The history of American soul food can be traced all the way back to the days of slavery. More often times than not, the slaves were given the most undesirable part of the meal, the leftovers from the house. Pairing this with their own home-grown vegetables, the first soul food dishes were invented. After the slaves were freed, most of them were so poor that they could only afford the most undesirable, inexpensive cuts of meat available to them. (The leftover, unwanted parts of a pig such as tripe, tongue, ears, and knuckles). As in the days of slavery, African-Americans used their own home-grown vegetables and things they could catch or kill to complete their meals. In the modern United States, soul food has truly evolved. It has become part of the African-American culture, bringing family members together on all occasions from birthdays to funerals, to spend time together preparing meals.
The history of soul food is mainly an oral one; recipes were never really written down so while two families may be preparing identical meals, chances are that they don't taste very much alike. Different ingredients, cooking methods, and techniques go into preparing soul food meals, causing the end results to come out differently. One of the most obvious and widely-recognized characteristics of African-American soul food is the fact that hot sauce and more intense spices are incorporated into meals as often as possible. For this reason, soul food is not for those who can't take the heat or are prone to heart burn!
Another characteristic of true African-American soul food is that nothing is ever wasted. Having originated from the leftovers of just about anything. Stale bread was quickly converted into stuffing or a bread pudding. Over ripe bananas were whipped up into banana puddings, and other ripe fruits were put into cakes and pies, and leftover fish parts were made into croquets or hush puppies. Sunday dinners are definitely the times when soul food is most commonly seen on tables. Sunday dinners are a time for African-American families to get together to prepare and partake in a large meal. Sunday dinners normally take up the entire day (normally following a church ceremony), and family members come from far and wide to partake in this meal together.
Sunday dinners took place in the form of potlucks, also, where various family members contribute a dish or two and form a big, fine meal. Collard and mustard greens, kale, ribs, corn bread, fried chicken, chitlins, okra, and yams are all excellent examples of African-American soul food that might be found at a Sunday meal. Soul food is not generally a healthy option for a person that must monitor their diet. Fried foods are generally prepared with hydrogenated oil or lard, and they usually tend to be flavored and seasoned with pork products. Since this may be what contributes to such a high percentage of African-Americans that are significantly overweight, soul food preparation methods are now slowly starting to be refined, bringing a lot more healthy options to the table. Rather than the increasingly unhealthy pork products, use of turkey-based products is becoming more and more popular as time passes. The fried foods that are so beloved of the culture can now be prepared using a lower fat canola or vegetable oil.
About the author: Troy Pentico
Visit The Tasty Chef for more great tips, techniques, and insights pertaining to cooking and recipes.
NOTE: If you have read this article, feel free to contact Nicholl McGuire for a chance to win a free DVD on Soul food!!! The contest ends February 1, 2009.
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Showing posts with label african american magazines. Show all posts
Showing posts with label african american magazines. Show all posts
Tuesday
Friday
African American Skin Care Products That Really Work
If you want African American skin care products that really work, you need to choose ones that contain the right ingredients. You also need to know about some ingredients to avoid. Some compounds cause "hyper-pigmentation". Others cause "de-pigmentation". Of course, the best ones even out the skin-tone and protect the skin's overall health. Here's what to look for and what to avoid.
Compounds to Avoid
Sodium methyl paraben has been banned from skincare products in the EU, but it is still found in products manufactured in other countries. It has been shown to have a de-pigmenting effect that may be permanent. Check your products carefully for this ingredient.
Petroleum-based products, wood based alcohols and propylene glycol can cause "hyper-pigmentation" or the appearance of darker spots that do not match your overall complexion. These ingredients are commonly found in African American skin care products that claim to relieve oiliness. Excessive oiliness is often caused by the products that you are currently using. If you have some oily spots, check your personal care products for petrolatum, mineral oil and other petrochemicals. Those cause excessive greasiness, without actually moisturizing.
Don't choose products that contain chemical bleaching agents. They are quite harsh and may do more harm than good
Compounds to Seek Out
. If you want to even out your skin-tone, look for an ingredient called extra-pone nut grass. You may only need a little to see a dramatic difference.
In addition, you should look for natural vitamin E, an antioxidant that will repair any hyper-pigmented areas caused by using the personal care items containing the ingredients mentioned above. If uneven tone is a problem, African American skin care products containing nut grass and vitamin E will help.
Effective Moisturizers that Balance Sebum Production
If you are like most of us, you have areas that range from mildly to excessively oily and others that are mildly to excessively dry. Sometimes, this is caused by using the wrong lotions or creams, but it can also be a natural difference in the number of follicles present in the skin.
Sebum, the skin's natural moisturizer, comes from the sebaceous glands, which are located at the root of the hair follicles. So, in areas that are basically "hair-less", the skin is drier. The best African American skin care products contain jojoba and/or passion fruit extract. These have been shown to moisturize dry areas, without causing greasiness or leading to break-outs.
Anti-Aging Ingredients
It seems that everyone these days is looking for anti-aging creams and lotions. And, it looks like every cosmetic company in the world has something to offer.
According to clinical trials, the most effective anti-aging ingredients include Functional Keratin and wakame kelp extract, as well as the antioxidants coenzyme Q10 and natural vitamin E. Functional Keratin increases the production of new cells and fibers. Wakame kelp protects levels of hyaluronic acid, preventing sagging and increasing firmness.
Antioxidants counter free radical damage, which dermatologists believe is responsible for all of the signs of aging. So, when you find African American skin care products that contain all of these, you will know that they "really work".
I recommend checking out this website http://www.AHealthyRadiantSkin.com or for complete details that apply to all skin types.
Margaret Bell is a dedicated advocate of living a healthy lifestyle and diligent researcher of skin care systems. Visit her site aHealthyRadiantSkin to discover which is the Best African American Skin Care Products Margaret recommends for all skin types.
Be sure to sign up for her free Health newsletter for new updated skin care information.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Margaret_Bell
Compounds to Avoid
Sodium methyl paraben has been banned from skincare products in the EU, but it is still found in products manufactured in other countries. It has been shown to have a de-pigmenting effect that may be permanent. Check your products carefully for this ingredient.
Petroleum-based products, wood based alcohols and propylene glycol can cause "hyper-pigmentation" or the appearance of darker spots that do not match your overall complexion. These ingredients are commonly found in African American skin care products that claim to relieve oiliness. Excessive oiliness is often caused by the products that you are currently using. If you have some oily spots, check your personal care products for petrolatum, mineral oil and other petrochemicals. Those cause excessive greasiness, without actually moisturizing.
Don't choose products that contain chemical bleaching agents. They are quite harsh and may do more harm than good
Compounds to Seek Out
. If you want to even out your skin-tone, look for an ingredient called extra-pone nut grass. You may only need a little to see a dramatic difference.
In addition, you should look for natural vitamin E, an antioxidant that will repair any hyper-pigmented areas caused by using the personal care items containing the ingredients mentioned above. If uneven tone is a problem, African American skin care products containing nut grass and vitamin E will help.
Effective Moisturizers that Balance Sebum Production
If you are like most of us, you have areas that range from mildly to excessively oily and others that are mildly to excessively dry. Sometimes, this is caused by using the wrong lotions or creams, but it can also be a natural difference in the number of follicles present in the skin.
Sebum, the skin's natural moisturizer, comes from the sebaceous glands, which are located at the root of the hair follicles. So, in areas that are basically "hair-less", the skin is drier. The best African American skin care products contain jojoba and/or passion fruit extract. These have been shown to moisturize dry areas, without causing greasiness or leading to break-outs.
Anti-Aging Ingredients
It seems that everyone these days is looking for anti-aging creams and lotions. And, it looks like every cosmetic company in the world has something to offer.
According to clinical trials, the most effective anti-aging ingredients include Functional Keratin and wakame kelp extract, as well as the antioxidants coenzyme Q10 and natural vitamin E. Functional Keratin increases the production of new cells and fibers. Wakame kelp protects levels of hyaluronic acid, preventing sagging and increasing firmness.
Antioxidants counter free radical damage, which dermatologists believe is responsible for all of the signs of aging. So, when you find African American skin care products that contain all of these, you will know that they "really work".
I recommend checking out this website http://www.AHealthyRadiantSkin.com or for complete details that apply to all skin types.
Margaret Bell is a dedicated advocate of living a healthy lifestyle and diligent researcher of skin care systems. Visit her site aHealthyRadiantSkin to discover which is the Best African American Skin Care Products Margaret recommends for all skin types.
Be sure to sign up for her free Health newsletter for new updated skin care information.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Margaret_Bell
Wednesday
The History Of African American Magazines
The African American magazines or the black magazines are a source of information and entertainment for the community with a sense of identity, which makes it the most priceless of all publications. To some the African American magazines or the black magazines are considered as a source of discrimination in reverse. There is a segment of blacks who are of the opinion that African American magazines or black magazines have been used by the blacks to segregate themselves from the rest of the community and would only lead to reverse discrimination in the community. The more discerning of critics are of the opinion that this perception could not be further from the truth considering that the black magazines are more of a necessity of the African American community rather than an exercise in discrimination.
The communication wonder - black magic
The black community uses the black magazines as a media to communicate and circulate exclusively black related issues but at no stage does it communicate hate for other communities so reverse discrimination cannot be further from the truth. The mainstream magazines do not cover African American issues - whether it is police brutality or civil rights issues. On the contrary the mainstream magazines focus primarily on all white issues and rarely if ever focus on the African American issues making it all the more important for the black community to publish black magazines. It is in appropriate to believe that the black community excludes the whites from the black magazines - the reality being that when black issues whether civil rights or otherwise are being addressed the whites would be excluded just as when mainstream magazines are published the blacks are naturally excluded
The merging cultures
The concept of having black magazines like Jet Magazines is not racial - rather it is cultural - to have a all black magazine with all black issues being tackled is not racist for all are invited to comment or read - making it cultural rather than racial. To illustrate - a Chinese restaurant serving all Chinese cuisine by a Chinese staff is barely racial - it is cultural. The black magazines are known to be supported by corporate America - coca cola, wal mart and the likes. This only further reiterates that the black magazines are an asset to the blacks community and not racial or an antipathy considering that corporate America would not support a racial movement - regardless of the fact that they are making a profit out of these black magazines.
On the contrary it is a near amazing fact that the black magazines in some instances are published in collaboration with the white community too making it a highly cohesive move with the sole motive of co existence of two ethically different communities in co - existence with mutual respect for each other - be it the blacks or the African American community as they are known and the whites. The commercial sense associated with the black or African American magazines underlines the need for a black magazine, which would advertise black businesses other than addressing black issues. This further enhances the scope of black businesses like printing, publishing, PR firms and the like making a black magazine more than just a source of entertainment - it is a complete way of life for the black community!
About the Author
David Chase is a fan of African American Magazines. phone: 323-933-9291offers. Or email him: davidc@magmall.com
The communication wonder - black magic
The black community uses the black magazines as a media to communicate and circulate exclusively black related issues but at no stage does it communicate hate for other communities so reverse discrimination cannot be further from the truth. The mainstream magazines do not cover African American issues - whether it is police brutality or civil rights issues. On the contrary the mainstream magazines focus primarily on all white issues and rarely if ever focus on the African American issues making it all the more important for the black community to publish black magazines. It is in appropriate to believe that the black community excludes the whites from the black magazines - the reality being that when black issues whether civil rights or otherwise are being addressed the whites would be excluded just as when mainstream magazines are published the blacks are naturally excluded
The merging cultures
The concept of having black magazines like Jet Magazines is not racial - rather it is cultural - to have a all black magazine with all black issues being tackled is not racist for all are invited to comment or read - making it cultural rather than racial. To illustrate - a Chinese restaurant serving all Chinese cuisine by a Chinese staff is barely racial - it is cultural. The black magazines are known to be supported by corporate America - coca cola, wal mart and the likes. This only further reiterates that the black magazines are an asset to the blacks community and not racial or an antipathy considering that corporate America would not support a racial movement - regardless of the fact that they are making a profit out of these black magazines.
On the contrary it is a near amazing fact that the black magazines in some instances are published in collaboration with the white community too making it a highly cohesive move with the sole motive of co existence of two ethically different communities in co - existence with mutual respect for each other - be it the blacks or the African American community as they are known and the whites. The commercial sense associated with the black or African American magazines underlines the need for a black magazine, which would advertise black businesses other than addressing black issues. This further enhances the scope of black businesses like printing, publishing, PR firms and the like making a black magazine more than just a source of entertainment - it is a complete way of life for the black community!
About the Author
David Chase is a fan of African American Magazines. phone: 323-933-9291offers. Or email him: davidc@magmall.com
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African American Planet: Relationships, Education, Products & Lifestyle by Nicholl McGuire is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at africanamericanplanet.blogspot.com.