What is Natural Medicine?

In an era when traditional remedies, raw food diets, and holistic health are on the rise, the term "natural" is still a difficult one to pin down. The natural and organic foods business is a billion-dollar industry. We are surrounded by messages marketing the latest dietary supplements and medicinal health foods. Health food store shelves, as well as those of pharmacies and supermarkets, are littered with items displaying the words "natural," "organic," "pure," and a handful of synonyms. How can we make sense of it all?

The word "natural" can be remarkably misleading. USDA food standards allow certain foods to be labeled as "natural" if it is:

A product containing no artificial ingredient or added color and is only minimally processed (a process which does not fundamentally alter the raw product) may be labeled natural. The label must explain the use of the term natural (such as - no added colorings or artificial ingredients; minimally processed.)

Other foods and products have no regulation on the term "natural." This ambiguous definition becomes even more muddied when we examine the standards for supplements and health care supplies. Unless you see a naturopath or a practitioner, it can be very hard to know which products to trust - which ones are helpful, not to mention truly natural - and which ones to avoid.

If we define a "natural medicine" as a food or other ingredient which, in its simplest whole form, has the ability to cure disease or to restore good health, then the answer clearly lies in three steps: education, simple solutions, and self-empowerment.

Natural medicine means making use of whole foods and the natural bounty of healthful options provided by the world around us.

It means educating ourselves about traditional healing practices and whole food diets and learning about the things that are, in their true forms, good for us.

It means taking steps to become participants in our own health and to make use of what we learn - to actively empower ourselves rather than wasting the wealth of information to which we all have access.

It means choosing the simplest solutions - like whole foods and fresh herbs, rather than genetically modified superfoods and processed pharmaceutical ingredients - with which to create healing and magic in our lives.

Natural medicine is what we create when we go back to our nutritional, emotional, and lifestyle choices and select those ingredients that in their natural, unmodified form help us to live, act and feel our best.

Stay tuned for weekly articles on natural remedies and holistic resources, and for the simple lifestyle changes that can revolutionize your health.

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