BASICS OF CANCER (PART 1 OF 3)

A. What is cancer?
1. Cancer is the transformation of normal cells.
2. The transformed cells grow and multiply abnormally.
3. Left untreated, these cancers grow and eventually spread.
4. Cancers are dangerous because of their unbridled growth.
5. They destroy healthy cells, tissues, and organs by taking their oxygen, nutrients, and space.

B. What are the Seven Warning Signs of Cancer?
To remember the seven early warning signs of cancer, think of the
word CAUTION:
1. C hange in bowel or bladder habits.
2. A sore that does not heal.
3. U nusual bleeding or discharge.
4. T hickening or lump in the breast, testicles, or elsewhere.
5. I ndigestion or difficulty in swallowing.
6. O bvious change in the size, color, shape, or thickness of a wart, mole, or mouth sore.
7. N agging cough or hoarseness.

C. What are the symptoms of cancer?
1. In its early stages, cancer usually has no symptoms, but eventually a malignant tumor will grow large enough to be detected.
2. As it continues to grow, it may press on nerves and produce pain, penetrate blood vessels and cause bleeding, or interfere with the function of a body organ or system.
3. The other symptoms that may also signal the presence of some form of cancer are:
a) Persistent headaches
b) Unexplained loss of weight or appetite
c) Chronic pain in bones
d) Persistent fatigue, nausea, or vomiting
e) Persistent low-grade fever, either constant or intermittent
f) Repeated instances of infection
4. Call your doctor about cancer if you develop symptoms that may signal cancer, are not clearly linked to another cause, and persist for more than two weeks.
5. You should schedule a medical examination, as an early diagnosis
and treatment will offer a better chance of cure.

YOUR GUIDE FOR WEARING TIES

YOUR GUIDE FOR WEARING TIES

·         A tie can be a tricky fashion accessory to pull off, but if worn the right way, it can make a powerful statement.

·         You can wear it to work, if you want to get an edge over other employees or at formal parties to get a dapper look.

1. Seasonal: 

·         For summer, it is best to opt for a good linen or cotton tie.

·         Woollen, knitted, velvet and other warmer material ties are good choices for winter.

·         Use pastels and pale shades during summer and richer jewel tones for autumn and winter. 

2. Fabrics:

·         Apart from usual materials like silk, polyester, wool, cotton, linen and rayon, ties are available in various other unique fabrics today.

·         The latest entrant is the ‘vegan’ tie.

·         If you cringe at the thought of using real silk that is spun by silkworms, you can opt for synthetic silk ties which are man-made from vegan fabrics.

·         You can also buy ties made from bamboo.

·         This fabric looks and feels very similar to cotton, but is more eco-friendly and sustainable. 

3. Prints and weaves: 

·         Printed ties are popular because they are less expensive than woven ties.

·         They are available in paisley motifs, cartoon designs, polka dots, animal prints, pin dots, checkered, stripes, floral and many more.

·         In woven ties, the weaving adds an element of texture, weight, and sophistication.

·         They are heavier, more substantial, and make bigger knots when tied.

·         The texture also gives the tie’s design a 3D effect. 

4. Sizes: 

·         A lot of men don’t realise that ties are not a ‘one-size-fits-all’ kind of accessory.

·         There are ties made for short men, as well as extra-long ties that fit tall men or those with longer torsos.

5. The must-haves 

·         Classic ties in colours include blacks, blues, greens, reds, and gold.

·         Conventional patterns are striped, dots, plaid, club, foulard, and paisley that start with simple solids and stripes.

·         When you move past half-a-dozen ties in your wardrobe, you can start buying brighter and more complex patterned neckwear. 

6. For office:

·         Pinstripes, pin dots and intricate ones. 

7. For a party: 

·         You can glam it up by experimenting with different fabrics and textures.

·         Eye-catching prints work well. 

8. How to tie a fancy eldredge knot

·         Make sure the wide end of the tie ends at the midpoint of your belt because you will tie this entire knot with the little end. 

·         While holding the big end in place, create a dimple, swing the little end over the front of the big end and go around the back.

·         Bring the little end up and over the front of the loop.

·         Bring the little end through the loop and towards the right side (make sure the knot is tight). 

·         Now bring that little end over the centre (of the knot) to the other side and bring it towards the back again. 

·         Bring the little end up over the top of the knot (make sure the knot is tight). 

·         This is when it gets a little tricky.

·         Keep this part loose.

·         Create a loose knot by bringing the little end behind and through the loop. 

·         Pull the little end through and tighten till you get a tight knot.

·         Bring the little end behind the loop. 

·         Swing it up in front again.

·         And over the top towards the back and to the opposite end. 

·         Go through the loop (keep it loose).

·         Pull through and tighten the knot. 

·         Hide the remaining little end of the tie behind your loop. 

9. TIPS 

·         Don’t wear your tie too long or too short.

·         The length should be anywhere between just below the navel to where your belt begins. 

·         Avoid a big knot or one too triangular.

·         Also, the knot should be clean and tidy. 

·         While removing your tie, instead of hastily yanking it from your neck, repeat all the steps you followed to tie your tie, but in reverse order. 

·         Keep away from big and bold prints or checks, if you want a sharp look.

·         Also, men with dusky complexion should not wear very bright or neon colours, as it will take attention away from them completely. 

·         Never iron your tie; instead give it a light steam with a garment steamer.

ESSENTIAL TIPS FOR WORKING WOMEN (PART 3 OF 3)

ESSENTIAL TIPS FOR WORKING WOMEN (PART 3 OF 3)

9. Manage the breaks

·      A break in your career need only be a pause, not a full stop.

·      Whether it’s maternity leave, illness or extraneous circumstances, you can manage your break keeping your career needs in mind.

·      Returning from a break, you will only need to convince potential employers that you are as sharp as ever and an invaluable asset.

·      Going back to an ex-employer or ex-boss is almost always easier.

·      You can also use the time to enhance your career by working as a part-time consultant or acquiring additional skills.

10. Make the most of your time

a. Automate personal finances

·      Save 4 hours a month.

·      Automate routine expenditure and investment tasks.

·      Link regular bill payments to your credit card or bank account.

·      Link your bank account to an automatic/recurring deposit scheme.

·      Ask service providers to send online bills/statements.

·      These save you the time to record and file.

b. Work the commute

·      Add up to 10 hours a week.

·      If you commute by car, invest in a driver or join a car pool.

·      Use this time to answer e-mails, make calls, write notes, catch up with friends or even take a nap.

·      If you travel by public transport, try juggling your travel schedule to get a less crowded ride and elbow room to use the time productively.

c. Smarten the phone

·      Add 1 hour every day.

·      Invest in a good smartphone, Internet on the go, and learn how the phone works.

·      Treat your device as a mobile computer that also makes calls.

·      Now, put empty, wasted minutes during the day to good use—catch up on reading books, answer routine e-mails or research your industry numbers.

d. Shop online

·      Save 4 hours a month.

·      Reduce the time spent in travel and at the brick-and-mortar stores.

·      Explore the world of online ordering for all your shopping needs, including books, electronics, clothing, even groceries.

e. Reward the staff

·      Save 2-6 hours a month.

·      Much time can be saved if you get better service from the people who work for you—the maid, cook, parking lot attendant, waiter at your regular lunch joint, office secretary, tech-support team, etc.

·      Choose to acknowledge and reward desired service levels. 

ESSENTIAL TIPS FOR WORKING WOMEN (PART 2 OF 3)

ESSENTIAL TIPS FOR WORKING WOMEN (PART 2 OF 3)

4. Publicise your work

·      An executive’s achievements are not recognised till they are communicated to the world.

·      Know that you have to highlight your contributions and blow your own trumpet.

·      Make sure that your boss knows the good work you are doing and your team knows how you are pulling your weight.

·      Use both formal and informal opportunities to talk about your work and seek due credit.

·      Speak about team achievement to focus on your own inputs.

·      Practice accepting praise gracefully with a ‘thank you’, instead of diverting or ignoring it.

5. Find mentors

·      Seek people from either gender who are willing to teach and can compress your learning time from years to months.

·      From their wealth of experience or understanding, they help you master better work attitude and skills and negotiate challenges.

·      For a sustainable relationship, do not confuse mentors with friends.

·      Be sure to give your mentors the respect and gratitude that is due.

6. Be a professional

·      Professionalism knows no gender.

·      Pull up those socks; the results and reputation are worth the effort.

·      Show up on time for work, meetings and events every single time.

·      Treat each deadline like an airline flight and make sure that you deliver at least an hour before it.

·      Earn a reputation for work that does not need to be rechecked for errors.

·      Over time, you will be respected and treated as a professional instead of being judged over your gender or status.

7. Multitasking doesn’t work

·      Stop multitasking and your effectiveness will shoot up dramatically.

·      Focus on the present moment and immerse in the task at hand.

·      If unable to complete, reschedule and remove it from your mind.

·      Worrying about an office deadline in the middle of your child’s birthday party or fretting about an ill relative while your boss is discussing the quarterly target does not work well for anyone.

8. Invest in your team

·      Help your team members succeed.

·      A career path is much like climbing the Mount Everest; you can reach the top only with competent team members who deliver results.

·      Invest in the personal and professional success of the members who report to you, for a two-fold payback.

·      First, they are able to handle greater responsibilities, and second, you earn the reputation of a boss who breeds success and attracts better professionals. 

ESSENTIAL TIPS FOR WORKING WOMEN (PART 1 OF 3)

ESSENTIAL TIPS FOR WORKING WOMEN (PART 1 OF 3)

·     If you are a working woman, who believes that compared with men, you face tougher challenges at workplace, hurdles in career progression, and greater demands on your time from family, you may be right.

·     However, you should never allow circumstances to dictate your destination or the journey.

·     It is up to you to master these challenges and excel in your career.

1. Prioritise safety, comfort

·     If you are planning to change jobs, put safety first; all else can wait.

·     Check if the workplace offers personal safety, which includes the commute, location, work timings, travel requirements, etc.

·     Equally important are the people you interact with and the office culture, which should prioritise individual safety.

·     Find out if the job profile and work environment suit you.

·     If the work demands clash with personal responsibilities or working conditions aggravate your health problems, you are setting yourself up for failure.

·     Focus on getting safety and comfort in place while selecting a job and free up your energy to pursue results when you begin work.

2. Go for results

·     Know the results expected of you, targets that will get you promotions, increments and awards, and chart out a route to get there.

·     During the performance review, the actual results you have delivered matter more than who you are.

·     Bonding with the team, good rapport with clients and a positive opinion of your boss are strong enhancers in your performance review discussions, but they do not cover up for lack of hard numbers.

3. Learn to be assertive

·     Stand up, and speak up as well.

·     Assertiveness is not just a good skill to have, but an essential tool for a professional.

·     During salary discussion, like every professional, you are expected to speak out and negotiate for your dues without accepting the first offer.

·     In the meeting room, the team can function well only if you are loud enough to be heard and taken seriously.

·     A team member will deliver results only if you accept nothing less than excellence.

·     Like any other skill, you can learn to be assertive and get better with practice. 

ANTI-CANCER FOODS

ANTI-CANCER FOODS

·         Many cancer cases are found to be caused by dietary and environmental factors.

·         Obesity, alcohol, and a diet low in fruits and vegetables increase cancer risk.

·         A healthy diet should consist of 45-65 % carbohydrates, 10-35% proteins and 20-35% fat.

1. Risk-reducing foods

·         A fibre-rich diet reduces the risk of colon, breast, and rectum and stomach cancer.

·         Carotenoids reduce the risk of lung cancer.

·         Flavonoids and catechins – nutrients that give food a bitter taste – are also anti-cancer agents.

·         Garlic, onions, shallots and leeks are rich in flavonoids.

2. Risk-increasing foods

·         Red or processed meat increases the risk of breast, colon and pancreatic cancer.

·         Foods rich in saturated fatty acids like meat, cheese, and trans-fats like margarine are harmful.

3. Tips to reduce your cancer risk

·         Include more bran in your cereals and eat whole grain.

·         Eat food containing unsaturated fatty acids and monosaturated fatty acids such as seafood, olive oil and nuts.

·         Eat lots of raw vegetables and fruits.

·         Broccoli, beans, tomatoes, and all fruits, especially berry fruits, are cancer-reducing diets.

·         Move from an animal-based diet to a plant-based diet.

·         Flax seed oil and pumpkin seed oil are rich in Omega 3 anti-cancer fatty acids.

·         Daily calcium intake of 1000 mg will reduce the risk of colon cancer.

·         Eat food rich in beta carotene, vitamin C and include citrus fruits, carrot, butternut, pumpkin, spinach, broccoli, mango and papaya in your diet.

·         Take 200-400 IU of vitamin E – an excellent antioxidant – daily.

·         Don’t forget green tea.

·         Expose yourself to natural sunlight for vitamin D.

·         Don’t smoke, and limit alcohol consumption to one glass every other day, at the most.

·         Exercise to keep yourself in good shape.

ANTI-AGEING FOODS

 

1. Watermelon

• Watermelon, with its flesh and seeds, helps anti-ageing.
• Containing nutrients like selenium, Vitamins A, B, C and E, essential fats and zinc, it prevents radical damage and ageing.

2. Berries

• Berries, especially blue and black ones, are rich in flavonoids.
• These are powerful antioxidants that protect the body against aging as well as free radicals, and fight the ageing process. 

3. Broccoli

• Broccoli, a cruciferous vegetable, contains quercetin and isothiocyanates which are known antioxidants.
• Broccoli sprouts contain more isothiocyanates than the vegetable itself.

4. Avocado

• Avocado contains mono-saturated fat, which reduces bad cholesterol, and Vitamin E which prolongs aging of the skin.
• Its potassium prevents high blood pressure and fluid retention.  

5. Pomegranate

• It prevents heart disease, relieves stress and adds to sex life.
• It slows down the oxidation or rusting of the DNA in cells which occurs over time.
• This decrease in cell damage prevents impaired brain, muscle, liver and kidney functions and ageing effects on skin.
• It also contains vitamins A, C and E, as well as iron and antioxidants, which neutralise harmful oxygen molecules called free radicals.

6. Salmon

• Salmon contains good quality protein and is also rich in omega-3 fatty acids which make the skin healthy.

ALTERNATE OFFICE SOLUTIONS

ALTERNATE OFFICE SOLUTIONS

A. SERVICED OFFICE

1. What is it?

·         A serviced office is a plug-and-work option for any type of business, providing both space and services, for a flat monthly fee.

·         You can move into a fully furnished office suite of a service provider within 24 hours.

·         It provides an immediate solution to your office requirements like workspace, private cabins, meeting and conference rooms, video conferencing, business lounges, pantry, café and staff.

·         These include secretarial support, a reception team, infotech support like phone, photocopier, fax machine, internet access, furniture, air conditioning, maintenance, housekeeping and security service.

2. Its benefits

·         There is no upfront cost for setting up the business or fee for estate agent/solicitor.

·         It gives the flexibility to expand or contract office space as business grows or reduces.

·         You only need to pay a fixed fee, depending on the number of days you use the space.

·         The entire outgoing amount is tax-deductible and treated as standard operating expense.

·         You don’t need to sign a long-term commitment for lease agreement.

·         It is cost-effective for companies that are just setting up business, or for established firms that want to cautiously expand to new territories.

·         It is an excellent way of managing investment risk, while offering a cost-effective and flexible solution to start-ups and firms that require off-site office space.

·         The shared and centrally managed facilities can reduce overheads significantly due to its flexibility and ease of use.

·         It also saves significantly from not having to hire a large, permanent staff, recruitment and retention issues.

·         It also saves the bother about salaries, electricity, telephone bills, etc.

3. Its drawbacks

·         A serviced office does not offer any scope for customization or visible company branding, as is provided by leased or owned offices.

·         There is less business visibility as the name may not appear in the building’s main lobby.

·         It is not a company asset as you do not actually own it, although you are spending for it.

·         It may be a good solution for a short duration, but not a cost-effective option in the long run.

B. VIRTUAL OFFICE

·         A virtual office provides only services and does not offer any exclusive physical space.

·         It offers the benefits of administrative support and pay-per-use access to common facilities such as meeting rooms, IT services, etc.

·         It is ideal for industries that employ consultants, or for small home-run businesses, which want a professional address and access to top-class facilities, but do not need full-time workspace.

·         As there is no office rent, a virtual office is even more cost-effective than a service office.