Got Vitamin N? – January 30, 2013
The sun is back and gorgeous. Except for a wind that can blow you to Kansas it’s a great day to be out, soaking in vitamin N–the newest, old prescription for health, both mental and physical.
Amid our busy, electronic-laden lives we’ve somehow forgotten our past. We emerged from “out there” to take shelter in concrete and asphalt cities, then forgot our natural heritage. We are a part of nature, too, and our connection to that natural world remains. We are akin to the animals who have been removed from their natural habitat and placed in cages at zoos. Our psyches are hurting, which is why time spent in nature is healing. 
Studies have proven its healing power. It was found that patients who had a view of a tree from their hospital window recovered faster from the same surgery as those patients who had only a blank wall to view. In another study it was discovered that prisoners whose jail cells faced a courtyard became sick more often than those whose cells allowed a glimpse of a nearby field. If simply viewing nature has that much healing power, how much more can be derived actually being immersed in it.
Jane Ady, an employee of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services, once used a prescription bottle to deliver the message of vitamin N. The label read: Directions: Use daily, outdoors in nature. Go on a nature walk, watch birds, and observe trees. Practice respectful outdoor behavior in solitude or take with friends and family. Refill: Unlimited. Expires: Never.
And if I’m not mistaken, it’s about time for a dose of vitamin N right now. Go get it.
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