Should I go green?

I get so confused with health-obsessed friends telling me to buy only organic produce, and other friends telling me not to as they are not yet proven to be really "organic." I have bought organic vegetables in different organic markets and groceries but frankly speaking, I don’t find any difference in taste compared to the non-organic. 1also try to rationalize that my parents and I have eaten non-organic vegetables all these years and nothing bad has happened to us. My question is, what qualifies as organic? Are there guidelines in the classification of organic produce? My decision of whether to stick to organic or not is so important to my lifestyle because I will turn vegetarian one day. Please enlighten.

Vegetarian To Be

I don’t know how strict our Department of Agriculture is in granting permits to organic farmers. I know what the standards are in the USA. It must be the same here, if they implement it at all. To meet the standards set by the US Department of Agriculture, organic crops must be produced without conventional pesticides, (including herbicides), synthetic fertilizers, sewage sludge, bioengineering or ionizing radiation. Organically raised animals must be given organic feeds and kept free of growth hormones and antibiotics. Organic farm animals must have access to the outdoors, including pastureland for grazing. Organic vegetables, even if they are not sprayed with insecticides and herbicides, produce plant toxins. Just as we produce body toxins, so do plants. But plant toxins are not as poisonous as the chemicals that non-organic produce have. The non-organic produce have so much more insecticides than the non-organic ones. To play safe, we should wash our vegetables and fruits, whether organic or not, very well. A dash of potassium permanganate in a bowl of water where you soak your veggies and fruits is recommended for the purpose of killing all the germs. In the supermarket there is a product called Veggie Wash, which could be used for that purpose. Nutritionists say that most of the vitamins and fiber content are in the skin of the fruits like apples, peaches, pears, cherries, etc. So we should eat the fruits with the skin. But one must be sure to wash them really well for fear of getting sick from all the chemicals that they put on these fruits. This is one reason that it is safer to go organic, if the claims to organic are for real.

Friendship Over Politics

It is so amazing how politics have ruined friendships. A friend of long standing does not talk to me now just because I refuse to join the campaign for a certain presidential candidate of her choice. I explained to her that I have my own political candidate and I have my own reasons for not joining her. She cannot accept my choice and even called me stupid for not choosing her candidate. I wanted to tell her that she is the stupid one for choosing her candidate but I value her friendship more than politics. To make a long story short, this friend of 20 years is not talking to me just because of politics. Perhaps you can give your views on how not to ruin your friendship over politics.

Politically Indifferent

Every time a friend would ask me to vote for her candidate who is not my choice of candidate I would say, "We don’t share the same political beliefs but you will always be my friend." When they would insist on converting me, I would say, "Let us not discuss politics and ruin our dinner party or our friendship for that matter."

I am of the belief that there are two topics that should not be discussed during a party: Politics and religion (especially if there are differences in opinion.) There should be respect among friends and respect includes accepting each other in spite of differences in religion and political convictions. If your friend cannot accept you for your choice and would rather give up your friendship because of your political differences, then she is not worth keeping as a friend.

Single-Wretchedness

My parents and friends are wondering why I am still single. Many of them, including my male friends’ tell me that I am attractive and have a great personality. I sometimes wonder why I am still single either. I can’t seem to hold a man’s interest for more than two or three dates. Plus, I always seem to attract guys who are either immature or just plain sleazy. Please give me some tips.

Almost Desperate

Ask two or three of your trusted friends to tell you frankly what is wrong with you. Be sure you are asking friends that you trust and who could be objective about you. You have to brace yourself for criticisms and don’t expect them to tell you what you want to hear. It takes nerves of steel, but you can learn a lot about yourself and your lack of dates if you are brave enough to learn the truth. It is not about how attractive you are or how mesmerizing your personality is. I am sure you are fabulous. But lots of fabulous people don’t get dates because they are doing something weird that puts off potential partners. They might: A) Be too aggressive; B) Be too cold or unfriendly; C) Talk on and on and on about themselves; D) Act too shy or reserved; or E) Smell Bad.

I am not saying you have bad manners or BO but other people can often spot quirks of behavior that you might not have realized were a problem. Get some feedback from male friends that you trust. They can give you a pretty accurate reading on what the opposite sex is thinking. You mentioned that you attract guys who are sleazy or immature. Is it because you give them more of a chance because you are afraid someone decent won’t give you the time of day?

Don’t get caught in the there-must-be-something-wrong-with-me dirge. Seek the counsel of good friends that you trust so you can also learn a lot about your strengths as well.

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For your questions, write to Mayenne Carmona, Star Media Inc., 6th floor, Jaka Bldg., Ayala Ave., Makati.