U-Turn Trust, a project launched by Henare O’Keefe and dedicated to positive outcomes in Flaxmere, has issued its colourful first “Interim Report” (here’s a copy)

Already heaps of progress — Flaxmere Heroes Calendar 2010 (with sponsorship secured for 2011); the Te Aranga Marae Garden Project, already growing kumara and taro “in abundance;” Tunutunu (Henare and Pam’s barbecue version of Meals on Wheels); and a boxing exercise program every Saturday morning. I’m not sure whether that’s before or after you work out in the garden.

But what really caught my eye was the Flaxmere Health Program, focused on nutritious eating as it relates to diabetes control. This project selected 31 people from the Marae — most of whom, according to the report, were “very overweight” — to follow an eating program with weekly counseling, blood sugar checks and weigh-ins. The program was devised with the guidance of Ben Warren at BePure.

Very impressive results to date … the group lost 90 kilos in two weeks (and Henare boasted of more at yesterday’s Council meeting). Last names are suppressed to protect the “very overweight,” but here are some examples: Des (lost 13kg), Henare (-6kg), Pam (-12kg), Rebecca (-12kg) and Grant (-20kg). And much better blood sugar counts as well.

What’s next? A Flaxmere triathlon is on the drawing boards. With all this trimming and slimming, why not?!

Tom Belford

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1 Comment

  1. With all the publicity on inadequate health services the self help work of the U-Turn Trust is where much of the answers are.

    We as individuals have to take responsibily for many of the self inflicted illness that fill consultants waiting rooms, surgical lists and hospital beds from over indulgence.

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