I LOVE the idea of supplements. A whole day or week's worth of vital nutrients all compounded into a pill, drop, or powder. Sometimes the idea is a reality, some supplements truly work and help people with deficiencies. But a lot of the time, it's hard for me to believe that a pill can substitute a meal packed with fresh healthy food. My wife and I generally don't buy into the supplements craze because we've discovered the magic of a far more ancient alternative with WAY more benefits: GARDENING. GROWING FOOD. DIGGING IN THE FREAKING DIRT.
I'm probably preaching to the choir here, most of you reading this are already avid gardeners, but on the off chance that someone out there catches it in their feed and hasn't started gardening yet, I want to try to throw some inspiring words out there.
There are 3 WAYS I believe gardening beats out supplements.
Nutrition: This one is the obvious one. I always heard growing up that eating fresh fruits and vegetables is really healthy, but I didn't start looking into the actual nutrition facts of fresh produce until the passed couple years. It's incredible! Some vegetables' nutrition facts are pages long. For example, look at this nutrition sheet on carrots, one of the easiest to grow and most delicious vegetables out there:
I compared this with a health shake I used to take and it was amazing how similar 100g of carrots were in nutrition to a scoop of expensive supplement. Carrots, though they are up there, aren't even the most nutrient dense vegetables out there! I'm no nutritionist, but according to my experience and research, if you're looking to get the biggest bang for your buck growing nutritious veggies, just grow a bunch of kale, beets, broccoli, carrots, and spinach. Moreover, home grown produce is most likely going to be even more nutritious than store bought because you have control over the nutrients your plants/livestock receive. Most huge farms that supply big box grocery stores are way more concerned with getting the maximum yield out of every plant or animal, rather than the health of their producing mediums. If you have ever tasted a garden fresh bell pepper vs a bell pepper from walmart, you know what I'm talking about.Exercise: This is another obvious one, but exercise is something supplements can't give you. Getting outside everyday to pull weeds, shovel dirt, soak in sun is probably the most important benefit of gardening. Growing food is hard work, don't be fooled. But it's good work, full of wonderful colors and smells, creativity and ritual.
Mental/Emotional Health: This is by far my favorite perk of gardening. It's what keeps me waking up in the mornings to water the plants and feed the animals. The sense of satisfaction and self worth I get from watching a garden produce a bountiful harvest, or a bunch of chicks turn into laying hens, is priceless. No amount of anti-depressants or herbal supplements can make me feel as happy as gardening. This one makes the whole process worth it.
I guess all I'm trying to say is gardening is the BEST. Supplements are good too, and I'm not saying they aren't legit, but they should never replace real food.
Helpful Hint: If you are an avid supplement taker, check out what you are using on https://examine.com/ to see if there is any real evidence out there that your supplement works. It's a reliable site, it compiles every study that has been done on different supplements.