The Importance Of Traditional Food

Traditional food is very important to almost every ethnic group because it stems from their local culture, spirituality, religion, values and health perspectives. The Indigenous population of Canada consists of the First Nations, Metis, and the Inuit people who share a very similar culture, spirituality and values that are all intertwined with traditional food, land and the community. Historically, the Aboriginal people of Canada have the most healthiest and well-balanced diet until they were colonized and westernized. Diabetes Mellitus or Type 2 Diabetes is the sixth leading cause of death in Canada. Compared to other Canadians, Aboriginal people suffer disproportionately from Type 2 diabetes and it's complications. It's prevalence rates in Canada are three times higher among Aboriginal men and five times higher among women than in the non-indigenous population (Health Canada, 1999b; Bobet, 2000). Aboriginal women in Canada carry a disproportionate burden of poor health and have lower life expectancy, elevated morbidity rates, and elevated suicide rates in comparison to non-indigenous women. Patterns of dietary change, from traditional food to a diet high in energy, saturated fat and simple sugars, have been observed in many First Nations communities. Moreover, the shift in living conditions from a nomadic, outdoor, self-sufficient lifestyle to living in small reserves in rural or commercial areas has contributed to the increase of disease. When looking at diabetes among Aboriginal populations it is important to distinguish between the different peoples that are included in this definition. These populations include First Nations, Métis and/or Inuit peoples. The term Aboriginal in this essay will be used mainly to talk ab...

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...tions for feelings of self-worth and belonging, and this has a major impact on health in regards to Aboriginal women. A study conducted with Aboriginal women in Manitoba by the Prairie Women's Health Centre of Excellence in 2004 found that Aboriginal women endorsed important links between health and wellness and their cultural identities. Cultural identities to Aboriginal people are inseparable from their family, history, community, place, and spirituality and all of these elements are integrated into a broad and holistic understanding of health and well-being. The women in the study acknowledged that many factors shaped their health and well-being including poverty, housing, violence, and addictive behaviours, however, loss of cultural identity served as a potential anchor to unhealthy, unsafe conduct that leads to sickness and disease .