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DrugDiscovery's avatar
DrugDiscovery
3d

My wife and I have gone seriously into gardening about 10 years ago. The word “seriously” is doing some heavy lifting here, as the whole thing has been a great learning experience. The one thing about “gardening” that presented itself was: Oh, look we have pounds and pounds of tomatoes! and, Oh, look we have pounds and pounds of potatoes. Yeah, they rhyme. So we had to learn pressure canning and industrial grade dehydrating. Tomato sauce preserves real good, we pack it with ground beef and herbs from the garden. We make jam, but we’re also creating stable foodstuff from our small hobby farm. We cannot raise livestock in our small backyard, but there’s COSTCO with its vats of pork, chicken and beef. We’ve canned them all, and have consumed our canned meet three to four years after processing. It was not easy, the first time I opened a jar of our canned chicken I was apprehensive, one year in. Nothing. Smelled like, well, canned processed chicken! We dry potatoes on the dehydrator, and still do the traditional boil-them-up jams. Take advantage of summer. We’ve asked city to not obliterate our wild blackberries so we can forage them in August. And that’s all!!

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Guillermou
3d

Outdoor activities, like gardening, are a perfect way to soak up the sun while bringing nature to life, and by growing our own food, we're also protecting our health. Gardening is a great form of aerobic exercise. Pulling weeds, picking up various plants and tools, twisting, and bending while planting will work new muscles in your body and help with strength, endurance, and flexibility. Activities like raking and mowing could fall into the category of light or moderate exercise, while shoveling, digging, and chopping wood could be considered vigorous exercise. In any case, working in a garden uses all the major muscle groups in the body. Early exposure to soil has been linked to numerous health benefits, from reducing allergies to autoimmune diseases.

Let's plant health in the garden. I'm currently drinking an infusion of hibiscus and rosehip flowers, which are characterized by their intense reddish color, as well as a rather strong aroma and flavor. Hibiscus flowers are native to Africa, but their cultivation has spread throughout the world. They are rich in antioxidants and are used medicinally for their antioxidant properties.

Lavender has an intense aroma and violet color, ideal for creating striking and beautifully decorated dishes. It can be consumed as an infusion to relax the nervous system. It can also be enjoyed with fruits and cheeses to enhance their flavor. Jasmine is yellow and has a very sweet and distinctive flavor. It is used in infusions for its intense aroma and as a garnish for hearty dishes such as meats and fish. Rosemary is used in infusions because it is a good antioxidant and bactericide. Its most common use is as a cooking spice in the preparation of meats, fish, broths, pastries, and salads. Mint, spearmint, stevia, artichoke, dandelion, etc., are a delight for the senses and for health. In addition to exercise, vitamin D increases your calcium levels, which benefits your bones and immune system. One study explains that exposure to sunlight helps older adults achieve adequate vitamin D levels. Gardening could reduce the risk of dementia by 36%. Researchers followed more than 2,800 people over the age of 60 for years and concluded that physical activity, particularly gardening, could reduce the incidence of dementia later in life.

According to one study, participants performed a stressful task and were then told to either read indoors or go outside and garden for 30 minutes. The group that gardened reported an improved mood afterward, and their blood tests showed lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol.

Gardening is positively associated with a reduction in symptoms of depression and anxiety, according to meta-analysis in Preventive Medicine Reports that analyzed 22 different case studies. In fact, some hospitals even use gardening and flower arranging as a form of rehabilitation for people recovering from injuries, strokes, surgeries, and other conditions. There are well-established horticultural therapy programs that help patients rebuild their physical and mental health. The act of growing plants can also help improve your mood. This is one of the great health benefits of gardening because it is linked to increases in quality of life and reductions in mood disorders.

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