Getting back to normal life after a fun vacation is much harder it seems to be. Who does not like to continue waking up late, eating junk and missing a workout!!!
However, this sort of lifestyle starts to bother us in form of bloating, indigestion, and unhealthy weight gain.
While we can go off the track when on vacation, many of us struggle to get back on track and deal with post vacation bloating and weight gain syndromes.
So, we spoke with a well known Nutritionist, Shreya Katyal to share with our reader a post-vacation detox tips that can help then get back to the regular track.
So, without further ado, let’s get started.
Eat Clean And Green: After vacation, you need to take a break from fried and sugary products. Time to add some clean and green options in your diet to gain maximum benefits.
Cut The Cocktail: You must have opened the cork of alcohol or sugary beverages while being on vacation, but now it’s time to put it back. Say no to it for the time being at least, so you can get rid of the bloat from your face and fat from your body.
Stay Hydrated: Even when you are on vacation, you should never skip the water. But, if you have skipped it while enjoying, it’s time to increase your water intake. Try to have warm water (if possible) with lemon in it to reduce bloating and detoxify your body.
Prioritize Protein: On vacation, we all forget the diet and load up ourselves with fatty and fried food, and it’s time to balance it off by adding protein to your diet. Be careful about the quantity to not shock your body and health.
Sleep: As soon as you are back from your vacation, get back to your regular sleep pattern. Sleeping can repair your body and brain and regulate blood sugar among many other benefits.
Vacationing is important to refresh your mind, ensure good health and be more productive and less stressed. But being on post-vacation detox is equally important so that you can get back to your routine and kick start your healthy lifestyle like before. Always take expert consultation to make the right dietary changes as per your body type.
I recently attended the event hosted by a Japanese Massage Footwear Brand Kenkoh in The Dubai Mall. It gave me a much needed exposure to the existence of massage footwear and their immense benefits.
We also interacted with reflexologist & natural health practitioner Gwenn Zen who gave us a five minute feet reflexology foot massage enhancing our knowledge about the science.
Zen told us how each and every organ of our body is connected to feet. As she massaged our feet, she literally told us about our health condition by feeling the state of all organs in our feet. Isn’t it amazing?
So here’s my bit on educating my blog readers about what are massage shoes, their benefits and how to wear them.
Most of us do not realise that the entire stress and weight of our body is carried by our feet and feet are the most ignored part of our body. We should take care of our feet and keep them strong with daily foot massages for a few minutes. This is where massage footwear comes into play. Because massaging your feet every day may not be feasible, you can give massage slippers a try.
Here are some of the health benefits of wearing massage slippers:
Better Sleep
These sleepers target the nerve endings, as a result you have better blood circulation & relaxed nerves. Walking in massage shoes induce better sleep
Stress Reliever
Massage sandals massage the feet and act as a pain reliever. The area in the center of the toe and the ball of the feet are linked to mental and emotional health. Targeting these areas by wearing acupressure sandals can relieve symptoms of depression.
Pain and Ache Reliever
The pain arising from ankle, neck, migraine headache, lower back and thighs can be fully relieved by walking in massage slippers for 30 minutes every day.
Eases menopause and PMS symptoms
Many women suffer from extreme mood swings and aches due to premenstrual syndrome. Symptoms of menopause such as depression, backache and foot ache can be reduced by using massage slippers. The area where the big toe meets the rest of the feet is an essential point to relieve stress caused by such symptoms.
How To Start Wearing Massage Shoes
Massage Shoes are not your comfy bedroom slippers. Your feet need time to adapt to the massage slippers.
Until you grow accustomed to your Kenkoh Massage Sandals, it is recommended that you wear them 5-30 minutes, two or three times a day. If you have sensitive feet, try wearing socks in the beginning. Generally, it takes three days to three weeks to adapt to Kenkoh sandals. Once accustomed, extend wear time at your own pace
If you have finally made-up your mind to live a healthier lifestyle, do follow the below mentioned tips to stay on the track for a longer period of time in a sustainable manner:
Eat a variety of food
For good health, we need a variety of nutrients which cannot come from one food. Having a balanced diet is a key to the good health. Eat your carbohydrates, protein and fats to nourish your body. Read to find different protein sources for vegetarians here.
Reduce Salt & Sugar Intake
A high salt intake can result in high blood pressure, and increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. Buy low-sodium salt and substitute salt with spices in food.
Sugary drinks and food are high in energy and should be consumed in moderation as an occasional treat. Use fruits, dates and even jaggery to sweeten favourite dish.
Control the Portion Size
Eating a variety of foods, regularly, and in the right amounts is the best formula for a healthy diet.
Skipping meals, especially breakfast, can lead to out-of-control hunger, often resulting in helpless overeating. Snacking between meals can help control hunger, but snacking should not replace proper meals. For snacks, we could choose yoghurt, a handful of fresh or dried fruits or vegetables (like carrot sticks), unsalted nuts, or perhaps some bread with cheese.
Paying attention to portion size will help us not to consume too much calories, and will allow us to eat all the foods we enjoy, without having to eliminate any.
Physical activity is important for people of all ages and weight ranges. It not only helps in burning extra calories but also keeps health in check. We don’t have to be a full time athlete to be active. Include small habits such as taking stairs, going for walk during lunch hours, making time for some activities during weekend. 150 minutes per week of moderate activity is advised.
Bring Lifestyle Changes Gradually
It’s easier to maintain lifestyle changes when introduced gradually. Major lifestyle changes introduced all at once are not sustainable. Begin with keeping a diary of your day to day activities and food you eat. Spot things you would like to change. Go slow. E.g. if you notice too little physical activity in your lifestyle, then start by taking stairs or going for 10 mins walk and gradually improve it. Sudden major changes will only backfire.
Eat Plenty of Fruit & Vegetables
Fruits and vegetables are among the most important foods for giving us enough vitamins, minerals and fibre. We should try to eat at least 5 servings a day. For example, a glass of fresh fruit juice at breakfast, perhaps an apple and a piece of watermelon as snacks, and a good portion of different vegetables at each meal.
Pop & Hop is a perfect snacking solution for anyone who wants to adopt to a healthier lifestyle but has no time to cook healthy snacks for themselves. With not many healthy options available around us, sticking to a healthier lifestyle becomes tough and many of us just fall off the wagon
Not anymore.
Pop & Hop as a brand offers roasted makhanas and Roasted makhanas are one of the healthiest snack options.
Pop and Hop was launched by Tamanna Moolchandani after she 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐞 𝐬𝐧𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭 which her nutritionist could approve of.
When she could not give up her habit of snacking, she did not fall off the healthy lifestyle wagon instead launched Pop and Hop, a brand for lotus seeds/ fox nuts/ makhana snacks for people she thought were struggling just like her!
So people could snack without caution, which is also a tag line of the brand.
When we were sent this PR package we wanted to be double sure of its goodness. So we spoke to a qualified nutritionist Aahat Sajnani and sent her the ingredients list. She says, “ ingredients are good. It is good to roast your own makhanas at home But if it is the only option available, then it’s not bad. Packaged foods with harmful ingredients should be stayed away from.”
Some quick facts about Pop and Hop 💪 it’s made with olive oil 💪roasted not fried 💪vegan & gluten free & corn free & paleo friendly 💪 A superfood 💪 𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝗪𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐬𝐀𝐩𝐩 𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 +𝟗𝟕𝟏𝟓𝟐𝟕𝟕𝟖𝟖𝟑𝟒𝟕 💪comes in four different flavours
We love the tag line “𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧”
Pop & Hop
Product review: The Makhanas are crunchy and flavourful. We love all the three flavours which were sent to us and it was so good to snack on a packaged food after a long time without feeling guilty.
While some people find it easy to continue living a healthy lifestyle, some completely fall off the wagon.
Five Tips Which Will Help You Continue Sticking To A Healthy Lifestyle
However, a few tips and tricks can help you stay on the track. Keep reading :
Find Your Motivation
Source: Pinterest
Find a long term goal that will keep you motivated. No, weight loss should not be your goal. Weight loss is a short term goal. Both my parents have diabetes, and if I do not stick to a healthy lifestyle I am at a high risk of getting diabetes too. So it is one of the motivating factors for me. Find your reason why do you want to adapt to a healthy lifestyle and follow it for life and not for temporary weight loss reasons. Different people may have different long term motivational factors.
Time Management
Source: Pinterest
We all have 24 hours in a day. While some manage to do many things, some do not find time at all. To be on a healthy lifestyle track, you need to exercise, sleep well, and eat home cooked food. Start keeping a journal of your hourly activities, do it for a week. You will find out when you are not utilizing time your well. May be you spend two three hours in the evening scrolling down the social media feeds. That time can be used for preping up for meals and exercise.
Make Cooking More Enjoyable
When it comes to healthy eating, cooking is an important part of the process. No matter how much healthy food you eat out, you really do not know what goes into it. When you cook your own meals, you have all control over the ingredients. Experimentations with cooking helps falling in love with the process. I do not like tedious recipes, so I keep on finding quick tasty recipes on Internet. It helps me stay on the track.
Progress, Not Perfection
Do not follow the approach where you either follow the healthy eating plan 100 per cent or nothing at all. If on a day, you feel like eating a chocolate cake, go ahead and eat it. Eating chocolate cake does not mean that you cannot go back to eating healthy. You need to focus on progress than perfection. No one can follow a diet plan to the T. One it is not practical, two it is not sustainable. Do your best and when you want to indulge, do not restrict yourself. Indulge and go back to eating healthy from the next meal itself.
Find A Buddy Support
Find a buddy who can push you. The person you can talk to about your fitness goals. In my case, days I know I will be lazy, I ask my husband to push me to go to gym. No matter how much I scream or resist, he pushes me to go the gym and stay on the track! It works for me.
Hope you find these tips & tricks beneficial for you to stay on the healthy lifestyle track.
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Water is a must. Everyone knows it. It is generally recommended to have 6-8 glasses of water everyday to keep the body well hydrated.
How do you know your body is hydrated?
Ask your body. It will tell you if it wants you to have more water.
Urine colour is a strong indication of how well hydrated your body is. If it’s clear, you are good.
But do you know when should you drink water to maximize its effect on your body?
When to drink water
After Waking Up
Drink one glass of water after waking up to help activate your internal organs. The water will help to remove any toxins before your first meal of the day.
Before A Meal
Drinking a glass of water half an hour before the meal helps in digestion. But do not drink water immediately before or after the meal, it will do more harm than good by diluting digestive juices.
Before A Bath
A glass of water before the bed time keeps the body temperature in check
Before Sleep
A glass of water one hour ago before the bedtime helps replenish fluid loss during the night .
A well hydrated body is a bliss. Keep the above points in mind and you will do endless good to your own body.
Yes, you read that right. This is not at all a click bait headline. This is how you can improve your endurance naturally.
In our blog, we focus on nutrition through natural food ingredients which are not fancy and do not come with a fancy price tag.
In our latest online webinar with Dubai-based dietician Mae Al Gethami on Hidden Superfoods in our Fridge, we found out that we necessarily need not to take coffee shots or protein shakes before the workout. Instead, the natural and the cheap alternative is Beet Juice.
Mae Al Gethami says:
Beetroot is no doubt a superfood , it’s vibrant color is due to betalains, a water soluble antioxidant.This root vegetable is not only anti-cancer but also improve your sports performance !
The International Olympic Committee even acknowledged beet juice as a sports drinks to enhance and improve performance.
But why is that ?
Beet Root juice is high in a compound called Nitrate that get’s converted into the molecule ”nitric oxide” in our bodies
Nitric Oxide Can :
-Enhance blood vessel dilation
-Increase your blood flow and enabling you to use oxygen more efficiently
-Improve your cardiorespiratory endurance
These qualities in turn have made runners increase their overall speed while decreasing fatigue
So the next time you hit the gym skip the pre-workout/coffee and beet juice a shot !
Alert: We post reviews when we genuinely love the food.
Located in Four Points Sheraton Downtown in Mankhool, Purani Dilli opened its doors in Dubai to serve the authentic taste of Mughalai food using age old recipes inspired from the eateries in Old Delhi’s famous food lanes.
I am a vegetarian and always look out for some tempting vegetarian kebabs to fill my hungry belly. We got an invitation from Purani Dilli’s to try its ongoing Kebab & Biryani Festival, we could not say No to.
For Kebab & Biryani festival, Purani Dilli launches a limited period menu including special varieties of Kebabs and Biryanis. Even though, we understand that its Mughlai food and vegetarian options are limited, we still wanted to try the Mughalai flavors and see how well they could add the aroma and flavors of Mughalai food to vegetarian options.
Mango Lassi in Traditional Kulhad
As we take a seat on a comfort sofa at Purani Dilli, the staff serves us Mango Lassi in traditional Kulhad glasses. The taste is delicious with a perfect balance being struck between sour & sweet flavors of lassi.
Next we get what we are here for. Vegetarian Kebabs.
Vegetarian Kebab Platter
We order vegetarian kebab platter. Priced at Dhs 52 for 1, it comes with four varieties of kebabs which includes stuffed paneer, palak, galouti and soya chaap kebabs.
We can say it is love at first sight.
We dig our forks into stuffed paneer kebabs, and so many delicious flavors burst in our mouth. With soft & creamy texture of panner & generous stuffing inside, this place knows what they are doing.
Next we try the Palak kebabs followed by soya and galouti kebabs. All four kebabs just melt in our mouth, and are full of delicious & distinctive flavours.
The spice mix for all four kebabs is different. With every bite, we experience a new flavour and feel fully satisfied with the taste, texture and presentation.
We highly recommend Purani Dilli for your kebabs cravings.
A popular award-winning Thai food restaurant in Jumeirah Lakes Towers has started a new delivery only venture Bangkok Bowls offering eight tempting bowls of healthy, freshly cooked Thai food delivered straight to your door.
Partner and Co-Founder Lisa Knight explains: “We came up with the concept after talking to friends. Think of it as Café Isan’s funky urban little sister. Our customers love the flexibility of building your own bowl, but we’ve also re-packaged the big favourites like Satay (in both vegan and chicken versions) and added rice and side salads into one handy bowl.”
A delivery-only concept, the bowls are available via bangkokbowls.net and Deliveroo.
Dive into one of eight signature bowls, created to take your tastebuds to Thailand and back as you devour your dish.
The main bowls also come in vegan versions. You’ll also find plenty of gluten-free options.
All dishes can have sides added for a few dirhams extra – including homemade veg spring rolls, and for extra zing, add sweet chilli sauce, chilli flakes or a bold fresh Bird’s Eye chilli, and are delivered in eco-friendly 90% paper packaging.
Head over to Bangkokbowls.net today to grab your satisfying street-style feast.
There are a few common reasons that many people find there arms dug deep into a packet of chips at late night. Want to know what are those? Keep reading and let us what’s your reason.
1. Skip The Meal
When you skip your dinner or eat dinner at 5pm but you are awake till 11pm. It’s a long gap. You are supposed to feel hungry. It’s natural.
2. You are tired.
When body does not get proper rest, it leads to good cravings. So get that extra hour of sleep if you can.
3. You Ate Too Little
When body does not get proper nutrients and calories, it leads to late night cravings.
4. Not Enough Balance
It’s very important to eat a balanced meal for our body to absorb maximum nutrients and vitamins from the food. When we fail to eat a balanced meal, it is directly linked with late night cravings.
5. You Restricted Yourself All Day
You starved yourself the whole day and now you cannot sleep because your body needs food. You suddenly lose it all and give up to the most unhealthy food you should eat before you sleep .
Now pick where you are going wrong. Work on it and you will see late night cravings slowing disappearing or at least these won’t be too frequent.
The answer is easy if we start listening to our bodies. When eating, follow the three rules mentioned below:
Eat in Silence
Switch off mobile, TV or any other distraction. Focus should be on food and food only.
Use All Your Senses
As you take the first bite, use all your senses:sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch to fully enjoy what you eat.
Sit Down & Eat
If possible sit down on floor with legs folded. If not on floor, try to fold your legs and sit on dining chair. It’s the best posture to be in when you eat.
Once you start paying attention to your own body, apply a simple rule mentioned below:
Eat half of what you feel like eating & Eat slowly
If you feel like eating two rotis, eat one. Chew your food, take your time and enjoy the process. If you still feel hungry and want to eat one more chapati. This time, you will eat half chapati and eat slowly. Chew Chew and chew. Body sends its signal of being full to the brain a little late. It’s the reason that we tend to overeat when we eat in rush.
So start from eating half and chewing your food.
Practice the above mentioned tips and you will never overeat ever again.
This 74th Indian Independence Day, Our blog http://www.sherrygupta.com has collaborated with Purani Dilli Restaurant at Four Points by Sheraton Downtown Dubai in Makhool to give away one of the blog readers a dinner for two at the restaurant on 15 August.
Purani Dilli is known for serving delicious flavours from the Mughal’s kitchen and old Delhi’s most revered specialities. Think of tempting kebabs, curries and delicious Biryanis. Delicious food is complete with live music at the venue.
Purani Dilli is currently running a Kebab & Biryani Festival with a special menu available only for the month of August.
Winner will receive a voucher worth Dhs 400 to spend on any item from its main menu as well as the the new Kebab & Biryani Menu for dinner on 15th August.
To win the voucher, click on the Instagram post below, follow three simple rules to enter the giveaway.
This oats milk shake is one of my favorite recipe for quick breakfast. It has all those ingredients which are recommended for a wholesome breakfast. From wholesome grains, to fruit and nuts, this shake is a powerhouse of nutrients and keeps you full for a longer period.
Ingredients
Two medium size bananas Almond Milk One tsp of coffee One tbsp of peanut butter One cup Earth Good gluten free oats Lots of ice cubes
Process Blend everything in a blending jar and enjoy
According to Ayurvedic science, one should eat between sunrise and sunset. It is advisable to note time of sunset and sunrise in your area and plan the meal accordingly.
Source: Pinterest
As the sun rises, the body’s digestive fire rises and when the sun is at peak, the digestive fire is also at peak.
As the sun starts to go down, the digestion power also slows down. The food consumed post sunset is tough to digest by the body and hence leaves harmful toxins in the body leading to short and long term health issues.
It is similar to modern day’s intermittent fasting technique, However the difference is here nature decides the time.
In the next blog, we will discuss what we should eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Anything eaten in moderation is not bad. So is the case with Pasta. It does not deserve the bad reputation attached to it. Try to opt for whole wheat pasta which is not stripped off of its nutrients and eat in moderation (one serving at a time).
Here’s a recipe of Pasta and Brinjal Baked in Red Sauce from our blog’s cooking expert Harleen Kapoor, co-owner of Tibbs Frankie Restaurant in Dubai.
Pasta and Brinjal Baked in Red Sauce
Recipe
Ingredients for Sauce
1 kg Tomatoes
6-8 garlic
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp red chilly powder
4 tbsp tomato ketchup
Salt to taste
2 tbsp cornflour
Other Ingredients
Pasta ½ cup
1 cup pan fried brinjal
1 cup capsicum cut into long strips
2 tbsp oil
Salt to taste
Process
For the sauce, boil, grind then sieve the tomatoes then add all the ingredients for the sauce, give it a boil
In another pan, heat oil add capsicum,boiled pasta and pan-fried brinjal and sauté together
Take a oven proof dish add the mixed veggies and pasta and pour the tomato sauce over it.
Grate a cheese cube on the mixture,sprinkle oregano and red chilli flakes.
Located in Cluster N of Jumeirah Lakes Tower, this ethical salon, THT, known for using cruelty free vegan products and supporting community is back with another offer and this time it’s for those who have been financially affected due to the COVID-19 outbreak, in an effort to make everyone look and feel their best even during these difficult times.
Thus, the ethical JLT salon will be giving a one-time offer of 50% off on the total bill for those who suffered a job loss or are currently on unpaid leave as a result to this global pandemic. The offer is valid until the end of June and customers have to present adequate proof of their affected financial state to redeem the discount.
You can book your appointment by calling +971 45896670 or via whatsapp 055-9453125.
Fancy eating a good looking meal, but want to avoid eating out and wary of grocery shopping and the hassle of cooking at home?
You are not alone. I was sailing in the same boat until recently. I always crave for food which is of restaurant standards but do not want to go out to eat, and find cooking at from from scratch a daunting task.
BUT GUESS WHAT?
I recently discovered a food business meant for our kinds. Let’s Cook deliver convenience in a box. It is making cooking at home so much easier, fun and GOOD LOOKING with almost ZERO EXTRA EFFORT.
Choose between two plan options: Build-A-Box and Value Box
Hit Subscribe
Choose from amazing selection of Weekly Recipes
Checkout, make payment and that’s all.
Once you submit your order, chefs at Let’s Cook gather and prepare all the ingredients you need, and every meal comes with an easy-to-follow recipe card with nutritional information.
The spokesperson at Let’s Cook says, “Why spend your evenings worrying about what’s left in the refrigerator and planning a grocery shop trip, when instead, with the simple click of a button, you can access the Let’s Cook website and choose from a wide range of meal options with every step of the process delivered right to your doorstep.”
Last week, we ordered for Value Box with Four Recipes For Two People. We chose the recipes for Makhani Paneer, Vegan Pad Thai, Mushroom Spinach Pilau and Potato Tortilla Wrap.
Reference photo for how our Let’s Cook Box Looked Like
We received a well packaged box from the team. When we opened the box; it had four compact size boxes carrying ingredients and instructions for each recipe. We stored all four boxes in our refrigerator and they did not even consume a lot of space.
We tried all four recipes and were amazed by the exact proportion of ingredients. I was also proud of myself as I did not waste a single ingredient while cooking a fancy dish. Was satisfied that I had a very hygienic nutritious home cooked food.
Here’s a glimpse of all four delicious meals we cooked in no time:
Tight Hips are a very common syndrome among desk dwellers. They can lead to lower back pain and tightness in our leg. Free your tight hips by finding a wall and doing this life-changing stretch (no really, it’s thatgood!).
I am glad I met Gwen for a reflexology session at an event in The Dubai Mall, and she told me “girl you got to stretch your tight hips. God bless her for suggesting me this simple yet very effective stretch.
Watch the video below to learn how to do the streching pose correctly. Five to fifteen minutes a day in this pose can lead you reaping off some immense benefits other than flexing your hips!
Benefits of Legs Up The Wall Stretch
Improved Blood Circulation: Lifting legs pump blood faster to the heart
Improved Digestion: Raising legs help exercising muscles responsible for digestion. So you not only get a flatter belly but the digestion will be much more smoother.
Relaxed Nervous System: Elevated legs help you relax and take in more air.
Better Sleep: Stress is the biggest cause of insomnia. Relaxation it brings along makes sure that you sleep like a baby.
After practicing it for a while, it is guaranteed to feel like a whole new person!
Review by founder of community pop up Dubai Vegan Days, Ananda Shakespeare
If you’re looking to end the year and begin the new year on a healthy high, why not try the new vegan weight management meal plan from Root’D, by Freakin’ Healthy?
An extension of the successful local brand Freakin’ Healthy, Root’D’s menu is designed and certified by the Root’D nutritionist to help customers reach their goals.
You can start your Root’D plan with a video consultation or by filling out a survey, so the nutritionist understands your current situation, health and goals.
I grabbed the chance to eat healthily and well for a week, with a choice of dishes you choose from a menu – meaning it’s hard to receive food you don’t like. It’s also noticeably easily ordered online and delivered to your door/ office for a week, a fortnight or a month – depending on how healthy you want to get!
You pick a daily breakfast dish from a choice of four, with a few different options offered on different days. Then there’s a choice of two snacks each day, including the likes of fruit, protein balls, bites, snack bars and fruit and nut butters.
Breakfast
Acai Bowls from Root’D
Breakfast is always a good place to start, and the Root’D chefs serve up some real treats – standout starts to the day for me were the tofu scramble Caribbean wrap and the simple, yet tasty, peanut butter and blueberry orange jam on toast. Apple and cinnamon oats were a sweet treat, too. Yes, you could make these at home, but there are a number of fantastic reasons to let Root’D do the cooking. Firstly, it saves time. I, for one, don’t have time to prepare something like a tofu scramble in the morning, and preparing the night before isn’t an attractive option either. Secondly, all the food is not only nutritionally balanced, but calorie controlled, too. So that’s a double win, right? Also, it’s all too easy here in the UAE to always order takeaways, without really knowing how healthy they are. This plan feels like clawing back some control over your diet. Having said that – this isn’t a dry, boring diet full of unimaginative salads. These are creative, wholesome dishes, served with thought. Everything seems homemade and fresh, and while flavourful, none of the flavours are overpowering, and I didn’t ask for any alterations. Sometimes meal planners in the UAE can be overkeen with chili and other strong spices. If you like that sort of thing, I’m sure Root’D would be amenable to a few additions or menu changes.
Lunch & Dinner
Red Spinach Rice from Root’D
Lunches and dinners are chosen each day from a choice of five daily dishes – and while some seem a little uninspired – beans of toast and the burger – there’s a lot of tasty, filling curry style dishes, pasta, stews and a fun build-your-own falafel wrap. There’s certainly enough variety for a week – and, in fact, there are other meal plans available from the Root’D stable, with more than 45 meal options. The curried chickpea burrito was a weeknight meal winner for me, as so any other meal plans offer bland and uninspired meal options. I also indulged in a peanut curry, and thoroughly enjoyed the yucca coconut curry, something I would simply never dream of making myself. Black bean and sweet potato hash hit the spot, as did the sweet potato chili.
As you can now probably understand, these dishes offer the sort of tasty comfort food we all crave – and yet this plan is for weight management, remember. So a big thumbs up from me. And price wise – it comes in cheaper than other meal plan providers in town. I would order it again. As well as the Weight Management meal plan I opted for, Root’D offers a balanced lifestyle plan for those looking for a more wholesome and clean diet, and for those looking to explore a plant-based diet for the first time, there’s a Detox-Refuel plan.
A quick breakdown of the pricing: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and 2 x snacks – AED 120 / day Breakfast, Lunch and 1 x snack – AED 72.5 / day Lunch, Dinner and 1 x snack – AED 87.5 / day Duration – 1 week, 2 weeks or 4 weeks Days – Sunday to Thursday or Saturday to Thursday.
Dubai Vegan Days was launched and conceived by Ananda Shakespeare, as a way of helping people enjoy and learn more about veganism, ethical living and how to live with more compassion. Each event brings people together to enjoy good food, good company and good products, and hopefully encourage fun, learning and friendship. We encourage dialogue and information-sharing around veganism, but are not preaching hippies.
Keep up with our events by following us on social media.
You can find out more about Dubai Vegan Days on Facebook, here:
Full Body detox is a fancy word. For most of us it implies following a particular diet and using specific products to get rid of harmful toxins.
However, good news is that our body is capable enough to detox it self and one does not need expensive supplements to support the process. One can use natural methods to flush toxins out of the body.
Here’s a 10 Step Guide published by Radhi Devlukia on her Instagram feed
Tongue Scrapper: removes bacteria and toxins that build over night.
Drink Hot Water: Hot Water helps detox and cleanse the channels in body
Body Massage: Body massage helps move toxins out of the body and stimulates better circulation
Dry Brushing: helps throw out toxins through lymphatic system
Eat largest meal in afternoon and have regular meals times : Our body is in tune with nature – our digestion is strongest when the sun is at its highest and so it’s best to eat our largest meal in the afternoon and a light Easy to digest meal in the evening. Regular meal times means you teach out body to produce digestive juices before you start to eat your meals making digestion more efficient.
Add SPICES to your food: spices help your body digest food which means less undigested food to ferment and turn into toxins
NO SNACKING BETWEEN MEALS – it is important to leave atleast a 3 hour gap between meals to allow your body to digest each meal properly. Only when our food is digested does it allow our body to start using fat as fuel and fat is where the toxins hide and reside.
CCF TEA – Coriander Cumin and Fennel tea
SLEEP BY 10 : According to Ayurveda our digestive tract cleanses and rejuvenates during this time of night
Sherry Aggarwal Gupta 