Features

By Ghadeer Habash

Internationally Certified Career Trainer

Starting your own business can bring joy and fulfilment from the moment you start thinking about your project. 

But entrepreneurship is not as easy as it may seem as I learnt first-hand from building and developing my own business of custom designed artisan clothing and accessories. 

Here are my tried and tested tips for starting your small business.

How to start?

When exploring entrepreneurial ideas, think of: 

• What do you like to do most? Pursue your passion 

• What are you good at? What are your skills? 

• How is this idea different from available solutions in the market? 

• Why do you think it is a better idea? 

• How can you become better at what you are doing? 

• Check out YouTube videos, classroom and online training, read relevant books on the subject, talk to people with similar experiences, get exposure, travel to learn from similar initiatives in different countries

Skills you need to succeed

If you think that your hard skills and academic knowledge or background are all that you need to start a successful business, you are mistaken! You will soon discover that there is much more to starting a business than you imagine. Here are skills you may not have thought of: 

•Customer service (you will find yourself dealing with customers all the time!) 

•Selling and negotiating skills (customers tend to negotiate prices, payments and delivery) 

•Time and stress management (you cannot waste time – wasting time is wasting money)

•Crisis management (what if plan A does not work)? 

•Photography (your product is as good as the image you post) 

•Social media literacy (deciding which platforms are more suitable for your business and how to promote your work through them) 

• Social skills and relationship building 

• Anger management (to face unexpected disappointments!) 

• Basic marketing knowledge (you need to have a commercial name and a professional logo for example; some reading on proper branding is useful) 

• Basic financial knowledge (purchasing, pricing, profitability, calculating cost) 

• Communication skills (professional E-mail writing, presentation skills and so on)

What no one 

else will tell you!

• Build your network; connections and relationships can be the most important factor in your success 

• Do your own research and work hard to find your sources — no one will help you get the best raw materials or tell you about the best processes 

• You learn by experimenting and out of your own experience (never give up) 

• There are no shortcuts to success; you can only climb the ladder, one step at a time 

• Be ready to be copied! 

• Do not wait for the perfect product, do your best to produce a product that is as good as it can be and keep developing and improving it as you go 

• Invest in building your online presence and a professional brand image on the web 

• Test your product with the right audience (your mother or father will only say that you’re awesome!)

How to increase your chances of success

• Making sure that you are satisfying your customers’ needs and wants 

• Knowing your customers and talking to them (create an interactive customer’s database) 

• Creating a cohesive team 

• Never compromising on quality 

• Never overpricing or underpricing your product 

• Paying extra attention to marketing and sales 

• Participating in relevant workshops, events and exhibitions

As exciting as it sounds, being your own boss has its risks and challenges. Unfortunately, most new businesses do not make it to the fourth year! So my final advice to you is to never invest all your financial resources and never put all your eggs in one basket. 

An ideal scenario is to have another source of income while you build up your new business. And know that success takes time and includes a lot of trial and error to reach your desired outcome.

Good luck entrepreneurs!.

Reprinted with permission from Family Flavours magazine

People who suffer from conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may be more likely to develop cardiovascular disease, a Swedish study suggests, and the risk may be greatest in the months right after stress disorders are diagnosed. 

For the study, researchers examined data on 136,637 people diagnosed with PTSD, acute stress reaction, adjustment disorder or other mental health problems caused by stressful or traumatic events. They also looked at data for 171,314 siblings of these patients who were not exposed to stressful or traumatic events as well as almost 1.4 million other individuals without such exposure. 

None of the subjects had cardiovascular disease at the start of the study period. 

During 27 years of follow-up, researchers calculated what proportion of people in each group developed cardiovascular diseases every year. Among those with stress disorders, an average of 10.5 people per 1,000 were diagnosed each year with atherosclerosis, arrhythmias, embolisms, high blood pressure, strokes, heart attacks and other cardiovascular conditions. That compares with an average of 8.4 per 1,000 among their siblings and 6.9 per 1,000 in the wider population without stress disorders. 

“The large majority of humans are at some point in their lives exposed to trauma or stressful life events, with a significant proportion developing severe psychiatric reactions such as PTSD or adjustment disorder,” said lead study author Huan Song of the University of Iceland in Reykjavik and the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm. 

“Medical providers should be aware that these vulnerable populations may suffer heightened risks of various cardiovascular diseases, which calls for enhanced clinical awareness/monitoring and, perhaps, early intervention among patients with recently diagnosed stress-related disorders,” Song said by e-mail. 

The risk of severe and acute cardiovascular events, such as cardiac arrest and heart attack, was particularly high in the first six months after diagnosis of a stress disorder, and within the first year for other types of cardiovascular diseases, researchers report in The BMJ. 

And, there was a stronger link between stress disorders and cases of cardiovascular disease that developed earlier in life, before age 50, than for cases diagnosed later, the study found. 

The study was not designed to prove whether or how stress disorders might directly cause cardiovascular disease. 

While researchers did account for several factors that can contribute to cardiovascular disease like family background, medical history and underlying psychiatric conditions, it is still possible that some unmeasured stress-coping behaviours like smoking and drinking might have also influenced the results, the authors note. 

It is also unclear how treating stress disorders or underlying psychiatric issues might impact the chances of developing cardiovascular problems. 

“The evidence we have to date doesn’t show that treating psychological problems leads to reductions in heart disease,” said the author of an accompanying editorial, Simon Bacon of Concordia University in Montreal. 

“However, there are very few of these studies and there are some problems with the studies, so it is still possible that the right kind of treatments might actually reduce PTSD and the chances of developing heart disease,” Bacon said by e-mail. 

But patients should still seek medical attention if they feel like stress is affecting their physical or mental health, Bacon advised. 

“There are some really good treatments for these kinds of disorders and no one should suffer unnecessarily,” Bacon said. “It is also possible that by treating these disorders, the person might not only improve their mental health but also their physical health.” 

PARIS — At least one running argument among cat lovers is now over: Whiskers, Lucy and Tigger are definitely better off staying indoors, scientists reported on Wednesday.

Pet cats allowed outdoors, in fact, are nearly three times as likely to become infected with pathogens or parasites than those confined to quarters, they reported in the Royal Society journal Biology Letters.

Two-legged house-mates should also take note because cats — a.k.a. Felis catus — can transmit some of those diseases to humans, the authors said. 

Intriguingly, the farther domesticated felines are from the equator, the more likely they are to be afflicted by some kind of bug or virus, if they spend time outdoors.

“Each degree in absolute latitude increased infection likelihood by 4 per cent,” said lead author Kayleigh Chalkowski, a researcher at the School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences at Auburn University in Alabama.

“You think of tropical regions as just having more wildlife, more parasites,” she told AFP. “But it turned out that latitude had the opposite effect.”

To settle the indoor-vs-outdoor question once and for all, Chalkowski and colleagues combed through nearly two dozen earlier studies, in which the prevalence of one or more diseases was compared across interior and exterior environments.

All told, the new study looked at 19 different cat pathogens in more than a dozen countries, including Spain, Canada, Australia, Switzerland, Germany, Pakistan, Brazil, The Netherlands and St Kitts.

‘Keep your cat indoors’

“This is the first time outdoor access as a risk factor for infection in cats has been quantified across a wide range of geographic locales and types of pathogens,” Chalkowski said.

The effects were consistent for almost all of the diseases, including feline roundworm and the single-cell parasite that causes toxoplasmosis, both of which can affect humans.

This held true regardless of how they were transmitted — whether from soil, other cats or prey such as mice and birds.

“Basically, no matter where you are in the world, keeping your cat indoors is a great way to keep them healthy from infectious diseases,” Chalkowski said by way of summary.

This is especially good advice, she added, “considering that many of the pathogens cats carry can actually be spread to humans”.

Other domesticated animals transmit disease to their caretakers — dogs, for examples, spread rabies, and cattle carry Cryptosporidium parvum, a parasitic disease that attacks the intestinal tract.

Wild cats were likely first drawn to human communities in search of rodents, and were domesticated some 5,000 years ago. In ancient Egypt, they were associated with gods and prominently featured in hieroglyphics.

There are 500 million pet cats worldwide .

It is now understood, the only way these days to enjoy modern-age digital audio-visual entertainment is to use live streaming over the Internet, whether it is to listen to music or to watch movies. In less than five years, the top sites providing these services have made major progress and ensured the subscription of tens of millions the world over.

In the USA alone the number of audio streams increased from 79 billion in 2014 to 611 billion in 2018, whereas video streams went from 85 up to 290 billion during the same period, according to statista.com figures.

Netflix and Amazon Prime Video lead in the film sector, with 140 million and 100 million subscribers, respectively. In the world of music, Spotify has 96 million paid subscribers and Deezer and Tidal about 10 million each. The number of non-paid, free subscriptions to these audio services is obviously higher.

If the overall trend is clear, there are essentially two main, significant differences between the worlds of audio and music streaming and that of video.

The first is that audio services offer free subscriptions for those who can live happily with good-enough audio quality, which statistically-speaking represents about one-third of the total number of users. Good-enough sound is equivalent to typical FM radio broadcast and to most of the music videos found on YouTube. Technically speaking this is MP3 sound encoded at 128 or 256Kbps. For higher quality one would have to move up to either MP3 at 320Kbps or to lossless (i.e. uncompressed) sound, both available only with paid subscriptions.

Video streaming services offer no options that would be similar to the above audio choices.

The second difference is about the selection of material available. Here audio largely wins over video, and for more than one reason. Consider Netflix for instance. Despite the many good qualities of the service, the selection that is available to you varies depending on the country or region where you are. You can see it as “taste-driven guidance”, as straightforward, systematic regional censorship or simply as a matter of region-related copyrights. The fact remains that some movies are available to watch in a given region and not in another. There is no such restriction with the audio and music streaming services.

Moreover, movie selection seems somewhat limited. According to businessinsider.com the number of TV shows (or series) on Netflix increased from 530 to 1570 between 2010 and 2018, while for the same period the number of feature movies went down from 6750 to 4010. This confirms the extent to which the company is focusing on TV shows rather than on feature films, and that you have less and less chances to find that specific movie you really want to watch and that you may be looking for. On the other hand there is no such arbitrary choice in the audio and music world, with Spotify providing over an astounding 40 million music pieces of all kinds, and offering exactly the same catalogue to wherever in the world you may be.

Consumers who do not mind average audio-visual quality, invasive advertising and eventual interruptions, and who are not particularly keen to have a subscription — paid or otherwise — tend to prefer YouTube. At least the choice here is truly overwhelming, exceeding that of any other service and consists of billions of both audio and video programmes. The site merchdope.com estimates that: “By 2025, half of the viewers under 32 will not subscribe to a pay TV service”. The majority of those who access YouTube come to it for the music, more than for films or for these popular tutorials of all kinds.

In summary, audio and music streaming is more popular, more widely used, provides more options and overall is more open than video streaming.

Say goodbye to standing in long lines clutching boarding passes and other travel documents.

Step this way, instead. Look into the camera lens and off you go.

Sound convenient? Technology companies working with travel providers and the federal government to install facial recognition systems at airports and cruise terminals hope you think so.

But privacy advocates do not want you to become too comfortable. They worry that what we’re willing to accept for convenience sake today will soften our resistance to the idea of filling public spaces with cameras that can identify us and track our every move.

In South Florida, facial recognition systems are popping up at airports and seaports:

At the new Terminal 25 in Port Everglades, passengers heading for their Royal Caribbean cruises can breeze through check-in and boarding if they pre-registered at home, thanks to a system developed for the cruise line by California-based biometrics developer Tascent.

In its announcement heralding the system’s debut in November, Tascent called it a “next-gen biometric traveller experience” that enables “frictionless arrivals”.

At PortMiami, Royal Caribbean worked with another provider, IDEMIA, on a facial recognition system used to speed debarkation, the process of getting people off the ship. IDEMIA’s MFace high-speed 3D face capture technology scans faces of travellers leaving ships and instantly verifies their identities by matching the scans with images collected at the beginning of cruises.

Testing of the system at PortMiami and Cape Liberty in New Jersey, announced in 2017, is complete and the system is “now moving into commercial production at these ports”, an IDEMIA news release stated.

The release quoted Capt. Thomas Hinderhofer, Royal Caribbean’s director of northeast port operations, as saying the cruise line has received “very positive feedback” on the new system. “Innovative solutions that improve our guests’ total experience — including the final step of clearing Customs in a fast, secure, frictionless process — is Royal Caribbean’s way of the future,” he said.

Miami International Airport launched a biometric entry pilot program in November 2017 at its renovated Concourse E facility that is capable of screening up to 10 passengers a minute — reducing passenger wait times by 20 per cent to 80 per cent, the airport said on its website. The system works by comparing travellers’ scanned facial images to images on their passports.

At the airport’s Gate J17, Lufthansa fliers can forego boarding passes entirely and present just their faces. Additional airlines are expected to get the technology this year.

JetBlue offers a similar facial recognition system to speed boarding for select international flights at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.

The new programs join other biometric scanning technologies, such as CLEAR, which identifies passengers using eye and fingerprint scans. That technology, which requires pre-enrolment, enables passengers to skip the document presentation line, but not the physical Transportation Security Administration inspection line. CLEAR is available at 28 US airports, including terminals E and H at Miami International and terminals 1 and 2 at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood, for $179 a year.

A free version is available to travellers at participating stadiums and sports arenas, including American Airlines Arena in downtown Miami.

Systems that scan fingerprints or eyes are not as threatening as facial recognition systems, which can identify and track people with cameras installed throughout the public realm, including atop buildings, utility poles, street signs and traffic signals, privacy advocates say.

Operators of the new facial recognition systems say they take travellers’ privacy concerns seriously.

Travellers can opt out of participating in the biometric checks and proceed through their check-in by presenting traditional documents, according to the US Customs and Border Protection, which is overseeing programs involving international travel.

IDEMIA says no images used by its MFace technology to speed cruise ship debarkation will be stored after trips are completed.

And the Customs and Border Protection says it retains images of US citizens and exempt non-citizens no more than 12 hours after their identities are verified. Images of non-citizens can be retained up to 14 days except under certain circumstances required by law. Images that fall under those exceptions will be retained by the Department of Homeland Security “as a biometrically-confirmed arrival or departure from the United States”.

Even if travellers’ photos are deleted after they return to the US, federal and state agencies retain photos of citizens’ passports, visas and driver licenses in their databases that could used at any time to identify faces recorded by surveillance cameras.

That is the capability that worries privacy advocates, such as the Electronic Frontier Foundation and American Civil Liberties Union.

At thousands of locations across the country, law enforcement agencies capture and store licence plate numbers photographed by surveillance cameras positioned along city streets. Law enforcement agencies freely share their databases showing whose cars were where, when, and how many times, the EFF reported.

Faces also are photographed by police body cameras, the ACLU pointed out in a letter last year urging Amazon to stop licensing its surveillance system, Rekognition, which can recognise persons of interest in real time, to law enforcement agencies.

“People should be free to walk down the street without being watched by the government,” the ACLU said in the July letter. “Facial recognition in American communities threatens this freedom.” Amazon continues to market the product to police agencies, CNBC reported in December.

What makes facial recognition different from other biometrics “is that it’s very easy to collect from a person without their noticing”, said Adam Schwartz, an attorney at the Electronic Frontier Foundation in a story published in The Hill in December 2017.

The story pointed out that the FBI already has 412 million images in its facial recognition database to which surveillance cameras can be easily linked if the government chooses.

We are more likely to accept that choice if we first learn to appreciate facial recognition as a time-saving convenience, Schwartz told The Hill.

“There’s a fear we have of increased normalisation of this,” he said. “Once people start doing facial recognition on an airplane, they’ll get used to it in a supermarket. And then all of a sudden our lives become more and more on display.”

Back pain during pregnancy is not surprising, but it still deserves attention. You are gaining weight, your centre of gravity changes, and your hormones are relaxing the ligaments in the joints of your pelvis. Often, however, you can prevent or ease back pain during pregnancy. Consider seven ways to give pregnancy back pain the boot.

1. Practice good posture

As your baby grows, your centre of gravity shifts forward. To avoid falling forward, you might compensate by leaning back — which can strain the muscles in your lower back and contribute to back pain during pregnancy. Keep these principles of good posture in mind: 

—Stand up straight and tall.

—Hold your chest high.

—Keep your shoulders back and relaxed.

—Do not lock your knees.

When you stand, use a comfortably wide stance for the best support. If you must stand for long periods of time, rest one foot on a low step stool — and take time for frequent breaks.

Good posture also means sitting with care. Choose a chair that supports your back, or place a small pillow behind your lower back.

2. Get the right gear

Wear low-heeled — not flat — shoes with good arch support. Avoid high heels, which can further shift your balance forward and cause you to fall.

You might also consider wearing a maternity support belt. Although research on the effectiveness of maternity support belts is limited, some women find the additional support helpful.

3. Lift properly

When lifting a small object, squat down and lift with your legs. Do not bend at the waist or lift with your back. It is also important to know your limits. Ask for help if you need it.

4. Sleep on your side

Sleep on your side, not your back. Keep one or both knees bent. Consider using pregnancy or support pillows between your bent knees, under your abdomen and behind your back.

5. Try heat, cold or massage

While evidence to support their effectiveness is limited, massage or the application of a heating pad or ice pack to your back might help.

6. Include physical 

activity in your daily routine

Regular physical activity can keep your back strong and might relieve back pain during pregnancy. With your health care provider’s OK, try gentle activities — such as walking or water exercise. A physical therapist also can show you stretches and exercises that might help.

You might also stretch your lower back. Rest on your hands and knees with your head in line with your back. Pull in your stomach, rounding your back slightly. Hold for several seconds, then relax your stomach and back — keeping your back as flat as possible. Gradually work up to 10 repetitions. Ask your health care provider about other stretching exercises, too.

7. Consider complementary therapies

Some research suggests that acupuncture might relieve back pain during pregnancy. Chiropractic treatment might provide comfort for some women as well. However, further research is needed. If you are considering a complementary therapy, discuss it with your health care provider. Be sure to tell the chiropractor or acupuncturist that you are pregnant.

Know when to consult your healthcare provider

If you have severe back pain during pregnancy or back pain that lasts more than two weeks, talk to your health care provider. He or she might recommend medication such as acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) or other treatments.

Keep in mind that back pain during pregnancy might be a sign of preterm labour or a urinary tract infection. If you have back pain during pregnancy that’s accompanied by vaginal bleeding, fever or burning during urination, contact your health care provider right away.

KILIMANJARO, Tanzania— It is estimated that each year between 35,000-50,000 people attempt to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, but only 60-70 per cent reach the Urhuru peak.

The decision to make the trek to Tanzania and climb Kilimanjaro could only be described as spontaneous. After reading an article about famed Jordanian mountaineer, Mustafa Salameh, I reached out to him through Facebook hoping just to ask him about his experience conquering the seven summits. Instead, I found myself receiving an invitation to join him on his next adventure to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro. It was the opportunity of a lifetime and, though I did not know it yet, the beginning of the Rahhal Project.

Over the next three months my cousin and I prepared for the trip by gathering supplies and gear, getting the necessary vaccinations and training in Wasfi Al Tal Forest. By the day of our trip, January 9, 2017, we were ready to go, but a huge snowstorm in Amman threatened to completely derail our plans. Despite everything, we managed to catch a flight the following day at midnight, finally moving towards our destination. 

After a transit flight to Qatar and nine long hours from there to Tanzania I saw the mountain for the first time… The great peak rising up through the clouds with such a quiet and commanding majesty that all thoughts and plans in my head paused to take in the sight in awed silence. 

We began our decent from there to land and deplane on the runway leading to a tiny two-room building that made up the airport. The excitement of finally reaching our first destination grew greater on the one and a half hour bus ride to the city of Arusha, where our hotel and the true beginning of our journey awaited us. 

Upon arriving at the hotel, we immediately checked in and began to organise our packs for the trip the next morning to make sure they would not exceed the 15kg limit; with no time to have dinner, we retired early to rest for our trip. The next morning, we embarked with the people who would be our companions for the next eight days on a lively three-hour bus ride full of laughter, excitement and singing “Hakuna Matata…” to the base of Mt Kilimanjaro. 

When we reached the gate at the bottom of the mountain, each person registered their name and had a light lunch in the two hours before beginning the first of many treks. 

Our journey to the first camp was four hours of hiking through a thick forest of massive, ancient trees while enthusiastically chatting about the adventure ahead as we all got to know each other. I noticed myself becoming more open and welcoming to these people who, just hours before, were complete strangers. Once we reached the first camp, we settled in our tents and then sat down for one of the best meals I’ve had in my entire life; crispy fried chicken seasoned with warm, aromatic spices and fresh, revitalising fruit. After dinner and a few rounds of Jenga, we finally retired to get some much-needed rest for the road ahead.

We began our morning at 6am, having breakfast and coffee before checking our packs and oxygen levels and by 8am we were on our way to the next camp. As we climbed higher, I marvelled at the ways the environment had begun to change; the trees became shorter and sparser, the temperature steadily began to decline, forcing us to wear more layers and to find the balance between staying warm enough and becoming overheated.

Each day for seven days, we would hike six to eight hours and cover between 10-12 kilometres to reach each new stopping point. As we progressed to higher altitudes, it became more and more vital to use the breathing technique we were taught; in through the nose and out through the mouth, to make sure we were getting oxygen efficiently. 

On the fourth day we arrived at a natural barrier known as the Barranco Wall, an obstacle made more challenging by the loose footing. After four long days, I had started to lose motivation, but upon reaching the other side of the wall, the view that waited was more than enough to renew my determination. I stood, surrounded by clouds and felt pride at the achievement of coming so far, with a renewed sense of purpose I pushed on. 

On the 6th day, we saw the summit for the first time…I remember thinking to myself that maybe I was crazy for taking this challenge on, but still, we continued. Soon we reached the high camp which sits at 4,600 metres. In the pitch black at 12am on the 8th day, we began the hardest trek of the trip — 35 kilometres to the summit in extreme cold, the wind tearing at us so ferociously that we hiked with our heads, unable to see or speak. 

At 5,400 metres it became clear that something was very wrong. My cousin could not see anything and began experiencing hallucinations, his oxygen level had dropped to a dangerous 65 per cent (the safest minimum level being 80 per cent); he was immediately carried down on the back of our guide, Mustafa Salameh, who ran the whole way back to high camp where my cousin would receive emergency medical attention. The absence of my cousin and our main guide hit me like a stone, but I felt determined that one of us should reach the summit. We carried on, the final 300 metres taking three hours to complete, through exhaustion and difficulty breathing in the high altitude. 

At 5:30am we arrived at the summit, freezing and tired at -15ºC, to see what we had climbed eight long days for. A view that made every obstacle we faced, every impossible element, worth it; 360 degrees around for kilometres that was indescribable. We stayed only long enough to take a few pictures before we began our decent back to the high camp. 

We returned to find my cousin well and recovering before we moved down to the next camp which sat at 3,200 metres. We stayed one final night on Kilimanjaro before an eight hour hike all the way down to the main gate the next day where we received certificates marking our achievement. 

What started as a spontaneous trip, turned out to be a journey to discover the limits of will and the unbreakable bonds between people who dare to take on extreme challenges. Climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro was the true beginning of what is now the Rahhal project and will forever remain one of most incredible experiences of my life.

The writer is a Palestinian traveller that plans to visit 140 countries. He contributed this article exclusively to The Jordan Times.

A slinky low-slung and wide grand touring 2+2 sports coupe, the Aston Martin DB11 V12 is a comfortable continent crunching personal luxury chariot that is just as adept through twisting roads.

Harking back to a more evocatively romanticised motoring milieu yet engineered with the benefit of modern high tech design, systems and solutions, the DB11 V12 is at once nostalgic and fresh and forward looking. Stylishly uncomplicated is design yet crisply contemporary in detail, the DB11’s hallmarks are its sophisticated leather and wood-lined cabin, seductive design, classically balanced front-mid engine layout and epic V12 engine.

Classic yet contemporary

Beautifully uncomplicated in its basic design, flowing lines, Coke bottle hips, optionally contrasting, arcing and seemingly floating roof outline from A- to C-pillar, the DB11 sits with a gracefully potent posture, and rides on staggered 255/40ZR20 front and 295/35ZR20 rear tyres for steering feel and rear grip. Elegantly designed, the DB11 incorporates subtle aerodynamic and airflow solutions, including a front splitter and a side strake vents which release high-pressure air from under the wheel-arches. At the rear, hidden intakes at the base of the C-pillars channel air through the bodywork and out through a slim rear deck duct to create a virtual spoiler.

Snouty and with a wide grille flanked by all-LED headlights, the DB11 V12’s jutting fascia is echoed at the rear, with futuristic slim boomerang LED lights. 

Meanwhile it is built on a light stiff bonded aluminium platform with its engine sitting low behind the front axle and gearbox mounted at the rear axle for near perfect — 51 per cent front biased — within wheelbase weighting, for stability, agility, adjustability and balance. Featuring a reverse-swinging clamshell bonnet that exposes parts of its double wishbone front suspension, its full one-piece design both allows the DB11 to well dissipate collision energy for pedestrians safety while maintaining taut and low design lines.

Abundant and indefatigable

Positioned below strut-tower mounted cross braces for cornering rigidity, the range-topping DB11 V12’s vast in-house engineered twin-turbocharged 5.2-ltre 12-cylinder power plant is an epic engine with vast reserves and consistent delivery. More charismatic and rewarding than the DB11 V8’s Mercedes-AMG sourced 4-litre, the V12 model in indefatigably abundant.

With huge torque and power and a seeming absence of any noticeable turbo lag, it spools up quickly and thrusts through to its 7,000rpm rev limit in a quick, long and sweeping arc, underwritten by a gut-wrenching 516lb/ft torque over a vast 1,500-5,000rpm mid-range plateau as power surges seamlessly towards its 600BHP maximum peak at 6,500rpm.

Digging deep and pulling hard from down low and building to a volcanic top-end to a soundtrack of languid bass-rich growls and intense high rev howling and wailing, the DB11’s multi-port injected V12 carries its 1,770kg mass with effortless thrust and response. Blasting through 0-100km/h in just 3.9-seconds and overtaking with seemingly disdainful ease, the DB11 V12 tops out at a 322km/h top speed.

Driving the rear wheels through a smooth, quick and responsive ZF 8-speed automatic gearbox with a broad ratio spread for response, flexibility, refinement, performance and efficiency, the DB11 V12 also features seamless cylinder bank deactivation, which yielded surprisingly moderate real world fuel consumption.

Reassuring yet engaging

A comfortably smooth, reassuringly settled and refined high speed long distance grand tourer, the DB11 V12 becomes a connected, intuitive and highly capable sports car through switchbacks. Focusing its sporting talents, the DB11’s adaptable driving modes offer escalating levels of gearbox and engine responses, and firmer adaptive damper settings to minimise roll for a flatter, tauter cornering.

Meanwhile in its default GT mode, with well-calibrated adaptive dampers and despite huge 20-inch alloy wheels and grippy low profile tyres, the DB11 well absorbs and adapts to road textures yet feels settled and buttoned down rebound, if somewhat firm over sudden jagged bumps and road cracks. 

An engaging drive where one feels at the centre of the action, hunkered down between its balanced chassis, the DB11 V12 is eager and crisp on turn-in, with plenty of front grip, quick 2.4-turn electric steering and torque vectoring selectively braking the inside wheel for tidier manoeuvrability.

Taut and well controlled through corners, it feels agile and adjustable should one wish to tighten a cornering line. Distribute power along the rear axle where needed courtesy of a limited-slip differentia, the DB11 is otherwise committed, grippy and well able to harness its enormous output, while vast six-piston front and four-piston rear brakes provide reassuring stopping power.

Warm and welcoming

Heavy on the ground and wide initially, one very quickly develops an instinct for the DB11’s visibility, width and long bonnet and placing it on the road soon becomes second nature. Seemingly shrinking around the driver and seeming lighter with time and as speed picks up slightly, the DB11’s suspension and steering become more nuanced, textured and fluent in road feel and subtle feedback.

Meanwhile its blindspot warning system, parking sensors and 360 degree bird’s eye view camera prove useful, practical and build confidence when manoeuvring in tight confines. Other features notably include standard brake assistance and brake-force distribution systems numerous airbags, and optional parking assistance.

A high-end personal luxury GT, the DB11’s cabin appointment surpasses the average “premium” coupe and is swathed with high-end leathers, metals, quality woods and soft textures. Driven with stitched deep red upholstery and dark wood tones it had a warm and welcoming ambiance. Well-equipped with creature comforts and a powerful standard or optional Bang & Olufsen sound system, the DB11 also features a 12-inch TFT instrument screen and familiar, functional and user-friendly Mercedes-Benz sourced infotainment system with 8-in screen.

Seating is comfortable, supportive and well-adjustable for an alert yet ergonomic driving position. Front space comfortably accommodates large adults while rear seat space and access is improved over its predecessor, but is more suitable for occasional or child use and features Isofix childseat latches. Meanwhile its use of a traditional boot rather than hatch limits offers less luggage compartment access and volume, but still easily accommodates weekend luggage for two.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Engine: 5.2-litre, twin-turbocharged V12-cylinders

Compression ratio: 9.2:1

Valve-train: 48-valve, DOHC

Gearbox: rear-mounted 8-speed automatic

Drive-line: Rear-wheel-drive, limited-slip differential

Final drive: 2.703:1

Power, BHP (PS) [kW]: 600 (608) [447] @6,500rpm

Specific power: 115.3BHP/litre

Power-to-weight: 339BHP/tonne

Torque, lb/ft (Nm): 516 (700) @1,500-5,000rpm

Specific torque: 134.5Nm/litre

Torque-to-weight: 395.5Nm/tonne

Rev limit: 7,000rpm

0-100km/h: 3.9-seconds

Top speed: 322km/h

Fuel capacity: 78-litres

Length: 4,739mm

Width: 1,940mm

Height: 1,279mm

Wheelbase: 2,805mm

Dry weight: 1,770kg

Weight distribution, F/R: 51 per cent/49 per cent

Steering: Electric-assisted rack & pinion

Steering ratio: 13:1

Lock-to-lock; 2.4-turns

Suspension: Double wishbones/multi-link, adaptive dampers

Brakes, F/R: Ventilated discs 400 x 36mm/360 x 32mm

Brake callipers, F/R: 6-/4-piston callipers

Tyres, F/R: 255/40ZR20/295/35ZR20

By Ayah Murad

Clinical Dietician

Most of us grew up eating meat and animal products practically every day so many of us cannot imagine a day without meat or poultry. But going meatless one to three days a week will benefit you nutritionally without having to deprive yourself of mansaf or the occasional shawerma!

We know that fruit and vegetables are a great source of fibre, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. These components have anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory properties that are associated with many health benefits that can decrease the risk of major diseases. According to credible research, a regular consumption of more than 400 grammes of fruit and vegetables a day is associated with reduced cancer incidence by 20 per cent as well as lowered risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, Alzheimer disease, cataracts and some of the functional declines that are associated with ageing.

People who consume fruits and vegetables can manage their weight better than people who consume high-calorie foods with low nutritional density. Fruit and vegetables can protect us from excessive weight gain due to their low energy density — they stabilise blood sugar levels and offer a feeling of fullness. An adequate consumption of fruit and vegetables can protect against cardiovascular and other diseases and is important for weight gain prevention.

Why limit your intake of animal products

Even though animal-based foods are rich in protein and iron, B- vitamins, zinc, magnesium, calcium and selenium, studies show that people who regularly eat processed meat (particularly red meat) are at higher risk of developing illness, including cancer. Pancreatic cancer, colon cancer and breast cancer have been linked to heavy meat consumption. Meat also contains a lot of saturated fats and cholesterol, which can lead to heart disease when consumed in high amounts. Meat may also contain high levels of hormones, which can trigger reproductive problems and early-onset puberty in children.

The one type of meat to cut out completely from our diet is processed meat, which includes most cold cuts and hot dogs. The combination of sodium, saturated fat and preservatives (nitrates) they contain raises our risk of getting heart disease or cancer. 

Key, as always, is moderation

You can be healthy and get all your nutrients by following a vegetarian-like diet three times a week. These “vegetarian days” can give your liver the time to detox (rid the body of toxins that are associated with high-protein diets).

The aim is to eat five to nine handfuls of different types of fruits and vegetables a day. Remember that it is not only the fibre in fruit and vegetables that matter but the essential phyto-molecules combined with vitamins and minerals that are hard to find in animal sources. 

Choose fresh or frozen fruit and vegetables whenever possible. I also recommend adding dried beans, peas and lentils to your dishes. Nuts and seeds are a heart-friendly type of fat and are high in protein and fibre as well. However, since they are high in calories, eat them in small amounts. 

Why not be full-time vegetarian?

There are different types of vegetarians. Some avoid all types of meat and animal products (vegans) while others eat dairy and eggs but avoid all types of meat (lacto-ovo vegetarians) and some eat animal products and avoid all types of meat except fish (pescatarians). 

Being vegetarian or vegan does not necessarily make you healthier. Cutting out animal products but loading up on high-carb foods like pasta and bread will harm your health and waistline.

Becoming a full-time vegetarian requires careful cooking methods and planning to ensure you are getting all the benefits and proper nutrients. Fruits and vegetables do not contain high amounts or even full form of protein.

Some full-time vegetarians are not aware that frying food (a falafel burger or fried vegetables in a Panini or just stir-fry vegetables in a wok) reduces nutritional value and packs on calories.

So being a full-time vegetarian, in my expert opinion, does not add value to your health. On the contrary, it depletes you of most vitamins and minerals, especially B vitamins, calcium, iron and protein. 

Remember to stick to a balanced diet and avoid extremes for a healthier you!

Reprinted with permission from Family Flavours magazine

Babies who consume nothing but breast milk for their first three months of life may have healthier cholesterol levels by adolescence than infants who drink formula, a new study suggests. 

Paediatricians recommend that mothers exclusively breastfeed infants until they’re at least six months old because it can bolster babies’ immune systems and reduce their risk of ear and respiratory infections, sudden infant death syndrome, allergies, obesity and diabetes. Breast milk does contain more cholesterol than formula, however, and little is known about how this might impact cholesterol levels later in life, researchers note in Paediatrics. 

For the current study, researchers tracked 3,261 babies born in Hong Kong in 1997, until they reached an average age of 17.5 years. Overall, about 7.5 per cent of these infants were exclusively breastfed for the first three months of life; another 40 per cent consumed a combination of breast milk and formula and 52 per cent drank only formula. 

By their late teens, compared to kids who had some formula as babies, those who did not had lower total cholesterol levels as well as lower levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol, the study found. 

“The differences we saw between breastfed and formula fed infants could be due to differences between the mothers who did and did not breastfeed,” senior study author Mary Schooling of the University of Hong Kong said by e-mail. “However, the adolescents in our study were born in Hong Kong in 1997 when breastfeeding was not so common and there were few differences between the mothers who did and did not breastfeed.” 

Only about 1 per cent of the teens in the study had high levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, the type that builds up in blood vessels and can lead to blood clots and heart attacks. 

LDL levels were similar for teens who only had formula as babies and teens who were fed a combination of formula and breast milk. 

But exclusively breastfed babies had lower LDL and total cholesterol, and lower levels of triglycerides, or fats, compared to babies only fed formula. 

Even so, the results add to the evidence that early nutritional exposures — even in the first weeks or months of life — may modify so-called cardiovascular risk factors like cholesterol levels, said Christopher Owen of the Population Health Research Institute at St George’s University of London.