World Health Day is celebrated every year on April 7 to raise awareness around health issues which affect people across the world.

This year, the theme is ‘Our planet, our health’. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), with this theme, the aim is to focus global attention on urgent actions needed to keep humans and the planet healthy and to foster a movement to create societies focused on well-being.

In honour of World Health Day, Seychelles NATION spoke to a few locals to obtain their thoughts about this observance, and to learn about the actions that they are taking to protect their health and our planet.

Reducing carbon production

“The vast scale of our planet’s changing climates, and the effect on our own health, is very daunting, and it is so much simpler to think that there is nothing an individual can do to take effective action. Also, here in Seychelles we could reasonably say that we have not created any major issues so why should we bother. The point on this is whether we like it or not everyone on earth is affected to a greater or lesser extent.

Therefore, what is to be done? On an individual level I learnt that by cutting out meat and dairy products your carbon production is reduced by 50%. Now that is a lot, think of the massive effect if everyone on earth did that! Well that is not going to happen, but it doesn’t mean we cannot do our bit. Clearly lifestyle changes have to come slowly; so cut back on the above products as best you can …and keep it up! Not only will this help save the planet (maybe), but it will definitely improve your overall health in the short and long term and that is something worth striving for.”

Anonymous

Nutrition & exercise

“When I look around, I’m sad to see so many people around me and across the world who are not making choices that promote a healthy mind and body. And it makes you wonder; what hope do we have for caring about the planet, if we don’t care as much as we should for own bodies?

It’s hard to imagine how we can encourage people to suddenly behave differently and make choices that are better for them and for the planet. I think maybe looking at the smallest ways to at least start with can help, so that the task doesn’t seem like something too big and something we cannot achieve.

And so, I wanted to share my own actions which albeit small, make a significant impact on my health and contribute towards improving the health of our planet.

I exercise regularly and I don’t engage in methods which have a higher carbon footprint. The exercises I choose to do are those which require me to use my own body and body weight.

I love the little market at Roche Caiman as there is so much variety; I go there to buy fresh, local fruits and vegetables. I love getting Chinese cabbage, sweet potato, breadfruit and coconut.

I also go for walks in nature; we are lucky in Seychelles to have so much greenery around us. When I take time off, I opt for an activity like a walk in nature, which helps me to learn to appreciate nature and how it improves my health and well-being (walking in nature is said to be very good for physical and mental health), and therefore I become more conscious about the little choices I make and how they impact the environment.”

Charlotte

Reducing environmental impacts of food production & energy demand

“We are living through a climate crisis brought onto our planet through our own actions. The science on climate change has been well documented and we have been told to make the right lifestyle choices to help reverse the eventual catastrophe on the horizon. The impact of what we do at the individual level is of course insignificant but collectively, if we all do our part and make the right positive choices, we will make a significant impact.

It is therefore imperative that this change in lifestyle starts at home, not just the four walls we reside in, but in our bodies first and foremost. Our own physical and mental health impacts our behaviour and thus dictates the choices we make. We should all educate ourselves on the health of our bodies as most people are misinformed and therefore make poor lifestyle choices.

I make a great deal of effort to eat foods that are both good for my health and are also grown locally, and if possible, are also organic. I limit my consumption of imported and processed foods as those have a higher carbon footprint and are also unhealthy. I also practise intermittent fasting which is an excellent, well-documented lifestyle choice for health. Fasting reduces the frequency of eating and therefore the amount of food I consume, which consequently reduces the demand for food on food producers.

Food production has a high energy demand and also places a significant strain on the environment; think about the amount of land that has to be cleared for farming, the loss of biodiversity, the trees that would have otherwise been there to pull the excess carbon from the atmosphere. If we all eat a little less and skip a meal or two every now and then, we will reduce the demand on food production and its associated impacts, but we will also rejoice in the many health benefits.

Together with my partner, we drive a small, second-hand car that we’ve owned for several years. We combine trips as much as it makes sense, to avoid the over-consumption of petrol. This not only saves money but more importantly it reduces the carbon emission.

Another little thing I do which is both good for my health and the planet is that I keep the number of lights on in the evening at home to a minimum, this promotes good sleep as the low light level drives a healthy amount of melatonin (sleep inducing hormone) to build up in the brain. This ensures I get a good night of sleep every night which is of paramount importance to good health. As we all know, this places a little less demand on electricity production which in turn burns a little less fossil fuel and emits a little less carbon.

What if we all do our part, whichever way it makes sense to our life and that of our family, we can collectively make the difference that is needed to save the very fragile environment that we and our children will tomorrow live in.”

Source: Seychelles Nation