Kia Ora Whanau

It's December already! I thought about Xmas when I went to the market in Porirua on Saturday morning. Even though the rain was pouring down all kinds of cultures here are so into life and are busy doing their own thing. Such a good way to be. This month, we will take a look at the consequences for eating fried fatty foods, sugary foods and drinks with the onset of diabetes. I often wonder what my eating habits would have been like if my parents would have just put a pumpkin or a cabbage on the table for tea. Our whanau ate soooo much food as children that we had to lay down afterwards but we exercised a lot and drank heaps of water too which is an important part of managing diabetes. We will look at eating disorders and how they affect us and our chlidren. Sad to say we have lost some of our taonga over the last few months but it serves to remind me how important it is for us to keep maintaining our health mentally, physically, and spiritually so we live lon ger for our children and mokopuna.

I sat on Papatuanuku in the warmth of the sun out amongst the mountains in Waikaremoana to farewell our dear Nanny Waiwai with the trees blowing in the gentle breeze. Haere atu ra e te totara haemata. Will love you always. Te Awhina Riwaka, a rongoa tohunga from Poriua also died that weekend. Haere atu ra i runga i to kura waka e te kurupounamu. Tom Maraki also set sail for Hawaiki. E moe e Rangatira. Ma IO manaaki o ratou waka wairua ki nga kapuni o o tatou matua tupuna e!

The indian culture lead the statistics in diabetes around the world with their oily curries and fatty coconut cream dishes. The body turns the fat straight into sugar. The island people come in second with Maori coming in close on third. Diabetes is the result of too much sugar in the blood and not enough insulin being created in the pancreas to keep the blood glucose levels down to normal. My great grandmother, Jane Greening nee Mitchell from Wairoa went blind in her old age due to diabetes. My nanny, Charlotte Mildon from Wairoa lost her leg from eating fatty foods and the high sugar content in alcohol - (regular spots of gin). My Uncle Keith Mildon lost his toes from diabetes - (could drink a 11/4 litre bottle of soft drink with a loaf of white bread for a snack). Uncle Dan Heremia lost his entire leg from gangrene and Uncle Tom had to take insulin every day for most of his life (he enjoyed his spirits often). I have never forgotten the s adness when visiting whanau who had just lost limbs and toes in hospital from diabetes. They lost the will to live after that. Grantedly there wasn't much education about diabetes around in the old days but this is not the case today. Here are the symptoms of diabetes:

• Feeling tired and lacking energy
• Feeling thirsty
• Going to the toilet often
• Getting infections which are hard to heal
• Poor eyesight or blurred vision
• Often feeling hungry
• Likely to develop gangrene (or areas of completely dead flesh)
• Pain in your calves when walking
• Change in the normal colour or temperature of your feet or legs
• Pain in your legs and feet at night or when resting
• Impotence in men
• Yeast infections and vaginitis in women

For more information about coping with diabetes in New Zealand: www.diabetes.org.nz

An eating disorder is a serious mental illness that affects men, women, and rangatahi from all cultures and socio economic backgrounds. Bullimia can be a way of coping with emotional difficulties and food is like a control mechanism. Rather than feel emotions, a bullimic will use food as a means of numbing feelings. Emotions are pushed down into puku riri and hidden deep within. In my opinion, the core of eating disorders are caused by an imbalance of spiritual growth. The addiction to eat food can become so uncontrollable that food turns into a nightmare. Suicide and self harm can be an everyday reality as a result. Even though it is hard to understand what your loved one may be going through, parents/caregivers/partners need to remain non-judgemental, supportive, compassionate, and kind regardless of how difficult it may become. Bulimia Nervosa is usually the first stage - eating unhealthy food and purging which affects the chemical bala nce of the brain. The vommiting confuses the messages to the brain to digest the food, hence they are often in a state of confusion and unable to think rationally which is reflected in their behaviour. The continuous purging can cause irreversible damage to the body and can be fatal. Hence, they are lonely, anxious, depressed and withdraw often from people and life. The second stage of eating disorders is Anorexia Nervosa where severe food restrictions bring on anxiety attacks, feelings of self disgust, shame, guilty inadequacy and rejection. For more information check out: www.ed.org.nz . Group therapy can often be more effective as a means of support as they are often hiding their illness from everyone. In NZ, the central region eating disorder service offer group therapy in Wellington with residential services or day programs: www.eatingdisorders.org.nz

Well here's wishing you all a wonderful holiday season filled with much love and joy. Keep safe by drinking less alcohol and more water, buy healthy kai because you are so worth it, and most of all, live to tell the story to your mokopuna. Catch a taxi and eat more food if you are planning to get haurangi at xmas parties. While it is a time to remember our loved ones who have passed, take the time for a massage, meditate, swim in the sea and be one with nature. Create special holiday memories as though it could be your last, love the ones you're with like you've never loved before and tell somebody how much you love them, today.

Mauri Ora
Na Charlotte

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