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One of the goals of my service here is to improve eating habits of the Paraguayans in which I serve. You can easily see that nutrition and healthy eating habits are lacking here. Its very common to see a 1 year old child with a bottle full of coke and a family eating fried food for breakfast, lunch and dinner. These are habits that are developed at a young age and therefore we are finding that more and more adults develop diabetes. They start with unhealthy eating habits and grow up to have lasting long term health problems. My host dad is one of those cases. He is in his early 60's and has a serious case of diabetes. He has had to make serious changes in his diet to adjust and essentially save his life.
One of the problems with Paraguayan eating habits is that they are un educated on how to eat something healthy. They have the right ingredients for a healthy meal but they don't know the proper way to prepare the food. This is something as a health volunteer in rural Paraguay we try to address.As I have learned while working at the grass roots level it is difficult to see a behavioral change in a large group of people. So I have decided to start where I am comfortable, where I am respected and that is with my host family in the kitchen I am usually sharing with them and in this case specifically my host dad.
We will start with the Avocado Salad. It is avocado season in Paraguay and they have the largest most delicious avocados I have ever seen and they grow off trees... so basically its like money is growing off of trees down here if you want to get literal. When you ask any Paraguayan how they eat an avocado it is with lots of sugar and milk and it is eaten as a sweet. Yes you read that right. And its not like a teaspoon of sugar its like a half a cup or more. They are serious about their sugar intake down here, and that is where the poor eating habits are developed and sustained.
When I first learned this I wanted to introduce the idea of eating and avocado differently. So I started by talking about the different ways to eat an avocado; guacamole, salad, with eggs, on a sandwich, a smoothie or just with some salt and pepper. THEY THOUGHT I WAS CRAZY. Literally laughed in my face, my host family thought it was the stupidest, grosses thing they had ever herd. Good thing I didn't stop there. The next day I showed up with avocados and ate them with some salt in front of them.. they laughed some more and really thought I was crazy. Then I casually just started telling them about how many nutrients are in them and how healthy of a fruit they are... then they started listening but were not hooked yet. Then one night we were watching TV and a weight loss program was doing a special program on avocados... my host mom and dad sate with their eyes glued to the TV in awe that what I had been telling them all along was actually true. They made me watch the program and confirm everything and every recipe. We then discussed how it was time to give this avocado a try. The next day my host dad went out to his avocado tree and gathered a box full of avocados.( I am forever thankful for spanish weight loss TV shows)
So yesterday for our weekly sunday lunch I prepared and avocado salad. Basically guacamole but I didn't mush everything up. It had tomatoes,avocados, onions, garlic, fresh lime juice and some salt. They watched me make it and continued to laugh but agree to try it. When it was time to sit down I sat next to my host dad and asked him to try it. He was a little hesitant at first but with a little spoon full he tried it and then went back for seconds and thirds until he proclaimed he LOVED it ( all in guarani that is, because thats how Paraguayans express true emotion. ) he ate the whole bowl and didn't let anyone else have it. But I saved a little for my host mom and brother and they tried it and agreed that it indeed was surprising good and wanted to make some more.
I was in shock and in total awe. It sounds so small and simple but this man for his whole life looked at an avocado as another sweet, fattening unhealthy fruit and now its not. Their eyes and taste buds were opened and I could not be prouder of them for trying this strange foreign salad. After they asked if I could teach them how to make more things. Of course I will be doing that, thats what I have always wanted to do.. but before they would never dare to try them but now I have a chance.
So all those laughs, stares, annoying remarks about fancy americans and their avocado salad were worth it... its all worth it to see a Paraguayans mind open up and to see them choosing to make healthy
decisions about their diet.
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| My host dad and I as he digs into the avocado salad!! |
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Now that second thing I talked about was more of a personal thing. As you know I have been chasing a mouse around my house for almost 2 months now. This thing has been driving me insane. Its even escaped its traps 2 times. Recently I found its home in my dresser as he chewed through some of my sweaters to make himself nice and cosy. Last week I removed all my clothes and am in the process of cleaning them but I was in complete disgust and annoyance. Well I am happy actually ECSTATIC to report that I was able to trap him and kill him last night. I didn't think it was possible to feel so freed and at ease by a little creature the size of my index finger, but I did. With the help of my neighbor I no longer have to share my home with a rodent. I was starting to think of a name for him and was going to add him to the lease... he defiantly over stayed his welcome and ate way to much of my food. All mice go to heaven right??
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| My prize! |
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