For many gardeners in Marin County, the time has never been better to jump on the backyard gardening trend, whether it's for beauty or provide nutritious and delicious food - and for those who plant vegetables and herbs, the payoffs are many. You likely know that gardening is good for your health, but do you know why?
Physical Benefits Of Gardening
· Build upper body strength
· Improve overall flexibility
· Healthy sun exposure provides Vitamin D
· May even decrease your risk of Type 2 diabetes and heart disease
Activities Associated with Gardening
· Digging requires upper body strength.
· Weeding involves bending and stretching.
· Trimming trees or bushes also requires strength and flexibility.
· Mowing the lawn provides a great opportunity to walk for 20 or more minutes, depending on the size of your lawn, and can help strengthen and tone your upper body.
Getting Started On Gardening
If you haven't heard of Marin County's gardening expert, let me introduce you to Toni Gattone, an Adaptive Gardening Expert & Resilience Change-Agent. She believes when we invest time into doing the things we love, we enrich each day and make the most of our lives. She's an author and national speaker and has a fantastic series of videos of gardeners of all levels. You can find her and her videos at tonigattone.com.
Nutritional Boosts From Gardening
· Heart-smart eating from the beginning. Your fresh food retains its nutrients, since it doesn't lose any due to being transported long distances. It also is more fiber-rich and free of the added sodium found in processed and packaged foods.
· Savings in your overall food budget. One packet of spinach seeds costs a fraction of a bunch of fresh spinach, or even one box of frozen, from the supermarket.
· Heart-healthy food at your fingertips. What you grow you will eat. Involve family members in planting and harvesting, and they will be more likely to try new foods.
Equally important, gardening is a practical and aesthetic activity, offering a psychological lift as well as a physical workout. Interacting with nature and creating a beautiful surrounding for you and your family is great for stress reduction and an overall healthy lifestyle. And if you are growing a vegetable garden, your workout also benefits your diet!
So if you've outgrown your existing backyard garden and have your sites on greener pastures, please contact me. Tracy Curtis, Coldwell Banker Realty, tracy.curtis@cbnorcal.com