Bernadette
Forum Replies Created
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@Bahareh Safapour yes to Tasha’s and Honest kitchen!
Also reminded me… artisanal bread from Baker’s Kitchen.
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Hi @Stella – welcome to Dubai! Is this your first expat experience? Where did you move from?
I hope the following recommendations will help you get settled in:
At-home blood testing:
B Better members get a discount with Valeo Health – an affordable, at-home blood draw service. Click HERE for the discount and instructions on how that works.
Life clinic was also offering an amazing package recently. Something like 75 markers for 150 Dhs. Not sure if they’re still running that promotion though. But you can call Life Pharmacy to find a Life Clinic near you. It’s walk-in.
Organic food:
Union Coop offers the biggest variety of local organic produce for the best price. That’s where I get the bulk of my organic produce from.
Organic Foods & Cafe is the largest organic shop in the UAE with several branches around town. Their largest flagship stores are on Sheikh Zayed road and at City Land Mall.
I would compare OF&C to Whole Foods in the US, which means not everything is organic, but you will be able to find organic grassfed beef (imported – no local beef available), and imported/local chicken, lamb, pork, etc.
They run 20% off sales every 3rd Saturday/Sunday of each month. And 15% off sales on their home brand (Organic Larder) the first Monday of every month. I use these sale periods to stock up on animal products (to freeze), condiments (ketchup, balsamic vinegar, tomato sauce, etc), dry products (pasta, oats, quinoa, etc), and so on. Between Union Coop and OFC, this is where I get the majority of my groceries from.
I then get the odd bits here and there from other shops, which you’ll soon learn about over time. Just let us know if there’s something specific you’re looking for and we can let you know.
If you prefer online shopping, I know many people swear by Kibson’s. You can find an organic selection there as well.
Local Farms:
If you consume milk, I absolutely love iFarm’s products. They have A2 cows and feed them fresh alfalfa grass. They welcome personal visits if you want to see them yourself. Message Mahmood and he’ll send you the menu of what they offer (organic ghee, butter, raw milk, yogurt, honey, etc): +97155 885 1025
There are many more chicken/egg farmers now. You can check out these local resources:
Dubai Chickens
Download the app Rootz (see image below)
Organic Farmer’s Markets:
In the nicer months, checkout the Ripe Market
Also Farmers’ Market Dubai
Organic Fish:
We used to have an on-land fish facility called “Fish Farm” producing beautiful organic salmon, but their operations have closed down until further notice. I rarely eat fish now as a result, and have not been able to confidently recommend fish ever since.
We do still consume seabass fish once per week (knowing very well it may not be the greatest), and I’m now buying it from Lets Organic. They’re very quick to respond by WhatsApp: 054-995-6392
Healthier Restaurants/Cafes in Dubai:
I had compiled a list of healthier restaurants several years ago for a client of mine. It needs to be updated, but many options are still open/available. See attached.
Other healthier concepts:
Common Grounds
Seva Experience
Paus
Terra Eatery
Many more… @Bahareh Safapour @Shereen Hasan @Nathalie Khoury, care to chime in please!
Water Filtration:
In the Beginner’s Health Roadmap, I discuss different options for water filtration which you can watch HERE. I personally use an undersink filter by Liquid of Life because we can take them with us whenever we move houses (which is not uncommon in Dubai…).
Mold proofing:
First and foremost, invest in fans and dehumidifiers if you don’t already have them. Get small humidity readers on Amazon to know which rooms need them most. You’ll want levels of humidity to be below 50%.
Omar from Smart Solution is the only truly certified mold remediator. Therefore he’s impossible to reach. Instead, contact Omar’s technician instead. His name is Shahzad 052-350-4209. You can tell him I gave you his number.
For Home Maintenance:
We personally use Morganti as our go-to for anything that needs to be fixed/cleaned, etc. They cover it all. 600-564423
For organic pest control (you didn’t ask, but I recently found a company and very happy with them). I use Home Care. They also clean tanks, clean mattresses, couches, etc., but all organic. Very happy with their services so far.
Sani Services (pricey but very professional) and Healthy Home (more reasonably priced) are other well known companies for duct cleaning/home cleaning services.
Clinics/doctors:
Dr Roze Biohealth clinic for biological dentists
Dr. Stephan Ortner is an orthopedic surgeon at King’s College Hospital London: https://kingscollegehospitaldubai.com/dr/stephan-ortner/
Dr. Fadi Saad is an eye doctor at the American Hospital: https://www.ahdubai.com/doctors-profile/fady-saad
Dr. Liliana Skorski is a gynecologist who is also functionally trained (so she speaks our language) at Women’s Health Bay: https://healthbayclinic.com/medical-team/dr-liliana-skorski/
As for pediatricians, if you want someone who works with kids that uses an integrative approach, then I recommend Dr. Lilya Chub at Hope Health and Healing. She’s not a pediatrician however, but does work with a lot of children with autism. https://www.hhhmed.com/general-practitioner
I think I answered the majority of your questions. Home massage, holistic spa, healthy dining spots.. I hope our other Dubai members can chime in and fill in those gaps.
I think I’ll then turn this into a guide for future members. Thanks for the great resource idea!
You’ll also really enjoy my book UNJUNK: How to Raise Healthy Eaters in a Processed World which is another resource for shopping healthier.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
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Hi @Yasmin atassi most hospitals and clinics offer this test – search up “Dexa scan Dubai” and see if any of these clinics/hospitals are part of your insurance coverage.
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Hi @Sheetal Ramchandani – here’s the info I was given by my colleague. He’s not based in Dubai, but you mentioned that she’d be open to virtual sessions.
Heath is a specialized coach in any type of addictions and emotional disorders:
+61 431 075 485
For a local practitioner, I would strongly recommend she makes an appointment to see Dr. Renata at Adria Clinic who has such a wide toolbox like KST, ANF therapy and emotional release.
Hope these help!
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@Szilvia Bartalos feelings are mutual
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@Sheetal Ramchandani where is she based? Dubai? Wants face to face I’m assuming?
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@Sheetal Ramchandani I just followed up but they want to know more about the case to see if it’s within their scope. Is this for a child, teen, adult? Anything else you can share please?
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Hi @Sheetal Ramchandani – I would recommend ANF therapy with Dr Renata. She now works at Adria Clinic in Dubai. She was also our guest expert if you’d like to learn more about ANF therapy.
It can really help calm the nervous system and balance out neurotransmitter imbalances that can contribute to disordered eating.
May be something to consider. I am also waiting on a colleague to share a referral. Will get back to you once I hear back.
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@Sara
CRP or hsCRP is a general marker for inflammation, but there are others too. I explain what these are in the Interpreting Basic Blood Chemistry course HERE.
For hormones, which ones are you referring to? Sex hormones, thyroid hormones, blood sugar hormones, etc? There are so many. It really depends on what you’re trying to address.
Vitamin deficiency? Anything more specific? If you’re looking for a functional test that can check micronutrient levels, I share 2 options HERE from the Mineral Balance course.
If you’re looking for a general blood test that can be done yearly for a good overview of health, then there is a lot of information that can be gleaned from the following: CBC, CMP, CRP, Iron panel, Full thyroid panel, homocysteine, fasting insulin, RBC B12, RBC Magnesium, vitamin D, RBC zinc, copper, vitamin A. You can find the breakdown of each panel at the end of THIS handout on test ideas.
2. I have a video on where to order blood tests in THIS video from the Interpreting Basic Blood Chemistry course. For functional tests (like the DUTCH test, GI Map, SIBO testing, etc), you can reach out to support@bbettermembership.com with the test you’d like to order, your full name, date of birth, billing/shipping address, phone number and we can give you access to order it yourself from the lab.
3. All of those markers you mentioned have utility, and most are part of the list I shared with you above. But again, it just depends on what you’re looking to test for.
If it’s just a general check-up, then what I shared above is sufficient as a starting point.
If you provide clarity on what exactly you’re hoping to find or what you’re concerned about, I can help you populate a more specific list of markers.
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Hi @Sara – it sounds like a food sensitivity. It’s not uncommon for someone to develop food sensitivities to foods they eat regularly, which is why varying and rotating our proteins is key!
I would listen to your body and remove these 2 foods for a period of time. In fact you can try an elimination challenge for 3 to 6 weeks. Remove chicken completely for at least a month, and then reintroduce it. If the symptoms disappear after removal, but return upon reintroduction, then I would remove them for at least 4 months while doing some gut healing. Usually after a period of time, the immune system “forgets” and a person can reintroduce foods without old symptoms returning.
Here is a food reintroduction handout that explains the process a bit better.
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@Annie Sye chlorella – it’s both nutritive and a gentle binder. And fiber is a great binder as well! Don’t underestimate the power of food! Flax seeds, chia seeds, rice bran, oat bran, psyllium husk… all great food binders you can safely incorporate while breastfeeding.
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@Naveed Aslam no unfortunately we didn’t get enough confirmations to be able to proceed with the breathwork session as we needed a minimum number. Hopefully next time!
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@Annie Sye wow – so happy to hear about the results you experienced from doing the Big 6!
High quality chlorella is a gentle and safe binder that can be considered while breastfeeding.
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@Ivona nagorzanski is this a one-time occurrence only after the spray tan or is it something you’ve been dealing with for a while?
If it’s only after having done the spray tan, then my initial thought is liver and lymph support is needed (do you know what ingredients were used in the spray tan?). Make sure you’re hydrating well too to help flush out toxins.
If you haven’t already watched the interview with Dr. Perry Nickelston (aka the Lymp doc), please do (HERE). He shares his Big 6 points which can help open up lymph points to allow better drainage. You can also consider doing a lymphatic massage.
In terms of addressing the rash, my go-to is Active Skin Repair. It’s HOCL which is a natural antiseptic and something our immune system makes to help with natural healing. I use it as a replacement for Neosporin and it’s part of my medicine cabinet must-haves. I have a 10% discount code: BERN10
Also is the rash from the shirt or deodorant? If it has baking soda, it can be irritating to many people, and a zinc-based deodorant might be a better idea for you.
In terms of rapid relief, I would suggest making a clay paste using either food-grade diatomaceous earth or activated charcoal (or any other binder or clay). Make a paste with a little bit of water or apple cider vinegar. Apply a thin, even layer of the paste to clean, dry underarms. Leave it on for 10-20 minutes and then wipe clean. You can then apply a little bit of coconut oil to help moisturize if needed.
Hope this helps!
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@Bahareh Safapour
