The African Way

By Alice

Some of you may know me and some of you not. I only started Crossfit in April/May but have been well educated about the community and the Paleo diet for a good six months! Thank you Adam. I have recently been on holiday in Africa for two and a half weeks and whilst there I saw first-hand, hunter gatherers and clean eating. But I also saw the effect the western world and its processed food is having on these people and not for the better. African women have beautiful figures and beautiful bottoms but due to the introduction of big chain fast food companies and supermarkets many Africans are now developing large not so beautiful midlines! Men included. African village people in more built up areas or towns still live in grass huts and have their own gardens and farm goats, pigs and cattle to make a living. Unfortunately these are the people that often end up spending their money on candy, crisps and fast food because they believe these are fabulous and if you can eat like this you are richer or better person! Many people are losing land and cannot afford to live because of this. Market stalls that contained coconuts, bananas and fresh produce have been replaced by Twisties, Sweets and Kitkats. I visited the local supermarket a few times and I have never seen a bigger packet of biscuits it was larger than my airplane carry on bag! I think it was a 1500g pack. Africans have been hunter gatherers for hundreds of thousands of years and as we learn in Anna’s nutrition classes we are not built to eat these foods, yet the powers that be are shoving it down our necks all over the world. South Africa has the 4th largest hospital in the world surrounded by shanty housing and around 2million annual patients! (500,000 people live in Tassie!)
On a happier note I was lucky enough to visit and experience more traditional cultural villages inland Mozambique and Zimbabwe, where they still hunt for food, majority with spear or traps and some still in loin cloth. They grow their own vegetables and these are the happiest people I have ever met. They live by the phrase ‘Hakuna Matata’ (There are no worries). They have dirt floors and thatch their roof from grass or coconut palm leaves, money means nothing but good produce and hunting means everything. When they catch a large animal they gather from far and wide to consume it! They call themselves “meatatarians”. The only time they travel to see a health professional is to vaccinate their children. This is usually a 10hr return walk!
If I have taken anything away from this trip it is to not take anything for granted. People or produce. Appreciate the people and land around you. Drummond previously mentioned that we are lucky to have such quality local produce. Eating this produce not only improves your quality of life but also promotes a cycle. The more you give the more you get. The more we give to our local farmers and purchase their produce hopefully in turn there will be more available…….. Or grab a fence pale - fix a spear, don some wallaby skin and hunt your own!

My favourite meal whilst away: Beef sausage, Pork sausage, Beef sirloin steak, African fowl (chicken), Ostrich, Water Buffalo, Kingfish, Warthog and Stir fry vegies. Yummo!