The secret to Longevity...

Create your own small garden in your yard or your balcony and take advantage of the unique properties of plants, in cooking, your life and your health.

What makes plants beneficial other than making your garden beautiful?

Either in small pots on your balcony or in a garden in your yard, they can protect your physical and mental health. Gardening is one of the best ways to tune your body with nature. It can also reduce the chance of heart disease and osteoporosis, stress and weight gain. There is no doubt that gardening is one of the most common hobbies among the longest-lived people worldwide! Studies have shown that you don’t need to dig an entire field to take advantage of this activity. Some indoor plants or flower pots in your balcony are enough to lower anxiety or even fight depression.

Here are some remarkable effects of gardening:

Balances your mental health

There are many ways to benefit from gardening: you can use it as a way of healthy eating, physical activity or as a hobby to work off stress. Most of us, will confirm that we feel better when we are surrounded by flowers, vegetables and plants. Gardening and discipline are linked and therefore, patience and order are required to get results. Studies in people who suffered from anxiety or dementia have shown that gardening can protect your mental health and improve the quality of your sleep. Researchers recently discovered through interviews, that people engaged in gardening had significantly higher levels of optimism and joy for life than other participants. If you are really into gardening, you must have a special love for flowers. Why don’t you show your feeling about nature by giving one of these unique flower baby names for girls and make a strong eco-friendly statement to your children.

Protects against osteoporosis

Protecting the health of your bones needs more effort than you can imagine, but this doesn’t mean that you can’t find a way to have fun at the same time. Physical activity that includes training with weights and a variety of exercises, is one of the best ways to increase joint mobility, strength and balance – regardless of age. In a study with a sample of 3448 females, the ones that occupied themselves with gardening or other activity in the yard, showed lower rates of osteoporosis than those who preferred running, swimming or aerobics.

Helps you get better sleep 

Mental benefits of gardening are so strong that a field of medicine has been developed, called horticultural therapy, to help people who have psychiatric disorders. Studies of people with dementia, anxiety and depression have found that gardening helps calm their agitation, leading to better sleep and improved quality of resting.

Protects against diabetes

Regardless of your age or your the state of your health, you always have the option to increase your longevity and prevent future illnesses. Many physical activities that require a daily routine – such as gardening – are great exercise that can help you boost your immune system, while reducing your vulnerability to a range of diseases, such as diabetes.

If you are active gardeners, then you fill in more of the recommended 150 minutes of exercise a week that are required to stay healthy and in shape. Then again, if you are beginners, the time spent gardening is extremely beneficial, as everyday activities that have to do with plants contribute in reducing the amount of glucose in the blood. Finally, gardening is a perfect way of growing your own fresh fruits and vegetables.



photo credit :Naturally 360