Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 23, Number 8, 1 ʻAukake 2006 — Ancestors' diet offers wellness wisdom [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Ancestors' diet offers wellness wisdom

I ola no ke kino i ka mā'ona o ka 'ōpū. The body enjoys heahh when the stomach is well filled. ^^^jT_ost Hawaiians are fiercely proud of f f { their Hawaiian ancestry. However, some seem slow to accept the traditional wisdom of the ancestors, particularly where heahh is concerned. Onee robust, tall and strong, today Hawaiians are of average height, we have many illnesses that begin in our youth and we die too early. Our heritage makes answers available to us. The Hawaiian ancestors were brave: they sailed the open seas in comparatively small vessels, long before Columbus and Magellan worked up the courage to sail beyond the sight of land. They were wise: they knew seasons for planting, oeean currents and celestial navigation. They believed in gods that would protect and guide them. Hawaiians were self-sufficient, bringing many essential herbs, plants and

tools with them to Hawai'i. Our ancestors did not simply survive; they flourished. They were highly industrious and were excellent farmers, botanists, healers and parents. They developed communities, a sophisticated culture and family support systems. They built intricate water irrigation systems to support cultivation of taro and other crops. The ancestors were also masters of fishing, hunting and numerous arts. Our ehallenge is to use the Hawaiian in us to master survival and to flourish into the next century. Traditional wisdom ean reverse our mounting health challenges. A few changes in food choices, cooking methods and physical activity ean make a huge difference in the heahh of the entire family. Our ancestors had a healthy diet "wired." They knew it, practiced it and gained mana from it. Making personal changes that bring us closer to their diet ean correct many illnesses. And, while it is better if we eat this way from birth, it is never too late to gain great benefit from a diet that mirrors that of our ancestors. The traditional Hawaiian diet was nearly 80 percent from

plants, mainly taro, sweet potatoes, many greens, limu, breadfruit and a few fruits. Fish was the most important protein food, and fat consumption was very low, at about 10 percent of total calories eaeh day. Foods were steamed (imu), eaten raw or cooked over an open fire, but never fried. The traditional Hawaiian diet conveys an important cultural secret, lōkahi, the practice of maintaining personal halanee and discipline. Relearning traditional practices and beliefs is a rewarding experience. The U.S. government has prepared healthy diet and physical activity recommendations for all Americans. And, although the government demonstrates

no knowledge of traditional Hawaiian health practices and little about current problems, those recommendations hold good and sound for Hawaiians as well. The U.S. diet recommendations urge all Americans to eat five or more servings of vegetables every day to avoid cancer and other chronic eonditions; our ancestors ate far more vegetables than that. The recommendations urge increased physical activity; our ancestors did everything without machinery, so they exceeded U.S. recommendations with physical work that was a constant, intense, daily occurrence.

Health for all Hawaiians is not far away. Let's use traditional wisdom to fill our stomachs "well" by eating more vegetables, both cooked and raw, and avoiding fried foods and sweet beverages. And let's add physical activity to our daily routines to bring us all closer to lōkahi, that balance between food and physical activity. What is obvious is that we must save ourselves and regain a thriving sovereign existence through our own efforts. Our ancestors demonstrated bravery, wisdom and discipline. We have inherited that mana and possess those powers as well. S

OLAKINO • Y0UR HEALĪH

By Claire Ku'uleilani Hughes, Dr. PH„ R.D.

Nearly 80 percent of the traditional Hawaiian diet eame from plants, such as kalo, whieh is used fo make poi. - Photo: KW0Atchive