It’s the holidays, a time that reminds you that another year has
passed and you’re still single- and dateless. Or may be you are
in a relationship that has run out of gas a long time ago and
you are wondering how you will handle your romantic plans- or
whether to even make any.

If the above sounds familiar, it may be time for some quiet
reflection that allows you to really think about what this time
means to you and how you want to celebrate it.

My people have a very interesting concept rooted in the cycles
of life. In this ancient teaching, we are told that to fully
celebrate life and feel alive, we must approach life with all
our “three faces” together: the face of our childhood, the face
of our youth and the face of our adulthood. Our three faces keep
us alive and energized, once we lose the ability to carry all
these three faces together we live a life of the living dead.

Holiday wonder and magic

Our child face is that part of us that sees wonder and magic all
around us. It is the part of us that is joyful, playful,
intuitive, dreams and desires -there are no limits, anything is
possible. Our child face is open to possibilities and to
outcomes and expands our being.

The holidays can be a wonderful time to think about what your
wants and desires are. Let yourself go and just dream. What if
you could just have what you wanted and wished for? What would
your life look like, feel like? How would you make that person
feel intensely loved, appreciated and supported? How exciting
and fulfilled would your life be? Raise your expectations.
Believe that you deserve the best. Armed with your dream and
vision keep your heart and mind open to a partner who holds
similar dreams and vision of life.

Holiday passion and desire

The face of our youth is that part of us that is lives with fire
of passion and desire to express who we are. It’s that part of
us that holds our sensuality, passion, spontaneity,
unpredictability and vitality. It is the part of us that is
highly energized, creative, motivated and inspired.

The holidays can be a great time to tap into our youthful
energy. Take advantage of people’s “let’s have some fun” mindset
and do what feels right for you.

1. Accept invitations that come your way, even if it means going
solo. You might just have a good time and won’t know unless you
go

2. Start a new tradition, something that befits your single
life. If you’ve recently become single, there is no gain in
longing for what once was, but rather much joy in exploring what
is and what can be. Get together with your single friends, ask
them to bring along one or two platonic friends, relatives or
co-workers of the opposite sex. Add spice to the party with some
interesting “get-to-know” games. Conversation will flow and you
just never know who showed up right at your own doorstep.

3. Do something outside yourself–something for someone else.
There is something so attractive and luring about somebody doing
something for say a lonely senior, homeless or disadvantaged
child. Not only are you helping the less fortunate, you might
just meet him/her doing exactly the same thing.

Holiday insight and wisdom

Our adulthood or elder’s face, inner voice, inner mentor,
realized self or as we say in Swahili “mzee” is the part of us
that is strong and wise and comes with age and insight. It is
that part of us that encompass the concerns of a larger
worldview, is meditative, reflective and is a source of courage.
It is the knowing part of us simply waiting to be listened to
and guide us to people and situations where love connections may
be made.

The holidays can be a great opportunity to reflect on how far
you’ve come, where you are now on your quest for your soul mate,
and what you need to do to allow love to find you. Take time to
work on yourself, and all facets of your life. Lose a few pounds
if you need to, clean your apartment, attend a self-empowerment
seminar, spend more time in meditation, connect with family and
friends you haven’t had the time during the year to talk to or
meet. The more you expand yourself, the more potential partners
you will meet who mirror you in every facet of life and bring
you closer to your soul mate.

As the year ends and a new one begins, take action and use the
energy of your youth face to move past your comfort zone. Don’t
let the new year slip into spring without taking advantage of
all the fun ways available all around you to meet compatible
singles. Rather than being focused on “this is how a
relationship SHOULD look like”, bring forward your child face
which says “I wonder what we will create together”. Sometimes it
takes the eyes of a child to emerge from our narrow-mindedness
and limitations to embrace the magical person right infront of
our nose.

Tap into your elder’s face to truly understand what intimate
relationships are all about and stay focused on what matters
most to you and your future. If you find a person who shares
your dreams, has the same attitude, passion and vision about
life and is as concerned about your happiness and your pursuit
of your life’s dreams, as he/she is about his/her own, chances
are you have found your soul mate.

This is a time of new beginnings, everything feels promising and
full of hope. Make a conscious commitment to be conscious, aware
and alive. Enjoy the sensuality of the moment. Do not obsess on
what should have, could have, might have instead focus on what
is NOW. Each person, encounter and each relationship is unique.
Allow yourself to consciously explore each person and each
relationship.

And just a little bit more doze of African ancient wisdom,
always remember:

1. When it begins, it is the right time

2. Whoever shows up, is exactly the right person

3. Whatever happens, it is the only thing that could have
happened

4. When it’s over, it’s OVER.

Just imagine what 2006 could bring to your life and where you
could be in one year…. Let 2006 be the year you find the right
partner and create the relationship of your dreams.

Choosing Organic for Health

We come from a society where growing organic and just growing
produce and livestock for food was once one and the same. Small,
family farms still grow their own food using traditional methods
passed down through the generations. As commercial farming
became big-business, however, growers and farmers started to
investigate methods of increasing crops and building bigger
livestock in order to increase their profits. This led to
increased use of pesticides and drugs to enhance yield.

In this article, we will look at what is required in order to
call a product organic, how choosing organic eating and farming
impact the environment and our health, discuss the benefits of
eating organic foods, and what research says about the
nutritional benefits of organically-grown produce.

Calling it “Organic” In 1995, the US National Organic Standards
Board passed the definition of ‘organic’, which is a labeling
term denoting products produced under the authority of the
Organic Foods Production Act. It states, “Organic agriculture is
an ecological production management system that promotes and
enhances biodiversity, biological cycles and soil biological
activity. It is based on minimal use of off-farm inputs and on
management practices that restore, maintain, and enhance
ecological harmony.”

The primary goal of organic agriculture is to optimize the
health and productivity of interdependent communities of soil
life, plants, animals, and people.

The philosophy of organic production of livestock is to provide
conditions that meet the health needs and natural behavior of
the animal. Organic livestock must be given access to the
outdoors, fresh air, water, sunshine, grass and pasture, and are
fed 100% organic feed. They must not be given or fed hormones,
antibiotics or other animal drugs in their feed. If an animal
gets sick and needs antibiotics, they cannot be considered
organic. Feeding of animal parts of any kind to ruminants that,
by nature, eat a vegetarian diet, is also prohibited. Thus, no
animal byproducts of any sort are incorporated in organic feed
at any time.

Because farmers must keep extensive records as part of their
farming and handling plans in order to be certified organic, one
is always able to trace the animal from birth to market of the
meat. When meat is labeled as organic, this means that 100% of
that product is organic.

Although organic crops must be produced without the use of
pesticides, it is estimated that between 10-25% of organic
fruits and vegetables contain some residues of synthetic
pesticides. This is because of the influence of rain, air and
polluted water sources. In order to qualify as ‘organic’, crops
must be grown on soil free of prohibited substances for three
years before harvest. Until then, they cannot be called organic.
When pests get out of balance and traditional organic methods
don’t work for pest control, farmers can request permission to
use other products that are considered low risk by the National
Organic Standards Board.

The Environment According to the 15-year study, “Farming Systems
Trial”, organic soils have higher microbial content, making for
healthier soils and plants. This study concluded that
organically grown foods are raised in soils that have better
physical structure, provide better drainage, may support higher
microbial activity, and in years of drought, organic systems may
possibly outperform conventional systems. So, organic growing
may help feed more people in our future!

What is the cost of conventional farming, today? The
above-mentioned 15 -year study showed that conventional farming
uses 50% more energy than organic farming. In one report, it was
estimated that only 0.1% of applied pesticides actually reach
the targets, leaving most of the pesticide, 99.9%, to impact the
environment. Multiple investigations have shown that our water
supplies, both in rivers and area tap waters, are showing high
levels of pesticides and antibiotics used in farming practices.
Water samples taken from the Ohio River as well as area tap
water contained trace amounts of penicillin, tetracycline and
vancomycin.

Toxic chemicals are contaminating groundwater on every inhabited
continent, endangering the world’s most valuable supplies of
freshwater, according to a Worldwatch paper, Deep Trouble: The
Hidden Threat of Groundwater Pollution. Calling for a systemic
overhaul of manufacturing and industrial agriculture, the paper
notes that several water utilities in Germany now pay farmers to
switch to organic operations because this costs less than
removing farm chemicals from water supplies.

What About our Health? Eating organic food is not a fad. As
people become more informed and aware, they are taking steps to
ensure their health. US sales of organic food totaled 5.4
billion dollars in 1998, but was up to 7.8 billion dollars in
the year 2000. The 2004 Whole Foods Market Organic Foods Trend
Tracker survey found that 27% of Americans are eating more
organic foods than they did a year ago.

A study conducted by the California Department of Pesticide
Regulation reports that the number of people poisoned by
drifting pesticides increased by 20% during 2000.

A rise in interest and concern for the use of pesticides in food
resulted in the passage of the 1996 Food Quality Protection Act,
directing the US EPA to reassess the usage and impact of
pesticides for food use.

Particular attention was paid to the impact on children and
infants, whose lower body weights and higher consumption of food
per body weight present higher exposure to any risks associated
with pesticide residues.

Publishing an update to its 1999 report on food safety, the
Consumers Union in May 2000 reiterated that pesticide residues
in foods children eat every day often exceed safe levels. The
update found high levels of pesticide residues on winter squash,
peaches, apples, grapes, pears, green beans, spinach,
strawberries, and cantaloupe. The Consumers Union urged
consumers to consider buying organically grown varieties,
particularly of these fruits and vegetables.

The most common class of pesticide in the US is organophosphates
(OP’s). These are known as neurotoxins.

An article published in 2002 examined the urine concentration of
OP residues in 2-5 year olds. Researchers found, on average,
that children eating conventionally grown food showed an 8.5
times higher amount of OP residue in their urine than those
eating organic food. Studies have also shown harmful effects on
fetal growth, as well.

Pesticides are not the only threat, however. 70% of all
antibiotics in the US are used to fatten up livestock, today.
Farm animals receive 24.6 million pounds of antibiotics per
year!

Public health authorities now link low-level antibiotic use in
livestock to greater numbers of people contracting infections
that resist treatment with the same drugs. The American Medical
Association adopted a resolution in June of 2001, opposing the
use of sub-therapeutic levels of antibiotics in agriculture and
the World Health Organization, in its 2001 report, urged farmers
to stop using antibiotics for growth promotion. Studies are
finding the same antibiotic resistant bacteria in the intestines
of consumers that develop in commercial meats and poultry.

Is it More Nutritious? Until recently, there had been little
evidence that organically grown produce was higher in nutrients.
It’s long been held that healthier soils would produce a product
higher in nutritional quality, but there was never the science
to support this belief. Everyone agrees that organic foods taste
better.

In 2001, nutrition specialist Virginia Worthington published her
review of 41 published studies comparing the nutritional values
of organic and conventionally grown fruits, vegetables and
grains. What she found was that organically grown crops provided
17% more vitamin C, 21% more iron, 29% more magnesium, and 13.6%
more phosphorus than conventionally grown products. She noted
that five servings of organic vegetables provided the
recommended daily intake of vitamin C for men and women, while
their conventional counterparts did not. Today there are more
studies that show the same results that Ms. Worthington
concluded.

Considering the health benefits of eating organic foods, along
with the knowledge of how conventionally grown and raised food
is impacting the planet should be enough to consider paying
greater attention to eating organic, today. Since most people
buy their food in local supermarkets, it’s good news that more
and more markets are providing natural and organic foods in
their stores. Findings from a survey by Supermarket News showed
that 61% of consumers now buy their organic foods in
supermarkets. More communities and health agencies also are
working to set up more farmer’s markets for their communities,
also, which brings more organic, locally grown foods to the
consumer. The next time you go shopping, consider investigating
organic choices to see if it’s indeed worth the change!