Digestive health: How gardening and growing your own food could improve your gut health

I have a small kitchen garden that I love to retreat in and grow all sorts of delights.

Did you know that there are potentially many gut health benefits to having your own kitchen garden?

Here are a few of the ways gardening is good for gut health:

Exposure to beneficial soil bacteria

Gardening can often involve getting your hands dirty in the soil and picking produce fresh from the ground. The soil is rich in microbes and these microbes can have an impact on your gut health by diversifying its microbiota. That being said, please always wash your hands after gardening and this goes without saying but, don't eat soil to gain any benefits!

Increased consumption of fresh produce

Gardening allows you to grow your own fruits, vegetables, and herbs, providing you with a fresh and often organic source of nutrient dense foods. Consuming a variety of fresh plant produce is essential for feeding the good bacteria in your gut. Growing your fruits and vegetables can also lead to a more varied diet, as you are more likely to consume a wider range of plants. A diverse diet rich in a variety of colourful plant foods is key to a healthy gut microbiome.

Stress reduction

Gardening has been shown to reduce stress levels and improve mental wellbeing. Stress can negatively impact gut health by changing the composition of the gut microbiome. Spending time outdoors and connecting with nature through gardening has been associated with positive effects on gut health. There’s something so calming about being out in nature and surrounded by plants and greenery.

Reduced exposure to toxins

By growing your produce at home, you have control over the use of pesticides and chemicals, which can disrupt the balance of beneficial bacteria in the gut.

Now I am a novice gardener and I am no expert in the garden. However, this is part of the fun. I am learning as I go along and there is nothing more satisfying or delightful than eating something I have grown.

If you are new to creating a kitchen garden and growing vegetables I have a few book recommendations. “Vegetable growing month by month” by John Harrison was passed down to me from a very keen gardener and has been so useful to me. The RHS “Garden Almanac” has some wonderful inspiration for what to do with your homegrown produce as well as what to grow when in the kitchen garden year.

I tend to stick with herbs and leafy greens such as spinach, lettuce and swiss chard in Spring. I have the highest success rate with these. I also have golden beetroot and radishes and rainbow carrots growing at the minute.

If you are new to gardening and creating a kitchen garden here are some more of the produce I like to grow during spring:

Herbs

Herbs like mint, rosemary, sorrel, parsley, chives, dill, and thyme are easy to grow in pots or raised beds. They provide fresh flavours for cooking, add beneficial nutrients, and can be harvested as needed.

Leafy greens

Spring is the perfect time to sow leafy greens like lettuce, spinach, rocket, and swiss chard. They can be grown in containers or raised beds and harvested for salads or cooked in dishes.

Root vegetables

Root vegetables like carrots, beetroots, and radishes can be sown in spring. I currently have some golden beetroot growing and I am very excited to add these to my salads.

Tomatoes

Start tomato seeds indoors in early spring and transplant seedlings outdoors after the last frost date. I don’t have a great track record for growing tomatoes, however, last year my tomato plant did amazingly well! Gardening can at times be hit or miss and that is part of the fun.

Strawberries

Strawberries are easy to grow and the flowers look so pretty. They look beautiful planted into a hanging basket, but be careful, the birds love to enjoy the strawberries too!

Most garden centres offer a selection of baby seedlings which you can then transplant into your kitchen garden. These are a great option for those new to gardening or need some help. If not, go and select a selection of seeds, sow them, and watch them grow.

There is nothing that tastes as good as homegrown produce. You can taste all the care and love that has gone into helping them grow.

Happy growing, please do tag me with your kitchen garden @katiejensonhull over on Instagram. I would love to see what you have grown.

Much love

Katie xx

DISCLAIMER: This journal is for information only and does not constitute or include any advice of any nature whatsoever. No reliance should be placed on the information or opinions in this journal. The reader should carry out their own research and consult with a suitably qualified medical practitioner.