Pania leads the way

September 2nd 2010

Pania Raerino starts each day by taking up the fight …again.

“Every morning, I tell myself: I choose to give up smoking and I choose to be happy about it. And by doing that, I take control of it,” the mother of two said.

When it comes kicking an addiction, it’s all about control and Pania’s own struggles have taught her that the control is in your hands.

“Smoking takes control of you in a lot of different ways,” she said.

“You’re pre-thinking, when is the car going to stop because I need a smoke.

“You race through your tea so you can have a smoke.

“Breaking all those things is really nice.

“I watch smokers now and they’re chained to that addiction.”

That chain is often created by fear.

“I was a chain smoker for 19 years,” Pania said.

“All my mates smoked, I didn’t cough. I liked it and I didn’t want to stop.

“I didn’t think I could stop.”

But eight months later, cigarettes are just yesterday’s nightmare for Pania.

“I used to dream I was smoking, then wake up worried that I’d started again,” she said.

“But looking back, I’m very proud to have stopped.

“Now I say to everyone who’s smoking: if I can give up, everyone can give up.

“Choose to give it up.  Choose to make the decision to give it up.”

 But Pania is quick to point out that that choice doesn’t mean suffering. It’s more like freedom.

“I say it’s time to become a patched member: put on a nicotine patch and become a member of the smoke free gang,” she said.

“When I first stopped I double patched for three weeks.

“The double dose was giving me nightmares but I was too scared to drop one.

“Then I did two weeks on a smaller patch and haven’t touched one again.”

Pania’s new smoke free lifestyle is one of the ways she’s trying to set a good example for her friends and whanau.

As part of the Maori Community Leader’s programme, Pania is one of eight well-known locals who’ve made a commitment to the permanent healthy lifestyle changes in an effort to inspire their wider community.

“I’ve always been a strong leader, no matter what I do, and I believe I have a responsibility to Maori and to young Maori to come through better,” she said.

“I hope to become someone to lead the way in health. I think because I’ve smoked and carried weight, I haven’t flown that banner, I want to fly that banner so younger Maori can do these things better and teach their kids.

“I don’t want my kids to go through being overweight.”

But its Pania’s own struggles with smokes and weight that make her such a good example for others.

“Maori are very much a proof is in the pudding culture,” she said.

“If I can say to them, I’ve lost 20kg and they can see it they will give it a go.

“Because you know what they’ve been through I can say: I know how hard it is, I know you want to pick up that cream bun.

“I think this can really work because Maori are good at sharing, good and bad.

“Go to the hui and share the healthy – that’s what it’s about for me.”

But Pania is quick to point out that living a healthy lifestyle, does not include crash dieting.

“Two years ago I signed up with a personal trainer and lost 44kg,” she said.

“I took out all the carbs but the reality is, that can’t be sustained.

“It’s about still having carbohydrates. But balancing the meals rather than taking something away.

“It’s about, knowing the healthy choices and teaching my body to say just have one biscuit, don’t have the whole packet.

“And be aware of what you eat.”

For Pania, the key is about re-education.

“Maori die young, because of our unhealthy lifestyle,” she said.

“Our father died in his ‘50s.

“We had a sister who died in her ‘30s.

“They chose to live hard lifestyles when young and they paid the price.

“You only get one body. It’s about getting a longer life so you can live to see your grand kids.”

And Pania is starting the lessons with herself.

“I have to make these changes otherwise I won’t be able to see my grand kids either,” she said.

“We were taught to add butter on corn, to add cream with mash.

“We were taught to cook with fat – not to use the George Forman. So for me it’s about breaking that stuff going through whakapapa, breaking the cycle.

“My mum did what she knew. She didn’t purposely do things to get you fat. She was a product of what she was taught. For me it’s about re-education through the whole family. So your kids and kid’s kids come through without using the butter and a pile of fat.

“As Maori, as a culture we need to learn.”