Eskimo Diet
The Eskimo Diet, found in northern Canadian provinces and Alaska, is mainly based on foods that are fished and hunted. It is a typical diet for very cold climates and keeps Eskimos alive in hard living conditions.
Typical Eskimo Diet:
• Similar to Atkins Diet in terms of being high in fat and protein, no or very low carb.
• Variety of fish, seal, reindeer, polar bear, walrus, whale, grouse- including intestines are commonly eaten by Eskimos.
• Most foods are served frozen, boiled, raw and plain with hardly any added ingredients.
• There is no obligation to eat when others are eating. Eskimos basically eat when they are hungry, apart from the regular two main meals.
• They have a habit of eating the meat right where it is caught, and drinking the animal blood after the meal helps keeping their bodies warm.
Eskimo Diet Facts:
• Very cold climate should be taken into account as well as the circumstances, natural setting and lifestyle of Eskimos when evaluating the Eskimo diet.
• Many Eskimo families are unable to buy and consume fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables or dairy products on a daily basis, due to extremely high costs of these items up north.
• However the consumption of modern world food that is high in processed carbs is increasing in these northern regions and the benefits of the traditional Eskimo diet is getting weaker.
• Chips, cookies, cakes and other refined foods are commonly eaten and coke has become a popular beverage. Obesity and high blood pressure rates have increased by a great deal amongst Eskimo men and women as a result of changing dietary habits.
• Quick transition to modern way of living along with environmental and social problems encountered by Eskimos over the years have also led to high drug use and very high suicide rates.
Protection from Diseases:
• Certain studies that studied the health conditions and diet of Northern Canadians found that they are actually naturally protected from cancer and heart disease.
• This is a diet high in selenium- the mineral shown to be one of the best anti-cancer medicines.
• Eskimos eat a lot of wild game. Wild game meat is lower in calories, saturated fats, very high in polyunsaturated fats. This may also explain why such low incidences of cancer and cardiovascular diseases are observed in Inuit diet.
• Traditional Inuit Diet is also rich in Omega 3 fatty acids, this may be another reason why the death rates due to heart complications are so low in Eskimos. Omega 3 fatty acids are linked with higher levels of HDL- good cholesterol and with low levels of LDL- bad cholesterol and triglycerids- a form of fat created in the body.
Is Inuit Diet a Good Way to Lose Weight?
• This is a not a kind of weight loss diet you can choose, it is a way of life and survival for these people. The main purpose for this diet is to keep the body strong, healthy and warm in bitterly cold climates.
• Eskimos eat what they eat because that is what is available in those northern regions. You’d have a hard time finding seal meat if you were to follow the Inuit diet.
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