Food For Thought

by Dr. Rose Paisley

Nature Cures Clinic physician

My daughter Lola’s elementary school has been working towards building an edible garden. The goal is to bring the classroom outdoors, bring beauty to the campus, and eventually bring the harvest into the school lunch program. Through the process of preparing soil, planting seeds, watering, weeding, and harvesting, the students will be able to take a life-skills approach to math, reading and science. I am thrilled, grateful for my community, and very inspired.

Lola and I have been discussing the garden quite a bit, even more so lately because of a contest. The kids and their parents have been asked to come up with a name for the garden, and to design the gate. We decided on “Food for Thought.” We thought that was pretty clever. Together we drew some sketches of the food for thought concept. While we worked we talked about the importance of good food and food as medicine. I explained, for the hundredth time, that proper nutrition is essential for brain development, that it can dictate mood and behavior and support cognition, and that fresh meats, fruits, and vegetables are the source of the vitamins, minerals, proteins, fats, fiber, and carbohydrates that we need to grow. After a while we found ourselves smiling at a silhouette of two heads facing one another. The heads were filled with kids playing, learning, and gardening, all surrounded with a myriad of colorful fruits, veggies and flowers.

Immunity and allergies

Gardening with your kids is not only safe and fun, it is incredibly beneficial to immune development. Children get exposed to bacteria in the soil, which helps to create a delicate immune balance. These microbes help their bodies react appropriately to viruses and bacteria that cause infection, while not over-reacting to benign substances like food, pollen, dander and other allergens. There is a significant decrease in the development of allergies when a child gets healthy microflora exposure starting at birth and into the 2^nd year of life. A continued exposure to microbes through dirt and cultured food is essential to a healthy gut and immune system.

No more picky eaters

Children develop a very diverse palate when they know where their food is coming form.  Studies show that kids develop a greater acceptance and awareness of flavor and texture. Dr. Green, in his book, Feeding Baby Green, reports a 75% increased interest in vegetables when a child takes part in growth of that vegetable, from seed to plate.

Awareness

Many people are shocked when they learn that most food travels an average of 1,500 miles in order to get to our table.  In the case of fruits and veggies, many are ripening enroute, on the back of an eighteen wheeler.  When raising chickens, goats, or growing fruits and veggies, you know where your food is coming from, that it is free from commercial processing and dangerous chemicals, and is packed with nutrients having been harvested only moments ago.

Growing food

While an urban garden may seem too laborious, remember you can start simple. Try planting some herbs in your kitchen window.  Once you have proven to yourself that it is easier than you thought, try taking a few extra steps out your door and into your yard — find the sun, grab a shovel, and dig.  If you fall in love with urban farming, begin composting and keeping chickens, and you will soon find that the garden becomes rather self-sustaining.

There are many great resources for anyone ready to embark on growing your own food, because really, urban gardening has become downright sexy. It is awesome because people are opening their minds about food quality and flavor, their health, the health of the earth – all of which collide right in their backyard.

Until then, remember your local farmers market, CSA, and hey, maybe even your neighbor.

With spring upon us, I am inspired to get my own hands dirty; to dip into the cool soil, pull some weeds – so satisfying when the earth is wet and loose from spring rain – and wake with a familiar stiffness that comes with a big day in the garden. Lola and I have been discussing what we are going to plant this year, considering what will be extra “tasty”.  While recounting last season’s bounty, she recently proclaimed, licking her chops and rolling her big brown eyes, “Oh those raspberries, the cucumbers, the beets, and what about the juicy tomatoes!”

Urban Farming and resources for getting started:

“Guerrilla Gardening” by David Tracey

“Garden Anywhere” by Alys Fowler

“The Edible Garden” by Alys Fowler

www.yougrowgirl.com

www.growing-gardens.org/portland-gardening…/chickens.php

http://www.chickenkeeping.com/

http://www.yourguidetogreen.com/TheUrbanFarm/

Tags: fruits and vegetables, gardening

This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 14th, 2010 at 5:41 pm and is filed under Articles by our Doctors, Dr. Rose Paisley. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.