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.

• Buy Local!

– Catch local– Gather local– Share local– Eat local

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