For those that have yet to travel to Japan for business, there are a couple of things you should know before booking your ticket and inviting clients out to eat. Japanese culture is centered on politeness, overall respect for people, age reverence, gracious apology for wrongdoing, and living in harmony.

Foreigners, when eating out in Japanese restaurants, need to understand the basics of the Japanese dining etiquette to avoid offending the Japanese by committing a dining blunder!

There are some essential basic rules to be mindful of when dining in a Japanese restaurant. First of all, when the food is served, join your hands in the “Namaste” gesture and say quietly, “Itadakimasu” the phrase translates as “I humbly receive.” The gesture is an expression of gratitude for the collective efforts made by many in growing and preparing the meal.

If you feel you need a bit of soy sauce for your meal, you should serve yourself by pouring a small amount into your soya dish. It is considered rude to directly pour the soy sauce on your meal. If you’re having sushi, dip the sushi in the soy dish and bring it to your mouth. Avoid pouring excessive amount of soy and hovering over your dish. When eating rice or soup, you are allowed to bring the entire bowl closer to your mouth so that you don’t spill any food. In addition, it is considered rude to burp at the table unlike in some other Asian cultures like Chinese or Korean, where it can be received as a sign of satisfaction.

As for the chopsticks, never put your chopsticks in a bowl of rice because it resembles the burning of incense sticks at a Japanese funeral. Instead, lay your chopsticks on the chopsticks holder or at the edge of your individual plate.

At the dining table, do not pour yourself a drink but rather serve others at the table. Another thoughtful person should pour your drink for you when you are finished serving.

At the end of the meal, thank the chef by saying “Gochisosama deshita!” Thank you for this great meal!

If you spend most of your time at a desk or sitting in meetings, you know that it takes a lot of work to maintain a healthy physique that you can be proud of. While exercising and sleeping are extremely important, there’s no denying that you are what you eat. A lot of research has been conducted regarding the diet plan in respect to one’s body, and we recently discovered that there are also plans depending on one’s blood type. A well-known concept “Blood Type Diet” is a plan based on the research conducted by Dr. Peter D’Adamo, and some of us at O2 have decided to give it a try. Maybe it will for you!

Type A should basically stick to fruits and vegetables (high carbs / low fat). They have thicker blood than other blood types, a sensitive immune system, and should not consume dairy products, animal fats and meats. They are at a heightened risk for cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer.

Type B should consume a balanced diet that includes fruits and vegetables, grains, fish, dairy, meat. However, they should avoid chicken as much as possible. Type B have great chances of overcoming many types of diseases that include heart disease and cancer.

Type AB individuals should consume a mostly vegetarian diet, and only on rare occasions have fish, meat, and diary. Just like type B, they should not consume chicken.

Type O, which is the most common blood type among people, should basically stick to a high protein diet that includes red meat, low carbs, and enriched with fruits and vegetables. They should limit the intake of wheat germ, whole wheat products, corn, and avoid dairy products and most nuts. Type O types are commonly affected with hypothyroidism, high stomach acid that leads to ulcers, and thinner blood with greater resistance to blood clotting.

Choosing the right snacks for your office breaks is incredibly important to maintain a good work/life balance. If you don’t know your blood type, go to your local doctor and find out today! It could be the key to a healthier you…

Who would have thought that healthy sandwiches would replace the days of French fries and Big Macs?  That’s right; Subway is officially the world’s largest and fastest-growing restaurant chain.  Subway sells around 2,500 sandwiches a minute from more than 30,000 locations in over 90 countries.

In 1965, Dr. Peter Buck was working as a nuclear physicist.  Fred DeLuca had barely graduated high school and was dying to make some money for college.  It was an unlikely pair of entrepreneurs to say the least.  The two men were connected through family friends, and after a BBQ one summer day, Buck pulled out a checkbook and wrote a $1,000 check to DeLuca.  “Open a subway shop Fred.”  That’s where it all began.

Today, Buck and DeLuca are thought to be billionaires, although they work hard to stay out of the public spotlight.  In some ways, the total number of locations—like all records—is just a symbol.  It doesn’t necessarily account for revenue or popularity, but it does point to a distinct business method. McDonald’s for instance, entered into the international market years ago and is now focused on making profits in existing locations rather than opening up new ones (Subway’s current strategy).   Subway is also different from European chains like Pret a Manger and Benjys, which offer only pre-wrapped and pre-made sandwiches.

They’ve definitely hit upon a branding strategy that has stimulated the public’s appetite for subs. It’s all about eating healthy on the run.  Anyone can be healthier if they choose Subway over any of the competition in the market. That message has struck a chord with many consumers at a time when obesity rates are up and many people feel they lack the time to prepare home-cooked meals.

Good ideas = strong brands.  After all, who wouldn’t want to “Eat Fresh”?

The Community Development Authority in Dubai (CDA) in cooperation with UAE Down Syndrome Association, organised an awareness session titled “Ability not Disability”, Read the full story

Baby Reflex is based on the idea that applying pressure to different areas on the foot can help the body heal itself. Courtesy www.grapheast.com

Reflexology, an alternative therapy based on the belief that certain parts of the foot correspond to different parts of the body, has been practised in India, Egypt and China since ancient times. Read the full story

Thousands of people turned out at Dubai’s Safa Park to take part in Anlene’s ‘Walk for Bones’, a city-wide effort to raise awareness of the dangers of osteoporosis. The initiative was held in association with MBC. Read the full story

Bader Sultan & Brothers Co have been stealing the anti-ageing show at the 2nd Annual Dubai Congress on Anti-Ageing and Aesthetic Medicine (DCAAAM). Hundreds of medical experts in the field were introduced to revolutionary new methods and given workshops on different techniques, comparing the experimental with tried and trusted formulas. Read the full story

Medical Symposium urges insurance companies to cover Acne treatment

Dr. Didier Coustou, an internationally renowned dermatologist with a wealth of European experience

Nearly 80 per cent adolescents in the UAE suffer from acne, which is now considered a disease in medical circles, and some of them resort to wrong treatments based on cosmetics products and friends’ referrals, thus affecting the scientific treatment of acne.

This was revealed at a recent medical symposium held in Dubai, in which leading experts threw light on new development in the treatment of acne.

Read the full story

Catatonic schizophrenia disappeared from the UAE thanks to the country’s advanced healthcare practices!

Between 30 to 40 per cent of mental illnesses in the UAE are schizophrenia-related, while another 30 to 40 per cent belong to the bipolar disorder category.

This was one of the issues highlighted at a medical symposium on mental illness organised by AstraZeneca in Dubai and Abu Dhabi today. Read the full story

• To raise awareness on H1N1 virus and flu epidemic

The Community Development Authority (CDA) in Dubai has launched an awareness campaign on H1N1 virus and the flu epidemic under the slogan “My Hand is Clean”. The campaign in Hatta is organized by volunteers in the locality and aims at spreading awareness of the dangers of the disease. Read the full story