Be The Change

So the weekend is just in and we’re sure many of you would be refilling your groceries and restacking other things at home. The question is, how many of you carry your own shopping bags during this refilling activity?

SPAR, one of our sales partners, has a global initiative to reduce plastic as part of which they request the customers to carry their own shopping bags. Many of you visiting SPAR post August must have noticed signboards announcing this initiative at various SPAR outlets. Even the bags they do give out to customers who don’t carry their own shopping bags are completely biodegradable. All in an effort to help the planet by reducing plastic waste.

And that’s what ProNature believes in too. Doing our bit to the extent we all can in order to help the planet. Today there are certainly places where the use of plastic has become unavoidable whether one likes it or not. For instance, in packaging. As much as efforts are on to manufacture transparent, insect resistant and eco-friendly packaging material, so far science and technology have not succeeded. The efforts continue relentlessly but meanwhile, let us all contribute in any way we can to reduce the usage of plastic and to lead a more eco-friendly lifestyle.

And in that vein, we would like to extend this request to all of you to carry your own shopping bags the next time you go shopping…be it for groceries of anything else. Can the good old cloth ‘thaila’ be brought back? If we did get plastic bags the last time we went shopping, can we reuse them this time? Let’s try to reduce and reuse plastic as much as we can. Let’s be the change we want to see and do our bit for the planet.

Image Credit: http://himachal.us

It would make us really happy if we are able to encourage you to bring your ProNature goodies home in your own bags the next time you go shopping! Have a good week ahead.

Eating By The Seasons

The New Year has just arrived and ProNature wishes all its patrons a very happy new year...one filled with health and harmony. Christmas and the New Year always bring forth the season to be jolly and we start the year's muse with seasons themselves.

Many of you might be aware of the word ‘Chaturmas’, roughly the period from July to October or approximately the Rainy Season in India, used in the Hindu context. Many Hindus refrain from eating Onions and Garlic in this period. They are also instructed to refrain from consuming non-vegetarian food in this period, in the more recent days of course when non-vegetarian food has found wider acceptance than the days of yore.

We quote that example to ask a question: more than it being a ritual, have you ever wondered why that specific instruction may have been given thousands of years ago by the Rishis to the laymen? What may have been the significance of avoiding those foods in that season and how has globalization affected that instruction? 

In today’s day and age when globalization has made food from all across the world available pretty much at our doorstep, it is sometimes baffling to see mangoes in the market in mid-December and corn being available all year round. And that goes for many fruits and vegetables that are being cultivated/made available to us almost for the whole year by using various mechanisms.

Image Credit: http://www.edb.utexas.edu

But how healthy is it to eat mangoes in December? Is there a reason why they were made available to us by nature only in summer and never otherwise? Have we examined the consequences of eating any fruit or vegetable outside of its seasonal cycle before making our purchases?

The reason we are asking all these questions is for all of us to take a look at the cycle of nature that meticulously planned our diets before the global markets opened up and in fact did not let us consume foodstuff that was not conducive to our geography/climate/ethnicity. If there was a reason why the cycle was designed a particular, for man to eat mangoes in summer and jamuns in the rainy season, should we be disturbing that design at all? Is there a chance that eating locally might actually make good sense for the body?

A part of going organic involves eating locally, food that is available in the season and cultivated in perfectly natural conditions by local farmers. And we believe that eating locally and by the seasons is the best way to eat since it involves eating by the design of nature, which is in sync with what is best for our respective ethnicities/geographies. Use our comments section as the soundboard for any thoughts you have on the topic and let us know if you agree with us…

Our Brand Values

If you’ve noticed, we recently changed our look to align better with our brand principles and brand values and are here for you with renewed resolve to bring you closer to nature. And we think this is a good time to let you in on what our brand really stands for and how.

For any brand, its values are its essence. The foundation pillars upon which the brand is built and grows. If the brand were a person, its values really are the personality traits that we identify any person with. They determine what direction the brand may take and what it might become as it grows. And that is why brand values are crucial to any brand at any stage of its lifecycle. 

So what are ProNature’s brand values? They are:

• Integrity
• Passion
• Trust
• Friendly
• Competent
• Caring
• Inspiring

ProNature is completely transparent in all its operations and is quite open when it comes to sharing operational data. All this derives directly from ProNature’s belief in Integrity.

Easy access to organic food is one of ProNature’s highest priorities and it is our Passion for organic food and health that makes us believe that organic food must be easily available everywhere…not just is select ‘gourmet stores’ and large supermarkets. And we constantly strive to achieve this access.

ProNature does not offer even a single product that is not certified organic. None of the products are sold as ‘Natural’ or ‘Made with organic ingredients’. We would like to be a brand that can be Trusted to deliver the highest quality of products by our patrons, with eyes closed.  

We are a Friendly brand to the extent of patrons having a good amount of access to the team members including the founders. We are happy to reach out to people and to let them reach out to us so we can collectively take the cause of an organic lifestyle forward. 

All of ProNature’s products are certified by IMO Control, an internationally recognized Switzerland-based certification body. That shows just how Competent ProNature is.

ProNature has the interests of not only its patrons but its own members as well at heart. For instance, in times of political unrest in one of the cities where our sales team operates, no team member was allowed to venture out until the situation was absolutely safe. We are a Caring brand that takes care to protect the interests of anyone who is associated with us, be it consumers or team members.

With all efforts that involve Depth Distribution Strategy for easy availability of organic food, ProNature aims to be an Inspiring brand that can act as a messenger to spread awareness about organic food and an organic lifestyle among people. We aim to share as much knowledge and information as we can about this wholesome consumer concept that is the organic lifestyle and inspire people to adopt this lifestyle. Because this is about each of us, about our planet and about our future generations.

Turning Over A New Leaf

Have you seen a Neem tree? If you’ve lived in India for a while chances are that you have and more than once. The Neem tree is native to India and this fact reflects in its scientific name – Azadirachta Indica – meaning the free tree of India. It is phenomenal how this tree disperses its virtues to one and all, thus rightly earning its name, and let’s everyone enjoy the gift of purity and natural goodness, an example worth emulating.

So that’s what we are doing. Emulating this virtuous tree and seeking to disperse nature’s bounty to one and all. And not unlike the Neem tree’s young leaves that change colour as they mature, we are changing. We are turning over a new leaf ourselves.

In their own lifecycles, all brands mature and undergo a process of strengthening their foundations, their principles and their philosophy. They learn from their diverse consumer base and both evolve as per the other’s characteristics – the brand and its consumers. ProNature has reached that stage when it feels the need for a new identity that reflects this strengthened vision and consumer base. It is like a growing Neem tree with stronger roots and ready to spread its branches in new directions. And it is changing.

The immediate change you will notice is literally us turning over a new leaf in our logo…from brown to green like the leaves of the Neem. The new logo is also a reflection of our commitment and beliefs – a commitment to a healthier, happier life and concern for the planet. Like the Neem, we want to make nature’s goodness easily available to all for adoption as the way of life. And the logo denotes it all with its select colouring and typeface.

ProNature’s new logo uses the colours Orange, White, Green and Brown. These colours come together in the form of symbols in the logo that has a reversed out letter P that is held by a brown box the counter space of the letter P has a leaf that harmoniously blends in. The logo includes the stamp 100% Organic.

The brown box stands for Mother Earth and the environment. The letter P blends in to symbolize that the brand exists in symbiosis with Mother Earth. The leaf inside the P symbolizes the fact that nature harmoniously co-exists within ProNature and is the very essence of ProNature. The stamp reiterates ProNature’s USP of being different from other organic brands; we sell only pure organic products under this umbrella and absolutely none that are non-organic.

The colours by themselves communicate a vital part each of ProNature’s message. The Orange represents Vibrancy and Energy. It symbolizes our commitment to health. The White represents Purity, Cleanliness and Innocence. It showcases our commitment to be honest to the farmers and the consumers. The Green stands for life, growth, renewal, health and the environment. It is a sign of the environment being one of our highest priorities. The Brown denotes wholesomeness, earthiness, steadfastness, simplicity, friendliness, dependability and health. It denotes the foundation of life on Earth – the soil.

The assertive, friendly and confident Gotham typeface in the logo communicates ProNature’s brand values of Integrity, Trust, Friendliness, Care and Inspiration in an honest tone. 

Together, this combination of elements is the new identity of ProNature. It is our effort to reiterate our philosophies by aligning our identity with them. It is a symbolic representation of our commitment to you and to nature, to bring you together. And we hope that with this change we have become more potent in helping you get closer to nature…just like the Neem tree.

Kuch Meetha Ho Jaaye

The custom of eating something sweet to celebrate festivities and occasions is not at all new to us even if the definition of that sweet keeps changing. Starting from the auspicious curd-and-sugar combination administered for good luck to chocolates in the new era, different kinds of sweets have entered and stayed on in our lives. But the tradition has not changed. 

And though form keeps changing, all over India there are three basic ingredients that have always been used to sweeten up lives. To start with, there is honey. This sweetener has been documented in the Vedic periods as well and Rishis have been known to consume this treasure-trove of health. Honey boosts immunity and as antioxidants that help fight cancer. It is an effective home remedy for a number of common ailments. Honey also is part of Indian tradition in many parts of India. For instance, it is one of the five elements that go into making Panchamrita, a preparation that is offered as Naivedya to the Gods in many ceremonies. 

Image Credit: bbcgoodfood.com

Then comes Jaggery, sweetness that man learnt to extract and preserve from sugarcane juice so it could be enjoyed for longer. Jaggery is known for its health benefits especially for organs of the respiratory system like Throat and Lungs, Jaggery is a rich source Iron as well. It has a higher proportion of mineral salts too. Jaggery is also used to prepare many traditional sweetmeats like the Rice Kheer in East India and Puffed Rice Laddoos made during Karthigai in South India. 

Image Credit: chow.com

Last but not the least is the more sophisticated sweetener in the form of sugar, a seasoning that is as essential as salt. It goes into our first cup of tea as also our last glass of milk. And it sweetens our lives the most by being part of most of the sweets that are prepared these days, apart from sweetening our teas, coffees and juices.

Image Credit: diggingri.wordpress.com

How wonderful it would be if we could find organic variants of all these sweeteners and add a dash of health to our traditions apart from sweetness. We would not have to worry about antibiotics-ridden honey or pesticide and chemical infested jaggery or sugar and that would make all our celebrations a celebration of health.

With exactly this in mind, ProNature brings you organic variants of Honey, Jaggery and Sugar. By replacing conventional variants with these organic variants, you can bring in true health, peace of mind and happiness to your family and do more justice to our traditions…all of which were meant to nourish our bodies well. So for the next celebration, kuch organic meetha ho jaaye?

Mining For Mineral Facts

So you’ve heard that organic food is more nutritious than conventionally grown food. You’ve also heard that it tastes better. But you still have your doubts. Today ProNature aims to dispel them to a certain extent by giving you a small sample of data to ponder about over the weekend.

Image Credit: chiron.valdosta.edu

In a survey conducted among 175 people, 117 preferred the taste of organic food. Clearly in that sample space, organic food came out the winner as far as taste is concerned!

In a study conducted by Rutgers University, USA, the mineral content of organic and non-organic food was compared and the results are here for you to see. You can see how significantly more nutritious organic food really is.

Percentage of Dry Weight			Quantities per 100 Grams Dry Weight				Trace Elements. Parts per million Dry matter
Vegetable:	Mineral Ash	Phosphorus	Calcium	Magnesium	Potassium	Sodium	Boron	Manganese	Iron	Copper	Cobalt
Snap Beans   Organic    Non-organic	10.45 4.04	0.36 0.22	40.5 15.5	60 14.8	99.7 29.1	8.6 0.9	73 10	60 2	227 10	69 3	0.26 0
Cabbage   Organic    Non-organic	10.38 6.12	0.38 0.18	60 17.5	43.6 13.6	148.3 33.7	20.4 0.8	42 7	13 2	94 20	48 0.4	0.15 0
Lettuce   Organic    Non-organic	24.48 7.01	0.43 0.22	71 16	49.3 13.1	176.5 53.7	12.2 0	37 6	169 1	516 9	60 3	0.19 0
Tomatoes   Organic    Non-organic	14.2 6.07	0.35 0.16	23 4.5	59.2 4.5	148.3 58.8	6.5 0	36 3	68 1	1938 1	53 0	0.63 0
Spinach   Organic    Non-organic	28.56 12.38	0.52 0.27	96 47.5	203.9 46.9	237 84.6	69.5 0	88 12	117 1	1584 49	32 0.3	0.25 0.2

It would be a favour to our bodies, which are already under the onslaught of urban living conditions and pollution, to pamper them with nutritious organic food. Clearly demonstrated above, though in a small sample, is the superiority of organic food and how it is perfect for our health. We hope that this mining exercise on mineral facts has helped to make you a little more curious about organic food than before. Have a great weekend!

Enabling Healthier Choices For You

In our earlier posts and our story, we have shared with you the thoughts that went into starting ProNature and one of those thoughts was to make organic food easily available to the domestic consumers so that it can be adopted as the food of choice. We hope that through our updates we have been able to generate awareness about how organic food is better for your health, for the environment and for the society. And it remains our constant endeavour to reach you better on your neighbourhoods so as to allow your shopping to remain as convenient as ever while you make healthier choices for your family. 

Organic food is gradually opening up and becoming available more and more easily in India today. Most neighbourhood supermarkets stock organic food these days following rising levels of consumer awareness. This is equally a product of the efforts of certain conscientious individuals who have taken it upon themselves to make organic products accessible to the masses, be it food or otherwise. 

Image Credit: 2stepdiet.org

As regards ProNature, we are available in the following cities and stores to facilitate your shopping convenience:

Bangalore:

• Reliance Fresh
• Food Bazaar
• Smart retail
• Safal fresh
• Namdhari’s
• TOTAL Mall
• Mother Earth
• Fresh @
• SPAR
• Spencer’s Hypers
• MK Retail
• Nilgiri’s
• Many other stand-alone supermarkets

Hyderabad:

• Reliance Fresh
• Food Bazaar
• SPAR
• Other stand-alone supermarkets

Chennai:

• Fresh @
• Many Stand-alone supermarkets

We are also available in Pondicherry and Coimbatore. We close this post with the hope that we all soon see that day when availability and accessibility of organic food will no more be a hurdle in the way of a healthier lifestyle for all. Amen!