Malcolm's story: Sleepless nights took their toll

 Dubai: After three years of irregular sleep cycles, frequent time-zone changes and a diet of reheated onboard food, Malcolm decided to take action. His "normal" lifestyle, he told Gulf News, had begun to take its toll and he was experiencing fatigue, mood swings and digestive issues among other subtle symptoms.

Looking into the possibility of feeling better, he discovered what he calls an "unconventional" approach to addressing his issues, by looking at the cause of his malcontent.
 

 "When the bad habits were stopped, when one allowed the body a chance to do what it does best and heal itself and when good nutrition was sought and introduced [a healthier approach was adopted] vibrancy and good health would once again return," he said.

Malcolm now runs a workshop in Dubai, which includes raw food demonstrations, under the theme ‘A return to common sense'. The first workshop was held in December 2009, after requests from numerous interested parties. What he discovered, he said, was an "enormous thirst" for this kind of thing in Dubai, because there is a need that is not being catered for.

The purpose of the workshops, he said, is "to inspire the individual who feels there is a better approach to fuelling his/her body, with practical ideas that can be immediately implemented and enjoyed".

Classes are kept small, with a maximum of 12 attendees, to allow for personalised coaching.

His recipes were conceived "using nature" as his guidelines, inspired by others who follow the diet, consisting of ripe, raw organic fruit and vegetables.

"This is not rocket science, it's the way we are wired to thrive, as opposed to just getting by," he said.

Workshop attendees are encouraged to seek out the pros and cons of a raw food diet, and come to their own conclusions. However, Malcolm said, "As of yet I have not discovered any disadvantages. If you find any, please let me know".

While there are currently no raw food restaurants in the UAE, Malcolm is pleased to see that there is a move towards catering to those seeking healthier alternatives.