Do you ever get excited thinking about eating outdoors? Well, I certainly do. And if you are anything like most people out there, you too are a fan of outdoor eating.
Are you? Then, guess what, I have some really amazing news for you. Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, many restaurants are now offering outdoor dining in New York! Exciting, isn’t it? So, get up and visit your favorite outdoor restaurant now!
Food is definitely a very important part of our lives. And when you combine it with outdoors, the experience can be incredible. But have you ever wondered if outdoor eating is just about the experience, or it has some real benefits too?
Whether you are visiting your favorite outdoor restaurant for a brunch or are grilling something on your own in your backyard, outdoor eating can be quite rewarding for you in terms of your health as well as your lifestyle. Let’s see how.
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You Get to Enjoy Fresh Air
Eating outdoors has many incredible benefits. But we certainly cannot start with anything other than fresh air. When you are eating outsides, instead of that stale, recycled indoor air, you enjoy a fresh waft into your system. And do I really need to tell you the benefits of fresh air?
Staying indoors for a very long time can be quite detrimental to your health. And the more you stay in the fresh air, the healthier you are. So, eating outdoors is an opportunity to stay fit and healthy, which is especially important when you are stuck in that old and depressing 9 to 5 in-the-office routine. A nice outdoor lunch amid your boring and unhealthy regime can be quite beneficial for your health.
Nature Soothes You Naturally
If you have ever noticed, even a small natural addition to your surrounding, such as an aquarium or a small potted plant, can have some really amazing effects on you. It can soothe you physically as well as psychologically. Plus, the research shows that it can help you keep your blood pressure and heart rate in control.
Now think, when just a slight exposure to nature can be so beneficial to you, how rewarding it can be to eat in an environment that’s all-natural. Studies show that eating outdoors, along with keeping your heart healthy, can also decrease the level of stress hormones inside yourmind and ease your muscle tension.
You Eat in a Relaxed Setting
Whether you are sitting at a restaurant with outdoor dining in New York or are cooking in your own house garden, eating in an outdoor setting gives you an amazing view. Most restaurants with outdoor sitting are designed in a way to provide you with the taste of nature in its purest form. They are usually filled with leaves and flowers to give you a feeling of being a part of the green. Plus, many times the place tries to keep the outdoor seating isolated so that you can feel relaxed.
In your own house too, regardless of the way you have styled your sitting place outdoors, you are surrounded by the greenery of your lawn. Plus, there are flowers with amazing colors and textures. All this can help you feel relaxed and stretched out after a long day in your office cubicle, while you enjoy a nice and healthy meal.
Your Body Functions Better
As we read above, eating outside can help you feel relaxed and de-stressed. And you perhaps already know that everything works better when you are free of stress. When your body is de-stress, it is able to secrete the HCl into your stomach properly, which helps you break down your food completely, killing all harmful pathogens. This further helps your body to become prepared so that it can absorb all the nutrients instead of just passing them away without digesting properly.
Along with this, being outdoors increases the level of vitamin D in your body. And if you are aware of anything about staying healthy, you perhaps know that vitamin D is very important to absorb calcium so that your body can build and keep the bones strong. Furthermore, vitamin D helps you keep the level of adrenalin, serotonin, and dopamine in control, which helps you avoid depression.
Replacing natural light with an artificial one is also linked with higher chances of obesity, diabetes, and other harmful diseases. And thus, eating outdoors is a chance to decrease this risk.
You Can Combine it With Your Active Lifestyle
Amid our busy schedules, seldom do we find time to keep our lifestyle active and healthy. But eating outdoors can help you do that. By cooking and eating in your backyard, you can keep your lifestyle a little more active.
How?
While you are cooking or eating outdoors, your kids can be playing or cycling in the garden. And keeping an eye on them is quite easy. This way, they have a lot more space to play and roam around. Also, as you know that grilling can sometimes take a lot of time, so you have the option to join them as the food is cooking.
Even after you’ve eaten, you can play one or two more games to keep yourself active.
Eating Outdoors Keep You Social
When you are eating outdoors, you can stay a lot more social. Though amid the COVID-19 pandemic we must follow social distancing while visiting a restaurant, being in a social setting and just watching a few unfamiliar faces can be a welcoming sight when you are stuck indoors for so long. Plus, you can always meet a few friends at such places without the risk of catching the infection.
If you plan on cooking something at your home too, you can take your kitchen to the outdoors and fit in more people. You may invite a few friends over or just cook for your kids. Food can taste a lot better when outdoors. Plus, you’ll be able to digest it properly, thanks to the relaxing outdoor environment. Furthermore, when cooking and eating outside, you don’t have to worry much about spilling something and messing up your carpet.
You Sleep Better
In the end, having dinner outdoors can help you improve your sleep quality afterward. The fresh air around you while eating and the laid back and relaxing approach to your dinner can help your mind and body feel rejuvenated. Also, in many cases, you are spending time with your friends or family. And this can also be quite helpful for you here.
In addition to this, if you are cooking yourself, being outdoors means you have one less thing to worry about. You don’t have to be a cooking expert here. Even a simple recipe can taste incredible when you are eating outside. All these things help you make your sleep a lot better.
Concluding Words
Dining outdoors, as you can see, has several benefits, in terms of both your health as well as your lifestyle. So, if you do not usually eat outdoors, you should definitely think about making this change to your routine. But amid this pandemic, make sure you are following all the social distancing norms to keep yourself as well as those around you healthy and safe.
Have any other thoughts on outdoor eating? Do share them with us.
Come visit us in NYC if you’re in Hell’s Kitchen or near the area and experience eating outdoors in the bustling city.
