Earth Day 2023: The Power of Plants

Plants are the foundation of the lives that we live. Plants are the source of the air that we breathe. They are the instigator of every piece of food we put into our bodies. They are the reason that we get to look around at our beautiful world in awe. 

The Power of Plants is a story of hope, resilience, regeneration, and optimism. Despite natural disasters, inclement weather, human destruction, and climate change, plants continue to bloom, blossom, and regenerate. Plants are a beautiful, tangible example of the life sources surrounding you every day. 

Plants are having their moment- not only for their beauty and benefits to the planet, but for their wellness benefits for everyone.

Real Simple, The Power of Plants, “having plants in your life can improve your mental and physical health, connect you to community, and even help sustain you in a moment of crisis.”

This is why holidays such as Earth Day and International Plant Appreciation Day exist. Both of these national holidays are celebrated annually as a day dedicated to recognizing the incredible diversity, beauty, and importance of plants. As the building blocks of life on our planet, plants provide us with oxygen, nutrients, and a variety of essential resources. They not only sustain our ecosystems but also bring joy and inspiration to our lives with their captivating colors and forms.

The Power of Gardening

Oftentimes, it can be a challenge to be conscious about all that the earth is doing and changing every day, every hour, every minute. This is why Gardenuity believes in the importance and power of gardening. Engaging in gardening allows for a heightened awareness of nature’s resilience and hope. When you engage in gardening, you see firsthand the story of growth and optimism. Gardening provides a cognizant awareness of the circle of life and sustainability within the nature around you. 

Furthermore, gardening can serve as a reminder of the need for our bodies and minds to be nurtured in the same way plants need nourishment and care. 

The way that we treat our bodies is a Kickstarter for how we treat almost everything in all aspects of life. For instance, the love that we show our bodies trickles down into how we treat others and how we treat the planet. Therefore, what we eat and put into our bodies matter. The way that we spend our time and what we do in our free time is impactful. When we put good into our minds and body, we are better equipped to pour good into our jobs, our relationships, and our passions. 

The Power of Plants in Our Diets

How can you practice a plant-based diet to support your body, mind, and planet? 

Simple food principles, based on the best available data we have today, will help prevent and reverse chronic disease, improve mental health, support children’s cognitive and behavioral challenges, help solve social injustice, restore ecosystems, reverse climate change, and dramatically reduce the true cost of food. 

Just like all things in life, diet is about balance. Guidelines are simply guidelines and can be used as an aspirational guide to your life, not a rule book. Examples of a good diet include, but are not limited to:

• Eat mostly plants
• Eat more foods with healthy fats such as olive oil, avocados, nuts, or seeds
• Eat more nuts and seeds for a protein boost
• Choose regeneratively raised animal products whenever possible
• Look for the regenerative organic certified label
• Buy locally-sourced meat that is grass-fed and grass-finished
• Look for food labels that identify sustainable, humane food sources
• Eat pasture-raised eggs
• Eat sustainably raised or harvested low-mercury, high omega-3 fish
• Increase intake of whole grains
• Quit sugary beverages and limit sugar to treats and occasions
• Stay away from refined vegetables, beans, and seed oils

Plant-based diets have become more and more popular throughout the past decade. Science and research have been able to prove that plants serve as the one and only source of energy to receive all the nutrients that the body requires. For years, there has been an unspoken stigma that in order to build mass, succeed in sports, and be able to excel at a high level, meat needs to be a part of the equation. Documentaries, personal anecdotes, and science has found that implementing a plant-based diet will allow for nutritional success that equals, if not surpasses, those who eat meat every day. 

For example, the documentary “Game Changers” discusses the power of plants in the diets of high-level, high-performing athletes.  As the documentary reminds us, looking back on history, it is clear that our ancestors ingested a predominantly plant-based diet – this statistic includes the Roman Gladiators. As research has discovered, time and time again, eating meat is not the antidote to a healthy, strong body. 

Add the power of plants into your life with Gardenuity!