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Categories
Eat

How to lose weight with tea

green tea

We found an excellent weight loss tea recipe that we’re sharing with you. Caution: It’s not magic.

by The Wellness Enthusiast

Everybody loves tea, but not everyone is fond of green tea or herbal tea. In recent years, there has been a fair increase in the numbers of people choosing to have herbal tea for better health. The market has a diverse range of teas for a variety of purposes: better sleep, increased focus, pain relief, and even weight loss.

This last one got our attention. Is it really possible to lose weight by drinking tea? How does it work, if at all? Is it for everybody?

What kind of tea is this?

It’s a tea made by steeping fennel seeds, carom seeds, coriander seeds and some turmeric in hot water. It is to be consumed before bed time. Apparently, the tea works to reduce your weight and burn fat while you sleep. Let us tell you that we found this recipe online and it is not our own discovery. If this recipe belongs to you, please write to us here.

Does it work?

The jury is out on this one, but it is generally understood that no food or beverage ever burns fat directly. The weight loss process is a combination of regular exercise, healthy food intake, good sleep, low stress and rapid metabolism. The tea mentioned above may not show results if you only drink the tea and do not follow a healthy lifestyle. It works by normalising your digestion and increasing your metabolism. This, combined with exercise, increases the chances of weight loss.

How to make it?

Boil one cup of water and pour it over 1 teaspoon of carom, coriander and fennel seeds. Add 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric to this, and warm it on a low flame for five minutes. Allow it to steep for 15 minutes before drinking. Have it before bed time.

You should have it for a few months before you see results. Consistency, with regular exercise and nutritious food, will help you lose weight over time. Please consult your doctor before taking this tea if you are on medication for any pre-existing health conditions.

Want more weightloss tea recipes?

Get various weightloss tea recipes here and here.

(Picture courtesy https://www.gaiagoodhealth.com/what-is-the-best-time-to-consume-green-tea/)

Categories
Do

How not to rape

The women never needed to be told what to do. It’s the men.

by A Woman in Despair

One more horrifying rape (this time from Kolkata) of a young doctor. Inside her workplace. While she was on duty. She was set upon by multiple men, raped, killed, mutilated. Her parents were told she had committed suicide. That made it even worse – that the administration decided to cover up the matter.

As expected, the usual creeps came out of the woodwork. ‘Why was she alone after dark? What was she wearing? Could this really have happened, seems impossible.’ Another hospital in Assam issued an ‘advisory’ for its women staff – with the usual tips on how to behave, conduct themselves, correct attire, not invite any trouble from any man in the vicinity.

Where is the handbook for men? It seems women are always told what to do to keep themselves safe, but who will teach the men not to inflict this level of pain and harassment for absolutely no reason? Since such a handbook/list doesn’t exist, I thought I should create one:

The definitive list on ‘How not to rape’

  1. Keep your penis inside your pants at all times. You will know when it is time to whip it out, and that happens only if the woman tells you she wants it.
  2. Women are not objects to take advantage of because you: were bored/wanting to prove your masculinity/cannot tell the difference between consent and force/are not society’s appointed moral guardian who deems it fit to ‘punish’ a woman for something she did to offend you or your moral values/cannot think of anything else but lewd or harassing behaviour to ‘put a woman in her place’.
  3. A woman could be out in a burqa, or a tank top and hot pants, or even completely naked. Avert your eyes and keep walking. She is not yours to partake of. No woman is. She is dressed in a way that seems okay to her, just as you are.
  4. Stay at home if your penis cannot remain in the relaxed position on seeing a woman. You have no right to flash your thing around to make a woman uncomfortable or try and subdue her with it.
  5. A woman at a pub is there for the same reason as you – to have a few drinks and a good time alone or with friends. Her intent is not for you to think about. You ignore other men drinking and laughing with friends – ignore her, too.
  6. It is not for you to wonder why a woman is out alone on the streets or inside her workplace or anywhere else at night. Why are you out, leering at girls?
  7. If the only thing you think about when you see a woman is her body and how she would feel if you were inside her, consider having more thoughts on your head on other subjects? You clearly need the education and diversion.
  8. Only a complete and utter coward descends on a woman with a gang of friends. It’s the oldest rule in the book: equal numbers, or no fight. If you and your friends share a gangrape mentality, please find the nearest train tracks and go lie on them.
  9. If your response to seeing a woman being catcalled/groped/molested/raped is to walk away quickly or worse, stand around and film it or in short, do nothing to stop it, then too you need to find the aforementioned train tracks. You are guilty of abetment, even if you cannot be immediately caught and made accountable.
  10. Don’t get married if you think women should: never defend themselves/want to have a career/not be interested in sex/not have a say in how they dress or run their lives. Just because you are married to her does not give you the right to rape her – and you will rape her, because there will be times when she will be so put off by the kind of pig you are, that she will refuse sex and you will find it in you to punish her for it.

(Picture courtesy https://www.ippf.org/node/5431)

Categories
Tech

3 tips for a smooth video conference

We present 3 simple tips on acing your next video conferencing meeting – read on to know what they are.
by The Metrognome Team | editor@themetrognome.in

Technology has advanced so much in recent years that it has even made a significant impact on the way professionals operate. To a large extent, it has made things relatively easier for them; for instance, with AV equipment used in video conferencing. Apart from reducing the expenses and time required to travel for business meetings, video calling has also been said to propagate healthy relationships and communication between business partners.

Video calls with the use of AV equipment have now made it so that you can conduct your business in the privacy of your home conveniently.

Increase in efficiency and productivity can also be said to be a by-product and advantage of using AV equipment in this case. The time that would have been used to travel can be applied to doing more resourceful tasks.

Video conferencing is not foolproof, however. No matter what AV equipment used, video calls just like in face-to-face meetings can present some challenges that have to be curbed or checked to make sure the meeting runs well. Here are some tips to ensure that your video call goes smoothly.

#1 Make sure everything is in place before the video call starts

Double check and triple check your AV equipment, check the network connection, check the video conferencing software you plan on using during the meeting, test run the sound and audio prior to when the meeting starts. Check for lighting, check to make sure the conference room or wherever the meeting is holding speaks of professionalism, provide alternate measures in case something goes wrong. This would help you get adequately prepared and save a lot of time and potential embarrassment.

#2 Have an agenda or plan to follow during the meeting

A meeting done via video conferencing is not any different from face-to-face meetings and as such should not differ. You still have to plan well ahead and have an agenda that covers everything you would want to say. This would prevent awkward silences halfway through the meeting and save you the embarrassment of long pauses.

#3 Dress for the meeting

That it is a video conference doesn’t make it less of a professional meeting. Apart from making sure all the AV equipment is fully functional and are in good working condition, you also have to make sure that you and the other participants are dressed accordingly for the meeting. The impression you make during the course of the meeting is important and you should strive to make a very good one. Appear professional; be neat and coordinated.

Video calls are now the new rave; every organisation is making use of AV equipment and conducting their business via video conferencing. Making sure your workers or colleagues are well prepared for meetings and can handle the equipment in your absence would also go a long way in ensuring your video calls go smoothly. Keep the above-mentioned tips in mind and it is sure to help increase the efficiency of the conference meeting and also help to avoid any unpleasant situation.

Categories
Tech

How to choose the best mobile hotspot to stay connected everywhere

If your old router is giving you problems, it’s time that you get a new one – with these tips.
By The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

Choosing a router can be a tedious task as there are so many in the market. Here are some tips that will help you to decide on the perfect router.

1. Wireless standards

Make the best of a fast Internet connection. Get a router that offers 802.11ac or Gigabit Wi-Fi support. This wireless standard is supposed to be twice as fast as the previous 802.11n with a 1,300 Mbps throughput at the base level. This wireless standard is also compatible with older devices. However, with older devices, you will not benefit from the extra you get as in the case of newer devices.

2. Hardware

While selecting a portable router, it is important to ensure that it fits your pocket and is lightweight and easy to carry around. These routers also come in different colors, shapes, and designs.

3. Life span

Your Wi-Fi router is never going to last forever. Every day, it goes through a lot of load as it handles the Internet connection between your phone, computer, laptop, TV, and every other device at home or elsewhere. As more and more devices are connected to your router, the list keeps on increasing. This leads to degradation in your its performance. Also, wireless standards change often that make your router obsolete sooner. Depending on how many devices your router can connect to before showing a dip in performance as well as its technology, the life span of the router may be determined.

4. Coverage

This is a very important thing to consider. Even if you may carry your router anywhere and everywhere, you do not want to use the Internet while hugging your router. Ensure that your router has enough coverage for you to manage it. You could even use your old router to extend the Wi-Fi range

5. Cost

There is a wide-range of router prices. However, if you just need a portable router for simple daily tasks, you may want to skip the extremely high-end ones. Another reason to skip high-end ones is that changing technologies would make the router obsolete after a few years. Depending on your needs, look for a budget-friendly option.

What to do with your old router once you get a new one?

Once you get a new router, it is very easy to just connect to it and throw out the old one. However, even this old router may be really useful. If your old router is working, you could use it to extend your Internet connection to a wide area. This will let multiple people use your router even if they are in different rooms. You could even exchange it with your service provider or retailer for a discount on your new router.

Before buying a new router, keep all of these points handy and make sure that your router meets them well. So, choose the cheapest, fastest, and most reliable router and enjoy a seamless experience with the high-speed 4G Internet.

(Picture courtesy Online Tech Tips)

Categories
Event

Public symposium in Dadar observes Nirbhaya Day

Event at Dadar marks the day of the brutal gangrape of a paramedical student, an incident that shook the nation.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

Be it in their own houses or in public spaces, girls and women are facing sexual harassment and various forms of violence all over India. Some form of sexual harassment has become a daily occurrence for girls and women right from 28 days old to 70 years old. Rapes, prolonged physical abuse, molestation are all par for the course.

Then there was the brutal and horrifying gang rape of a paramedical student in New Delhi on December 16, 2012. This was a landmark event in India’s history, and it stirred the common man into revolt. However, the ground reality is that there is still a studied silence over how we choose to treat women in our country.

In commemoration of the brave soul that survived our memories despite her death a few days later after her gang rape, Men Against Violence and Abuse (MAVA) in collaboration with Beti Zindabad initiative of ActionAid yesterday organised a solidarity walk and public symposium in Mumbai. The walk started from Shivaji Park and ended at Vanmali Hall, Dadar West. Poorvi Bhave, anchor and actress anchored the succeeding event, which included plays by MAVA volunteers and the public symposium.

The symposium started with Sudhakar Suradkar (retired IGP Officer), Advocate Uday Warunjikar and Dr Ashish Deshpande (psychiatrist) along with Nirja Bhatnagar (Regional Manager, ActionAid Maharashtra) expressing their views and sharing relevant information on current affairs of the judiciary system and the mindset of society. A Q&A session for the audiences was opened soon after and it ended with the message that there should be zero tolerance towards violence against girls and women.

The events underlined the adage that a real man’s strength lies in respecting women and not in hurting them.

(Pictures courtesy Ravi Shet)

Categories
Do

3 steps to becoming a professional dancer

A famous film choreographer explains what it takes to excel as a professional dancer and the steps needed to get there.
Longinus Fernandes .by Longinus Fernandes

Do you know what it takes to excel as a professional dancer?

To begin with, professional dancers display choreographed body movements and can appear either in theatre productions, TV shows, movies or dance recitals. Every dancer must be able to tell stories and display emotions with their bodies through various styles like ballet, hip hop and modern dance.

Dancers are also likely to pursue other dance-related professions after they can no longer perform professionally.

Fierce competition exists among professional dancers for available jobs. There is always a risk of injury in this career, as it is a very demanding one. Your working hours are highly irregular and may include days of rehearsals and evenings of performance, seven days a week. Travel is often required as a professional dancer, sometimes to exotic destinations. Tours may last for months on end away from home.

What do you need?

For starters, you must begin your dance training in childhood, which can continue throughout one’s life. Training usually starts as early as the age of five years in order for the dancer to gain enough experience to find professional work.

As a professional dancer, you must be creative, understand team work and have tremendous confidence in yourself. Apart from learning dance, one must also record high levels of mental stamina and physical endurance.

The 3 steps to turning pro

Step 1: Begin training

Most dancers start their training before they become adolescents and audition for full time work by the tender age of 16. Even after a dancer finds employment, training must continue throughout the dancer’s entire life.

Many students attend dance training programmes in their teens. Private dance or performing arts schools and institutes can provide the experience needed to gain acceptance into an advanced dance school. It is important to periodically enrol in workshops to get the added advantage of different perspectives.

Step 2: Acquire knowledge

Although post-secondary education is not required for a dancing career, specific dance styles or programmes can allow students to explore various dance genres, or concentrate on a specific discipline. Performance opportunities are often available to give students practical experience.

Step 3: Stay contented, conditioned and strong

A dancer’s job is physically demanding and requires long and irregular hours. Dancers typically must stay in top physical condition through regular exercise and training. Dancing is extremely taxing on the body, and a dancer may spend 8 hours or more in class or practicing.

Dancers have one of the most or the highest numbers of on-job injuries, so it is important to keep the body healthy and strong in order to continue working. Dance is the best way to feel that you are working without actually doing so! I always tell my students: “Always do what you love and love what you do.”

Longinus Fernandes is a nationally and internationally acclaimed dancer who has choreographed such hit songs as the Academy Award winning ‘Jai Ho’ from the film Slumdog Millionaire.

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