Many of those surveyed said they were eating more meals than they used to. Getty
Many of those surveyed said they were eating more meals than they used to. Getty
Many of those surveyed said they were eating more meals than they used to. Getty
Many of those surveyed said they were eating more meals than they used to. Getty

Fast food and nutrition: for the sake of our brain health we need to watch what we eat


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With reference to Kelly Clarke's story What are trans fats and why are there calls to ban them in the UAE? (February 24): it would help if we stopped advertising these fast food chains. The adverts are sometimes posted over each lamp post around town.

Ashwin Amin, Dubai

Nutrition is the single greatest environmental influence on children. It is essential during the initial years of life. The effect of food and memory is especially important during the time of school exams. Healthy eating can stabilise children’s energy, sharpen their minds and even out their moods.

Children who don’t get proper nutrition during their first three years may lose ground in intelligence to their better-nourished peers and hence children should be encouraged to eat healthy foods from an early age and not be fed foods high in fat and sugar, as far as possible.

During exams they need foods that all the more boost brain function such as nootropics. Some foods rich in them are eggs, dark greens leafy vegetables like spinach and kale – the best source of brain-boosting nutrients lutein and zeaxanthin, these nutrients helps in quicker mental recall.

Turmeric helps stimulate neurogenic cellular creation, blueberries contain anthocyanin, an antioxidant which prevents the brain from ageing. Anthocyanin helps improve memory and cognitive function, and even helps intra-cellular communication within our brains. Dark chocolate actually increases blood flow to the brain and can even trigger the production of new brain cells.

These besides other nutrient rich oily fish and nuts, coffee, green tea and water should be consumed.

Pavithra N Raj, chief dietician, Columbia Asia Referral Hospital, Benguluru, India

Justice served: Harvey Weinstein has had it coming for years

About the report Harvey Weinstein found guilty of rape and sexual assault (February 24): the former Hollywood producer is getting what he deserves. The guilty finally have to accept what they have had coming to them for years. The judgement will give his victims and the #MeToo movement some form of solace and will set an example to predators world over. Let's hope this verdict teaches people to not abuse their positions of power.

K Ragavan, Bengaluru, India

Let's hope countries can control the spread of coronavirus

In reference to your report Coronavirus: Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman and Afghanistan confirm first cases (February 24): As per your paper's reported cases in Iran, it's evident that the virus has started to spread to some countries in the Middle East also. Let us hope that local governments are able to control the situation and they all co-operate generously to manage this dreaded virus. Apart from combining our medical resources and knowledge across the world, we also need to pray that we can control the virus.

Rajendra Aneja, Dubai

Jumanji: The Next Level

Director: Jake Kasdan

Stars: Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan, Jack Black, Nick Jonas 

Two out of five stars 

MATCH INFO

Barcelona v Real Madrid, 11pm UAE

Match is on BeIN Sports

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Common OCD symptoms and how they manifest

Checking: the obsession or thoughts focus on some harm coming from things not being as they should, which usually centre around the theme of safety. For example, the obsession is “the building will burn down”, therefore the compulsion is checking that the oven is switched off.

Contamination: the obsession is focused on the presence of germs, dirt or harmful bacteria and how this will impact the person and/or their loved ones. For example, the obsession is “the floor is dirty; me and my family will get sick and die”, the compulsion is repetitive cleaning.

Orderliness: the obsession is a fear of sitting with uncomfortable feelings, or to prevent harm coming to oneself or others. Objectively there appears to be no logical link between the obsession and compulsion. For example,” I won’t feel right if the jars aren’t lined up” or “harm will come to my family if I don’t line up all the jars”, so the compulsion is therefore lining up the jars.

Intrusive thoughts: the intrusive thought is usually highly distressing and repetitive. Common examples may include thoughts of perpetrating violence towards others, harming others, or questions over one’s character or deeds, usually in conflict with the person’s true values. An example would be: “I think I might hurt my family”, which in turn leads to the compulsion of avoiding social gatherings.

Hoarding: the intrusive thought is the overvaluing of objects or possessions, while the compulsion is stashing or hoarding these items and refusing to let them go. For example, “this newspaper may come in useful one day”, therefore, the compulsion is hoarding newspapers instead of discarding them the next day.

Source: Dr Robert Chandler, clinical psychologist at Lighthouse Arabia

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Zimbabwe v UAE, ODI series

All matches at the Harare Sports Club:

1st ODI, Wednesday, April 10

2nd ODI, Friday, April 12

3rd ODI, Sunday, April 14

4th ODI, Tuesday, April 16

UAE squad: Mohammed Naveed (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Shaiman Anwar, Mohammed Usman, CP Rizwan, Chirag Suri, Mohammed Boota, Ghulam Shabber, Sultan Ahmed, Imran Haider, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed