Why It's a Good Time to Start Getting Your Hands Dirty
Fresh produce is supposed to make us healthier... not make us sick.
Cyclospora cayetanensis – the "explosive diarrhea"-causing parasite – has been dominating health headlines in recent weeks. And this parasite lives in fresh produce.
We're now up to 4,173 lab-confirmed cases of cyclosporiasis, the intestinal illness caused by this parasite. Another 7,400 suspected cases have been reported across 41 states... making this the largest cyclosporiasis outbreak on record in the U.S.
Worse, health officials expect those numbers to keep climbing as more reports are investigated.
Of course, you can't control what happens on a commercial farm located thousands of miles away... But you can control what goes on in your own backyard.
Whether it's a few pots on your patio... a raised bed in your backyard... or a full-fledged vegetable garden... growing your own produce can provide some peace of mind about what ends up on your plate.
But that's not the only reason to consider getting your hands a little dirty...
Gardening Is Good for Your Body... And Your Brain
Most folks might think of it as just a relaxing pastime. But gardening is one of the healthiest hobbies you can take up.
It's low-impact exercise for your entire body. Crouching to pull weeds, pushing a wheelbarrow, and carrying bags of potting soil strengthen the muscles in your core and limbs.
That, in turn, rewards you with greater muscle strength and flexibility.
Your bones benefit, too, since weight-bearing exercises are crucial for building and strengthening your bones to ward off osteoporosis. Outdoor gardening is also an opportunity to soak in the sunlight that helps fuel your body's natural ability to make vitamin D.
Plus, physical activity in general reduces your risk of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.
A July 2025 study of 386 adults in Singapore found that daily gardening was associated with 43% lower odds of suffering from poor health compared with those who rarely or never gardened. ("Poor health" included anxiety, physical limitations, or both.)
And this hobby just might help encourage the formation of some other good habits...
A small, randomized trial in middle-aged adults at risk of cardiovascular disease found that 24 weeks of gardening (combined with more cooking and a healthier diet) helped boost fruit and vegetable intake by nearly an extra cup per day. It also increased participants' daily step count by 1,029.
As for getting enough dietary fiber – something nearly 95% of us have trouble doing – a University of Colorado Boulder study from January 2023 found that gardeners were more physically active and ate more fiber than nongardeners.
According to the study, participants who gardened...
- Reported feeling less stressed
- Ate more vegetables and fiber (about 1.4 more grams) each day
- Engaged in moderate-to-vigorous levels of activity for roughly six more minutes a day
Simply put, gardening might help nudge you toward a healthier lifestyle, whether it's by eating more fiber or getting in more steps.
But that's not all... because getting your hands dirty happens to be great for your mental health.
That's according to a 2022 report from the University of California, Davis, based on a 2020 survey of nearly 4,000 gardening enthusiasts in the U.S., Germany, and Australia. The report mentioned that gardeners felt a "sense of control and security that came from food production" and that gardening "heightened experiences of joy, beauty, and freedom."
My Tips for Starting Your Own Garden
I love gardening. Growing my own pesticide-free produce means that I don't have to fork over extra cash on the organic stuff at the supermarket (especially during these turbulent times of inflation).
Some of my favorite herbs to grow are oregano and basil. I also love getting my antioxidant fix by using my homegrown tomatoes in sauces, salads, and salsas. That's because tomatoes are rich in antioxidants like lycopene. This chemical compound gives foods like watermelons and tomatoes their red color. And it can also reduce your risk of prostate cancer and stroke.
If you're new to gardening, don't worry... Plenty of foods are beginner-friendly. Some of the easiest to grow include blueberries, strawberries, herbs, radishes, and scallions. (If you live in an area with deer, though, make sure you stretch a roll of wire fencing over your plants. You can buy it at a local home-improvement store.)
A final note: Homegrown produce isn't immune to contamination, either. Wildlife, irrigation water, soil, and dirty hands can all introduce germs. So you'll still want to wash your veggies well – as we covered last week – and wash your hands before and after handling produce. However, experts do say that produce grown in home gardens in the U.S. is generally less likely to be linked to cyclosporiasis outbreaks than produce from the large, commercial supply chains.
All in all, gardening is the perfect combination of physical activity, time outdoors, and exposure to nature that relieves stress and leads to healthier eating. It's a hobby you can enjoy at any age.
And I've got to say... that's a pretty impressive return on a packet of seeds.
I know many Health & Wealth Bulletin readers are avid gardeners, and we'd love to read your favorite gardening tips. You can send us an e-mail at feedback@healthandwealthbulletin.com. For more tips on healthy aging (and a way to cultivate your wealth), look no further than my flagship newsletter, Retirement Millionaire. If you haven't already subscribed, you can get a 30-day, risk-free trial at a special price for Health & Wealth Bulletin readers.
What We're Reading (and Watching)...
- Something different: A 9-year-old built a successful business by trading in screen time for gardening.
Here's to our health, wealth, and a great retirement,
Dr. David Eifrig and the Health & Wealth Bulletin Research Team
July 28, 2026