A Pursuit Of Wellness
Sun, sea and sand are the intangible assets that Barbados, has been best known for. What if, beyond our historical appeal for traditional holiday-making, we actively explored the opportunity of expanding our potential for developing wellness as an industry.
From yoga on pristine beaches to lush hiking trails, Barbados’ natural landscapes ideally lend themselves to an array of experiences, habits and lifestyles that should help us to sustain better holistic health and wellness: The benefits would be multifold – particularly in buttressing our existing health system in its national battle against a looming crisis of non-communicable disease along with clear socio-economic value for locals and visitors alike.
The global wellness market encompasses the full spectrum of business activity surrounding the improvement of physical, psychological and social wellbeing. The industry generated 6.3 trillion USD in 2023 and is growing exponentially on an annual basis.
An examination of the practices of Barbados’ disproportionately high population of centenarians and even super-centenarians may provide the greatest evidence in making the case for the island’s potential for the development of a health and wellness focused industry.
The United Nations (UN) World Population Prospects 2022 estimates a global average of 11.6 centenarians per 100,000; while Barbados stands tall at 39.9 per 100,000 – placing us at among the greatest number of centenarians per capita globally.
Longevity on a scale of this kind is quite exceptional. In the Barbadian context, our national museum and the Barbados Government Information Service launched a website dedicated to both chronicling and celebrating the lives of our centenarians. A few common threads weave through their stories including being rooted in spirituality, eating natural, unprocessed foods which they either cultivated or reared themselves and maintaining physically active lifestyles throughout life.
On an international scale, the intersection of the impact of healthy lifestyle factors on extreme longevity in specific geographic locales has been extensively explored by award-winning journalist and author Dan Buettner. He dubbed these areas Longevity Blue Zones. Fascinatingly, of five identified zones, four are islands: Okinawa (Japan), Sardinia (Italy), Ikaria (Greece) and the mostly recently designated one, Martinique (Caribbean).
It isn’t coincidental that people living in these regions which are noted to have the greatest number of centenarians per capita, also experience a quality of life that is low stress, rich in social interactions, healthy whole food diets and physical activity.
It is regrettable that a contrast must be drawn between the longevity of older Barbadians and the apparently bleaker prospects for younger Barbadians who are living with the threat of premature death due to the impact of chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs). NCDs now account for 8 in every 10 deaths in our population. The interplay of unhealthy behaviours such as the consumption of sugary, salty and fatty processed foods and high levels of sedentary lifestyles have proven to be a lethal combination for our younger generations.
It’s time for a RESET! was the call that came from our Honourable Prime Minister as she addressed the United Nations General Assembly in September 2024 and in this context it can apply to health and wellness. The key to this reset, may not lie far away as we have the blueprint in the practices of our fore parents in maintaining their own health and longevity. In a fast-paced profession with new advancements and innovations emerging maybe the best way to counter the paradox of the NCD crisis is to examine what our nation-building generation got right and to extract their best-known practices and incorporate them with what the best of modern medicine has to offer.
As a physician of 15 years, Dr. Crystal Haynes, the owner of One Wellness Clinic, reflects on the tremendous advancements made in the medical field over the last several decades – from corneal and kidney transplants to robotic surgeries. Yet, I wondered how our ancestors, who had access to less, get so much right, while we with arguably more knowledge and resources seem to be performing worse in some respects. She states, “While the value of modern healthcare innovation is undeniable we can’t lose sight of the cumulative impact of small daily practices on health outcomes. The medical community must also accept that our patients are demonstrating a greater openness to embracing holistic approaches as an adjunct to the methods that we would have traditionally used in managing their healthcare.”
The changing face of the health services landscape has become more evident as patients become increasingly more discerning and beyond the skill and experience of their clinicians, many are now seeking a healthcare experience. Much like our sophisticated tourism product, the health sector is beginning to see a renaissance, with the emergence of successful super clinics like the groundbreaking Bioconnect Medical holistic spas like Singita Wellness. The local market is primed for enhanced healthcare delivery and the emergence of a health-focused travel sector.
One Wellness Clinic was established in mid-summer of 2024. The boutique medical practice offers an elevated healthcare experience while integrating both traditional western medical and holistic health services delivered by a highly-qualified and experienced, multidisciplinary team. This comprises of medical doctors including a consultant emergency medical specialist, a UK and US trained Aesthetic Medical doctor, a US certified integrative health and wellness coach. There is also a certified weight management specialist and a clinical psychologist.
The dynamism of the clinic is palpable as the staff all work to create personalized care plans that connect the dots between the facets of life that influence the full spectrum of human wellness. From nutrition, to stress management and mental wellbeing; to aesthetic rejuvenation and evidence-based medical evaluations and care plans. One Wellness’ integrative approach to healthcare management provides an environment that fosters their patient’s balance and improvement as a whole person.
After just six months one can already see the green shoots of early accomplishment in both patient outcomes and team morale at the clinic. They choose to embrace modern medical advancement while not neglecting the lessons from the past with the ultimate aim of improving not only longevity but quality of life for all who enter. In harmonizing professional expertise with indigenous knowledge and embracing both the beauty and energy of the natural landscape, Barbados has the perfect formula for not just living longer but also living better.
