One day can change your whole life. That’s the premise behind Global Wellness Day, which is marked on the second Saturday of June each year. A social project dedicated to living well, Global Wellness Day encourages people around the world to stop and ask themselves: how can I live a healthier and better life?
A number of hotels around the world have introduced special packages and programmes to mark the day, but if you are looking to expand your wellness approach beyond June 12, here are some wellness destinations that you can visit throughout the year.
One&Only Mandarina, Mexico
The newly opened One&Only Mandarina in Mexico is home to the One&Only Spa, which offers a range of treatments and “spiritual experiences” inspired by indigenous and pre-Hispanic culture, as well as the natural wonders of the surrounding landscape.
Guided by the principle of being at one with nature, the facility, which is located in an isolated volcanic rock garden, offers carefully crafted and personalised treatments.
It is also the first and only spa to partner with luxury skincare brand Tata Harper. It has launched Tata Harper’s Sensorial Resets, which use the brand’s high-performance, all-natural products to simultaneously improve the condition of the skin, state of mind and bodily vibrations.
www.oneandonlyresorts.com/mandarina
The Ultima Escape
The Ultima Collection consists of ultra-luxurious European properties, including chalets, retreats, spas and villas, in destinations such as Corfu, Gstaad, Courcheval, Geneva and Megeve.
The brand recently launched The Ultima Escape, in partnership with private aviation company VistaJet. Aiming to address the mind, gut, body and soul, these holistic retreats involve a health check on arrival at your Ultima property of choice, and consultations with nutritionists, personal trainers and massage therapists geared towards helping you adopt a healthier lifestyle.
The brand is also committed to sustainability, so a tree is planted for every night of every guest's stay, plus biodegradable and sustainable materials are used throughout the properties.
www.ultimacollection.com
Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi
Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi has enhanced its already considerable wellness offering with the launch of the Maldives’s first Aqua Wellness Centre. The 7,735 square-foot facility includes a custom-built hydrotherapy pool, ice fountain, steam room and sauna.
The pool, which measures 2,906 square feet, consists of a series of zones dedicated to different parts of the body, including a jet bath, air jets, shower jets and a massage lounger, which use varying levels of intensity and water temperature to help ease muscle tension, boost the immune system and increase blood circulation.
The centre, which faces the ocean amid a lush botanical garden, also offers a choice of massages, meditation and yoga sessions, as well as personalised healthy lunch options.
The property is also welcoming visiting wellness experts from around the world, with specialties ranging from holistic medicine and martial arts to crystal healing and Ayurveda.
www.waldorfastoria3.hilton.com
The Campus, Portugal
If your idea of wellness is a bit more energetic than a few days spent languishing in a spa, The Magnolia Hotel in Portugal’s Quinta do Lago offers access to state-of-the-art sports club, The Campus.
The multi-purpose sports facility offers beginner’s clinics, as well as private and professional coaching in a range of disciplines. If you are committed to mastering a chosen sport, The Campus can help with personal training, dedicated workout classes, and wellness and rehabilitation workshops.
www.themagnoliahotelqdl.com
Nana Princess, Crete
In addition to sleek interiors and sumptuous suites with private plunge pools, the Nana Princess in Crete offers the 1,400-square metre Royal Wellness Club. As well as more classical treatments, such as as Mediterranean candlelit massages, the spa has just launched the Star Sign Spa Menu, featuring bespoke treatments based on guests’ zodiac signs.
For example, if you are an Aries, who known to overthink and carry stress in their head area, a head massage with nourishing oils (including baobab, patawa, birch, soya and sesame) will help aid restoration and balance.
www.nanaprincess.gr
DumaTau, Botswana
While safaris are already food for the soul, the completely rebuilt Duma Tau and brand new Little Duma Tau lodges in Botswana’s Linyanti Wilderness Reserve are also home to a wellness centre, so you can intersperse wildlife spotting with massage treatments.
The adjoining lodges are set on the edge of Osprey Lagoon in northern Botswana and are run on 100 per cent solar energy. The Osprey Retreat sits between the two lodges and features the wellness centre, a gym, shaded deck area, separate pool and deli.
www.wilderness-safaris.com
Mango House, Seychelles
Dubbed Anpe, from the Creole word for “at peace”, the wellness space at Mango House Seychelles looks out over the Indian Ocean and is centred around wellbeing, deep relaxation and a sense of tranquility.
Personalised treatments are performed by Seychellois therapists, using products created by local artisans harnessing the power of indigenous plants and natural resources. The property is currently accepting reservation from July 1 onwards.
www.lxrhotels3.hilton.com
Omma Santorini
Omma Santorini officially opened its doors on June 1. Located in a private and remote part of the notoriously romantic Greek island, the boutique property is home to a spa with three treatment rooms designed to look like natural caves.
The facility has exclusively partnered with UK brand Elemis, and offers a number of bespoke treatments, including Omma Signature Spa Rituals, advanced face therapies, and detox and nourishing body treatments, as well as men’s facials and couple’s massages. A signature treatment is the Elemis Superfood Pro-Radiance Facial, which uses energising nutrients to restore lost moisture and deeply nourish the skin.
www.ommasantorini.com
Veere di Wedding
Dir: Shashanka Ghosh
Starring: Kareena Kapoo-Khan, Sonam Kapoor, Swara Bhaskar and Shikha Talsania
Verdict: 4 Stars
MWTC
Tickets start from Dh100 for adults and are now on sale at www.ticketmaster.ae and Virgin Megastores across the UAE. Three-day and travel packages are also available at 20 per cent discount.
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
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Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
Mobile phone packages comparison
How being social media savvy can improve your well being
Next time when procastinating online remember that you can save thousands on paying for a personal trainer and a gym membership simply by watching YouTube videos and keeping up with the latest health tips and trends.
As social media apps are becoming more and more consumed by health experts and nutritionists who are using it to awareness and encourage patients to engage in physical activity.
Elizabeth Watson, a personal trainer from Stay Fit gym in Abu Dhabi suggests that “individuals can use social media as a means of keeping fit, there are a lot of great exercises you can do and train from experts at home just by watching videos on YouTube”.
Norlyn Torrena, a clinical nutritionist from Burjeel Hospital advises her clients to be more technologically active “most of my clients are so engaged with their phones that I advise them to download applications that offer health related services”.
Torrena said that “most people believe that dieting and keeping fit is boring”.
However, by using social media apps keeping fit means that people are “modern and are kept up to date with the latest heath tips and trends”.
“It can be a guide to a healthy lifestyle and exercise if used in the correct way, so I really encourage my clients to download health applications” said Mrs Torrena.
People can also connect with each other and exchange “tips and notes, it’s extremely healthy and fun”.
Tips for entertaining with ease
· Set the table the night before. It’s a small job but it will make you feel more organised once done.
· As the host, your mood sets the tone. If people arrive to find you red-faced and harried, they’re not going to relax until you do. Take a deep breath and try to exude calm energy.
· Guests tend to turn up thirsty. Fill a big jug with iced water and lemon or lime slices and encourage people to help themselves.
· Have some background music on to help create a bit of ambience and fill any initial lulls in conversations.
· The meal certainly doesn’t need to be ready the moment your guests step through the door, but if there’s a nibble or two that can be passed around it will ward off hunger pangs and buy you a bit more time in the kitchen.
· You absolutely don’t have to make every element of the brunch from scratch. Take inspiration from our ideas for ready-made extras and by all means pick up a store-bought dessert.
'THE WORST THING YOU CAN EAT'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
The nine articles of the 50-Year Charter
1. Dubai silk road
2. A geo-economic map for Dubai
3. First virtual commercial city
4. A central education file for every citizen
5. A doctor to every citizen
6. Free economic and creative zones in universities
7. Self-sufficiency in Dubai homes
8. Co-operative companies in various sectors
9: Annual growth in philanthropy
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Liverpool's all-time goalscorers
Ian Rush 346
Roger Hunt 285
Mohamed Salah 250
Gordon Hodgson 241
Billy Liddell 228
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
Temple numbers
Expected completion: 2022
Height: 24 meters
Ground floor banquet hall: 370 square metres to accommodate about 750 people
Ground floor multipurpose hall: 92 square metres for up to 200 people
First floor main Prayer Hall: 465 square metres to hold 1,500 people at a time
First floor terrace areas: 2,30 square metres
Temple will be spread over 6,900 square metres
Structure includes two basements, ground and first floor
WORLD CUP FINAL
England v South Africa
Yokohama International Stadium, Tokyo
Saturday, kick-off 1pm (UAE)
Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion
The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.
Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".
The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.
He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.
"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.
As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.
