In a world where fast-food chains are temples, and soda flows like water, the path to a healthier brain and body is through the kitchen and exercise, not the pharmacy. It's about understanding your body, questioning mainstream medicine's reliance on drugs, and embracing the power of food to heal and protect.
Food for Thought
Gardening Provides Substantial Health Benefits. Helps keep the brain young. Boosts immunity. Connects people to nature. Promotes exercise. Improves mental health. Supports stress release. Increases exposure to Vitamin D. Decreases risk of dementia. Raises social-responsibility awareness. Engages the creative process. Provides social opportunities. Builds a sense of community. Stimulates hands-on learning and tunes motor skills. Provides fresh, healthy food. Reduces food insecurity.
Chronic Diseases in Younger Populations
Traditionally associated with old age, chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, cancer and heart disease are now increasingly affecting younger Americans. This shift is largely attributable to poor dietary habits and a lack of physical activity. The early onset of these chronic conditions not only affects the quality of life but also increases healthcare costs and puts a strain on the healthcare system.
The role of healthcare practitioners should be promoting food as medicine. Also needed is policy changes to support farmers in adopting regenerative practices that restores healthy soils, and the gradual shift of some large food companies towards sustainable practices. Science proves the link between poor dietary habits and chronic diseases, including their impact on COVID-19 outcomes, underscoring the urgency of addressing the food system for better health and environmental outcomes.
Healthy & Fun Activity for Kids
Gardening can be a fun and educational activity for children, and it can help to instill an appreciation for nature and the environment. Food gardening can also be a great way to teach children about where their food comes from and how it is grown. In addition, children who participate in gardening are more likely to eat fruits and vegetables, as they are more willing to try something they have grown themselves. View our post about gardening with children.
Mind and body health benefits
Working outdoors surrounded by nature is healthy for mind and body. It helps keep the brain young and is a great workout. Three hours of moderate gardening can equal a one-hour gym session. Gardening lowers blood pressure and improves heart health. 30 minutes of moderate physical activity on most days can prevent and control high blood pressure. Gardening increases Vitamin D Level. Plus, spending time in the sun prompts your body to produce vitamin D which supports healthy bones and overall health. New science says that “Living Clean & Green” – eating healthy fresh unprocessed foods and not eating sugar – prevents cancer.
Gardening engages the creative process and helps keep our brains active and young. You get stress relief from gardening and soil contains anti-depressant microbes that can make us happier. Gardening can also help reduce the level of the stress hormone cortisol. Direct exposure to dirt and plants can help boost your immune system. A fascinating 2019 study showed gardening improved cognitive functioning in elderly adults.
Know Where Your Food Comes From
One of the most obvious benefits of food gardening is the ability to produce fresh, healthy food. Homegrown fruits and vegetables are often fresher and more nutritious than store-bought produce, which can lose nutrients during transport and storage. Eating home-grown fruits and vegetables also reduces the risk of exposure to pesticides and other chemicals that may be used on commercially grown produce. If your space is limited try growing in large pots and indoors in the winter.
Gardening Provides Mental Well-being
Gardening outdoors surrounded by nature is health for mind and body, according to a groundbreaking study. As we dig our hands into the soil, we're not just cultivating plants, but also nurturing our well-being. The implications are profound and suggest that community gardens can be integral in public health strategies, offering a natural solution to various health risks.
Gardening can be a great way to get exercise and fresh air, which can help improve overall health and well-being. Homegrown veggies from healthy organic soil are more nutrient-dense than ones you buy in the store. Plus, you avoid pesticides and toxic chemicals sprayed on conventional food.
Helps Build Community
Gardening provides social opportunities, builds a sense of community and connects people to nature. Neighbors may be more likely to interact and form connections when they are working on a common project, such as a community garden. Plus, friends and neighbors can collaborate with garden partnerships. Food gardening reduces food insecurity in food deserts. Community gardens can provide access to fresh fruits and vegetables for people who may not have access to them otherwise. Community gardens can also be used as a way to educate people about gardening techniques and to promote sustainable living practices.
There are economic benefits too. You can spend less money on groceries while eating more fruits and veggies. You gain an opportunity to sell excess produce at farmers markets or to local restaurants and also give food to friends and family. In addition, food gardening can provide a sense of self-sufficiency and independence, knowing that you have the ability to grow your own food and feed your family.
Work in Partnership with Nature.
Soil health is top priority. Healthy soil promotes healthy plants and large harvests. The foundation of soil health is robust microbial populations that feed on abundant organic matter. The soil microbes transport nutrients to plant roots in a form that the plants can use more efficiently. The healthy soil microbes and the plant roots have a mutual aid pact. They need each other and they feed each other. We want the soil microbes to do most of the gardening work for us.
The Regenerative Farming movement is making small organic farmers more self-sufficient and profitable by using the soil health techniques like “No Till, No Dig, No Pull” that Deep Roots teaches to kitchen gardeners.
Growing fruits and vegetables at home reduces the need for transportation and packaging associated with commercial produce. In addition, home gardens can provide habitat for beneficial insects and birds, which can help to promote biodiversity. Furthermore, many food gardening techniques such as composting, crop rotation and using organic methods to enrich soil can help to improve soil quality – both nutrients and micro-organisms. Plus we can reduce the use of toxic chemical fertilizers and pesticides.
Benefits for Everyone
It can provide fresh, healthy food, save money on grocery bills, improve health and well-being, and promote environmental stewardship. It can also be a great way to teach children about where their food comes from, build community, and promote sustainable living practices. With the current state of the world, food gardening is becoming a more and more popular way for people to take control of their food security and be more self-sufficient.
“Grow Your Own Food” blog posts
See the full list of our Grow Your Own Food blog posts. Each post is assigned ”tags” which are under the post title. If you need a quick answer to a gardening question give us a call or send a text to our customer support team – support[at]deep-roots-project.org AND 708-655-5299.
Deep Roots online store
See our online store for details about prices, ordering and delivery of raised beds, planter boxes, microbe-rich compost, worm castings, leaf mulch and more. We don’t sell traditional soil, since we use 100% compost as our growing medium. Our online store has 2 sections – (1) raised beds and planter boxes and (2) compost, worm castings, fertilizer.
Please contact our customer support team before placing an order online so we can assist you with the details and answer your gardening questions. You can pay by credit card in the store or by check.
(708) 655-5299 and support[at]deep-roots-project.org
Sign up for our newsletter
Please leave your cell phone number when you sign up for our eNewsletter, if you want text message announcements now and then.
Donations help us provide organic kitchen gardening education to individuals, organizations, and entire communities. Thank you in advance for contributing to our community and for sharing our website and blog with friends and family.
