Beets, A Root Veggie You Should Get To Know!

I was inspired by a few facebook friends to investigate the beetroot. This beautiful, ruby, red, root veggie has amazing health benefits!  The beet has had a bad rap if you ask me and most people I know, don’t think to pick it up in the produce department but they might change their mind if they read this post.

beets

Drinking beetroot juice daily can promote brain health by increasing blood flow to the brain in older adults .  I don’t know about you but I am not that old and could always use a little more memory now and then.

If you have high blood pressure then you should definitely put it in you shopping cart or start growing it immediately.  It is proven to lower blood pressure.  For all those of you out there that like to workout it is suppose to boost your athletic performance up to 16% . Beets will help you when you are feeling fatigued and is a good pick me up.  I am sure there are mothers out there that could use beet energy!

beets

This veggie purifies your blood and cleanses your kidneys, helps fight cancer and helps in the creation of red blood cells.  Whew.  I am going to plant more tomorrow just in case.

More good news about this little root vegetable, it is rich in folate, potassium, manganese, iron, vitamin C and other vitamins and minerals plus it is high in fiber.

If you decide to start juicing , steaming, pickling or roasting this veggie, remember that your urine and / or stool can turn red and might make you think that the end is near.  Relax it is just the beets you devoured the night before.  Too much of a good thing could not be that good for you too.  You should always eat beets in moderation since they are so powerful.  If you have kidney stones you might want to leave it out of your diet and if you have an allergy, which is rare, you might have a fever, chills and rashes.

carrots and beets

Fresh is always best and juicing is a great way to get the benefits of the beet.  If you have too many because you grew them like me, you can cut them up raw and freeze them for a number of months.  Once you juice them, try and drink it within a weeks time and store in a tightly closed glass jar in the fridge.  You can juice with carrots, celery, apples and all sorts of vegetables and leafy greens but try and avoid broccoli, it isn’t a good mix.

OK I am going to end with a delicious beet recipe that I found on www.wholeliving.com 

beet salad

 Marinated Beet Salad

Ingredients:

5 medium beets, halved without greens about 1 pound, 1 clove of garlic smashed, 1 tablespoon of  sherry vinagar, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, coarse salt and ground pepper, 1/4 cup of fresh mint chopped, 1/4 cup of goat cheese, crumbled.

Directions:

1. Steam or boil beets for 30 – 35 minutes.  When cooled slip off the skins using a paper towel or rubber gloves and then cut the beets into thin slices.

2. In a medium bowl combine sliced beets, vinegar and oil; season with salt and pepper and toss to combine.  Cover and refrigerate  for several hours or overnight. Remove and discard garlic.  Serve beets topped with goat cheese and mint.

By the way if you have any great recipes I would love to post them on my site for all those healthy beet lovers!  Start eatting your beets!