TIMES TODAY
Leaders who are
TT 160 | July 12th - July 18th| 2022
upright
CONTENTS My Pulpit message notes: | Leaders who are upright| 3-5 My Devotional: You said...| 7 My Business | Aga Khan University Hospital Opens Andrology Centre For Men | 8 My Inspiration: Who controls your happiness? | 9 My Education : Switching Education Systems, A Possible Move | 10 My Entrepreneur: 9 tips to enhance your networking skills | 11 My Health: Are supplements really the ‘superheroes’ of self-care? | 12-13 My Kitchen: Coffee-Toffee Crunch Cake |14 My Sports: Angela Okutoyi shifts focus to US Open |15
Pulpit Message Leaders who are Upright
My Pulpit Message Notes are extracted from the sermon preached at the Nairobi Baptist Church (NBC) Ngong Road on Sunday 10th July 2022. Preacher: Reverend Munengi Mulandi, Senior Pastor NBC. Scripture: Genesis 6:1-22. Topic: Leaders who are upright
A Product of Grace (Genesis 6:8)
In Psalms 78:72 a verse is given that could be perhaps the best summary of the kind of leaders that we need to pray for, that we need to raise for this nation, not only in the political realm, but in academia, military, in - An upright leader is not one who gains that by pulling himself/herself our families, in the medical world and in the education system. to a position of being upright by their own bootstraps. Uprightness is a This morning a preacher talked about this verse, “And David shepherded function of the grace of God. One cannot bleach, or construct themselves them with integrity of heart and with skilful hands he led them.” And he upright. Therefore, you and I as leaders should not parade our candidasummarised and said, if you were at the ballot box and you need to make ture, or qualification of leadership, with broad shoulders, or brazen faces choices, sometimes you encounter names that you have never heard be- and chest thumping. fore and begin to inky, pinky, ponky, checking which one has economic, or tribal leaning towards you, checking, he said, look for these two fac- - You and I, by the motion of shaking hands can begin shifting leaves, but we cannot cause, or sustain a whirlwind. That is the function /monopoly tors; skilful hands and integrity of heart. of God.
The series that has been prepared for us in the month of July has tried to place qualities that you and I can prepare ourselves for political action The story of Noah is well known to you. We are told the world was so on August 9th, but for political action everyday in our homes and the sinful and violence, one of the outward manifestations of inward decay of institutions where we work, or study. These medications that we have had people, was so manifested that it says that God was sorry with the earth and the people that He had made. through the month, whether it is the Then He identifies Noah and gives leader who mediates, or has courage him this mission to build an ark. etc have been divided neatly into two. We are looking at some aspects of - But one thing I like about the story what skills are necessary to be able to of Noah, before you give him a red elect somebody who is going to take shirt and draw a big S of superman this nation / company, this church to on him, Genesis 6:8 says, “But Noah the next level. They need to have cerfound favour / grace in the eyes of tain skills. God.” The Bible does not say, but Noah manufactured grace/favour. David did not just lead them with The writing in verse 8 is so clear that skill, he shepherded them with integNoah’s act was secondary and the primary Actor was God. rity of heart. Today we look at Noah, seeking to ask ourselves, how do we
An upright leader has three evidences; one, is a product of grace, secondly, is a champion of faith and thirdly, he is a dispenser of redemption.
gauge a leader who is upright? How do we audit ourselves to see whether If the Bible says, Noah found favour/grace with God, for Him to find we are leaders who are of integrity? it, someone must have placed it there in the first place. You can’t say, The Bible says, “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to Munengi found a speaker without realising that media were the first acany people.” Let us not lie to ourselves, in our families, institutions and tors to put it there for me to find it there in the first place.
nations, that skills are going to get us there alone, no. It is a bicycle that You go to different places on the African continent and your are told, when you pedal on the right you need to pedal on the left. these Falls was discovered by David Livingstone. No. He recorded it in When you go to the ballot paper, check, do they have skills, or not? check English for the first time. The locals had already discovered it before, but that one and then ask; are they men, or women of integrity? Are they God had put it there first. upright?
Evidences of an upright leader 1: They are a product of grace 2. They are a champion of faith. 3. They are a dispenser of redemption.
- So it’s true, Noah found favour / grace, but he had not manufactured it. God had made it and placed it and made it available and then Noah found favour.
- This righteousness that is also recorded in verse 9, ‘Noah was a righteous man’ is not something that he made up himself. Being upright does not begin with action. It begins with a passive receiving of the favour and These are not the qualities that I am asking when you have a ballot paper the grace of God. in front of you, or are in an interview panel you say, they got two-thirds of them, no. They need to have all three or they don’t deserve your vote as an upright leader.
TT 160 | July 12th - July 18th| 2022
Pulpit Message - An upright leader betrays that they are a product of grace by the way they talk, conduct their affairs, the way they react when things are not well. They don’t rush the clan, or social media to tribal cocoons, money-bagged friends, witchcraft etc. The Bible says, “The arm of flesh will fail you.”
- It is interesting to note that the Bible says, “Noah walked with God’. Abraham walked with God, Noah with God, Deborah walked with God. But Scripture seems to isolate for emphasis two people; Enoch and Noah. There was something specific about their dedication in faith/trust in God that was different because they were recipients of His grace poured upon - Audit the statements of our leaders on the political realms, in the church, them that they realised the manifestation, that they worked out in their society institutions, even in our residential estate committees. How many lives that we call they were blameless and they walked with God. of us act like we are self-made? That is not an upright leader. An upright leader finds that which God has already placed. That upright leader, one - So Noah is not paralysed by fear, what will people think? What if I fail? of the first evidences is that, they are a product of grace. One of the good answers to, what if I fail is that I would try again, no problems, I obeyed. Maybe it will be successful on the third strike. Why? All leaders will struggle with pride because leadership comes with pow- Because of this faith. Because God has said there is a welling up of trust in er and the entrapments of power, but do you see a leader who regularly God that is even ridiculous. throws themselves to the ground on contrition in realisation, that I am a product of the grace of God. Yes, Wanjiku may have voted for me, but I am - Please, try and enter into Noah’s shoes. Imagine the cost of swimming here because of the arm of God. against the stream. Everybody is going downstream and like salmon, you are going upstream. Everybody is living this sinful life and you begin to construct this huge boat, because God has said He is going to destroy the world.
A Champion of Faith (Genesis 6:9b) “Noah was blameless among the people.”
First there is ridicule. Noah who do you think you are? You think we are more sinners that you are? Imagine the mental torture of this ‘holier than A recipient of righteousness shows that they are the recipient of that righ- thou’ thing that is being thrown at him. But being a recipient of grace teousness. It manifests in blamelessness. makes him a champion of grace to be able to overcome the ridicule. But it is not just ridicule. Imagine the kind of opposition. “Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God.” When God has said, my and your cause of death doesn’t matter when you and I are in heaven. Because of our commitment to the LORD, they One of the words in this verse shows that he was a recipient of grace, but will not bring it any sooner, or later, because there is a God sitting on His two of those words are showing that because of being a recipient of grace, throne. consequent to begin a product of grace, then he became a champion of faith by living a quality of life that showed that he had interacted/been But we must be champions of faith like Noah. I do not know what asmarinated in the grace of God. sassinations plans there were for Noah, but imagine what people in his community thought. There is nothing in the Bible that tells us that Noah When I was growing up one of the detergents was new blue Omo. It is still studied in ADD. That school of the built environment. We are not told new blue Omo, thirty/forty years later and one of their tag lines was “Ina- that he has any civil engineering background, or that he is an architect. onyesha wazi”, it shows openly, (it manifests). And here he goes into a world of strength and materials and theories of structures because God has said, and he is just following the instructions - I have realised in my research, if you eat beef stew for lunch you can of God. A champion of faith. go for an afternoon meeting, any board meeting, but if you eat the same meat, and it wasn’t stewed and was roasted over coals / nyama coma, you - Remember there were no prototypes before. He had not seen a small cannot attend a board meeting, because roast meat, unlike stewed beef model of a boat. Neither had he seen a boat there on the new port of Lamu manifests. Everybody knows what you ate for lunch. The whole board- and said, oh this is what God you want me to make, I am going to replicate room is full of what you ate no matter how much you wipe the oil on your it. Nothing like that. But because he was a champion of faith, because God lips. It manifests without any effort from you. The smell of the roasted beef has said, he takes the specifications God had given and puts it together. just manifests. - Again, this was not a small boat that Noah was building that he could - It is the same thing with a recipient of this grace. An upright leader is a open a small workshop and do it within the privacy of his home, no gosrecipient/product of the grace of God, but it manifests in him becoming a sipers, no people to attack him, no ridicule. It was out in the open. We are champion of faith in how when the whole world is deteriorating in sin he told the ark was the size of one and half football fields. Can you imagine Noah is different. the amount of work that it took? It was not a weekend project then hand it over the next day as an assignment from school. Bible scholars tell us that - Realise that Noah was blameless among the people. What the Bible is around 55 or so years did it take to build this ark. And there were the on taking pains to tell us is not that Noah was perfect, or sinless, but some- lookers. thing had happened in the relationship between Noah and his God that he changed direction. He faltered/stumbled every so often, but he was facing - I kind of prefer those who attack you, than those who ridicule you. Noah the right direction and kept moving. may have been building with a lot of sarcasm, but he continued to build, year after year after year. Remember he was not building with scraps of - Small wonder the summary of Scripture is that Noah was blameless timber that were just around. There was a specific special wood that he in this journey that is called sanctification, a big theological word, that was asked to use and then cover it in a special way. COVID has taught us to replace with sanitise from sin. And then the Bible says, ‘He walked faithfully with God.’ - So after God did his part, where Noah became a product of grace, Noah did his part by becoming a champion of faith.
TT 160 | July 12th - July 18th| 2022
Pulpit Message - Have you ever thought that our current manufacturers of ship, or boats and canoes cannot use those specifications, because that boat, the shape was not meant for sail. Remember it had not engine, no sails to grab the wind so that it can be able to go, no rudder to steer it. Why? Because God was piloting the whole mission and to trust God in that kind of situation was difficult.
hydro-electric project. They are there in Kiambeere where electricity is produce. And there you see these huge electric wires that are transmitting high voltages. And there are these things like an upright leader, these high voltage power lines. One, they produce no power. They are the kind that if you touch, you have touched forever, you die through electrocution. But they produce no electricity themselves. It is produced by the turbines.
Think about it, Noah had never studied in upper Kabete campus to be able to know how to deal with animals, the ones of twos, or sevens. He just obeys - But they have humbled themselves, although they do not produce power, to be God and he becomes an expert in fauna management. connected to these turbines and then they gain power, real high voltage power. That they are so powerful in themselves that they have to be separated from each Perhaps most ridiculous, did you know that it had never rained before. other, that if they touch it is blackout for you and I for days. Then they are able You can imagine, when the waters rise, how their faith rose up as they were to transmit this power over kilometres, then transform this power to be useful knocking the door of the ark and saying, ‘Let us in’. They became believers, but a to some old lady with her makeshift kiosk with a light bulb all the way from little too late. Kiambeere. - Imagine what it was for Noah, when for the first time ever some little droplets, some drizzling, then showers, then torrents of rain and flood. Can you imagine when that big boat just buoyed up, when it just did the first float, then it was up. Can you imagine the reward of such faith? Of obeying the God who made you a product of His grace, but welled in you a manifestation to become a champion of faith?
- That is the leader God is calling you and I to become, but also to look at their names on the ballot box and choose them if they can humble themselves and not pontificate that - I have done. No. Walk in a way that is not chest thumping because they know they do not produce hydro-electric power, but they are willing to be tapped in, to be powerful to transmit, but in such a way that they are a dispenser of redemption.
- I know some of us are in situations in our companies where God has called you to leadership and nobody is willing to give you the office, or title and all your ideas look ridiculous. It’s just like Noah being told, it’ll rain? What is rain? That is what people are asking you. Perhaps in the place where you are an MCA aspirant, the big boys have already announced it is over. Those are the big boys. That is not the God who causes the big boat to float. Be a champion of faith and trust Him even when there is ridicule and opposition.
In our home we did not have piped water and so to take a shower we had to use a bucket. We lived very far away from the church, mother was very religious, the rest of us were interested in the large festivities after service. So we made sure that we would get to church late, but the only way to get to church late.
The yellow bucket
We had a number of buckets because we did not have piped water and so mum - An upright leader has three evidences; one, is a product of grace, secondly, is a had a special yellow bucket. It was the only one that she used to take a shower. champion of faith and thirdly, he is a dispenser of redemption. A bath, but we called it a shower. You see the others were used for cleaning the floor etc, but the yellow one was only for mum to shower. So on Sunday morning - A young man has gotten together the people in Langata and they now have a it disappeared. Water was on the pot boiling ready for her to take a shower, but forum ‘Langata speaks’ and they have summoned all their leaders for interviews. the yellow bucket was missing. She would not touch any of the others even if you Town hall debates to find out of these people have two qualifications, whether washed with Jik and Dettol combined. they have skilful hands and can shepherd with a heart of integrity. So I keep a memorial bucket in the house. Imagine with me, if I grew up in a One of the organisers is somebody that I know, Gerald Mwangi Wal- place where we had to fetch water from the river and go up and bring it to the terfang, and I wondered what kind of opposition did he go through. You know, house. For us to be able to have enough water in the house, you had to fetch wawho do you think you are in Langata. He is not the Langata statesman who runs ter two, or three times a day and go up. for MP in Langata, 40 years ago and is now in the state that he is able to advise Imagine if my yellow bucket had just a small hole somewhere, not big enough to young aspirants and bring them to order to sit on stage and be asked questions make my journey useless, but big enough that when I fetch water two or three here and there. He does not have political mileage in some of the challenging times a day to take to my house, in years there would be a path of growth, of vegareas of Langata such as Kibra. He doesn’t have the networks. etation, because I fetched water with a bucket that was dispensing redemption. I happen to know the he also doesn’t have the money, the kind that you can bring people around and give sitting allowances. I know that he doesn’t have that kind of money to summon these leaders to the table. I happen to know that because he is my age mate and my age mates don’t have that kind of money. I know.
_The third test of a leader who is upright, not only are they a product of grace, not only are they a champion of faith, and doing things that make others think, you have no chance of winning. My aim is to win, but my bigger aim is to obey God. So I will build a ridiculous ark like Noah because God has spoken, but thirdly, that they would have all these resources like that Kiambeere voltage bringing light to a mama mboga somewhere and bringing light to her in the - But Langata constituency is going to vote right whenever they vote because same way like this yellow bucket, they will be leaking redemption for those on they were given some opportunity by some young man who are organised a the wayside. forum for voters to ask ‘Are you possessed with skilful hands and do you have a heart of integrity? _ We see that in Noah’s life. First, his family is redeemed. Secondly, all the animals are redeemed. Thirdly, all mankind is redeemed. Then the issue of sin, re- This thing about an upright leader is not appointing an archbishop to the gov- set, factory settings. Why? Because a man, or a woman who is upright as a leader ernor of Turkana, no. Do they have skilful hands? Then do they have the evi- is evidenced by what cascades from the grace they have received from God, that dences of an upright person? Do they have those values of one who is broken brings redemption / liberation to people in the society that they serve. knowing that they are not a self-made woman / man? Are they a champion of faith or are they licking their fingers and trying to find out where the political We have people who have been in office for years, and apart from redeeming winds are blowing and then flowing with them? Are they able to stand for some- themselves, nothing has ever leaked from the grace of God put on their lives to thing because God has said? Are they ridiculous like Noah because they have bring redemption to the hungry, to those who are crying. Hospitals, roads etc are heard from God? not gifts they give us. We pay for them, but if they are true upright leaders then like Kiambeere they will be leaking redemption.
A dispenser of redemption
- One of the trips that our school children go to, whether the British system or the CBC , they are always taken for a tour of Masinga Dam and the Seven Folks
TT 160 | July 12th - July 18th| 2022
My Life How to get saved and spend eternity with God His Love “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:16 (NASB) My response that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. Romans 10:9-10 (NASB)
My prayer Lord God Almighty, thank You for Your love for me. Thank You that You sent Your Son Jesus Christ to die for my sins. Please forgive me for all the sins I have committed against You. I believe that Jesus Christ is Lord and that He died on the cross and You raised Him from the dead on the third day. Please write my name in the Lamb’s book of life. Help me to live a life that is holy and pleasing unto You. In Jesus’ Name I pray and believe. Amen
TT 160 | July 12th - July 18th| 2022
My Devotional You said...
By Liz Omondi | Email: timestodayke@gmail. com | Image credit: medium.com
After Peter had worked all night and caught no fish, tired and 5 Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and dejected and having given up, Jesus asks him to let down his haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down nets into the water, to give it one more try. After describing his the nets.” 6 When they had done so, they caught such a large physical and emotional status, worn-out, to the Master, he said, number of fish that their nets began to break. Luke 5:5-6 “But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” I smiled cheekily as the children ran off excitedly to hastily work on their simple household chores while I completed my tasks with a bit of quietness while it lasted. This was going to be a short-lived relief from the buzzy fuzzy noise of mixed shouts and cries, not to mention nagging to give him, or her kiboko for doing this, that and the other.
This simple act of obedience, ‘because You say so, I will…,’ yielded such a great reward of bountiful of fish that the net began to break and help was needed from other partners, yet still, both boats became full and began to sink.
Of course Simon did not know what was going to happen next after obeying the Master. He had no idea that a miracle was in The moment I hear, “Done! Mum come check my room, it is the waiting due to a simple act of obedience. neat now,” I am forced to stop whatever I was doing to go and inspect the finished work. My idea of neat is more often not the Unlike Simon Peter, we have the privilege of reading and knowsame as that of my youngsters, yet when they actually do a good ing the numerous promises of God outlined for us throughout job, I quickly say well done coupled with high five. The drive the Scriptures. And God is faithful. He is a covenant keeping to quickly jump on to the tasks and complete them hurriedly is God. So we know that He keeps His promises. usually because of the promise of a reward. How many times do we humble ourselves before Him and When dissatisfied with the quality of work done, I will hold on obey the Scriptures, and like Peter say, “because You say so, I to the reward and ask the children to repeat the job, showing will?” What about when we have been obedient to His Word, them what needs to be corrected. This time the work may be and where there is a reward, like children, do we go back to our done with a little less enthusiasm, but more meticulously. heavenly Father and remind Him His promises to us in Scripture? Though He does not forget, it is okay to still remind Him, If you are a parent, or a person in authority, when a child begins You said… He is so gracious and compassionate, slow to anger a sentence with the words ’You said,’ many times it is a reminder and abounding in love. of an unfulfilled promise that requires action on your part. The children never forget promises. They will keep reminding you of that promise until you run out of every excuse in the book.
TT 160 | July 12th - July 18th| 2022
My Business
Aga Khan University Hospital Opens Andrology Centre For Men By Agency | Image courtesy eshre.eu
To meet the growing demand for men seeking services for male related medical issues, the Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi has opened an Andrology Centre at the Hospital’s Peponi Executive Clinic. The Centre will focus on male reproduction, hormone and organ concerns including erectile dysfunction, male fertility, prostrate disease, premature ejaculation, penile and testicular cancers. It will be run by Dr. Ahmed Yousef, a Consultant Urologist who recently successfully performed the first penile implant in the region. Dr Yousef explained, “There is need for increased awareness for men to seek help for their reproductive health issues the same way women are quick to visit a gynaecologist when need arises. The clinic will provide a friendly environment for men to openly discuss problems with a specialist.” “Infertility is a major concern and the Centre will offer diagnostic tests such as semen analysis to check the volume, number,
ability, size of sperms among other tests. We shall also carry out testicular biopsies which help to check whether there are issues with sperm production and assist in determining the cause of other andrology issues, such as a lump in the testicles, or to diagnose testicular cancer.” Erectile dysfunction (ED) is another common concern when a man is unable to have an erection, or to sustain the erection long enough to have sex. The facility will deal with diagnosis and treatment of ED and can also perform penile transplants for those suffering from severe ED having tried other treatment options without success.
TT 160 | July 12th - July 18th| 2022
My Inspiration Who controls your happiness?
By William King | Email: kingwilliam189@gmail.com | image courtesy: 1000wordphilosophy.com
When we wake up in the morning, we get to choose how we are going to live that day. We can choose to live in faith, happy, expecting favour. Or we can choose to live discouraged, defeated, focused on our problems. Happiness does not happen automatically.
coming against me.” Or you can receive it and say, “Things may not be perfect in my life, but I know God is on the throne and His plans for me are for good.” This is what David did. He had all kinds of opposition coming against him, people slandering him, family problems, but in the middle of it all he said, “This is the day that the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24). If he was reporting on his circumstances, he would have said, “The Lord made this day, but I’ve got a lot of problems.”
You can’t wait to see what kind of day it’s going to be. The first thing in the morning you need to make the decision: “I’m going to live this day happy. I’m going to see the good, be grateful, love my family and enjoy this day.” If you don’t decide how you’re going to live, circumstances will decide for you. Instead, David was making a declaration of faith: “Despite the opposition, I will be happy. Despite people lying about You’ll see all the problems and think, “I don’t feel like go- me, I will be happy. Despite my family not believing in me, ing to work. I can’t believe this traffic. I never get any good I’m going to live this day happy.” If you’re going to be hapbreaks.” When you dwell on those thoughts, you’re choos- py, you have to be happy on purpose. You have to put your ing to live discouraged and have a lousy day. The Scripture foot down and say, “That’s it! I’m not letting other people says, “Joy comes in the morning” (Psalm 30:5). or a problem at work steal my joy. I’m not letting what’s not working out cause me to be sour. I will rejoice, be glad and Every morning God sends you a fresh supply of joy. You can live this day happy.” dismiss it and think, “This is not for me. I have too much TT 160 | July 12th - July 18th| 2022
My Education
Switching Education Systems, A Possible Move
By William Mwangi | Image courtesy: Brookings.edu
William Mwangi Career Coach, Crawford International School.
Education impacts an individual’s thought process through the development of critical, analytical and creative thinking just to mention a few. It is vital to invest in early childhood development with a focus on the end goal. The choice of an education system will determine the outcome.
The assessment process between the two has slight differences. Cambridge employs summative and formative assessment. Formative refers to continuous projects such as posters, PowerPoint presentation, dance, or prototype which are then graded using rubrics (an instrument used to identify and evaluate qualitative differences in student performance). Summative features conKenya has embraced the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) tinuous examinations done throughout the year. In the case of a system that begins in early years education (pre-primary and CBC continuous tests carry the weight of the learner’s grades. lower primary), middle school (upper primary and lower secondary), senior school (upper secondary) and tertiary educa- The school calendar varies as Cambridge starts in September tion. and ends in June. While CBC starts in January and concludes in December with an exception of the past two years where learnWhile the Cambridge curriculum consists of four stages and ers have endured a crash programme to enable them to comgives students a clear path for educational success from age five plete the syllabus. to 19. These four stages of the Cambridge Curriculum primary, lower secondary, IGCSE and International AS and A Levels. Children exposed to the Cambridge system tend to begin the junior levels at an earlier age as compared to the CBC which The two systems vary in content and mode of delivery. The learn- begins at age four. When moving from CBC to Cambridge a stuing approach at Cambridge is student-centered meaning there is dent will be a year older as compared to the rest. not a one size fits all. It requires active learning, recognition of student diversity and continuous self-reflection with consider- Switching from the CBC to the Cambridge curriculum at differation of the different backgrounds and varying connections to ent levels is a personal preference for a globally acceptable sysknowledge. tem. An informed position facilitates ease of transitioning from one to the other. Switching curriculums requires guidance, timCBC aims to be a more student-based system with more focus ing, assessment and a positive attitude in which the new instituon the ability of the learner to self-learn and develop relevant tion will help the learner transition and settle smoothly. skills required for any engagement carried out.
Every Good G S ift
ells
Entrepreneur
9 tips to enhance your networking skills By Ben Stapley |www.biblicalleadership.com | image credit: istock
I was going give this article the title of Networking In Ministry Without Getting for and connected with them. This method was a little tedious but it yielded inFired. This is because networking is often viewed negatively or even sinful. But it credible results because I found exactly who I was looking for. is the opposite. It is positive and can grow your ministry. And if you neglect this tool in your toolbox, you will not develop into the person God has called you to 6. You have a lot to offer - You may be hesitant to network because you be. I’ll give you nine tips to help you network. falsely believe you have nothing to offer the other person. But you do have something to offer. You can offer gratitude by saying, “I would really appreciate ten 1. It’s a two-way street- Networking should aid and equip you AND your minutes of your time.” You can offer recognition: “You are a thought leader and organization. If it is all one-sided, then you’re doing it wrong. If all the benefits I would love to learn from you.” are only for the organization, then you as an individual will never grow and develop. Not good. And if all the benefits are just for you personally, then your In a ministry context, you can offer spiritual support. A pastor from an impoverorganization might start to feel a little jaded. Again, not good. There is a natural ished country reached out to me for coaching. They couldn’t pay for my services overlap here so your networking should build your personal and organizational but they offered to pray for them. He said, if you talk with me for one hour, I’ll platforms. pray for you for one hour. How could I say no to an offer like that? Remember, you have a lot to offer. 2. One or two steps up the ladder - When I first started networking, I did it all wrong. I reached out to people in organizations that were ten times as 7. Appeal to their vanity - Everyone is vain. Even Mother Teresa was. Ok, big as mine. I experience one of two problems by trying to reach the top of the maybe Mother Teresa didn’t struggle with vanity issues, but I know the majority ladder. Either I couldn’t reach it cause no one got back to me, or I did reach the of us do. Most of us think we are pretty awesome. And we should because we are. top of the ladder and connected with someone, but their insights and sugges- So use this to your advantage when networking by appealing to people’s vanity. tions were so advanced that I couldn’t put them into practice. This is why you When you reach out to someone for help, it’s because you think they are helpneed to reach out to people one or two steps up the ladder from where you are. ful. Make sure to communicate that. Tell them how awesome they are and how much you can’t wait to learn from them. Sing their praises and they will share 3. Make it convenient- When you ask to speak with someone, suggest their their best practices. Talk them up and they will talk to you. Give them hype and commute. This is because it’s convenient. And even if someone doesn’t have a they will give you help. commute because they are working from home, the suggestion alone lets them know you want to honor their time. Always ask what times work for them in- 8. Say thanks to new relationships- Thanking those you network with stead of offering times that work for you. If you make it convenient you increase goes a long way to fostering your relationship. A great way to say thanks is a gift the success rate. card. Someone did this for me once, and it immediately doubled the amount of time and effort I was willing to pour into them. Giving a $15 Starbucks gift card 4. Make it quick - When you ask to speak with someone, only ask for ten to a networked relationship is one of the cheapest and most impactful ways to minutes. Most people can spare ten minutes to talk. But here’s the secret. If you professionally invest in yourself. Do not let the power of saying thanks pass you come into the conversation with thoughtful questions, and do a half decent job by. Buy a gift card today and send it along to a recently developed relationship. at listening, the conversation will go longer than ten minutes. I’ve done this hundreds of times and the same scenario plays itself out. Towards the end of the ten 9. Say thanks to old relationships - One of my professional yearly traminutes, I explain I’ve got more questions but will wrap things up to respect ditions is sending thank you notes to mentors I’ve gained through networking their time. The person then counters by offering more time. over the years. My mentors appreciate receiving these notes and I get a kick out of writing them. Saying thanks to old relationships does two powerful things 5. LinkedIn hack - Fifteen years ago I transitioned from working in TV to for you. One, it keeps you humble because you’re reminded of how you started. working in a church. I was the Creative Arts Pastor at a church of a thousand And two, it helps you chart your progress by seeing how far you’ve come. So say people but I had no idea what I was doing. I wanted to connect with peers but thanks to new and old relationships birthed out of networking. was having a hard time. I went to the staff webpage of larger churches looking for my counterpart, but most only had the Lead Pastor listed. So I went to LinkedIn, searched for the church, clicked “see all employees.” I found who I was looking
TT 160 | July 12th - July 18th| 2022
My Health
Are supplements really the ‘superheroes’ of self-care?
www.medicalnewstoday.com |Written by Annie Lennon on July 10, 2022 — Fact checked by Alexandra Sanfins, Ph.D.
Dietary supplements and multivitamins are a thriving multi-billion dollar industry, but studies show they have little, if any effect on the health of those who basic or broad-spectrum — taken once per day, they contain all or most viare not nutrient-deficient or pregnant. tamins in quantities that do not exceed daily values (DVs), recommended dietary allowances (RDA), and adequate intakes (AIs) high potency — containing In North America, experts valued the market size of dietary supplements at vitamins and minerals that are substantially higher than DVs, RDAs and AIs, $52,874.7 million in 2021, with annual spending expected to increase by 5.6% or even the tolerable upper intake level (UL) specialized — combining several until 2030. vitamins and minerals for a specific purpose, such as boosting energy, weight control, or improving immune function. Some of these products might contain According to a survey conducted between 2011–2014, 52% of adults take at least amounts of nutrients substantially above the DV, RDA, AI, or even UL. one dietary supplement every month, and 31% use a multivitamin-mineral sup- As multivitamins have no standard regulatory definition, their nutrient contents plement. The most common reason for taking supplements was “overall health and quantities vary widely between products. and wellness to fill nutrient gaps in the diet.”
Common misconceptions
However, studies show that, for otherwise healthy individuals, taking multivitamins has little to no effect on health and may, in some cases, increase the risk of When asked about the most common misconceptions about multivitamins, Dr. conditions like cancerTrusted Source. Rachel Kopec, assistant professor of human nutrition at The Ohio State University, told MNT: A recent review of 84 studies found that vitamin and mineral supplementation is linked to little or no benefit in preventing cancer, cardiovascular disease, and “One of the biggest misconceptions is the dose delivered. The bioavailability — death. the percentage of a given micronutrient dose that is actually absorbed into the bloodstream — from multivitamins can be quite low for fat-soluble micronutriIt also found that beta carotene supplementation among healthy individuals was ents like vitamins A, D, E, K, and essential minerals such as iron and calcium, linked to an increased risk of lung cancer. depending on how they are encapsulated, and what they are encapsulated with. For example, there is a risk for iron oxidizing vitamin A once dissolved in the Medical News Today spoke with five nutrition experts to understand more about stomach.” how multivitamins affect health, and why they may not be the “superheroes” of self-care. To the same question, Dr. Berry noted that more does not always mean better.
What are multivitamins?
She noted that “[s]ome of the mega-dose supplements sold are not only very expensive but have doses way beyond which our body needs or can even process, “Strictly speaking, the term ‘multivitamins’ refers to supplements containing so most of it gets flushed down the toilet.” only vitamins,” Dr. Sarah Berry, chief scientist at ZOE, and reader in nutritional sciences at King’s College London, told MNT. “However, most supplements Prof. Edward Giovannucci, professor of nutrition and wpidemiology at the Harcontain a mixture of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients such as omega-3 vard T.H. Chan School of Public Health agreed with Dr. Berry that more does fatty acids.” not always mean better, although he told MNT that multivitamins at around RDA levels might nevertheless help compensate for suboptimal diets. The first multivitamins emerged in the early 1940s. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) split them into three categories:
TT 160 | July 12th - July 18th| 2022
My Health He noted, however, that this does not mean that multivitamins should replace a good diet: “Another misconception may be that there is something special you can get from multivitamins that you can’t get from a good diet. A possible exception is vitamin D, which is low in the diet and we get most from the sun. So if we avoid the sun, we may not be getting enough from the diet.”
groceries or to cook, and can have dental disease or false teeth that make chewing difficult, etc. With age, we are also fighting biology, with reduced ability to absorb B12, and reduced stomach acid which limits iron and calcium uptake,” she continued.
Dr. Berry noted that there is a lot of miscommunication about the health effects of supplements. This, she said, is due to two factors.
He also noted that specific conditions might also make multivitamins an option. For example, those who are pregnant may need higher nutrient intake, as well as those with conditions that may reduce the body’s ability to absorb certain nutrients, such as celiac disease and ulcerative colitis.
“Together,” explained Dr. Kopec, “these factors put older adults at risk, and Dr. Phillip Calder, professor of nutritional immunology at the University of multivitamins can fill an important gap. Additionally, individuals following an Southampton also explained for MNT that: exclusively plant-based diet, parents of picky children, and those with certain health conditions can also benefit from a general multivitamin.” “Multivitamin supplements are not a replacement for eating a healthy diet and cannot be used to mitigate the effects of an unhealthy diet. They can be used to Prof. Giovannucci added that a multivitamin with folic acid may lowerstroke make up nutrient gaps if a person’s diet does not fully meet their requirements, risk in populations where folic acid is not added to foods. He added that vitamin but dietary strategies should come first.” D supplements should be taken by people who have low sun exposure, either as a single supplement or a multivitamin, and that levels of 1,000–2,000 internaNutrition studies tional units (25–50 micrograms) are “reasonable targets.”
The first is the large variation between multivitamin products making them harder to study. The second is that individual micronutrients may not affect the body in the same way as when consumed as a part of a fruit or vegetable.
Dr. Berry added that iron supplements might also be recommended for women, especially as over a quarter of females in the United Kingdom have iron deficien“The health effects of nutrients are largely extrapolated from studies using food cy anemia. She further noted that long-chain omega-3 supplements may benefit interventions,” she explained. “However, the impact of a nutrient from a food those who do not consume fish or who follow a vegetarian or vegan diet. is modulated by the other nutrients in the food as well as the complexity of the food matrix — the structure of the food.” “This is because humans are unable to make omega-3 fatty acids, and we can only convert plant-based sources of omega 3 (linolenic acid) into the omega-3 “Therefore, some of the claims that ‘x’ supplement will improve ‘y’ health out- fatty acids found in fish (eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acid),” she excome are not yet proven using the supplement alone and are often extrapolated plained. “In people who do not have adequate intakes, an increase in omega-3 from a dietary study where so much else is also coming into play,” she continued. fatty acids found in oily fish has been shown to have favorable effects on many health outcomes, including cardiometabolic health outcomes.” She added that many claims that multivitamin manufacturers make lack evidence — especially those targeting different ages, sex, and mental health profiles Beyond multivitamins and those that promise to make one “look younger” or “more brainy.” All of the experts agreed that consuming a well-balanced diet is key. Dr GiovanHowever, she also pointed out that some supplements with “bioactive” ingredi- ni said: “The most important things are limiting weight gain, some physical acents, such as certain polyphenols, may have more targeted effects on health. tivity, not smoking, avoiding too much alcohol, and a good, balanced diet. The combined effect of these on health is massive.” From her research, known as the ZOE PREDICT studies, she noted that the effects of food on health depend not just on what we eat, but also on “who we are” “Limiting the adverse effects of stress is important too. Multivitamins would be and “how we eat.” She said: less helpful for people with a very good lifestyle, except possibly for extra vitamin D,” he explained. “ZOE PREDICT has demonstrated the association between how much sleep we have, the time of day that we eat, and the order in which we eat our food, and The experts also cited getting good sleep and avoiding ultra-processed foods as various health outcomes. How we respond to food is also shaped by who we important contributors to good health. Dr. Berry noted that “[w]e should also are, including our microbiome, age, sex, body composition, genes, and so much aim to limit ultra-processed foods and, where possible, eat foods in their origimore, which explains why each and every one of us responds so differently to nal form. For example, opt for a whole orange rather than orange juice.” food and nutrients.” Dr. Kopec recommends paying attention to food preparation and co-consumpWho should take multivitamins tion to maximize micronutrient absorption. In particular, she recommended: Dr. Brian Lindshield, professor in the Department of Food, Nutrition, Dietetics, eating fruits and vegetables with healthy fats, such as avocados, and opting forand Health at Kansas State University, told MNT that people who may develop plant-based oils, to absorb fat-soluble vitaminscooking orange and deep green a micronutrient deficiency should take multivitamins. leafy vegetables together to improve provitamin vitamin A absorptionsoaking dry grains and legumes in cold water overnight before cooking to best absorb B Accordding to him, “[t]aking a multivitamin can make up for consuming a mi- vitamins and essential minerals. cronutrient-poor diet.” “Finally, essential minerals are best absorbed from animal products i.e. iron is “It can help prevent micronutrient deficiency, which is important, but the reason much more bioavailable from red meat, calcium from dairy products, etc. Just that many people take them is they want the health benefits of a micronutri- be sure to consume in appropriate portions. One serving of beef is [approxient-rich diet — such as chronic disease reduction — without having to consume mately] 3 ounces (oz), but I’ve never been to a restaurant that serves less than a the micronutrient-rich diet. But research has found that multivitamins — or 6 oz filet!” single micronutrient supplements — have little to no benefit on chronic disease risk,” he noted. – Dr. Rachel Kopec Dr. Kopec added that older people should also consider taking multivitamins. “For exclusively plant-based eaters, it’s also important to incorporate vitamin “Eating is a social activity,” she said, “and in the U.S., many older adults live B12, which is only found in animal products. Fortunately, in the U.S., it is easy to alone.” find B12-fortified nutritional yeast to meet this need — be sure to check the label for ‘cobalamin’ or ‘vitamin B12’ in the ingredients,” Dr, Kopec advised. “They also have physical mobility limitations restricting their ability to carry
TT 160 | July 12th - July 18th | 2022
My Kitchen Coffee-Toffee Crunch Cake
By Ree Drummond | https://www.thepioneerwoman.com/
Ingredients FOR THE CAKE Cooking spray, for the pans 3 c. all-purpose flour, plus more for the pans 3 c. granulated sugar 1 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. baking soda 1/2 tsp. kosher salt 3 sticks salted butter 1/3 c. instant coffee granules 1 1/2 c. boiling water 3/4 c. buttermilk 3 large eggs 1 tbsp. vanilla extract FOR THE FROSTING AND TOPPING 2 1/2 sticks salted butter, at room temperature 1 1-pound box powdered sugar 1/2 tsp. kosher salt 1/4 c. instant coffee granules 3/4 c. heavy cream, plus more if needed 4 chocolate-covered toffee bars (such as Heath) Directions For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350˚. Coat three 8-inch round cake pans with cooking spray and dust with flour. Line the bottom of each pan with a round of parchment paper. Whisk the granulated sugar, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.
Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Meanwhile, combine the instant coffee and boiling water in a medium bowl and stir to dissolve. Once the butter has melted, add the coffee mixture to the saucepan. Let it come to a boil for about 10 seconds, then remove from the heat and set aside. In a separate medium bowl, whisk the buttermilk, eggs and vanilla until well combined. Pour the butter-coffee mixture into the flour mixture and stir gently. Add the buttermilk-egg mixture and stir gently until well combined. Divide the batter among the prepared pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out almost clean, 23 to 25 minutes. Allow the cakes to cool for 15 minutes in the pans on a rack, then remove the cakes from the pans, remove the parchment and let cool on the racks. For the frosting: Beat the butter in a large bowl with a mixer on high speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add the powdered sugar and salt and beat on low speed to incorporate. Stir the instant coffee into the heavy cream in a small bowl, then pour it into the mixer. Beat on low speed until combined, then beat on high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, adding a little more cream if needed to make the frosting spreadable. Assemble the cake: Finely chop 2 of the candy bars. Place 1 cake layer on a cake stand or plate. Spread 1 cup frosting on top and sprinkle with half of the chopped candy. Top with another cake layer, more frosting and the rest of the chopped candy, then top with the final cake layer. Spread the remaining frosting all over the top and sides of the cake. Roughly chop the remaining 2 candy bars and sprinkle around the edge of the cake.
TT 160 | July 12th - July 18th| 2022
My Sports Angela Okutoyi shifts focus to US Open
Kenyan professional tennis player Angella Okutoyi. [Jonah Onyango, Standard]
| https://www.standardmedia.co.ke | By Washington Onyango
No one had seen this coming. Not even the queen herself; Angela Okutoyi. ships. Finally, she’s part of an enviable history. A history that most of her age The US Open Junior Tennis Championships are scheduled for August 29 mates only dream of. to September 11, at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Centre. At last, she’s delighted to have put Kenya on the global map, tennis speak- Okutoyi now surpasses history made by two other Kenyans who have ing, after her history making performance in England, where she became competed at Wimbledon; Christian Vitulli and Paul Wekesa. the first Kenyan to win a Grand Slam title at the girls’ juniors Wimbledon event, where she partnered with Dutch Rose Marie Nijkamp. Vitulli reached boys’ doubles quarterfinals in 2006, while Wekesa was eliminated in men’s singles first round in 1996. Undoubtedly, Kenya is known for its unmatched athletics prowess, with notable names that like Eliud Kipchoge, David Rudisha and Ferdinand Okutoyi grabbed the headlines on Friday after becoming the first evOmanyala... er-Kenyan player to make it to the finals of a Grand Slam tournament. However, the narrative is slightly starting to take a turn if Okutoyi’s recent Okutoyi and Nijkamp came from behind in both sets to knock out thirdexploits are anything to go by. seed Lucija Ciric Bagaric (Croatia) and Nikola Daubnerova (Slovakia) 6-3, 6-4 on the grass courts of All England Lawn Tennis Club to qualify for the The former African Under-18 champion is a girl on a mission, no doubt. final. Okutoyi, who is a member of the Grand Slam Player Development Programme/ITF Touring Team, and Nijkamp, defeated Canadian pair of Victoria Mboko and Kayla Cross 3-6 4-6 (11-9) in the final of Wimbledon Open doubles Junior Championships at the grass courts of All England Lawn Tennis Club.
Her star started to rise in 2018, after she became the youngest player to win the Kenya Open, then aged 14, after upsetting the experienced threetime former champion Shufaa Changawa 6-1, 7-6 at Nairobi Club.
In the same year, she won the Africa Junior Championship on Clay Court (AJCCC) Under-14 singles in Algeria before following it up with singles The duo started the final on the back foot after losing the first set 6-3 to and doubles triumphs at the ITF East African Under-18 Junior Circuit, the Canadians. ITF Nairobi Junior Open and Eastern Africa Zonal Championships Under-16 in 2019. They recovered in the second set, winning it 6-4. The Kenya seed one and the Dutch then sealed victory with an 11-9 triumph in the tiebreaker She was crowned 2021 Africa Junior Champion later on, before reaching against the fourth-seeded Canadians. new landmarks this year. Speaking to Standard Sports, Okutoyi expressed her delight after she In May, Okutoyi made history after progressing to the second round of the achieved one of her dreams of winning an international title. JA Roland Garros (French Open Juniors). “I feel great and happy to have represented Kenyans well. I would like to The former Africa Under-18 champion became the first Kenya to win a thank everyone for their support as we continue to grow,” posed Okutoyi grand slam match at the French Open. through a telephone interview. Okutoyi defeated 17-year-old Belgian Amelie Van Impe 7-6, 6-4 in the Okutoyi now turns her focus to the US Open Junior Tennis Champion- round of 64.
TT 160 | July 12th - July 18th| 2022 The Times Today is a publication of Elizabeth Omondi Consultancy. P.O. Box 833-00100 GPO Nairobi. Tel: 0722 927792. www.elizabethomondiconsultancy.com
