Out and About STYLE Magazine Issue 4 Vol. 2

Issue 4 Volume 2 

May 2020 

GOING 

VEGAN 

IN ABU DHABI: 

TOP 8 

RESTAURANTS 

SPENCER 

LODGE 

SALES STRATEGIST 

AND ENTREPRENEUR, 

SPENCERLODGE.TV 

7 

Benefits of 

Healthy 

Abdominals: 

Think Strong, 

Not Flat 

1

Consistency is the key to achieving and 

maintaining momentum. 

Dan Hardy 

2

Editorial 

Editor in chief 

Marsha Fry 

marsha@outandaboutstylemag.com 

Editor 

Shella landayan 

editor@outandaboutstylemag.com 

art 

advertising 

Art director 

nakul thanekar 

nakul.thanekar89@gmail.com 

sales & marketing director 

Andre Marshal 

+971 50 127 8820 

sales@outandaboutstylemag.com 

general enquiries 

On this 

month's 

cover 

hello@outandaboutstylemag.com 

outandaboutstylemag 

outandaboutstylemag 

OaASMag 

Outandaboutstylemag 

www.outandaboutstylemag.com 

Interview: Joe Osawaye, 

Entrepreneur and Managing 

Partner, KIZA Restaurant Limited 

Photographer: Mr Laah 

Styling: David Bowler 

Published by Out and About Style FZE 

(Registered at Fujairah Creative City) 

3

Editor’s 

Welcome 

A mother’s love for her child is like nothing else in the world. 

It knows no law, no pity. It dares all things and crushes down 

remorselessly all that stands in its path. 

 

~Agatha Christie 

4

More than a hundred years ago, President 

Woodrow Wilson signed a proclamation dedicating 

the second Sunday of May as an official national 

holiday in the United States to honour mothers 

and motherhood. The tradition took hold and 

eventually spread in most parts of the world, with 

most countries celebrating the special day in the 

month of May. In the UAE, the holiday is officially 

celebrated on the 21st of March, but nonetheless, 

many tourists, foreign workers and immigrants 

residing in the region celebrate the tradition in May. 

To our mum who carried us inside their wombs 

for nine months, spent countless sleepless nights 

and gave us all the love and care that we needed, 

we express our love and gratitude. We at Out and 

About STYLE Magazine dedicate this wonderful 

month to them: a tribute to thank and honour our 

special heroes. 

Features and Highlights 

In our Featured Editorial, Funmi Oyelayo shares 

her personal experience running her events 

company, Your Day, Our Time. On Weddings: 

Dresses, Ideas, Inspiration and Planning, bridesto-be 

are encouraged to take down notes to 

prepare for their special day! 

To follow it up in our Fashion Feature, we researched 

the history of donning white wedding dresses in 

The White Wedding Dress: The Evolution of a 

Timeless Fashion Classic. 

Are you looking for the perfect mask to nourish 

your skin? Katrina compiled the top quality masks 

you can try to Mask the Time Away in our Beauty 

section. We got your DIY needs covered if you want 

to experiment with natural ingredients to nourish 

your skin to Get the Milky, Healthy Glow: 10 

Different Ways. 

In our Behind the Brand feature, we interviewed 

Joe Osawaye, the owner of Kiza Restaurant and 

Lounge in Dubai. A good read, especially if you 

want to start a business of your own. 

Good-looking body and healthy mind—both are 

things we all want to achieve. In our Lifestyle 

section, here’s an article to help you with the 

challenges you may encounter on your road to 

achieving these goals. Read an inspiring story of a 

mother who overcame her obsession with weight 

loss in How my Obsession with Weight Loss 

Began. In another article, we emphasise yet again 

the importance of taking care of your mental health 

by Dealing with Stress in the Workplace. 

Are you a vegan or planning to be one? We 

recommend the 15 Best Protein Sources for 

Vegans and Vegetarians to get your daily protein 

requirement. Looking for different tastes in food? 

Moroccan recipes are featured in our 12 Must-Try 

Moroccan Tagine Recipes. Plan your next healthy 

food trip in the UAE. We recommend Going Vegan 

in Abu Dhabi: Top 8 Restaurants. 

Bored and want to travel? In our Travel feature, feast 

your eyes in the beautiful and amazing sceneries of 

Morocco. 

Being fit while in quarantine is possible. In our 

Fitness section, we give you the 7 Benefits of 

Healthy Abdominals: Think Strong, Not Flat. 

In our For the Culture section, Yvonne Mtangwa 

writes about 5 Ways to Wrap your Mind Around 

the Unknown and Keep from Panicking, a 

balanced point-of-view to adapt to our current 

situation. Likewise, we find that building resilience 

brings about greater happiness and contentment: 

read on A Life of Happiness: Building Resilience. 

Small choices may seem inconsequential, but over 

time they compound and bring about significant 

changes. In our Book Review, find out more about 

the so-called compound effect through Darren 

Hardy’s The Compound Effect. 

Love, Mum 

In these trying times, the mothers are most 

especially hard at work in our homes, keeping us 

safe, well-fed and clothed! Out and About Style 

Magazine, with the team that made this Edition 

possible, celebrates and honours the special 

women of our lives with features and stories that 

inspire beauty, success, love and resilience. Stay 

safe, and keep your mums close! 

5

CONTENTS 

MAY 2020 

SECTION 1 

07 

FASHION 

• Featured Editorial: Funmi Oyelayo, Event Planner and Events Company Owner 

• The White Wedding Dress: The Evolution of a Timeless Fashion Classic 

37 

47 

58 

SECTION 2 

BEAUTY 

• Makeup Madness with Katrina: Mask the Time 

Away! 

• Get the Milky, Healthy Glow: 10 Different Ways 

SECTION 3 

BEHIND THE BRAND 

• Joe Osawaye, Entrepreneur and owner of Kiza Restaurant 

and Lounge, Dubai 

SECTION 4 

TAKING LESSONS 

• Spencer Lodge, Sales Strategist and 

Entrepreneur, SpencerLodge.tv 

66 

74 

SECTION 5 

LIFESTYLE 

• How my Obsession with Weight 

Loss Began 

• Dealing with Stress in the 

Workplace 

FOOD 

• 15 Best Protein Sources for Vegans 

and Vegetarians 

• 12 Must-Try Moroccan Tagine Recipes 

104 

SECTION 7 

FOR THE 

CULTURE 

• The Reinvented Chronicles with Yvonne 

C. Mtengwa: 

5 Ways to Wrap your Mind Around the 

Unknown and Keep from Panicking 

• A Life of Happiness: Building Social 

Immunity 

• Book Review: The Compound Effect by 

Darren Hardy 

• Going Vegan in Abu Dhabi: Top 8 

Restaurants 

92 

FITNESS 

• 7 Benefits of Healthy Abdominals: 

Think Strong, Not Flat 

SECTION 6 

97 TRAVEL 

• Morocco: For the Love of Colour 

6 

Out and About STYLE Magazine tasks no responsibility 

for unsolicited photographs or material. The photographs 

in this publication are for illustration purposes, unless 

otherwise specified.

Featured 

Editorial 

Weddings: 

Dresses, 

Ideas, 

Inspiration 

and Planning 

FUNMI OYELAYO 

Company name: 

Your Day, Our Time 

yourdayourtime 

www.yourdayourtime.com 

7

8

1. TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOURSELF. 

I was born in Nigeria. I moved to the UK when I was 

five and grew up in London. In 2012, I moved to 

Dubai for a teaching role. 

I currently live in Abu Dhabi where I work full-time 

on weddings both worldwide and locally. We have 

planned weddings and events (including corporate) 

in UAE, London, Lagos, Thailand, Africa and the 

Seychelles. 

2. HOW DID YOU GET STARTED IN WEDDING 

PLANNING? 

I am a planner and meticulous when it comes to 

organising events. I enjoy planning parties, dinners 

and social events for my friends. Back then, I had 

never even thought about being an event planner, but 

I always knew that I would not be teaching forever. In 

2013, I planned my own wedding for about 11 months, 

and the experience made me acquainted with many 

vendors and contractors in Dubai. My own first-hand 

experience in planning my own wedding made me 

decide to try my hand at planning weddings. I was 

eight months pregnant in December 2014 when I 

was contracted as a wedding planner for a beautiful 

wedding at The Waldorf Astoria. 

3. WHAT QUESTIONS DO YOU THINK 

BRIDES SHOULD ASK WHEN LOOKING FOR 

A PLANNER? 

You must have a phone conversation with your 

planner to ensure that your ideas and personalities 

align. It is better for the bride and the planner to 

meet in person to discuss matters. If there are certain 

‘special’ requests or unique highlights of the wedding 

that the bride wants to happen, she should ask the 

planner the experience they have with those things. 

Brides should also ask matters in the aspect of 

planning and execution, including an inquiry of the 

kind of people or staff that they involve in their team. 

Brides should also request ideas that fall within the 

budget, or make smart allocations between expense 

items, as well as advice on increasing or decreasing 

the budget. It’s also great for brides to give their 

planners a scenario to assess how they would act in a 

stressful situation. 

At the end of the day, selecting a wedding planner is 

most certainly a ‘job interview’: you are paying for the 

service, so you want to make sure you get the right 

person. 

4. HOW DO YOU GET THE IDEAS OUT 

OF BRIDES SO THAT THEY DESCRIBE TO 

YOU EFFECTIVELY THEIR VISION FOR THE 

WEDDING DAY? 

I typically have an initial phone consultation with my 

clients, where we discuss the types of things they 

like. Afterwards, I send my clients a questionnaire 

detailing different aspects of the wedding, asking 

them to indicate their preferences. 

We use Pinterest as inspiration for colours, florals, 

accents, and other aspects, and eventually work from 

there. Both my clients and I are active in pinning 

suitable themes, colours and décor that they like. I 

find a common thread in their collection of pictures, 

which I translate to a ‘mood board’ that we use as a 

foundation of how the day will look and feel. 

5. WHAT WOULD YOU TELL BRIDES WHO 

DON’T THINK THEY NEED A PLANNER? 

WHAT ARE THEY MISSING OUT ON? 

I specialise in destination weddings, and 99% of my 

clients do not live in the UAE. It makes sense to get a 

planner for brides who aren’t on the ground and find 

it difficult to look for the ideal vendors without having 

a number of trips to the destination country, which is 

sometimes not feasible due to money, work or other 

commitments. An experienced wedding planner can 

bridge brides-to-be with the best vendors within 

their budget and preferred expertise, as well as offer 

them hidden gems in other aspects such as special 

contractors or venues. The in-country planner is able 

to have meetings with vendors that most clients will 

not be able to attend and work closely to ensure a 

seamless day. 

Wedding days can be very stressful. Brides should not 

be thinking about things that haven’t been set up, or 

hearing about anything that may not be going right. 

This is where a planner steps in to ensure the bride is 

focused on her prep and enjoying her day. We take 

the stress and pressure, so you do not have to. I also 

throw the question out to my brides apart from the 

cost: what is stopping you from having a wedding 

planner? If there are no other cons, then we can 

discuss how we can work on the payments to ensure 

it doesn’t break the bank. 

9

10

11

12

6. WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE 

PART OF A WEDDING? 

I always love the moment when the bride 

walks down the aisle, and the groom sees her 

for the first time in her wedding dress. I can’t 

remember a single wedding that hasn’t touched 

me. A wedding is a culmination of months— 

sometimes even years—of planning to get to that 

point. I love it. 

7. WEDDING DRESSES: DESCRIBE YOUR FAVOURITES. 

My favourite wedding dress has to be the April 2019 wedding 

#BOOthewedding19: a lace and Mikado custom dress from 

Elizabeth and Lace Bridal. I have never been a massive fan of lace 

until that wedding. 

13

8. DO YOU SEE ANY TRENDS IN THE INDUSTRY 

AT PRESENT OR WITH YOUR CURRENT CLIENTS? 

To be honest, every wedding is unique, so I don’t espouse 

any trend at all. However, entertainment is something 

that is quite big, whether it be famous musicians, string 

duos, Nigerian live bands, gospel bands and even worldrenowned 

DJs. Entertainment is key as it’s one thing people 

will always remember. 

9. WHAT’S THE BIGGEST LESSON YOU’VE 

LEARNED, AND WOULD PASS ALONG TO OTHER 

NEW WEDDING PLANNERS JUST GETTING 

STARTED? 

As clients vet me at the start, the initial consultation is 

also for me to check whether the prospective client is an 

ideal one. Do your personalities mesh? Are you able to 

work with the budget that they are setting alongside their 

expectations? Not every client will be the right fit for you 

10. ANY GREAT STORIES FROM WORKING WITH 

CLIENTS? 

Not a story as such, but I love weddings where there are 

epic love stories to tell. Two previous clients that come to 

mind were weddings we planned in Thailand (2015) and 

Lagos (2019). These weddings were significant as they 

were 10-year vow renewals, and both of these couples 

had gotten married pretty young and just started their 

journeys to success. They didn’t have a big wedding back 

then. Fast forward to 10 years, they reaffirmed their love. 

One of these couples now has three kids and is running a 

successful company. 

11. WHAT TIPS OR ADVICE CAN YOU GIVE 

TO COUPLES WHO ARE IN THE MIDST OF 

PLANNING? 

At the moment with the onslaught of a global pandemic, I 

would say reach out to your venue and vendors, and check 

what their policies are with postponing the wedding to a 

later date. No one knows when all this will blow over, so it’s 

best to plan ahead as opposed to waiting and seeing what 

happens. Once you have that information in writing, then 

you can continue planning for the big day. 

However, be mindful that there may be restrictions, such 

as venues lowering their capacities to ensure that social 

distancing rules can be maintained. Venues may possibly 

cancel cocktail hours and instead have sit-down appetiser 

options or buffet options but plated by staff at the venue, 

as opposed to help-yourself setups. Venues may even insist 

on seated meals for all events. 

14

15

16

17

18

19

12 COST CAN BE SOMETHING THAT HOLDS BACK COUPLES FROM 

WORKING WITH A WEDDING PLANNER. WHAT WOULD YOU TELL 

BRIDES AND GROOMS ABOUT THE COST? 

As I previously said, my answer would be if cost is the only thing that is holding 

you back from getting a wedding planner, then we can work on that—for example, 

with a payment plan. Another thing I would advise is for them to think about 

what they would potentially miss out on without a wedding planner compared to 

having one. Couples always forget things in the run-up to a wedding; a wedding 

planner rarely misses details. Order, efficiency and delivery make planners worth 

the money. A planner is able to bring a budget wedding together and make it 

look like a million-dollar wedding. 

13. WHAT OTHER TYPES OF EVENTS DO YOU PLAN? 

We plan all events; however, we specialise in weddings and birthday parties. We 

have planned a lot of milestone ones: 40th, 50th, 60th and 70th. We also have 

experience in corporate events, like event planning for a company with over 150 

staff members for three consecutive years, with one of these trips taking place in 

South Africa. 

14. HOW DO PEOPLE FIND YOU? 

A lot of my clients find me through word of mouth. I am recommended from 

previous clients or their family members. Aside from recommendations, my 

clients found me through Instagram. 

20

21

22

23

24

Fashion 

The White 

Wedding 

Dress: The 

Evolution 

of a Timeless 

Fashion 

Classic 

While wedding dress styles see 

seasonal changes, the timeless, 

ubiquitous shade of white has always 

been associated with marriage and 

bridal vows. In fact, the majority 

considers the tradition of walking 

down the aisle wearing a white 

dress to be as old as the concept of 

matrimony itself. Contrary to popular 

belief, tracing the history of this 

tradition reveals otherwise: white 

didn’t become the popular colour of 

choice for brides until the mid-19th 

century. 

But why white? What does white 

actually represent other than what 

the general public is led to believe? 

25

Before The 

Mid-19th Century 

In the early days of the 19th century, 

white for a bride was not only seen as 

non-traditional, but quite an unusual 

choice for a wedding. With that in 

mind, brides weren’t supposed to 

pick anything they won’t wear again. 

Instead, they wore their fanciest of 

dresses, and were expected to repeat 

them, even if it meant donning their 

best black dress, which the lower 

classes often practised. 

White posed to be a financially unfit 

option for the brides-to-be, since 

it isn’t and wasn’t the easiest of 

colours to care for, but the concept 

that a wedding dress was meant to 

be worn only once didn’t sit well with 

the community. There was freedom 

of choice in fabrics, embellishments 

and colours, unlike the strict rules 

followed today not only in regards 

to wearing white but all the sartorial 

decisions associated with it. 

26

Who Started The White 

Wedding Dress Trend? 

Royal weddings and marriages between 

the circles of prominent figures garner a 

lot of coverage, even more so than today. 

The smallest details were the biggest 

matters for the publicists as much as for 

the common people, considering that 

in those times, people led hushed lives, 

and a famous event was all it took to 

cause a stir. 

On February 10, 1840, Queen Victoria 

married her cousin Prince Albert of Saxe- 

Coburg and Gotha: a historical wedding 

that led to the big boom in the white 

wedding dress trend. Queen Victoria 

wore a wedding dress crafted in white 

Honiton lace and chose a flower crown 

in place of a tiara for a more realistic 

approach. 

White on a bride symbolises purity and 

virginity as popular belief has it, but 

that wasn’t the reason behind Queen 

Victoria’s intention to garb in white. 

She wore white to support and boost 

the declining demand for handmade 

Honiton lace owing to the rise of the 

factory-made textiles in the industrial 

revolution. 

27

Where’s 

The Virgin? 

Part of this virginity and purity 

concept is mainly influenced by some 

biblical occasions and the Victorian 

Era. A lot has to do with newspapers, 

magazines and well-known 

publications of that time. They made 

a big fuss over the notion of brides 

wearing white and cemented the 

idea that white always has been ideal 

for brides because of the chastity and 

innocence it highlights. There was 

more to wearing white other than the 

virginity of the bride. 

In simple words, white represented 

wealth in its purest form. In the olden 

days, the norm was to exchange 

vows in anything good the bride 

owned, no matter how rich or how 

poor. Setting a theme to the precious 

event of nuptials makes that only 

the leisure class could afford a white 

dress and the maintenance it required 

to preserve its snowy hue. Which, 

middle and lower classes even if they 

tried, couldn’t manage to afford. 

28

The Popularity Rises 

While the truth rests on the fact that 

Queen Victoria was the trendsetting 

monarch of the white wedding dress, 

we also discussed the burning concerns 

of the working classes of the society 

regarding this whole white view. It 

wasn’t until the Second World War that 

the middle classes took the wealthy and 

their prosperous concepts seriously, 

which included the white wedding 

dress, obviously thanks to the end of the 

war and the increasing prosperity. 

Times changed and meeting the 

expense of a white wedding dress which 

is only worn for a day wasn’t the issue 

anymore. Plus, the upcoming theatre 

and media industry showcasing brides 

in movies and stage, shows concluding 

a fairy-tale end to a happily-ever-after 

matrimony dressed in dreamy white, 

didn’t leave any stones unturned to 

solidify that white and bride, equalled 

in unyielding pride, giving light to this 

deep-rooted tradition. 

29

Different 

Cultures 

A white wedding dress quickly 

became the main part of a wedding 

for various cultures, but when we 

discuss its history, you must know 

we’re referring to the Western and 

the European cultures. In Eastern 

cultures, wearing white in weddings 

is seen as unlucky; hence, brides from 

these cultures showcase varied colour 

bridal ensembles, with red being the 

most popular choice. India, Pakistan, 

China, Vietnam and some other Asian 

countries go for red bridal dresses. 

30

Wearing white on your wedding is 

perfectly acceptable; conversely, there 

is no pressure on any woman to wear 

white alone, especially if she wishes to 

don herself in something different for 

her wedding or simply cannot afford 

the former. Nothing should hold a 

bride from experimenting with different 

colours and picking a non-white hue! 

Find a wedding dress that suits your 

personality and style. After all, history 

knows that brides of the past didn’t 

hesitate to dress however they liked. 

What’s The 

Harm In Going 

With The Flow? 

31

Beautiful Brides 

2020 

Models: 

Poczik Emilia Zita 

Varga Norika 

Reka Krizsan - White Model Management 

Hanna F. Daranyi - White Model Management 

Hair and makeup: 

Liv Rideg 

Nora Erdosi - Lorinc 

Photo: 

Jozsef Balogh 

Dresses: 

Daalarna Couture 

Location: 

Studio Madison 

Budapest, Hungary 

32

33

Glamourous 

Model : Balogh Eleni 

Photo & Retouch : Timea Jaksa 

Hair & Makeup : Liv Rideg 

Location : Studio Madison, Budapest Hungary 

34

Super Glam 

Model : Fanny Muller 

Photo & Retouch : Takacs Ferenc 


Project from : Andrea Marton 


35

ELMAX Salon 

is delighted 

to offer a 

25% 

discount 

on all hair and 

nails services. 

USE PROMO CODE 

ELMAX2020 

when making your appointment to benefit 

from this exceptional offer. 

0544527171 elmax_salon_and_spa 

We are located in Movenpick 

Hotel, JLT, Custer A, Dubai. 

36 

Offer valid until June 15th 2020

Beauty 

M A K E U P 

M A D N E S S 

WITH 

Mask the Time Away! 

Back when we were free to roam the streets while on the hunt for 

skincare products, I would try a brand new facial mask (in a jar, not 

a sheet mask) at least once a week, preferably on Mask Monday’s. 

Now that I am working from home, I am able to dive into my backup 

skincare refrigerator to try new masks at least once every other day. 

I was also gifted with a few jars before locking doors of The Beauty 

Studio last month and decided to give them all a try. What else would 

a skincare junkie like myself do to pass the time? 

With that being said, I decided to share the facial masks I have tried 

so far that yield great results. I have spoken with other aestheticians 

from all over the world, and as a collective, our main focus right now 

is to provide each and every one of skincare lovers the best product 

recommendations as possible. If you follow me on Instagram, you 

already know that I have been limiting the amount of makeup I wear 

during social distancing simply because I want to take care of my skin 

as much as possible. I hope you will do the same. 

I’ve listed enough facial masks for you to try for the next six months. 

Yes, you read that right! Each mask serves a different purpose. Start 

with one that you want to try for a minimum of two weeks. Be mindful 

of the masks with active ingredients. You can patch test these products 

on a small spot of your skin prior to applying them completely. 

37

PETER THOMAS ROTH STEM 

CELL MASK 

OSKIA SKINCARE 

RENAISSANCE NUTRI- 

ACTIVE BRIGHTENING 

AND RESURFACING MASK 

MASKTINI TWILIGHT ZONE 

TAHITIAN DETOX MASK 

ALYA SKIN PINK CLAY MASK 

HONEST BEAUTY PRIME 

& PERFECT MASK WITH 

SUPERFRUITS AND SHEA 

BUTTER 

FILTHY COSMETICS AHA 

RESURFACING JELLY MASK 

38

KIEHL’S RARE EARTH DEEP 

PORE CLEANSING MASK 

KIEHL’S GREEN LEAF & 

HIBISCUS FIRMING MASK 

PEACH AND LILY OVERNIGHT 

STAR SLEEPING MASK 

LANEIGE LIP SLEEPING 

MASK (BERRY) 

GLOW RECIPE ROSEHIP 

RESTORATIVE SOOTHING 

FACE MASK 

GLOW RECIPE AVOCADO 

MELT RETINOL EYE 

SLEEPING MASK 

39

FRESH BEAUTY LOTUS YOUTH 

PRESERVE RESCUE MASK 

FRESH BEAUTY ROSE 

FACE MASK INFUSED 

WITH ROSE PETALS 

FRESH BEAUTY BLACK TEA 

INSTANT PERFECTING MASK 

REN SKINCARE GLYCOL LACTIC 

RADIANCE RENEWAL MASK 

TATCHA BEAUTY KISSU 

LIP MASK 

TATCHA BEAUTY VIOLET 

RADIANT MASK 

40

SUMMER 

FRIDAYS 

R+R MASK 

SUMMER 

FRIDAYS 

OVERTIME 

MASK 

Katrina is the Creative 

Dirextor at The Beauty 

Studio, Middle East. 

In this article, she 

shares her best picks 

for invigorating facial 

masks to give you that 

bouncy, youthful glow. 

41

Get the 

Milky, 

Healthy 

Glow: 10 

Different 

Ways 

Drink your milk for strong bones and teeth. We have all heard this line for as 

long as we can remember. Milk is a powerhouse of nutrients, but drinking milk 

isn't the only way we can extract its benefits. You may use it for enhancing 

your skin and hair care routines, and you will not be disappointed. 

MILK RECIPES FOR YOUR FACE 

• Cleanser: Raw milk is amazing as a moisturising food for your skin. B vitamins in raw milk are necessary for new 

skin cell formation. Vitamin A treats flaky, dry and peeling skin. Vitamin D boosts collagen production, slows 

down those wrinkles and helps fade dark spots. Dab some raw milk all over your face. Use a cotton ball gently 

rub in circular motions to clean all the gunk from your face. You’ll be surprised to see the smooth and clean 

results! 

• Exfoliator: Lactic acid is a naturally occurring alpha-hydroxy acid (AHA) in milk which combats free radicals that 

cause skin ageing. Add two tablespoons of milk and oatmeal with half tablespoon of honey. Apply evenly all 

over your face and gently scrub to get that dead skin off and reveal a fresh glow! 

• Toner: The calcium in milk makes this superfood an excellent toner for your face. Make a natural toner with 

a tablespoon of milk and a tablespoon of herbal tea. Apply with a cotton ball onto a clean face for a dose of 

antioxidant-packed toning! 

• Yoghurt mask for sunburn: Yogurt is a natural alternative treatment for sunburns. It soothes the skin after UV 

exposure and gently exfoliates to reduce any blemishes. Apply a layer of plain yoghurt and sugar to make a 

scrub-cleanser mixture. The live probiotics in the yoghurt also improve hydration to the deeper epidermal 

layers. 

• Anti-ageing milk mask: Along with the hydrating power of milk, bananas and flaxseeds in this facial mask help 

bring to life dead and dull skin. Combine one teaspoon of ground flax seeds, half of mashed banana and two 

tablespoons of milk to make a thick paste. Apply all over your face and rinse after 15 minutes. Follow this 

regimen regularly each week to control sebum and enjoy wrinkle-free skin. 

42

MILK RECIPES FOR YOUR HAIR 

• Moisturising hair mask: Milk is rich in protein and 

biotin. Both protein and biotin are necessary for 

strengthening roots and keeping the hair from 

splitting at the ends. Milk is also rich in potassium, 

an essential mineral that helps soothe dry and 

irritated scalp. Combine three tablespoons of 

milk, a mashed banana, one tablespoon olive oil 

and one tablespoon honey. Apply all over the 

scalp and hair like a mask and keep it on for an 

hour. Rinse thoroughly for instantly softer hair! 

• Conditioning hair mask: The fat in milk works 

wonderfully as a natural conditioning agent. 

Giving the hair the right amount of conditioning 

and not leaving it too greasy, this hair pack will 

keep your hair shining for days. Mix a tablespoon 

of full-fat milk, a tablespoon of heavy cream, 

and a tablespoon of mayonnaise. Apply only 

onto the scalp and leave in for 45 minutes. Rinse 

thoroughly and continue your shampoo routine. 

Add an egg for that extra dose of nutrients! 

• Cleansing tonic for dandruff: Mix baking soda 

with milk and apply to your scalp. Massage your 

scalp to exfoliate and wash thoroughly. Repeat 

once a week to reduce overall dandruff. 

• Replenishing yoghurt hair mask: Yoghurt goes 

a step ahead and provides those anti-bacterial 

agents that work to rid your scalp of any 

infection. Take about three inches of aloe vera 

stalk. Blend the pulp together with a cup of 

yoghurt. Apply generously from scalp to tip and 

leave on for 30 minutes. Repeat weekly to get 

thicker and voluminous hair. 

43

MILK RECIPES FOR YOUR BODY 

• Moisturising milk cream lotion: Milk cream has 

all the goodness of selenium and potassium 

that is in milk but in a concentrated form! 

Both these minerals are helpful in keeping 

the skin firm and elastic. A cup of thick cream 

with two tablespoons of honey makes a 

hydrating body lotion. Apply evenly all over 

and leave for at least 20 minutes. Begin your 

shower with rubbing in the applied cream, so 

you get the most out of it! 

• Elbow and knee scrub: Don’t we all hate 

those dry, pigmented patches of hard skin on 

our elbows and knees? Mix two tablespoons 

of heavy cream with two tablespoons of 

lemon juice and a teaspoon of chickpea flour. 

This makes a great scrub for that flaky skin 

and leaves it supple and soft. 

• Revitalising milk bath: Feel luxurious and 

rested, as you deserve, by soaking yourself 

in a milk bath. To a warm bath, add two cups 

of full cream milk, one cup honey, the juice 

from one lemon and some drops of lavender 

oil. Stir it in and relax for a full 40 minutes. 

The collagen from the milk is extracted by 

the acids from the lemon juice, and the warm 

water opens your skin pores which improve 

nutrient absorption. Step into a quick shower 

once you are done. 

• Milk and Epsom salt foot soak: Being on our 

feet all day and wearing those high heels 

can really tire out our feet. Give your feet a 

pamper by soaking them in a foot bath of 

four cups of warm water and milk, a teaspoon 

of lemon juice and four tablespoons of 

Epsom salt. Soak for 15 minutes and scrub 

on a pumice stone. Rinse off and experience 

destressed and relaxed feet. 

Remember that any beauty regimen needs to 

be practised religiously for at least six weeks to 

experience the best results! 

44

Super sensual 

Model : Hanna Lilla Toth 

Photo : Jozsef Balogh 

Retouch : Ory Gabor 



45

3 SERVICES FOR 

Ramadan 

Offer 

220 

AED 


330 

AED 


385 

AED 

BARAVIA BEAUTY DUBAI 

Al Wasl Rd, near Enoc Petrol Station, Dubai. 

Tele: 04 379 1293, 055 200 1329 

@baraviabeautycenter 

**Terms and Conditions apply 

46

JOE OSAWAYE 

Company name: 

KIZA Restaurant 

Limited 

Ground Floor, Emirates 

Financial Towers, DIFC, 

Dubai, UAE 

www.kiza.ae 

KIZADUBAI 

47

48

49

50

51

52

TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOURSELF. 

My name is Joe Osawaye and I’m originally from Nigeria. I am the owner of 

Kiza Restaurant and Lounge in Dubai. 

I come from a business-centred family. I can trace my first entrepreneurial 

experience to when I used to help my mother with her bakery business. 

Later on, I also helped my father with his automotive business. 

I am a father, husband, friend, and entrepreneur. I see myself as a creator. 

Joe is an expression of a creator. 

WHAT WAS YOUR KEY DRIVING FORCE TO BECOME AN 

ENTREPRENEUR? 

To be honest, I truly do not know. I don’t think I set out an initial plan; I didn’t 

dedicate serious thought to becoming an entrepreneur. It just happened. I 

guess what I carried inside me was a restlessness of some sort: not wanting 

to settle for the usual or the ordinary. The driving force could have been 

myself, what I could become and my imagination with things I could do 

creatively without certain limitations. 

HOW DID THE KIZA CONCEPT COME ABOUT AND WHAT 

SETS YOU APART? 

Vision, courage and passion sets us apart. Kiza began when a friend of 

mine recognised a gap in the market, and we decided to fill it. 

Kiza Dubai is not simply a restaurant but a premium African hospitality brand 

and a place to enjoy phenomenal Pan-African cuisine, Afrobeats music and 

the unique African culture. Our vision at Kiza is “Africa inspiring the world”. 

This propels us to put the Kiza brand on to the world stage, giving everyone 

the joy of experiencing a truly Pan-African adventure globally. 

Kiza focuses on bringing the African experience to the world. From music 

to the arts and crafts scene, the emergence of African culture is clear and 

present. Once we get people through the doors of Kiza, the ambience 

gets them. It does not matter which country you’re from; we make sure that 

there’s a sense of belonging that transcends cultures. Most people cannot 

describe it; we call it the ‘spirit’ of Africa. 

WHY IS DUBAI YOUR FIRST LOCATION IN THE REGION? 

Dubai is a very dynamic, forward-thinking and cosmopolitan city with over 

200 nationalities. This attractive setting was ideal for us to set up our first 

and only location in the region for now. Kiza adds to the diversity of the 

city. Dubai has created a fantastic ecosystem that attracts the rest of the 

world to come live, work and play. 

HOW DOES KIZA SUPPORT THE COMMUNITY? 

Kiza is at the forefront of anything to do with Africa in Dubai and the UAE 

53

as a whole. As we say, we are Africa inspiring the world. 

We have created a platform that brings together every 

African, Afrocentric and lovers of Africa under one roof, 

where they call it home away from home. 

Kiza is the place where the spirit of Africa comes alive. We 

are the African community in Dubai and the neighbouring 

cities. We showcase Africa and its culture through sight, 

sound and taste through different events and offerings on 

a daily, weekly, monthly and yearly basis. We also partner 

with other like-minded organisations to achieve this same 

goal—a united community. We help foster a tightly-knit 

community across the board, which is also key to our success. 

WHAT KIND OF CULTURE EXISTS IN YOUR 

ORGANISATION, AND HOW DID YOU ESTABLISH 

IT? 

We practice “Ubuntuism”, which literally means ‘I am because 

we are’ or ‘Humanity towards others’. We all succeed or fail 

together. We are all connected. We are one big family where 

we all pull together in the same direction based on our vision. 

The only way to establish this ideal is by personal example and 

exemplary leadership. We observe this closely in our restaurant 

operations. 

WHAT’S YOUR IDEA OF SUCCESS? 

Success to me is being able to create an environment where 

people can flourish, where they can express their talents, gifts 

and skills to the limit and be rewarded for it—making greatness 

out of the seemingly ordinary. This is my passion and where I get 

fulfilment. 

WHAT ARE YOU PASSIONATE ABOUT? 

My passion is life itself—what one can make out of it by pursuing 

one’s dreams fearlessly. 

WHAT ENTREPRENEURIAL TRICKS HAVE YOU 

DISCOVERED TO KEEP YOU FOCUSED AND 

PRODUCTIVE IN YOUR BUSY DAY-TO-DAY SCHEDULE? 

I don’t know if they are tricks, but the two main things that keep me 

focused are faith and hope. 

WHAT KEY ACTIVITIES WOULD YOU RECOMMEND 

ENTREPRENEURS TO INVEST THEIR TIME IN? 

It is quite tough being an entrepreneur, so things that build up one’s 

morale spiritually, mentally and physically are highly recommended. 

Taking time out of your busy schedule to bless and support others also 

helps. 

54

55

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO YOUR 

20-YEAR-OLD SELF? 

Dare to follow your passion fearlessly, never give up; do 

not be afraid to fail. Fail, fail, and fail early to succeed. 

Believe in yourself, as most of the time you will be your 

only cheerleader until people start to see results. 

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO 

SOMEONE WHO WANTS TO GIVE UP THEIR 

9 - 5 TO START A BUSINESS? 

Know thyself; entrepreneurship is not for everybody. It 

is a completely different ball game, and you must count 

the cost before leaving. I advise you to do something 

on the side first, build some sort of competence there 

before giving up your 9 - 5 job. Starting a business could 

be quite stressful but also rewarding if and when you 

succeed. 

HOW DO YOU LOOK AFTER YOUR MENTAL 

HEALTH? 

I look after my mental health by not taking myself too 

seriously, even when I am very serious or focused on a 

task. It takes the pressure off, leaving room to be human 

and vulnerable. One’s mental health should never be 

taken for granted. Know where to draw the line, take a 

lot of rest, and give yourself enough time—great things 

take time to actualise. 

WHAT BOOK HAS INSPIRED YOU THE MOST? 

The Bible is definitely the book that inspires me the most. 

I also find that the self-help classic Think and Grow Rich 

by Napoleon Hill has left impressionable principles in my 

mind. 

WHAT’S THAT ONE QUOTE YOU LIVE BY? 

“Whatever my hand finds to do, I will do it with all my 

might passionately.” 

56

57

Taking 

Lessons 

Spencer Lodge 

www.spencerlodge.tv 

spencer.lodge spencerlodgeofficial spencerlodge 

58

59

TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOURSELF 

I’m Spencer Lodge. I’ve established myself in the 

financial services and sales industry as a coach, sales 

strategist and author. Most people know me through my 

website, SpencerLodge.tv, which serves as my platform 

to help businesses and professionals reach their utmost 

potential, as well as through my book Making It Happen: 

The Ultimate Guide to Selling. 

I was a working-class kid without a fancy degree. I’ve 

been fortunate enough to work hard and eventually build 

businesses. I established the Blue Sky Thinking Group, a 

Dubai-based management company worth about $109 

million, which we’re very proud of. I also own Make It 

Happen University, a sales training business where I help 

companies generate revenues for their business. 

I’m British and I’ve been living in Dubai for 15 years. I’ve 

lived overseas for 27 years, coming originally from the 

UK. I’m 50 years old and I live an active lifestyle through 

exciting, outdoor sports such as cycling and skiing. 

Coaching people and helping organisations thrive 

through robust sales strategies is a passion of mine, an 

advocacy that has always been bigger than me. 

HOW DID YOU GET STARTED AS A PODCASTER 

AND SPEAKER? 

Podcasting started in January 2019. Back then, people 

were asking me to do it for a while. I’m just really 

interested in learning about people’s lives. I swallowed 

my ego, parked my attitude and gave it a go. I found out 

that I really enjoyed it. 

I’ve been a speaker for years. I’ve spoken to audiences 

for the last 20 years, so I just kind of fell into it. There 

wasn’t any defined strategy around it. 

WHAT IS YOUR DEFINITION OF SUCCESS? 

My definition of success is not related to money or 

material things; it’s all about making a difference with the 

best of one’s own abilities. The true measure of success 

is the ability to affect others in a positive light, to actually 

help or make things better. 

The most successful person I know is Maria Conceicao, 

an extraordinary Portuguese woman who holds eight 

Guinness World Records in the field of endurance sports. 

Conceicao is the first Portuguese woman to conquer 

60

61

Everest and surmount the Ironman Challenge, one of the 

most difficult endurance races in the world, six times in 

over six continents. She even swam the English Channel 

for over seven hours, and she has trekked the North and 

South Poles. Amazingly, Conceicao did all these incredible 

feats, not for fame or money: she did it solely for charity. 

Conceicao never considered herself an athlete, nor does 

she have any prior experience in sports when she took on 

these challenges. Having seen the deplorable conditions 

of the slums in Dhaka, Bangladesh, she was moved 

with a passion for helping poverty-stricken families. She 

established a foundation to send hundreds of children to 

school. In 2013, when the foundation had to shut down 

due to the global recession, she had to resort to other 

ways to find funding. 

This is where her drive and passion took her from a cabin 

crew member to a multiple Guinness World Record 

holder. Through breaking world records and overcoming 

globally-acclaimed marathons, she stirred public 

recognition for her foundation, eventually raising funds 

and awareness for the noblest of causes. She is the most 

successful person I know in terms of drive, definition and 

determination—truly a great person who I’m inspired by. 

WHAT MOTIVATES YOU TO DO WHAT YOU DO? 

I’m motivated to do what I do because I care very much 

about people winning. I’m passionate about people 

becoming successful. I’ve got this unshakable belief that 

everybody can do it if they know how and they’ve got the 

right mentoring and support. 

WHAT IS MOST FULFILLING ABOUT BEING AN 

ENTREPRENEUR? 

I’m actually not a natural entrepreneur and I don’t really 

enjoy being an entrepreneur. I like to be one of the team. 

The most fulfilling thing is being able to find solutions to 

problems, capitalise on them, create fun and engaging 

businesses and spend time with people. 

62

WHAT ARE YOUR TOP TWO STRATEGIES FOR 

DEALING WITH DIFFICULT SITUATIONS? 

Firstly, I think you have to go through the five stages 

of loss—the so-called loss curve. When I deal with 

a difficult situation, I go through these thought 

processes: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, 

and then acceptance. I stay calm and I believe that 

difficult situations can be solved with action. 

Secondly, when it comes to strategies, it all depends 

on what the situation is, whether it be a difficult 

situation with a member of staff, a customer or with 

some form of organisation you’re dealing with. 

There are millions of strategies for a million different 

situations. First of all, keep calm and take your 

emotions out of it. Try and lead with empathy and 

plan your way forward. 

63

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO YOUR 

20-YEAR OLD SELF? 

Don’t spend all your money. I think I spent way too much 

and made a lot of money when I was young; I blew a lot 

of money when I was younger, and that was up until the 

age of 40. Save 50% of everything you earn: that is the 

best advice I could have given myself. 

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO 

SOMEONE WHO WANTED TO GIVE UP THEIR 

9-5 TO FOLLOW A PASSION? 

I would say don’t give up your 9 to 5. Use your spare 

time to follow your passion. Turn it into a business and 

in your spare time, get that business revenue to replace 

your income of your 9 to 5. Once you’ve replaced the 

income from your 9 to 5, then you can lean into your 

business and do it full time. 

WHAT IS THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU 

HAVE EVER BEEN GIVEN? 

I’ve been given loads of great advice. Somebody once 

said to me that you’ll only make a lot of money if you 

work with money, and that was something that stuck 

with me. Someone also said to me: if you wouldn’t sell 

it to your mum, then you shouldn’t sell it to anyone. 

That’s the core of what I do. 

HOW DO YOU LOOK AFTER YOUR MENTAL 

HEALTH? 

I had mental health struggles and tried to harm myself 

in 2012. I like to exercise every day and I think it helps. I 

spend my time with positive people and stay away from 

negative ones. I always have something to work on 

because I can become self-destructive when I’m bored. 

Making sure I’m always busy helps me. 

WHAT AND WHO INSPIRES YOU WITH AWE? 

Tony Robbins and Maria Conceicao inspire me. They’ve 

done such great and amazing things. 

WHAT’S THAT ONE QUOTE YOU LIVE BY? 

If you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re 

probably right. 

Change the way you think about things. The other 

quote that I really love is: It’s not rocket science so stop 

overcomplicating things. 

64

65

Lifestyle 

How my 

Obsession 

with Weight 

Loss Began 

Growing up, I always knew I was different. I had the typical 

African figure, which was always likened to that of Sara 

Baartman, a South African Khoikhoi woman known for her 

large buttocks. Back then, for a teenage girl, this seemed 

like a curse. We all wanted to look like the typical women 

celebrities and models on the covers of magazines. 

It all began when my cousin and I visited my aunt about 

twenty years ago. While my cousin was busy in the kitchen, 

my aunt passed a comment about my weight that would 

change how I viewed myself—“You are so fat, do you not 

get ashamed when you are with your friends? Look at your 

bum!” 

66

EARLY YEARS OF WEIGHT LOSS OBSESSION 

I remember when I was at university, especially during 

my first year, going home for the holidays was a 

demoralising experience for me. The pressure that 

came with knowing that everyone I had not seen in 

a long time would be commenting on how much 

weight I have gained was truly disheartening. I started 

looking for weight loss products that could assist me 

to shed weight quickly. I found this miracle product 

which promised wonders. I used the product for like 

a week or so, and yes, I did lose weight, but I started 

developing migraines. I never wanted to associate 

the migraines with the highly caffeinated product I 

was taking, because that would mean I would have 

to stop taking it. I tried to get a comfortable pillow, 

maybe that will help me get a goodnight sleep along 

with some painkillers. 

Until one day, the migraine caused such dizziness 

that I nearly passed out. I knew that I couldn’t call 

any of my friends because they would ask too many 

questions. I called my pastor, who then rushed me to 

the hospital. We got to the hospital and my blood 

pressure was sky high, causing enormous pressure in 

my brain, which led to migraines. One would think 

that I would have learned something from this whole 

ordeal, but, sadly, I did not. After my recovery, I was 

back looking for another product that would get me 

to my target weight. 

PREGNANCY AND WEIGHT LOSS 

I got engaged and as our wedding day was 

approaching, the stress that came with the planning 

and the pressure to look your very best got to me. We 

then went to Thailand for our honeymoon. I bought a 

bikini set that I thought I would wear, but I could not 

get myself to wear it. I was scared of the stares I will 

get—an African girl with a big bum among the Asians. 

Mind you, I was at the smallest I’ve ever been. 

Soon the kids arrived. I had it all figured out. I planned 

on losing 5 kg before getting pregnant. When I found 

out I was pregnant, this really scared me, not because 

there was a human being growing inside of me, but 

the additional weight that I will gain. I really didn’t 

enjoy my pregnancy; I was forever stressing about 

the weight I was gaining. At around eight months 

pregnant, the stretch marks began to show, and this 

really made me depressed. After the birth of my first 

child, I was 30 kg heavier than I was at the start of the 

67

68

pregnancy. I thought the weight would just go away as I was breastfeeding, 

or so I was told. However, I managed to lose 21 kg within the 18 months 

that followed. I was very happy with how I looked and this boosted my selfconfidence. 

Nonetheless, the fact that I still carried 9 kg from the start of 

pregnancy still daunted me a bit. 

I was ready to lose the 9 kg. I bought a three months supply of weight loss 

products, only to find out that I was pregnant again with our second child. 

Since I could not take any of the weight loss products, I told myself that I 

would watch what I ate. At the end of the pregnancy, I only gained 15 kg, 

which is what doctors say is normal, but the fact that I still had the 9 kg from 

the previous pregnancy unsettled me. 

I wanted to look my best for our most recent anniversary. I joined the gym in 

pursuit to lose weight before our trip to Bali. I searched for all the products 

that could help me lose weight quickly. However, whatever I tried, nothing 

seemed to work. 

MY EUREKA MOMENT 

In Bali, the time came to put on my bikini and then all of a sudden, the 

reason why I was always scared of what people may say about my body 

came to me. It was not that I was not happy with my body, but I did not love 

myself enough to fully accept at whatever weight I was at. I always looked 

at people to validate my beauty and how sexy I am. For the very first time 

in twenty years, I walked freely with my bikini on the beach without a care 

in the world. For the first time, I did not hate my big bum. Until I came to 

accept me at my heaviest, I don’t think I was ever going to love me at my 

smallest. I wasted twenty years of my life chasing an image I will never be. 

Ladies, please remember: you are not your body image—you are more 

than the number on the scale. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

I am a thirty-two-year-old, South 

African woman, married to the 

most amazing and supportive 

man, Takie Ramulumo. We have 

two beautiful and very active 

boys, Wavhudi and Rivhavhudi. 

I am an educator and curriculum 

designer. 

I am a beautiful African woman, with a beautiful mind and soul, and I love 

myself just as I am. 

69

with 

Dealing 

Stress 

in the 

Workplace 

Stress-related illnesses, which 

include stress-induced fatigue, 

insomnia, anxiety and depression, 

are on the rise globally. To survive 

the technological advancement 

and exponential industry growth 

of the age we live in, we must 

adopt new strategies to help us 

change the way we work. Workrelated 

stress is the product of an 

unbalanced lifestyle and unhealthy 

work habits, which are resultant of 

the stressful working conditions 

and toxic organisational cultures. 

It is normal to experience stress 

due to deadlines or demands. 

Every person who has ever held 

a job or role felt work pressure 

and stress at some point. Every 

job has its own demands, which 

may be stressful at times. Even 

when you enjoy the work that you 

do, there are still some functions 

or aspects of the job that are less 

enjoyable and that is normal. 

On the long haul, however, work 

should not induce chronic stress. 

This is when work-related stress 

becomes detrimental to your 

overall well-being. 

Unfortunately, ignoring the red 

flags of chronic stress in the 

workplace is all too common, 

sneaking up on us without us even 

noticing it. Stress at work does not 

just stay at work; sadly, we are likely 

to bring it home. This can further 

contribute to difficulty sleeping, 

gastrointestinal problems, lack 

of focus, headaches and much 

more. If chronic stress is left 

unattended, it can lead to more 

serious health concerns such as 

depression, obesity, burnout and 

heart problems. 

It is important to understand that 

stress itself is not good or bad 

for us: it is our perception and 

interpretation of stress that makes 

it so. Read on to find out how to 

manage work-related stress. 

70

UNDERSTAND YOUR STRESS. 

To manage the stress around us, we 

must first find its root cause. Keep 

a journal to track and measure your 

stress levels. Identify when stress 

occurs and what happens in those 

moments. Was it a conversation 

with a colleague? Was it a deadline 

for a big project? What were you 

feeling? What was the environment 

around you? What happened after 

you experienced this stressor? Did 

you raise your voice? Did you leave 

the situation and walked out? Take 

a moment to reflect your stressful 

experiences and observe yourself in 

that situation. 

Once you have established how 

the stressors are triggered and 

identified your responses to them 

that affect you negatively, reframe 

your understanding towards a 

positive response. Accepting 

that stress is a part of life is 

fundamental; understanding that 

there are positive ways to manage 

it is even more important. 

Sometimes, we deal with stress in a 

way that is not healthy, such as lashing 

out on a colleague or binge-eating. 

Next time you feel stressed, practise 

some healthy responses such as 

doing some exercise or taking a few 

deep breaths before responding. If 

you are working from home, maybe a 

quick breathing or yoga session can 

do the trick. If you are in the office, 

perhaps just stepping out for a walk 

or grabbing a coffee can help slow 

down the emotional response that 

can potentially be detrimental to 

your health and career. 

In the corporate world, embedding 

productivity within a well-being 

framework is possible. For example, 

at Bessern, Dubai, we work with 

individuals within organisations, 

providing them with tools and 

strategies to manage their stress 

levels as well as help them build 

productive habits that prevent chronic 

stress from taking over. These small 

daily hacks really make a difference 

to thrive at work, with measurable 

impact on their performance and 

personal well-being. 

TAKE TIME TO REST AND 

RECHARGE. 

I know we hear these words over 

and over again: make time to rest, 

recharge your energy, get enough 

sleep, and similar pieces of advice, 

but this proves to be one of the most 

essential aspects of managing stress. 

You only have one body. It needs rest. 

You are not a machine, and as much 

as some of us wish we could work 

tirelessly without consequences, the 

body and mind need the necessary 

downtime to function at its optimum. 

When at work, even taking a few 

minutes to listen to some music or 

a podcast to distract your mind a bit 

can do the trick. Perhaps picking up 

the phone and calling a loved one 

could be another way to do a quick 

recharge. 

71

ESTABLISH BOUNDARIES. 

In the world of digital access, especially now that we 

will likely be spending more time remote working in 

the near future, it is easy to get caught up in work 

and stay connected way beyond our working hours. 

If you don’t make time to disconnect, it will be easy 

for chronic stress to sneak up on you. The action 

of disconnecting from your work on evenings and 

weekends is a preventive tool to fight chronic stress. 

TALK TO YOUR MANAGER. 

Employee well-being is essential to the 

long-term success of companies and 

organisations, as recent studies on the 

impact of work stress on employees 

and their performance have shown. If 

a company’s employees are exhausted 

and stressed, they are not likely to bring 

their best selves to work, consequently 

making the business suffer. 

Make rules to establish limits. For example, avoid 

checking and opening work emails after a certain 

time of the day. Another example would be to 

keep your phone away from you at dinner and in 

the evenings. If you have a separate work phone, 

then completely keep it out of sight post working 

hours and weekends (unless it is a rare case of 

special projects or something similar, use your own 

discretion here). Keep in mind that work never ends, 

but your health deteriorates. By creating boundaries, 

you are not only taking care of your overall energy 

and well-being, but also spending uninterrupted 

time with your loved ones. 

Be open to having a conversation 

with your manager about your current 

challenges and stressors at work. The 

goal is not to complain but merely raise 

awareness of your current situation and 

work on a plan together to manage the 

stress and prevent it when possible. 

Perhaps your company can offer some 

tools and strategies, such as time 

management training or support from 

professional coaches or colleagues. 

Speaking up on work conditions that 

are harming employee morale and 

performance can create an overall 

healthier office environment for all 

through people-focused management 

decisions. 

72

GET SUPPORT. 

It’s normal to feel anxious and stressed. 

Know that you are not alone when it comes 

to work stress. It is perfectly acceptable to 

share your feelings with a trusted friend, 

family member, colleague, clergy or 

your physician or mental health provider. 

Companies provide their employees with 

the support they need during stressful 

times, and we see the difference it makes 

in organisations. You don’t have to do it 

alone! 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

Elena 

Agaragimova 

Managing Partner at Bessern and Talent 

Development Specialist 

Elena is an entrepreneur, talent 

development specialist, and 

education advocate with a deep 

interest in neuro and behavioural 

sciences. She is known for her ability 

to drive change within individuals 

and organisations that are looking 

to reach their potential and maintain 

their competitive edge in the 

business world. She has started her 

career in higher education, having 

worked across various institutions, 

departments and regions. In her 

recent years, she dove into business 

and joined Bessern, as well as 

founded a learning and developing 

consultancy, as well as several 

other projects within the talent 

development arena. 

She is an engaging skilled trainer 

and talent development specialist, 

credited with combining operations, 

education, and international 

expertise to design and deliver 

programs for diverse audiences. 

Elena has a strong passion for 

L&D, promoting creative and 

engaging workplaces and all about 

optimising performance through the 

development of others. As a career 

coach, Elena has over ten years 

of experience working individuals 

across different generations, 

supporting them in achieving their 

professional and personal goals. 

73

food 

15 

Best Protein 

Sources for 

Vegans and 

Vegetarians 

Apart from fat and 

carbohydrates, we all 

know that protein is a 

macronutrient essential 

for muscle building. For 

vegans and vegetarians, 

it can be challenging to 

fulfil the daily protein 

requirement from plant 

or plant-based diets. 

Fortunately, nature is 

abundant with plant 

choices that are rich 

in protein. Most of 

these foods are also 

easily obtainable and 

affordable. Head to 

your nearest grocery 

store and stock up on 

these vegan protein 

sources! 

74

1. QUINOA 

Quinoa is a grain crop grown for 

its edible cereal-like seeds. Quinoa 

varieties include mixed, red, black 

and white. If you do not eat meat, 

you can include quinoa in your diet. 

Just 100 grams of this superfood 

can supply your body with 4 grams 

of protein. It’s a complete protein 

source and is also packed with 

B-vitamins and dietary fibre. It’s 

also a great alternative to couscous 

or rice. 

2. TOFU 

Bean curd or tofu is a great protein 

source containing eight grams 

of protein per 100 grams. It is a 

versatile food that you can add to 

different dishes. You can also bake 

or add it to your favourite stir-fry. 

Alternatively, you can add tofu into 

soup to make it more nutritious. 

3. EZEKIEL BREAD 

Every two slices of Ezekiel bread 

yields eight grams of protein. 

This bread is a combination of 

spelt, millet, lentils, beans and 

barley. Since it is loaded with a 

good amount of fibre, it improves 

digestion and aids in weight loss. 

4. BUCKWHEAT 

A cup of cooked buckwheat 

contains about six grams of protein. 

Commonly mistaken as a type 

of grain, buckwheat is actually 

a relative of rhubarb and also 

cultivated as a cover crop. Owing 

to its rutin content, buckwheat 

also helps lower blood cholesterol 

and blood pressure. Rutin is a 

phytonutrient that helps stabilise 

blood pressure and reduce bad 

cholesterol. 

5. PULSES 

Pulses, also known as legume 

seeds, are common and widelyavailable 

food sources all over the 

world. Pulses pertain to the edible 

seeds of legumes which grow in a 

pod, and a few examples include 

peas, beans and lentils. A few 

other examples are garden peas, 

chickpeas, pinto and kidney beans. 

You might also try baked beans, but 

make sure that you watch out its 

salt content. 

6. SOY 

Soy is a complete protein source. 

It contains twelve grams of protein 

per half a cup of tofu serving. It 

is a go-to veggie protein source 

among dieters looking for a healthy 

amino acid high food that deserves 

an applause. Other popular soy 

food products include natto and 

tempeh, a traditional Indonesian 

soy product made from fermented 

soybeans. If going for tofu, look for 

a firm one to ensure it contains a 

high amount of protein. 

75

7. WHOLE GRAINS 

Whole grains are also loaded with 

proteins and are great sources 

of fibre, vitamins and essential 

minerals. Some sources include wild 

rice and oats. They can boost your 

body’s daily grain and fibre intake 

and can be eaten for breakfast, 

lunch or dinner. 

8. NUTRITIONAL YEAST 

Nooch is a nutritional yeast that 

is yellow in colour and possesses 

a cheesy taste. Two tablespoons 

contain as much as four grams of 

protein. If you’re a vegan, you might 

want to supplement with nutritional 

yeasts for this vitamin, which is 

typically found only in animalbased 

protein sources. You can add 

it in dressings or sauces, toss it in 

popcorn or sprinkle on pasta. 

9. SEITAN 

Seitan is a vegan meat alternative 

made entirely out of hydrated 

gluten, the main protein found in 

wheat. It is also referred to as wheat 

gluten, wheat protein or just gluten. 

Seitan contains an impressive 75 

grams of protein per 100 grams, 

which accounts for 150% of the 

recommended daily intake. For 

many vegans, it is a staple in their 

plant-based diets. It is described as 

having a taste profile resembling 

bland chicken or portobello 

mushroom. 

10. CHIA SEEDS 

Did you know that just one 

tablespoon of chia seeds could 

provide you with two grams of 

protein? You can consume it as 

an added ingredient in cereals, 

soups and salads. It is also a great 

addition to shakes and desserts. If 

you’re a vegetarian looking for an 

egg replacement, you can use chia 

seeds as they are hydrophilic: they 

will expand when soaked in water 

for 20 minutes. 

11. GREEN VEGETABLES 

Balance out your plate with green 

vegetables, like Brussel sprouts, 

green peas and spinach. They are 

not just excellent sources of protein 

but also of vitamins, minerals and 

fibre. Plus, they are low in calories 

too. Just half a cup of spinach 

contains four grams of protein. 

Brussel sprouts, on the other hand, 

contain three grams of protein per 

one-half cup serving. 

12. POTATOES 

Potatoes serve their purpose not 

just for french fries but also for 

dishes that offer a high protein 

content. A medium-sized russet 

potato contains five grams of 

protein. Alternatively, you can 

also go for sweet potatoes or red 

potatoes, although their protein 

content is not as high as that of 

russet potatoes. 

76

13. LEGUMES 

Legumes, such as lentils and beans, 

are rich, widely-available protein 

sources. Lentils contain as much 

as 18 grams of protein per cup of 

cooked varieties. Beans, on the 

other hand, can offer up to 18 

grams of protein depending on 

the variety. You can use lentils and 

beans as filling for tacos or as a 

curry base. 

14. SPIRULINA ADDED WITH 

GRAINS OR NUTS 

Get as much as four grams of protein 

per tablespoon with spirulina, an 

edible mass of cyanobacteria which 

many consider to be a superfood. 

Spirulina is a type of algae that 

people can take as a dietary 

supplement. While spirulina is 

not a complete protein, it can be 

improved by adding other proteinrich 

foods such as nuts, oats, grains 

or seeds. 

15. HUMMUS 

Chickpeas in hummus offer not only 

protein but also lysine. Consume it 

with pita for a sumptuous meal that 

is vegan-friendly and high in fibre. 

77

12 

A 

Must-Try 

Moroccan 

Tagine 

Recipes 

tagine is a cone-shaped cooking pot 

traditionally used in Morocco. It is made 

with ceramic or unglazed clay which adds an 

earthy flavour and aroma to native Moroccan 

dishes. A tagine, also called maraq or 

marqa, also refers to a Moroccan dish which 

is named after the tagine pot itself. There 

are many variations of this Moroccan dish 

that you can try. 

Wondering what dishes you can make on 

this classic Moroccan cookware? Don’t worry 

because we got you covered! If you don’t 

have a tagine, you can also use ordinary 

cookware. 

78

1 

LAMB/BEEF TAGINE WITH PRUNES 

Prunes are great to use in a tagine recipe. Add some 

of these dried fruits into lamb or beef cooked in a 

tagine, and create a sumptuous dish. This combination 

is popular among the Moroccans and other people that 

love the flavour and taste of prunes. 

Remember to cook your beef/lamb to the desired 

tenderness, and add Moroccan seasoning before 

topping the dish with a generous number of prunes. 

Simmer them with honey or cinnamon syrup for added 

flavour and aroma. Check out this video for inspiration. 

2 

SPICED VEGGIE TAGINE WITH CHICKPEAS 

If you love chickpeas, this recipe is for you. It is full 

of flavour and comforting at the same time. It can 

offer your family with a great crispy dish for autumn 

evenings. The hearty spiced veggie tagine calls 

for root vegetables for more nutrition. If you want 

to make it a traditional tagine, you can replace the 

bahārāt for ras el hanout. It is a spice mix with cloves, 

rose buds, mace and turmeric that can give the 

dish a load of flavour. The spiced vegetable tagine 

with chickpeas is also with a vegetable stock for an 

intensely delicious dish. Serve with flatbread and 

lemon wedges. Check this video for inspiration. 

3 

BEEF TAGINE WITH ARTICHOKES AND 

PEAS 

If you’re hitting the grocery store, don’t forget to add 

artichokes and peas on your list because they’re great 

additions to a tagine dish. They are fragrant, flavourful 

and healthy. Try this one-pot stew that will comfort and 

offer warmth for everyone, especially in the winter when 

these ingredients are in-season. Saying so, they’re easy 

to find as well. For convenience, you have the option of 

choosing the frozen variants if you don’t like the idea of 

paring fresh artichoke bottoms and shelling the peas. 

Here is a version to try. 

4 

BERBER VEGETABLE TAGINE 

If you’re a vegan, you can prepare this vegetable tagine 

with turnip, zucchini, carrot and potato. For added 

flavour, add red bell pepper to the dish. Cauliflower 

florets, chickpeas and tomato are in this Berber-style 

veggie tagine too. You can also add in your choice 

vegetables. Check out this video for inspiration. 

79

5 

MOROCCAN CHICKEN TAGINE 

This recipe is a classic. If you’re wondering what to make with 

your tagine, you can start with this. Use onions, olives and 

some preserved lemons. You can also cook it in the oven or 

in the tagine—it’s up to you. Whichever way, you can enjoy 

this delicious chicken tagine recipe with the whole family. 

Suggestions: You can eat directly into the tagine and with 

a bread to scoop up the sauce and chicken. The locals 

sometimes put Belgian fries on top of their chicken, but 

traditional French fries or rice on the sides is also perfect. 

Here is a recipe for inspiration. 

6 

LAMB AND CHICKPEA TAGINE 

Satisfy yourself and your guests with this delectable and 

comforting lamb and chickpea tagine! It is a healthy and 

succulent dish that will make everyone ask for more. If you’re 

busy, you can also make-ahead this recipe and store it in the 

freezer. Just put it in the microwave to reheat easily. 

This dish is famous, with roots that can be traced to the 

cuisine of the ancient Bedouin locals of the Arabian Peninsula. 

They add dried fruits, including plums, apricots and dates for 

added unique taste. Do you want to make lamb and chickpea 

tagine? Here’s a video for you. 

This recipe calls for a chermoulatagra, a Moroccan marinade. 

It’s made of cumin, garlic, oil, coriander, salt and lemon 

juice. Other spices used in the chermoula paste, spice mix 

or marinade are paprika, parsley, saffron and cayenne. 

This marinade is used in dressing seafood and fish. You 

can also find different variations to a chermoula, so choose 

based on your preference. Other variations also contain 

more cilantro than the others do and can vary in consistency. 

Nevertheless, you can use chermoula in preparing this fish 

tagine with your favourite vegetables to create a savoury 

and refreshing dish that also fits vegetarians and vegans. 

Looking for inspiration? Try this recipe. 

80 

7 

FISH TAGINE WITH VEGGIES AND 

CHERMOULA 

8 

CHICKEN AND APRICOT TAGINE 

Apricot tagine is another favourite tagine dish that you 

might try. Adding apricots to your chicken dish can make 

for a savoury and sweet dish that everyone will enjoy. Even 

kids will love it! Remember to cook the chicken slowly until 

it gets tender. 

Use herbs and spices, such as onions, garlic, ginger, saffron 

and cinnamon to enhance the aroma before topping your 

dish with dried and poached apricots. Try this easy to make 

recipe that suits even for those with little kitchen experience. 

Use this recipe for a delicious chicken and apricot tagine.

9 

CHICKPEA AND CARROT TAGINE 

If you’re on a diet or simply want to stay fit, you can 

also try a vegetarian tagine with your favourite veggies, 

such as carrot and chickpeas. This dish is super easy to 

prepare, yet it can please even picky eaters and kids. 

You can up its aroma with some honey and cinnamon 

syrup, or any other spices of your liking. If you like, you 

can also add raisins to it. This veggie tagine can be a 

side dish or an entrée. Find inspiration here. 

10 

SQUID TAGINE 

Do you love squid and you want it for your first tagine 

dish? Check out this easy to make Comment start 

calamar Comment end i tagine in a generous amount 

of tomato sauce. These are the spices that highlight 

the seafood taste: olive oil, pepper and paprika. 

Nevertheless, you can get creative and add other 

spices of your liking. Check out this video for your 

inspiration. 

11 

SHRIMP TAGINE 

Squids aren’t the only seafood that calls for a tagine 

recipe! A shrimp tagine tastes even better with tomato 

sauce. Many locals eat it communally from the pot with 

Moroccan bread. For a more filling lunch or dinner, 

others prefer to serve it on top of pasta or rice. Here is 

a video for your inspiration. 

12 

BERBER-STYLE TAGINE 

Try this easy to make Berber-style tagine in which the 

meat, like beef or lamb, is arranged and cooked under 

seasonal vegetables. To make the dish more exciting, 

use a clay tagine for a satisfying and earthy flavour. If 

you want it a bit spicy, you can also add chilli peppers. 

Either way, this tagine dish is great with or without the 

extra heat. Here is a recipe video for your inspiration. 

81

Going Vegan 

in Abu Dhabi: 

top 

8Restaurants 

Whether you’re a new or seasoned vegan, finding a wide variety of vegan 

cuisine in Abu Dhabi can prove to be difficult at times if you don’t know 

exactly where to search. From Afro-Caribbean flavours to Mexican and Indian 

cuisine, the nation’s capital has some hidden gems that are guaranteed to 

leave your mouth watering, belly filled, and appetite satisfied! 

Tired of searching for healthy plant-based flavourful food? Here is a list of 

restaurants in Abu Dhabi offering delicious vegan options. 

82

West to West 

First on the list is West to West kitchen, Abu 

Dhabi’s newest Afro-Caribbean restaurant. 

This family business of wanderlusts is focused 

on bringing Sierra Leonean, Trinidadian and 

Jamaican inspired-cuisine and culture to the 

nation’s capital. Their main effort is to serve 

delicious food that brings people together in 

celebration and leaves them invigorated. West 

to West serves a variety of mouthwatering 

flavourful vegan dishes such as Awojoh Binch 

from Sierra Leone. Awojoh Binch consist of 

black-eyed beans soaked for an hour, boiled 

and then cooked with onions, herbs with a 

touch of bonnet pepper for spice, best served 

with fried plantain and West to West Salad. 

Another more popular vegan dish only sold on 

weekends or by special request is a Trinidadian 

dish known as “doubles.” Doubles is a common 

street food “sandwich” made of two flatbreads 

known as bara, filled with a curried chickpea 

filling or channa, as it is known in Trinidad and 

India. 

West to West Kitchen is located on Electra 

Street behind ADCB headquarters and offers 

both dine-in and delivery options. 

83

Circle Café 

Circle Café began over a decade ago as a love 

letter to the true New York bagel. Dubai mums 

Mira and Rama were in the Big Apple enjoying 

the authentic smoked salmon cream cheese 

bagel when they realised mid-bite they had to 

bring the famous NYC flavour back to the city 

of Dubai. 

Over the years the menu has evolved from 

bagels served with filling, to a menu with a 

wide variety of tasty options for everyone 

including vegans. Their new vegan menu 

includes the beetroot hummus power bowl, 

vegan scrambled eggs with tofu, edamame, 

pumpkin and tomatillos with roasted almonds 

and an amazing vegan sandwich containing 

slow-cooked mushrooms served with sweet 

potato fries. 

Circle Café is located in Al Raha Village, 

Mangrove Village and Saadiyat Island. They’re 

on several delivery platforms. 

84

Wild & 

The Moon 

Wild & The Moon is a lifestyle movement 

created by a tribe of food lovers, chefs, 

nutritionists and naturopaths, based on the 

simple belief that food should be good for you, 

good for the planet, and delicious. With wild, 

local, gluten-free, ethically sourced, seasonal 

and plant-based ingredients, that bring a little 

bit of nature to our busy lives. Wild & The 

Moon’s food and cold-pressed juices are 100% 

organic, pure, fresh, and unpasteurised, leaving 

their nutritive power intact. The popular vegan 

cafe opened its first branch in Abu Dhabi, at 

the gorgeous Cultural Foundation site. It’s a goto 

in Paris and Dubai for cold-pressed juices, 

smoothies and tasty, healthy vegan meals. 

Wild & The Moon currently offers dine-in 

services only. 

85

Café 302 

Located in Al Maha, Arjaan by Rotana, Café 

303 is the casual friendly place to be if you 

love vegan cuisine. With nearly 30 plant-based 

dishes on the menu, this eatery is a hot spot 

amongst vegans in the capital thanks to its 

exclusive vegan brunch offered on Thursday 

evenings. The menu at Café 302 includes 

breakfast, soups, salads and huge mains 

dishes. They also have a wide array of desserts 

from almond brownies to a baked cinnamon 

pumpkin tart. 

Café 302 offers dine-in, pick-up and delivery 

options. 

86

Shakespeare and 

Co and Blooms 

Vegan Kitchen 

Shakespeare and Co is a chain restaurant 

conceived and developed in Dubai in 2001. 

With over 35 stores across the emirate, 

Shakespeare and Co offer a truly unique dining 

experience due to the distinct “Shakespearean” 

atmosphere, with each location featuring a 

specific colour, décor and layout. Shakespeare 

and Co is a place you can go with vegan or 

non-vegan friends, colleagues, and family, to 

enjoy a good meal and relax, knowing there’s 

always something to look forward to on the 

menu. Now offering a huge vegan menu that 

includes dishes like mutabal and sautéed vegan 

protein bites and vegan pesto grilled cheese, 

Shakespeare and Co is a wonderful place to go 

for an overall dining experience. 

Bloom Vegan Kitchen is another plantbased 

gem in the capital, currently operating 

exclusively out of Shakespeare and Co’s 

kitchen. Born in Dubai with the will of eating 

healthy and tasty plant-based food, Bloom 

Vegan kitchen is a delivery-only restaurant, 

offering delivery all over Abu Dhabi. All their 

dishes are delicious and a must-try for the new 

or seasoned vegan looking to try a variety of 

food without breaking the bank. Their dishes 

range from buffalo cauliflower salad, tacos and 

mac and cheese to brownies and vegamisu. 

You can order Blooms Vegan Kitchen from 

several delivery platforms around the region or 

go to any Shakespeare and Co restaurant and 

ask for the Blooms Vegan Kitchen to go menu. 

87

Wheatfields 

Wheatfields Gourmet Grocer & Cafe is an 

unusual, unique and ground-breaking concept 

for the region. It is home to vegan foods that 

are nutritious, delicious, health-conscious and 

budget-friendly. A gourmet grocer but also a 

café, Wheatfields offers options for every meal 

including french toast or pancakes for breakfast 

and pizza, calzone and mac and cheese for 

lunch or dinner. The best part about this café? 

You can shop at the grocery store while waiting 

for your delectable food! 

Wheatfields is located in Khalifa City and offers 

dine-in and pick-up options. 

88

Golden Spoon 

Vegetarian 

Restaurant 

“Not everyone’s born with a silver spoon, 

but when it comes to experiencing authentic 

Indian flavours, the Golden Spoon is enough.” 

Golden Spoon is a local Indian restaurant with 

several vegan options on their menu. A littleknown 

gem, Golden Spoon Restaurant is a 

huge hit amongst the vegetarian and vegan 

community in the nation’s capital. Dishes like 

vegan mini samosa, cauliflower and broccoli 

Manchurian, dal tadka and chapati and tandoori 

roti bread are guaranteed to cause a flavourful 

mouthwatering explosion in your mouth. Don’t 

fret, if spicy food isn’t your cup of tea, Golden 

Spoon allows you to choose your spice level 

when ordering your dish. 

Located in the Madinat Zayed area, Golden 

Spoon offers dine-in and delivery options. 

89

Burro Blanco 

Burro Blanco is a home-grown Mexican street 

food joint with a focus on high quality fresh 

ingredients that make their burritos some of the 

best in town. Nestled on a corner in the back 

streets of Khalidiya, Burro Blanco restaurant 

resembles a stationary food truck with walk 

up and delivery options. This tiny hole in the 

wall restaurant offers healthy options, with their 

made to order burritos, tacos and bowls. With 

the option to customise your food to order, 

you can choose vegan fillings such as cilantro 

cauliflower rice, beans, roasted pumpkin 

squash and sautéed peppers and onions 

with salsa. The vegan-si is also worth a try. It 

consists of sweet potato, black bean mash, 

green mango, fresh coriander, guacamole and 

pico de gallo. Burro Blanco prides themselves 

in offering a no-frills experience that puts food 

and customer satisfaction first, no gimmicks, no 

fancy packaging, just good food. 

Burro Blanco is located in Khalidiya next to Bas 

Man’ouche restaurant. They offer walk-up, pickup 

and delivery options. 

About the Author 

MONIQUE L. SPEARMAN is a freelance multi-faceted writer, 

curator and creator. Blending a passion for content creating, social 

media marketing, photography and travel, Monique created her 

blog website RaineyAmore.com in the spring of 2017 as a hobby. 

Raineyamore.com is a lifestyle, fashion, beauty and travel brand 

that encourages men and women from around the world to live 

their best lives, out-loud. Inspired by the aesthetics of different 

cultures, Monique wants to show the world, “Everything has 

beauty, but not everyone sees it!” 

90

91

Fitness 

7 

Achieving 

Benefits of 

Healthy 

Abdominals: 

Think Strong, 

Not Flat 

flat abs is more than just for aesthetics or 

Instagram, but it is also for health and strength. If 

you’re into working out, don’t miss your abdominal 

exercises! Incorporate it into your workout routine 

to reap its rewards that we’re discussing in the next 

section. 

HEALTHY ABDOMINALS BENEFITS 

The core or abdominal muscles are your power 

centre. They’re a sacred space and a vitality source 

of your body. They’re also an important centre of 

consciousness and energy, according to ancient 

healing traditions. It is why thinking about and 

working for strong abdominal muscles should start 

now. Learn more in the following for the seven 

benefits of healthy abdominals. 

BACK PAIN REDUCTION 

One of the primary benefits of having healthy abs 

is back pain reduction. The core anchors the middle 

and lower back, so it needs to be strong. Otherwise, 

your back muscle will work hard to support your 

middle back. Too much straining will lead to its 

weakening, and pain will be a common scenario. 

With strong ab muscles, you can improve the 

endurance of your back muscles, prevent its injury, 

and reduce its straining. If you’re suffering from back 

pain, you should incorporate ab exercises into your 

workout regimen to create a more balanced body. 

What to know: Healthy abdominal muscles can 

prevent the forward protrusion of your belly and the 

altering of your centre gravity. 

WEIGHT RESISTANCE 

Improve your ability to bear weight with healthy 

abdominal muscles. Engage in ab exercises that can 

provide you with more strength. As you progress, 

you can bear more weight because you’ll have a 

stronger torso to take on a heavy weight with your 

stable lifting base, which is your core. 

92

93

POSTURE IMPROVEMENT 

Promote and support your posture by 

developing your ab muscles. In case you 

don’t know yet, you tend to slouch with 

weak abdominal muscles because they 

cannot support a good posture. That’s why 

you need to develop your core muscles, 

which can prop up the spine and make it 

easy to stand tall with your arms and legs 

aligned. 

Simply put, a proper posture will place the 

minimum compression on your back, which 

in turn prevents early wear and tear on the 

spine that would otherwise lead to disc 

hernia. Your muscles also remain engaged 

because of the proper bone and joint 

alignment. Eventually, it will also prevent 

the abnormal joint wearing that can lead 

to joint pain and arthritis. Strong abs can 

reduce ligament stress and injury. 

If you have a bad posture, you must 

strengthen the core so that it can distribute 

weight evenly throughout your body. 

Incorporate core exercises into your routine 

to build a better posture, open your hip 

flexors and strengthen your lower back. 

94

SPORTS PERFORMANCE 

You can improve sports performance with 

healthy abdominal muscles because they 

can help instability, core strength and 

balance. As ab exercises target the core 

muscles, they can improve strength as you 

progress with the workout activity. 

You can also improve performance on 

sports and leisure activities, such as tennis, 

golf, baseball, rowing, biking, and other 

activities with a strong core, which powers 

them all. If you’re an athlete looking to 

improve performance, consider core 

strength training that improves not just 

strength but also balance, endurance, and 

stability. 

95

FUNCTIONAL STRENGTH 

Healthy core muscles can also help in building functional 

strength, not just for supporting your lower back and 

spine. Developing abdominal muscles promotes 

and develops functional strength useful for everyday 

movements, including tying shoes, getting in/out of a 

chair, picking up objects and lifting heavy weight. With a 

healthy core, you can find doing these things easy rather 

than seeing them as a chore. 

Functional strength also helps you accomplish 

movements, such as crouching, standing, bending, 

jumping, and walking, and more, easier than without it 

will be. Having functional strength builds endurance for 

daily household chores. 

If you’re engaged in jobs involving twisting, standing, 

and lifting that rely on core muscles, you can also benefit 

from having resilient ab muscles. People working on jobs 

from home that involve sitting all day like writing, taking 

phone calls and other desk jobs, can also take advantage 

of a strong core that promotes proper posture. 

WEIGHT REDUCTION 

Another benefit of healthy abdominal muscles is 

reduced body fat. Excessive body fat is no good for 

you because it can lead to obesity and diabetes, among 

other lifestyle diseases. If you increase your abdominal 

muscle mass, your body will develop its ability to burn 

fat due to improved metabolism. If you would exercise 

and trim your body weight, you’d have a leaner body 

with an improved ability to reduce weight. 

BALANCE 

Your body will work more harmoniously with developed 

and trained abdominal muscles. It promotes a balanced 

body with your hips, lower back, pelvis, and hips working 

with coordination. When this happens, you can achieve 

not just stability but also a great balance. It is essential 

for everyday movements; such as walking, running, or 

riding on a bumpy road. 

A resilient core, nonetheless, can make daily activities 

less disastrous and injurious and more pleasant. With 

it, you can also prevent falls, which are likely to get 

you injured with weak abdominal muscles. For seniors, 

developing a strong core can make everyday tasks more 

pleasant with less chances of acquiring an injury, too. 

Healthy abdominals aren’t just for their flat appearance 

and your added physical attractiveness, but they’re also 

for great overall wellness and physique. Strengthening 

your core muscles, nevertheless, makes you more 

resilient against injuries. They also improve your sports 

performance, functional strength, and overall weight. To 

reap these benefits and more, start thinking strong, not 

flat! Engage in ab workouts that help you gain strength, 

achieve an amazing body, and increase your endurance, 

function, and strength. 

96

Travel 

Morocco: 

For the 

Love of 

Colour 

Overlooking the Atlantic Ocean to the 

west and the Mediterranean Sea to the 

north the humble treasure of Northern 

Africa, the country of Morocco attracts 

approximately 11 million tourists 

annually and is a muse for wanderlust 

travellers. Whether it be getting lost 

in the historic medinas, hiking the 

rolling Atlas Mountains, learning how 

to cook or savouring the traditional 

Moroccan cuisine, one’s itinerary can 

be swarming with activities in no time. 

Morocco is a country beholding a 

rich culture and civilisation. Its telling 

history narrates its antiquity of hosting 

people groups from various nations. 

The synthesis of those coming from 

the North (Romans, Andalusians), 

South (Sub-Saharan Africans) and East 

(Phoenicians, Jews and Arabs) have 

composed what is now Morocco’s 

social structure. Other influencers 

include the countries; Portugal, Spain 

and France who have conveyed their 

traces in aspects of Moroccan life. 

Since gaining independence in 1956, 

Morocco has journeyed extensively 

in its objective to share the wonders 

of its soil. Striding successfully, it has 

capitalised on its illustrious Roman 

and Islamic sites and the sensation of 

its vivacious landscapes. Tourists are 

invited to be immersed in a whirlpool 

of aureate, coral, brilliant emeralds 

and whispers of cyan adorning burgs 

far and wide. 

97

THE MEDINAS OF MARRAKESH AND FEZ. 

The medinas are the antique roots of each city in 

Morocco; they are a fusion of residential areas, 

shopping centres and food markets. If one is akin 

to exploration and wondering about, they are 

subject to being enthralled by the snake charmers 

and folk dancers gracing the paths of the medinas. 

The fascination resides in the twisting and turning 

streets where brightly lit shops, restaurants, 

markets, and homes margin the streets. Squeezing 

tightly together, they bolt upright with fading 

cream paints; ageing timelessly. 

98

SEE THE ANCIENT CITY OF VOLUBILIS 

The excavated Berber city of Morocco, an 

ancient Roman settlement and a major 

trading centre; Volubilis is one of the wellpreserved 

ruins of its kind in the world. 

Though its relics remain unrestored and it is 

normally scarce of tourists one can find the 

city open in a way that allows engagement to 

come about. Those viewing the dilapidated 

structures can do so without the hindrance of 

large barriers and bustling crowds. One has 

the chance to familiarise themselves with the 

grainy steps of ancient quads and stand in 

awe of tall and greying classical pillars. 

ROAM ABOUT KASBAH LES OUDAIAS 

Situated in Rabat, this Kasbah is in the oldest 

part of the city. Reminiscent of a medina, the 

serenity and candidness of the narrow streets 

of white houses; make it perfect for roaming 

about. Its elevation offers magnificent views 

of the river Asif Mellah and its overflowing 

into the ocean. Within the citadel, one can 

pay a visit to royalty by viewing the Saadian 

Tombs. These are royal graves in chambers 

with ornate mosaic tiling and stucco- a treat 

for the eyes appreciating the decorous 

mastery of ancient Byzantine and Ottoman 

Empires. 

99

VISIT THE HASSAN II MOSQUE 

Named after one of Morocco’s embellished leaders, The 

Hassan II Mosque, located in Casablanca, is all the rage 

among tourists. The plumb architectural masterpiece is 

a display of the dedication and dexterity of thousands 

of Moroccan artists led by the French designer, Michel 

Pinseau. Pinseau is the mind behind the tallest minaret 

in the world that crowns this grandiose mosque. It took a 

total of five years to build this intricate structure, inside it 

is emblazoned with mosaics, plaster mouldings, marble 

and stone columns; from the floors to the wood ceilings, 

the internal is a feast of texture. As it is the 7th largest 

mosque in the world and the largest one in Africa, a total 

of 105,000 worshippers are able to congregate within 

the darling mosque. 

100 

LEARN TO COOK 

TRADITIONAL MOROCCAN 

FOOD 

Traditional Moroccan food is 

the unification of Berber, Arabic, 

Turkish, Middle Eastern, and 

French cuisine. Many Moroccan 

houses or palaces called riads 

offer cooking classes in big 

cities like Marrakesh and Fez. 

One can relish the satisfaction of 

purchasing fresh produce from 

the local market and then acquire 

skills and cultural knowledge 

whilst making a traditional dish. 

A notable mention would be 

Cafe Clock which is a Westerninfluenced 

café and is famous 

for its gigantic and delicious 

camel burger; it has locations in 

Marrakesh and Fez. It offers some 

of the best classes receiving 

impressive ratings across travel 

blogs and websites.

CATCH SOME SUN AND WAVES AT THE TANGIERS 

Morocco’s relatively high number of tourists is impelled by its location. As it 

is close to Europe, it attracts visitors to its gorgeous beaches. Tangiers is a 

major city in northern Morocco, located on the North African coast it is the 

western entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar which is the barrier that separates 

the Mediterranean Sea from the world’s oceans. The history of Tangiers is very 

rich, due to the historical presence of many civilisations and cultures. These 

aspects are conserved by the two museums located in the city, namely; the Dar 

el Makhzen which was previously a palace for the sultans but is now a museum 

for Moroccan artefacts and The American Legation Museum. Centuries ago, 

Tangiers was characterised as having international status by foreign colonial 

powers and became a destination for many American and European writers, 

artists, diplomats, businessmen, and spies. 

There is but one destination where one can tuck into their chicken shawarma 

whilst sitting between the narrow-spaced medinas and reading history off the 

walls. A place where the balconies of fortresses boast the spectacular sight of 

the sea and the town descending below, where the people of Morocco go about 

their daily fare. It is indeed a place of colours, both fading and bright; preserving 

the ancient and greying whilst retaining its liveliness. 

101

102

103

For the Culture 

THE REINVENTED CHRONICLES WITH 

YVONNE C. MTENGWA 

5 Ways to Wrap 

your Mind Around 

the Unknown and 

Keep from Panicking 

Sitting in a waiting room has never been easy. 

Waiting for any sort of confirmation on an issue can 

most definitely play its part in taking us out of our 

mental equilibrium. Whether you are waiting for the 

doctor to come back to you with test results or a 

notification on whether or not you got the job or 

if you passed the most difficult module towards a 

certification you are so desperately trying to attain; 

we can all agree that minutes, days, weeks and 

even months of waiting for the news or some news 

can have you operating in rolling tides of angst. 

I’ve had several conversations over the past few 

weeks with friends and family doing their best to 

adjust to a new norm in the world we are living now. 

The headlines have a way of prophesying doom, 

while others are churning out the rudimentary “use 

this opportunity to build your brand and build 

your best life” messaging. Even with this, most 

people are simply trying to figure out what their 

immediate needs are and how they will get those 

fulfilled. Many need rest. Others need to get a grip 

of their finances after being told their salaries are 

taking a hit for the next few weeks. I’m pretty sure 

most of us know someone who is being forced to 

accept the new reality of having to go back home 

unexpectedly or shut down their business. There is 

no time for ‘building the new me’ for them because 

in all the waiting for some semblance of normalcy 

to make its come back, the list of pressure points is 

growing. Stuff just hasn’t worked out as they would 

have liked, and the breaking point is nigh. 

If you find yourself in the category of people 

struggling to stay sane in light of current events, 

here’s my take on how you can keep from folding 

by processing that which lies ahead – known or 

unknown. 

1. GET TO EMERGENCY PLANNING IF 

YOU HAVEN’T ALREADY. 

We can all agree that nothing prepared us for the 

global pandemic and subsequent shutdowns the 

world over. Q2 2020 is here, and if there is any 

104

ig takeaway from this season; its to always have an 

emergency plan ready for a rollout. When nothing’s 

moving, it’s more than likely you will still be required to 

move. Your family’s needs are a constant; bills don’t pay 

themselves, and problems don’t necessarily take a leave 

of absence. 

If you haven’t already, start looking at what changes you 

can make to prep yourself for the possibility of things 

getting worse than they are, because let’s face it—life 

can get like that. Are there costs you can cut like those 

subscriptions that add up or that take-out budget that 

needs to be redirected to home-cooked meals? Do 

you have an emergency fund in place, which ideally is 

6 months’ worth of your expenses? Have a think about 

this, as most stresses are triggered by lack, and lack of 

money or resources is never a good thing. 

2. REVIEW YOUR GOALS. 

The year likely started with you having a set of goals and 

now some of those have been thrown out the window. 

Not all hope’s lost, though. Take some time out to revisit 

the goals you had laid out for your year and look at what 

needs shifting. Prioritise what needs immediate focus 

and attention over what can be pushed back. There is no 

sense being frustrated over your travel plans if no one 

is going anywhere anytime soon. Maybe now isn’t the 

time to enrol into that expensive Master’s programme 

if you haven’t got your emergency fund in place. See 

where I’m going with this? Oftentimes, it’s not a case 

of taking that goal off your list altogether but adjusting 

your timelines for execution. 

3. ENVISAGE YOUR LIFE AFTER THE 

STRESSFUL SEASON. 

Survival begins with the right mindset. Don’t stay in a 

state of lamenting but rather take to reminding yourself 

of the good that will come on the other side of the drama. 

Now don’t get me wrong – am not saying spend your 

days out with the fairies imagining all sorts of hoopla! 

Think about things that bring added reflection and 

meaning to your life. Visualising your desired outcome 

conditions your mind to identify what resources and 

actions you will need to see things happen for you. 

105

4. STICK TO SOME SORT 

OF SCHEDULE. 

Shooting a bunch of darts at your 

task list and hoping some will 

land is not the ideal way to get 

things done with as little stress as 

possible. I’ll be the first to admit 

that homeschooling and the whole 

work from home thing hit me 

upside my head a few weeks ago. 

Fortunately, by accepting that this 

was going to be my new norm for a 

few weeks, creating a new schedule 

has resulted in my being more 

efficient in my new daily routine. 

Time is money. Wasted time will 

present some form of anxiety as 

the clock ticks. Schedule everything 

– from time spent with family to 

meal prepping to getting your 

workout in. I even schedule in my 

45 minutes “ratchet TV time” if I 

feel like getting a dose of mindless 

entertainment; quickly getting back 

to work or cooking or emailing or 

whatever else I have on my daily 

plan once done. 

5. REMEMBER THAT YOUR 

HEALTH IS PART OF YOUR 

VICTORY TALE. 

In seasons of uncertainty, physical 

and mental stress can become 

a norm, but this is not to say we 

are to accept that as our reality. 

Pill popping to get some sleep or 

binge-eating on all the stuff you’ve 

worked so hard to keep off your 

body will not serve you in the long 

run. It’s important to take control of 

what you can, such as your healthy 

food intake, infusing some form 

of exercise into your routine and 

scheduling in some quiet time to 

put your mind at rest. You already 

have a lot to deal with, so don’t tack 

on discomfort to your physical and 

mental state. Take time out. Rest. 

Reset. Practise self-care routines 

and be gentle with yourself. 

Wrapping your mind around the 

unknown is about accepting that 

in life, there is much we cannot 

control, yet we are to do the best 

that we can with that which we can. 

Panic only creates angst, and no one 

is out here volunteering themselves 

for some ulcers. Please understand 

that you are never alone when the 

going gets tough. Get help and be 

honest with yourself and those that 

matter most. The beauty of time, 

patience and honest reflections is 

that it paves the way for you coping 

through seasons of transition. 

About the Author 

Yvonne Chiedza Mtengwa is the author 

of “Reinvented: Challenging insecurity to 

live authentically through faith”, a book 

encouraging women to confront their 

issues with relationships, insecurities and 

self-fulfilling prophesies, in an effort to 

truly discover who they were created 

to be. It’s available for download on 

https://payhip.com/b/Oi7Y#! 

She is also a co-author of Amazon Bestseller 

“Dear Fear Volume 2: 18 Powerful Lessons 

on Living your best life on the other side 

of Fear”- a compilation of short stories by 

American visionary author Tiana Patrice. 

Passionate about travelling, writing about 

and experiencing leisure and lifestyle 

brands, Yvonne is a marketing and 

communications strategist, is the Cofounder 

of www.Quintessentialf.com, a 

Christian lifestyle movement for women, 

and also runs www.yournarratives.com, 

a boutique communications agency 

specialising in entrepreneurial design 

and shaping the narrative of women-led 

lifestyle and social development brands. 

106 

Check her out on IG on @quintessentially_yvonne or visit and subscribe to her website 

on www.ReinventedToday.com for more tips on everyday reinvention.

A Life of Happiness: 

Building Resilience 

I smile at the realisation that 

nothing stays the same nor lasts 

forever. But what made people 

change into what we are now? How 

do they absorb the changes in their 

culture they knew and loved? How 

do they accept that their world will 

be forever changed? With those 

constant changes, how do people 

pursue happiness? 

The answer is resilience: being 

able to recover quickly from life’s 

adversities. 

As we watch our environment, 

cultures and lifestyles change, we 

need to keep in mind that we need 

to take care of our mental health. 

Building our resilience requires the 

acknowledgement of reality. To go 

outside our comfort zones, the first 

step is to accept the fact that there 

are regions where discomfort exists, 

and we must face them. By building 

a resilient mind, we guarantee a life 

well-lived with happiness, gratitude 

and contentment. 

DEEP CONVERSATIONS 

First, it is important to have 

conversations with yourself and with 

other people looking for their own 

happiness. Sharing your insights 

and experiences may help build 

your resilience and may lighten 

your emotional burden. Opening 

up to other people with a positive 

outlook in life is a great help for 

you to identify your weaknesses 

and strengths. You must speak to 

yourself and put a mindset that 

you’re more than the sum of your 

parts. Your weaknesses become 

your strengths the moment you 

recognise them. 

Having deep conversations will 

allow you to learn more about 

growth, development and selfawareness. 

EXERCISE 

Second, having a healthy body 

is another key to have a stable 

and positive mindset. When you 

exercise, your body releases 

endorphins that gives you a positive 

feeling. 

Facing our daily challenges and life 

hardships requires strong physical 

and mental health. Together with 

a balanced diet, exercise can 

improve your problem-solving skills 

and helps you to concentrate more. 

107

OFFER OTHERS HELP 

Third, share your knowledge and ideas with people 

who are in need of support and encouragement. 

Simple words may be a big help to others. Lead by 

example: you cannot show the way if you do not turn 

on the flashlight. 

Helping others will give you indescribable happiness, 

a fulfilled heart and will also help you create a good 

social interaction. 

SLOW DOWN 

Fourth, take time for yourself; remember that the race is 

not won at the beginning. It is easy to fall in the crowd of 

panic and fear. It is important that as you run your race, 

you should hone your skills, appreciate your flaws, and 

remember that happiness is not about who achieved 

it first but who did it right. Take time to relax, observe, 

and seek inner peace. Slow down and appreciate life's 

blessings. 

Build your resilience by taking deep breaths of fresh air 

and savour in the taste of delicious and healthy meals. 

Step outside the room and smile at the sunshine that 

wants to bless you with vitamins of bliss and gleeful 

thoughts. Be one with nature and get out of the fast 

routine. Enjoy life to the fullest without the hassle. 

Remember that change is a story with two sides. Your 

mindset defines your point of view, it designs your 

reactions, and your purpose confirms your end result 

whether it's good or bad. A life of happiness means that 

you have to commit to being happy. It means you have to 

accept the glass as half full and not half empty. 

There’s always room to grow and glow. Build your 

resilience with positive thoughts, exercise those thoughts 

with purpose. Share your views, try to help others and 

never forget to slow down. Always think that Rome was 

never built in a day; time wasted will bring a disaster, 

while time spent wisely will bring you closer to mastery. 

Jerome Douglas 

About the 

Author 

Jerome Douglas is a 27-year old trained teacher, poet and writer 

from the beautiful island of Jamaica. His personal philosophy 

is “If it is for me to be, then it is up to me.” He attended the 

Catholic College of Mandeville in Jamaica. Additionally, he is a 

community builder and humanitarian who volunteers his time 

to help with the academic and social well-being of people in 

his Central Jamaica community and surrounding areas. 

108

Book Review 

The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy 

The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy came out in 2010 and has been one of 

the bestsellers on both The New York Times and the Wall Street Journal. 

What is The Compound Effect? The book is, in fact, a collection of case studies, 

examples and real-life narrations. Hardy explains that life’s biggest achievements 

are dependent on the tiny things that you do so unconsciously every day. Even 

though these small choices seem inconsequential, they compound over time. 

Let us dive in and have a closer look at how The Compound Effect affects us. 

109

AWESOME IDEA #1: THE SMALL CHOICES MATTER. 

The writer’s formula is “Small, Sensible Choices + Time + 

Consistency = Big Difference”. A better way to explain this 

concept is given in the book in the form of an example called 

‘The Magic Penny Example’. Consider this example: two people 

are given the choice between receiving $3 million today or a 

magic penny that doubles in value every single day. Let’s say 

one of them takes the $3 million because they want to enjoy it 

right away and the other opts for the penny. On Day 2, the first 

person is on $3 million minus their expenses while the second 

person is now on 2 cents. Moving onto Day 20, one of them 

is still living life with $3 million minus their expenses while the 

other only has a little over $5,000. On Day 31, the one with 

the magic penny is now at more than $10 million! While the 3 

million is instant gratification, the penny is like a small choice 

that is performed consistently and outweighs the big gains in 

the long term. 

The secret is a combination of good habits, hard work and 

discipline. Forget instant results. The only path to success is 

through the execution of boring, unexciting daily disciplines 

over time—whether it is a 30-minute jog, reading for half an 

hour day, or even spending an extra 10 minutes studying 

business with your partner. The small choices performed on 

a daily basis will always outweigh instant gratification in the 

long run. 

AWESOME IDEA #2: THE COMPOUND EFFECT IS ALWAYS 

AT WORK. 

According to Darren Hardy, the most interesting part about the 

compound effect is that it is constantly working. Therefore, if 

you keep making consistent small and smart choices, you will 

see a radical change in your life that will be either positive or 

negative. The book talks about an example about the story 

of three friends. Friend 1 does small good actions; say, read 

a book. Friend 2 does nothing significant. Friend 3 indulges in 

small indulgences that are seemingly harmless, like eating cake. 

In about a year’s time, you may not notice much of a difference 

in each friend’s lifestyle. However, in three years, the differences 

will be staggering. Remember that the compound effect is all 

about exponential growth. Friend 1 has started a small business 

with all the ideas that he got from reading. Friend 2 is nowhere 

in life because he only compares himself to others and hasn’t 

done anything productive or value-adding. Friend 3 is now, you 

guessed it: unhealthy and unhappy. 

Note that the compound effect doesn’t just add up. That is why 

you will not see any major differences even after a year or two. It 

is only after some time has gone that the differences are distinct. 

The compound effect cannot be switched off. Even if you don’t 

notice results, it doesn’t mean that it’s not working. You will get 

positive or negative results, depending on the path you take. 

AWESOME IDEA #3: TAKE RESPONSIBILITY. 

The action of taking responsibility for your results is illustrated 

with a very good example in the book. A relationship instructor 

asks the question, “What is your percentage ratio of giving and 

receiving in a relationship?” Some say 50-50, some 40-60 and 

so on. The relationship instructor walks to the board and writes 

“100%”. Only when you take 100% responsibility for working 

on your relationship, it will succeed. The same goes for life. 

The results you have today are all due to your past actions. 

Unless you take 100% responsibility for your current and future 

measures, nothing changes. The writer goes on to note that 

there are several events that occur in our life which are beyond 

our control. But no matter what we are handed, there is always 

the power of how we choose to respond. 

AWESOME IDEA #4: TAKE NOTICE OF YOUR LIFE. 

“You make your choice; then the choices make you.” 

 

Darren Hardy 

Our life is really about a million choices that we make every day. 

The challenge isn’t that we’ve been deliberately making bad 

choices. If this were the case, it would be very easy to fix because 

we can then just stop opting for that wrong pick. The problem 

is that we haven’t taken notice of our selections. The actions 

are so trivial; we don’t even realise the effect that it takes on us. 

Sometimes we only notice our bad choices after it’s too late. 

AWESOME IDEA #5: THE POWER OF IMPACT. 

The last idea described in the book is about influence or impact. 

Dan Hardy says that there are three key influences that we need 

to watch out for: information, associations and environment. 

• INFORMATION: 

Always remember: garbage in, garbage out. Hardy advises us 

against watching the news. Consuming too much negativity will 

only make us more scared and cautious to move forward. But 

he does advocate reading books. Read inspirational, strategic 

and success stories, and we will inevitably become a more 

empowered individual. 

• ASSOCIATIONS: 

Make positive and conscious associations, and you will be a 

long way ahead. What you are, your lifestyle and your success 

rate depend a lot on the company you keep. Pick your friends 

wisely. 

• ENVIRONMENT: 

The environment includes everything around you. Decluttering 

your life and designing a positive environment may be 

uncomfortable at first, but the consequences of these actions 

will compound positively over time, resulting in a major 

improvement after a considerable period of time. 

110

111

DISCLAIMER: The information presented in Out and About STYLE Magazine does not constitute a replacement for financial, health, legal, or other 

professional advice and is instead general in its nature. We do not take into account your specific needs or circumstance and you should not act upon 

any advice without fully understanding your current legal, health, financial or other situations. Although we always do our best to bring high-quality 

information to our readers, we reserve the right to augment or delete information in any way and at any time. Out and About STYLE Magazine accepts 

no liability for any loss or damage that may arise from the use of any element of our website or magazine. 

112

Out and About STYLE Magazine Issue 4 Vol. 2

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?