Growing Your Own, 5 Health Benefits.
This week 6-12th June 2022 is National Growing for Wellbeing week.
National Growing for Wellbeing week is a celebration of the magic that growing your own garden (no matter if your garden is only a humble window box) can do for your physical and mental wellbeing.
Growing your own is Therapeutic
Research has shown that horticultural therapy can improve focus and attention. It lessens stress and agitation and even help with sleep patterns.
Getting outside increases exposure to sunlight which is our greatest source of vitamin D and supports our immune system and bone health.
Gardening also supports our physical health such as our strength and stamina.
Perhaps you could create a sensory area for relaxation where you can grow scented plants, use your favourite colours, add a wind chime or water feature and a little pot of strawberries for a tasty snack!
Growing your own provides Connection
In my practice, I help women reconnect with their own bodies.
We seem to have lost the ability to trust what our body needs as we have entered the age of technology.
Growing your own garden allows you to connect with the world around you, the seasons, the weather and nature.
I also teach cyclical living, noticing the moon cycle, your own cycle (if you have one) and using our circadian rhythm to resolve sleep issues.
You can also use these connection techniques to enhance the success of your garden by learning what to plant and when.
By growing any of your own produce or flowers to cut for your home you are reducing your carbon footprint. If you grow your own food you can also choose to pick what you need and the nutritional value of eating something so soon after it has been harvested is greater.
Growing your own provides Structure
For anyone struggling with mental health issues such as depression or even just lacking motivation, growing your own requires routine and responsibility.
The routine of watering and nurturing your tender plants, protecting them from disease and after all your hard work, reaping the harvest of produce or beautiful flowers can give a purpose to your life.
Many of us can feel that life is out of our control, especially after a global pandemic.
Growing your own garden gives you back some power and control in your own life.
Not only that but focusing on tasks in the garden contributes to living in the present rather than feeling anxious about the future or worrying about the past.
Grow your own for the best Nutrition
Speaking of control, by growing your own you can choose how you protect your garden from pests. This is especially important if you are growing your own food.
Tender produce such as berries, lettuce and tomatoes are sprayed with huge amounts of pesticides and organic varieties can be very expensive.
Using an organic seaweed fertiliser is the perfect way to feed anything you have growing in your garden and there are many online posts with suggestions for natural pest removal. You will probably find that a healthy garden naturally attracts predators to protect your efforts supporting the health of the environment.
Grow your own to Heal
We all need a place to retreat to, a quiet place where we can hear our own thoughts.
We are bombarded on a daily basis by the world around us and the world in our hand.
Our mobile phones provide so many benefits but they can also be the cause of a great deal of stress and insecurity which can affect our self-esteem and confidence.
Reconnecting with your immediate world, especially a growing garden can enhance feelings of well-being and accomplishment and help to restore your self-belief.
Have you ever buried a seed in some soil, watered and watched and felt the excitement as a tiny seedling emerges a few days later?
Have you ever collected some salad leaves, a couple of tomatoes and some onions to add a nutritious colourful side salad to your meal?
If you have you will know what a satisfying feeling it is, the best antidote for a world that is moving too fast.
There is something magical about putting your hands in the soil, being present with the earth and every micro-organism.
Remembering our very small place on this planet and in the grand scheme of time.
Cook what you grow
Every week on my social feeds I share a seasonal ingredient, a food that is abundant at that particular time of year, therefore, it is cheaper, is available locally so has less impact on the environment and is at its most nutritious.
You can download the latest monthly recipe collection by following this link.