Profile on Amir, My Personal Trainer

 

I'd been hearing  about Amir Siddiqui for a few months now from a friend of mine who swore he was the best thing since sliced bread. Amir is originally Pakistani but has lived in America most of his life and after spending a couple of years in Pakistan, recently moved to Dubai. My friend had been training with him on her numerous trips home to Islamabad, and while was not consistent enough to see results herself, swore that her friends had completely transformed their bodies under his able supervision. I have been training (with mixed results) with various trainers for YEARS now and have recently unhappily watched my scale inch upwards, gaining back weight that I'd worked my butt off (literally) to lose a few years back (You may remember an article I'd written for Khaleej Times on the matter here?) Over the past year especially, I've been plagued with knee pain that have limited my cardio sessions, ensured no running and have almost eradicated my lower body workouts.. And while no squats and lunges make me happy, my body has not responded as kindly as my spirit. I was on the lookout for a new trainer who'd be able to motivate me and get me back in shape and that's when I succumbed and decided to give Amir a call. I will give you my disclaimer here- I've been training with him WAY too short a time to either see any results or even sing his praises, but I can narrate to you why I was sold on him after my assessment with him. Amir (and yes, that's a caricature of him above!) met me and seemed to understand my problem perfectly. On meeting him I'd been doing the famous Dukan Diet for 3 weeks that apparently Kate Middleton had been on before her wedding (and wowza.. did you see her bod? And her sister's butt?!) but had only unfortunately lost a measly kilo in that period. He explained to me that I'd dieted my body into an extremely confused state and messed up my hormones with my crash diets. After making me take a long questionnaire about my food habits, workout routines and most importantly, my attitude towards food, he turned to me and said, "do you realize that I understand your problem better than you do?" and I really did believe him. Then another thing happened- I told him about my knee issues that I'd been visiting a physiotherapist for for a few months now. He checked out my knee, made me do a half squat, made me show him where it hurts, pressed a few points for a few minutes (very painful few minutes!!) and just like magic, the pain was GONE. I think I did about 50 full squats without feeling even the slightest pinch of pain! Needless to say, I signed up with him that instant. His method of training is something I haven't seen before and so is his attitude towards a lot of different health and nutrition methods. He is EXTREMELY well read and confident and I wanted to be able to post about my workouts and progress with him and I leave for the summer in 8 weeks which is a great chunk of time to get some results if focused and dedicated. However, in the meantime I thought you guys may be interested in listening to him talk about busting a lot of the myths revolving around diet and exercise and may be hear his views on the same.

1) The favorite advice on nutrition and diet that has consumed the dieting world in the last decade is that carbs are the devil and protein, the body's holy grail! What are your views on that?

Can I just start off by making clear that I am assuming your blog readers understand that I currently don’t have the time to add all the proper scientific references but that I CAN back up ALL of claims with basic science and research if they'd like? Alright, let’s move on.

Here’s the deal – being lean is about 2 things:
A - Your physical activity levels
B - Your total calories per day should be very slightly below maintenance 

For this question let me make this very clear: the thermodynamic caloric equation - calories in calories out -  is still the only viable and scientifically accurate means to assess what total calories should be for a given person with a given energy expenditure.
Meaning there is no way around it – you have to lower calories below your maintenance level (number of calories to maintain current bodyweight) to lose fat IF your metabolism is functioning normally – more on that later.
And the truth of the matter is that it doesn’t matter what you eat, as much as I dont like to admit it. As long as your calories are controlled you WILL lose fat. Kansas State University professor Mark Haub's Twinkie diet experiment proved this recently where he ate only junk food (mostly Twinkies and cookies) and dropped a substantial amount of fat and IMPROVED his blood profile.
My advice is to have an expert assess what your caloric requirement is first and foremost because if you go TOO low, your body will develop “resistance” – this happens to women that have done multiple diets over the course of years, and they end being unable to lose any fat despite how low they go or how much physical work they do -. I’ve had a client who was unable to drop fat on 750 calories per day with 2 hours of treadmill work (which I am against btw) per DAY! She was hovering around 97-100 kilos. I've had another client come to me with bone fractures, missed periods and an inability to lose fat even on 800 calories per day and she was only 60 odd kilos in weight and worked out for 8 hours per week profusely. She had developed The Female Athlete Triad - which is a combination of too much physical work and too little calories. 
Now does that mean you should allow yourself to go on a junk food diet as long as its calorie controlled ? Not really. If you care about your appearance then know that the effect on your skin and hair appearance and health would be detrimental. Not to mention your organ function will eventually become impaired and you will develop nutrient deficiencies over time.And the most important part to me - that your workouts will not be of high quality due to your bodies inability to recover due to the nutrient deficiency -  and there is nothing more important to an incredible figure than your workout.

Quality carbohydrates will also enhance mood, improve cognitive performance and enable you to achieve true intensity in your workouts – which is a BIG plus if you want to be able to consistently perform the kind of physical work that can change your body for the better. 

In essence, a balanced diet with equal amount of carbs, protein and fat is can work just as well as any for most people, most of the time. The thing to focus on is calories - not just carbs.

2) Recently you mentioned to me that the personal trainers claim of diet being more important that exercise is in your words, "a cop out!" Please elaborate on why you think that's so and what other trainers are doing wrong 
In a nutshell : What your body does with the food you eat depends on what you do with your body. Exercise programming has been dumbed down in the fitness industry. But there is an intelligent and scientifically valid method for designing workout programs.

Every single trainer that I’ve come across in Dubai uses random workouts. They actually train clients on the fly. No program, no progression and no method. I find this abhorring. The workout is the primary stimulus that activates and de-activates gene sequences that control how you look i.e body composition. 
The way they get “Results” at all is by pushing the client to eat less and less and train more and more. Not understanding the negative feedback loops in metabolism which will inhibit and BLOCK further fat-loss. The body cant just be pushed and pushed without it pushing back. It has to be nudged and prodded according to valid biological principles.
People who exercise hard literally have an altered biochemistry compared to those who are sedentary. This completely changes the rate of what and the extent of how they digest food. Your workout IS the key. The food is just the fuel that is spent according to how the workout dictates it should be spent and used. 

The issue then is that I end up having to train all these people who have been pushed so hard - in the wrong ways - by their trainers that they are now injured and "diet immune". So its a tough time all round. But Im up for it :)

3) The argument on Fats, ie: "Good" fats like olive oil and nuts... good or not so good?

Yes, there are good and bad fats. My top good fats would be fish body oil in supplement form and coconut oil for cooking. You might want to look into MCT’s to understand more about it. But heres the kicker, saturated fat has a whole host of benefits as well. I’ll actually write a blog post about that. Just keep in mind, there is NOTHING wrong with animal fat. Whether or not you “become” fat depends on – CALORIES. So enjoy your fatty steak as long as it's within your caloric range for the day. 

4) If you could recommend one supplement for an average person to take, which would it be? Vitamin D about 30 I.U per pound of body weight and Fish Body oil a minimum of 6 grams per day going up to pretty much any limit they’d like – I’ve used 30 grams per day and felt GREAT. No doubt about it. The benefits of both supplements are all over the internet. But quickly speaking, one of the cool benefits of Vitamin D may be the fact that it is anti-cancer and some doctors claim it may be able to cure cancer itself or at least dramatically aid in the fight against it - if you know anyone with cancer, you need to know everything you can about Vitamin D. 

Fish oil is actually AS effective as Prozac and is a potent mood enhancer. It fights inflammation - which means healther blood vessels and joints. And it also aids in fat loss. A must have supplement for sure. 

5) What is the single best tip you've ever received as someone in the health and nutrition industry? Well, I've learned mostly from my own mentor, Scott Abel to Focus on the human being and not the human body.
The client is a mental, emotional and physical entity and I need to be a biologist, physicist and psychologist at the same time. Luckily those are my 3 favorite fields of study.

6) What is the single best tip you've ever given a client trying to lose weight? 
Stop the day to day analysis. You cant solve a 12 month problem in 12 weeks. You’ll only end up hating yourself. 

7) Thanks for taking out the time to educate my readers. Can you tell me some more about yourself and your background please?
Well, I’ve studied biology in college – but didn’t go for higher studies due to some financial constraints and 9/11 issues in the U.S – which is an interesting story in itself. Am certified by the NASM and Abel Bodies Fitness (one of only 5 in the world). But in essence I’m an omnological autodidact. I want to learn everything about everything. Which is why my “method” always seems so different to people who have been with numerous trainers. I recently moved to Dubai and hope to really surprise people with what I’ve discovered about human physiology and psychology. Big dreams. Always.
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Please do give me feedback on what you thought about this post as I would love to be able to do some more posts with him in the future, some Q n A sessions as well as maybe some video posts where he talks about different subjects or shows you guys some workout moves. So feedback on this one is VITAL as I need to know if you're interested in learning more about health and nutrition or even my own diet plan that he's put me on and my personal journey!
Amir has his own blog at www.geniusofthebody.com and can be contacted at amir@geniusofthebody.com
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Interview with Amish Tripathi, author of "Immortals of Meluha"

You may remember a few months back I had done a review on a book called the Immortals of Meluha on my blog, and highly recommended it. For those interested in spirituality and Hindu Mythology, I'd promised that it would be one of the best books you'll ever read on the subject. Hopefully a lot of you would have bought a copy and read it since then, or encouraged others you know to have read the book. I have given my copy to my Mother, who doesn't particularly like to read, and she is slowly making her way through the book, which tells the story of one of the most powerful deities for Hindus- Lord Shiva.
I was SO fascinated with the book, I nosied around on the internet and managed to contact the author, Amish Tripathi, and requested him to answer a few questions that I had for him. If you've read the book, I'm sure some of the questions will be ones that you yourself might have had! He took some time getting back to me as he is currently busy working on the sequel to IOM and also busy with his day job... believe it or not, the famed author who found his first book top the national best seller list in India, actually works in the Insurance industry! He is also a graduate of the famed IIM Kolkata.
He kindly took some time out to respond to all my questions-

1) First of all Amish, thank you for writing such an inspiring and informative book! What is it that prompted you to write a book fictionalizing Hindu Mythology, and what percentage of it is fact and what percent have you allowed yourself creative liberty to tell the story of Shiva?

Honestly, I can't say that I planned this book. I had never even dreamt of being an author. Before The Immortals of Meluha, I had written no fiction. Ever. So I am as surprised as anyone else that I ended up being an author.
The book began during a conversation between my family and me. We were watching TV together and there was an interesting historical programme being broadcast, where we discovered something surprising. We all know that for ancient Indians, Gods were called Devas and Demons were called Asuras. What we don't know is that for ancient Persians, Gods were called Ahuras and demons are called Daevas - the exact opposite of the ancient Indians. This triggered an interesting conversation. Maybe if the ancient Indians and the ancient Persians met, they would probably be calling each other evil - because one person's god was the other person's demon. Now both the groups cannot be right can they? So who is evil? Both the groups? Neither? But what can't be denied is that evil does exist. It rises again and again. And it has to be destroyed. A philosophy occured to me on this topic and I started writing it down. Then my brother and sis-in-law gave me some good advice that readers will be more interested in a grand adventure where the philosophy happens to come across with it rather than a pure philosophy book. And hence I started writing the present novel with a hero whose journey conveys the philosophies I want to talk about. And since the story is about the destruction of evil, who better to be the hero than the destroyer of evil Himself, Lord Shiva!


2) The book goes into so much detail about the background of so many Hindu traditions, customs and phrases. As a Hindu, I found myself having many "aha" moments thinking, "THIS is where such and such tradition comes from!" How much research did you do before beginning to write the novel?


There are 2 aspects to the research in this book. First is the historical data and the second is our collective Hindu myths. On the historical data, I didn't do any specific research for this book. Or another way of looking at it is that I have been researching this book for the last 25 years! Because I have always been deeply interested in history and have been a voracious reader all my life. Some of the books that have helped in the historical interpretations for my book are Graham Hancock’s path-breaking Underworld and even primary research books like Gregory Possehl's brilliant treatise, The Indus Civilisation. As for our collective Hindu myths, I have depended a lot on what I have heard from my family over the years. My grandfather, besides being a teacher, was also a Pandit. Both my parents are very devout and religious. And we heard a lot of stories about Hindu myths from all of them when we were children. And of course, as for most people in our generation, the Amar Chitra Katha comics have been a fantastic source of knowledge to me of our fantasies. Anant Pai had done a great job!

3) For those wanting to study more about Shiva and Hindu Mythology in general, are there any books you can recommend? Any that you may have turned to while researching "Immortals of Meluha"?

Like I said, I have depended more on what I have heard from my family for the myths on Lord Shiva. But all those who want to learn more about the Lord, should read up the Shiva Purana.

4) Speaking of which, what is your favourite book (fiction or nonfiction) book of all time?

That's difficult to say. There are so many. I really do like reading and my favourites change as I read more. But at this point of time, I am reading a book called Shiva, the wild god of power and ecstacy. It's brilliant.

5) In another interview of yours, I read that before beginning to write this book, you were a non-believer, and now are a true devotee of Lord Shiva. What specifically caused that transformation? Do you have any message for atheists out there?
Yes, it's true. I used to be a non-believer. But today I am a devoted Shiva Bhakt. Within the story of The Immortals of Meluha which shows the simple man behind the myth of a god, I discovered my devotion to the divinity in Him. But I have also discovered the beauty of other religions. I think I've finally understood what my father used to say when I was young. There is beauty and ugliness in every religion. The choice before us is what do we want to see...

As for a message for atheists, I would certainly not say that there is anything wrong with being an atheist. Every person has the right to follow philosphies that give him peace - as long as he does not try to impose them on others. But I will certainly say that I have found a lot of peace through faith. Mental peace is worth more than all the money in the world. If there are atheists who are unhappy, they may want to explore the path of faith. It may help answer some questions - as it did for me.

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Facebook: Connect with Amish Tripathi OR Shiva Trilogy OR join The Immortals of Meluha group
Twitter: Follow @amisht
Trailer film of book: http://www.shivatrilogy.com/theimmortalsofmeluha.html
www.shivatrilogy.com

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Vandana Bhatia on Winter in Cape Town!

She was the first person I profiled for my Profile Corner, so it's not surprising that she is the first guest blogger I have on here too. The gorgeous Vandana Bhatia very kindly took out time to write a few words on her trip to Cape Town to give you guys tips on where to go, what to eat and what to see in the scenic city. Vandana was there with her family over New Years and from the sounds of it, has probably got the city pretty high up on her "favourite places to visit" list so read on for some insider tips from her vabulous vacation!

Lively beaches, beautiful scenery, gorgeous weather, fabulous beach houses, outstanding service, exquisite food and of course... the wines. Aah the wines. If you've never visited I suggest you start accumulating those miles and push Cape Town to the top of your destination list. You won't be disappointed. With its immense natural beauty, a myriad of things to do and places to see, you'll be spoilt for choice. 7 days are easily fulfilled here (or 12 in our case) and you'll still be compelled to return.

Things to do: rent a villa (Kia Ora or Villa Yvette, Clifton Road), climb to the top of Cape Point to witness the merging of the Indian & Atlantic Oceans (and take pictures of the baboons on the way), go for a drive at night up to Signal Hill, try the seafood linguine with truffle and the half metre long pizza for lunch at  The Grand at the Beach (and discover the cute gift shop), take a ferry to Robben Island to relive Mandela's imprisonment and the apartheid era, people watch at the Virgin Active Gym (what I really mean is ogle at the hotties), join the Capetonians for a cappuccino at Giovanni's (and take home some fresh cheese with their homemade fig jam), explore the boutiques in the trendy Cape Quarter (and pick up great accessories from local designers), buy meat from the local butcher on Kloof and invite some friends over for a braai, buy an exotic skin clutch bag, discover a cute little restaurant in Constantia (our fave -La Colombe), Stellenbosch or Franschhoek (our fave - Reubens), rent a bicycle and ride around Camp's Bay, opt for a healthy, organic brunch at Manna's, obsess over the super quirky crockery designer Carrol Boyes, go wine tasting to one of 600+ vineyards (our favs -Ernie Els Wine Estate and Hamilton Russell Vineyard Estate), take the funicular with spinning floor to Table Mountain (and take cheesy souvenir pics), have dinner at The Duchess, go paraglidiing (or not and say you did), have high tea with scones at the Table Bay Hotel or Ellerman House, watch the most breathtaking sunsets while listening to your in-house pianist, waddle with the penguins at Boulder's Bay, have a boozy brunch at Paranga's (preferably on a Sunday as the locals do), stock up on Charlotte Rhys products (South Africa's answer to Jo Malone at a fraction of the price), and finally, realise you've started saying 'ja' instead of 'yes'.

Right, now time to fulfill those New Year's resolutions of a healthy diet. Ja.

                                                   Some pictures of Villa Yvette (above and below)
 

 

The Grand at the Beach

 

La Colombe

 

The View from Table Mountain

 

View from Table Bay Hotel

 

The always impeccably dressed Vandana while in Cape Town

Thanks so much Vandana for this very informative piece! You've got me (and I'm sure my readers too) very envious of your lovely holiday. Now if only you'd succumb and do my 7 day fashion diary, life would be so much easier now wouldn't it??

And guys Vandana is soon going to have a blog out of her own where she covers all the latest Fashion trends and the best of all the lovely brands she sources from the world over (including some insider tips and exclusive offers)  for her Odyssey Trunk Shows. Will alert you guys when she has that up and running.. Have gotten a sneak peak already, and it's looking great!

September 11th and what it means to me-

On September 11th 2001, I was at a spa in Bangalore with my mother when I heard about a plane hitting the twin towers. As we rushed to a TV screen, we thought we would be witnessing one of the most catastrophic accidents in recent history, not realizing what was really going on. In a few minutes however, all became clear to us as it did the rest of the world. The scene looked like it belonged in a Hollywood movie, not the live news, and I remember staring teary eyed at the TV screen horrified at what I was witnessing and panic stricken as I tried reaching my best friend who had just a few months prior, moved to New York.
Since then, 9/11 has taken on a life of its own, meaning so many different things to so many different people. To some, it will always be a day of mourning the loss of loved ones. For others, it'll be the day that caused their loved ones to go to war. For a few, it'll be a day that saw a super power go down on its knees. For some others, it'll be the day America  became an unwelcome place for them and their children. No matter where you live or how old you are, chances are your life has been touched by 9/11 in some way or another.
9/11 for me represents a lot of things. It represents something gross and horrible- the shocking awareness of the ability for humanity to purposefully hurt it's own kind. And at the same time It represents a few very frivolous things that put a damper on everyday life, including painful airport security. Of all the things that the day represents, the one that impacts me the most, is the effect 9/11 has on the life of my friend, Manu Dhingra.

My friend Manu worked on the 83rd floor of the World Trade Center, and was getting out of the elevator, running late to work when the first plane hit. The elevator doors carried the steam that went through it's shaft attacking him and instantly causing 3rd degree burns which, as he had described it to me once, caused his skin to almost slip off him. Most of Manu's colleagues were confused about what was going on and what to do, but two of his friends realized he needed to get to an ambulance ASAP and helped him descend the 83 floors to get help. People along the way gave him water and made way for him as he was injured, nobody realizing that their fate would be a lot worse than his. When he finally reached the hospital, he was in intensive care for 3 weeks, and was one of the first to  recover and leave the hospital, which caused him to get on many TV shows and give interviews on what happened there- including on Larry King Live and Oprah. On one such interview with CNN, Manu says, "I was there, and, I would hope -- I wish the rest of the country could even get a sense of what had happened. They see it on TV and everything, but to just to be there, to sense what happened, is incredible. The spirits of the people there during that time, and the courage that was there -- that was incredible to see also, how people are reacting towards each other."

                                      Manu, a day before he got released from the hospital
I met Manu at my best friend's wedding almost 2 years after the fateful day. His recovery was almost complete by then, and while you could see the physical scarring from the burns mostly on his hands, his emotional scars were still very raw and hadn't begun to heal. For many years after his "accident" as he likes to call it, Manu hung around with his friends, doing very little at all. As our friendship grew, my favourite past time with him revolved around trying to get him off his butt and do SOMETHING...anything at all that would keep his mind occupied and his interest engaged. You'd probably think he was broody and depressed with fears and phobias about what had happened to him. Quite the contrary. Manu loves to party and is a complete extrovert who loves to meet people and do fun things. Moreover, he remains one of the nicest people I've ever met- albeit one of the most flaky (It is not uncommon for him to make plans with you and just not show up). I've often wondered with other friends what came first- his indecisiveness/laziness or 9/11. We still aren't too sure. What we DO know is that when he finally decided to go into partnership and run his own restaurant 2 years back, we were so proud of his initiative and focus in setting his mind to something, and making it happen. For all those years in the middle where Manu didn't do much, he'd always say that he wanted to do something he was passionate about in his life- he just didn't know what that was. He carried a severe guilt about being saved that day, and wondered very often, "Why me?" Each and every time I'd tell him the same thing- each life doesn't necessarily need to be working towards altering the world. I truly believe that the doers are just as important as the leaders- just maybe in a different way?

While I've been in New York over the past 2 months, I've watched the controversy about the mosque at Ground Zero take place on the news, and watched different people having differing opinions on it on TV. Yet, my friend has been very non-affected by the controversy, has always been anti-war, and has a very peaceful approach to the entire situation and what happened that day. I called to ask him about his views on 9/11 and what he thought the day should be remembered for, and this is what he had to say-

Soon after 9/11, the day started becoming more about politics and policies than what had really happened. People realize now that going into war was not the best idea as it has been such a strain on the US for the past 8 years, while I knew early on itself it was a bad idea. You were going to war against people who themselves had nothing to do with 9/11 at all. The day should be remembered for the victims who lost their lives, and for the families who mourn them.
What 9/11 means to me is something very personal. It reminds me that I am very fortunate to be given this opportunity to life and that I should make the most of it, as any of those other people who didn't make it would switch places with me in a heartbeat if they could. That is why I don't go for memorial services or other events on that day- the people who gather there go to remember the less fortunate, and it just wouldn't feel right for me to be there. I wish people could just see how fortunate they are and how their lives are so precious.

Manu in all his interviews has also always spoken of the help he received from people, including the government, who didn't treat him any differently although he was an Indian citizen living in America. I have always found it so sad that the day since has become more about separation than it has oneness, which is exactly what he witnessed in the towers that day. There was no chaos, no panic.
A few weeks back a New York taxi driver was slashed and stabbed after he replied affirmatively to the question, "Are you Muslim?" This occurred during the Holy month of Ramadan, and I was pretty shocked to find out a few days later, that not many of my friends had heard about the incident. In a country that sensationalizes almost everything, the news had barely caused a ripple, and I had in fact  come to know about it by following Barkha Dutt, a renown Indian journalist, on Twitter. When I asked Manu on his views about what happened he just had to say this, "it is obviously the workings of a mad man. And just like any other incident that happens in any other part of the world, it should be viewed  as the craziness of one person and not reflect upon the society of the entire country." Which is, I believe how we got into this mess in the first place. Now if only people could just realize that and get along.

                                             Manu now, posing with a friend of his
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The skinny on Dr. Shefali Verma

I didn't exactly know what Dr. Shefali Verma did, but I knew I wanted to meet her. So when my sister called while I was in the waiting room of her clinic yesterday afternoon, all I could tell her was, "I'm just stepping in to meet this nutritionist-type lady who does allergy testing thing... and oh! she helped my friend loose 15 kilos!" The 15 kilos was introduction enough for me, and apparently for my sister too.
It was only half an hour into my chat with Dr Shefali, during which she'd taken a detailed account of my background, health problems, family health issues, eating habits, sleeping habits, emotional state, type of dreams, room clutter situation (did you know sleeping with gadgets is a huge no-no? Neither did I!) and almost every possible question relating to my life that she thought impacted my health. And according to Shefali, almost EVERYTHING directly or indirectly impacts a persons health. Before you start to roll your eyes and think this is yet another new age fad or crash diet, let me allay your fears right here- it isn't. I mentioned to another friend a few days back, that I was going to see this "allergy-testing type lady" (I really didn't know how else to describe her) when she exclaimed, "oh no! Not another blood group diet!" No.. nothing to do with blood group, I'd informed her. Another friend asked if she held up certain foods to my arm to see whether they suited me or not. Nope, I'd said to her too. Another asked if she did NLP to test out my allergies. Turns out (thankfully) Shefali's process is a little more scientific than that!
Shefali laughed when I asked her exactly what it is she does. Turns out, she doesn't quite know how to describe herself either! She is a Doctor who specializes in nutritional therapy and is also a strength coach and does fascial strength therapy- got all that? Basically, her main aim is to work with her client to find out exactly what part of their body is not functioning as it should, and try to help alleviate the problem by prescribing foods and vitamins to help heal illnesses. In the hour and a half I spent in her office, she painstakingly explained to me which areas of my diet, exercise and lifestyle I had to make changes to, and promptly sent me in for a blood test to figure out what specific food types I had intolerances to. She also repeated the word "prevention" at least 10 times, stressing, "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." Moreover, everything that she said to me MADE SENSE which probably had to do with her explaining in detail how every body part to do with my issue functioned, and why it had obviously stopped functioning, and how each vitamin would get it working to optimal health again.
Shefali's husband is also a sports therapist and strength coach, and don't be surprised to hear people in Dubai raving about the "David and Shefali" combo very soon. My friend with the 15 kilo weight loss trains with him, and couldn't stop raving about how great he was and how they both were the key to her looking and feeling so much better. They've only opened in Healthcare city 6 weeks ago, and I was telling her that already 2 people in the past week had pointed me in her direction. My new trainer who is health and fitness obsessed, gave me her number on the first session we had together, and said he  consults with her often for himself too. While my blood tests results haven't come in yet, I can't really say how easy or difficult the process is going to be, or how intense. But from what I've seen of her and her working style, I'm already impressed.

You can contact Dr Shefali at verma.shefali@gmail.com or call her clinic for an appointment at (9714) 362 4955

Profile on Soniyaa Punjabi of Illuminations

"It is better to be beautiful than to be good, but it is better to be good than to be ugly," said the famous poet Oscar Wilde on the subject of beauty. "Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder," is another famous saying on the subject. And of course, "beauty is only skin deep." Each of these sayings suggest beauty is either a virtue possessed from within, or an eye pleasing outward manifestation of the physical form- hardly ever both. Anyone who knows Soniyaa Punjabi will agree with me, she completely defies this logic.

Soniyaa is gorgeous. Not just, "pretty girl" gorgeous, but Bollywood movie-star gorgeous. In fact, had life not had other plans for her, that is exactly where we might have seen her- on the silver screen. When Soniyaa graduated from studying Visual Communications at college in London, she moved to India to pursue her dreams of being a Bollywood starlet and a model. It is ironically there that she found Yuvraj Kapadia who introduced her to the world of spirituality and Hypnotherapy, and her life has since, never been the same. Instead of being found on the big screen, Soniyaa can now be found leading meditations, teaching Hypnotherapy or organizing Spiritual events all over the UAE and Oman. She is the owner and founder of Illuminations, a company and a movement that revolves around bringing awareness and joy to people's lives.

My own spiritual journey would not have begun if it wasn't for Soniyaa and Illuminations. Having wondered about the presence and role of God, Karma, past lives, astrology, angels, etc, almost all my life, I had become a voracious reader on the subject, and was looking for answers to my questions that would make sense to me. I met Yuvraj through Soniyaa a few days before my twenty-eight birthday, and as had been predicted by uber-astrologer Suneeta Mennon, a birthday that would represent a major turning point in my life. Our meeting lasted a little over an hour, during which Yuvraj was be able to satisfactorily answer all my questions using science to draw that fine line between fact and popular fiction. While Yuvraj and his wife, Neeta, would return to Dubai every now and then to conduct therapies and workshops on the subject, it was Soniyaa I turned to for guidance and understanding in their absence. A strange occurrence considering, up until then, I viewed her just as being my good friend Aarti's younger (and spoilt) sister.

Soniyaa's name made regular appearances in my Khaleej Times column, as I'd often quote her views on life or small tidbits of advice she had for me. That's the type of friend she is- the one that cares, listens, empathizes and then imparts tiny nuggets of wisdom you can then incorporate in your life... if you so choose. It is not uncommon for Soniyaa to incorporate spirituality into absolutely EVERYTHING in her life, which can be extremely frustrating for some people (ie: Me!). Having a particularly stressful day? Expect Soniyaa to turn to you and ask, "Ask yourself, why are you attracting this?" Nervous about something? "Don't operate out of fear!"  Just the other day I was poking fun at her about an incident that occured in her younger (and more naive) days when she had just been bitten by the spirituality bug. After a few drinks at dinner I was not very happy to find her getting behind the wheel of her car. "Don't worry! My angels will protect me!" was her curious (and frustrating) response. While she's definitely learnt the difference between right action and faith over the years, she has continued to stay on track and bring so much change to the lives of so many people. I've been so fortunate to watch her come into her own and explore the beauty of the Universe, while herself growing more and more beautiful every day- both, inside and out.

- The incident which has had the biggest impact on my life has been... Perhaps when Ali, one of my closest friends in London at the time passed away in a car accident when we were 19 years old. It brought a lot of questions to my mind about life, death the afterlife, past lives. It made me realize how short life really is despite the illusion of permanency we live in by fighting, living in fear and holding on to so many things. His death triggered me to look for answers beyond what we understand in the physical world. I never really got to say goodbye to him, but if I had the chance I would like to thank him for this gift because that is how I began my spiritual journey. 

- The person living, dead or imaginary I'd like to have dinner with is... My future loving husband… :)

- I'd take him/her/it to dinner to... my house to meet my mother so she can stop worrying! My mom always feels that I am too self involved and too career oriented, and I know settling down would make her the most happiest person in the world. I would love to give that to her and of course for me too!!  

- My definition of God is… Everything which is removed from fear…it then allows divinity to shine through every person, place and object! 

- The one aspect of my life which Spirituality has not affected is... my ability to sometimes behave like a brat with my family, or my annoyance at having to share my things with my sister/brother, when they have always been so kind, loving and generous towards me! Not very spiritual of meL but in my defense I am the baby of my family.  

- The most defining moment of my journey in this "work" has been... Every time I have been able to face my greatest fears in situations where I have come out a much stronger, wiser person. For those who know me well, have also known that many times I have allowed a stammering issue that I was born with to define me. Therefore I would use it as an excuse to limit me or hold me back mainly in the area of my work. When it comes to everything else, I act like star!

However, the though of speaking in front of so many people, is probably what scared me the most! So when I gave my first awareness talk in front of 40 people, or when I taught my first hypnotherapy course, and most recently when I was sitting in the private reserve of the six senses in Oman, about to address a group of  40 corporate men from all over the world, I had prayed harder and meditated most sincerely then I have ever done in my life! This was also at a time when I was questioning whether this work with all the drama that I had gone through in the last one year was even right for me. All of a sudden there was a wave of strength that came over me and I went up there to give the best workshop I have ever done. At that moment, with deep gratitude, I knew that I owed this sense of accomplishment at having coming this far despite so many challenges, to this “work”. It was quite a dramatic moment with the sea breeze hitting my face, this lovely yellow butterfly fluttering around me against the beautiful rustic background.

People may define spirituality or holistic healing as a tool which can heal all diseases, levitate, or perhaps a route to enlightenment. I cannot comment about all of the above since I am still apprehensive about my stammering once in a while, I still act like a bit of a brat and I cant move objects with the power of my mind. Forget that, I cant even use the power of my mind to stop me from eating chocolate cake :)

For me spirituality and all the tools I have experienced, has helped strengthen me at the very core of my being, by establishing a deep connection with the divine, and the confidence of knowing that everything that’s happening in my life right now is happening through divine sanction. And most importantly, the power of self love, self belief and self awareness.

So that I can look myself in the mirror every morning and say, SONIYAA YOU ARE DESTINED FOR GREATNESS!   

To know more about Soniyaa and Illuminations, go to www.illuminationsworld.com
Also, don't miss the opportunity to hear Dr Yuvraj Kapadia speak in Dubai at "The Awakening"- A talk on the 27th of April at MOE. Email info@illuminationsworld.com for more info. 

  

Profile on Binatone's Sunil Lalvani

Sunil Lalvani's quiet personality mixed with his sober, yet tasteful dressing, doesn't exactly scream "look at me" and Sunil likes to keep it that way. I've known Sunil's wife Reena for a few years now, and while her chatty disposition and sense of humour ensured that we became good friends almost immediately, Sunil for me remained just that- Reena's husband. When I joined YPO (Young Presidents Organization) is when I started seeing more of him, and then discovered our shared passion for gadgets. It is then I noticed, that when you get Sunil talking, REALLY talking (tell him you're an Apple fan and that should do the trick) is when you find out, shy and "proper" demeanor aside, is a man who is fiercely intelligent and incredibly witty.

Sunil is the MD of Binatone, a family owned Conglomerate, for Europe, Middle East and Africa. Founded in the UK in the 1950's by his father and his Uncle, Partap and Gulu Lalvani, Binatone has grown into a global player and a force to be reckoned with in the Home Appliances sector of the market. While Sunil and his immediate family in the business (including his father and his Hong Kong-based brother, Anish) are extremely low profile almost to a fault, (I was tempted to give him a few tips on his company PR after doing a quick google search on the same) his extended family are anything but. Rumours were abuzz during Princess Diana's lifetime, of her alleged affair with Sunil's Uncle, Gulu (as is also touched upon in the book, "Diana Chronicles") whose own son has been thereafter linked with Paris Hilton, and whose daughter was a successful restaurateur who set up, and subsequently sold, the famous eatery Zuma in London. The company Binatone was itself named by the brothers after their sister, Bina Ramani, whose daughter Malini, has now famously followed in her fashionable mother's footsteps. While his family members are no stranger to the public eye, reclusive Sunil prefers to live a quiet, yet luxurious life, with his Aston Martin DB9 being the only visible sign of "flash" to his otherwise subtle lifestyle choices. Sunil recently even celebrated his 40th birthday in Dubai, and instead of having a massive Dubai-style OTT bash, chose the company of a handful of close friends, a few who had flown in from different parts of the world, for an extravagant 3 day celebration. At the final dinner, Sunil went around the table saying a few short words about each person in attendance, and I was surprised to learn that most have grown up with him and known him almost all his life. His friends likewise,  gave him glowing tributes and I could tell shared my own view of him. Honest, trustworthy, sharp and extremely witty are what makes Sunil, along with his wife Reena, part of the small group of my most favourite people in Dubai, and Sunil an obvious pick for being the second person I chose to profile for my blog.

 

-My most favourite product of Binatone is... The magic Thermo Control kettle – a classic product in our range that has been selling successfully around the world for 10 years and still going strong. In its current form it has a patented light system! Its difficult to get excited about such a mundane everyday product such as a kettle, but this was truly inspirational and led the way to a lot of creative product thinking within the company!

http://www.binatone.com/product.php?id_lan=1&id_domen=5&id_cat=18&id_prod=94&id_col=69

- The product I wished Binatone made is...  that’s a hard one, but I would have to say the Bugatti kettle. Through a partnership we have with Bugatti, they approached us with a design, and we engineered it and put in all the technology and found the contract manufacturer for the product and supervise all production ….. but it doesn’t sell under our brand. I know what it cost to develop, I know what it costs to manufacture each unit, and I know what price they sell it for !!!!! That is something to strive for.

http://www.pocket-lint.com/review/4391/casa-bugatti-vera-kettle-review

- I fancy Steve Jobs because...  I cant believe you are forcing me to say this ! As much as I don’t like Apple – not because of the products so much, but because I don’t like the cult following they have, BUT ……. I think Steve Jobs understands customers and customer needs like no other. He is uncompromising in his execution of products and I admire that hugely. As much as I hate to admit it, Apple and their products are mentioned in every product, marketing and strategy discussion I ever have internally!

- If I didn't drive a DB9, I'd have chosen a...  a DB9 ! Seriously, I am stuck with this car, because I cant think what to change it for. It is sublime! Beautiful to look at, to listen, to drive. It is theatre each time you go for a drive - from the moment you start the engine, through the engine blips on the down shifts, and all the way to its ability to cruise like a luxury saloon when you just want to relax. Its as near to perfection as you can get in a motor vehicle.
Having said that ...... I think the Alfa 8C is simply the most stunning looking car I have ever seen, and came close to buying it…. but Mr.Clarkson gave it a terrible review as a drivers car (despite it terrific lungs), so I didn’t go for it ! I love the Fiat 500 Abarth – If I lived in Europe and had to pick a “practical” car, this would be it – superb execution of “retro design” inside and out !


- My next gadget purchase will be...   The Que Pro Reader – an e-reader that (for me) finally has a practical purpose. I am diligent in carrying meeting notes with me on my travels so that I am up to date with information whenever I meet or speak to any of my Country Managers – this neat device is going to save my back and drop 3kgs of papers that I now always carry with me!

- My favourite holiday destination is...  with the family, off the beaten track and as far and as wide as possible! We love to go to new places and avoid the ordinary! The rain forest in Borneo, touring Switzerland, Osaka, Russia and Sweden are some examples

- The next thing I plan to implement at work is...  discipline to stop selling “me too” products. I strive for creativity in the business, whether it is products or business processes. I hate to see that sometimes we make compromises in our product range because we lack the initiative to come out with a differentiated product in a certain category. We are getting there, but have not reached there yet …. and when we do, we will strive to differentiate and innovate further !

- My favourite book is...  a suitable boy by Vikram Seth – I am a slow reader and this classic travelled the globe with me during the 4 months it took me to read it, but I remember it fondly for the company it gave me on those travels.

 Take a look at Sunil's own blog here. Maybe now he'll be more likely to update it often.
And I'm most excited to have proof here IN PRINT he is a Steve Jobs fan. Now if only Reena can snap a picture of him secretly using his iPad!

Profile on... Vandana Bhatia

One of my first memories of Vandana is from London, a couple of years back. I was at her house visiting her brother, who is one of my closest friends, and being December, we were taking refuge from the weather and defrosting indoors. I had gone to London armed with my latest winter fashions from Dubai (big mistake!) including my first ever fur jacket (rabbit- I don't think I even knew what chinchilla was then) and my new boots. I remember my white jacket shedding all over their car and their couch, and Vandana looking horrified as I took off my boots to reveal white sports socks underneath. "Sweetie, don't wear white socks unless you're in the gym," she'd said kindly, as I sat slouched on her couch. Vandana on the other, even in the comfort of her living room, was perfectly poised, impeccably stylish and impossibly put together. She'd been great company that trip and I'd discovered was funny, intelligent and sweet... yet something about the way she carried herself had left me very intimidated.

Years later, when Vandana got married and moved to Dubai, we'd once met over lunch where she'd complained about being bored here, and not having much to do. "You REALLY need to do something related to fashion," I'd counseled   her. Vandana was then, without realizing it, the talk of the town, and her fashion choices were discussed, dissected and lusted after in social circles, long after she was gone. "No way," she'd said, till I'd narrated to her, down to the last detail, an outfit she'd worn to a lunch the week before.. which I hadn't attended. Vandana hardly has time to be bored these days, as she's been planning her second trunk show for her lifestyle brand Odyssey, which she's set up with her friend and business partner, Lyla. She was also recently selected by Burberry to be styled for their latest 3D fashion show, and was nominated by Harper's Bazaar as one of their best dressed women in the Middle East. The way I see it, she's only just begun, and was my natural choice to be the first profile I did on my blog.

A few days back I chatted with her about my first memory of her and her comment on my socks. "Noooo.. i did not say that," she sounded mortified and apologetic over the phone. "Don't worry," I laughed, "I thought it was funny and besides, I still do it," I'd said. "Oh in that case, it's ok I guess," she politely said, her voice thick with disapproval.

My Fave Brand... Just one?! Errr.. Right now Sass and Bide for Rock Chic separates though this will probably change next week!
High Street store I wouldn't be caught dead in... New Look
The one thing I'm lusting after now is.. a Bea Valdes Boudicca Necklace
The pride and joy of my wardrobe/handbag selection/jewelry box is... A Balenciaga dress (Valentine's gift)/my convenient Bon Bon bag from my trunk show/ Van Cleef and Arpels necklace- a gift from my hubby!
The most obnoxious item I own is... my Ostrich Kelly in Taupe
The non-celeb whose wardrobe I'd love to own is... my best friend, Olga's (picture below with Vandana and her husband, Vikram, during their wedding celebrations)
The celeb I'd love to give a makeover is... Love her, but Paris Hilton!

Do check out the latest Odyssey Trunk Show at the Capital Club, DIFC on Wednesday, 24th March 2010.