Have You Tried the African-American Heritage Diet?

Black food is healthy food.

Eating Well on the Cheap - Eating well doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg, says a new Washington Post feature. The article highlights Cooking Matters, an organization that works with local groups to teach low-income residents how to read food labels, prepare healthy dishes and shop for healthy foods on the cheap. Find a partnership in your area here. (Photo: Getty Images/STOCK)

1 / 10

Eating for Health - Why do so many African-Americans have a higher risk for cancer, diabetes and heart disease? While various social factors in play, what and how we eat are to blame, too. One way to change that is by following the African-American Heritage Diet. —(@kelleent) Kellee Terrell(Photo: Purestock/GettyImages)

What’s This Diet About? - Created by the organization Oldways, the African-American Heritage Diet is based on the notion of eating like our ancestors did in Africa and in the States. It’s based on a food pyramid that celebrates the foods and healthy spices that are relevant to our culture and identity.  (Photo: Oldways Health Through Heritage)

2 / 10

What’s This Diet About? - Created by the organization Oldways, the African-American Heritage Diet is based on the notion of eating like our ancestors did in Africa and in the States. It’s based on a food pyramid that celebrates the foods and healthy spices that are relevant to our culture and identity.  (Photo: Oldways Health Through Heritage)

/content/dam/betcom/images/2011/11/Health/110911-health-balanced-diet-african-heritage-foods.jpg

3 / 10

What Foods Can I Eat? - Like many healthy food pyramids, the focus here is on eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, whole grains and lean meats and fish. This diet encourages us to eat healthy foods such as collard greens, sweet potatoes, salmon, tuna, olive oils, beans and nuts like almonds. (Photo: GettyImages)

See Ya Dairy - If you are for real about the Whole 30, you cannot consume any dairy products, this includes, milk, yogurt, ice cream, coffee creamer and cheese. Yep, that's right, no cheese.(Photo: Jupiterimages/Getty Images)

4 / 10

What Foods Should I Eat in Moderation? - Under this diet, there isn’t any starvation — it’s about cutting back on certain foods. They want you to limit the amount of poultry (chicken and turkey), dairy products and eggs. Think about cutting portions. You should only eat sweets (pie, cakes, cookies, etc.) once a week.  (Photo: Jupiterimages/Getty Images)

Fish Oil Can Dramatically Lower Your Risk - The omega-3s in fatty fish like salmon and fish oil supplements has been shown to reduce risk of breast cancer by 32 percent.  (Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

5 / 10

Preparation Is Key! - How you prepare and season the food is important. Think: Eating fish is fine, but not if you season it with a lot of salt and fry it. Try using healthier, lower sodium spices to turn the flavor of your food up, such as curries, peppers, coconut, fresh herbs, fresh garlic cloves, onions and fresh lemon. (Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

ADVERTISEMENT
Get Healthy - This means different things for different people. Maybe you want to up your endurance or drop a few pounds or eat better — now’s the time to set healthy habits that will serve you well as you move forward. (Photo: JGI/Jamie Grill/Getty Images)

6 / 10

Vegetables Are Everything - One important thing to keep in mind with the African-American Heritage Diet is that veggies are king! Yes, they may seem boring, but with the right spices and oils, eggplant, spinach, collard greens and okra can be bangin’! Try grilling, roasting, and sautéing with oil if you don’t like eating them raw.  (Photo: JGI/Jamie Grill/Getty Images)

/content/dam/betcom/images/2012/01/Health/013112-health-black-women-heart-disease-blood-pressure.jpg

7 / 10

What Does the Science Say? - Following this diet has been proven to lower blood pressure, drop pounds, prevent and help diabetes, fight against developing certain cancers and lower your risk for heart disease and stroke. Remember, poor health like diabetes and heart disease is not part of our heritage! (Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

/content/dam/betcom/images/2012/06/National-06-16-06-30/062512-national-spending-canned-goods-grocery-store-luxe-shopping-gormet-family-nutrition-parenting.jpg

8 / 10

Are You Ready? - OK, now you are sold on this diet, but where do you start? Check out this grocery list and recipes that will get you started on incorporating this healthier lifestyle. Need something in depth? Watch this webinar for more information. (Photo: GettyImages) 

Don’t Forget to Work Out - In addition to eating healthier, make sure that you don’t forget to work out regularly. You need to do both in order to achieve your best possible health!(Photo: Chris Gramly/Getty Images)

9 / 10

Don’t Forget to Work Out - In addition to eating healthier, make sure that you don’t forget to work out regularly. You need to do both in order to achieve your best possible health!(Photo: Chris Gramly/Getty Images)

120074958

10 / 10

Black Food Is Healthy Food - While some of us may equate “Black people food” with unhealthy, fried foods, the African-American Heritage Diet tells us something different. We do not come from a tradition of being sick — we come from generations of people who ate and lived healthy. Let’s carry on that tradition. (Photo: GettyImages)