Saturday, August 20, 2022

   

Imran vows another round of street protests from Sunday     news







Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Imran Khan promised on Saturday another round of street protests against the coalition government starting Sunday, telling supporters at the Islamabad rally that he would provide a roadmap for the nationwide agitation at the public gathering in Rawalpindi’s Liaquat Bagh tomorrow. The PTI leader said this while addressing supporters at Islamabad’s F-9 Park, where he held a public rally to show solidarity with arrested party

 leader Shahbaz Gill and the ARY News channel that has been taken off air. He said the PTI would to go to the Supreme Court against Gill’s arrest and alleged torture, and will also seek legal action against the Islamabad police chief and his deputy as well as the magistrate who sent Shahbaz Gill on physical remand. At the start of his address, Imran cited the example of Mongol conqueror Genghis Khan. When Gengis Khan would conquer cities, he would erect a wall of decapitated heads while allowing some people to live, he said. “Those who were allowed to live would tell tales of Gengis Khan’s brutality. This resulted in many cities surrendering to Mongol hordes without a fight,” said Imran while drawing parallel with the case of Shahbaz Gill. “This is what the government is doing by torturing Shahbaz Gill. They want to tell us that if they can break him physically and mentally, then they can do it to anyone in Pakistan.” He said Gill wasn’t tortured due to what he said about the army. “Nawaz (Sharif), Asif Zardari, Maryam Nawaz, Khwaja Asif and Fazlur Rehman have said worse,” Imran said, adding that it was being done to show how coercion can be used to silence dissent. He said that media channels had also been told not to broadcast PTI rallies. “Channels were pressured into not broadcasting PTI events. But the flood of people at PTI events was reported by social media, and then by ARY News. That is why it was taken off air and action taken against its journalists,” says PTI chief Imran Khan at Islamabad rally. He cited the cases registered against ARY News journalist Arshad Sharif, the attack on Bol News presenter Sami Ibrahim and columnist Ayaz Amir as examples of such coercive measures. “Sabir Shakir is in Dubai because of this.” He accused the coalition government of using state machinery to crackdown on PTI’s protest in Islamabad that left dozens injured. Imran’s speech also referred to the ‘neutrals’, the term for the country’s Establishment. ““When I asked the Islamabad police officers about Shahbaz Gill’s arrest, they told me: We didn’t want to [arrest Gill] but we were pushed by boots.” Before Imran several other leaders addressed those gathered in Islamabad. Sheikh Rashid, the Awami Muslim League chief and staunch PTI ally, said that Imran Khan enjoyed popular support. “Everyone is standing behind Imran”. Earlier, the Islamabad administration said that it was unable to provide security for the public gathering while enforcing Section 144 in the federal capital barring public assembly. The spokesperson for the Islamabad deputy commissioner said that PTI was putting the lives of its leadership as well as those participating in the public rally at risk. In support of Gill Imran has stated on multiple occasions that Gill, his chief of staff, was sexually abused during his physical remand in the custody of Islamabad police. Khan also announced nationwide rallies to protest against the arrest. The former premier has led a nationwide agitation campaign - including massive public gatherings across cities big and small - for early elections since his ouster in a vote of no confidence on April 10. “I will lead a rally in Islamabad on Saturday… and rallies will be held in all divisional headquarters across the country,” he told journalists outside PIMS hospital. The PTI chief was unable to meet Gill after he wasn’t granted permission by the police on duty. In a series of tweets, the PTI chief said that his party will leave no stone unturned to identify people responsible for the “gruesome torture” on Gill and bring them to justice. “All the pictures and videos show clearly that Gill was tortured both mentally and physically including sexual abuse - most too gruesome to relate. He was humiliated to break him down I now have full detailed information”. An Islamabad court had suspended the physical remand of Gill until Monday after reserving a verdict on a police plea for his eight-day physical remand in a case under sedition charges. The court while rejecting the plea for extension in physical remand, directed the Islamabad police to transfer him to PIMS Hospital and conduct a complete medical check-up of the accused.

Thursday, August 18, 2022

Bullet Train (2022) Review

"Bullet Train" is an action film that could easily have been an animated movie, and often looks and feels like one. The story takes place on a bullet train careening across Japan, but most of the movie was shot on green-screened sets, and the cityscapes and countrysides that the train rides through are mainly miniatures and CGI. Its characters are a touch abstract as well, and knowingly comic-bookish. All are either paid killers or otherwise violent individuals connected with the world of crime, and the majority either have grudges against one of the other characters or are the object of a grudge and trying to escape the consequences of past actions. They tend to have tragic-sentimental backstories or be purely malevolent—and inevitably, 30 years after the great Tarantino realignment of the early nineties, most of them are chatterboxes who will monologue at anyone who doesn't point a gun at their head and order them to shut up, and the tone mixes winking black comedy and poker-faced pulp.


Brad Pitt stars as Ladybug, a former assassin ordered to board the train, steal a briefcase, and get off. He's replacing another assassin who became unavailable at the last minute, and he refuses his handler's advice to carry a gun because he just got out of anger management and has renounced killing. Ladybug's fellow killers are a bomber crew of homicidal oddballs. Joey King is "The Prince," who poses as an innocent schoolgirl appalled by the cruelty of men, but immediately reveals herself as a clever and ruthless engine of destruction. Brian Tyree Henry and Aaron Taylor-Johnson (who's groomed to look like the evil drunk Begbie from the original "Trainspotting") are brothers who have gone from mission to mission racking up a body count seemingly in the triple digits, and now find themselves on the train protecting the briefcase and escorting the depressed twentysomething wastrel son (Logan Lerman) of a terrifying crime boss known as the White Death.


The White Death is a Russian who took over a Yakuza family. His face isn't shown until the end of the story (it's more fun for the audience to resist Googling who plays him, because his casting is one of the best surprises in the whole thing). Hiroyuki Sanada is "The Elder," a greying but still lethal assassin connected to the White Death, and Andrew Koji is "The Father"—The Elder's son, obviously; they're out for vengeance because somebody pushed The Elder's grandson off a department store roof, putting him in a coma. They believe the person responsible is on the train, mingling with all the other agents of death.

The plot initially seems goal-driven, revolving around the comatose grandson and the metal briefcase. But as the script adds new fighters to the mix, and establishes that they're all tangentially connected, "Bullet Train" morphs into a half-assed but sincere statement on fate, luck, and karma—and Ladybug's constant (and often humorously annoying) comments on those subjects, voiced in discussions through a handler (Sandra Bullock's Maria Beetle, heard via earpiece), start to feel like an instruction manual for grokking what the movie is "actually" up to. (Ladybug is kind of a post-credits Jules from "Pulp Fiction" after repudiating violence, but he's still stuck in the life, and it has become more challenging because he has resolved never to pick up a gun again.)



Characters are given the sorts of typeface-onscreen-followed-by-flashback-montage introductions that genre fans will recognize from directors like Quentin Tarantino ("Kill Bill" seems to be a primary influence) and Guy Ritchie (who pioneered a particular brand of "lad action" in which verbal insults become little fists and knives deployed against enemies). The fighters go after each other with guns, knives, their fists, and whatever object they can get their hands on (the briefcase gets a workout as both a defensive weapon and a bludgeon). They banter as they struggle, and sometimes when one of them dies, the tone will shift into a maudlin lament that is often affecting because of the cast's skill, but that doesn't inspire deep emotion since the rest of the movie is so glib and superficial.

The film is directed by David Leitch, a former stunt coordinator and screen double for Jean-Claude Van Damme and this film's star, Brad Pitt, and the onetime directing partner of Chad Stahleski (of the "John Wick" series). He's become a specialist in high-grade acrobatic mayhem, having directed "Deadpool 2," "Atomic Blonde," and "Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw." It's hard to deny that he's one the best when it comes to overseeing this type of production—and it's sometimes a kick seeing "Bullet Train" lean into its knowingly ridiculous visuals, which sometimes verge on the psychedelia conjured in "Speed Racer."

But whether this type of project is entirely worth doing is a different matter. It seems to want to have it both ways, telling us "this is all light and silly and none of it is of any consequence" and at the same time trying to whack us across the throat with a moment of dramatic power so that we cry for the characters. Henry and Taylor-Johnson's story gets there, due to the love expressed between the brothers even when they're breaking each other's chops, and the performances of the two actors have a direct connection with the audience despite boasting Cockney accents that might not pass muster in a college production of "My Fair Lady." (The greatest achievement in the film is that Henry manages to take his character's relentless comparison of everyone else to Thomas the Tank Engine characters, and make you not loathe the gimmick on general principle.)

But the rest feels forced and insincere. "Bullet Train" is at its best when it's a comedy about self-styled badasses who think they're free agents but are really all just passengers on a train rocketing from one station to another, oblivious to the desires of any individual riding on it. The abstractness and "it's all a lark" humor ultimately undo any aspect that might otherwise sink its roots into the viewer's mind.

The project is abstract in another way as well: the script's source is a Japanese novel by Kōtarō Isaka, and the characters were Japanese. Leitch and company—who inherited the project from Antoine Fuqua, who had wanted to make a less jokey "Die Hard on a Train"-type film—have recast the tale "internationally," starting with Leitch's longtime screen partner Pitt. They had reportedly considered relocating the story to Europe, but decided to keep the Japanese setting anyway, and have defended this on grounds that "Bullet Train" is a fantastical film that could be set anywhere and is basically taking place nowhere.

The explanation doesn't wash, considering how dependent "Bullet Train" is on Japanese signifiers and cultural attitudes (King's character is basically an anime "schoolgirl" avatar come to life)—not to mention essentially deracinating all of the core characters save for a handful of stereotypical Yakuza, who have been given a Russian chieftain modeled on Keyser Söze from "The Usual Suspects." Even in a fantasy, the latter seems a stretch, although the actors all sell it like the professionals they are. If nothing in the movie is real—either as a justification for the casting, or as a guiding aesthetic—why not just go full "Speed Racer" or "The Matrix" with it, and own the green-screeness of the entire project, and set it in the future on another planet, or in an alternate dimension? It's practically a Marvel superhero movie anyway, except that the characters can't come back to life after being killed off. The result might've been a delirious work of art, instead of a technically and logistically ambitious movie that doesn't leave much of an emotional or intellectual footprint.

Now playing in theaters.

Lemongrass Tea for Weight loss

 

Lemongrass is a perennial plant that belongs to the family of Poaceae. It has long, slender leaves and produces small, white flowers. Lemongrass is native to Asia, but it can be grown in other parts of the world. The lemon grass plant is often used for culinary purposes because of its lemony flavor. However, it also has a number of health benefits, including weight loss.

One study showed that lemongrass oil helped promote weight loss in rats. The rats were given lemongrass oil along with a high-fat diet for eight weeks. At the end of the study, the rats who received lemongrass oil had lower body weights and reduced levels of fat mass than the control group. They also had lower blood sugar levels and improved insulin sensitivity.

Another study looked at the effects of lemongrass extract on human fat cells. The study found that lemon grass extract was able to reduce the size of human fat cells and promote their breakdown. Lemongrass is a safe and effective way to lose weight. It can be consumed in a variety of ways, including in tea, capsules, or as an essential oil. 

When using lemongrass for weight loss, it is important to start slowly and increase your intake gradually. This will help you avoid any side effects and ensure that you get the most out of this natural herb.

How To Make Lemongrass Tea For Weight Loss


Ingredients

  • Water 2 cups
  • Lemon grass 2 tbsp
  • Mint leaves 10-15
  • Lemon 1
  • Honey ½ tsp

Instructions

  • Add water in a pan and bring to a boil.
  • Now add lemongrass and mint leaves in the water.
  • Let it boil for about 5 minutes.
  • Strain tea in a mug, add lemon juice and honey.
  • Mix and drink.

How do Lemongrass Tea Help You Lose Weight?

Lemongrass is a natural digestive aid and has been shown to be effective in stimulating the functions of the stomach. Two of the primary components of lemongrass, citrals, and myrcene, demonstrate that taking lemongrass tea after eating will help you feel more satisfied.

Gaining weight is the result of a lazy stomach, and lemongrass infusions are wonderful for treating it. Antiseptic and calming lemongrass is also effective in combating colitis or soothing stomach cramps. Taking lemongrass tea after a meal can also help reduce bloating because it is diuretic. It is recommended to drink it three times a day for maximum effectiveness.

However, in the case of pregnancy, it is best to consult a doctor. Otherwise, drinking lemongrass herbal tea after a hearty meal will help you slim down.

Bottom Line

In addition to its multiple benefits for weight loss, the drink also has a calming effect in stressful situations. Stress and anxiety are reduced by a lemongrass infusion due to its sedative effects. In addition, it helps with sleep disorders.

Drink it before going to bed in the evening if you suffer from insomnia. The hyperglycemic action of lemongrass will also lower blood sugar levels and therefore prevent diabetes.

10 Best Online Earning Websites In Pakistan Without Investment in 2022

 


If you are starting a freelance career, then you must need to take a look on some of the best online earning websites in Pakistan. From these websites, you can get a direction from where to start. All of these websites are created where people can sell their skills and earn money online by sitting at the comfort of their homes.

Here is the list of 10 best online earning websites in Pakistan.

  1. Fiverr
  2. Upwork
  3. Freelancer
  4. 99designs
  5. PeoplePerHour.com
  6. Guru
  7. Rozee.Pk
  8. Freelancer.pk
  9. Fivessquid
  10. Simplyhired

Online Earning Websites in Pakistan without Investment


1. Fiverr

Fiverr is the most popular online marketplace. On Fiverr, freelancers from around the world sell their services online. If you have good skills in any field, you can start earning today on Fiverr. All you have to do is to create a professional profile on this platform. After that, create a gig (service) on your profile and send buyer requests. Once you get a project, be humble and patient with the client

Once all the requirements of the project are complete, then deliver your order. Most of the online earning websites work with Payoneer, so it’s better to make a Payoneer account and connect it with your Fiverr account. When the funds arrive in the Payoneer account, you can withdraw them to your local Bank account.

2. Upwork

Upwork is another freelancing platform. This marketplace provides a professional platform for independent contractors, individuals, and companies to find work. Upwork is a job platform where the clients post jobs and projects.

Freelancers having specific skills make bids on projects by submitting proposals for that job. To make bids you require connects. On making a profile you get 20 connects by default. It depends on the nature of the job how many connects it requires. If you run out of connects you can buy more through your credit card.

Once a project is completed on Upwork, client and freelancers leave reviews for each other. These reviews help you to make your job score better. The better your job score is the more chances you have to get hired. Upwork offers many ways to withdraw money. The most suitable option is withdrawing money directly in your local bank account.

3. Freelancer

Freelancer is also an online earning platform. Individuals or companies in need of freelancers post short-term and long-term jobs there. You can easily make a profile on this platform and bid for the projects. Like connects on Upwork here on Freelancer you have to make a bid to submit your proposal. Free members get 8 bids per month.

Once you get hired. you can do your work accordingly and get paid. Freelancer has a milestone payment system, which means payments are done when you complete the specific portion of your project. Payment can also be done on the completion of the project.

4. 99designs

99designs is the global platform that connects clients and designers from all over the world to work together and create unique designs of their choice. If you are creative and love to design, then this is the best platform for you.
99design has a unique creative process that helps clients and designers to connect and complete projects like business card designing, logos, t-shirts, and more.

There are two ways in which a freelancer can get hired on this platform. The Client can work directly with the designer or he can start a contest. The contest allows freelancers to submit creative designs and the client picks his favorite design.

5. Peopleperhour.com 

PeoplePerHour.com is also an online earning platform. This platform connects clients and freelancers across the globe. You have to create a profile on this platform. Once your profile is approved you have access to hundreds and thousands of projects.

Once your proposal gets approved by the client you can start working on the project. The client pays into escrow account money and payment is released when the work is done.

6. Guru.com

Guru.com was founded in 1998 and since then it has evolved as a great platform for both employers and freelancers. The hiring process on Guru is simple. After creating a profile, you have to send quotes on projects according to your skills. Get hired without any investment and complete the project.

For each project, the guru charges a commission of 8.9%. You can get paid membership for the benefits like more bids, discounted job fees, and more. Sell your skill on Guru and start earning today.

7. Rozee.pk

Rozee.pk is Pakistan’s most popular job searching website. On Rozee.pk you can easily find an online job matching your skill. It’s very easy to apply for jobs on this website. You just have to create an account on this website, submit your academic details and skills. After your account is approved, you can start looking for jobs that are relevant to your skills.
The process to apply to these jobs is easy and requires no investment. Some jobs require you to send CVs to the mentioned email addresses and some require you to submit CV.

8. Workchest.com

Workchest.com is founded by a famous Pakistani freelancer “Hisham Sarwar“. At the time of writing, there are almost 30 categories in which you can sell your services.
The process of creating an account is quite simple here. After you have signed up from your email, You can create your gig and mention your services. You can also set your price and delivery timelines so clients can easily take a look and order their favorite gig.

9. Fivesquid

Fivesquid is also a freelancing website. This website is similar to Fiverr but mostly UK based clients hire freelancers. You can sell your services here, but the dealings will be done in pounds sterling. You can start selling at 5-pound sterling.

This online earning website follows the same method as Fiverr. No investment is required. You have to create a gig and rank it. If you have a skill, then you can easily get an order on Fivesquid.

10. Rev.com

Rev.com is another great freelancing platform where you get paid by doing transcription-based jobs. All you have to do is to listen to the audio and type correctly what is being said in the audio.

It provides a great opportunity for stay-at-home moms to earn some extra money while sitting in the comfort of their homes.

One major drawback of this platform is that they only provide payments in PayPal.

Wednesday, August 17, 2022

Top 10 Countries That Will Disappear In The Coming Years

 

Jeff Bezos rightly and recently said in an interview,” We are in the process of destroying this planet” and indeed it is coming true.
Jeff Bezos rightly and recently said in an interview,
” We are in the process of destroying this planet” 
and indeed it is coming true.

Global warming is a global and a serious issue which if not worked towards can wipe out the beautiful countries on the map. Affecting almost all the countries in its own way, the affects of global warming have been rising at an alarming rate.

Here’s a list of 10 countries that we are on the verge of being wiped out completely.

Maldives

Located to the west of India, Maldives consists of around 1,100 islands. With the lowest lying islands in the world which is only 4.2 feet above sea level, this country is particularly susceptible to the effects of rising sea levels. Many of the islands here are reporting significant beach erosion, which is effectively reducing the land area suitable for human habitation.

Tuvalu

Made up of 3 reef islands and 6 atolls Tuvalu is located in the Pacific Ocean halfway between Hawaii and Australia. The residents of this country are already seeking refuge elsewhere as a result of the damage occurring here due to global climate change.

Federated States of Micronesia

The Federated States of Micronesia is located to east of the Philippines and consists of 607 islands and atolls. The rising sea levels here have already caused significant damage and even caused local cemeteries to disappear beneath the waves. While the government has adapted new plans and policies to fight the circumstances the ocean surrounding these islands are expected to rise anywhere from 16 to 62 inches by the end of this century.

Kiribati


Kiribati is an island nation located between the US state of Hawaii and Australia in the Pacific Ocean. It consists of  33 islands which are already facing the effects of rising sea levels. While most of the residents have already moved to the largest island after losing their communities the president of this country has purchased 6,000 acres of land from Fiji to relocate the island’s population.

Nauru


Nauru is located in the central Pacific Ocean and because of the history of mining on this island, the majority of its land area has been left unsuitable for human habitation. Residents here have no other choice but to live along its coastlines, which are quickly disappearing due to global warming.

Seychelles

Seychelles is located in the western Indian Ocean and is made up of 115 islands. The increasing ocean temperatures surrounding the islands have destroyed the coral reefs here. These reefs worked to protect the islands from erosion; without them, the islands are now threatened by erosion. If sea levels rise just 3 feet, the 92,000 people living here will be left with nowhere to go.

Tongo

Tonga, located in the southern Pacific Ocean, is made up of 169 islands with only 36 islands inhabited. One of the biggest threats facing this country is the rapidly rising sea levels. Residents and local businesses have already been dealing with disappearing beaches, forced to move their homes, offices, and restaurants further inland to escape the invading water. Mangroves here have already been destroyed, leaving the coastline further exposed to storms and erosion.

Comoros


Comoros is located between Madagascar and Mozambique off the east coast of Africa. It is made up of 3 large islands and several smaller islands. This country is considered vulnerable to climate change and has suffered damages from rising sea levels and increased flooding affecting the agricultural conditions and the fishing industry.

Palau


Located to the southeast of the Philippines, Palau is made up of over 300 islands. Rising sea levels have already taken a toll on the communities here, with increased erosion eating away at available land and saltwater reaching agricultural crops. The warmer temperatures of this water is also destroying surrounding coral reefs, which allows for more erosion and has a negative effect on the local fishing industry.

Bangladesh


Bangladesh is the only non-island nation on the list. The country is constantly threatened by the high average of floods, cyclones, and tornadoes. These natural disasters are only becoming more frequent due to global climate change. With the glaciers of the Himalaya mountains melting faster than average, instances of flooding is increased at an alarming rate. At least 25% of the country is covered in floods every year, which has prompted residents to adapt to these conditions. One of these adaptations has been to grow agricultural crops on large rafts that can float when water levels rise.


how to lose weight as fast as possible

Weight loss is not the answer to every health problem, but if your doctor recommends it, there are tips to help you lose weight safely. A steady weight loss of 1 to 2 pounds per week is recommended for the most effective long-term weight management. That said, many eating plans designed to help you lose weight leave you feeling hungry or unsatisfied, or they cut out major food groups and are not sustainable. These are major reasons why you might find it hard to stick to a healthier eating plan.

Everyone has unique needs and different eating styles and tips may work better for you than someone else. You may find you are able to lose weight by following a low carb diet or a diet that has a focus on whole foods, but there are some general principles that apply when you’re trying to lose weight. Here are some science-backed tips to help you lose weight that include healthy eating, choosing carbs carefully, and that aim to:

  • reduce your appetite and hunger levels while keeping you satisfied
  • produce consistent weight loss over time
  • help improve your metabolic health at the same time

If you want to lose weight quickly, some of these tips may help, but quick weight loss is rarely sustainable. Focusing on long-term health and habits that you can stick with over time will help improve your health and are more likely to result in lasting weight loss.

How to Lose Weight in 3 Simple Steps

  1. Cut back on refined carbs

One way to help lose weight quickly is to cut back on sugars and starches, or carbohydrates. This could be with a low carb eating plan or by reducing refined carbs and replacing them with whole grains.

When you do that, your hunger levels go down, and you generally end up eating fewer calories. With a low carb eating plan, you’ll utilize burning stored fat for energy instead of carbs.

If you choose to eat more complex carbs like whole grains along with a calorie deficit, you’ll benefit from higher fiber and digest them more slowly. This makes them more filling to keep you satisfied. A 2020 study confirmed that a very low carbohydrate diet was beneficial for losing weight in older populations.

Research also suggests that a low carb diet may reduce appetite, which can lead to naturally eating fewer calories without thinking about it or feeling hungry. Note that the long-term effects of a low carb diet are still being researched. It can also be difficult to adhere to a low carb diet, which may lead to yo-yo dieting and less success in maintaining a healthy weight.
There are potential downsides to a low carb diet that may lead you to a different method.

 Reduced calorie diets can also lead to weight loss and be easier to maintain for longer periods of time. If you opt for a diet focusing instead on whole grains over refined carbs, a 2019 study correlated high whole grain intake with lower body mass index (BMI).


To determine the best way for you to lose weight, consult your doctor for recommendations.

    2. Eat protein, fat, and vegetables

Aim to include a variety of foods at each meal. To balance your plate and help you lose weight your meals should include:

  • a protein source
  • fat source
  • vegetables
  • a small portion of complex carbohydrates, such as whole grains

To see how you can assemble your meals, check out:

  • this low carb meal plan
  • this lower calorie meal plan
  • these lists of 101 healthy low carb recipes and low calorie foods

Protein

Eating a recommended amount of protein is essential to help preserve your health and muscle mass while losing weight. Evidence suggests that eating adequate protein may improve cardiometabolic risk factors, appetite, and body weight. Generally, an average male needs about 56-91 grams per day, and the average female needs 46-75 grams per day, but many factors influence protein needs. Here are guidelines to help you figure out how much protein to eat without eating too much:

  • 0.8g/kg of body weight
  • 1-1.2g/kg of body weight for people 65 and older
  • 1.4-2g/kg of body weight for athletes

Diets with adequate protein may also help you reduce cravings and snacking by helping you feel full and satisfied.

Healthy protein sources include:

  • meat: beef, chicken, pork, and lamb
  • fish and seafood: salmon, trout, sardines, and shrimp
  • eggs
  • plant-based proteins: beans, legumes, quinoa, tempeh, and tofu

Vegetables

Don’t be afraid to load your plate with leafy green vegetables. They’re packed with nutrients, and you can eat very large amounts without greatly increasing calories and carbs.

All vegetables are nutrient-rich and healthy foods to add to your diet, but some vegetables, like potatoes, sweet potatoes, winter squash, and corn, are higher in carbs. These vegetables are considered complex carbs because they contain fiber, but you may want to be mindful of serving size when adding these vegetables to your plate. 

Vegetables to include more of:

  • broccoli
  • cauliflower
  • spinach
  • tomatoes
  • kale
  • Brussels sprouts
  • cabbage
  • Swiss chard
  • lettuce
  • cucumber
  • peppers

3. Move your body

Exercise, while not required to lose weight, can help you lose weight more quickly. Lifting weights has particularly good benefits. By lifting weights, you’ll burn calories and help prevent your metabolism from slowing down, which is a common side effect of losing weight. Try strength training three to four times a week. If you’re new to lifting weights, a trainer may be able to help you get started. Make sure your doctor is also aware of any new exercise plans. 

If lifting weights is not an option for you, doing some cardio workouts such as walking, jogging, running, cycling, or swimming is very beneficial for weight loss and general health. Both cardio and weightlifting may help with weight loss and offer lots of other health benefits.

Prey (2022)

 


The cost of seeing "Prey" on the biggest screen is justifiable. The expansive landscapes of Alberta look beautiful, there is a tonne of monster mayhem and action, and Sarah Schachner's stirring score demands to be played loudest speakers possible. So why would Disney release a film from the well-liked "Predator" franchise in the middle of the summer on Hulu? What better way to commemorate the 35th anniversary of the original "Predator," starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, than with a prequel that is superior to all of its sequels? Promoting this connection would have been a breeze for the marketing department. Why then does this movie, like the previous Disney+ feature "Turning Red," go straight to streaming without a concurrent theater release?

Was it because the sci-fi action film directed by Dan Trachtenberg only featured the Predator as a key star? Was it because this is a period piece and the screenplay by Patrick Aison takes place in 1719? Or was it because the lead character is a woman and her family members are Native Americans, both of which go against the grain for movies like this? I suppose I should be grateful that "Prey" is available to see everywhere, including on services to which I do not subscribe, given the recent cancellations of movies that were set to be released soon. This is not to argue that streaming services are awful; rather, it's just that I always get antsy when I promote movies that require a subscription. Additionally, this merits a theatrical debut.

But I'm digressing. The film "Prey" advertises itself as the narrative of the first Predator alien to appear on Earth. This one is outfitted with slightly retro versions of the weaponry used in the first film by late actor Kevin Peter Hall. However, the Predator's mode of operation is the same: it is a hunter seeking for prey prizes. This provides the creature a kindred spirit in Naru (Amber Midthunder), a teenage warrior who aspires to hunt like her tribe's males, including her brother, Taabe (Dakota Beavers). The males mock Naru, saying that hunting is a man's job, but we see that she can hold her own in a fight. She's twice as tough as she appears and three times as perceptive as the rest. Naru is the first to recognise the presence of a strange monster on their territory. Perhaps it had something to do with the blazing streak of fire she had seen earlier in the sky.

Taabe scarcely tolerates Naru's company while on the hunt for a lion that has been lurking around. Midthunder and Beavers have an easygoing sibling relationship very quickly in their initial scenes. When the genuine danger emerges, their bond adds to our concerns. Naru discovers a snake skin and prints that do not belong to a known entity. "Something scared off the lion," she says to Taabe, but he dismisses her assertion that it is a "monster from childhood myths." Meanwhile, the Predator makes its way up the animal food chain, tearing out a wolf's spine to teach it a lesson for selling woof tickets. Naru finally sees it when it mercilessly guts the bear that was hunting her and her loyal hound.

The scene with the bear is so well-staged that one wishes "Prey" hadn't already given us a decent look at the Predator. An gush of blood paints the invisible Predator into existence as it yanks the bear from its pursuit, raising it up for the kill. Naru notices this and flees like hell. So begins a sequence of wonderfully designed pursuit scenes, with our nemesis eviscerating its victims in both familiar and novel ways. There's also a nod to one of the best lines from the original film: "if it bleeds, we can kill it." Bleed it does, with a bright green blood that Naru uses as battle paint at one point. 

A spate of boorish French fur trappers adds another layer of danger (as well as fresh feed for viewers hungry for Predator-based slaughter). When Naru comes upon a field of skinned buffalo, she prays over them, believing that they are the work of the monster. Soon, she learns that man, that other horrible predator, is to blame. Despite their agreement with Naru that something otherworldly exists, the trappers are much more evil than the Predator. So don't be surprised if they start getting splattered.

Even if there are no "choppas" for anyone to get to in 1719, "Prey" is a fitting successor to Ah-original. nuld's Naru should be included to the list of tough characters who can stand up to the Predator. She handles all of her enemies with equal parts wits and brawn, murdering them with gory efficiency. Nature is also a brutal foe, but she is prepared for that as well. The film paints a portrayal of her Comanche tribe without othering them—they are the stars of the story, and their hamlet is alive with community. Even though the film is primarily in English (a full Comanche language version was supposedly also shot in tandem), our suspension of disbelief is not endangered.

Despite the expected whine from immature males who haven’t seen the movie yet but are already deeming it “too woke,” “Predator” fans will not be disappointed by “Prey.” It’s a scary and fun amusement park ride that also elicits a surprisingly tender emotional response. When Naru finally let out the war cry she had previously been denied, I couldn’t help but cheer. It’s too bad I couldn’t do it with an audience full of equally excited viewers.

Wach on Hulu, August 5th.