Maria Emerick dreamed of having her own garden since she was a child. “I would just daydream about the time I’d get to own my own home with my own yard, just so I could have my own garden and grow all of my vegetables.”
Now, Emerick is a registered dietitian in Honolulu who specializes in plant-based nutrition and longevity. She’s dedicated to helping her clients cultivate a meaningful connection with the food they eat.
“Incorporating gardening into my own work as a dietitian allows me to demonstrate that nourishing food doesn’t just come from a grocery store,” Emerick says. “It’s something that can be grown, allowing for a deeper connection to the food we eat and its role in supporting long-term health.”
Emerick says gardening is an easy hobby to start. “It’s not as expensive as you might think to create a beautiful, functional garden. And it doesn’t require a green thumb.”
The registered dietitian says, “Nourishing food doesn’t just come from a grocery store.”
As for what to grow, Emerick suggests choosing well-rounded, nutritional foods. “There are many things you could grow,” she says.
Here are some of Emerick’s suggestions:
- Leafy greens: “Kale, lettuce, Swiss chard, and spinach. They grow in abundance, and they’re full of vitamins and minerals, which support everything from bone health to immune function.”
- Cruciferous vegetables: “Broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts are packed with fiber and are powerful antioxidants. This helps detoxify the body and reduce inflammation.”
- Root vegetables: “Carrots, sweet potatoes, radishes, and beets. These are a rich source of beta carotene, which the body converts into vitamin A, essential for maintaining healthy vision and overall eye health.”
- Nonstarchy fruits and vegetables: “Tomatoes, peppers, squash, and zucchini, to name a few. These are typically easy to grow, and carry a good amount of hydration, fiber, vitamin C and vitamin A, with good antioxidant properties. The more colorful, the better.”
Emerick says gardening also helps your body through exercise.
You’ll also have a healthier, thriving garden if you incorporate pollinator-friendly plants, Emerick says. “Like marigolds, sunflowers, and lavender, things that attract these pollinator insects so that they could basically propagate and do the work of gardening for you.”
There are plants that could be grown indoors to use in your meal prep, she says. “All you need is a space with sunlight and some pots with soil, and then to decide on some easy -to-grow plants, like herbs and leafy green vegetables.”
The health benefits of gardening aren’t just limited to the food you’ll harvest.
“You’re bending and kneeling, so it improves flexibility,” Emerick says. “You’re lifting somewhat heavy things and building strength and overall endurance.”
“Digging, planting, weeding, watering, all these things I like to call natural movements that engage various muscle groups and help with coordination and balance, which is super important as we get older. It could also boost heart health and help lower stress levels, which is just fabulous,” she says.
“To get started,” Emerick says, “you just need some willingness to try something new and maybe a little bit of patience as you watch things grow.”
Take a look this video of Maria Emerick in her garden. For gardening more tips and resources, check out a garden takes flight.
Photos by Earl Yoshii
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