Since I started on my Natural Healing path, I tried my best to ‘walk my talk’. I shifted to whole wheat flour and brown rice, I checked my labels, added vegetables and fruits to my table,  I even drank raw spinach juice and ate seaweeds! 
Still, I find it hard to fit regular exercise into my busy everyday schedule. What a shame!

I’ve always been athletic. I won many medals in my childhood. Now, I can’t take a flight upstairs without huffing and puffing. But, “No more!” I declared! Regular exercise was one of my 2011 plan. I have to admit that, when revising my plan, I was shocked by my ambitious exercising goals. I didn’t achieve any of them.   I have to catch up before the year comes to an end. (at least to practice what I preach!)

My work is basically sedentary and the weather here in Dubai is pretty hot during this time of the year. I can’t walk or cycle (my favorite two aerobic exercises), so I decided to enroll in a ladies’ gym.
  As a novice gym savvy, my next decision was to try all the classes (well, almost all, I’m not too much into boxing) before deciding which one to adopt especially that many new options are now available other than the usual aerobics and yoga I was used to. Last week, with my daughter, we tried Zumba class. It was so much fun! An energy packed class mixing aerobic moves with Salsa and Rumba steps on a refreshing Latin music background. I experienced firsthand the amazing boost of endorphins (mood boosting neurotransmitter released during physical exercise) along with the melting away of calories.
Tomorrow, I’ll try the Latino dance mix, and then may be some belly dancing (I’m Egyptian after all!) and end the sessions with yoga stretches and breathing. Next week, time for body pump and may be some pilates.

Wow! Suddenly, exercise doesn’t seem boring anymore. It was fun to experiment. I love new ideas and experiences. Exercise doesn’t have to be a boring task or a burden. We can make it enjoyable. Find motivation. Exercises are not only calorie-burners, they improve your blood circulation, energize your heart, boost your mood, improve your memory, and pump calcium into your bones. Start today! Choose a ‘buddy’, join a new gym, experiment with new sports, start a walkathon, or simply brisk walk with your camera around your neighborhood. Find your own way, but make sure to make it fun so that you don’t give up after a week or two or after some of the calories melt away.

Have a Great Day!

More and more I keep hearing complaints from women and teenage girls about PMS symptoms. That’s strange or rather odd given the fact that our grandmothers, our mothers and even ourselves in our younger age (Not that we’re not young anymore of course!!), we never experienced such complaints at least in such frequency and severity. So, why now?

Is it our diet? Our lifestyle? Or just because we didn’t know what the word PMS meant (or even that it existed) that we didn’t notice its symptoms?

My guess is: it’s the combination of all three. Our diet had dramatically changed in the past decade. We rely more on highly refined and/or processed food lacking vital nutrients and packed with synthetic chemicals. Our grandmothers’ diet was richer in whole grains, nuts, beans, and seeds. Their produce was fresh and seasonal, packed with vitamins, minerals and vital energy. The air they breathed was fresher, the water they drank was clearer; the food they ate wasn’t loaded with chemicals, colors and artificial flavors. Their lifestyle was also different. They didn’t sit all day long in front of the TV or computer screen. They didn't even have one. They socialized more (not on facebook or in internet chatting rooms), they exchanged ideas, recipes, advices and genuine support. Their life was much more physically active. They walked to the local market (no malls!!! Poor granny!), they climbed the stairs and ran errands.

And, most importantly, NO ONE TOLD THEM!!! They didn’t know that there was such thing as PMS. Not because they weren’t updated with the “latest scientific researches and discoveries”, rather, because they simply didn’t need to. Women, since the dawn of civilization, intuitively knew about that ‘time of the month’ when they were more vulnerable. Not just physically, but also emotionally. They knew that there is a time when they needed more support, love and care; another time when they may need to be more self-centered (not selfish), introvert and reflective. Yet, there are other times when they are more sociable, giving, creative and expressive. Women’s menstrual cycle expresses these different needs at different times of the month; and our grandmothers intuitively followed its natural flow.

Our grandmothers’ life, although more physically demanding (I see that as an advantage), was much less stressful. Their hearts were pure and loving; their needs were much simpler (they weren’t bombarded by self-destructive ads all day long), their intentions, goals and missions were much clearer. Their creativity was beautifully expressed in simple touches of everyday life, in a new recipe they invented, a quilt they made, a dress they’ve sewn, or a curtain they altered…

Isn’t time to learn from their wisdom? Isn’t time to stop suppressing our feelings with sweet indulgences, silencing our pains with pain ‘killers’, repressing our bloating with prescribed medications, and hiding our emotions behind soap operas? Isn’t time to listen to our inner whispers and follow our intuitive wisdom?

Life is simply all about choices. We have all the options. We just need to make the right choices concerning our diet, lifestyle, and mental, emotional, and spiritual beliefs.

Have a great day!

I’m a mum. I know how hard it is to convince children to eat healthy in this Junk Food World and I realize how difficult it is to convince them to get off the couch or leave their PC monitors or play stations to play sports or exercise, finish their homework, or perform some chores (or even take a bath!). Still, I never give up. Adopting a healthy lifestyle is important not only for their health and growth, but for their immunity, mental capabilities and life-long wellbeing. In my practice, I see lots of kids with disease formally classified only as adults’. So many children are now suffering from type 2 diabetes, hypertension, hypercholesterol, ADD, stress-related disorders and chronic degenerative malfunctions. It all starts at home, with the right choices of diet and lifestyle. The key is to make them love this healthy approach. It is easy to impose a new lifestyle on our children, but it won’t work on the long run. Soon, they will grow out of it and rebel. Children who learn to enjoy healthy diet, exercise, and lifestyle are more likely to keep it as they grow up.

With the school year starting, it’s time to readjust some out-of-control summer habits. Let’s start with the most important ones: Nutrition, exercise and sleeping pattern.

1. Nutrition

Healthy food does not have to be unappealing. If your child hates broccoli, it’s okay, there are plenty of alternatives. Try different recipes, different fruits and vegetables; add flavors with spices and herbs. Make their plate look nice and appealing. The eyes and nose accept food before the palate does. Introduce healthy food options gradually. Here are few suggestions:

- Shift to whole grains: brown rice, whole wheat flour, whole grain toast and bread for school sandwiches, whole grain cereals…

- Introduce more vegetables and fruits: serve fruits, fruit salads, homemade fruit pies and tarts instead of chemical-laden sweets and doughnuts. Serve salad with every meal. Introduce different vegetable colors, each color has its own family of phytonutrients (plant-based nutrients that have loads of health benefits from anti-oxidants to anti-cancer potentials) and again try different recipes. If they don’t like it steamed or boiled, they may like it stir fried, baked or even raw with dips and sauces.

- Reduce fats and sweets and avoid over-processed foods and foods with preservatives, artificial sweeteners, and additives.

- Give them healthy snacks: nuts and seeds, dried fruits, whole fruits, fresh vegetables cut in sticks with hummus or avocado dips, cheese cubes, yogurt with fresh fruits, honey or maple syrup, muesli, homemade popcorn…

 2. Exercise

Exercise is very important for a growing child. It strengthens the bones, builds and tones the muscles, ensures healthy blood circulation, clears the mind and boosts the mood. Children should be active. Avoid long hours in front of the TV and computer screens. Get them outdoors to play and run. Teach them to perform few stretching exercises in the morning before breakfast. Take them to the club or parks to learn a sport and play with their mates.

3. Sleep

Getting enough quality sleep is essential for children. During sleep their bodies secrete growth hormone. This hormone helps their body to grow and regenerate tissues and cells. Their brains also take the time to de-clutter, re-energize, and establish any acquired knowledge and skills in the long-term memory stores. The best way of acquiring enough quality sleep is by synchronizing with the natural day/night cycle. Teach your children to sleep after their night prayer and wake up with sun rise for dawn prayer. Starting and ending their day with a spiritual connection with the Divine is a great lesson to learn in their young age.

The year ran so fast. It is coming to an end soon. I took out my 2011 plan. It’s time to review it. I achieved a lot (thank God), and I also missed on a lot. There is still time to catch up, though. Time to put some oil in the gears as they started to slow down and rust after the long summer break.

Remember our 8 planning fields we devised at the beginning of the year (O God! I can’t believe a whole year has already passed since I started this blog!). Take another look at what you planned for:
  1.      My Nation
  2.      My spiritual development
  3.      My health
  4.      My family
  5.      My social life
  6.      My personal development
  7.      My work/ career
  8.      My life

N.B. if you missed my first blog, here is the link: http://www.amiraayad.com/1/post/2010/12/are-you-ready-for-the-new-year.html

Dividing goals and plans into those 8 fields helps me keep a sort of equilibrium in my life and most of all helps me keep the balance among my four sides: Body, Mind, Heart & Soul. Tracking progress is an essential part of growing. It helps me keep the momentum and generate motivation and enthusiasm.

Start by recording your achievements. Don’t underestimate any of them. You sure did a lot. Record all what you did, big or small, great or trivial. It is all part of your journey, your progress, your growth, part of your big test and mission in life. By starting with your achievements, you give yourself enough credit and much needed appreciation and acknowledgement that will help you resume your journey and reach higher goals.

Taking care of your children, of your health, of your house, reading new books, attending classes, making arts or crafts, cooking healthy dishes, connecting with your spiritual side, adopting a new hobby, simplifying your life, controlling your anger, managing your stress, purifying your heart, keeping your promises, settling in a new home, a new job, a new town, getting your driving license, taking care of your parents, spouse, siblings, starting a new job, a new career, a new plan, exercising… all are achievements, they are YOUR achievements… In the past 8 months, you have learnt so much… done so much… endured so much… Think… Dig deep in your heart for lessons, skills, wisdoms and passions. You deserve the credit.

This is the first step in evaluating your plan. Be just to your own self. It’s a much needed step that keeps the momentum growing and the wheel turning.

Then, it’s time to catch up. What is missing in your life? In your 8 fields? In your four sides? There is still plenty of time to catch up and plenty of time to redesign your plans and readjust your path. They are not cast in stone, you know. Be flexible… You learnt so much, you grew wiser and stronger… Your dream is as big as you want it to be and your life is as great as you plan for it to be!

Have a great day!