The Traditional Arabic & Islamic Medicine (TAIM) Approach to Diet

Not only is proper nutrition the foundation of good health, but good food is also nourishing to the soul. The cuisine at Zulal Wellness Resort is carefully and artistically prepared to cater to our guests’ wellbeing and individual needs. While mostly gluten free and sugar free, the food is still delicious as it is made with organically grown produce and the very finest ingredients. Special attention is given to nutrient-dense and fermented foods that improve gut health and digestion.

Like every other aspect at the resort, our cuisine is inspired by the wellness wisdom of Traditional Arabic and Islamic Medicine (TAIM), and our menus include a range of Quranic foods and healing herbs. For example, you may enjoy a cold melon soup – refreshing, hydrating, and seasoned with cinnamon for a metabolism-boosting kick. Similarly, the divine pomegranate gazpacho with olive oil is inspired by the holiest health advice of all as pomegranate was praised by the prophet Muhammad (PBUH), who said: “Whoever eats pomegranate, Allah will light his heart for forty nights.” In fact, the holy Quran mentions pomegranate as one of the fruits found in paradise, and the Imams have always stressed its importance in Islamic medicine as “eating sweet and sour pomegranates, empowers man and refines the blood.”

Olive oil is also mentioned in the Quran. The prophet said: “Eat the olive oil and apply it (locally), since it is a cure for seventy diseases, one of them being leprosy”. Olives are said to be the food of prophets as they are excellent for skin and hair, anti-ageing, and anti-inflammatory for the gut. According to TAIM, regular consumption of olives may also lower the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis as the oil lubricates the joints.

In TAIM, there is also great emphasis on the use of herbs such as rosemary, basil, turmeric, ginger, lemongrass, star anise, and black cumin. The latter is the black seed referred to by the prophet, who once stated that “the black seed can heal every disease, except death.” In the  medical encyclopaedia The Canon of Medicine, the Persian philosopher-physician Avicenna (980–1037 AD) refers to black cumin, known by its Latin name nigella sativa, as the seed that stimulates the body’s energy and aids recovery from fatigue. You’ll find an abundance of healing herbs not only in the dishes prepared in our restaurants, but also in their dried form in our Apothecary, located in the resort’s House of Wisdom.

These are only a few examples of TAIM-inspired ingredients found in our wellness cuisine, but its food philosophy influences our whole approach to nutrition. Our guests’ individual meal plans are based on the TAIM principle that eating according to your temperament and body type will make the body absorb nutrients more efficiently. Equally, our chefs pay careful attention to appropriate portion sizes – i.e. not too large – as moderation is another important principle in TAIM.

Overall, and in line with TAIM, the culinary experience at Zulal Wellness Resort is underpinned by the belief that eating healthily sustains a wholesome way of life. Across our four dining outlets spanning Middle Eastern and international cuisines, you will find delicious and nutritious dishes bursting with flavour and fresh produce, and created to boost joy, energy vitality, and longevity. Come and taste them for yourself!

For more information or reservations, email Zulal Wellness Resort by Chiva-Som at reservations@zulal.com, call +974 4477 6500 or visit www.zulal.com