< Previous40 February 2020 Follow us on InstagramFollow us on Instagram @CosmoMiddleEast @CosmoMiddleEast move WELLNESS FROM INSIDE OUT Full speed ahead Ok, so, we kind of accidentally signed up to the RAK Half Marathon on the 21 February, and now we’re trying to get through weekly runs without dying. The goals we set ourselves in January, after a month of excess and guilt, are often unachievable (and if somehow you manage to achieve them then we need to know how, like, rn), but signing up to the Nike running app has majorly helped — and so has carb loading like you’re being paid to IMAGE: SUPPLIED“ H ave you begun your wed shred?” I’m asked for approximately the 35,604 time since I got engaged in November. “No,” I replied, part- dumfounded that this has become such a normalised thing for people to ask a new bride-to-be, part-fed- up of being made to think that people are implying I actually need to go on a “wed shred”. Let’s rewind… last year I got engaged to my partner of eight years. I said yes on a romantic weekend away at arguably one of the Why I won’t be shredding -for-my- wedding best hotels in the UAE, the Ritz Carlton Ras Al Khaimah (I swear I’m not biased…). It was a weekend of pure perfection, until real life resumed on Sunday, and I was fl ooded with question after question about wedding dates, wedding dresses and, more horrifyingly, wedding diets. And the “skinny bride” memo wasn’t just coming from my friends, the internet was awash with tips and tricks about slimming down for your big day. Heck, even my Instastory was full of newly engaged gals sharing their gym selfi es trying to achieve their ultimate #BrideBod. Of course, eating healthily is always an excellent idea, but going to extreme measures to achieve rapid weight loss isn’t. I thought there was a body positivity movement happening? Did brides, like, get missed off the invite list or something? Surely people realise you’ll be a whole lot happier - and healthier, for that matter - if you start going off how you feel rather than what the tags on your clothes say. To put this into a little more context, I am a (healthy) UK size 12. But apparently, within the lexicon of bridal, I’m considered too big. Or big enough, at least, for people to ask me how and when I’m planning on dropping a few kgs. A study by Cornell University said that 70 per cent of brides-to-be planned to lose weight before their wedding. I repeat: S-E-V-E-N-T-Y. Ladies, If there were ever a number I’d like to see lowered, it’d be this one – not what I see when I step on the scales. “Wed shred” is a relatively new phrase, but the concept is nearly about as antiquated as having the bride’s parents’ pay for the whole ‘do. w After Cosmo’s editor in chief Milli Midwood got engaged last year, it quickly became apparent that the tradition of pre-wedding weight loss isn’t outdated—although perhaps it should be “70 per cent of brides think that they should lose weight before their big day” FYI, you’ll probably be very unsurprised to hear that my fiancé has been asked a grand total of ZERO times about his wedding diet PHOTOGRAPHY BY MILLI MIDWOOD February 2020 41 Follow us on InstagramFollow us on Instagram @CosmoMiddleEast @CosmoMiddleEast MOVE42 February 2020 Follow us on InstagramFollow us on Instagram @CosmoMiddleEast @CosmoMiddleEast MOVE Cap, Dhs69, NY Yankees at hatstore.ae Let’s get physical Because we *refuse* to run that RAK half marathon without cute gym gear, we’ve rounded up 21 of the best activewear pieces for S/S20 – think of it like one for each kilometre… Bottle, Dhs35, Reebok at amazon.ae Sports bra, Dhs179, Calvin Klein at nisnass.ae Trainers, Dhs239, Fila at shopbop.com Sports bra, Dhs250, Puma Headphones, Dhs299, Beats at amazon.ae Sweater, Dhs351, P.E. Nation at farfetch.com Waist bag, Dhs180, Addidas by Stella McCartney Crop top and cycling shorts set, Dhs54, Missguided at namshi.comFebruary 2020 43 Follow us on InstagramFollow us on Instagram @CosmoMiddleEast @CosmoMiddleEast MOVE Bike shorts, Dhs30, Victoria’s Secret Pink Sweatpants, Dhs 198, ChampionWaist bag, Dhs139, EastPak at fruugo.ae Socks, Dhs64, Vans at asos.com Sports bra, Dhs209, Girlfriend Collective at net-a-porter.comBackpack, Dhs419, Tommy Jeans at nisnass.ae Cycling shorts, Dhs485, Unravel Project at farfetch.comBucket hat, Dhs224, Stüssy at selfridges.com Leggings, Dhs175, Marks & Spencer Trainers, Dhs890, AsicsBodysuit, Dhs229, Nike at nisnass.ae Shorts, Dhs229, Ninety Percent at net-a- porter.com IMAGES: SUPPLIED; COMPILED BY YASMIN REDA44 February 2020 Follow us on InstagramFollow us on Instagram @CosmoMiddleEast @CosmoMiddleEast XXXXXXXX Women-only workouts you need to try RN The best NO-BOYS-ALLOWED classes in the UAE THE DEN Prepare to sweat* (*read: die) at this Motor City-based gym, which boasts a private training room for ladies’ classes and PT sessions. It’s functional fitness, so expect burpees, box jumps, squats and, err, more burpees. You’ll definitely want to get yourselves an aerated top for this place... There’s a reason they boast achieving “sustainable results.” Packages from Dhs800 per month thedendxb.com WAREHOUSE GYM Warehouse Gym just opened *the most* Warehouse Gym extension for women at their Al Quoz outlet. The space (which is massive, btw) is imbued with their signature spray paint aesthetic, neon lights and absolute state-of-the- art equipment. You’ll be sweating in an artsy interior with a seriously urban vibe. Ha, take that, boys! From Dhs250 whgym.comFebruary 2020 45 Follow us on InstagramFollow us on Instagram @CosmoMiddleEast @CosmoMiddleEast XXXXXXXX SHIMIS It’s no secret that the hustle of Dubai is best balanced with some vinyasa. Get your yogi on at the newly opened Shimis yoga studio, which is located in Al Serkal, meaning there’s approximately 148 per cent chance you’ll find us munching on a vegan blueberry scone in Wild & the Moon post-flow. From Dhs70 per class Shimis.com NRG This high-octane fitness hub in Dubai Marina is a really handy one-stop-shop for those of us who need to keep changing up our routines! Spin, boxing, Zumba, HIIT training, Les Mills Body Pump, yoga, KO8 suspension training, pole dancing, swing yoga, interactive ride sessions (with performance tracking, no pressure!) can all be found under one roof. From Dhs105 nrgfitness.me TRADITIONAL MARTIAL ARTS AND FITNESS Ever wanted to try your hand at the discipline of martial arts while becoming genuinely badass? Join a ladies-only Shotokan Karate, considered one of the traditional and influential forms of karate do. Ladies’ classes are every Saturday at 7pm. From Dhs60 per class martialartdxb.com GETFITCHICK Get stripped back to the bare essentials with a training programme designed by women for women, targeting individual goals as well as their differing physiological needs. From Dhs115 per class getfitchick.ae THE PLATFORM Voted the Best Specialised Boutique Studio of the Year for both 2018 and 2019 by the Dubai Fit Awards, expect The Platform Studios to stick around. Located in both the Marina and DIFC, the Mix It Up concept lets members move freely between classes. Oh! The best part? It’s like working out in a club, so nobody can really see you losing the will to live. Class packages from Dhs1,067 theplatformstudios.com IMAGE: SUPPLIED 46 February 2020 Follow us on InstagramFollow us on Instagram @CosmoMiddleEast @CosmoMiddleEast MOVE I want to talk about love. Specifi cally, I want to talk about self-love. It’s a term that’s been bandied about by everyone lately, popping up in huge brand campaigns globally and sweeping across social media while becoming a buzzword. And no wonder; globally, 2019 was hailed as the ‘year of authenticity’, where people started shrugging off all the requirements of perfection and became a whole lot more real. Gone were the picture perfect posts of Instagram infl uencers. In were the wild, rolling videos of TikTok teens. Less poised, more playful. Only for something that is such a buzzword, self-love doesn’t seem very self-explanatory. What is it? How do we achieve it? And do we even need it? Or is this focus on self-awareness and Self-love is trendier now than ever. But what does it mean and do we even really need it? Danae Mercer asks loving yourself and why it even matters How to startFebruary 2020 47 MOVE self-acceptance just another bit of vanity, right up there with avocado toast and the selfi e obsession? Dr. Saliha Afridi, clinical psychologist and managing director of The Lighthouse Arabia, stresses the importance of knowing yourself. “A sense of self is critical to all life decisions. If you don’t know who you are, and you don’t know what your values are, you will not have any internal reference point to make decisions. Your decisions will always be infl uenced by external circumstances,” she explains. So basically, without some kind of self-awareness, we’re pretty much bound to be endlessly bopping around people pleasing all the time. Social media can seriously screw with your idea of who you are, she continues. “Rather than asking what do I like, you ask what will people like,” she says. That’s the image we end up creating. “This creates a hollow self, an individual who has a perfectly built up exterior image, but knows nothing about what they want or believe in.” I understand. One of my biggest transformations of the last year has centred around being a bit more of myself online — awkward and serious and quirky and all. And an unexpected result happened: I started fi guring out a bit more of myself, my values, and what it means to love the various parts of me. I’m defi nitely still learning. Being a woman is darn complicated and this whole self-love thing isn’t something we’re taught in schools. But as someone who’s in the thick of the journey, I can say this: it’s absolutely worth it. How do you start to fi gure out yourself? Dr. Afridi recommends journalling, digital detoxes, and talking to a pro. I’d add to that list that when you’re online, consciously curate the media you’re consuming. Make sure things inspire you, educate you, or entertain you. If they make your self-love drop down a bit and a bit more, cut them out — you don’t need that mojo. Also, surround yourself with good people. Sometimes they can help us see how we’re worth loving when we can’t see it for ourselves. So there we are. There are some of my thoughts on self- love. As Valentine’s Day rolls past, allow yourself the luxury of thinking less about Hallmark cards and more about what makes you tick. It’s a whole lot cheaper — and way more rewarding. Lashes by Lash and Glow Dubai, a small business by a British entrepreneur that has seriously soft lashes Exfoliation by Happy Buddha Body Scrub from Ritual, Dhs72, which combines oils with skin scrubbing Cauliflower rice by Beast Mode Nutrition, because if cauliflower can taste like carbs then we can be anything Friday brunch at Urban Bistro, where Dhs55 gets you all you can eat and one coffee THINGS I’M LOVING THIS WEEK Follow us on InstagramFollow us on Instagram @CosmoMiddleEast @CosmoMiddleEast “I started figuring out a bit more of myself, my values, and what it means to love the various parts of me” PHOTOGRAPHY BY DANAE MERCER48 February 2020 Follow us on InstagramFollow us on Instagram @CosmoMiddleEast @CosmoMiddleEast MOVE A PRAWN-PACKED, SOUTH-ASIAN- INSPIRED BOWL A STAMINA- ENHANCING BEETROOT BORSCHT A WARMING SOUP THAT PACKS A HEARTY PUNCH A RICH, VEGGIE-PACKED RATATOUILLE One-pot heroes Bored of dry sandwiches? Batch-cook these easy, nutritious single-bowl recipes at the weekend and save a fortune on lunches during the week SERVES : 4. TAKES : 1 hour. 559 calories, 21.5g saturated fat, 11.3g sugar INGREDIENTS: ∙ 2 red onions, chopped ∙ 2 carrots, diced ∙ 5 tbsp olive oil ∙ 2 peppers, diced ∙ 400g tinned bamboo shoots, drained ∙ 400ml coconut milk ∙ 2 tbsp curry powder ∙ 600ml veg stock ∙ 200g bean sprouts, diced ∙ Splash of soy sauce ∙ 500g prawns ∙ 1 head of broccoli florets ∙ Spring onion (garnish) Sauté onions and carrots in the oil until tender. Add peppers, shoots, milk, curry powder and stock, boil, then simmer for 30 mins. As a garnish, fry sprouts until caramelised, then deglaze with soy sauce. Add prawns and broccoli to the soup, and simmer for 10 mins. Season, bowl up and garnish with the sprouts and chopped onion. HEALTH HERO: Coconut milk is loaded with lauric acid, which the body converts to an illness-preventing compound. SERVES : 4. TAKES : 50 minutes. 151 calories, 0.5g saturated fat, 16.5g sugar INGREDIENTS: ∙ 1 onion, diced ∙ 3 carrots, diced ∙ 400g beetroot, diced ∙ 1 tbsp olive oil ∙ 1 bayleaf ∙ Small bunch thyme ∙ 1 litre vegetable stock ∙ 400g white cabbage, chopped ∙ Parsley, to garnish Fry the onion, carrots and beetroot in the oil until the onions are transparent, then season and add the bay leaf, thyme and vegetable stock. Bring to the boil. Simmer for 30 minutes, then stir in the cabbage and garnish with parsley. Do not wear white while eating. HEALTH HERO: Make this beet-based blend your go-to pre-workout meal. Why? A study by the University of Exeter found that beetroot can enhance stamina and help you exercise for up to 16% longer. SERVES : 4. TAKES : 1 hour. 628 calories, 9.5g saturated fat, 10.4g sugar INGREDIENTS: ∙ 2 onions, sliced ∙ 2 carrots, chopped ∙ 1 stick of celery, chopped ∙ 5 tbsp olive oil ∙ 200ml white wine ∙ 1 bay leaf ∙ 4 potatoes, quartered ∙ 1.2 litres vegetable stock ∙ 100g bacon, chopped ∙ 1 leek, sliced ∙ 150ml whipping cream ∙ Cress, to garnish Sauté the onion, carrots and celery in the oil until soft. Add the wine and reduce until the liquid is absorbed. Pop in the bay leaf, potatoes and stock. Bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes. Liquefy with a hand blender and season. Fry the bacon and leek until cooked. Add the cream and reduce. Serve, garnishing with cress. HEALTH HERO: The alpha- lipoic acid that’s found in potatoes helps cells convert glucose into energy. SERVES : 4. TAKES : 40 minutes. 471 calories, 1.5g saturated fat, 13.9g sugar INGREDIENTS: ∙ 1 onion, diced ∙ 2 peppers, diced ∙ 3 tbsp olive oil ∙ 1 courgette, diced ∙ 1½ aubergines, diced ∙ 400g chopped tomatoes ∙ 700ml veg stock ∙ 400g tin chickpeas ∙ Splash of white wine vinegar ∙ Handful of basil Sauté the onion and the peppers in the oil until soft. Add the courgette and aubergine, and fry until tender. Stir in the tomatoes and stock, then bring to the boil. Simmer for 15 minutes. Toss the chickpeas with the vinegar and basil, then use to top each bowl of ratatouille. HEALTH HERO: Let the purple stuff reign over your brain – studies show nasunin, the compound that gives aubergine skin its distinctive hue, helps to improve blood flow to the brain and protect cells from damage. CURRY UPVEGGING OUTHOT POTATOYOU SAY TOMATO RECIPES SOUP DU JOUR. ADDITIONAL WORDS JULIA DAVIES. NUTRITIONAL ANALYSIS SUSAN MEGGITT. PHOTOGRAPHS AGATA PEC, HEARST STUDIOS. *SCRAPE OFF THE TASTY BITS STUCK TO THE PANFebruary 2020 49 Follow us on InstagramFollow us on Instagram @CosmoMiddleEast @CosmoMiddleEast MOVE WORDS CATRIONA INNES, MICHELLE OCTOBER, FLORENCE MITCHELL. IMAGE BY SHUTTERSTOCK YOUR BACK Stand tall – your spine should be straight. Use a mirror to check your position. “Lunges can help with balance, coordination, motor skills and leg strength,” says personal trainer Monty Simmons. “They’re also crucial for injury prevention.” It’s one of the most popular exercises, yet so many of us get it wrong. Here’s how to take the (p)lunge… How to nail the perfect lunge YOUR HIPS Finding your range of movement is limited? It could be that your hip flexors are tight. This important – but often neglected – muscle group helps you lift your knees and bend at the waist. Stretch them out with a glute bridge: lie on your back with your knees bent and lift your hips off the floor, pressing through the heels. Hold briefly, then repeat. YOUR FEET Keep them hip-width apart for the whole movement – it’s easy to bring your front foot directly in line with your back foot (as if you’re walking on a tightrope), but this will make you wobble. Remember: you’re not rehearsing for The Greatest Showman. YOUR ABS Wobbling? That’s probably because you haven’t engaged your core. How do you know when it’s engaged? You should feel as if you’re about to cough or burst out laughing. YOUR FRONT KNEE To get into position, take a big step forward with your right foot and bend your knee until your right thigh is parallel to the floor. Your heel should hit the floor first, and your knee shouldn’t be so bent that it’s protruding over your toes. YOUR BACK LEG This needs to be bent, with your back heel lifted, but watch out – the knee shouldn’t touch the floor. YOUR HANDS Learn this move with your hands on your hips, but to progress it, add two dumbbells. Start with 5kg and work your way up. Keep your arms straight down at your sides and don’t slouch. You could try this with walking lunges, or stay on the spot. Next >