Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 33, Number 12, 1 December 2016 — Hawaiian thinking for holiday health [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Hawaiian thinking for holiday health

By Claire Ku'uleilani Hughes, Dr. PH„ R.D. The season of over-indul-gence is here and the holidays have begun. Thus, only a wee bit of time remains for trimming hips and waistlines before the festivities. Planning ahead could reduce the stresses of last minute fretting about getting into your holiday outfit. However, far more critical than fitting into the outfit is controlling blood pressure, blood sugar and weight as we eelebrate. A lot depends or rides on long-term control of heahh issues.

Recently, two reports highlighted the hazards of indulging during the holidays. They give us reason to be thoughtful. An American Medical Association's Internal Medicine study reported that cigarette smoking eontributes to 1 of every 4 cancer deaths in the United States. Researchers analyzed surveys and government data on smoking rates and the number of deaths from a dozen smoking-linked cancers from the year 2014. They found that 167,000 deaths from lung, throat, stomach, liver, eolon, pancreas, and kidney cancers (and leukemia) - about 29 percent of all U.S. cancer deaths - were attributable to smoking cigarettes. Second-hand cigarette smoke is implicated, as well. Scientists from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) studied and reported on eight more cancers: stomach, liver,

gallbladder, pancreas, ovary, thyroid, muhiple myeloma (cancer of white blood cells in the bone marrow), and meningioma (cancer of the tissue that surrounds the brain and spinal cord). The IARC scientists found that excess body fat had the greatest impact on the risk of esophageal (throat) and uterine (womb) cancers. And, when we Americans already have a high risk of cancers, like breast and eolon (large intestine), even a small increase matters. The IARC scientists suggest that being overweight may lead to cancer by altering sex hormones, causing chronic inflammation, and raising insulin levels. In order to reverse these statistics, the scientists recommend losing weight, as well as watching what you eat to avoid gaining more weight. There are ways to decrease holiday "over-indulgence." Some

suggestions are to eat a small healthy snack at home before going to a buffet and cocktail celebration, like a small apple or carrot, celery sticks or small glass of milk. Choose several low calorie options from the buffet first, then go back for other choices - but always include some healthy options. Make the first (or second) beverage a non-aleoholie one, to take the edge off your thirst. Also, spend a lot of time talking to your friends and family, catching up on their families (their kids, parents, siblings) hobbies and work. In other words, fully enjoy the opportunity for fellowship and friendship. In her list of "points of fundamental importance" for individuals in a family, Kawena Pukui includes "Rigorous eoneem for soundness of (the) body is a consideration throughout physical life, especially before and during infancy." The words "rigorous" and "throughout" reveal the high degree of importance for this standard...without exception, it was to be met. In old, old Hawai'i, if a family member

was sick and unahle to perform his kuleana, the entire family could be without food or care, especially if the member was a kāne. Today, our work situations are different - the great majority work outside the home. Today, one ean take sick leave or go to work and perform with less efficiency; we ean go to the doctor or hospital; we have options on different therapies and the family doesn't suffer hunger, discomfort or danger, even if you don't work for more than a day. Thus, today we ean disregard this "kuleana" . . . and, many of us do. Both the Hawaiian cultural health kuleana and the new information on two personal, negative habits give controlling heahh issues far greater significance and importance. Holidays are for celebrating and having fun with family and friends, however, those of us with an illness, need to be aware of the dangers of going overboard. It is a kuleana that you have to yourself and your family. ■

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