The Truth about Beet Juice
Don’t like beets? You’re not alone; the Food Network reported beets in their Top 5 Most Disliked Vegetables list along with eggplants, turnips, peppers and broccoli. And, according to the website blog.anytimefitness.com, the fibery, nutritionally-dense root is second only to the dreaded Brussel-sprout as the world's least popular vegetable. I'm not sure why that is, despite their unfortunate reputation as being less than palatable, this violet veggie is loaded with natural sugar that makes them, especially when cooked, as tasty as any dessert.
In addition to their sweet flavor and pleasing aroma, beets are packed with essential minerals and vitamins. And, the juice of the beet is an especially effective way to leverage the root's nutritional value particularly the all-important nitrates, which concentrate in the liquid fraction of the purple plant. In fact, beet juice is fast becoming the gold standard of nitrate-rich foods.
Many studies have been done on the performance enhancing and anabolic building effects of beet juice nitrates. Professional athletes, including Olympic weight lifters and triathletes rave about it's benefits. Under the category of “you heard it here first”, in the same way that electrolytes took the sports world by storm in the 1980’s and 1990’s, nitrites are poised to become the 21st century version of the next latest and greatest.
The good news is the same benefits that athlete's exploit by enjoying the beautiful burgundy beet beverage can be leveraged by regular couch potatoes to improve cardiovascular wellness. Drinking beet juice regularly has been shown to effectively open up blood vessels, reduce hypertension, support liver health and help cleanse the body of toxins.
Beet juice is also beneficial for skin beauty. High in folate, potassium, iron, vitamin C and antioxidants, beets stimulate the production and repair of cells, which helps protect the skin against thinning and the damaging effects of solar radiation.
So, add a glass of beet juice to your daily regimen and improve your overall health and combat skin aging and skin conditions naturally! If it's too sweet for you, add in some Himalayan Sea Salt. And, if it was me I’d be cutting it with a little celery and/or cucumber.
…and, that’s The Truth.
Ben's Beet Juice Recipe
(I make and drink this 2 to 3 times a week)
Blend together in a Vita-Mix Blender:
• 1 medium beet - rinsed, peeled, and cut into pieces
• 1 medium apple - peeled, cored and cut into pieces
• 1 Tbsp skinned fresh ginger
• 3 whole carrots - rinsed, peeled and cut into pieces
• 2 stalks celery - rinsed and cut into small pieces
• Celtic or Himalayan Sea Salt to taste
• 32oz of distilled water
Pour over ice and enjoy!
