Sustenance means sustaining life and nourishing the body. What we eat and drink is called sustenance, and from these, our bodies get energy for bodily activities. Its important to understand which kind of elements our bodies need, and to be able to know which kind of food to get these elements from. For example, nutritive meals are essential for people who engage in hard activities, while light and digestible meals are recommended for people who don’t do physical work.
Americans generally have poor eating methods which negatively impacts on their health. Elements contained in food have a development role that it plays in human beings and this aspect is ignored by most Americans. Meals which keep the body healthy mature and far from diseases are very essential in one’s meals but you find that in most cases it misses in an American’s culture. It’s upon an individual to ensure that he gets appropriate sustenance from the variety that nature provides. People who take into account these sustenance rules live a healthy life, those who don’t, will most likely become unhealthy. Even though most Americans consider meals as a resource of taste and to fill the stomach, the importance of meals in real sense doesn’t end here because it’s helpful in the development of brain and character along with healthy body.
Food and Drink consumption
Instead of nurturing a culture of including fresh fruits, sprouted grains, green vegetables etc in their meals, because such foodstuffs contain essential minerals which prevent diseases from attacking the body and providing the body with nutritive elements, Americans opt for fast foods such as potato fries, burgers, hot dogs, pizza and diet drinks, which end up depositing large amounts of calories in their bodies. They often ignore nutritive meals that nourish and benefit the body and go for fast foods and preserved ones.
If Americans culture would promote this kind of consumption; taking granulated flour, groats, sprouted green kidney bean instead of fine flour, taking unpolished rice instead of taking polished rice, taking dry Indian gooseberry instead of taking betel, and taking boiled vegetables instead of fried ones, the rising health problems arising from the poor drink and food consumption patterns, like obesity would be reduced reasonably. Individuals are encouraged to consume enough water, up to two litres a day. One is advised not to wait until thirst strikes, as this would mean that already body cells and processes are already suffering. Drinking water should therefore be made an every time activity.
Uncooked or raw foodstuffs usually have high levels of minerals and vitamins which are good for human health, but this kind of meal is usually overlooked by Americans. They prefer junk foods because of how readily they are availed and the great tastes they carry. Instead of drinking cold water, most Americans take tea in the morning.
Late nights meals are discouraged because one should take at least three hours after taking a meal, before going to bed. Charter (78), advices that meals should only be taken when one is hungry, when one feels appetite is when he should eat. When all these are taken into consideration, obesity will reduce in both adults and children in America. They should, in addition exercise more, especially children who are slowly doing away with outdoor games and resorting to video games which in a way promotes laziness in them, as it is healthy for their bodies.
Healing and Wellness
Americans culture is so diverse because of human diversity that it contains. The general American culture acknowledges that some foods / meals provide healing and wellness for mankind; mind, body and spirit.
Many evolving cultural healing practices in America today are employed effectively for healthcare and wellness of mankind. Ables (132) notes that these drugs presently used, have their origin traced in the ancient days, as used by traditional healers. These healing methods have been proved to be effective and efficient. For example consumption of wheat has been proved to treat constipation, and also garlic consumption is also recommended for individuals who suffer blood pressure imbalance as it helps in its regulation. It’s clear how different foodstuff have been found to have medicinal value and used to treat and this brings healing and wellness to the body, mind and spirit keeping individuals healthy.
Most plants, which are edible, have been discovered to have medicinal value and are used for healing and wellness in America today. Examples include aloe Vera, neem, cinnamon, garlic and ginger. Efforts have been put, not only to make these plants edible but also to include them in meals and other products consumed everyday because of their medicinal value.
Eating fruits and vegetables reduces the risk of cancer, prevents constipation, improves digestion, prolongs life by reversing the aging process, repairs damaged skin, prevents fatigue and reinforces stamina. It prevents several other diseases like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, stroke and hypertension. American culture should promote consumption of dried or evaporated fruits because it contains much more nutritional material in proportion to their weight than do fresh ones because of the concentration by evaporation.
Vegetarian diet is advised as vegetables have greater healing effects on the human body as compared to the non vegetarian diet. Because of the benefits obtained from these native cultural healing and wellness methods, there is need for awareness to be created from generation to generation so that these methods are carried on and on and the benefits enjoyed.
Conclusion
It’s therefore very important for individuals to be enlightened on which elements their bodies needs and from which kinds of foods these elements can be obtained, and in what quantities and frequency. American government tries to promote this culture by including this in its schools’ curriculum in subjects like sociology to ensure that its population is well educated on sustenance and health and its importance passed on to the next generation. It also promote this by working hand in hand with companies that produce foodstuffs to ensure that they note on the packages the quantity and type of elements contained in them, as this will guide consumers on how much to consume and this will to a big percentage improve wellness of its population.
Works cited
Abels, Sona Leib. Spirituality in social work practice: Narratives for professional helping. Denver, CO: Love Publishing, 2002.
Charter, David. Relation of sustenance with health. JKhealthworld.com, 2013. Web. 01 May 2013.
