Natural-health

 “If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.”

                                                                                                                                     Marcus Tullius Cicero

I remember when I first saw the backyard of our wooden cottage — placed on the bank of the river among 90 ft tall cottonwood trees. Simple, surrounded by wild bushes that needed trimming and cultivating.

This is my backyard while back. It’s one of the toughest to plant anything because of the everlasting shadow and floods that surprise you from time to time.

I did sprain my ankle once, cut myself on the Miscanthus leaves, and one summer while building my very first Japanese garden, I’ve lost 10 pounds. All that time I had sour muscles and ligaments.

So what motivated me to stay and keep coming back?

Well. . .

From time to time life gets you a dilemma which you don’t know how to approach. But I realized that when I had a problem, I would go to my cottage to work and by the end of that day, all my questions were a little bit smaller. I was seeing them in a different, more prospective angle.

Have you experienced this kind of change that was sudden and immense?

Did you felt like an owner or just like joyful custodian? I bet it’s the other thing, and you also stayed. Let’s find out what else is hiding behind that natural science

Gardening is a way of living that improves the feeling of life. Many people work in the garden or cherish the plants, make hobbies, entertain, and enjoy in the beauty of their green corners. Physical outdoor activity relaxes, improves mood and relieves stress. Also staying on the fresh air is a form of body activity that contributes to reducing the risk of many chronic diseases.

Garden therapy

Garden therapy has a wide range of benefits for wellness programs (people with disabilities, people with learning disabilities, elderly people, stroke sufferers, people with mental illnesses and disorders, people with social problems , unemployed, people with cerebral palsy, people with aphasia or other speech disorders, addicts, victims of various forms of violence, chronic illnesses, after heart or stroke recovery).

People can have fun in the treatment process, enjoy and be proud of the results of their work.

Research has shown that human beings have inborn enthusiasm for nature. We all used to live in caves and near forests. Today we carry this memory in ourselves.

Working with plants, and staying in nature is a form of physical activity that fits our body, and socializing with nature creates feelings of relaxation, peace and good feelings in general.

Man is a being of nature, and it gives him everything he needs and awakens his long-forgotten senses.
Nature improves, pulls out the best of us. We see what our opportunities and limits are, so long as we can withstand temptations, which is very important for everyday life.

The goal of our lives is to gain tranquility, and this you can achieve by staying in nature. It is no coincidence that monks go to the mountains.

In China, nature plays important role in cultural tradition.

In parks, squares or streets, wherever there is free space people are busy doing some exercise. Sometimes it is Tai Chi or Gong, sometimes dance, gymnastics or the release of dragons. Artistic skills such as painting, calligraphy or casting are also practiced in the open air. This tradition has its place in modern China.

In Chinese imagery especially occupy, the mountains are sacred because they are so close to the gods. They also manifest the vital energy of nature, which in Chinese is called C. Not only does it feed a man and keeps him alive, but there are also herbs that give longevity.

Many philosophical concepts of old China are based on the observation of nature.

Taoism teaches us that a man must maintain a strong connection with nature for the sake of mental and physical health. Tai Chi and Gong exercises are the links between heaven and the earth.

This ancient system of practice has also arisen from the observation of nature and the imitation of animals.

Stress-relief and self-esteem

When you come home from work or other duties, if you can, go out, into your backyard and STAY to observe the plants. Going to the garden after a busy working day lowers stress levels and reduces the feeling of fatigue. It is lovely to watch the greenery, to plant some new ones.

Working in the garden is a physical activity, which strengthens and exerts muscles, improves physical fitness, helps to prevent the development or worsening of many diseases.

It is also a pleasure for all the senses. It teaches you patience while waiting for the results of your work. e.g., If you let a plant die, you’ll learn to bear the defeat from the attempts and mistakes.

Of course, if you eat what you have grown, the benefits will be much higher for your health.

The garden arena will drive away any grief, give space for creativity, and provide a sense of pride when you harvest the fruits of your work.

Working in the garden can also help you to relieve the stress or negative emotions. If you are angry, nervous or sad, the garden can help. Empty negative emotions and get the weeds out or skim the ground.

Focus on the task and hand movements when digging or pounding. This activity can help relieve you from the tension and aggression.

If you don’t have a garden, you can always create a green corner in your home, and “socialize” with flowers on the balcony or windows.

Even a simple walk to the backyard or the nearby park can make you feel better.

While walking, enjoy the colors, shapes, and scents in nature!

Whether you are an enthusiast who likes to run in cold weather or a hedonist who enjoys food and relaxing on the picnic blanket, a nearby forest is an ideal place for a real nature stroll with friends. Don’t be lazy!

How does the cultivation of plants affect your mind and not just the diet?

You’ve probably heard countless and read many times that cultivating your own, organic vegetables has different positive effects on health. But it’s not just the input of so-grown vegetables that make you healthy. There are many more reasons, and you probably have not thought about it.

The recently completed research was concerned precisely with this issue – how can the cultivation of fruits and vegetables and the cultivation of plants generally work in the interests of your mental health? How does the cultivation of plants affect your mind and not just the diet?

Gardening is better than a gym?

When you spend only 30 minutes a day in the garden and deal with plants, you’ll improve muscle strength and body biomechanics.

(Increased movement and muscle extension), fine motor skills, coordination, and balance normalizes blood and heart function, facilitate body weight control, stimulate physical activity and inhaling of fresh air.

Through various activities, such as digging, grabbing, raking, sowing, raising and watering, the body becomes and remains in desirable physical condition.
Also, daytime activity encourages the production of vitamin D, which plays a role in bone health.

Other activities such as reading and listening to music help in a much smaller percentage and less intensity than the time spent in the fresh air.

Gardening reduces the risk of diabetes and heart disease

Growing any plant requires and specific physical activity, and therefore more movement that causes a reduction in stress.

Stress is an enemy of your organism and a friend of diabetes and heart disease. Except for the time in the garden, the time spent in a fresh air implies the movements that are necessary to make you feel good in later years.

And you have your product, fruit or vegetable that you will use in preparation for the next meal, for which you can be sure that it is healthy and without toxic chemicals.

Happiness is in small things

The less time you spend outside, the less fulfilled you are. It has been scientifically proven that people feel better when they spend more time outdoors than indoors. The care of the garden and the cultivation of plants certainly imply that you will spend much more time in the air and exposed to sunshine than you would do without cultivating plants.

Increases self-reliance, self-control, and independence and ability to make decisions, contributes to problem-dependence, helps with stress, anger, boosts self-esteem, self-confidence, and observation, provides choice and ability to use problem-solving skills, increases attention spans, and balance.

It triggers hidden potentials and stimulates creativity and motivates achievements. Gardening reduces all kinds of tension and negative emotions like fear, anger, sadness, and dissatisfaction.

Strengthens the will to work on yourself and expanding your potential, thus achieving satisfaction with your own life.

Training for brain cells

A study published in a scientific journal focusing on Alzheimer’s disease has shown that dealing with agriculture and the cultivation of plants can act positively and somewhat alleviate the symptoms of the disease.

A person must activate the process of planting, worrying and later harvesting the fruits which have a positive effect on the brain.
This way the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease plummets by 50 %.

You’ll sleep better

As we have already mentioned, time spent in the garden requires a particular physical activity, which ultimately leads to increased fatigue, a greater need for sleep that is better for several reasons. A feeling of stress disappears, you feel more useful knowing that what you are doing helps primarily to you. All this is a combination of stable and peaceful sleep.

Social Health

Provides the opportunity for joining others, it gives you commitment to living things. You are developing work ethics & skills. Also, its an opportunity for social interaction, collaboration, and teamwork. Enhances personal preparedness for work, provides a chance to learn and habit of learning.

Gardening will inspire you to other essential things in your life. It will bring togetherness, friends, and neighbors (working together and having fun in the garden, talking, helping each other, playing games with children).

She deals with gardening since the age of 13 and is excellent evidence of health benefits from gardening. She can bend to the ground and stay in that position up to an hour without any consequences. Some yoga masters would envy her. Of all the work that requires agriculture and gardening, she is still able to participate with hers 94 years. Besides that, she possesses mental clearness and great vision. No medications are needed. My grandmother. . .

 

P.S.  Interested to see how my garden looks now? Go to “About” page and check out the video.

” When bored of sitting, move!  When bored of moving, sit! Balance your life or there will remain neither moving nor sitting. Only failing.”

                                                                                                                                    Mehmet Ildan

 

In history, sitting was a position for rich people. A chair was a way to show status, especially a chair with a high backrest element. Hard-working people sat on some “hard-core” bench, stump, or the ground, never spending too much time on it and continually moving. Did the old-timers know something or life taught them how to stay healthy?

Is sitting bad for your health?

If I weren’t sitting, I would never kiss my first girlfriend 😉 Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing terrible in sitting, but too much of it is going to kill you. You won’t know until your health goes away, disappear, and your entire body becomes sedentary due to not much moving.

Global studies show, on average, we sit 7,7 hours per day and a lot of people >10 hours. It sounds too much, but you’re sedentary when you are having breakfast, commute to work, sitting at the office, during the break, having lunch, commuting back home, having dinner, watching TV/gaming, surfing the internet…that’s a lot. All-day, almost every day, and you hear stories about how harmful it is and start to wonder, “How much of sitting can my body take until something goes wrong?”

Research from Martha Grogan, a cardiologist at Mayo Clinic, Minnesota, USA, brings out a list of most often diseases. Some of them. . . Obesity, high blood pressure and high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist, and abnormal cholesterol levels are the first ones.

For people who sit most of the day, their risk of heart attack is about the same as with smokers.

Even the most advanced office chairs can’t reverse the force of gravity. When you are sitting, you are putting almost twice the stress on your spine as you would if you were standing. There are various electric height adjustables for ordinary sitting desks that can change position and keep you active.

Note: Monitor your fatigue level throughout the day. When you start to feel it, change your position.

The key solution for sedentary jobs

There is no absolute sitting position in which your health or spine will stay safe. The solution here is to move constantly, and it’s possible even in your office. If you were standing, have a sit, and another way around. It could be strange because you will use muscles that you haven’t used ever during your office job.

When standing, use some comfortable shoes or floor mat because it will reduce fatigue, increases stability, and release leg or joint pain. Avoid shoes without heels as well as high heels (ladies).

Dr. Benno Nigg, a professor at the University of Calgary in Alberta, explains that standing alone (standing desks) on a firm surface for periods is not ideal because certain parts of your body will bear the entire burden of standing. On the other hand, standing on a soft mat provides an unstable base that requires your muscles to change their activity and move from time to time.

This will take off pressure from some areas of your anatomy.

When you stand on a soft mat, small muscles crossing the ankle joint are being exercised, improving your general stability. While standing by your desk, you should develop a habit of doing some movement exercises, like raising the forefoot and balance on the heels.

Try to stand for a minute on one foot (like a flamingo).

I know, I know…you will tell me that you don’t have a habit to do that all at once, but try step by step, day by day. Little movements could mean so much in saving your mobility for your older days.

Did you hear when seniors are saying that they can’t go uphill, tie their shoes, or have cramps in their upper leg from nowhere?!

Think about the future.

There isn’t the best shoe for walking or standing. What is comfortable for some people won’t be for others. For those of you who suffer leg pain, I can suggest customized shoe inserts. They are created to correct the mechanical alignment of the foot.

Since I was ten years old, I have been wearing them, and they can go to any shoes or snickers. Nowadays, I can stand or walk longer with them, and my legs recover faster from working in the garden or the countryside. For those of you who are transitioning from sitting to standing or doing both, you should wear a shoe with plenty of room in the toes department so the foot can move.

Note: Check with your orthopedic doctor first.

For someone with the sore flat feet, shoes with the supportive arches would probably be the best.

Pick a pair of shoes that are comfortable for you. After using them for a while, pay attention to how your feet feel.

If you can, make your desk job transformable! Changing behavior takes time and little effort.

I know how it feels. You were doing something for years, and now you must change it. Sometimes it feels like you are still a kid, and someone is saying: “you are not doing it right.” It sucks!

Standing in your office while working has its benefits. One research on participants who used an active standing desk showed a definite mood boost, less fatigue, and less yawning. Aside from that, you will burn more calories, increase good cholesterol, and save your health. Do some 30 min sitting and 30 min. standing, move your legs, foot, and butt all the time.

A study published in the European journal of cardiology reports that the ability to stand up from a seated position without using any supports correlates with longer life expectancy.

Getting up from a sitting position requires flexibility and body strength. A person who is bound to the chair and has a hard time standing up from the sitting position is 6,5 times more likely to die within the next 6 years.                                           Participants ranged in age 51-80 years. How fast can you get up from the seated position?

 

All-day sitting  vs. hips

Aside from the obvious, there is more harmful influence from sitting, including undermining impact on hips and psoas muscle (the longest muscle in our body that connects the upper body with legs). It controls our ability to sit, stand, twist, reach, bend, walk, and take steps.

Do you know where it is located?

On the other hand, hips contain all of life’s movement and ultimate power. The hip region is home to over 15 defined muscles and surrounding bones. For each muscle to move correctly, they must be permitted to do so. By sitting all day, you are cutting down their function and autonomy. Furthermore, they are stabilizing the spine and have an optimal postural alignment function.

Bad function + poor movement = low energy 

Why do I have belly fat?

To put it simply, the psoas muscle is the core of activity in your body. So when it is out of balance (not moving), there are serious consequences that flow throughout the body. One “action” is sworn enemy – sitting! Psoas muscle is deeply connected to our survival instinct known as “fight or flight.”

It instantly tightens in moments of great danger to protect you or to fuel you up with adrenaline and help you escape.

And this is important: If your muscle hip is tightened all the time, it signals your body that you are in danger (even if you are not). Your adrenaline gland is overworking, the immune system suffers, and the body goes into a fat-storing mode. Simple!

You won’t resolve this situation by hitting the gym. Why not? In the gym, you work your core and legs/arms muscles, repeating the same sitting pattern. Standard crunches and push-ups aren’t going to help you with this.

The frustrating thing is, even if you have time to exercise before or after work, you still aren’t offsetting the adverse effects of being sedentary. Later, in the post, I will show you exercises that will loosen up your hip muscles.

I’m doing them, so I know they work.

When you are sitting for too many hours, your muscles will become shorten in their length. You can never really stand up all the way. Many businesses are aware of this issue. Standing/sitting desks are an excellent start, but the action is needed. Keep in mind that shortened muscles are the first to tighten under stress and last to let go when the stressful situation is over.

This is why people mysteriously tighten up into pain after dealing with an injury.

So, I have to do. . .what?

It’s easy to forget that your body is intended for more or less movement. We are designed neither to sit regularly neither to stand constantly. Interrupted sitting is the one that counts. Pay less attention to how many hours you are sitting and more on how often you interrupt that sitting. Standing all the time is a terrible idea too. If you ask hairdresser, retail employee, or nurse, there are all kinds of consequences of many hours of standing at the job. 

Interrupting the sitting is not necessarily walking; it’s the change in posture that matters.

The Center of inflammation and metabolism in Copenhagen, Denmark, provided us with considerable evidence of the positive effects of breaking up prolonged sitting on a metabolic outcome. However, it seems that type, intensity, and frequency of physical activity may differ according to subjects, characteristics, and physical activity level during the day. An experiment was conducted during 8-9 hours with a breaking pattern every 20/30 minutes for 2 minutes. It is possible without disturbing or impairing cognitive capacity to make cardiometabolic parameters better.

Sitting & your sex life

This one affects men since they are performers in the bedroom. When I think it affects ladies too, with tight muscles in the hip area. So, men. . . your hips will become fixed in a forward thrust position. This will cause the hip socket to become compressed, leading to pulling and shifting on joints and muscles pulling on the lower back. This situation decreases blood flows and circulation.

Sitting and bad circulation in your hips means the poor performance of your male member. 

It’s important to pay attention to other poor circulation symptoms that may indicate more severe health problems. However, issues with erectile dysfunction may be helpful because they can appear before severe vascular issues. Men drivers may encounter low testosterone and early ED from the same old – prolonged sitting.

A tight hip isn’t just a physical limitation, but it’s also an emotional one. Hips are the primary movers in sex, and we want them to loosen up in order to achieve good sex dynamics and power.

Calcifying tendinitis

Another “joy” from sitting. This one is an orthopedic shoulder condition, but in plain words…it’s an accumulation of calcium in the dominant shoulder. In the initial stage, it begins the conversion of tendon cells in cartilage cells.

The reason for this conversion is unknown but is associated with a lack of oxygen and insufficient physical activity.

The primary place for calcification is the tissue with a low network of blood vessels (reduced transport of O2). It grows until a specific size is achieved, becoming crumble lime and later is much denser. It holds back tendon’s slipping function and causes pain. There are various treatment methods, from corticosteroids, cryotherapy, thermotherapy, electrotherapy, acupuncture, and radio waves, but massage and physical therapy give the best result.

One of my friends had it. In the situation of reduced movement of his dominant hand (only for computer mouse movements), and body in general, it became a problem.

So remember this: move your “mouse shoulder” more often! 🙂

Seiza sitting 

The word seiza literally means correct sitting. You sit with knees together or slightly V-shaped, back straight, and buttocks are resting on ankles. Seiza is a part of Japanese culture and is designed to make people maintain discipline.

At seiza sitting, the whole body is positioned for correct breathing.

That places seiza ahead of any other sitting positions, no matter how modern and technically developed some chairs are. Seiza allows the spine to use its full mobility potential, elasticity, and softness. The knees in that position are safely and adequately locked, so their function is in no danger in any way.

This kind of sitting requires time to develop, but you can do it every day 15 minutes after lunch. It is suitable for digestion, stretching ligaments and tendons and gives you a calming feeling.

How to deal with more sitting and no time?

We are all wrestling with big problems.

How do I get my work done?

How do I attend to my family and relationships?

You will try to fit them all, but you see them as isolated things. The first thing could be “work,” pick up kids (the second thing) go to the grocery store (the third one), going to get my exercise, going to the pool, and so on. . . All those are taking you away from friends and family.

How to do all that?

The problem is, you are trying to put everything in a separate block, but if you think about it, in nature, everything is in one block.

So try this instead. . . sometimes it’s just a 20-minute walk to the store (not by car). But its a 20-minute walk with your kid, carrying him/her, groceries, and walking at the same time. Can you see the difference?

• Use your body (not vehicle) to gather food. Walk to local farm vendors or grocery store and carry as much as you can back to your house. (If you have back problems, use your bicycle to carry your stuff).
• Chop and stack your wood. Do some gardening around the house. These movements will warm you up several times and break up sitting pattern.
• Wash your car once a week and vacuum. Taking care of your vehicle can be a relaxing and satisfying activity and will make those joints work.
• Clean your shoes (don’t do it in a sitting position).
• After the meal, walk to do local bakery for deserts.
• Don’t use your dishwasher to do the work. Do it manually.
• Brainstorm while walking. It just looses up the mind in the way that you don’t have when you are sitting.
• Climb stairs every time. Take two steps at the time, go at a faster rate, or carry more substantial items.

What to do to interrupt my sitting pattern?

Since I started to write for my favorite audience, I’m battling with belly fat and fatigue during the day. Some days I’m sitting a vast majority of the day. To preserve my health, I started to do exercises almost every morning, and I’m about to show them to you.

Another thing is, using an online timer, which is set to go on every 30 min. So, what I do? When it goes on, I get up and do some exercise ( 1 series, 30 times) and work. However, every time is different.

If I’m in the mood, I do 5-6 jumping. Orrr, standing up, I eat some fruit.

Believe it or not, non-exercise activities are the foundation of your body tuning. That is the first step. The next one is regular exercise. You build on the foundation. If you understand the basic requirements of the body, and you honor them with simple techniques that only take only several minutes a day, it can have dramatic benefits on your health. (Joan Vernikos, former director of NASA’s sciences division)

Let me show you exercises you can do to loosen up hip muscles. They are a mix of several years of chiropractor experience, yoga exercises, and some sports opinions.

• THE FIRST EXERCISE – Lie down, pull and fold your left leg as much as you can towards your torso. Put your right hand behind the head and slowly raise your head toward the knee. Do it another way around too.

                                                                                       10 times each side. Hold 3 seconds.

 

 

 

• THE SECOND EXERCISE – Pull your left leg to extract quad muscle, and raise up a right hand like reaching for something—point heel towards the seated area. Pull as much as you can. If you have poor balance, stand next to the wall and hold to it.

 

2 times each side. Hold 20 seconds.     

 

 

 

 

 

•   THE THIRD EXERCISE – Kneeling stretch with arm same as in the second exercise (This stretch is for the upper quad, hamstrings, and hip area)

 

2 times each side. Hold 20 seconds.

 

 

 

 

 

• THE FOURTH EXERCISE – Right leg up, right arm up. try to stuck your right leg to the table. (If you are doing this at home stuck your foot up to the closet) Slowly bend to your left side. This way you are stretching the abdominal, leg, and most important hip area.

 

2 times each side. Hold for 20 seconds.

 

 

 

 

 

• THE FIFTH EXERCISE – Lie on your back. Put your knees up and foot apart about 30 cm. Slowly drop knees side to side to the floor so you feel hip stretching.

 

10 times each side. 2 seconds hold.

 

 

• THE SIXTH EXERCISE – Rock your hip and try to touch your heels with the seated area. Knees 25-30 cm apart

 

20 times up and down. Hold 5-6 seconds.

 

 

• THE SEVENTH EXERCISE – Arch your back and push your hips in front. This one is great to put hips back in natural position and strength abdominal muscles.

 

5 repetitions. 2 seconds hold

 

 

 

 

 

• THE EIGHTH EXERCISE – Front plank. Lie on your stomach, with arms bent, forearms on the ground. Toes too. Like on the picture. This one will give you a tighter tummy, re-engage flexibility, add support, make a proper posture. If you do planks regularly, you’ll find you can sit or stand up straighter then ever.

 

1 repetition. Hold 20 seconds (to begin with)

 

 

• THE NINTH EXERCISE – Side plank. Get into a side plank position, then lift your top leg, hold for one count. Lower it, then repeat. Then switch sides.

 

2 times each side. Hold 5 seconds each

 

 

• THE TENTH EXERCISE – Butterfly sitting. This one is for relaxing after plunking exercises. Sit with your spine erect and legs spread straight out.  Now bend your knees and bring your feet towards the pelvis. Grab your feet tightly with your hands. Then rest your hands on ankles.

 

 

1 time. hold 5 minutes. Do some belly breathing 

 

 

 

 

• THE ELEVENTH EXERCISE – Hip bridge exercise. Lie on your back and keep your hands by your side. Your knees should be bent and feet flat on the ground. Now, keep your abs tight and gently lift your butt and chest off the ground.

 

 

Repeat 10 times. Hold 20-30 seconds.

 

 

Do these exercises in the morning before breakfast. It takes 20 minutes or so…

If you are interested in staying healthy, you must find the time and be physically active. Don’t play all or nothing. Try taking one baby step at the time. In the end, it’s all about making your body a better and healthier “machine.” You can, and you will do some everyday movements as your parents and grandparents did. Figure out new ones, because they can save your lifestyle. To get the benefits, these activities must be spread throughout the day, and there are plenty of movements for you to make.

Merely standing up 30 times/day is a powerful antidote and significant as much as walking. Your lifestyle determines how quickly your body ages. 

The hardest part is to keep remembering yourself.