Indigenous Diet Research Articles

Factors Influencing Production of ILVs by Smallholder Farmers in Kisii County, Kenya

Indigenous leafy vegetables (ILVs) are gaining popularity as a staple indigenous diet in Kenya. Most prominent farmers, however, are underestimate these vegetables despite a steadily expanding demand, as seen by a significant supply gap. ILVs costs increase faster than their exotic counterparts as demand outpaces supply, making them unaffordable for the bulk of eager consumers. The study location was Kisii County. The study is critical because it aims to gather, examine, and disseminate vital data required to achieve the Big Four agenda approved by the Kenyan Government for realizing Kenya Vision 2030. The purpose of the study was to investigate factors influencing the production of ILVs by smallholder farmers, in Kisii County, Kenya. The target population was smallholder farmers, traders, and consumers of the ILVs. These smallholder farmers, traders, and consumers of ILVs who live near 11 market centres of Kisii County made up the sampling group. Using Cochran's sample size calculation procedure for an unknown population, 349 responses comprised the study's sample size. Descriptive statistics like frequency and percentage were employed to describe the population's demographic and socioeconomic features. Inferential statistics was performed using the mean and standard deviation to examine the relationship between the independent and dependent variables. Data analysis involved several steps, beginning with data collection and ending with a complete presentation of the study findings. Related information was compiled during the procedure after the analysis of the data. The results indicated that ILVs benefitted smallholder farmers, traders and consumers in terms of finances and nutrition.

Modern vs traditional indigenous diet preference in Gauteng region, South Africa: A public health concern?

The prevalence of non-communicable diseases still represents a public health concern in South Africa, of which eating habits are some of the main risk factors. A modern diet consisting of the consumption of highly processed foods high in fat, salt and caloric sweeteners and low in fibre is recognised as unhealthy. This study was conducted to assess the penchant of the population for these types of foods rather than traditional indigenous foods known to be healthier. This research was undertaken in the Gauteng region, which is the most urbanized province in the country. This study consisted of a quantitative research survey conducted in 2019 with 1527 participants (Asians, Black, Coloured, Indians and White) aged 18 and above who had lived in the province for at least two years. The results revealed that 30–40 % were neutral on the issue. Despite half (54.4 %) indicating that it was good to mix traditional and modern foods, a clear preference for modern food was noticed for 35.7 % of respondents, with 32.2 % reporting not being concerned that traditional foods have been replaced by modern foods. The traditional indigenous food consumption (TIFC) appeared to depend on monthly total household income, residential area, and settlement category. Participants with specific economic comfort consumed less. Race and number of people in the participants' households also significantly affected the TIFC (p < 0.05). Participants of white ethnicity and those living in a household of a maximum of 02 people displayed the lowest TIFC. In comparison to those who strongly disagree, participants with a neutral opinion about the idea of mixing eating habits were also the most neutral concerning preference for a modern diet (OR: 10.95, 95 % CI 7.00–17.12) and nutrition transition (OR: 14.66, 95 % CI 9.09–23.64). Sensitisation about healthy eating habits among the identified at-risk and target groups is undoubtedly a need in the region to avoid a resurgence of modern diet-related diseases.

Commentary: Shifting our focus to diabetic retinopathy is the need of the hour.

The initiatives started under the VISION 2020 program have made a huge impact on global eye health, especially in developing countries like India. One such initiative is the organization of outreach camps to identify and treat patients with avoidable blindness. The programs related to the diseases requiring one-time treatment like cataract and refractive errors have achieved huge success.[1] On the contrary, the programs associated with the diseases requiring long-term follow-up like diabetic retinopathy (DR) and glaucoma are still in their nascent steps. With the increasing life expectancy, sedentary lifestyle, and changing dietary pattern, diabetic retinopathy is expected to become a major health problem of the community.[2] We congratulate the authors for performing a thorough systemic review on the prevalence of DR in India in the published article in the current issue of the Indian Journal of Ophthalmology.[3] The authors have performed an excellent meta-analysis of the various risk factors evaluated by the previous studies, gender being the only exception.[3] The evaluation of gender as a risk factor in epidemiological studies is important as several studies have shown a gender bias in health-seeking behavior.[4] The authors have correctly highlighted that most of the previous studies have been performed in South India and it is difficult to extrapolate the prevalence of DR in one region to other parts of the country as India is a conglomerate of people with different ethnicity, dietary habits, and probably genetic makeup. Hence, a nationwide study or multiple studies with the same inclusion/exclusion and evaluation criteria to determine the prevalence of DR, sight-threatening DR (STDR), and diabetic macular edema (DME) are needed. The dietary habits vary with the geographical, cultural as well as socio-economic profile of people. Studies are warranted to evaluate the influence of different Indian dietary habits on DR and the indigenous diet(s) found to be beneficial should be promoted.[5] The job profile and sedentary lifestyle have also been found to influence the incidence of DR. Sedentary behavior is defined as any activity (sitting or reclining position) that is associated with minimal energy expenditure, i.e., ≤1.5 metabolic equivalents.[6] Kohli et al.[7] showed that the incidence of DR in state bus drivers was higher than that reported among the general diabetic population in India, which they hypothesized may be due to long working hours. Similarly, other professions which predispose to high risk of developing DR should be established. The sample size of the study needs to be carefully calculated so that it has adequate power to evaluate the influence of the region and different parameters like dietary habits, rural-urban status, age, gender, socio-economic status, per-capita income, level of education, level of health-seeking behavior, and access to general and ophthalmic health care. The presence of other systemic diseases like hypertension, dyslipidemia, and chronic renal disease has a significant effect on the prevalence of DR, STDR, and DME. Such studies will go a long way in projecting the prevalence of DR in the future. This will help to formulate government policies and plan strategies for capacity building to screen and treat the ever-increasing load of patients of DR. One of the difficulties in performing such studies is the availability of retina specialists for diagnosing and grading DR. However, the recent technological advances can be used to fill in this gap. The use of nonmydriatic fundus cameras and telemedicine has reduced the need for the retina specialist to travel to the various sites of cluster selection. The use of artificial intelligence (AI) to analyze retinal images can further enhance speed, accuracy, and consistency. However, a legal framework for the use of AI in DR screening is necessary before planning any large-scale studies.[8] The last step is to create public awareness. It should be highlighted that in contrast to cataract, the management of DR is complex and needs life-long treatment. Just like diabetes itself, the management of DR does not end with a single time intervention. The need for a regular life-long follow-up as well as multiple sessions and modalities of treatment like laser, intravitreal injections, and vitrectomy should be emphasized.

Development of an acceptable indigenous food diet for Pedi children under five years in early childhood development centers in rural Limpopo, South Africa

BackgroundThe use of indigenous food (IF) such as green leafy vegetables and fruits in rural communities has been the primary source of their diet despite being replaced by food high in sugar and fats. South Africans are over-reliant on maize and should diversify their diets to include more indigenous fruits and vegetables to improve nutrition. Early Childhood Development (ECD) centers positively influence healthy eating among children under five years. This study aimed for ECD stakeholders to co-create an IF diet for children under five in ECD centers.MethodA sequential explanatory mixed-method design was employed. We conducted focus group discussions with stakeholders using the community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach and the nominal group technique ranking method to develop children's acceptable indigenous food diet. Data were analyzed using both qualitative and quantitative methods. We employed a thematic approach to analyze data using a Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (intervention characteristics, inner setting, outer setting, individuals involved in implementation, and the implementation process. We used statistical analysis to analyze quantitative data collected through surveys.ResultsParticipants developed an IF diet. Participants were six ECD stakeholders (ECD managers, social workers, and dieticians) aged 34-52. Participants identified and voted for Ditokomane, Oranges, Mabele soft porridge, Dithotse, and Dinawa as components of an IF that are suitable and acceptable for children under five years as an IF diet appropriate and adequate for children under five years ECD centers will implement.ConclusionImplementation of the developed IF diet can be considered an intervention towards achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 2 to end hunger, achieve food security and improve nutrition and sustainable agriculture. The study suggests that the IF diet could scale up the use of IF to fulfill dietary requirements for children under five years and preserve indigenous knowledge.

Zooarchaeology of Mission Santa Clara de Asìs: Bone Fragmentation, Stew Production, and Commensality

Through the analysis of faunal remains from refuse features associated with the Native Californian living quarters at Mission Santa Clara de Asìs, the article examines Indigenous diet within this colonial mission settlement. In Alta California, Native Californians from differing sociolinguistic groups were relocated to Spanish missions, creating an ever shifting pluralistic society. Within these mission settlements, Native Californians were tasked with maintaining the vast agricultural fields for which they received ingredients for two Spanish-style meals, atole and pozole. This study examines the diet of Native Californian families living within Mission Santa Clara, specifically focusing on the breakage patterns of cattle bones and the communal preparation, cooking, and consumption of these daily meals. These results illustrate change and continuity of foodway practices, expanding our understanding of mission political economies and Native Californian persistence within this colonial system.

Exposures and Health Risks Associated with Elements in Diets from a Gold Mining Area.

There has been a concern of metal contamination from the mining areas which could expose the population to toxic metal through consumption of food products in the regions. Therefore, the study was conducted to analyze 18 elements using X-ray fluorescence analyzer and to assess for metal exposure through dietary intakes. Dietary recall survey instrument was used to collect consumption, demographic, and anthropometric data from 308 consumers in life-stage groups: toddlers, adolescents, and adults. Cassava, maize, rice, tomato, and yam indigenous diet samples (66) from the gold mining regions of Ghana were obtained by purposively sampling from street vendors. Principal component analysis was used to apportion pollution source. Health risks due to dietary elements were quantified using US EPA probabilistic protocols for cancer and non-cancer disease endpoints. Deficiency and overage risks of essential elements were tested against reference nutrient intakes. The element-diet-location mode of principal component analysis separated cassava and maize diets as significant vehicles for both essential and toxic elements apportioned to mining pollution source. The chronic daily intake trend revealed a preponderance for arsenic (maize: toddlers 0.009, adolescents 0.025 adults 0.010mg/kg-d) and lead (maize: toddlers 0.009, adolescents 0.026, adults 0.010mg/kg-d) exposure through maize diets compared to cassava diets. The hazard quotient showed (HQ > 1) life-stage risk differentiation for barium, although there were cumulative and pervasive health risks for all age groups based on the hazard index (Ag, Ba, Cd, Co, Hg, Mn, Mo, Sb, Sn, Sr, U, V, W, and Zr). The likely cancer risk (mode) for all life-stage groups (3 × 10-6-1 × 10-2) were also high in that they exceeded the 1 × 10-6 safety threshold. The modal margin of exposure (MoE < 1) alerted high public health concern due to lead-induced toxicities among all life-stage groups through all diet vehicles. Regarding nutritional adequacy, there were possible overage risks associated with selenium, including deficiency risks for calcium, potassium, and zinc for all life-stage groups. Toddlers and adolescents were susceptible to iron deficiency risks through cassava diets and iron overage risks through maize diets.

Traditional Food and Products to Achieve SDGs in India

The diversity of India has conserved through indigenous innovations, practices and skills and associated with community traditions and practices. The traditional food system plays a significant role in improving and strengthens Medicare system through improvement in the quality of life including health and nutritional status, food system with improving nutrient values, consumable products for other such as fermented food products like Sinki. A major proportion of the community is suffering from health problems such as Malnutrition, Malaria, Tuberculosis etc and also facing economic crisis due to minimum involvements of traditional knowledge, food and beverages, traditional food system and ignorance of their cultural acceptability in the modern health care, livelihood programme and development programme/policies. The Indigenous diet and tradition food system found helpful to fight with modern illnesses and potentially fulfill dietary recommendations for various micronutrients. The traditional fermented food/ beverage with cultural acceptability can also play an important role in the better livelihood of communities through enhanced food security and income generation via a valuable small scale enterprise option and marketable products. No poverty and Good health and Wellbeing are the most important goals of Sustainable Development-2030 will be achieved via wellbeing and development programme/policies with including culturally important traditional knowledge and traditional food of native and tribal comminutes. The present research paper aims to find out the socio-cultural and medicinal value of traditional food and products and also explore the possibilities of their marketing to achieve the SDGs.

Effects of Indigenous Diet Iron Content and Location on Hemoglobin Levels of Ghanaians

ObjectivesIron deficiency is the most common cause of anemia, the most common micronutrient deficiency worldwide. Multiple studies have demonstrated strong links between diet and anemia, but few have explored the impact of specific food groups on hemoglobin (Hb) levels. We analyzed the correlation between Ghanian diet and Hb to explore reduction of anemia prevalence through dietary interventions that align with current local consumption practices. MethodsDemographics, food frequency questionnaires (FFQ), and blood samples were obtained from 140 volunteers (ages 18–65) in five locations across Ghana. Hb was measured and estimated iron consumption was calculated. Anemia prevalence was estimated based on the World Health Organization guidelines. FFQ items were grouped by food type, and a regression equation was formed for Hb based on the estimated amount of calories consumed from each food group. Results47% of total participants were anemic based on Hb levels; 64% of women and 28% of men. This aligned with previous studies which estimate anemia prevalence in Ghana to be around 40%. The area with the highest average Hb was Mole (13.9 g/dL, SD = ±1.9), with the lowest mean in Larabanga (11.9 g/dL ± 1.9). Post-hoc analysis revealed that location was significant with a p-value of 0.01. The regression model revealed a 62.7% adjusted correlation between food groups and Hb levels. Animal foods (β = 0.016, t = 5.08, p < 0.01) and plant protein (β = 0.013, t = 2.86, p < 0.01) were the most influential food groups on Hb levels. ConclusionsIt is of vital importance to emphasize the benefits of consuming animal foods and plant proteins within the Ghanian population. The ease of access to plant proteins, and prevalence within the current diet, makes it likely that this food group will be most influential and have the greatest impact in reduction of anemia in the Ghanaian population if consumption is increased. Funding SourcesWeber State University Research, Scholarship, and Professional Growth Committee.

Significance of African Diets in Biotherapeutic Modulation of the Gut Microbiome.

Diet plays an essential role in human development and growth, contributing to health and well-being. The socio-economic values, cultural perspectives, and dietary formulation in sub-Saharan Africa can influence gut health and disease prevention. The vast microbial ecosystems in the human gut frequently interrelate to maintain a healthy, well-coordinated cellular and humoral immune signalling to prevent metabolic dysfunction, pathogen dominance, and induction of systemic diseases. The diverse indigenous diets could differentially act as biotherapeutics to modulate microbial abundance and population characteristics. Such modulation could prevent stunted growth, malnutrition, induction of bowel diseases, attenuated immune responses, and mortality, particularly among infants. Understanding the associations between specific indigenous African diets and the predictability of the dynamics of gut bacteria genera promises potential biotherapeutics towards improving the prevention, control, and treatment of microbiome-associated diseases such as cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. The dietary influence of many African diets (especially grain-base such as millet, maize, brown rice, sorghum, soya, and tapioca) promotes gut lining integrity, immune tolerance towards the microbiota, and its associated immune and inflammatory responses. A fibre-rich diet is a promising biotherapeutic candidate that could effectively modulate inflammatory mediators’ expression associated with immune cell migration, lymphoid tissue maturation, and signalling pathways. It could also modulate the stimulation of cytokines and chemokines involved in ensuring balance for long-term microbiome programming. The interplay between host and gut microbial digestion is complex; microbes using and competing for dietary and endogenous proteins are often attributable to variances in the comparative abundances of Enterobacteriaceae taxa. Many auto-inducers could initiate the process of quorum sensing and mammalian epinephrine host cell signalling system. It could also downregulate inflammatory signals with microbiota tumour taxa that could trigger colorectal cancer initiation, metabolic type 2 diabetes, and inflammatory bowel diseases. The exploitation of essential biotherapeutic molecules derived from fibre-rich indigenous diet promises food substances for the downregulation of inflammatory signalling that could be harmful to gut microbiota ecological balance and improved immune response modulation.

Effects of Indigenous Diet and Geographical Location on Hemoglobin Levels of Ghanaians

Effects of Indigenous Diet and Geographical Location on Hemoglobin Levels of Ghanaians

Effects of Indigenous Diet Iron Content and Location on Hemoglobin Levels of Ghanaians.

Multiple studies have demonstrated strong links between diet and anemia, but few have explored the impact of food groups on hemoglobin (Hb). We analyzed the correlation between Ghanaian diet and Hb levels to explore reduction of anemia prevalence through dietary interventions. Demographics, food frequency questionnaires (FFQ), and blood samples were obtained from 140 volunteers (ages 18–65) in five locations across Ghana. Hb was measured; estimated iron consumption was calculated. FFQ items were grouped by food type, and a regression analysis was performed to determine the most important dietary predictors of Hb. Moreover, 47% of total participants were anemic; 64% of females and 28% of males. Hb levels were highest in Mole (13.9 g/dL, SD = ±1.9), independent of sex distribution. The regression model revealed a 62.7% adjusted correlation between food groups and Hb levels. Animal foods (β = 0.016, t = 5.08, p < 0.01) and plant protein (β = 0.013, t = 2.86, p < 0.01) were the most influential groups to Hb levels. It is of vital importance to emphasize the benefits of consuming animal foods and plant proteins within the Ghanaian population. The ease of access to plant proteins makes it likely that this food group will be most influential and have the greatest impact in reduction of anemia in the Ghanaian population.

Lipoprotein Lipase Deficiency.

To analyse the clinical and molecular spectrum of Lipoprotein Lipase (LPL) deficiency and to highlight the effect of a cost-effective indigenous diet for management of this disorder. This is a single-centre retrospective study. Fifteen patients from 14 kindreds with severe hypertriglyceridemia (more than 1000mg/dl) were evaluated for a period of 12.5 y at Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Kerala, India. Thirteen of 15 patients were referred after incidental detection of lipemic plasma, 1/15 had chylothorax in the neonatal period and 1/15 had pancreatitis. The mean age of presentation was 7 mo (ranging from 2 d to 4 y), and 20% of the patients had a positive history of consanguinity. Hepatomegaly (15/15), splenomegaly (9/15) and lipemia retinalis (14/15) were common findings. Lipemia retinalis was a useful non-invasive diagnostic tool. All the patients were subjected to diet modification and followed up at regular intervals. Fourteen of 15 complied with the diet, resulting in a dramatic improvement in the fasting lipid profile; only 1/15 developed pancreatitis. Genetic screening analysis was offered to 14/15 patients (1/15 was lost to follow-up); six different variants were identified, of which two were novel variants. Lipemic serum, chylothorax and recurrent pancreatitis in children should raise the suspicion of Lipoprotein Lipase deficiency. Early diagnosis and prompt initiation of a stringent fat-restricted diet are the keys to success for the management of LPL deficiency and prevention of pancreatitis.

Food-based indicators are related to iron and iodine deficiencies of mother-toddler dyads during the lean season in northern Ghana.

Fe and iodine deficiencies are among the common forms of nutritional deficiencies globally and cause detrimental effects on mother and child. In developing countries, strategies to address these problems rarely use preventative dietary approaches. This cross-sectional study aims to ascertain whether dietary diversity score (DDS) and dietary patterns (DP) can predict the associated risk (AR) of Fe and iodine deficiencies in mother-toddler dyads during the dry/lean season in northern Ghana. Data were collected from women (15-49 years; n 118) and their toddlers (6-23 months, n 121). Dyads DDS and DP were calculated from their food intake recall. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to examine whether DDS, DP and socio-demographic factors predict higher odds of Fe and iodine deficiencies in dyads. DDS and DP predicted Fe and iodine deficiencies AR. Compared with DDS ≥4, women with DDS <4 have higher odds of Fe deficiency (ID) (adjusted OR (AOR) 1·82, 95 % CI 1·03, 3·21) and iodine deficiency (AOR 9·73, 95 % CI 3·19, 29·67). Two DP emerged in principal component analyses, 'rural elites diet' predicted ID risk in mothers (AOR 8·65, 95 % CI 1·76, 42·39), while 'indigenous diet' predicted iodine deficiency risk (AOR 11·41, 95 % CI 1·36, 95·97) in mothers only. The AR of Fe and iodine deficiencies in vulnerable populations may be predicted by diet-based measures in northern Ghana. We recommend further research into DDS and DP to predict Fe and iodine status of mother-toddler dyads in Ghana.

Forest West African Indigenous Diet and Modernization Diseases

This review paper notes that the nutritional essence of an indigenous people’s diet can, broadly, be outlined in terms of their food-inherent bioactive chemical functions. Two food crops; Yam (Dioscorea spp.) and the Oil-palm (Elaeis guineensis), define Forest West Africa, agriculturally, as Yam or Palm belt. They can also be said to, broadly, define the diet of the region, which staple base they constitute, as the Yampalm Diet type. Some unique, bioactive, chemical functions of yam identified include; dioscorin, lipoic acid, potassium, biotin and, thiocyanate, while those of oil-palm include; tocotrienols, carotenoids, retinoids and lauric acid. These alkalizing food functions are, in theory, complementary to the acidic tropical physiology of Forest West Africans. Fed on other than the Yampalm diet, Forest West Africans have been demonstrated to be highly susceptible to metabolic syndrome due to adopted alien diets. Examples are lactose intolerance from milk and inflammation reaction to wheat gluten. Some food functions of Yampalm diet; dioscorin in yam and tocotrienol from oil-palm, as examples, are efficacious in metabolic syndrome management. They are potential ‘Gene-adapted food-function supplements’ for emigrants from this area who adopt alien diets. Experiments have shown that restoration of the Forest West African diet ameliorates metabolic syndrome among the people, including their Diaspora in America. Restoration of, genetically or epigenetically, adapted indigenous diet among peoples recommends itself as part of management strategy for modernization diseases.Key terms: Yampalm diet, food function, dioscorin, tocotrienol, alien diet, lactose intolerance, metabolic syndrome, epigenetic adaptation.

Dietary Approaches to Mitigate Iron and Iodine Deficiencies of Mother-toddler Dyads During Lean Season in Northern Ghana (P10-104-19)

ObjectivesIron and iodine deficiencies are among the most common form of nutritional deficiencies globally. Iron and iodine deficiencies lead to detrimental effects on fetus, infant, and maternal health. In developing countries attentions to the problem have been given to fortifications, supplementations, and clinical investigations rather than preventive dietary approaches and screening. We aimed to test the hypotheses that dietary diversity score (DDS) and dietary patterns (DP) predict the risk of iron and iodine deficiencies in mothers (15–49 yr, n = 118) and their toddlers (6–23 mo, n = 121) in a cross sectional-study during lean/dry season in northern Ghana. MethodsWe aimed to test the hypotheses that dietary diversity score (DDS) and dietary patterns (DP) predict the risk of iron and iodine deficiencies in mothers (15–49 yr, n = 118) and their toddlers (6–23 mo, n = 121) in a cross sectional-study during lean/dry season in northern Ghana. ResultsWe found that risk of iron and iodine deficiencies were predicted by DDS and DP. Compared to DDS ≥4, DDS <4 have higher odds of iron deficiency (AOR: 3.21; 95% CI: 1.02–10.09; P = 0.0466) and iodine deficiency (AOR: 0.11; 95% CI: 0.02–0.76; P = 0.0360). Of two dietary patterns emerged, DP 1 (“rural elites diet”) predicted iron deficiency risk in mothers (AOR: 8.65, 95% CI: 1.76–42.39; P = 0.0287), DP 2 (“indigenous diet”) predicted iodine deficiency risk (AOR: 11.41; 95% CI: 1.36–95.97; P = 0.0406) in mothers but not in toddlers. ConclusionsIn summary, risk of iron and iodine deficiencies in mothers-toddlers could be screened by DDS and DP in northern Ghana during dry/lean season. Funding SourcesBHEARD.

Inside the Reducción: Crafting Colonial Foodways at Carrizales and Mocupe Viejo, Zaña Valley, Peru (1570–1700)

This study explores the politics of indigenous foodways in early colonial Peru, examining the processes by which indigenous households adapted to demographic stress, resettlement, and evangelization in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries CE. We examine faunal and botanical data from two planned towns (reducciones) located in Peru’s Zana Valley—Carrizales and Mocupe Viejo. Inter- and intra-site comparison of food procurement and diet reveal different strategies and timing in the ways that Eurasian products were incorporated into native foodways, suggesting that while Old World animal domesticates were rapidly integrated into the indigenous diet, plant domesticates tied to the Iberian palate were not as readily adopted.

Rural Theatrical Protest: A Note from Muskrat Falls

Rural Theatrical Protest: A Note from Muskrat Falls Susanne Shawyer (bio) Throughout 2016 and 2017, the Standing Rock Sioux tribe, along with indigenous and settler allies, demonstrated against the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline. Concerned that the oil pipeline would threaten the local water supply and damage sacred sites, the Standing Rock activists effectively used a social-media campaign and drone video footage of their theatrical protests to draw global attention to their cause. In the autumn of 2016, these efforts filled traditional media with news of the pipeline protests, and my social-media feed exploded with images of the Dakota Plains and #StandWithStandingRock and #noDAPL protest hashtags. As a scholar of performance protest I was excited to see a rural demonstration make front-page news, because too often scholarship on theatrical protest emphasizes urban examples like parades, flash mobs, or mass demonstrations in city centers. Standing Rock serves as a good reminder that the public sphere extends beyond city streets and that rural activists also make deliberate use of theatricality for political ends. At the same time that the Standing Rock demonstrations captivated the world, activists elsewhere were engaging in similar protests against energy projects that threatened drinking water and indigenous cultural heritage. Thousands of miles away at Muskrat Falls in central Labrador, Canada, demonstrators were using theatrical protest tactics in attempts to halt a large hydroelectric development. Meanwhile, members of the Shoal Lake #40 First Nation were promoting the Museum of Canadian Human Rights Violations, an innovative theatrical tourist experience that highlights the Canadian tribe’s prolonged fight for clean drinking water. While perhaps not as widely known as the Standing Rock protests, the ongoing Muskrat Falls demonstrations and the Museum of Canadian Human Rights Violations are equally vital appeals for water rights and the recognition of indigenous culture. This note from the field examines the challenges and potentials of these two Canadian cases, which serve as examples of how small-scale theatrical protests, rooted in remote communities, creatively respond to the challenges of rural location. Once a beautiful natural waterfall tucked into a narrow corner of the Churchill River, Muskrat Falls is now part of a large hydroelectric development under construction just twenty miles from the Labrador town of Happy Valley-Goose Bay. For Nalcor Energy, the project represents an important push toward renewable energy, a reduction of greenhouse gases, and hope for economic development in central Labrador. But the indigenous Innu and Inuit peoples of Labrador argue that the Muskrat Falls development threatens their health and traditional hunting and fishing practices. Scientific research has predicted that flooding the reservoir without full vegetation clearing of the Muskrat Falls site will result in increased levels of methylmercury downstream in Lake Melville, and consequently in the local wildlife that forms the indigenous diet, including fish, shellfish, birds, and seal (Calder et al. 13117–19). This is a particular concern for those who rely upon these foods, as methylmercury is a neurotoxin associated with ADHD, as well as neurological and cardiovascular problems (13115). Since construction began in 2013, both indigenous Canadians and their settler-Canadian allies have used a variety of protest devices, including hunger strikes, land occupation, civil disobedience, and mass demonstration, in their efforts to force Nalcor to agree to a full independent audit of the downstream impact of the Muskrat Falls development and to completely clear all vegetation from the reservoir area prior to the flooding. [End Page E-7] Resistance to the Muskrat Falls development is complicated by the project’s remote location, as well as its impact on an indigenous way of life unfamiliar to settler Canadians. The Muskrat Falls worksite is a forty-five-minute drive through the forest from the nearest town, Happy Valley-Goose Bay, thus creating access challenges for both demonstrators and media. Moreover, the town is home to only about 6,500 people; therefore it is not surprising that mass demonstrations at the site have numbered at most 250 people. When I visited my family in Newfoundland and Labrador in May 2017, I asked friends and neighbors about Muskrat Falls. Those I casually polled expressed concern as taxpayers for the cost of the Muskrat Falls development, but not about...

“We eat more than kangaroo tail or dugong you know…”: Recent Indigenous Australian Cookbooks

This paper focuses on a series of cookbooks published by Indigenous Australian groups. These cookbooks are typically produced with government funding, and are developed by nutritionists, dieticians, and health workers in consultation with local communities. They are designed to teach Indigenous Australians to cook healthy, nutritious, low-cost meals. In this paper, Fredericks and Anderson identify the value of these cookbooks as low-cost, public health interventions. However, they note that their value as health interventions has not been tested. Fredericks and Anderson question the value of these cookbooks within the broader context of the health disadvantage faced by Indigenous Australians. They argue that the cookbooks are developed from a Western perspective of health and nutrition that fails to recognise the value of traditional Indigenous foodways. They suggest that incorporating more Indigenous food knowledge and food-related traditions into cookbooks may be one way of improving health among Indigenous peoples and revitalising Indigenous knowledge.

Indigenous nutrition research and the low-carbohydrate diet movement: Explaining obesity and diabetes in Protein Power

Low-carbohydrate diets were particularly popular in English-speaking Western countries in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Based on a critical analysis of the bestselling low-carbohydrate diet book Protein Power (Eades and Eades 1996), this paper examines and critiques the use of anthropological and nutritional research about Indigenous people in the low-carbohydrate diet movement. I argue that Protein Power turns the popular scientific gaze onto Indigenous groups as a purported explanatory microcosm for the West, in which the negative effects of ‘civilized’ diet and lifestyle appear magnified and accelerated. However, the reduction of Indigenous foodways to the binary formation ‘urbanized Western diet’ versus ‘traditional Indigenous diet’ cannot account for the cultural and historical context in which food practices take place, nor for the social and environmental factors implicated in the development of diabetes and obesity. Rather, this binary reflects an investment in the ideology of ‘nutritional primitivism’: pursuit of a more natural and authentic, and therefore ostensibly healthier, diet.

Abstract P068: Dietary Acculturation in Two Ethnic Populations Has a Differential Impact on Diet Quality

Introduction: The indigenous Arab minority population in Israel has higher rates of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality than the Jewish immigrant population. Differences in dietary intake may underlie some of these health disparities. We tested the hypothesis that dietary patterns differ by ethnicity. Methods: A population-based, random sample (n=1,100) was selected, stratified by sex, ethnicity, and age (25–74 years). A food frequency questionnaire with 240 food items, including ethnic foods, was used to assess dietary intake and dietary change during adulthood. Food items were collapsed into 51 groups and entered into principle component analysis to identify dietary patterns. Multivariate regression models were fitted to assess the association between participant characteristics and the dietary patterns. Results: Of 4 dietary patterns identified (Traditional Arabic, Healthy, Animal Protein, and Snack/Fast Food), the Traditional Arabic and Healthy patterns were the most dominant. The Traditional Arabic pattern included high intakes of “Mediterranean diet” components (e.g., olive oil, dairy products, whole grains, legumes, vegetables), as well as less healthy foods (e.g., refined-flour pita bread, meat dishes). Participants with a low score on this pattern had a high intake of starchy, high-fat, and sweet foods. The highest and lowest intake tertiles of this pattern were virtually mono-ethnic (98% Arab, and 98% Jewish, respectively), while the middle tertile was ethnically mixed. Arabs in the middle/lowest tertiles were younger (OR for 10y age increment: 0.71, 95% CI: 0.59–0.84), male (OR: 2.01, 95% CI: 1.38–2.95), and had made non-health related dietary change (OR: 2.40, 95% CI: 1.53–3.77). In contrast, Jews in the middle/highest tertiles had made health-related dietary change (OR: 2.06, 95% CI: 1.27–3.36). The Healthy pattern included a high intake of foods typically found in healthy Western dietary patterns (e.g., vegetables, fruit, low-fat dairy products, whole grains). Arabs had lower odds than Jews of being in the top tertile of the Healthy pattern among never-smokers (OR: 0.12, 95% CI: 0.07–0.21) and current smokers (OR: 0.16, 95% CI: 0.07–0.37); however the strength of this association diminished among past smokers (OR: 0.45, 95% CI: 0.20–1.04). Conclusions: Jews are more likely than Arabs to have classic Western healthy eating patterns, and those who have undergone some dietary acculturation have done so for health-related reasons. The indigenous Mediterranean-style diet of Arabs has deteriorated, and adoption of foods of the immigrant population did not improve the health properties of their diet. These dietary characteristics may place Arabs at higher risk for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.