Get to Know the Cultures of Africa South of the Sahara and the African Diaspora
Roberta Duyff, MS, RDN, FADA, FAND
The chapters in this section address the common food practices, related health conditions, and nutrition counseling considerations for people in the US who identify with African heritage. Chapters 6 through 9 address the demographics, related health conditions, common food and health practices, and nutrition counseling considerations of more recent immigrants from Africa south of the Sahara and for the many descendants of the African Diaspora.
A
frica is the ancestral home of indigenous Africans, their ancestors, and their descendants, which
includes African immigrants in the US and in other countries. Te area of Africa that lies south of the Sahara Desert is sometimes known as Sub-Saharan Africa or Non-Mediterranean Africa. It is composed of 54 countries divided into regions of Central Africa, East Africa, South Africa, and West Africa.1
It also includes island nations
like Madagascar and the Seychelles. Countries in the northern section of the Sahara are part of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA); they are predominantly Arabic, Mediterranean, and Muslim cultures.