Local foodie from Birdhaven believes food can heal a nation
BIRDHAVEN – Food Educator Dr Tracey Nelwamondo shares the passion which has won her national acclaim in the recent Food XX Women In Food Awards.
“Food is a love language to me,” Dr Tracy Nelwamondo, Birdhaven resident and winner of the Food Educator section of the recent Food XX Women in Food Awards, told the Gazette.
Nelwamondo is a trained medical doctor who identifies herself as a health coach and food activist. “These titles position me well to be able to talk to my patients and also communities about the impact of food on health,” she explained. She works firsthand with patients and individuals experiencing ill health as a result of lifestyle (non-communicable diseases).
“Adding food to my normal medical prescriptions helps to save lives.”
Nelwamondo is also the founder of Modern Traditions, which she explained takes the beautiful, nutrient-dense, wholesome, raw ingredients that are indigenous to Africa, and gives them a delicious modern twist. “It always makes me feel even better knowing that the food I am eating is nutritious and grounds me to my African roots.”
She said her goal was to rebirth this group of foods, which deserved to be in the spotlight, as they had the potential to ‘heal our land’s health, economic position and mental difficulties’. One of the foods she has been passionate about rebirthing is the marula nut.
Nelwamondo became a food educator because she said she wanted a better future for her firstborn son, Malibongwe. “I knew that the genes that we had inherited could be easily triggered to cause disease,” she said.
“I also wanted a future for him in which he did not yo-yo diet like I had in the past. I believe food has a very significant role to play in preventing non-communicable diseases. We now know that eating a diet full of whole ingredients which are diverse and nutrient-dense prevents these diseases.”
She said of her win: “What an honour to be chosen as a winner. I am so proud to be alive at such a time in which women take such big leaps in honouring women – how beautiful.”
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