ABOUT
MĀʻONA NUTRITION
Meet our team
I leʻa ka nohona i ka mĀʻona.
at peace when the stomach is satisfied with food.
OUR VALUES
Weight Inclusive Approach
You’ve probably heard the conventional advice to "lose weight to improve your health."
At Mā‘ona Nutrition, we practice from a weight-inclusive, Health at Every Size (HAES framework) with every client. That means helping you achieve your health goals without putting an emphasis on moving the scale, starting another low calorie, or elimination diet.
What that may look like
-
Prioritizing nutrition related behavior change to improve your A1c or lower cholesterol
-
No strict or low calorie meal plans
-
Education on nutrition to support personal health goals
Culturally Minded
We have heard from clients who were told to cut out ‘ulu (breadfruit) and kalo (taro) from their diets for fear of 'too many carbohydrates' and the implications on their health.
That information is dismissive and harmful because these foods are significant staples to our diet and identity. The food culture in Hawaiʻi is unique. For Providers who are unfamiliar with local and family dishes, they might seem unhealthy, but often are packed with protein, fiber, and other nutrients... perfect vessels for easy nourishment. If these foods are meaningful to your 'ohana, they can absolutely be mindfully included in your diet to support your health goals.
At Māʻona Nutrition, we believe you can honor your health, culture and identity without removing foods. Learn about nutrition through addition mindset, food neutrality for long lasting, enjoyable food changes.
Trauma Informed Nutrition Care
As a Native Hawaiian owned business, we understand the unique experience around food in Hawai‘i. We do not speak for every Native Hawaiians experience, but we hold space for conversation around how social and systemic determinants affect health outcomes. We also hold space for the ways that historical trauma like colonization affect modern day experiences around food.
At Māʻona nutrition, we refuse to shame or judge clients for food choices. Instead, we help them build plans with accessibility and capacity in mind. Grace and compassion are pillars in our work together because we believe there's no way to “green” drink your way to better health.
We are Native Hawaiian, wahine (woman)-owned small business in Hawai‘i.
Aloha mai kākou!
My name is Ke‘alohi Naipo. I am the Founder and Registered Dietitian Nutritionist at Mā‘ona Nutrition in O‘ahu, Hawai‘i.
I started this practice because I was tired of hearing that our ancestral foods were unhealthy and needed to be removed to improve health outcomes. Today, I help educate and counsel individuals to improve their health through the addition of ancestral foods and healing their relationship with food.
Meet Your Provider
Ke‘alohi Naipo
Founder, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist
I am licensed to practice in the state of Hawai‘i (132-LD), where I provide evidenced based nutrition education and counseling to individuals who might benefit from a trauma informed, weight and culturally inclusive approach to nutrition care. I provide nutrition care for people with diabetes, PCOS, disordered eating, eating disorders and many other chronic conditions.
As an indigenous Provider (kanaka maoli- Native Hawaiian), I specialize in the Native Hawaiian perspective and experience around food. However, I welcome any client that might benefit from a trauma informed, weight inclusive approach to nutrition. Additionally, I work to bring the wisdom of my kupuna (ancestors/elders) and kaiaulu (community) with me into creating relationships with all patients and people that I serve.
MĀʻONA meaning satisfied after eating
Hūi, I'm Katie! I am the Office Manager at Mā‘ona Nutrition. My primary role is to support with verification of health insurance benefits and medical billing. I have been working in healthcare admin and billing for 12 years, and most recently contracted to support Mā‘ona Nutrition. I understand the unique challenges for patients navigating health insurance here in Hawaiʻi and try my best to find ways to utilize your health insurance to cover nutrition counseling sessions.
I am a wife and mom of 2 boys. In my free time, I enjoy collecting vintage aloha wear, working on Hawaiian quilting and playing with my dog Polinahe.
MEET Katie Rajkowski
Office Manager
Education
My career as a Licensed Dietitian started in 2015.
I received a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition from Oregon State University in 2010, then returned to Hawai‘i to pursue the required Dietetic Internship from 2014-2015. During my internship, I completed rotations at Straub Hospital, Ann Pearl Nursing Home and Ho‘oulu ‘Āina at Kōkua Kalihi Valley.
With my education and passion for community health, I began working in community nutrition. I’ve worked in community and outpatient nutrition for 8 years before starting my own practice in 2022.
