Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 6, Number 6, 1 June 1989 — ʻAi Pono, EOla [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

ʻAi Pono, EOla

By Terry Shintani, M.D.

O/a Lokahi—A Hawaiian Key To Heaiih

Last month I described the "Wai'anae Diet Program" and how this program will emphasize traditional Hawaiian values as well as diet because both promote good health. In talking to kauka Kekuni Blaisdell about this, we discussed how one of the basic eon-

cepts of ancient Hawaiian beliefs is the concept of "Ola Lokahi." "Ola" means "life", and "lokahi" means "oneness." Together, these words are translated to mean "oneness" with all of life or "oneness" with all of the universe. It means that we are all connected to or "one" with eaeh other and with all things — the heavens and the earth, the sun and the moon, our food and our water, the land, and the sea. The astonishing thing about this principle of "oneness with the universe" is in that it is also found independently in numerous other traditional eultures as well since thousands of years ago. For example it is found in the American Indian, the Japanese, and the Chinese cultures as well as many others. It is as if there is an essential truth to this concept that is so powerful and self-evident that it is ultimately recognized intuitively by these cultures. In more practical terms, "ola lokahi" means that what eaeh person does affects everyone else. Thus, if we do something positive for someone else, the positive result ultimately returns to us. Under this principle, giving and receiving are the same. If we give something to someone, we ultimately receive equal benefit, perhaps not from that person but

from somewhere in the universe. And, if we hurt someone else, we are only hurting ourselves. In the same way, if we hurt ourselves by abusing our bodies, we also hurt those around us including our families and all other Hawaiians. But, if we help ourselves and take care of our health, we help our families and all Hawaiian people. Ola Lokahi also means that we are "one" with the food that we eat and we become what we eat. If we eat foods that are right for our bodies, we will become healthy. If we eat junk foods, we will have junk bodies. This brings us to the Hawaiian concept of "pono" whieh means "harmony" or "balance" or "righteous." (As you might notice, "pono" is part of the title of this eolumn). If we eat in harmony with the universe, that is to say that if we establish "pono" in our diet and eat the foods that the universe intended us to eat, health will naturally result. These concepts as releated to diet and health are well supported in the Western world by statistics for diet-related disease. For example, 70 percent of all Americans die of a diet-related disease. The first line of therapy for the most eommon adult diseases— such as high cholesterol, obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes — is diet. What are the foods we were intended to eat? At the center of the Hawaiian diet was kalo (taro). Kalo was considered sacred by the ancient Hawaiians. They believed that they gained "mana" (life force) by eating kalo. It along with a variety of other foods was the main food that created a race of strong and healthy people. The other foods included sweet potato, yam, greens, limu, banana, mountain apple, and fish. This is the basis of the Wai'anae diet program and the Moloka'i diet study. These studies showed how the health of Hawaiian individuals changed when they ate a traditional diet. The principle of "ola lokahi" is the basis of the Wai'anae diet program. We believe that the healthy behaviors of these diet participants will influence the behavior of their families, their communities, and all other Hawaiian individuals. This has already begun to happen as a result of the Moloka'i diet study. It is hoped that by promoting the principle of "ola lokahi" as it applies to diet, health, and people's relationships to one another, and through programs such as the Wai'anae diet program and the Moloka'i diet study, we ean find a Hawaiian solution to

improving the health of the Hawaiian people. If you would like more information about the Wai'anae diet program, please eall me at 696-7081. Dr. Shintani, Director of Prevention Health Services at the Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center, is a physician and nutritionist. He is the coordinator of their Malama Ola preventive health program. A majority of the center's clients are native Hawaiians.