Personal Training in Bahrain

Riyadh; bringing the world closer together!

My Royal adventure is almost over! So, I am making the most of seeing the sights of Riyadh because I doubt I will be returning (I shouldn't say that as when I left Bahrain 10 years ago I said exactly the same thing and here I am moving back over there; so never say never!).

And what with my previous limited Saudi outings I am pleased to say that I did manage to get out last night for a friend's birthday meal. We went for dinner at a very well known landmark in Riyadh; so well known that it stands as a landmark of Saudi Arabia as does the Burj al Arab in Dubai and the financial center in Bahrain.

The meal at Spazio on the 77th floor of the 300metre tall skyscraper by the name of Burj al Mamlaka allows you to see a panoramic view of the city. Great view in the day, I am sure, and although very  impressive going up in the lift to the 99th floor to the sky bridge; not a lot to see apart from lights!

What I wanted to say, relating to my title, was how international our seven diners were. We had;

• Me - A Brit
• Birthday gal - an Australian
• Maltese
• Norwegian
• Saudi
• French
• Moroccan

Common language was English (although, the Moroccan had to translate to the non English speaking French lady!) And you will be pleased to know, fellow English men/women, that I did my bit and spoke another language, albeit my rusty Spanish, but managed to have a good conversation with the Moroccan!

Now this multicultural gathering may not mean a lot to some, but many of you who know me, know that I get very excited about "international togetherness". In all the present world conflicts, where politics, world domination and corrupt media have created a world of hatred, secularism and war, it was a great feeling to connect with other nationalities and share common interests.

When was the last time you spent time learning about another culture, made contact with someone of a different religion, or smiled at a stranger from a different country?

Saudi; the most misinterpreted country in the World

For those of you who have lived in Saudi, many of you will have fond memories and continue to proclaim (when anyone will listen) that it is not as bad as people make out. Yes, it is frustrating that women can't drive and Yes it gets bl**dy hot in the summer, but something valuable I have learned from my time here is how hospitable the Saudi families are, that children are cherished and how much respect their children show for their parents. (something that seems to be disappearing in the West).

Hopefully, this short post will let fellow expats and world travellers take a step back, appreciate the culture that they are living in (or visiting) and not let ignorance get in the way of experiencing different ways and wonders of our precious world.   

Millions of expats could be kicked out of Gulf - Politics & Economics - ArabianBusiness.com

Link: Millions of expats could be kicked out of Gulf - Politics & Economics - ArabianBusiness.com.

UH oh!! Bad news for Bahrain Expats!!! Let's hope no one we know is affected.
Shall we go to Oman Rob???

Millions of expatriate workers could face being kicked out of the Gulf if plans proposed by Bahrain are passed at the next GCC summit in December.

The kingdom will put forward a motion at the meeting in Doha to place a six-year residency cap on all expatriates working in the region in an effort to stop what it sees as the erosion of local culture and to stem soaring unemployment among nationals.

The cap could force many of the 13 million or so expatriates currently living in the GCC to return home, a significant proportion of whom have brought up families in the Gulf and now consider the region their home.

Follow the rest of the article through the link posted above.

LIP- location independent Professional

Whilst browsing through my business coach Lea's numerous Blogs, it made me realise that the answer to networking is to BLOG , BLOG  and BLOG....... So what am I going to BLOG about today? The fact that I too am a LIP a location independent professional.......

Hen Night in Dubai

Well then, that is settled!!!... with only 7 months before my wedding, I have finally been bitten with wedding fever and have started the planning! OMG I hear some of you cry! 7 months to plan a wedding!

Don't panic, I certainly am not! We have decided to have a small intimate affair in Bahrain and then a Knees up of some sort in the UK perhaps next summer. Not being one for the limelight in such auspicious and time keeping occasions I would rather enjoy the company of friends and family and show them the Middle East and the fun and most talked about countries such as Dubai.

To start with I think what an excellent place to celebrate my Hen do, trouble is I have no knowledge of where to go or where to start, so any ideas or suggestions would be much appreciated.

I must look into to see if the Bahrain Grand Prix is on, what a blast that would be. A bit like a day at the Races! does anyone know?

Well I must go as I am still enjoying LA and off to see Matt Damon in his latest blockbuster!

Keep reading for more on my healthy wedding countdown!

The last 7 days have been Heavenly!

Yes, let me tell you that this post will not be my BLOG of how to make friends!

The summer is here! Why am I happy?

It's hilarious as I write the title, I sit here in 42 degrees centigrade heat. Not literally; you will be pleased to know that I have air conditioning. Although, the sun shines everyday and it certainly feels like its summer all year round. So why am I excited?

Our dream villa in Bahrain

As you read in one of my first blogs, I had just watched "the Secret" and was all inspired by the ethos. Therefore I immediately pictured where I see Rob and I in 5 years and have started the search for our dream villa. With so many of the Gulf states devolping similar housing projects such as the Palm of Dubai, we are fortunate to have a choice in Bahrain. We looked the other day at an appartment on AMWAJ island which has already begun selling properties. Yes, and after we had found this one, ofcourse all of them had been sold! But it certainly gives you an idea of what is on offer out here in the Gulf, and lets you know that non residents can invest out here. Ive also posted some photos of little ole Bahrain and some beach bodies on display at the beach volleyball contest held at Al Bander. Fun days in the sun. In addition, check out the skyline pictures of the city Manama where some mighty fine buildings are almost complete.

Check out Photo Albums

Enjoy

Amwaj island appartments by the beach!

The British left behind again.......

So when you feel as passionately as I do about your health and your work, you expect the whole world to feel the same and take whatever steps and pay whatever costs to sort their health out as they know, like I do, that their health is the most important commodity that they share with their family!

Funny how it doesn't work like this!

I noticed a huge difference in the British approach to health on this last trip. I saw people with chronic health conditions, or far from healthy lifestyles stuck in a rut eating incorrectly or suffering unnecessarily with aches and pains. Unfortunately, people have learnt to accept that their less than adequate health is part of life and something to plod along with rather then do whatever it takes to get better.

Somebody told me recently that perhaps targeting the UK with my preventative health care approach would not be as lucrative as the US. Something I had not considered before this visit.

I certainly believe that the difference in the UK and US approach to health is that, for years, we Brits have not had to take responsibility for our own health. Having a predominantly free health service, we can safely put the onus and trust into someone else, namely the NHS. However, when you have to pay for your health care such as in the States, the public has to take more of an interest of how they are going to pay and who to choose as a health care provider. In addition, as North Americans are becoming more aware of the benefits of preventative health care they are prepared to invest time and money into looking after themselves NOW in order to promote a longer and healthier life.

I’m not saying that the UK is not ready for this approach, we have certainly caught up in recent years and the UK has a wealth of health resources and alternative means for the public to try, but I feel that we are behind as we still believe that spending money on our health as a preventative means before anything serious happens is an extra financial burden.

To me I can’t think of anything more interesting than establishing what is going on inside my body to help understand the reason for years of ill health and prevent disease. For example, if I were to find out that I am pre-diabetic or that my liver is not functioning correctly, this is, in my opinion, pretty much saving my life and most importantly preventing me from spending time & money in and out of hospital suffering from a disease in my later years.

I am confident that Functional Medicine will be common practice and weekend national newspaper middle spreads will regularly focus on the importance of natural preventative health. I just hope that those of you reading this now will have been in contact with me and will be able to write beautiful testimonials at how you now lead a life full of health, vitality and happiness.

Here is to the future of Functional Medicine!

No more suffering from IBS

Firstly, apologies for allowing so much time passing between now and my last entry. I seem to have suffered from 'blogger's block'. You'd think I'd have endless stories to share, but due to confidentiality I have decided not to 'spill the beans' about living here - just yet!

So I have decided to share with you a particular health lifestyle concern for Expats. If you have a queasy stomach at present, now may not be the right time to read on......... I'll keep it as clean as possible.

If you read my 'ABOUT ME story you will know that I used to live in Bahrain over twenty years ago. I went to school and swam for the Bahrain School Swim team. We had loads of fun, especially my mum and step dad Bob (RIP) who lived the expat dream! parties, socializing and tax free haven.

Some years passed and I was diagnosed with IBS and the treatment back then was to eat more fibre and go onto antidepressants!!! Fortunately, I did not go down that route and it has taken me, and modern science, 20 years to finally get rid of my IBS and for preventative health practitioners to finally be able to help sufferers like me.

Did you know that 80/90% of us have a dysbiosis of the gut? or put another way a foreign body that should not be in our digestive system in the first place. In my case, I've had a parasite since my childhood picked up from my time in Bahrain! First of all when we think of a parasite, we think of disgusting long worms that may be eating away your insides and we imagine that we pick these blighters from the sub continent from drinking the water. Well this is very true, however, we now have become such an integrated planet that the 'parasites' have their own transport system and unfortunately, we don't have immigration check points to man the parasitic borders.

For expats living in the Gulf, our socializing means that we eat out alot, and we are fortunate to experience cuisines from around the globe. Unfortunately, hygiene standards may not be enforced and our parasite friends pass from food being handled in unhygienic environments or unsanitised water.

If we look after ourselves and ensure we are eating organic food full of essential nutrients then as a result our strong immune systems would be able to ward off any unwelcome parasite (not always the case). However, for the majority of us Organic food is still perceived as 'an expensive luxury' and even if we do want to opt for organic foods we are limited to suppliers. In addition, the Expat lifestyle is a 'Work Hard, Play Hard' haven and our immune systems don't have the time to recuperate and heal, and most importantly ward off parasites.

In addition, a secondary problem to cohabiting a parasite is a yeast overgrowth, and so people s's digestive systems may be under constant pressure to work efficiently. The yeast overgrowth may also lead to sugar cravings and once sugar is absorbed it only exacerbates the condition. Alcohol drinkers be ware!

As I experienced, people can go undiagnosed for years and are told to increase fibre or eat more fruit and raw veg ( haven for parasites) which lead to chronic unpleasant digestive issues.

IBS symptoms may be overlooked and our digestive systems get progressively worse and may lead to 'Leaky gut syndrome'.

Fortunately, I came across the Functional Medicine lab tests that as a result I incorporate into my business. The lab report pointed out which exact parasite I had and was also able to confirm I had a yeast overgrowth - hence my sugar cravings!! Within 6 months my parasite and yeast overgrowth had gone!!! I still cant believe its gone as I write this! just looking back at all the uncomfortable pain and discomfort and such a strong desire to 'find the answer'. I tried diets, stress reduction techniques, and even CBT therapy as IBS suffers are often told "its all in the head!"

If you are an Expat, just take a look at your lifestyle and be more choosy about where you eat - I know the shwarmas from Shwarma alley were a hit, but it is now somewhere I choose NOT to go. The one thing is after I eradicated my parasite, it doesn't mean that I wont catch another one. I just have to be more vigil to the foods that I eat and maintain a healthy lifestyle to keep my immune system strong.

If you suffer from the following symptoms you may too have a parasite or yeast overgrowth;

1. IBS symptoms - bloated tum, abdominal pain, cramps, C & D, S & D,
2. sweet cravings, brain fog, bloating all over, weight gain, hormonal imbalances

Its OK, I can empathize and best of all I can help! If your symptoms are affecting your daily life and you would like to see how a programme can help you, then please contact me for your 15 minute complimentary chat. 

You don't need to live in silence with your symptoms!

Have a great weekend to all our Expats especially in the Gulf!

The Dubai Wellbeing show

Wow, I believe in Fate, don't you?  The law of Attraction; what you believe in, you attract. I was getting excited about going to the ArabHealth Expo being held at the end of the month in Dubai, and with cross communications I now find out that the Wellbeing show is going on from the 18th-20th January. I'm really excited as it will be an opportunity to go and meet my colleagues and like minded people working in the region. It will also be an excellent opportunity to promote Corehealthonline, although I wish I had my website up and running to direct them to.  Nevermind! I'll use my newly found Blog as a contact!

It really is great to see that the Middle East is opening up to alternative health and attracting so many interesting international speakers who share the dream of achieving optimum health through natural means and encompassing a holistic approach. I feel there will be a health revolution in the not so distant future, where we unite as humans and say: "No more! the current health approaches are not working, we have to take more control of our own destiny and health". It is our job as Holistic Health Practitioners to guide the journey's of our clients; empowering and educating them to find their own health and happiness. Fortunately, the revolution has started and the Dubai Wellbeing Show presents alternative therapists from all across the globe providing new and ancient remedies to promote health and vitality. I Can't WAIT!