Beets: Your Buddies!

 by Svetlana Konnikova

Red beets have been known as powerful food and medicine for many centuries. Ancient physicians knew them for healing intestinal complaints, anemia, fever, nettle rash and many other ills. Our great-grandmothers, grandmothers knew about health benefits of beets too. Our mothers know about it today.

Modern science has confirmed what the ancients knew–that beets, preferably organic, contain a number of biogenetic acids which increase peristalsis of the intestines, betain, which helps break down protein, and also helps form choline, which improves liver vitality.

Do you want to keep your yourself and your family healthy and prevent illnesses? Make these amazing fresh juices which will purify your blood and detoxify your body better than any heavily advertised “Detox” pills. Use only organic fruits and vegetables.

  • Blood Purifier Juice

1 medium size raw beet

1 cup baby carrots

Make at least three times a week 1/2 glass fresh beet juice mixed with 1/2 glass of fresh carrot juice and drink it before breakfast.

  • Rejuvenation Juice

1 medium size beet

1/2 cup baby carrots

1 leaf kale

1 leaf collard

1 celery stick

several stems parsley leaves

a small piece ginger root

1 Granny Smith apple

Run all ingredients through a juicer, and voila! You made a delicious fresh juice. Enjoy! Do it during one month and you’ll see how step by step you’ll loose weight and fat will disappear around your waist. Your skin will glow. You will look refreshed, so don’t be afraid to look in a mirror.

There is another benefit for people suffering hypertension. BBC News reported, a  British study found that drinking at least one glass of fresh beet juice may lower your blood pressure within one to four hours after drinking it. The fundings  about this natural treatment were published online in the journal Hypertension.

Beetroot is a universal panacea. It has a very pretty French name, “Bonbon de Nature,” which means “Nature’s Candy” in English. 

  • Bonbon de Nature (pure beetroot juice)

Two-three medium size beets (washed, skin removed, cut on cubes)

Four-five green beetroot leaves (washed and cut)

Run the beets and the leaves through a juicer. In 10 minutes you have a delicious  homemade the beetroot juice. Drinking fresh, homemade beetroot juice or consuming other 4-5 vitamin-rich vegetables a day might be a simple way to maintain a healthy cardiovascular system.

  • Our family recipe, Red Wheels Salad.

This absolutely fabulous and nutritious salad is so easy to make. You can include it in your lunch or dinner menu. Eating three to five ounces of cooked beets before breakfast, helps with constipation, liver diseases and indigestion.

  • Cook two medium organic red beets (skin on) in two cups water until soft. Cool, peel and grate them. In a bowl, combine the beets with two cloves crushed garlic, two tablespoons chopped walnuts and a pinch of sea salt. Add two tablespoons organic nonfat sour cream, vegetable mayonnaise or olive oil. Mix the salad and enjoy! You can use raw beets instead of cooked. It is even healthier.

I spoke with many people about beets and they told me that they don’t like beets . Unfortunately they were never introduced in a proper way to this amazing vegetable. All they remember is a glass jar  with cooked beets which their Mom bought in a grocery store and used as a garnish or an addition to soups. These mass-produced beets are not real beets, but processed ‘dead’ vegetables. If you will try fresh, organic beets, you’ll have a great, new and healthy experience.

  • Run them through the juicer and make fresh juice.
  • Steam them, let cool and use as a side dish together with other vegetables
  • Make a Cool Red Salad. Grind 2 raw beets, add 1 tablespoon olive oil, squeeze a half of lemon. Mix all ingredients and eat. 

It is proven by many European doctors for centuries that the best kept secret of red beets is their ability to prevent and treat tumors, in addition to diuretic, laxative, anti-inflammatory and pain reducing benefits. Thus, get to know these wonderful vegetables, test the benefits they can provide. Beets are our buddies, don’t ignore them!

Copyright 2008 All rights reserved.

You can find more healthy recipes in the book, Mama’s Home Remedies, ISBN:978-0-9791758-2-4

If you wish to use copyrighted material or articles from this blog for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use’ or  republish it, please credit as follows: by Svetlana Konnikova, MA, AN

Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.