Getting Dirty For Your Health

I have always said that gardening was good therapy, that I come away feeling refreshed and revitalized after spending time digging in the dirt. Now there’s proof positive that the euphoria of gardening that I and many other people experience is not just related to the sheer pleasure of doing something we enjoy, but has a scientific basis involving the microbes in dirt and how they tweak the same neurons in the brain as prescription mood enhancers while improving brain function. Scientists have actually been researching this “hygiene hypothesis” over the last several years, especially when studying the immune systems of children and how playing in the dirt strengthens their resistance to disease. Here is proof that we need to reconnect with nature. Don’t worry if you’re not an avid gardener, just get outside for a walk, romp in the park with the kids, or play a game of touch football, if you’re like me that will give you plenty of “up close and personal” face time with the ground! Cleanliness may be next to godliness, but getting a little dirty will certainly have you feeling more divine and “heavenly” in the long run.