Ramadan in UAE to begin on July 10, Eid Al Fitr on August 9:

Ramadan in UAE to begin on July 10, Eid Al Fitr on August 9: Sharjah Planetarium | GulfNews.com

The Sharjah Planetarium at the Department of Culture and Information announced that the Ramadan Crescent will form on July 8, 2013 at 11:14am and set at 19:08pm, five minutes before the sunset.

The crescent will be seen on July 9 in the evening. So the first day of Ramadan will be July 10, astronomically, corresponding to Ramadan 01, 1434 H.

It also announced that the Shawwal crescent will appear on July 7 at 00:51am and set with the sunset, making it difficult to be seen, and hence completes the last day of Ramadan (30 days). So Friday, August 9, will be astronomically the first day of Shawwal and the first day of Eid Al Fitr.

Cool tricks for summer

Ayurveda has its cool tricks for summer | GulfNews.com

Summer and Your Diet

It is not just essential to keep your body protected from the outside during these hot months, it is also important to keep your body cool from the inside. You need to drink cooling drinks as opposed to caffeine rich drinks and eat more sweet, bitter and astringent items and try and keep items that are sour, salty and pungent in taste to a minimum.

To Drink

• Drink a combination of cumin, coriander, fennel and rose petals in water to improve digestion and to calm the mind.

• Grind ginger, curry leaves, mint leaves and salt together and mix it in laban (buttermilk) to create a cooling and energizing drink. If you can handle it, add a green chili to the mix.

• Tender coconut water and flesh are ideal for these months.

• The juice of cucumber or watermelon or lime or pomegranate are also ideal heat busters.

• Boiled and cooled milk with a pinch of cardamom or rose petal essence in it helps soothe the body.

• Avoid ice cold drinks and minimize your intake of tea, coffee and colas.

To Eat

• Eat juicy fruits like melons, pears and grapes.

• Increase the intake of broccoli, cucumber, asparagus and zucchini.

• Avoid sour cream, vinegar and ketchup.

• Add spices like mint, fennel, anise and cardamom to your food.

• Reduce your intake of sugar as it aggravates the Pitta dosha.

• Avoid cashew and pea nuts; however blanched almonds, walnuts, and pumpkin and sunflower seeds are alright.

Summer and the Skin

During the summer months the sun’s rays are more powerful and therefore can cause more damage to the skin. It is important to protect one’s skin from the negative effects of the sun’s rays. Excessive exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet rays can cause the appearance of brown spots and speeds the skin’s ageing process. Ayurveda believes in using natural ingredients to provide solace to the skin. These include the aloe vera, honey, avocado, papaya and the rose. In fact, summer or not, cotton eye pads soaked in diluted rose water help ease tension, stress, fatigue and the burning sensation in the eyes.

There are also many home remedies that one can use to soothe and protect the skin. Apply this on your face (avoiding the eye and mouth region) and let it dry or leave it for 15 minutes. Then gently wipe it away with a wet face towel or gently wash it away.

• Face packs of fruits like watermelon or cucumber or orange peel or banana or papaya mixed with honey or milk cream or rosewater can give the skin an unbeatable glow.

• When you return home after a day in the sun apply yoghurt on your face and exposed skin to counteract the sun’s effects.

• Sandalwood powder, neem paste, turmeric (Kasturi manjal )(not the spice you get in the grocery store but the paste from the turmeric root), milk cream or honey can be used on their own to help soften and smoothen one’s skin.

• Massage your skin regularly with coconut oil or sesame oil to improve circulation.

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Microsoft to unveil Windows 8.1

Microsoft to unveil Windows 8.1 | GulfNews.com

Fat to thin thanks to hypnotherapy

From fat to thin thanks to hypnotherapy | GulfNews.com

It’s now been more than a year since I started hypnotherapy. I have lost 37 kilos in all and am 68 kilos today. I can fit into any size 12 dress. On my birthday this year I wore a champagne-coloured fitted outfit and treated myself to grilled fish and a tiny piece of tiramisu. 
I have also begun to take a lot more interest in my lifestyle and work hard to stay healthy. I take the stairs all the time, eat homemade lunch at work, drink green tea and still exercise three times a week. I laugh a lot and often catch myself admiring my new figure in the mirror. At work I am more energetic and ready to take challenges. Hypnotherapy helped me to love myself. I’m happy to pose for pictures and I enjoy shopping for clothes. Best of all I found love and I blossom in the glow of having someone special in my life.

 

What Corina ate before
Breakfast: Two to three muffins with large milky coffee
Lunch: A couple of burgers with extra cheese and fries; sometimes a pizza too
Dinner: Grabbed a take-away or ate out – usually high fat and highly processed meals
Snacks: P ackets of crisps, biscuits and colas throughout the day

What Corina eats now
Breakfast: Homemade fruit shake made with fresh fruit and low-fat yogurt
Lunch: Salad or healthy wrap made at home, fruit
Dinner: Lean meat/fish, couscous or pasta with low-fat sauces, fresh vegetables and stewed fruit
Snacks: Fresh fruit

Corina Ciobanu, 31, lives in Dubai

New set of guidelines for mosques in Abu Dhabi

New set of guidelines for mosques in Abu Dhabi | GulfNews.com

Worshippers in Abu Dhabi will soon be no more than a five-minute walk away from the nearest mosque, as a new set of regulations requires a mosque within 350 metres of every home.

All new mosques must also include female praying areas, while public and non-residential buildings must designate space to pray for both men and women. The guidelines have been developed by the Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council (UPC), and they aim to ensure that mosques of appropriate size with high standards for hygiene and maintenance are adequately distributed across the emirate.

Taxis for passengers with special needs launched in Abu Dhabi

First fleet of taxis for passengers with special needs launched in Abu Dhabi | GulfNews.com

Specially-designed taxis will be able to take passengers across the emirates.

Regular tariffs will apply as usual, although special needs passengers can benefit from their Ministry of Social Affairs 50 per cent discount cards when paying the wheelchair accessible taxi fares.

Nelson Mandela’s close family gather at his rural homestead

Nelson Mandela’s close family gather at his rural homestead | GulfNews.com

Close members hold meeting to discuss ‘delicate matters’ as icon remains critical but stable

Nelson Mandela in a critical condition

Nelson Mandela in a critical condition | GulfNews.com

Mandela, who became South Africa's first black president in 1994, is due to celebrate his 95th birthday on July 18. He has been hospitalised four times since December, mostly for the pulmonary condition that has plagued him for years.

Madiba, as he is affectionately known, is revered among most of South Africa's 53 million people as the architect of the/s1994 transition to multi-racial democracy after three centuries of white domination.