If you were anything like me, you were probably told at a young age that you should “eat your greens because they’re good for you”. But I doubt anyone ever told you WHY they are?

Well… this week I finally discovered WHY and I thought I’d share it with you.

Firstly, it’s helpful to understand why ANYTHING is good for us and what all health-boosting things have in common.

In short, they all initiate a process known in biology as ‘hormesis’ or ‘hormetic stress’.

Hormesis is essentially the process by which short term stress is applied to a biological component in order to cause a longer term positive adaptation (anyone who’s attended one of my Wim Hof Method Workshops will remember how this is applied through cold exposure and breathwork).

The best example, however, would simply be going to the gym. By lifting weights, we apply stress to our muscles (which breaks them down somewhat) and after 2/3 days we have not only recovered but grown stronger.

And the same goes for eating veggies. You see, fruit and vegetables contain polyphenols which are actually a little bit toxic to us and initiate hormesis on a cellular level. This then creates the positive adaptation deep in our physiology.

Similarly, the absence of vegetables means that our body is not experiencing this short term stress and therefore slowly becomes weaker.

That is also why it’s good to eat a rainbow of fruit and vegetables as the different colours indicate different polyphenol types and hence stress the body in different ways.

The many types of hormesis

Once you get to grips with this magical, anti-aging process it can be applied in so many different ways to maximise your health and longevity. Examples include:

SHORT TERM…

Cold exposure
Heat exposure (Sauna)
Lifting weights
Cardio (CO₂ levels)
Breathwork (O₂ levels)
Eating Fruit & Veg
Psychological Stress (within reason)
Exposure to certain bacteria
Even Radiation* (in very small doses)

*do not try at home as too much is lethal but according to recent research, radiologists live longer on average. Likely due to short term exposure to radioactive equipment.

One could argue then that my job as a Personal Trainer in Hove should really be relabelled as a ‘Hormetic Stress Coach’ …but let’s be honest, no one is Googling that!

So there you go. Next time you meet someone who refuses to eat their greens, you can explain the long and complicated process of hormesis and polyphenols. And who knows, they might just eat them so you stop talking about it!