Interestingly, there are no guidelines by the FDA or USDA which define “natural foods.”  Apparently, since all food require some degree of processing, either mechanically, chemically or by temperature, it’s tricky to decide what exactly constitutes “natural.”  (Organic foods do have parameters and certification, by the way)(Wikipedia-Natural Foods).

What this means for all of us is that you can’t trust the label.  This should not be news for anyone.  Both Fanta and Sprite claim to have Natural Flavors (or maybe even All Natural Flavors), but really, who buys into that?  It’s soda.  Where’s the natural in that?

So if we want to avoid the scary, hard-to-digest processed ingredients which make us bloated, gain weight and feel less than ideal, we need to read the labels.  And that’s where having ingredients you can pronounce comes in handy.  Short article on the benefits of pronounceable ingredients.

I like being able to say what I’m eating, or putting on my body, or on my baby.  Exceptions?  Maybe sunblock.  Shouldn’t there be chemicals in that? Anyone know? Here’s an article on the science (or lack of) behind natural cosmetics. So, I guess just because chemically things give me the heebie-jeebies sometimes, it’s not a blanket approval for all things natural.  Just most.

http://healthfuldirection.com/hd/2010/01/say-what-nutrition-that-you-can-pronounce