15/11/2025
MATE HUKA 🩸DIABETES
This month is diabetes action month and on Friday 14th it was world diabetes day.
We had a morning of kōrero and education yesterday morning with a diabetes group of tāne in a whare herehere.
Myself (rongoā māori) and the diabetes specialist had some good kōrero with the tane and I got to take away some valuable learning as well from the specialist.
Our people have a high percentage of diabetes and I really want to reiterate how imperative it is to be hwell and take care of yourself. Especially if you have whanau with diabetes- support them in their journey for health. Kōrero with them.
I have worked on so many of my own people with diabetes. I see tāne with constant bandages on their legs that are weeping or darkened. Heard of limbs being amputated, men becoming impotent, affects the kidneys, eyes and can lead to all kinds of further health complications.
My kōrero yesterday was the holistic side to health. Growing up Māori we eat all the wrong kai and I truly believe we can eat anything - but in moderation. It’s hard to even write this cos, I myself have struggled with this all my life.
One thing I see in the whare herehere, is emotional eating. They know they have diabetes, yet they eat all the things they’re not meant to be eating and they know this, they arent silly. Lots of sugars and high carbohydrates like chocolate, chocolate biscuits, noodles, raro and bread. The kōrero is important cos the underlying cause is usually lack of connection, depression, self loathing, sadness and loneliness. It’s like self sabotage - eating to be sick.
Clinically you can give them the education and information but how do we support them emotionally and spiritually?
My first thought was to begin a support group with these tāne, I was surprised at the amount of young people that had diabetes.
There is Rongoā: preventing and treating Type 2 diabetes.
At least four bioactive compounds that have anti-diabetic properties have been identified in kumarahou, and similar compounds have been found in two other native plants: the ubiquitous kawakawa and karamu, a type of coprosma.
🌿 kumarahou 🌿 kawakawa 🌿 karamu
I know some people back home also using 🌿 titoki wai as a treatment.
Research has been done on some Rongoā and I have met a few doctors and researchers during my own haerenga with rongoā.
As I always say, and some people wont agree with this but I believe in weaving together rongoā māori and clinical. They can compliment each other. I am always rongoā first and clinical later, cos Im Rongoā first, my own needs for anything clinical is very mininal but as we know anything can change with health but I’m grateful to this point.
Another thing is like medication, rongoā has no affect if you’re still not looking after yourself. People ask me for Rongoā all the time and kei te pai, but come on whanau, rongoā will not work if you’re still drinking it up every few days, eating that fry bread, fatty boil up, takeaways or junkfood. Rongoā Māori is also connecting to atua, to the whenua, to ourselves and also to our whanau.
Be well whanau
https://www.diabetes.org.nz/diabetes-action-mont
