FORGOTTEN MIRACLES continues as we explore the traditional way of eating and the foods eaten.
Banana
Hausa : Ayaba
Yoruba: Ọ̀gẹ̀dẹ̀ wẹ́wẹ́
Zulu: Ibhanana
Swahili: Ndizi
Oromo: muuzii
Akan: kwadu
Banana has been around for centuries now. It is a delicacy enjoyed by both old and young. In Africa it is hard to see one who does not enjoy the fruit. The fruit in time past was served with different other fruits creating a combination with great health benefits. These combinations often supplied a good amount of nutrients ordinarily the body might not get through regular dishes. One example of such serving is groundnut and banana, both complementing each other nutritionally. Ground provides a good protein pack while banana throws in vitamins and minerals, all not denatured through extensive heating.
Banana has a good nutrient pack especially vitamins and minerals. Its content includes carbohydrates, protein, fats, vitamins, dietary fiber, iron, magnesium, potassium, manganese, phosphorus, zinc. Banana has a nice energy value and thus a good number of fingers can keep the body charged for hours.
Maybe unknown to the Africans of old, banana is anti-depressant. It was hardly heard suicide surfaced regularly within older African generations. Depression is at the top of causes of suicide and while the western world’s older generation viewed suicide an escape route, Africans of the same generation hardly contemplated suicide. What we eat define us, though we might not scientifically link low suicide number in Africa to food, we still know scientifically food plays a role in mood swing.
Banana play critical role in regulating bowel movement. It also regulates blood pressure thus reducing risks leading to stroke. We might think precolonial Africans were relatively happy having no worrisome issues. The truth is the reverse. There were tons of problems to deal with such as protecting settlements from invaders and slave raiders, unfavorable climatic conditions relative to crops out in farms. The book Things Fall Apart listed a few things potent enough to induce worrying. Okonkwo kept worrying about his son's unmanly behaviors, he worried about Ikemefuna after he was murdered and when the white men came worries doubled. Eating right and natural played a very critical role in decreasing blood pressure leading to overall healthy body.
Men bent while working hard for long hours is a common view in old Africa, this might be a catalyst to European interest in slave trade. Long hours of work require stronger bones. Banana offer a great deal of minerals required in bone strengthening. Banana is an instant energy giving food. Older generations must have taken breaks from farm work to snack on it thereby rejuvenating the body’s spent energy. It is also a healthy brain food capable of reducing menstrual pain. It also protects against ulcer.
CUCUMBER
Igbo: kukumba
Hausa: kakamba
Yoruba: kọkunba
Swahili: tango
Zulu: ikhukhamba
The crunchy fruit nutritional content afforded the plant a lot of possibilities. It is a fact that Africans of old walked miles and miles to farms and remote markets. They do these everyday of the week while in some cases three to five times each week. The mileage covered is a great way of exercising while requiring strong joints for such daily tasking. Cucumber provides excellent bone strengthening properties leading to reduction of arthritis occurrence. Another way the fruit helps keep arthritis away is through its ability to aid weight loss. Obesity is a major health issue in America and Europe, however the disease is gaining pace in different parts of Africa. The major causes of Obesity in Africa are the increase dependence on unhealthy processed foods and reduction in mobility due to increase in car ownership. While these two factors were minimal or even absent decades ago, a return to healthier foods such as cucumber can help weight reduction.
Modern science suggets cucumber might be very helpful in dealing with stress. Some phytochemicals found in the vegetable may help keep stress related diseases away.
Cucumber protects the digestive system. It is a high alkaline food capable of providing adequate protection to body cells. An interesting finding on cucumber centers on the health of the kidney as one ages. The kidney tasked with regulating blood pH slowly relinquishes this ability as one ages. Most of the foods available are more acidic than cucumber thus stressing an aged kidney. Cucumber may provide the needed aid in increasing the pH of the blood. Also a three year study according to Dawson-Hughes B, Harris SS, and Ceglia L. in the article Alkaline diets favor lean tissue mass in older adults found in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. (2008; 87(3):662-665.) showed a reduction in aging and wastage of muscles linked to cucumber intake.
Cucumber protects the brain from slow degeneration. Alzheimer disease though common in western countries of the world has failed to take footing among Africans. The number of sufferers of the disease is low and even lower decades ago. Cucumber contains many phytochemicals which protects brain cells as one ages.
WATERMELON
Zulu: ikhabe
Xhosa: ujodo
Igbo: anyụ
Hausa: guna
Yoruba: elegede
Watermelon is native to Africa originating primarily from west Africa. The fruit has been around for ages. From the plates of ancient Egyptians to the City states of the old Hausa kingdoms the fruit dominated the dishes of old. This is not surprising since watermelon contain a high amount of water and a good source of rehydrating the body.
The fruit contains carbohydrates, Vitamins, proteins, calcium, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, zinc.
Watermelon has anti-inflammatory properties. It contains compounds that probably play different roles in reduction of cancer risks. There are studies suggesting watermelon may help decrease the risk of tumor growth. Again we see another plant which plays a role in protecting and strengthening of muscles. We have established the fact what we eat defines our overall health. It takes good energy and healthy muscles to survive under the blistering sun in Africa for long hours tending the fields. A poor diet will spell doom for such worker in the field since the body lacked essentials and energy required for such conditions. The present African generation lack the stamina to survive for short periods in the fields. Only a small percentage might still garner up strength similar to those the older generations exhibited.
Watermelon provides protection not only for muscles but for the skin also. Though we might say Africa today posses more radiant skins yet at what cost. The inflow of creams of different chemical formulations into African markets can provide a superficially glimmer on the skin but below this the skin suffers. Watermelon provided the older generations better radiant skin and also protection from the harsh Ultra violet rays of the skin. It is worthy to note that these men spent hours under the fierce bite of the sun in open fields laboring yet their skin never lost its beauty to diseases.
Watermelon also provides Specific benefits to the heart. It contains various compounds which help keep the heart healthy. Lycopene found in watermelon can help lower blood pressure and also contributes to the well-being of the heart.
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