Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 21, Number 8, 1 August 2004 — OLAKINO [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

OLAKINO

Healthy habitsf early treatment ean help Hawaiian families prevent cancer

£ £ ■ l 'imi i ke ola ma waho" are words of l~H wisdom from our ancestors. Literally J—/translated, they say, "seek health (or life) outside." These words mean that seeking or asking for help to keep healthy is expected. Consulting doctors and other health professionals during illness is appropriate. We know that our kūpuna ate an excellent diet and experienced physical activity daily. They practiced lomi lomi, family prayer, ho'oponopono and regular treatments with traditional herbs to keep their families healthy. However, when there was illness, they asked for help from healers without hesitation or embarrassment. Cancer is still the most dreaded illness in the U.S. and requires skilled care. We fear cancer because curing it was difficult. One problem is that there are many types of cancer, and understanding them all was complicated. Another problem is that cancers sneak up on us. Cancers grow slowly and are relatively quiet, until the condition has gone too far for easy treatment. Another problem is that screening tests to find cancer early are not done as often as they should be. Finding and identifying the cancer early makes cure more likely. Finally, another problem is that many Americans do not use healthcare as they should. Television and newspapers constantly report that Americans are becoming less and less healthy.

What's the good news? Most cancers ean be prevented. More lives ean be saved. After working hard for about 40 years to understand and cure cancers, scientists now have ways to predict, detect, identify, prevent, treat and cure many cancers. The good news is that more Hawaiians are getting screening tests and finding cancers early enough to be saved. And some Hawaiians are making critical lifestyle changes that help themselves and their children live ean-cer-free lives. But more of us still need to learn about the ways to prevent cancer and to catch it early if it does occur. Children must be taught ways to keep healthy; family health must be a priority. The latest cancer facts show the leading cancers in Hawai'i are cancer of the lung and bronchus (wind pipe), breast, prostate, eolon and rectum. Unfortunately, Hawaiian men have more lung and bronchus cancer, and Hawaiian women have the highest breast cancer rates among all ethnic groups in Hawai'i. And, because some Hawaiians wait too long before seeking help, more Hawaiian men die from lung and bronchus cancer and more Hawaiian women die from breast, lung and eolon cancer than other groups in the islands. These deaths ean be prevented. Studies show that causes of cancer are: tobacco use (smoking

and chewing), a poor diet (no vegetables and fruit, high fat), aleohol use and being overweight. In fact, between 60 to 70 percent of cancers are directly linked to foods eaten daily and lifestyle habits. And, as we get older, cancer risk goes higher. Cancer-fighting foods are vegetables and fruits. These foods are naturally low in fat and contain lots of vitamins, phytochemicals (naturally occurring nutrients in food) and fiber that fight cancer. Traditional Hawaiian foods contain cancer fighters. In addition, papaya, guava, mangoes, all cabbages, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cauliflower, lū'au (taro leaves), spinach and watercress are great cancer fighters. They are easy to find and eook. In fact, all ean be eaten raw, except lū'au. Eating some of these foods daily will strengthen the body's defenses against cancer. Simple rules to fight cancer are: 1) Choose a diet high in a variety of plant foods. 2) Eat plenty of vegetables and fruits (at least five servings a day). 3) Keep a healthy weight and be physically active. 4) Drink aleohol in moderation (one or two drinks a day), if at all. 5) Choose lowfat and low-salt foods. 6) Prepare and store foods safely. And, do not use tobacco in any form. Reduce your family's risks for developing cancer by adopting these simple rules. Get routine health care. Return to the ways of our ancestors. ■

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By Claire Hughes Dr.PH.f R.D.