The Africa Diet: The Ingredients for Week 1

 

I am so excited about this diet. I have been waiting a while to do it, and it took so much research you can't even know. For weeks earlier this year, during my vast research on all of these different diets, I was trying to find a country in Africa to do - and it seemed impossible. There's a reason we're always hearing about starving children in Africa - because there seems to be no food.

In all the hours and hours of research I did about the native foods to the continent, it was like there were parts where there was food, and other parts where there wasn't any. I did research on the natives, and what they ate. I did research on the different tribes and what they do eat. And no matter where I looked, it seemed it was either things that would be impossible to find here stateside (most specifically at Whole Foods), or there wasn't anything at all. In fact, in some of the research I dug up, researchers with much higher titles and degrees than mine, discovered and concluded that many of the native ancient Africans in certain parts of the continent died from...you guessed it, starvation.

So, it appeared that I was either going to have to eliminate Africa altogether, or starve for four weeks. I wasn't really happy about doing either. And then I came up with a plan. Instead of doing a specific country...I would do regions.

What's going to be particularly different and unique about this diet, is that it will be four weeks, each week divided up into different sections of the continent.

Week 1 will be Northern Africa, Week 2 will be West and East (which I will explain when the time comes), Week 3 will be Central Africa and Week 4 will be Southern Africa.

Week 1 will be very similar to the upcoming diet I will be doing between November and December, but that information will be given in due time.

For now, let's talk about Week 1 of The Africa Diet - North Africa.

Northern Africa includes:

Egypt, Libya, Algeria, Morocco, and the Western Sahara

Here are the ingredients, and explanations for why I will be eating them on this diet. If there is no explanation then that means it is native to the region.

1. Cumin - ancient Egyptians ate this spice

2. Dill - ancient Egyptians ate this spice

3. Coriander - ancient Egyptians ate this spice

4. Mustard - ancient Egyptians ate it 

5. Thyme - ancient Egyptians ate it 

6. Marjoram - ancient Egyptians ate it 

7. Cinnamon -  ancient Egyptians ate this spice

8. Lettuces - The ancient Egyptians considered it the "god of fertility"

9. Watermelon 

10. Fava beans 

11. Lentils

12. Wheat 

13. Honey

14. Couscous

*10-13 Google says "The ancient Berber tribes who lived there nomadically invented couscous, and lived on fava beans, lentils, wheat and honey."

15. Pomegranates - ancient Egyptians ate them

16. Wine - and grapes

17. Olives 

18. Olive Oil 

19. Butter 

20. Lemons

21. Garlic - spread to Northern Africa in 3,000 B.C.

22. Onions - were an object of worship in ancient Egypt

23. Dates 

24. Figs 



25. Lamb

26. Sheep Milk Cheeses

* 16-26 Google says "Across North Africa (in general) traditional foods are wine, olives, olive oil, preserved butter, preserved lemons, garlic, onions, dates, figs, lamb, and sheep milk cheeses"

27. Goats - migrated to Northeast Africa 7,000 years ago

28. Peas

29. Spinach


*28-29 Google says, "More than 7,000 years ago prehistoric people in the African Sahara were making dairy products such as cheese.  Peas and spinach were eaten by ancient Egyptians.

30. - Lemons - introduced to North Africa sometime between 1,000-1,200 CE

31. Clementines - native to North Africa, specifically Algeria
32. Mushrooms - were eaten in ancient Egypt

33. Chickens - Google says: "Research based on representations of chickens on ceramics and paintings, plus bones from other archeological sites, suggested that chickens were first introduced to North Africa about 2,500 years ago.




34. Eggs - Because, chickens.

So there you have it, folks. All the foods I'm allowed to eat on my upcoming week of dieting. I'm excited for the whole month, as I'll get to experiment a lot. I believe though that the first week will be the most delicious and have the most variety. Stay tuned for all the recipes to come!

"My son, eat honey, for it is good, Yes, the honey from the comb is sweet to your taste;..." - Proverbs 24:13


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