Toward a healthier New Year

By Claire Ku'uleilani Hughes, Ph.D., R.D.

A huge challenge for Native Hawaiians is improving our health. We would be in excellent shape if we could regain a health status similar to that of our Hawaiian ancestors. But, auwē, we are vastly different. We are less robust. Our physical bodies are less muscular, less upright, and we aren't able to work as hard, physically, as they did. Health professionals agree that our current food choices are a major reason that we are less healthy. In addition, our daily physical activity is far below that of our ancestors. And we smoke more cigarettes, drink more soda, sweet punch and alcohol, and we eat more white rice and gravy than our kūpuna. We don't even sleep as many hours as they did.

The words, “The Natives in these islands (Hawai'i) are, in general, above the middle size (taller), and well made; they walk very gracefully, run nimbly, and are capable of bearing great fatigue (worked beyond fatigue),” were written in 1779, and are excerpted from the ship's log of Capt. King, who accompanied Capt. Cook to Hawai'i. Great curiosity and admiration for the Hawaiian stature and work capacity is found in writings of other early explorers.

How was this possible? We know that Hawaiians used only human muscle power to accomplish their work, such as building rock walls, tilling and tending the lo'i, and carrying logs down to the canoe-making hale, to mention a few tasks. Undoubtedly, these daily physical endeavors, as well as fishing, cooking, pounding poi and pounding tapa, etc., resulted in highly developed muscles. And, perhaps their diet provides a clue. Well, between 1951 and 1974, a group of Western scientists studied iwi at the Bishop Museum and studied the Hawaiian culture. A nutrition scientist reported that the traditional food and diet of Hawaiians provided rich sources of all of the nutrients required to account for their optimum physical growth and development (even without milk). Early Kanaka Maoli food preferences were fish, kalo and sweet potato, a large quantity of greens, many varieties of limu and an occasional fruit. Further, the methods of cooking their foods, by steaming or broiling, added no fat or sugar.

In times past, Native Hawaiians were admired for their healthy physiques, which resulted from a combination of physical activities like kapa making, shown here, and farming and eating a lean diet of sweet potato, kalo and fish. - Photo: Blaine Fergerstrom

Nutritionally, fish are a source of high quality protein and a host of other essential nutrients (calories, fat, calcium, iron, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, vitamin A and B vitamins) needed for optimum health, and growth. Fish are lower in fat than the meats introduced after Cook's arrival. And, the fish oils are far healthier than the mostly saturated fats found in introduced meats. The traditional complex carbohydrate foods, kalo, sweet potato and all of the greens, clearly provided abundant protective nutrients (vitamin A and C, iron, calcium, phosphorus, potassium and B vitamins) for our Hawaiian ancestors. Thus, the traditional diet contributed positively to the stature (bones, muscles and height) of early Hawaiians. And, as testament to their intellectual development, early Hawaiian exhibited great knowledge in botany, farming, fishing, astrology, navigation and building with stone. And further, their accomplishments are still admired.

Each year at this time, we encourage one another to focus on our family's health, and to commit to changes for a healthier new year. A list of recommendations for nutritional health includes: 1) reducing the total amount of fat in the diet, limiting harmful saturated fat and avoiding deep-fried foods; 2) increasing the daily numbers of vibrantly colored vegetables and fruit; 3) drinking more water, while eliminating fruit drinks and soda; and 4) assuring dietary calcium, from milk, milk-products and greens, like lū'au and spinach (for growth in height between birth and age 20). Children need good nutrition to grow, and the final keiki growth spurt occurs between 8 and 20 years of age. Additionally, remember that for all keiki, what their mother eats and drinks during pregnancy, determines brain, heart and nerve health as well as genetic development.

Other crucial recommendations for great health benefits (for everyone) are: getting one hour of physical exercise each day, getting about eight hours of sleep, and eating food that ensures health and optimum development.

We are all so proud of our Hawaiian ancestry, but we are looking, thinking and acting less and less like our ancestors. Once more, let us commit to protecting the health of our families. As our ancestors did for generations before us, we must work hard to make it through the storms that are just ahead.