Grow your own fitness

Getting fit and growing your own; 2 activities which compliment each other perfectly!

Growing your own fruit and vegetables is straight-forward, and you only need a small garden or just a patio. Added to this, when you grow your own, the results are always tastier, sweeter, and hold more vitamins and minerals than those tired supermarket specimens!

And, of course, digging the garden is a form of fitness! So, if you’re serious about keeping your body on top form, why not consider raising some of your own crops. Here’s just a few examples…

Kale is a real “now” vegetable, and is really tasty if you cook it in the right way, I roast mine drizzled with olive oil, and it comes out like crispy seaweed! Easy to grow too, and you can just keep on picking the goodness-packed green sprigs!

Beetroot, this was one of the first things I grew as a kid! A superb source of energy, I once saw a programme where some cyclists tested the energy beetroot gave them against red bull, and beetroot won! Again, a doddle to grow, and did you know you can harvest the young leaves for salads, which will keep you nourished whilst you wait for the roots to swell!

Growing beans is fun.. and did you know they’re a great source of fibre and carbs..? I’d recommend trying a few in patio pots though, it’ll mean the beans will stay fresher and further away from pest and disease than those grown in allotments and on vegetable patches.

You can also grow your own sweet potatoes in the UK..! They ideally need a lovely hot summer, but there are ways around this. Grow them in patio bags, so extra heat and warmth gets into the soil through the sides of the bag, or cover the ground around allotment grown plants with black plastic, to heat the ground. Sweet potatoes are a staple food for anyone serious about addressing their diet, they’re much lower in carbs, and- in all honesty- taste a lot nicer than usual potatoes!!