Kāko‘o ‘o I Nā Keiki (Support the Keiki) to Advance the Common Good for All Hawai‘i Island Keiki
By Gayle ‘Kaleilehua’ Greco A child’s big, innocent eyes gaze out into the distance. He waits street side, anticipating excitement, yet remaining ever-so-patient. He is surrounded by his ‘ohana who summon the minivan down the street. Reminiscent of waiting for…
Fire and Ice: Kumu Dane Kaohelani Silva’s Life of Spirit and Service to Health
By David Bruce Leonard, L.Ac. As the late afternoon sun warmed his back and shoulders, the chiropractor, acupuncturist, and teacher of Long Life Lomilomi walked briskly across his garden, following a well-worn path between tall ‘ōhi‘a trees bedecked with scarlet…
Healing Plants: Māmaki, The “Stingless” Stinging Nettle
By Barbara Fahs You might have seen dried māmaki leaves for sale at your local drug store or farmers market. Tea made from this endemic Hawaiian plant is tasty and popular. Known as Pipturis albidus, māmaki is a perennial shrub…
Toward a Firewise Community: Follow the Lead of Kohala by the Sea
By Denise Laitinen Kohala by the Sea is the little community that could. This group of Hawai‘i Island residents has achieved a status reached by few communities in the entire country: they’re part of the nationally recognized Firewise Communities program.…
Healing Plants – ‘Uhaloa: Wonderful Weed is Useful for Many Ailments
By Barbara Fahs Residents in lower elevations on all Hawaiian Islands might have noticed a grey-green plant growing in seemingly impossible places on their properties. The plant is not especially attractive, so many people remove it from their carefully designed…
A Place Like No Other: Dragonfly Ranch
Nestled in the South Kona hills, just along the treeline where the shade of great monkeypods cools the earth below, is a place so heavenly one could hardly believe it’s there. Descending the hill to Pu‘uhonua O Hōnaunau National Historical…
Healing Plants: Pōpolo – Foundation of the Hawaiian Pharmacy
By Barbara Fahs Related to tomatoes, eggplant, and peppers in the nightshade family, pōpolo, also known as Solanum nigrum or black nightshade, was a common medicinal plant in Hawai‘i until modern times. Like its culinary relatives, pōpolo is a small…
Healing Plants: Pohe Kula
A small wild plant you want to remember By Barbara Fahs Having trouble remembering things? Perhaps you have taken Ginkgo biloba, a popular herbal supplement that is available at health food stores and pharmacies in easy-to-take capsule form. The website…
Kūpuna Talk Story–Kai Kaholokai: Native Hawaiian Cultural Practitioner, Kumu Lā‘au Lapa‘au
By Keith Nealy As a filmmaker and storyteller, I have been blessed with the gift of sharing the mana‘o (knowledge) of more than 60 of Hawai‘i’s most revered kūpuna in spirited conversation exploring the cultural legacy they carry in their…
I Live. I Love. I Race. Kailua-Kona’s Own Triathlete Bree Wee
By Margaret Kearns “Nice.” Who would expect that to be the first descriptor for a fiercely competitive triathlete? That, however, is the word heard repeatedly from fellow competitors, fans, sponsors, and trainers when asked about Hawai‘i Island’s most stellar female…
Ka Puana: The Problem With Thinking
Excerpts used with permission of the publisher: GreatRiverBooks.com I have a knack for generating stress in that time right before dawn when it’s too cold to get out of bed and my wide-awake brain seems to run out of control.…
From Provence to Puna: Kalani Oceanside Retreat says “Mahalo” to Founder
By Le‘a Gleason Standing in the middle of the expansive lawn at Kalani Oceanside Retreat, Richard Koob waves down two passing guests. “Come join us for volleyball,” he grins, charisma and charm infectious. He hands each a puakenikeni flower to…
Natural Plant Medicine is Everywhere You Look
By Barbara Fahs You already know about them. Those dandelions you struggle to keep out of your lawn? Medicinal. The persistent weeds in your vegetable garden? Many of them have uses as medicine. Even some “weeds” that grow on bare…
A Vegan Evolution: 40 Years without Meat
By Cynthia Sweeney It’s easy to dismiss peace of mind and peace on planet Earth as utopian ideals. However, a visit with our vegan friends, with 40 years of a truly peaceful lifestyle under their belts, gives us tangible proof…
Tail-Wagging Aloha
By Denise Laitinen Sydney Andrade’s face lights up when I walk into his room, but it’s not me that he’s excited to see. It’s my companion Clancy. A pit bull mix I adopted from the Hawai‘i Island Humane Society’s Kea‘au…
Superfoods! Made Here on Hawai‘i Island
By Fern Gavelek In the search for healthier eating, many people boost their diets with supplements. Hawai‘i Island is not only a cornucopia of locally grown foods, but it’s also home to some highly regarded supplements. These locally made products…
Teas, Tinctures, and Tonics: Mamaki
By Barbara Fahs The traditional Hawaiian healing herb mamaki seems to have taken the world by storm. When you Google “mamaki” you’ll find 39,500 websites that talk about the Hawaiian version of the stinging nettle, including general information on sites…
Physical Challenges Never Stop This Triathlete: Jason Patrick Lester Keeps Running on Faith
By Fern Gavelek “Today is the youngest you will ever be. Live like it.” This advice comes from Jason Patrick Lester, who recently posted it on Facebook to his nearly 3,000 “friends.” Fewer than a dozen words, they speak volumes…
Hut Ho! “Octo-Paddlers”: Pull Together for Fun and Fitness
By Fern Gavelek At 6:30 every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday mornings, a canoe full of paddlers heads out of Keauhou Bay for a morning workout. They come from all walks of life and hail from different parts of the world.…
Kava Culture—Facts and Fiction
By Barbara Fahs In Western culture, the herbal supplement Kava Kava, was popular as a sleep aid and anti-anxiety remedy during the late 1990s, until the negative results of a European study were widely publicized. (Some say pharmaceutical companies initiated…
Viewpoint: Hawai‘i Island Healthcare—Different Tactics for Different Results?
By John White, Chief Executive Officer, North Hawai‘i Community Hospital Healthcare is a core element of communities anywhere, but it’s particularly important to the well-being of people on the neighbor islands of Hawai‘i. We count on being able to access…
Negative Ions Naturally Create Positive Benefits
There’s something in the air and while it may not be love, some say it’s the next best thing—negative ions. It’s why you feel so good when you’re outdoors near the water. Negative ions are odorless, tasteless, and invisible molecules…
Mood Medicine: RX: “Relax! Come to your senses!”
By Marya Mann, PhD. Taste more strawberries and chocolate. Smell homemade bread. Gaze at a magenta flower. Listen to Mozart. Touch someone you love. Signed: Mood Medicine Doctor of the Future The best way to resolve any health care crisis…
