Reflection Paper 2
Reflection Paper: Personal Assignment
Introduction
The three ethnicities I identify with that influenced and shaped my view on food, along with my
eating habits are Native Hawai’ian, Asian (Japanese and Chinese), and African American. Although I
identify with three, the main one that has the most effect would be the Hawai’ian culture. My culture
has always played a huge part in where I stand with my eating habits, all the way down to how my
children eat as well. If I had answered this question several years ago, I would say my ethnicity or
environment had nothing to do with my current eating habits, weight, and health simply because I have
always been a multi-sport athlete since the age of five and the way I ate never really negatively affected
me along with me living in the mainland, and not the island anymore. Fast forward several years, after
having children and no longer being an athlete, my answer is the complete opposite. I believe my
culture’s food has a major effect on my weight or health, but my environment and stress levels add to it,
especially playing into what comes after having children. Even though living in Arizona, my environment
does not call for the food I would normally eat in Hawai’i, it just causes me to make it myself or to order
things that are possibly close to the food back home. For years since before 2018, I have always weighed
no more than 135 lbs., all muscle. Since then, I have had two kids and currently weigh 185 lbs. I have lost
all my muscles, and I feel at my worst. I find it very hard to stay on track due to my eating habits that are
groomed from my culture and environment.
The Basics of Hawai’ian Cuisine
First things first, when one thinks about Hawai’ian or Asian culture, besides the beauty, the first
thing that comes to mind is the food and they are right. Growing up with islander ethnicity, as soon as
the little keiki (children) were able to eat solid foods, the first food that was introduced was sticky rice.
Rice will and is always going to be the base of any cuisine in the Hawai’ian culture and this was
something embedded into me since childhood, and now I cook the same way for my children. A study
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was shown, that many of the chronic illnesses linked with being Native Hawai’ian are related to poor
diets and obesity that took place since the beginning of childhood (Ohnea, et. al 2016). Once I reached
college sports, I started to notice the way we eat, isn’t the best nutritionally wise. Most of our meals are
packed with sodium or processed sugar, making it challenging to consume a balanced diet with all the
nutrients our bodies need. It also can consist of fresh, locally sourced ingredients such as
fish, taro, sweet potatoes, and tropical fruits.Eating nothing but sodium-filled meals
following sugar-loaded desserts and fruits, one-third of hospitalized Hawai’i youth are obese (Ohnea, et.
al 2016). Lifestyle and socioeconomic factors already place native Hawai’ians at higher risk for type two
diabetes and cardiovascular disease. My mother, and her father both have diabetes and my grandfather
has cardiovascular disease. Furthermore, it has also been found that Polynesian genetic ancestry is
linked with a higher chance of obesity. This information is what pushed me to research better and
healthier options, but I found it hard to switch to a better diet due to my preferences in tastes. I love
salty, savory things, or saucy items, and fish. I am by far the pickiest person one can meet, and I love my
greens and fruits, but I never feel content or full eating any type of food that does not have rice.
The Effects
As an athlete, I never worried about nutrition or BMI, simply because I was consistently working
out, nothing had any negative effect on my body. Now, that I don’t play sports or exercise as much as I
should due to being a busy mom, I have noticed weight does stick on and is harder to lose. I carry most
of my weight in my abdomen and thighs. I found it hard, to stick to my regimen if I was around people or
family from back home (Hawai’i) or if I went to a family gathering on the island. In this study, the
participants stated they were a little too unsure if they could stick to their exercises and nutrition meals
if they were exposed to being back on the island or being around others from the same culture McEligot
et. al 2012). I have noticed, that since certain things are not as readily available to get since I am on the
mainland, I can commit more than I thought I would not having certain access to certain food items. The
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participants also stated this in their study, living in California and not living in Hawai’i (McEligot et. al).
Eating this way caused Native Hawai’ians to be leading and above average when it comes to obesity,
diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.
Conclusion
My past may influence or shape how I perceive the public I will be working with positively. I will
be able to build rapport with clients and know how to relate to them if they are going through the same
life-changing struggles especially when it comes to changing diets. I believe, that since I got to
experience both ends of having a positive and negative outcome due to my environment and culture, I
can perceive the public in a better perspective. Traditional Hawaiian food is not only nutritious but also
reflects the state's unique cultural identity and ethnicity. I know I will never fully give up on my culture’s
cooking, but I can incorporate more healthy portions and add in more healthier options as well. This
brings me to what was stated in our textbook about how traditions are passed down from generation to
generation, and traditions are a way of preserving not only culture but also our memories of loved ones
(Kebles & Hemric, 2022). Not being on the island anymore, sometimes I feel my kids will not get to learn
their culture being on the mainland, so I try my best to incorporate it as much as I can, and the majority
of the time it is through food. Although Hawai’ian food may not always be great health-wise, it is filled
with aloha, and I would not trade it for the world.
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References
Kebles, C. A., & Hemric, M. (2022). Omega-Z diet for weight loss. Omega-Z Diet Books.
McEligot, A. J., McMullin, J., Pang, K., Bone, M., Winston, S., Ngewa, R., & Tanjasiri, S. P. (2012).
Dietary intakes, obesity and health behaviors in Native Hawaiians residing in Southern
California. Hawai'i journal of medicine & public health: a journal of Asia Pacific Medicine &
Public Health, 71(5), 124–128.
Oneha, M. F., Dodgson, J. E., DeCambra, M. H., Titcomb, C., Enos, R., & Morimoto-Ching, S. (2016).
Connecting culturally and spiritually to healthy eating: A community assessment with Native
Hawaiians. Asian/Pacific Island Nursing Journal, 1(3), 116–126.
https://doi.org/10.9741/23736658.1023
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