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Poni Askew and her family went vegan seven years ago, after her son saw a documentary touting its merits. She was 360 pounds at the time, running the successful, yet draining, event company Street Grindz, organizer of Eat the Street. After shedding 50 pounds, Askew decided to undergo bariatric surgery to help further her weight loss. However, while undergoing pre-surgery screenings, she learned she’s severely anemic, so much so she needs monthly iron infusions that continue today. She also went back to eating meat. “Becoming vegan was an important shift, but if I look back and make any changes, it would be to just do it for a short period,” she says.

Photo: Olivier Koning

That unexpected diagnosis led Askew to lean into functional medicine and functional nutrition. In both areas, nutritious eating to improve the microbiome is seen as a key component of enhanced health. And Askew says she’s now “signed, sealed and delivered” on the importance of it. “For me, my red flag is my mental health, and my gut really affects it,” she says.

SEE ALSO: The Marvelous Microbiome

Askew and her husband, Brandon, now run the Wahiawā-based Hawaiian Vinegar Co., which sells locally produced vinegars and shrubs. Ironically, the couple didn’t start the business because of the benefits of consuming fermented foods. Rather, they wanted to help reduce local food waste and assist farmers. But as their business ramped up since the pandemic, the focus on gut health exploded globally. It’s now widely known that fermented foods can improve the gut microbiome, adding so-called good bacteria that’s necessary for well-being.

“For me, my red flag is my mental health, and my gut really affects it.”

“I’m not just promoting it because we’re a vinegar company—it’s really an important component to digestion,” Askew says. “We’ve benefited from the fact that more people are paying attention to the foods they eat and how it impacts their health and community.”

Along with eating probiotic foods like yogurt, kim chee and sauerkraut, the Askews eat locally sourced, grass-fed meats and high fiber whole foods. Weight loss is no longer Poni Askew’s concern. “It’s much more important to have clarity and the ability to move and function your body, regardless of what the number on the scale is,” she says.

Since COVID, she’s noticed more people in Hawai‘i educating themselves on gut health—a trend she believes is being driven by millennials and Gen Zers. “Back when Street Grindz first started, the thinking was the more crap and sauces you could pile on french fries, the better,” Askew says. “I don’t think that that’s the value system anymore. Millennials and Gen Z are looking for more than just indulgences. They feel more responsibility to buy local and they also care about their health. There’s so much more emphasis and focus on gut health these days, and it’s easier to find information. I love this integration of functional nutrition and functional medicine into everyday practices.”