"All you gotta do is act naturally"

It seems that Ringo and the Beatles were well ahead of their time, beverage wise. Using a little poetic license, I assume they meant things should be natural. Yes, I know they didn’t really mean that, but I wanted a lead-in to the theme of natural, and I love the Beatles.

Natural is the mantra of the present and future generations of consumers and of beverages. Over the course of the last few years, it’s evolved that most any beverage worth its salt must claim to be organic, healthy and natural. A major part of this issue is devoted to beverages of that ilk. Within our pages is a vast guide devoted to both the natural channels and the beverages that want to be there. We have hundreds of listings of brands that are simple in their composition. They only use natural ingredients. The sweeteners being utilized are pure cane sugar, and the family of stevias and truvias – the answer for those who don’t want the calories. There is a purity and a passion in creating the products that the consumer will drink. It couldn’t have come soon enough.

We have many health issues in our society, but obesity is right at the top. We have been a generation of ingesters of processed foods that have been a root cause of too many health issues to list. We’re happy to provide a listing of beverages that are among the products taking the lead in going back to a kinder, simpler time of great taste and less fallout. This retro push couldn’t have come at a better time.

The revolution wrought by Whole Foods and other, similar retailers was one that succeeded because it found the demand for better and healthier. The consumer is willing to pay more, as well. That was the first wave. Now everyone has jumped on the bandwagon to better nutrition. Our Guide is geared to brands that qualify for natural outlets, but now those outlets are in every retail format imaginable. That is a good thing.

Beverage marketers are taking great pride in their focus on natural. Whatever their motivation, the net result is healthier imbibing. We couldn’t be happier that the Natural/Healthy Guide has captured the interest and support of the industry. Creating our guide is something that came about naturally, of course.