A friend recently asked me how I “know” so much about things many people have never heard of. For instance, how I have heard of the problems with dioxin in diapers, arsenic in mattresses, etc. The answer is actually quite simple, and is such a part of my personality that it was my nickname in Junior High: I ask questions.

I never take it for granted that “well I’m sure they know what they are doing” or “if they knew it was dangerous they wouldn’t sell it” or “don’t you think they’ve thought of that?” I don’t believe that huge corporations have a greater interest in the health of my family than I do, so I ask. When things seem odd, I don’t “assume” that everything is as it should be; I ask. Some questions I have asked, or have been asked by others and spurred my own questions, are, “How are disposable diapers so absorbent?”, “Why does boxed and canned baby food last so long?”, “What makes vaccines effective?”, “How do you make things sweet without sugar?”, “Why is organic produce more expensive?”, “Why do chemical cleaners work so well?”, “Why does milk from the store last so much longer than milk straight from the cow?”, etc. The answers to these questions, and more, are the reasons I use cloth diapers, make my own baby food, space out Ari’s vaccinations weeks apart, will never, EVER touch a diet soda, buy mostly organic dairy, fruits, and vegetables, use only plant based cleaners, and still buy milk from the store. I see how things are supposed to be in nature and, if they differ, I don’t just think, “Oh, that’s better!” I wonder why.

For instance, in the store yesterday a man handed me a sample of a new type of corn. It is edible straight from the ground – yes, you heard me, NO COOKING REQUIRED – grown specifically for HEB, and very, very sweet. It was remarkably good. But instead of climbing on the “weird no cook sweet corn” band wagon, my first reaction was, “How do they make corn so sweet and that you don’t have to cook?” The guy giving me the sample didn’t know, and I’ll surely stay away from that item until I know more about it. (A side note, a few minutes after I had my sample, I had a bad taste in my mouth, the kind you get after eating aspartame.)

So that’s how I find all this stuff out. I ask questions about everyday things that work better than they should and, if you ask enough questions of the right people, you eventually get an answer. Whether it’s the one you wanted or not.