The table of contents, in the beginning of the book, is one, big outline of the structure of the book. Take some time to internalize the structure of the book, as provided in the table of contents, before you move on to scanning the book. What you're doing is giving your brain a mold to fit little bits of pieces of information into. If you don't internalize the structure of the book and just start scanning, your brain has to piece together the structure of the theme by itself before it can begin organizing information. This takes time and mental effort. Eliminate that effort by studying the table of contents for 30 seconds before you start reading. A lot of the time, introductions will map out where the writing is going to go, while the ends of chapters often summarize what the author talked about over the course of the chapter. The beginnings of paragraphs will often give the reader a glimpse into topic sentences, which announce what the theme of the paragraph(s) is going to be about. After the topic sentence usually comes some form of evidence or justification. If done properly, reading just the topic sentence will let you know the theme of the paragraph without needing to process the evidence that comes with it. The ends of paragraphs will often be transitions to the topic sentences of the following paragraph. If you read the last sentence of the paragraph and then the first sentence of the next one, you're more likely to understand the topic sentence. Different kinds of books require different ways of scanning. A newspaper article is designed to be skimmed, while a math book is patently not. Before jumping into your speed-reading exercise, decide how much of the book you want to scan and whether you can save any time for more in-depth reading. Works of fiction are notoriously difficult to scan. You don't know how the book is going to turn out, and there's not really a "guide" within a table of contents. If you're reading a book of fiction, take a minute or two to read (not scan) a portion of the book that you think is important. Getting a flavor for detail will help your comprehension of the plot immensely. What use is scanning if you don't remember or understand the most important parts of the book? Give yourself leeway to stop when things get interesting. Really try to ingest these important parts of the book. They'll be the waypoints along your journey that you stop at.  Sometimes, text books will announce that an important concept is about to be introduced. A special bolded section or a portion of design will make it clear that you should slow down and interact more with the material here. If you're reading a novel, for example, read a short summary of a chapter before you scan. This way, you'll be able to identify the most important parts. When you come to those parts while scanning, you'll know that you're supposed to slow down. Sometimes, people re-read sentences without ever knowing that they do it; to cut down on re-reading, read slower. If you're reading quickly but need two times to understand the information, you're probably not going to be able to scan as fast as someone who reads slower but only reads once. Cover a line in your book with a dark piece of paper once you finish scanning it. That way, you won't be tempted to re-read the line once you're done going over it. After each line, move the paper down. Practice scanning your book at least once a week for 30 minutes. During this time, see how many pages you can blaze through while still retaining information. The next week, try to beat your previous mark without sacrificing any information retention.
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One-sentence summary -- Look at the table of contents. Read introductions and ends of chapters. Read the beginnings and ends of paragraphs. Scan depending on the book. Stop when things get important. Try not to re-read sections. Practice, practice, practice.


Of course it’s appropriate to touch your piercing with clean hands while you wash it, but avoid playing with, twisting, pulling, or fondling your piercing unnecessarily. Any excessive touching (especially with unwashed hands) can make your piercing more susceptible to opening up and bleeding, or becoming infected. Your initially piercing jewelry should stay in place for the duration of the healing period (4-10 weeks). Removing your jewelry before your piercing is fully healed can cause your piercing site to close up, which can in turn make reinserting jewelry more difficult and painful. This added irritation could potentially create more scarring and slow down your body’s natural healing process. Ointments or creams prevent your piercing from coming in contact with air, and breathing. They block out air and seal in moisture at the piercing site with potential bacteria. Even though these ointments might be antibacterial, they can extremely hinder the healing process, and yield an infection.  Harsh cleansers like hydrogen peroxide and rubbing alcohol should also be avoided. These disinfectants can kill the cells that help rebuild the puncture site of the piercing. Cleaning solutions containing Benzalkonium Chloride (or BZK) should also be avoided, as these can similarly inhibit your piercing from properly healing.  Much like these cleansers, any oils, lotions, sunscreens, and makeup should be kept away from your piercing site. These products can all clog your piercing and encourage an infection. Tight, constricting clothing can irritate a new piercing because of the friction against the piercing, and its lack of access to fresh air. Try to wear loose-fitting, breathable fabrics like cotton, and stay away from synthetic materials. Also be cautious when changing or undressing. Removing your clothes roughly or quickly, increases your chances of snagging your piercing on your clothes, and causing injury. Just like you should avoid taking a bath and instead take a shower, you should also avoid other pools or collections of water. Water areas like swimming pools, hot tubs, and lakes and rivers should be avoided during the first year after your initial piercing. This is because all of these water sources could potentially make prolonged contact with your new piercing, with water that might be harboring infecting contaminants. Sleep on your back and sides for the first few weeks after your piercing. This helps to ensure that you don’t apply uncomfortable pressure on your piercing by sleeping on your stomach, while it’s still new and sensitive.
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One-sentence summary -- Keep from touching your piercing. Leave the jewelry in place. Avoid applying ointments. Wear loose clothing. Stay away from unclean water. Sleep on your back or sides.


Pour the water into a large, soup pot. Bring to a boil. Most commonly, nihari is made with beef shank or shoulder, but lamb, mutton, and goat meat are also popular. Cuts of red meat that include cut bone will create a more flavorful stock due to the presence of bone marrow. If no cuts with bone are available, use 1–1.25 lbs (450–550g) of boneless meat instead. All the spices intended for the stock can be added at the same time. While you may add any savory spice, especially those also found in the masala spice mix, the ingredients listed here are a good selection. This includes 1.5 tsp (7.5 mL) ginger paste, 1.5 tsp (7.5 mL) garlic paste, one bay leaf, one cinnamon stick, and 1 tsp (5 mL) salt. Bring the water to a boil again, then cook the meat on medium low heat until it becomes tender. If you are short on time, you may cook for as little as one hour, but a cooking time of two or more hours is recommended for a more flavorful stock. For maximum flavor, cook for six hours on the stove, or for two hours in a pressure cooker. Check the water level periodically, and add more if necessary. The water should always be above the level of the meat. Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator before the soup cools down. If you are making the rest of the nihari today, remove the meat with a slotted spoon and set aside 4 cups (950 mL) of the stock for immediate use. Remove and discard the bay leaf and cinnamon stick before storing.
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One-sentence summary --
Boil 6 cups (1400 mL) water. Add 1.5 lbs (750 g) meat of your choice. Add the stock spices. Boil on medium low for several hours, adding water when necessary. Use immediately or store for later.