Grow Your Garden to Shrink Your Waistline

10 Gardening Tips for a Healthier You

For generations we have had among us people who just loved to garden. To feel the soil in their hands, enjoy the fruits of their labor (literally), to bask in the therapy of producing something so natural and needed has led many out into the garden. Have there been times when you said to yourself, “When I get the time, I would like to do that,”? More and more people are turning to the garden to grow their own vegetables. Maybe it is to save some money, maybe it is to safeguard from what many of us see as the only source of feeding our families in the hard times ahead, maybe it is to enjoy the undeniably unique flavor of the home grown. Whatever your reason for growing a garden, why not make choices that will enhance your health and fight the battle of the bulge? Here are 10 tips on what vegetables can do for you.

Tomatoes

Tomatoes are a great disease fighter. There is a reason Europeans, especially the Italians, are generally healthier than the Americans. The more tomatoes and tomato products we eat, the lower the risk of many different cancers. Studies have brought experts to believe the chemical that makes tomatoes red, called lycopene, is a natural antioxidant, and a fighter of cancer.

One cup of cherry tomatoes has:

27 calories
No cholesterol
No saturated fat
Low sodium
Very high in dietary fiber
Very high in manganese
Very high in potassium
Very high in vitamin A
Very high in vitamin C
Very high in B6
High in magnesium
High in niacin
High in phosphorus
High in thiamin

Plants 24″ to 36″ apart.

Here’s an added note: You really do not realize what a tomato tastes like until you have tasted a wonderfully ripe home grown tomato.

Kale

Kale is a leafy green vegetable with a slight earthy taste. Kale is abundant with phytochemical nutrients, which provide fabulous health benefits, not the least of which are cancer fighting agents. Kale has seven times the beta-carotene of broccoli and ten times the lutein. Kale is additionally high in fiber, making it even more heart healthy.

One cup of chopped kale has:

34 calories
No cholesterol
No saturated fat
No sugar
Very high in calcium
Very high in manganese
Very high in potassium
Very high in vitamin A
Very high in vitamin C
Very high in B6
High in fiber
High in iron
High in magnesium
High in phosphorous
High in riboflavin
High in thiamin

Plant 1″ apart in rows that are 18″ to 30″ apart.

Carrots

It has been long known that carrots contain the compounds that make up ‘carotene’. Dietary sources of beta-carotene do not exhibit any toxic effects for human beings, as are found in synthetic pills. The risk of taking too much carotene in a pill form is substantial, but not so with getting the needed compounds by eating carrots. One half cup serving of cooked carrots contains four times the recommended daily allowance of vitamin A in the form of protective beta-carotene.

One cup of chapped carrots has:

52 calories
No cholesterol
No saturated fat
Very high in sugar
Very high in dietary fiber
Very high in potassium
Very high in vitamin A
Very high in vitamin C
High in manganese
High in niacin
High in thiamin
High in vitamin B6

Space 2″ to 4″ apart in rows that can be fairly close

Zucchini

Skin color of the zucchini ranges from almost black to yellow and is telling you something about what is packed inside. The darker the skin, the more nutrients are to be found inside.

One cup of chopped zucchini has:

20 calories
No cholesterol
No saturated fat
Very high in sugar
Very high in dietary fiber
Very high in manganese
Very high in magnesium
Very high in phosphorous
Very high potassium
Very high in riboflavin
Very high in vitamin A
Very high in vitamin C
Very high in B6
High in iron
High in niacin
High in thiamin
High in zinc

Plant on mounds that are at least 3 feet apart.

Beans

Beans are one of the healthiest foods you can eat. They are loaded with proteins. They are an excellent source of the “good” carbohydrates and packed with fiber. Beans are the number one source on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s list of high antioxidant foods. They make a great source for diabetics because they slow the rise in blood sugar. They are on the front line for fighting cholesterol.

Pinto Beans

One cup of pinto beans contains:

245 calories
No cholesterol
Very low in saturated fat
Very low in sugar
Very high in dietary fiber
Very high in manganese
Very high in phosphorous
Protein 15.4grams

Green Beans

One-half cup contains:

20 calories
Very high dietary fiber
Very high vitamin A
High in vitamin C
High in iron

There are many varieties of beans. We have only addressed two types. You should consult a gardening guide of some kind to learn how many to plant and dimensions for planting. But generally speaking, plant bush bean seeds 1″ to 2″ apart in rows that are 2 to 2 ½ feet apart. Plant pole beans on mounds that are 3 feet apart allowing 3 to 4 feet apart.

Corn

Corn is a good source of lutein which promotes healthy vision and a healthy cardiovascular system. Corn is also a good source to add folate to our diet. White corn has less lutein and vitamin A than yellow corn. Corn contains beta-carotene. It is a useful source of protein and is rich in fiber. Canned corn is less nutritious, higher in calories and much high in sodium.

Corn contains:

1 x 5″ ear = 65 calories
1 cup cooked corn = 170 calories
No cholesterol
Low in saturated fat
Very high in sugar
High in dietary fiber
High in magnesium
High in phosphorous
High in thiamin
High in vitamin C

Plant 9″ to 12″ apart in rows 24″ to 30″ apart

For a family of four plant 140 foot row 8″ to 12″ apart

Peppers

Bell peppers are an excellent source of vitamins A and C. One raw pepper provides more vitamin C than one cup of orange juice. Because cooking can destroy some vitamin C, you will get the most benefit from peppers if you eat them raw.