Green - Natural - Safe, Choose your lifestyle
100% BIO - An impossible goal?
Mar
Organic products and natural versions of conventional products are one of the biggest trends in recent years. Every supermarket offers products in organic and "natural" formulations. This variety is commendable, but even when shopping for your next breakfast, you start to realise: When is enough enough? Where do you draw the line, what is necessary, where does the increase in quality end and where does marketing begin?
The more you read up on the subject of organic food and the more you learn, the more important it becomes to make the right choices, avoid certain ingredients and support various sustainable companies. But the problem is: it is impossible to avoid certain substances and even companies completely. Every day we are surrounded by plastic handles, wall paint, room fragrances and much more that is potentially or even proven to be toxic to us. Impossible? Unfortunately not. So there are a large number of sources of toxins that simply cannot be avoided.
Why organic?
If this is the case, why bother at all? The dangerous and harmful short-term and long-term effects of many ingredients and chemicals have been proven. However, the concentration in which a substance or combination of toxic substances accumulates in our bodies is also a decisive factor. This is the reason why, even if we cannot avoid all toxins, we should at least avoid those that are controllable and thus minimise the extent of the burden on the body as far as possible. For example: it is better to enjoy a packet of crisps once a month than to eat a cheeseburger every day.
You quickly realise that this is not just about personal hygiene and nutrition. Rather, this topic touches on all areas of life.dgg
Food and personal hygiene
Everything that goes directly into the body should be as pure and healthy as possible. Many people realise this because eating is a process that we can see. Who would voluntarily eat a piece of chalk?
But it's not just food that enters our bodies, personal care products are also absorbed through the skin and fragrances are inhaled. A variety of toxins can thus enter the bloodstream directly. Fortunately, we can opt for organic food and organic body care products. Simple, right?
Unfortunately, it's not quite that simple. It gets more complicated when you think about the health and ecological consequences of your own diet. Do you eat an omnivorous, vegetarian or vegan diet? And do you make this decision for health reasons, out of concern for the ecosystem or animal husbandry, or because of concerns about the food industry or the welfare of animals or workers in the food industry? Allergies, intolerances and travelling, for example, further restrict freedom of choice. The choice to eat vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free or lactose-free is a highly personal one. The first step is to inform yourself: How is food grown, how is it processed, how does the product reach our kitchen? What resources are required? What are the socio-economic consequences of cultivation?
If you buy organic products, you can avoid at least some of the harmful fertilisers and often also buy regional products. You can also avoid buying genetically modified products.
Green Lifestyle
It is only a stone's throw from cosmetics and nutrition to the question of whether clothing and lifestyle items should also be organic|vegan|fairtrade. Green or green-washed lifestyle items are booming and now even Hollywood stars are gliding down the red carpet in eco-friendly gowns. Whether from time to time or out of conviction, we think it's a great sign when someone draws attention to the fact that you make careful choices and set an example with items that you buy for pleasure rather than necessity. And if you can also reduce the impact of toxic substances on your body and the environment, all the better!
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The never-ending story: The household
So we eat regional organic products, preferably vegan, take care of ourselves with pure oils and organic products and buy organic fair-trade cotton shirts - only to wash them with highly toxic detergent? Or do we use coloured glass and plastic containers in the kitchen? The modern obsession with cleanliness and design has brought many toxins into our everyday lives, which we touch every day, which seep into our food or evaporate and are ultimately inhaled.
However, the reorganisation of the household raises new questions: What do you do with old cleaning products and crockery, do you just throw them away and pollute the earth? Do you keep them and expose yourself to toxins? Can you give them to someone who wants to use them with a clear conscience? And above all: where do you stop, when do you draw the line?
Backgrounds - not one, but many
What is the decision "organic or not" actually about, based on which circumstances do you decide to change your life? Health often comes first. If we know that a toxic substance is harmful to us and our family, we want to avoid it whenever possible. That's a good thing!
But how important are the consequences for the environment and animals to each individual? Transporting food within Europe and even between continents, overfishing the oceans, eating endangered species and producing non-biodegradable materials are a burden on the earth and our conscience.
Many companies are therefore asking themselves the question: Is there such a thing as an environmentally 100% unproblematic lifestyle? Is it possible to run a climate- and impact-neutral production? The great answer is: you can, if you are creative and motivated. More and more companies are offsetting their impact on the earth with social and environmental projects, thereby helping the environment, their employees, themselves and ultimately all of us by not only "taking" resources, but also giving them back to the earth.
Another category is the selection of Fairtrade products. Here we have it a little easier for the first time: the vast majority of organic products are automatically fair, come from the region or at least from the immediate vicinity and are only tested on animals in exceptional cases or harm the environment in other ways. There are also clearly visible Fairtrade labels. If you have the choice, you sometimes also have the responsibility. In the vast majority of cases, anyone who chooses organic also chooses Fairtrade. And if there is, for example, chocolate or tea with the Fairtrade seal, there is at least nothing to stop you trying it!
Our responsibility
What is happening around us, the use of natural resources and the numerous studies on the effects of toxins on our bodies make it clear that we can no longer shirk the responsibility we have every time we make a purchase. It is no longer just the responsibility of the state or companies, but of each individual. Ultimately, it is a question of knowledge and personal lifestyle. Not everyone can change their entire life, and it is also not the point of the matter to completely subjugate oneself. We want to live and enjoy! And the best way to do that is to make conscious purchasing decisions. Anyone who feels guilty if they have to use a plastic bag is probably going one step too far. With the necessary knowledge, you have the freedom to choose. We decide in favour of our health and organic whenever possible.
