The Health Benefits of Gardening in Your Yard
With spring, sunny weather on the horizon, and summer body preparations, it’s the perfect time to get on the healthy train. If you’re like me, a big problem is the type of food I eat. While always on the go, fast food tends to be a convenient method. However, plenty of better options exist, such as planting a garden. Doing so would not only give you personal yield, but you would also know how your food was produced and where it came from. Today, we will review different foods you can plant in a vegetable garden for an alternative healthy food source.
Gardening Spring Vegetables
Since spring only began recently, you will want to guarantee your plants can handle a few random frosts since winter isn’t completely gone. One plant that flourishes in lower temperatures is lettuce. It would be ideal to plant this vegetable at the beginning of the season. Homegrown lettuce is plentiful in vitamin A and should take 75-85 days to harvest. Carrots are another cool-season vegetable and, let’s face it, one of the better-tasting vegetables. You can eat carrots at any point during their growth, but they can take up to 80 days to grow fully. They remain a garden staple. The most popular garden vegetable in America, the tomato, has many varieties to choose and grows between 49 to 100 days.
Fast Growing Vegetables
If you want a quick harvest, certain vegetables grow even faster. Radishes are one of the fastest-growing crops and can be eaten one month after planting. There are plenty of different ways to cook radishes, and you can find recipes here. Snow peas, which can be grown in the spring, germinate after 10 days. They should be harvest-ready after two months. Similarly, turnips are ready for harvest after two months, while their leaves are ready for harvest around day 40. Sunflower shoots, the sprouts of the sunflower, are small but can be harvested in 12 days! The shoots are full of plant protein and provide all essential amino acids. Garden cress is full of vitamins A and C and can be a great part of a diet. The best part is the plant is ready for harvest in two weeks.
The Workout of Gardening
From digging holes to planting, gardening also gives you a great workout. When gardening, you can increase your flexibility, strengthen your joints, and get you moving for a while. The main muscles you work out are the legs, arms, shoulders, neck, and back. By gardening, you will receive a substantial amount of exercise and can burn more than 500 calories while outside working. Enjoy your garden while living a healthier life!
The Mental Health Benefits
Working your garden can be a great way to improve your mental health! Naturally, being around nature and greenery soothes the mind and can give a sense of calmness. Studies have shown that typically people are happier when around plants rather than materials like concrete or stone. Additionally, caring for your garden can give you a sense of purpose, a tangible goal, and a great source of happy chemicals like serotonin or dopamine. Tending a garden gives you a sense of responsibility and accomplishment. As a bonus, if it looks amazing, you may get compliments from neighbors, family, or whomever.
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This article was updated on 8/30/24.