I didn’t always crave sugar or feel shame when I ate it. When I was a toddler, my mother used to leave me a little pile of raisins or marshmallows on the kitchen table so I could grab a snack when I wanted. By all accounts I hate them sparingly and happily. When I was a little older, she’d hand me a little bag of soft banana candies from the corner store when we went...
I decided to meditate for a month after experiencing a dramatic improvement in my sleep by listening to guided meditations. I used to be a person who couldn’t fall asleep until after midnight and even then I would often lie in bed awake for an hour or more ruminating on the day. After starting to listen regularly to guided meditations, I was dropping off in five minutes and sleeping more soundly then I ever had before....
Whether you consider yourself to be a good sleeper, or you struggle to get a good night’s rest, it’s important to realize the full potential of your nightly slumber – and what can go wrong if you are not getting a good quality and quantity of it. Five experts across the UAE’s fitness, medical and food fields go further than most to explain how they get good sleep, demonstrating that most sleep problems can be...
Nothing makes me happier than when I’m out for a walk and see someone along the Eastern Mangroves Promenade in Abu Dhabi doing pull ups on the bars provided, or fellow movement lovers doing squats and sprints at Kite Beach in Dubai. It’s such a beautiful contrast to the Ultrahuman patches I see adorning a parade of tanned, muscled biceps coming out of any of the UAE’s HIIT centers, or the Oura rings everyone is...
It’s become the new status symbol: Ultrahuman’s black patch with distinctive white lettering, pasted to the underarm on every fitness influencer and every third exercise enthusiast you see. Getting adequate sleep, eating a balanced diet, and being physically active are key to living a healthy lifestyle. However, as with most things in life, it’s not that simple. How much you sleep, as well as what and when you eat and exercise can have a drastic...
Ready for that “new year new you” energy? Whether you’re aiming for inner calm or guns of steel, you’re in good company. Millions of people worldwide set a new year’s resolution, with a good portion of these relating to health and wellness. Every year, a new wave of fitness trends sees us plunging into ice baths, hooking up to IV drips and wrapping ourselves in cling film — for better or worse. In 2023, the...
When Dubai-based Canadian Nancy Zabaneh moved from corporate banking to the wellness world, it was a deep dive. She’s a Kundalini yoga instructor and a compassionate inquiry therapist, practicing a psychotherapeutic approach founded by the Canadian physician, author, speaker and addiction specialist Dr Gabor Maté. People usually think of drugs or alcohol when they think of addiction. But as Nancy explains, the addiction is really whatever we use to escape from pain. “When we use it repeatedly,...
Dehydrated, jet-lagged, stressed, hungover or just need a boost? People with time and cash to spare are increasingly turning to IV drips packed with the vitamins or minerals to sort themselves out. Already popular in the West for over a decade, these quick-fix boosters have firmly landed in the UAE, becoming increasingly popular in the five years since they were approved by health authorities. Most IV drips can be done in a 45-minute session, when...
Despite being the season of goodwill, for many of us Christmas brings stress, difficult emotions, problems and perils at every turn. So whether you’re worried about your family getting on, or the amount you have yet to do, here’s how to negotiate the season to ensure it does not negatively impact your mental health. Don’t aim for a ‘perfect’ Christmas Avoid putting pressure on yourself by having ridiculously high expectations of the festive period. Rather...
Dr Ruqqia Mir, a consultant at the groundbreaking Abu Dhabi Stem Cells Center, is excited. We’re speaking to her just days after its doctors performed the UAE’s first successful bone marrow transplant on a patient with Multiple Sclerosis – with immediate improvements in her condition. “She did really well,” she beams. “We are an innovation and research-driven facility but we’re committed to helping patients heal today — as well as tomorrow and for years to...
It’s getting on; gifts need to be bought if you celebrate the season. We looked for items that provide not only goods, but experiences. Comfort, peace, inspiration, health and healing. Biodegradable workout clothes Now this is something we need more of: biodegradable workout wear. L’Couture’s Serenity Seamless Collection comes in a soft palette of earthy tones: Aqua, Flint Blue and Hushed Violet. It is created using sustainable fabric (crafted from Amni Soul Eco® Yarns) that...
