By Alexander Germanis
Mankind has always been tied to the soil. For thousands of years, we have tilled the earth and subsisted on what has sprung forth. To this day, people around the globe continue to work the soil in order to provide for themselves, their families, and even entire nations.
It’s no secret agriculture has a strong hold in Illinois in particular, as farmland makes up 65 percent of the Land of Lincoln. Regardless of that impressive percentage, it still does not account for the small-scale tilling engaged in by countless gardeners across the state.
Tending a garden is about far more than just growing food, however. It can also yield benefits across the entire spectrum of human health.
By the Sweat of Your Brow
If you’ve ever labored in the yard, you know tending to the natural world around your home can be a lot of hard work. Gardening is no exception to this. Of course, the hard work of gardening also translates to exercise. As a matter of fact, gardening is often listed as a good alternative to going to the gym. Spending a few hours per week caring for a garden can easily constitute your 150-minute allotment of exercise.
Squatting to plant or weed; lunging and pulling with a hoe, rake, or other tools; and lifting bags of mulch all build muscle strength, increase flexibility, and improve your cardiovascular health. Don’t let those ridiculous Crocs and sun hats some people wear fool you, gardening can be a workout worthy of clothes you’re not afraid to soak with some good old-fashioned sweat.
This means you should treat gardening as any other workout. Spend a few minutes stretching before your session in the soil, try to work up to the more intense work, and expect to be a little sore the day after.
Here Comes the Sun
Another connection humans have with gardens is we both require sunlight. Working outside under the rays of our system’s star is a great way to trigger the body’s synthesis of vitamin D. When ultraviolet B rays from the sun hit the surface of the skin, it activates a series of processes in the body, which eventually result in the production of vitamin D. This vitamin is vitally important in calcium absorption, which is in turn important for bone health. Safe, regulated exposure to sunlight is still one of the best ways for the body to get vitamin D.
Sunlight also triggers the release of a neurotransmitter called serotonin, which regulates mood, can make you calm and more focused, and initiates feelings of happiness and well-being.
Exposure to sunlight, especially in the morning and midday hours will also help keep your circadian clock ticking properly, meaning you’ll also be more likely to sleep better throughout the night.
Homegrown Health
When I was just a lad, my family had a fairly substantial garden in our backyard. Between it, our varied fruit trees, and the herb garden that ran along the side of our house, we were able to enjoy food we grew almost on a daily basis. We were able to enjoy cucumbers, tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, raspberries, rhubarb, cherries, currants, pears, (and barely tolerated) squash, zucchini, and other “just stop complaining and eat it” vegetables. Decades later, I still miss that homegrown food, which far surpassed anything I have ever since purchased from a grocery store.
By avoiding commercial pesticides and using organic compost in its nurturing, a home garden can indeed produce food levels beyond what you would be able to buy at the store.
Plus, there is a certain degree of healthy pride that comes from eating something you grew yourself; and putting in that effort can lead you to make healthier choices at the dinner table. Vegetables you might not otherwise eat at a restaurant or purchase from the store now might feel more appealing simply because you grew them.
Consider consulting the almanac for what is best to grow where you live. Visit www.almanac.com, enter your zip code, and it will list the best planting times for each vegetable and herb that will grow well in your specific area.
Build the Mind
In the mid-19th century, German educator Friedrich Fröbel recognized the connection between gardening and mental development when he coined the term kindergarten, which means “children garden.” Fröbel saw how we, like the smallest seedlings, can grow and develop with the proper nourishment and care.
Literal gardening can continue to nourish us mentally as well. Gardening requires thought, planning, problem-solving, and decision-making. Figuring out where to plant each food based on sunlight exposure needs, learning more about each food as you grow it, and educating yourself on how to combat garden pests will increase your knowledge base and give you experience.
More time outdoors also improves your oxygen intake, which is necessary for your brain to function at its highest levels. And, as mentioned before, growing your own food can produce a healthy sense of self-esteem. Increased confidence will lead you to learn more, try new experiences, and take on new challenges both in your garden and in other aspects of life.
Be at Ease
One of my favorite sitcoms growing up was “Married…with Children,” (although I had to find ways to watch it without my parents knowing.) In one episode, Al Bundy suffers a nervous breakdown at work, after which his doctor encourages him to start growing a vegetable garden. While dealing with a rascally rabbit, Al explains the importance of maintaining his garden despite all odds: “I hate vegetables, but I need that garden to relieve my stress, dammit!”
Stress may be a nearly unavoidable aspect of life but focusing on the task of growing your own food can take your mind off of things that might be bothering you and causing you undo stress. To see things growing and thriving can also relieve your mind of negative thoughts. Engaging in certain repetitive tasks such as planting a row of seeds has also proven to be a stress reliever.
Some people report the act of pulling weeds or simply watering their garden can be therapeutic and soothing. In fact, a study conducted at NYU showed gardening lowered people’s cortisol levels. Cortisol is the hormone responsible for the fight, flight, or freeze response people experience when introduced to a stressful situation.
Can You Dig it?
After all that can be said about gardening – trimming your waistline, trimming the length of your grocery bill, etc. – gardening can also trim your medical costs. Gardening exposes the body to beneficial microbes, which can improve the functioning of your immune system. Soil also carries the bacteria mycobacterium vaccae, which, like sunlight, triggers the release of serotonin.
In other words, plunging one’s hands into the dirt will unearth more and more benefits the longer you do it. In fact, a Korean study on dementia patients showed 20 minutes of gardening per day promoted the growth of brain nerves associated with memory.
Working the soil provides more for us than simply food. It connects us to our roots. It can help us gain a true appreciation for what our ancestors had to do in order to simply survive, and it generates a strong and respectful connection with our planet and nature itself. Gardening can not only nurture every aspect of your health, but it can also help you grow a happier outlook on life.
