How the Navajo Nation is tackling diabetes with a return to its ancestral diet
7 hours ago
- #Navajo Nation
- #Plant-Based Diet
- #Indigenous Health
- Jonathan Nez, former Navajo Nation president, lost 100 pounds after a child challenged his health advice, inspiring a shift to plant-based diets and running.
- Navajo leaders promote returning to traditional foods like the 'Diné Power Plate' to combat high rates of diabetes, driven by historical forced assimilation and food deprivation.
- The Physicians Committee advocates replacing colonizer foods like fry bread with Indigenous crops such as maize, beans, and squash, supported by programs and tax policies.
- Jenson Yazzie’s family successfully adopted a plant-based diet, leading to a 100-pound weight loss and improved well-being, despite living in a food desert.
- Efforts focus on spiritual, cultural, and health reclamation, aiming to influence federal policies and spread Indigenous food knowledge nationwide.