September 2023 Supplement | Gardening for Health and Happiness | By Z Altug
Ziya Altug
PT, DPT, MS, DipACLM, OCS, CSCS | Certified Health and Well-being Coach | Physical Therapist specializing in lifestyle medicine | ACLM Certified Lifestyle Medicine Professional | Author of The Lifestyle Medicine Toolbox
Monthly Title: September 2023 Supplement
???? Before you begin reading, I encourage you to share a photo or video of your garden.
?
???? Some benefits of gardening include:
? Fresh air
? Natural outdoor light
? Natural aromatherapy from plants
? Sensible sunshine exposure for vitamin D
? Relaxation and stress reduction
? Physical activity (squatting, bending, pulling, pushing, carrying)
? Improved hand dexterity and strength
? Develop friendships if performed in a group or community setting
? Growing your own natural fruits and vegetables for good health and sustainability
? Increasing fruit and vegetable intake
? Sense of purpose
???? Gardening helps you use your senses to heal your mind and body through:
? Touch – feeling the various textures of the plants and putting your hands in the soil
? Sight – seeing an array of colors
? Hearing – listening to the birds, rustling of the leaves or a backyard waterfall
? Smell – detecting the aroma from a variety of plants such as mint, rosemary, and basil
? Taste – enjoying the assortment of herbs in a salad or meal
???? Try growing the following in your backyard or greenhouse or in pots on your porch, balcony, patio, or windowsill:
? Fruits—apples, berries, grapes, plums
? Healing plants—aloe vera, lavender
? Herbs—basil, mint, parsley, rosemary
? Vegetables— cucumbers, tomatoes
???? Some precautions with gardening:
? Be aware of excess sun exposure
? Be aware that some individuals who take certain medications may be photosensitive
? Be aware that some individuals may have seasonal allergies to pollens
? Be aware of insecticides and pesticides. Ideally, find natural alternatives
? Be aware of dehydration if outdoors for prolonged periods
? Be aware of heavy lifting and bending (especially for osteoporosis)
???? The following are selected studies relating to gardening:
? Improve health and well-being.
A review by Howardth et al. (2020) found that “Gardens and gardening can improve the health and well-being for people with a range of health and social needs.”
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? Reducing obesity and metabolic risk.
A study by Gatto et al. (2017) found that “LA Sprouts [a gardening, nutrition and cooking intervention] was effective in reducing obesity and metabolic risk…”
? Improved children's fruit and vegetable intake.
A systematic review by Savoie-Roskos et al. (2017) found that “…most studies suggest a small but positive influence of gardening interventions on children's fruit and vegetable (F/V) intake.”
????Additional Resources:
?? American Horticultural Therapy Association, https://ahta.org
?? Bonsai Empire, www.bonsaiempire.com
?? Bonsai Outlet, www.bonsaioutlet.com
?? Green Exercise, www.greenexercise.org.
?? Japanese Gardening, www.japanesegardening.org
?? National Gardening Association, www.garden.org
?? North American Japanese Garden, www.najga.org
?? Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, https://phipps.conservatory.org
?? Therapeutic Landscapes Network, www.healinglandscapes.org
?? Refer to the book Healing Gardens (Rawlings 1998).
?? Refer to the book Healing Gardens: Therapeutic Benefits and Design
Recommendations (Cooper-Marcus et al. 1999).
?? Refer to the book Therapeutic Landscapes: An Evidence-Based Approach to
Designing Healing Gardens and Restorative Outdoor Spaces (Cooper-Marcus et al.
2014).
?? ??References:
?? Rawlings R. Healing Gardens. Minocqua, WI: Willow Creek Press; 1998.
?? Cooper-Marcus C, and Barnes M. (Eds.). Healing Gardens: Therapeutic
Benefits and Design Recommendations. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons; 1999
?? Cooper-Marcus C, and Sachs NA. Therapeutic Landscapes: An Evidence
?Based Approach to Designing Healing Gardens and Restorative Outdoor Spaces.
Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons; 2014.
?? Gatto NM, Martinez LC, Spruijt-Metz D, Davis JN. LA sprouts randomized controlled nutrition, cooking and gardening programme reduces obesity and metabolic risk in Hispanic/Latino youth. Pediatr Obes. 2017;12(1):28-37.
?? Howarth M, Brettle A, Hardman M, Maden M. What is the evidence for the impact of gardens and gardening on health and well-being: a scoping review and evidence based logic model to guide healthcare strategy decision making on the use of gardening approaches as a social prescription. BMJ Open. 2020;10(7):e036923. ?
?? Savoie-Roskos MR, Wengreen H, Durward C. Increasing fruit and vegetable intake among children and youth through gardening-based interventions: a systematic review. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2017;117(2):240-250.
????#gardening #garden #fruits #vegetables #herbs #nutrition #outdoor #nature #naturetherapy #environment #selfcare #lifestylemedicine #lifestylemedicinetoolbox #integrativemedicine #happiness #health #healthcare #wellness #linkedin #linkedinnewsletter
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Private Pilates Instructor - In Person / Online / Corporate Wellness
1 年Thanks Ziya ("Z") Altug, PT, DPT, MS, OCS for sharing! Some really interesting benefits that I hadn't thought about gardening before!
Associate Fellow, IFI, American University of Beirut and Research Fellow, CEPR
1 年This is my garden. It's small but I have a variety of plants. In an urban area like Istanbul, even a small garden is a find. My lavender smells heavenly and the trees and plants provide a cooling area around the house.
Freelance Health Content Writer || I help health brands stay visible, and increase their revenue through writing convertible, quality, and well-researched health content.
1 年Thanks Ziya ("Z") Altug, PT, DPT, MS, OCS for sharing this lovely piece. I love garden
Freelance Health Content Writer || I help health brands stay visible, and increase their revenue through writing convertible, quality, and well-researched health content.
1 年I love garden. It gives me some kind of natural feelings I love to have ever morning I walk round in my garden. I plant some healing herbs and fruits. So lovely! Thanks Ziya ("Z") Altug, PT, DPT, MS, OCS for sharing this
Fierce advocate for physician wellness, Community Ambassador for Medicine Forward, PT
1 年Good post Ziya ("Z") Altug, PT, DPT, MS, OCS! I have neglected gardening 100 percent for the past 2 years, last year somewhat medically related, this year, I had zero motivation for weeding. I have to decide if I should get rid of the gardens, or return to hours of weeding. I like the flowers but not the work, and it's a lot of work! Here are some mums and sedum by our driveway.