There is and must be a way to preserve the beloved African culture and flavors while maintaining a healthier lifestyle. This is not to say that we can’t enjoy local foods which have been handed down over the years, but it’s time to look at reducing the portions and or significantly reducing the unhealthy additives! We also need to explore creative alternatives altogether. ‘Ital’ meals with beans and vegetables seasoned in the right way with natural herbs are also very delicious and extremely Afro – Caribbean. Don’t we want our kids to be healthy?
And Gen Y, we know that you are concerned. Not only are many of us directly related to or know of someone whose grandparents or parents have suffered with and lost their limbs or lives to diabetes and the like, but the age range is getting younger and younger.. And amidst these Corona Virus times when people with diabetes are viciously struck down by this deadly disease, we know that you are most concerned. Google search trends (below) show the highest spike in google searches on diabetes from Dominicans, in 2020 for the month of March, which might likely be related to heightened health concerns during the outbreak of COVID.
Dear Gen Y, let’s make our meals healthier. How about something as simple as adding more fresh vegetables to your plate, using less sugar in teas and juices or less salt to season our meats? It all starts here and it can begin right now. Let’s be that generation who will take the steps necessary to live longer healthier lives so that we enjoy the multitude of things that this life and world has to offer. That said, we love you granny.
Written by: Dilma Bastien
For: Generation Y Dominica
Generation Y Dominica 