Adopting a healthier approach for our local diet |15 September 2023

As far as culture goes, many diets and cuisines exist around the world boasting significant health benefits to their people. The reference to diet here reflects the usual regime or food intake of a specific area rather than a fad. Among these are the Nordic diet (example Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Iceland, Finland), the Japanese diet (from Japan) and the Mediterranean diet (example Greece, Italy and Spain). Most of these have been around for a long time and promotes a healthy way of eating.

A few things they all have in common is an emphasis on local, unprocessed or minimally processed foods which are rich in nutrients. However, just like with our own cultural foods not all the foods are necessarily healthy especially if it is deep-fried or have added sugar. Like always consider ‘everything in moderation’ and enjoy these richer foods occasionally focusing on the more nutrient-dense options.

By highlighting these diets, it does not imply in any way that the Seychellois diet is sub-optimal. Rather it is emphasising that we should be promoting and consuming our local and cultural foods as often as possible and minimising our intake of packaged foods. Many of us nowadays prefer a meal that takes minutes rather than hours to prepare so often turn to convenience food as a replacement to our own local food.

In fact, the diet of any country becomes compromised when foods coming in externally (especially highly processed foods) infiltrates and takes over cultural and local foods. Even in the countries mentioned above, with healthy cultural diets, the threat never looms far as a result of globalisation and easy transportation and access to foods. What has been observed however is that the prevalence of obesity and diet-related diseases in these countries although not absent is remarkably low when compared to global prevalence.

The concepts in these diets and cuisines focuses a lot on local, natural ingredients also available in our own country and aligns to recommendations in our own food-based dietary guidelines. It is not new nor difficult to implement. Let us go through the main components of these diets.

Overall principles of Nordic, Japanese and Mediterranean diets

Nordic diet

The Nordic diet focuses on seasonal, whole foods locally found in North European countries.

It is a predominantly plant-based diet high in vegetables, fruits especially berries, pulses, potatoes and whole grains; ample intake of fish especially oil fish like salmon, tuna and mackerel; nuts; moderate intake of low-fat dairy products; limited intake of red meat and poultry; minimal intake of processed meat, alcohol, and processed foods containing high amounts of fats, salt and sugar.

Japanese diet

The traditional Japanese diet consists of minimally processed seasonal foods served in a variety of small dishes. It is a whole food-based diet consisting primarily of fish (both raw and cooked), seafood, and plant-based foods such as soybeans, wild plants, seaweed, raw, cooked or pickled fruits and vegetables. It is low in processed animal protein, refined sugars, and fat. The diet also includes the consumption of numerous pickled and fermented food products including miso, natto (soybeans), pickled ginger and rice vinegar. Naturally occurring umami (savoury/meaty taste) derived from natural compounds in the food is used to enhance the flavour of dishes without the need for sauces or seasoning.

Mediterranean diet

It is predominantly plant-based and includes daily intake of vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, legumes, potatoes, whole grains, herbs, spices, and extra virgin olive oil, as well as fish and seafood. There is low to moderate intake of poultry, dairy products and red wine and limited intake of red meat, sugar-sweetened beverages, added sugars, processed meat, refined grains, other highly processed foods that are high in sugar and salt, beers and liquors.

Recommendations that we can adapt from these diets

Although we cannot follow these diets exactly as is since some of the foods are unfamiliar and not readily available, there are certain principles from all three that can be adapted to our local context. Many of the recommended foods are in line with our Seychelles food guide.

Choose local and natural ingredients often

Local and natural foods are usually whole and minimally processed being as close to nature as possible. They are readily available especially when in season, usually affordable and has tremendous benefits to our health. Some local ingredients that feature a lot in our local dishes include fish, vegetables, fruits, herbs, spices, tubers like sweet potatoes, cassava and yam, breadfruit and plantains. By choosing local we are also supporting our local farming and fishing community and their livelihood.

Include a variety of fruits and vegetables

We can never stop ‘singing the praises’ of fruits and vegetables. In all the diets described above fruits and vegetables as well as other plant-based foods take centre-stage. This is due to the abundance of health benefits they provide owing to their nutritional profile. They are rich in vitamins, minerals, dietary fibre and phytochemicals which all promote overall wellbeing and reduce your risk of many non-communicable diseases like heart disease.

Prioritise fish over meat

We are one of the few countries in Africa with a high consumption of fish but some people are slowly displacing fish with meat in their diet. All the diets above promote intake of fish over meat and for good reasons. Fish, especially oily fish, contain omega-3 fatty acid that is important in reducing your risk of heart disease. Fish is also rich in good quality protein, a variety of vitamins like A, B12 and D, minerals like iodine, zinc, iron and selenium. Many of the nutrients have antioxidant properties and helps protect body cells from inflammation.

Try fermented foods

Fermented food can help improve your gut health. Although many exist from different cuisines around the world some of the more readily available ones here are plain yoghurt, kefir and certain cheeses like aged cheddar and parmesan. Others as mentioned in the diets described above include miso, kimchi, kombucha and sauerkraut.

Adjust your portion sizes

Many of us have a distorted way of dishing out our food. We start off with a pile of white rice, some fish or meat and a small amount of vegetables. Ideally we should increase the amount of vegetables to cover at least half the plate. The remaining half should be split between the starch and protein in more or less equal quantities, with priority being given to the protein.

Flavour dishes naturally with herbs and spices

Some Seychellois have grown accustomed to using a lot of packaged sauces and store-bought marinades to flavour their food. Our locally available herbs and spices have immense flavour and many health benefits beyond just nutrition. Start including more garlic, ginger, thyme, parsley, coriander, rosemary, allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg and others in the preparation of family dishes. You can also enhance the flavour further by including other natural ingredients like lime, chili, bilimbi. Take it easy with the packaged goods and go natural!

Swap refined grains for wholegrains

Refined grains are stripped of most of their important nutrients like white bread and white rice. This is why wholegrains like oats, bulgur wheat and corn in their natural state are preferred as they contain more essential nutrients for improved health outcome.

Increase your intake of lentils, beans, nuts and seeds

By incorporating more plant-based foods in your diet you are enhancing its overall nutritional density. Beans, lentils, nuts and seeds contain protein, many vitamins and minerals, and phytochemicals with antioxidant properties. Nuts and seeds additionally also contain healthy fats. Including one meat-free day for dinner during the week is a great way to start including more beans and lentils in your diet as a replacement for meat.

What are you waiting for? Start making small changes today and progress from there!

Thank you for joining us this week on our Eat for Our Health page. Look us up on social media - Eat for Our Health Seychelles on Facebook.

Please get in touch by emailing eat4ourhealth@gmail.com and let us know how you’re doing with these ideas, or better still, let us know how we can help you.

Yours in health

The E4OH team

As far as culture goes, many diets and cuisines exist around the world boasting significant health benefits to their people. The reference to diet here reflects the usual regime or food intake of a specific area rather than a fad. Among these are the Nordic diet (example Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Iceland, Finland), the Japanese diet (from Japan) and the Mediterranean diet (example Greece, Italy and Spain). Most of these have been around for a long time and promotes a healthy way of eating.

A few things they all have in common is an emphasis on local, unprocessed or minimally processed foods which are rich in nutrients. However, just like with our own cultural foods not all the foods are necessarily healthy especially if it is deep-fried or have added sugar. Like always consider ‘everything in moderation’ and enjoy these richer foods occasionally focusing on the more nutrient-dense options.

By highlighting these diets, it does not imply in any way that the Seychellois diet is sub-optimal. Rather it is emphasising that we should be promoting and consuming our local and cultural foods as often as possible and minimising our intake of packaged foods. Many of us nowadays prefer a meal that takes minutes rather than hours to prepare so often turn to convenience food as a replacement to our own local food.

In fact, the diet of any country becomes compromised when foods coming in externally (especially highly processed foods) infiltrates and takes over cultural and local foods. Even in the countries mentioned above, with healthy cultural diets, the threat never looms far as a result of globalisation and easy transportation and access to foods. What has been observed however is that the prevalence of obesity and diet-related diseases in these countries although not absent is remarkably low when compared to global prevalence.

The concepts in these diets and cuisines focuses a lot on local, natural ingredients also available in our own country and aligns to recommendations in our own food-based dietary guidelines. It is not new nor difficult to implement. Let us go through the main components of these diets.

Overall principles of Nordic, Japanese and Mediterranean diets

Nordic diet

The Nordic diet focuses on seasonal, whole foods locally found in North European countries.

It is a predominantly plant-based diet high in vegetables, fruits especially berries, pulses, potatoes and whole grains; ample intake of fish especially oil fish like salmon, tuna and mackerel; nuts; moderate intake of low-fat dairy products; limited intake of red meat and poultry; minimal intake of processed meat, alcohol, and processed foods containing high amounts of fats, salt and sugar.

Japanese diet

The traditional Japanese diet consists of minimally processed seasonal foods served in a variety of small dishes. It is a whole food-based diet consisting primarily of fish (both raw and cooked), seafood, and plant-based foods such as soybeans, wild plants, seaweed, raw, cooked or pickled fruits and vegetables. It is low in processed animal protein, refined sugars, and fat. The diet also includes the consumption of numerous pickled and fermented food products including miso, natto (soybeans), pickled ginger and rice vinegar. Naturally occurring umami (savoury/meaty taste) derived from natural compounds in the food is used to enhance the flavour of dishes without the need for sauces or seasoning.

Mediterranean diet

It is predominantly plant-based and includes daily intake of vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, legumes, potatoes, whole grains, herbs, spices, and extra virgin olive oil, as well as fish and seafood. There is low to moderate intake of poultry, dairy products and red wine and limited intake of red meat, sugar-sweetened beverages, added sugars, processed meat, refined grains, other highly processed foods that are high in sugar and salt, beers and liquors.

Recommendations that we can adapt from these diets

Although we cannot follow these diets exactly as is since some of the foods are unfamiliar and not readily available, there are certain principles from all three that can be adapted to our local context. Many of the recommended foods are in line with our Seychelles food guide.

Choose local and natural ingredients often

Local and natural foods are usually whole and minimally processed being as close to nature as possible. They are readily available especially when in season, usually affordable and has tremendous benefits to our health. Some local ingredients that feature a lot in our local dishes include fish, vegetables, fruits, herbs, spices, tubers like sweet potatoes, cassava and yam, breadfruit and plantains. By choosing local we are also supporting our local farming and fishing community and their livelihood.

Include a variety of fruits and vegetables

We can never stop ‘singing the praises’ of fruits and vegetables. In all the diets described above fruits and vegetables as well as other plant-based foods take centre-stage. This is due to the abundance of health benefits they provide owing to their nutritional profile. They are rich in vitamins, minerals, dietary fibre and phytochemicals which all promote overall wellbeing and reduce your risk of many non-communicable diseases like heart disease.

Prioritise fish over meat

We are one of the few countries in Africa with a high consumption of fish but some people are slowly displacing fish with meat in their diet. All the diets above promote intake of fish over meat and for good reasons. Fish, especially oily fish, contain omega-3 fatty acid that is important in reducing your risk of heart disease. Fish is also rich in good quality protein, a variety of vitamins like A, B12 and D, minerals like iodine, zinc, iron and selenium. Many of the nutrients have antioxidant properties and helps protect body cells from inflammation.

Try fermented foods

Fermented food can help improve your gut health. Although many exist from different cuisines around the world some of the more readily available ones here are plain yoghurt, kefir and certain cheeses like aged cheddar and parmesan. Others as mentioned in the diets described above include miso, kimchi, kombucha and sauerkraut.

Adjust your portion sizes

Many of us have a distorted way of dishing out our food. We start off with a pile of white rice, some fish or meat and a small amount of vegetables. Ideally we should increase the amount of vegetables to cover at least half the plate. The remaining half should be split between the starch and protein in more or less equal quantities, with priority being given to the protein.

Flavour dishes naturally with herbs and spices

Some Seychellois have grown accustomed to using a lot of packaged sauces and store-bought marinades to flavour their food. Our locally available herbs and spices have immense flavour and many health benefits beyond just nutrition. Start including more garlic, ginger, thyme, parsley, coriander, rosemary, allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg and others in the preparation of family dishes. You can also enhance the flavour further by including other natural ingredients like lime, chili, bilimbi. Take it easy with the packaged goods and go natural!

Swap refined grains for wholegrains

Refined grains are stripped of most of their important nutrients like white bread and white rice. This is why wholegrains like oats, bulgur wheat and corn in their natural state are preferred as they contain more essential nutrients for improved health outcome.

Increase your intake of lentils, beans, nuts and seeds

By incorporating more plant-based foods in your diet you are enhancing its overall nutritional density. Beans, lentils, nuts and seeds contain protein, many vitamins and minerals, and phytochemicals with antioxidant properties. Nuts and seeds additionally also contain healthy fats. Including one meat-free day for dinner during the week is a great way to start including more beans and lentils in your diet as a replacement for meat.

What are you waiting for? Start making small changes today and progress from there!

Thank you for joining us this week on our Eat for Our Health page. Look us up on social media - Eat for Our Health Seychelles on Facebook.

Please get in touch by emailing eat4ourhealth@gmail.com and let us know how you’re doing with these ideas, or better still, let us know how we can help you.

Yours in health

The E4OH team