Here at New Earth, we know that great health isn’t just the absence of illness or symptoms. There’s so much more to it. Sure being well is nice but true encompassing health includes uplifting emotions, a positive outlook, a supportive community, and complete quality of life. We call this total wellness. It’s not a singular achievement, but rather a goal to continually strive for. It’s about embracing a fulfilling lifestyle, one that supports your health and well being. It's a balancing act with small daily habits here and there that add up in big ways.
These habits that we speak of aren’t groundbreaking or new news. Rather, they are tried and true methods that support your spiritual, physical, emotional, relational, and mental well being. We are talking about things like eating a whole foods diet, exercising, de-stressing, socializing and so on. But today, we are going to focus on one of our favorites and it just so happens to contribute to almost every category when it comes to your total wellbeing. Gardening!
Now that spring is here, it's time to plant seeds, till the soil and begin to prepare for a summer of fresh produce. When it comes time to harvest, you’ll have an abundance of safe, clean, nutritious and, of course, delicious produce. Better yet, all of this wonderful produce will be in-season and perfectly ripe allowing you to create new and fun whole food dishes. But the fun and benefits don’t stop there, the actual process and the journey to harvest are loaded with a variety of health benefits.
Let’s go ahead and explore them...
Stress Relief
Gardening is a natural stress reliever. In a Dutch Study, it was shown that 30 minutes of gardening decreased cortisol, the main stress hormone, in participants. The subjects of the study reported feeling their positive moods restored. Spending time outdoors, in the sun, while doing fulfilling work is essential for maintaining mental and emotional health. And, with today’s events and the pandemic we are facing, we could all use a little stress relief. So go ahead, get outside, dig in the dirt and experience the benefits.
Immune Boosting
Believe it or not, worms and dirt aren’t all bad! Soil is filled with a variety of good microorganisms. And, guess what? These microorganisms actually help boost your immune system. Your immune system thrives on being exposed to these good bacteria. So forget the hand sanitizer for a little while and play in the dirt.
Brain Health
Gardening is a great way to stimulate your brain in a healthy and positive way. This stimulation can have a beneficial effect on mental health and overall wellness.
Heart Health
You probably don’t typically think of cardio and exercise when you think of gardening. But, guess what? Gardening can be a workout. It’s not a traditional exercise, but it has been shown to have the same benefits including supporting heart health.
Gardening, it’s rich in health benefits that contribute to overall wellness. It also provides a unique connection to your food. It’s one thing to walk the grocery store isles and cross items off your list. It’s another thing to sprout a seed, care for it and then harvest it. There’s something to be said about knowing your food, where it comes from and how it was cared for.
Making time to build your garden is a great way to support your journey of overall wellness. It encourages time spent outdoors connecting with nature and your food source, caring for your space, and contributes to a whole foods diet. Waking up every day and choosing to strive for overall wellness is what we call living the #NewEarthLife.
Go ahead, get gardening. You can start by finding out what Hardiness Zone you are in to pick the best plants to populate your garden.