"Health is impacted by eating fresh produce," Yakini says, adding that "gardening is great exercise — bending, standing and using muscles that you might not normally use."

Practically everybody knows that in order to be healthy you need to eat your vegetables and get some exercise. But getting someone to actually do that is another story. Yakini points to another aspect of community gardening that makes that easier.

"Being outside in the sunshine and fresh air, the positive social interaction that takes place in a garden affirms our humanity and connection to each other," he says.

It's certainly more pleasant than putting in an hour on the treadmill.

I'm not claiming that we don't need health care reform on a national level. Personally, I feel the ACA didn't go far enough. I believe we need a national single-payer health care system. That's probably the best way to get costs and coverage under control. Everybody is going to need it at some time, and that's why it should be a right guaranteed to every citizen. But even that won't deal with the obesity, diabetes and hypertension draining off our health and draining off our health care services to deal with something that is entirely preventable. That means getting people to live healthier lifestyles.

"My true purpose is to heal the universe one body at a time," Cobb says.

That's a good start.

Larry Gabriel is a writer, musician and former Metro Times editor. Contact him at letters@metrotimes.com.

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