Why We Love Plants
So, over the pandemic plants kind of went viral. If you don’t personally have houseplants you didn’t have pre 2020, then you know others who do. Plant lady became the new cat lady. The names of tropical plants from far away islands became household words - like pothos and monsteras. Even if you don’t have the plant, you may have the earrings or pajamas or a throw blanket. Plants are everywhere! They’ve taken over in nearly a “feed me, Seymore” kinda way and you have to know I am here for it. But why did they become such a trend during quarantine? Simple. Plants make us feel better.
It’s just that simple. Plants are so good for our sense of well being. They are calming to our nervous system. And I mean, simply having plants around. Like having houseplants can help improve your mental health. Not to mention the air purifying qualities plants have. But truly, those who garden have shown to have “improved life satisfaction and mood” according to this article in Forbes. Plus, if you consume plants the effects on mental health are exponentially increased.
Consuming plants for mental health can be a game changer. Both by eating a more plant based diet and using herbal medicines like cannabis, St Johns wort, and ginseng. When we eat a more whole foods plant based diet we get a wider range of nutrients than we would if we ate a standard American diet. Eating more nourishing foods helps our body more readily create the hormones and neurochemicals required for good mental health. And by using herbal medicines we can find ways to allow plants to supplement our bodies own endogenous feel good chemicals with phytochemical that can improve our mood.
If you’d like to learn more about how cannabis can compliment and sometimes even replace pharmaceutical medicines then be sure to sign up for the course “Cannabis for Mental Health” on February 18th, 2023. Learn how to effectively use cannabis for the major two mental health struggles: depression and anxiety. Plus, learn how you can use cannabis as a mindfulness tool to support your existing mental health protocols. Hope to see you in Plant School!