There's no dearth of fitness and weight-loss advice. It's everywhere – on social media, in our apps, on the lips of well-meaning confidants and in the pages of the cookbooks we burn through in search of that one perfect recipe, diet or magic pill that can solve our metabolic woes. Unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits-all solution to shedding weight and keeping it off. What we can offer you, though, is a round-up of underrated tips – that go beyond the eat less, exercise more formula – and the science behind them, from a prolific group of nutritionists and health experts.
Reverse any mineral deficiencies
Most people don't lose weight despite working very hard because of the deficiency of certain trace elements and minerals, such as iron, vitamin D, magnesium and potassium," says Juliot Vinolia, head clinical dietitian at Medeor 24x7 Hospital. "These elements act as catalysts to break fat into energy. People with anaemia or vitamin D deficiency will have a lower metabolism. So even if they exercise very hard or go on restricted-calorie diets, the outcome might not be commensurate to the effort. In fact the conditions can lead to tiredness and fatigue, which can make exercising a challenge. The solution is to correct any deficiency with a well-balanced meal plan or supplements."
Drink icy water between meals
“Hydrating our bodies is very important for weight loss. Only if the body is adequately hydrated will the blood be able to carry the hormones, enzymes and chemicals to all the organs, so that metabolism and other body functions are at their optimum,” says Vinolia. “Drinking ice-cold water between meals is a great way of tricking the body into burning energy to maintain its normal temperature. Similarly, taking a shower twice a day makes the body work to maintain its core temperature. And, of course, there is the age-old problem of people confusing thirst with hunger. Drinking water throughout the day will prevent you from consuming calories you don’t need.”
Beware of a fatty liver
Another tip Vinolia shares has to do with processed foods, which are not only laden with calories and devoid of nutrition, but over time they can also lead to fatty liver. “The liver is the main centre for metabolism; if it’s not able to function efficiently due to fatty infiltrations, it leads to poor fat transport and metabolism. The body will not be able to take the fat out of fat cells efficiently and burn it for energy when you exercise or eat fewer calories. Choline is a very important nutrient that reverses fatty liver and enhances its function. It is present in cruciferous vegetables, beans, eggs, nuts, seeds, and some amount of meat and poultry. So get your liver checked, and include plenty of choline in your diet to improve weight loss,” she says.
Ten minutes may be as effective as 45
Nicole Sirotin, chair of preventive medicine at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, typically asks her patients if they have 10 minutes a day. "Pick a very small, attainable goal to begin with," is her advice. "Even 10 minutes of exercise can aid weight loss, improve health, and help live longer. A 2016 Canadian study found that when 27 middle-aged sedentary men were split into two groups, the first group cycling for 10 minutes a day as part of an interval training workout regimen, and the second cycling for 45 minutes a day, the improvement in the fitness of both groups was the same at the end of three months. According to another study of 55,000 adults, published in 2014 in the Journal Of The American College Of Cardiology, running for even just five to 10 minutes a day drastically reduces the risk of dying due to cardiovascular issues. So I recommend everybody start exercising right away – no matter how short the duration."
Make fasting work in your favour
Sirotin says that she’s found that initiating a fasting regimen tends to help kick-start weight loss. “I’d recommend two non-consecutive days of fasting – which means plenty of water and fewer than 500 calories a day – in the week, combined with normal calorie-intake on the other days. Studies have shown that, over 12 weeks, this approach has better results than lowering calories alone.”
Don’t eat before you work out
Stephanie Karl, clinical nutritionist, Up and Running Medical Centre, explains that a well-balanced metabolism is one that readily uses fat in times of fasting and during low-intensity exercises. “To help lose weight and burn fat, it is critical to exercise in a fasted state, or at least avoid food for four hours before, and then avoid carbs for two to four hours afterwards. Walking, jogging or using the elliptical trainer for about one hour at a low heart rate is most likely to make your body use fat as fuel. Alternatively, high-intensity interval training will use carbohydrate from liver stores, but in the period afterwards when the heart rate is restored, fat is oxidised for energy only if you don’t consume any carbohydrate.”
Karl further adds that you should never drink sugary beverages when you exercise if you are trying to lose weight, and try to consume your carbs between 11am and 6pm to prolong fat burning. “If you feel hungry and crave something sweet during the day, use a fibre supplement drink between meals to fill you up and to improve bowel motility. Avoid protein shakes; low-fat laban or lassi are good alternatives,” she says.
Consider coffee before working out
Meanwhile, Mitun De Sarkar, clinical dietitian and founder of Simply Healthy Foods, finds that drinking black coffee before a workout, especially in the morning, can be useful. "Coffee is loaded with antioxidants, and the caffeine boosts metabolism in the morning, aiding fat burn. Don't add any milk or sugar to your coffee, though; they negate the purpose."
Take probiotics
Sarkar also recommends consuming foods and supplements rich in probiotics. “Probiotics are live organisms that occur naturally in the gut. Many supplements and fermented foods also contain probiotics. Taking a probiotic supplement may help keep the intestinal flora balanced and promote a healthy body by boosting the digestive and immune systems. Poor gut health has links to obesity, so it’s easier for someone to lose weight when their gut is clean and healthy,” she says.
Eat according to your body type
A weight-loss diet needs to match your body type and particular way of digesting food. "Body type simply means your hormones, blood levels, and body chemistry," says Anjali Mukerjee, celebrity nutritionist and founder of Health Total. "People in the same family, eating the same food can have very different body types because you metabolise food and nutrients differently. Which is why a diet that works wonders for someone might do nothing for you. A simple example is that some people can tolerate a higher amount of protein, probably because they have a higher amount of hydrochloric acid or better digestive enzymes. But a high-protein diet might make others constipated, get breakouts, or feel generally miserable. Personalised nutrition can help you understand whether your body needs animal or vegetable protein, how much protein you should have, and at what time. When you eat according to your body type and digestive system, it will always work.
Space out your meals
Mukerjee recommends keeping a minimum interval of four hours between meals, even avoiding fruits, tea and coffee. "When there's a gap, it allows the body to digest the meal fully without any unnecessary spikes in insulin – and weight loss occurs when insulin is low," she explains. "Also, never eat more than three-fourths of your capacity, because the load of food will always raise the insulin, no matter how correctly you eat. Having said that, people with very active lifestyles and a good digestion do respond well to eating every couple of hours, but the four-hour rule works better for most.
Load up on fibre
Mukerjee says a daily tablespoon of psyllium seed husk adds fibre in the diet, cleans the system, relieves constipation and eventually helps in weight loss. "Take it in the morning before breakfast or before dinner when you're most hungry, to cut unnecessary pangs. It's available everywhere and is an easy way to lose weight."
UFC Fight Night 2
1am – Early prelims
2am – Prelims
4am-7am – Main card
7:30am-9am – press cons
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
North Pole stats
Distance covered: 160km
Temperature: -40°C
Weight of equipment: 45kg
Altitude (metres above sea level): 0
Terrain: Ice rock
South Pole stats
Distance covered: 130km
Temperature: -50°C
Weight of equipment: 50kg
Altitude (metres above sea level): 3,300
Terrain: Flat ice
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Abu Dhabi race card
5pm: Maiden (PA) | Dh80,000 | 1,600m
5.30pm: Maiden (PA) | Dh80,000 | 1,400m
6pm: Liwa Oasis (PA) Group 2 | Dh300,000 | 1,400m
6.30pm: Arabian Triple Crown Round-2 (PA) Group 3 | Dh300,000 | 2,200m
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup (PA) Handicap | Dh70,000 | 1,600m
7.30pm: Maiden (TB) | Dh80,000 | 2,200m
Who has been sanctioned?
Daniella Weiss and Nachala
Described as 'the grandmother of the settler movement', she has encouraged the expansion of settlements for decades. The 79 year old leads radical settler movement Nachala, whose aim is for Israel to annex Gaza and the occupied West Bank, where it helps settlers built outposts.
Harel Libi & Libi Construction and Infrastructure
Libi has been involved in threatening and perpetuating acts of aggression and violence against Palestinians. His firm has provided logistical and financial support for the establishment of illegal outposts.
Zohar Sabah
Runs a settler outpost named Zohar’s Farm and has previously faced charges of violence against Palestinians. He was indicted by Israel’s State Attorney’s Office in September for allegedly participating in a violent attack against Palestinians and activists in the West Bank village of Muarrajat.
Coco’s Farm and Neria’s Farm
These are illegal outposts in the West Bank, which are at the vanguard of the settler movement. According to the UK, they are associated with people who have been involved in enabling, inciting, promoting or providing support for activities that amount to “serious abuse”.
Honeymoonish
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Key recommendations
- Fewer criminals put behind bars and more to serve sentences in the community, with short sentences scrapped and many inmates released earlier.
- Greater use of curfews and exclusion zones to deliver tougher supervision than ever on criminals.
- Explore wider powers for judges to punish offenders by blocking them from attending football matches, banning them from driving or travelling abroad through an expansion of ‘ancillary orders’.
- More Intensive Supervision Courts to tackle the root causes of crime such as alcohol and drug abuse – forcing repeat offenders to take part in tough treatment programmes or face prison.
Brief scores:
Toss: Rajputs, elected to field first
Sindhis 94-6 (10 ov)
Watson 42; Munaf 3-20
Rajputs 96-0 (4 ov)
Shahzad 74 not out
Company%20profile
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The biog
Favourite pet: cats. She has two: Eva and Bito
Favourite city: Cape Town, South Africa
Hobby: Running. "I like to think I’m artsy but I’m not".
Favourite move: Romantic comedies, specifically Return to me. "I cry every time".
Favourite spot in Abu Dhabi: Saadiyat beach
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
UK's plans to cut net migration
Under the UK government’s proposals, migrants will have to spend 10 years in the UK before being able to apply for citizenship.
Skilled worker visas will require a university degree, and there will be tighter restrictions on recruitment for jobs with skills shortages.
But what are described as "high-contributing" individuals such as doctors and nurses could be fast-tracked through the system.
Language requirements will be increased for all immigration routes to ensure a higher level of English.
Rules will also be laid out for adult dependants, meaning they will have to demonstrate a basic understanding of the language.
The plans also call for stricter tests for colleges and universities offering places to foreign students and a reduction in the time graduates can remain in the UK after their studies from two years to 18 months.
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FINAL RECKONING
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Starring: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg
Rating: 4/5
Day 2, stumps
Pakistan 482
Australia 30/0 (13 ov)
Australia trail by 452 runs with 10 wickets remaining in the innings
Dr Amal Khalid Alias revealed a recent case of a woman with daughters, who specifically wanted a boy.
A semen analysis of the father showed abnormal sperm so the couple required IVF.
Out of 21 eggs collected, six were unused leaving 15 suitable for IVF.
A specific procedure was used, called intracytoplasmic sperm injection where a single sperm cell is inserted into the egg.
On day three of the process, 14 embryos were biopsied for gender selection.
The next day, a pre-implantation genetic report revealed four normal male embryos, three female and seven abnormal samples.
Day five of the treatment saw two male embryos transferred to the patient.
The woman recorded a positive pregnancy test two weeks later.
THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: 5/5
Teams
Pakistan: Sarfraz Ahmed (captain), Mohammad Hafeez, Sahibzada Farhan, Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Asif Ali, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan Shanwari, Hasan Ali, Imad Wasim, Faheem Ashraf.
New Zealand: Kane Williamson (captain), Corey Anderson, Mark Chapman, Lockie Ferguson, Colin de Grandhomme, Adam Milne, Colin Munro, Ajaz Patel, Glenn Phillips, Seth Rance, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor.
If you go
- The nearest international airport to the start of the Chuysky Trakt is in Novosibirsk. Emirates (www.emirates.com) offer codeshare flights with S7 Airlines (www.s7.ru) via Moscow for US$5,300 (Dh19,467) return including taxes. Cheaper flights are available on Flydubai and Air Astana or Aeroflot combination, flying via Astana in Kazakhstan or Moscow. Economy class tickets are available for US$650 (Dh2,400).
- The Double Tree by Hilton in Novosibirsk ( 7 383 2230100,) has double rooms from US$60 (Dh220). You can rent cabins at camp grounds or rooms in guesthouses in the towns for around US$25 (Dh90).
- The transport Minibuses run along the Chuysky Trakt but if you want to stop for sightseeing, hire a taxi from Gorno-Altaisk for about US$100 (Dh360) a day. Take a Russian phrasebook or download a translation app. Tour companies such as Altair-Tour ( 7 383 2125115 ) offer hiking and adventure packages.
Fixtures
Opening day Premier League fixtures for August 9-11
August 9
Liverpool v Norwich 11pm
August 10
West Ham v Man City 3.30pm
Bournemouth v Sheffield Utd 6pm
Burnley v Southampton 6pm
C Palace v Everton 6pm
Leicester v Wolves 6pm
Watford v Brighton 6pm
Tottenham v Aston Villa 8.30pm
August 11
Newcastle v Arsenal 5pm
Man United v Chelsea 7.30pm
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.
PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES
Saturday (UAE kick-off times)
Watford v Leicester City (3.30pm)
Brighton v Arsenal (6pm)
West Ham v Wolves (8.30pm)
Bournemouth v Crystal Palace (10.45pm)
Sunday
Newcastle United v Sheffield United (5pm)
Aston Villa v Chelsea (7.15pm)
Everton v Liverpool (10pm)
Monday
Manchester City v Burnley (11pm)
THE 12 BREAKAWAY CLUBS
England
Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur
Italy
AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus
Spain
Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid
The Abu Dhabi Awards explained:
What are the awards? They honour anyone who has made a contribution to life in Abu Dhabi.
Are they open to only Emiratis? The awards are open to anyone, regardless of age or nationality, living anywhere in the world.
When do nominations close? The process concludes on December 31.
How do I nominate someone? Through the website.
When is the ceremony? The awards event will take place early next year.
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Power: 650hp at 6,750rpm
Torque: 800Nm from 2,500-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Fuel consumption: 11.12L/100km
Price: From Dh796,600
On sale: now
TEST SQUADS
Bangladesh: Mushfiqur Rahim (captain), Tamim Iqbal, Soumya Sarkar, Imrul Kayes, Liton Das, Shakib Al Hasan, Mominul Haque, Nasir Hossain, Sabbir Rahman, Mehedi Hasan, Shafiul Islam, Taijul Islam, Mustafizur Rahman and Taskin Ahmed.
Australia: Steve Smith (captain), David Warner, Ashton Agar, Hilton Cartwright, Pat Cummins, Peter Handscomb, Matthew Wade, Josh Hazlewood, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Glenn Maxwell, Matt Renshaw, Mitchell Swepson and Jackson Bird.
RESULTS
West Asia Premiership
Thursday
Jebel Ali Dragons 13-34 Dubai Exiles
Friday
Dubai Knights Eagles 16-27 Dubai Tigers
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Three ways to boost your credit score
Marwan Lutfi says the core fundamentals that drive better payment behaviour and can improve your credit score are:
1. Make sure you make your payments on time;
2. Limit the number of products you borrow on: the more loans and credit cards you have, the more it will affect your credit score;
3. Don't max out all your debts: how much you maximise those credit facilities will have an impact. If you have five credit cards and utilise 90 per cent of that credit, it will negatively affect your score.
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Arctic Monkeys
Tranquillity Base Hotel Casino (Domino)
How has net migration to UK changed?
The figure was broadly flat immediately before the Covid-19 pandemic, standing at 216,000 in the year to June 2018 and 224,000 in the year to June 2019.
It then dropped to an estimated 111,000 in the year to June 2020 when restrictions introduced during the pandemic limited travel and movement.
The total rose to 254,000 in the year to June 2021, followed by steep jumps to 634,000 in the year to June 2022 and 906,000 in the year to June 2023.
The latest available figure of 728,000 for the 12 months to June 2024 suggests levels are starting to decrease.
MATCH INFO
Norwich City 1 (Cantwell 75') Manchester United 2 (Aghalo 51' 118') After extra time.
Man of the match Harry Maguire (Manchester United)
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Friday (All UAE kick-off times)
Borussia Dortmund v Eintracht Frankfurt (11.30pm)
Saturday
Union Berlin v Bayer Leverkusen (6.30pm)
FA Augsburg v SC Freiburg (6.30pm)
RB Leipzig v Werder Bremen (6.30pm)
SC Paderborn v Hertha Berlin (6.30pm)
Hoffenheim v Wolfsburg (6.30pm)
Fortuna Dusseldorf v Borussia Monchengladbach (9.30pm)
Sunday
Cologne v Bayern Munich (6.30pm)
Mainz v FC Schalke (9pm)
