A lot of you know that my husband spent nearly 2 months in the hospital, with the resultant weight loss and weakness from the length of time he was there. He was home for almost a month with no appreciable weight gain when we left for a week of sun in Hawaii.
We stayed in Kona, which is a bit more rural and agricultural than a lot of the Hawaiian hot spots. And as a result, we had access to fresh produce; with 2 farmer’s markets within 3 miles of where we were staying. We ate papaya every single day; and avocado, strawberry bananas, lemons, macadamia nuts, mangoes, passion fruit and pineapple. We found papaya trees like these everywhere, and sometimes, beneath them, we found fruit just laying there, waiting to be eaten. We sat underneath a Macadamia nut tree and ate nuts that were laying beneath our feet. (they are tough to crack!)
I am happy to report that my husband gained more than 3 pounds in one week. He did NOT drink the high protein drinks his doctor suggested; he ate fruit, fruit, fruit; fresh every day. (and other good stuff too; like chocolate).
My nephew Paolo lives in Kona, and he is very attuned to the native (and non-native) plants in the area. He took us under his wing, answering our many questions about this plant and that. Our first day there, I discovered a ubiquitous tree full of big fat fruits. They reminded me of the breadfruit, so I was certain when I saw this one; that I had found yet another plant full of sustenance, free for the taking, as they were everywhere. This plant is called the Noni. It’s in the mulberry family and it was brought to Hawaii by the original Polynesian settlers for its healing properties. I picked up a fruit, and it smelled like rotten cheese! Hawaiians put this stuff on infections. You don’t eat it. Lucky for me, I didn’t have to try it.
These two paintings are out of my travel journal. Stay tuned next week for a new wildcat painting.
