Toto Ma’olunga: Matemate ‘a Liku

During the navigational years of our ancestors across the Pacific Ocean, from Vaihi (Hawaii) to Tonga (South) and other islands of the South Pacific, several lessons were learned. Those lessons were immortalized into what Tongans now called Paloveape. Matemate ‘a liku is one of the Tongan paloveape which teaches us important lessons from long ago, yet its application, still applies to us now as we struggle to stay healthy. Matemate a liku means that even though the liku looks calm, it is not a good idea to go near it because big waves do come without warnings which can sweep you off your feet and crush you against the reefs or the rocks, leading to much pain and even death. In our time, we must not eat the types of food that will contribute or exacerbate the development of high blood pressure. Though those food may seems harmless at first but over time it will bring the big waves that our ancestors warned us about which will bring mayhem to our hearts, kidneys, capillaries and other vital organs of our bodies. One of the big waves that we need to avoid in our lives is toto ma’olunga which will lead to pa kalava if we do not bring it under control.

Toto ma’olunga has joined diabetes and gout diseases as the foremost enemies of Polynesians. The causes of high blood pressure can be as big as the islands of Kao mo Tofua but I would like to discuss only a few factors here that are considered relevant to us and by no means the list exhausted. First, the excessive use of salt in our diet does contribute to the development of high blood pressure either directly or indirectly. Salt is good since it contains iodine which is another essential element that we must have in our diet to avoid other diseases such as goiter. However, excessive use of salt contributes to the imbalance of the electrolytes and water in our bodies which will affect our normal metabolic physiology over time. In the end, it will contribute to high blood pressure. Please go easy on the salt and if possible do without it or find an alternative spice to flavor your food with.

‘Uluaki, kainga tau fakasi’isi’i mu’a hono ngaue’aki ‘a e masima ‘i he’etau ma’u me’atokoni (tapu ange he mo hou’eiki). ‘Oku lelei ‘a e masima he ‘oku ‘i ai ‘a e iotaini pea ‘oku ne hanga ‘o fakahaofi kitautolu mei he ngaahi mahaki kehe. Ka neongo ia ka fu’u lahi leva, pe too tu’a ‘a hono ngaue’aki ‘a e masima pea ‘e kovi leva ia ki he’etau moui. Ko e taha foki ‘eni ‘o e ngaahi me’a ‘oku ne fakatupu ‘a e toto ma’olunga kapau te tau ta’etokanga ki ai.

Second, we tend to eat a lot or too much of the “fatty foods.” For example, a lot of us eat chicken’s meat together with its skin because it has some type of a “special taste” according to some. But, the danger lies in the accumulations of the so called unhealthy fatty acids and cholesterol from those skins which will be deposited around our blood vessels and our heart. The deposited fats and cholesterol are hard to get rid off as we get older and they will lessen the diameter of your blood vessels. This is like turning your tap water outside and squeezing the tip of the hose, the water pressure will increase. The lesser the diameter of your blood vessels for the blood to travel, the higher your blood pressure will become and eventually, the big waves of high blood pressure will hit you like a brick without any warnings. The result is death in most cases. For those who do not have high blood pressure, take the skin and fat off the beef and chicken meat, cook them well and eat with lots of vegetables. For those of you who have high blood pressure, do not eat chicken meat with its skin at all or the pig’s skin (kili’i puaka tunu) though it may taste good. Please see your physician regularly to avoid the pitfalls of high blood pressure and work towards a healthier lifestyle so that you can enjoy what life has to offer.

Ua, ko e lahi pe totu’a ‘a ‘etau kai e ngaahi me’akai ko ia ‘oku fu’u ngako. Ko e taimi ‘e ni’ihi ‘o ku tau haka ‘a e moa pea mo hono kili he ‘oku “ifo makehe” tokua ki ha fa’ahing ‘e ni’ihi. ‘Oku totonu ketau to’o ‘a e kili ‘o e moaa pea mo e ngaahi ngako ko ia ‘oku kei pipiki ki he kanomate (kau ai pea mo e kili ‘o e puaka tunu) pea tau toki haka leva ke moho lelei. Haka ‘a e ngaahi vesitapolo ‘i ha vai kuo lili ‘i ha ngaahi miniti si’isi’i pe kae oua ‘e haka ke fu’u moho. ‘Oku lelei ma’u pe ke kai e kakano’i manu pea mo ha ngaahi vesitapolo ke tau moui lelei ma’u pe. Tau faka’ehi’ehi ma’u pe mei he toto ma’olunga. ‘Okapau ‘oku ma’u koe ‘e he toto ma’olunga, kataki ‘o ‘alu ma’u pe ki ho’o toketaa ke sivi koe koe’uhi ke ke ma’u ha fakafuofua lelei ki he tu’unga ‘o ho’o mo’ui lelei. Ko ho’o mate vave ka ko hai te ne tauhi ho hoa pea mo e fanau?

Third, we are living in a hustling and a busier world much different than that of our ancestors. Because of the environment we live in, we experience a lot of stresses daily and from different factors. We can easily get stress out from financial concerns, misbehaved children or a spouse for that matter and from our daily responsibilities at home and in the work force. But what can we do? Can we eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we will die? Most definitely not. Can we just “…don’t worry be happy…” when we have stress? Maybe not all of the times. I believe that we can learn to deal with stress effectively by knowing the causes of it and see what you can do to ease the stress. Sometimes you can just take a time out or simply take a walk for fresh air for a few minutes until you can calm down and ready to deal with stress or the causes of it. Stress has been proven to be another factor that adds to your risk factors for high blood pressure, which is why it is important to have your blood pressure check regularly by your primary physician.

Tolu, ko e puputu’u pea mo e hoha’a ‘a hotau ‘atamai tupu mei he ‘etau nofo ko ia ‘i he feitu’u ko ‘eni ‘oku fu’u vave ange ai ‘a e moui. ‘I he taimi ‘e ni’ihi ‘oku puputu’u ‘a hotau ‘atamai tupu mei he ‘etau hoha’a ko ia pe ‘e mau mai ha pa’anga lahi pe fe’unga ke totongi’aki hotau ngaahi mo’ua pea mo fafanga’aki hotau famili. Ko e taimi ‘e taha ‘oku puputu’u ‘a hotau ‘atamai koe’uhi ko e talangata’a ‘a e fanau pe ko e mali. Koe ha nai ‘a e me’a ‘oku totonu ketau fai ke matafi atu ai ‘a e hoha’a pea mo e puputu’u? Te tau kai, inu pea mo fakafiefia he te tau mate ‘apongipongi? ‘Oku ‘ikai ke totonu ke tau fai pehe. ‘Oku totonu ke tau ki’i malolo si’i hifo mei he hoha’a, luelue holo ‘i tu’a ke ma’u ha ki’i ‘ea lelei pe fakamokomoko ke nonga hifo ‘a e ‘atamai. Kuo lahi ‘aupito ‘a e ngaahi fekumi faka-saianisi ‘oku nau pehe ‘oku lava pe ke ma’u ‘e ha taha ‘a e toto ma’olunga kapau ‘e fa’a puputu’u pea mo hoha’a ma’u pe ‘a e ‘atamai ‘i ha ngaahi taimi lahi. Mahalo ko hono ‘uhinga ia ‘oku totonu ai ke tau ‘alu ma’u pe ki he toketaa ‘o sivi ‘a hotau toto.

Fourth, the type of medication that you take might contribute to high blood pressure. This is perhaps an important issue that is easy to overlook. A lot of people who suffered from diabetes and gout diseases sometimes suffer from high blood pressure as well. The amount of medications that can be taken for all three diseases are overwhelming and not to mention the costs associated with them. Take the medications that you have been prescribed to take only and if there are any side effects (life threatening) please see your physician right away or go to the emergency room. If you are taking any health supplements of any kind please make sure to let your physician know about it for possible contraindications with your prescribed medications. This type of supplements can also be found in the Physician Desk Reference (PDR) for Non Prescription drugs and Dietary Supplements. If they are not listed in this type of PDR, find out more information about it from your doctors or from peer review scientific journals so that you can be informed.

Fa, ‘oku fa’a lava pe ke ma’u ‘a e toto ma’olunga pea mei he ngaahi fo’i ‘akau ko ia ‘oku tau folo koe’uhi ko ha mahaki ke he pea mei he toto ma’olunga. Ko hono ‘uhinga ia ‘oku lelei ma’u pe ke tau muimui ma’u pe ki he tu’utu’uni ‘a e toketaa. Kapau leva ‘e ‘iai hano anga ‘oku ngali kehe tupu pea mei he faito’o, ‘oku totonu leva ke fetu’utaki ki ho’o toketaa he vave taha pe ko ho’o ‘alu ki he loki ‘imesenisi (emergency room). ‘Oku fu’u mahu’inga foki ke ‘ilo’i ‘e ho’o toketaa kapau ‘oku ke toe ngaue’aki ‘a e ngaahi ‘akau faitoo kehe. Koe lahi ‘o e ngaahi ‘akau faito’o ko ‘eni ‘oku tu’u ‘i he tohi PDR. Koe tohi PDR ko ia ‘oku fekau’aki pea moe ngaahi foi ‘akau faito’o pe vai ‘oku ikai ke te talatala ki he toketaa pea ‘omai (PDR For Non-Prescription & Dietary Supplements)

Fifth, weight management and exercises. This is probably one of the toughest things to do for some people. However, if you are overweight you are more likely to develop high blood pressure. With this problem, you can loose the excess weight. This does not mean that you need to be “hange ha mahele’i too” (looks thin like the sugar cane leaf blade). Go to the gymnasium or just walk a mile everyday in the football fields, city health clubhouses, ride a bicycle around the neighborhood daily or just use a treadmill at home daily for a few minutes. The other part of weight managements is eating the right food, mainly lots of fiber, vegetables, fruits and whole grains daily. Researches have shown that proper dieting with daily exercises is a critical component to a healthier weight management. Do not starve yourselves. All of these diet and lifestyle modifications should lead to lowering your chances of getting high blood pressure and/or improving your life to a much healthier state so that you can live happily ever after. Why not?

Nima, ‘oku totonu ke tau fakamalohi sino pea mo fakaholo kapau ‘oku tau fu’u sino. ‘Oku ‘ikai ‘uhinga ‘eni ke tau fakaholo ke “hange ha mahele’i to”, ka ke tau sino lelei pea ‘e lelei ai foki pea mo ‘etau manava. ‘I he ‘etau holo ko ia ‘o sino pea mo mo’ui lelei, ‘e si’isi’i ange ai ke ma’u ‘a kitautolu ‘e he toto ma’olunga. Koe konga mahu’inga foki ia ‘e taha ‘o e fakaholo, ‘a ‘etau kai ko ia ‘a e ngaahi me’akai lelei hange ko e ngaahi fo’i ’akau fua, vesitapolo pea mo e ngaahi me’akai ko ia ‘oku fakanatula pe hange ko ‘etau ngaahi me’akai Tonga mei ‘uta, ‘a e talo, manioke pea mo e ngaahi ala me’a pehe.

Sixth, smoking cigarettes on a daily basis. The dangers of smoking from a molecular point of view will had been addressed in my previous column but I will briefly touch on it here since it is relevant to high blood pressure. Smokings have been shown to damage the linings of the artery, quicken your heart beat and decrease the flexibility of your blood vessels so that they do not react properly to the changes in blood pressure. It will lead to high blood pressure if not corrected. It has also been shown that smoking lowers the so called good cholesterol while increase the bad cholesterol. It will lead to high blood pressure if not corrected in time. Smoking will also make it harder to exercise, easier to form blood clots in your systems and many other complications which will all contribute to high blood pressure. Sometimes you do not recognize that you have high blood pressure and it is easy to dismiss the idea of checking it regularly since you have been smoking for over 30 years with no health problems. But that is why high blood pressure is often referred to as “silent killer.” It will strike when you least expected it. “’E lava pe ‘a hevani ‘o tatali.” What more can I say?

Ono, ko e kovi pea moe fakatu’utamaki ‘o e ifi tapaka. ‘Oku hanga ‘e he ifi tapaka ‘o maumau’i ‘a e kofu loto ko ia ‘o e ngaahi kalava ‘i hotau sino pea mo fakavave’i ‘a e ta ‘a hotau mafu. ‘I he ‘ene pehe, ‘e faingata’a leva ke ngaue lelei ‘a hotau kalava ‘i he taimi lahi pea ‘e fa’a tupu leva mei ai ‘a e hoko ko ia ‘a e toto ma’olunga. ‘Ikai ia ko ia pe, ‘oku hanga ‘ehe ifi tapaka ‘o maumau’i foki pea moe palanisi ko ia ‘a e ngaahi ngaue fakamoui lelei ‘a hotau sino ‘o fa’a fatu ai ‘a e toto ‘i he taimi ‘e ni’ihi. Kai kehe ‘oku toe hanga foki ‘ehe ifi tapakaa ‘o fakafe’atungia’i ‘a e ngaue ko ia ‘a hotau ma’ama’a pea ‘e kovi foki ia ki he ‘etau manava. Ko e taimi ‘e ni’ihi ‘e fa’a nounou ai ‘a etau manava pea hange leva ko e lau, “’ofa mai a ‘o tuku e ifi tapaka?”

We are descendants of great warriors and navigators who had baffled the world experts in navigations concerning their abilities to sail from islands to islands, far and wide, without compasses. They had left us many lessons that we need to learn and internalize so that we will skillfully navigate life’s challenges today for a better future. Let us not contribute to our own defeat by high blood pressure, by eating healthy food, exercising daily, relaxing and coping with stress, stop smoking and visits your physicians regularly. In doing so, we will avoid the big waves foretold by our ancestors long ago in mate mate a liku and high blood pressure.