OIUN

"You need to eat more vegetables" is the advice you hear from any nutritionist. But how do you diversify your diet and why should you do it at all, even if you don't have any health problems?

What is the VOLS protocol?
The VOLS protocol was born out of functional medicine doctor Terri Valls, who dedicated her life to developing a diet that could enrich her diet with healthy greens and vegetables as much as possible. Terri's goal was to help people with autoimmune diseases, but it turned out that the dietary protocol she created helps slow aging and reduce the risk of diseases that are associated with it - including multiple sclerosis and memory problems. VOLS also helps strengthen bones, increase joint elasticity, and rid the body of harmful free radicals and chronic inflammation. Terri talked about this in one of her TEDx talks.

What are the benefits of vegetables?
If you have long been thinking about enriching your diet with healthy foods, you should start by including a variety of vegetables on your menu. They are rich in various antioxidants: Tomatoes, for example, contain lycopene, which significantly reduces the risk of breast cancer. Bell peppers are rich in beta-carotene (vitamin A), which prevents the development of tumors.

Vegetables can also help solve the problem of blood pressure spikes and heart rhythm disorders. For example, spinach and beets are considered the best sources of potassium, which strengthens the cardiovascular system. In addition, the inclusion in the diet of foods high in potassium helps to eliminate excess salt from the body: today, its consumption is difficult to control if your diet includes processed foods.

But the main thing is that any vegetable contains fiber, dietary fiber, which the human body does not know how to digest. The cell is removed from the body, "taking" with it the toxins that tend to accumulate in the body and cause disorders of various organs. People whose diet has too little fiber, it is difficult to control the feeling of hunger, and therefore they have an increased risk of developing diabetes. Fiber also has a positive effect on the intestinal microbiome.