Health Benefits of Nature

How plants can improve our mental health, Part 1

  We’re more than a little biased, but plants can solve a lot of problems. Green roofs, for example, can absorb excess rainwater and help mitigate flooding. Plants provide our oxygen, our food, our fuel, and the materials we rely on. Plants even help solar panels create more energy. We know: plants are amazing.  We cannot survive without them.   Increasingly, research is showing that our leafy friends are helpful not only for our environment, but for our minds, as well. As rates of depression reach new heights worldwide, it turns out that plants can help with that, too. In a growing number of studies, spending time around and among plants and trees—even seeing photos of plants—has helped with everything from mental health to concentration, duration of illness to sense of purpose.… Read More

Plants Can Be Funny, But the Benefits Are No Joke

I never get tired of talking to people about the many benefits of plants and nature in the places we live, work, and play. But I admit it’s sometimes a challenge to figure out new ways to help people get the message! The nonprofit organization Green Plants for Green Buildings has been thinking about this, too. My fellow board members and I put our heads together and we have something new to show you that I’m excited about. Have you ever seen one of those technology product launch videos? Or maybe the demonstrations by Steve Jobs of new products for Apple?… Read More

The Green Fix for Good Health

One of the best things about celebrating the Fourth of July is that everyone in Washington D.C. stops what they are doing to join in on parades, fireworks, and barbecues like the rest of us. But they’re now back at work. Healthcare reform remains at the top of the agenda. Don’t worry, I’m not going to discuss coverage or insurance here. This blog is for healthier topics than politics! But if I could give a speech in Congress or write a letter to all 535 members of Congress, I would encourage them to include a big dose of the outdoors and nature in whatever plan they come up with.… Read More

No Surprise: More Evidence You Need Nature for Good Health

While Americans have watched efforts to improve our natural healthcare system stall (and that’s as much as I care to mention about politics, I promise), I ran across a new European study offering great advice on something we can all do to improve our health right now. Plant a tree. People living in European nations face a lot of the same health problems we do in the United States: obesity, mental health disorders, and negative effects from pollution. On top of this is the stress and impact of living in our typical urban environments in cities. A team of researchers at the Institute for European Environmental Policy spent a year reviewing more than 200 academic studies on health outcomes to see if there were common findings and recommendations.… Read More