Homegrown Health

nyone who visits me at home will attest that, no matter the time of day, I am most likely out in the garden picking berries, “deadheading” peppermint, or successionplanting shallots. So far, I haven’t found any activity other than gardening that so efficiently concentrates most of what I need to be happy and healthy.

Not only does growing your own food put the most nutritious fruits and vegetables within arm’s reach, but the simple acts of planting and harvesting also get you moving and boost your mood. In fact, studies consistently show that tending a garden—no matter how big or small— can help you live longer and better.

Fresh Is Best

Food journalist Michael Pollan has said that our ancestors—going back only a couple of generations—wouldn’t recognize most of what we consider food today, and I have to agree. That’s because the vast majority of what’s being consumed is far from what nature produces. Americans eat 31 percent more processed food than fresh, whole food, and more prepackaged food per person than people in other countries. If you’ve ever tried to find a quick snack at a convenience store, this should come as no surprise. Nearly every product offered for sale contains refined carbohydrates, processed oils, artificial colors and preservatives, and other unhealthy ingredients.

To my mind, the extent to which manufactured, processed food has displaced real food in the North American diet over the last several decades is chiefly to blame for the rise in obesity and associated diseases. If we are to live healthy lives, free of chronic illness, our way of eating has to change. That means following a diet that eschews junk and packaged fare in favor of abundant fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as fish and whole grains.

And it doesn’t get fresher than grown in your own backyard. We know that food that’s brought to grocery stores from hundreds or thousands of miles away isn’t in the greatest condition. During its travels, produce loses vital nutrients, along with flavor. And the limited varieties grown are rarely the best, selected for resistance to shipping and long shelf life rather than for flavor or nutritional value. Fruits, in particular, are bland versions of what they should be. Because they’re typically not left to ripen on the plant or vine, they don’t develop their full sugar and nutrient content, which in turn mutes their palatability. A fruit or vegetable that’s just been plucked right from the garden and taken straight to your kitchen? It’s at its peak in terms of vitamin and mineral content as well as taste.

Research shows that in addition to reducing your exposure to potentially harmful pesticides (more on pages 11-12), organically grown produce has higher concentrations of antioxidants than its conventionally grown counterpart. Specifically, studies have found that organic fruits and veggies contain 50 percent more anthocyanins and flavonols. These and other antioxidants may help to promote overall health and slow the development of a number of age-related diseases. Luckily, growing organically at home is easy to do, ensuring you have access to clean food no matter where you live.

Saying No To Gmos

Eating homegrown produce is one of the best ways to avoid consuming genetically modified foods (GMOs). It’s your garden, so you know exactly what went into growing that corn or squash: You chose the soil and the seed.

What exactly are GMOs? A GMO is a plant, animal, or microorganism whose DNA has been manipulated with bacteria, viruses, or other organisms to achieve a specific result—typically, to produce insecticides or withstand herbicides. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (U.S.D.A.), which approves and regulates GMOs, approximately 94 percent of soybean and 89 percent of corn crops grown in this country are genetically modified. Considering that soy and corn are major ingredients in a multitude of products, it’s not surprising that an estimated 80 percent of processed foods now contain some type of GMO ingredient. Other common genetically modified crops include alfalfa, papaya, wheat, rice, and squash.

Why should you avoid them? GMOs may offer some advantages. Genetic modification may increase the nutritional content of foods; for example, researchers have created rice with a higher beta-carotene content, which might help prevent blindness in developing countries. In addition, citrus growers hope that genetically modified oranges could save the fruit from destruction by bacterial infections that have ravaged crops throughout Florida. But despite such potential benefits, I have always had concerns about GMOs. Although they’ve now been in the food supply for nearly two decades, there is still much we don’t know about their effects on human health. For instance, I remain worried that long-term consumption of GMO foods might trigger new allergies or illnesses.

What we do know already is troubling. One of the biggest claims made in favor of GMOs is that they could help reduce the use of toxic pesticides, but the opposite has occurred. Studies have found that both pesticide and herbicide use in the U.S. has actually increased, by hundreds of millions of pounds. GMOs also appear responsible for the emergence of “super” weeds and bugs that can only be killed with 2,4-D (an ingredient in Agent Orange, the controversial defoliant used by the U.S. military in Vietnam) and other extremely toxic chemicals. Read all about the health dangers of pesticides on pages 11-12.

Although a law requiring labeling of GMO foods in the U.S. was signed in 2016, the rules of that legislation have not yet been clearly defined and implemented. And without labeling, it can be difficult to know if your food contains GMOs. In addition to helping you limit your intake of processed foods, which are high in genetically modified ingredients, an organic garden helps you “just say no” to GMO produce.

A Hobby That Heals

I’ve long believed my dedication to gardening as a