Besides being trendy – home gardening offers many lifesaving benefits that go far beyond the obvious.  Home gardening improves your diet and your health, helps fight depression, provides exercise, reduces stress, and helps during economic hardships. 

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There are important lifesaving benefits to consider when choosing organic home gardening over grocery store produce. The first benefit is the nutritional content of these fruits and vegetables. On average food in grocery stores travels approximately 1,500 miles from the farm to the store. Nutrients are lost because this produce has been harvested three to four weeks too soon to accommodate transportation time.

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Another benefit of organic home gardening is the lack of pesticides. A recent report from Consumer Reports reveals unsafe levels of pesticide residues on certain fresh fruits and vegetables, including many that are grown in the United States. The produce was scored based on how many samples contained pesticides, the average amount, and the toxicity of particular pesticides found. The test data is from USDA testing, with foods prepared as they would be at home (bananas and oranges peeled, etc.). A score over 100 is cause for concern.

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It is commonly thought that imported foods from Mexico and South America are more contaminated than US grown foods, but 11 of the 12 highest contaminated foods are US grown. Peaches grown in the U.S. contained the highest toxicity, with a score of 4,848.  (* Full table is available at www.consumersunion.org/food/food.htm under "Pesticides" heading, topic "Do You Know What You're Eating?”)

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As many Americans continue to increase their consumption of fruits and vegetables in their diet in an attempt to increase their health, they may in fact be increasing their risk to several types of cancer. Pesticide use has been found to cause various forms of cancer, birth defects, miscarriages, sterility, and deaths. The EPA ranks pesticide residues as one of the leading health problems in the US.

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Another sobering thought: during this study the illegal insecticides found on the produce was not due to excessive residues, but rather, low levels of chemicals that are attributed to persistent residues in the soils this produce is grown in.

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"You are what you eat" now takes on new meanings if what we eat is laced with toxic chemicals, preservatives and traces of chemical pesticides and insecticides.  It also emphasizes the importance of organic home gardens. There are so many positive outcomes from organic home gardening, as listed above.

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Check back frequently for new posts on helpful hints to making your gardening experience a success.