Eat right to stay healthy

Wellness and balance are feel-good terms. Not surprisingly then that the new spa coming to town uses these words with maximum impact – Balance Wellbeing 360 club. It is the Landmark Group’s new wellness concept opening on July 1 in Dubai at the Oasis Centre. The Balance Club draws from ancient wisdom and modern science and emphasises simple but effective methods of eating, exercising and nurturing a positive mental outlook. The Balance Wellness Club – with spa facilities and a health food café – uses a range of oriental and Western holistic treatments, exercises and nutritional approaches to help you understand your body, mind and spirit so you can rejuvenate yourself. In other words, it seeks to put you back in touch with yourself. At the sprawling club on level three at Oasis Centre with its soothing environs, a group of experts takes you under their wings. Dr Chandy George, the specialist Ayurveda doctor with 15 years of experience in Ayurvedic treatments, is the Club’s diagnostic nucleus. A few minutes in his company and I am stunned by his accurate description of my physical and emotional temperaments. Truth is, all he does is read your pulse using three fingers. What follows is a listing of your physical and mental conditions that is spot on. The pulse diagnostic method is an ancient Ayurvedic method called nadi pariksha. (Nadi is pulse in Sanskrit and pariksha means examination). Providing mind-body solutions Dr George is only too aware of the demands our modern, fast-paced lifestyle places on us and its often debilitating results. His line of treatment includes identifying, preventing, controlling, containing and reversing the disease processes caused by lifestyle, metabolic problems, ageing and stress-generated disorders. In offering custom-made solutions for his clients, Dr George takes into account the individual’s mental, physical and emotional facets as well as the environment he or she operates in. Once Dr George has come up with a diagnosis, wellness manager Sabrina Martorana guides you through the recommended treatment line. An accomplished therapist in oriental and Mediterranean therapies, she designs a health and fitness routine that could include, yoga, Pilates, chakra-balancing treatments, gym workouts, weight training, personal training or any other relaxing treatments you might need. The person’s body type determines the line of treatment. Once this is done, you could either choose to follow the recommendations on your own or enrol as a Balance Club member. The Balance Café adjoining the Club is already attracting health-conscious diners with its wonderful selection of breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack offerings – that are friendly the pocket too. Breakfasts at Balance Café don’t cost more Dh15 per person, while lunch is well within Dh25. The multi-cuisine menu is based on Ayurvedic principles and uses contemporary cooking styles and organic ingredients wherever possible. The mastermind behind Balance Café’s healthy menu is executive chef Sumit Kumar, from India’s famous destination spa Ananda situated at the foot of the Himalayas. Kumar says, “Balance Café’s underlying philosophy is to blend one’s physical, mental and emotional well-being to achieve perfect alignment and vibrant health. It uses fresh ingredients and dishes are cooked according to Ayurveda’s Rasa theory. The Rasa theory states that the six basic flavours in food – sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent and astringent – play a role in leading an individual to a perfect state of well-being. “A balanced diet incorporating all six flavours in the right proportions is the key to good physical health and a happy mind.”