Natural

All Natural and Organic….Have you been to the grocery store lately? Anyone wanting to eat healthy these days has their work cut out for them. With the introduction of labels touting the nutritional benefits of everything we are interested in eating, so do we increase the time we are in the grocery store.

This has certainly been my experience. Each trip to restock mine and my husband’s food supply means that I need to have my glasses in tow, so I can start reading labels. But as you will see in the article below, just because we are reading labels…marketers through clever writing and phrasing can easily mislead us and give impressions of wholesomeness for their product when in fact, we should run the other way.

What Does ‘Natural’ Really Mean?

The FDA considers “natural” to mean the food does not contain added colors, artificial flavors or synthetic substances. Take a stroll through your local supermarket. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a box, bag or bottle that isn’t covered with labels touting the food’s nutritional merits.

Expanding on What “Natural” Can Mean

It seems that “natural” and food are inextricably linked. But I’d like to suggest a bigger definition. Maybe we could say that natural means chemical absence in food but it can also be the case with all personal products. We as consumers are purchasing far more than just food to sustain our personal comfort.

We are buying cosmetics, hairspray, body wash, deodorant, shampoo, toothpaste, lotions, sprays and the list goes on. Each of these products are brought in intimate contact with our skin. So when we reject the typical store-bought brand and we explore options aside from the tried and true…are we going “natural?”

Does it Matter?

When you read the above, you may think: Who cares? And in the end maybe it doesn’t matter, but it can get confusing sometimes when you tell people you are trying to embrace a natural lifestyle. Do they think you are cleaning up your diet? Buying chemical free products for personal use or are you rejecting all synthetic materials and only using cotton because it is plant derived? Going “natural” as they say means different things to different people.

Coming to an Understanding

With so many different ways to interpret the word “natural”  would it not prove helpful to insert the word “personally” in front of natural? With the insertion of “personally” – there is a subtle understanding that a reference is being made to products used for one’s person.

Why its Important to Make the Distinction

Taking responsibility for one’s health is one of the most self supportive things a person can do because in essence it is a gift you give yourself. By opting to consume less chemicals whether through ingesting them with food or absorbing them through personal care products – you are making a personal statement that says you matter and your life is worth living to the fullest.

Undoubtedly though, when you make a public stand and state your views, people will ask you what you mean and even question why you are doing it in the first place. When you, yourself are clear on what your motives are with “going natural” then you will be in the best possible position to succeed. That clarity will not only fuel  your own success but possibly serve as a healthy example to someone else searching for a better way to live.

Will you try going natural?