Diabetes-friendly treat for beach fest visitors

Dubai - The Etisalat Beach Canteen is open from 12pm - 10pm on weekdays and from 10am - 10pm during the weekends of DFF 2016, which runs until 12 March under the theme Celebrate Taste'.

 Visitors to the Etisalat Beach Canteen at the Kite Beach, the hub of the Dubai Food Festival, got the opportunity to learn how they could create savouries while going easy on the salt, or desserts without the sugar. The event, which took place on the main stage on Wednesday offered visitors a diabetes-friendly treat as 'Queen of the Arabian Kitchen,' Chef Manal Al Alem cooked simple healthy dishes , while Dubai Health Authority's Director of Clinical Nutrition Department, Dr Wafaa Helmy Ayesh, offered valuable dietary advice, as part of the 'Circle of Care' diabetes awareness programme by AstraZeneca.
Dishes prepared by Chef Manal were oat and chicken soup, fish with brown rice, oat and date dessert, and avocado and cocoa mousse brimming with berries and nuts.
As Chef Manal cooked, Dr Wafaa educated the audience about diabetes, how it impacts the digestive system and blood sugar levels, the disease threat and how it's managed. She also shared her passion for clean nutrition, stressing various benefits of consuming ingredients that were used in cooking the dishes; such as avocado, green onion, pomegranate, cocoa and date syrup.
She said: "If your digestive system is functioning well, then your metabolism will work better and you can enjoy a good quality of life. However, if your digestive system is in a bad state, then you will find yourself suffering from constipation, diarrhoea and a host of health issues. This is why it is important to be educated on what foods will support you in managing diabetes."
Interactive sessions
Diabetes is one of the major causes of death in the world today. The 'Circle of Care' programme helps to raise awareness of the disease around the Middle East by developing educational initiatives with the patients alongside the health authorities and disease management experts. This is why the live cooking demonstration at Etisalat Beach Canteen was an interactive one, where people were free to come on the main stage to ask questions and receive advice, as well as try the dishes created by Chef Manal.
The Etisalat Beach Canteen is open from 12pm - 10pm on weekdays and from 10am - 10pm during the weekends of DFF 2016, which runs until 12 March under the theme Celebrate Taste'.
Here's what you can look forward to at the beach canteen:
This weekend at the Etisalat Beach Canteen promises an action-packed programme with live cooking demonstrations by Master Chef New Zealand winner Tim Read, Master Chef India winner Nikita Gandhi and chefs from restaurants participating in Dubai Restaurant Week.
> The Etisalat Family Fun Day on Saturday.
> Visitors can also enjoy a variety of fun fitness activities such as FlyBarre by FlyWheel Sports, MyGym for children, family yoga by the HotBox Kit, HIIT Class by Fast Athletic Train-ing, and fabulous live music by Abbo Music and Ohm Records.
> Etisalat Beach Canteen is open from 12pm - 10pm on weekdays; and from 10am - 10pm during weekends of DFF 2016, which runs until March 12 under the theme Celebrate Taste.
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