How to feed your invisible army

TV gardener Linda Galvad visits Port Alfred

Living in your gut are trillions of microbes (bacteria) that have a symbiotic relationship with the rest of the cells in your body. Researchers say this microbiome influences several physiological processes including mood, ability to concentrate and digestion, and works closely with your immune system.

That science is the basis for organic vegetable gardener and trainer Linda Galvad’s mission to get South Africans to grow and eat their own vegetables.

Starting with healthy soil and a wide variety of vegetable seeds, Galvad wants you to grow – and eat – your way out of some lifestyle and auto-immune diseases.

The creator and co-presenter (with Melanie Walker) of the TV show Gardening 101 was at a special event hosted by the Port Alfred Garden Club last week. An enthusiastic audience heard about Galvad’s own journey to health through eating good food.

Prebiotics are kinds of fibre that the healthy bacteria in your digestive system thrive on. Galvad named chicory, onion, garlic and endive as part of the immune system armory.

“Most of the best prebiotics are actually quite bitter in taste,” she said. “The cabbage family – rocket, nasturtiums.”

And the colour purple. Purple was an indicator of anthocyanins, a type of flavonoid, and a powerful antioxidant.

You truly are what you eat, was the message that inspired the packed NG Church Hall.

Afterwards they gathered to buy Galvad’s Sought After Seedlings as well as other items in her range, and for a chance to chat to the organic gardening guru.

Grow your green thumbs:

The Port Alfred Garden Club meets monthly at St Paul’s Anglican Church at 9.30am on the first Tuesday, unless a guest speaker’s schedule needs them to shift the date.

Visitors are welcome and pay R30 to attend. Members pay R10 for the talk and annual membership is R100.

“Most times we have a guest speaker,” says chair Renee Graham. “And once or twice a year, we get out of town.”

Most recently the club visited Elands Nursery in Kariega (formerly Uitenhage).

The club’s next talk is titled “Health Compost and Top Soil” and the speaker is Johan van Wyk of WOT Compost in Kenton on Sea. Look out for the details in Talk of the Town closer to the time.

Meanwhile, put down October 8 in your diary. That’s the Club’s Show Garden date, when members open up their gardens to visitors

Picture: SUE MACLENNAN SUPER SEEDLINGS: Matthew Pyle, Delene Hawkins and Linda Bekker browse through Linda Galvad’s Sought After Seedlings and Franchi seed ranges at the ‘Gardening 101’ presenter’s talk hosted by the Port Alfred Gardening Club on July 5

Picture: SUE MACLENNAN GROWING GREEN: Linda Galvad, second from left, with Port Alfred Gardening Club committee members Renee Graham, Liezl Kleynhans and Delene Hawkins, at the organic gardening guru’s talk last week