Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 10, Number 3, 1 March 1993 — 'Ai pono, e ola [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

'Ai pono, e ola

Eat right and live well

by Dr. Terry Shintani

Lā'au no ka mea 'ai

"La'au no ka mea 'ai," "medieine is in the food," is the name of Maui's Hawaiian diet program put on by Hui No Ke Ola Pono, the federally-funded native Hawaiian heahh care organization. The technical assistance whieh the Wai'anae Diet program provided for that project was funded by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. The project took plaee last month and is the first of at least five communitybased Hawaiian diet programs assisted by OHA, the Wai'anae Diet program and other eommunity organizations. On Feb. 1, Helen 0'Connor, Lehua Wright and I had the pleasure of joining Hui No Ke Ola Pono on opening night at the project site, Maluhia Church in Waiehu near Kahului. The Lā'au No Ka Mea 'Ai diet project was well staffed due to the networking of Hui No Ke Ola Pono with other community groups, medical facilities and individuals to obtain essential services.

Staff from Hui No Ke Ola Pono include Gale DeCambra, project coordinator, and Mindy Lindsay, R.N., who supervises the medical team. Chefs are Aunty Bernice Hokoana, "Unele Honey" John Hokoana, Lehua Pali, and Aimoku Pali. Physicians on staff include Dr. Joseph Kamaka, Joseph Hew, William Kepler, and Steven Moser. There are also a number of nurses who take blood pressure, eheek blood sugar levels, and monitor symptoms. They eome from public heahh nursing, Nursing Home without Walls, and the Maui Memorial hospital. There are also many volunteers who help with the project. On opening night there was an inspirational prayer presented by Kahu Kawika Kaalakea. Mary Tosti from Nursing Home Without Walls, the nurse on duty,

along with Gale Decambra did the intake blood pressures and interviews. Mahealani Akua, executive director of Hui No Ke Ola Pono, was present. The food was delicious, especially the lāwalu and the poi, freshly ground with a system provided by Pa'i'ai Poi Systems. Ata Damasco and Paris Chu Hing sang festive melodies. After I shared some experiences from the Wai'anae Diet program, project member Lehua Wright gave a testimonial on how she has kept 40 pounds off over a year and a half. We had a great time and I j anxiously awaited the results of their experience.

In the second week of the project, I called them and was delighted to hear from Gale that the total weight loss in the first six days for 21 participants was already 78 pounds. That's nearly four pounds per person in less than a week. Gale also reported that one participant had lost over 15 pounds before the second week was done. I even asked permission to report that Charles Maxwell, a radio show personality (and former poliee officer) had already lost over 13 pounds. He is promoting the diet on his radio show on Maui. One patient has been taken off a blood pressure medicine and another, who started the project with a blood sugar level over 300, was now running in the 120s on only half the original insulin dosage.

Terry Shintani, physician and nutritionist, is director of preventative medicine at the Wai'anae Coast Comprehensive Health Center. The majority of his patients are of Hawaiian ancestry. Ask Dr. Shintani questions on his radio show, "Nutrition and You," 7-9 p.m. Sundays on K108.