People Need People

A couple of days ago I went to a talk by Physicians for Social Responsibility. The talk was specifically about how human health will be affected by climate change, but one thing they mentioned was very interesting in general: having good social networks is better for your health than not smoking.

Social scientists had examined death rates during one of Chicago's major heat waves, and found that people in poor, black neighborhoods had the worst mortality rates. Except that, in three of the poorest and blackest neighborhoods, mortality rates were quite low. Researchers found that these neighborhoods also had a very strong social fabric, where neighbors knew each other and had lived near each other for a long time.

While part of the benefit of this is that people can come and check on each other when someone is sick or there is a large-scale environmental danger, people with a lot of friends just seem to be healthier in general. According to a Brigham Young study, having a low level of social interactions can be worse for you than smoking 15 cigarettes a day, being obese, or not exercising; and it's equally as bad as being an alcoholic! This is pretty impressive stuff.

There's always the option of dwelling as a hermit in a solitary mountain cave, and some people seem to do really well like that. Inner peace can really trump a lot of external variables.  But if you're living with other people, maybe being friends with a good number of them is a good way to go.

Swampgrass Tea

"Swampgrass Tea" is my name for my homemade multi-mineral herbal drink. I got the recipe from PrairieWise Herbal School down in Missouri, and have been drinking it off and on for years. Basically, I throw a handful of dried oatstraw and nettles into a canning jar, pour a few cups of boiling water over it, and cover for a few hours. The heat and time will break down cell walls and free the minerals inside. After a few hours, or overnight, strain the liquid out - if you don't do this step, it will turn REALLY NASTY and be fit only for compost.

So then, you can sip it through the day, slowly absorbing planty goodness. Oatstraw and nettles are both really high in calcium, magnesium, and other minerals, and have other benefits like reducing stress. (These herbs are both considered "tonics," which are used for long periods of time to strengthen the body.) I found the taste of nettles to be a little too swampy, but the oatstraw seems to balance the flavor with some earthiness. And it seems to keep a couple of days when refrigerated, or at least a day at room temperature. If you drink some in the evening, it may increase mineral absorption rates, but you might find yourself getting up at some point, as oatstraw has a mild diuretic (urine-promoting) effect.

So why do all this instead of just taking a multi-mineral? Well, I just like herbs, for one thing, and I feel like I'm getting more benefits than just from a single pill. I also feel a sense of connection to where my nutrition comes from, and I take a moment to thank the plants for their life-sustaining gifts. Plus, it's just more DIY, duh.

Get Thee to a Nursery

So, gardening season, at last. A lot of us are hearing the call of the cultivated wild right now, and the herb seedlings have just shown up at the Willy Street Co-op this week. As an ex-farmhand, my instincts are that gardening is good for body and soul, so I was curious about what scientific research there might be on the health benefits of gardening.

I found this nice little article which talks about how gardeners "have an increased zest for life, sleep better, have a lowered risk for osteoporosis and diabetes and... have better sex lives." It also talks about how to avoid the pitfalls of joint pain by regularly changing tasks and postures. A little coaching on this from a qualified professional could go a long way.

I always like "functional fitness," and this is nothing if not functional. Research has indicated that it's better for you to do a goal-oriented physical task than to just exercise for its own sake, when possible. If your goal is growing fresh produce and herbs, so much the better. Gardening provides a variety of strengthening exercises, mild cardio workouts, and a healthy dose of sunlight (yes, obviously you want to wear sunblock or wear the right clothing if you're going to burn).

Beyond the cardio and muscle strengthening, I think that the connection which gardening gives us to the Earth and growing plants has to be a major part of this. Again, I have some mainstream backers like Web M.D. on this one, who talk about how being in contact with nature is inherently healing - another aspect of mind-body health.

Happy greening!