Grow Your Own Food and Improve Your Health! (and others)

Numerous studies show that having access to healthy, safe, and affordable food is essential for maintaining a healthy diet. Growing your own food makes this not only possible but also easy.

A U.S. study found that people who grow their own fruits and vegetables are more likely to meet the recommended daily intake and are less likely to suffer from obesity compared to those who don't.

Growing your own food offers many health benefits:

1. It encourages you to eat more fresh fruits and vegetables.
2. Home-grown produce is richer in vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals. 
3. You can control the types of fertilizers and pesticides that come into contact with your food.
4. It allows you to harvest your food at the peak of its nutritional value. (Vegetables that ripen in the garden have more nutrients than some store-bought vegetables that are picked early).
5. Surrounding yourself with plants has a positive effect on your well-being.¹

In addition to these benefits, growing your own food can increase your interest in the origins of what you eat and lead to better choices about what you put on your plate. Dr. Helen Delichatsios, an internist at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital, explains, "When you grow your own food, you savor it more because of the effort it took to get to the table."²

This highlights another important aspect: growing your own food can positively impact those around you. By introducing others to the practice, you can inspire them to care more about the source of their food and to respect the process. For example, teaching children about growing food can shape the younger generation's understanding and appreciation of food production.

Sources: 

¹ National Library of Medicine, Ornamental indoor plants in hospital rooms enhanced health outcomes of patients recovering from surgery, Sep 2009 from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19715461/

² Harvard Health Publishing, Backyard gardening: grow your own food, improve your health, June 2012 from: https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/backyard-gardening-grow-your-own-food-improve-your-health-201206294984