Post on 23-Dec-2015
Traditional Food Dietary Guide for Alaska Native Cancer
SurvivorsChanging Patterns in Cancer in Native
Communities
September 7, 2007Christine A. DeCourtney, MPA
Karen M. Mitchell
• Alaska is one-fifth the size of the lower 48 states. • It measures 2,400 miles east to west. • It measures 1,420 miles north to south.
Project Background
• Maintaining a healthy diet is important for cancer patients.
• During treatment and survivorship, dietary recommendations are often unfamiliar to Alaska Natives.
• They told me to eat kale when I was getting cancer treatment. I don’t even know what kale is. I wanted sea asparagus. Ethel Lund,
Alaska Native cancer survivor
• There are no culturally appropriate nutritional resources available for Alaska Natives.
• Lance Armstrong Foundation provided funding to develop nutritional resources for Alaska Native cancer patients.
Proportion of energy and nutrients from Native foods
15
31
5
21
15
24
23
56
14
61
25
0 20 40 60 80
Kilocalories
Protein
Carbohydrate
Fat
Saturated Fat
Monounsaturated Fat
Polyunsaturated Fat
ω -3 Fatty Acids
Trans Fatty Acids
Vitamin B12
Iron
%
Contents
• Traditional Foods—Good for Life• Eating for health• Foods from the land and sea• Plants• Recipes• Eating during cancer treatment• Managing cancer treatment side effects• Glossary• References• Resources
• Happiness is healing. Elders need to taste the food they’ve grown up on so they can feel good about themselves again—it’s a healing thing.
Frank Wright, Hoonah
Contact information
• Christine DeCourtney cdecourtney@anmc.org or 907.729.3922
• Karen Mitchell kmmitchell@anthc.org or 907.729.4491