Southern View: May 12, 2022

4
New signs
to target
unlawful
motorbike
riding
Energy drinks out, vege garden in
• Kim Thomas
PEER SUPPORT worker Matiu
Taitoko decided he had reached
the age where he needed to give
up the energy drinks and take
better care of himself.
The 55-year-old took part
in Pegasus Health’s new
healthy lifestyle and cooking
programme, Puāwai-Kai. Since
completing the course, he has
• By Emily Moorhouse
CONCERNS FOR safety and
complaints about noise from
unauthorised motorbikes have
prompted 20 “no motorbikes”
signs to be put up around the
red zone.
Linwood resident Ashley
Campbell regularly walks her two
little dogs around the Avonside
area and said some people were
using the area as an off-road dirt
track for their motorbikes.
“It’s an accident waiting to
happen,” she said. “It’s becoming
more of a problem.”
Campbell reached out to the
city council’s red zone team to
see what could be done and was
pleased to hear signs will be
installed.
Red zone manager Dave Little
said riding motorbikes within
parks is prohibited under a
bylaw.
felt healthier and is sleeping
better. He has also gone back
to working in the garden and
growing greens for him and his
whānau.
“I’m at that stage in my life
where we have to think about
what we eat and how we eat it
to last a little bit longer and feel
healthy about ourselves,” Taitoko
said.
“We (Puāwai-Kai course
participants) had no idea what
we were in for, but it was good
learning, you know, and learning
about sleeping as well and the
right food and when to eat that
and drinking. Oh, it’s been
fabulous.”
Taitoko was referred to the
free, eight-session Puāwai-
Kai course by his GP. It gives
participants information
on developing a healthier
relationship with food, cooking
and trying meals with costeffective
the good habits he learnt on the
course.
“I’ve actually been patting
myself on the back for some of
the things I’ve been taught and
carried on with it. Drinking
seasonal ingredients. the old soft drinks, you know,
“We have recently experienced
an uptick
263
in this behaviour and so It also covers
x
the importance
180
not much of that these days and
are increasing signage to remind of sleep, exercise and stress been drinking a lot of water. It’s
people that this activity is not management skills.
unreal. I’ve never slept like I have
permitted,” he said.
He said he has continued with done since [doing Puāwai-Kai].
It’s been well worth it for me and
my family.”
Taitoko was a participant in
the pilot Puāwai-Kai courses,
which Pegasus Health ran with
a range of Cantabrians to ensure
it provided the right mix of skills
and information.
University of Otago,
Christchurch, researcher Dr
Allamanda Faatoese studied
Thursday May 12 2022
GOOD CHOICE: Matiu
Taitoko is now growing
greens for him and his
whānau after participating
in the Puāwai-Kai course.
the course’s impact on Pasifika
participants. She recorded
changes in blood pressure,
cholesterol profile, blood sugar,
weight and body fat.
Faatoese said early analysis
of data showed all participants
dropped body fat and had
lower triglyceride levels.
High triglycerides are often a
sign of other conditions that
increase the risk of heart disease
and stroke.
Pegasus Health chief executive
Mark Liddle said Puāwai-Kai
helps people learn how small
changes in the way they live can
add up to big changes in their
health and well-being.
A big change for Taitoko has
been growing his own food.
“Being Māori, it’s been getting
back to the garden and learning
about that again. Because we
have been distant. We come into
the city and found the easy food,
the fast food to get by. But is it
the healthiest food? I don’t think
so.
“So it’s going back to the
garden again and growing those
veges. I’m quite lucky because
my whole family is starting to
get into well-being. We bring
different foods to the table now.”
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