The value of home grown food
In honor of my Mom, I want to write about the gift of planting fruits and vegetables on Mother’s Day. Since I was a little girl, I remember spending quality time with my mother in the garden. Despite having a small walkway as our gardening space in Brooklyn, NY, we made the best of it by growing our favorites such as basil and tomatoes.
Our favorite meals to make was spaghetti with pesto sauce or fresh tomato and basil. My mom always gave me the honorable job of cutting the basil from the yard before we cooked it. This was my favorite part because I indulged on the delicious aroma of fresh basil and I was so happy doing it. We would enjoy every bite of our meal knowing that we grew it ourselves!
We moved into a bigger house about 10 years ago, and the first project my mom took on was to rip out the pool and build a vegetable garden. There was not one house on our block that had a vegetable garden and this did not deter her. After this big project of replacing cement with endless bags of soil, I helped her plant garlic, onions, broccoli, and even a fig tree.
My mom knew the value of home grown food and graciously passed that on to me. I am grateful for my mom who taught me about home grown food since I was a child. She provided Ezekiel bread sandwiches and fruit in my lunchbox, refusing to give us candy or processed foods. My mom read health books from Dr. Mark Hyman to help us all to live a healthy lifestyle and prevent disease. Although I did not understand it as a child, I certainly do now.
After becoming a Physician Assistant, I studied nutrition to be able to spread the value of a plant-based diet to my patients. Thanks Mom for being a positive influence on my life, my health, and for inspiring me to use food as medicine!
For Mother’s Day, plant something in your home. Whether you do this with your Mom, children, or simply to connect with Mother Earth herself, it is an act of love that can nourish every soul. Plants are the gift that keeps on giving!
With today’s technology, such as hydroponic indoor and outdoor gardens, everyone can grow their own food. So stick your hands in dirt and hold the roots of life!
Hi, my name is Gina Galvez. I am Akasha’s integrative Physician Assistant and my specialties are sports medicine using regenerative medicine such as platelet rich plasma (PRP), healing gut disorders and IV vitamin therapy.
