Can Traditional Foods Prevent and Reverse Type 2 Diabetes? Yes!

by the Cow Creek Health and Wellness Center Healthy Living Team

November is Native American Heritage Month and National Diabetes Month. Bringing these themes together, November is a great time to connect with traditional Native American foods.

What are Traditional Foods?

Traditional foods can be defined as local foods, in season, eaten in their most wholesome form. For example, acorns provide a super food for supporting health and vitality. From a nutrition perspective acorns are like whole grains: rich in fiber, carbohydrates, protein, vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals. As learned at Acorn Camp with the Culture Team, acorns take days to prepare for eating and the trees are scarce in today’s forests. Nevertheless, nutritious super foods don’t all require wild harvesting.

Where to Find Traditional Foods?

Knowing that traditional foods are largely whole foods, there are many easy ways to source varieties from a grocery store, online grocery source, farmers’ market, food bank, or backyard garden or container garden. For diabetes prevention, give extra attention to traditional foods that are fiber-rich and low-fat: legumes, whole grains, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds.

Try These Meal Ideas:

To connect with Native American Heritage Month, explore new recipes with traditional foods, eating with intention for the health of the whole community.

• Add in a ½ cup of legumes, such as beans, lentils, or peas, to a soup or salad.
• Add finely chopped dark leafy greens to a salad, such as dandelion greens or chard.
• Create a warm side of cooked whole grains, such as quinoa or farro, topped with chopped hazelnuts and sautéed chanterelle mushrooms.
• Add berries and a spoonful of chia seeds and black elderberry syrup to brighten a bowl of oatmeal.

Can you think of a recipe you could add more traditional foods to? We’d love to know what you create. Send us a picture!

Learn more here at the Smithsonian Institute: www.si.edu/events/native-american-heritage-month

This article comes to you from the Cow Creek Health and Wellness Center Healthy Living Team

Please reach out to one of our Lifestyle Coaches for lifestyle and nutrition support, or join one of the Diabetes Prevention Program groups!

Hannah Corbett:
(541) 672-8533, ext 5267

April Gilliom:
(541) 672-8533, ext. 5226