Gardening provides a one-two punch when it comes to helping you get and stay healthy. Not only can you grow delicious, nutritious foods for you and your family to enjoy year-round, but gardening provides a great opportunity to exercise, too!
Gardening as exercise
Spending just 30 minutes a few times a week digging, planting, weeding, mulching, and harvesting can work your entire body, leaving you pleasantly sore and tired after a morning in the garden! The effort you put into the garden is rewarded not only by what you pull out of the ground, but by helping you improve your fitness as well. Pushing a wheelbarrow, lifting bags of soil and raking the yard quickly add up to heart-healthy exercise that burns calories and builds muscle, and when fueled by the fruits and vegetables you grow, it’s a win-win.
Planning your plants
Depending on your local climate, there are a variety of fruits, vegetables and herbs that can thrive in your garden. If you’re unsure, visit your local garden center to talk to an expert about what might do well in your area. Here are a few suggestions to consider for your garden as well as ideas to incorporate them into your diet (each plant includes a link to growing tips from The Old Farmer’s Almanac):
- Blackberriestend to grow easily and do well in many climates. Try them in斯穆特hiesordesserts.
- Green beansdo not need to be started indoors, making them a great choice to start outside now.
- Basilis a tasty addition to many dishes and grows well in summer, especially next to tomatoes. Add some to yourbaked chicken, acaprese salador yourgreen beans. It’s even great inlemonade!
- Cucumbersare hardy but do best in warm weather. These are great insaladsor as a snack with other fresh cut veggies.
- Lettucecan be planted continuously throughout the spring and fall, ensuring you have plenty for salads all season long. Use it to top off yoursandwichor make alettuce wrap作为一个健康的塔可替代。
- Squashoffers a number of varieties to choose from, and they tend to have particular seasons in which they do best. If you choose a summer squash like zucchini, the skin is edible! Try it innachosor mixed intoburgers! They can even gostraight on the grillduring summer cookouts.
- Tomatoesare a very popular choice with many varieties to choose from. They grow easily and often produce a lot of fruit (yes, tomatoes are technically a fruit!), from just a few plants. Tomatoes have a starring role inpizza,salads, and evensnacks.
Here are afew tips to help you get startedwith your garden this season, and don’t forget safety first! TheCDC offers some adviceto make sure you reap all the benefits of gardening and avoid any risks. Happy gardening andbon appetit!
Original source: http://blog.healthadvocate.com/2018/05/get-fit-and-eat-well-with-a-backyard-garden/