I had the biggest smile on my face when I saw this article Can Flower Bouquets Actually Make You Healthier? As most of you know I LOVE flowers! I buy 2 to 3 bouquets a week.
I love having a bouquet at work and at least two at home. There is just something about waking up and seeing fresh roses on my nightstand or coming home and opening my mail on my kitchen island and having a big vase full of white lilies.
The scent and beauty just take me away for a moment. Then I look over and see my daughter smiling at me. She loves red roses so I buy her a bouquet twice a month for her bedroom.
But reading this article about some of the benefits to having flowers and plants around is just another reason why I celebrate beauty. Here are some of the reasons….
“Some plants can really help us, while others can be a trigger for patients with lung disease such as asthma,” says Raj Dasgupta, MD, a pulmonary sleep doctor and professor at the Keck School of Medicine at University of Southern California.
Most plants, however, will help you breathe better, says Dr. Dasgupta. (It’s probably best to talk to your doctor about potential triggers or allergens if you do have any lung conditions, though.) On a cellular level, plants give the human body the oxygen it needs to create food, while humans exhale carbon dioxide—grub for plants. In case you’re rusty on 7th grade science, that healthy relationship is called symbiosis.
My peony bouquet at the office
“Little things can go a long way,” he says. “Research has found that patients who have flowers and plants in their hospital rooms take less pain medication and have less anxiety.”
photo credit Mrs. Shockley
Plants can also reintroduce humidity into the air by releasing water, helping lubricate the nasal passages and the back of the throat.
“Lack of humidity creates an environment in your body that breeds infections,” says Dr. Dasgupta. “That’s why in the dry wintertime you see so many people getting the cold and flu. Water released naturally by plants will help with sore throats, dry skin, and heavy dry cough.”
WHAT A PSYCHOLOGIST SAYS: Bouquets can help you reach your goals.
On a more primal level, flowers appeal to our two most important senses: sight and smell.
“Smell is one of the most primal of our senses, and sight is our primary sensation,” says Kopec. “Combining our primary sensation with our primal sensation evokes strong feelings, happiness, and brings about a lot of positive moods.”
Barnard’s advice: Strategically place a bouquet where you’ll see it when you open your eyes in the morning. “If the first thing you see every morning is natural and beautiful, rather than, say, a turned-off television screen, it’s going to give you a more positive start to your day.”
I really enjoyed this article of course. I absolutely adore flowers. If you wish to read more about my flowers at home see here, here, and here.
text via Town and Country
