Often found in the depths of the Amazon rainforest or the deep blue sea, nutritionists have been raving about superfoods for years.
While the name was coined for marketing purposes, there is no doubt some foods are worthy of the title.
There are a host of weird and wonderful products that pack a punch when it comes to being nutrient-rich.
The components of the horned melon, for instance, which is often found in sub-Saharan Africa, have been linked to antioxidant benefits.
And the rambutan, native to Southeast Asia, is loaded with essential vitamins and minerals including iron, magnesium and potassium.
But not all superfoods are hard to come by. The everyday type includes seaweed, nuts and mushrooms.
Gabriela Zuniga, a health coach in Dubai, said the pandemic has brought the virtues of everyday superfoods back in focus.
“People forget that we come face to face with foods termed ‘super’ almost every day,” she said on the sidelines of Gulfood.
“Not everything is unusual or exotic; for example mushrooms and sea salt have a host of benefits.
"Pink salt contains so many health-promoting trace minerals including phosphorus, bromine, and iron.
“When you talk about superfoods of the future, there isn’t just one. There are many out there and they are already in use.”
Nowadays, she said more people, including chefs, are turning to health foods to boost their immune system and keep viruses like Covid-19 at bay.
“About 80 per cent of immune cells are located in the gut, so if you eat a good diet, you strengthen your immunity,” she said.
Here, The National has picked out some unusual superfoods to look out for on your next trip to the health food store.
Maca powder
The maca root comes from Peru and is most often found growing in the Andes region. It grows underneath the soil and looks similar to a bulb of garlic.
Often sold in powder form, it is ideal to dilute in drinks as a nutritional supplement and can also be added to pastries for baking.
It has a high content of amino acids and minerals, helps to increase energy and helps to drive down high blood pressure.
Camu Camu powder
Another Peruvian delight, camu camu is found growing on trees, like berries, in tropical rain forests.
This unique fruit has one of the highest concentrations of vitamin C in the world.
“If I recommend you take anything during this pandemic it would be camu camu powder,” Ms Zuniga said.
“It is very bitter so I would add just a teaspoon a day to something like water or almond milk.”
So why is it considered a superfood? The berry helps stimulate the production of white blood cells, and is a key component in the production of collagen.
Wakame seaweed
We can’t mention superfoods without mentioning seaweed.
In Japan, Wakame seaweed has been cultivated for centuries by sea farmers. Nowadays, because chefs in places like Europe like to use it in soups and salads, it is grown in sea fields around the world, including in New Zealand and France, and dried in the sun.
It has a subtly sweet, but distinctive and strong flavour and texture.
It is a great source of iodine and omega 3's, which are good for your bones and also help your heart, muscles, and nerves function properly.
Lucuma
This fruit also grows in South America and takes on a very peculiar taste; nor sweet, savoury or bitter.
Described as starchy by those that try it, lucuma is harvested at high elevations and can be used as an alternative of natural sweetener.
The round fruit, bought in powder form, can be added to ice creams, yoghurts and pastries as a daily supplement.
When we talk about benefits, it is a great source of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals such a potassium.
Gulfood 2021:
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The years Ramadan fell in May
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
Haircare resolutions 2021
From Beirut and Amman to London and now Dubai, hairstylist George Massoud has seen the same mistakes made by customers all over the world. In the chair or at-home hair care, here are the resolutions he wishes his customers would make for the year ahead.
1. 'I will seek consultation from professionals'
You may know what you want, but are you sure it’s going to suit you? Haircare professionals can tell you what will work best with your skin tone, hair texture and lifestyle.
2. 'I will tell my hairdresser when I’m not happy'
Massoud says it’s better to offer constructive criticism to work on in the future. Your hairdresser will learn, and you may discover how to communicate exactly what you want more effectively the next time.
3. ‘I will treat my hair better out of the chair’
Damage control is a big part of most hairstylists’ work right now, but it can be avoided. Steer clear of over-colouring at home, try and pursue one hair brand at a time and never, ever use a straightener on still drying hair, pleads Massoud.
More on animal trafficking
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
THE BIO: Mohammed Ashiq Ali
Proudest achievement: “I came to a new country and started this shop”
Favourite TV programme: the news
Favourite place in Dubai: Al Fahidi. “They started the metro in 2009 and I didn’t take it yet.”
Family: six sons in Dubai and a daughter in Faisalabad
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How to register as a donor
1) Organ donors can register on the Hayat app, run by the Ministry of Health and Prevention
2) There are about 11,000 patients in the country in need of organ transplants
3) People must be over 21. Emiratis and residents can register.
4) The campaign uses the hashtag #donate_hope
The essentials
What: Emirates Airline Festival of Literature
When: Friday until March 9
Where: All main sessions are held in the InterContinental Dubai Festival City
Price: Sessions range from free entry to Dh125 tickets, with the exception of special events.
Hot Tip: If waiting for your book to be signed looks like it will be timeconsuming, ask the festival’s bookstore if they have pre-signed copies of the book you’re looking for. They should have a bunch from some of the festival’s biggest guest authors.
Information: www.emirateslitfest.com
The Baghdad Clock
Shahad Al Rawi, Oneworld
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
Asia Cup 2018 final
Who: India v Bangladesh
When: Friday, 3.30pm, Dubai International Stadium
Watch: Live on OSN Cricket HD
The five pillars of Islam
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
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The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
The years Ramadan fell in May
MATCH DETAILS
Barcelona 0
Slavia Prague 0
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Global institutions: BlackRock and KKR
US-based BlackRock is the world's largest asset manager, with $5.98 trillion of assets under management as of the end of last year. The New York firm run by Larry Fink provides investment management services to institutional clients and retail investors including governments, sovereign wealth funds, corporations, banks and charitable foundations around the world, through a variety of investment vehicles.
KKR & Co, or Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, is a global private equity and investment firm with around $195 billion of assets as of the end of last year. The New York-based firm, founded by Henry Kravis and George Roberts, invests in multiple alternative asset classes through direct or fund-to-fund investments with a particular focus on infrastructure, technology, healthcare, real estate and energy.
'Laal Kaptaan'
Director: Navdeep Singh
Stars: Saif Ali Khan, Manav Vij, Deepak Dobriyal, Zoya Hussain
Rating: 2/5
