Observer & Busness 24 Jun 2012 - Oman Observer

PEOPLE’S
PLATFORM
HATS off to the Ministry of Tourism and
Net Tours for arranging a wonderful trip
to Jabal Akhdhar. It was a mind blowing
experience with 40 Four Wheels going like a
canvoy being led by the OmanRiders Bike, ROP
vehicles and an ambulance in tow.
The well-organised and very safe trip was enjoyed
by everyone. A very active guide to motivate
people and bring them together. It was also
nice to see the Director of Tourism and his officials,
senior officials of the village, ROP officials
and the media taking keen interest in seeing that
those who participated were well taken care of.
Local Omanis gave us a very warm welcome by
their traditional dance and songis The icing on
the cake was the games organised in the end like
the tug-of-war, treasure hunt and the marathon.
It was nice to see the OmanRiders team win the
tug-of-war. We were very lucky to have taken part
in this event. Thanks to all concerned for making
this happen. We look forward to many more such
trips organised under the initiative of Ministry of
Tourism. We understand this is also a promotion
under the banner of ‘Muscat Arab Tourism Capital
2012’. Definitely Muscat is the Arab Tourism
Capital.
— Badr
Editor: Jabal Akhdhar is always an enjoyable
place to bask in the natural wonders of nature.
Add to this experience the safety factor provided
by the concerned people. I must say you are lucky
indeed.
Exploitation by schools
Indian Schools here are shamelessly
SOME exploiting their teachers. When a new teacher
is locally recruited they are forced to join duty
immediately even before their employment visa
is processed. Although they are made to work
like any regular staff they are paid only half their
promised salary until they get their employment
visa. These teachers also do not get the perks of
a regular employee like medical cover, annual
leave, air ticket, housing allowance or transport
FOOD CORNER
Paco Roncero’s take on
molecular gastronomy
SPANISH chef Paco
Roncero’s new
restaurant in Hong Kong
now has to prove to the
city’s discerning diners that
his nouvelle cuisine is by no
means pretentious.
The two Michelinstarred
chef, who gained
recognition as Chef Ferran
Adria’s most famous disciple,
opened View 62 on June
15, a revolving restaurant at
the 62nd floor of Hopewell
Centre in Hong Kong.
Roncero spoke about his
passion and taking risks in
creating new dishes, and
convincing his diners to discover
nouvelle cuisine —
his name for his own version
of European cuisine.
How has Ferran Adria
influenced you and where
have you gone beyond
Adria?
Ferran Adria provided
me with an insight into molecular,
innovative cuisine.
He helped me view food as
a new form and not just as
an object. I have taken those
skills and through progression
and experimentation, I
have reached a totally new
space in cooking which I refer
to as Nouvelle Cuisine.
You’re really interested
in olive oil — why?
There is nothing better
in this world than pure,
delicious Spanish olive oil.
Through experimentation I
have also realized the many
ways in which I can modify
olive oil to make it into a new
and different product altogether.
For example, through
freezing and extracting the
fat, I am able to produce a
healthy butter form of olive
oil. Not only is olive oil so
much healthier than butter,
the taste is exquisite. This
means the options are endless
— as is the flavour.”
How far can the limits
of using olive oil be
stretched?
Of course to develop a
product, it is reliant on experimentation,
exploring
and researching new ways in
which olive oil can be pro-
duced, presented and modified.
I enjoy experimenting
and as it’s my favourite
product I strive to create
new tastes, sensations and
forms all the time. Combining
these various forms with
different foods also creates
new dishes. For example,
potatoes can be mashed,
fried, boiled, cooked — if
you were to mix all these
different forms with olive
oil, there would still be a
unique taste to each. I hope
I will always be able to discover
new things.”
What are the influences
on your cooking overall?
I use influences from
all over the world, it’s part
of the process. Of course ,a
huge amount of my cooking
holds Spanish traditions and
influences but coming to
Hong Kong, I will definitely
be seeking and researching
traditional produce and
working with it to form new
dishes. My menu changes
all the time and this is due
to new influences from
travelling and experimentation.
My process starts
with a single product — a
carrot, an apple, a piece of
fish. From there, I try a million
methods to change it
into something totally new
whilst keeping the essence
of its flavour and its being.”
Is the whole idea of nouvelle
cuisine a bit precious
or pretentious, why or why
not? What can this say to
Asia and how has Asia influenced
you — if at all?
I believe that anything
can be molecular, hence
why I refuse to use this to
describe my cooking. The
act of making anything
from a variety of products
has an element of ‘molecular-ness’.
My goal is to go
one step further and create
something new and different
— something that has
never been done before.
Yes, the process it precious
and meticulous, but by no
means pretentious. It’s ambitious
and risky but that is
what I love. — Reuters
Entree Chilean Sea Bass with Green Bean Sauce and
Iberico Air by Spanish chef Paco Roncero
allowance. The hapless teachers agree to these
terms, lest they are denied the job. The school, then
with the connivance of the Indian Schools’ Board
of Directors, deliberately delays forwarding the
teachers’ documents to the concerned authorities to
get the necessary clearance for the visa. The longer
it takes for the teacher to get their visa, the more the
school is benefitted. The school takes an average
of six to 14 months for processing the documents,
27
LETTERS/HEALTH SUNDAY, JUNE 24, 2012
A memorable trip to Jabal Akhdhar with full safety gear
depending on how much the teacher pressurises
the school authorities. At any time of the year,
there are at least five to eight teachers working
Psoriasis tied to higher
risk of diabetes: study
PEOPLE with the chronic
skin condition psoriasis
may be more likely
to develop type 2 diabetes as
well, according to an international
study involving more
than half a million people.
Researchers, whose results
appeared in the Archives of
Dermatology, found that this
was especially true in those
with severe psoriasis, who
were 46 per cent more likely
to get a diabetes diagnosis than
of Directors and put an end to this racket.
— Naseer
Editor: It is indeed a cruel joke that is being
played on the newly recruited teachers. On can
understand the plight that they have to endure for
no fault of theirs. I really hope that a competent
authority takes up the issue.
Need to have responsible media
THE media works as safety valve between
the society and the government. It spreads
the messages of the government’s policies
among the masses. It also establishes two-way
communication by providing people’s reaction
over certain policies or situations. Hence in
today’s world media has become an important
mode of good governance. A responsible media is
the need of the time.
— Ramesh
Editor: No one can deny the role of media in
today’s society. Since it has an important role to
play in society building, the media should play a
responsible and neutral role.
Heritage and culture
THERE are many interesting features in
this year’s Salalah Tourism Festival. As an
expatriate this is my first experience in the festival
and I was very happy that Oman is so serious about
its heritage and culture. The Heritage Village
Oman has been nicely portrayed. This gives the
visitor an idea about the country’s development
in a short span of time. One good thing I noticed
is the Omani people’s pride in their heritage. It is
really something rare.
— Mukesh
Editor: Oman is proud of its heritage and cul-
without an employment visa in most of the Indian ture. While doing development projects we do not
schools. It is high time the Education and Labour forget our past with is nicely preserved. Hope our
ministries rein these Indian schools and their Board future generation also carry on the practise.
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people without the condition,
after weight and other health
measures were taken into account.
Psoriasis is characterised
by itchy, painful plaques on
the skin. Previous studies have
suggested the condition is tied
to a higher chance of having
heart disease or suffering a
heart attack or stroke, while
other reports have hinted at a
link between psoriasis and diabetes
as well.
Tel: 24649451, Fax: 24649469; e-mail: observerfeatures@gmail.com
“We already knew that some
of the risk factors for psoriasis
and diabetes are similar, like
weight,” said Rahat Azfar, at
the University of Pennsylvania
in Philadelphia and lead author
of the study.
“We do think that psoriasis
itself makes people at higher
risk.” For the study, Azfar
and her colleagues consulted
five years’ worth of electronic
medical records from about
108,000 adults in the UK with
psoriasis, and about 400,000
without. None of them had
diabetes at the outset.
They found that 3.7 per cent
of those with psoriasis were diagnosed
with diabetes over the
course of the study, compared
with 3.4 per cent of the comparison
group.
When patients’ age, weight
and high blood pressure were
accounted for, psoriasis was
still tied to a higher chance of
developing diabetes, especially
among the 6,200 people with
severe psoriasis. In that group,
6.3 per cent were diagnosed
with diabetes.
According to the study
team, the body-wide inflammation
that is seen both in
people with psoriasis and type
2 diabetes may explain the link
between the two conditions.
Azfar said psoriasis may induce
that chronic inflamma-
A bio-compound that acts
as exercise booster
RESVERATROL, a biocompound
found in
some fruits, nuts and
red wine, is likely to boost
exercise training and performance,
says a new research.
Principal investigator Jason
Dyck from the University
of Alberta and his team found
that high doses of resveratrol
improved physical performance,
heart function and muscle
strength in lab models.
“We were excited when we
saw that resveratrol showed
results similar to what you
would see from extensive
endurance exercise training,”
says Dyck, researcher in paediatrics
and pharmacology.
“We immediately saw the
potential for this and thought
that we identified ‘improved
exercise performance in a
pill’,” the Journal of Physiology
reports.
Dyck and team will soon
start starting testing resveratrol
on diabetics with heart failure
to see if the natural compound
can improve heart function
for this patient group. The 10week
study is expected to start
within the next few months,
according to an Alberta statement.
“I think resveratrol could
help patient populations who
want to exercise but are physi-
cally incapable. Resveratrol
could mimic exercise for them
or improve the benefits of the
modest amount of exercise that
they can do,” says Dyck. “It
is very satisfying to progress
from basic research in a lab
to testing in people, in a short
period of time.” — IANS
tion through changes in the
bloodstream, thus upping the
risk of diabetes.
It could also be that people
with psoriasis are more depressed
or exercise less, helping
to explain the difference
in diabetes rates, said Robert
Kirsner, a dermatologist from
the University of Miami Miller
School of Medicine who has
studied psoriasis but was not
involved in the study.
So far, the data cannot
prove that psoriasis directly
causes diabetes. And there
have not been any studies to
show definitively whether the
ointments, pills or injections
used to treat psoriasis have any
impact on a patient’s chance of
getting diabetes, Azfar added.
Kirsner said that patients
with psoriasis should talk with
their doctors about other ways
to reduce their diabetes risks,
such as by adopting a healthier
lifestyle.
“The study suggests that
patients with psoriasis perhaps
should be followed more closely
and may want to adhere to a
better diet and all those things
to prevent diabetes,” he said.
Two of the researchers reported
financial relationships
with pharmaceutical companies,
including those that
make diabetes and psoriasis
drugs. — Reuters
Skin care after
a workout
S PORT may be a natural
elixir for beautiful skin,
but people who stay active by
jogging, cycling, swimming
or any other kind of athletics
that makes them sweat know
that the skin is subjected to a
lot of stress.
Staying active helps
make the skin look better because
the tissue is supplied
with oxygen and has the
benefit of better blood circulation,
making it tighter,
said Heike M Falkenstein,
a cosmetician. To use these
advantages optimally, sports
enthusiasts should take the
right precautions before exercising
and follow the right
steps afterwards as well.
“The type of care depends
on the individual skin
type and the condition of the
skin. Dry skin requires another
type of care than mixed
skin,” said Elena Helfenbein,
an expert with the German
association of cosmeticians.
“It’s important for sporty
people to regularly cleanse
their skin and remove any
grease, sweat and chlorine.”
HEALTHY
FOODS
By Mini Padikkal
The golden fruit
SADLY, we have always overlooked apricots in favour
of other common fruits like apple, orange, pear or
banana. The apricot is just as healthy as those other fruits,
may be even healthier.
Aside from the many health benefits of the apricot, it
is also a wonderful diet food, providing a large amount of
healthy nutrition to the body as well as keeping down caloric
intake, as they are very low in calories as compared
to other fruits (only about 50 calories for three fresh apricots)!
These are just some of the health benefits of apricots:
Apricots are one of the best natural sources of vitamin A
and beta carotene particularly in their dried form. Just a
handful of apricots easily meets 100 per cent of the recommended
daily allowance (RDA) of beta carotene and,
depending on the variety, the carotenoid content can reach
over 16,000 micrograms in just three fresh apricots. Beta-carotene,
cryptoxanthin, and gamma-carotene are the
predominant carotenoids. Rich in vitamin A, a powerful
antioxidant that prevents free radical damage to eye tissue,
apricots help to promote good vision. Studies have shown
that those who had the highest vitamin A intake reduced
their risk of developing cataracts by 40 per cent. Apricot
contain a range of carotenes: beta-carotene for cancer prevention;
lutein and zeaxanthin for eye health; and cryptoxanthin,
which may help to maintain bone health.
Apricots are also good source of potassium, vitamin C
and fibre, and contain abundant phytochemicals such as
D-glucaric acid, chlorogenic acid, geraniol, quercetin and
lycopene. The antioxidant lycopene found in apricots gives
the fruit its golden orange colour.
♦ Potassium is a mineral that is abundant in apricots
needed by every cell, tissue and organ in the body to function
properly. Potassium is thought to play a role in bone
formation, heart function, muscle contraction, lowering
blood pressure and reducing the risk of stroke.
♦ Apricots are also ideal for weight maintenance as they
are a good source of fibre and are fat-free. The semi-dried
fruit is a very good source of potassium and iron, although
the drying process diminishes the vitamin C and carotene
content. Dried apricots, because they contain less water are
higher in calories than fresh ones, but they are an ideal energy-giving
snack. Both fresh and dried apricots are highly
nutritious and have a low glycaemic index, making them an
excellent food for sweet-toothed dieters.
♦ Apricot juice is very cooling drink. It is very beneficial
when you are running with high fever.
♦ Eating apricots also keeps the skin younger looking,
due to the high antioxidant content in the fruit.
♦ Apricots are high in iron, which can help to treat anaemia.
Apricots also help the body to produce haemoglobin,
which can be beneficial to women who have heavy periods.
Apricots (around 100g) are as beneficial to the blood as
250 grams of liver, and more palatable to most. Apricots
are a good food choice for pregnant women as a natural
source of iron.
Consuming apricots daily with your breakfast gives
you lot of energy. It gives a good flavour to your pancake,
chicken or vegetable stew or green salad. Apricot juice is
not only quenches your thirst but also eliminates waste
products from your body.
Fresh apricots need to be fully ripe to maximise their
carotene content, and cooking them helps the carotene and
soluble fibre to be better absorbed in the body. For use in
cooking or preparing for preserving, place whole apricots
into boiling water for about thirty seconds, peel, pit and
halve or slice. Dried apricots are good in couscous and salads,
and can be stewed then served with yogurt. Apricots
may be the poor relations on the fruit stall, coming third to
peaches and nectarines, but their health benefits put them
in the gold medal position. These small fruits are big on
health benefits, so add them to your basket next time you
shop.
— The writer is a dietician at Atlas Star Medical
Centre, Al Khuwair, Muscat