Road show highlights in the Arabian Gulf the outstanding quality of wellness and medical travel to Germany

*Germany** successfully engages GCC countries in health related tourism*

*A road show highlights in the Arabian Gulf the outstanding quality of wellness and medical travel to Germany ** *

After last year's successful promotional tour "Dallal fi Almania" ("Feel Good in Germany"), the German National Tourist Office (GNTO), the local affiliate of the German National Tourist Board (GNTB) in Dubai, addressed the GCC travel industry and media with a road show, which, in 2011 is particularly focussing on wellness and medical tourism. The final stop of the road show concluded on 27th of this month in Dubai and involved a series of workshops held by institutional, medical and tourism representatives as well as specialised doctors, coming from Germany.

The staged activities included discussions, exchanges as well as one-to-one workshop sessions, which also provided extensive networking opportunities to the participants. The road show, organized in partnership with Lufthansa, finds its grounds in a GNTB’s recent study, confirming that wellness, health and medical tourism places Germany among the favourite destinations of GCC and other international travellers. Given the increasing relevance of the health and wellness sector for Germany’s tourism, the GNTB also decided to dedicate an important part of its 2011 marketing campaign to this theme.

Having registered in 2010 a total number of 968,336 overnight stays from Gulf Arabs, which marked an impressive increase of 26.4% as compared to the data of previous year, the key importance of the Arabian Gulf market for the German tourist industry is fully consolidated. Germany places itself as the second most visited European country out of the Arabian Gulf region.

Excellent flight connections, high-quality infrastructures and hospitality services specifically targeted to visitors coming from GCC countries, have built up over the years Germany’s reputation as preferred destination for inbound tourism from the Arabian Gulf. GNTO always aims at further strengthening the international reputation of the German vibrant towns and cities, which are a mix of cultural richness and an eventful life. Nevertheless, also the diversified natural scenery, the abundance of greenery and the several shopping opportunities are particularly important when presenting in this region the main features of tourism to Germany.

“With this itinerant promotional tool, we aimed at combining and highlighting in the Arabian Gulf the traditional as well as the innovative pillars of the German travel industry” said Antje Roeding-Boudier, Director of the Marketing and Sales Office for the Gulf Countries at GNTO. “Germany’s healthcare system benefits from its unrivalled reputation abroad, thanks to its highly trained doctors and medical staff, the excellent medical infrastructure and the great offer in diagnostics” she explained.

The workshops showcased to the local travel industry, media, as well as medical experts and doctors initiatives aimed at becoming further acquainted with the needs of visitors from GCC countries, constantly growing in number. During the road show, Germany’s representatives, including many medical specialists, provided pertinent information about their respective areas, with the aim of engaging the travel industry from the Arabian Gulf countries. The dialogue between the German participants and their audience resulted in great enthusiasm on both sides and confirmed the effectiveness of the road show as strategic promotional tool.

GNTO has embarked on a strategy of engaging the GCC travel industry directly in the region through various activities. Therefore, continuous efforts to boost the positive image of Germany as an attractive destination for wellness, health and medical tourism have been staged at the most important trade fairs and workshops worldwide such as the Arabian Travel Market (ATM), taking place in Dubai every year.

In order to ensure the utmost service to its GCC visitors, the GNTB focused on producing specialised informative material in Arabic. This involved especially the realisation in the Arabic version of a print brochure entitled 'Medical tourism – You'll be well looked after in Germany' which provides information for international patients as well as on traditional touristic highlights. Moreover, a special page, available both in English and Arabic and dedicated to health related tourism in Germany, can be found at the GNTB newly designed website www.germany.travel, under the section ‘Specials’.

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*Notes to editors:*

*About Germany:*

Germany is located in the centre of Europe and the territory covers 357,021 sq km with elevation ranges from the mountains of the Alps in the south to the shores of the North Sea in the north-west and the Baltic Sea in the north-east. It has some of Europe's major rivers like the Rhine, Danube and Elbe. Germany shares borders with more European countries than any other country on the continent. Its neighbours include France, the Czech Republic, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Denmark and Poland.

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*About the German National Tourist Board (GNTB):*

The German National Tourist Board (GNTB), based in Frankfurt-Germany, works on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Economy and Technology and is the national organisation responsible for promoting Germany as travel destination around the world through a broad range of marketing services. It has 29 permanent foreign offices. The GNTB pursues two main objectives: to enhance the positive image of German towns, cities & regions and to promote travel to and within Germany.

From its office in Dubai, the German National Tourist Office (GNTO), the local affiliate of GNTB for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, promotes through various activities the travel destination Germany within the region. In 2010 around 970,000 overnight stays were generated by GCC nationals in Germany, and the Gulf Countries are among the Top 20 source markets of the country. For 2020, the GNTB forecasts 2.3 millions overnight stays of GCC nationals in Germany.

Call for Article and Regular contributor for a premium health, lifestyle and wellness magazine.

Writes with distinguished expertise in healthcare, wellness, fitness and nutrition are invited to submitt exclusive articles with quality writing and educational information for a premium health, lifestyle and wellness magazine.

Featuring news, articles and special features relating to health and wellness, the Health First Magazine assesses industry developments and analyses the latest thinking around preventative and curative medicine.

Packed with essential healthcare information, the title also includes must-read items on nutrition, fitness, wellness and lifestyle management.

Please follow below guidelines while submitting your article.

- Please ensure that you are submitting an exclusive article and not violating any copyright laws.

- In order to maintain the integrity of the magazine, we have a policy on not promoting specific products or services when using externally sourced editorial content. This policy includes a general avoidance of branding. We do, of course, acknowledge where contributions come from and brief individual and corporate information can be included which will be published in the ‘author details’ box.

- *HealthFirst *is read by a wide cross section of the community, so we tend to eschew complex terminology and aim instead to explain issues in laypersons’ terms. However, we certainly don’t want you to feel constrained by this, so please write in the style that you are accustomed to.

- Please insure that you have rechecked article in terms of content, grammatical and spelling error. We are inviting only finished articles to avoid further editing work.

- Writers are invited to become regular contributor by submitting an exclusive monthly article, If you are interested please supply a head and shoulders shot of you to accompany your article, as we like to include this in the ‘author details’ box alongside your name and designation.

- Any other images that you may possess that can illustrate your article are also a great help. If submitting these, please ensure there are no copyright issues with regards to reproduction.

Morever, Healthcare business and management professionals can submit articles for Global Healthcare Network (www.GlobalHealthcareNetwork.com) and for upcoming dedicated global healthcare magazine.

Call for Article and Regular contributor for a premium health, lifestyle and wellness magazine.

Writes with distinguished expertise in healthcare, wellness, fitness and nutrition are invited to submitt exclusive articles with quality writing and educational information for a premium health, lifestyle and wellness magazine.

Featuring news, articles and special features relating to health and wellness, the Health First Magazine assesses industry developments and analyses the latest thinking around preventative and curative medicine.

Packed with essential healthcare information, the title also includes must-read items on nutrition, fitness, wellness and lifestyle management.

Please follow below guidelines while submitting your article.

- Please ensure that you are submitting an exclusive article and not violating any copyright laws.

- In order to maintain the integrity of the magazine, we have a policy on not promoting specific products or services when using externally sourced editorial content. This policy includes a general avoidance of branding. We do, of course, acknowledge where contributions come from and brief individual and corporate information can be included which will be published in the ‘author details’ box.

- *HealthFirst *is read by a wide cross section of the community, so we tend to eschew complex terminology and aim instead to explain issues in laypersons’ terms. However, we certainly don’t want you to feel constrained by this, so please write in the style that you are accustomed to.

- Please insure that you have rechecked article in terms of content, grammatical and spelling error. We are inviting only finished articles to avoid further editing work.

- Writers are invited to become regular contributor by submitting an exclusive monthly article, If you are interested please supply a head and shoulders shot of you to accompany your article, as we like to include this in the ‘author details’ box alongside your name and designation.

- Any other images that you may possess that can illustrate your article are also a great help. If submitting these, please ensure there are no copyright issues with regards to reproduction.

Morever, Healthcare business and management professionals can submit articles for Global Healthcare Network (www.GlobalHealthcareNetwork.com) and for upcoming dedicated global healthcare magazine.

Nutritional genetic testing could reveal key to lifestyle disease crisis in the Arab region

*Dubai, UAE:* Scientific and technological progress has allowed mankind to deepen its understanding of the link between nutrition and health status, and to identify a very important element in between: our genes. With the widespread prevalence of lifestyle diseases in the region, nutrigenetics, which studies the gene-based differences in response to the components of food or to nutritional complementation, has the potential to provide a basis for personalised dietary recommendations based on the individual's genetic information in order to prevent diet-related diseases, to prevent or counteract obesity, to optimise weight control, and to retard aging.

“Nutrigenetic recommendations can benefit patients in many ways,” says Prof Dr Bernard Weber, CEO of Laboratoires Réunis Junglinster, Luxembourg. “Compliance to nutritional recommendations leads to a better overall feeling, which is due to an optimisation of the metabolism through an adapted nutrient supply. Particularly pertinent to this region, a better knowledge of oneself through nutrigenetic analysis and an observable amelioration of one’s health and wellbeing status durably encourages making lifestyle changes for better health.”

Prof. Dr. Weber will be speaking at the fourth International Congress in Aesthetic, Anti-Aging Medicine & Medical Spa (ICAAM Middle East), which takes place 25 – 26 November 2011 at the Habtoor Grand Resort & Spa in Dubai, UAE.

“The challenge for the Middle East is to provide a comprehensive service and interpretation of genetic data. Nutrigenetics may of course be applied to practices in the UAE and wider Middle East, including among others, general, esthetic, or nutritionist’s practices, but also specialised practices such as in endocrinology (e.g. diabetes), cardiology, gynecology, etc. Nutrigenetic information is also valuable for medical spas,” Prof. Dr. Weber explains.

According to Prof. Dr. Weber, an intimate play between genes and environment governs our appearance and wellbeing. “The knowledge, based on personal genetic and environmental data about how our unique organism functions, provides a huge advantage in anti-aging medicine and aesthetic considerations. In practice, preventive genetic testing for example may help cosmetic surgeons, dermatologists, nutritionists, and many other aesthetic professionals to enhance the results of aesthetic procedures,” he says.

Under the scientific supervision of WOSIAM (World Society of Interdisciplinary Anti-Aging Medicine), the largest scientific anti-aging society with more than 150 affiliated associations worldwide, Informa Exhibitions, the organisers of Arab Health, will host a very practical congress proposing an advanced program for advanced practitioners as well as aging solutions for a better global management of patients including genetics, detox, stress management, fat metabolism, and treatment for the aging people .

Office Yoga – A Corporate Stress Relief Management Programme

*Office Yoga* – *A Corporate Stress Relief Management Programme*

by LivinHamony (Yogi George Stanboulieh)

The current depressed worldwide economic climate means that many of us are toiling harder than ever before at our offices and workplaces. Increased workloads and longer hours can result in stress levels rising, something that can have a deleterious effect on health and wellbeing if not effectively countered. Typical pressures that result in stress include looming deadlines, difficulties with work colleagues and demanding bosses – all of which can lead to physical tension building up in our bodies. This natural state results from our bodies’ sympathetic nervous system’s ‘fight-or-flight’ mechanism; a primitive reaction that gears us up to deal with is perceived to be a potentially threatening predicament. Our evolution as human beings has developed such an important system to ensure self preservation, either by physical confrontation to eliminate the threat or survival by fleeing it. However, the non-life threatening stresses encountered in the modern day working environment means that such energetic reactions are inappropriate, so there is no release for the built-up tension. The stress remains bottled up as we sit at our desks with little opportunity for movement, leading to physical and mental health problems in the future.

The fight or flight response mechanism affects many systems in our body, with breathing becoming shorter, sharper and shallower. Chemicals and stress hormones are pumped into the bloodstream, as are glucose and cholesterol. Heart rate and blood pressure are both raised, with muscles becoming tense. The inability to utilise these responses means that our bodies stay in a constant state of tension, which can negatively impact on our health. Persistent shallow breathing, for example, has been found to cause fatigue, emotional tension and unclear and vague thinking. It can lead to specific health issues, such as panic attacks, indigestion and impaired blood circulation. The stress hormones raise blood pressure to unhealthy levels and the mobilising of glucose increases blood sugar, which can lead to diabetes.

Fortunately, however, there is an answer and you do not have to accept this stress as being an inevitable feature of modern working life. There are a number of exercises that can effectively alleviate this negative tension, with one particularly effective programme being focused on breathing. Improving the rate, depth and quality of breathing can increase energy levels, calm nerves, clear minds, enhance health and even eliminate pain. Using breathing to manage stress levels is quick, extremely efficient and the most potent of all the stress management techniques – in fact, there are studies that present convincing evidence that the most significant factor in peak health and long life is how well you breathe. What is especially good about the steps outlined below is that they require no equipment other than a chair, so they are the perfect activity to be performed in an office or workplace environment:

1. Position yourself into a chair that allows you to maintain a straight back posture. The chair should also allow you to plant both feet stably on the ground with your body, hips and legs at right angles.

2. Move your abdomen in and out as you breathe. This allows your diaphragm to move freely. This method regulates and extends your breathing and facilitates deep inhalation, instead of shallow, ineffective chest respirations.

3. Inhale and exhale from the nose while paying attention to ensuring that your throat is open. This is called Ocean Breathing.

4. Maintain the focus throughout that you are shifting from unconscious breathing to conscious deep breathing:

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*Releasing stress from the shoulders and neck:*

1. Inhale and raise your shoulders upwards. On exhalation, lower your shoulders while performing the circle rotation backwards 3 times.

2. Inhale again, raising your shoulders up as before. Exhale and lower your shoulders, this time performing the circle rotation forwards 3 times.

3. Inhale while turning your head to the right, then exhale while turning your head to the left. Perform this alternating activity 3 times each.

4. Inhale while moving your head backwards, then exhale while moving your head downwards.

*Arm and shoulder exercises:*

1. Extend your arms out straight in front of you and lock the palms of your hands together.

2. Inhale and pull your hands toward your chest, keeping the palms of your hands interlocked. Exhale and as you do so, twist your palms face outward while extending your arms forward. Repeat this activity 3 times.

3. Repeat the inhalation activity pulling your hands toward the chest, but this time, while exhaling, twist and extend your hands upwards and over your head, remaining in this position for some time, continuing to inhale and exhaling.

4. Unlock your palms and extend your hands backward behind you, then interlock them again and continue breathing. This position is particularly helpful for maintaining the correct alignment of the spine and shoulders, helping to prevent us from developing a potential hunchback in the future.

The above programme can be summed up in our organisation’s motto; Breathe, Stretch and Relax:

*BREATHE:* Conscious, regulated deep breathing balances emotional and mental energy.

*STRETCH:* Releases stress and toxins from the body, improves muscle and joint health, increases flexibility.

Control symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis with Alternative Therapies

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory disease of nervous system, involving brain and spinal cord that generally affects young people aged 20 to 40 years old. The patient of MS may have various symptoms related to involvement of the nerve such as visual disturbances, muscle weakness, trouble with coordination and balance, sensations such as numbness, prickling or “pins and needles”, as well as thinking and memory problems. At present there is no specific treatment to cure multiple sclerosis is available, but variety of treatments are used to slow down the progress of the disease and alleviate the associated symptoms. However, exercise, meditation, supplements and the food plan can help to improve the lifestyle of patients.

Many people suffering from MS had been benefited with common alternative therapies including massage, reflexology, hydrotherapy, homeopathy, dietary interventions, reiki, yoga and acupuncture. Let’s discuss about these therapies role in controlling the symptoms of MS

*Dietary Interventions* plays major role in controlling the symptom. Patient is advised to take the diet that is low in fat, full of fresh wholesome foods and without white sugar (or very little sugar). In addition to that dietary supplements such as omega -3 oils and antioxidant vitamins are found beneficial in reducing the symptoms. You should consult a physician before starting any particular type of diet.

*Massage* will help you to maintain flexibility and reduce spasticity. It also helps to relax and reduce stress and depression that can aggravate the symptoms. Many studies have shown that Reflexology (form of massage that involves stimulation point on the feet) can improve the symptoms significantly. However, patient who has developed osteoporosis (bone thinning) should be careful while receiving massage.

*Acupuncture* some people with MS had reported that the acupuncture had alleviated many symptoms such as pain, muscle spasms or bladder control problems. It may help to enhance immune function and normalize digestion. However, there have been no scientific studies to confirm that acupuncture is safe for people with MS. The risk of infection is also associated with acupuncture as the therapy involves puncturing of body with needles.

*Hydrotherapy*, in many cases Hydrotherapy treatments including hot tubs, saunas, cold and hot packs and other treatments that rely on water had been found effective in reducing symptoms of MS.

*Homoeopathy*- is a science based on theory of similia. Many patients have found over all reduction in symptoms and improved lifestyle after taking homoeopathic treatment. The professional homoeopath prescribes the medicine after having the detail information about the patient’s physical, emotional and psychological make up. The risk of side effects with homoeopathic medicine is rare.

The other alternative therapy such as yoga, meditation and reiki helps patient to come out from depression. They had been found significantly effective in relieving the anxiety disorder.

Discuss about the therapy with your doctor if you do decide to try an alternative therapy.

Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory diseases of our sensory system (Nervous system including brain and spinal cord)

Milk Might Just be Good for the heart

Those of us who enjoy a nice, cool glass of milk as our preferred drink can take heart from the fact that the dairy product is undergoing something of a health rehabilitation. Although milk (of the human kind) is the first thing we consume when new to the world and the drinking of the cow variety is positively encouraged in youngsters to help grow strong bones and teeth, the advice when approaching middle age has been to cut back on the liquid, with evidence pointing to the fact that it clog’s arteries and is responsible for cardiac disease. There is even a dedicated website ‘milksucks.com’ that appears to make its mission one of ensuring that people never touch another drop, packed as it is with research that points to a correlation between a high milk intake and heart disease.

But the truth may not be so clear cut, as the consumption of milk has also been linked with a reduction in the incidence of a medical condition known as ‘metabolic syndrome,’ or ‘syndrome X’ or ‘insulin resistance syndrome.’ This condition constitutes a range of medical disorders that predispose those who have it to developing cardiovascular disease and diabetes and is said to increase the risk of death by half. In a study undertaken in the UAE population in 2008, a quarter of subjects were found to have metabolic syndrome.

Health organisations, such as the World Health Organisation and the International Diabetes Federation, have slightly different criteria for evaluating the condition, but the signs and symptoms are broadly the same. They include high blood sugar levels when a person has fasted, a high blood pressure, central obesity (characterised by an ‘apple’ shape around the midriff), a decreased level of HDL (known as ‘good’ cholesterol) and an elevated level of triglycerides; the main constituent of vegetable oil and animal fats. Dr. Margit Oremek, Endocrinologist, Medical Director and Head of the Cardiology Department at RAK Hospital, Ras Al Khaimah, says that; "Insulin resistance is a multi-factorial condition, comprising mainly obesity, lack of physical exercise, lipid disorders and impaired effect of insulin on the body cells. To deal with this situation and improve metabolic balance, a loss of body weight by at least 10% is advised, along with an increase in exercise of at least three hours per week. A healthy diet is also recommended."

For many years, such a healthy diet has precluded the intake of dairy products, as the wealth of health literature has suggested that an avoidance of these is best for those in the age range who are most likely to be affected by metabolic syndrome.

However, a study carried out by the University of Cardiff in the UK revealed that consuming dairy products significantly reduces the risk of developing the condition. The 20-year research programme, which was published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health followed 2,375 men aged between 45 and 59 years-of-age, 15% of whom were classified as having metabolic syndrome.

The tools for the research programme included food questionnaires and weekly food diaries. After the two decades of research, the results were collated and it was found that those men who drank one pint or more of milk every day were 62% less likely to have the syndrome. If they regularly ate other dairy produce they were 56% less likely to have it.

The researchers concluded that the more dairy produce the men consumed, the less likely was the finding of metabolic syndrome.

Commenting on the data, the study’s leader, Professor Peter Elwood, said:v "Dairy produce is part of a healthy diet and its consumption should be promoted and the present data add further to the evidence that milk and dairy products fit well into a healthy eating pattern."

However, Dr. Ormerek still advises caution when it comes to dietary considerations for those who have, or who may be at risk of developing metabolic syndrome. "In the Gulf region, we would just recommend to go for low fat items and reduce drastically the amount of fried items in the diet," she says. "Fish and poultry are more recommended in metabolic diseases than red meat. To maintain the protein intake cheese products might be helpful. It needs to be kept in mind, that in diabetic patients, a large amount of milk intake might raise the blood sugar significantly, as sugar (lactose) is present in milk," she adds.

It seems that a little more time and research is needed before a definitive final conclusion on the benefits of consuming dairy products can be drawn, but at least some of us may now feel a little less guilty when reaching into the fridge for a refreshing slurp of cow juice.