The Many Benefits of Dining Outdoors

Eating outdoors in the summer is one of the most relaxing things that we can do. It doesn’t cost anything extra in terms of food – because you are at home, but it can feel so much nicer!

In the last few years, eating outdoors has become a more popular way to spend time with friends and family, and more restaurants than ever have outdoor seating areas.

You can create a unique atmosphere for your own outdoor seating area, incorporating precisely what you want, from outdoor runs, pergolas, and fairy lights, to outdoor candles and led solar lights for outdoors.

If you are a fan of eating outdoors but can’t convince all of your family members that it is a good idea, here are some benefits that you can talk about!

Fresh Air

It is no secret that most people don’t get outside enough. In some countries, children are outside fewer minutes per day than some prisoners. When you put it like that, it sounds pretty scary!

While we do everything we can to make sure the air in the house is circulating and the house isn’t stuffy – there is nothing like fresh air from outside.

Even just having a short lunch in the garden will give you plenty of fresh air that you wouldn’t otherwise be able to enjoy.

Relaxing

Have you ever noticed that when you are eating outside in the evening, you are much more likely to let the time tick by? After the starter or the first drinks, the main meal conversation can really start flowing.

You probably aren’t clock watching, and the conversation might carry on long beyond sundown.

Eating outside often means we are more relaxed, and that relaxation can allow us to just unwind and connect with those around us. When you aren’t clock watching or rushing to put things in the dishwasher – because you are enjoying the fresh air and surroundings, you’re more relaxed.

Even if your garden isn’t the greenest or the cleanest, you can still enjoy this simple but tremendous effect.

Stress

Most people carry some level of stress, but over time those stress levels can become unmanageable. When that happens, the stress can start having an impact on our physical health. We will notice that our temper is short, but over time our heart, digestion, and even anxiety and depression can arise.

Overall, eating outside can help our bodies to function better by reducing our stress levels. It’s not just the relaxation, though. Humans have a natural response to the green in the garden, trees, the noise of birds and wildlife, and the blue of the sky. It floods our system with feel-good hormones that can help our bodies function better.

Sleep

If you have trouble sleeping, then sitting outside to eat can work wonders. One of the reasons that fresh air helps us to sleep is that it helps our body cool down and reach the best sleeping temperature.

Although we might notice it as it is happening, in 2015, a study suggested that being outside for periods of time meant we have high levels of oxygen in our blood, and therefore our body works better – including with functions like sleeping.

This might sound familiar as it is also recommended that, if possible and safe to do so, you have a window open a small amount in the evening.

Getting the right amount of fresh air during the day means we are getting the best air quality possible. The higher the air quality, the better our brain is going to function.

Vitamin D

We need vitamin D to help our body absorb and use the maximum amount of calcium. It is recommended that you get a minimum of 15 minutes outside a day, but that isn’t enough to give out bodies what they really need.

Vitamin D is an essential vitamin as it has so many functions in the body, including helping the body absorb calcium, regulating cellular function, supporting the immune system, brain cell activity, and muscle function, and it has anti-inflammatory functions too.

Spending over 30 minutes outside a few times a week improves your overall health, and luckily if you eat outside a few times a week, you get even more.

Eating outdoors has a lot of benefits that everyone in the family can enjoy. Even a short lunch can give you a boost in the everyday vitamins to support your health.

Creating a garden that you want to sit in for hours in the evening doesn’t need to be complicated either: 5 Garden Décor Ideas To Try This Year.