Gardening, Nutrition, and Community Wellness/Health Benefits
Being a gardening and cultural diversity advocate, I wanted to be assess the influence of gardening in the Navajo (Native American people from South-western United States) population. From prior research and working with this population in person, it is known that the rates of diabetes and obesity in these communities are higher than national rates due to this population incorporating process foods in their diets and not growing their own food as their bodies were accustomed to. A healthy diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables would aid in prevention and reductions of such rates. Therefore, this project focused on promoting gardening to make vegetables and fruits more convenient and accessible at the comfort of their own home. As previous research in this area has shown, gardeners on average consume two more servings of fruits and vegetables than non-gardeners. Thirty participants were recruited by flyer distribution at chapter houses, senior centers, and community centers, from four...