"WHY MEN STRAY"

A man will look outside for what he lacks at home – Pastor Emmadagon

Pastor Emmad

When the issue is how to successfully manage marital relationships, Pastor Eunice Iferi Emmadagon holds very frank, and some would say, unusual views. Once a month, women gather at the Sheraton Hotels and Towers, Lagos, for her programme, Stop Hurting, which is a specialized Bible-based fellowship session for people passing through emotional pain. Pastor Emmadagon is the Senior Pastor of Faith World Harvest Church, based in Port Harcourt, and has branches in Lagos and overseas. In this interview, she talks about why men stray, and how a woman can prevent it. Excerpts…

They go outside to look for what they don’t have at home
Let’s look at it this way, if you are the type that has been looking for ‘obe ata’ in your house and your cooks don’t know how to cook it, and you’re entering into my house and you smell it, no matter how dirty my house is – and you don’t like eating in dirty places, you will manage and eat it, these things happen to our men. For some men however, they’ll be like ‘I like what I smell but it won’t be nice if I get home and I don’t eat’ and that happens especially with men who feel it’s as good as what’s in their house.

So oftentimes I ask the women, ‘What did you do wrong, where did you go wrong?’ Because your husband saw you and saw the other girls and chose to marry you. So there must be something about you that he prefers to the other girl(s). You were not the only girl at the time he chose to marry you, and in spite of all, it was like, this girl or nobody else. So at that point when it now became only you, and contrary to what people say, when men have you, they don’t bother with you anymore. I don’t believe in that because the kind of love I shared with my husband was even more than the first day we met. So I believe that love can be enhanced instead of deteriorating. So I ask women, at what point did you lose him?

Men have natural tendency towards polygamy
We are free agents, we have ability to desire new things, and like I always tell women, every man has many parts. A man has a place for his mother, his friends, his wife, his sisters, the children, and funny enough, girl friends. A man has a place for his girlfriends. You see, we are all Abraham’s children, and if you look at his life, (if not for grace that we are operating in), it’s like Jacob’s, like Isaac’s, it’s a family thing. He was polygamous in nature, Jacob was, Isaac was, and we are from that lineage.

Too bad but there is a natural trait of polygamy in man, save for grace. Let us look at Abraham more closely – he was badly in need of a son, so that root of polygamy in him arose. Okay, Sarah misled him but for God’s sake, there are certain things you can’t mislead me to do because they are not in me. No matter how strongly you push me to do certain things, I won’t do them. You know when people say, this person pushed me to do certain things, I just say that’s you. It was there, it was just dormant, somebody just helped stir it up.

I have a few friends who worry about me, ‘you alone’, and all that, and I tell them if you hear any story about me, don’t blame anybody just come and hold me, because I know who I am, nobody bends me to do what I don’t want to do especially what is evil, that I don’t want to do. If you catch me doing one, don’t blame who I did it with, blame me.

So that polygamous thing in Abraham was stirred up by his lack of a son. So when Sarah said, ‘darling, why don’t you...’, I’m sure he said, ‘No, I love you’ but when she persisted, he thought, ‘why not’. So in the same way, you have an ability to fill this gap. You know a woman is a dynamic person, I wish we can really maximize all our potentials. There is nothing you cannot do or achieve as a woman. If you can co-procreate with God, what else remains? If you can make life with God, why can’t you repair life. You can repair anything you can make.

When a man lacks something in his house, he’ll look for it outside…
So when a man lacks something, just like Abraham lacked something, if you let your husband lack specific things, feminine things in your house, every suggestion out there by a Sarah will kick off that polygamous thing in him. I don’t care how righteous or how anointed he is because Abraham was no less anointed anyway. So every woman must know that anointed or not, her husband was first a man before he became ‘man of God.’

Therefore there are some unguarded moments that the devil can take advantage of this to sow tares among the wheat. So as a woman, you must guard against that. Your husband’s unguarded moments should be your guarded moments, because if Abraham had a son, if he had no lack, that polygamous thing in him would have been dormant forever because of the discipline and the love of God. It’s the same way with our men. For example, your husband has a place for his mother. I’m not saying women should manipulate their husbands such that they won’t go back to their mothers. But you see there are certain things he doesn’t need to go back to his mother for because you’re there.

Your husband can go back to his mother to give her love, to give her money, to give her care, to let her know, that he appreciates the times she was there for him picking up all his mess, and that he wants to make it up to her by taking good care of her.

But your husband should not be going back to his mother to ask, ‘Why is my wife treating me like this?’ Because no matter how much she loves you, her son comes first and she wouldn’t want you to treat him anyhow. So you need to position yourself in a way that your husband can ask you himself, ‘Why are you treating me like this?’ The reason people go around asking questions is because they want an answer and they want attention. If he gets the attention and the answers from you, he does not need to ask his mother.
There are times it just comes to him to feel like a boy, because those silly things are playing in his mind, and he thinks, having a girlfriend won’t be a bad idea really.

No matter how anointed he is, they play in his mind, thus you must be sensitive enough to notice it. In my own case, when I noticed such moments, I became a girlfriend to my husband. The Holy Spirit is in you as a woman to notice these moments. The reason why things go wrong in marriages is because the women get too busy to see their men as their first ministry. For me, my husband was my first ministry. So if you see it that way, and it’s your focus, you’ll become aware of these things. So when I see my husband is having such moments, I decide to become his girlfriend because I don’t think he needs a wife at that point in time. So rather than look for a girlfriend outside, I become one for him.

When acting as his girlfriend, just become younger and naughtier
You know what girlfriends do, when you were your husband’s girlfriend, what did you do (laughs)? The first thing I do is to become younger and naughtier, dressing like a girlfriend, doting on him like a girlfriend would. And of course I was first his girlfriend before I became his wife. I could still remember the things I did, so I would do those things. And when I notice that he needs a mother’s care, I grow up, and behave like an old woman. And who is a mother? A mother is patient, can take all the mess and clean it up. She is a confidante. So he’ll want to run to me to tell me things he shouldn’t because he did it against me. The mother is ready to take it, she’ll say, ‘I’m pained but don’t do it again.’

Sometimes you must have told your husband, ‘I’m not your house girl o, I’m your wife’, because at such times, you just realise that you are seeing a bully in your husband. I’ve had experience with men. I have five brothers, a wonderful father and a wonderful husband. But what beats my imagination is that they had something in common.

I just know that men are wonderful creatures if you treat them well, and they are not asking for too much. It’s just that we the women are too busy, too aggressive and picking offences that we can’t really watch out for these moments with our husbands. They are not asking for too much, they are just babies. I don’t care how old a man is, he’s a baby, if you apply the principles you’ll apply with your child at home, you’ll be able to catch him.

When your husband is acting like a bully, then act like his servant
For instance when you see your husband feeling and behaving like a bully, then turn to his staff, ‘okay sir, how do you want it sir?’ You can afford to lose your rights at that point in time. What is love? You can lose your rights for love, it’s going to be momentary. Because for him to have chosen you over the other girl(s), you should know how to get him easily. He loves you, that’s why he married you, he doesn’t want to see you as a slave.

So sometimes when it comes like that, I behave like a slave, because I know he loves me and doesn’t want me as a slave. When I do that, he now begins to feel guilty. He’ll start saying, ‘That’s not what I mean now, I don’t mean to intimidate you.’ but if you had reacted angrily, he would then say things like, ‘I’ll prove to you that this is my house’, because the way he wanted to feel at that time is like a boss, and if you had ignited it, it would have worsened.

And these are things that break marriages, little things. And all these divorcees that you see, they are still in love with themselves. And that’s why I always tell people I won’t marry a divorcee because you’ve shown me, you’re a good starter not a good finisher. Some people say it’s not their fault but I won’t marry a divorcee because I think they are still in love because the things that break their marriages are just patience and being observant, it’s not because they don’t love themselves.

Sometimes, the way a man will behave, if you are observant, you’ll know he just wants to play with his small sister, he doesn’t want a big girl around him, so turn into a small girl and play toys with him. That is why you’ll see some men who after work are just satisfied to be within the four walls of their home. What do you want to offer them? They have everything they need at home.

No matter how Christian your husband is, he doesn’t need a wife always
‘Let me go to the club, let me go and hang out with my friends, many of them don’t really go because of women, but if your house is boring, when he needs a friend, you’re a wife, he needs a girlfriend, you’re a wife, he needs a mother, you’re a wife, in as much as he appreciates you as a wife, but it’s not a wife he needs now. And for God’s sake I don’t care how Christian you are, he does not need a wife all the time

Forget candlelit dinners, bouquets of flowers and endless compliments.

The way to a woman’s heart lies in wearing a red shirt, it seems.

A chap becomes instantly more desirable to the opposite sex if he has on a scarlet shirt or crimson tie, research shows..

Even a pair of pillar-box red socks could do the trick. The finding could help explain the appeal of Tiger Woods, who sports the colour on the final day of a golf tournament.

And a red suit may have helped Muse singer Matt Bellamy

Photo:One of the photos used in the study, (with the faces in focus) which worked out that the men in red are seen as more attractive by women

The researchers showed women from around the world, including some Britons, pictures of a ‘moderately attractive’ man.

The photos had been doctored to show him wearing shirts of different colours or standing against several backgrounds.

Others were framed in various colours. A dash of red led to the man being viewed as more attractive and desirable. He was also seen as having a higher social status, the Journal of Experimental Psychology reported.

Researcher Andrew Elliot, of Rochester University in the U.S., said that red is associated with power, passion and fertility in the animal kingdom – and people are no different.

‘This suggests that women’s thoughts and feelings toward men are, at least in part, primitive,’ he said.

‘The question “What do women want?” with regard to sexual attraction and desire has puzzled men and scholars for many years.

‘Our research suggests that the answer may be more provocative, than anticipated.’

Wearing red may also make a man feel more self-assured.

Dr Elliot added: ‘The red shirt that Tiger Woods adorns on the final day of golf tournaments likely provides him with a confidence-boosting reminder of his alpha status in the golf world as it simultaneously reminds his competitors they are probably facing another long day.’

Red is also associated with dominance on the football pitch, with previous research finding that teams wearing red strips win more matches.

Its association with dominance and aggression may enhance players’ game. Or perhaps red shirts are simply easier to see, improving their accuracy of passing.

Inter Milan midfielder Wesley Sneijder is adamant former boss Jose Mourinho will manage Manchester United in the future.

The 26-year-old Dutch star won Serie A, the Champions League and the Coppa Italia with the Nerazzurri under the stewardship of Mourinho last term, but the Portuguese tactician has now moved on to Real Madrid.

Sneijder is convinced he will take over at Old Trafford when Sir Alex Ferguson retires and also believes he could be offered the England job at some point..

”English football excites him more than any other football in Europe and I don‘t think it‘s a question of if he returns to the Premier League but when,” he told the News of the World.

”I think it‘s written for him to take over Manchester United in a few years. One great manager will retire and another one will take over.

”But if he was offered the England job alongside the Manchester United one in a few years I am sure he would take it. He likes the daily interaction with players too much to take on an international job alone.

”Jose and I became good friends at Inter and, from conversations we had, I know he thinks he could really do something with the England players.

”When he takes the United job, the English FA must offer him the national post as well, and from conversations we have had I think he would take it, in fact I know he would.”

Sneijder believes Mourinho would be able to handle both jobs at the same time, and that he would not see the England post as a part-time role.

”We are talking about the best coach in the world, and it has been done before successfully,” he added.

”His other job would be in the Premier League, so he would be working with and watching the relevant England players every week, it would be perfect for him.

”With Jose, success always follows him but it‘s not always because he has the best players, it‘s because he makes you believe you are the best players.

”The confidence and belief he gives you is amazing, and when he is at a club it is his players and staff against the rest of the world.

”With the quality of players England have, a coach like Jose would surely make them favourites.”

Former World Boxing Council (WBC) heavy weight champion, Samuel ‘the Nigerian nightmare’ Peter, is confident his upcoming fight against three times world heavyweight champion, Wladimir Klitschko, will not last the distance.

Peter, who lost his WBC crown to the older of the Klitschko brothers, Vitali, in Berlin, Germany, back in October 2008, had in September 2005 fought against Wladimir in an elimination bout for the International Boxing Federation (IBF) and International Boxing Organization (IBO) world titles.

The Nigerian, however, lost the bout on points, despite knocking Wladimir down on three separate occasions over the course of the 12 round contest.

That inherently makes the September 11 rematch in Germany one of the more interesting fights that can be made in the heavyweight division, especially since Wladimir has not been involved in a tough fight ever since their 2005 bout.

Five years in the making

It’s almost five years since Peter’s painful loss to Wladimir in Atlantic City and the Nigerian now has a chance to get back at the Ukrainian for inflicting what, back then, was his first career loss. He has promised his fans that “it’s going to be a short night” this time around.

“You are going to see a very good exciting fight this time around,” said Peter. “No bullshit, I’m ready. I’m ready to go. I know my fans are going to be really happy with me this time around because it’s going to be a short night.”

Following his loss to Vitali, Peter went on to suffer defeat at the hands of Eddie Chambers in March 2009, but returned with a bang afterwards by recording four straight wins, with the longest of them lasting just four rounds, against journeyman, Gabe Brown, in September 2009.

The underdog

Irrespective of that, Peter will be coming into the bout against Wladimir as the underdog. He, however, insisted he is not bothered by that.

“I like when people keep on thinking like that because some people, they are thinking with their legs,” he said.

“They are not thinking with their heads or brains. They don’t see what I see. They don’t know what I know. Let them keep on thinking. I love that,” added Peter, who then went ahead to boast that he would be prepared to give Wladimir the opportunity of fighting him all over again right after their upcoming rematch.

“Definitely,” exclaimed Peter. “Even that same night, they better be ready because it’s not going to be long. I would still beat him again that same night,” said Peter, who represented Nigeria at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.

Wladimir, a gold medallist at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, hasn’t lost since his April 2004 loss to Lamon Brewster, and knocked out Chambers in his last title defence in March this year.

He, however, admitted in a recent interview that he will be prepared for the hardhitting Nigerian by the time they meet in Frankfurt next month.

“The first fight against Samuel was one of the hardest combats in my career. He is a hard puncher who developed further. I know what to expect at the 11th of September, but I will be prepared,” Wladimir said.

The cause of the death of a BRT passenger, Ms. Ifeanyi Dennis, who was allegedly killed by a commercial bus driver being pursued by men of the Lagos State Transport Management Agency on Thursday, is still generating controversy...

While a witness, Mr. Adetiba Joseph, told PUNCH METRO that Ifeanyi was killed by a fleeing bus driver, who was being pursued by the LASTMA men, the agency denied any complicity in the death of the 42 year-old woman.

But Joseph, who insisted that the victim was knocked down by the fleeing driver, added that Ifeanyi died on the spot before medication could be administered to her.

According to him, the death sparked off a spontaneous reaction from members of the public including commercial motorcyclists, popularly called okada riders, who allegedly pursued LASTMA officials at the scene.

Joseph said the officials later reinforced, stormed the scene and confiscated 15 motorcycles, while the motorcyclists ran away.

Joseph said, “Around 1pm, LASTMA people were pursuing one danfo motor. The danfo driver wanted to escape from LASTMA at the service lane when the officials blocked the road with their rake-like equipment. The vehicle crossed to BRT side and knocked down one of the two women that were standing at the BRT tarmac.

“We carried her to the other side of the road. We took her to a nearby hospital but before we could reach there, she was already dead. When the emergency response operation came after being phoned, they discovered that she was already dead.

“Later, people pursued LASTMA officials standing there. Afterwards the officials came and impounded 15 motorcycles from the other side.”

The Pastor of Living Covenant Christian Assembly, Onigbongbo, Maryland, Pastor Timmy Amode, where the deceased worshipped, said although he was not there at the time of the accident, information available to him corroborated Joseph‘s account.

He, however, said he witnessed when LASTMA officials came and confiscated the motorcycles.

Amode said, “She was at the BRT stand to catch a vehicle. How the bus got there and knocked her down, we do not know. Every attempt to talk to LASTMA officials there soon after was unsuccessful as regards what happened.

“When we were still at the hospital, LASTMA people came in five vehicles and cordoned off the entire area and took away some motorcycles. I do not know if they made any arrest but I am a witness at this point.”

But the Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Transportation, Mr. Kayode Opeifa, on Sunday said LASTMA was not in any way responsible for Ifeanyi’s death.

He said the woman had had the accident before the attention of his officials at Maryland was drawn to the scene.

According to him, the officials quickly informed the appropriate rescue and accident management unit, who raced to the scene, adding that the cordoning off of the road was to aid the evacuation and possible treatment of the woman. ,

Opeifa said, “Our record has it that there was an incident around Channels Television at Maryland. The attention of LASTMA was drawn to a woman that was killed by a hit-and-run-driver.

“We called Lagos Ambulance Emergency Response and the Ministry of Heath. “The health officials promptly came to the scene, but before they could reach there, she had already died. As soon as we got there, LASTMA stopped traffic.

“In the process of managing the traffic, the public including, okada riders, who had developed sympathy for the deceased, spoiled for a fight for not allowing traffic to continue.

“They started attacking LASTMA officials. Police came in and dispersed them and the okada riders.”

The younger brother to the deceased, Mr. Onyeka Dennis, advised the Lagos State Government to reform LASTMA to curb their alleged excesses.

He added that people should show more attention and concern for others especially accident victims and people in need.

The Lagos State Police Command spokesperson, Mr. Frank Mba, in a telephone interview with our correspondent on Sunday, said he was not aware of the incident.

Avocado -- the fruit that would

make butter and meat obsolete

If you love fatty, creamy, hearty foods and want to avoid the cholesterol and toxicity of meat and dairy, anchor your diet with avocado!

Avocado is more than just a tasty treat to be enjoyed in guacamole--it makes a hearty satisfying meal when eaten alone, in salads, and in other dishes. Most people who transition from a standard American diet to a vegan diet with avocado, nuts and seeds don’t miss the animal foods because raw vegan plant fat is so satisfying as well as more nutritious than cooked fatty animal foods! In hundreds of thousands of cases, people who’ve adopted a vegan diet of predominantly raw foods with minimal or no cooked starches as part of a healthful lifestyle (including regular exercise and adequate sleep), have lost excess weight, overcome illness, gained new vitality, and avoided the killer diseases which now plague our meat, bread, dairy, and junk-food eating society. The fresh vitamins, active enzymes, organic minerals, soluble fiber, high water content, and easily digested fats and proteins in avocados and other fruit and plant foods can help transform any sluggish, overweight meat eater into a slimmer and more dynamic person. Some of the leanest people I know eat the most avocados! Cooked foods such as bread, pasta, meat, dairy and junk foods are the villains that can keep an avocado eater from losing excess fat.

If your goal is to reduce your consumption or transition completely off of meat and dairy, avocado may be the perfect way to satisfy your natural cravings for creamy nourishment.

“The avocado is one of the most valuable foods which nature has given man. For those concerned about eliminating meat from their diet, this offers not merely a “substitute,” but a food which is much superior in value for human maintenance. It is rich in protein and fat and comparatively higher than any other fruits in these elements. The fat is more digestible than animal fats.”

Avocado is also known as the “alligator pear” because of the rough skin on some varieties. In the 17th and 18th centuries the fruit was also commonly known as “butter pear.” In tropical Central America, avocado trees have been growing wild for thousands of years, providing natives with a rich food. The Aztecs called the tree Ahuacatl. Marauding Spanish armies changed this to abocado or avocado, the now common English name.

According to the Little Green Avocado Book, there is strong evidence that avocado trees flourished 50 million years ago in what is now California, and avocados might have provided food for dinosaurs.

Today’s avocados are derived from three natural races. The Mexican type (semi-tropical) produces small fruits, 6 to 10 ounces having glossy purple, paper-thin skin when ripe. The Guatemalan type (subtropical) yields medium pear-shaped fruits which are first green, turning purple-black or coppery-purple when ripe, with a typically tough shell. The West Indian type (tropical) produces enormous, smooth, round, glossy green fruits as up to 2 pounds in weight. In the United States, 95 percent of the commercially grown avocados come from California, with small percentages coming from Florida, Louisiana, Texas and Hawaii. The California Rare Fruit Growers Fruit Facts, Volume One, reports that avocados grow well in valley and coastal California, as far north as Cape Mendocino and Red Bluff. Hybrid forms of all types are grown.

Avocado growing is relatively new . They are available year round. The harvest time depends on the variety. The Hass, the best known commercial variety, is a hybrid of the Mexican and the Guatemalan types and is picked from January into fall depending on where it is grown.

The Little Green Avocado Book also reports that avocado trees are large evergreens of the laurel family, and there are about 400 commercial varieties of avocado. Some are: Bacon, Ettinger, Fuerte, Gwen, Hass, Nabal, Pinkerton, Reed and Zutano. Mexican types ripen in 6 to 8 months from bloom, Guatemalan types 12 to 18 months.

There are wide differences in the flavors of individual avocados, ranging from salty, to nutty, to sweet, with shades in between. If a fruit has been picked too early it may be watery and unpalatable. If picked too late, some varieties develop a rancid flavor. If a Bacon avocado tastes like bacon, it is rancid. If an avocado has dark flesh (rot), compost it and/or salvage the good parts.

At some farmers markets and produce stores, one can occasionally find “Cukes” (also known as "Cocktail" or "Finger" avocados), seedless, pickle-shaped avocado fruits which result from improperly pollinated flowers. One can also occasionally find miniature avocados which have thin, black edible skin and an anise flavor (the Mexicola is one variety)--these make a delightful treat!

Julie Frink, Curator for the Avocado Variety Collection, University of California Research Station at Irvine, California, writes:

“I have nearly 20 varieties growing in my yard and the Hass variety is always one of the best. Some of the green varieties sold in stores have given a bad name to some really fine green skinned fruits. The most inferior tasting avocados have either been picked when too immature or they are poor quality pollinator varieties to begin with. One of our favorites is the round, green Reed. A perfect Reed on Labor Day is a most fantastic treat! So often these wonderful fall avocados are picked and sold in the spring when they are watery and tasteless. The green, elongated pear shaped Pinkerton can be fantastic if allowed to stay on the tree until full maturity but will be rubbery and tasteless if picked too soon.”

The Little Green Avocado Book also states that an acre of avocado trees can yield more food than an acre of any other tree crop. Imagine the ecological implications--a perfectly healthful “meaty” food which requires 1/200th or less of the acreage needed by the cattle industry for a comparable yield in pounds, posing no pollution problems--and no carnage! Worried about mad cow disease?--eat raw avocados, seeds and nuts and stay sane and mentally keen!.

Nutrients:

Avocados are bursting with nutrients--vitamins, A, B-complex, C, E, H, K, and folic acid, plus the minerals magnesium, copper, iron, calcium, potassium and many other trace elements. Avocados provide all of the essential amino acids (those that must be provided by our diet), with 18 amino acids in all, plus 7 fatty acids, including Omega 3 and 6. Avocados contain more protein than cow’s milk, about 2% per edible portion. Since rapidly growing nursing infants obtain no more than 2% protein from mother’s milk, we can safely assume that children and adults do not regularly require foods richer in protein than avocado. Our bodies recycle approximately 80% of our protein; cooked protein is denatured and largely unusable, thus our protein need is far lower than what is taught by

conventional dietetics. A small avocado will provide more usable protein then a huge steak because cooked protein in meat is deranged and mostly unavailable to our liver, the organ which makes all of our body’s protein. There is clear evidence from many sources that cooked fatty and high-protein foods are the prime culprit in our country’s high rate of cancer, as well as in colitis, Crohn’s disease and many other diseases. (I instantly healed up from a long illness, ulcerative colitis, seventeen years ago after I stopped eating meat and adopted a properly combined low-fat vegan diet of mostly raw fruits and vegetables, and I have since helped over 1,000 people recover from similar illnesses.) Ripe, raw organically grown avocados are naturally pure and furnish all of the elements we need to build the highest quality protein in our bodies.

The water content of avocado by weight averages 74%. Because avocado is a ripe, watery, enzymatically-alive fruit, it ranks as the most easily digested rich source of fats and proteins in whole food form. The ripening action of the sun “predigests” complex proteins into simple, easily digested amino acids. The fat content (by weight) varies from 7 to 26 % according to the variety, averaging 15%. Approximately 63% of the fat in avocados is monounsaturated, 20% is polyunsaturated and 17% is saturated. Avocados are the perfect source of dietary fat--appetizing in their raw state, digestible, and pure. Another plus is that avocados have no cholesterol.

Avocado is an alkalinizing food, i.e., the mineral end products of metabolism have an alkalinizing effect in the blood and other bodily fluids. Because the human body works to maintain a slightly alkaline pH, an alkalinizing diet is the most healthful way of eating. Meat, dairy and most raw nuts create acidity in the body--excess eating of these causes the leaching of alkalinizing calcium from our bones to buffer the acidity, leading to osteoporosis. Dr. Douglas Graham states:

“Current bone density testing has verified loss of calcium from the bones after the consumption of just one meat meal. A similar meal containing the same amount of protein from plants results in no calcium loss. Fruit and vegetable proteins, which supply the complete spectrum of human nutrients, must be considered superior to animal protein which are deficient or missing many of our essential nutrients such as fiber, vitamin C and a host of phytonutrients and antioxidants.”

Avocado eaters who eat a healthful vegan diet typically experience more lustrous hair, softer, smoother skin, more pliable nails, fewer joint problems, slimmer belly, less body odor, improved mental function and enhanced libido. Upon giving up animal meat and dairy, switching to a diet of 75% to 100% raw vegan foods with enzymatically-alive “plant meat,” and adopting a healthful lifestyle, a multitude of people have reaped amazing health benefits and joyous vitality.

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Some extraordinary avocado uses

* House plants. Stick toothpicks in the sides of avocado pits and set them on the top of a water-filled glass. A plant will sprout forth which can be transplanted into a pot after a few weeks. On the Avocado Information Web Site, University of California, Cooperative Extension, Dr. Mary Lu Arpaia and Dr. Ben Faber report:

“It is possible to grow an avocado from seed, just don't let it dry out. Be aware that the seed is the result of cross-pollination so the resulting tree will be different from the tree the fruit came from. For example, if you plant the seed from a Hass avocado, the resulting tree will be a cross between a Hass and something else... it will NOT be a Hass! Also, keep in mind that avocados planted from seed take anywhere from 5 to 13 years+ before they flower and produce fruit. When I start an avocado from seed I usually take it right from the fruit, I cut about 1/4" off the tip of the seed with a sharp knife, and place the seed in a pot with potting soil with just the flat/cut top of the seed showing above the soil. Keep it moist and wait...(time to germinate varies).”

* Hand cream. If you have chapped hands or want to prevent chapping in the winter, rub in some avocado.

* Shaving cream. Smear it on!

* Sunburn relief. It may not block any of the sun but it will help keep your skin moist.

* Foot and hand massage. With your partner, share the luxury of a relaxing massage. If you both have sex in mind, don’t stop at the hands and feet!

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Avocado **vs.** Animal Meat

watery and fiber-rich, non-consiptating ** low water, no fiber constipating

has all essential amino acids ** amino acids denatured by cooking

no cholesterol ** high in cholesterol

takes 2 to 4 hours to digest, normally will not putrefy ** takes 12 to 24 hours to digest, normally putrefies, poisoning our blood, tissues and brain

no parasites, pathogens or tumors ** incidences of parasites, pathogens and tumors range from rare to common

not inoculated with any chemicals ** typically inoculated with antibiotics, medicines and hormones

water-rich and non-allergenic ** bloody and laden with allergenic proteins

does not need cooking or any preparation other than peeling ** if eaten raw, the parasite-pathogen risk increases; when cooked the fats become carcinogenic, the proteins coagulate, and the heat-deaminated minerals become embedded as arterial and bowel plaque leading to atherosclerosis, heart disease, Alzeimer’s, etc.

100% healthful ** a major health hazard with links to cancer, colitis, diabetes, obesity and many other diseases

alkalinizing ** acidifying

the fuel required to digest avocado and other fruity fats is less than half of that required to digest meats, and digestion time is dramatically lower as well ** takes approximately 50% of body’s energy and as much as three days to digest and clean up the toxins from its decomposition in the gut and the immune system response to the toxic proteins and grease which enter the blood

100% ecologically sound ** ecologically destructive, requiring up to 200 times the acreage and over 10 times the quantity of water to produce one pound of food (approximately 220 gallons of water per pound of avocado vs. 2,400 gallons water per pound of beef); grazing causes soil erosion and in some countries deforestation; liquid, solid and gaseous animal wastes pollute the atmosphere, land and waterways.

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Some avocado myths & facts

1. It’s a vegetable.

Fact: It’s actually an oily berry--a fruit.

2. It’s high in cholesterol.

Fact: It has no cholesterol. Only animal foods have cholesterol.

3. It’s high in fat.

Fact: By weight, avocados average 30% easily digestible oily fatty acids and approximately 70% water.

4. Its saturated fat content is dangerous.

Fact: Only about 2.5% of the edible portion of avocado is saturated fat, and unheated saturated fat from live plant foods is non-toxic.

5. It’s fattening.

Fact: It is the cooked starches, meat, dairy and processed sugar in people’s diets that feed their fat cells. Most active people who consume avocados as part high raw food vegan diet have no problem losing excess fat and staying lean.

6. It is a tree ripened fruit.

Fact: The avocado doesn't soften on the tree. After dropping or picking it must be allowed to soften for 4 to 17 days depending on the variety and ambient temperature and humidity.

7. It is best to ripen it in a bag.

Fact: Not necessary. Keep your weekly supply of avocados on your kitchen table, counter or somewhere else in plain sight. Pinch the tops and bottoms each morning and when they yield to pressure on both ends they are ripe. Refrigerate the ones you are not ready to eat.

9. It can’t be refrigerated.

Fact: Yes it can. Wrap ripe avocado in plastic or keep it in a plastic bag or container. If it is refrigerated for too long some spoiling may result. Remove unripened avocado from the refrigerator 2 or 3 days before you intend to eat them.

10. Keep the seed in to keep the guacamole from turning black.

Fact: That is an old wives tale! Wrap it in plastic to keep oxidation at bay.

Voodoo in the city

Nigeria is expected to make history on October 1, when its caterers build and unveil the world’s largest cake. The 65,000kg cake, will be unveiled at the National Stadium, Abuja, is expected to beat the current Guinness World Records.

By midnight, October 1, a select group of Nigerian caterers and bakers will begin work on a 65ton cake. By noon, the fruit cake, decorated in green and white colours will be unveiled by President Goodluck Jonathan. Mr. Jonathan will cut the 6ft high cake and Nigerians will have the opportunity to have a share of the ‘national cake’ literally..

The cake, which will be 100ft long and 6ft high, will require the services of at least 2000 persons, and is expected to beat the records of the current world’s largest cake, a 58ton cake which was baked in 1989.

One meal one nation

The organiser of the World’s largest cake project, Victor Oluwafemi, says he has tagged the project, ‘one meal one nation’, in line with the philosophy behind the project.

“The project is a private endeavour which myself and my team thought of. We wanted to do something significant for the 50th anniversary project. We wanted something that would give every Nigerian an opportunity to partake in the celebrations. We knew that the average Nigerian would not have the opportunity to eat the cake that will be presented in the villa,” Mr. Oluwafemi said to NEXT in Abuja.

Mr. Oluwafemi’s team of three spoke enthusiastically of the measures that they are taking to ensure that the cake gets to as many Nigerians as possible. First, every state in the country will receive one ton of the cake and the small team also expects that every tribe in the country will be represented in the Abuja Stadium on October 1, and will have the opportunity to have a bite of the cake.

“This project is supposed to turn the national cake that we always talk about to reality. It will give Nigerians an actual cake to feed on,” Paul Sambo, the team’s head of Strategic business said.

Likening the project to the national pride that comes from winning a football match, the team says that the project was designed to boost the emotions of Nigerians despite the current national challenges.

“This project does not gainsay the fact that the nation has problems up till today. But we need inspiration in order to move forward as a nation. This project was designed with a leadership bias, a leader inspires his people no matter what and that is what we hope to do,” Joseph Yakwo, the third member and the operations officer of the project said.

Making the records book

If the team’s cake must to enter the Guinness World Records, Mr. Oluwafemi and his team will have to start and finish the cake within 24 hours; the team plans to do so in 8.

“We are going to bake the cake in about 8 hours. The cake is going to be baked, cooled and iced on the same day,” Mr. Yakwo said.

The team says that it has been in touch with the officials of the Guinness World Records and that a Guinness adjudicator will arrive from New York to inspect the project from start to finish.

Unheralded when they left the country three weeks ago, players of the U-20 women’s team which represented Nigeria in the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Germany will return to a hero’s welcome despite losing the final game to the host team. After blazing the trail to become the first African team to play in the finals, the team, coached by Adat Egan, fell 2-0 to Germany in the final game largely due to tactical errors and a penchant for failing to convert their chances.

Germany’s tactic was quite simple; lob the ball to their attackers and wait for the knock down and it worked perfectly as the first goal came through that route. The tournament’s adidas Golden Ball (best player)and Golden Boot winner( highest goals scorer), Alexandra Popp flicked on a header to Dzsenifer Marozsan, who took a touch and passed back to Popp who guided a close range finish beyond the grasp of Alaba Jonathan, in goal for the Falconets. That was the first chance that the German girls got and they took it. The Nigerian women fought back through efforts from Ebere Orji in the 26th minute which Almuth Schult had to parry away from the tight angle from which the shot was struck.

Another combination between Desire Oparanozie and Helen Ukaonu, the left back, gave Oparanozie a good chance but her curling shot from the edge of the box narrowly missed the goal.

Making us proud

His efforts not withstanding, coach Egan needs to explain why he started Gloria Ofoegbu, a player who had not tasted action throughout the tournament, in place of the accomplished Amarachi Okoronkwo; and why he waited until the 57th minute before replacing Ofoegbu. The only explanation that will make any sense would be if Okoronkwo was carrying an injury. Ebere Orji, expected to carry Nigeria’s attacking hopes could not do much as she was moved from her favourite left flank to the middle and that may have disrupted the chemistry of the team.

The killer blow came in added time through an own goal. After an error from Okoronkwo gifted the hosts a corner kick, and two more such kicks later, Kulig took a powerful shot that came off the post and hit Osinachi Ohale on the side before crossing the line. It was game over for the Falconets.

The defeat can be blamed on the paucity of goals as Nigeria went into the final with possibly the least goals ever scored to qualify for that level, scoring six goals and conceding five in the tourney.

Godday Esezobor, Chairman of Female Football Club Owners Association and proprietor of Makbet Queens, a women’s football club based in Lagos, said the Falconets have done Nigeria proud, although coach Egan was wrong to have gambled on Ofoegbu:

“The ladies have made all of us proud. They should hold their heads high. However, mention must be made of the decision to bring in Ofoegbu in place of Okoronkwo who played in virtually all the matches. In women’s football you don’t take that kind of risk. Normally, what happens is that barring injuries and things like expulsion, you finish a tournament with the same team you started it with. This is because the players would have struck a rhythm, which new injections to the squad would disrupt,” Esezobor said.

But that is not taking anything away from this team, which literally sneaked out of the country, were abandoned by the leader of the Nigerian delegation, and got paid peanuts compared to the millions lavished on our men.

Most commentators agree that the Falconets have made Nigerians proud. Their countrymen all over the world will justifiably praise their achievement.

Popping into history

Germany’s Alexandra Popp worked her way into the history books by scoring 10 goals in six matches. In the same vein, she was crowned the best player of the championship. Germany also became the first team that will host and win the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.

For the Falconets, it was a record setting tournament. When they beat defending champions, the United States of America in the quarter-final, they became the first African women football team at any level, to qualify for the semi-final of any FIFA Women’s World Cup. Playing in the final had raised the bar even further, and has also helped in redeeming Nigeria’s poor image in football after the debacle in South Africa.

Kajola Premiers in Abuja

The much publicized Nigerian’s first science fiction movie premiered at the Silverbird Cinema in Abuja over the weekend. The premier which started at about 6pm was hosted by actor Francis Duru and witnessed appearance of the major cast and crew members of the movie including lead actors Desmond Elliot, Adonijah Owiriwa, and Keira Hewatch. Also present at the premier were notable celebrities from the Nigerian mainstream entertainment world including the Rooftop MCs; Idol West Africa winner, Timi Dakolo; Ace Nollywood actress, Rita Dominic; Nigezie music presenter, Andre Blaze; and erstwhile Kush rapper Emem Ema. Blaze who obviously couldn’t hide his excitement before the movie screened said after: “Before watching, I had an impression about this movie, but now that has changed totally; overall I am really impressed.” Kajola, a movie with a reported N180 Million budget is produced by Adonijah Owiriwa for Adonis Production and is written and directed by Niyi Akinmolayan for Anthill Multimedia. The movie is woven around how a heroic person, through a rebellious action, thwarts the plan of some elite from eliminating a community of lower strata..

see trailer at bottom.

Chuddy K performs acapela at company launch

‘Slow Slow’ singer Chuddy K wowed fans with his vocal prowess as he gave a captivating, no beat assisted, performance alongside the one called Shalom at the A&R and the Lot Services company launch. The launch was held on Saturday 31 July 2010 at the Best Western Hotel Ahmodu Bello way Victoria Island. The launch also witnessed a solo performance from saxophonist, Femi and a brief fashion show parading the Night Night (evening wears) and Who’s the Boss (corporate collections) of Doyin Kafidipe’s Kafidipe Creations. A&R and The Lot Services provide talent management services amongst its other entertainment wheeled services and is founded by Wummie Benjamin.

Omotola’s shoots new video

Nollywood actress, Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, was in South Africa a few weeks ago (during the World Cup) where she shot the second video off her sophomore album which is tentatively titled ‘Me, Myself and Eyes.’ The video is for the song ‘Missing U’ and was shot by Nigerian music video director, Bobby Boulders. ‘Missing U’ is an emotional song and tells the story of a partner who disappeared without any explanation. Omotola’s “runaway love” was played by South African male model Chris Du Plessis, who recently won the Heat Magazine “Six Pack of 2010″ Award! Omotola will host selected guests and friend to an exclusive album listening party on the 24th of September 2010 while on the 26th of September at Fantasy Land in Lagos, a special listening party will be take place for Omotola fans. She will also be flagging off her ‘Give and Let Get project, a charity project which will provide platform where her friends and fans can donate gifts which will be distributed to various orphanages.

Jeta Amata’s new movie

Award winning director, Jeta Amata, is preparing to come out with his most recent job, the first musical film produced by Keke Bongos called INALE. The movie is a story of enchantment and intrigue, a legend of bravery and valour. Its theme revolves around the test of true love, and restoration of peace between warring communities. The lead actress of the movie, Inale, played by Caroline Chikezie, is the beautiful daughter of the great King Oche of the Idoma people in Idomaland, Nigeria. Her beloved Odeh, played by Hakeem Kae-Kazim, must win their customary wrestling tournament to take Inale’s hand in marriage. The villagers had gathered for the big ceremony only to find a stranger in their midst, that challenges not only the tradition of the village law, but the strength of Odeh and Inale’s true love. The sound track of the movie featured original songs performed by Bongos Ikwue, along with special appearances from Ini Edo, Keppy Ekpenyoung, and Dede Mabiaku.