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Saying Aloha to Bad Eating Habits

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From Associated Press

The ancient Hawaiians were svelte and strong. Their descendants are obese and prone to heart disease, cancer, stroke and diabetes.

Two Hawaiian nutritionists set out to discover what happened. Their findings resulted in a diet that is low in fat, high in complex carbohydrates and based on the eating habits of the ancient islanders.

The diet was created by Dr. Terry Shintani of the Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center and Claire Hughes, a native Hawaiian nutritionist.

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“We started thinking of the traditional Hawaiian diet as a good way to lose weight because ancient drawings, photos and writings depicted Hawaiians that were slim and strong,” Shintani said.

According to 1987 congressional statistics, 70% of native Hawaiians’ deaths are diet-related. Nationally, their death rate is 34% higher than that of other races.

Shintani gathered a group of overweight native Hawaiians in 1989 and put them on the diet.

They were allowed unlimited amounts of poi, breadfruit, sweet potatoes, taro and fruit, with controlled amounts of fish and chicken. Calorie intake was reduced from an average 2,594 to 1,569; fat was cut from 40% to 7%.

“Western nutritionists used to say poi was bad for you,” Shintani said. “It just goes to show there’s more to traditional knowledge than what you might think.”

Each member of the group lost an average of 17 pounds in the three-week program. Each also lowered cholesterol, blood pressure and blood-sugar levels.

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