Natural living can often be loosely interpreted, typically by companies with a product or supplement to sell those who desire to pursue healthy habits. When was the last time you heard or saw an ad boasting an all-natural shampoo, face cream, or dietary supplement?
Odds are, most of these kinds of products still contain chemical compounds that are not all that natural. Even most Hollywood stars that boast natural aging have had a few nips, tucks, or injections in their career.
The truth is, when it comes to marketing, the term natural is often very misleading. Therefore, it can be hard for those attempting to live naturally to know what to trust and who to listen to. However, there are some foolproof ways to ensure an authentic, all-natural lifestyle.
Check the Label
With many people desiring all-natural products, it makes sense for companies to want to slap an “all-natural” label on anything they want to sell. With a blurred regulation on what requirements are necessary to make that claim, false representations are not hard for these companies to pull off.
Certain cereals, for example, have been exposed as having artificially produced components and highly processed ingredients, such as soy, to extend preservation. When looking at food labels, avoid foods that contain ingredients “from concentrate,” as that can indicate a chemically processed derivative of the original food.
Additionally, fortified foods often undergo chemical processing to instill nutritional benefits upon foods that would not otherwise contain them, such as iron-fortified cereal. Ingredients labeled with artificial colors, flavors, or fragrances are all chemically developed, and contents such as ascorbic acid, sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate, and tocopherols are preservatives.
Check the Source
Knowing where your products are coming from can help determine if they are truly natural. Be wary of wording that sounds similar to “all-purpose” or “multi-purpose.”
Many truly natural products cannot physically boast this claim, so be on alert as to what the product is selling. If it sounds too good to be true, the odds are that it is.
Be aware that many companies that boast products that are “free-from” things like parabens often have replacement chemicals instead, which may be equally as harmful.
For example, deodorants that boast of being free of CFCs do so because the FDA deemed the chemical too harmful to the human body, thus making it illegal to sell.
Furthermore, many “all-natural” products make certification claims.
What About Healthcare?
We have been talking a lot about all-natural products and foods, but not much about the other ways we can live naturally.
While what we consume and use in our daily lives, like makeup, cleaners, and even pet products, can influence our health, it may not be a 100% fool-proof way to prevent illness and disease. So what do we do when we encounter a pathology that requires treatment?
The first misconception may be that going to see a doctor is not an option for natural living. “They’ll just prescribe me some pills that are worse for my body in the long run,” you may think.
However, the truth is that you do not have to use the internet for holistic medical advice.
Holistic medicine is the integration of the entire body into the healing and treatment process. This involves mind, body, and spirit and often includes alternative therapies such as acupuncture, herbal remedies, and massage or mechanical adjustments.
However, many medical doctors are familiar with such natural practices and can steer you in the right direction for treatment. Going to a licensed professional is highly recommended when seeking healthcare advice or diagnoses.
Medical doctors can “prescribe” things like garlic, St. John’s Wort, or elderberry as natural alternatives for some medications. Still, there are some risks to these substitutions that your healthcare provider will need to go over with you, as they may not be as effective as medications.
In addition to internal remedies, healthcare providers can recommend chiropractors, physical therapy, or heat therapy for things like pain management.
Additional Options
Adopting the natural lifestyle may help extend years of health and happiness, but a few external factors can assist in ensuring a healthy life as well.
Exercise
Yoga, cardio, weight training, swimming, rock climbing– whatever activity you enjoy, get up and do it! What is the point of eating healthy, using organic everything else, and leaving your body to sit idly? Exercise, such as walking for just 20 minutes every day, can help reduce the risk of things like heart disease and osteoporosis.
Adequate Rest
Rest is our bodies’ natural way of regenerating and restoring. The recommended amount of sleep for adults is seven to eight hours. If you have a hard time falling asleep, try eliminating or cutting back on the amount of caffeine consumed during the day and reserve caffeine consumption for the morning.
Socializing
Human beings are naturally social creatures. Social media is a clear example of the extent of our desire even to pretend to have social connections with the outside world.
Staying social does not mean you have to go out every weekend or for groups and clubs. Simply having a few friends or family members to chat with or spend time with can actually improve our mood and mental health.
Exercising these practices in conjunction with a natural lifestyle can help ensure an improved quality of life. Healthy living does not always start with the products we buy but also the habits we produce.
The Effects
Natural living may sound inconvenient or even bothersome to some individuals, so why do it? The benefits of living a natural lifestyle may slow your body’s aging process.
According to Genflow Biosciences, aging is not a natural pathology. Living naturally, using the resources we have within our own cells and the cells of the organisms around us could unlock the potential to extend our lives and even improve the quality of our lives.
In fact, the specific gene that could slow the entire aging process may lie quite literally inside of us. Within our DNA, namely those who have lived longer than 100 years, lies the SIRT6 gene.
Having a greater number of copies of this gene may be the key to living longer. If the answer to living longer lies within our coding, imagine all the things our cells can do.
Preserve life, prevent disease, or treat it. The possibilities may be endless. It does not get more natural than that.
Sources:
Here Are the Most Misleading Product | Time Claims
Processed Foods and Health | The Nutrition Source | Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health
