#40 Are YOU Suffering From Blossom End Rot?
Transcript
Hello friends, this is Sarah Nelsen and you’re listening to the Homecoming podcast, previously known as Swimming & Singing. I’ll explain the name change in the next episode, but for now, I’m coming to you from the final week of my summer slow down with a little story from my garden.
The last couple of years I’ve been battling blossom end rot in my garden. Last year it was zucchini, this year it’s tomatoes. The plants start and they look great, the veggies start to form and I’m already imagining how delicious they will be. And then all of a sudden, the end of the veggie gets brown and withered and, just like that, my fresh, tasty treat becomes compost.
I’ve read different theories online about what causes it…too much water…not enough water…deficiencies in the soil, etc. But something I read this year has really stuck with me. Here’s what I read on a website called The Spruce:
“Despite the name, blossom end rot is not a bacterial rot, nor is it a disease. It is a condition caused by a calcium deficiency in the plant when the fruit is forming.”
That’s similar to what I”ve read before. But here is where it gets interesting:
“Although calcium deficiency is what causes blossom end rot, it is fairly rare for this to be caused by soil that is lacking calcium. Instead, the lack of calcium is a result of various environmental conditions that prevent the plant from taking up and transporting the necessary calcium.
This could be caused by over fertilizing, BUT it can also be caused by stress!
Stress causes the plant to be unable to process the calcium that it takes up from the soil. And, sure, that stress could be caused by over or under watering, unpredictable weather conditions or super hot days. But the idea that plants could have access to the nutrients they need but be unable to use those nutrients due to stress really struck a chord with me.
This summer I have been following an Ayurvedic lifestyle program to optimize my digestive health. One of the first changes I made was to attempt to always eat in a stress free environment. So that definitely means no news while I’m eating, but also as few distractions as possible so that I am calm and relaxed while eating. And the reason for this, is basically to prevent my own blossom end rot!
Just like plants, we don’t absorb and utilize the nutrients from our food if we are stressed. If we are arguing, or upset, engaging with the news or watching a tense drama or true crime episode while we eat…that can actually impact our ability to process our food. You may be eating a super healthy diet with tons of organic fruits and veggies and being very deliberate with what you put in your body…but if you sit down to eat and you’re not relaxed, you might as well toss that meal into the compost pile where the plants can benefit from the nutrients!
Now, I get it, we live really stressful lives and for some of you you might be saying: if I didn’t eat while I was stressed, I’d never be able to eat. There are some stressors we can’t remove from our lives. But we DO have control, (at least most of us and most of the time,) over what we do while eating. So here are my tips for you to create optimal conditions for receiving the nutrients from your food:
Take time out for your meals. Don’t eat them at your desk, while driving, standing or multitasking.
Take 3 deep breaths before you begin eating.
Look at the food you’re about to eat. Smell it.
Take a moment to be grateful for the meal…even if it’s fast food.
If you want to take it a bit further, sometimes I like to think of the 5 elements and how each element contributed to the food on my plate. I think of the veggies growing in the earth….needing water and sunshine to grow, air in the form of carbon dioxide, and space. All plants need space in order to grow.
As you sit down for your next meal, try out one or two of these suggestions and let me know what you noticed.