WHY GETTIN' DIRTY FEELS GOOD

If there is one thing I love it is to be outside. I'll do just about anything if it means I can spend more time outdoors. Which is one of the reasons why I really wanted to get into farming and growing my own food. It's such a rewarding job to be able to work outside, enjoy the fresh air while using my hands to create something from nothing and connect to the earth.

Working in the garden always helps me to feel grounded and accomplished and I always feel much happier when I am finished with a day's work. However, recently I discovered from a few different sources that I follow online that there really is more of a connection between working in the soil and feeling good. Much to my surprise, what I found out was when one works in the dirt or soil, feel good - antidepressants are actually stirred up and released into the air. Seems crazy, but It's true!

Soil is more than just dirt and minerals, It's a whole living biotic eco-system. Full of micro-organisms and bacteria. In this case, the good bacteria are the ones doing the magic. Mycobacterium vaccae is a type of bacteria found under the surface of soil and has been found to actually stimulate the production of serotonin in your brain. Serotonin is a chemical in our bodies that is responsible for maintaining mood balance. Those that have low Serotonin levels often result with some form of depression, anxiety, or bi-polar disorder. In recent studies, scientists found that Mycobacterium vaccae has the same effect on neurons that pharmaceutical drugs like prozac or other anti-depressants provide.

Farmers and Gardeners when working in the dirt inhale the bacteria that is released. It then goes into the bloodstreams through topical contact. Depending on the length of time spent in the garden, the feel good effects from boosted serotonin levels have been said to last anywhere from a few days to a few weeks! This is just one way Mother nature can heal us. What better way to boost your mood without having to rely on synthetic drugs that often have side-effects and only mask the problem. So if your feeling down get outside, plant something, and get dirty!