Posts

Showing posts from June, 2015

Amazon

Beauty - Heat Pro Ceramic + ion

Image
The Heat Pro Ceramic + ion is one of the amazing products I chanced upon at Beautyworld this year. This product is one of the latest to come from a long range of brushes from Olivia Garden. So lets get to it and see the specifications of the brush - Extra Large Vent Barrel Which basically helps distribute the hair wider which in turn helps to dry and style them faster. - Soft Tip Bristle To save the scalp from being scratched off. - Vented Cap Design This keeps the top of the brush cool and keeps the air flowing. - Ergonomic Handle Keeps the handle from slipping. - Tourmaline Iconic Technology Eliminates frizz and fly-aways and boasts of keeping hair healthier and shinier. Now that the fancy terminology is out of the way let's discuss if the brush is as good as it claims to be. - The brush is light in weight, which is good if you out to blow dry long hair. your hands won't get tired too quickly. - It has a

Answering Commonly Asked Health Related Questions During Ramadan

Image
Here are some more interesting facts about how the human body reacts to fasting, a useful read for Ramadan from the desk of Dr Farhana Bin Lootah, Internal Medicine Specialist at Imperial College London Diabetes Centre 1.    What happens to my body during fasting? During fasting, at about eight hours after the last meal, our bodies start to use energy           stores to keep our blood glucose (sugar) levels normal. For most people, this is not           harmful. However, for someone living with diabetes, especially if you take certain tablets or     insulin, you are at risk of Hypoglycaemia (low blood glucose levels), Hyperglycaemia, (high glucose levels) and dehydration (lack of water). 2.    Is there an increased risk of dehydration in hot countries, like the UAE? Dehydration due to reduced intake of fluids may become severe in hot and humid climates like the UAE, especially among those who perform physical labour. On top of this, Hyperglycaemia (high blood sugar

Food - Tear Free Cooking with Nonions

Image
I was recently invited to a very special afternoon to learn and then relish some incredible food cooked by Chef Vivek Huria, Corporate Chef at ANGT using our very own  Nonions  ( I have reviewed them in a post earlier, click here to know more ). Nonions are pre-cut/fried/boiled onion paste that is free from preservatives. Surprisingly the idea was born because of a lady who hated cutting onions, demanded that her father get her married to a man who did not like onions or did not eat them for religious reason (like Jains). It was her brother who came up with an idea to solve this dilemma and thus Nonions were born! Chef Huria cooked up a storm with his traditional Hydrabadi Chicken Biryani, Paneer Makhan (butter) Masala, Broccoli Pakoda, stuffed Aloo (potato) Patty,and Cashew Chicken. One of the main ingredients of all of these dishes is onions. Onions are a vegetable which are not only time consuming to cut but also bring tears to your eyes. Cutting, frying and boiling onio

Beauty - Sunsilk's Dry Shampoo

Image
From what I to have seen, Sunsilk is the first to come up with a widely available (in most supermarkets) dry shampoo in UAE. I have been using this product for a while and I love it. Dry shampoo as the name suggest is a kind of shampoo that does not require any water. You just spray it into your hair, massage it for minute and then brush. The result is amazing! It helps get rid of the grease, (thanks to all the humidity in Dubai, not so much in Al Ain) and is a quick fix, for when in a hurry. It also helps in holding the bobby pins in place when doing different hair styles. Spray before you start styling. The spray worked well for me in various weather conditions (hot, dry, cold, humid). Using the spray between shampoos is helpful in maintain hair colour (if you have coloured hair) and saves your scalp from those (unwilling) hot showers in the UAE heat. Sunsilk Refreshing Dry Shampoo range offers three variants to cater to the different female hair needs:  for normal hair, g

Useful tips to follow during Ramadan

Here are some tips from the professionals to help you maintain an active lifestyle during the month of Ramadan.   Consultant Physician & Endocrinologist, Dr Saf Naqvi, the  Medical Director at Imperial College London Diabetes Centre (ICLDC) says,  o    “It's important to make children aware of what fasting involves and to then  practice fasting for a few hours at a time, although fasting for children under the age of seven or eight isn't advisable.  o    “It is good to take some moderate exercise just before you break your fast at Iftar, and again just before going to bed, as well as right before Suhoor” o    “It will be quite warm during Ramadan this year and outdoor exercise might not always be the best option, so try to include indoor activities like climbing the stairs. Start slowly and gradually with two flights at a time and refrain from pushing yourself too hard during the first few days…” Internal Medicine Specialist, Dr Farhana Bin Lootah of I

Food - Must Try Iftars in Dubai

Image
The month of Ramadan is a holy month where observing Muslims fast everyday from sunrise to sunset. This fast is most commonly opened with dates followed by a number of tasty treats. This month of fasting has another aspect to it, the world of culinary delights that every home and restaurant is busy preparing for Iftars, which are done right after the fast is opened. Muslim or non Muslim, Iftars are for everyone. The warm Oozie, soft Umali and cool Jalab are just few of the traditional dishes that many iftars are made of. These days a number of resturants have their own spin on Iftar incorporating traditional arabic elements along the way. I have sumed up few of the interesting Iftars out of the hundreds (or maybe thousands) on offer this Ramadan. Before we go on I would like to wish a blessed Ramadan Kareem to all my readers. May this month of Ramadan shine brighter than ever.  Iftar The 'Eatalian' Way at Eataly. To celebrate the breaking of fast this Ram

Fashion - Max Summer/Ramdan 2015 collection

Image
Set against a backdrop of the exotic island of Mykonos, Max fashion recently showcased their Summer/ Ramadan collection. Soo thing sounds of waves lapsing to the shore, trasnported the audience from the Ritz Carlton in Dubai to island of Mykonos    The collection itself brings a crisp clean feel with lots of white. White on white is the latest trend giving numerous silhouettes a clean fresh feel.  The smarter collections remain classic with the ever-trendy monochrome trend that carries through from previous seasons. This season however, Max  has revived the 70’s essence of boho chic as well. MAX honors the holy month of Ramadan with a separate collection that encapsulates the grandeur of this season with a majestic series of styles. *Photos courtesy Max 

Fasting with Diabetes: Myth Busters

Image
During the Holy Month of Ramadan, it is important to maintain a healthy lifestyle, even more so if you suffer from diabetes. Imperial College London Diabetes Centre has created a list of Common Misconceptions which people have regarding fasting and diabetes. Read on to know which myths are best avoided to stay healthy during the Holy Month. 1)   People with diabetes need to go on a special diet during Ramadan Myth! The good news is if you are already following a balanced diet, as is recommended for everyone, living with Type 2 diabetes or not, then there is a big chance that you do not have to change the ingredients of your diet. In fact you should eat as you normally do, with the only difference being the time you eat your meals, rather than quantity or type of food consumed. It is very important that anyone living with Type 1 diabetes understands that they are at a higher risk compared to those with Type 2 diabetes when fasting during the Holy Month of Ramadan. In general

Fashion - Guess launches Ramadan Collection

Image
GUESS has launched an exclusive festive collection for women and kids this Ramadan. This special range captures this season’ popular fashion trends, ideal for both casual and evening events. The collection for women has been inspired by summer and features bold floral, underwater pastels and refined animal prints with gorgeous gold finish. The Kids collection is the sweeter version of the range and takes the lead of the same trend inspired from the summer floral prints dominated in pastel colors. It comprises of pretty little dresses in modern fresh prints accentuated with sequined beads, pearls and stones.                                      *All photos courtesy Gmasco

Food Review - Icons Coffee Couture

Image
It's summer and for me best way to cool off is with a big bowl of ice cream. But with ice cream come calories, preservative and even artificial sweeteners, all of which are best avoided. So what do we do now? We head to Icons Coffee Couture. Yes you heard me right, salty ice cream with flavours like spinach, carrot and pepper. I'm not sure if it's something you will be able to lick off from the top of a cone, but it is something that you can drench over your salad or eat straight from a bowl.   Located at the 1st level of Souk Al Bahar, downtown Dubai, it is a hidden gem for fresh, healthy and even vegetarian food. All this is great but what if you don't like sweet things, then what? Again Icons is the answer. They have come up with salty ice cream! Ice-cream enthusiast and innovator, Vasco Valenca De Sousa is the mind behind the Sweet & Salty range, which is not only healthy but also a great way to beat the summer heat. For those with a s

Food Review - Pantry CafƩ

Image
Brunch at Pantry CafƩ's newest branch at Bay Square, Business bay was a true family affair. My date for the afternoon was a handsome young man called Aditya (Adi) aka my nephew. From the moment we stepped in Adi was a fan of the mordern yet simple wooden interiors that gave a very homely feeling, the food was gastronomic which appealed to all the senses, so let's dive straight in. I selected a dark chocolate milkshake to get me started (obviously), Adi was more than happy to agree to a margarita pizza (he's my nephew after all). The chocolate milkshake was made of dark chocolate which I loved, but it was not thick enough for me. The problem with a chocolate milkshake being this is that it ends up feeling like chocolate milk instead of a shake. First course of the day were the appetisers that consisted of a savoury mushroom waffle with mushroom, which was so good in flavour and well cooked that it set the beam pretty high for everything else