how the INUIT *really* eat

x-no-archive: yes

Quoted message said:

http://www.inuitdiabetes.ca/mamaqtut_cookbook_final.pdf

More aptly titled: "How The Canadian Diabetes Assn. is Promoting
Diabetes and CVD in the Previously Healthy Inuit."

Note the quotes about all the fat the Inuit ate when they stayed healthy.

Susan

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

More aptly titled: "How The Canadian Diabetes Assn. is Promoting

Diabetes and CVD in the Previously Healthy Inuit."
Note the quotes about all the fat the Inuit ate when they stayed
healthy. <<

COMMENT:

Not quite fair. There are three historical periods here, and the Inuit
experience one neatly parallels the experience of the Pima indians of
Arizona. The periods are:

1) Natives on Native hunter gatherer diet = health. Few saturated fats
and no alcohol. Calories are hard to come by.
2) Natives lose local hunter gather diet, get put on reservations, buy
Crisco and potato chips and alcohol, and start getting obese, getting
diabetes, and dying like flies.
3) Government is horrified, tries to convert natives to pasta food
pyramid and Mediterranean diet with tropical fruit and light salads.
LOL.

4) Period 4 is failure. But I'm not sure this is the government's fault
in either Canada or the US. Afterall, it hasn't worked on the
non-aboriginal populations, either. European transplants to N. America
are simply *slightly* more reistant to the bad effects of lots of
calories, saturated fats and alcohol than the Indians, having been out
of the neolithic age for a little longer. But we're dying like flies
of obesity/diabetes and heart disease also. Just not *quite* so
dramatically in contrast to our recent past.

SBH

Sbharrisatsignix.netcom.com said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

More aptly titled: "How The Canadian Diabetes Assn. is Promoting

Diabetes and CVD in the Previously Healthy Inuit."
Note the quotes about all the fat the Inuit ate when they stayed
healthy. <<

COMMENT:

Not quite fair. There are three historical periods here, and the Inuit
experience one neatly parallels the experience of the Pima indians of
Arizona. The periods are:

1) Natives on Native hunter gatherer diet = health. Few saturated fats
and no alcohol. Calories are hard to come by.

Lots of movement. These people were born to move. And I don't mean just
moving to follow the caribou, or the seal. In Canada there are three
distinct different Inuit; western Arctic, inland (living more like the
Dene) and eastern Arctic peoples.

Quoted message said:

2) Natives lose local hunter gather diet, get put on reservations, buy
Crisco and potato chips and alcohol, and start getting obese, getting
diabetes, and dying like flies.

There are no Inuit reservatons in Canada. The primarly problem is
hunting and fishing restrictions driven by corporate lobby. Oil and
gas. And outsiders who think seal hunting is bad, and "wildlife
management" types who didn't allow them to folow the caribou for a
couple or three generations. More oil and gas interests there.

Quoted message said:

3) Government is horrified, tries to convert natives to pasta food
pyramid and Mediterranean diet with tropical fruit and light salads.
LOL.

LOL indeed. But the Inuit mostly live in small settlements (not
reservations), now have television and prior to that radio and quelle
horreurs movie theatres and video rentals, dress like Ice Cube and
Beyonce, talk like Coolio and .... They're not in Kansas anymore. They
want what they see. This phenomena has been true since the '60s. It's
the same in Greenland.

4) Period 4 is failure. But I'm not sure this is the government's
fault

Quoted message said:

in either Canada or the US. Afterall, it hasn't worked on the
non-aboriginal populations, either. European transplants to N. America
are simply *slightly* more reistant to the bad effects of lots of
calories, saturated fats and alcohol than the Indians, having been out
of the neolithic age for a little longer. But we're dying like flies
of obesity/diabetes and heart disease also. Just not *quite* so
dramatically in contrast to our recent past.

Who's we white guy?

Quoted message said:

SBH

Another of the major factors changing native lifestyle is pollution,
not only from oil and gas industry in the north, but proven to be
coming from Texas and Michigan and New Jersey doncha know..

....which is killing their traditional diet, and has caused the Nunavut
government (primarly Inuit and Dene with a few whites thrown in for the
blend) to restrict hunting what's left.

The communities, where everyone lives Inuit, Dene or white (remember
it's pitch black and 40 below zero most of the year) are replete with
every mind bending, time wasting, distraction the oil field workers
want, and the industry needs to get them there.

Although there's lots of work, the share that falls to natives is hard
won, and when the heat is off, the natives are let go. The oil
companies don't like hiring natives. After all, they have staff, on
call.

All the educational facilities to move the Inuit into the 21st century
(which is where they want to be) are in the communities.

So ... it's double cheese and hold the anchovies, and Molson's all
round. Kinda like a Sudbury Saturday Night. In fact, just like it...

Zee

Quoted message said:

http://www.inuitdiabetes.ca/mamaqtut_cookbook_final.pdf

Cute! You mean, how the modern "civilized" Inuit eat. Did you miss the
parts about how they ate "in the past" and how it was never a problem
or are you selective in your reading? ;o)

rr

Of course they ate differently in the past! Did you not read my posts?

I explained some of the factors beyond their control which have changed
that. I know there are efforts among the Inuit to renew their culture
and preserve their language and ways, but they would not be able to
return to ways lived 100 years ago, nor do they want to.

Zee

Quoted message said:

Of course they ate differently in the past! Did you not read my posts?

I explained some of the factors beyond their control which have changed
that. I know there are efforts among the Inuit to renew their culture
and preserve their language and ways, but they would not be able to
return to ways lived 100 years ago, nor do they want to.

Zee

I might add that Zee got it pretty much dead on right. While
the comments applied specifically to Canada, with a reference or
two to Greenland, it is also true that *exactly* the same
situation exists in Alaska. It also happens to be basically
true of all Alaska Native people, not just Eskimos (both Inuit
and Yupik).

--
Floyd L. Davidson <http://web.newsguy.com/floyd_davidson>
Ukpeagvik (Barrow, Alaska) [email hidden]

Tansi Floyd

Haven't seen you for a bit. Now I'll check your website to see if you
have any new pix.

zee

4) Period 4 is failure. But I'm not sure this is the government's
fault

Quoted message said:

in either Canada or the US. Afterall, it hasn't worked on the
non-aboriginal populations, either. European transplants to N. America
are simply *slightly* more reistant to the bad effects of lots of
calories, saturated fats and alcohol than the Indians, having been out
of the neolithic age for a little longer. But we're dying like flies
of obesity/diabetes and heart disease also. Just not *quite* so
dramatically in contrast to our recent past.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Who's we white guy?

We European transplants to N. America. Is that not clear from the
above? The shorter the time between the time your ancestors had access
to "cheap dense calorie civilization" and now, the worse your problems
are likely to be. Those of African ancestory in the Northern hemisphere
have worse problems with obesity and diabetes than the European stock,
and their health profile looks a lot like the "natives" because of it.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

There are no Inuit reservatons in Canada. <<

The Inuit, who aren't indians in Cannuckspeak, have Nunavut--- what you
call it immaterial. Reservations in the US only wish they had as much
self-determination as Nunavut. But all tribes in Canada of course do
not. Canada does have "indian reserve lands" for indians (a technical
word which means something different in Canada than it used to in the
US). In the US we say "off reservation" and in Canada you say "off
reserve."

SBH

Quoted message said:

Of course they ate differently in the past! Did you not read my posts?

I explained some of the factors beyond their control which have changed
that. I know there are efforts among the Inuit to renew their culture
and preserve their language and ways, but they would not be able to
return to ways lived 100 years ago, nor do they want to.

Zee

I agree with you. It would not be realistic to expect today's Inuit to
make a complete return to their traditional diet. One of the biggest
problems they would face might be the increasing levels of mercury and
other toxins in their marine food sources. As well, the temperatures
are getting warmer on average which affects their food sources. Not a
great future for the animal life up there either. That said, given
their old high-fat, low-carb diet, moving to a crappy high-carb
western diet is not exactly the best alternative.

rr

Quoted message said:

Of course they ate differently in the past! Did you not read my posts?

I explained some of the factors beyond their control which have changed
that. I know there are efforts among the Inuit to renew their culture
and preserve their language and ways, but they would not be able to
return to ways lived 100 years ago, nor do they want to.

Zee

I agree with you. It would not be realistic to expect today's Inuit to
make a complete return to their traditional diet. One of the biggest
problems they would face might be the increasing levels of mercury and
other toxins in their marine food sources. As well, the temperatures
are getting warmer on average which affects their food sources. Not a
great future for the animal life up there either. That said, given
their old high-fat, low-carb diet, moving to a crappy high-carb
western diet is not exactly the best alternative.

rr

On 25 Jun 2005 11:10:57 -0700, [email hidden] wrote in
<news:[email hidden]> on
sci.med.nutrition,sci.med :

Quoted message said:

http://www.inuitdiabetes.ca/mamaqtut_cookbook_final.pdf

=====================================
In the past, they used a lot of animal fats.
hey used fish oil, which is good for the
body. They dipped their meat into caribou
and seal fat. Cutting fat out of the diet is
recommended today, but Inuit did use to
eat a lot of fat and never had problems with
their health.
======================================

I don't get that.
If Inuit "did use to eat a lot of fat and never had problems with their
health.", why is "cutting fat out of the diet" recommended today?

Shouldn't they just reduce calories, avoid junk foods and be more active?

=====================================
Junk Food
You can not eliminate junk food from a child's diet, [...]
======================================

Why can't you eliminate junk food from a child's diet? (or at least try...)

=====================================
Healthy Appetizers & Snack Recipes

[...]

Bruschetta

1 loaf Italian or French bread
1 tbsp olive oil
2 large tomatoes, chopped
½ cup of sweet onions
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp minced basil
1 tsp minced thyme
1 tsp oregano

Pre-heat the oven to 350° F. Cut the
bread into 6 even slices. Brush each slice
with olive oil and place onto a cookie
sheet. In a medium bowl, combine
topping ingredients. Place onto bread.
Cook in the oven and toast until bottom
of the bread is browned (7-10 minutes).
===================================

I would add the oil and the other topping ingredients later, *after* the
bread is toasted, not in the hot oven.

X'Posted to: sci.med.nutrition,sci.med

On 25 Jun 2005 11:10:57 -0700, [email hidden] wrote in
<news:[email hidden]> on
sci.med.nutrition,sci.med :

Quoted message said:

http://www.inuitdiabetes.ca/mamaqtut_cookbook_final.pdf

=====================================
In the past, they used a lot of animal fats.
hey used fish oil, which is good for the
body. They dipped their meat into caribou
and seal fat. Cutting fat out of the diet is
recommended today, but Inuit did use to
eat a lot of fat and never had problems with
their health.
======================================

I don't get that.
If Inuit "did use to eat a lot of fat and never had problems with their
health.", why is "cutting fat out of the diet" recommended today?

Shouldn't they just reduce calories, avoid junk foods and be more active?

=====================================
Junk Food
You can not eliminate junk food from a child's diet, [...]
======================================

Why can't you eliminate junk food from a child's diet? (or at least try...)

=====================================
Healthy Appetizers & Snack Recipes

[...]

Bruschetta

1 loaf Italian or French bread
1 tbsp olive oil
2 large tomatoes, chopped
½ cup of sweet onions
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp minced basil
1 tsp minced thyme
1 tsp oregano

Pre-heat the oven to 350° F. Cut the
bread into 6 even slices. Brush each slice
with olive oil and place onto a cookie
sheet. In a medium bowl, combine
topping ingredients. Place onto bread.
Cook in the oven and toast until bottom
of the bread is browned (7-10 minutes).
===================================

I would add the oil and the other topping ingredients later, *after* the
bread is toasted, not in the hot oven.

X'Posted to: sci.med.nutrition,sci.med

Yup. Agreed, re: pollution.
rr

Quoted message said:

Another of the major factors changing native lifestyle is pollution,
not only from oil and gas industry in the north, but proven to be
coming from Texas and Michigan and New Jersey doncha know..

...which is killing their traditional diet, and has caused the Nunavut
government (primarly Inuit and Dene with a few whites thrown in for the
blend) to restrict hunting what's left.

The communities, where everyone lives Inuit, Dene or white (remember
it's pitch black and 40 below zero most of the year) are replete with
every mind bending, time wasting, distraction the oil field workers
want, and the industry needs to get them there.

Although there's lots of work, the share that falls to natives is hard
won, and when the heat is off, the natives are let go. The oil
companies don't like hiring natives. After all, they have staff, on
call.

All the educational facilities to move the Inuit into the 21st century
(which is where they want to be) are in the communities.

So ... it's double cheese and hold the anchovies, and Molson's all
round. Kinda like a Sudbury Saturday Night. In fact, just like it...

Zee

Yup. Agreed, re: pollution.
rr

Quoted message said:

Another of the major factors changing native lifestyle is pollution,
not only from oil and gas industry in the north, but proven to be
coming from Texas and Michigan and New Jersey doncha know..

...which is killing their traditional diet, and has caused the Nunavut
government (primarly Inuit and Dene with a few whites thrown in for the
blend) to restrict hunting what's left.

The communities, where everyone lives Inuit, Dene or white (remember
it's pitch black and 40 below zero most of the year) are replete with
every mind bending, time wasting, distraction the oil field workers
want, and the industry needs to get them there.

Although there's lots of work, the share that falls to natives is hard
won, and when the heat is off, the natives are let go. The oil
companies don't like hiring natives. After all, they have staff, on
call.

All the educational facilities to move the Inuit into the 21st century
(which is where they want to be) are in the communities.

So ... it's double cheese and hold the anchovies, and Molson's all
round. Kinda like a Sudbury Saturday Night. In fact, just like it...

Zee

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I don't get that.

If Inuit "did use to eat a lot of fat and never had problems with
their
health.", why is "cutting fat out of the diet" recommended today? <<

COMMENT:

The optomistic answer: Because the wise authorities know that the
Inuit are not likely to go back to a diet of high cold-water marine
fat, and (even if not hunting) go and subsist mostly on canned red
salmon and kippered herring bought at the local grocery, with some
frozen berries and vitamins. Therefore most fat the Inuit get at the
grocery these days is going to be the kind of stuff that will kill
them. Hydrogenated veg oil in junk food, Crisco, farmed meat, and cream
cheese.

The cynical answer: Because the clueless athorities don't even know as
much as the above, and think ALL high fat diets are bad for diabetics
because that's what they've been tought in school. So they're trying to
put the Inuit on the same food pyramid that they're trying to put all
diabetics on, end of story. Never having considered that the Inuit
doesn't have much diabetes on their traditional diet.

Let us not, BTW, make the mistake that the Inuit diet was some kind of
garden of Eden delight that magically protected them from all diseases.
Eskimos eating the traditional diet famously had hemorrhagic stoke,
many infection problems, some arthritis, and even some coronary disease
(though not as much as these days). But obesity, hypertension,
diabetes, and the general metabolic syndrome and the complications of
same, no. That's from Western junk diet.

SBH

SBH

Sbharrisatsignix.netcom.com said:

4) Period 4 is failure. But I'm not sure this is the government's
fault

Quoted message said:

in either Canada or the US. Afterall, it hasn't worked on the
non-aboriginal populations, either. European transplants to N. America
are simply *slightly* more reistant to the bad effects of lots of
calories, saturated fats and alcohol than the Indians, having been out
of the neolithic age for a little longer. But we're dying like flies
of obesity/diabetes and heart disease also. Just not *quite* so
dramatically in contrast to our recent past.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Who's we white guy?

We European transplants to N. America. Is that not clear from the
above? The shorter the time between the time your ancestors had access
to "cheap dense calorie civilization" and now, the worse your problems
are likely to be. Those of African ancestory in the Northern hemisphere
have worse problems with obesity and diabetes than the European stock,
and their health profile looks a lot like the "natives" because of it.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

There are no Inuit reservatons in Canada. <<

The Inuit, who aren't indians in Cannuckspeak, have Nunavut--- what you
call it immaterial.

To you.

And there aren't any indians (sic) in Canada. Or Nunuvut.

Reservations in the US only wish they had as much

Quoted message said:

self-determination as Nunavut.

Nunavut is not a reservation and isn't Inuit land.

But all tribes in Canada of course do

Quoted message said:

not.

None do in fact. There aren't any tribes in Canada.

Canada does have "indian reserve lands" for indians (a technical

Quoted message said:

word which means something different in Canada than it used to in the
US).

There are no "indian reserve lands" (sic).

In the US we say "off reservation" and in Canada you say "off

Quoted message said:

reserve."

No we don't.

Zee

Quoted message said:

SBH

On 26 Jun 2005 16:15:28 -0700, Sbharris[atsign]ix.netcom.com wrote in
<news:[email hidden]> on
sci.med.nutrition,sci.med :

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I don't get that.

If Inuit "did use to eat a lot of fat and never had problems with
their
health.", why is "cutting fat out of the diet" recommended today? <<

COMMENT:

The optomistic answer: Because the wise authorities know that the
Inuit are not likely to go back to a diet of high cold-water marine
fat, and (even if not hunting) go and subsist mostly on canned red
salmon and kippered herring bought at the local grocery, with some
frozen berries and vitamins. Therefore most fat the Inuit get at the
grocery these days is going to be the kind of stuff that will kill
them. Hydrogenated veg oil in junk food, Crisco, farmed meat, and cream
cheese.

No way. 🙂

The wise authorities also provide a recipe for bruschetta with olive oil,
so they assume that Inuit people will no more use the "bad" fat after
reading the booklet!

Still, the wise authorities feel the need of recommending "cutting fat out
of the diet".
Less oil on bruschettas? 😉

Quoted message said:

The cynical answer: Because the clueless athorities don't even know as
much as the above, and think ALL high fat diets are bad for diabetics
because that's what they've been tought in school. So they're trying to
put the Inuit on the same food pyramid that they're trying to put all
diabetics on, end of story. Never having considered that the Inuit
doesn't have much diabetes on their traditional diet.

Haven't the clueless authorities heard of the new Joslin Center guide lines
for diabetes?

Quoted message said:

Let us not, BTW, make the mistake that the Inuit diet was some kind of
garden of Eden delight that magically protected them from all diseases.
Eskimos eating the traditional diet famously had hemorrhagic stoke,
many infection problems, some arthritis, and even some coronary disease
(though not as much as these days).

And I read somewhere they ate all the parts of their preys, including the
eyes and glands, to get all the vitamins they needed (and couldn't get from
vegetables)... is that correct?

Quoted message said:

But obesity, hypertension,
diabetes, and the general metabolic syndrome and the complications of
same, no. That's from Western junk diet.

Ok. Anyway, I see a communication problem with that booklet. They kinda
don't explain very much, and provide some apparently contradictory
information (fat was healthy in the past... yet fat is bad now), I think.

X'Posted to: sci.med.nutrition,sci.med

--
Enrico C

The bruscetta started out with the first ingredient as highly processed,
junk food, carbohydrate hell....bread.

"Enrico C" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

On 26 Jun 2005 16:15:28 -0700, Sbharris[atsign]ix.netcom.com wrote in
<news:[email hidden]> on
sci.med.nutrition,sci.med :

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

>I don't get that.

If Inuit "did use to eat a lot of fat and never had problems with
their
health.", why is "cutting fat out of the diet" recommended today? <<

COMMENT:

The optomistic answer: Because the wise authorities know that the
Inuit are not likely to go back to a diet of high cold-water marine
fat, and (even if not hunting) go and subsist mostly on canned red
salmon and kippered herring bought at the local grocery, with some
frozen berries and vitamins. Therefore most fat the Inuit get at the
grocery these days is going to be the kind of stuff that will kill
them. Hydrogenated veg oil in junk food, Crisco, farmed meat, and cream
cheese.

No way. 🙂

The wise authorities also provide a recipe for bruschetta with olive oil,
so they assume that Inuit people will no more use the "bad" fat after
reading the booklet!

Still, the wise authorities feel the need of recommending "cutting fat out
of the diet".
Less oil on bruschettas? 😉

Quoted message said:

The cynical answer: Because the clueless athorities don't even know as
much as the above, and think ALL high fat diets are bad for diabetics
because that's what they've been tought in school. So they're trying to
put the Inuit on the same food pyramid that they're trying to put all
diabetics on, end of story. Never having considered that the Inuit
doesn't have much diabetes on their traditional diet.

Haven't the clueless authorities heard of the new Joslin Center guide

lines

Quoted message said:

for diabetes?

Quoted message said:

Let us not, BTW, make the mistake that the Inuit diet was some kind of
garden of Eden delight that magically protected them from all diseases.
Eskimos eating the traditional diet famously had hemorrhagic stoke,
many infection problems, some arthritis, and even some coronary disease
(though not as much as these days).

And I read somewhere they ate all the parts of their preys, including the
eyes and glands, to get all the vitamins they needed (and couldn't get

from

Quoted message said:

vegetables)... is that correct?

Quoted message said:

But obesity, hypertension,
diabetes, and the general metabolic syndrome and the complications of
same, no. That's from Western junk diet.

Ok. Anyway, I see a communication problem with that booklet. They kinda
don't explain very much, and provide some apparently contradictory
information (fat was healthy in the past... yet fat is bad now), I think.

X'Posted to: sci.med.nutrition,sci.med

--
Enrico C