Growing your own food: the unexpected health benefits

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Growing your own food has many benefits, both for nutrition and for mental and physical health.

Whether you grow a few herbs or a vegetable garden filled with fresh fruits and vegetables, you are not only taking care of your health, but also the environment.

Here are the top five reasons to grow your own food:

Best nutritional benefits

Growing your own food ensures you'll enjoy a nutritious, healthy, and varied diet. Growing a variety of fresh foods will provide you with abundant sources of minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants. Raw foods are undoubtedly better tasting, and studies have also shown them to be richer in nutrients. ¹ This doesn't mean you shouldn't cook them. They still offer multiple health benefits once cooked, especially because they're fresher, as the time between harvest and eating is shorter than store-bought foods.

Better for the environment

In addition to offering higher nutritional value, home-grown foods don't have to go through the transportation process, which is good for the environment and has no impact on your carbon footprint. ² This helps reduce dependence on fossil fuels for long-distance transport (it is estimated that food travels an average distance of 2,400 kilometers before being consumed) ³ . In addition, you do not use pesticides or chemicals that could be harmful to the environment.

Good for physical health

In your mind, it might not be the same as going for a run, but growing your own food is actually a great way to stay fit and active! Digging, pulling roots, planting, weeding, watering, and tending to your crops: gardening is a great physical activity. It's good for your heart, helps reduce stress, and improves strength and flexibility. Spending time outdoors also helps you get your fill of vitamin D. It's essential for maintaining strong bones and teeth and helps boost your immune system against certain diseases. ⁴

Good for mental well-being

It's not just your body that will thank you for growing your own food and gardening. The mental health benefits will be there too. The simple act of exercise has been shown to relieve stress, depression, and anxiety, and boost energy. ⁵

Good for the wallet

The investment may seem like a bigger deal than buying a salad at the supermarket. However, once your plants are ready, you only need three things to grow your food: time, patience, and water. Given the high cost of organic food, you'll find that growing your own food will quickly recoup the initial investment you made on pots, potting soil, and other supplies.

When growing your own food, remember that variety is key. Don't be afraid to grow foods you've never tried before, as this won't increase pesticide use or transportation costs. Try to discover as many new, fresh, and interesting foods as possible to take care of yourself and the planet.

1. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdf/10.1021/jf60202a021 [ ↩ ]
2. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0921344914002626 [ ↩ ]
3. https://cuesa.org/learn/how-far-does-your-food-travel-get-your-plate [ ↩ ]
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3356951/ [ ↩ ]
5. https://journals.lww.com/acsm-essr/Citation/1990/01000/Effect_of_Exercise_on_Depression.16.aspx [ ↩ ]