Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 24, Number 3, 1 March 2007 — Pālolo Valley was fertile ground for growing healthy Hawaiian foods [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Pālolo Valley was fertile ground for growing healthy Hawaiian foods

Pālolo ("clay") was the last valley in Honolulu with extensive lo 'i (wetland kalo fanns). The valley's soil is fertile, and its upper regions are watered by the Wai'ōma'o ("green water") and Pūkele ("muddy") streams, whieh join mid-valley to form the Pālolo stream. Numerous lo'i lined the steep banks of the streams in the upper valley and continued along the banks of Pālolo stream through the lower valley. There was sufficient water from the stream to supply lo'i beyond the valley, at Pāhoa and beyond. A mo'olelo about the demigod Kaumana tells the origins and

names of Pālolo rains. Kaumana eame to O'ahu from Lāhainā ("cruel sun") with his parents, four sons and about 50 followers to live at Maunalua ("two mountains"). Kaumana was tricked into killing his favorite son by a kahuna named Kaluhea on Kaua'i. Kaumana was so distraught about his son's death that he killed everyone who had eome with him from Lāhainā, except for five servants. He took these servants, Wa'ahilarain, Polihala-rain, Makaiwi-rain, Kuahine-rain and Lllllehua-rain, to live with him on the mountain ridge between Pālolo and Mānoa. Kaumana later turned himself to stone to escape being killed by the O'ahu chief Kakuhihewa. Kaumana's stone was located near the present-day location of 5th Avenue. Kalo farming is still vital to

Native Hawaiians. Kalo and poi are still our comfort foods, despite costing about $1.80 a serving. Nearly 80 percent of the Hawaiian ancestors' daily food was of plant origin. Taro, sweet potato, 'ulu (breadfruit) and yams were eaten daily, in addition to the green leaves of various plants. These plant foods are full of the vitamins, minerals, complex carbohydrates and nutrients needed to build and fuel strong bodies, and when combined with limu (seaweed), fish and occasional fowl, they built impressively tall, strong, lean and muscular bodies among the Hawaiian ancestors. The early accounts recorded by the first visitors to Hawai'i noted few heahh problems among the native people. Instead, the descriptions were of tall, muscular people who were able to accomplish great

physical work. And looking back just 40 years, or two generations, weight problems, cholesterol and diabetes were found less often among Native Hawaiians than today. Putting vegetables back into our daily food intake is critical. Chronic illnesses of the heart, eancer and diabetes are related to poor nutrition and the laek of physical activity. Facts show that, today, we eat less than half the plant foods

than our ancestors did, and they have been replaced by fat, sugar, soda and processed grain foods like white bread and rice. We must make changes to lower the heahh risks for our children now. Eating more vegetable foods daily for protective nutrients and regular exercise, about an hour three times a week, will lower the risk of chronic illnesses and overweight for our children. Let's do it, it is the right thing to do. S

OLAKINO • Y0UR HEALĪH

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

HūWūiian food plonts provided needed nutrients missing from today's processed diet.