Outdoor Therapy: Because Modern Life Is Making You Sick

We explore outdoor therapy as a practical path to stronger immunity, calmer nerves, and better sleep using forest chemistry, movement, nutrient-dense food, and simple daily rituals. Along the way, we share how magnesium, cold exposure, foraging, kayak fishing, and earthing fit into a realistic plan.

• attention restoration in nature and cognitive benefits
• terpenes and phytoncides boosting NK cells and lowering cortisol
• magnesium roles, deficiency signs, and topical options
• foraging for nutrient-dense wild plants
• grass-fed game, archery practice, and healthy fats
• kayak fishing for omega-3s and active recovery
• cold exposure for mood, soreness, and metabolic health
• earthing for sleep and stress regulation
• simple starter steps and nature journaling

Chapters

• :00 Why Nature Therapy Works
• 1:37 Attention Restoration And Brain Health
• 2:48 Forest Chemistry And Immunity
• 4:33 Magnesium: Deficits And Solutions
• 6:32 Foraging And Ancestral Nutrition
• 7:36 Grass-Fed Game And Archery Benefits
• 8:50 Kayak Fishing And Omega-3 Advantage
• 9:41 Cold Exposure For Resilience
• 10:54 Earthing And Stress Regulation
• 11:32 Simple Steps To Get Outside

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Transcript

Why Nature Therapy Works

Speaker 0:00

In a world dominated by screens and stress, reconnecting with nature through outdoor therapy offers profound healing. Trees release phytoncides and terpenes that boost immunity and reduce inflammation, while magnesium from natural sources supports muscle function and heart health. Foraging for wild edibles provides nutrient-dense foods absent from modern diets, and consuming grass-fed game, such as deer, mirrors ancestral eating patterns that were associated with fewer chronic diseases. Wild-caught fish from kayaking adventures deliver omega-3s for brain health. Cold exposure builds resilience, and earthing grounds the body against oxidative stress. We're talking holistic health. Adventurers become stewards, maintaining trails and preventing wildfires, fostering deeper bonds with the natural world. Start small, walk barefoot, forage safely, plunge into cold waters, and unlock vitality today. We unpack these principles of outdoor therapy as a practice in this episode of New Normal Big Life Podcast. Hi friends, welcome to the New Normal Big Life Podcast. We're bringing you natural and integrative health information and stories about nature that we hope will inspire you to get outside an adventure, along with a step-by-step plan to help you practice what you've learned, create your own new normal, and live the biggest life you can dream. I'm your host, Antoinette Lee, the Wellness Warrior. Let's get into today's topic. Imagine inhaling the crisp forest air where invisible compounds from ancient trees fortify your immune system against modern ailments. This outdoor therapy is a holistic health and practice. This isn't just escapism, it's a scientifically backed pathway to resilience. As environmental neuroscientist Mark Berman notes, interacting with nature can counteract mental fatigue and provide people with more cognitive resources to deal with the problems causing depression. The key takeaway here this quote highlights the core concept of attention restoration therapy, or art, A-R-T. Art suggests that nature helps restore directed attention, often depleted by anxiety, depression, and bad stress. Spending time in nature improves cognition and reduces symptoms of mood disorders. In an era of sedentary lifestyles and processed foods as staples in your diet, adventuring outdoors restores our good health through direct interaction with the earth. Did you know tree-emitted chemicals are nature's pharmacy in the outdoor air? Trees don't just provide shade, they give off a cocktail of health-enhancing substances. Phytocides, antimicrobial volatiles like alpha-pinine and limanine dominate this arsenal. Phytoncides released from trees may partially contribute to increased NK activity, explains researcher King Lee, whose studies show these compounds elevate natural killer cells, those NKs we talked about, combating tumors and viruses for up to 30 days. Terpenes, including beta-pinine and camphine, offer anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects. As Dr. King Lee further observes, exposure reduces cortisol, fostering relaxation and mood enhancement. Phytoncides are antimicrobial, volatile organic compounds or VOCs, released by plants, especially trees, to protect themselves against insects, fungi, and bacteria, giving forests their distinctive fresh scent. When humans inhale them, these compounds boost the immune system by increasing the activity of natural killer cells, NK, reducing stress hormones and improving sleep, contributing to the health benefits of outdoor therapies like forest bathing. Inhaling these VOCs during outdoor adventures boosts immunity, reduces stress, and protects against neurodegeneration. These benefits are amplified during hikes or climbs. Let's talk about magnesium's multifaceted role in outdoor therapy. From soil to supplements. Magnesium is usually abundant in healthy natural waters and soils, but modern farming practices, cloud seeding, and forever chemicals in some waterways mean humans aren't getting enough magnesium from natural sources. Lab verified supplements and topical creams can provide additional magnesium, which underpins over 300 enzymatic reactions. To learn more, catch my interview with magnesium expert Natalie Gerado. Magnesium regulates muscular contraction, blood pressure, heartbeat, and nerve transmission. Deficiencies manifest in cardiovascular risks like arrhythmias and hypertension or high blood pressure. It can also cause skeletal issues such as osteoporosis and metabolic disruptions, including altered glucose balance, resulting in extreme blood sugar highs and lows. Topical applications such as creams penetrate the skin to alleviate serum levels, aiding wound healing and skin barrier protection. Quick heads up wellness warriors. I don't let just anyone into this mic time. The only sponsors I ever bring on are products that I plan to use, personally use, swear by, and that have legitimately moved the needle on my health and my families. No fluff, no fillers, no junk. So if you're serious about leveling up your energy, sleep, recovery skin, whatever your goal is, do not bounce early. Stay to the very end of this episode. I'm dropping some of my absolute ride or die brands and exactly how they've helped me feel unstoppable. These aren't random ads, they're tools I stake my name on. You'll thank me later. Keep it locked. We're going all the way to the finish line together. Now let's talk about the benefits of foraging, harvesting ancestral nutrition outdoors. Foraging reconnects us to nutrient-dense wild foods that far surpass cultivated varieties. Wild foods contain more nutrients like vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, or healing properties than foods coming from commercial agriculture, affirms a foraging expert. Plants like nettles are rich in vitamins A and C and iron, improving gut health and immunity. Catch season one, episode 12: Foraging and Wildcrafting, rediscovering ancient skills for modern self-reliance on New Normal Big Life podcasts on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and 10 plus platforms to learn how to get started with foraging and wildcrafting. nnbl.blog newsletter subscribers and podcast supporters get free access to downloadable checklists and step-by-step instructions. Up next is Grass-Fed Game. It echoes of ancestral outdoor diets. Not only is artery a neuroplasticity activity recommended for brain injury survivors like me to rewire the brain for activities that require focus, but it can also become a healthy source of food. Eating grass-fed animals like deer and bison mirrors our ancestors' habits, reducing the risk of preventable lifestyle diseases. Learn more about the health benefits of archery in an article at nnbl.blog. Meat from grass-fed animals has two to four times more omega-3 fatty acids, reducing inflammation and heart risk. These meats boost higher conjugated linolic acid or CLA, a potent cancer defender. Women with highest CLA levels had 60% lower breast cancer risk, according to Finnish research. Unlike modern diets, heavy in grains, wild game provides balanced, healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals, helping you to prevent obesity and metabolic disorders like high and low blood sugar seen today. We can't leave out wild-caught fish by kayak. This omega-rich outdoor adventure is one of my favorites. Kayak fishing, one of my favorite sports, nets wild-caught fish filled with omega-3s superior to farmed varieties. Wild-caught fish have higher levels of vitamins and minerals like potassium, zinc, and iron, supporting heart and brain health. The activity itself of kayak fishing burns three to four hundred calories per hour and strengthens core muscles and lowers blood pressure through sun exposure and movement. Waiting in cold streams, ice fishing, cross-country skiing, or polar plungers trigger adaptive responses. Cold exposure can help reduce delayed onset muscle soreness caused by inflammation, aiding in recovery. It boosts dopamine by 250% and lowers cortisol, according to research. Expert Mark Berman adds cold therapy may improve insulin sensitivity and metabolic rate. Participants report after plunges, my mood soars and energy surges. These practices foster resilience against stress and disease. Cold exposure is a tool in my chronic pain arsenal and an essential reason that I don't need pain medication, despite having arthritis from my neck to my tailbone after surviving a broken back. Episode 45, Nature's Secret to Avoiding Seasonal Affective Disorder, will help you get started cross-country skiing and ski juring with your dog. Episode 46, Beat the Winter Blues, Beginner's Guide to Ice Fishing, is also a great outdoor adventure learning resource. Up next is Earthing, Grounded Healing Outdoors. Earthing or barefoot contact with the earth infuses the body with electrons, thereby suppressing inflammation. Grounding appears to improve sleep, normalize cortisol, the stress hormone, reduce pain, and shift the autonomic nervous system from fight or flight to calm. States a comprehensive review. It aids wound healing and immune function. We're talking about igniting your nature through tighter bonds. And these are the steps for beginners and beyond to get outdoors and adventure. Start with barefoot walks like earthing or with sensory awareness, engaging all senses in a park. Keep your nature journal and note your observations. Modern life may challenge your health, but your path to vitality is right outside your door. Every step you take outdoors, whether foraging, grounding, plunging into cold water, or simply breathing in the forest air, brings you closer to a stronger, healthier self. Embrace these small changes and let nature guide you toward healing and resilience. Ready to unlock even more transformative insights? Binge listen to New Normal Big Life Podcasts, where we dive deeper into outdoor therapy and share practical tips and takeaways to help you thrive. Your adventure to Better Health Outdoors starts now. Magnesium, an unsung hero, fuels over 300 bodily reactions from heart health to stress relief. Magnesium expert Natalie Girado, founder of Rooted In, found freedom from anxiety, insomnia, and pain through topical magnesium. It transformed my life, she says, inspiring her mission to share this mineral's power. Cardiologist Dr. Jack Wolfson calls magnesium essential for heart health, helping regulate rhythm, blood sugar, and reduce inflammation. Up to 80% of people may be deficient facing issues like depression, migraines, insomnia, or muscle crap. For women over 40, magnesium eases menopause symptoms, boosts energy, and supports bones. Choosing the correct type of magnesium matters. Real stories, Natalie's in mind, highlight its impact. After interviewing magnesium expert Natalie Girado, I became a customer. I was already a magnesium fan, having been told by two cardiologists to take magnesium for a minor heart arrhythmia. Natalie explains it best in the Magnesium The Mineral Transforming Lives episode of New Normal Big Life podcast. Fast forward after the interview, I bought the Rooted In bundle for sleep, tranquility, and pain relief. As a spine injury survivor with several other health challenges, I'm in constant pain. However, I don't take any pain medication. Rooted in is now one more source that nature provided to give our bodies what it needs when it needs it. You can find magnesium in natural bodies of water like lakes and rivers, and in soil. But modern farming practices have stripped magnesium out of the soil and our food. That's why today, Rooted Inn's rest, relief, and tranquility are part of our afternoon and nightly sleep routine. My guy who did two tours kicking indoors in a rock with the Marines now has no trouble falling asleep. I no longer have to take melatonin before bedtime to fall asleep. So after I became a customer and saw how well these products work, I applied to become an affiliate. I've been sharing the secrets of Rooted In with friends and family from age 38 to 68, and everyone has gotten amazing results within minutes of applying the cream. Do something naturally good for yourself. Get Rooted In. Click my affiliate link in the episode description to shop now. When you're planning an adventure camping, rafting, ARVI, or mountaineering, you'll need quality food with sufficient vitamins, minerals, and nutrients to fuel your adventure. My partner Ready Hour is here to help you ahead of time. Ready Hour has a long history of providing calorie-rich, reliable, and delicious nourishment for life's unexpected situations and adventures. They're part of a family of companies that have served millions of people like you for decades. My family and I use Ready Hour products for camping, mountaineering, and disaster preparedness for five years now. They're not just reliable, they're also your affordable option too. Long-term storable food shouldn't break the bank. That's why they have great sales and payment options for you. It's your bridge to safety and survival when you're on an adventure. So make your next decision, your smartest decision. Be ready for adventure to make today. Trust Ready Hour. Ready to shop? Use my affiliate link in the show description.