#healthyliving: News and events

People, places and healthy things on our hotlist for April- May 2015

Dubai’s newest CrossFit gym is holding an open house on April 23, 24 and 25, 2015. Courtesy of Iconic Fitness

People, places and healthy things on our hotlist this month.

EVENTS

APRIL 23

Family health fair

Wellbeing Medical Centre opposite J3 Mall on Al Wasl Road, Dubai, will hold a family fair focusing on mothers and children. There will be nutrition consultations, BMI analysis, spine examinations, a talk on baby-led weaning, skin care and hair-loss analysis and beauty services. Register to attend by contacting 056 270 8686.

APRIL 23, 24, 25

Iconic Fitness open day

Dubai's newest CrossFit gym opens today in the Dubai Marina. Located in The Waves Tower B, Shop 7, the new gym offers ladies-only, CrossFit foundation, open gym, corporate 30-minute and ab-blaster sessions, as well as personal training sessions. Open days – April 23, 6.30-9pm; April 24, 9am-1pm; and April 25, 1-5pm – give visitors a chance to meet trainers Hannes Loubser and Jonathan Medina, and owners Reyhana Sallie and Andy Harper. For more details contact [e-mail] or visit iconicfitness.ae

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A recipe for well-being: What's inside

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APRIL 24

Desert Warrior Challenge

This gruelling adventure race hits Abu Dhabi for the first time, playing out over 10 kilometres and more than 20 obstacles at Yas Marina Circuit. Participants can enter as individuals or as part of a team – in categories to suit their fitness levels – to run, crawl, jump and climb their way to the finish line. On-the-day registration costs from Dh460. For information, visit desertwarriorchallenge.com

APRIL 25

Wadi Adventure Race

The ninth edition of the popular race is the third and final event in this year's series. Entrants compete in one of five categories, from low fitness to elite athlete, over a 10km obstacle course. Register at premieronline.com

MAY 21, 22, 23

Healthy Cooking Contest

Do you have what it takes to whip up a winning healthy meal? Kitchen Queen is calling for entrants with imagination and creativity to cook live and win prizes worth Dh20,000. The competition will be held at Dubai Ladies’ Club. To register, SMS your name, date of birth, nationality and email address to 055 152 2621.

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BRIEFS ike+ tour is here

After playing out around the world, the Nike+ Training Club Tour will head to the Middle East for the first time, stopping in Dubai on May 15. Registration has opened for the women-only event, although numbers are limited to 1,000 participants. The action-packed training event includes high-intensity interval training, dance, spinning and yoga drills led by Nike master trainers, from 4pm to 11pm at South Ridge Park, Downtown Dubai. The tour has been held in cities around the world including London, Shanghai, Stockholm, Sydney and Toronto.

Registration costs Dh100 and can be done through gonike.me/NTCTourDubai; log in with your Nike+ details. First-time users will need to create an account at www.nikeplus.nike.com/plus/home.

Free Nike Training Club sessions are held at Engine Health & Fitness in Dubai. To book, visit gonike.me/NTCdubai

Watch what you eat

Circle Cafe is launching the UAE’s first home-delivery tracking app for the Apple Watch. Called Watch Your Food, the app will be available from July and allows customers to check the status of their order, from preparation to delivery, after they have ordered through the website or smartphone app. Circle Cafe recently opened new outlets at Mangrove Village in Abu Dhabi and Bay Square in Dubai’s Business Bay, with others at Al Ain Mall and The Dubai Mall to follow soon.

Focus on diabetes

Lifecare Hospital has launched a diabetes campaign to help raise awareness of the condition and promote the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. In the UAE, 19 per cent of the population has diabetes, but many people are unaware of it. Dr Arun Menon, director of operations at Lifecare Hospital, Baniyas, says lack of awareness is the biggest risk factor associated with diabetes, especially among labourers, who are the target of the Living with Diabetes campaign. “Most of the people in these camps who have diabetes diagnosed are unaware of what to eat or avoid,” he says. “One of the key messages of the campaign is to raise awareness of how the healthy choice can be the easy choice.”

While the first phase of the programme focuses on awareness, the second phase will involve the set-up of a medical camp to identify people with diabetes. A diabetic club will be established in the third phase.

Nutrition first

Fitness First plans to introduce a nutrition programme, which includes a meal delivery service. Kicking off in early May, members can sign on for a minimum of five days and receive five meals each day (or six for athletes). Delivery will be available in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah. Visit fitnessfirstme.com

Tastebuds in tune

The right music can put you in the mood for many things – dancing, sleeping and shopping. Now a study at the University of Oxford has proved that music can change the way you taste food. Professor Charles Spence, who researches multisensory perception, has discovered that certain music can enhance the taste of your food. For example, sourness works best with high-pitched tones, while sweetness prefers richer sounds and bitterness is best with deep tones. Spence has also studied the effects of the quality of cutlery, the colour of dishes and atmosphere on the enjoyment of food, and his advice has been sought by renowned chefs and restaurateurs, including Heston Blumenthal.