ISSUE 01 : 16 MAY 2016 A GULF NEWS SPONSORED SUPPLEMENT

NAET: The non invasive treatment for allergies

0807Better HealthYOUR WEEKLY DOSE OF HEALTH

Are smartphones making people less smarter?

■■ PROBIOTIC HEALTH BENEFIT CLAIMS UNDER CLOUD

There is little evidence to suggest the “friendly bacteria” contained in popular probiotic drinks, yoghurts and supple-ments has any effect on healthy people, according to a review of current research by a Danish team of academics.

Researchers at the Novo Nor-disk Foundation Centre for Basic Metabolic Research at the Uni-versity of Copenhagen reviewing the results of randomised con-trolled trials of probiotic prod-ucts on the faecal microbiota of healthy adults found little evi-dence of any change.

Previous studies had suggest-ed some probiotic interventions could help those people who had imbalances of the gut caused by diseases.

■■ LOTION THAT MAKES WRINKLES DISAPPEAR… TEMPORARILY

A CNN news story has said that a team of researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Tech-nology and Harvard University has published a report in the journal of Nature Materials on Monday about a product that can take some of the signs of aging away — at least temporarily.

The “second skin” as it is be-ing referred to right now is made from chemicals that has been deemed safe by the US FDA. The solution reportedly forms an invisible elastic skin that can be easily applied straight on the skin.

■■ FAIRNESS AT WORKPLACE CAN IMPACT EMPLOYEE HEALTH

A new study published in the Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment and Health has suggested that employees’ expe-riences of fairness at work can impact their health. Conducted by Dr Constanze Eib, a lecturer in organisational behaviour at UEA’s Norwich Business School and researchers from Stockholm University, the study found when perceptions of fairness changed, the self-rated health of employ-ees also changed, for example those who experienced more fair-ness on average over the period studied reported better health. The study, focused on more than 5,800 people working in Sweden.

This week in

Global News Get rewarded for being healthy

In an environment where one in five people in the country are diabetic and obesity lev-els are high, chalking out a healthcare strategy for

Dubai is a daunting task.No wonder it took meticu-

lous planning and extensive stakeholder engagement that included harnessing opinion, both from the health sector and the public in general to update Dubai’s Healthcare Strategy that will take it through to 2021.

In an exclusive interview with Better Health, Humaid Al Qatami, Chairman of the Board and Director-General of the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) takes us through the highlights of the strategy and explains why prevention and wellbeing are now the focal point of Dubai’s Health Strategy.

INCENTIVISING HEALTH“The 2016-2021 Dubai

Health Strategy is an up-dated and refreshed strate-gy. It has 98 initiatives that are divided into immediate, mid-term and long-term plans. One of the key areas of focus is prevention and well-being. The strategy has clear objectives earmarked to promote a healthy lifestyle and disease preven-tion programmes, not only at the social and environmen-tal levels, but also at the individual level.”

One such initiative that aims to influence insured mem-bers’ behaviour is about pro-viding incentives in the form of reward points to those who are actively pursuing healthy life-style options.

“The rewards point pro-gramme will be linked to the mandatory health insurance scheme in Dubai. Rewards could include free access to specialised

➥ Good health will pay dividends: Page 3

Medical tourism to rise by 13% in the next five years

Dubai Health Authority plans to incentivise healthy lifestyle as it prioritises prevention and well-being as key elements of its strategy for 2016-2021

BY KAMAKSHI GUPTA health professionals or services, healthy meal vouchers, gym memberships, free subscriptions to health magazines etc.”

According to Al Qatami it also opens up opportunities for the private sector to align themselves with the govern-ment’s objectives in promoting a healthy lifestyle for the commu-nity in general.

It’s in this scenario that in-formation gathering becomes a critical tool. DHA is hoping to tap into the vast reservoir of data generated from the widely-used fitness tracking apps. That along with inputs coming in from par-ticipating outlets, both govern-ment and private, will help in rewarding the healthy user.

INSURANCE ON TRACKMeanwhile the roll-out of the mandatory insurance scheme is nearing completion with end of June being the deadline for the last phase of compliance. “So far 75 per cent of the popula-tion in Dubai is already covered by insurance,” says Al Qatami and believes that they are well on track to achieving at least 95 per cent compliance by the end of June.

The DHA has linked the health insurance scheme to visa issuance and renewal, in part-nership with the General Direc-torate of Residency and Foreign-ers Affairs (GDRFA), a move that has contributed to the success of the implementation process.

“Health insurance provides every individual with peace of mind. At a sector-wide lev-el it helps in several ways; it promotes positive competition between providers; ensures fi-nancial stability and creates an environment favourable for health investment.

➥ Govt makes it easy for tourists to access facilities, discounts: Page 3

Dubai is expecting to surpass Dh2.6 billion in revenues made from medical tourism

by 20 per cent in 2020. Dubai, a Global Destina-

tion for Medical Tourism project, being implemented by the Dubai Health Authori-ty (DHA), was launched with the aim of bolstering medical tourism and making Dubai a favourite global destination for medical treatment.

Medical tourism in Dubai is expected to increase by 13 per cent in the next five years, at-

BY NOOR NAZZAL tracting more than 1.3 million by 2021, fulfilling Dubai’s aim of hosting half a million for-eign medical tourists by 2020.

Since the launch of the Dubai tourism strategy in 2014, 630,831 medical tourists visited 26 hospitals, of which 332,472 are from the UAE and 298,359 (46 per cent) from abroad. A total of Dh1,004,930,535 in rev-enues was made from medical tourists abroad in 2015 and is expected to even the 2020 tar-get of 2.6 billion by 20 per cent.

HUMAID AL QATAMI, Chairman of the Board and Director-General of the Dubai Health Authority (DHA)

Dubai expects 1.3 million health tourists by 2021; eyes Dh2.6 billion in revenues by 2020

Photo courtesy: Salah Abdulkadir

Shutterstock

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s: S

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ock

2 Health News Bettter Health | May 16. 2016

➥ continued from page 1

Good health will pay dividendsDubai makes it easy for health tourists to access facilities, discounts

➥ continued from page 1

■■ DH500, 000 WORTH OF MEDICINES DISTRIBUTED FREEMedicines worth Dh500, 000 for life-threatening diseases were distributed free of cost to 50 patients of different nationalities. The medicines, distributed by the Mosaadaah (Assistance) Committee of the Dubai Health Authority (DHA), covered diseases such as breast cancer, leukaemia, asthma and Multiple Sclerosis.

■■ 14% OF UAE’S POPULATION SUFFER FROM ASTHMAThe latest statistics revealed however, that 14 per cent of the UAE population suffer from asthma. In 2012, statistics showed that 12 per cent of the UAE population suffer from Asthma. “Asthma can be caused by combination of genetic factors and environmental factors,” said Dr Jamal Mostafa, Senior Pulmonologist at Rashid Hospital.

■■ CALL FOR RARE BLOOD GROUPSCommunity members in Dubai, especially those who have rare and negative blood groups, are encouraged to register with the Dubai Blood Donation Centre, Dr Mai Raouf, Director of the Dubai Health Authority-run Dubai Blood Donation Centre said at recent blood donation campaign. The centre is located in Latifa Hospital. For details call 04 219 3221.

DHA

News

“The completion of this proj-ect is a big win for the overall health sector in Dubai. It direct-ly benefits our community mem-bers and helps raise their happi-ness levels in terms of living in the emirate,” says Al Qatami.

“The Essential Benefits Pack-age provides access of individ-uals to health while carefully balancing cost on the economy; it provides people with good ac-cess to health while making sure there is minimum impact on the economy and the companies pro-viding this insurance package.

“With the introduction of mandatory insurance, many of those who were previously cov-ered have seen their minimum level of coverage increase. Bene-ficiaries now enjoy coverage for chronic conditions, as well as inpatient treatment and mater-nity cover. Residents who never

To further advance Dubai’s status in the international map of medical tourism, hence benefiting from its promis-ing investment opportunities, Shaikh Hamdan Bin Moham-mad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Executive Council of Dubai, kicked off the Dubai Health Experience (DXH) in April 2015.

A single window portal, www.dxh.ae, where tourists can book their plane tickets and hotels, buy their insur-ance, book their doctor’s ap-pointment was also launched, to ease tourist’s task at plan-ning their medical trip.

“The website is the first-of-its-kind in the world as it is the only single electronic medical tourism window that provides all medical tourism related facilities under one website. A tourist can log on from any-where in the world and choose his medical tourism package, book flights on Emirates Air-lines, hotels, purchase med-ical tourism insurance, book leisure activities etc.

“Tourists who book medical tourism packages using the website will get preferential rates on partner hotels avail-able on the website,” said Dr Layla Al Marzouqi, Director of Health Regulation and Dubai Medical Tourism Project.

Al Marzouqi said Dubai’s attractiveness as a destina-tion and the availability of high quality medical care are the key drivers of the medical tourism initiative. “Purpose driven research in the field of medical tourism has iden-tified that the top specialties accessed by medical tourists in

Dubai are orthopedics, aesthet-ic surgeries, dental procedures, preventive health and wellness and fertility treatments.”

The annual stats 2015 re-port published by the DHA in collaboration with the Dubai Statics Centre revealed that the majority of the tourists who visited Dubai for medical treat-ment in 2015 came from Asian countries (43 per cent), 29 per cent came from the GCC, 15 per cent came from European countries, seven per cent came from African countries and five per cent came from America.

The DXH provides a pack-age of specialised medical services in collaboration with strategic partners that include Emirates Airlines, the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing and General Directorate of Resi-dency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai as well as other private sector entities. ■

“ Health insurance provides every individual with

peace of mind. At a sector-wide level it helps in several ways;

it promotes positive competition between providers; ensures

financial stability and creates an environment

favourable for health investment.”

had access to health insurance earlier are now witnessing the benefits of the programme. Several insurance companies are now providing preventative packages as part of the health insurance plans, which is a huge behaviour shift in the market,” he adds.

In addition to health in-surance, the Authority is also working on creating a smart health environment at various

levels. The recently launched electronic health record means that every patient will have an electronic file and whichever healthcare provider the patient chooses, his file will follow.

“In line with the vision of Smart Dubai, we have sever-al initiatives that will provide patients and health providers with services at their fingertips. Every patient will have his own electronic health file which

will be accessible across every hospital in Dubai. We recently introduced tele-medicine and have Dubai RoboDocs at two of our health facilities that pro-vide real-time specialised con-sultation for complicated cases. Today, patients are technolo-gy savvy and thus providing high quality healthcare is not enough, it has to be accompa-nied with smart health care,” says Al Qatami. ■

In terms of growth

in the current

healthcare

expenditure:

in-patient care grew by 14 per cent,

outpatient care grew by 8 per cent,

and pharmaceutical expenditure grew by 14 per cent.

The results

measure the progress of the

health sector towards its

strategic goals

“Since the launch of

the Dubai tourism

strategy in 2014,

630,831 medical tourists

visited 26

hospitals, out of

which 332,472

are from the UAE

and 298,359

(46 per cent) came

from abroad.

DR LAYLA AL MARZOUQI, Director of Health Regulation and Dubai Medical Tourism Project

Growth of Dubai

health sector is

estimated to be

15 -20 per cent

Share between

private and

government was

70:30, which

matches Dubai’s

strategic goal of

private/ public

healthcare share. 10.95 Billion AED

spent in Dubai

Billion AED spent

outside Dubai1.83

70%Private

30%Government

12.77 Billion AED

was total health

spending on healthcare

in 2014

of which...

75% of Dubai’s population is insured

Nadeem Rasheed

Photos courtesy: Salah Abdulkadir and Nadeem Rasheed

3Bettter Health | May 16. 2016 Health News

Obesity is the biggest threat to women’s health in the region and is a major road-block to getting preg-

nant, warns Dr Muna Tahlak, CEO of Latifa Hospital.

“Obesity is directly linked to fertility problems. Although there have been massive advanc-es in maternal health, it is the biggest challenge facing wom-en of childbearing age in this region,” Dr Tahlak told Better Health. “At the pre-pregnancy counselling clinic in our hospi-tal, we meet a significantly high number of overweight women. We advise them to get their life-style in order and lose weight.”

FERTILITY ISSUESDr Tahlak said it is common

to see patients who weigh 80-110 kg attend the hospital’s pre-preg-nancy clinic. “If a woman’s BMI is 35 or above, we do not offer any fertility treatments because there are many risks associat-ed with pregnancy. We ask the patient to visit our dietician for a six-month comprehensive healthy eating and exercise plan.

“Women who are obese have higher chances of miscarriage, hypertension, pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes, infection, blood clotting, need for induc-tion of labour, and stillbirth.”

In many cases, weight loss itself solves several fertility problems such as irregular pe-riods. “It boosts fertility as it regulates the hormones in the body,” said Dr Tahlak. “Women’s bodies need to be at an appropri-ate weight to produce the right amount of hormones and regu-

late ovulation and menstruation. Being underweight also affects fertility, but in our region obesity is the bigger risk factor as we get very few cases of underweight women.”

Dr Tahlak added that losing

weight also helps reverse the condition of polycystic ovaries (PCOS), which is a common cause of infertility. “It is not easy because the disease caus-es increase in weight, and then weight gain itself is a factor

that can cause the disease. It is a difficult cycle to break but with a dedicated meal plan and exercise we have seen excellent results,” she said.

Dr Amal Al Mulla, Consultant Gynaecologist and Infertility

Specialist at Latifa Hospital, said patients with polycystic ovaries are put on certain med-ications and a meal plan which includes foods that do not spike blood sugar levels.

“Women with PCOS should weight train at least three times a week to help regulate the hor-mones and ovaries. The results we see within a few months of lifestyle modification prove that a healthy lifestyle is vital for re-productive health in women.”

Dr Ayeha Ali Karam, Consul-tant, family medicine in wom-en’s health unit at the Dubai

Health Authority’s primary healthcare sector, said, “Obese or overweight women who get pregnant, need to follow their antenatal plan carefully to pre-vent complications during preg-nancy and childbirth. Firstly, we advise them to eat healthy foods during pregnancy and limit their weight gain to only 12-15kg during pregnancy.”

The risk of overweight and obese women developing ges-tational diabetes is much high-er than those with a healthy weight. There’s a risk of pre-ec-lampsia and the chances of C-section delivery increases by 20 per cent. “We monitor them more closely and also ask them to regularly visit their dietician and monitor their weight gain,” says Dr Karam.

MAKE THE CHANGEBesides maternal health,

obesity could severely aggra-vate symptoms of pelvic organ prolapse, stress urinary incon-tinence and increase the risk of endometrial polyps and symp-tomatic fibroids.

Sitelbanat Makki Ahmed, nutritionist at Latifa Hospi-tal, explained that a BMI be-tween 25 and 29.9 is considered overweight and a BMI over 30 is considered obese. “Ideally, women should aim to achieve a BMI in the range of 19 to 24,” said Ahmed.

“Weight loss is linked to life-style and daily habits and while nutritionists and doctors can provide all the right knowledge and information, at the end of the day, it boils down to wheth-er the patient is ready to make the changes needed to achieve the desired results.” ■

Health experts say being overweight not only causes infertility, but women also run the risk of severe health complications

Obesity weighs down pregnancy options

The Dubai Health Authority’s (DHA) call centre (800 342) has extended its working hours and now functions round-the-clock, said a top health official.

Shaikha Al Rahoomi, Di-rector of Customer Relations at the DHA, said the move is in line with the Authority’s vi-sion to provide convenience to its customers.

“We have extended our working hours from March this month to improve cus-tomer satisfaction and help address queries,” said Al Ra-hoomi. “Customers can call us for any queries on DHA ser-vices, including licensing and regulation, medical fitness, hospitals, health centres and so on. Our call centre agents speak five languages: Arabic, English, Urdu, Farsi and French. In

2015, the DHA call centre re-ceived 225, 543 calls, which is a significantly high number.”

Al Rahoomi added that the percentage of calls answered was 96 per cent and the re-maining 4 per cent amounted to calls missed.

Of the calls received, 57 per cent were queries about licens-ing and regulations and the remaining were about DHA hospital services, locations, feedback and complaints, med-ical fitness, and so on.”

Al Rahoomi said DHA issued a customer service charter last year and so far the depart-ment has conducted more than 25 training workshops for DHA customer service officials so that they are aware of the charter and their roles and responsibilities. ■

DHA call centre is now functional round-the-clock

More than a

225,000

calls answered

in 2015

BY KAMAKSHI GUPTA

24/7

Women who are obese have higher chances of

miscarriage, hypertension, pre-eclampsia,

gestational diabetes, infection, blood clotting, need for

induction of labour, and stillbirth.”

DR MUNA TAHLAK, CEO of Latifa Hospital.

BMI between

25-29.9 is considered ‘overweight’

BMI over

30 is considered ‘Obese’

Women should aim to achieve a BMI in the range of

19-24

4 Bettter Health | May 16. 2016Nutrition Planet

Superfoods are nutrient power-houses that pack large doses of antioxidants, polyphenols, vita-mins, and minerals. Incorporat-ing them in your diet is a great way to reduce the risk of chron-ic disease, look younger, and stay mentally alert. Numerous studies have shown that people who eat more superfoods regu-larly are healthier and thinner than those who don’t.

Superfoods are hardly a trend or fad and have been around for millenniums. Take for instance Chia seeds that are an ancient superfood that date far back as 3500 B.C. It was the third most important crop for the Aztecs, who recognised it as a superfood and prized it so highly. Flaxseed is another ancient superfood. It was cultivated in Babylon as ear-ly as 3000 BC. Goji berries have been used in Chinese medicine for more than 6,000 years.

Read about several foods that are considered super and how to make them a part of your daily diet.

SUPERFOODU P G R A D E S

THAT WILL MAKE YOUR MEALS EVEN

HEALTHIER

Ready to take your clean-eating

game to the next level? Power up the health

benefits of your favorite snacks and meals by adding

one (or two, or three) of the nutrient-packed

ingredients here

■■ QUINOAAlthough it acts like a grain, quinoa is actually a seed, small and often light yellow. Cultivated in the Andes for more than 5,000 years, quinoa boasts an impressive nutritional profile. It’s a whole grain that also has enough essential amino acids to make it a complete protein. It is packed with minerals, higher than most grains such as calcium, phos-phorus, magnesium, and potassium as well as copper, zinc, and iron. It is heart-healthy because of its high-en-ergy, low-calorie count and also makes for a great recovery food as it contains both carbs and protein.Add it: You can use quinoa as a great substitute to rice. Mix cooked quinoa with honey, dried fruit, and nuts for a breakfast option or use it in salads, soups, burgers and pilaf. 200g of cooked quinoa = 222 calories.

■■ BLUEBERRIESThese sweet and at times tart ber-ries are full of phytonutrients that neutralise free radicals. The antioxi-dants protect against cancer and re-duce the effects of age-related condi-tions such as Alzheimer’s disease or dementia. Consuming a cup of blue-berries every week is a great way of lowering blood pressure speeding up your metabolism. Studies suggest that blueberries can lower levels of bad cholesterol, reducing the risk of coronary heart disease

Add it: You can sprinkle blueberries in your yogurt or use them in baking breads and muffins or even add to wholegrain waffles topped with ba-nana, cinnamon, and nut butter, or try them in a smoothie.One cup = 84 calories. One a serv-ing of berries contains 14 per cent of daily fibre and 24 per cent of daily intake of vitamin C.

■■ KALEKale is considered an antioxidant superstar and is packed with antiox-idants such as vitamin C, beta-car-otene, kaempferol and quercetin. Kale is so nutrient-dense, which means eating it a few times a week is enough. It packs in more nutri-tion than any other whole food. A cup comes with 14 per cent of your daily calcium, 659 per cent of daily vitamin A and more than 900 per cent of your daily vitamin K, which is good for bone health and should be eaten with some fat, such as olive oil, avocado, nuts or seeds. Add it: Use it in salads, soups, or as a sautéed side with grilled chicken. A kale pesto goes well with pasta and you can get imaginative and make a kale tabbouleh and even toss it into oriental stir frys. 100g of uncooked kale = 33 calories.

■■ ACAINative to the rainforests of South America, the acai fruit contains very high levels of antioxidants in the form of anthocyanins, which help fight cancer and heart disease. Açaí tastes like a vibrant blend of berries and chocolate, because fresh açai is often unavailable, it’s sold frozen or in tablets, powders, or juices. Packed full of antioxidants, amino acids and essential fatty acids, the Açaí pulp contains a remarkable concentra-tion of antioxidants that help com-bat premature aging, with ten times more antioxidants than red grapes. Add it: You can add the frozen pulp on top of your pancakes or waffles or used in cakes as a substitute for other fruits. Acai juice can be sub-stituted for all other juices in your cooking. It works great for mari-nades, sauces and salad dressings. A cup of acai juice = 110 calories

You have no idea what some of the ingredients are, you can’t even pronounce their

names, yet, on a daily basis, you put them into your body. Here’s a round up of the worst offenders on nutrition information labels and why you should avoid them.

“Ingredients are listed in de-scending order by weight so the most used is listed first. If sugar, salt (sodium) or an unknown ingredient (chemical) are in the first three ingredients put the product back on the shelf!” urg-es Carol Quelch, Nutritionist, Bespoke Wellness, Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club.

She explains that quantities should be evaluated per 100g rather than serving sizes. For example, a certain “organic” va-riety of ketchup advertises an innocent-sounding 4g of sugar, however that’s just a 17g serv-ing. Per 100g it shoots up to a shocking 23.5g. Carol recom-mends the following per 100g: sugar — less than 5g, salt (sodi-

um) — less than 300mg, fat — less than 3g, saturated fat — less than 1.5g and fibre — at least 3g.

The dangers of excessive sug-ar intake are well-documented, especially in the UAE where obe-sity is a pandemic leading to a list of lifestyle diseases including diabetes, cardiovascular diseases,

hypertension and cancers. The World Health Organisation rec-ommends 20g (5 tsp) of added sugar per day for children and 24g (6 tsp) for adults, but Carol suggests that average consump-tion could be a whopping 40 tsp. For example, a 40g serving of chocolate cereal contains 12g of

sugar, which means that children can double their recommended daily intake at breakfast alone!

The first move in avoiding sugar is usually to substitute with an artificial sweetener contained in diet versions of food items, but Carol advises staying away from these too. They’re highly processed and unnatural — be weary of la-bels featuring aspartame, agave nectar, sucralose, high fructose

corn syrup, cyclamates and sac-charin. Rather use raw honey, coconut sugar or fruit to sweet-en dishes inartificially.

Glutamates, such as MSG, and flavour enhancers (found in packaged food including sweets, crisps, chocolate, biscuits, ice cream, canned food, readymade sauces, sodas, juices, noodles, soups and processed meats) are also red flags. In high quanti-ties MSG can cause migraines, insomnia, rashes, asthma, sinus and digestive problems. Es-sentially they make unhealthy, processed food taste better, acti-vating our pleasure centres and encouraging us to indulge in these sugar-rich, high-salt, calo-rie-laden items.

Last on Carol’s no-go list are artificial food preservatives —

normally listed as some variety of sodium or potassium nitrite or nitrate. They’re ubiquitous in processed meats such as cold cuts and sausages. The problem arises when these items are ex-posed to high heat, which turns the nitrites into carcinogenic compounds called nitrosamines that increase cancer risk, raise blood pressure and cause heart disease and strokes.

With greater understanding of what we consume, we can make wiser choices to help live a better, healthier life. ■

DECEPTIVE FOOD LABELS: HOW TO KNOW WHAT’S TRULY HEALTHYThe dangers of excessive sugar intake are well-documented, especially in the UAE where obesity is a pandemic leading to a

list of lifestyle diseases

Pictures: Shutterstock

BY OLIVIA SPADAVECCHIA

BY SANAYA PAVRI

5Bettter Health | May 16. 2016 Nutrition Planet

■■ BLACK BEANSThese dark, delicious beans are packed with many of the most es-sential nutrients your body needs to perform at peak levels. They are a great addition to any diet. They are a great source of protein, fibre and antioxidants and be-cause of their low glycaemic index, they are a great dietary choice for those trying to naturally maintain healthy blood sugar levels. Fibre is nature’s regulatory board, helping maintain optimum digestion and absorption of nutrients. Just one cup of cooked black beans can pro-vide you with about 30 per cent of your daily value of protein and have fewer calories and less saturated fat than meat or dairy. They’re healthy foods that help prevent cancer because they’re filled with phyto-chemicals that protect your cells from damage. Add it: Black beans have to be one of the most versatile superfoods and can be eaten in soups, salads, salsa, with rice, or even as tasty burgers. One cup of black beans = 230 calories

■■ ALMONDSAlmonds can improve heart health and aid in diabetes management. People who eat almonds tend to lose weight, and they are one of the rich-est sources of vitamin E, which is one of the most difficult nutrients to obtain in your diet. These nuts can help control cholesterol, blood sug-ar and reduce inflammation, they do this without causing unwanted weight gain. They are also a great source of trace minerals like copper and manganese. They assist in blood sugar control and also have loads of magnesium that most diabetics tend to be deficient in. The vitamin E in almonds helps your heart and also keeps the collagen fibre in your skin intact, thus preventing wrinkling and other signs of ageing. Add it: Use it in cereals, salads and trail mixes or to crust desserts as well as fish and chicken. Use almond flour where possible and almond milk is a healthy alterative as well as almond butter, which is far healthier than its dairy counterpart. 28g of almonds = 129 calories.

■■ GOJI BERRIESNative to Tibet and Inner Mongolia, these orange-red tangy berries are rich in plant-based antioxidants and compounds. Considered both a fruit and an herb, goji berries are an excellent source of antioxidants. Apart from helping to reduce cancer risk, these berries have also been known to boost the immune system and protect the eyes. They are also an excellent source of vitamin C and can reduce tough cold symptoms. Goji berries are one of the very few plant-based foods that can provide you with a complete protein. This means that the berries contain all of the amino acids, which are the building blocks of proteins that your body cannot make for itself.Add it: Use goji berry powder when baking or soak them to blend in with a smoothie. You can eat them raw or soak them in hot water. You can add goji ber-ries to trail mixes, smoothies or as a garnish on cereals, salads or yogurts. A 1/4 cup of goji berries = 90 calories

■■ KEFIRKefir is a cultured dairy product. It is a probiotic rich food and has medic-inal benefits. The name comes from the Turkish work keif, which means good feeling. Milk kefir is a thick, yo-gurt-like cultured drink traditionally made from dairy milk, but can also be made from coconut milk or assort-ed nut milk varieties. As it ferments, it develops a complex matrix of ben-eficial microorganisms that improve the health of the colon and entire gastrointestinal tract as well as boost immune functions. Kefir contains high levels of vitamin B12, calcium, magnesium, vitamin K2, biotin, fo-late, enzymes and probiotics. Add it: It is best to drink kefir on an empty stomach first thing in the morning. You can also add small amounts to protein shakes.A serving of kefir has 100 calories

Is it normal to feel bloated after eating, or is it a sign there’s something wrong?Eating too much too fast could cause bloating and abdom-inal discomfort. However, if you experience bloating right after every meal, it could be the result of gastrointestinal disorder or an intolerance or allergy to some food.Food components, like lactose in milk, gluten in wheat products, and fructose in fruit, can cause stomach upset and bloating. It’s always better to visit a gastroenterologist and get allergy tests done.

Q

I have recently discovered that I’m lactose intolerant. How should I get sufficient calcium?Calcium is absorbed by the body and used only when there is enough vitamin D in your system. A balanced diet should provide an adequate supply of vitamin D from sources such as eggs and fortified orange juice. Don’t forget that sunlight also helps the body naturally absorb vitamin D, and with enough exposure to the sun, additional food sources may not be necessary. However, it is important to note that exposure to sunlight is only recommended during off peak hours so that you avoid the harmful rays of the sun.

If you are not consuming milk due to lactose intolerance, you can get calcium from cheese and yogurt, baked beans, green leafy vegetables, canned sardines, orange juice and cereals.

Q

How can I lose belly fat?Spot reduction does not work so ensure you are eating a well-balanced diet that is free of refined sugars and pro-cessed foods. Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated. Addi-tionally, make sure you work out for three to four times a week and do a combination of cardio and weight training.

Q

How do I know how much water I should drink per day?While I cannot tell you an exact amount, because water intake depends on a person’s daily activities or the amount of exercise a person does per day. A good rule of thumb is to calculate it as per body weight. On an average, everyone should drink at least 30 to 35 ml of water per kilo of body weight. For example is someone is 60 kilos, they should drink 1.8 to 2.1 litres per day.

(Send in your queries to betterhealth@gulfnews.com)

DR. WAFAA AYESH, Clinical Nutrition Director, Dubai Health Authority

DO OR DIET

All your nutrition queries answered by...

1 Look at the list of ingredients: Check for contents like partially hydrogenated and hydrogenated oils, as these signify the pres-

ence of trans fats. Also look for added sugars and wholegrains — the label must say whole, not just wheat flour.

2It’s important to look at the serving size so start from the top of the label. These are often very small. If you eat more than what

the serving size shows, you need to multiply all nutritional contents accordingly.

3Calories are very important if you’re trying to lose weight. Pay attention to the number of calories per serving, and the calories

from fat. The calories from fat are not that sig-nificant, but the type of fat is crucial.

4Look for the total fat per serving and the grams of saturated, trans, polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. These amounts

are rounded to the closest whole number, so 0.4 gram would be 0 gram, 0.8 gram as 1 gram. If you are cutting down weight you have to limit your saturated fat to 5 per cent or less of your total calories. Divide your body weight by 12 to get the total daily limit of saturated fat in grams.

5Limit the intake of trans fats completely. Polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats are healthy, so you don’t have to avoid it unless

you are limiting calories.

6The cholesterol content is mentioned, but it’s not relevant as blood cholesterol levels de-pend more on saturated-fat and trans-fat.

7Carbohydrates matter too. Dietary rules do not need labels to tell the difference between whole grains and processed grains. Look for the

information on dietary fibre. It’s vital that men should take in more than 38 grams of total fibre per day and women should have more than 25 grams.

8 When it comes to sugar, less is better. Unfortunately, it does not specify the differ-ence between natural and added sugars, so

check the list for added sugars.

9Protein is generally listed as total protein. If your protein intake is sufficient, you can actually ignore that.

10 You’ll also see each nutrient’s percentage of your total daily intake based upon the assumption that you take in 2,000 calo-

ries a day. This amount of calories is for someone who’s extremely overweight, so this section is quite irrelevant.

10 TIPS FOR READING NUTRITION FACTS

INGREDIENTS• 2 salmon fillets (120 g each)• 2 garlic cloves finely minced• 1 tbsp of fresh parsley• 1 tsp of dried basil• 1 tbsp of lemon juice• 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil• Salt and pepper to taste

Dill Sauce:• 1 cup of sour cream• 2 tbsp of chopped dill• 2 tbsp of lemon juice• Salt and pepper to taste

BAKED SALMON WITH LEMON DILL SAUCETHE GOOD MORSEL

METHOD1. In a medium glass bowl,

prepare the marinade by mixing the garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, dried basil, one tablespoon of fresh parsley, salt and pepper.

2. Place the salmon fillets, in a medium baking dish, cover with the marinade, and keep in the refrigerator for an hour.

3. Preheat grill with medium heat.

4. Lightly oil grill grate. Place salmon on the preheated grill and discard the marinade. Cook salmon for six to eight minutes per side, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.

5. Meanwhile, mix the ingredients of the lemon dill together.

6. Serve with one cup of steamed vegetables.

— Banine Shahine, Nutrition Manager, Nutrition by Fitness First

TIPThe health benefit of salmon is based on its unusually high

content of omega 3. It has many benefits for cardiovas-cular issues, and eye, hair, and

skin health.

Serving size per recipe | 2 servings

Pictures: Shutterstock

Shutterstock

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6 Bettter Health | May 16. 2016Maximum Fitness

It’s perhaps the oldest, and most convincing trick in the book when it comes to guar-anteeing holistic well-being.

Whether you want to be healthy, fit, and mentally equipped to handle life’s many challenges, running has always emerged as one of the first things trainers, doctors and experienced peers will recommend.

According to various re-search, running for about 30 minutes five times a week not only helps you maintain fitness levels and a healthy mind-body-soul balance, but it also pre-vents obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pres-sure, strokes and even cancers. Plus, exercise in general, and running in particular, helps you combat anxiety, depression and stress as you experience the feel-good hormones known as en-docannabinoids surge through your body. In fact, a 2006 study published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, stated that even a single bout of exercise — 30 minutes of walking on a treadmill — could instantly lift the mood of someone suffering from a major depressive order.

“If you’re running, you’re moving, which is key,” says Lee Ryan, a 33-year-old athlete and fitness instructor from the UK. “Moving is healthy for the body and mind. No matter what age or gender, humans are meant to move and not sit still. More-over, running can be used to refresh the mind. In fact, there is a quote: ‘If you can’t find the answers to your questions after a four-hour run, you never will’."

Ryan has been in this in-dustry for 11 years and lived in Dubai for nine. The endurance athlete not only holds three Guinness World Records, but was also voted the Middle East’s top personal trainer in 2012, by Shape magazine. His fun ap-proach towards fitness has a lot to do with it. “You don’t have to run for hours or run a mar-athon to be a runner. If you can run, you are a runner. I love it because you can step out your door, and go for a run, there is no membership. The world is your gym and it’s free to use.”

Fiona Donald of New Zealand is a 41-year-old fitness instructor with Urban Energy Fitness. She

■■ STANDARD CHARTERED MARATHON: A must-attend race in every aspiring runner’s calendar. Featuring a 42km marathon and 10k race, acing this one is a real feather in your cap.

is training for her first marathon now, but has been in the game for nearly a decade. To Donald, running is an unparalleled expe-rience in well-being.

“The benefits of running are many,” she says. “It is a weight bearing exercise so it helps to strengthen your joints and bones, it strengthens your mus-cles and improves cardiovas-cular. Running is a great stress reliever as well. I would recom-mend running to anyone who is willing to give it a try! We have seen many beginners bare-ly able to run 200m who have

gone on to run 5k, 10k and even half marathons. The sense of achievement is amazing, and I think it spills over to other areas of people’s lives.”

However, running without a plan and diet can quickly diffuse all the hard work you put in on a daily basis. If you’re a beginner, both Ryan and Donald empha-sise starting small.

“Have a goal and make a plan,” says Ryan. “Give yourself a finish line to reach and take each day at a time. There will be up and downs; listen to your body, learn how it responds. But

most of all make sure you have fun. If it’s not fun, you will find an excuse not to do it.”

Another myth that runners deal with is that you can eat anything when you run. Ryan advises runners to drop sugary drinks, nicotine, junk etc from consumption habits entirely, and eat a well-balanced diet.

Donald concurs. “With the in-creased demands on your body due to exercise, healthy eating becomes even more important. Make sure to include plenty of fresh vegetables, protein and healthy fats at every meal. Car-bohydrates are important too — in moderation — but choose wholegrain, unprocessed ones.”

Many think that the UAE’s weather is not suitable for run-ning, but it’s not. Barring about four months in a year, the coun-try’s climate is ideal for runners. Early mornings and evenings are the best times to run, but what’s vital is to drink lots of water. Donald also recommends drinking electrolyte in case you lose excess salt through sweat.

It helps to join a running class or club too, to remain motivated. For instance, Urban Energy has recently announced a May to August package for just Dh1,500, featuring unlimit-ed classes. “Running in a group is very motivating especially for beginners,” says Donald. “It encourages them to get out of their comfort zone.”

However, Ryan encourag-es solo running. “You need to learn how to run on your own. If the group/partner can’t make it, that should not impact your runs. Plus, if you’re train-ing for a race, you will be run-ning as an individual. ■

FOR YOUR LIFERUN

■■ DESERT ROAD RUNNERSFounded in 1989, Desert Road Runners (formerly Dubai Road Runners) is the emirate’s oldest running club. It organises an annual 10k race, as well as weekly events — such as the Predictor run at Safa Park — that are meant to train and test the skills and abilities of its members and participants. DRR has produced many capable runners who have gone on to win international championships.

HERE’S WHERE YOU PUT YOUR BEST FOOT FORWARDTHE RUNNING CLUBS■■ ABRAS AC

With primary focus on endurance running, ABRas AC is a not-for-profit club that trains runners of mixed abilities in accordance to the UAE’s racing calendar. Training is customised and includes both road and track sessions with drills and tempo runs thrown in. ABRas has earned a reputation for discipline and focused running, although it’s not all hard work — the club also hosts various social events throughout the year.

■■ DUBAI CREEK STRIDERSFor over 20 years, DCS has been promoting a healthy lifestyle and the importance of running among all age groups. Its members have won several prizes at the Dubai Marathon — no doubt enabled by their expert tips — and the club has been hosting training sessions for beginners and improvers every week at various locations across Dubai. DCS also organises the Johnson Arabia Dubai Creek Striders Half Marathon every year.

■■ MIRDIF MILERSOne of the newest kids on the block, the Mirdif Milers run three times a week at Mushrif Park, Mizhard Park and Khawaneej. The Mushrif runs form their core session, and also where newcomers are ushered into the group most effectively. Running as part of a group is of great importance here, and the club also meets once a month socially to develop team spirit and camaraderie.

■■ NIKE+ RUN CLUBGet your head in the game and push yourself harder than ever when you’re part of Nike’s run club. This is a fairly recent entrant in the Dubai running scene, but getting bigger and popular. A free community club, expert runners offer coaching, mentoring and nutritional tips to anyone who turns up at one its training sessions at Safa Park, Burj Park Island and Make Business Hub in downtown.

Tania Bhattacharya looks at the positives of going for regular jogs, including maintaining a healthy mind-body-soul balance and a decrease in chances of developing cancer

2 Palm JumeirahIt’s not all sun, sand and

luxury here. The shoreline track is about 4km, while the crescent track is 11km.

3 Jumeirah Corniche Arguably the best track in the

city. Runs 14-km from the Burj Al Arab down the beach. The views are spectacular.

4 Zabeel Park In the heart of Old Dubai,

the 2-km track runs outside the perimeter of the park.

1 Safa Park Features a 3.5-km track

on the perimeter, so you can run anytime.

5 Dubai Creek Park The oldest park in the city

features a 4-km track for scenic runs by the Creek.

TOP RUNNING TRACKS IN DUBAI

“If you can’t find the answers to your questions

after a four-hour run, you

never will."Lee Ryan, athlete and fitness

instructor, UK

“The sense of achievement is

amazing, it spills over to other areas

of people’s lives.”Fiona Donald, fitness instructor,

Urban Energy Fitness

Running for about 30 minutes

FIVE TIMES a week also prevents obesity, type 2 diabetes,

heart disease, high blood pressure, strokes and even cancers.

■■ ELECTRIC RUN: This 5k is a truly electrifying event, as you traverse through neon-lit fantasy lands in a UV haze to make it to the end. There’s a party later, so you’re bound to have fun. Had three editions in the UAE, in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah.

■■ SPARTAN RACE: This mad event caters to every fitness level, and encourages you to be the beast you know you are. Fitness levels needed are off the charts, so if you’re aiming for it, you better be prepared.

■■ NIKE WE RUN DXB: One of the most important runs every season, many sign on to finish the 10k as best as they can.

■■ THE COLOUR RUN: The happiest 5k on the planet, you guessed it, is a riot of colour. It aims to promote healthy choices in as much a fun way as possible.

TOP RUNNING EVENTS IN THE UAE

Pictures: Supplied, Eye Stock and Gulf News Archives

7Bettter Health | May 16. 2016 Mind Zone

Pictures: Shutterstock

Ever waited impatiently for a reply to an email, only to discover you’d got distracted before hitting

send? Or walked into a room only to forget why you are there?

As a writer working from home, my days often go like this… check emails, a bit of writ-ing, check Facebook. A bit more writing, more emails, check the news online, a bit more writing.

It’s not that I’m work-shy, but I rarely seem able to spend lon-ger than three minutes on any one task before flitting off to the next. And my distractibility doesn’t end with my work day — I’ve wasted evenings on the sofa, phone in hand, laptop close by, falling down an online rabbit hole of mindless information as I flit between several types of social media, eBay, and random Googling sessions of anything

and everything that crosses my mind, with the television on.

No wonder an already-in-famous study from Microsoft recently found today’s digital lifestyles are having such a det-rimental impact on our concen-tration levels that our attention span has now fallen to below that of a goldfish. Humans now stay focused for just eight seconds, before being distracted by social media, emails and so on — a fall from 12 seconds in 2000.

A study by De Montfort Uni-versity published in the journal Computers in Human Behaviour has gone further, directly linking the number of times a person uses the internet or their mobile phone with their likelihood of experiencing a range of cogni-tive failures or mental blunders. Whether the most digitally ac-tive people are more distracted

because of their excessive online activity, or that they are more drawn to these activities be-cause they naturally have short attention spans is unclear at this stage. However, lead researcher, Dr Lee Hadlington suspects a vi-cious circle: that distractible in-dividuals become even more so as they become overly reliant on their mobile devices.

“Our brains are designed to pick up on what’s new or changing around us,” explains Josh Davis, Director of research at the NeuroLeadership Insti-tute in New York and author of new book Two Awesome Hours. “In the digital world, things are

changing and being posted every few seconds. News sites and so-cial media are also designed in an easily digestible way that draws us in. It’s no wonder so many of us have butterfly brains,” he says.

But Josh counters that dis-tractibility might not be bad news. “A well-functioning brain should wander every few min-utes. It makes us more creative and stops our brain from burn-ing out. So don’t resist it.”

The mistake many of us make, he says, is taking a break from work information and replacing it with an endless stream of in-formation from social media, news, or whatever else is online.

It’s the type of information that takes its toll on our state of mind. If you click on a heartbreaking news story about a war, and then a social media photo that makes you feel inadequate, no wonder you feel spent and stressed.

So how to break the cycle? Besides a digital curfew, Josh recommends taking non-digital breaks during the day — wheth-er a walk, a coffee, or even just staring out the window.

Even Andy Puddicombe, mindfulness guru and founder of meditation app Headspace, doesn’t advocate a total digital detox. “The demands of alerts, notifications and social networks can leave us feeling worn out. “But an all or nothing approach rarely works... It’s not a case of technology or mindfulness, rath-er a mindful use of technology.”

— The Interview People

Seriously bad side effects of your smartphone addiction (And what you can do to help yourself)

1TEXT CLAW AND CELL PHONE ELBOWText Claw is a

non-medical term used to describe all of the finger cramping and sore muscles that come from continuous scrolling, texting, and gaming on smartphones. An even more common side effect: Using your phone too much can cause inflammation in your tendons and enhance existing conditions, like tendinitis and carpal tunnel. Similarly, Cell Phone Elbow describes tingling or numbness in ring and pinky fingers after bending your elbow for long periods of time. If your non-stop smartphoning has you feeling sore and weak, do some stretches. Put down the phone, then try bending your wrists backward, putting your hands together like a prayer and pushing down.

2IPOSTURE AND TEXT NECKSlouching over your

phone for hours at a time is ruining your neck and hurting your back muscles. iPosture or Text Neck are just two of a few phrases doctors throw around to describe the excessive stress on neck muscles. According to a study of young adults in the UK, 84 per cent of those tracked experienced back pain during the last year, mainly due to being hunched over smart-phones, tablets, and computers.

3COMPUTER VISION SYNDROMEStaring at the tiny

font in your texts and scroll-ing through dozens of tweets can lead to eyestrain, blurred vision, dizziness, and dry eyes. And blurred vision plus sore neck muscles can also cause headaches. If you’re experi-encing eye discomfort, make your phone’s font size bigger. Phone users should try to hold their phones at least 16 inches away from their faces. Every few minutes look up from your screen at something far away for short breaks, and don’t forget to blink.

4NOMOPHOBIAShort for no-mobile-phone phobia, this is

exactly what it sounds like: the fear of being without your cell. According to a study of 1,000 people in the UK, 66 per cent of the population fears losing or being without their phones at any given time. Some of the symptoms of nomophobia in-clude anxiety or negative phys-ical symptoms if you have lost or cannot use your cell phone, checking to make sure you have your phone with you, and con-stantly worrying about losing it somewhere. Interestingly, the study found that women suffer from this more than men.

5PHANTOM POCKET VIBRATION SYNDROMENo, you didn’t just get

a text message! A professor at Indiana University found that 89 per cent of the undergrad-uates in her study experienced phantom vibrations when their phones weren’t actually vibrat-ing. The study also found that students who were dependent on text messages and social media updates were more anx-ious when their phones weren’t really vibrating. A good way to break the addiction? Try shut-ting your vibration function off and commit to only checking your phone during designated hours. If you have to keep your phone with you, place it in your bag instead. And try to resist checking your bag every five minutes. Otherwise, you might become the first case of Phan-tom Bag Vibration Syndrome.

5 WAYS TO CALM BUTTERFLY BRAIN

1. GO BACK TO BLACK

If you can’t resist spending the hours before bed on your phone, reverse the settings. ‘You can reverse the contrasts on your phone or tablet (on an iPhone: Settings>General>-Accessibility>Invert colours) so instead of black writing on a white background you have white writing on a black back-ground. This reduces the blue light that affects your brain’s cyclic rhythm, disrupting your sleep/wake cycle.

2. GET MOVING

Exercise has been proven to sharpen your mind and increase your concentration. And if that takes out a chunk of your time, it will help you get more done in less time.

3. EAT WELL

“Good diet can help calm a busy mind. A study from Ohio State University found that foods rich in omega-3 (like salmon and tuna) can help decrease anxiety. Whereas sugary foods and too much caffeine (one or two cups are fine) make your mind busier and less able to focus.

4. KEEP COMPANY

A University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine study found that anxiety levels rise after six hours of social isolation, due to chang-es in brain hormones. So if you work from home take your laptop to a coffee shop for an hour or book in regular work meetings or coffees with friends.

5. PLAN TASKS

Leave your least important and easiest job to the end of the day. The last half hour or hour of a working day is often spent flitting around from task to task because you’re tired. Fill that space with one simple task instead.

46%

of smartphone owners

“couldn’t live without”

their smartphone

(Pew)

36% of smartphone owners

would choose their

phone over their TV

(Google)

3.80% of millennials reach

for their smartphones

when they wake up

(Zogby)

64%

of smartphone owners

use their phone to look

up health information

(Pew)

94% of smartphone

owners look for local

information

(Google)

ARE SMARTPHONES TO BLAME?

BUTTERFLY

BRAIN

Humans now stay focused for just eight seconds, before being distracted by news

alerts, social media, emails and so on.

Like most of us, Maria Lally spends most of her life flitting from her phone to her laptop and back again, but is it really making her less smart?

8 Bettter Health | May 16. 2016Life Alternatives

MIRA OPALA beautiful fitness tracker. Well, that is al-most an oxymoron! You will rarely hear a fitness tracker described as a trendy piece of jewellery or super chic. Or come in colour options such as Heart of Gold and Hot Chocolate. But in a crowded market of clunky and plastiky trackers, the $170 Mira Opal stands apart as a piece of smart jewellery. The device can track steps, calories, distance and elevation, while you wear it as a bracelet or hang it around your neck as a pendant — without your fashion score taking a beating. The Opal is water resistant, has a discreet display for a quick peek at the stats, and for detailed reports it syncs with apps for iOS and Android.

UNDER ARMOUR HEALTHBOXIt claims to be the world’s first connected fitness system that tracks how you feel, by keeping an eye on your fitness, physical activity, nutrition and sleep — the goal is to provide a more holistic view of your health so that you can exercise smarter, feel better and live longer. Called the HealthBox, gear maker Under Armour has teamed up with phone company HTC to build an ecosys-tem of fitness devices. The $400 collection includes a chest strap to monitor your heart rate during workouts, a wrist-worn band for 24/7 tracking, and a smart bathroom scale that mea-sures your weight, body fat and your progress. The data from these devices is collected by a smartphone app, and users get customised insights from IBM’s supercomputer, Watson — the fancy term for it is Cognitive Coaching Powered by IBM Watson.

HEXOSKIN SMARTWhy bother strapping on a fitness tracker when your shirt itself can do the tracking? The Hexoskin Smart shirts for men, wom-en and children want to listen to your body and come with sensors sewn right into the fabric. They can measure your heart rate, breathing rate and volume, activity, and so on. The company also offers open APIs, so that the data can be collected by popular apps like Runkeeper, MayMyRun and Endomondo. These shirts retail for $400, but you can pre-order one off their Indiegogo page for $330. Unfortunately, Hexoskin appears to follow Henry Ford’s approach that you can buy any colour you like, as long as it is black!

Allergies and intoler-ances that are left untreated become the bane of our very exis-tence. From scoffing

down antihistamines and pain-killers to unfruitful doctor visits, we are embroiled in a vicious cycle of chronic disease with no real cure or comfort.

It’s even worse for children. As food production methods prioritise quota and quantity over quality, they are deprived of simple luxuries like milk, a corn on the cob or even toast and butter that if consumed, result in complications ranging from hives to digestive problems.

What if there was something that offered complete elimina-tion allergies, without steroids and side effects?

Enter Nambudripad Allergy Elimination Treatment (NAET) that reprogrammes the nervous system. NAET is the brainchild of Dr. Devi S. Nambudripad, a California-based doctor who de-vised the treatment in late 1983.

Dr. Lanalle Chapman Dunn, the first NAET practitioner in the UAE at the Chiron Clinic in Dubai, says, “People aren’t edu-cated about the nervous system. It is everything. With millions of receptors in our brain, we are constantly in fight or flight mode and the second set of these re-ceptors are in the gut.”

Through a combination of Eastern and Western medicine, comprising a blend of selective energy balancing, acupuncture/acupressure, allopathy, chiro-practic, nutritional, and kinesi-ological disciplines, NAET tries to relax the body’s nervous sys-tem to have a normal response to an allergen be it a food com-ponent like milk or an environ-mental like dust.

NAET, says Dunn, is at least 80 per cent effective in treating most allergies and the targeted cure is a holistic one. It treats the patient at the physical, chemical and emotional level.

HOW DOES IT WORKThe process first starts with

a thorough consultation with the practitioner, who might request IGE testing for Type 1 allergies (that cause an imme-diate response), IGG testing for any delayed sensitivities as well as any other required testing. If a patient exhibits severe intol-erances upon IGG testing they are asked to abstain from the particular food for anywhere between one to six months so

that the system stops producing antibodies against these foods.

At the second visit test results are discussed and the patient is tested for muscle response. The patient is asked to hold the aller-gen vial in question as the indica-tor muscle (commonly tricep) is tested. “If the patient holds some-thing that causes a disruption in the nervous system, then it will weaken another strong muscle response,” says Dr Dunn, who’s been practicing NAET for the past 10 years. The arm, which held strong otherwise, will go wobbly when resistance is applied in the presence of the allergen.

Comprehensive is an under-statement for how all encom-passing the tests are. The little maroon NAET allergen kits con-tain over 2,000 possible allergen vials to test for. “When the treat-ment begins we first balance the body and prepare it for the subsequent treatments. We start with a BBF or body balancing formula,” says Dunn.

With NAET, every patient is treated with a standard combi-nation of the essential 15 nutri-ents and minerals ranging from

Calcium to Iron to B12 and vita-min C. If the patient tests weak for the allergen, the practitioner runs the back points while the patient follows a certain se-quence of breathing patterns. These points are stimulated ei-ther using an Arthrostim (a chi-ropractic tool) or manually. The allergen is then in the possession of the patient while acupuncture or acupressure is applied to se-

lect gate points in the body. After the 20-minute acupuncture pe-riod the patient is retested and if strong vials are removed is fi-nally free to go home after which he/she will stay away from the allergen for 25 hours.

CHILDREN AND AUTISMNAET clinics are usually

crowded with little children. The non-invasive nature of the treatment is ideal for them and NAET has proven to be effec-tive in cases of autism. “Autistic children have high sensitivities which relate to the nervous sys-tem and once these are treated, their symptoms and conditions improve,” says Dr. Dunn.

In the case of children, la-ser acupuncture or simply acupressure is applied at their gate points and needling is not required. According to a 2005 global NAET study, roughly 88 per cent of the treated children had their autism diagnosis re-moved by their own individual doctors and neurologists.

Dr. Sarita Tom, a practitioner at the NAET Dubai Centre, learnt NAET at the Bangalore head-quarters to treat her own autistic child and has been treating oth-er patients at her clinic since late 2015. “When people come to me they say their child has no aller-gies, but these intolerances affect them on an emotional level. We tried several treatments for my son and then I found NAET.”

NERVOUS SYSTEM REPROGRAMMED

Nambudripad Allergy Elimination Treatment not only provides non-invasive treatment for allergies, but it also treats the patient at

the physical, chemical and emotional levels

BY KARISHMA BHANSALI MEHTA

LEARNMMA: THE COMPLETE PACKAGEIt’s never too late to learn martial arts. Team Nogueira Dubai – Martial Arts and Fitness Academy offers Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) classes. It is is a combination of various martial arts disciplines such as Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Boxing, Judo, Wrestling, Karate, Taekwondo and Sanshou. It is not only an effective form of self defence, but can also serve as extreme physical activity. Call 04 338 8967;http://teamnogueiradubai.com/

EAT77 VEGGIE BOUTIQUEIf you’re on a diet and don’t know what to eat, check out 77Veggie’s meal packs. The vegetarian cafe offers meals that are par-cooked, tasty and nutritious, and available in one-month lunch only and one-month breakfast, lunch and dinner options. There is also a calorie count on every dish!Call 04 422 4116;Tiffany Tower, Cluster W, JLT

TRYYOGALATESBored of your regular workout? Try yogalates, a combination of yoga and Pilates. This session takes the best of yoga and Pilates to integrate them into one balanced system of exercise. While yoga focuses on strength, flexibility and spirituality, Pilates builds strength in the deep muscles of the body’s core. Yogalates promises to be functional, fun, practical, powerful, flowing and inspired.Call 04 367 0435; www.yoga.ae

WEARNIKE DRI-FIT CONTOUR WOMEN’S RUNNING TOP This top provides breathability and fea-tures an ergonomic design to help you run comfortably anywhere. A Dri-FIT mesh panel in the middle back is knit from loose to tight with three different textures for varying degrees of cooling. Ergonomic seams are rolled forward for comfort and the body-mapped design enhances your natural range of motion. Dh229; Available at Nike storeshttp://store.nike.com/ae/en_gb/ae/

TOP ESSENTIALS

READ8 KEYS TO MENTAL HEALTH THROUGH EXERCISEChristina G. Hibbert, an expert on women’s mental health, grief and self-esteem issues, offers readers strategies for sticking to fitness goals, overcoming motivation challenges and roadblocks to working out, and maintaining a physically and emotionally healthy exercise regimen. The techniques offered by Hibbert will benefit readers at any stage of life or fitness level. Dh92.88; Magrudy’s, Dubai

Our round-up of apps that can help you keep a tab on your healthTUNE UP BY DEEPAK KARAMBELKAR

■■ NAET CENTRES IN DUBAI

• Dr. Lanalle Chapman Dunn Chiron Clinic 04 349 7444

• Dr. Sarita Tom NAET Dubai — The Healing Centre http://www.naetdubai.com

With millions of receptors in our brain, we are constantly in fight or flight mode and the second set of these receptors are in the gut.

— Compiled by Krita Coelho(Write to betterhealth@gulfnews.com)

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Pictures: Shutterstock, Supplied