How To Grow An Immunity Garden

One of the pastimes that has really blossomed in popularity over the last year, as a result of the pandemic and lockdown restrictions, is gardening, with people the length and breadth of the country suddenly discovering that they have green fingers and a real enthusiasm for watching plants grow and flourish.

And now that spring is finally here, after what feels like an incredibly long and hard winter, there really is no time like the present to head outside and spend as much time as you can tending to your plants and getting lots of fresh air and vitamin D - which, incidentally, is excellent for your immune system!

If you’re keen to keep yourself in good health now and well into the future, why not try and make your garden work as hard as it can for you where this is concerned?

You can, of course, just go for aesthetics and there’s certainly no denying that plants and flowers are incredibly beautiful… but with a little bit of clever planting, you could find you’re able to enjoy a stunning garden and one that helps keep your immune system in fine working order, all at the same time.

An immunity garden can not only boost your health from a mindful perspective, helping to ease all sorts of conditions like depression, anxiety and stress, but it can also help keep you healthy from the inside out - depending on what you plant.

First of all, think about growing your own tomatoes, an amazing addition to any well-rounded diet. Tomatoes are full of lycopene (which gives them their red colour), and this is a very powerful antioxidant indeed, promoting heart health by managing cholesterol levels and even potentially reducing the risk of certain types of cancer.

And we all know that eating our greens is great for our health, so what about planting some broccoli in your garden? Broccoli comes chock full of fibre and antioxidants, so can help keep your blood sugar levels under control, as well as boosting your digestive health and ensuring that your bowels continue to function as they should.

Other plants to consider including in your immunity garden are astragalus and ginseng, both of which are known to help improve your resistance to infection, really helping your immune system along.

Incidentally, both astragalus and ginseng can be found in de-liver-ance, our delicious elixir that you can enjoy as a monthly liver detox supplement. Ginseng has been shown to strengthen the spleen and tonify the stomach and, when combined with poria, even help to prevent stomach bloating.

And astragalus contains flavonoids, which act as antioxidants alongside amino acids. It’s known to increase the body’s endurance and resistance to all sorts of physical, chemical and biological stressors. Why not give de-liver-ance a go and see how good you could feel!

Check out this Good Housekeeping article for beginner tips on how to grow a vegetable garden.