Dubai Stone: Is it fact or fiction?

Most of us have experienced it, battled with it and cursed it. Dubai Stone is a term we have all heard of, but what exactly does it mean? It is a very British term used for the inevitable weight we put on when we step into this desert city.
In the UK, a stone is equal to 14 pounds. Generally, that is roughly what people put on when they arrive here from any part of the world. There are a number of factors that could be directly or indirectly responsible for the weight gain. Here are a few:
The Play-Hard-Work-Hard Philosophy
Dubai is a city that never sleeps. You can pretty much find something to do at all hours of the day and night. Generally, the trend amongst professionals as well as the business community is to work hard all day and then get out and play harder in order to switch off from the work stress. This leads to a vicious circle of eating late and sleeping late, hence contributing to the infamous Dubai Stone.
Eating out is de rigueur
It's official. All of us eat out much more in Dubai than we did back in our home countries. Whether it is for work or for socialising or simply networking, on an average most of us eat out at least five times a week. This could be put down to the variety and the availability of cuisines from all of the world. But, as we all know, outside food has way more calorific content than the food cooked at home, and that contributes to weight gain.
Erratic work schedules
How many of us work through the day and forget to eat? A lot of us actually. Unfortunately, this leads to a complete shutdown of metabolism, followed by an extremely indulgent meal at the end of the day. We feel we have earned it because we have deprived ourselves of food all day. And bingo, few more pounds are added to the body.
Processed foods
In this fast-paced life, we are all extremely short on time. This means we have little or no time to buy ingredients and cook healthy food from scratch. We become increasingly dependent on processed foods and fast foods available everywhere on demand, and perhaps at a cheaper cost. The high level of sodium in these foods leads to water retention, which adds to our weight.
So what can one do to avoid or shed the Dubai Stone?
1 Get a balanced life. Party hard and work hard; however, make sure you look after your body. Get enough sleep.
2 Cut out the processed foods and takeaways
3 Go natural - eat clean and eat fresh!
4 Make time to shop, prep and cook food for yourself and your family (if you have one). You will end up saving on the calories and dirhams.
5 Get a routine: Eat three meals and two snacks. Go to a gym at least thrice a week and drink loads of water.
Remember this simple equation:
Bad fuel + bad lifestyle = Lower energy levels + lower productivity + obesity-related diseases + heart attacks/strokes.
There are no shortcuts in life. And your body will give back what you put into it.
wknd@khaleejtimes.com