Have we really become a nation of sheep?

Have we become so complacent that we just wander around following everyone else?

Are you so oblivious to our surroundings and what is happening around us?

When did we become a nation of disciples who say nothing when it matters and everything when it doesn’t?

Do you know what is in your hair care and hygiene products? Do you know where your meat comes from when you sat at that restaurant table enjoying a night out? Is it free range, imported, caged?

Do you know where those roses came from that became your token gesture of appreciation? Are they locally grown or imported?

New Zealanders are best known for not being forthcoming when it comes to asking questions. They would prefer not to cause an upset, instead preferring to remain silent now and complain later on.

Sadly, social media has given us the opportunity to use our voices, regardless of the consequences.

Human beings are masterful at being unkind to one another, online. I imagine they would not feel so confident saying the same things in person given the opportunity.

Many years ago I learnt an alarming fact that the majority of our hair care and hygiene products contain sulfates which are produced from petroleum.

Petroleum is an oil and more crudely a liquid that can be used to degrease engines. Have you googled the list of ingredients in that bottle of Listerine you have in your bathroom cabinet? You should.

Consumers should know what they are putting into their bodies and not just take a company’s word that it is good for them.

Did you ask the wait staff where your food came from when you last sat in a restaurant? You might be surprised to learn that the majority of pork consumed in NZ is imported from the USA.

Cancer is on the rise and carcinogens are everywhere, both in the foods we eat and the products we put on our bodies.

Those flowers you bought to say you’re sorry. They may been imported which means they were fumigated at country of departure and again at country of origin bringing many chemicals into the home.

Homes already contain a number of chemicals which leach into the environment over time. Why else would they call it 'treated' timber.

We must stop taking things for granted and start asking more questions. Now is the time to speak up and if something is not right then use your voice when it matters most.

Supporting local has never been more important than now, now that we are having to reply on our own supply chain for access to goods and services in a timely manner.

It’s time to be a conscience consumer and take control of your life, you only get one so make the most out of it.