National Nutrition Month | March 2023

Happy National Nutrition Month! 

March is the designated month when the country celebrates all things nutrition. It can serve as a fresh start, aside from New Year’s, where things feel brighter, lighter, and maybe a bit warmer. 

Nutrition is so much more than just the food that we put into our bodies. It is a mindset, a lifestyle, it is about doing the things that make you feel good. Nourishing your relationships, your mind, and your passions are just as important as nourishing your body with good foods. 

At Gardenuity, we believe in wellness on all levels. We want to grow positive relationships, work environments, and healthy habits in our customers and employees. National Nutrition Month is the perfect time to dive a bit deeper into gardening and nutrition, mental health, as well as physical health, and the food as medicine movement. 

Food as Medicine

If you have been following along with our newsletters, you will remember the article “ Food as Medicine” which takes a deep dive into the beneficiary results and preventive measures that food can have on the body and illness. You can find that article linked, here. 

To give a quick rundown, food is more than just what we eat to give us energy. The foods that we choose to fill our body with can have a lasting and profound effect on our minds, gut health, and overall sense of wellness. You can choose to lift up your mental and physical states by filling your body with whole, plant-powered foods that have the ability to help us heal more effectively and efficiently, as well as serve as a barrier for more serious diseases and illnesses, like heart health. 

As countless studies from the present age and history alike have found, food is one of the most powerful forms of medicine that we could ever put into our bodies. The choice to nurture your mind and body with wholesome, nutrient-dense foods can actually be more powerful than the treatments and medications offered by big pharma. 

In addition, food is what we, as people, gather around. Weddings, funerals, parties, and dinners like are all major contributors to our social frame of mind. When sitting down to eat with people that we love, people that we are getting to know, and even people that we are unfamiliar with, a connection is built that is incomparable to anything else. That act is medicine within itself. 

Nutrition is More than Food

Nutrition is so much more than the food that we put into our bodies. You can nourish your mind, body, and soul, as well. Nourishing your body with good food is a great way to start an effort to nourish your mind and your soul. 

When you feel good in your gut and your body from a nutritional standpoint, your motivation and drive to nourish your passions and your mind can increase drastically. Nourishing your mind and soul, aside from food, depends on who you are! What are your passions? What brings you joy? Where do you feel most alive? If you can answer those questions, you can nourish your being in a healthy and happy way to support your best self. 

In case you are stumped, here are some examples of nourishing yourself without ever taking a bite of kale or scarfing down a spoonful of chia seeds.

Nourishment for Your Mind and Soul:

• Practicing yoga
• Baking with friends
• Gardening
• Spending time outside
• Going on a hike
• Riding your bike
• Taking a stroll through the neighborhood
• Getting happy hour with your friends
• Watching the sunset with loved ones
• Knitting
• Creating new recipes
• Playing tennis or pickleball
• Journaling
• Painting
• Going on a run
• Making dinner with friends

Whatever it is that brings you life and tugs on your heartstrings, is the thing that is going to provide nourishment and joy to your mind, body, and soul. 

Gardening and Nutrition

Gardening is one of the most powerful tools that you can use to nourish your mind and body, as well as provide tangible nutrition to your daily life. 

Nurturing nature has the ability to provide people with a sense of purpose, allows you to get some movement into your day, and inspires growth within you as your plants flourish and bloom. 

Giving the same commitment and dedication to sunlight, hydration, nutrients, and fresh air that you give to a garden and transferring that same care to yourself can be a helpful and welcome reminder to your daily gardening routine. 

Furthermore, gardening has an added bonus as a passion project. Aside from providing moments of mindfulness, time around nature, exposure to Vitamin D, and a bit of movement, it also grows fresh, nutritious vegetables that support your physical nutrition. 

Celebrate National Nutrition Month with gardening to cultivate wellness and nourishment in every aspect of your life!