Natural or Crunchy??

I'm sure that everyone by now has heard the terms "Crunchy" or "Natural".  But did you know that they aren't the same thing?  Sure, there are things that are both crunchy and natural, but the basic beliefs of each are actually very different.

To live in a "crunchy" lifestyle basically means that you are eco-friendly or eco-conscience.  It's also seen as "green" living.  Crunchy people, like me, look for better ways to do many things.  From using sustainable building techniques for their homes to using a Hybrid car.  We live by the 3 R's:  Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.  We love to reduce what we use and some prefer to live in a minimal style.  We reuse things and find unique ways to re-up old items.  We also support recycling.  Crunchy living really is about what is best for our family, community and world.  Crunchy parents will use disposable diapers if they are compostable or biodegradable.  We will use better cleaning chemicals if they create gray water at the end of their use.  We have no qualms with the advancement of modern medicine as long as these advancements find better ways to treat people and use less natural resources to do so.

To live in a "natural" lifestyle means that you strive to be natural.  Natural living is crunchy living, but they take it a step farther.  They firmly believe in 'homeopathic' medicine rather than western medicine, and co-sleeping.  They try to cook with only organic and home grown foods, never using processed foods.  And they try to make everything from toothpaste to clothing.  Natural parents are the ones that are firmly against vaccination, circumcision, modern medicine, use of formula and anything that is man-made.

While both of these styles of living cross over with the use of cloth diapers, recycling, composting, and other things like that, there are still very big differences between the two.   These controversial subjects of vaccination, circumcision, etc. have no effect on "crunchy" living.  These are tenants of "natural" living.

You don't have to be "natural" to be "crunchy".  Natural living has it's place and I applaud people that choose to live that way...it can be a difficult but rewarding way to live if that is truly how you feel.  BUT, if you are like me, you don't have to feel guilty that you just want to be crunchy.  Not everything has to be taken to the extreme.  Crunchy living has it's place too.