(NaturalNews) Containing many super-foods, the traditional diet of Native Americans offers great health. A diet rich in berries, roots, and nuts traditionally kept tribal members powerful and robust. As the modern diet displaced these nutrient dense foods, the health of Native Americans began to decline.

An article by the Organic Consumers Association reports on the need to combat the epidemic of diabetes and childhood obesity among modern Native Americans with a return to the traditional diet enjoyed by their ancestors.

Bea Medicine, a Native American Anthropologist, describes the change in diet:

"Traditional food staples of Indian tribes--wild game, berries, roots, teas, and indigenous vegetables--were high in protein and low in fat. That's a switch from the modern Native American diet, which is high in fat and refined starches and sugars."

Kibbe Conti, a nutritionist who works with tribes nationwide, continues:

"It started when Indian people were no longer free to live off the land. After the tribes were placed on reservations, they were fed government rations of processed food. Much of reservation lands could not be farmed. The shift from hunting, gathering and farming to a cash economy in the early 1900s forced family members to leave home in search of work."

Today, tribal members consume a diet of government commodities, including cheese, canned meat, processed packaged food, lard and powdered milk.

In contrast, the super-foods enjoyed for centuries by Native Americans, such as mesquite, blueberries, sassafras, and hazelnuts, kept individuals thriving with an absence of diabetes, heart disease, and obesity.

Mesquite flour is a low-glycemic, gluten free, nutrient packed super-food. It is an excellent source of the amino acid lysine and is rich in calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron, and zinc. This healthy flour is also high in both protein and fiber. Since mesquite flour supports stable blood sugar levels and takes longer to digest than wheat flour, it helps one to feel satisfied longer.

Blueberries are an antioxidant power house, containing high levels of anthocyanidins and ellagic acid. Antioxidants help to counteract free radical damage that can lead to cataracts, glaucoma, ulcers, heart disease, and cancer. These mighty berries are a good source of vitamin C, manganese, vitamin E, and both soluble and insoluble fiber. Moreover, blueberries improve and protect brain function.

Native Americans utilized the roots, leaves and bark of the sassafras tree in a variety of ways. Sassafras tea helps to detoxify the body and treats high blood pressure as an effective tonic. Additionally, this herb is a useful diuretic that eases symptoms of arthritis and rheumatic conditions. Sassafras also provides relief from gastrointestinal problems, kidney ailments, and troubles with the skin. Due to some controversy over the essential oil safrole found in sassafras, it is recommended to not use this herb for longer than one month a year in moderate amounts.

The traditional diet of Native Americans included hazelnuts as well which have numerous health benefits. Hazelnuts are a good source of protein, fiber, vitamin E, iron, zinc, calcium, magnesium, and potassium. Likewise, hazelnuts contain significant amounts of carotenoids, flavonoids, and proanthocyanidins which protect against urinary tract infections, heart disease, and cancer. Folate is found in high concentration, protecting against Alzheimer's, depression, and birth defects.

Enjoy the super-foods of a traditional Native American diet as abundant vitality and well-being are healthfully embodied.

Blueberry Galette with Hazelnut (http://www.thrive-living.com/2010/1...)

for this article:

Karen Lincoln Michel, "Native Americans Discuss a Return to Traditional Natural Foods to Combat Health Problems", Organic Consumers Association, Special to The Washington Post, September 22, 2004

Mike Adams, "Mesquite flour is a high-protein, low-glycemic superfood from desert trees",www.NaturalNews.com, August 25, 2010

Hub Pages, "Use Mesquite Flour to Prevent Diabetes"
www.HubPages.com

Zafra-Stone, Taharat Yasmin, Manashi Bagchi, Archana Chatterjee, Joe A. Vinson, Debasis Bagchi, "Berry anthocyanins as novel antioxidants in human health and disease", Molecular Nutrition and Food Research, 2007

C.M. Mainland, J.W. Tucker, "Blueberry Health Information-Some New Mostly Review", ISHS.
Article retrieved November 20, 2010

George Mateljan Foundation, "Blueberries"
www.whfoods.com

of Herbalism, "Sassafras"
www.Foundationsofherbalism.com.

Bose, "Sassafras Tea Health Benefits"
www.buzzle.com

Council, "Nutritional Overview"
www.Hazelnutcouncil.org.

Learn more:http://www.naturalnews.com/030689_Native_Americans_food.html#ixzz17zrIQGVR

Hi Myrna,

Thanks so much for keeping this wonderful Forum going strong, and thanks for the Information on the "Natural" Diet.

Since it's the Christmas Season, I just wanted to stop by and pass this along to you all from my Cherokee Brethren...

Danistayohihv & Aliheli'sdi Itse Udetiyvasadisv

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

A Native American Christmas Story

Gather round children and let us teach you a song that helps us to remember the sacred things of our Grandfather and the reasons that He came to walk our Land, clothed in Red Dirt. We are excited to learn the things He accomplished for us, among us, and through us. We are most excited that all the ways we have walked before now pointed us to this moment, when we mere humans would be able to walk as sons of the Most Holy One.

On the First day of Christmas, Grandfather gave to me... an Eagle sitting on a cedar tree. (Remember children, the eagle climbs the highest and takes our prayers to the High places, and the eagle is Jesus, the One who was able also to climb to the heavenlies once and for all, to take our prayers, He is the Intercessor for all men.

On the second day of Christmas, Grandfather gave to me two wise owls (Remember children that the owls represent both death and sacred messages from the Holy places… and in this song they represent the Old testament and the New laws that brought death and mercy that brought life and spiritual wisdom).

On the third day of Christmas, Grandfather gave to me three sacred drums (for the drums beat out the sound of our Mother Earth while we pray to the Grandfather.. so as you hear them beat, remember we now know that there is faith, hope and love in The Father, Son and the Holy Spirit).

On the fourth day of Christmas, Grandfather gave to me four talking feathers (for the feathers remind us that Matthew, Mark, Luke and John were given the talking feather by the Grandfather Himself, to tell His story to us all).

On the fifth day of Christmas, Grandfather gave to me five prayer ties (for we must remember that the law did not vanish and though we live by grace, there is a law to be followed and we humbly submit to that law, in offering our prayers to the Holy One).

On the sixth day of Christmas, Grandfather gave to me six hawks a laying (For we celebrate the creation of our mother earth, and thank Him for giving us all life, through our prayers, often using the feathers of this creature to smudge ourselves in preparation of that prayer time).

On the seventh day of Christmas, Grandfather gave to me seven stones for sweat lodge (For we must remember the gifts of the Spirit are seven fold, and we learn how to walk in these gifts through our fear and awe of our God, we do this praying in our lodges)

On the eighth day of Christmas, Grandfather gave to me eight great buffalo (For we want to remember the beatitudes, the blessings Jesus promised to come to His people, The buffalo represent His provision for our health, our very existence, as did the blessings He invoked on the people, the meek, those who weep, the poor all people have provision in Him).

On the ninth day of Christmas, Grandfather gave to me nine precious elders (For as we sit at the feet of our elders we hear how we can walk in the fruits of the Holy Spirit, they have always taught these truths, we just didn't know that they were the same truths taught by the talking leaves the white men brought to us).

On the tenth day of Christmas, Grandfather gave to me ten eagle dancers (For our eagle dancers dance for the people, to protect the people, to keep the people in wholeness, and wellness.. as the ten commandments were also set to keep the people whole, to protect them from their own evil thoughts).

On the eleventh day of Christmas, Grandfather gave to me eleven braids of sweet grass (For as we send the smell of sweet grass to the heavenlies, it invites those of the realm of the Grandfather, to enter into our world to help us… in this we remember the faithful eleven who stood ready to help our Savior, ready to do His will and work, so it is with those we invite to help us, if sent by Jesus).

On the twelfth day of Christmas, Grandfather gave to me twelve drummers singing (For the drums He gave on the third day can not help us to pray if they do not have four drummers each to beat out the heartbeat of the earth and its people to our God and when natives are on the drum, we call it singing, because it is much more than just drumming).

Merry Christmas to all my relations! Have A Blessed & Beautiful Christmas My Friend, Phil

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Hello Friend!


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