The Journey of Learning, and Let’s Get Back to Growing Some Food

Hi Folks! Connor and Nick here from Healthy Living With Nick and Connor. Thanks again for being on our email list, it means a lot, and we are excited to share our weekly email with you. We hope you enjoy it! Here is what we hope you take away from this one: 

1. Stop thinking you have to do everything on your own, work together, create a community.

2. Try growing your own food, it is not as hard as everyone says. It will be delicious, you can enjoy it with others, and we need to teach all of our little ones that they can do it too.

3. Learning new things is about the journey to get to the answer, it is not about the answer.

   
   Starter Mindset Tip: Think Like an Astronaut

Upon returning from space, astronauts are less focused on individual achievements and personal happiness, and more concerned about the collective good. “You develop an instant global consciousness… an intense dissatisfaction with the state of the world, and a compulsion to do something about it.” This reaction is known as the overview effect. You realize you share a common identity with all human beings. (Adam Grant, Think again, 128) This doesn’t have to be a big thing, you don’t have to go out and save the world. Simply work together with other people, with your friends or family members, and improve something small together. Improve your health together, start a new habit together, learn something new together, grow together. You don’t have to do everything on your own, lean into the people around you, create a community, and feel the wins and losses together. 

Health Recipe: Grow Your Own Crops, Harvest Them, and Enjoy With Others

Timing: Pretty fast to throw a plant in some dirt

Level of Difficulty: Easy don’t let others convince you differently

Serving Size: Start with a couple plants, then go from there

Spiciness: Deliciously sweet (unless you are planting hot peppers)

INGREDIENTS 

 Some dirt, some plants or seeds, some water, the sun, and some patience

 REASONING AND BENEFITS

Have you ever tried growing any food? We have found that a lot of us have been convinced that growing fruits and veggies is too hard, the plants won’t survive, and bloody animals will eat everything. This is a perfect example of having our preconceived beliefs stop us from trying something new—based on nothing but maybe your Aunt Sally and Uncle Chet convincing you of this because they could never get their tomatoes to grow “no matter how much they tried.” We are here to tell you to forget all of that, go buy some seeds or plants, throw them in the ground or a planter, and just give it a shot. There is no better way to enjoy food than when you grow it yourself, water it to keep it alive, and enjoy the delicious food that comes off the plant. You will experience what fresh fruits and veggies taste like, you will get some pretty sweet nutrients because they weren’t lost in transportation, and you will get to share your crops with your friends and family—yes, even just one tomato plant can be your crop, be proud of it and even call it a harvest when you pick them! Eat it fresh off the plant, or find a new recipe to use them in, and better yet, invite some friends and family over for dinner to enjoy them together. Food has brought us together for centuries, let’s work on getting back to slowing life down a little and enjoying food together. If you have any kids, or if your friends or family have kids, make sure to try out this recipe. There is nothing better than seeing a little dude or dudette with tomato seeds running down their shirts, munching on a piece of kale in one hand, and a sugar snap pea in the other. Teach the next generation about quality food, make sure they know that growing food can be easy and fun, and teach them how to share and enjoy food with others. 

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Before spring kicks into full gear, find a place to plant your crops. This could be a planter on your balcony, a pot inside by a window, a spot in your front or back garden, or decide to remove some grass to create a new food garden.

2. Go to the store and either buy seeds or seedling plants and bring them back home.

3. Plant them in the spot you picked out, and let the sun, the rain, and your watering do the work.

4. Watch them grow, and if you have kids, involve them in the process. 

5. When they are ready to pick, it is time to enjoy your harvest! Eat them fresh off the plant or in a new or old recipe of yours. Enjoy them yourself, with your friends and family, or with your neighbours. 

6. The food trifecta: home grown, quality foods, enjoyed with others. You can’t beat that.

PRO TIP: Do not make the mistake many people make and grow something that someone else told you to grow even though you don’t like that food. Start with a fruit or vegetable that you actually like. This will actually make you want to eat it, and then you can try planting some other foods to see if you like them better when you grow them yourself.

* You can put as much or as little effort into growing your crops. You will find loads of information on proper trimming and maintenance, but don’t stress about trying to do everything. If all you have time for is a little water every now and then, that is OKAY. 

** If your plants do not grow, do not get discouraged. That happens. It might be your fault, it might not, who cares. Try again next growing season with the same foods or different. Eleven farmers have crops that don’t grow as they hoped.

*** We are going to say it one more time to close this recipe off, enjoy your crops with others no matter how big or small your harvest is, unless all you get is one lonely tomato on your plant, then you just enjoy the heck out of that one tomato. 

Dessert Quote:

“You’ve been told that if you can’t win, you shouldn’t even try, but now you see that the journey is the entire point.” (Seth Godin, “The Practice,” 18)

Now we want to hear from YOU! Please let us know what you think of today’s newsletter, and send us an example of how you applied the health recipe to your life! We would love to share how you introduced this week’s recipe into your life’s unique menu. Thanks and have a great Sunday!

Sources:

Learn more about enjoying your life:

Godin, S. (2020). The practice. Penguin UK.