Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 10, Number 10, 1 October 1993 — ʻAi pono, e ola [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

ʻAi pono, e ola

Eat right and liue well

by Dr. Terry Shintani

Eating to a better life

Participants in the Hilo "Hawaiian diet" project, Ka Mea 'Ai Ho'ōla (Eating to a healthier life) reported improved health and an average weight loss of 19.2 pounds. The project was put on by Hui Mālama Ola Nā 'Oiwi, the native Hawaiian heahh system on the island of Hawai'i. From July 19-Aug. 9 the Hui's waterfront office at Bay Clinic in Hilo was the hub of program activities. Bay Clinic is conveniently located adjacent a dining facility and offices of Iomilomi and other traditional Hawaiian practitioners. Sonny Kinney, executive director of Hui Mālama, was the driving force behind the project. He arranged for consultations with the staff of the Wai'anae Diet Program to ensure safety and smooth program operation, whieh was modeled after the Wai'anae program. OHA provided funding for the Wai'anae Coast Comprehensive Health Center to advise the Hui Mālama health professionals about precautions to take to manage patients with diabetes or health conditions who w ere on the program. Edna Baldado, RN and coordinator of the project, handled eliniea! monitoring. Auntie Abbie

Napeahi was the chef and her 'ohana helped. Other support staff included Sandy Kalehua, Miriam Fernando, Ulu Sherlock, Daviana Brady, Leenal Castro, Iris Nakasone (Dept. of Health nutritionist), Audrey Inaba (Dept. of Heahh public heahh nursing), and Drs. Scot Miles, Craig

Kadaoka, Samuel Ruben and Richard Lee-Ching. The food was 'ono and the wann feeling of aloha was everywhere. I was privileged to be invited there the first and last evenings of the project. The poi was delicious, probably because it was made fresh. The taro was cooked there and made into poi with a Pa'i'ai Poi Systems poi mill. Everyone shared whatever food they could bring: 'ulu, lū'au. pineapple, as well as song and

laughter, whieh also improve heahh. Average weight loss on the program was 19.2 pounds per person in three weeks. One person lost more than 50 pounds. These are both new records — the previous high was 17.1 pounds lost in the original Wai'anae Diet Program. Many individuals said they felt better, with fewer asthma symptoms, less need for medication, and an improved outlook on life. All, save one participant who had high blood pressure, experienced a dramatic improvement in their pressure levels. Beyond the weight loss and other heaUh benefits that this project ean bring about is a lifelong change in eating habits. Edna Baldado said that participants felt a renewed interest in health. and in learning about nutrition, felt more in control over their health. The program also inspires others to do the same. As I went around the room and asked how many individuals eaeh participant had touched as a result of the diet, the total ran into the hundreds. In this way, we hope that the health of the Hawaiian people may be restored, one person at a time, one 'ohana at a time, one eommunity at a time.

Congratulations to the people of Hui Mālama Ola Nā 'Oiwi and the Ka Mea 'Ai Hō'ola project of Hawai'i. Dr. Terry Shintani, physician and nutritionist, is director of

preventive medicine and founder of the Wai'anae Diet Program at the Wai'anae Coast Com-prehen-sive Health Center. A majority of the center's 19,000 clients are of Hawaiian ancestry.

Beyond the weight loss and other health benefits this project ean bring about is a lifelong change in eating habits.