Grow a Vegetable Garden after Weight Loss Surgery

Posted: Aug 22 in Weight Loss Blog by

Grow a Vegetable Garden after Weight Loss SurgeryWe Floridians are blessed with an excellent climate for year-round gardening, and taking advantage of this can help you after weight loss surgery. Gardening is about more than beautifying your yard—it can also be an opportunity to grow your own food and reap benefits like:

  • More exercise. Though it may not seem like a particularly strenuous workout, gardening can be physically demanding. Weeding, raking, digging, planting, trimming—a lot of work goes into maintaining a garden, and this can help you break a sweat and build your muscles.
  • More nutritious diet. By growing a few plants that produce fruits and vegetables, you’ll have access to a steady stream of nutritious, fresh-picked produce right in your own backyard.
  • Stress relief. Spending time in the tranquil surroundings of your garden can be a relaxing experience. Much like taking a walk through nature, research shows that working in a garden can help you soothe your mind with the relaxing sights and sounds of nature and the repetitive actions of tending your plants.

Regardless of your living situation, you can take advantage of these benefits by starting a vegetable garden of your own.

  • If you live in a house, start with a small plot. Because so much work goes into maintaining a garden, it’s best to start small. Instead of trying to redo your entire yard, begin with an area of no more than 10 feet by 10 feet. Choose a spot close to a water source that gets six to eight hours of sunlight per day. Squash, peppers and tomatoes will produce continually year-round, so these are great options to start with.
  • If you live in an apartment, try community or container gardening. For those without a yard of their own, a community garden can be the perfect solution. In one of these shared growing areas, you’ll get a small plot to plant whatever you please, with neighboring plots tended by others from your community. This can make gardening a fun, social experience and help you learn from other gardeners. If you can’t find a community garden in your area, that’s OK—try planting vegetables in a few containers on your balcony or in a sunny area of your home.

Planting a vegetable garden can be a great way to stay active and add more fresh produce to your diet. If you have any tips on community or home gardening in Naples and Ft. Myers, share them in the comments!

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