Researchers have found that the Western diet is tied to certain Western ailments. The current trend in diet and nutrition includes presenting alternative diets to the Western diet as well as revising the Western diet to promote better health and nutrition The Bahamian Diet is one such alternative diet and does have some similarities to the more common Western diet.
Western Diet
The Western diet is typically considered a high fat diet. Much of the Western diet consists of cheap, convenient and highly processed foods. As a result, the Western diet is associated with health issues like obesity, high blood pressure, cancer and type 2 diabetes. It contains plenty of red meat; often processed, as well as potatoes and corn products. The Western diet also has lots of sweets, desserts and refined grains.
Bahamian Diet
The Bahamian diet is a commercially sold adult weight-loss diet. It is a high-fiber powder that is typically mixed with unsweetened juice. It consists of a variety of ingredients such as extracts from sesame, pumpkin and sunflower seeds; wheat grass, alfalfa and kelp powder; as well as rice and wheat bran extract. It is high in minerals and contains soy protein that has been fortified with methionine.
Content
Both the Bahamian and Western Diet are based on the food pyramid unless the dieter is fasting while on the Bahamian diet. If not, then both diets follow the guidelines of the Department of Agriculture which promotes a balance from all five food groups. This is even more closely now that the FDA is promoting the Western diet consist of lean proteins and whole, unprocessed grains. Both diets are also high in protein and fiber.
Production
Another similarity in the Western and Bahamian diet is production. Though the result of the production is very different, both diets are made cheaply and allow for wide production. Both diets also involve a lot of processing. The Western diet uses corn as a staple for many products such as high fructose corn syrup. The Bahamian diet also has a lot of processing in its production in an effort to combine ingredients into the powder formula.
Consumer
Another similarity between the Western and Bahamian diet is the consumer. Typically, Americans are the audience for either diet. The consumer of each diet may also be more likely to be obese, have heart disease issues or type 2 diabetes. The Western Diet is found to contribute to these issues where as the Bahamian Diet has been used to improve glucose and insulin levels and promote weight loss in individuals with these health issues.
References
- USDA's My Pyramid: Dietary Guidelines
- Womens Health: Western Diet Populates Kids' Stomachs with Bad Bacteria
- US Food and Drug Administration: The Priority for Use of the "Prudent Diet" in Weight Management and Obesity Prevention
- National Institutes for Health: Journal of the National Medical Association: Clinical studies of a vegetarian diet food mixture
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