Foodies love to predict what's going to be "big" and 2012 was forecast to be the year of gourmet doughnuts, Scotch eggs and cakes on a stick, also known as cake pops. However, as the months have passed, some more unusual foods have gained popularity and it's not because of their effect on the taste buds, but rather because they pack a nutritional punch. Here's what to pop in your trolley if you want to join the superfood bandwagon.
Parsley tea
What: parsley tea is made with fresh or dried leaves. Flat-leaf parsley or curly parsley can be used.
How: for fresh tea, simply pour some boiling water over two tablespoons of chopped leaves. Let the tea sit for five to 10 minutes before drinking. It's OK to drink the herbs.
Why: parsley is best known as a garnish, but whether you use it dried or fresh, it's a nutritional powerhouse. "Parsley tea is thought to be a good source of vitamin C and iron as well as containing antioxidant values," explains Stephanie Karl, a nutritionist at XY Clinics in Dubai (www.xyclinics.com) Rich in minerals and vitamins A, C and K, parsley tea is thought to be useful in balancing hormones, fighting anaemia and boosting the immune system. Parsley contains more vitamin C than most citrus plants and almost three times more than your average orange. "Overdoing any supplement will have an effect on other minerals in the body, so always be aware of other symptoms that may arise," warns Karl.
GLA supplements
What: gamma linolenic acid, or GLA, is one of the essential omega 6 fatty acids and is found in evening primrose oil, borage oil and blackcurrant oil. "It is essential for our health but our body is unable to produce it, so it's very important that we eat it," explains Laura Holland, a nutrition and well-being consultant at BeUtiful You in Dubai (www.BeutifulYou.co.uk) and The National's Food For Thought contributor.
How: GLA supplements are available in pharmacies, health food shops and online.
Why: according to the American Cancer Society, some studies show that GLA is effective in slowing or stopping the growth of some types of cancer cells. "GLA has emerging science to support its place as an anti-inflammatory and therefore may improve arthritic conditions, PMS, hypertension and skin disorders," says Karl. "However, research still isn't strong and I would not recommend this supplement over other essential fatty acids, which are available through natural food sources."
Maqui berries
What: maqui berries have been known to the indigenous people of South America for hundreds of years, but we have only just begun to understand the richness of this superfood.
How: The berries can be bought in a powder form and added to smoothies, or you can take them as a supplement.
Why: "Maqui berries have incredibly high levels of free radical fighting antioxidants, even higher than the acai berry, which is also known as a great superfood," explains Holland. "Research suggests powerful anti-inflammatory and anti-ageing properties, as the berries improve the health of the cardiovascular system." Maqui berries are also thought to help combat fatigue, providing the body with an amazing array of nutrients in a highly absorbable form. "From this perspective, maqui could also be very helpful for weight loss and cellulite reduction, given the richness of its antioxidants and enzyme activity," says Holland.
Matcha green tea
What: matcha, in Japanese, literally means fine powder tea, although it's not just a powdered version of regular green tea. The leaves used for matcha are of the finest grade and come from plants especially grown in the shade.
How: traditionally, matcha is whisked into hot water to make a smooth green tea, which is how you would drink it if you went to a Japanese tea ceremony. Because matcha comes in a powder form, you can use it to make lattés, smoothies, ice cream and cookies.
Why: "Once dried, these leaves are finely milled, giving the maximum benefits green tea is capable of providing since it is made with the whole herb," explains Holland. In 2003, researchers from the University of Colorado found that matcha contains, incredibly, 137 times the antioxidants of regular green tea. Matcha is said to boost the metabolism and help reduce cholesterol levels and stress levels when consumed regularly. "It contains as much caffeine as half a cup of black coffee, so anyone sensitive to caffeine should limit their consumption as this could certainly begin to outweigh the health benefits," adds Holland.
Pure green coffee bean extract
What: green coffee beans are literally fresh coffee beans that have not been roasted and contain a compound called chlorogenic acid.
How: the extract can be consumed through supplements, which can be purchased over the internet or by mail order.
Why: "The extract has been reported to be beneficial for weight loss, especially when combined with caffeine," explains Holland. A controlled green coffee bean extract study (published in the Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity Journal) found that every participant experienced an average of one pound weight-loss a week. "I am not overly convinced of its benefits and think it might cause some stomach irritation, as coffee can cause an acidic environment. It can also trigger insulin, which may not be beneficial to systemic inflammation," warns Karl.
The team
Fashion director: Sarah Maisey
Photographer: Greg Adamski
Hair and make-up: Ania Poniatowska
Models: Nyajouk and Kristine at MMG, and Mitchell
Stylist’s assistants: Nihala Naval and Sneha Maria Siby
Videographer: Nilanjana Gupta
Pakistanis at the ILT20
The new UAE league has been boosted this season by the arrival of five Pakistanis, who were not released to play last year.
Shaheen Afridi (Desert Vipers)
Set for at least four matches, having arrived from New Zealand where he captained Pakistan in a series loss.
Shadab Khan (Desert Vipers)
The leg-spin bowling allrounder missed the tour of New Zealand after injuring an ankle when stepping on a ball.
Azam Khan (Desert Vipers)
Powerhouse wicketkeeper played three games for Pakistan on tour in New Zealand. He was the first Pakistani recruited to the ILT20.
Mohammed Amir (Desert Vipers)
Has made himself unavailable for national duty, meaning he will be available for the entire ILT20 campaign.
Imad Wasim (Abu Dhabi Knight Riders)
The left-handed allrounder, 35, retired from international cricket in November and was subsequently recruited by the Knight Riders.
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Revibe
Started: 2022
Founders: Hamza Iraqui and Abdessamad Ben Zakour
Based: UAE
Industry: Refurbished electronics
Funds raised so far: $10m
Investors: Flat6Labs, Resonance and various others
EA Sports FC 24
Developer: EA Vancouver, EA Romania
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4&5, PC and Xbox One
Rating: 3.5/5
Zidane's managerial achievements
La Liga: 2016/17
Spanish Super Cup: 2017
Uefa Champions League: 2015/16, 2016/17, 2017/18
Uefa Super Cup: 2016, 2017
Fifa Club World Cup: 2016, 2017
Famous left-handers
- Marie Curie
- Jimi Hendrix
- Leonardo Di Vinci
- David Bowie
- Paul McCartney
- Albert Einstein
- Jack the Ripper
- Barack Obama
- Helen Keller
- Joan of Arc
Diriyah project at a glance
- Diriyah’s 1.9km King Salman Boulevard, a Parisian Champs-Elysees-inspired avenue, is scheduled for completion in 2028
- The Royal Diriyah Opera House is expected to be completed in four years
- Diriyah’s first of 42 hotels, the Bab Samhan hotel, will open in the first quarter of 2024
- On completion in 2030, the Diriyah project is forecast to accommodate more than 100,000 people
- The $63.2 billion Diriyah project will contribute $7.2 billion to the kingdom’s GDP
- It will create more than 178,000 jobs and aims to attract more than 50 million visits a year
- About 2,000 people work for the Diriyah Company, with more than 86 per cent being Saudi citizens
Sonchiriya
Director: Abhishek Chaubey
Producer: RSVP Movies, Azure Entertainment
Cast: Sushant Singh Rajput, Manoj Bajpayee, Ashutosh Rana, Bhumi Pednekar, Ranvir Shorey
Rating: 3/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: DarDoc
Based: Abu Dhabi
Founders: Samer Masri, Keswin Suresh
Sector: HealthTech
Total funding: $800,000
Investors: Flat6Labs, angel investors + Incubated by Hub71, Abu Dhabi's Department of Health
Number of employees: 10
SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
Recipe
Garlicky shrimp in olive oil
Gambas Al Ajillo
Preparation time: 5 to 10 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes
Serves 4
Ingredients
180ml extra virgin olive oil; 4 to 5 large cloves of garlic, minced or pureed (or 3 to 4 garlic scapes, roughly chopped); 1 or 2 small hot red chillies, dried (or ¼ teaspoon dried red chilli flakes); 400g raw prawns, deveined, heads removed and tails left intact; a generous splash of sweet chilli vinegar; sea salt flakes for seasoning; a small handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
Method
▶ Heat the oil in a terracotta dish or frying pan. Once the oil is sizzling hot, add the garlic and chilli, stirring continuously for about 10 seconds until golden and aromatic.
▶ Add a splash of sweet chilli vinegar and as it vigorously simmers, releasing perfumed aromas, add the prawns and cook, stirring a few times.
▶ Once the prawns turn pink, after 1 or 2 minutes of cooking, remove from the heat and season with sea salt flakes.
▶ Once the prawns are cool enough to eat, scatter with parsley and serve with small forks or toothpicks as the perfect sharing starter. Finish off with crusty bread to soak up all that flavour-infused olive oil.
THE NEW BATCH'S FOCUS SECTORS
AiFlux – renewables, oil and gas
DevisionX – manufacturing
Event Gates – security and manufacturing
Farmdar – agriculture
Farmin – smart cities
Greener Crop – agriculture
Ipera.ai – space digitisation
Lune Technologies – fibre-optics
Monak – delivery
NutzenTech – environment
Nybl – machine learning
Occicor – shelf management
Olymon Solutions – smart automation
Pivony – user-generated data
PowerDev – energy big data
Sav – finance
Searover – renewables
Swftbox – delivery
Trade Capital Partners – FinTech
Valorafutbol – sports and entertainment
Workfam – employee engagement
Company Profile
Name: Neo Mobility
Started: February 2023
Co-founders: Abhishek Shah and Anish Garg
Based: Dubai
Industry: Logistics
Funding: $10 million
Investors: Delta Corp, Pyse Sustainability Fund, angel investors
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kinetic 7
Started: 2018
Founder: Rick Parish
Based: Abu Dhabi, UAE
Industry: Clean cooking
Funding: $10 million
Investors: Self-funded
UAE athletes heading to Paris 2024
Equestrian
Abdullah Humaid Al Muhairi, Abdullah Al Marri, Omar Al Marzooqi, Salem Al Suwaidi, and Ali Al Karbi (four to be selected).
Judo
Men: Narmandakh Bayanmunkh (66kg), Nugzari Tatalashvili (81kg), Aram Grigorian (90kg), Dzhafar Kostoev (100kg), Magomedomar Magomedomarov (+100kg); women's Khorloodoi Bishrelt (52kg).
Cycling
Safia Al Sayegh (women's road race).
Swimming
Men: Yousef Rashid Al Matroushi (100m freestyle); women: Maha Abdullah Al Shehi (200m freestyle).
Athletics
Maryam Mohammed Al Farsi (women's 100 metres).
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
MATCH INFO
Osasuna 1 Real Madrid 4
Osasuna: García (14')
Real Madrid: Isco (33'), Ramos (38'), Vázquez (84'), Jovic (90'+2)
A QUIET PLACE
Starring: Lupita Nyong'o, Joseph Quinn, Djimon Hounsou
Director: Michael Sarnoski
Rating: 4/5
Company Profile
Name: Direct Debit System
Started: Sept 2017
Based: UAE with a subsidiary in the UK
Industry: FinTech
Funding: Undisclosed
Investors: Elaine Jones
Number of employees: 8
TWISTERS
Director:+Lee+Isaac+Chung
Starring:+Glen+Powell,+Daisy+Edgar-Jones,+Anthony+Ramos
Rating:+2.5/5
Company profile
Date started: Founded in May 2017 and operational since April 2018
Founders: co-founder and chief executive, Doaa Aref; Dr Rasha Rady, co-founder and chief operating officer.
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: Health-tech
Size: 22 employees
Funding: Seed funding
Investors: Flat6labs, 500 Falcons, three angel investors