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Medoit, Daphnee

Feb 18, 2021 at 03:41

Discuss the meaning of food in the German culture.

The German culture places a great value on food as a great symbol of unity, love, and celebrations. Food is integral in the lives of Germans. In German culture, food is consumed on occasions like visits, trips, weddings, and celebrations. The love for food among Germans is associated with a great risk of the development of health conditions like obesity due to overeating. Germans reward good behavior among their children through the provision of food (Handtke et al., 2019).

One of the key meals that form German cuisine is Wurst (sausages). Wurst is made using veal, pork, or beef which are flavored differently. Germans take great pride in bread-making. They make bread with varied shapes, names, and tastes. The bread can be soft, sweet, black, and plain. The Germain cuisine is various delicacies including vegan, vegetarians, and traditional foods. A great percentage of recipes in German culture is more focused on meat (pork), potatoes, bread, and green vegetables like kale and cabbage. Other popular elements of German cuisine are bear, coffee, and cake (Purnell, 2013).

The traditional ways of making German meals use a lot of fat and oil which is quite unhealthy since it’s likely to cause heart problems, obesity, and hypertension. Evening and midday meals have meat. Even the breakfast has meat. A typical meal for Germans has hearty portions of meat that drenched in creamy sauces together with baked squash, butter rolls, and glasses of beer. German pot roast is often delicious and deep with tender beef, spices, and marinated in a tenderizing vinegar. The hearty stew for Germans is often served traditionally with potato dumplings, boiled potatoes, or red cabbage.

The roast beef stew for Germans is marinated using beef, venison, or horse meat which are used in combination of vinegar mixture which is allowed for several days. The German culture values beer making it the popular alcoholic beverage. Germans use high-fat ingredients to make their meals. The commonly used ingredients include gravies, butter, sauces, rich pastries, real cream, boiled eggs, sausages, and fried foods. The Germans prepare their fish, pork, meats, and turkey by marinating or roasting. Germans fry their foods in bacon fat, margarine, butter, or lard (Purnell, 2013).

Germans prepare large quantities of meals and the cooks are often impressed when people show hearty appetite at the table. The German cooks encourage second helpings. The German culture requires people to often burp and apologize as a way of honoring good food on the table (Handtke et al., 2019).

Using the predominant health beliefs of people of German ancestry, how might you help Mr. Pfiefer reduce his cholesterol level?

I would assist the client in reducing his cholesterol levels by encouraging her to avoid meals that have been prepared in the traditional way. The traditional methods of meal preparation include ingredients like butter, gravities, sauces, fried foods, rich pastries, and real cream which have a high content of fat. I would encourage the client to reduce his fat intake. It would be important if the patient overcomes harmful food events and rituals where he is likely to consume junk foods and other meals that have high cholesterol.

I would encourage the patient to reduce meal portions to avoid overeating which may lead to obesity and consequently high cholesterol levels. I would advise Mr.Pfiefer to consume plenty of green vegetables and fruits to help in the reduction of cholesterol levels. Additionally, I would urge the patient to consume a diet that is rich in soluble fiber. Importantly, the patient should engage in regular physical activity to boost the burning of excessive body fat thus lowering cholesterol levels.

References

Handtke, O., Schilgen, B., & Mösko, M. (2019). Culturally competent healthcare – A scoping review of strategies implemented in healthcare organizations and a model of culturally competent healthcare provision. PLOS ONE, 14(7),e0219971. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0219971

Purnell, L. (2013). Transcultural health care: A culturally competent approach (4th ed.). F.A. Davis Company.