Thursday, November 14, 2013

More goodness for your health...

Did you know Beets are good for you?

Did you know that beets have several health benefits???

Red beets are known by a whole host of names, including the garden beet, the table beet, and just the plain old beet. One of the most popularly encountered types of beet in all of the continent of North America as well as Britain, red beets are just one of the many cultivated types of beets. Most of the time, the roots of red beets are boiled and then consumed as a cooked vegetable or eaten cold as part of a salad, after you have cooked them and added vinegar and oil.

Beets have been proven to be a source rich in essential vitamins like vitamin C. Vitamin C is widely known as a potent combatant against the common cold, and while it has been shown to reduce the frequency with which people catch that illness, vitamin C.The juice from red beets, beetroot juice, has been actually shown to reduce high blood pressure, a godsend for people with hypertension and those looking to avoid cardiovascular dilemmas.






Don't Forget the Greens....

After beets are harvested, the leaves, or greens, are often removed because they pull moisture away from the beet. If you find fresh beets with the leaves still intact, cut them off when you get home and store the greens separately from the beet. Healthy leaves should be crisp, green and void of slime on the surface. Beet leaves are very perishable and won’t last more than a few days in the refrigerator. One cup of raw beet greens has 8 calories, 1.4 grams of fiber and 0.84 grams of protein. The same serving size of cooked beets has 39 calories, 4.2 grams of fiber and 3.7 grams of protein. Dark, leafy greens, including beet leaves, are the best sources of vitamin K. This vitamin is needed to make proteins that stop bleeding by clotting blood. These hearty leaves look very much like Swiss chard, and not surprisingly, they cook and taste like chard too. Better yet, they're incredibly nutritious. One cup of beets contains 220 percent of your daily allowance of vitamin A  and vitamin C.



Create a Beet smoothie
Ingredients
  • handful of fresh spinach
  • ¼ cup red beetroot, peeled
  • 2 small apples (what’s in season), quartered
  • 1 medium banana, peeled
  • 1 mandarin, peeled (make sure it has no pits)
  • 1 cm piece of ginger
  • juice of ½ big lemon (I used Meyer)
  • ½ tsp cinnamon
  • 1 TBSP chia seeds
  • 1.5 to 2 cups water
  • Optional: more chia seeds to serve
Instructions
  1. Put all to ingredients into blender until you get a creamy, smooth consistency. Serve in glass and enjoy!



Sweet Corn with Baby Beets and Basil


The vegetables in this side dish are simply tossed in olive oil, allowing the earthy-sweet summer flavors and bright colors to shine. SERVINGS:4..Martha Stewart Recipe


INGREDIENTS

  • -Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
  • -2 ears of corn, husked and halved
  • -8 baby beets (about 1 pound), trimmed and scrubbed
  • -Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
  • -1 to 2 tablespoons torn fresh basil
  • Garnish: basil sprigs



DIRECTIONS

  1. STEP 1

    Bring a medium pot of water to a boil; season with salt. Cook corn until tender, about 4 minutes; remove with a slotted spoon, and transfer to a plate.
  2. STEP 2

    Add beets to water, and simmer, partially covered, until tender when pierced with a knife, 30 to 35 minutes; remove with a slotted spoon, and transfer to a plate. Let cool slightly. Peel, and cut beets into halves or quarters.
  3. STEP 3

    Carefully cut kernels from corncobs using a sharp knife, and transfer to a large shallow bowl. Add beets, and drizzle with oil. Season with salt and pepper, and stir in torn basil. Garnish with basil sprigs.

    I hope that the information I've shared helps you to include beets into your diet. As always Enjoy. To your health and happiness.
    Angie Castillo....Intuitive Life Coach, Life Style Coaching....www.accessyourdreamlife.com

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