Playing In Soil Never Hurts !

Every kid I know playing outside... in the dirt, in the sandbox, climbing trees, Dirt ( SOIL )not only don't hurt - it helps. The earth is life. I grew up as did getting scraped knees all the time. I still play in the dirt - I garden and rarely use gloves. I clean out chicken coops full of poo, and  the barn.

I know people who are down right anal about being clean, vacuuming daily, white gloves all around. I could never live like that. All that energy wasted and for what? To have the perfectly clean environment. Seems a bit much to me. Filth and squalor is one thing, but a little dirt and a homey relaxed lifestyle? Yep. Life is good here, dirt and all.

Soil is soil and is good for you and for plants. Dirt is something to be removed.  We should start a campaign, and refer to 'dirt' only once at the beginning of any article/discussion with a phrase like 'dirt, or as it is better named, soil …

Phrases such as "most of the good bacteria found in plain old dirt are very hardy," do soil a great injustice by perpetuating a synonym that isn't. One of the problems with city life is that all to often our soil is sterile - no organic horizon, soil profiles obliterated, macro- and micro-pores compacted to the point where the soil starts to resemble concrete instead of the vital living organism it needs to be.

If we would begin there - demanding that soils that are used in public city plantings, have the structure, porosity and organic content that supports the microbial community, commonly known as the Soil Food Web, we would all be healthier by living in such an environment. Everything begins with the soil.

Well...everyone eats some form of "dirt" when consuming fresh whole foods like fruits/veggies - it's called fulvic minerals - the best of which comes from SOIL! If a person can eat striaght from their garden and DON'T wash the "item(s)" before eating RAW, they preserve the associated "unique" bacteria [probiotics] each item contains.

For even the most finicky and fastidious of housekeepers, do the white glove test on any surface (especially floors) of your house. Dirt is everywhere. Trying to maintain a sterile environment is not only unhealthy but will drive you bat-crap insane. I enjoy a clean house and don't mind cleaning, but the idea of the home being sterile is laughable as if such a thing could even be accomplished. This goes double for anyone who has children or pets.

My grandparents had a plaque that read "my house is clean enough to be healthy and dirty enough to be happy." I'm re-reading an old favorite book that talks a lot about the main characters as kids and how they played outside, got dirty, walked into the creek and got muddy doing so, etc.

One of the kids has a mother who is so paranoid of sickness, germs, and other things of the sort that her kid is chronically ill and is kept overly sheltered. His asthma flares up a lot. When he's out with his friends, getting dirty and working along side them to build things in the woods, his asthma doesn't bother him one bit. Mind over matter?

This has long been known. During epidemics in England, children of the wealthy city dwellers sent their children to live in the countryside. We used to spend more time opening windows and airing rooms out during a weekly cleaning, even in winter.

Our parents used to tell us to "go outside"--they knew we would get dirty. Only in recent history have people had the luxury of sitting indoors for most of their lives. That's "good clean country dirt", not the kind of "city dirt" that makes you sick. At least it used to be that way.

There's a lot to be said for the benefits of working (or playing) in the dirt or soil (whichever you prefer to call it). But before we go running off willy nilly, with a head in the sand (or soil) care free attitude, our education on the topic should also maybe include a couple of caveats.

People, I ask you....Do we still live in the Garden of Eden? Here's an interesting article I recently ran across that I believe might be worth considering in this discussion: "Why is it that animals can eat rotten meat and drink filthy water, but people can't?

 www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/19ztos/why_is_it_that_animals_can..

·        When it comes to keeping your children healthy, most parents are cautious, if not hypervigilant, over-sterilizing their environments so their children never get dirty, and overusing antibacterial soaps

·        In years past, parents served (and the kids ate) fermented foods containing good bacteria and allowed them to get dirty outside and play with animals on a regular basis, a stark contrast to many kids today

·        Soil-based organisms (SBOs) may help to stimulate your immune system, reduce inflammation and aid in detoxification

Your thoughts on this article …………………?

The information on this POST is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional advice .All content, including text, graphics, images and information, contained on or available through this article is for general information purposes / educational purposes only, and to ensue discussion or debate.

Thank you …Do some gardening, get your hands and feet  dirty.