What do we do as a family to stay healthy?

We go to the ocean, ride bikes together, we grow an organic garden together; being a part of the full cycle of life -- planting, nourishing the soil.  It actively engages the family, from seed planting to dinner on the table.  They form a relationship with all aspects of life.  Keeps us connected to the land.  Keeping that connection keeps us healthy.  Understanding that the responsibility to the land is important; the more good you give, the more you receive.  If we put a lot of good into our marriage, we get a lot of happiness back.  If I nourish my marriage, it will nourish me.  The relationship to the 'åina is the same. 

 

Communication is important.  We have been working on this, doing whatever we need to do to keep our relationship strong.  Taking care of ourselves, working hard, doing our best.  Growing the cleanest, healthiest food we can.  Keeping the healthiest home environment we can.  These things build stamina, character for the children and the family as a whole.  Sharing a quality product with the community.  From a character standpoint, they have good healthy ways.  When the kids are well-behaved, people know, people notice us interacting with our children.  The feedback we get solidifies what we are doing.

 

Know your farmer.  That way you are jumping into the cycle of life; you are not moving away from those things that take away from the natural rhythms.  

 

We stay healthy by practicing healthy habits.  We almost always sit down around the table to eat our meals together.  TV off.  We also cook all of our meals from scratch.  We get most of our fruits and vegetables from our garden or friends' gardens.  There has to be some kind of fresh fruit or vegetable in every meal.  We like to eat out but certain places are just not an option, like McDonalds, Jack in the Box, Zippy's, Taco Bell.  No fast food.  So eating out can be expensive.  Food is a lot cheaper if you are making everything from scratch.  It takes time and energy but it's also fun.  The kids can help and learn about food.  This gives them the habits so that when they go out into the world they crave healthy foods.  It's just like kids who grow up eating a lot of junk food, they crave that as adults.  My kids will crave healthy food when they grow up.

 

Health is also mental, spiritual -- these are very important to the total package. 

 

What do we need as a Hawaiian community to be Healthy?

 

Water.  Undisturbed, flowing water.

When they paved it over with asphalt, they literally pulled the plug on Kanaka Maoli.  We need to tap back in -- tap in to our roots.  Tap in to the 'åina.  Tap in to natural springs. 

 

We hiked a bunch of kids up into the forest once, found the spring, pulled the weeds, plunged hands into that ice-cold water.  Punawai – it’s the source.  Touching it, feeling the lepo on your skin, washing it off with that fresh clean water really connects you to that life-giving source.  IT helps everyone to understand who we really are.    Mālama the 'åina, enjoy the ocean in all its glory -- understand the connection, be mindful of the connection, what techniques we are practicing.  What we do up mauka goes to the ocean. 

 

Clean water.  Clean Air. Clean Ocean. Food sovereignty.  And community.  We need to help each other.  People are not meant to do everything by themselves just working all the time and struggling.  That's where arts and culture, public events and public space come in.  And we need to get out of our cars.  This island can't sustain all the cars.  They require more and more concrete and the more cars that are out there the harder it is to walk or ride a bike or take public transportation.  The more people get out of their cars the easier it will be for more people to get out of theirs.   :)

 

 

As you grow older, what will you do to help stay healthy?

 

Yoga.  Get some discipline -- stretching.  Stretching is very important for this kind of work.  Staying flexible -- that will help to achieve what we need to do.  That also applies to family life -- it is important to be flexible, not get set in our ways.  Everyone needs to learn flexibility.  It is of the utmost importance.

 

The same stuff I do now.  Drink water. Exercise. Avoid sugar.  But we need a home of our own.  With land.  Because our house has mold in it and holes in the floor and we don't own it so we can't fix it.  And the roof leaks.  But we can't afford to live in a house that isn't falling apart.  We have been moving around for 14 years growing our gardens and having to leave all of our hard work behind.  If we had our own piece of land we would be able to plant our trees and watch them grow…and grow…and grow and sit under them when we're old.  Because the older I get the more shade I want.