Bima'sCorner Blog

SWIMMING: My first experience| Tips for a first-timer.

2021-01-17T18:58:00.000-11:00

I wasn't tensed at first, had prepped my mind for sometime and gathered all the courage needed at home prior to the D-day. Unlike the usual experience when first time swimming for most people was early childhood mine was quite different started early adulthood and I wasn't even a bit shy about it. I mean there's no specific time to experience things for the first time.

Swimming is a very lucrative activity|sports.You get to have fun and enjoy the comfort of the water at the same time exercising your bone and muscles effortlessly. A good way to work your entire body, build endurance, muscle strength, cardiovascular fitness and maintain a healthy weight without much impact on your bones and muscles unlike running or jogging.

One time you are having a great time in the pool at the same time keeping fit. Indeed, all the back strokes and front crawl do pay off.

My first experience was quite fun, surrounded by friends that could guide me through the whole learning process but as stubborn as I can be, I felt I could handle things alone.

Looking at the picture above that's me on a lifebuoy staying so close to the wall of the pool after my "It's easy I knew it all failed me". I mean, you will agree with me too that watching video clips of people swimming made it look easy. Thought as much but it was a different case altogether when I got into the pool.

On entering the pool the water felt so cool, I felt weightless like something comfortably held my weight without stress. The water was taking full control of my movement I couldn't move of my own free will. I felt like there was a force in aroma form oozing out of the water that made me feel like gasping for breath even though the water level was at my chest. It was then I knew I couldn't handle things alone and reached out to my friend close by. She passed a lifebuoy to me and saw me through the whole process.

Guess who was moving and enjoying the comfort of the water few minutes later? Me!!.

Swimming is actually very fun when you know how to. It is very important to have full knowledge of swimming or a professional to teach you. These alone can help you become a good swimmer, no two ways about it. That was all my first experience made me realize.

Based on my experience, here are 9 tips that would guide you through your first swimming experience and help you overcome the fear that comes with it.

1.Where to swim: a swimming pool is the best place to learn to how to swim. As a beginner avoid fast flowing rivers, ocean and lakes.

2.Wear a swimwear|swimsuite: This enables you to comfortably swim in water. It makes your body lighter and straighter to float easily in water.

3.Shower before swimming: A standard swimming pool must have a shower room, usually located very close to the dressing room. Showering helps to remove sweat, bacteria, lotion etc from your body. This is one of best way to protect yourself and other swimmers from water illnesses. Because when chlorine in the water mixes with such, it produces toxic agent that it isn't good for the skin.

Please do not swim in any pool that doesn't have a shower room and indicates it as a criteria before making use of the pool. it's very risky.

4.Go for the lower depth: This is very important. Most swimming pools have two or more depths indicated on the wall of the pool. Check for this and go for the lower depth. Ensure that your feets are able to feel the floor of the pool.

Lower depths makes it comfortable and easy for you to learn. You go for the higher depths only when you are good at swimming.

5.Stay close to the wall of the pool: Don't go as far as the center of the pool. Stay close to the wall so that in case you feel like holding on to something or taking a break. You would be able to do so.

6.Lifebuoy | lifejacket : A safety swimming device that provides buoyancy and prevents drowning. Every functional swimming pool must have one of these. As a beginner ensure you ask for any of the two before entering the pool. It helps a lot.

7.No rush, relax and enjoy the comfort of the water. You can't learn how to become a good swimmer in just a day. With constant practice you will get there.

8. Shower after swimming: This is also as important as showering before swimming. It helps to prevent drying and whitening of your skin due to the chlorine used in purifying the water. It also protects you from bacteria that may cause reactions to your skin.

9. Never go alone to the pool. Through your learning process|beginner stage, ensure you are with someone to keep a close range with you while you swim. Please don't ever make the mistake of doing the opposite, its very risky.

Swimming is a very lovely experience. At first you may feel scared but along the line the feeling disappears. Observing safety measures diligently keeps you on the right track. I hope you get to enjoy your first experience just as I did.

What was your first swimming experience like? Share with me on the comment section.

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Dry season in Nigeria: Foods in abundance | What to buy?

2020-11-23T01:49:00.002-11:00

There are times when you go to the market to buy food stuffs and you notice the abundance of a specific food on display at the market. Yeah that. It is referred to as in-season food or seasonal food.

The thought of why it is in abundance now than it was within the year at the market may possibly cross your mind.

Due to advanced farming system in the agricultural sector over the years, it has been made possible to buy food stuffs at any given time of the year wheather the food is in-season or not. Quite a different case back in the olden days when people got to eat only what the season provided.

But nevertheless, the agricultural sector still rely on seasons for a better farm produce.

In-season foods grow in its natural frequency, the soil and weather is very favorable for its cultivation and harvesting. The outcome is usually a fresher, healthier variety of foods. Less expensive due to mass production and competition to sell-out.

Indeed, a very good time to save money and buy foods in bulk. Compared to buying within the year when the price is twice the amount for a lesser quantity.

The last time I went food shopping at the market. I made use of the opportunity to hear from the food sellers on their take on the topic. So let's have a look.

-Plaintain: perfect timing to eat this beautiful bunch. Sweet varieties available this period. In abundance, good quality and quantity at an attractive price.

-Carrot: available and more sweeter during this period.

-Oranges - best harvesting period, weather favors ripening. Sweeter varieties at an affordable price.

-Africa cherry/udala/agbalumo- I call this the queen of the dry season. You can't see this fruit for sale at any time of the year other than during dry season in Nigeria. It is always in adundance with lots of sweet and sour varieties. Goodluck finding sweeter ones.

-Onions- this period favors its growth and harvest. Mostly grown in the north. Availability and cost may be affected by economic factors and conflicts between regions in the country.

-African rosewood/Oha leaf- one vegetable that survives perfectly well during the dry season. Always available and at a very attractive price this period.

-Okazi/Afang leaf- this period favors its harvesting. Both quantity and price are attractive. Usually sold in sliced form as seen below.

-Pawpaw: this period favors its growth, ripening and harvesting. Different sizes at an attractive price.

Tomatoes- this period favors its growth and harvesting. Grown more in the northern part of Nigeria. Economic factors and conflict between regions may affect its availability in other regions in the country.

Sugarcane - grown mostly in the north. Usually sold in wheelbarrows.

There's definitely more to the list. I will keep this post updated as I come across any.

The main factor that can affect the availability of these foods are economic factors such as inflation, exchange rate which in turn can affect transportation etc. And also conflict between two or more regions in Nigeria where most of the foods are grown in larger quantities than the other.

Tips to help you cope with the Harmattan Season in Nigeria.

2020-11-04T22:18:00.001-11:00

Wow. So we are in the season of the year in West Africa Nigeria we get to experience dry, hot, sunny, cold weather accompanied with dusty wind. The harmattan or dry season occurs in November and lasts till March. You will notice that you tend to feel hot, sweaty and cold more often during the day, at night or vice versa.

Earlier on, I was having a chit-chat with some of my friends they all felt so pleased having the harmattan season around, reasons because of the uninterrupted daily activities without getting to worry about rainfall and muddy roads. You know how bad roads are very common in Nigeria and extremely unbearable during the rainy season.

So yeah, it's the time of the year when we get to plan our activities without worrying about change in weather.

So let's dive into our main topic of discussion

Tips

Dry season and rainy season are prevalent seasons in Nigeria, it's inevitable you just have to find a means to adapt and cope with it.

Here I will be sharing key tips on how you can cope with the harmattan season perfectly well without much struggles.

-Wear a face mask, observe social distancing and wash your hands regularly. Covid-19 is real and still spreading vigorously, stay safe to reduce the spread.

-Drink water regularly to prevent dehydration. Due to the dry and hot weather the body tend to loose lots of water.

-Wear sunglasses more often to protect your eyes from dust and bright sunlight.

-The harmattan season triggers allergies such as red eyes, itching, sneezing, running/stuffy nose and so on. Ensure you visit a doctor immediately for treatment.

-Harmattan season can trigger asthma. Asthmatic patients should always keep their inhaler handy and avoid dust as much as possible.

-When the weather is hot, avoid wearing thick clothes, wear light clothes that would keep your body cool.

-When the weather is very cold, wear thick clothes to keep you warm, eat or drink something hot too. A cup of tea or hot soup would be of great help.

-Black clothes absord light from the sun there by converting it to heat energy. Under the hot sun you tend to feel very hot on black clothes. It's the direct opposite when compared to colored clothes.

-Maintain a personal hygiene. To avoid body odour due to excessive sweating, to prevent the spread of diseases and infections it is important to maintain a personal hygiene.

-The skin, hair scalp tend to get so dry during the harmattan season. Moisturize frequently to avoid dryness of the skin and scalp. Body lotion, vaseline, skin oil for your skin. Coconut oil, olive oil for you hair or any moisturizer of your choice will help.

-Your lips tend to get dry always. Apply lip balm, vaseline or lip gloss to prevent cracking and splitting of your lips which is very painful.

-Ensure you cover your nose and mouth with a mask, handkerchief or face towel in a dusty area to avoid accumulation of dust into your body system.

-Exercise, eat fruits and vegetables to help you stay fit, boost your immune system, fight against infections and keep you healthy.

Harmattan season can be quite a bumpy ride but following up with the tips keeps you on the right track to healthy state of mind and body, stress-free.

If you have other tips that have helped you cope well with the harmattan season kindly share with me in the comment section below, would love to know.

Birthdays~A glimpse into my thoughts.

2020-09-21T06:16:00.004-11:00

As a young little girl then my birthday was a very special day to me. Small me with the little knowledge of what birthday really mean, it was all about the specially baked cake with my name written with colorful icing on it, the gifts, extra playing, outings, chore-free at home for the whole day and most especially birthday wishes which always left me in a very shy state as I replied "thank you" to all of them.

I vividly remember times when I had already set my mind ready weeks before my b-day infact on the first day of my birthday month I was already very excited and happy, I even remember going through the calendar to memorise the number of days left till my special day. Although I was quite the shy type I didn't really show it that much. One of my best birthday gifts, a purse with straps more like a shoulder bag my mum got me on my 10th birthday, it was very lovely and had a neutral color that matched any outfit I wore. Had the purse for like 6yrs and more even till now I still have it packed in a special corner of my wardrobe. It is the longest birthday gift I have kept with me so far.

Going through my childhood birthday pictures with the beautiful memories of past events resurfacing so fresh on my mind, I can say that I fully enjoyed the best part of a being a child.

As seconds turned to minutes hours days months and years growth set in for me in all aspects of my life. Fast forward to this point as an adult now, like they say we learn each day I have come to realize that birthdays aren't only fully revolved around what I thought it was I realized there was more to it. An individuals mindset and perspective have a lot to play in it too especially when the question of how do you as an individual view your own birthday? come up. I guess this is the question that distinguish celebrating ones birthday from the view of being a "common" event to everybody .

I have come to realize that people have different views about celebrating their own birthdays. Some feel it's not worth celebrating, some they haven't achieved much to celebrate for, some it's not necessary and so overacted, some celebrating birthdays have age limits, some even don't keep track of their own birthday and some still have the birthday spirit in them whether celebrating in a big way or not they just feel that adding a year older regardless the struggles in the world is something to be grateful for and that is the category of people I belong in.

I came across several definitions of birthday and the one that really caught my fancy is that "birthday is the anniversary of ones birth" meaning a fully completed 365 days and the beginning of a new one still alive and living amidst the fact that alot have happened, people died and never got the opportunity to celebrate theirs.

Indeed, it is something to be grateful to God for and worth celebrating. It must not necessarily be in a big way, if you have money to fine if you don't still fine. Celebrating your own birthday could be in an act of thanksgiving in church, charity, giving yourself a special treat, holidays, celebrating with family and friends or even praying and so on. Like they say "different people with different ways of doing things". Just find your cool and know what works perfectly for you.

Wish yourself the best on your day and pray for many more birthdays to celebrate hale and hearty, and also try to wish others well too on their day. I too myself is very grateful I get to celebrate my own birthdays.

And that's actually what birthday is all about and meant to be like. Indeed birthdays are worth celebrating.

It's your special day, find your cool, do something extraordinary special and enjoy your day.

Happy birthday in addy to us all!

Ginger Tea~Healthy benefits, Recipe for fresh ginger tea.

2020-09-04T06:21:00.005-11:00

Ginger tea is a nice refreshing non-alcoholic, caffeine-free tea made from ginger, which have many healthy benefits.

Ginger has a warm spicy taste which is sometimes described as peppery, with a pungent spicy aroma.

It is commonly used for various purposes. Most people usually mistake it for only cooking purpose little do they know there is more to it. It can be used as a key ingredient to spice up various dishes and recipes, used in flavoring drinks and so on. It is also very medicinal as researchers have proven it to be.

Ginger(Zingiber officinale)

Its nutritional composition consists of carbohydrates, protein, vitamins, minerals, dietary fibre, water and volatile oils which are fully intact when the ginger is fresh and tends to reduce as it dries up.

To preserve fresh ginger, if unpeeled or uncut place on a tray or basket then keep it in a well ventilated room. If peeled or cut put into an airtight container or sealed plastic bag then keep inside a refrigerator.

Gingers unique characteristic flavor and fragnance are gotten from its volatile oils primarily consisting of zingerone, shaogals and the most important of which is gingerol. Zingerone and shaogals result from a break down reaction of gingerol when ginger is dried or cooked this explains why dried ginger tends to be more spicy than fresh ginger.

Gingerol is the main compound in ginger responsible for much of its medical properties. According to so many research carried out by researchers on ginger over the years have shown that gingerol has a anti-inflammatory and antioxidant compounds that can help inhibit the growth of different bacteria, it helps lower the risk of infections, it helps reduce vomiting/nausea, it helps relieve an upset stomach, it aids digestion, it helps relieve nasal congestion, it helps ease cold and flu, it helps relieve pains, it helps reduce blood pressure and also it helps boost immunity.

Making fresh ginger tea-

The refreshing, healthy, natural immune boosting ginger tea is very easy to make, stress-free and not time consuming.

All you for this:

A cup

Ginger

Clean water

Honey to taste(optional)

Lemon to taste(optional)

For accurate measurement of the quantity of ginger to use, cut it into round slices as shown below.

For the amount of water to use for each slice

-If you are using a mug use one slice of ginger that is if the size of your ginger is as big as the one in the above picture but if half its size, use two slices.

-If you are using a small glass tea cup(150ml) use half the size of one slice that is if the size of your ginger is the same as the one in the above picture but if half its size use one small slice
Note: this is just a glimpse of what the measurement should be like, if you are using a different size of cup have in mind you should be moderate with your measurements to avoid excessive intake of ginger.

Steps:

1. Boil water, allow to boil very well.

2. As u wait for the water to boil, measure and slice your ginger, peel the outer layer, wash properly with warm water, pound or cut the ginger into tiny pieces then put into your cup.

3. Immediately the water boil well, pour into your cup and allow to steep for 10 seconds.

4. Use a tea strainer to sieve the ginger particles or you can use your teaspoon to drain out the ginger particles.

5. If honey or lemon is available add a teaspoon of honey, squeeze the lemon juice into the tea and stir properly.

6. Voilà! your ginger tea is ready.

If honey or lemon isn't available you can drink the ginger tea that way since ginger alone have a flavor taste.

It is important to take ginger with moderation, too much consumption can have side effects such as heartburn and diarrhoea. Although taking ginger is considered safe, it does interact with some medications such as anticoagulants.

So, if you are in any form of medications seek a doctor's advice before you take ginger.

3 DIY tests to determine the purity of honey.

2020-08-11T06:02:00.006-11:00

Honey is an amazing alternative to refined sugar. It is very nutritious and have so many health benefits.To enjoy the benefits of honey you must consider its purity.

Honey can be adulterated by the addition of other substances such as sugar syrup, corn syrup, glucose solution or starch.

The biggest problem with honey is quality. Adulterated honey is very common in the open market. To find good, pure honey is very difficult. For this reason most people have lost hope in taking honey, I must say I once did.

However, all hope is not lost yet in taking pure honey as there are so many purity tests you can carry out personally on your purchased honey to determine if it's pure or have been mixed with something else. Most often, the adulterated honey can be very difficult to distinguish from pure honey so it is advisable to carry out different tests on your honey because one test can't fully determine the purity of the honey. These tests can be very confusing at times, different purity test carried out on a particular honey can give both a pure honey and adulterated honey result at the same time. Making it difficult to determine if really the honey is pure or not.

Here, I will share 3 major tested and tried tests to carry out on your honey to avoid such confusions.

1. Sensory test: I call this sensory test because here you will make use of your sense organs such as your eyes, nose and hand to determine the purity of your honey.

-Using your eyes. Before buying honey check the label for additive or added flavors, pure honey has only one flavor and that's honey.The texture, pure honey is a viscous substance, honey doesn't separate into layers leaving sediments at the bottom of the jar or bottle unlike mixtures. The colour, pure honey is usually pale yellow or dark brown in colour.

-Using your nose. Pure honey has a mild smell like flowers from which the nectar is collected by bees to produce honey.

-Using your hand. Use your fingers to feel the honey, pure honey feels thick and doesn't feel watery. Also pure honey sticks to surfaces it is applied on, it doesn't drip away.

2. Water test: Fill a glass cup with water, add one teaspoon of honey into the glass and leave it for 5mins. Notice carefully. Pure honey which have a dense structure will settle right at the bottom of the glass cup undissolved. Adulterated honey will dissolve rapidly in water, due to the mixed substances in it.

Although, after having a pure honey result at the end of this test, ensure you turn the honey solution well with a spoon because adulterated honey can be tricky sometimes. Total whitish colouration after turning without having any trace of the colour of honey you added detects adulterated honey.

3. Freeze test: Place your bottle or jar of honey in the freezer for some time between 20-24hrs. Pure honey will harden but not freeze, adulterated honey will freeze. This is due to the fact that honey is a supercooled liquid when stored below its melting point, honey does not freeze solid rather its viscosity increases making it become thick and sluggish, flowing at a very low rate. This occurrance will not take place if the honey was mixed with other substances, thereby resulting to its freezing.

Note: Honey contains high percentage of glucose than water, so it is very possible for your honey to crystallize at room temperature or when stored for a very long time. Also high percentage of water inhibits the crystallization. Adulterated honey can not crystallize. Yes, you may think it should be a criteria for determining pure honey. Although it is, but it isn't a very common purity criteria to be considered because not all type of honey can crystallize.

Crystallized honey

Conclusion: Follow the steps according when trying yours. If your honey doesn't pass through all the 3 tests listed with a positive result, have it in mind that the honey have been mixed with something else and it isn't pure.

EGG~nature's gift

2020-08-02T02:31:00.007-11:00

Chicken eggs are one of the most common food eaten all over the world. It is incredibly nutritious and rich in protein. It is not so expensive as it can be purchased at an affordable price.The colour of eggs varies, they may be brown or white as the case maybe, depending on the breed of the chicken. Both brown and white eggs aren't different in nutrients as some people think they are. They are both similar and have the same nutritional value.

Egg comprises of egg white and egg yolk as seen in the picture above. It contains balanced essential nutrients which are very rich in protein, vitamins and minerals.

Egg white makes up about 67% of the eggs liquid weight, it comprises of more than half of the egg's total protein, niacin, riboflavin, chlorine, magnesium, potassium, sodium and sulfur.

The yolk or yellow portion makes up about 33% of the liquid weight of the egg, it contains calories and cholesterol together with high proportions of vitamin A, D, E and K. Also minerals such as phosphorus, manganese, iron, iodine, copper and calcium.

Healthy facts about egg:

Egg is highly nutritious and contain high amount of protein. The high-quality protein in eggs helps you to stay energized, which contributes to maintaing a healthy weight.

One egg contains about 4.5g of fat, 1.6g of most of the fat is saturated. It is low in saturated fat as a result their effect on blood cholesterol levels is likely to be clinically insignificant. Experts consider this to be the best type of fat for a balanced diet.

Egg contains 184mg cholesterol which doesn't raise the cholesterol levels in the body the way other cholesterol food does. Studies show that the cholesterol in egg raises the HDL, high-density lipoprotein(good) cholesterol while the LDL, low-density lipoprotein (bad) cholesterol levels usually remains unchanged.

The protein in egg helps in the formation of muscles, hair, skin and organs such as the heart, kidneys and liver. And our need for these proteins increases as we age.

Anybody can eat an egg per day both the young and middle age. Experts says that people who have high cholesterol should moderate their intake of egg.

Egg contains about half a gram of carbohydrate due to this experts consider it as a healthy diet for people who have diabetes, eating moderatly is advisable too or visit a physician to guide you through it.

Antioxidants such as Lutein and zeaxanthin found in egg yolks reduce the risk of cataracts and help prevent mascular degeneration.

Egg white are used as a remedy in cases where certain toxins and irritants may have been accidentally consumed.

Egg contains choline which helps in normal brain, nerve function, liver function, muscle movement,maintaining a healthy metabolism and play an important part in maintaining muscle mass as people age.

Egg can provide an alternative source for people who do not eat fish.

The egg yolk contains vitamins D which is protects the bones.

Egg is considered a primary ingredient in culinary preparation, provides moisture, structure and richness in dishes.

There are many methods of preparing eggs, one of the safest and healthiest method is by poaching or boiling because it involves less cholesterol oxidation and helps retain most of the eggs nutrients. This methods of preparation is usually recommended for the middle age and diebetic.

Amazing how just an egg contains much amount of nutrients, vitamins and minerals in its natural form, right? isn't nature incredible. Now, imagine eating an egg each day and see all you have to gain. Don't miss out,eat an egg a day!