9 ways to connect with nature (and why you should!)

Many naturopaths and nutritionists encourage their clients to incorporate “the healing power of nature” into their lives. Far from being pseudoscientific and “woo woo”, there is a large amount of conventional scientific evidence to support these simple and enjoyable recommendations. Read on for ideas on how you can strengthen your connection to nature, and how it will benefit your health.

1. Seek out green and blue spaces (1-6)

Spending time in “green space” reduces both physiological stress (which we can measure with lab testing) and people’s perception of their feelings of stress. This is important, as chronic stress has been implicated in most diseases. Increased exposure to green spaces is associated with lower cortisol and blood pressure, and a decreased risk of type II diabetes. People who spend more time in nature have a lower incidence of stroke, coronary heart disease and asthma, and are more likely to feel that they are in good health.

Anyone who grew up by the beach, as I did, would attest that the same calming and uplifting effects can be gained from time spent by the ocean, or “blue space” – and the evidence confirms this! Spending time near or in oceans, lakes and rivers improves mental health and wellbeing, and the sound of water tends to reduce stress faster than urban sounds, silence and even calming music.

What to do: Even if you live in a city, as many of us do, seek out urban parks and public open spaces. Visiting outdoor green spaces for just 30 minutes over the course of a week is enough to reduce high blood pressure. If you really cannot manage it, even just looking at images of nature results in a more relaxed nervous system, improved mood and a reduced sense of worry.

2. Spend some time in the sun (7,8)

You know that dreamy feeling you get when you are bathed in sunlight? As it turns out, exposure to sunlight does in fact produce endorphins that provide us with the same feeling of wellbeing as the “runner’s high”. Not only does sunlight help us to produce vitamin D, but we also produce nitric oxide which improves our circulation, and the light itself contributes to regulating our circadian rhythm. There is now a lot of evidence to show that sunlight helps to prevent diabetes, high blood pressure, various types of cancer and other conditions. Sun exposure can also be helpful in skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis, and in preventing and treating the form of depressed mood known as Seasonal Affective Disorder.

What to do: Make it a priority to bathe your skin in some sunlight every day, in whatever way works for you. If you can, eat your breakfast outside with your face to the sun. Roll up your sleeves while driving to work or taking a walk. As long as you avoid the middle of the day during summer, the sun is your friend and definitely a form of medicine.

3. Work in a garden (9,10)

A study of seniors in South Korea showed that after they spent 20 minutes gardening, their levels of BDNF were significantly increased. BDNF, or brain-derived neurotrophic factor, is a protein that supports the growth of neurons and maintains our ability to learn new things and remember them, which is particularly important as we age or when we are under stress. Gardening has also been shown to improve blood pressure, immune function, inflammation and oxidative stress. Gardening is a form of gentle to moderate exercise, and also somewhat of a meditation and an opportunity to interact reverently with the processes of life.

What to do: Whether you have a big backyard, or a tiny apartment balcony, plant some foods that you will enjoy eating or some flowers that you will enjoy looking at. If you have the time, volunteer at a local community garden or farm if you have one nearby. You may just discover how much you love it.

4. Spend time outdoors whenever you can (11-14)

It is widely established that people feel refreshed and focused after spending time in natural environments. The “attention restoration theory” proposes that the natural world is restorative to the mind, and that exposure to nature has the potential to boost cognition and allow recovery from attention fatigue. A study of children with ADHD showed that their attention and concentration improved after time in an urban park compared to time spent in a downtown area and a residential area. Time in nature has been shown to reduce depression and anxiety, and improve life satisfaction. Feeling connected to places and natural environments can buffer against the poor mental health that often accompanies a lack of social connection. Research done on the Japanese practice of Shinrin Yoku (forest bathing, or “taking in the atmosphere of the forest”) has shown that trees emit essential oils called phytoncides, which enhance the activity of cells in our immune system that have anti-cancer properties. Getting outside would have to be the cheapest form of healthcare there is!

What to do: Go outdoors at every opportunity. Take your lunch break outside, organise walking meetings at work, have a picnic with friends, go outside to find objects to incorporate into nature craft projects - looking on Pinterest will provide lots of inspiration! But what if you really can’t make it outside? Even just listening to nature sounds has been shown to improve brain function and support the parasympathetic nervous system which aids us in resting, relaxing, digesting and healing.

5. Try Earthing (15,16)

Also known as Grounding, Earthing simply means having your body in contact with the Earth’s surface. This can be achieved by walking barefoot outside, or by sitting or lying on the ground. (This may sound a little strange, but historically, humans walked barefoot on the ground or with footwear made of animal skins, and also slept on the earth or on skins.) It is thought that free electrons in the Earth are absorbed by the body, and then are semi-conduced by the connective tissue matrix that makes up our body tissues. If indoors, there are devices available that transfer the energy from the ground outside to the body via a cord that is inserted into a grounded wall outlet. Earthing has been shown to reduce inflammation as shown by infrared medical imaging and tests of blood chemistry. It also reduces pain, improves sleep, regulates blood sugar levels, improves immune function, improves autoimmune disease and shifts us to a parasympathetic state which helps us feel relaxed.

What to do: Spending 30 minutes a day walking or sitting on the Earth without shoes is a great goal to strive for – weather permitting of course! If you are looking to get more Earthing into your day, specialised devices including mats, bedsheets, adhesive patches and footwear are available and are a convenient way of harnessing the benefits of Earthing while you work, relax or sleep indoors.

6. Align your day with the sun (17-19)

We have many internal “clocks” in cells throughout our body, which regulate many of our physiological processes and combine to create our “circadian rhythm”. Our body clocks naturally adjust to a 24-hour period, based on natural fluctuations in daylight hours and ambient temperature throughout the day and year. However, the use of artificial lighting and temperature controls, and the prevalence of shift work and voluntary sleep deprivation (ie. staying up late!), has meant that we experience changes to our normal daily rhythms. Our metabolism becomes dysregulated in a way that favours weight gain and many rhythmic activities can be disrupted, including sleep patterns, eating behaviours and secretion of hormones including cortisol and melatonin. Studies of shift and night workers reveal an increase in conditions including cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome and cancer, as well as a higher incidence of digestive issues and altered appetites.  Multiple studies of nurses across several countries have found that working sustained periods of night shifts is associated with an increased risk of developing breast cancer.

What to do: If we can structure our personal habits around sleep, activity and eating so that they are in line with natural daily rhythms and body signals, our body functions more optimally. As best as you can with your schedule and the time of year, wake up with the sun and go to bed soon after sunset. To reset your “master clock” each day, get some bright natural light onto your eyes first thing in the morning. In the evening, keep artificial lighting to a minimum, and give yourself a curfew for using your electronic devices - around sunset would be ideal. If you must use them after that, wear some blue light-blocking glasses to reduce the amount of stimulating blue light that can delay sleep onset.

7. Learn to love the cold (20-24)

Exposing yourself to cold water regularly over time causes changes within your physiology that improve immune function and may possibly reduce depression and chronic fatigue. This practice also improves your ability to maintain a healthy weight. Cold exposure is considered to be a form of hormesis (“good stress”) which tests your body and strengthens it over time by making your cells more resilient to adverse conditions. Studies in mice have found that cold exposure boosts RBM3, which is a protein that humans have too. This protein regenerates damaged neurons and synapses in the brain, and remains high long after the cold exposure ends. This may be helpful in slowing brain degeneration, as seen in conditions like Alzheimer’s disease.

What to do: Start to experiment by switching the water to cold for the last 10 seconds of your daily shower, and work up to 1 minute. Concentrating on taking deep breaths during the cold portion really helps! If you are lucky enough to live near the ocean, I encourage you to try to swim year-round. While this is certainly easier in the summer, try to work up to taking dips during the winter too.

8. Experience moments that leave you in awe (25)

Our emotions have a huge impact on our physiology, so we need to pay attention to our emotions like we do with our food and lifestyle choices. It has been found that the feeling of awe is the emotion most correlated with reduced levels of inflammation in the body (using interleukin-6 as a marker). Joy, contentment and pride also rate well, but awe outdoes them all. Since inflammation has been implicated in most if not all disease states, it is something we want to keep under control, and the feeling of awe that is provided by nature is an enjoyable way that we can do this.

What to do: As well as deliberately seeking out time in nature, increase your awareness of the things that happen around you each day, that can also be a source of awe: observing a young child as they explore their new world, watching a flock of birds fly overhead, noticing how sunlight filters through the trees – anything that makes you think “wow” and leaves you with a warm fuzzy feeling.

9. Eat natural foods (26)

There is a lot of evidence showing that people who have a diet full of highly processed foods have a much higher rate of chronic disease. Highly processed foods include those such as processed meat, refined grains, sweetened drinks and plant-based foods that are far removed from their natural state. Methods of food processing may make foods more tasty, and in some cases safer, but highly processed foods tend to be lower in nutrients and fibre, while providing an overabundance of caloric energy. Some processed foods may have parts taken away, such as the bran and germ removed from whole grains to produce refined grain products, or they may have ingredients added such as flavour enhancers, preservatives and emulsifiers. Choosing to eat foods that are closer to their natural state will help to reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and various cancers, as well as keep your energy stable throughout the day and provide you with many more nutrients to support all the functions of your body.

What to do: Choose to make unprocessed or minimally processed foods the majority of your diet. Do this by buying foods in their natural form (such as raw fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes, meat, fish) and then prepare your food at home as much as possible. If buying packaged food, make sure to read the ingredient list: if it contains ingredients that you recognise as actual foods, it is more likely to be a healthy choice. Keep chemical additives, mysterious ingredients and added sugars to a minimum.

This article is intended to provide information, not medical advice. Always speak to your professional healthcare provider before beginning a supplement program or attempting to treat a medical condition.

References

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