It’s true. I have strong feelings about what’s best for my family regarding breastfeeding, baby wearing, discipline, school, our food choices and more. I think the “granola lifestyle” is a great way to live that will bring you personal health and peace and I truly believe that those benefits ripple through our society as more people choose this path. Our lifestyle choices are carefully thought-out. We’re not just jumping on a bandwagon. For that reason, it’s frustrating when people immediately dismiss us as “fruity” or “fringe.”
On the other hand, sometimes I get why many people look at “the crunchies” with skepticism (at best) and harmful to society as a whole (at worst). Sometimes, we hippie-leaning folks say things that are just ridiculous!
There are 5 common crunchy phrases that make this hippie chick cringe.
“Even the animals won’t eat it.”
Is that an ORGANIC stinky sneaker you’re snacking on?
I’ve heard this in regard to GMO plants, conventionally grown crops, meat raised on large-scale farms and more. It needs to stop. Yes, in one sense humans are animals but… really? Apples and oranges, you know? My dog won’t eat organic rice or zucchini but he’ll lick his own bum and drink out of the toilet. He a big fan of chicken poop. He’s a reasonably clever animal but not really my go-to guy when it comes to food choices.
“Women have been doing it forever.”
Yes. Women have been giving birth for as long as there have been women. And they’ve been dying, as have their babies. They bled to death. They succumbed to infection. The babies got stuck or tore them open on the way out. Bad things happened in childbirth through history. They happened frequently. I am all for natural child birth. I’ve spoken out against excessive medical intervention in pregnancy and birth multiple times on this blog and in private conversations. AND I think it’s a wonderful thing to live in a time and place where doctors have the knowledge and the skill to remove the vast majority of the danger from pregnancy and childbirth.
“This therapy is valid because the ancients used it.”
The ancients had some great wisdom. Warm broth made from the meat or bones of animals has been given to those who are ill for thousands of years. Modern day science can tell us that such a broth is a perfect food for a weak person in need of maximum nourishment. The ancients knew that. On the other hand, the ancients tried to bleed tuberculosis out of people and drilled holes in the skulls of depressed people so the sadness could escape. Just because “medicine” is ancient doesn’t make it valid. There’s a reason people got really excited about the invention of penicillin.
Here. Let me wave these feathers over you. That ought to clear those smallpox right up in no time!
“Nature shows us that this is normal behavior.”
In nature, we find the male seahorse, who carries and births the babies. I could maybe get on board with this concept.
I have heard this in relation to everything from co-sleeping to chewing a babies food for them. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying either of these behaviors are bad. I’ve done them both. But I didn’t do it because “nature” showed me that it was normal. Parents in nature eat their young, abandon the disfigured and weak and mate to produce offspring as frequently as possible. “Nature” is not always a great teacher.
“It’s healthy because it’s organic.”
My family eats a lot of organic food, even though we often have to make cuts in other parts of our lives to afford it. I’m a big believer in the benefits of keeping close to nature. However, GMO corn with pesticides on it is healthier than organic chocolate chip cookies (not as delicious, though). Organic has to do with the method of farming, NOT the nutritional value of the food.
Are there any crunchy phrases that make you cringe?
Are you, too, seeking to save the earth, promote world peace and raise productive citizens without expending too much effort?
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If we work on our goals together, they may be a little easier to achieve!