Natural Products Expo West

Imagine the colors, sounds, and frantic energy at a Toys-R-Us, the massive health options of a Costco-style Whole Foods, and the amount of free samples at a farmers market. That describes the Natural Products Expo in a nutshell. On March 10th I had the privilege to attend the Natural Products Expo, the world’s largest and premier tradeshow dedicated to everything “natural” from household products, to food, to supplements, to clothing, to beauty products, to pet supplies. This expo, only opened to industry professionals (I have my ways), felt like a Disneyland for health foodies and I won’t deny it; I was feeling the thrill. Hopping from station to station, from free sample to free sample, I was exposed to all types of vegan, organic, raw, fermented, recycled, non-GMO, superfood, fair trade, rainforest alliance products. As a second year attendee, I noticed that this year the hot item was fermented goods, specifically sauerkraut and kim-chi. Not to mention the “usuals” that were last year’s “it” item, such as competing brands of coconut water, kombucha, and organic chocolates.  As scientific discoveries explaining the health benefits of some new “must have” berry or seed emerge every few months, the old products that once had the spotlight get pushed aside. The health food industry is ultimately like any other industry with exceptional marketing strategies. I mean come on, who here wouldn’t be drawn to the latest brew packaged in a cool glass jar or a biodegradable rustic yet hipster looking package? Men, forget about walking around with a Chihuahua to attract the ladies; the new lady magnet is that sexy bottle of kombucha and kale chips you be munching on after yoga class. 

 Ok now back to the Expo. After a few hours I got over my “run-around to every booth as quickly as possible to get as many samples as possible” mentality and resorted to a chair to relax my legs, stomach, and shoulder that was soar from carrying the heavy bag of samples. I’m not exaggerating; there are hundreds of free samples given out due to the fact that there are 3,000 exhibitors. And not just samples to take home with you, but food samples to try on the spot. As I slouched and slowly melted in the plastic green chair, I closed my eyes, embraced the sun on my skin, and reflected about the zoo inside. I didn’t know how to feel or what to think; it was not until after all the tastes, smells, advertisements, and sounds digested in me that I was able to come to a synthesized consensus. Through all the organic and healthy products, I couldn’t help but notice where all these exotic goods were coming from and how they were being displayed. I must admit I thoroughly enjoy my goji berries, chia seeds, and spirulina powders since these products provide my palette with unique flavors and optimal nutritional benefits. However, I think that more than actually providing us with essential nutrients our bodies need, the health food craze has gotten us to believe we need certain products, which furthers our striving grasp for more: more vitamins, more probiotics, more energy, more amino acids, more electrolytes. This leaves us with more waste and more plastic for the landfills, not to mention a much higher carbon footprint. With the way “natural” industries function we can throw locality and small-scale practices out the window. Since nature does not naturally grow a single thing in excessive amounts unless externally influenced or out of dire need, is it even appropriate to consider anything mega-produced as natural?   

What I would have like to see more of at the Natural Products Expo is an emphasis on local goods. After exposing myself to all sorts of fun, innovative, and healthy items from around the globe, I slowed down and took a step back. I remembered the garden I have at Soka and the feeling I get after eating straight out of the soil. A local garden is health and that is where I can get all the essential nutrients and energy my body needs. All the other drinks, supplements, and products laced and embedded with vitamins and minerals are good too, but surely not vital to my basic overall health. How long ago was the packaged food picked- or in other words, how long has it been dead? I don’t mean to be a localvoire Nazi who believes everything we eat, wear, and use should come from the same street we live on ( I mean, that would be pretty cool...). Like I said, I love my foreign superfoods so like any other health conscious person I would not want to see them completely go. What would be ideal was if marketing for these kinds of goods shifted. Instead of organic companies proudly promoting the fact that their product comes from the remote Amazon jungle or the Himalaya Mountains, and the consumer seeing that as “cool” and “it must be healthy,” what if we can shift that mentality to seeing those products as a rare, very rare delicacy; something that is only available in season and on special occasions. What if we respected the procedure it took for the product to get to us, rather than thinking “this goji berry coconut chia seed raw chocolate spirulina smoothie will give me the nutritional boost and energy I need before my morning workout!” The health food movement, with myself included, has become so focused on the health aspect that we have neglected all of the other layers of the food production cycle. Furthermore, we have become completely oblivious to what I consider to be the most important contributor to our health; our very own backyard/community gardens. 

 In the end, I definitely enjoyed the Natural Products Expo and all the intriguing samples I got to bring home with me. It is definitely a weekend worth looking forward to as long as you take it with a grain of salt. Let’s not get too caught up with complex commodities from sacred sites and distant lands, but rather let’s honor them by gifting them to our bodies in responsible quantities.