The New Nation - Internet Edition

Eating for energy

Rita Faria

It's 3 p.m. and you can barely keep your eyes open. Your limbs feel heavy and, in mid-sentence, a large yawn has stopped you cold -- for the third time. It's not as though you didn't get the requisite eight hours last night, so what's going on? It could just be one of those days, but if you're out of energy on a regular basis, you might want to take a look at your diet.

There are a lot of ways in which what you eat or don't eat could affect your energy level.

"If clients come to me complaining of low energy, I would look at their individual diet. The food you eat may not be the only thing affecting your lagging spirits, but it makes sense that what goes in affects what you are able to put out.

Every person is different. If they're leaving out red meats, or they're a vegan or lacto-ovo, there may be an iron deficiency." All of these diet choices provide little iron, and Lynch says at that point, she would send a client for hemoglobin testing. If you do have an iron deficiency, prescription iron supplements would be necessary to build your energy back up. And don't worry -- if you're a little low in iron, you don't have to turn away from your veggie lifestyle. Lynch says eating whole grains and lots of vitamin C can help boost your iron intake.

If iron isn't your energy-stealer, another culprit might be the latest diet craze.

Carbs are the body's preferred source of energy. If you're on a diet that really restricts your carb intake, you might not have as much energy.

Extremely low-calorie diets could also zap your energy because your caloric intake would be so much less than what you're burning off.

So, follow the Atkins plan or the South Beach diet, if it's right for you, but if you are experiencing a lack of get-up-and-go, you might have to adjust the diet to your individual needs.

Body uses food for energy. It sounds obvious, but if you aren't getting enough calories, you won't have as much energy.

"Eat your vegetables" is a favorite adage of mothers everywhere and for good reason. To maintain a strong, healthy body, you need to eat a nutritious and balanced diet filled with vegetables, fruits, whole grains and lean meats.

A proper diet can help build strong muscles, keep your mind alert, give you energy and enhance your performance. Simply said, "Food fuels your body and mind".

There is so much focus on the appearance of Cheerleaders, they sometimes become victims of fad diets, fast weight loss and improper nutrition. Don't give in and fall into these ruts. Cheerleading is a high energy sport that takes fast thinking, good coordination and strong muscles. It is far better to maintain a healthy and nutritious diet, get plenty of rest, drink lots of fluids and exercise, to keep your body in peak condition for optimal performance. You are what you eat; eat healthy and be healthy.

Without getting into too much physiology, your body needs carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Carbohydrates are the body's main source of energy. Proteins are the basis for your muscles and fats/oils help with your nerves and hormones among other things. A proper diet should include all of these, but the key to maximum performance is the ratio you intake. An athlete should eat a balanced diet that is high in carbohydrates, low in fat, and adequate in protein.

Follow these simple guidelines of what to eat before, during and after you perform, compete, or tryout.

What to Eat and When

Before

Eat high carbohydrate foods like bread, pasta, whole grains, vegetables, and fruits. Carbohydrates are digested quickly and provide glucose to the muscles. Stay away from dairy products and too much protein like greasy hamburgers, pizza, ice cream, and cheese. Avoid soda pop and candy bars. They can give you a quick burst of energy, but it will drop quickly, leaving you feeling spent.

Timing your meal from 1 to 4 hours before strenuous activity will help keep plenty of blood glucose available for your muscles.

It is also important to drink plenty of water to keep your muscles hydrated.

During

Drink plenty of water. Exertion and perspiration deplete your body of fluids and can lead to dehydration. It is recommended you drink at least a half of cup of water for every twenty minutes of exercise or strenuous activity.

If your activity is hard and continuous, over 90 minutes, drink a sports beverage or a drink with sugar added.

After

This is the time to eat protein to replenish what you lost during your physical activity, but don't overdo it. Remember protein can not only come from meats but is also present in dairy products and eggs.

Replace carbohydrates if your activity was long and exerting.

Replace any potassium or sodium that has been lost during competition or training by eating fruits, vegetables and salty foods.

Continue to replace fluids.

Knowing what foods your body needs for energy will payoff in your athletic accomplishments. Eat smart and you'll perform better.

Healthy diet increases tolerance

Good nutrition can help a patient replenish the good cells and lessen any adverse side effects.

It's important to have good nutrition at any time in your life, and at this time when you're under treatment, it's a more stressful situation on your body.

Dietitians advise patients to concentrate on three areas when undergoing treatment for breast cancer: proper hydration, overall calorie intake and increased protein.

Proper hydration

Being properly hydrated plays a key role in how well you feel during cancer treatments. Patients may complain about headaches and fatigue and assume that these are just the typical side effects of chemotherapy, when in reality they may be due to poor hydration and nutrition.

It's important to drink plenty of fluids, especially water, during treatments. Keeping a glass of water or juice nearby throughout the day can remind a patient to stay hydrated.

You want to keep those kidneys healthy while they're filtering everything out. Increased tolerance of your chemotherapy treatments is evident when you have good hydration and nutrition.

Give yourself an at home manicure

WP desk

This is a fun, easy, and safe way to achieve polished fingernails without paying the higher beauty store prices when going through these ten steps. This is for adults only, or to do with adult supervision for younger girls, always keeping safety in mind, and always putting the products up safely after use. Before beginning, wash your nails thoroughly, even with the polish on your fingernails. Try mostly to get your nails clean underneath your nail cartilage where it is not attached to the skin before beginning. If you notice growths, tiny knobs under there, or any redness or dirt substance that does not come out from under your fingernail bed, stop this process, and go to see a medical doctor.

You will need:

1 pack of cotton balls

1 fingernail polish remover

1 emery board

1 nail trimmer

1 cuticle remover

1 bottle of fingernail polish

A couple of paper towels

Nail polish removing.

Firstly, take out as many cotton balls as needed one at a time, and safely douse each fingernail with nail polish remover, until your whole fingernail is your natural true color. It is available now at the stores in bottle or sponge form in a bottle. For the sponge type, you have to dip your finger into the container, usually a plastic one, and swish your finger around frequently checking it to make sure your fingernail polish is coming off. For the fingernail polish in the bottle without a sponge embedded in it, you have to carefully tip it about a fourth of the way over using the cotton ball at the top to stop up the top from spilling out all over, and If you need to, you can have some paper towel handy to wipe off any excess fingernail polish remover that spills over as a result. Whichever fingernail polish remover you choose, swab your fingernails one by one until they are your natural color.

If you frequently use fingernail polish, your natural nail can become tinted a little of a yellowing color, not to be confused with bold yellow, and not red or green, or swollen. If your fingernails or fingers start to become red, green, or swollen, seek medical attention immediately. If you are doing ok, and your nails are now their natural color, go to step 2.

Filing your nails with an emery board.

Next, you should have what is called an emery board. An emery board is usually a very inexpensive fingernail board used for filing down rough nail surfaces that is rough on the surface at least on one side. An emery board should not be used to scrape your natural nail surface at all. It will make your smooth fingernails rough.

You can use the emery board quite effectively on the end of your nail, in order to give it a consistent shape and make the tip of your nail smooth, not rough. Emery board comes in all shapes and sizes, and you can even look for one to fit your personality or wardrobe color-wise. As soon as you are done smoothing the tips of your nails in a uniform manner, proceed to the next step 3.

Trimming your fingernails.

A fingernail trimmer is used in your home nail process when you want to reshape or shorten your nails more efficiently than with an emery board. You can make your fingernails shorter using fingernail clippers, which are clippers that are small in size designed to fit your nail shape and be able to cut your fingernail tip surface, without having enough force in them to really do massive cutting damage, but still use safety.

You should trim your nails at least once a month if they are healthy. Never trim unhealthy, discolored or brittle fingernails. Never trim your nails to the quick, which is the place where your fingernail cartilage meets your skin.

Be mindful of safety, even at this stage of the process. If you have hypoglycemia, or any other disease such as Parkinson's or nerves, do not clip your own fingernails if you might have an issue of safety. Some fingernails are hard, and take some sharper fingernail cutters to cut through them. If this is the case with yours, you may want to consider going to a salon or a simple medical visit and have a professional trim them. However, if not, trim away. This is mostly a basic and fun procedure for most people. Then start with step #4.

Cuticle removing.

Next, you need to use your cuticle remover to remove your cuticle, or actually push it down. Your cuticle is that soft skin that forms at the bottom of your fingernail at the place where your fingernail cartilage and your skin meet. It is just like a foreskin. Its job is to cover the place where your nail cartilage meets your skin, and make a smooth transition for that to happen. As your fingernails grow, your cuticle skin stretches, and this process of removing your cuticle pushes back that excess to promote your nail growth and health.

Again, you would want to check your cuticle area for rashes, redness, swelling, discoloration of any kind, and if any of those issues are present in your cuticle, seek the advice of a medical professional before pushing it back.

If you find that it looks pretty much like your fingernail and finger color, but with a different smoother and softer texture, go ahead and push the cuticle back with the cuticle remover, which is a little stick like device with a softer but firm tip made especially for the cuticle. It is not a cutting type tool. It looks a little shorter than a chopstick, but has a necessary soft tipped end to make sure that your cuticle does not get damaged.

Push back your cuticles one at a time using the cuticle removing tool. These are available from nearly any beauty supply store, or store that carries fingernail accessories of any kind. These are also relatively inexpensive.

It is important to note that if at any time in your process for any reason, if your nails start to bleed mildly or a lot, stop this procedure at once. This is not likely to happen in a normal fingernail manicure, but it may be a nice way of warning you of a problem with your own nails that you may need to get medical attention for.

Pick a color.

Now you are ready to pick out a nail polish color from your own home nail polish collection. Pick out a color that matches your skin coloring, outfit styles that you wear, or shade of lipstick. If you polish your nails frequently, make sure that you give them one or two days to air out and breathe naturally to promote healthy nails in between polishes.

Application of finger nail polish color.

Each bottle of nail polish comes with it's own applicator inside the bottle, attached to the handle of the fingernail polish bottle. Just unscrew the fingernail polish bottle, and scrape off the excess fingernail polish on the fingernail polish brush applicator on the side of the bottle itself. You can use a paper towel for this process, but you may end up with paper towel residue mixed into your color, so we would not recommend it. Also, you need to make sure that you have a steady hand for this in order to get your finger nail polish on your fingernail area only, not on your skin. Skin always needs to breathe, and cannot with polish on it.

When you are ready, take the applicator holding non-dripping color to your nails, brushing from the base of your fingernails upward towards the top tip of your nail. Make sure you coat your whole nail evenly. Starting at the base of the nail and applying polish in an upward motion helps you evenly coat your nail.

Correcting polish mistakes.

If you make a mistake, take a paper towel and douse it with nail polish remover as you did with the cotton ball in step one, and try to get the excess polish off your skin using the flat edge of the paper towel. Then, if you need to re-coat that fingernail, go ahead. If not, great. Just move on to the next fingernail until you are done.

Second coats of nail polish.

Wait at least ten minutes before applying a second coat. You should not paint over your nails another time unless your nail polish is dry the first time. Without air, or low to medium speed fans blowing on them, it will take about five minutes for your fingernails to dry. Using high-speed fans near your wet nail polish can move your fingernail polish around your fingernail and mess its even coat up.

Quick drying nails.

You can buy the quick drying kind of nail polish at the stores, or a quick drying sealer that is clear over the color of your nail polish to quicken drying if you are in a hurry. As a reminder, do not attempt to polish your fingernails in an area that does not have proper ventilation. And do not polish your nails around the face of infants.

Save and print this article to have your own home fingernail painting party repeatedly.

This is a fun and easy way to polish your own nails at home without paying the higher priced salon prices. Use this time as a de-stressing technique for you while beautifying your fingernails, or use this time as a special and fun group nail polishing time, inviting your closest family and friends to have a home nail polish party with you.

The art of note taking

By following these ten steps, you will become a more efficient note taker and this will help improve your overall study skills. With good note taking skills, better grades are just around the corner.

1. If possible, sit near the front and center of the class. You will be less likely to become distracted and will probably find staying focused easier.

2. Use a binder instead of a traditional notebook. This way you can add, rearrange, or rewrite pages of your notes, insert handouts and assessments in the appropriate chronological order and review the material covered in the chapter/unit much easier.

3. Put headings and the date on all papers. Organize them chronologically in your binder.

4. Take notes on loose-leaf paper and keep them organized in a three-ring binder. Make sure that you hole punch and add all of the handouts, assignments, quizzes, tests, etc. to your binder. It usually is best if everything for the entire chapter/unit is kept in chronological order in your binder.

5. Think about what is being said before you write anything down.

Do not write down everything the teacher says. Pick out important phrases, terms, and concepts to focus on.

6. Record any examples the teacher may give while lecturing. Examples are extremely important in creating connections in your brain and in helping to jog your memory while studying.

7. Look for cues that teachers give to indicate that something is important. For instance, they may repeat something a few times, change the volume or tone of their voice, write it on the board or overhead, and/or creates lists for you. Be sure to ask them to repeat what they have just said if you miss the initial cue but later realize that you should be writing the material down.

8. Leave some space between portions of your notes so you can make additional comments as you study or read the text.

9. Re-write or even re-type your notes. Not only will your notes be much more organized and make studying easier, but the practice of re-writing notes gives you another opportunity to think about the material as you write or type it again. Make sure that you re- write them in a timely manner. The more time that passes between taking the original notes and re-writing them, the less effective this strategy is.

10. Review these notes often. The more times you see them, the easier it is to commit them to memory and the less time you will spend studying them prior to the test.

Turning over a new financial leaf

More and more women have greater financial clout than in years gone by, as well as more responsibilities towards looking after their family. But they haven't kept pace with their financial planning - men are still more likely to sort out their pensions and life assurance. Failure to think about the future though could leave you dangerously exposed.

Despite the biggest baby boom in nearly three decades and many mums now the main breadwinner or the sole carer, women are less likely to consider taking out life assurance or income protection insurance than men. Indeed, according to a recent study, 67% more men over the age of 28 apply for Life Assurance than women.

It's a sobering statistic that every 30 minutes a child under 16 loses either their father or mother, but in an increasing number of households where women are either the main breadwinner or the sole carer, there is nothing in place to protect the family's income if the worst happens.

Mistrust of commission-led sales people, busy lives coupled with a confusing array of policies, means that many women simply avoid financial planning or end up purchasing a policy 'off the shelf' in the supermarket, which just isn't suitable for them.

So how do you make the right choice?

With so many providers and products, obtaining advice from an independent financial advisor who will work with you to understand your needs and then search the market for products best suited to your circumstances, is the best starting point. Just as a business works closely with an accountant they trust, so women need to work with an advisor who knows them and can advise accordingly.

Critical Illness insurance will pay out a tax-free sum if you're diagnosed with one of a number of specified 'critical' illnesses, income protection makes up income lost through illness, accident or disability and private medical insurance can cover you for private medical treatment helping you to return to work as quickly as possible. Independent advisors are used to doing the sums and will make an unbiased proposal of the best products tailored to suit your lifestyle and your needs.

But it's not just Life Insurance that women need to think about. The Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) warns that many women also miss out on a full state pension because they earn too little or take time off work to look after children or relatives. Added to that, women are less likely than men to have a private pension. 30% of women reach state pension age at the moment on a full basic state pension, compared to over 80 % of men.

It's a good idea to get a forecast of your state pension, to check if you're up to date with your national insurance contributions. This means you won't be faced with a nasty surprise in the future, and it gives you a chance to top up your state pension by paying voluntary contributions.

Many women are putting their future into property and turning to the buy-to-let market as an additional source of income for the present and to create a nest egg for the future.

Before jumping in with both feet, we advise talking to an independent mortgage broker with a track record in successful buy-to-let purchases. They will be able to gauge the strength of the market and advise on the areas to consider before buying your first rental property.

Ladies, you're now earning the money, make sure you make the most of it!

Nutritional food for children

It's no surprise that parents need some help understanding what it means to eat healthy. Though it is awfully confusing. The good news is that you don't need a degree in nutrition to raise a healthy child. By following some basic guidelines, you can create an environment that encourages your child to eat right and maintain a healthy weight.

Here are 10 key rules to live by:

Parents control the supply lines. You decide which foods to buy and when to serve them. Though kids will pester their parents for less nutritious foods, adults should be in charge when deciding which foods are regularly stocked in the house. Kids won't go hungry. They'll eat what's available in the cupboard and fridge at home. If their favorite snack isn't all that nutritious, you can still buy it once in a while so they don't feel deprived.

From the foods you offer, kids get to choose what they will eat or whether to eat at all. Kids need to have some say in the matter. From the selections you offer, let them choose what to eat and how much of it they want. This may seem like a little too much freedom. But if you follow step 1, your kids will be choosing only from the foods you decided to buy and serve.

Quit the "clean-plate club." Let kids stop eating when they feel they've had enough. Lots of people who are parents today grew up under the clean-plate rule, but that approach doesn't help kids listen to their own bodies when they feel full. When they notice and respond to feelings of fullness, they're less likely to overeat.

Start them young. Food preferences are developed early in life, so offer a variety of foods. Likes and dislikes begin forming even when kids are babies. You may need to serve a new food on several different occasions for a child to accept it. Don't force a child to eat, but offer a few bites. With an older child, ask him or her to try one bite.

Rewrite the kids' menu. Who says kids only want to eat hot dogs, pizza, burgers, and macaroni and cheese? When eating out, let your children try new foods and they might surprise you with their willingness to experiment. You can start by letting kids try a little of whatever you ordered or ordering an appetizer for them to try.

Drink calories count. Soda and other sweetened drinks add extra calories and get in the way of good nutrition. Water and milk are the best drinks for kids. Juice is fine when it's 100%, but kids don't need much of it - 4 to 6 ounces a day is enough for preschoolers.

Put sweets in their place. Occasional sweets are fine, but don't turn dessert into the main reason for eating dinner. When dessert is the prize for eating dinner, kids naturally place more value on the cupcake than the broccoli. Try to stay neutral about foods.

Food is not love. Find better ways to say "I love you." When foods are used to reward kids and show affection, kids may start using food to cope with stress or other emotions. Offer hugs, praise, and attention instead of food treats.

Kids do as you do. Be a role model and eat healthy yourself. When trying to teach good eating habits, try to set the best example possible. Choose nutritious snacks, eat at the table, and don't skip meals.

Limit TV and computer time. When you do, you'll avoid mindless snacking and encourage activity. Research has shown that kids who cut down on TV-watching also reduced their percentage of body fat. When TV and computer time are limited, kids will find more active things to do. And when the whole family limits "screen time," you'll have more time to be active together.

8 common relationship mistakes

Nobody's perfect, but it seems there are some mistakes that have more dire consequences on your love relationship than others. Have you made any of these blunders? Make your partnership a success by avoiding these relationship traps

Mistake 1: Trying To Change Your Partner

"If they love me enough, they'll change to please me." So many believe that they can and will change their partner. It's only a matter of time. They say, "If he loves me enough, he'll change that small thing to please me." But to your partner, that "small thing" isn't so small. Even if they do try to change to please you, very often they become resentful. "You don't love me for myself, but for the person you want me to be," they say. And it's true. When you try to change them they feel you don't really love them. You just want to turn them into someone to fill your needs.

Mistake 2: Feeling Like You're A Failure In Relationships

When some people see that things aren't working they become depressed. They start to feel as though they're not loveable, that destiny is against them or that they will always be a failure in love. The truth is that you're not a failure. You simple have not yet been taught important truths about relationships. Once you learn and practice new ideas and methods, you'll be able to handle your life in a way you may have never thought possible.

Mistake 3: Believing You Have To Be "Good Enough" To Keep Their Love

Many feel they're not "good enough". They feel they have to turn into a pretzel to keep someone's love. Recently a woman came to me and said, "I finally found a wonderful man but I'm miserable in the relationship. Everyday I worry that he'll find out who I really am and leave." This woman not only expected rejection, she actually did little things to bring it about. Soon she began to sabotage the relationship, finding fault with him at every turn. Although she didn't realize it, she did this to feel better about herself. The truth is we can never earn another person's love. The more we try the worse we feel. We must simply understand that who we truly are is entirely loveable. We must learn to make friends with ourselves.

Mistake 4: Rejecting Your Partner So They Can't Do It First

Many reject their partners as protection individuals against being rejected themselves. The bottom line is these may not feel they deserve a relationship, they feel they can't hold onto a partner because they haven't accepted themselves.

Mistake 5: Believing Your Partner Should Read Your Mind, And Know What You Want Without Your "Communicating" Clearly

"If he/she really loved me, they'd know what I needed and give it to me." Many believe that if their partners really loved them, they would read their minds. It wouldn't be necessary to have to actually ask for what they wanted. This is one of the most serious mistakes people make in relationships. Without truthful, open, communication no relationship can flourish. Effective communication, however, can be a skill. And though you may feel that you have repeated yourself a thousand times, that you have communicated. There are available communication techniques which, in and of themselves, can save your relationship. Not only is it necessary to know what you want, and to ask for it clearly (without producing guilt) -- it is also necessary to be able to accept both yes and no.

Mistake 6: Believing It's Your Partner's Job To Make You Happy

Your partner is not there to meet all your needs. If he/she says no, it doesn't mean he/she doesn't love you. Some demands may be impossible to fulfill. It is not your partner's job to make you happy. Your partner should be here to grow and share with you. You must learn to make yourself happy, and make others happy as well. Love is based upon communicating, consideration and giving. First, however, you must be happy with yourself, before another can make you happy.

Mistake 7: Believing It's Hard To Get Him To Talk

"No matter what I do I can't get him to talk, and I do not believe he is sharing all of his honest feelings with me." Many women claim they can't get men to talk. When time comes for intimate conversation guys clam up, offer a few grunts and expect women to magically understand what's going on. Women feel shut out and men feel misunderstood. However, there is something women don't realize. Men want to talk. Under the right conditions, they'll talk all night long. Men desperately want to let others know what's going on. However, something else many don't realize is, men are more fragile than women. In order for them to talk, things have to be right. All that's needed here is to learn how to create the right conditions, what is necessary for a man to feel safe enough with you to talk.

Mistake 8: Being Addicted To Fighting

Many couples keep relationships alive and exciting by fighting. When they see their partner upset, it reassures them that they care. Others have seen their parents fighting and this is the only role model they have. Some are addicted to the "high" they get out of fighting. A few crave the feeling of domination or control. Domination is not love. If it hurts, it is abuse, not love.

So you want to go bungee jumping?

Bungy, or sometimes spelled 'Bungee' jumping is something that most people have on their "Must Do before I Die" list. it is something that everybody should do at least once in their lifetime.

Some call bungee jumping an extreme sport, while others use it as an excuse to break out of the fear mentality. If you've decided to make like Wile E. Coyote and jump off a bridge-with bungee cord in tow, of course-the entire experience is sure to be an adrenaline rush to remember. Whatever your excuse might be to take the plunge and enjoy the rebound ride; there are a few things to review before you climb up that ladder.

It's important to know, for example, that there are a few different manoeuvres you can initiate while you descend. Also, you have a choice in the harness; not all bungee cords wrap themselves around your waist; you can choose a leg harness instead that will give you a much better chance of enjoying that flying feeling.

Bungee Jumping Harnesses

Beginning with your choice of jumps, you can pick from three basic types: the most common is the body harness; other options are a leg harness or arm harness. The body harness gives you the most freedom go move around and flail those arms for that picture-perfect shot of you free falling. The body harness is attached near your belly so that you can spin, flip, and turn around as you please. The leg harness is actually positioned on both legs, although experienced bungee jumpers might choose just one. The leg harness will make you really feel like you're falling without restraint, and is best suited for the seasoned jumper who can brave the shock factor. The arm harness is not recommended for most jumpers, since it's fairly easy to dislocate your shoulders from the weight. Still, some people choose this as an alternative to the leg harness.

Dives are part of your free-falling experience in bungee jumping, and the more often you jump, the better you'll get at each one. The Swallow Dive is the most common type, and is probably the best overall experience. This is the one you've probably seen on extreme sports channels where the bungee jumper spreads out their arms in a wing style. A Back Dive is a little harder to pull off, but this is where you simply throw yourself off backwards and lean back as far as you can. Most people simply twist back to a face-down position before completing this one. A Bat Drop and Dive is a maneuver that requires a helping hand; your partner needs to hold you upside down and just let you drop straight down. Your arms need to stay close to your body during the descent with feet point up the whole way. The Elevator Dive is a variation of the Bat Drop; this one is performed where you keep your feet pointing down.

Bungee Jumping Variations

When jumping off a bridge becomes more natural to you, you can start to explore some bungee jumping variations. A Tandem Bungee Jump is where two jumpers are jumping at the same time; the risk here is obviously a headbutt of epic proportions, but it can be done if the timing's right. A Water Touchdown is another roption; this is where you'll be heading straight to a deep water pool or ocean, possibly taking a dip and then coming back up just in time. This is very dangerous if the water isn't deep enough , so be sure to pick a suitable spot for your drop. Another option is the Catapult; think of this as the reverse bungee jump, where your cord is stretched to maximum capacity while you're still on the ground. During the release, you'll be shot up into the air towards the bungee cage; the risk here, of course, is hitting that cage.

Bungee jumping first appeared in the early late 1970s when members of the Dangerous Sports Club jumped from the Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol. Bungee jumping first became popular in the U.S. in the early 1980s, and has since become an attractive extreme sport and hobby of the average adrenaline junkie. If you're interested in the thrill of the jump, tie on that harness and make the most of your experience with all the options available!

Before embarking on any extreme sport you should always be assured of the suitability of the operators.

Don't try anything fancy

Advanced acrobatics are a part of bungee jumping but for the first few times, you will want to leave these to the experts. One of the most common bungee jumps is a straightforward swallow dive that will end with your head point downwards and your feet in the air. Discuss the type of jump you want to do with the jumpmaster, as it may be affected by the type of harness you wear.

Don't look down

Every instinct in your body will be screaming out for you not to jump. A good way to control this according to some bungee jumpers is to look straight ahead and imagine you are diving into a pool.

Watch out for rope burn A common minor but nevertheless painful injury can be caused by rope burn. To avoid this keep some clothing between the rope and your skin - but don't cause any tangling. Again, the jumpmaster should make sure you are made as comfortable as possible for your bungee jump.

Add sparkle to your home decor

Farizaa Sabreen

Eid is a time filled with fun and laughter. Eid décor adds a tinge of excitement and warmth to the holidays. While decorating your house, you need to be careful about each and every corner.

With little bit of creativity and imagination one can make interesting décor for his/her home. A few decorations here and there in the house change the look of the house to a great extent.

And while more and more people are looking for fresh and innovative ways to express a unique sense of style with their holiday décor, many are simply not quite sure where to begin. That is why we have developed a list of foolproof decorating tips of Eid.

Flowers and candles are always an elegant match as well, and a candlescape can add classic style to your holiday décor. Display candles in various shapes and sizes on a decorative tray and accent them with your favorite holiday flowers, fresh evergreens, ribbons, or small ornaments. Candlescapes create warm sparkling light in any space and are particularly lovely on a coffee table, credenza, or dining table.

Find a Focal point

Before you start designing your living room, always decide on a focal point. This helps you to add furniture and other decorative items that will go along with the flow of the room. If living in apartment houses, you can choose a wall, a window or a balcony that comes attached as the main attraction of the room. You can start by concentrating on that focal point. Use your creativity with colors, paintings, lightings and make it the most striking feature in the room. All other things like sofas, coffee table, lampshades and decorative items should just compliment that. So you do spend too much of your energy trying to balance or even out the room. There are many wild bohemian, contemporary styles you can explore.

Personalize your space

A house should be a reflection of your tastes, styles and personality. When you enter your house, a feeling of warmth and belongingness should be experienced. If you do not put in things that does not exude comfort, you might end up staying in sterile environment, where you wouldn't relax or lie down on a sofa for fear of spoiling the upholstery.

Put up family pictures or any of your collector's items. Also try some fusion like hanging up wind chimes or a colorful mirror work on the walls. Drop an ethnic touch by adding silk curtains, cushions or a Persian carpet on the walls.

Colors on the walls

Selecting the colors for the walls again should be an extension of your personality. Today paint companies like Asian Paints provide good painting sessions and free samples to the customers to see and decide on a color.

Wallpapers are another very useful and cheaper options than paints.

Mix and match

When looking for quick and unusual ways to display flowers, gather unique containers that help you go beyond the typical flower combinations. Don't be afraid to mix and match colours and textures. If it doesn't work, you can always take the arrangement apart and start again.

Striking look

Combining a tall bulb flower with a squat bloom lets you create a striking look that's appropriate as a centerpiece. Look for a large, shallow bowl with a flat bottom. Cluster the bulbs in the middle and prop them in place with sponges or a hand towel while you stuff the shorter blooms all around it.

Floral decoration

Roses tucked into a bowl of apples make a quick, temporary table decoration. Flowers shouldn't stand too long near fruits and vegetables, however. Ethylene gas, emitted by produce as it ripens, causes blooms to wilt prematurely.

Blooming buckets

A humble garden pail gets dressed up when you fill it with vivid-colour flowers. Trim the stems to the depth of the bucket so the blooms just peek out the top. Tie a bow around the bucket using wire-edge ribbon, and extend a piece of ribbon up and over the top like a handle.

Glass containers

Gather a bunch of flowers that are the same hue and assemble them in themed containers of various shapes and sizes. This mantel arrangement features rosy-cheeked pink roses in an assortment of clear glass containers-from a cut-glass candy dish, to stemware, to a florist's vase, to a vintage bottle. The elements are unified on a lace runner that's draped along the mantel. To keep it casual, leave some of the containers empty.

Mixing greenery

Give half-a-dozen single-colour blooms greater impact by mixing in greenery and arranging them in a standing vase. Think beyond baby's breath and florist ferns. Florists also stock more natural-looking greens, such as asparagus fern and seeded eucalyptus. Or, explore your own yard for options. These peach roses are nestled into a vintage silver vase amid pine branches and lemon leaves.

Decorating Nooks and Corners

Corridors

Decorating corridors is more or less the problem of every household. The first thing one needs to remember when working on corridors is; this is one place of your house that is alive and active. People are always moving in and out of your corridors. So give your corridors a picture gallery look. You can put paintings, family photographs and murals as wall decor. Add lamps at little distances to give a soft and dramatic look to your corridors.

If you find this decorating tip not so appealing then how about adding some artifacts and flower arrangements complete with soft yellow lighting. If your corridor is wide enough, one can even go for a bookshelf. To complete the feel, put some heavy drapes at the end of the corridor.

Staircases

Most of the times, the space below the staircases are turned into a storage area giving a shabby appearance to your decor. If you really require a storage space, build a sliding cabinet with racks to store your brooms and shoes. This will give your space a neater look and at the same time give you adequate space to keep your stuff.

If space is not a problem, then do something more creative with that empty space. You can put a wallpaper of scenery to give a feeling of depth. Go for some dim lighting, according to the theme of your wallpaper.

One can also create a recreation corner below the staircase. Throw in some cushions, proper lighting and a potted plant or two and build a world of its own. If there is space, then put a small coffee table and chair and snuggle up with a book.

Lofts and Landings

Generally spacious loft areas are utilized as storage space. You can easily change a loft area as a kid's room or a guest bedroom. If there is not that large a space then how about making a build in wardrobe? Deck it up with some tall flower vases and indoor plants.

Another challenging area around the house is the landing immediately at the end of the staircase. One can have a long bookshelf in this area or a place to display your holiday snaps.

Table setting

This is an opportunity to get creative about ways to get what you need without spending an arm and a leg, and also discover new ways to make your life simpler. Bring your family together and brainstorm some innovative ways of doing things.

Plan your Eid menus now if you will be serving meals in your home. From the menus, plan what things you will need to purchase. Start purchasing ahead.

Freeze the extra food for meals over the next few weeks. This will help tremendously when you are faced with cooking for the Eid. Make simple meals.

Seating arrangements can be sketched out in advance. If you have ample space in your home, a good idea may be to serve your Eid dinner courses in different rooms. Then, set up the place settings of small platters, napkins, and salad forks with plenty of serving pieces or finger foods already neatly pierced with toothpicks.

Serve the main course at the formal dining table, set in all its glory with fine linen tablecloth, napkins, candelabras, soup tureens, your best porcelain or stoneware, matched or mixed flatware in gold plate or silver, and goblets of glass or crystal. Think of the festive table as the canvas on which you are creating an elegant work of art!

It's also appropriate to fill water goblets about three-fourths full ahead of time, perhaps with small ice cubes or cracked ice to keep it fresh and cold. Keep a water pitcher on the table or on a nearby buffet cabinet.

Bulky candelabras may have to be moved to the piano top and replaced by a pair of slender tapers or individual small candles.

If formal isn't your style, try a buffet setting for a much more casual atmosphere. Sturdy stoneware would be recommended. But it's a good idea to keep the napkins and silverware wrapped together or placed at the diner table with the water goblets, thereby avoiding most dropping and spilling accidents. And if you love using napkin rings, by all means do so, but be prepared to lose one or two with any large gathering.

Create an artful arrangement of an eclectic mix of tabletop settings, putting that extra effort into the planning and creative design of your tabletop this season will add to the warmth and cheer of your Eid festivities.

When choosing a centerpiece, you want to make sure that it will add to the beauty of your table without overpowering it or blocking conversation. Fresh Flowers in low arrangements and candles are always beautiful, but switch it up sometimes by getting creative. Edible centerpieces, such as fancy desserts or a mosaic of colorful candies can add a whimsical and delicious touch. Shallow bowls filled glass marbles in colors that complement your linens are also an option. The decorations and style of your table should be a reflection of you.