Nor'West News: May 12, 2022

8
Medway
St bridge
opens
Energy drinks out, vege garden in
• By 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.
A TWISTED and distorted bridge The 55-year-old from Belfast
that became a symbol of the took part in Pegasus Health’s
power of the earthquakes has a new healthy lifestyle and cooking
new incarnation.
programme, Puāwai-Kai. Since
The Medway St footbridge completing the course, he has
has been officially opened to the felt healthier and is sleeping
public. It was the second of three better. He has also gone back
new pedestrian bridges built in to working in the garden and
the Ōtākaro Avon River Corridor. growing greens for him and his
For the first time since the whānau.
quakes, the bridge will provide “I’m at that stage in my life
foot and cycle access over the river where we have to think about
to Avonside Drive from where what we eat and how we eat it
Medway St meets River Rd. to last a little bit longer and feel
City council head of parks healthy about ourselves,” Taitoko
Andrew Rutledge said the said.
opening had a special resonance “We [Puāwai-Kai course
for the community.
participants] had no idea what
“This will return an important we were in for, but it was good
cross-river connection point learning, you know, and learning
for people living in the area, about sleeping as well and the
which has been absent since the right food and when to eat that
earthquakes, as well as providing and drinking. Oh, it’s been
a link for those looking to explore fabulous.”
the evolving regeneration area,” Taitoko was referred to the
he said.
free, eight-session Puāwai- the good habits he learnt on the
The three bridges at Avondale, Kai course by his GP. It gives course.
Medway St and Snell Pl, as participants information
“I’ve actually been patting
well as the riverside landing at on developing a healthier
myself on the back for some of
Dallington, were funded by a relationship with food, cooking the things I’ve been taught and
$13.7 million grant from the and trying meals with costeffective
seasonal ingredients. the old soft drinks, you know,
carried on with it. Drinking
Christchurch Earthquake Appeal
Trust.
263
It also covers
x
the importance
180
not much of that these days and
The Avondale bridge and of sleep, exercise and stress been drinking a lot of water. It’s
Dallington landing opened in management skills.
unreal. I’ve never slept like I have
March.
He says 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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