Tell Me Why fasting benefits your overall health

Gulf News

Joining Maria Botros in this week’s episode of the Tell Me Why podcast is Certified Health Coach and Weight Loss Specialist, Dania Halaoui, who spoke about the benefits of fasting and how people can sustain a healthy lifestyle by adopting certain habits during the Ramadan fast.   Dania: 60% of your neurotransmitters are found in the gut    Fasting alone is healthy when done right, it helps you detox your system, says Dania  Dania: During the Ramadan fast people don't need to omit desserts completely, but can avoid having them on a daily basis  Common challenge faced with clients is the overload in information around health that can be confusing, says Dania  See more videos at https://gulfnews.com/videos Read more Gulf News stories here: https://bit.ly/2HLJ2km  Subscribe to Gulf News on YouTube and watch more of our videos: https://www.youtube.com/user/GulfNewsTV  #UAEnews #podcast #fasting

Transcript

00:00Fasting alone is healthy. It's beneficial, it detoxes your system, it clears you from the,

00:08I don't want to use the word garbage, but it clears you from the toxins.

00:11Absolutely.

00:12And of course, like when your body is clear is when your mind is clear. So it's a time

00:16to really be mindful if done right.

00:18Okay, with me in the studio is Dania Halawi, who is a health coach.

00:29And she's going to elaborate a bit more about what that means and

00:34what it takes to be a health coach and the different layers of being a health coach.

00:38But before we get started, I just want to know a bit more about you, like your journey.

00:43How did it all start? Did you always know that you wanted to get into health?

00:48Uh, hi. Hello, Maria. Thank you for having me today. Did I always know? No,

00:52that's a big no. So I took the road most taken. I studied what my friends were studying.

01:00Back in university, I went into business. Marketing was the popular choice back then,

01:04right? After graduation, I took again, the path of good corporate names. So I went for the

01:12Pepsi bottling. I went for the shell hoops for the ideas. And back then, for me, wellness was

01:19basically just looking good on the outside, being a size zero being a size two looking good. And

01:24that was it. Like there was no depth to it. So did I know? No, definitely not. It was my journey

01:30that got me to where I am right now. Right? 20 years later.

01:33Okay. And that journey. That's what I'm curious about. So what was your journey like? Like,

01:37what was the transition point? Or when did you feel like, okay, this is where

01:43the corporate life stops, and I begin to pursue the health?

01:49So, so, so when I was in the corporate life, and jumping from company company,

01:54and that was what I was doing jumping, because something was missing. And I didn't back then,

01:59I didn't understand what was going on. There was this emptiness, I'd go to work from nine to five,

02:04nine to six, nine to seven, waiting to come back home waiting for the weekend to come waiting to

02:10go out with my friends to socialize to forget about the weekdays, right? So something was

02:16missing yet. I didn't know what that was. What made that switch? It was when I was diagnosed

02:21with an autoimmune called rheumatoid arthritis, and I had to go into surgery. And while recovering

02:26from that surgery, I had my physiotherapist look at me and say, Dania, you're not feeling good.

02:30I'm like, No, no, I'm okay. I'm recovering. Physically, I'm getting better. She's like,

02:33Yeah, yeah, but you're not feeling good. I was like, Okay, she's like, I have someone and she's

02:38a life coach. I was like, What is a life coach? Is that a therapist? She's like, No, no, no, it's

02:43someone who can be your friend, and she'll be your mentor and just someone to talk to. So I took an

02:49appointment with her. And that was my first life coach. And I fell in love with our appointments.

02:55It was once a week. And during that week, I would look forward to that day.

02:59Nice. She took me she introduced the world of wellness to me. And from her, she spoke about

03:05foods and the power of foods on your body. And she introduced me to a health coach. Yeah, who

03:10she works with. And I remember her name was Anna. And Anna taught me that foods are healing. Yeah.

03:17And just spending a few days with Anna, and she spoke about the program she did, which was a

03:22certification from the IIN based in New York. And I was like, I have to have that certification,

03:28I have to study to see how these foods will nourish myself and make me heal. So I did this

03:34program in 2015. And Maria, it was one of the best years back then, like I met like minded souls.

03:44I, it was just a different world. It was a world I did not know existed. Okay. So that's

03:51when my I would say that's when my health journey started. And I was like, okay, I was still in

03:55corporate still hating my corporate job. I feel like this is a red flag for everyone listening.

04:00But I knew deep down that this is where I wanted to be like, somehow, I'm going to get myself to

04:05that wellness, wellness world, right? How back then I didn't know. So I made the bold move. And

04:13I quit the corporate world. And I gave my whole heart and soul for six months looking for a bridge

04:19to wellness. Back then a bridge is what maybe doing some kind of business marketing for a

04:24wellness company. So I went online, I googled and most of the HR personnel were not specifically

04:33back then, because wellness was still small back in 2016. It was not as, as as huge as it is today.

04:41I met this lovely lady. Honestly, there was like four or five months of really putting my whole

04:46heart and soul into into searching for something. I met this lovely lady who introduced me to the

04:51clinic I work for. So how did I start I started off as doing some marketing projects, freelance

04:58for them. Okay. So using your corporate using my corporate experience, great. Exactly. I managed

05:06to set foot into the wellness world. Nice. Months later, I was offered a part time job as a health

05:12coach with them having had the certification that was like a green door into into that space.

05:18Months later, I was hired as full time and I spent a beautiful six years and Mari I cannot tell you

05:24what a switch of a world that was for me like I felt alive. I was a different person. Like I was

05:32actually happy. I found my passion, I would wake up excited to go to work. I would spend hours post

05:40my hours after hours just happily taking in more clients. I met lovely beautiful souls. I helped

05:47beautiful souls. So I would say that was my first step into into wellness. Amazing. Okay, so I don't

05:55know what you were like before. But I can tell like from the first impression, you're glowing,

06:00like you're coming to talk about something that you can literally testify for anywhere. And I feel

06:07like you have that passion, you have that drive. And I love that you mentioned you used your

06:13corporate experience, you know, as as your way in to the health world, I want to say. And it just

06:22goes to show that nothing goes to waste, like any experience that you get any, like the path that you

06:29went through, you were meant to go through. I was meant to go through that was my journey. And the

06:34journey does not end there. Of course, it's going to be ups and downs. And of course, like it just,

06:39it's just a matter of how you look at things. Yes, of course. Okay, so going into the technicalities

06:45of health, I mean, we've spoken to so many life coaches, we've spoken to psychologists, we've

06:49spoken to Ayurveda, you know, experts, we've spoken to so many people on the show. And the one

06:56constant notion that we were left with, or they were all consistently agreeing on the fact that

07:04your mind, your body and your soul are interconnected. Yes. And I think that was a huge part of your

07:10journey as well. You were saying that you didn't have the drive you were, you felt like your,

07:15your life was slowly deteriorating because of the path that you were in. It doesn't mean that

07:20the corporate world was was bad. It just wasn't for you. It wasn't for me. Exactly. I have friends

07:26in the corporate world, and I see them glowing. Exactly. Great for them. That's exactly this is

07:31my path. This is my journey. Exactly. And I'm, I'm where I'm meant to be. And I want you to tell us a

07:36bit more how, how like your mind really affected your body. And it could have been part of the fact

07:41that you needed to start this, this wellness journey is that it wasn't only about, you know,

07:48finding your passion or, or pursuing a different career. But it was also about how mentally you

07:54were doing and how these three are actually interconnected. Like as a client, if I come to you,

07:59how would you explain that to me if I'm not still convinced that oh, you know, my weight gain could

08:06have to do with with or whatever it is, or my health overall is affected by the stress or my

08:12mind or, or how well I'm doing or my sleep? How is everything affecting everything in the body? Like

08:18what would you tell me as a first time client? First of all, let's talk about it in a science

08:23way. 70 60% of your neurotransmitters are found in the gut. What are neurotransmitters? They're

08:29your brain hormones, right? That's already is the gut, the gut, the gut mind access. So it is

08:35connected. And what I like to give is my my my journey. So I started off in corporate, I moved

08:42to wellness. I studied I am nutrition. So for me back then, I thought it was just, it was just

08:48related to food. I healed my autoimmune, you can't completely get off it, but I put it to

08:56peace, let's say, by choosing the right food, but was my mind there? No, what was missing was that

09:02self love, right self compassion, right? I would say for the longest period of time, I did not put

09:08myself first, up until I would say maybe one year ago, and I'll tell you a bit of that. So I had my

09:13rheumatoid arthritis, I use food to treat it, I moved to wellness, that is, that's a big check.

09:19But I was not putting myself first, I was my mind was disconnected from my body. For me,

09:25I thought if I just checked the points, I ate the right foods, I drank the water, I slept eight

09:30hours. Yeah, I check, check, check, that's it. But for me wellness, now I know that wellness is a

09:36continuous journey, right? There's not it's not a one one time stop thing. It's not something that's

09:41it's something that you go through. It's your journey. And looking back my rheumatoid arthritis

09:46journey, fine, I managed that back then. But something I miss was not not giving myself

09:52enough love. I was playing the victim. Yeah, why is this happening to me? Why me and not the others?

10:00Why? Why? I'm doing everything right. So when I got another when I faced another medical

10:07uh, what's a medical? What's the word? Implication. Implication. Yeah, two years ago.

10:16I had a bilateral mastectomy. Okay. And I did not take that well. I physically I was great

10:23after after the surgery. So check and my friends were there check, you know, but mentally,

10:29I was refusing the fact that me health coach, I had to go through a mastectomy. I mean, what would

10:35my clients say? I mean, I, I'm preaching health to them. Yeah, look, it's what's happening to me.

10:40So for one year, I was feeling sorry for myself. I was not. I was being cruel to myself. I,

10:50I did not recognize myself. And so that that was one year I, my career had to stop. I quit the

10:58clinic. I'm like, okay, fine. Maybe wellness is not for me. I went back to the corporate world

11:04with a friend. Oh, for a month, I went back working with a friend. And I was what's the word,

11:12I demotivated as zero performance. I could not get myself out of bed. I was just not understanding

11:20what was going on with me. I was just feeling sorry. What happened then I just decided to take

11:26a few steps back and and really go through the whole wellness. What is wellness again, right?

11:32So I quit that corporate job three months later, and I took time off. Good. And I had to really

11:39step back, travel, I went to see my sister and be a bit more mindful to see what is it that's,

11:44that's, that's happening to me. And that's when I realized I'm not loving myself. I'm not putting

11:49myself first. I was I was the last in my list of priorities. And by loving yourself, it's basically

11:57doing what's right for you, right, the right job, the right relationship, the right

12:04circle of friends, doing exactly what's right for you. And it was only when I started truly

12:13loving myself and putting myself first, regardless of the voices around me. That's when I'm able I

12:21know and I'm able to face any other setback, which happened. Yeah, like after the mastectomy,

12:27one year later, I had more cells and I had another surgery. One month later, which was like, three

12:34weeks ago, I had another surgery. But here I am standing here I am I just launched my business.

12:40I'm, I'm super ecstatic, and even more passionate than I ever was before. Because this is my

12:47journey. And now I know how to handle it. And honestly, I think myself and everyone listening,

12:54we applaud you for coming on and for sharing that. And I'd like to say that, even though you

13:00mentioned that you were sort of ashamed that you would have to meet clients, even though you were

13:06going through, you know, your own health, you know, journey. I think that's the main reason

13:13you need to pursue this career in wellness, because people love that they that you can relate

13:20to whatever they might be going through. You're preaching what you went through. And I was,

13:27I hid it from them for for one year after my my huge surgery, my bilateral mastectomy, I hid it

13:33from them because I was ashamed. And you're right, because right now, I'm opening up to them. So So

13:40one of them asked me, Where were you two years ago? And I told her and she's like, Oh, my God,

13:44she's like, I love you even more now. Like, why did you hide it? You know, why did you do that?

13:48Wow. Yeah. So So yeah, it's it's not caring about what because what other people think it's really

13:57being very open and transparent and and putting myself first.

14:00Exactly. And it's not like it's something that you did that got you through this. It's,

14:05it's just something that's all the learning looking back, everything was a learning for

14:09me to be where I'm at. Exactly. The rheumatoid arthritis, the pre cancer, these surgeries,

14:14it's all a learning that health is much more than just what you put in your body. It's, it's,

14:20it's what you put in your mind. It's how you treat yourself. Yes, it's. And obviously, when you love

14:25yourself enough, you're going to choose the right things. You're gonna you're gonna eat the right

14:30food, you're gonna sleep at the right time, you're, of course, there's a balance, but you're

14:34gonna love yourself, just like you love your your your baby, your own your own soul, of course,

14:39and you're gonna feel better. I'm sorry, but you can take all the medications in the world. And

14:43you can be so punctual with your doctor's visits. But at the end of the day, this is not right.

14:48Yeah, I still feel awful. You're medicating, but you still feel awful at the core. No, honestly,

14:56I love everything that you've shared so far. And thank you for being so candid. And I think

15:01and I applaud you for also sharing your journey with your clients,

15:05which is also a good segue into your business. Tell us a bit more about that. So what are typically

15:10the clients that come forward to you? And if you can tell us like some cases without revealing too

15:16much, obviously, and like, you know, preserving their, their identities. But yeah, if you could

15:21share so so my journey as a health coach started at the clinic, and I'm super grateful for them for

15:28starting up this, giving me this opportunity. Back then, I was known for weight loss. So I was

15:33a weight loss specialist. And by weight loss, I don't mean fat diets. Yes, come and come go,

15:38right. It's it's as a health coach, it's basically looking at their lifestyle, and helping them get

15:44to their we call it their happy weight, right? As in, because you're happy weight is when you're

15:49feeling your best, right? So I asked the clients, like, where do you see yourself? Where do you want

15:53to be? What makes you super happy? And I work towards helping them get there by being their

15:59cheerleader. So it's not like I see them once a month. And that's it. I see them literally every

16:03single week, they have me on WhatsApp. So that was at the clinic. So when I start, and honestly,

16:09I did not decide to, to start as a health coach alone, it was my clients that came up to me.

16:15So I had one special client, and she's been behind my back. I'm not joking for two years,

16:20a year and a half nice asking me to take her on. So she was like my first client off record.

16:26And then she started sending people and her friends. And this is how it happens. So

16:30amazing. Currently, yes. I have some clients that struggle with weight loss. I have some clients

16:38that don't know much about they don't need to lose weight, but they have no idea what to eat to feel

16:45good. So so they're at a normal BMI, they look good, but they're not feeling good. So I help

16:51them with that. I have another client who just needs some accountability. She's like, I just

16:56need a reminder, because I do offer WhatsApp support. So every single day, I send a soft

17:01reminder, hey, I'm here, I'm here if you need anything. So I have I have people who think they

17:08have no time to eat during the day. But hey, you have time to drink water, you have time to check

17:13the net, you will have time to eat. Yes. So so I recently got a new client who just had one meal,

17:19which was like an 8pm dinner every single day. So breakfast and lunch was unknown. Oh, man.

17:26What other kinds? So these are so it's basically helping based on what their objectives are. Yeah,

17:32I take them. Yeah. Do you feel like so as a person that's working in health and well being

17:37and that's dealing with clients, you know, especially from a nutritional side? Do you feel

17:41like there are like top three challenges, common challenges between people? Like, is it I can't

17:49lose weight, for instance, like, I think the main the main theme for me is inconsistency. Okay. So

17:57they come to me, I had a client and she was postmenopausal. So she was going through menopause

18:02and she had gained in five years. And she's like, I have done everything, Diana. So when I sat with

18:07her and understood what her cycle was, was basically Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday,

18:12Friday, she was like, eating balanced three meals, etc. Yeah, Saturday, Sunday, outings,

18:18breakfast out brunches. So so that's, that's what I'm seeing mainly is inconsistency. It's the too

18:25much information. So they don't know what so that's the second point is just overload of information

18:30that we have nowadays on Instagram on on on the net. Yes. Where do I eat protein? Do I not eat?

18:38So they come to me completely confused. So that's that's the main problem. Yes. Another problem I

18:44see a lot is but I'm eat I'm exercising, you know, so yeah, no, no. Exercise does not cancel a bad

18:53diet. Yes, it complements it. So yes, exercise is great. But you can't eat your burgers and your

18:59pizzas and your ice cream every single day and like exercise for five hours. So I think those are

19:04the top three. Yeah, that I've been seeing a lot. I love that you mentioned that because I think the

19:09one thing that I learned, I mean, I learned it fairly recently, I would say five years ago,

19:14is that it's like 75 to 80% your diet or your nutrition, absolutely. And then 20% or 15%

19:22the exercise that you actually put in. Nutrition does not and this is what I'm doing on my social

19:26media currently is nutrition does not have to be healthy does not have to be boring. Exactly.

19:30There's so many ways of making delicious meals by just using the right ingredients. Yes. So that's

19:35what I tend to teach my clients as well. So I have like a whole library of recipes that I share with

19:39them. If also they're going out, I teach them how to choose wisely from the restaurant's menu. It's

19:46not perfection, it's making better choices. That's why I try to try to teach my clients. That's

19:50crucial, honestly, because this like we live a fast paced life. Absolutely. It's a lifestyle. So

19:55this is what it's not a it's not a short term. It's a I teach them how to continue without me

20:01exactly how to go on choosing healthier without me. Exactly. It's the sustaining that journey

20:06is always you mentioned that consistency, like staying consistent and true to your your wellness

20:12and your health is always difficult. Okay, so now that you know, we're, we're in the holy month of

20:20Ramadan, and you know, the the fast is tends to be a bit more difficult for people to stay

20:27disciplined, you know, again, given that they're fasting long hours, and then breaking their fast,

20:32obviously, how can people approach it in a healthy manner? Like, what can people do during Ramadan

20:39to sustain, you know, a healthy lifestyle? So fasting alone is healthy. It's it's it's

20:47it's beneficial. It's it's a detox is your system. It clears you from the I don't want to use the

20:53word garbage, but it clears you from the toxins. Absolutely. And of course, like when you're when

20:57your body is clear is when your mind is clear. So it's it's a time to really be mindful if done

21:02right. And to answer your question, yes, I mean, you don't need to cancel out your desserts,

21:09but don't have them every single day, right? No, like, be mindful of what goes into your stomach,

21:14because and I hear that from a lot of people after if I can't move, I need to I need to lie

21:20down. And that's not what that's not a pleasant feeling. So so break your fast mindfully, you

21:26know, like, yes, it's culturally, I think it's a religious to have your date. But personally,

21:33I would start with like a vegetable soup, water, a vegetable soup. I'll start with the fibers with

21:38the vegetables, I would move to the proteins. And then I would move to the carbs. Yes, I always ask

21:44my clients to eat in this order. Have your dates as dessert, right after your carbs. Yes, you know,

21:50yes. Of course, one meal, I don't prefer just one meal. So it depends on on the person, do they wake

21:56up? Or do they just go to bed and fast till the next day. So if they do wake up, so that's your

22:01breakfast, right? Okay, so you have your iftar, you have a lighter meal before you sleep, and then

22:06you have your breakfast for those that don't wake up, then it's a proper iftar and a lighter meal

22:12of like a protein, carbs, fruits, vegetables, etc. Greek yogurt, eggs, whatever works. Have your treat

22:20once or twice a week. Okay, but don't overindulge every single day. And you will feel and I asked

22:26him to try it out. Because just hearing this, you're like, Oh, no, but all these stars, try it

22:30out and see how you feel. And once you feel great, you'd want to do more of that. Yeah, yeah. And even

22:35if you have like an iftar dinner with friends, or you're going out, you can choose wisely. Exactly.

22:40And this is what I teach everyone, choose wisely, you don't have to stop your outings, you don't

22:44have to stop your social life. Because wellness is community, right? Community is part of wellness,

22:50social surroundings. So do not stop that. Just be wiser. Yeah, your choices. I love that you

22:55mentioned the order of the meals, because I myself went through like a bit of a shaky, you know,

23:02wellness journey, I've always struggled with with my health and my nutrition, like how I

23:10how I absorb nutritional value from like certain foods. And I found out that I was insulin resistant,

23:18I think a year ago, or a little over a year ago. And the one thing that my doctor told me,

23:26and I love that he did not prescribe any medication, what while others did, yes. And

23:33all he said was, No, there's a way around it. You need to just follow certain guidelines. And

23:38I actually started following someone called the glucose goddess. Oh, yeah. So the apple cider

23:42vinegar. Oh, yes, I have those tricks, all these tricks. And she also mentions, you know,

23:47eat your salad, and then like two thirds of that, and then introduce the protein. And then after

23:51you're done with that, then I tell people, just try it and see how you feel. And there's not one

23:55person that comes back to me and says, it's just a game changer. It really did change my life. And

24:02I think, yeah, and my insulin resistance, I mean, decreased exponentially. But I mean, I was I was

24:09borderline pre diabetic. And it wasn't. And it was funny, because a lot of doctors were like,

24:14Oh, but you're not overweight. And I'm like, it has nothing to do with it. Thank you. Exactly.

24:19And that's how I started my own wellness journey. I'm still I'm not perfect. And obviously,

24:25listen, I'm not perfect. Yeah, no one is perfect. There's there's a learning and it's just trying

24:30to be your best. Exactly as much as you can. Exactly. And just knowing that, okay, fine,

24:34I indulged one day, it's okay, forgive yourself, just move on. Exactly. The forgiveness was my

24:40difficult part. And that's why I completely relate with the bit when you were talking about how you

24:45were harsh on yourself. I think I'm the most self critical person. And I've learned that,

24:53as I think all of us are and it is a learning like we learn how we need to relearn how to love

24:59ourselves. Yes, and just forgiving myself. It's okay. Like I, I used to wake up and just remember

25:05the meal that I had the day before and be like, I can't do this anymore. No, this was so bad. And I

25:11was just, you know, giving myself such negative feedback when really, it's okay, it's a new day,

25:16start over, and you can do it. Okay, so we spoke about how to eat during Ramadan. Do you have any

25:23tips for exercise? Yes, I always encourage myself, my friends, my clients to have a small walk.

25:33Okay, after every meal, that's good for digestion. So for those who don't want to exercise during the

25:40month of Ramadan, I respect that, but at least don't get rid of your walks. For those who want

25:45to exercise, I would do it like right before iftar. Okay, okay, because I don't want you to stay

25:50hungry with no food and water for a long time. So do your exercise right before iftar. And then

25:56have your meal. Okay, but definitely the walks. Okay, can you explain like how that helps? Like,

26:01does it just help with the with the burning process? Does it help with the digestion? Like

26:05is that like what's energy? It's energy. So it's energy. Exactly. So you don't feel that,

26:11you know, that slump after. Okay, perfect. The walk is a game changer as well. And it doesn't

26:17have to be 30 minutes or one hour. I'm talking about 10 minutes, 15 minutes, just get yourself

26:21moving. Okay, amazing. And what about if someone wants to exercise in the morning? So like, let's

26:26say they had their their morning meal, I would go for a very, very soft, sort of, I call them the

26:35exercises. So the yogas, the Pilates, the swimming, the walks, that's absolutely fine.

26:40Nice. Okay. In my opinion. Last thing, I know your time is very valuable. And you were saying

26:45you have a lot of clients, and we don't want to take you from them. But it just advice, general

26:50advice for someone who is currently struggling, doesn't know where to start, and just feels like

26:56they're about to give up. Take it one step at a time. There's no one's judging. You're the only

27:03judge, be kind to yourself, self love one step at a time. So it could be adding just 1000 more

27:10steps a day. It could be drinking more water, it could be sleeping a bit earlier, it could be

27:17having less treats per week. So so write down your objective, break it down. And one step at a time.

27:24Amazing. Dania, how can people find you?

27:27Kuni by Dania. So it's K-O-U-N-I by Dania. One word. I'm on Instagram. And yes.

27:34Amazing. Thank you so much for your time. And thank you for sharing everything.

27:37Thank you, Maria.

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