Nature is a Nutrient
A framework for evaluating our relationship with the outdoors
Nature is a nutrient, and I firmly believe that chronically indoor people do not know how much better they could feel, and what would possible for their well-being, if they spent more time in green spaces. It’s well understood that the food we eat impacts our wellness, but our time spent outdoors is often left out of the conversation. But just like any other species, we evolved outdoors with a wide variety of inputs from our environment, and in our modern indoor worlds, we’re suffering the consequences of losing our connection to them. Living in urban areas is associated with increased risk of mental health disorders like anxiety, depression, and schizophrenia. Constant loud noises, poor air quality, and little to no interaction with plants all have negative impacts on our health - but spending time outdoors in natural spaces reduces inflammation, promotes a healthy microbiome, regulates our nervous systems, and improves respiratory health.
Airborne fragrances from plants:
Plants clean the air and release oxygen, but beyond that, they also release airborne molecules - that’s what fragrance is. Any plant that carries a scent on the air are particularly helpful to spend time near. As a general rule of thumb, any plant-sourced airborne molecule carries antimicrobial compounds, so when we breathe these molecules in, we’re welcoming antimicrobial action into our respiratory system. Spending time with and near these plants is medicinal without ever having to cut, harvest, or consume them. This is particularly true for strongly scented culinary plants like lavender, thyme, oregano, and rosemary, and pine.
Electrons:
If you’ve ever read anything at all about health & wellness, chances are you’ve seen something about free radicals in the body, and the antioxidants that help mitigate their ill effects. A free radical is an unpaired ion with a positive electric charge. When positive, negative, and neutrally charged ions (protons, electrons, and neutrons) are paired, they comprise a naturally charged atom. Unpaired ions are unstable, highly reactive, and cause inflammation. Antioxidants found in many plant foods are excellent at reducing inflammation, but they aren’t actually fixing the root cause - they aren’t neutralizing the free radicals. To achieve that, you need to pair a positively charged ion with an electron. Luckily, electrons are readily accessible and absorbable from the earth. Studies have found that grounding/earthing (direct exposure to the electrons from earth) are a “profoundly effective environmental strategy against chronic stress, ANS dysfunction, inflammation, pain, poor sleep, disturbed HRV, hypercoagulable blood, and many common health disorders, including cardiovascular disease.”
We can access negatively charged ions all throughout nature, but natural bodies of water release a LOT of them. This makes a lot of sense - this is why so many humans like to spend time in or near natural bodies of water. Looking at them is beautiful, but there’s a reason they bring us such a sense of peace and well-being - we’re physiologically benefitting from the electron exposure. Other great places to absorb electrons are sitting among and close to plants, and getting contact with the bare ground.
Fresh air:
A lot of people worry about exposure to toxins in the form of pesticides, herbicides, parabens, microplastics, and more, from the foods we eat and the products we put on our skin. There’s a lot of talk about ultra-processed foods, but what about ultra-processed home goods? Off gassing from treated wood, building materials, mattresses, and more all contribute to our toxic load. According to The American Lung Association, indoor air quality is often two to five times, and sometimes even 100 times, more polluted than outdoor air. With most Americans spending 90% of their time indoors, this is an enormous public health issue, and so much of this can be mitigated with better circulation. Inviting more fresh air into your home and your life can go a long way towards creating a healthier respiratory system.
Microbiome:
We all have a topical microbiome that plays an important role in our skin health. To these microbes, our skin is their homeland - and like many other organisms, they have a vested interest in defending their territory. They fight off harmful bacteria that try to infect us, and eat up dead skin cells, keeping our skin smooth.
I learned in class that most of our topical microbiome is made up of soil-based organisms - so just like eating fermented foods promotes a healthy gut microbiome, spending time outside promotes a healthy skin microbiome. As my teachers have said, spending time outside is like sauerkraut for your skin. In our modern, indoor lifestyles, many of us lack this symbiotic relationship with topical microbes.
The systems of our body need nutrient input to function properly, and electrons, plant-molecule enriched air, microbes, and more are all essential nutrients that most people are incredibly deficient in. I firmly believe that a lot of suffering could be alleviated if more people understood this, and time spent in natural spaces should be considered an essential component of any treatment plan.