Did you know there is a tremendous amount of science that supports the idea that getting outside is actually healthy? Think of the sunshine alone – it gives us energy and much needed vitamin D. But dirt??
It’s been stated that 80% of our immune system is actually located in the gut. 80%! Improving your gut can help:
- improve your immune system
- prevent cavities
- improve skin tone as well as acne
- aide in weight loss
To be strong, we need beneficial bacteria in our guts to fight the bad bacteria and dirt is actually full of good microbes that helps us with this. Think about veggies- they grow best in nourished soil with lots of organisms. Same works for us. And when we eat organic veggies from rich soil, in part we eat that same nourished soil.
Kids used to eat a lot more dirt. Think about when kids played outside rather than inside watching television, playing video games and using computers. Dirt was just a part of that old play time.
However, my palette has evolved and eating a spoonful of dirt isn’t high on my list these days and probably not yours either. But there are other ways to get this beneficial soil in our diet:
Get into contact with the Earth: Walk on the ground in bare feet. Dig in the dirt by planting a garden or veggies. These acts can stavelize our internal bioelectrical environment. Bonus points if you can swim in the ocean. Tip: stand barefoot on the ground for 20 minutes after flights to help stave off jet lag!
Eat local, organic produce: If you can’t grow some of your own, buy it from a local farmer. The closer it was grown to you the more nutrients it will retain. Plus you can find out the farming methods- often many farmers farm in an organic method but can’t afford the certification. Think about easing into this, maybe not every single produce you buy and eat needs to be local and organic but you can start making shifts toward this.
Use local honey: Many honey’s sold on the store shelf have been cut with corn syrup. Choosing local honey gives you a great sweetener option with tons of microorganisms
Eat the peel on your veggies: Rinse your organic veggies but keep the peel on to take advantage of those beneficial microbes hidding in the folds.
As for me, I take advantage of playing in (and eating out of) the garden any chance I get.
How will you get more dirt in your diet?
0