Food For Thought

Brushing your teeth is a mundane but essential daily task. So mundane that, beyond choosing a toothbrush and toothpaste that meet your needs, you probably don't give the task much thought. When you're running late because your teenager's hogging the bathroom, there isn't really time for a toothpaste-related existential crisis.

However, if your health is a priority, and you want to live more mindfully, you should take a long, hard look at your choice of oral care products.

Do you want to return to using 'old fashioned natural soap bars' as your parents did? Perhaps you want to cast aside chemical-ridden liquid soaps and shower gels. Or simply do your bit for the environment by using less plastic bottles?

Whatever the reason, one concern that continually pops up in one form or another, through emails or at live events is this: Does Bar Soap Carry Germs?

Just when you thought you had your ethical lifestyle down to a tee, along comes another source of anxiety and debate: monkeys picking coconuts. Recent media reports claim that in Thailand, pigtailed macaques are taken from the wild, made to pick around 1,000 coconuts a day and are mistreated by farmers.

But is there any truth to the claims of abuse and forced labour? Is it just sensationalist reporting? Did a monkey really pick your coconuts?

The word "plastic" has become something of profanity in the 21st century. We're constantly bombarded with information about how plastic is killing the planet.

But - and here's a controversial question - is plastic bad? Is it really the scourge of the modern age and the bringer of environmental doom?

Is Palm Oil Bad For The Environment?

I heard a smart and amusing saying years ago, which compares every situation to a slice of bread:

"No matter how thin you slice it, there are always two sides!"

My approach to writing this article is just that. I will try to address both the good and the bad, albeit simplified, and offer my personal opinion at the end. But is just my opinion :)