A study on the awareness of traditional foods among the younger

generations in tamil nadu

1. Traditional food refers to foods consumed over the long-term duration of

civilization through generations,[1] and foods and dishes that are traditional or have a historic
precedent in a national, regional or local cuisine. Traditional foods and beverages may be
produced as homemade, by restaurants and small manufacturers, and by large food
processing plant facilities.[2] This article also includes information about
traditional beverages.

2. By contrast, the way we eat today is vastly different.

We have grown so accustomed to food being produced the way it is, we often dont think
beyond the package or the can. Since the advent of mechanization and processing techniques
developed during the time around the Industrial Revolution, our food has become
increasingly removed and modified from its natural state.

The effect these processes have had on our health has been profound. To the average person,
the notion of eating healthy or nutritious food has been been translated into something which
powerful companies are now able to employ effective marketing strategies by which to sell
products. Notice how you will rarely see an ad on television or in a magazine for a whole,
organic food.

Ads are persuasive and successful tools that sell products but they rarely sell health. The
good news is, you do have a choice. With a little information, you can become empowered to
take charge of your own health instead of letting an advertisement tell you whats healthy.
One of the best ways to take control of your own health is to eliminate processed foods from
your diet and start eating traditional foods.
For some, the idea of changing ways of eating is very challenging. Maybe you buy a lot of
convenience foods and feel as though you simply dont have time or desire to cook, or maybe
you dont have the energy to plan ahead and think about meals in advance. Changing eating
habits may not be easy, but perhaps you have some health issues motivating you to do
something about problems youd like to eliminate but havent had success in treating with
conventional medicine.
What are traditional foods?

Traditional foods are those eaten by people over the longer course of civilization and which
have supported health cultivated, produced, and harvested from the earth and out of nature
foods which are wholly unaltered and organic, and contain the highest levels of nutrition or
are nutrient-dense.
These foods have been eaten for millennia by people around the world. They are not
processed or packaged and sent all over the planet, so in many cases traditional foods are also
those found in your local community.

Some examples include using real fats for cooking such as butter or lard instead of vegetable
oil which is a modern, industrialized fat, or meat and poultry from humanely-raised animals
or birds living out in the open on green pasture. We have been taught to believe many of
foods we eat are from natural healthy sources, but the reality is that most of what is bought
and sold on the market is as unnatural as can possibly be.

Traditional foods, as described on The Weston A. Price Foundation web site:

It is these real, whole, nourishing foods enjoyed for generation upon generation that provide
the cells of our bodies with the necessary fats, proteins, vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients
needed for vibrant health. This state of well-being is characterized by a quiet and strong
digestive system, superior brain function, blissful sleep, sturdy bones, calm mind and an
immune function that prevents infection.

Some of the most penetrating research into the effects of a traditional diet on health was
conducted by Dr. Weston A. Price, a dentist in America during the early part of the 20th
century. Back in the 1930s, Dr. Price noticed a troubling pattern developing among his
patients: those with the worst teeth typically had the worst health problems elsewhere in the
body. To satisfy his curiosity as to the cause of this unhealthy trend, Price traveled the globe
for ten years to study the effects of modern foods on dental health and physical development.
His research is detailed in his book,Nutrition and Physical Degeneration, first published in
1939. Dr. Prices findings were remarkable indeed. The correlation between diet and physical
health and development was incontestable. Among the many indigenous cultures he visited,
the differences between those who had remained with their ancestral diet from birth and those
who had succumbed to the temptations of the western culturesnamely sugar, white flour,
and soft drinkswere undeniable!
Price found that the native groups eating their traditional wholesome diet had less than one
percent of their permanent teeth decayed. You may be thinking, They must have brushed
their teeth day and night! In fact, these cultures never used a toothbrush. The good doctor
concluded that the state of ones teeth was an excellent reflection of the state of ones overall
physical and mental health. Moreover, those consuming nutrient-dense foods produced
offspring with beautifully round faces, and jaws wide enough to accommodate all their teeth
with proper spacing, few or no cavities, and broad heads to allow for proper brain
development. No one needed braces in societies consuming traditional foods!

Need
The most critical reason is for health, as traditional foods by their very nature contain
the highest levels of nutrition available because they are grown with sustainable
methods which increase nutrient content and without chemicals and other dangerous
substances which have been found to diminish nutritional value. To achieve wellness,
the body needs nutrients from real food. Eating traditional foods helps to avoid many
health issues including allergies, asthma, digestive and cardiovascular health issues,
obesity, and auto-immune disorders like lupus, fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, and
even Diabetes.
Traditional, real food possesses taste that is vastly different from conventional and
processed foods. Traditional foods are full of flavor, texture, and aroma.
Eating traditional foods supports smaller, family farms and food-producing
operations. When you eat traditional foods, you are also helping the environment by
using your dollars to support sustainable methods of food production.

What are the results of consuming a diet with a lot of processed foods?
In Dr. Prices travels, he noticed the appearance of various diseases and conditions in cultures
who had began to eat processed foods. He observed that when populations consumed fell
prey to modern processing and began consuming vegetable oils, white flour and white
sugar they began to experience widespread physical degeneration: tooth decay and disease
developed over the period of just one generation. Dental crowding and cavities were common
to those consuming white flour and sugar, as well as problems in the digestion, skin,
circulation, reproduction, nervous system, musculoskeletal/joint, and all areas of health.
Intake of excessive white flour and sugar has been connected to most major health issues
including (but definitely not limited to): osteoporosis, cancer, hypoglycemia, cardiovascular
disease, adrenal exhaustion, metabolic, endocrine, and reproductive disorders, parasitic and
yeast infections. The immune system also lowers in function within minutes of consumption
of sugar. A compromised immune system naturally leads to more flus, colds, sore throats,
allergic reactions, depression, and irritability. In addition, the more sugar you consume, the
faster you accelerate the aging process.

A good place to start

Your health food store or your farmers market are two excellent places to start on your
traditional food quest. If you have never bought local meat or produce from a farmer or from
your neighborhood health food store, today is the day to give it a try. Farmers markets are
now available in most cities, and many local health food stores sell local meat and produce as
well.

There is something very satisfying about developing a relationship with a person who
produces the food you eat. Its an experience you wont find in Wal-Mart other chains, or
even your city grocery store where everything is often quite impersonal, and knowing where
your food comes from is invariably much more difficult. When you take the time to find out
how your food is produced and get to know the farmers who raise and it, you will come to
understand the satisfying results of eating real, traditional food for both improved health and
environmental stewardship.

3. An Introduction to Traditional Foods

Posted on December 30, 2013 by vitahealth

Traditional foods are foods and preparation methods that existed prior to mass
commercialization of food. Basically any food that is natural, minimally processed, or
unprocessed could be considered traditional, however there are some major differences
between traditional and modern diets. Before refrigeration, preservatives, and pasteurization,
the practice of fermentation was common in all cultures. Everything from vegetables, grains,
and dairy to meat and fish was fermented, making these foods more digestible and nutritious.

The preparation of grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds through soaking, sprouting, or fermenting
was especially important and universal to ancestral cultures. Another difference was the
respectful and holistic use of animals and animal products, which included consuming raw
milk, organs, fats, and making bone broths. Harnessing the power of Traditional Foods goes
along with the understanding that modern processed foods and industrialized methods, such
as the use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers, artificial preservatives, colours, and flavours,
and genetic modification, can really harm the integrity of the foods we eat. Current refining
practices can leave food dead, denatured, and nutritionally empty. These practices are
associated with nutritional deficiencies and digestive disorders, as opposed to Traditional
Foods, which are often raw and deeply nurturing.

There are a variety of forces influencing the revival of traditional diets. Many people are
driven by nostalgic memories of grandma making pickles or giving spoonfuls of cod liver
oil. Many others are inspired by recent authors and books such as;

Popularity in the related Paleo Movement is growing, lots of great blogs dedicated to
ancestral foods have emerged, and nose-to-tail dining is one of the latest culinary trends.
You can now easily find many Traditional Foods like raw sauerkrauts and cheeses, misos and
tempehs, sourdough breads, organ meats, and even new products like fermented vitamins in
health stores.
Nostalgia and a connection to the past are compelling reasons to discover Traditional Foods.
Another reason is the many health benefits that have been demonstrated. Fermentation, for
example, not only pre-digests difficult foods like dairy, grains, and soy, but it actually
supplies probiotics and enzymes, enhances nutrients and creates new anti-inflammatory and
immune boosting properties. Ongoing research is constantly verifying the connection
between digestion and disease, and the amazing healing power of microbes. Naturally raised,
pasture-fed animals and ethically wild-harvested seafoods are some of the most nutrient
dense sources of essential fats and scarce vitamins and minerals available to us. Traditional
Foods such as these have nourished people throughout history and are based on an
accumulated ancestral knowledge of the environment and the human body. In a
Traditional diet, food is your medicine!