February 1 marks the first day of African Heritage and Health Week, a time set aside to celebrate and develop healthy habits revolving around the food, the traditions and the history of the African culture.
Even those who are not direct descendants of African people can use this time to learn more about the culture by visiting traditional restaurants like House of Soul, featured in our Entertainment section, listening to African-American inspired music, and more.
But this week is really about improving health within the African-American culture.
“Heart disease, cancer, and stroke are the leading causes of death for African Americans” (https://cutt.ly/Vj6JYBe), so this week reminds us to look out for our African- American friends and family members.
According to the Center for Disease Control (https://cutt.ly/hj6JXPB)

• Four out of five African-American women are overweight or obese.
• One out of five African-American adults has diabetes.
• Over 44 percent of African-American women and 39 percent of men have high blood pressure.
• African-Americans are almost twice as likely to die from heart disease and stroke compared to Caucasians.

African Heritage and Health Week can be a time to start to develop healthier eating styles and make food and exercise choices that can have a positive impact on the future.
If you’d like to start eating a healthy diet with an African flair, check out The African Heritage Diet at https://oldwayspt.org/traditional-diets/african-heritage-diet.