WHAKAPAPA FRIDAYS - What do we have to eat in order to perform to our greatest potential as Māori? Following on from the last few posts we now look at how Ngā Pakanga Atua (The Battle of the Gods) reflects #nutrition and our purpose for eating #food. From an #exercise science perspective, the oxygen we breathe coupled with the food we eat provides the energy our bodies require to survive and perform. At an elite level, poor nutrition directly affects performance. In this third episode we turn to #Tūmatauenga (Tū) the atua of war (and mankind in some areas). In his success at defying the winds of #Tāwhirimātea, Tū seeks to take his revenge against his godly brothers. What drives Tū is the failure of his brothers to stand against Tāwhirimātea and support him in his efforts. Tū attacks #Tāne by fashioning a snare to catch his children, the birds of the forest. Tū then makes a net made of Harakeke fibres to catch the fish of the ocean, the children of #Tangaroa. As the children of #Rongo (cultivated foods) and #Haumietiketike (uncultivated foods) hid in the Earth, Tū carves a gardening hoe to dig up the Kūmara and Aruhe (fern root). In his revenge, Tū devoured his brothers, and consumed the whole of them. From a Māori perspective, this is the origin of mans desire to eat food. Taking this a step further...On the surface, some writers (Best, White, Grey) have described Tūs success against Tāwhirimātea as the result of: 1. Tus will to defy Tāwhirimātea; 2. Tūs superiority in the art of war; and 3. That Tū knew of Tāwhirimāteas displeasure at the separation of Rangi and Papa, and therefore, had taken steps to prepare himself. Tūs success then cannot be associated to the consumption of food, but rather the will of the mind, experience, and appropriate preparation. In this context, it is in my opinion, that traditional Māori foods do not provide the energy for excellence, rather, are used to replenish and restore the balance in the system (body or universe) as a consequence of that performance. That means that nutrition should NOT be considered as the cause of performance excellence, but as the medium to restore greatness to normality, or restore balance to oneself. Furthermore, performance excellence must stem from a will to succeed, experience and adequate preparation. So, how does the food you eat contribute to your level of excellence? #WhakapapaFridays #Maori #NZ #nutritionforperformance #whyareyoueatingthat #doineedthatpreworkout
Posted on: Thu, 31 Jul 2014 20:25:38 +0000
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