Ms DECEMBER 21, 2014
ISSUE NO. 131
Get into the Christmas spirit!page
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The Skinny Fat epidemic
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inside En vogue —
The bold and the beautiful
Domestic goddess —
Deep dish apple pie
Section In-Charge: Sarah Munir Sub-Editors: Amna Hashmi Nisma Chauhan Feedback: women@tribune.com.pk
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The mesmerising Rukaiya Adamjee
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The buzz
THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, DECEMBER 21, 2014
Text and Photos by Viviana Natalie Rodrigues Design by Omer Asim While Christmas is a celebration of the birth of Christ, there is much more to this religious festival than what first meets the eye. For most Christians, the festivities commence with a four week preparation time called Advent which is spent in anticipation for 25th of December. The word ‘advent’ is derived from the Latin word ‘adventus’ which means coming and therefore, Advent is essentially a waiting period for the coming of Christ’s kingdom and the impending, Christian new year. During this period, churches around town echo with the sound of ‘O Come, O Come, Emmanuel,’ the hymn which summarises the emotion behind Advent. Wreaths of flowers are set up everywhere along with four candles — three purple and one pink, and each Sunday, a new candle is lit during Mass. Out of the four Sundays of the Advent period, each sees a Mass of a different theme in sequential order, starting from Hope and Faith for the first two Sundays and ending at Joy and Love for the later two. But Advent services aren’t limited to churches only; many families bring the early celebrations home in the form of small prayer meetings, held in collaboration with their family, friends and neighbours. Prayers are said, stories are shared hymns are sung and the youngsters are taught about Christmas spirit by the adults. There is no better way to bring in the Christmas spirit than through songs! Christmas carols come in two categories: the religious ones and the more general ones, such as ‘Jingle Bells.’ Carols are actually a rather exciting aspect of the Advent period as many churches organise carol evenings and invite choirs from various parishes to showcase their talent. Each choir is dressed to the nines and their serene, melodious Christmas praises overwhelm and enchant all those who come to listen. This year, nearly 300 children will be singing together at the Carnival of Carols organised by St Lawrence’s Church in Karachi. The evening will begin with popular carols, followed by a meet and greet for the guests and finally, a gift from Santa for each of the singers. In the spirit of solidarity, St Lawrence’s Church has dedicated this year’s carnival to all those who lost their lives in the dreadful attack in Peshawar last week. If you happen to pass by a Christian neighbourhood during the festive season, you will see many groups of children prancing from door to door, singing their favourite carols and spreading the joy the season is known for. At times, Muslim and other non-Christians living in the community also join in, adding to the merriment. It is a must for these children to visit local old age homes to include the sick and the elderly in their celebrations. Some families also send gifts for those being called upon lest they feel left out. A very important part of celebrating Christmas involves
the Christmas tree and putting up decorations in and around one’s house. In fact, bonfires, tree parties and Christmas markets are organised in most communities, attracting the young and old for dance, games, gifts and karaoke sessions. If you haven’t already, take a quick trip across a Christian neighbourhood during the season; you will simply fall in love with the beautiful wreaths, stars, bells, holly and fairy lights decorating the houses. There are also Christmas trees adorned with tinsel and sundry, shiny ornaments to be found within the homes. Vendors at the Bohri Bazaar in Karachi do a great job capitalising on Christmas, offering thematic decorations and trees of all shapes and sizes. Just looking at the amazing stuff on sale at the Christmas markets is enough to renew one’s hope and faith in humanity which is the main aim of the entire festival.
St Lawrence’s Church has dedicated this year’s Carnival to all those who lost their lives in the dreadful attack in Peshawar last week
Sunday Mass at a local church in Karachi.
It is this hope which nestles in all Christian homes in the form of a Crib — a miniature statue depicting the birth of Christ. It includes miniatures of Mother Mary, her husband Joseph and a baby Christ in a haystack (called a Manger), with angels, shepherds, their flock and the three kings who visited them. Larger cribs are set up in churches as a reminder of the true meaning of Christmas and the reason for the season: Christ. The miracle birth is also enacted across Catholic schools and churches in the form of Nativity plays. The plays bring to light, religious aspect of the festival and helps the younger generations understand their roots better. Of course, what is a celebration without an assortment of delicious treats to choose from? These treats will vary from home to home but by and large, remain the same throughout. Sweet and savoury delicacies like Voraas, Culculs, Neorees, Chaaklees, Bolingas and Dos are common in most traditional Goan homes, along with Christmas fruit cake and Baath (Coconut) Cake. Sawaiyaan and mithai are also exchanged but the typical Christmas spread is incomplete without the Sorpotel, a spicy dish eaten with rice cakes called Sana’as. These are all prepared prior to Christmas day, during the Advent period, and distributed around the neighbourhood as pre-Christmas gifts. Come Christmas Eve, churches are packed with families eager to attend the midnight services and offer prayers. It Advent wreath and candles.
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THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, DECEMBER 21, 2014
is a remarkable feeling to be standing with your loved ones, awaiting the final toll of the church bell upon midnight, marking the dawn of Christmas. This is followed by a round of the faithful hymn ‘Glory to God in the Highest’ after which the families head home to get some rest before the long and tiring Christmas Day. Just as Muslim and Hindus call upon family and friends on Eid and Diwali respectively, Christmas is the ideal excuse for Christians to socialise and exchange gifts with those they don’t get to meet during the year. The entire community is in high spirits, so much so that the celebrations continue for 12 days after the 25th, until the Feast of the Three Kings on January 6th. Christmas galas, parties and weddings are lined up on for the rest of the season, making it a very busy time of the year. But amongst all the flurry and excitement, it is the message of Hope, Faith, Joy and Love that Christians wish to convey through the festival. Hope is for a better
future for our coming generations, Faith in God and the positive change He will bring, Joy for all the blessings He has given us and lastly, Love which binds us all together. Perhaps a good way to get into the Christmas mood would be to leave you with a verse from the popular Christmas carol, ‘Silver Bells’:
Meeting Santa on Christmas.
Amongst all the flurry and excitement, it is the message of Hope, Faith, Joy and Love that Christians wish to convey through the festival
Last year’s Carnival of Carols in Karachi.
Spending Christmas at an old age home.
Trees on sale for Christmas at Bohri Bazaar.
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En vogue
Muneeb Nawaz and Saim Ali’s latest collection is ideal for semiformal events.
Coordination: Loop Designer: Muneeb Nawaz And Saim Ali Makeup: Wajid Saloon Photography: Arshad Javed Model: Saim And Sonia
THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, DECEMBER 21, 2014
THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, DECEMBER 21, 2014
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Lifestyle
THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, DECEMBER 21, 2014
Why being thin doesn’t always mean being healthy By Dr Sarwat Imran Design by Talha Khan Almost each and every one of us has that one, effortlessly thin friend who subsists on a diet of cheese and bread without gaining even an ounce of weight. They avoid the gym like the plague, always order non-diet sodas and wouldn’t even know what the word ‘carbs’ meant had it not been for us, weight-conscious fools. Admit it, ladies! We are all guilty of secretly envying this person’s ability to look like a million bucks, no matter what they eat or drink, thanks to the extremely high metabolism they are apparently blessed with. But appearances can be deceiving and your skinny fat friend may be at risk of major chronic illnesses. Throughout our lives, we have grown up believing that excess weight and obesity are the root causes of many medical conditions, such as high blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, strokes, cardiovascular and metabolic problems and even cancer. While this is indeed true, medical advances have proven that underweight or overly thin people are just as vulnerable to these ailments, owing to a condition called ‘Skinny Fat’. The term represents a large proportion of people, who seek assistance for various medical conditions associated with weigh gain but don’t look fat or out of shape. Keeping this in mind, one can safely conclude that being thin doesn’t always equate to being healthy. In fact, in some cases it is by far much more dangerous to be underweight than obese. In most cases, a skinny fat person is thin but with excess fat around some parts of their body. Medically speaking, this layer of flab is called visceral fat as it surrounds the organs in the abdominal region of the human body, such as the stomach, liver, pancreas, intestines and ovaries. Generally, men tend to have more visceral fat compared to women and are therefore, at a greater risk of related ailments. The extent of visceral fat can be measured through various body fat analysis and genetic profiling methods but it often takes too long as the patient appears ‘deceptively healthy.’ On the contrary, however, the patient may be far from it. Excess visceral fat exposes patients — especially those with a
Body Mass Index of 30 or above — to lethal illnesses. According to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, nearly one in every four skinny persons are prediabetic and ‘metabolically obese’ and therefore, face a higher risk of death. Diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular and metabolic problems, as mentioned earlier, are just some of the possible outcomes of the skinny fat condition. Many patients also suffer from sleep apnea — a sleeping disorder that constricts the patient’s respiration during sleep — which ultimately causes headaches, high blood pressure, strokes and even depression. What happens is that inactivity, even amongst thin people, causes visceral fat to accumulate around the organs. The fat doesn’t always manifest itself externally, all the while wreaking havoc internally. On the other hand, a person with evident excess weight problems may maintain a healthy level of activity and store less visceral fat. This means that we can’t judge how healthy a person is simply by looking at them. Unfortunately, the idea that a person is unhealthy only if their fat is visible and that a thin person is good to go remains too
Medical advances have proven that underweight or overly thin people are vulnerable to many medical conditions, owing to a condition called ‘Skinny Fat’ deeply embedded in our minds for us to realise just how critical the skinny fat epidemic can get. Being skinny is, nowadays, an obsession without which one does not feel they can look good. Models, celebrities and even the average person is so warped in trying to become skinny that they don’t always realise they might be hampering their health. The most dangerous phenomenon is when youngsters try to emulate the skinny celebrities they look up to and begin dieting during their developemental years. Nonetheless, prevention is better than cure. Medical officials across the world are now urging thin people to have themselves checked regularly to prevent problems. If you feel that you might be at risk of becoming a skinny fat person, you should start by reviewing your lifestyle and most importantly, improving your diet. A balanced diet plan — one which includes the right amounts of proteins, carbs and all other food groups — will help you bulk up, keep your digestive system clean and eliminate toxins from your body. Sodas, artificially sweetened products, processed meal and canned food items should be avoided as they are all rich in unhealthy fats that add to the visceral fat in the body. Most importantly, however, one must incorporate as much physical activity into their daily schedules as possible. Not only will this help a thin person build muscle, regular exercise also melts away visceral fat, improves blood flow and keeps the vital organs healthy. Being skinny fat isn’t a disease in itself and can easily be rectified — all it takes is a little bit of determination and hardwork.
You can take the following medical tests to find if you are skinny fat • • • •
Lipid profile Blood pressure checks Blood sugar level testing A complete body fat analysis, which shows your muscle percentage, fat percentage and visceral fat levels.
Domestic goddess 7
THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, DECEMBER 21, 2014
By Kiran Afzal
Celebrate the winter season with this homemade pie, packed with fresh, seasonal apples and a hint of cinnamon to boot.
For the dough: • All purpose flour 2 and 1/2 cups • Salt 1 tsp • Sugar 1 tsp • Unsalted butter (chilled and cut into pieces) 1 cup • Ice water 1/4 to 1/2 cup For the pie filling: • Apples (crisp and medium-sized) 7 • Sugar 3/4 cup • Lemon juice 1 tbsp • Lemon zest 1 tsp • Salt 1/4 tsp • Cinnamon (ground) 1 tsp • Egg (lightly beaten) 1 • Sugar for topping 1 tbsp
These creative decoration ideas will make your apple pie fun, festive and ready for Christmas: • Leftover pie dough can be cut into holiday shapes like Christmas trees, berries, reindeers and even snowflakes. Decorate them using food colour and glue them onto the crust of the pie using egg wash. • Cookie cutters can be used to make small, individual apple pies. Cut out a Christmas tree from the dough discs, drop some filling into the centre and top it with pastry. Bake the pie, adjusting the baking time accordingly. • You can also wrap your pie with red and green ribbons or bows and send them over to friends and family as keepsakes.
For the dough: • The Food Processor Method: Place the flour, salt and sugar into an electronic food processor and mix for a few seconds. Add the butter and mix once again for about 10 seconds, until the mixture becomes coarse and crumby in texture. With the machine running, pour in the ice water one tablespoon as a time, until the dough starts forming a ball. Do not process the ingredients for more than 30 seconds at a stretch or pour in all of the ice water at once as this will result in a sticky dough. • The Manual Method: If you don’t have a food processor, simply sift the flour, salt and sugar in a mixing bowl and stir them together using a fork. Add in the butter and rub it into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture resembles a crumbly paste. Once again, pour in the ice water one tablespoon at a time and use two butter knives to cut through the flour until it can be made into a smooth ball. • Once the dough is ready, divide it into two halves, one larger than the other. • Place each half on a sheet of plastic wrap and flatten it to form a disc. • Wrap the discs up and refrigerate for at least an hour. • Preheat oven to 300o Celsius. • Retrieve the prepared dough from the refrigerator. If it is too stiff and cold, set it aside until it is cool but malleable. • Roll the larger dough disc onto a lightly-floured surface (e.g. a marble countertop) and into a flat 14-inch circle. • Using the rolling pin transfer the dough on to a nine-inch, deep dish pie pan and gently press the sides of the pan, leaving the rest to hang. • Once the dough has been set onto the pan, trim the sides so that it lays about ½an inch beyond the edges. • Refrigerate the pan for about 10 minutes, while preparing the apple filling. For the pie filling: • Peel, core and cut the apple into 1/2 inch slices, making about eight cups of apples. • Toss the apples with ¾a cup of sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest and cinnamon. • Turn the fruit mixture, juices included, into the chilled dough shell and mound the centre. For the complete pie: • Once the mixture is on the bottom dough shell, roll the small disc onto a lightly-floured surface and flatten it with a rolling pin. Place the smaller shell on top of the fruit mixture. • Fold the bottom layer of the dough over the top layer and press it shut to form a seal. You may trim any extra dough if required. • Flatten the edges with your thumb or press them with a fork to seal the pie and give it a decorative edge. • Pierce the top of the pie with a fork to allow steam to escape. You may also cut four slits at right angles. • Brush the top with the beaten egg and sprinkle about a tablespoon of sugar over it. • Bake the pie for about 25 minutes, until the top crust becomes golden in colour. Once the top is done, reduce the oven’s temperature to 180oC and continue baking for another 30 to 35 minutes, until the juices begin to bubble through the slits on the top. By this time, the top crust should be a deep, golden-brown. • Retrieve the pie from the oven and place it on a wire rack for an hour. The filling continues to thicken even after the pie has been taken out and if cut immediately, it will become too liquid. • Once the pie has cooled, cut it into triangular slices and serve it warm with vanilla ice-cream.
Woman of the week 8
At a friend’s birthday bash Cafe Flo. at
With Shamael Ansari, Atiya Khan and Saqib Malik.
Hairstylist and make-up artist With my daught ers, Raina and Ri yah.
1 shot Espresso
Design by Omer Asim Most Pakistanis may prefer their chai but winter is the season to curl up with a big cup of hot coffee. We are all guilty of loading up on some delicious brew to brace the cold breeze. But did you know that coffee has many other health benefits, apart from keeping us warm and energetic? According to a study conducted by the New England Journal of Medicine, there is a 13% decrease in the likelihood of death amongst women who consume two to three cups of coffee a day. And the golden beans don’t stop there! Read on to find out how your coffee addiction may actually prove to be healthy for you.
Some coffee during the day can keep the doctor away: Coffee beans are perhaps the greatest sources of antioxidants one can eat or drink. In fact, researchers have suggested that there are more antioxidants in coffee than most fruits or vegetables.
A stress-busting brew: You might have heard that just a little bit of coffee is enough to keep one up all night but according to scientists at Seoul National University, the aroma of freshly-ground coffee beans actually counters stress and promotes sleep. People across the world keep a bag of roasted coffee on their nightstands to calm their muscles and prepare them for a good slumber.
The new drink of intellectuals: All those overworked students and professionals who claim to survive on coffee aren’t lying. As it turns out, coffee is one of the few, non-alcoholic warm drinks which wakes us up and sharpens our senses, thereby making us more susceptible to information. Micheal Lemonick, a reporter for Time Magazine, once said, “When you’re sleep-deprived and you take caffeine, pretty much anything you measure will improve. Reaction time, vigilance, attention, logical reasoning — most of the complex functions associated with intelligence.”
Caffeine cures: From a medical point of view, coffee can be very helpful in preventing a variety of diseases. For instance, women who consume over three cups of coffee have been found to be less vulnerable to skin cancer than those who do not. Similarly, coffee and the ingredients found in it reduce risk of Type 2 Diabetes and curtail the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease — a progressive neuro disorder which hampers movement of the human body. In fact, the scientific news giant, Science Daily, reported in 2012 that caffeine actually promotes movement in people who already have the disorder. Caffeine also helps keep the brain healthy and alert and can not only reduce the risk but also delay the onset of Alzheimer’s.
1-2 shots espresso + hot water
1 shot espresso + thin layer of foam milk
1 shot espresso + steamed milk + thin layer of foam
1 shot espresso + steamed milk + 1cm layer of foam
1 shot espresso + steamed milk + thick layer of foam SOURCE: WOMEN’S HEALTH MAGAZINE