”PLANTS ARE GOOD FOR YOU!”
Or so we are told repeatedly. The team here are well aware of the power of plants to make you feel good, but we wanted to dig a little bit deeper into whether plants are ACTUALLY good for you and your brain and, if so, what is it that makes them good for you? Aside from the fact that they smell, look and sometimes taste nice.
We are in no doubt that carving out a slice of your day to tend to your greenery is satisfying and enjoyable…. so we wanted to share what we have learnt about the real health and wellness benefits of plants.
Discovery no. 1…. Cortisol. So what is cortisol? And how can it possibly be connected to our green friends in the garden? Let me explain…
Cortisol is a natural hormone that is found in our bodies. Put simply, it keeps us balanced and regulated. That means it helps our bodies respond to stress (a spike in cortisol will give you that shaky adrenalin feeling), regulates our blood sugar & helps fight infection…basically we are pretty lucky to have it.
High cortisol levels over a long period of time are not so good and can increase your blood sugar levels, and make you more susceptible to feeling anxious and depressed. Oh, and what do you think increases your cortisol levels? Stress (that thing that happens when you are dealing with work overload, global pandemics, kids etc…you know the story). So keeping your Cortisol levels even is a sure-fire way to make sure that you and your brain are relaxed and ready to deal with what life throws at you.
Where do plants fit into this? Plants have been proven to lower your cortisol levels. This means that by just being around plants your body can naturally rebalance itself and lower its own cortisol levels. Just 20-30 mins of exposure to our green friends leads to reduced cortisol levels… how cool is that? So next time you are feeling stressed or anxious, get some green around you.
What precisely is causing the drop? A number of different factors. Both distracting yourself and embracing nature have a part to play and there is also evidence that the colour green is helping.
So next time you are tending to your Monstera, spare a moment to appreciate that they are actually giving you a little helping hand too!
We have been pretty blown away by the things we have discovered and are going to keep sharing these wellness nuggets with you as we find them.
We hope that this series of blogs will open your eyes to the really positive impact that plants can have on your body and mind…A lot of people don’t really realise the very tangible health and wellbeing benefits of these green fellas. That’s why we started up our Mind, Body and Soil subscription. We want to share the positive effects plants can have on your daily life (call it plant therapy) and this subscription reminds you to take a moment to sit, enjoy and nurture.
