From Samoa: Luau-ulo, Palusami, Ia/Pilikaki, Limu, Moa Samoa (yuuummm), Siga Fasipuaa (maio leai), Ufi, Fai, Ulu, Kalo, Vaisalo, Poi, Pisua, Kaufolo....Any fruit... ask grandma and grandpa (not me) what else. And read below why the Nivans are healthier, and happier (and notwithstanding the kava). PAC - HEALTH: RADIO AUSTRALIA PACNEWS 3: Thu 31 Oct 2013 Traditional high fat, low carbohydrate diet more beneficial to the Pacific PORT VILA, 31 OCTOBER 2013 (RADIO AUSTRALIA) ----A recent study has found that people in Vanuatu are healthier compared to other Pacific countries due to a high fat traditional diet. Professor Grant Schofield from the Auckland University of Technology conducted research on the food habits of several Pacific countries including Tonga, Tokelau, Kiribati and Vanuatu. He told Pacific Beat that this trend in Vanuatu is really interesting as many are benefiting from the consumption of traditional foods due to a diet high in fat and low in carbohydrates. “The problem is to try and stop them developing the same problems that... the Pacific has started to develop, which is as soon as you start to develop and urbanise and change your food then everything goes quite badly wrong,” he said. “Once you start to add... sugar, they all go badly.” Across the Pacific, diabetes prevention is high on the public health agenda. While people have heard the familiar advice of having a low fat diet, Dr Schofield himself has experimented with a low carbohydrate, high fat diet. He says he has not only lost weight but also, noticed his general wellbeing improve. “The advice that weve been giving in most developed countries is that things like coconuts are very high in saturated fat and of course everyone knows that saturated fat is bad for you,” he said. “But it just doesnt play out that way in these traditional food cultures.” Dr Schofield says it was back in the 1980s when the benefits of high fat traditional diets in the Pacific were recognized. The problem arises when refined and processed carbohydrates are added to the diet. Dr Schfield says a high carbohydrate diet works for the Chinese and Japanese cultures where rice is a staple in their diet. “My observation is that Pacific people dont do well on those sorts of carbohydrates,” he said. “The Pacific population has really been eating a good quality protein and a relatively high fat diet coming from plants for most of the time the Pacifics been around. “Whereas (if) you go to Japanese and Chinese populations, theyve been eating rice for thousands of years.” “So theyre quite different. But all those countries once you start to add the third thing which is sugar, they all go badly.” Trials are now underway in the Pacific community in New Zealand where obesity and diabetes are a growing concern. “What you see is contrary to what the regular health advice is, which is like youre too fat, you need to exercise more and eat less and you particularly need to get your fat down,” Dr Schofield said. Weve gone for the opposite approach which is just reduce the sugar and refined and processed carbohydrates, but make sure you do get some fat and protein and those sorts of traditional foods. “And you see quite a good deal of success.” Dr Schofield cautions that a high fat diet does not mean more fast food. “People hear high fat and... all of a sudden theyre down at McDonalds or the Kentucky Fried Chicken,” he said. “That particular type of diets got a special name, thats called the Standard American diet, its high in fat and sugar and that ends very badly as we know.” He advocates that people in the Pacific are better off following a traditional diet. “If your grandmother or great grandmother would recognise it, eat it,” he said. “If they wouldnt have eaten it just forget about it. “So as soon as you start to think about a traditional diet, dont worry about this fat and whats in the food so much, but just think about whats been around 100 years ago and thats the path to health.”...PACNEWS
Posted on: Thu, 31 Oct 2013 19:48:36 +0000
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