Speaker: Sapna Singh
Written by: Sheena Jain & Esha Jain
Sapna Singh, a member of “Nature’s Tale” outlined her process in discovering the importance of non-toxic products to our health and the small steps that she has taken, in order to make a greater impact when it comes to determining an organic solution. Below outlines the different stages that she came across during this process including: problems encountered, initial actions, next steps as well as focus points.
1) SOME PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED WHEN TRYING TO TAKE STEPS IN COMING UP WITH AN ORGANIC SOLUTION:
Cost
Access
Obtaining information and education
Doubt and hesitation
Questioning whether natural products are as good as standard products
Understanding that change is hard especially when it comes to beliefs and behaviours
2) INITIAL STEPS: READING DAVID SUZUKI’S DIRTY DOZEN & AUTOBIOGRAPHY WHICH LEAD TO THE FOLLOWING:
Questioning ingredients
Being upset and angry with what was found
Reading ingredients
Self-educating on alternatives and what can be done
→ Consulting www.ewg.org database to determine which products are safe/unsafe
Emailing companies and asking questions
Talking to vendors
3) WHAT NEXT?
LITTLE STEPS → START SWITCHING PRODUCTS → (from conventional to organic)IF RUN OUT OF A CONVENTIONAL PRODUCT REPLACE IT WITH AN ORGANIC PRODUCT →
(Instead of buying more of the conventional one)
HEALTHIER CHOICES
4) FOCUS POINTS
Current issues/Status quo/problemsStatus quo is harmful to our health because…The proposed solutions/alternativesThe solution improves our health by…The audience can protect their health
- Changing everything at once is hard
- Belief that small action we take does not make a difference
- Neglecting our health
- Impact on people who produce the product
- Impact on planet
- Moving towards organic, fair trade, sustainable products and supporting local entrepreneurs when possible- Better overall healthier self- (i.e. through educating themselves)
Therefore, as demonstrated, although making the transition from toxic to organic does not happen overnight, we must remember that it is a journey and that small changes can essentially make a big difference in the end.