Your immune system is your number one line of defence against viruses and bacteria. If you don’t take action to boost and strengthen it, you’re going to be spending a lot of time in bed, drinking cough medicine. The best way you can boost your immune system and make sure you’re invincible in every season is with food. As we all know, food is the basis of all optimal functions in the body. It is the fuel your body gladly uses to keep you healthy and safe from outside attackers.
Vitamins are, of course, the number one thing you need to ingest more of if you aim to boost your immune system. Fruits are especially well-equipped with vitamins and have the power to keep your health optimal. The fruit you get at the supermarket may be infused with chemicals and pesticides, meaning that the vitamins have practically been killed off.
This is why it’s a great idea to start growing your own fruit! It may seem hard in the beginning, especially if you’ve never gardened before, but you’ll be surprised how easy it actually is. All you need is a little elbow grease and some motivation, and you’re good to go. Your garden will soon flourish and you’ll be able to pick your daily dose of health right in your back yard.
1. What type of plants should you look for?
Okay, the truth is that most fruits are rich in various vitamins so it can be hard to choose which ones to grow. Research has shown that tropical fruit has the best chance of being good for your immune system. This is because it’s rich in vitamin C. Now, this is a vitamin most of us are familiar with. They tell you to drink it when you’re sick, there are pills for it, and it’s basically the mother of all vitamins. Why is that?
The primary thing vitamin C is good for is for repairing tissue in your body. Those same properties are helpful for your growth and development. This is because vitamin C is used for forming important proteins which make skin, ligaments, tendons, and even blood vessels.
If you’ve got the optimal amount of vitamin C in your body, your wounds will heal much faster and easier, and so will the scar tissue. Bone, teeth, cartilage also benefit from vitamin C as it greatly helps repair them. Your body will also process iron much more easily.
As well as the building block to your health, vitamin C is also a powerful antioxidant. This means that it can block damage caused by free radicals. These are made when you’re exposed to tobacco and radiation, but also when your body breaks food down. Free radicals are responsible for the aging process, meaning that vitamin C can even help you stay young for a while longer.
The two easiest plants you can grow in your garden that are also the richest in vitamin C are kiwi and pineapple. These tropical wonders will introduce you to the beauty of gardening but will also prove to be delicious treats for any occasion. From infusing your breakfast with a slice of kiwi or pineapple to making sure you and your family have a healthy snack full of vitamins, these tropical plants will have your back.
2. Pineapple
This is one fruit you only see in the supermarket or in cans, which is a shame. Fresh pineapples are much richer in vitamins C and A, as well as Dietary Fibre. This is one of the tropical plants that are easiest to grow, as it is accustomed to growing in pots. This means that you can grow pineapple virtually anywhere in the world. You can even grow it indoors!
The answer to the question of how to grow pineapples starts with a fresh pineapple. Make sure that it has firm green leaves and a folder brown skin. As well as that, you pineapple should have a sweet fragrance, and be firm to the touch. This is how you’ll know you’ve picked the right subject.
It’s easy to tell when a pineapple is almost rotten or ripe, but the real trick is to know when it is under ripe. If the leaves haven’t formed and aren’t really green yet, you’ll know it’s not its time. On the other hand, if you tug on the leaves and they come off easily, that means the pineapple is too ripe to be planted.
Though the process of growing your pineapple may be easy, you’ll need to add one main ingredient to the mix: patience. Your plant will take some time to grow. Typically, it takes around two to three months for it to root and start growing healthily. Then, you’ll need to wait around 15 to 18 months between growing and flowering. Fruiting will take place in the next two to three months, and then finally, ripening happens between 3 and 5 weeks.
The best part about pineapples is that they’re very easy to take care of. In fact, if you plant them in the right place, they’ll do all the work themselves, and you won’t have to do anything but enjoy the final result.
As well as the aforementioned benefits of pineapple, you’ll also be happy to know that it’s great for digestion. Some even consider it a super-food, as pineapple is linked to reducing the risk of cancer. This is because they reduce inflammation as well as oxidative stress, which largely contribute to the development of cancer.
If you or your loved one have arthritis, you should add more pineapple to your diet to ease the symptoms. Though there are many types of arthritis, most of them involve inflammation in the joints. As we’ve already mentioned, pineapple is an excellent weapon against inflammation so it may offer some relief.
Athletes and active individuals will also benefit from pineapple smoothies or snacks, as it may speed up the recovery process of your muscles. Again, the anti-inflammatory aspect of pineapple lives up to its name. The same goes for those who have recently been through surgery. Overall, the combination of high vitamin C levels and anti-inflammatory factors make pineapple the perfect companion for everyday life.
3. Kiwi fruit
This is a popular type of fruit and you can see it all around the world. There is not a person that doesn’t know of the kiwi’s charms. That being said, this fruit prefers temperate regions. Most people also don’t realize that kiwi is a type of berry, and it grows on vines. To be able to enjoy kiwis in your own garden, you’ll need to start your own vine.
The hardest part about growing kiwis is waiting for the tree to mature. It can take anywhere from three to seven years for kiwi trees to reach maturity. Though this may sound like a hell of a wait, you can think of it as an investment for your health. As well as that, the vines may not be mature enough to grow kiwis, but they’ll do wonders for providing shade in your garden.
If you plant and place them correctly, you can easily make them part of your unique garden design. All that’s left will be for the kiwis to bloom. Some people start a kiwi vine when their children are born so they can connect the tree to their little one. You can nurture both and watch them grow into something beautiful. The best part is that, by the time your child is around 7, they’ll be able to enjoy juicy kiwi fruits daily and enjoy their daily glass of vitamin C.
You should also be aware that there is more than one type of kiwi fruit. The common kiwi is the most basic and, well, common type that all of us see in supermarkets. If you decide to grow this type of kiwi in your backyard, it will need around a month of colder weather to grow.
Next, to the common kiwi, we have the golden kiwi which is more delicate and sweeter. It’s characteristic for being more yellow than green, hence how it got its name. The best temperature for growing this type of kiwi is between -12 to -1 degree Celsius.
The last type of kiwi called kiwi berry actually refers to the hardy kiwi and super-hardy kiwi. This is by far the most sustainable kiwi variety, as it can grow in areas with very harsh winters. They’re much smaller than the golden and common kiwi, and also have somewhat thinner skin. Those eager to get their kiwi as soon as possible will be happy to know that these varieties have the tendency to grow even after just one season.
The type of variety you choose for your garden will determine how and when you eat your kiwi. The kiwi vine doesn’t need much tending, just some time and patience. Regardless of the differences between the varieties, they all have some things in common.
As well as being high in vitamin C levels, kiwi is also an excellent source of dietary fibre. Those who have trouble sleeping will be happy to know that kiwi is also a great sleep inducer. It’s also great for your digestion and an excellent source of folate. Most of all, kiwi is adored for the amazing effects it can have on the skin.
Conclusion
Your home can become the epitome of health in no time. As you’ll notice with time, fruit only gets easier to grow. Once you set the grounds for your garden, you can start cultivating the plants and taking care of your little oasis. Not only will they be the perfect health providers, but they’ll also provide comfortable shade in the warm and sunny days. Your breakfast and snacks will never again be boring or unhealthy, and you’ll always get to enjoy the freshness of your garden. With your immunity boosted and your other needs taken care of, what more can you ask for?
