Healthy, Tasty Me!

Buddy Ian's Bountiful Balcony Garden

Many of us exercise. Some sign up with fitness gyms, some take time to power walk and jog while others play games. So, is that all to keeping fit?

I sign up to maintaining a garden, making me walk around the house, lifting bags of soil and pots of plant and vegetables, breathing fresh air and wonderful smell and seeing colourful sights. For me, gardening is truly a holistic approach to fitness – mind and body – and what more to be able to do it with my loved ones and share my ‘results’ with them!

"Lack of activity destroys the good condition of every human being, while movement and methodical physical exercise save it and preserve it”
~ Plato

Do you know that physical activities during gardening provides good resistance workout that could burn 300 to 400 calories per hour? They increase our body flexibility, strengthening our joints, decreasing our blood pressure and cholesterol levels, lowering risk for diabetes and slowing down osteoporosis. I am sure if you missed your Gym session, you won't feel bad because you have another 'gym' at home!

"Tell me what you and I will tell what you are” ~ Anthelme Brillat-Savarin

Do you know that most vegetables and fruits we bought are picked too early (hence reducing the amount of nutrients available in them)? They too are treated with chemicals to make them last longer, fresher and ripe.

This explains why people suffer from never-heard-before illnesses, more rampantly inflicted by cancers and increasing number of youngsters wrecked with illnesses that normally suffered by adults. This too explicates behavioural changes in us as the chemicals disrupt our neurotransmission system and other bodily mechanisms that keep us functioning at optimum level.

My Second Angel, Hariz Firdaus, suffers from mild Autism and he is now under strict organic diet. I helped her Mama plant his favourite vegetables - Popeye Energy 'Bar', Spinach ;and Bok Choy - at their house.

"It is exercise alone that supports the spirits, and keeps the mind in vigour”
~ Marcus Tullius Cicero

Although we could not do so much in this era of globalisation and industrialisation (Read: busy, hurry, fuzzy lifestyle), wouldn’t it be worthwhile if we could start planting our own vegetables – even at our balconies – so that we could control the quality of produce we consume, and don’t you think they taste better? Plus, for me, they are cleaner. Yeay!

Gardening may sound too simplistic but know you know what it can do to us as a person and how our home-grown produce could affect our life, perhaps we could say this to others – “Gardening for healthy, tasty me!”

My Buddy, Ian of Corporate Athlete, has supplies of Chinese Stir-Fry Seeds Collection that you can purchase at RM10.00 per set. Why not have a go at this new 'exercise'? ;)