Hawaii: Healthiest State in the US

~Blog Post #4~

April 20, 2015

By: Mary Vanco

Hawaii was very healthy to start with. The traditional Hawaiian diet is simple, high starch, high fiber, low saturated fat, low sodium, low cholesterol. It had healthy crops like taro and breadfruit and a high production of fruit like avocado, mangos, papayas, with a lot of local organic farming.Hawaii has been rated the healthiest state in the U.S. for the past couple years. One reason for this is the high fruit and

vegetable consumption. Hawaiians eat plenty of coconuts, bananas, apples, raspberries, and strawberries; they eat them raw and fresh. Also, they eat sweet potatoes, cooked greens, poi (mentioned in my last blog), which is one of the most nutritious carbohydrates known. Their diet consists of a mixture of carbs, fresh fruits and vegetables, and protein. Seafood was incorporated into traditional meals for protein as well as pig and chicken.

"It had 12 percent protein, 18 percent fat and 70 percent carbohydrates. By comparison, the typical American diet today has 15 percent protein, 40 percent fat and 45 percent carbohydrates states Dr. George Kanahele." 

Once Hawaii was annexed it brought cultural changes that altered the farming and cooking and brought along processed foods. Most people in Hawaii don't eat the traditional diet. Obesity has increased from 37 percent to 50.1 percent. I think this just shows that although Hawaii is the healthiest state, the typical american diet still has an influence.

Works Cited:

"The 10 Healthiest and 10 Least-Healthy States in 2014." 1. Hawaii. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Apr. 2015. <http://www.health.com/health/m/gallery/0,,20880082_11,00.html>.

"Traditional Hawaiian Diet." LIVESTRONG.COM. LIVESTRONG.COM, 28 Jan. 2015. Web. 20 Apr. 2015. <http://www.livestrong.com/article/319754-traditional-hawaiian-diet/#page=1>.

"Food in Old Hawai'i." FOOD IN OLD HAWAI‘I (n.d.): n. pag. Web. 20 Apr. 2015. <http://www.cds.hawaii.edu/kahana/>.