Our third #bringbackbalance event ‘Rejuvenate N Refuel, in the midst of your city & soul’ concluded beautifully at Le Meridien Dubai recently and with that we have come to the end of our first season of the campaign. We hope that this campaign reaches a wider audience than it has until now and you continue sharing your personal stories with us. We cannot thank Oman Insurance Company (OIC) and Bupa Global enough for supporting our campaign and our vision and all of you – our readers – who have been part of our journey so far. We feel really touched!
Our event started early at 8 am as we gathered in the bright studio at the Natural Elements Spa in Le Meridien Dubai for a short fitness session. Yogi Zakir from Optimal Fitness, who has more than 15 years of yoga experience led us through a light session of Hatha Yoga and essential breathing techniques, and this was followed by an inspirational talk session with David Lebouchere, Inspirational Speaker & Advocate of Healthy Living and founder of Optimal Fitness (a former army man, a world athlete and Ironman), shared with us real life experiences about wellness and fitness. A little attention to our daily routines of sleep, eating habits and tending to our emotional and physical wellbeing was all that was required to bring back balance into our lives, was one of the major highlights of David’s talk.
A curated delicious light brunch waited for us in our own private area at the Yalumba restaurant with a visually stunning menu curated by Chef Dominic Petzold, the Executive Chef, who added his own magic to some of the healthy recipes by Ella Mills – also known as Deliciously Ella, created specially for Bupa Global. On arrival, we were greeted with chilled Nectarine Smoothies and Brain Boosters. The sweet menu of our light brunch had us munching into Banana Raisin Cakes, Honey & Lemon Breakfast Bar (both recipes created by Deliciously Ella), Greek Yoghurt parfait with berries and almond brittle, Baked raspberry doughnut with raspberry cottage cheese whip and shots of Red elixir (beetroot, acai berry, blackberry, pomegranate, ginger and red apple). The savouries from our curated menu comprised of Salmon frittata (sous vide salmon, dill, scallions, crème fraiche), Vollkorn toasts with hummus, avocado and baby spinach with cress, Protein Wraps with honey roasted turkey ham, iceberg, roma tomatoes and honey- mustard spread, Sous vide marinated Pumpkin with Pomegranate tacos, low fat yoghurt, caramelized walnuts, pomegranate and salted peach, and Mini Beetroot & Bean Burgers (a recipe from the Bupa Global website). The guests received goodie bags that complemented the ethos of the campaign – fresh fruit boxes from Fruitful UAE, courtesy Bupa Global, discount vouchers from Natural Elements Spa and fruit infuser bottles from our end. There were surprises in store as well for some in the form of gym memberships at Optimal Fitness!
This event is a part of a series of bespoke events that we have planned to raise awareness of our campaign. Different venues, different themed dining experiences, a bit of an education on Stress ~ the silent killer at this time and age. In today’s times of dramatic distraction, people have inadvertently lost out of good quality rest and have somewhat compromised on the work-life balance. The campaign throws the spotlight on recognizing the first signs of stress and finding a way to unwind and balance it. The first campaign on #BringBackBalance has been created to recognize that stress is a primary concern in the UAE leading to many medical issues. The campaign will have a series of bespoke reader activities with medical professionals, wellness practitioners, chefs, nutritionists and experiences shared by real people.
As Samer Sawaya, Head of Partner Operations (Bupa Global) for Oman Insurance Company, notes: “Bringing balance back into the lives of UAE residents is a goal close to our hearts. Our research revealed that 89% of UAE residents want to live a healthier life, while 40% claim that lack of time is a barrier to managing their wellbeing. If people cannot find a measure of balance within their busy lives, they are more likely to be spending less time eating wholesome meals, exercising regularly, sleeping sufficiently, and looking after their overall health and wellbeing. Neglecting their health and wellbeing will also have a knock on effect on their happiness. We understand that achieving the perfect equilibrium is a challenging feat, and for this reason we have partnered with FoodeMag to support people in finding a way to bring balance back to their life.”
Do visit our website regularly, there will be series of #BringBackBalance videos and articles from experts as well as our simple suggestions of how we can bring back balance through returning to our basics. Stay with us if you want to join our next event (with the Season 2 coming up hopefully soon) and also tag us if you find some time to do the simple things in life that make you happy!
[We are very excited to launch our new Wellness category called ‘Balance’ with a special campaign called #BringBackBalance in collaboration with Oman Insurance Company (OIC) and Bupa Global. A series of bespoke events followed at various venues since February this year, kickstarting with the first one at Tesoro, Taj Dubai, the second one at Al Maha Desert Resort & Spa, while the third event took place in Le Meridien Dubai with Optimal Fitness and Natural Elements Spa as the Wellness Partners. We are also very happy to have Verve Marketing & Communications on board as our PR & Marketing Partner for this campaign.
For more info on our participating Wellness Partners in our event, visit Le Meridien Dubai, Optimal Fitness and Natural Elements Spa. Exclusive images from FoodeMag dxb event taken by Team FoodeMag and The Natural Elements Spa]