300m Gummy bears, loofah planting and a study that is definitely worth watching 🍬👀

Hi besties,

It's been a “quieter” week here in the UAE and we've genuinely felt grateful for that. But quieter doesn't mean easy. With what's unfolding in Lebanon right now, many of us have found ourselves oscillating between relief and heartbreak, sometimes within the same hour. If you have family there, friends there, or simply a heart that feels the weight of it we are thinking of you. We really are.

There's no neat way to hold all of this. So we're not going to try to wrap it up with a bow. What we will do as ever is show up, keep the conversation going, and bring you something that feels genuinely useful.

And this week's edit genuinely delivers on that.

In the Local Lowdown, we've got a week that feels like it was made for this moment: chakra workshops, loofah planting (stay with us on that one 🌱), sunset yoga with matcha, a floating hypno-sound session at Emirates Palace, and a Her Health Morning built for exactly the kind of connection we all need right now. Whether you want grounding, community, or just a really good plan for the weekend - it's all in there.

Over in the Wellness Wire, wellness gummies are having a serious glow-up (Unilever just dropped $300M to prove it), WHOOP is already suing a competitor fresh off its $10B valuation, Nike quietly shut down its entire studio fitness concept, and there's a genuinely fascinating Finnish startup using spatial audio to regulate your nervous system entirely in the background - so it's basically doing your stress management for you while you get on with your day. We're also watching a growing conversation around repurposed drugs in cancer care - early days, but worth paying attention to.

Let's get into it.

With love (and hearts very much with the region this week),

📍Alura Studio, Al Quoz

Dubai's Pilates scene is officially everywhere and Alura is one of the newer kids on the block, quietly tucked away in Al Quoz. And we do mean quietly. Finding it requires a little faith - think strip mall vibes on the outside, and a "are we sure about this?" moment as you pull up. But here's the thing: don't let the exterior fool you.

Once you're inside, it's a genuinely pleasant surprise. The changing rooms are spacious and well-equipped (we spotted the new Dyson Straightner dryer and Aesop products in the bathrooms 👏), The studios themselves are light filled, clean, with brand new equipment and a lovely, calm energy to them. It actually feels really good once you're in it.

The studio has 7 reformer beds, an upstairs yoga studio, and a Restore Suite - a steam room with contrast therapy and relaxation beds for afterwards, which is a nice little touch if that's your thing.

Now, here's the honest bit and actually, depending on what you're looking for, it might be the best bit. Class sizes seem small. Like, very small. We went to the 9:30 Flow with Tammy and had the entire reformer room to ourselves which meant completely personalised attention for the full session. If you've ever wanted the benefits of a private reformer class, or at least a lot more personalised attention, without the price tag, this is your answer.

It also means that if you've been struggling to get bookings at the busier studios around town, Alura is a reliable option. And if you're looking for somewhere to bring a small group of girlfriends and actually all get in together - this is the one.

The wellness bestie verdict: Not the most Instagram-worthy studio in Dubai but genuinely lovely once you're inside, with an attentive, personal experience that sometimes the bigger studios simply can't always offer. One for the Pilates loyalists who care more about the quality of the session than the aesthetic of the 'gram. 🤍

Exclusive Wellness Drop offer:
Trial class for AED 49 use code WELLNESSDROP20
1 month unlimited Pilates for AED 999

A week of gentle resets, earthy rituals and feel-good plans - from chakra workshops and loofah planting (yes, really) to sunset yoga, floating sound sessions and community moments that bring you back to yourself. Whether you’re craving something grounding, a little more social, or just a change of pace, this week’s edit is all about doing things that actually feel good.

🌴 Longevity Week at Peaches & Cream
April 13th – 23rd
Peaches & Cream, Palm Jumeirah
A full week of movement, breathwork and mindful sessions designed to help you switch gears. In collaboration with Alessia Gazzera, expect a mix of yoga, meditation and somatic practices - all focused on helping you feel, not force. Dip in for a session or make a few of them part of your week.
To book DM @longevity.wellness.hub 

🧘‍♀️ ALO Recharge & Restore
Wednesday 15th April, 6:00 – 7:00 PM
HWH Studio, Delano, Bluewaters Island
A midweek pause that actually lands. Blending guided breathwork with Yoga Nidra, this session is designed to help you fully switch off and reset, followed by herbal tea to ease you back out into the evening.
Book here

🍵 Yoga & Matcha (Sunset Edition)
Friday 17th April, 5:00 PM
Delano, Bluewaters Island
Sunset movement, but make it a vibe. Ease into the evening with beachside yoga, followed by matcha and a relaxed, social atmosphere. One of those sessions that doesn’t feel like a “class” - more like a really good plan.
Book here

💫 Recharge with Poison Drop & Villa Sage
Friday 17th April, 7:30 PM
Villa Sage
An evening to slow down, reset and reconnect with intention. Blending sound healing with a new moon cacao ceremony, this session is designed to gently bring you back to yourself with space to pause, soften and receive. You’ll also leave with a curated jewellery gift from the Lady D and AMIE Dubai collections by Poison Drop, adding a subtle touch of ritual you can carry with you.
To book DM @poisondropcom 

🔮 Chakras & Cycles
Saturday 18th April, 12:30 – 1:30 PM
Womanly, Jumeirah
A workshop designed to help you reconnect with your inner rhythm. Through guided practices and subtle energy work, you’ll explore the link between your cycles and your body’s energy centres, with simple tools to move through your days with more ease and awareness. You’ll also receive chakra affirmation cards to take home.
Book here

☀️ Her Health Morning
Sunday 19th April, 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
The Lolo House
A feel-good morning built around connection and conversation. Expect expert-led talks, gentle yoga and space to meet like-minded women, alongside refreshments and curated goodie bags. One of those events you go to solo and leave with new people.
To book DM @thelolohouse

🌱 From Soil to Soul
Tuesday 21st April, 9:30 – 10:45 AM
Womanly, Jumeirah
A slower, more hands-on kind of reset. Learn about the journey of the loofah plant, explore its textures, and plant your own seeds to take home. A grounding, sensory experience that gently pulls you out of your head and back into the moment.
Book here

🌊 Floating Hypno-Sound Session
Friday 24th April, 8:00 PM
Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental, Abu Dhabi
A sound healing experience, but elevated. Float on water as layered sound and gentle frequencies guide you into deep stillness. Set in one of Abu Dhabi’s most iconic spaces, this is one of those sessions where you can fully switch off and just be.
Book here

 INDUSTRY TRENDS AND NEWS

🍬 Wellness Gummies Are Getting Serious
Unilever just acquired Grüns - the greens gummy brand that’s turned “daily vitamins” into something people actually want to take. Scaling to $300M in under four years, it’s built a loyal following by making nutrition feel easy, enjoyable… and genuinely consistent. With new SKUs for energy, immunity and cognitive health, this is less “supplement”, more daily ritual. And with Unilever already behind brands like Nutrafol and OLLY, they’re clearly doubling down on owning your wellness stack - one habit at a time.
Outtake: Exactly what we called out last week - smaller, trust-led brands win first… then the big players move in.
Read More

⚖️ The Health App Race Is Heating Up
Fresh off its $10B+ valuation and major funding round last week, WHOOP is now suing AI health coach Bevel - alleging it copied its design, features and core metrics like strain, recovery and sleep. Bevel has pushed back, but the case shows just how competitive this space is becoming. As wearables evolve into full “personal health OS” platforms, it’s no longer just about tracking data - it’s about owning the interface, the experience, and how that data is interpreted. With AI coaches now layering on top, multiple players are competing to become your go-to health dashboard.
Punchline: Big money, big egos, big land grab. And if you ask us… this is just the beginning. This isn’t just about features - it’s about owning your entire health ecosystem.
Read More

🏃‍♀️ Nike Is Rethinking Its Place in Fitness
Nike has shut down all Nike Studios locations - its short-lived move into IRL group fitness with HIIT, strength and treadmill classes. Launched in 2023, the concept was always a test… and for now, it didn’t quite land. Because while community is the buzzword, you can’t just build it overnight. Boutique fitness thrives on identity, standout instructors, and that “this is my place” feeling - something that’s earned over time, not installed through brand equity. It also sat in an awkward middle ground - not quite niche enough to compete with cult studios, but too premium to feel like an everyday gym. And in a post-Covid world, people are more selective about where they spend both their time andtheir energy.
Our thoughts: A reminder that community isn’t built through branding alone. It’s built through consistency, connection, and lived experience. Nike will find its lane… but we can see maybe this wasn’t quite it.
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🧠 Your Nervous System… But on Autopilot
Finnish startup Audicin just raised €1.6M to scale brainwave tech designed to regulate stress, focus and sleep in real time, and entirely in the background. Using music, spatial audio and embedded binaural beats, it nudges your nervous system throughout the day without needing your attention. It works through headphones (and pairs with wearables like Oura, WHOOP and Apple Watch), with a phone-free sleep headband in development - already being tested in high-pressure environments like healthcare, defence and elite sport. Think less “do your meditation”, more… your system quietly handling things for you.
Outtake: Female-founded, built for real life - “it’s working all day, adapting to cognitive load, decisions, and stress signals.” Seriously… where can a girl get her hands on one of these? Needed immediately.
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🔮 TREND TO WATCH

🍬 Wellness Is Getting… More Enjoyable
The shift is clear: wellness is moving from “optimal” to actually sustainable. Think gummies, functional snacks, drinks - all designed to be easy, enjoyable, and something you’ll actually stick to. We’re seeing it everywhere. Grüns turning greens powders into gummy bears. Poppi making gut health feel like a soda moment. OLLY building an entire supplement range that feels more like sweets than a protocol. Even protein is being repackaged into bars, desserts and ready-to-drink formats that feel like a treat, not a task. Because the reality? The best routine is the one you repeat. And right now, brands are winning by making wellness feel less like discipline… and more like something you genuinely want.
Outtake: Maybe not the “perfect” approach… but if it’s easier to stick to and more accessible, it’s probably the one that actually works.
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🔬 RESEARCH SPOTLIGHT

🧪 Repurposed Drugs in Cancer Care Are Getting Attention
A new preprint study is exploring the use of two anti-parasitic drugs - ivermectin and mebendazole - as adjunct therapies in cancer patients. In a real-world cohort of 197 patients (122 followed up at six months), around 84% reported some form of clinical benefit, including disease stabilisation, tumour regression, or in some cases, no evidence of disease. But context matters. These were self-reported outcomes, often alongside conventional treatments like chemotherapy, radiation and surgery and the study has not yet been peer-reviewed. Interest in repurposing existing drugs is growing, particularly those that are low-cost and widely available. But this is still early-stage research, and much more rigorous testing is needed before drawing conclusions.
Bottom Line: Encouraging signal… but not a green light. This is one to watch carefully with curiosity, not conclusions.
Read More