Harper's Bazaar Arabia

238 |Harper’s BAZAAR|September 2014

AS TOLD TO JULIA MAILE

THE FOOD DI A R IES

Stay-slim secrets from three fi t GCC-dwelling women

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THE SWEET FREAK: KATIE FIELDER, TV anchor, is always in search

of the perfect lemon tart. BREAKFAST: “I make a big batch of muesli each week – I throw

steel-cut oats in baking trays and drizzle with honey and coconut oil, then add chopped

almonds, shredded coconut, dried cranberries and apricots and toast until golden. It’s so

easy to add a dollop of Greek yoghurt and top with fresh berries and chia seeds... And

I always feel smugly virtuous starting the day with lots of antioxidants and vitamins.”

LUNCH: “When I’m working on location, I grab something on the run. If I’m at home,

I make a salad with leftovers and lots of fresh ingredients, such as last night’s lamb roast

and fresh baby spinach leaves, beetroot, halloumi cheese, toasted walnuts and avocado.”

DINNER: “Most of our dinners revolve around salmon, prawns, steak or chicken grilled on

the barbecue with lots of fresh herbs, lemon, garlic and ginger, and yummy salads. There’s

little need for lots of oil when cooking this way, and the barbecue adds such a lovely smoky

fl avour. My husband is British and does a mean roast with lots of chunky veg.” FOOD

RULES: “I’ve always followed the seafood diet – I see food and eat it! I’ve never been

someone who is good at sticking to diets – moderation is key.” SPLURGES: “No matter who’s head chef, dessert is always a

must in our household. Sometimes it’s big juicy red strawberries with dark chocolate drizzled on top, or it’s a cheeky cupcake

with lashings of icing.” EXERCISE: “I work out with a trainer each week, but not as often as I should since having a baby. My

husband runs every morning before work, and often bosses me into joining him although I grumble most of the way. I was a

dancer for many years so enjoy dance classes or Zumba – anything with loud music that doesn’t feel like a workout is a winner.”

THE BANANA ADDICT: RANA YASSINE, Twitter account

manager at ConnectAds, transitioned to a vegan diet earlier this year and hasn’t looked

back since. BREAKFAST: “I go for fruit which is easy to digest, so a typical breakfast is

four bananas, a handful of spinach and water blended in a smoothie. The bananas

must be ripe, so if I don’t have any I use whatever is in season... Now it’s mango.”

LUNCH: “I take a home cooked meal to work, such as Bazela, a popular Lebanese stew

made of peas and carrots with a side of basmati rice. It usually contains meat but

I omit this to make it vegan. Getting enough protein is a big question when it comes

to a vegan diet, however we get plenty of protein from sources such as spinach, kale,

tempeh and lentils.” DINNER: “It’s usually a lighter meal. I start with more fruit as

I fi nd it easier to digest before a cooked meal. I eat whatever I have at home (probably

more bananas) followed by a salad. My favourite is shredded cabbage topped with

peanut tomato sauce. I love to cook so started a blog Zaatarandquinoa.com and I’m

also lucky that my husband enjoys vegan cooking. Eating out as a vegan is actually

very easy in Dubai as Levant cuisine is fi lled with so many options, from hummus to tabbouleh.” SPLURGE: “I have more of a

sweet tooth, which explains why I sometimes go through 10 bananas a day!” FOOD RULES: “One of the major inspirations for

becoming vegan was watching the documentary, Forks Over Knives, which investigates how a plant-based diet can prevent or

even cure heart disease, cancer and diabetes. A must watch for everybody.” EXERCISE: “I do short sessions of HIIT at my home

gym and swim once a week. The hardest part is getting out the door but once I’m on that bike or in the pool I enjoy it.”

THE PALEO PRO: LAMIS ABDULLA BIN HARIB AL

MUHAIRI, startup founder of eco-friendly packaging company BioD, follows a paleo

diet embracing nut butter, camel’s milk and raw desserts. BREAKFAST: “I have a

‘bulletproof coffee’, which is brewed coffee blended with a spoon of grass-fed cow’s butter,

coconut oil, and I add stevia and cinnamon. I often have a second breakfast hours later;

if I’m home I make an egg dish or if I’m craving something sweet, I’ll whip up one of my

paleo pancake recipes, which I share on my Instagram, @PaleoInDubai.” LUNCH: “It’s a

big salad with protein, like grass-fed beef, local lamb strips, chicken breast or shrimp. I try

to add lots of healthy fats like olives, avocado wedges or cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil.

If I’m working out, I add a starchy side like sweet potato fries and I’m okay with the

occasional wild rice or white basmati rice.” DINNER: “This always changes as it’s the meal

I eat out most often. If I’m at home, I opt for a hearty cooked paleo meal, like fl axseed-

crusted fi sh and vegetables. I often enjoy dessert as well... My paleo ice cream recipes are

my favourite at the moment, which I make with fruit, nut butter and coconut cream.”

SPLURGE: “I crave raw and processed sugar-free desserts from Omnia Gourmet... And their shakshouka with paleo zucchini

bread is my absolute favourite breakfast in Dubai, especially with a camelcino.” EXERCISE: “I loved ballet growing up... I don’t

go to classes anymore, but dream of making the time to go back en pointe. Now I lift weights at least once a week, and do a

mix of a custom programme from BalletBeautiful.com and on demand workouts on SleekTechnique.com. Streaming fi tness suits

my schedule and I can put together my own workout, or schedule a class on Skype and interact with an instructor.”

Katie Fielder,

29, Australian

Rana

Yassine, 25,

Lebanese

Lamis Abdulla Bin

Harib Al Muhairi,

28, Emirati

Beauty