Gayer Anderson Museum

Photography taken by Ahmed Salah & Manal Abdel Rehim

John Gayer-Anderson was a British doctor who worked in the British army. Upon his retirement, Gayer-Anderson was given permission to reside in what was then known as Bayt al-Kiritliya, (house of the Cretan lady) in 1935, on the condition that he bestow his valuable art collection to the Egyptian nation upon his death. Now known as the Gayer Anderson Museum, the house is comprised of two main houses, one built in 1630 AD and the other built in 1540 AD that were joined together to make one large house. Restored by the Egyptian Government in the 1930s before Gayer-Anderson’s occupancy, the house now serves as a museum.

The museum is located adjacent to the Ibn Tulun mosque in Old Cairo, in fact if you ascend to the roof of the museum, you see over the mosque walls.

 

Gayer-Anderson was a collector of antiques, – Turkish, Iranian, Chinese, Ancient Egyptian and Romanian – among others. Each room in the house has its own style that adheres to a particular culture. The Damascus Room is perfectly styled to mimic a bedroom in an ancient Damascus home. The Chinese Room is the smallest room in the house bearing Chinese furnishings, antiques, and wall-hangings. The English Room is the Library, with a stunningly adorned ceiling.

 

Gayer-Anderson’s remarkable paintings collection can be viewed throughut the house. Including his own self-portraits, sketches, and old photographs. Also strewn throughout are Roman and ancient Egyptian statues and artifacts.

 

 

Another important feature of the museum is its’ rooftop terrace. Overlooking the Ibn Tulun Mosque, the rooftop is enclosed by beautifully carved mashrabeyya. The Gayer-Anderson Museum also houses an old Sabeel, which offered fresh water to the public, it is located on the ground floor; a feature rarely found among historical houses in Egypt. ‎

 

Best Time to go

Middle of the week is the quietest time to enjoy the visit, especially in the morning.

 

Visiting the Gayer-Anderson Museum is highly recommended for history ‎and Islamic architecture fans.

 

How to get there

By taxi. Ask for Masjid Ahmed Ibn Tulun. The museum is attached to the south-east corner of the mosque.

 

Galal Zekri-Chatila

Once again Cairo East Magazine catches up with Galal Zekri-Chatila, the young Egyptian cycling across all of Egypt over the course of 5 months. His mission is to show us the beauty and diversity of Egypt, and to promote awareness and tolerance of the different areas and subcultures within this great nation of ours…

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Today, the 11th of December, is my 20th day on the road. I’ve covered 1020 km and have visited Sokhna, Zaafarana, Ras Ghareb, El Gouna, Hurghada, Sharm el Sheikh, Dahab, and Nuweibaa. I then officially touched base with Taba, then went to St. Catherine, Wadi Fyran, and Ras Sudr… and I’m still on the road.

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I started on the road with 70 students from my old school, Jeshuite, which boosted my energy.

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When I reached Zaafarana, I found around 12 missed calls from unknown numbers, I soon realized that I was being tracked by the police to ensure my safety. They wanted to send in a police van to assist me on the road, but I refused.

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On the road to Ras Ghareb the wind was blowing at 35 to 40 km/h. The weather was challenging, but I didn’t stop. I changed gears to the lowest, and decided to face the wind with all my power.  Gladly I managed to show the wind that it can’t break my spirit, so it decided to change direction and push me towards my goals! At that point my speed was reaching 40 km/h. and so I reached Ras Ghareb an hour after the sunset.

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After 3 days of a fancy lifestyle in El Gouna, full of massages, good meals, and kite-surfing, I wasn’t able to cross the Red Sea on a boat as planned. So I rode to Hurghada and slept on a boat there until I got my permit from the military.

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On the road to Dahab a Bedouin stopped to help me fix a flat rear-tire on Sophia, (my bike).

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I’ve had some depressing moments where I thought I was too weak and small to take on such a big challenge…

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I’ve had to face up-hills up to 1600 meters above sea level, head winds at 40 km/h, and I suffered so many flat tires and other mechanical issues.

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I’m very hopeful to reach Siwa Oasis by New Year’s, and enjoy the coolest bedouin party ever. During January I should be visiting all the oases of the Western Desert, and hopefully reach Halayeb on the other side.

 

A warm winter essential & a few tips to make a GREAT SOUP

Pumpkin soup

 

By Crave

Consumed generously in winter, soup is considered one of the warmest, easiest and most nutritious items you can pick from a menu or make at home. Apart from Gazpacho which is a Spanish vegetable soup usually served cold on summer days; literally any vegetable (accompanied by protein) – can be turned into soup.

Soup Types and Cooking Methods

In the world of kitchens, soups are made by sautéing the vegetables first so they’re soft, pureeing them later and either adding chicken/meat/vegetable/fish stock to them to give a clear consistency or adding full cream to give them a creamy consistency – along with necessary herbs and spices. Examples of clear soups include Minestrone and creamy ones include Mushroom Soup. There are also Bisques, which are very thick cream-based soups such as the famous Lobster Bisque as well as Chowders which are also thick soups but mainly potato based; Clam Chowder is known as the king of Chowders.

Usually essential in large kitchens at hotels and restaurants, a consommé or bouillon is the very refined and clear version of stock, which is essential in all soups, based on what type it is, be it fish, meat, poultry or vegetables. At home you can just do with a regular stock by simmering vegetables, poultry, meat or fish in water, salt, pepper, cardamom, bay leaves and just covering them up to speed up the process.

A few tips on making good soups;

  • Start with cold water then let it heat up as you go – it brings out all the flavors as opposed to pouring boiling water at first which can inhibit flavors.
  • Cut your veggies finely, this adds an extra rich flavor to your soup.
  • Browning your aromatics such as onion, carrot, and celery definitely adds flavor.
  • Let your soup simmer – very high heat will make you lose the flavors and too low won’t bring them out.

In the spirit of winter and Christmas, we share here this delicious silky creamy Pumpkin soup recipe:

Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients

  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 onions, finely chopped
  • 1 kg pumpkin, peeled and deseeded and chopped into chunks
  • 2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
  • 142 ml double cream
  • 4 slices toasted bread for serving

Directions

  • Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large saucepan, then gently cook the onions for 5 minutes, until soft but not coloured. Add the chopped pumpkin to the pan then carry on cooking for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally until it starts to soften and turn golden.
  • Pour vegetable stock into the pan, and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, and then simmer for 10 minutes until pumpkin is very soft. Pour the double cream into the pan and bring back to a boil, then purée with a hand blender. For an extra-velvety consistency you can push the soup through a fine sieve into another pan.
  • While the soup is cooking, cut the bread into small croutons. Heat the remaining 2 tbsp olive oil in a frying pan, and then fry the bread until it starts to become crisp.
  • Serve scattered with croutons and drizzled with more olive oil and balsamic vinegar if you want.

The Lowdown on Sugar

By Marcus O’Neill, MSc RD

 

The holiday season is right around the corner.  For many of us that means sweets and treats are abound in the workplace, at family get-togethers and at parties.  All of that extra sugar in our diets can’t be good for us, right?  Let’s take a look at what the science says.

What is sugar?

First it’s important to establish exactly what sugar is.  Sugar is a term that encompasses a group of compounds that fall under the larger classification of carbohydrates, more specifically simple carbohydrates.  When reading an ingredient label, sugars are easy to spot – they all end with the letters “ose”.  Some of the more common sugars you’re likely to encounter in your diet are glucose, fructose, sucrose and lactose.

Most digestible carbohydrates, whether they are simple or complex (i.e. starches), are broken down into glucose or fructose before they are absorbed into the bloodstream where they can be used for energy or stored as glycogen.  Each gram of carbohydrate contains 4 calories (vs. 9 calories/gram for fat).

Sugar is naturally found in many of the foods we eat, including fruits, vegetables and dairy products.  It is also added to many processed foods to improve flavours and textures and increase shelf life.  Your body does not distinguish between natural versus added sugar.  It treats both the same.

Does sugar cause disease?

There have been numerous studies examining the role that sugar plays in the development of many diseases including heart disease, diabetes, cancer, dementia and depression. While there have been some studies that appear to show a positive correlation between sugar intake and certain diseases (in in vitro studies and using animal models), the majority do not.  It is also important to note that there is little to suggest that sugar plays a direct role in the development of disease in actual human trials.

So should you even bother monitoring your sugar intake?

It’s still a good idea to keep an eye on how much sugar you consume. While there may not be anything inherently toxic about sugar, foods that are packed with a lot of added sugar tend to be high in fat and calories, leading to weight gain; which is one of the top risk factors for the development of many of the diseases listed above. At the same time these high sugar foods are typically void of other nutrients so there’s little nutritional upside for overindulging.  If you’re still craving sweetness and don’t want to miss out on that holiday baking, opt for foods containing low- to no-calorie artificial sweeteners.

The Bottom Line

Sugar might not be the toxic additive it is sometimes made out to be, but it’s still a good idea to try to limit your intake during the holiday season (and frankly all year round).  That means keeping an eye on the extra desserts, chocolates, candies and sugar-sweetened beverages you consume, all while monitoring your overall diet quality and calorie intake. If you really want to indulge, do so, but ask yourself, “What’s the least amount I can eat that will make me happy?”  If you’re honest, this tends to be a good guideline to follow which will still allow you to eat the foods you love, but reduce the amount of sugar and/or calories you would otherwise consume.

 

 

Marcus O’Neill is a Registered Dietitian from Canada, currently residing in Maadi. He can be reached by email at marcusoneill79@yahoo.com, or you can follow him via Twitter (@marcusoneillrd), or his website (www.dietitianabroad.com).

Top Food Combination Tips

What Works and What to Avoid

By Dr. Sherry Nabil Rizk

Eating all the right foods but still facing digestive problems and weight control issues? The key may not be what you eat, but how you eat it. Our bodies produce digestive enzymes to help us break down, assimilate and utilize the foods we consume, but often we mix things together in meals that end up confusing our systems.

Different enzymes are required for different types of food, and the result when too many are called into play at one time can have adverse effects. You will be surprised to see how many common combinations and eating habits can be culprits.

1. Fruit should be eaten alone:

When you combine fruit with foods that take longer to digest such as meat and starches it stays too long in your stomach and starts to ferment. It is best eaten half an hour to an hour before a main meal, never directly after a meal. When fruit is eaten alone on an empty stomach before a meal, it prepares the digestive tract for what’s to come.  Melons in particular should be eaten alone as they decompose very quickly in the stomach and are almost sure to cause trouble if eaten with other foods. A separate meal should be made of them so that they are quickly passed out of the stomach, and can be enjoyed for their nutritional benefits.

2. Avoid having proteins and starch in the same meal:

Proteins and starch need different enzymes and different levels of acidity to be digested. When eaten together, your body is forced to make a choice to digest protein but not starch. This results in undigested starchy food undergoing fermentation and decomposition, which leads to unpleasant end products. The protein will putrefy and the carbohydrate will ferment. The result is gas and flatulence in the system. Top tip – Combine protein or starch with non-starchy vegetables. If you do have to mix animal protein and starch, add leafy green vegetables to minimize the negative side effects.

3. Mixing two concentrated types of protein:

In general protein/protein combinations are not recommended. One single concentrated protein per meal is easier to digest and won’t require as much energy. Concentrated proteins take a long time to break down, tax the digestive system and deplete energy.

4. Avoid eating carbohydrates and acidic foods in the same meal:

Tomatoes should ideally not be combined with any starchy food. They may be safely eaten with leafy vegetables and fat foods. The combination of citric, malic and oxalic acids found in tomatoes, (which are released and intensified by cooking), is very antagonistic to the alkaline digestion of starches in the mouth and stomach. They should not be used on salads in a starch meal. Tomatoes are considered acidic and are not advised to be mixed with starchy carbs such as pasta. Adding dairy to this already difficult combo in the form of cheese sets you up for digestive problems. Try pasta with pesto or grilled vegetables instead.

5. Fats with Proteins:

This combination is one of the worst offenders in our daily diets. Fats require bile salts from the liver and gall bladder to break down; mixing them with other digestive chemicals can cause distress and slow digestion. Fatty acids lessen the activity of the gastric glands, the gastric juice, and lower the amount of pepsin and hydrochloric acid. While we should all make an effort to reduce to reduce consumption of harmful trans-fats and saturated fats we do need a certain level of fat in our diet. Use small amounts of fat — particularly, organic, unrefined oils like olive or coconut — when cooking vegetables, grains, and protein. Protein fats like avocados, seeds, and nuts should be combined only with non-starchy vegetables. It helps to include a raw leafy green vegetable when eating fats.

6. Liquids with Meals:

Any liquid in your stomach dilutes the enzymes your body needs to digest proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. This covers drinking water or juice during your meal or tea directly after eating. Water goes through the stomach in about 10 minutes while juice takes 15 to 30 minutes.  So drink as much water as you wish at least 10 minutes before sitting down to eat, then after eating wait about an hour to have any liquid.

7. Starch and sugar together:

Combining starch with sugary foods is a bad way to eat carbohydrates. When sugar is eaten the mouth quickly fills with saliva, but no ptyalin is present. Ptyalin is essential for the digestion of starch. If the starch is disguised with sugar, jellies, jams, or syrups the taste buds are confused, and carbohydrate digestion is impaired. Monosaccharides and disaccharides ferment more quickly than polysaccharides, so are prone to ferment in the stomach while awaiting the completion of starch digestion.

8. Time counts:

Some foods take a long time to digest while others move through the body relatively quickly.  Bear in mind that on average, fruits take 30 to 60 minutes to digest; vegetables, grains, and beans take one to two hours; cooked meat and fish take at least three to four hours; and shellfish takes four to eight hours. When you combine foods with different digestion periods you may face discomfort because your digestion isn’t as efficient. If you combine fruit with a slower digesting protein it sits in the stomach hours longer than it would on its own. As a result, the sugars in the sweet fruit ferment, leading to bloating and gas. If food rots in the stomach or intestines instead of being efficiently digested, we don’t absorb all of its nutrients.

Any time you have fermentation or putrefaction, it can create gases that are toxic and even carcinogenic. These toxins in the system may also cause fatigue, irritability, headaches, and foul breath initially, then later may result in colitis, inflammation, constipation, arthritis, and high blood pressure.

9. All in good order:

The order in which you eat various foods can also affect your body’s chemistry. Different categories of foods require different digestive enzymes to break them down, and those enzymes come from different parts of the body. Amylase and lipase come from the mouth and the small intestines digest carbohydrates and fats. Pepsin comes from the stomach and other enzymes from the pancreas to help break down proteins. Bile salts come from the liver and gallbladder to emulsify fats. And enzymes in the small intestine digest the sugars in fruits.

 

Try the following eating schedule:

Morning meal:

The least concentrated foods, in the greatest amount. Fruit makes a great start to the day.

Middle of the day:

More complex foods, but in a smaller amount than your first meal. Starchy carbohydrates will give you energy to burn.

Evening:

The most concentrated foods, but in the smallest amount. This is when you can go for foods that take longest to digest, proteins work well.

 

Dr. Sherry Nabil Rizk is a Professor at Cairo University. She is also available as a nutritionist and body shaping consultant by appointment at In Shape Clinic.

The Ancient Art of Acupuncture

A Chinese Treatment that Spans Centuries

By Francesca Sullivan

When seeking help for a physical or psychological problem, a visit to an acupuncture specialist is not what most people consider, especially here in Egypt. But for those interested in a holistic approach, and one that can possibly work where conventional medicine has failed, treatment by acupuncture can be a revelation.

Dr Hamed El Fishawy, an acupuncturist with a clinic in Maadi, has been practising this form of ancient Chinese medicine in Cairo since 2000. Cairo East Magazine met with him to find out more.

CEM: Where did acupuncture originate, and what are the principles behind it?

HF: Acupuncture is a form of Chinese medicine which has been used for centuries. It is based on the theory that energy, or chi, flows around the body continuously along pathways known as meridians. Illness occurs when these pathways become blocked, and the body’s yin and yang (opposite energies that complement each other and work together to form a whole) are out of balance. Acupuncture is employed to get the energy moving correctly again. The premise behind this form of alternative medicine is about stimulating the body’s natural ability to heal itself, and conventional medicine might interpret the application of acupuncture as stimulation of nerves, muscles and connective tissue in order to increase blood flow and increase the body’s own healing mechanisms.

How did you first become involved with acupuncture?

I studied medicine at Cairo University, and in 1996 immigrated to New Zealand, where I was specializing in neurosurgery. I was picked as one of a group of doctors taking part in an experiment to look at the benefits of Chinese traditional medicine, and at first I was highly sceptical, in fact I was thinking ‘Oh no, why me?’. I was ill at the time with a sore throat and told the Chinese master instructing the sessions that I couldn’t make it. He suggested going to the doctor and getting some conventional medicine, since he’d already guessed I was resistant to the idea of acupuncture. But when the sore throat persisted for two more weeks, I finally went along to meet him. He treated me, and to my amazement it was cured in one session. I was intrigued and began to study Chinese medicine, going deeply into the subject. The more I studied it the more I became convinced.

What kind of conditions can it treat, and which parts of the body respond the best?

Acupuncture can in theory cure a long list of diseases, but there are definitely certain conditions that respond to it better than others. These include those related to the muscular- skeletal system: chronic back, neck, shoulder or joint problems; osteoarthritis; also head ache and migraine; diseases of the endocrinal, lymphatic and nervous systems, high blood pressure, fibromyalgia, sciatica, and facial palsy. It is effective for menstrual problems such as PMS and irregular bleeding. It can be helpful for stroke victims, and for relieving specific types of pain.

It can also be effective for treating depression and stress. When treating depression I use a holistic approach combining acupuncture with counselling. A lot of my Egyptian clients come for help in losing weight. The treatment consists of applying acupuncture to small points on the ear which send messages to the brain centre simulating satiety, thereby acting as an appetite suppressant.

What happens during an acupuncture treatment session?

Tiny non-invasive needles, barely wider than a hair, are placed in very specific points in the top layer of the skin, sometimes with the addition of heat, pressure or a mild electric current. Other related treatments are moxibustion (heat created by burning a certain kind of herb in a cigar-shaped stick and applying it close to the skin) and cupping (suction applied to the skin to increase blood flow).

How many sessions on average does acupuncture require, and how long would each session last?

The length of the first session is an hour, as I spend time taking the patient’s history. Follow up sessions usually last around twenty minutes. The number of sessions needed depends on the individual’s response, but also on how long they’ve had the condition; chronic conditions will need more sessions.

Acupuncture is about trying to find the root cause of a problem, not just treating the symptoms. It’s like trying to take a photograph; when the picture isn’t clear you have to keep focussing in until it becomes sharper. That’s why it can take quite a few treatments to get down to the root of the problem and clear it.

Once treated are the effects long-lasting, or do you need a follow-up?

This depends on the response of the client and on the problem itself. Sometimes you need to give a booster even if the patient is completely healed, rather like an injection to prevent future recurrences.

Can it be used in conjunction with other forms of treatment?

Certainly, though we sometimes ask the patient to discontinue other medication if their condition has stabilized. For example in the case of hypertension we would recommend they keep taking their medication but to monitor their blood pressure with the aim of gradually reducing it, and let the acupuncture eventually replace it. If a condition is chronic we can’t take a decision to discontinue other medication right away.

Is anyone a suitable candidate?

Since there are no side effects, anyone can safely be a suitable candidate. However for about twenty per cent of the population acupuncture does not work. (This percentage is similar to other forms of medicine – antibiotics for example.) If the response is poor I would never encourage a patient to continue with it.

Can you cite any specific cases you have treated successfully?

Yes, quite a few. Facial palsy has a 95% success rate even when it has become chronic. It takes between seven and eighteen sessions. I successfully treated a patient with lymphatic filariasis (elephantitis); she had extreme swelling in her leg, and conventional medicine hadn’t been effective for her. I also a treated a foreign patient with fertility problems; she had had several unsuccessful IVF treatments, and got pregnant after acupuncture.

How do you see the future of acupuncture treatment in Egypt?

I have developed a good reputation here, and even have support from some doctors, but in general it has been quite difficult to overcome prejudices in Egypt when it comes to alternative medicine. Acupuncture has a clientele mainly from the upper social segments; many in the medical profession view it with suspicion, or dismiss it. Sadly I don’t see this changing at the present time.

 

Listing of Acupuncture treatment centres

• Egypt Acupuncture

Dr. Hamed El Fishawy, MD. Medical Acupuncturist

• Clinic For Acupuncture Treatment

Dr. Laila Ahmed Abou Ismail

• Cura Egypt

• Dutch Care Physiotherapy

• Haiyan Chinese Health Center

Dr. Haiyan Wang

• Revive Center

Dr. Heba Elnazer

Sugar & Children

How Much is Too Much?

By Tabibi 24/7

It is hard to find a child who doesn’t love sugary foods. Although many parents know that too much sugar is bad for kids, although it’s hard to keep track of how much our children actually consume. Of course, not all sugar is evil; sugar can be naturally occurring in some healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables, milk, and grains. What’s dangerous to your child’s health is the added sugar, which is put in foods during preparation or processing.

The major sources of added sugars are regular soft drinks, table sugar, candy, cakes, cookies, pies, ice-cream, and desserts in general. White bread, white pasta and even condiments such as ketchup and barbecue sauce also contain added sugar. Pediatricians and nutritionists agree that in modest amounts, sugar can have a healthful place in a child’s diet (or an adult’s). But many kids get too much too often. Worse, sugar-rich foods tend to be full of empty calories i.e. too many calories but not enough nutrients.

If you think of the daily calorie needs as a budget, you’d  want to “spend” most of the calories on “essentials” to meet the body needs and use only left over calories for “extras” that provide little or no nutritional benefit, such as sugar.

Eating high-sugar foods early on makes children crave them more later. Fortunately, parents can do a lot to train their young children’s taste buds to redirect these cravings.

Just as children differ in body type, activity level, and temper, there’s no set measuring spoon for the right amount of sugar in their diet. However, dietary guidelines recommend that sugar intake constitutes from 5 to 15% of total calories.

Pre-schoolers with a daily caloric intake of 1,200 to 1,400 calories shouldn’t consume any more than 170 calories, or about 4 teaspoons, of added sugar a day.

Children ages 4-8 with a daily caloric intake of 1,600 calories should consume no more than 130 calories, or about 3 teaspoons a day. (In order to accommodate all the nutritional requirements for this age group, there are fewer calories available for discretionary allowances like sugar.)

As your child grows into his pre-teen and teen years, and his caloric range increases to 1,800 to 2,000 a day, the maximum amount of added sugar included in his daily diet should be 5 to 8 teaspoons.

At the same time, how sugar plays into various health considerations can help guide you toward the right balance for your child. So, in what way is sugar harmful?

Cavities

Sugar fuels the growth of bacteria that cause tooth decay. So while, regular tooth brushing can help prevent cavities, a steady stream of sugar in the mouth increases their likelihood. That’s why dentists advise against putting babies to sleep with a bottle of milk (it contains milk sugar) or fruit juice, or letting them sip the stuff throughout the day.

Obesity

Children gain weight when they take in more calories than they burn. Unfortunately, sugary drinks and sweets typically supply calories beyond what kids need to satisfy their hunger. Sugar calories also tend to go down too fast and easy. Do you know that regularly drinking even one sugary drink a day increases the risk of obesity!

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) advises age-by-age limits:

  • No fruit juice for babies under 6 months.

• No more than 6 ounces (˜ 175 ml) a day for babies 6 months to 6 years.

• No more than 12 ounces (˜350 ml) a day for kids over 6.

Diabetes

According to endocrinologists, a high-sugar diet may raise the risk of diabetes and insulin resistance syndrome indirectly, by contributing to obesity (a strong risk factor) and directly, by overworking the pancreas, the organ that produces insulin.

So what can parents and caregivers do to take the sugar out of their kitchens?

• Desserts & sweets. Limit portions of cookies, candies and other baked goods. Instead try fruit-based desserts.

• Cereals. Limit sugary cereals. Look for whole-grain cereals, such as oatmeal, that don’t have added sugar — or salt. Add nuts, fruit or cinnamon if you want to jazz it up.

• Yoghurts. Many flavoured yogurts also have a significant amount of added sugar. Avoid those and instead opt for plain yogurt and add your own sweetness by blending in fresh fruits.

• Beverages. Limit juices, sports drinks and other flavoured beverages.

Finally, it is important for both children and adults to be sensible and enjoy all foods and beverages, but not to overdo it!

Staying Fit on Vacation in El Gouna

Beaching & Exercising in Gouna!

By Hilary Diack

Escaping the city for a well-deserved break in one of Egypt’s prime get-away locations needn’t mean losing the things you enjoy about your daily routine, including staying at your peak of fitness. Cairo East Magazine was inspired by this helpful advice from Nirvana Zaher, General Manager of LAX Gym in El Gouna.

CEM: Should people take some ‘down time’ from their normal workout routine when they are on holiday?

NZ:  Downtime is an important component to any exercise routine, but it must be scheduled in way that does not compromise the overall effectiveness of the training program. If your training has been practiced at high intensity for a few consecutive weeks, it would be beneficial to schedule a 5-7 day time out period in order to give your body and your mind an opportunity to recover. Having said that, a holiday should not always be an excuse to skip your workout; there are plenty of practical training techniques you can implement while on vacation that will maintain your fitness while giving you space for a well earned snooze on the beach.

Ifso, what changes should you make to your normal routine?

Keep your training as varied as you can. Take advantage of the accessible outdoors such as the mountains, the sea, and the beautiful roads that run throughout El Gouna. LAX has an outdoor playground with a multi-purpose rack that you can use for exercises such as pull ups, squats, leg lifts, and suspension training. For a really exciting workout, ask one of our trainers if you can bring some toys outside such as dumbbell, kettlebells and medicine balls and all of a sudden you have limitless possibilities for a fitness fiesta!

How can sport and recreational activities be used as a substitute for gym work, and give the same benefits?

The training that is practiced in a gym setting is a complement to any sports and other leisure activities that take place in parallel outside of the gym. Although most research demonstrates that exercising outdoors promotes fitness, improves mental wellbeing, and boosts overall morale, such activities should not be used as a permanent substitute for the gym, but rather should be incorporated into a larger frame of work. In the gym, we focus on building a strength and endurance base, then we progress to building functional strength and anaerobic fitness, and once this foundation is created, we begin to introduce more advanced training techniques. This style of training is not generally followed in a recreational sports setting. It is also important to note that in dedicating time to your gym routine, you will experience significant improvements in your game whether it is on the court, field, or any other sporting grounds. Therefore, try to find a healthy balance between both training styles.

What program would you recommend for someone to keep in shape if they are in Gouna for a one week break?

LAX offers a variety of classes throughout the week that target different fitness components in an effort to keep your training balanced. For metabolic conditioning, which promotes weight loss and athletic performance, we recommend our CrossHIIT (High-Intensity-Interval-Cross-Training) program that is offered three times per week. Each session focuses on building strength and muscles mass through weight training, developing muscle endurance and stamina through calisthenics or what is known as bodyweight exercises, and finally an outdoor boot camp style course that takes you through a scenic route in town.

As a complement to CrossHIIT, we also suggest that our clients attend a yoga class in order to lengthen muscles that have been strengthened. Yoga is also a great way to relax the mind, and bring harmony back into the body. Similar to yoga is our Core Control class, one of two signature classes developed by our consultants at The Fitness Playground. Finally, for those who really enjoy indoor cycling, not only do we offer daily Spinning classes, but also Spintonic. This is a second class brought to us by our friends at The Fitness Playground that will leave you energetically buzzing from the high you get as a result of the combination between Spinning and Toning.

How about jogging/running outdoors in Gouna? Is there a special route one can take? 

At LAX, we have a 6km loop that we use as a practice run with our clients. The run starts at LAX, takes you along the New Marina, over the bridge that drops you off at the beach where all the kite surf stations are, veering left at La Maison Bleue, through desert roads next to Ancient Sands Resort, to the horse stables, and finally through the popular Abu Tig Marina and back to the gym. We have seen lots of progress with our clients on this 6km loop as it follows a flat course, and takes you through a beautiful scenic route to accompany you on your run.

 

Do you work with clients on a one to one basis? If yes, how long is the workout for, and how intense is it? 

In addition to indoor and outdoor group fitness classes, as well as customized group fitness programs, we also offer tailor-made personal training for clients looking to work closely with a fitness practitioner. Most of our programs at LAX take place in an intimate setting; we have developed more or less as a boutique gym offering exclusive services to people who prefer small group fitness solutions. Most one-on-one training sessions are between 45 and 60 minutes long, and cover a functional warm up that energizes the body and prepares tendons and ligaments and connective tissue for exercise. Next we prescribe a circuit of exercises that focuses on a particular fitness component or body part – this depends on the day and on the client’s training goal – and finally we always finish with a cool down and stretch portion in order to relax the body following a rigorous workout.  The intensity of the training sessions will fluctuate depending on where our clients are in their training program, and how they are feeling on the day of their training. We work closely with all our clients in order to ensure that they see progress, get results, and feel good while doing so.

What type of workout routine would you advice an intermediate gym goer, such as a 45 min workout routine at the gym?

Below are two 45 minute workouts you can alternate between for a training duration of two weeks. We suggest you schedule a day of cardio, core, and stretching in between the two sessions. Make sure to warm up prior to starting the circuits. For more training ideas, and for exercise instruction you may visit www.facebook.com/tfpredsea.

Workout 1

(rest 1 min between sets)

Super Set #1

3 sets of:

* 10 reps bench press into 10 reps bend over row

* 12 reps sumo squat into 12 reps stability ball hamstring curl

* 30 reps MB weighted sit up and toss into 30 reps superman

*Run a 1km time trial on the treadmill.

Super Set #2

3 sets of:

* 10 reps single arm cable chest press into 10 reps single arm cable row

* 8 reps DB overhead alternating lunges

* 40 reps crunches into 40 reps reverse crunches

* Run a 1km time trial on the treadmill.

* Try to beat time trial from Super Set Circuit #1.

* Stretch

Workout 2

(rest 1 min between sets)

1km fast pace (75% effort) run

 

Tri Set #1

3 sets of:

* Walking lunges 10 reps

* DB alternating chest press 10 reps

* V ups 20 reps

* 20 burpees

Tri Set #2

3 sets of:

* Weighted squats 12 reps

* Renegade row 8 reps

* Russian twist 30 reps

* 10 m bear crawl forward and backward

Tri Set #3

3 sets of:

* Rear leg elevated squat 10 reps

* 1 burpee into 1 pull up 10 reps

* Spiderman pushup 12 reps

* 1 minute 10 m Side shuffle right and left

Tri Set #4

3 sets of:

* Weighted squat and shoulder press 10 reps

* Mountain climber into spiderman 15 reps of each

* 20 Box jumps

* Stretch

Keeping Cool under Pressure

Anger Management with Sarah Maamoun

By Hilary Diack

We have all been there. Blood pressure rocketing. Feeling hot under the collar. Clenching our teeth. The signs that something is getting you all riled up. Just how harmful is anger, and how can we deal with it? Cairo East Magazine addressed the subject with life coach Sarah Maamoun.

CEM: What are the various forms of ‘anger’ that we experience?

SM: It boils down to three things, these are key in any situation where anger arises, whether it is domestic, work-related or in a close emotional relationship. First, we get upset because our needs are not being met. Secondly, we want to blame someone else for what we don’t want, or what we are not receiving. The third point is when we feel the urge to speak or act in a way that does not foster our best interests. Anger is a wake-up call that indicates something is awry in these areas.

We must consider that every human has five basic needs: Autonomy, appreciation, attention, acknowledgement and affection. And of course, respect. These evolve at stages of our life, as part of the maturing process. Frustration inevitably arises when we do not have these important needs met. Interestingly, studies have shown that it is men who most commonly complain about being misunderstood.

What are typical situations that can trigger an attack of anger?

Usually it will be situations that involve hurt or fear. A person may feel that they have been wronged, or hurt by someone. It should be noted that often hurtful behaviour is instigated by people who have been hurt themselves, thus creating a negative cycle.

Fear can cover many areas; fear of rejection, possible divorce, loss of security, challenges to financial and social position. This can build up a resentment that expresses itself in either a passive/aggressive or directly aggressive way.

Why do some people have more trouble controlling their temper than others?

People who have an easier time of controlling their temper are generally more mature and  self-actualized, and more in tune with their needs and feelings.  They can empathize more with others’ behaviour, a lot of it comes with life experience.

What are the best ways of defusing a potentially aggressive or confrontational interaction?

Find a place of consciousness. In addition to connecting to what we feel we must try to understand what the other person needs or feels. This is where empathy comes into play. Don’t repress anger, try to transform it into positive communication. See the other person’s point of view, put yourself in their shoes. Communicate respectfully.

How can we cope with ‘road rage’ and other negative social situations?

Again, take a deep breath. Identify our judgmental thoughts, connect with what our needs are. Don’t deflect your anger onto others. Be aware of your physical state. Yoga breathing has proved to be helpful, it can calm and give focus. Use your senses to de-stress, find out what calms you. Playing music may help.

How can we raise our kids to avoid temper tantrums when they don’t get their own way?

Take a deep breath! Teach them emotional intelligence, how to recognize their feelings, but keep it in terms they can understand. They should learn to connect with and understand their needs and feelings and how to communicate them effectively. Learn how to calm them by being in touch with their senses.

How potentially harmful is it when we try to supress our anger? What are good ways to get it out of our system?

Trying to stop aggressive behavior without addressing the reasons for it can send a person into a depressive state. This is common with men who don’t want to be perceived as bullies or monsters.  They must learn to open up and communicate, and work on their self-understanding. Pent-up anger can be eased through burning it off in a physical activity that we enjoy. Dancing, a good work-out, or a long walk. Getting in touch with nature and ourselves is a great way to put things back into perspective.

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