The National Pavilion UAE has earned a top architecture prize in Venice for a “bold experiment” that uses a byproduct of desalination to change the way one of the world’s most energy-intensive compounds is made. When the Biennale Architecture 2021 jury awarded the Golden Lion Award to Wetland out of 60 pavilions vying for the prize, the panel’s president, Kazuyo Sejima, a Pritzker prize laureate, called it “a bold experiment that encourages us to think about the relationship...
They live in Abu Dhabi and they had been friends for years. Before Covid-19, they spoke on a daily basis and made sure to meet up at least once a week. But as lockdown hit, and personal contact became restricted, they found themselves starting to drift apart. Even when restrictions began to lift, Zainab still didn’t feel safe enough to venture out, and refused to meet up with Soraya, who was eager to get back...
Don’t you just love it when something you may have considered a “vice” turns out to be good for you? Coffee has been on this upward trajectory for a while now, which just as well, as we drink a massive 1.4 billion cups a day across the globe. Although in the past, coffee consumption has been linked to heart disease, asthma and increased risk of stroke, many of those early studies have slowly been discounted. These...
The UAE summer is upon us, and with temperatures over the 40 degree Celsius mark, the last thing you probably want to do is go outside for your workout. But that extra sweaty exercise session might have more benefits to your training regime and overall health and fitness than you think. “The main benefit we get from heat training is an increase in blood volume,” explains InnerFight Sport Science and Endurance Coach Tom Walker. “This...
Angela Bishara started suffering agonizing joint pain and inflammation in her knee shortly after turning 30. Unable to drive, walk properly or stand up for longer than 10 minutes, she turned to the spice turmeric –and it’s primary bioactive substance curcumin – to tackle the symptoms of what would later be diagnosed as Hashimoto’s disease and reactive arthritis. “I can’t describe the pain, the heaviness, the frustration, the fear of not knowing if I would...
Let’s be honest, sex isn’t something we discuss that openly in the UAE, despite the fact that quite a few of us are doing it. But how have our patterns of intimacy and desire changed during the pandemic? And what, if anything, will be the long-term effects? When Livehealthy conducted a survey of our readers across our social media channels – and spoke to some readers to get personal stories – what we came away...
The bitter gourd looks unappetitising and it isn't the tastiest vegetable but it might be the new superfood.
If you believe everything you see on social media, it might look like everyone in the UAE is on holiday abroad. Whether it’s Greece, Mauritius, or the Maldives, everyone seems to be escaping the desert and making sure we know about it. But is this a true reflection of how we feel about travel, post-pandemic? Are we all footloose and fancy free and ready to jump back on a plane and explore? “I’ve not left...
Your primary care doctor is ultimately the person you trust with your health and wellbeing, the professional you can turn to when you or a family member are in physical pain and is likely to be your first port of call if you’re suffering with mental health issues. So, why is it that some of us take longer to choose our dinner than we do to pick the right doctor? It might be easier to...
It’s been well over a year since Covid-19 began dominating headlines worldwide, and unfortunately that still remains true today. In the UAE, the vaccination programme is proving successful with the Emirates moving up to 8th place in Bloomberg’s Covid Resilience Ranking, which ranks the countries in terms of how effectively they are handling the pandemic. What these rankings – and indeed daily case figures – don’t reveal is how many people are still suffering from...
The number of people living with eating disorders is on the increase both in the UAE and worldwide, making World Eating Disorders Action Day (June 2) more important than ever. One organization that’s working to raise awareness in the region, while supporting those living with a variety of eating disorders, is the Middle East Eating Disorders Association (MEEDA). The not-for-profit association was founded in Lebanon in 2009 by clinical psychologist Dr Jeremy Alford who wanted...