HISTORY AND BACKGROUND

Pineapple (Ananas comosus) is an incredibly delicious, healthy tropical fruit. This fruit has a tough rind made up of hexagonal units and a fibrous, juicy flesh which may be yellow to white in color. Pineapples may reach 1.5–1.8 m (5–6 ft) in height. Originating in South America, it was named by early European colonisers for its resemblance to a pine cone.  The pineapple was brought to Europe by Christopher Columbus.

 IMPRESSIVE HEALTH BENEFITS 

• Low in calories, loaded with nutrients, like Vitamin C and Manganese.
• High in Fibre
• Contains disease-fighting antioxidants that may reduce risk of heart disease, diabetes and cancer.
• May aid digestion due to the presence of bromelain which is a digestive enzyme that helps breakdown protein.
• May reduce  risk of cancer. 
• May boost immunity and suppress inflammation. 
• Osteoarthritis Relief. 
• The bromelain also helps to speed recovery after surgery or strenuous exercise.
• Consuming pineapple at night 30 mins ...

In dealing with toxic traits, I started recognising some within myself too.  I took a step back and against my own will – or even nafs – a mental self-awareness came into check.  I started to see all the times I had been wrong.  A sense of shame crawled up and I found myself not liking who I was or had been. 

It’s so easy to pinpoint toxicity in others, but when we notice this trait, pause and do an audit on yourself; did we notice it because we have recognised the same within us?

I recently started noticing things in my own immediate family circle that I absolutely abhorred and it clouded how I saw the other person and my behaviour towards them.  It also left me shaken because I was certain they had lied to me.  I forgot to follow through on my own advice; what can I change and what can I control?  It impacted me more than I liked to admit.  It took me a few weeks to centre myself and find myself again.  I saw the wisdom behind what I went through too as I learnt mature bounda...

Awe (noun) – a feeling of reverential respect mixed with fear or wonder.

We all have experienced moments of awe, when you see or feel something which creates a feeling of overwhelm mixed with excitement and surprise all in the one moment. Physiologically your eyes may water, you feel goosebumps and your jaw drops. Whether these moments happen at the tops of mountains, whilst peeling some pomegranate or deep reflection through Qur’anic verses, awe moments are remembered and can at times be life changing. 

Even when we are feeling low, moments like these can be a pickup, and create a shift in your mood.  Awe moments can create shifts as discovered in recent scientific analysis we understand that these awe moments actually have a deeper intercellular movement going on which is good for our health, ‘awe experiences may bring with them a host of physiological, psychological and social effect, for example studies have found that feelings of awe can be accompanied by heart rate change...

HISTORY AND BACKGROUND

The kiwifruit is a large berry that grows on a species of woody vine in the genus Actinidia. Kiwis have been famously cultivated in New Zealand, but it actually originated in eastern China. 

The kiwi fruit typically grows in an oval shape and is roughly  the size of an egg. Its skin is camel in color, fibrous, and coated in a light fuzz. Despite its fuzzy covering, the kiwi’s skin is edible and tart. The kiwi’s flesh is bright green with rows of distinctive tiny black seeds, which can also be eaten. Kiwis have a sweet, tart, and bold taste — making them a popular addition to a healthy breakfast or lunch. 

IMPRESSIVE HEALTH BENEFITS 

Kiwi fruits are high in Vitamin C and dietary fiber and provide a variety of health benefits. Kiwi fruit stands number one in nutrient content compared to 27 other fruits. It is packed with twice the amount of Vitamin C — compared to oranges (per 100 mg) — and has twice the amount of nutrients — compared to apples (per 100 mg).

‘You make it look so easy.’

The observation came from a client who was in the process of introducing her children to her future husband.  The conflict was from her eldest daughter not agreeing to the marriage which caused much stress to the home environment.

I was caught off guard with the comment because I did not think -and never have done – that anything has come easy to me.  As a former divorcee with three very young children, marriage had been out of the question.  When Allah swt destined me to meet with my now husband, I was absolutely on a rollercoaster of the unknown.  Everyone warned me; why would a man want to marry a woman with three children? Etc etc.  However his interactions with my children were sincere and reassuring and now, six years later, we tend to swim collectively through the pool of situations that arise from having a blended family.

A blended family is the term given to a family consisting of a couple, the children they have from former marriage/s and the ch...

 What defines you?

Is it the car that you drive, the clothes that you wear, the location that you stay? Let's strip that back…Is it your marital status? How many children you have, or who your parents are? Let’s strip that back too.

At times these labels and identities can take us away from the core of who we are, stripping back, without our environmental factors can help us identify how we see ourselves – not as how others see us.

Through this process we may become critical with mistakes that we’ve made, our visual flaws and limitations that we have, our negative self-talk kicks in also known as limiting beliefs.  Messages that we say to ourselves ‘I’ve struggled all my life', or ‘I can’t get anything right’ or ‘I’m worthless’ sabotage our growth, these mental scars last far longer than physical scars. We continue to kick ourselves until we're down.  These limiting beliefs become our identity and the story we repeat to ourselves time after time.

A lack of self-acceptance limits ou...

A few days before the blessed month of Rajab entered, I attended a talk about returning to Allah in Rajab. The shaykh beautifully explained that the door to thoba was open to everyone. It was a wonderful reminder as forgiveness requires one to turn to Allah but also to forgive oneself. Often we are our own greatest enemies and we judge ourselves for our mistakes yet they very same mistakes that may be a means of becoming closer to Allah. And truth be told, we would have so much more compassion for a loved one than we do towards ourselves.

The thing I loved the most about the talk was he explained that thoba did not compensate for healing. The door to repentance was open but trauma would not always disappear because you have repented. Sure, miracles can happen, but as Muslims, we can spiritually bypass them. This leads to more physical manifestations of illness connecting to deep-rooted hidden trauma because we have not dealt with the root cause. This talk was a powerful reminder that ...

HISTORY AND BACKGROUND

They were first cultivated in Ancient Rome and are now considered as one of the most popular berry fruits in the world.

Strawberries aren’t really a fruit or a berry, but actually the enlarged receptacle of the a flower that is part of the rose family. They carry their seeds on the outside and develop runners, which produce roots which then create more plants. Once picked they don’t ripen further.

IMPRESSIVE HEALTH BENEFITS 

Strawberries are good for your whole body. They naturally deliver vitamins, fiber, and particularly high levels of antioxidants known as polyphenols -- without any sodium, fat, or cholesterol. They are among the top 20 fruits in antioxidant capacity and are a good source of manganese and potassium. Just one serving can provide more vitamin C than an orange.

Benefits from the nutrients obtained from strawberries 

1.   Helps prevent cold and flu as its Rich in Vitamin C
2.   help maintain healthy vision and prevent cataracts
3.   cancer preven...

The new buzzwords in healing are Mindful Meditation. Everyone is talking about this and reaping the benefits!

But Mindful Meditation requires free time……what do you do when you have free time?
Do you pick up your phone and start scrolling, or turn on the TV, and listen to a podcast – although this can help switch off from daily stressors – what is even better for your health is Silence and Solitude which can also be labelled as Mindful Meditation.

Silence can bring higher consciousness to intuition, a greater sense of calm, listening to that voice within, what’s it saying? Are you ready to listen? Connecting to your deeper self to grow! These moments of Mindful Meditation give clarity help to make big decisions, stimulate brain growth and relieve tension which helps to feel more relaxed generally.

Science shows that silence itself can rewire the brain to make you more intelligent! One of the most amazing facts I’ve learnt, Studies show that after only a couple of hours of continued s...

By Abdul Aziz Suraqah 

A while back I stumbled on the strange case of Kyle Odom. In his manifesto, Odom writes, “My life was ruined. Ruined by an intelligent species of amphibian-humanoid from Mars. I wish I was joking.” 

He says the amphibian-humanoids were “here long before we ever existed” and their technology is way more advanced than ours. “They take control of ‘wild’ human beings and use them as sex slaves. Don’t believe me? Ask President Obama to take a lie detector test on this one,” Odom wrote. 

He goes on to say that Martians tried to take him but were unable to control his mind and they have been following him ever since. He said this has taken over his life and has done everything to get it back. The document says he tried to commit suicide twice but was stopped by the Martians. He said his last resort was to take actions to bring this to the public’s attention.

Next, the manifesto outlines how this all started during the spring of 2014 while he was attending t...