If you are like most health conscious consumers then watch out for the things labeled "natural."

This funny YouTube video from OnlyOrganic.org was shared to me by one of my patients who knew I would get a good laugh out of it, and I did. Then I started really thinking about it as most people don’t understand what marketing has done to our foods, and especially the packaged foods. Just because the Newman-Os are organic, can be gluten free, and dairy free does not mean that they are good for you to eat. In fact, just because the label says, “natural,” “gluten free,” “all natural,” “healthy,” etc. does not mean any product labeled that way is labeled truthfully.

When it comes to organic foods they, in general, are regulated better, and thus if it says organic it contains organic ingredients. However, not all products that say organic are good for us to eat. It is important to read the labels to see what the ingredients are. Even better is to limit the number of packaged foods that you and your family eat. Our diets should be filled with whole foods, freshly grown, or made at home as much as you can. I know my day-to-day diet is not 100% in those columns, but whenever we can we try to limit the amount of packaged foods we consume.

Enjoy the video, remember to give it a “Thumbs Up”, and above all remember to be smarter than the marketing people!