The Key to Longevity May Be in Your Own Backyard
Gardening has been shown to positively impact our moods, reduce stress and alleviate symptoms of anxiety and depression. However, studies have shown that the benefits of this hobby may extend even beyond promoting a sense of contentment and well-being. A survey of communities around the world that are known for having many residents aged 100 and over shows that gardening may be one of the secrets to a long life.
How Gardening Supports a Lifetime of Health
Gardening is a hobby that nearly anyone can participate in. Whether you have acres of land or a membership at a community garden, you can gain a lot of benefits from spending some time in the dirt.
Gardening Can Help You Improve Your Diet
Growing your own fruits and vegetables is as rewarding as it is simple, and it is a great opportunity to optimize your diet. In communities with a high number of residents at least 100 years old, a diet in which vegetables account for at least 90% of food intake was a common trend. Artificial preservatives, added sugar and meat are rarely eaten.
While this is a very different way of eating compared to the typical Western diet of processed foods and meats served as main courses, it is easy to make the switch to a vegetable-based diet. Grocery stores offer most fruits and vegetables year-round, regardless of the season. However, these foods lose up to 30% of their nutrients soon after harvest. By the time they make it to your dinner table, much of their benefits are diminished.
Growing fruits and vegetables yourself gives you access to food when it is the freshest and most nutrient-dense. You have control over how much time passes between harvesting and eating it, helping you preserve its nutrition and flavor.
Gardening As Physical and Mental Exercise
Gardening may not be the most strenuous type of exercise, but because it is a sustained activity, it still counts towards your daily physical activity goals. In fact, gardening improves your strength and dexterity and may help you burn as many calories as a session at the gym.
Tending a garden also helps keep your mind sharp and your stress levels low. While it is hard work, it is also satisfying and forces you to be in the moment. In a small study, participants were assigned a stressful task that they followed up with reading or gardening. The gardening group recovered from stress more quickly and had lower cortisol levels in their bodies than the reading group. Multiple studies have shown a correlation between lower stress levels and longer life.
How Nevada Insurance Enrollment Can Help You Enjoy Optimal Health
While a healthy lifestyle is a vital key to longevity, regular medical care is also essential. At Nevada Insurance Enrollment, our health insurance agents will help you find an affordable health insurance plan that enables you to see a doctor when you need to, without breaking the bank.
Recent Posts
Water / Sewer Backup: Does Homeowners Insurance Cover It?
A standard homeowners insurance policy covers sudden and accidental water damage that comes from inside your home, such as a burst pipe or broken appliance. It also covers water damage that results from rainwater coming in through an opening caused by a named peril.
Is Raising the Speed Limit Worth the Risk?
While vehicles are safer than ever and roadways are engineered to prevent accidents, the fact is that traffic fatalities claim thousands of lives per year. Despite arguments that the majority of posted speed limits are outdated, and unrealistic, numerous crash tests show that higher speeds greatly increase a driver’s risk of serious injury or even death.
Friday Health Plans: Who Are They?
Late last year, Friday Health Plans announced that it was expanding to Nevada and would sell policies on Nevada Health Link, the state’s online Marketplace. These plans may be a good fit for you if you are working within a budget and really like the flexibility of seeing a specialist without having to get a referral from a primary doctor.
Search This Website
Most Popular Pages
By page visits (this month)
#1) Health Insurance Subsidy Chart
#2) Health Insurance
#3) Health Insurance WITH a Subsidy
#4) Insurance Blog
#5) Request a Quote
Top 5 Most Popular
By page visits (this month)
#1) Health Insurance Subsidy Chart
#2) Health Insurance
#3) Health Insurance WITH a Subsidy
#4) Insurance Blog Posts
#5) Request a Quote
Recent Posts
How Much Auto Insurance Coverage Do You Need?
While auto insurance can be pricey, Nevada Insurance Enrollment can help you find the right balance between great insurance coverage and an affordable auto insurance premium. Understanding the options available to you, what coverage you’re required to carry, and evaluating your exposure to risk are good first steps.
Auto Insurance Coverage When Driving in a Different State
Auto insurance coverage can be confusing, largely because insurance laws and requirements vary greatly from one state to another. As a Nevada driver, you’re required to carry liability insurance in the amounts of 25/50/20 (learn more about state minimum coverage here). However, in states like Arizona where coverage runs cheaper, state minimum coverage is a little skimpier.
Health Insurance Plans for Year 2019 and Beyond
According to a recent study, health insurance premiums could increase for individual plans on the ACA marketplace between 35 and 94 percent by 2021. Concern over health care is nothing new; in fact, this is the fifth consecutive year that Americans have ranked health care as a top concern.
Health Insurance Could Become The Wild Wild West Once Again
At least for now, many aspects of ACA are still in place. Currently, an insurer can’t turn you away for a pre-existing condition, and long-term health insurance plans still have to provide coverage for ACA’s 10 essential health care benefits. Prior to 2010, private health insurance usually did not cover maternity, or preventative like it does now, and mental health was generally non-existent.