fitness

10 must-read livehealthy.ae stories of 2019

We get a lot of great health and fitness advice from some really smart people here at livehealthy.ae. Here are some of the best of the year. 

Build a community 

Rachael Lynn, how to build a community
Rachael Lynn, author of At Home Anywhere

Every person at some point in their lives has to find their place in a new situation. That’s why we loved the excerpt from Dubai-based Rachael Lynn’s book At Home Anywhere. The author, community organizer and writer suggests that you first get to know yourself – and be yourself. Then find your tribe, any way you can. Her Instagram post for other women craving friends brought out 14 people and led to her organization, Women Connect Abroad. 

Forget anti-ageing 

holistic health
Dr Hoda Makkawi

Dr Hoda Makkawi, a consultant in family medicine, integrative holistic medicine and an anti-ageing medicine specialist at Euromed Clinic Dubai, wants you to stop focusing on your face. Instead, go deeper and take her 8-part holistic approach to getting older, focusing on mind, body and soul. Fitness, emotional growth and nutrition are all part of it and the approaches are different for everyone. Ultimately, it’s all about connection: between your mind and body and you and the people you love. 

Stop these fitness mistakes

fitness mistakes
Unsplash

We all want to be fit and stay fit, but we take the lazy or easy way or else we believe something a friend told us. This compilation of advice from trainers tackles everything from leaning on your cardio equipment (don’t) to focusing too much on one form of working out over another (also don’t). 

“I see people in the gym that have bad form and throw weights around like there’s no tomorrow and I literally cringe, because they are going to end up hurting themselves very badly,” says UAE PT Hendrik Hoogenboezem. So don’t do that either. 

Be more positive 

positive person 2
From left: Amanda Duncan, Phoenix Rising; Yazen Al Kodmani, Emirates Bio Farm; Melissa Forti, baker with Sally Bee, motivational speaker

One of our most popular stories came out of a simple afternoon panel discussion at the JW Marriott Marquis called Gather. Amanda Duncan, Phoenix Rising; Yazen Al Kodmani, Emirates Bio Farm; Melissa Forti, baker, celebrity chef Bobby Chinn and motivational speaker Sally Bee gave their best advice for looking on the bright side. It included giving in to cravings (sometimes) and embracing the bad days. 

Reconnect with your body 

Dubai nutritionist
Dubai nutritionist Laura Holland. Photo courtesy Laura Holland

In this article, Dubai nutritionist Laura Holland helps us rediscover the art of eating. She has advice for eating calmly to mindfully to what to limit and when and also why skipping meals is hard on your body in the long-term.

Cope with hair loss

hair loss
Photo courtesy Unsplash

Hair loss is a big topic among people who move to the UAE. Find out how different types of water, stress, lack of vitamins and minerals and other factors can lead to hair loss. “Genetics is the most common cause of hair loss. Other causes include: hormonal changes, poor hair care, eating disorders and a poor diet,” says Danielle Marzella, a hair loss specialist from the US. And get tips for what to do about it.  

Beat jet lag

jet lag tips
Xandro Vandewalle/Unsplash

Since we live in an international hub, UAE residents are always hopping on and off planes. This piece is an essential read for anyone trying to beat jet lag and trying to understand how traveling across different time zones affects the body. Zinc magnesium aspartate supplements at night, tons of water and cutting caffeine are just the start. 

Turn Type 2 diabetes 

Dr Graham Simpson Dubai
Dr Graham Simpson. Photo courtesy Euromed Clinic

This story explores how one one Dubai doctor has created a protocol that helps his patients turn around their Type 2 diabetes with a strict health regime encompassing a Keto diet, specific supplements and a more holistic lifestyle.

Nature heals

Emirati family doctor Mariam Ketait
Photo courtesy Mariam Abdulla Ketait

Sand, sun, dates, nature, water and the moon are all essential elements for our health, advises Emirati family doctor Mariam Abdulla Ketait. So why don’t we take advantage of them? “We all go through phases of growth and learning and relearning,” she says. 

Put on a podcast

bests podcasts UAE
Shutterstock

You can get mad about how much time you spend in your car in the UAE – or you can put on a podcast and get on with it. We had two guides to good podcasts in the magazine this year: a guide to five of the best mindfulness podcasts out there and another guide to the best local, healthy-listen podcasts in the UAE. 

Livehealthymag.com is for every body and mind in the UAE. This magazine is all about moderation, making small changes, little additions and the odd subtraction.

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