Wellness starts at home Healthy individuals make Healthy families, Healthy familes make healthy conmmunities.

"Ko koa uka, ko koa kai. Those of the upland, those of the shore. The upland dwellers brought poi, taro, and other foods to the shore to give to kinsmen there. The shore dweller gave fish and other seafoods. Visits were never made empty-handed but always with something from one's home to give." Olelo Noeau #1821 - Mary Kawena Pukui, 1983, Bishop Museum Press.

Generosity is one of highest values of Hawaiian culture. One way that this generosity is demonstrated is through the hospitality of sharing food. Hawaiians welcome others to their home by saying - "Kahea ai. Ai a ma'ona" - "Come in and eat all you want" - and so it is considered extremely rude to refuse food which is offered. The central feature of eating is the shared poi calabash. This reinforces both the spiritual nature of eating - poi comes from the taro plant which is the ancestor of the Hawaiian people - and the social nature of eating.

We are WHAT we eat and drink - the food and beverages that we consume keep us alive, give us energy, build our bodies and keep our organs functioning properly. If we eat healthy foods, we have a greater chance of staying well and not developing chronic illnesses. If we put unhealthy things into our bodies then we are damaging our bodies. A diet high in fats, sugars, salts, alcohol and tobacco can lead to heart disease, diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, cancers.

We are HOW we eat and drink - in traditional Hawaiian society food is sacred with different foods representing different gods, and representing different forces and characteristics so that if you eat a particular food you are taking on the essence of a god or the essence of a force or way of being. HOW we eat then is as important as WHAT we eat.

Both good and bad habits begin at a very early age - beginning even before a baby is born - so it is very important to think about how we feed ourselves and how we feed those around us. Because the preparation and sharing of food is done as part of social groups, it is very difficult for us to change our habits if those around us are not changing. If there is someone in our ohana who is trying to stop smoking, or trying to stop drinking alcohol, or trying to eat less fatty foods, but everyone else is still smoking, drinking and eating fatty foods, it is difficult without the support of the ohana for that person to succeed because they have to go against everyone else. So for one person to succeed we all have to succeed together. We all have to help each other by making healthy choices and change together.

Dietary Information
"Ka ia lauoho loloa o ka aina. The long-haired fish of the land. Any vegetable eaten with poi, such as taro greens, hoio or kikawaio ferns, or sweet potato greens. Poetically, leaves are the oho or lauoho, hair, of the plants." Olelo Noeau #1361 - Mary Kawena Pukui, 1983, Bishop Museum Press.

Healthy Nutrition is not just about diet. Here are some things you should know about what makes a balanced diet. The traditional Hawaiian diet was high in complex carbohydrates such as poi, kalo, uala, ulu; land and ocean vegetables, especially greens such as uala leaves, kalo leaves, popolo and ferns; and small amounts of lean fresh animal foods, primarily from the ocean, with some chicken, and, on rare occasions, pig meat. Hawaiians ate most of their food raw or steamed. Food preparation and eating was done between early morning hours and sunset. And the foods they ate had no poisonous man-made additives such as pesticides, herbicides, anti-biotics or hormones. This is the healthy way to eat food.

For additional dietary information visit:
www.nal.usda.gov
www.pueblo.gsa.gov

Food and drink provide energy to the body. How much energy we need depends on a variety of concerns such as how physically and mentally active we are, our age, our gender, the environment we live in, and whether we are pregnant or nursing.

The nutrients in the food and drinks we consume help with:
• The functioning of our internal organs (e.g. breathing, digestion and circulation).
• The growth and maintenance of the cells in our bodies.
• The body¿s ability to produce heat and regulate temperature.
• The regulation of muscular movements.
• The repair of damaged and injured nerves, organs, muscles, blood vessels, etc.


Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are our most important source of energy. Complex Carbohydrates, or Polysaccharides, are converted to energy by the body slowly allowing us to benefit from this energy over a longer period of time and without our body having either too high or too low levels of sugar.

Polysaccharides include starch, glycogen, and most types of dietary fibres. Starch and glycogen are long chains of glucose molecules, whereas dietary fibres are a mixture of several different carbohydrates.

Starch is the most important source of energy for humans. Whole and unprocessed starch will provide the greatest variety of nutrients and take the longest time to be processed by the body. Starches include such tubers as taro, sweet potato, yams and potatoes; grains such as rice, wheat, oatmeal; legumes such as, peas, beans, lentils and all fruits and vegetables. These foods also contain dietary fibres and, therefore, metabolize more slowly in the alimentary canal. Monosaccharides are absorbed directly from food and drink without having to be metabolized. The most important monosaccharides in the diet are glucose, fructose and galactose. Glucose and fructose are found in fruits, vegetables and honey. Galactose is found in dairy products.

Disaccharides consist of two monosaccharides bound together. Disaccharides are, for instance, ordinary sugar consisting of glucose and fructose.

They are found in a variety of fruits and vegetables. In particular, sugar beet and sugar cane. Other disaccharides include maltose, found in beer, syrup, and grain products, and lactose (milk sugar) found in dairy products.

Dietary fibres are a group of differing vegetable properties. They are divided into two groups: water-soluble dietary fibres are believed to play a role in reducing cholesterol. Insoluble dietary fibres play a preventive role against constipation and seem to help prevent cancer of the large intestine.


Proteins and Amino Acids
Proteins are very important for the growth, functioning and maintenance of many body functions - they act as enzymes, carrier molecules, moveable structures of muscular fibres, mechanical support in connective tissues and bones, antibodies of the immune system, growth factors, and hormones.

Almost all foods have proteins. Foods that are most concentrated with proteins are animal flesh and vegetables of the legume family, such as soy beans.

A protein is made up of amino acids linked together to form a chain. Proteins differ in their content of amino acids and in the specific order of amino acids in the protein. When the body is supplied with proteins through our diet, the protein breaks down into the constituent amino acids. The amino acids then gather to form new proteins with exactly the formation that our cells and tissues need.
All proteins in the human body are composed of the 20 different, biologically active amino acids known today. The body itself is able to produce most of them, but there are 8 amino acids vital for adults and 9 amino acids vital for children that must come from our diet. The things we eat and drink have a different content of proteins and amino acids. It is therefore essential to maintain a balanced diet and eat several meals a day in order to make the best use of the proteins.


Vitamins
Vitamins do not provide energy but are vital to how efficiently our food is absorbed by our body and, therefore, how energy is produced and utililized by the body. Vitamins are necessary for our growth, development, reproduction and many other functions, such as the maintenance of our teeth, skin, eyesight, and nervous system. Vitamins are important in maintaining our immune system, in fending off diseases, and in recovering from illness and injury.

Each vitamin has a different important role to play. A balanced diet will provide the correct combination of vitamins and help with maintaining wellness.


Fats
Fats are the most concentrated source of energy, containing twice as much energy per unit of weight as protein and carbohydrate. Fat is a part of the vital chemical and hormonal connections (e.g. essential to the absorption of the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K).

It is important to limit the intake of fats because fat that is not converted into energy is stored in the internal organs, creating a variety of health problems, including obesity, and liver, heart, and colon diseases. Avoid saturated fats, but mono and polyunsaturated fatty acids are helpful. Olive oil, avocado, and nuts are important sources of monounsaturated fatty acids. Vegetable oils, like grapeseed oil, soya oil, maize oil, and fat fish, like herring, salmon and mackerel, contain large quantities of polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Fat intake automatically drops if we eat more vegetables, fresh fruit, and whole grain products. At the same time, we increase the intake of many vitamins, minerals, dietary fibres, and phytochemicals, substances that reduce the risk of many common diseases.


Antioxidants
Certain foods help fight off the body's natural decaying processes.
Oxygen can form harmful chemical compounds, such as free radicals. Free radicals contribute to the development of cardiovascular diseases, cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, senility, and cataracts. It is speculated that by neutralizing free radicals, antioxidants increase our protection against these serious and chronic diseases.

Current research suggests vitamins C and E, beta-carotene, and selenium are antioxidants.

Herbs and Spices
Herbs and spices are not only ways to make our foods and beverages tasty but are also natural medicines, used by human beings since the beginning of human cultures to treat illnesses and maintain wellness.


Healthy Nutrition Tips
Eat Fresh Foods instead of Packaged or Pre-Prepared Foods Eat Lots of Vegetables - they are full of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and fiber Eat Lots of Fruits - they are full of antioxidants vitamins, minerals and fiber Prepare your food with Herbs and Spices and stay away from Salts and Sugars Eat small portions so that your body can digest your food completely Drink at least 6 glasses of water a day Mix the colors of your fruits and vegetables for a balanced diet (e.g. mix dark green vegetables, with yellow and orange vegetables)

For more information on maintaining a healthy diet, visit:
http://nutrition.about.com
http://nutrition.about.com/library/foodfind/blfoodfind.htm

Content written by Esther Figueroa, Ph.D., Juniroa Productions, Inc. Source content also from www.multi-tabs.com & Hele Mai Ai, Nutrilink 2000 Project, Nutrition Branch, Hawaii Dept. of Health