September issue 2016

AUGUST 2016

FITNESS

FIRE UP Your Lazy Muscles

ROW YOURSELF

IN SHAPE

TRAVEL

IN STYLE

Plantar Fasciitis:

Ways to Soothe Pain

GET FIT Look Cool

MAGAZINE

4 +

Healthy Recipes from Around the World

SET THE WHEELS

IN MOTION

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW INSIDE>>

MOHAMED ABOU AUF

Have it at Your Home

5, Abou El Feda Street, Om Kolthoom Hotel, Zamalek.

FOR DELIVERY CALL: 0101-222-8818 OR 02-2737-2551

CONTENTS SEPTEMBER 2016

NUTRITION

22 Ask Dr. Mohamed Khedr 24 7 Nutrition Myths That You Still Think

Are True 26 The Best Healthy Recipes from Around the World

10

HEALTH

28 Headache vs Migraine: Causes,

Fire up Your Lazy Muscles

Symptoms, and Treatments 30 How to Handle Joint Dislocations?

32 The Progression of Liver Disease 34 Plantar Fasciitis: Quick Ways to Soothe Pain

COVER CREDITS:

Model: Mohamed Abou Auf - Founder of TD CrossFit Photographer: Eman El-Hawary

FITNESS

10 Fire up Your Lazy Muscles 12 Row Yourself in Shape 14 Unraveling Asana- From One to the Next

(Throat Chakra) 16 Fitness at Its Finest! Functional Kickboxing Workout That Will Get You Ripped

WEIGHT LOSS

18 Avoid This Mistake If You Want to Gain More

Muscles 20 Tips and Tricks to Fight Stubborn Belly Fat

2 | September 2016

28

Headache vs Migraine: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatments

September 2016 | 3

THE FITNESS MAGAZINE TEAM

38

Bring Some Rock’n’Roll Attitude into Your Wardrobe

Owner/Founder: Zeyad Sorour Editor-in-Chief: Ahmed El Khodary Managing Editor: Christine Kassasseya Sales & PR Director: Naira El Lamei Marketing & Project Director: Samar Zaki Sales Executive: Nada Tito Art Director: Eman Salama Graphic Designer: Nada Al Azzeh Graphic Design Intern: Hana Issa Financial Director: Haitham Hamouda Distribution: Ahmed Mohamed Youssef, Ahmed Fawzy, Mohamed Abd El Nasser & Alaa Hussein 23 Emad El Din Kamel St., Nasr City, Cairo, Egypt Tel/Fax: (+202) 22627533 Mobile: 01115683666

STYLE

36 Travel in Style 38 Bring Some Rock’n’Roll Attitude into Your Wardrobe

TECHNOLOGY 40 What`s Up Technology 42 Get Fit Look Cool 43 The Best Fitness Trackers of 2016

WHEELS

44 Set The Wheels in Motion

STYLES & FEATURES

46 ELFIT Reebok is Back... Get out of Your Comfort Zone 48 Egypt Fitness Fest is Back!

54 Shop The Latest Footwear & Apparel

SUCCESS STORY

50 Meet Mohamed Abou Auf 4 | September 2016

44

Set The Wheels in Motion

The Fitness Magazine Thefitnessmagazine www.thefitnessmagazineeg.com

IN EVERY ISSUE 52 56 58 60

Fit Facts Meet The Experts Upcoming Events The Fitters

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ENJOY OUR NEW SUMMER DRINKS! • Madinaty • Chillout Mall • Sodic (westown hub) • Lpassage (Alexandria) • Court yard Maadi • New Cairo • Cairo Festival City Mall • Tivoli Dome Heliopolis & Zayed • Maadi • Zamalek • Mall of Arabia • Heliopolis

CONTRIBUTORS Jasmin Çakmakçı

Personal Trainer and Group Class Instructor at JW Marriott Cairo

The 4th Fittest Woman in the Middle East After years of training in a variety of fields, Jasmin was able to expand her knowledge in the fitness world based on her first hand experiences and experiments, constant search for fact based readings, and her ability to follow instructions only after knowing the reason behind them. She believes that basics and permanent lifestyle changes are the key to a healthy and balanced life.

Instagram: ysemins Email: ysemin.cakmakci@gmail.com

Dr. Ahmed Mostafa

Healthcare and Nutrition Manager at Gold’s Gym Heliopolis

He holds a BA in Physiotherapy from Cairo University. Upon graduation, he specialized in Spinal Injuries in McKenzie Institute UK and Sports Injuries Managements in Cairo University. He earned Specialist in Performance Nutrition from International Sports Science Association (ISSA). He holds certificate in Fitness and Obesity Nutrition from National Institute of Nutrition and Nutrition Certificate from National Research Center. He also has Advanced Life Support Certificate from Nasser Institute Hospital and CPR from American Red Cross.

Email: drahmedmostafapt@yahoo.com Tel: (+2) 0111 2286 473

Eman El-Hawary

Photographer & Art Director

Studied photography in Dubai in 2008 and shortly went pro, where her clients quickly recognized that what they get is not a simple “professional shot”, but rather “a moment captured”. Also studied and worked in Cairo as a print-shop expert, a graphics designer, a web designer, and a crafts entrepreneur. Though best known as a portrait photographer, she is also recognized as a competent fashion, outdoor, and corporate photographer.

“There is only you and your camera. The limitations in your photography are in yourself, for what we see is what we are.” - Ernst Haas Email: emozine@gmail.com

Noura Hassaballa Nutritional Consultant

Bachelor of Science in Dietetics and Nutrition holder from Northern Illinois University, USA. With great passion, she decided to pursue her successful career in Egypt as a nutritionist, with the mission of raising awareness on developing a healthy eating lifestyle, in addition to being one of the presenters of Dr. Chef on MBC 4. She is also the founder of Diet Rite Nutrition Center.

Email: noura.hassaballa@gmail.com Facebook: Noura Hassaballa 6 | September 2016

Victoria Haig BSc and Fitness Nutritionist Specialist from the National Association of Sports Medicine USA

Ten years in the Health & Fitness Industry as a Nutritionist in Madrid, Beijing, and now at CrossFit Stars Cairo.

Victoria has created Healthy Meal Advisor (a healthy lifestyle ecosystem) to show people how healthy nutrient dense food can be tasty, how their plates should look like, and which foods in which proportions they should eat. Victoria practices ‘aware’ eating helping to educate the client: ‘everything we eat is either feeding disease or fighting it’ – encouraging the client to make their healthy eating a lifestyle not a diet. Victoria is also a mother and fitness junkie with several NASM certs.

“Shifting your mindset to shift your weight.”

Dr. Omar Mamdouh

Pharmacist, Personal Trainer and Nutrition Specialist at Gold’s Gym Heliopolis Earned Bachelor of Pharmaceutical Science and a Diploma in Clinical Pharmacotherapy. Certified Personal Trainer from ACE IFT® (Integrated Fitness Training Model, American Council on Exercise), NCCA (National Commission for Certifying Agencies, U.S.) and U.S. Bureau of Labor. Member of USREPS (U.S. Registry of Exercise Professionals). Precision Nutrition Level 1 Coach, Canada (Pn L1). Specialist in Fitness Nutrition from International Sports Sciences Association, U.S.(ISSA). Sports Nutrition from American Sports and Fitness Association (ASFA).

CPR/AED from American Heart Association (AHA).

Certified Presenter and Trainer from Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM), UK at Logic Training and HR Development, where he held presentations about goal settings and self-motivation.

It’s never too late to start a new healthy lifestyle.

E-mail: omar.mamdouh.nutrition@gmail.com Instagram: omar_mamdouh_

Sandra Shama Kaur

Founder of YallaYoga Center

She is the founder of YallaYoga Center in Heliopolis and a pioneer in repackaging Yogic based solutions for Mind & Health Management. In 2012, she completed Yoga Teacher Training at the Kundalini Research Institute, New Mexico, USA. Upon her return, she founded YallaYoga, the center that seeks to create a community of people who are keen to live life with more awareness, better health, and in service to assist one another. She is a Yoga educator, offering group classes, one-on-one sessions and public talks across Egypt.

8 | September 2016

5, Abou El Feda Street, Om Kolthoom Hotel, Zamalek.

For delivery call: 0101-222-8815 or 02-2737-2552

Fitness

FIRE UP

Your Lazy MUSCLES By: Victoria Haig

I

f you want to fire up your gluteus, activate your core, or isolate your lats, these mutually supporting tweaks will help you maximize your assets, minimize injuries, and build strong sexy curves.

Pre-activation

Do you squat like your life depends on it without seeing your gluteus as perky and prominent as you’d like? Do you bench like a king but still come up lacking definition in the chest department? If so, then this is your wake up call.

If you want to shape your body and build muscle then these pre-activation exercises will not only provide greater focus in your workout, but also give you the curves you desire.

10 | September 2016

Extended periods of time sitting, faulty movement patterns, and inactivity leave many of our muscles weak or unresponsive. This creates a vicious cycle: when you come to perform your big lifts, your body which tends to seek the path of least resistance, compensates by using other stronger muscles to do most of the work, leaving you scratching your head wondering why your quads continue to grow but your gluteus remain flat.

Corrective Exercises for Imbalances

Aesthetics aside if these weaknesses are not addressed over time they can cause injuries.

Typically weaker muscle are: gluteus, lats, abdominals, and core whereas the more dominant quads, lower back and traps tend to be the muscles that pick up the slack. A common injury caused by these imbalances is back pain; having a weak core can be one of the main culprits of lower back pain that pesters many.

Isolation

You may ask why would I want to isolate one muscle group? We are constantly told that compound moments are far superior – actually both have their place and purpose in your training and here is why. The principle of isolation is the ability to only target one group of muscles whilst consciously leaving the other group of muscles out of the exercise. We want to learn to not allow other muscles to help. For example, many people complain of a lack of definition in their back – back exercises are some of the hardest to teach because it is critical. The client has some understanding of scapular retraction so they can effectively isolate their back from their biceps.

• Choose 1 or 2 per body part and do 1 to 2 sets of 15-25 reps.

• Use a slow tempo and squeeze at the top.

• Use a resistance band as a great way to amp up your activation.

Pre-activation Examples to Get You Started:

Always ask a qualified expert or use Google for solid form and technique.

Chest: Push-ups, isometric band extension, or reverse fly.

Back: Inverted row, isometric band pull downs or pullovers.

Shoulders: Plank shoulder taps or resistance band W’s.

Legs and gluteus: One-legged bridge, clamshell with resistance loop, banded walks.

Core: Plank, stomach vacuum (transverse abdomimis).

Mind Muscle Connection

Pre-activation exercises have a synergetic relationship with mind muscle connection. If you’ve ever found yourself going through the motions in the gym this simple concept will help you reap boundless benefits from your workout.

Mind muscle connection will help you re-learn the correct motor patterns you need to engage your muscles and get them working. This technique was first made popular by body building legends like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Frank Zane and has remained popular ever since. Today, evidence based research shows us that mind muscle connection is so much more than just ‘chasing the pump.’

In 2012, Snyder and Fry found that vocal commands were enough to have an influence on muscle activation with lighter loads but not with heavier loads, similarly a myriad of studies have revealed that some individuals can harness the power of mind muscle connection to isolate muscles. One of the most potent examples of mind muscle connection can be found very close to home – belly dancers. Belly dancers can, with practice, isolate their upper and lower abs.

A useful technique that can be borrowed from bodybuilding is learning how to flex our muscles independently – I frequently advise clients to practice doing this as part of their training homework. From there, they learn how to active their muscles against resistance.

The culmination of these overlapping tweaks is the ability to pull all these concepts together during your pre-activation exercises. These exercises or drills take up a few minutes at the start of your workout. The idea is to get the signals between your nervous system and your muscles firing not to exhaust them. Correct form and mind muscle connection will ensure the muscles are firing in accordance with your goal, be it maximum strength, correcting imbalances, or isolation.

Pre-activation Exercise Tips:

• As outlined above, focus on mind muscle connection and put all your attention into the muscle – Arnold style.

September 2016 | 11

Fitness

ROW YOURSELF IN SHAPE By: Jasmin Çakmakçı

T

rying to find a way to get your cardio in your weight training program? Having knee, back, or hip problems so running is not an option? Suffering from joint pain but still want to have a workout that leaves you gasping your breath? Rowing might be the answer to your wishes.

Rowing gives you versatile workout and anyone can do it! It’s gentle to your joints, prevents injury, and is easy to learn. It improves your cardiovascular fitness and will definitely make you sweat. Implementing rowing in your workout routine will also improve your performance at the gym, because it increases your muscle strength and endurance.

Rowing might look easy but don’t underestimate the effect of this amazing exercise. Anyone despite his/her age, body type, or fitness level can have tremendous workout with a rowing machine. Rowing works on your whole body and is also a great way to warm up before any kind of sports performance.

Rowing burns lots of calories. Only 10 – 15 minutes rowing can burn up to 200 calories!

It’s an easy way to lose weight and a good way for overweight persons to get effective cardio workout when other exercises like running or jumping are too hard for the joints. Faster rowing and sprints also greatly improve your VO2max (the amount of oxygen the body can effectively utilize during exercise).

While rowing, pay attention to your form: keep your back straight and core tight. Pull hard and fast, and then return back slower.

The force you use for pulling affects your pace; rowing faster doesn’t always mean rowing for longer distance. Keep an eye on your pace and see how different adjustments in your rowing style affect your pace.

12 | September 2016

Rowing Workouts

Below you have three different kinds of workouts to try: sprint, distance, and workout combined with burpees. Warm up for 5 to 10 minutes by rowing in a moderate speed before starting the workout.

Rowing Sprints

Row 10 sprints (all out efforts) of 150 meters.

Rest 3 times the time it took you to complete 150 meters: if you rowed the distance in 30 seconds, rest 1 minute 30 seconds.

5K

Row for 5000 meters for time. When the rowing time is longer, it’s important to pace yourself; don’t go all in and exhaust yourself in the beginning of the workout. Try to keep the same pace throughout the workout. Write down your time and repeat the workout after one month. Comparing the results to each other is a good way to see improvement.

Mix It Up

Perform 10 rounds every three minutes on a minute (you have three minutes to complete each round, rest remaining time) of: 250 meter row and 10 burpees over the rower.

You can modify the workout by rowing shorter distance or decreasing the repetitions of burpees.

September 2016 | 13

Fitness

UNRAVELING ASANA- FROM ONE TO THE NEXT (THE THYROID GLAND) By: Sandra Shama Kaur In my last column, I discussed back-strengthening postures in relation to the heart chakra (anahata), which opens us up so we can deeply love ourselves and others.

We looked at the benefits of back strengthening postures from the mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual perspectives last issue.

Today, we move to postures that work on the throat chakra, the thyroid and parathyroid glands, which are responsible for regulating our body weight, maintaining youth, and balancing calcium in the body. The Yogic tradition relates throat chakra with the ether element. It is known as the ‘Vishuda Chakra’ and it is the voice of the body that allows us to express our own inner truth. If it is out of balance or blocked, we can feel that we are saying what we mean or mean what we say. When it is in balance, we can express what we think and what we feel truly.

On a mental level, the throat chakra symbolizes thinking.

We use symbols to express something - an object, a concept, or a feeling. Symbols are the building blocks of communication and consciousness. Throat chakra’s color blue connects the material and the symbol.

On a physical level, the throat chakra relates to the throat, esophagus, thyroid gland, neck, cervical spine, mouth, teeth, and jaw. It consists of two lobes on either side of the windpipe and just behind the thyroid are the parathyroid glands. The hormones released here are thyroxine and triiodothyronine, both responsible for regulating our weight through our metabolic rate. People with strong throat chakra stand tall and hold their upper body straight. Those

14 | September 2016

SHOULDER STAND

with unbalanced throat chakra appear tight in the upper body, their head and neck are brought forward, and they have a weak spine.

On an emotional level, the throat chakra’s color is blue and stands for peace and tranquility. The gift of this throat chakra’s color is that you are at peace with expressing yourself and also with listening to others. You realize that to listen to another being is a great gift for both of you. The challenge is when this energy is blocked that it manifests as contraction of this calm creative energy.

On a spiritual level, the throat chakra’s color is for creativity and connection with the Divine. The developmental tasks of the throat chakra are: creative expression, communication skills, and symbolic (abstract) thinking.

• Shoulder Stand • Camel • Legs up Against the Wall (90 degree angle) • Fish Pose Summary: Our body weight is regulated by the throat chakra known as ‘Vishuda.’

• It consists of two lobes on either side of the windpipe and just behind the thyroid are the parathyroid glands.

• The gift of this chakra is communication, selfexpression, and creativity.

• The fifth chakra is what allows us to express our own truth.

• The word ‘Vishuda’ means "especially pure."

• The element associated with this chakra is the ether element, because it is the vibration in space that allows us to produce sound that is expressed as a voice.

• To balance this chakra, wear the color blue, sing, and drink

black pepper tea.

• Affirmation: I have a right to speak my truth.

Always remember that Asanas need to be held steadily and comfortably. No pain should be experienced while holding the postures or in the hours or days that follow. Or in the words of Patanjali Sutra 46: “Sthirasukhamasanam’’ (II Sūtra 46) sthira = steady; sukham = comfortable; asanam = posture.

CAMEL POSE

September 2016 | 15

Fitness

FITNESS AT ITS FINEST! Functional Kickboxing Workout That Will Get You Ripped

P

eople may have different preferences when it comes to sport, but most of them aim at building the best structural foundation for their bodies. The combination of functional workouts and kickboxing movements can push you up to your pinnacle, amplify your physical and mental ability, and synchronize your upper and lower body parts in harmony. If you are a kickboxing fanatic, you are more likely to benefit from an extraordinary, lean physique and exceptional kickboxing moves rather than merely packing on muscles.

16 | September 2016

Fully Functional Kickboxing The aim of this workout is to combine cardio and strength intervals with kickboxing for an effective total-body workout. This routine lasts approximately 55 minutes. You will need a set of moderately weighted dumbbells and a gym mat.

Music Opt for 140 beats per minute for cardio intervals and kickboxing combinations and 130 beats per minute for strength intervals.

Warm-Up

For the kickboxing intervals to run smoothly, try to practice and evaluate punches and kicks.

Start with reps at half speed and then upshift to full speed. Then combine two or three moves in easy patterns to battle and heat up. Try to incorporate any of the following movements in your

pattern for ten minutes.

• Jabs • Crosses • Uppercuts • Hooks • Descending Elbow Strikes • Ascending Elbow Strikes • Knee Strikes • Front Kicks • Side Kicks • Back Kicks Work Phase (30 minutes) This workout comprises of three sets; each one includes a cardio interval, a kickboxing interval, and a functional strength interval.

The cardio interval includes simple and repetitive combinations for one minute, where you will try to push to a hard rating of perceived exertion to boost your heart rate.

The kickboxing interval contains

a punch combo and a kick combo. Work your way to eight times each, and then combine the punch and kick combos and repeat them together for about eight times.

For the functional strength, grab dumbbells and practice upper and lower moves separately, going through each twice, for 16–24 reps. Then put them together in a compound move and engage the core for another 16–24 reps.

The Set Should Run as Follows: Cardio interval, 1 minute Kickboxing interval, right lead, 3 minutes Cardio interval (repeat), 1 minute Kickboxing interval, left lead, 3 minutes Functional strength interval, 2 minutes

SET ONE Cardio Interval: (1 minute): Shuffle R (4 counts), R knee strike, R side-kick; repeat L. Keep low on shuffle, covering as much ground as possible to boost heart rate.

Kickboxing Interval: Front jab, front hook, 2 back uppercuts (4 counts).

Front knee strike, side-kick (front leg).

Repeat back-to-back, sinking low into supporting leg (4 counts).

Combined: Front jab, front hook, 2 back uppercuts + front knee strike, side kick, front knee strike, side kick (8 counts).

Repeat cardio interval.

Repeat kickboxing interval, L lead.

Functional Strength Interval: Overhead press: Hold one dumbbell in each hand, press to ceiling, and return 90-degree elbows to shoulder height.

Squat: With feet parallel under hips, sit hips back while chest lifts; hold one dumbbell against chest using both hands.

Squat with overhead press: Holding one weight close to sternum, press overhead while sinking into squat. Engage core to prevent back from arching.

SET TWO Cardio Interval: (1 minute): Four jabs, while shuffling R; four alternating uppercuts. Repeat L. Make punches sharp and fast to amp up intensity.

Kickboxing Interval: Jabs high/low/high/low (squat to deliver low blows); 4 alternating uppercuts (8 counts).

Back knee, back kick, front knee, front-kick (8 counts).

Combined: Jabs high/low/high/low; four alternating uppercuts, back knee, back kick, front knee, front-kick (16 counts).

Repeat cardio interval.

Repeat kickboxing combo interval, L lead.

Functional Strength Interval: Reverse fly: From lunge position, with back angled forward 45 degrees, lift dumbbells with posterior deltoids, raising long-lever arms to shoulder level.

Reverse lunge repeater: Do reverse lunge, dumbbells by sides of body, same leg. Option: Test balance by eliminating foot touch. Hold.

Single-leg squat: While balancing on one leg, with opposite leg extended and hovering just above ground, sink into single-leg squat as dumbbells lift into reverse fly; repeat. Modification: Touch back leg to floor at bottom of movement.

Note: Repeat reverse lunge repeater with opposite lead; add balance.

September 2016 | 17

Weight Loss

AVOID THIS MISTAKE IF YOU WANT TO GAIN MORE MUSCLES By: Dr. Omar Mamdouh

I

t’s common that most people think they need to lower carbs or calories intake on their off days. But it’s not the right way to add muscles and lose some fat.

People think that since they won’t be training and burning as much energy or calories, they shouldn’t consume the same amount of carbs otherwise they’ll risk gaining fat. If your goal is STRICTLY fat loss, there may be some value to this. But if you’re looking to build as much muscle and strength as possible, you should see your off days as a chance to do everything you can to maximize growth and performance, and not days where you don’t do anything. Think of your time off as an investment.

If you decide to cut carbs and calories on off days, your muscles will not be fully 18 | September 2016

replenished with glycogen. You will be unable to take advantage of the anabolic properties of insulin and your performance will not be enhanced during the next training sessions.

As a result, you need to do the opposite!

Off days are growth days. And insulin is the most anabolic hormone in the body. It decreases catabolism (protein breakdown or muscle wasting) and accelerates anabolism (protein synthesis or building muscle). It also increases glucose storage inside the muscles. A muscle full of glycogen is a strong muscle.

If your goal is maximum muscle growth and strength gains, it’s important to consume plenty of quality carbs and protein during those off days. See each rest day as the only

day in the week where the body is allowed to build muscle, it’s a gift… never waste it.

Last but not least, keep calorie and carb intakes the same or increase them a bit. In addition, increase protein intake slightly to take advantage of the more anabolic state.

TAKE-HOME MESSAGES: Your rest days are the gateway towards muscle gain.

Do not lower your calories or carb intake to make sure that you get every possible pound of muscle growth.

September 2016 | 19

TIPS AND TRICKS

Weight Loss

to Fight Stubborn Belly Fat By: Dr. Ahmed Mostafa

Obesity is a fast growing problem that is recognized internationally. Obesity can sometimes contribute to cellulite due to the accumulation of fat deposits under muscle tissues in the thighs, arms, abdominals, and buttocks, which often disturbs women.

What are the main factors that trigger the formation of cellulite among women?

Women who lead inactive sedentary lifestyle, overeat, and engage in no physical activity are more likely to deposit excess fats in the body. The swing of work-life balance is also a contributor among working women, as they tend to ignore the importance of sticking to a proper diet and sufficient amount of exercise.

Can simple exercises get rid of belly fat?

If you want to combat the dimpled appearance of cellulite, you’ve got to get rid of the sedentary lifestyle and adopt healthier approaches. You should also balance the calories you eat with the calories you burn and squeeze time for exercises in your weekly schedule. Doing exercises for at least 30 minutes a day will show you visible results.

Diet Diet is a very important factor that controls your weight and gets rid of all those unnecessary fat accumulation in your belly, thighs, arms, and buttocks. It is generally believed that starving or eating less food is the ultimate solution for weight loss. This is incorrect. You can eat well and lose excess weight.

You are generally required to keep an eye on what you eat. While many individuals witness an expansion in their waistlines, a few manage to stay slender throughout their lives.

These are the ones who capture attention and never seem to look their age. How they do it was the subject of a recent Consumer Reports investigation that sought to determine whether these people were genetically gifted, or possessed a magic secret resembling the fountain of youth. The study found that getting a large part of nutrition from fruits and vegetables played a big part in keeping these people healthy, slim, and youthful - a green diet. This dogma proves obesity and weight loss can be managed easily with only vegetables and fruits.

20 | September 2016

Eating slower can also aid weight loss. Some people think that loss of weight is associated with fewer portions. For many, this will mean cutting out some ‘favorite’ foods and perhaps eliminating anything other than three ‘healthy’ meals a day.

Skipping snacks between meals can definitely cut your calorie intake and help you shed off some pounds. However, there are several reasons why this may not be effective in the long run. One reason could be the effect of eating less on appetite. Going without food for a long period of time can induce hunger, which in return makes you eat more at meal times - especially in the evening.

Overeating in the evening may relate to the body’s attempt to make up for food it feels it missed out on earlier. So, to keep it simple: if you are dieting, don’t starve yourself and remember that the digestive process starts in the mouth.

So, chewing your food slowly and properly will aid the digestive system and have a positive effect on losing weight.

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Nutrition

Ask Dr. Mohamed Khedr Nutrigenomics: The Science Behind New Breakthroughs in Elite Athleticism

and still can be good for a different individual.

Some people also wonder if coffee is good or bad for their body. Well, no one knows… not until a specialist takes a look at your genes!

The required daily consumption of coffee that suits my body is certainly different than the required portion for other individuals. That’s why, I find this scientific study more effective than random diets provided by nutritionists and dieticians. There is no way to establish one form of diet that befits the DNA of the entire population.

What are the required steps to achieve this healthy lifestyle?

The process is usually divided into two main phases. First, we complete a genetic test that requires a sample of the saliva in order to identify the genetic variants and understand their impact on the body’s metabolic ways and detoxifying mechanisms. When the full report is conducted, the patient shows it to their nutritionist to adopt a healthy lifestyle that matches with his/her system. The whole process could be slightly costly; however, this test is conducted once in a lifetime and many benefits are reaped in the long run. I am pleased to be the representative for Nutrigenomix Inc. (www.nutrigenomix. com) in the MENA region. Nutrigenomix is a Canadian company that provides genetic testing for thousands of clinics around the world. My goal is to send these tests to Canada for further investigations before referring a patient to a specialist.

T

he search for knowledge apropos of health and nutrition increased in the past few years in Egypt, following an upshift in athletic performance and general wellbeing among the world population. The variables underlying the improvement of health situations among people opened many channels to detect the correlation and interaction between nutrients and an individual’s health condition related to their DNA – called Nutrigenomics. Today, this discovery facilitates the prescription of proper diets that suit each individual’s genetic profile. Expanding the relevance and importance of this discipline, Dr. Mohamed Khedr, Professor at the University of Toronto in Canada, shares his ambition to put these insights into practice in Egypt.

22 | September 2016

Can you tell us more about the science behind personalized nutrition?

Personalized nutrition is based on the association between nutrients and genes, where the food we consume can influence the way our genes are expressed in the same manner our genes can affect the way we respond to these nutrients. The benefit of this science is to come up with specially tailored diet that complements an individual’s unique genetic profile to optimize his/her health and performance. These findings can cause a drastic change in the quality of living in Egypt, especially that diseases and poor medical standards are on the rise.

What are the health gains of Nutrigenomics?

Nutrigenomics reveals how our genes can define our response to certain foods. A great example of this is gluten intolerance. Gluten can raise health implications for one person,

How can athletes benefit from this test?

Sport nutrition science is on the path toward assisting athletes adapt to higher level of performance and reach their full potential.

For the past few years, many developed countries have been obtaining genetic analysis for their players to nurture specific sport performance genes that contribute to elite athleticism. This process helps athletes to inhale and exhale in full energy, understand their bodies’ needs, and boost athletic performance. Egypt, on the other hand, still relies on old school approaches that eliminate the importance of adequate nutrition and health on fitness. The result is noticeable poor performance. This is not only restricted to athletes. Genes can be turned on or off by the nutrients you consume in your food and drinks. Hence, a proper diet can help you either reach your optimum potential or weaken your performance. I have raised awareness of this topic to several ministers and to the Egyptian Athletics Federation to start an extensive action plan in Egypt.

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Nutrition

7 Nutrition Myths That You Still Think Are True By: Noura Hassaballa 24 | September 2016

Fact: Dietary cholesterol in food has remarkably little effect on cholesterol in the blood. Only about 25% of the cholesterol in your blood comes from food, while the other 75% is manufactured by the liver, which produces lots of cholesterol when you eat trans fats.

Myth: Eating fats make you fat.

Fact: Eating fats will not make you fat. Eating a large amount of fat and carbs, on the other hand, will definitely add to your weight.

Studies have shown that diets that are high in good fats like omega 3 and omega 6 and low in refined carbs lead to more weight loss than low fat diets.

Myth: Carbs are bad.

Fact: There’s no question that loading up on sugary and refined-carbohydrate-rich foods, such as white bread, pasta, and doughnuts, can raise your risk of developing health problems like heart disease and diabetes. But if you cut out good carbs, such as whole grains, beans, fruits and vegetables, you’re missing out on your body’s main source of fuel as well as vital nutrients and fiber. What’s more, for many people, a low-carb diet may be harder to stick with in the long run.

Myth: My body can’t process certain foods like meat and dairy, that’s why I’m not losing weight.

Myth: Legumes must be combined with grains at the same time to get “complete protein.”

Fact: Most plant-based foods provide incomplete protein (not providing the nine essential amino acids that your body can’t make). Any single whole natural

plant food, or any combination of them, if eaten as one’s sole source of calories for a day, would provide all of the essential amino acids.

Myth: Eggs are bad for your heart because they are high in cholesterol.

Fact: If food is not processed it means it can’t be absorbed or metabolized leading to weight loss and not weight gain. “This is an example of how the term ‘food allergy’ has become misused and distorted to be associated with anything unpleasant surrounding eating. There is no scientific evidence that a food allergy causes weight gain; of course, cutting out whole categories of foods will probably help you lose weight, simply because it

takes so many choices off the table.” Says Dr. Marc Riedl, M.D., Assistant Professor Of Clinical Immunology and Allergy at UCLA. Myth: Vitamin C will prevent you from catching a cold.

Fact: Dosing up on vitamin C will not help cure or prevent a cold, but having a healthy immune system will. It’s true that vitamin C may shorten the duration of cold but that’s only shown in some people. In 2010, researchers looked at all studies and found that taking vitamin C every day did not prevent the number of colds that a person got. In some cases, it made symptoms improve. However, vitamin C didn't help if people took it after they showed signs of getting sick.

Myth: Microwaves are hazardous and create dangerous compounds in your food.

Fact: Microwaves, radio waves, and the energy waves are all forms of radiation. But the microwaves used to cook foods are much weaker than X-rays and gamma rays, says Robert Brackett, Ph.D., Director of the National Center for Food Safety and Technology at the Illinois Institute of Technology.

The changes that happen to the microwaved food as it cooks are from the heat generated inside the food, not the microwave itself. Some nutrients do break down while cooking; whether it’s microwaved or cooked in a regular oven. Microwave cooking times are shorter; cooking with a microwave does a better job of preserving vitamin C and other nutrients that break down when heated.

September 2016 | 25

Nutrition

The Best Healthy Recipes From Around the World Being healthy doesn’t essentially necessitate a boring and repetitive diet regimen. There are many mouthwatering and low-calorie animal and plant based dishes that can curb your cravings, nourish your body, and spice up your diet! This month, we’ve brought you four delightful, authentic recipes inspired by ethnic cuisines to try new flavors and dishes.

Egyptian Baked Falafel Salad Bowl Yield: 4 servings Total Time: 45 minutes Ingredients: 2 cups dried chickpeas 3 tbsp. olive oil 4 cloves garlic 1 cucumber 1 small red onion 2 tomatoes 12 cups lettuce, sliced ½ cup fresh parsley ½ cup fresh cilantro 26 | September 2016

½ tsp. ground cumin ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper ¼ tsp. ground coriander ¼ large red cabbage Salt to taste Directions: Soak chickpeas for one hour and then preheat oven to 375°F. In a food processor, chop the garlic cloves followed by onions, and then add the chickpeas, parsley, cilantro, ground cumin, ground coriander, cayenne pepper, salt, and olive oil. Process until smooth.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

To do the falafel, take one tablespoon of dough mixture and roll into a ball and then pat it flat. Place all patties on the baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes, flipping halfway through.

Meanwhile, wash and cut cabbage, lettuce, cucumber, and tomatoes. Place the salad into a large bowl, add falafel patties, and drizzle with dressing. Serve and enjoy.

Moroccan Fish Kebab with Mango and Couscous

Directions: Cook the couscous according to the package directions.

Yield: 3 servings Total Time: 35 minutes

In a small bowl, combine cumin, chili powder, coriander, salt, and pepper. Rub all sides of the fish with the spice mixture, and set aside.

Ingredients: 1 cup dried whole-wheat couscous 1 cup spinach 4 pieces of fresh white fish, cubed 1 ripe soft mango, peeled and diced 1 tsp. ground cumin ½ tsp. chili powder 1/3 tsp. ground coriander 1 tsp. fresh-squeezed lime juice 1 tsp. fresh cilantro 2 tbsp. butter Salt and pepper to taste Sticks

In a medium bowl, add the mango dices, cilantro, and lime juice together and mix gently.

Heat the butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat, and cook both sides of the seasoned fish. Place fish in wooden sticks.

Meanwhile, transfer the finished couscous into the mango mixture and then divide among three plates.

Top with a piece of fish and sprinkle cilantro and spinach to add taste.

Italian Spinach and Chicken Ravioli

Ingredients: 1-package wonton wrappers ½ cup spinach, chopped 4 chicken breasts 1 ½ cup ricotta cheese 1 cup grated Parmesan 1 large egg 1 cup water 2 tbsp. olive oil 1 tbsp. paprika Salt and pepper to taste

In a large bowl, combine ricotta cheese, egg, Parmesan cheese, and sautéed spinach. Season with salt and pepper. Add chicken cubes.

On a baking sheet, lay out several wonton skins. Spoon about 1 teaspoon of filling into the center of each skin. Dip a finger

Yield: 4 servings Total Time: 30 minutes Ingredients: 1 head cauliflower, chopped 1 pound sweet potato, chopped 1 while onion 1 big carrot, sliced 23-ounce jar of tomato paste 15-ounce can coconut milk 15-ounce can chickpeas 4 cups spinach leaves 2 cups brown rice 2 tbsp. olive oil 1 tbsp. salt, divided 2 tbsp. curry powder 1 tbsp. garam masala 1 tsp. cumin ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper Cilantro for garnish Directions: Cook the brown rice according to package instructions.

Yield: 4 servings Total Time: 1 hour

Directions: In a non-stick skillet, heat olive oil, cook chicken, and season with salt, pepper, and paprika. Set aside and cut chicken breasts into small cubes.

Indian Cauliflower and Tomato Coconut Curry

Dice the onion, chop the sweet potato, and cut the cauliflower into florets. Drain and rinse the chickpeas.

into the cup of water and run it along the 4 edges of each wonton skin. Lay a second whole wonton wrapper over the first layer with filling. Press down firmly to seal your ravioli shut, making sure to get rid of all the air bubbles. Repeat the process until all wrappers and filling are gone.

In a large pot, boil water and drop 3-4 ravioli at a time into the boiling water. Cook for 2-3 minutes and then fish them out.

Drizzle with olive oil, Parmesan Cheese, salt, and pepper.

In a large non-stick skillet, heat olive oil. Sauté onion and carrot for 2 minutes, sweet potato for 3 minutes, and then add cauliflower and salt for another 5 minutes. Season the mixture with curry, garam masala, cumin, and cayenne pepper. Add coconut milk and tomato paste, and simmer for 10 minutes until tender.

Add chickpeas and spinach, and stir for 2 minutes. Season with salt according to taste. Garnish with chopped cilantro, and serve with brown rice.

September 2016 | 27

Health

VS. HEADACHE MIGRAINE Causes, Symptoms, and Treatments Pressure or pain in the head is a symptom that we all encounter at some point in our lives, yet it is usually difficult to identify whether it is a normal headache or a migraine. Recognizing and classifying the type of pain is crucial as it proposes prompt treatment and better understanding of factors that trigger this pain. Here is the difference between a traditional headache and a migraine.

Q

Are there specific foods that I should avoid?

A number of foods and drinks have been identified as triggers for migraine.

Fermented foods, alcohol, aged cheese, chocolate, and nuts are among these foods that should be consumed in moderation.

Eating these foods instead of a main meal can evoke a headache.

28 | September 2016

What is a Headache?

Headache is a broad term that encompasses many different types of pain. Basically, headache occurs when you feel an unpleasant pain in the head that ranges from mild to severe pain on both sides of the head or isolated to a particular location. They appear suddenly or gradually, and may last from an hour to over a week! Triggers for this headache type are numerous and include stress and anxiety. Here are some facts about the causes of primary and secondary headaches.

noises, and strong smells. Lack of sleep and excessive sleep can also start a migraine.

Many women experience migraine when estrogen levels drop. Alcohol, poor eating, dehydration, and certain foods are further correlated with migraine.

Types of Migraine

Primary Headaches

Migraine headaches are classified into two categories: migraine with aura and migraine without aura. An aura refers to a sensation experienced around 10 – 30 minutes before the migraine attack, which includes: feeling less mentally alert, numbness in the face or hands, unusual sense of smell, touch, or taste.

Secondary Headaches

Prodrome stage is a phase where the patient experiences some symptoms a day or two before the actual migraine. These signs include depression, constipation, irritability, neck stiffness, frequent yawning, and unusual food cravings.

Primary headaches are caused by the overactivity of, or problems with, painsensitive structures in the head, such as nerves, muscles, and blood vessels of the head and neck areas.

Secondary headaches are usually symptoms of another condition that triggers the painsensitive nerves of the head or neck. These conditions range from alcohol-induced hangover and brain freeze to panic attacks, stroke, dehydration, and blood clots.

What is a Migraine?

Migraine is a complex neurological disorder caused by several reasons, including altered blood flow and abnormal levels of naturally produced substances - such as serotonin - in the brain. The majority of people who suffer from migraine have a family history of the disorder.

Treating Headaches

Fortunately, headaches can be treated with over-the-counter aspirin, lots of water, in addition to relaxation techniques that embrace head massage, warm shower, aerobics, rest and meditation, yoga, and neck stretches.

Treating Migraines

The best way to get rid of a condition is to eliminate its occurrence in the first place.

Introducing better lifestyle and diet can greatly enhance your health. Some things you may consider include:

Migraine headache usually affects only one side of the head and ranges from moderate to severe. The migraine is often accompanied with nausea, pain behind one eye of ear, pain in the temples, vomiting, temporary vision loss, and sensitivity to light and/or sound.

Patients may suffer from only one or none of these symptoms.

Exercise. Moderate aerobic exercise such as walking, cycling, and swimming can limit the frequency and intensity of migraines and control stress. Thirty minutes of exercise for five days a week can ultimately enhance the quality of your health and reduce the likelihood of migraine headaches.

There are many situations and conditions that may trigger a migraine. Many migraine sufferers are sensitive to bright light, loud

Limit Stress. Continuous pressure contributes in the causation of migraine headaches. So, take time each day to relax by listening to calm music, walking, meditating, doing yoga, or dancing. Further

more, a good sleep relaxes the body and reduces stress levels, which in return decrease the chance of developing a migraine.

Eat Regular Meals. A drop in blood sugar can set off a migraine; hence keep it steady by consuming regular meals and drinking water.

Medications

Individuals who suffer from migraine are advised not to consume medications more than 10 days a month to avoid rebound headache. If you experience migraine less frequently, you may choose medicines that contain any of the following components: • Antinausea medicines, such as promethazine (Phenergan), chlorpromazine (Thorazine), or prochlorperazine (Compazine).

• Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as acetaminophen, aspirin, naproxen sodium, or ibuprofen.

Triptans, such as almotriptan (Axert), rizatriptan (Maxalt), or sumatriptan (Alsuma, Imitrex, and Zecuity).

Q

Are there any vitamins or supplements that help with headache?

Riboflavin – 400 mg. per day.

Magnesium 300-500 mg. per day.

Coenzyme Q10 300-600 mg. per day.

Melatonin 3-6 mg. at bedtime.

Petasites 75 mg. twice a day.

Q

Can a change in climate trigger migraines?

Yes, a change in barometric pressure as a result of a change in weather can easily induce a headache. It is recommended to remain home during weather fluctuations.

September 2016 | 29

Health

HOW TO HANDLE JOINT

DISLOCATIONS?

30 | September 2016

O

ftentimes we witness an unpleasant dislocation condition, perhaps at the gym or in field, and we wonder about the factors that engender a joint dislocation.

A dislocation is a traumatic and painful injury where the end bone is forced from its normal position. It is often caused by an unexpected or unbalanced impact, like a fall or a direct hit in a contact sport. And when it happens once, it is more likely to occur again in the future.

Dislocation usually includes the body’s larger joints, such as shoulder, elbow, hip, knee, and ankle. Anyone can dislocate a joint or experience a similar type of trauma. However, older people tend to have a higher risk, especially if they lack physical activity, mobility, or strong bone structure. Individuals who are born with loose ligaments are more prone to injury than those of most people. Children are also likely to experience joint dislocation due to lack of supervision or overtraining.

The growth areas of a young athlete’s elbow are particularly vulnerable to overuse injury.

Some high-contact sports may involve accidental falls, such as wrestling, downhill skiing, gymnastics, and volleyball.

In most scenarios, patients with dislocation can experience a wide range of symptoms that differ from one person to the other. Some of the indications associated with dislocated joint include red, swollen appearance, loss of motion, visible deformation, numbness around the area, and tingling sensation. Further complications may include nerve of blood vessel damage in or around the joint, development of arthritis in the affected joint as the person ages, and tearing of the muscles, ligaments, and tendons that reinforce the injured joint.

While it is easy to recognize the agents of joint dislocation,

determining the seriousness of the condition could be skeptical at the beginning. To enable your doctor to understand exactly what’s going on with the joint, few examinations must be carried on to check the circulation of the area, deformity, and any broken or injured details.

Besides physically examining your injury, further tests may be made to detect the severity of the condition and define more accurate treatments.

• An X-ray will confirm the dislocation and reveal facts concerning any further damages in the bones and joints.

• Magnetic resonance imaging, known as MRI, can gauge impairment to the soft tissue structure around a dislocated joint.

According to Johns Hopkins University, the primary treatment for any dislocation includes RICE: Rest and avoid any painful movements, especially that particular movement that caused the injury.

Ice reduces inflammation and pain. Apply a pack of ice for 15 minutes every few hours on the first two days. When the inflammation and pain ease, apply hot packs or pads to loosen tightened and sore muscles.

Compression requires consuming over-the-counter medications to relieve pain.

Elevation necessitates a gradual exercise to maintain range of motion, under a specialist’s supervision.

In some cases, the dislocated joint may fit back to its place naturally. If not, your doctor may rely on one of the following treatments.

Manipulation

In this method, your doctor will try to reposition the joint back to its place and provide you with sedative or anesthetic substance to ease your muscles and surrounding joints and to make you comfortable.

Immobilization

After the joint returns to its proper place, you will need to wear a sling or splint for several

weeks to regain mobility and strength. The duration where your joint needs to be static will vary according to the severity of the condition and on the extent of damage to nerves, blood vessels, and supporting tissues.

Surgery

Surgery can sometimes be essential following a dislocated joint if there has been broad damage in the nearby nerves, ligaments, or blood vessels or if the dislocation is severe that the doctor cannot return the bone to its normal stance. In case of recurrent dislocation, surgery may be done in an attempt to stabilize the joint. Some individuals aim to reconstruct the joint and repair any damaged structures to minimize the possibility of its reoccurrence.

Rehabilitation

When the joint is returned back into its correct position and sling is removed, your doctor should establish a rehabilitation program that works for you to increase the joint’s strength and range of motion.

The Importance of Functional Fitness

Functional fitness exercises train your muscles to work together and prepare them for daily duties by mimicking common movements performed at home, work, or in sports.

They are multi-joint and multimuscle exercises that involve the elbows, shoulders, core, spine, hips, gluteus, knees, and ankles, which enhance the overall quality of life and decrease the risk of injury. There are specially tailored programs for elders to improve balance, agility, and muscle strength to reduce the risk of falls. Thus, make sure you train functional on weekly basis.

Tips to Prevent Dislocations

• Take necessary precautions to avoid falls.

• Make sure your children play under regular supervision and are not swamped with daily sports exercises. Overtraining at any age can impair performance and increase risk of injury.

• Avoid recurrence by focusing on strength and stability exercises to improve support of your joint.

September 2016 | 31

Health

The Progression of Liver Disease:

SILENT SYMPTOMS YOU MAY MISS

T

he liver is a resilient, maintenance-free organ that is often overlooked until something goes wrong. Because of its broad range of functions, the liver often comes under siege by toxic substances, viruses, and diseases and can remain to function even if two thirds of it has been damaged! While there are treatments for different types of diseases, it is crucial to adopt healthy lifestyle choices and get immunized against viruses.

The Liver Is a Filter and a Factory

The liver weights about three pounds in the average-size person and carries out a number of important jobs. One of the jobs that the liver does is to act as a filter or detoxifier for your body.

Almost all blood in your body passes through the liver. And as the blood travels through the liver, it breaks down harmful substances, such as caffeine, drugs, and alcohol.

The liver also cleanses and detoxifies the blood from harmful chemicals that are naturally produced by our bodies.

The liver is also a chemical factory that performs numerous chemical functions in your body. It receives some materials in your body – such as protein and sugars - and transforms them into substances that

the body needs. It also stores essential vitamins, minerals, hormones, and cholesterol and releases these nutrients when the body needs them through the bloodstream.

The liver also excretes a product called bile, a greenish fluid that runs through the liver, gallbladder, and small intestine through the bile ducts, in order to break down fats in the small intestine during digestion. Blood by-products are filtered out by the kidney and leave the body in the form of urine.

Additionally, the liver produces bloodclotting factors that are mandatory for fast healing post to an injury.

The liver handles additional duties that include the processing of hemoglobin for storing iron; clearing the

Liver Diseases and Complications

Liver diseases are caused by impairments in the liver. There are many factors that contribute to this damage, such as viruses (hepatitis viruses), overconsumption of alcohol, overweight, some medications, and exposure to industrial chemicals, such as detergents and paint thinners. These elements can harm the liver and leave it swollen, shrunken, or hard, and eventually deteriorate till the person dies.

Symptoms of Liver Disease

Acute Liver Problems occur when the following signs appear suddenly.

• Tiredness or weakness • Fever • Nausea and vomiting • Yellowing of the eyes and skin • Dark urine or very pale colored stools • Pain under the ribs Unfortunately, some individuals may experience no signs at all. Some types of acute liver disease may eventually be healed by itself, while others may require serious attention and hospitalization.

Chronic Liver Problems affect the

liver for many months and may not be easily detected through symptoms. Some patients may encounter some signs only when the liver has been damaged for several years.

Hepatitis

blood of harmful substances; producing immune factors to remove bacteria and infections from the bloodstream; and removing the buildup of bilirubin from the skin and eyes.

32 | September 2016

Hepatitis means inflammation or swelling of the liver. Many elements can generate this problem, such as medications, alcohol, viral hepatitis, genetic diseases, and many more.

While some types of liver inflammation necessitates medications, other types may get better on their own with time. But if you are suffering from hepatitis, you should avoid any factor that may irritate your liver or cause further complications.

DID YOU KNOW Liver damage symptoms can be detected only by blood tests that measure the level of liver enzymes, bilirubin, and a protein called albumin.

Ultrasound, MRI, and CAT scans can easily take pictures of the liver to spot any swollen, shrunken, or unusual appearance.

Fibrosis and Cirrhosis

Any factor that harms the liver over several years can form scar tissue in the liver.

Fibrosis is the first stage of liver scarring.

The accumulation and buildup of scar tissues in the liver for many years may develop a more serious condition called cirrhosis, where the scar tissues fail to perform their normal duties. Overtime, cirrhosis can cause illness and induce a number of symptoms that include fatigue, fluid in the abdomen, bleeding in the intestine, poor blood clothing, and unclear thinking.

Fatty Liver

People who have diabetes, high level of cholesterol or blood fats, or are overweight are more likely to develop fat in the liver cells. The buildup of fat can trigger inflammation and lead to cirrhosis on the long run. The good news is that the amount of fat may lessen when diabetics sustain well-controlled blood sugars, when cholesterol and triglyceride levels are lowered, and when an overweight patient loses weight.

Other Liver Diseases

Alcoholic liver disease Liver cancer Hemochromatosis (Excess of iron) Wilson’s disease (Excess Copper)

A List of DON’TS to Keep Your Liver Healthy DON’T… • Inject drugs like heroin or cocaine.

• Overdrink alcohol. Instead, consume in moderation.

• Share personal items such as toothbrush or razors.

• Exceed the optimum healthy weight.

• Take diabetes for granted. Instead, control blood sugars.

• Eat foods from places that have poor standards of food hygiene or drink unclean water, as this may increase chances of getting infected with hepatitis.

• Take over-the-counter medicines, supplements, or any remedy without consulting your doctor, as some medicines may damage the liver.

FOODS THAT HELP CLEANSE THE LIVER Some foods can naturally cleanse the liver by stimulating their natural ability to clean toxic waste from the body.

Garlic, grapefruit, beets, carrots, green tea, leafy green vegetables, avocados, apples, olive oil, and lemons.

BE AWARE! The majority of people may not experience any symptoms of liver cancer at early stages, and with time, liver cancer can become deadly. Make sure to abide by your yearly check-up tests.

September 2016 | 33

Health

PLANTAR FASCIITIS:

Quick Ways to Soothe Pain

Y

ou probably never heard about your plantar fascia until the pain in your heel jolted you! The plantar fascia is a thin, web-like ligament that connects the heel to the front of the foot to help you walk properly.

Usually, these ligaments act as shock absorbers, supporting the arch of the foot.

However, excessive pressure on the feet, repetitive motion, and overuse of the heel bone can tear the ligaments overtime. Thus, the plantar fascia becomes inflamed and consequently may become stiff.

The most prominent complain of those with plantar fasciitis is discomfort and inflammation at the bottom of the heel or at the bottom mid-foot area. The extent of pain can range from dull to sharp pain in one or both feet. The pain is usually worse in the morning when you take your first few steps or after lying down for long time. Pain can also flare up after long walks, prolonged activity, or stairs. That is because pain is never felt during, but after an activity.

34 | September 2016

CAUSES PLANTAR FASCIITIS? Many factors can influence heel pain. If you are a pregnant woman or an overweight person, you are likely to add pressure on your plantar fascia ligaments.

If you are a professional runner who constantly run for long distances or have a very active job that requires long standing and walking hours, you are at high risk for developing plantar fasciitis. This phenomenon is also slightly common among women than men.

If you have foot problems, such as flat feet or very high arches, and wear inappropriate shoes with soft soles and poor arch support, you are prone to develop plantar fasciitis.

Tight Achilles tendons that attach the calf muscles to the heels can also generate the same problem.

DIAGNOSING PLANTAR FASCIITIS The doctor performs a physical exam to check the extent of soreness in the foot and make sure that the pain is not the outcome of a different foot problem.

To determine this, the doctor evaluates the strength of the muscles and the health of the nerves by checking reflexes, muscle tone, sense of touch and sight, coordination, and balance.

Further exams, such as MRI and X-ray, may be done to ensure that there is no bone fracture or severe tear in ligaments and nerves.

TREATMENT OPTIONS

Many people put an emphasis on treatments that reduce inflammation without fully addressing the underling damage of the ligament. Consequently, the plantar fascia

ligament becomes disposed to reoccurrence of similar problem on the long run.

Home Treatments The basic form of treatment requires full rest and constant application of ice for 20 min, four times a day. Comfortable shoes, stretching exercises, and prescribed antiinflammation drugs can help relieve the pain and decrease the inflammation.

Medical Treatments If home treatments and over-the-counter drugs fail to alleviate the pain, an injection of a corticosteroid directly into the hurt area of the ligament can help repair the damage.

Night splints are another form of treatment that requires the patient to hold the foot in a flexed position and lengthen the plantar fascia and Achilles tendon overnight.

This conduct decreases the chance of experiencing morning pain and stiffness.

Some arch supports can soothe the pain by distributing pressure to place less strain on the plantar fascia.

Physical therapy is a crucial part of the treatment, as it will stretch your plantar fascia and Achilles tendons. A physical therapist can also guide you through a number of workouts that can strengthen your lower leg muscles to stabilize the walk and add less strain on the plantar fascia. Here is a stretching routine that may help ease or prevent the pain.

STRETCH YOUR CALVES

• Stand one meter away from a wall and place your right foot behind your left foot.

• Slowly, bend your left leg forward while keeping your right knee straight and heel on the floor.

• Hold the stretch for 15-25 seconds and release.

• Perform three repetitions on each side.

When the plantar fascia starts to heal, you

can develop this stretch by performing it with both legs slightly bent to loosen the soleus muscle in the lower calf.

STRETCH YOUR PLANTAR FASCIA

• Sit on a chair and roll your foot back and forth over a foam roller for one minute, and then switch to the other foot.

• Next, cross one leg over the other for the big toe stretch. Grab your big toe, pull it gently toward you, and hold for 15-30 seconds. Repeat three times, and then shift to the other side.

• For the third seated exercise, fold a towel lengthwise to make an exercise strap.

• Sit down, and place the folded towel under the arches of both feet.

• Grab the ends of the towel with both hands, and gently pull the tops of your feet toward you. Hold for 15-30 seconds, and repeat three times.

NOTE!

Chronic complications may arise if you ignore heel pain, causing injury to your legs, knees, hips, and back, in addition to rupture of the ligament.

TIPS

Give running a rest until the inflammation cools down. Rest for two weeks, ice your plantar fascia, perform stretches, and take prescribed anti-inflammatory medication.

Start slowly. Many athletes tend to overtrain right after an injury, causing further implications. Run for short distances and then add distance, speed, and cadence gradually. Don’t forget to stretch properly.

You must buy an adequate pair of running shoes that support your foot to avoid heel pain and other running-related injuries.

September 2016 | 35

Style

TRAVEL IN STYLE

W When we travel, we men like to travel smart and bring only the most essential items and accessories to enjoy an epic, stress-free trip.

While the whole packing dilemma is not a big deal, we have got you covered with the latest fashion trends from top designers and chic travel accessories to fly in style.

GUCCI

GUCCI GUCCI

RESSENCE

Make sure to reference your activities list to coordinate the outfits accordingly. In general, you can never go wrong with nautical style.

ESSENTIALS

J.CREW

ONIA

Grey works well with almost any color out there!

CASTANĚƒER 36 | September 2016

There is no shame in wearing a rainbow-colored swimwear. You will be thrilled by the admiring gazes.

Pick a favorite item that you want to emphasize in your packing list, and then choose two more colors that compliment it well.

THOM BROWNE FILSON

KINGSMAN BRUNELLO CUCINELLI

Burgundy is the new black and it never fails to impress you.

RUBINACCI

ONIA

ORLEBAR BROWN

POLO RALPH LAUREN SPERRY

OLIVER PEOPLES

HAVAIANAS September 2016 | 37

Style

BRING SOME Rock’n’Roll Attitude into Your Wardrobe

MARNI

RAY-BAN

BURBERRY

BALMAIN

38 | September 2016

ANTHONY VACCARELLO

SOPHIA WEBSTER

CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN

ALEXANDER WANG ANTHONY VACCARELLO

BALMAIN SAINT LAURENT

JENNIFER BEHR

GIVENCHY

ZIMMERMANN

TIBI

MICHELLE MASON September 2016 | 39

Technology IPHONE 7

WHAT’S UP

TECHNOLOGY? POKÉMON GO PLUS

SAMSUNG GEAR VR 40 | September 2016

SAMSUNG NOTE 7

IPHONE 7 IS RUMORED TO RELEASE UNUSUAL FUNCTIONALITIES THIS YEAR!

Apple plans to launch its next generation iPhone in the fourth quarter of the year and details have been leaking out at a rapid pace.

After some research, it seems that the new device will feature a dual camera system, an improved quality of pictures, and probably an innovative design. The headphones will be wireless! The new lightening-equipped Bluetooth EarPods will connect to the mobile wirelessly, and are said to be water resistant.

Also instead of the usual home button, the new iPhone will feature an unmovable Touch ID fingerprint sensor that is pressure sensitive. More updates will be announced this month.

ORBII CAMERA ROLL FOR HOME SECURITY

Oftentimes, we experience or hear about robbery and we search for endless ways to secure our homes, but find them all expensive. Orbii is an extraordinary gadget that monitors home security, integrates with smart devices, and haunts for thieves.

Orbii’s drive modules help it roll in different directions and with great accuracy.

Meanwhile, the mobile app screens the video when the camera is facing the direction of travel. The app also provides real time notifications, sensor data readings, and simple joystick controls. The main goal

of Orbii is to detect any sound or motion, alert its owner via text message or push notifications, and record a 30 second video even at night. Orbii has 8 hours of memory for recording audio and video streams, and can save data for up to 30 days.

SAMSUNG GEAR VR… NEXT GENERATION GEAR VR AWAITS

The new Samsung Gear VR is your ticket to extraordinary getaways and activities you’ve never been before! You can simply explore, discover, and dive into a world of 360° by snapping your compatible Galaxy smartphone into the portable and wireless Gear VR headset. Not only that, you will have access to an expansive library of premium videos and inputs of people who share your same passion. You can share your beautiful creations via Facebook, You Tube, or Samsung VR.

COLLECT YOUR FAVORITE CHARACTERS WITH POKÉMON GO PLUS

You don’t need to waste battery life anymore with the new Pokémon Go Plus watch.

Compatible with android devices, the small watch connects to a smartphone via Bluetooth low energy and notifies you about nearby Pokémon through vibration or flash light. Once a Pokémon is close, you press the button on the Pokémon Go Plus to throw a Poké Ball. Then the device will flash and

vibrate to let you know if your mission is complete. To “catch’em all,” you will need to take long walks, which is the best part about being a game fanatic.

IMAGINE A ROLLABLE OLED DISPLAY…

After a decade of development, LG was able to release its first flexible OLED technology.

This unbelievably innovative invention and design has the potential to revolutionize smartphones, tablets, and televisions. The screen emits light diodes from a plastic substance rather than glass, making it a one-of-a-kind creation. Whether you stuff it in your backpack or transfer it from one room to the other, you can always take it wherever you want.

SAMSUNG NOTE 7 IS OUT!

Samsung introduced a new 5.7-inch note with a dual-curved screen and a round back to make seamless transitions between work and play go smooth. The phone comes with a chic S Pen to help you take notes, sketch ideas, or simply write down your diaries and inspirations.

And once the working hours are over, you can access a wide variety of HDR videos and Vulkan API games among other entertaining apps. Samsung Note 7 features a great variety of tools including iris scanning to protect your information and privacy, a brighter F1.7 lens and larger 1.4µm pixels camera, a microSC card that saves up to 256GB, and a number of cool accessories accessible for individuals who seek excitement.

September 2016 | 41

GET FIT

Technology

LOOK COOL MONKII BARS 2

Monkii Bars 2 is a brilliant, light-weight yet strong bodyweight trainer designed for individuals who want to maintain a healthy lifestyle at home, work, outdoors, vacation, or anywhere at anytime you want. The portable bars are weather resistant, weigh only 9 oz., and comprise of more than 250 exercises with instructions to suit your ability level. The Adventure Kit converts the bars into a selfcontained home and workout system that fits in any bag.

ZEPP SMART BAT Old Hickory’s MT27 Smart Bat powered by Zepp released a high-tech baseball analysis system that reveals results in a matter of minutes. It provides a natural grip of the bat and delivers precise statistics while eliminating any potential distractions to the player. Simply insert Zepp sensor into Smart Bat and lock it with a key, then capture and connect with Bluetooth to capture, visualize, and analyze your swing data.

Available at kickstarter.com for EGP 5,313.

Available at amazon.com for EGP 1,332.

BEAST SENSOR There are numerous trackers that measure running and cycling performance, but when it comes to weight training, strength training, and weightlifting, the traditional tracker falls short.

Beast Sensor is designed by strength and conditioning coaches for the sole purpose of providing accurate tracking of power, strength, and speed of each lift, in addition to repetitions and energy burn. The light gadget can be worn as an ordinary wristband or attached to a piece of equipment, such as barbells, kettlebells, dumbbells, and cable machine weight.

Available at thisisbeast.com for EGP 2,470.

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VIBRAM’S WRAP ON FUROSHIKI FOOTWEAR Advertised as “outsoles that wrap around your foot,” Italian shoe maker Vibram Furoshiki best known for Five Fingers line of minimalist shoes have launched footwear model inspired by traditional Japanese wrapping cloth. The main concept behind this pair was to create a dynamic structure, rubber sole adorned with a swath of stretchy fabric that can fit any foot size. The new model allows the toes to move freely inside of what feel like winter fluffy slippers.

The Furoshiki line comes out in five colors and five sizes, in addition to two synthetic leather boot models suitable for winter season.

Available at amazon.com for EGP 977.

Technology

The Best Fitness Trackers of 2016

Picking out the finest fitness tracker is a mind-bogglingly tough prospect. With a diverse array of models and unceasing efforts of the technology industry to advance features and functionalities, it becomes very hard to find the best tracker that satisfies individual needs. For this, we’ve got you covered with our round up of the top fitness trackers to help you choose your optimum tracker.

BEST FOR SLEEPING Jawbone Up3 When you lack willpower and determination, Jawbone will come to your rescue. The tracker gives personalized health tips to attain goals, detects even the smallest body changes in your routine, and suggests better habits to improve lifestyle. Jawbone up3 can help you lose weight by keeping daily logs of you calorie intake, whether from a restaurant or home. The gadget is very recommended for people with low willpower, but it is probably most noted for its ability to optimize REM and deep sleep, and even provide you with a crucial tip like “Your heart rate is higher than average… maybe you are dehydrated.”

Available at amazon.com for EGP 1,600.

BEST FOR OVERALL FITNESS Fitbit Blaze The revolutionary watch is designed to help you “Get fit in style,” boasting a number of breakthrough features that keep fitness in focus.

The popular device provides step-by-step instructions coaching, a record of exercises performed, realtime statistics of cardio workouts, sleeping detector, daily and weekly reports, and heart rate monitor. The elegant watch is released in different vibrant colors with a battery that lasts five days.

Available at amazon.com for EGP 1,776.

BEST FOR GETTING IN SHAPE Moov Now Imagine a device that can talk to you while you run, count every swim lap, teach you how to box like a pro, help you cycle smarter, and level up your training. This well-rounded piece of gadget is too good to be true. Moov Now is a learning and coaching tracker that provides runners with audio coaching to improve distance, stamina, and posture and prevent injuries; swimmers with detailed lap breakdown and information about stroke rate, distance per stroke, pace, and time; boxers with training videos and accurate coaching; cyclers with speed, distance, cadence data, and gear coaching; and athletes with 7-minute audio and video instructional coaching and guidance for better performance.

Available at amazon.com for EGP 710.

BEST FOR RUNNING Garmin Vivosmart HR+ The vivosmart HR+ features a combination of useful statistics such as daily steps, heart rate, weather forecasts, and a built-in GPS for runners to record where they ran. Other running qualities include auto pause, auto lap, and a run/walk feature. The vivosmart HR+ offers up around a week of battery life and up to eight hours when using GPS. However, one must take the phone along the run. It comes in three colors; black/gray, purple, and blue.

Available at amazon.com for EGP 1,954.

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Wheels

SET THE WHEELS IN MOTION

because traditional cars are too mainstream MINI EGYPT PRESENTS A LIMITED COOPER S COUNTRYMAN VERSION MINI is presenting a new and exclusive special edition of its COOPER S COUNTRYMAN model in the Egyptian market.

The hot variant is clearly recognizable through some exterior and interior refinements, and will be available for a limited time to capture the spirit of the British marque. The bulked-up crossover, which is cruising into its sixth year, has proven to be a major success to the BMW-owned marque. Launched in 2010 before receiving a facelift in 2014, MINI COUNTRYMAN’s success was hinged on offering a generous amount of room for both the front and rear seats to suit the lifestyle of the British brand’s customers, let alone accommodating enough luggage for a holiday weekend trip. The cargo room is roughly twice the size of that in the three-door MINI COOPER Hatchback. In this context, the COUNTRYMAN is bigger than the standard MINIs. The latest edition of the COUNTRYMAN range designated especially for the Egyptian market comes packed with many standard equipment. Those features include JOHN COOPER WORKS leather steering wheel with gearshift paddles, keyless ignition/entry, adaptive Bi-Xenon headlights for the low and high beams, premium HARMAN KARDON audio system, Bluetooth Hands-Free Interface, rear-view mirror with automatic anti-dazzle function, sports seats for the driver and front passenger with power-adjustable mechanism, automatic air conditioning, electric panoramic glass roof with sun protection glazing function, sport-tuned suspension, and front passenger airbag deactivation system, among others.

NISSAN BLADEGLIDER BRINGS CUTTINGEDGE INTELLIGENT MOBILITY TO LIFE Nissan Motor Co., Ltd unveiled the working prototype of its futuristic BladeGlider vehicle, combining zeroemissions with high-performance in a revolutionary sports car design.

With the BladeGlider, Nissan’s vision was for an agile, efficient EV that would provide new dimensions of driving fun and excitement - a car that would ‘glide’, thanks to the near-silent performance of its electric powertrain and aerodynamic shape. BladeGlider epitomises Intelligent Mobility, a philosophy to make its cars more exciting by redefining how they are driven, powered and integrated into society. The demonstration models feature an advanced chassis configuration with a narrow front track and wider rear track for optimum aerodynamic efficiency and handling stability. High-waisted, rear-hinged dihedral doors provide a dramatic entry and exit to the cabin. The open roof of BladeGlider is reinforced with an integrated roll-over protection structure, providing the exhilaration of an open-topped race car with the safety of a coupé.

Flanking the central display are two screens, with the images of rear-view cameras mounted just behind the front wheels. An alternative to door-mounted mirrors, this dual screen design improves the aerodynamic efficiency of BladeGlider.

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ELEVATE YOUR SENSE OF ADVENTURE WITH MAZDA MX-5 RF The all-new Mazda MX-5 RF (Retractable Fastback) appeals to both your senses and sensibilities. With its unique fastback roofline and retractable back window, you will experience a breathtaking open-air feeling that truly demonstrates your passion for driving. The MX-5 RF also ensures you never have to compromise performance for aesthetics. This vehicle provides the same extent of trunk space as the soft-top model and features award winning SKYACTIV Technology. The new line has an automatic and is trimmed in gray paint sourced from the 2016 CX-9 crossover and the interior in red nappa leather inside. All in all, this car is suitable for people seeking exhilarating drive or a relaxed ride in the quiet comfort of the vehicle.

2017 FIAT 124 SPIDER ABARTH VERSION BY AURELIO LAMPREDI Made in Japan by Mazda, the new Abarth version has a limited-slip differential and four more horsepower than a regular 124 Spider squeezes out of its Fiat-made, 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder. The rear end is totally different to the Japanese roadster, with a design that is somehow close to the old Dodge Viper. The new car is defined by two main features: the ‘seagull’ wings that fall inwards towards the bootlid, and a sharp horizontal tail lamps, which echo those on the new Fiat 500 supermini. A small spoiler and twin exhausts are two elements that are giving the novel car its sporting potential. The cabin is very similar to the Mazda MX-5, with an identical switch and knob as well as seven-inch color display on the dash controlled by the swivel wheel on the center console. Normal equipment will include Bluetooth, USB connectivity, and a six-speaker stereo. Upgrades include a nine-speaker Bose stereo.

JAGUAR XE REFINES DRIVING DYNAMICS Jaguar has always had a passion for innovation and dynamic design. The new Jaguar XE astonishing vehicle brings a broad range of sophisticated technologies including Adaptive Dynamics, Integral Link rear suspension, Torque Vectoring, and Jaguar’s next generation braking system, offering an unrivalled refine of quality car. The eye-catching clean surface, design, and great proportions give birth an adrenalin rush! XE delivers highly competitive total cost of ownership, with CO2 emissions from 99g/km, fuel consumption from 3.8l/100km and up to 34,000km or 2 years between services. The new model comes equipped with a range of active safety systems to enhance the world-class level of safety and to provide the adequate settings for a family car.

September 2016 | 45

Styles & Features

ELFIT Reebok is Back... Get out of Your Comfort Zone

T

BATTLE UP AND COMPETE!

ime is almost up. You’re seconds away, and they’ll be calling your name soon.

“You can’t do this,” says the voice in your head, The audience’s roars starts fading in, Your family, friends, fans and all who came to support you, You can hear them chanting, Chanting your name, Cause they believe you are much stronger than you think, The doubt in your mind humbles and crumbles, And you decide to carry on, move forward, Win or lose, you’re a champ.

This pretty much sums up ELFIT. SUPPORT, MOTIVATION, AMAZING SPIRIT! The biggest fitness competition in Egypt and one of the leading fitness events in the Middle East is back for its 4th season and it is challenging you to get out of your comfort zone, battle up, and compete! Now is the time to show what you are really made of!

ELFIT started back in 2013, with the aim of growing the fitness community by encouraging physical awareness and promoting health as a lifestyle. ELFIT is created and managed by “In The Zone Sports”, a leading sport event management company based in Egypt.

ELFIT began as a local competition, but grew into what it is now. It gained a lot of popularity and recognition. It is now one of the most important dates on many fitness enthusiasts’ calendars, attracting many from different countries.

As the competition started back in 2013, it had a whooping 200 competitors and 1000 spectators.

A year later, the number of athletes increased and reached almost 400, which was far more than expected. The event witnessed an even greater number of spectators - almost 1500 made it to the battlefield to support their friends and family.

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During the competition’s third season that took place last year, the number of competitors reached 605 athletes including 45 foreign athletes.

This year, ELFIT 2016 will be even bigger, better, and hotter. ELFIT finals competition will be held on 3 consecutive days from October 20th-22nd, where 400+ athletes will

be competing at the finals at Palm Hills Club in the heart of Cairo, Egypt, to win the title of ELFIT 2016 and take home their share of USD 20,000+ total money prize! Anyone is welcome to compete at ELFIT. ELFIT Reebok is one of the few competitions around the world that has 11 different categories to give a chance for everyone to join (14+ - 45+ years old).

The competition features 2 main divisions; Elite and Scaled.

The Elite Division Consists of 4 Different Categories: • Individual Males/Females (16+) • Masters Males 35+ • Mixed Teams

All Elite categories will have to go through a qualifications round to reach the final weekend in Cairo. There will be 4 qualifier workouts for the individuals’ categories and 3 online qualifier workouts for the Mixed Teams category (2 males+ 1 female).

Seven countries will be hosting the Elite Individuals Qualifiers that will be held on different weekends starting September 9th until October 1st, 2016. (Crossfit Rhea, Transformers, and Crossfit MonkeyBars in Cairo; The Hit in Alex; and Crossfit Proactive in Portsaid), in addition to Peak fitness in UAE, Flare Fitness in Kuwait, Crossfit 962 in Jordan, Crossfit Delmon in Bahrain, Crossfit B- Town in Lebanon, and Crossfit Quwwa in Qatar.

Individuals Qualifier Workouts will be released first week of September. Elite mixed teams qualifiers will be performed online, where teams have to submit their scores online by September 6th, 2016 at 23.59 GMT.

The Scaled Division Consists of 7 Different Categories: • • • • •

Individual Males/ Females (16+) Masters Females 35+ Masters Males 45+ Mixed Teams Teens Boys/ Girls (14-16 years).

All Scaled division qualifiers will be held on October 21st where the top athletes/teams from each category on the leaderboard will qualify to the finals on Saturday 22nd, 2016.

Why compete, you ask?

Aside from a chance of winning and the comradely you’ll experience meeting such thrilling people who share the same passion for sports and fitness, it’s a challenge for yourself; to be a fitter you… a better you.

ELFIT finals event is always exciting and fun. Spectators will be able to get close to the competition to cheer and motivate their mates, and coaches will be able to coach their athletes while competing.

We hope you are as pepped up as we are because this year is going to be intense, energized, and passionate. The motivation is overwhelming with fresh and positive vibes and we want everyone to get on board and to spread them on.

On the final day of the competition, there will be a huge fitness festival “Egypt Fitness Fest” for the crowd to engage in, featuring Jumping Party, Strongest Man Competition, Weightlifting Competition, Spinning Marathon, Obstacle Challenge, Run, Bike Ride, and many more… you can’t miss it. (Check out it www. egyptfitnessfest.com) Battle Up & Compete! Registration is now open for all categories just visit www.elfiteg.com sign up, fill in your registration form, and pay the fees.

September 2016 | 47

Styles & Features

EGYPT FITNESS FEST IS BACK! Break up your daily routine and join the one and only fitness festival happening in Egypt, coming back for its 4th year to

celebrate fitness with a carnival atmosphere on October 22nd, 2016 at Palm Hills Club, 2016.

I

t all started in 2013 with a mission to create a huge fitness community, change the fitness and sports scene in Egypt, and motivate people to live and lead a positive, active lifestyle.

With all the negativity dimming the atmosphere in Egypt, it’s amazing to realize that there are other people and entities out there who share your goals, vision, and dreams - doing their absolute best to create a positive environment.

And that’s exactly what we’re trying to reach. We believe in the power of sports and fitness, the power of an awesome community all gathered in one place with one goal, which is to spread positive energy, good vibes, optimism as well as to create a great atmosphere that could help us face challenges that come our way. There is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious than people with positive vibes and energy.

Egypt Fitness Fest is the meeting point where fitness entities, enthusiasts, and newbies gather from all over the Middle East to take part in the mega sporting event and engage through a multitude of activities, including competitions and games carried out in a fun and exciting way.

The fest encourages people to come together as a community and get active for the fun of it.

Whether families or individuals or groups, everyone will find themselves in The Fest.

Whatever type of person you are, you’ll find something that you love at The Fest.

We would like you to bring your family. You’ll find a family run, children playground, and some free exercises and good vibes. We would like you to dance, The Fest has Les Mills classes, Zumba classes, Pole Fit, and a huge jumping party powered by Jumping Middle East. We promise you barrels of fun.

If competing is your thing, you’ll find a multitude of competitions like Egypt Strongest Man Competition and an amateur weightlifting challenge, the Obstacle course for all fitness freaks and one for the little ones as well. Challenge yourself. It’s so much fun and you’ll love it.

We would like you to learn all about CrossFit that has been taking the world by storm as we have an area dedicated solely to teaching 101 CrossFit for all the new learners out there. There are also a variety of games you can participate in like soccer, basketball, and many more.

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The event also features the finals of the biggest fitness competition in Egypt and one of the leading events in the Middle East, where athletes will be battling with others from Lebanon, Bahrain, Kuwait, UAE, Jordan, and Qatar. Also happening on the same day is the Urban Fight Night an MMA fight night powered by F3 (Fight & Fitness Factory.)

It’s a great event to get exposed to what’s hot and new in fitness and health, also to meet new people and share your knowledge, skills, and invigorating passion for health and fitness with the rest of the community. We bring you excitement, motivation, inspiration, and joy for the whole family that all sums up to a one-of-a-kind experience with an amazing spirit that we just can’t wait for.

To stay updated Follow them on: Facebook: Egypt Fitness Fest Instagram: egyptfitnessfest Website: www.egyptfitnessfest.com

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Success Story

MEET MOHAMED ABOU AUF Founder of TD CrossFit Redefines Functional Fitness

How did you learn about CrossFit and what made it so appealing for you?

Well, I used to play tennis when I was young but had to stop at an early age since I wasn’t as talented as the other boys. I knew at that time that I was the fittest though! So I joined the Kung Fu team at the age of 16 and resumed till I experienced a lower back injury due to the absence of proper technique and posture guidance among coaches. After the injury, I decided to stick to some gymnastics including pull-ups, push-ups, and squats - combined with some running. And that was my everyday routine at that time; to run 5 laps then complete 10 sets of 10 pull-ups, 10 push-ups, and 10 squats, followed by some core work at the end.

Then one day, I received a phone call from a friend of mine, Karim Nokaly, where he told me about the opening of a Tennis Academy and asked for some help. So I talked with Head Coach Ramy Saleh, who was the first to introduce CrossFit in Egypt. The game was very new so he gave me some guidelines on how to work with the kids and we talked a bit about programming. I really liked it to the extent that I skipped a semester merely to focus on that new sport. For me, CrossFit was very challenging and interesting. A short five-minute workout can turn out to be super intense, leaving you dead the moment you complete it. The idea was to combine different movements together.

Tell us about your first workout.

My first workout ever was called ‘Fran.’ It was a combo between pull-ups and thrusters (squats wit press). At that time, I knew I was very good with pull-ups and thought I can easily fulfill this workout. So I managed to finish it in 12 minutes, I remember. And to my surprise, I discovered numerous people over the Internet, who were able to fulfill the same workout 10 minutes faster than me! At this point, I said to myself “I am going to change that,” and this is how it all started.

What were your fitness goals when you founded TD CrossFit? I founded TD CrossFit in 2014. I was already working for CrossFit Stars for three years, so I was ready to open my own affiliate. When I first started training individuals in 2011, I had almost quarter the knowledge and confidence that I 50 | September 2016

my clients - if you’re comfortable with the techniques, you can find all the workouts you need online without paying money to join a CrossFit box.

However, life responsibilities can provide minimum amount of time to both learn and practice, which is very common in Egypt, hence it could be more motivating to workout in group rather than alone.

Concerning the second question, CrossFit is a full body workout. The only thing that we don’t practice is biceps and triceps and all these stuff. It’s more like a compound movement like pullups, push-ups, handstand, burpees, squats, overhead presses, cleans, snatches, and sprints. It’s all about the combination of the movement. And we, as gym owners, strive to design the best workouts possible to provide an excellent routine for our participants who leave behind their work and responsibilities for one hour at my Box.

What is the best misconception about CrossFit? It’s mainly injuries and getting bulky. Let’s talk first about injuries. All professional athletes are prone to injuries if they didn’t warm up and eat properly, or even sleep well the day before the training. In our case, if you rush things you’re going to get injured for sure. If you want to lift heavy before learning the proper technique of the movement, you’re going to get injured. If you’re showing off while working out, you’re probably going to get injured. You have to listen to your body and here the coach will be there for you, but just don’t try to improvise, just stick to the rules and we’re going to take very good care of you. And again don’t RUSH things, just be patient and you’ll accomplish whatever you want.

What are your favorite and least favorite CrossFit exercises?

had when I decided to open my new affiliate in Zamalek. My athletic background helped me join CrossFit Stars and lead me to who I am today.

How would you describe your philosophy about being fit and healthy?

I can’t say if there is a favorite and least favorite exercise, because it is simply a love and hate relationship. It always depends on the mood. Some days, you enjoy doing burpees, other days it just hurts so much. Some days, you feel like lifting heavy with a very slow pace, other days it’s just not happening and you can’t think properly during the lift. We can define my weakness, which is mainly overhead position. All pressing with the bar: shoulder press, push press, and jerk. Other than that, it’s all fun.

What are the top 10 foods we would find in your kitchen?

Nowadays, the philosophy of being fit is completely different than before. The perfect body doesn’t necessarily indicate a fit physique.

To be fit and healthy, you must be a well-rounded athlete in general.

There are 10 fundamental physical skills: strength, power, flexibility, agility, coordination, accuracy, endurance, cardiovascular, speed, and balance. Each type of sport requires specific set of skills. A tennis athlete, for instance, should focus on speed, agility, coordination, and strength a bit more than the others.

CrossFit places a great emphasis on many skills and requires a wellrounded program to help any individual reach his/her highest fitness level and easily run 10K, complete 50 pull-ups unbroken, and even lift 120 kilos over his head. While it is very hard for athletes of different sports to compete with each other, we constantly strive to excel in different sport components.

Olive oil, peanut butter, nuts, seeds, eggs, tuna, cottage cheese, broccoli, cucumber, and any kind of fruit.

In your opinion, what’s the best way to start CrossFit? And which components of fitness does it work on?

Are there any special supplements, training tips, or key diet that you adhere to and would recommend to my readers?

It depends on where you come from. If you didn’t workout for a while or have some health issues, you should definitely consult a good coach that you feel comfortable working out with. I always say this to

Do not consume supplements if you are not competing. Do not skip rest days. And stop eating at least 2 hours before you sleep.

In what ways can CrossFit be more functional that other types of sports?

Ok let’s talk about bodybuilders first. These athletes are super strong and can certainly lift more than any CrossFitter; however, their running techniques can be not so good due to stiff muscles that focus on strength rather than overall fitness. On the contrary, endurance athletes can run better than all CrossFitters but fail to lift weight properly or sustain good level of strength. To be functional, you must not focus on a specific muscle, but rather move the entire body every day to prevent injuries as much as possible.

September 2016 | 51

Fit

FACTS

Most of the recovery happens when you sleep. It is thus recommended to sleep and wake up early and enjoy 7-9 hours of proper sleep.

Weakness in stabilizing muscles of the hips and core, worn running shoes, overtraining, flat feet, and feet or leg deformity are among the causes of shin splints.

Barre Workouts can increase mind-body awareness, strengthen the core muscles, and engage all muscle groups at once.

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A long term study done by a team of Finnish researches claim that people who cycle at a moderate level for at least 30 minutes a day are half as likely to develop cancer as those who don't.

Strawberries and blueberries are ultrahigh in antioxidants that play an imperative role in preventing long term effects of oxidative stress in brain function as they improve blood flow to the brain, enhance neural activity, and decrease the level of toxins present in blood stream, which reduce age related conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease.

If a joint dislocates, it’s more likely to dislocate again in the future. Try to avoid any movement that would trigger the causation of this condition.

In order to maximize power, you must increase strength, speed, and distance simultaneously.

Styles & Features

BOAST PANELLED JERSEY T-SHIRT

SHOP THE LATEST FOOTWEAR & APPAREL SALOMON SENSE PRO 2 TRAIL RUNNING SNEAKERS

FENDI BAG BUGS AND FLECKED-PRINT T-SHIRT

NIKE RUNNING COOL MILER MÉLANGE DRI-FIT T-SHIRT

UNDER ARMOUR LAUNCH 2-IN1 SHELL SHORTS LACOSTE TENNIS WIDE-LEG LIGHTWEIGHT JERSEY SHORTS

NIKE TRAINING METCON 2 MESH AND RUBBER SNEAKERS

NIKE PUSH-UP GRIPS 2.0 NIKE CHALLENGER PREMIER RAFA DRI-FIT T-SHIRT

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SUUNTO TRAVERSE AMBER GPS WATCH

IVY PARK PRINTED STRETCHJERSEY AND MESH SPORTS BRA IVY PARK CROPPED COLOR-BLOCK COTTON-JERSEY SWEATSHIRT IVY PARK LASER-CUT STRETCHJERSEY TANK

IVY PARK COLOR-BLOCK COTTON-JERSEY SHORTS

ADIDAS BY STELLA MCCARTNEY YOGA BAMBOO PRINTED CLIMALITE® STRETCH-JERSEY LEGGINGS

FALKE STRIPED COTTON-BLEND SOCKS

MARA HOFFMAN PRINTED STRETCH-JERSEY LEGGINGS

MARA HOFFMAN PRINTED STRETCHJERSEY SPORTS BRA

ADIDAS PURE BOOST X SNEAKERS

ADIDAS BY STELLA MCCARTNEY YOGA MAT September 2016 | 55

Meet The EXPERTS

Dr. Melina Jampolis Physician Nutrition Specialist Kim Oddo Trainer and Competition Coach based in Temecula, CA

What’s the best way to deal with bloating?

Bloating can stem from a number of issues. I run a checklist with my clients to home in on exactly where the issue is coming from. This includes making sure they are getting enough essential fatty acids to aid digestion and adequate dietary fiber to push food through the intestines. Also allergies to gluten, dairy, and sugars, can cause bloating in the lower intestine. Make sure dietary proteins aren’t too high (especially too many whey shakes, since whey can be processed too quickly, causing distention). But one of the easiest fixes is to drink more water since the extra fluids help push waste through the intestines and alleviate belly bloat.

How can nutrition help prevent Alzheimer’s?

Age and family history/genetics are major risk factors, but emerging research is suggesting that lifestyle factors including diet and exercise can also play an important role in prevention. Eating a heart healthy diet like the DASH diet or the Mediterranean diet is essential, as brain health and heart health are very closely related. Here are a few other things you should consider.

Up your E. Vitamin E is a very potent antioxidant and appears to play a role in staving off Alzheimer’s. Research shows that those with the highest amounts in their diet (from food, not supplements) have a significantly lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Top food sources include sunflower and safflower oil, nuts and seeds (almonds, sunflower seeds, peanuts, hazelnuts) and green vegetables including broccoli and spinach.

Lev Borukhow Founder and Co-Owner of Movement Minded PhysioTherapy

What could be the cause of my lower back being sore after I workout?

Several different factors can be attributed to low back pain. It could be tissue tightness, improper lifting form, too much weight or improper posture. If you plan on doing a compound barbell movement, you’ll need to do a movement preparation session with dynamic movements and soft tissue work beforehand and many people don’t do that.

Sitting in a chair for eight hours followed by treadmill running isn’t the proper way to prepare for lifting. Also, a lack of core muscle recruitment for the lift that you’re about to perform can cause lower back pain.

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Go for fish. Getting adequate amounts of poly-unsaturated omega 3 fatty acids found in fish is associated with a lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease. DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), which is present in larger amounts in the brain, appears to be particularly important. If you don’t eat fish, take a fish oil capsule daily or try out some of the new foods fortified with DHA including soy milk, yogurt and nutrition bars.

Move more. Moderate to heavy exercise can decrease your risk of Alzheimer’s by up to 45%. Moderate exercise includes house and yard work, climbing stairs, and sports like bowling and golf. And start early -- exercising in your teens can protect you later in life.

Spice things up. India has a much lower incidence of Alzheimer’s disease, and many researchers believe it may be due in part to their extensive use of turmeric (a component of curry) in their cooking. Turmeric contains a powerful phytonutrient called curcumin which may help protect the brain from Alzheimer’s disease in several ways.

CJ Murphy Trainer and Owner of Total Performance Sports

How to protect my rotator cuff from getting injured?

Sean Hyson Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist

Should I schedule a deload week?

A deload is a period of time in which you take things easier in the gym by lifting lighter weights or reducing your training volume. Deloads typically last a week and encourage recovery before another period of harder training with heavier loading.

Even if your body doesn’t absolutely need to deload, it’s a good idea. It doesn’t hurt you in anyway. The worst thing about deloading is that it adds length to your program. So instead of possibly hitting a new max personal record in 9 weeks, you’ll get there in 12.

But so what? Better to get there in one piece.

Don’t listen to powerlifters on the Internet who say deloading is for weak people. That you’re not strong enough yet. That you have to “earn the right”. They’re all injured.

Play it safe and back off every fourth week in the Truth About Strength Training Program. You’ll do better in the long run.

Vary your upper-back work: Don’t focus on boosting your bench press; leave room for rows as well. Perform half of your upper-back work as pull-down/pull-up movement and half as rows.

Work around your rotator cuff: Direct rotator cuff work is unnecessary and may be detrimental to your development. The cuff is a stabilizer and direct work is not necessary to maintain shoulder health.

Tighten your form: many benchers are guilty of one fatal flaw when it comes to staying injury-free: failing to pinch their shoulder blades. It keeps shoulders stable and thus help prevent injury.

Grip it to not rip it: In order to prevent rotator cuff tears; squeeze the bar as tight as possible on all lifts to engage the rotator cuff.

This forces the shoulder to stabilize itself, and is the most effective and healthy way to make the rotator cuff better as its job.

Kathy Smith Personal Trainer and Fitness Guru

If someone has just 20 minutes a day to exercise, what should they focus on?

They have to be consistent … Twenty minutes really adds up when you’re doing it six days a week year-round, but doesn’t amount too much if you’re only doing it a couple times a week. Start with 20 minutes of something you love to do, and build on that.

So if you feel like dancing, dance. If you’d like to try yoga, start there. The other key aspect is intensity. It’s important to make those 20 minutes count. Compound exercises that work upper body, lower body, and core simultaneously not only save time, but they send your calorie burn through the roof. If you’re pushing yourself, 20 minutes can actually be more effective than a longer, less intense workout.

September 2016 | 57

UPCOMING EVENTS RAISING SUPPORT IN THE PARENTING JOURNEY SEPTEMBER 1 If you are a parent who is always keen about developing your knowledge and skills on parenting, whether you have attended a session with Raising Happy before or learned about positive parenting through other sessions or your own readings, this is a session for you. Group Coaching is a form of life coaching dedicated to a group of people who are interested in the same topic. A professional accredited coach helps the group to benefit from peer learning and empower the attendees to find helpful solutions for their challenges and come out with action plans.

For more information and reservation, you may contact: Flow Wellness Center 0127 288 7338

DMITRY KLOKOV CROSSFIT SEMINAR SEPTEMBER 2 For the first time in Egypt, Dmitry Klokov will host an exclusive weightlifting seminar at CrossFit Stars, Swan Lake Compound on the 2nd and 3rd of September.

You will get to learn techniques on how to improve your weightlifting skills by a worldwide champion. Do not miss this golden chance!

For more information and reservation, you may contact: Zoomin Productions 0112 999 9405 58 | September 2016

DANCING THE SELF – CONTEMPORARY DANCE WORKSHOP FOR WOMEN EMPOWERMENT SEPTEMBER 4 A workshop for women only exploring body ownership, choice, and empowerment. Each session will begin with a technique class based on release, graham, and cunningham contemporary dance techniques. This workshop aims to help you build strength, flexibility, and creative expression. After which we will have space for open discussion, improvisation, and creative tasks. The workshop will provide the basis of research for Zosia Jo’s new performance project (Un)Covered. The event lasts four days from 6 – 9 p.m.

For more information and reservation, you may contact: Studio Emad Eddin Foundation 2592 3752

SINAI SAFARI TOUR SEPTEMBER 8 Join Kokopelli this Eid in a new 4-night adventure full of 4x4 safari, hiking, and snorkeling. The trip is suitable for anyone looking for an enjoyable easy hike and relaxing time by the sea with some fun activities. Backpack should not exceed 10 kilos!

For more information and reservation, you may contact: The Hiking Club 0100 627 3385

UPCOMING EVENTS YALLA BUILD STRENGTH & BEAUTY SEPTEMBER 8 Throughout the ages women have been programmed to be mothers, one who is able to forgive, sacrifice, and surrender.

More recently, women have tapped into their own inner power to become successful leaders in today’s world. However, often times this happens at the expense of their femininity, grace, and beauty.

Is there a way to bring both the MOTHER and WOMAN energies in balance? On this retreat, we will address these challenges, and leave stronger having gained more knowledge about relaxation, beauty, food for healing, and much more. Kundalini yoga and meditation guided by our visiting Yogini guest trainer from the teachings of Yogi Bhajan® will be offered throughout this retreat, combining breath, movement, meditation, relaxation, music, dance, and chanting.

For more information and reservation, you may contact: Yalla Yoga 0127 866 3371

CLIMBING KILIMANJARO SEPTEMBER 9 There’s no other place on earth where you can see that much biodiversity in one week! The more scenic Machame route is excellent for acclimatization and converges with the Lemosho route on day 4. Start climbing through jungle then higher into forests and alpine desert. Finish the climb near the glaciers and climb the final steps in snow. From day 2 you’re already above the clouds and looking onto magnificent scenery. Climbing the mighty Kilimanjaro should be on anyone’s bucket list. Best thing is, you don’t need any previous experience to make it!

For more information and reservation, you may contact: Wild Guanabana 0106 040 0070

KICKBOXING INTENSIVE CAMP SEPTEMBER 18 Fight Club announces their first intensive kickboxing camp in New Cairo! Transform your body through martial arts. A mix between fitness and kickboxing that leads to a complete body transformation as well as self defense intensive course of 30 sessions that last 6 weeks; 5 days per week.

For more information and reservation, you may contact: Fight Club 0100 527 0156

ELFIT QUALIFICATIONS AT CROSSFIT MONKEYBARS SEPTEMBER 23 CrossFit Monkey Bars will be hosting the qualification rounds of the biggest fitness competition in Egypt and one of the leading fitness events in the Middle East for the 4th season. Qualifiers will be hosted on Sep 23rd - 24th and Sep 30th - Oct 1st. The final competition will be held at Palm Hills Club, Cairo Egypt. Battle up and compete!

For more information and reservation, you may contact: CrossFit MonkeyBars 0106 673 8843

THE FITTERS

Autovrooom Welcomes 50 Drivers on It’s Track for A Friendly Tournament For the second time over the span of a month and a half, AutoVrooom was able to organize a karting tournament with a friendly competitive vibe that welcomed 50 of the most professional and lading drivers on its internationally renowned track. The tournament took place over the span of two days, Thursday August 4th and Saturday August 6th.

AutoVrooom celebrated three of the competitors as they won the race through our generous sponsors who are always a present pillar to our success. AutoVrooom is committed to hosting such professional tournaments on its track to highlight the importance of Karting in the Egyptian arena of sports.

Below are the names of the three winners from this round: In 1st place: Ms. Arwa Tatanaki In 2nd place: Sherif Ibrahim In 3rd place: Islam Mohamed

60 | September 2016

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