Forgive me for getting so excited at my quick stop on the way back from teaching in Bedford…Lidl was enroute and I needed some veg…fresh beetroot bunched into 3-5 beets depending on size was half price at less than 60p! I filled my basket 🙂
I know I may be a little unusual in my love of beetroot. I’m not surprised if all you have been exposed to is your grandmother boiling the beets and that awful smell! Oh and of course…pickled beetroot!
Roasted veg (including beetroot) with feta cheese and balsamic, beetroot curry, grated beets and carrots with a vinaigrette dressing, beetroot, apple, lime and chilli smoothie or juice. Oh the choice!
But why should you eat beetroot? Because it is an amazing veg full of wonderful nutrients which can help with liver function, hormone detox, circulation, blood pressure and is high in fibre. So what’s not to love?
Beetroot along with leafy and cruciferous vegetables (eg brocolli, cauliflower, kohlrabi, Brussel sprouts) carrots, garlic, onions, and artichokes support the liver in detoxification.
We want a beautiful hormonal symphony to keep our female body feeling beautiful and balanced. But if the liver is tired and overwhelmed (see it happens to us all!!) instead of removing excess hormones It may cause them to circulate through the bloodstream leading to hormonal imbalances which can affect the thyroid gland or our estrogen levels.
The high fibre content also helps us remove excess hormones from our body so if you’re constipated (going less than once a day!) then maybe you need to up your veg…and beetroot 🙂
Beetroot also has a high concentration of nitrates which the body converts to nitric oxide. Nitric oxide regulates blood vessel function so can improve your circulation and therefore your blood pressure. Do you get cold hands and feet? Maybe another reason to eat your beets?
The blood red colour helps our blood? Yes.
That lovely bright red colour comes from betalin pigments and these have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties; other sources of plant-based nitrates are rocket, spinach, endive, and kohlrabi.
Apart from the colour, beetroot is a great source of magnesium (needed for over 300 reactions in the body including energy production), potassium, folate, and vitamin C. Wow!! What a super veg!
Not surprisingly, I read in some research that it is being considered as a promising therapeutic treatment in a range of clinical pathologies. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4425174/
Want some help?
If you’re looking for natural lifestyle strategies to help you eat, move, and live better, get in touch now. penny@penvita.co.uk
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