Enjoy Beets and Their Amazing Nutritional Value!

Important Facts about BEETS:                                Beets receive their vibrant red color from betalains, a powerful class of anti-oxidants that flourish inside this remarkable plant. In fact, beets contain the largest amounts of betalains in all of nature. These betalains have not only been shown to provide antioxidant support, but anti-inflammatory, and detoxification support as well. You can see these betalain pigments in other foods (like the stems of chard or rhubarb). Due to the concentration of betalains in the peel and flesh of beets, you will find a great opportunity for the health benefits that they provide. 


Health Benefits:  

     Reduce inflammation-

Whenever toxins attack your system-or when injuries or even infection strikes-your body reacts with a complex biological course of action typically called inflammation. If this inflammation proceeds uncontrolled, it can cause many issues, from stroke to arthritis to cardiovascular disease

     Reduces the risk of blood clots-

Betalains guard the slim lining of one’s blood vessels; it will help reduce the inflammation that makes your blood sticky and results in clots.

     Reduces bad cholesterol-

Betalains strongly reduce oxidized LDL cholesterol.

     Protects cells from toxins-

Betalains guard various types of cells, particularly brain cells, from harmful toxins known to trigger tumors.

     Protects your liver-

Betalains provide important protection from toxins that directly impact on your liver.

Support of Detoxification

The betalin pigments present in beets have repeatedly been shown to support activity in our body's Phase 2 detoxification process. Phase 2 is the metabolic step that our cells use to hook activated, unwanted toxic substances up with small nutrient groups. This "hook up" process effectively neutralizes the toxins and makes them sufficiently water-soluble for excretion in the urine. One critical "hook up" process during Phase 2 involves an enzyme family called the glutathione-S-transferase family (GSTs). GSTs hook toxins up with glutathione for neutralization and excretion from the body. The betalains found in beet have been shown to trigger GST activity, and to aid in the elimination of toxins that require glutathione for excretion. If you are a person who thinks about exposure to toxins and wants to give your body as much detox support as possible, beets are a food that belongs in your diet.

How to Select and Store

Choose small or medium-sized beets whose roots are firm, smooth-skinned and deep in color. Smaller, younger beets may be so tender that peeling won't be needed after they are cooked.

Avoid beets that have spots, bruises or soft, wet areas, all of which indicate spoilage. Shriveled or flabby should also be avoided as these are signs that the roots are aged, tough and fibrous.

While the quality of the greens does not reflect that of the roots, if you are going to consume this very nutritious part of the plant, look for greens that appear fresh, tender, and have a lively green color.

Cut the majority of the greens and their stems from the beet roots, so they do not pull away moisture away from the root. Leave about two inches of the stem attached to prevent the roots from "bleeding." Do not wash beets before storing. Place in a plastic bag and wrap the bag tightly around the beets, squeezing out as much of the air from the bag as possible, and place in refrigerator where they will keep for up to 3 weeks.

Store the unwashed greens in a separate plastic bag squeezing out as much of the air as possible. Place in refrigerator where they will keep fresh for about four days.

Raw beets do not freeze well since they tend to become soft upon thawing. Freezing cooked beets is fine; they'll retain their flavor and texture.

How to Enjoy

Tips for Preparing Beets                                                                                  Unlike some other food pigments, betalains undergo a very steady loss from food as the length of cooking time is increased. For example, one recent study has shown the red betalain pigments in beets to be far less heat stable than red anthocyanin pigments in red cabbage. The difference between 15 minutes of steaming versus 25 minutes of steaming, or 60 minutes of roasting versus 90 minutes of roasting can be significant in terms of betalain damage. For these reasons, I recommend that you keep beet steaming times to 15 minutes or less, and roasting times under an hour.

Rinse gently under cold running water, taking care not to tear the skin, which helps keep the health-promoting pigments inside. Since beet juice can stain your skin, wearing kitchen gloves is a good idea when handling beets. If your hands become stained during the cleaning and cooking process, simply rub some lemon juice on them to remove the stain. Cut beets into quarters leaving 2 inches of tap root and 1 inch of stem on the beets.

The Healthiest Way of Cooking Beets

Cook beets lightly. Studies show beets' concentration of phytonutrients, such as betalains, is diminished by heat.

I recommend steaming beets for 15 minutes to maximize their nutrition and flavor. Fill the bottom of the steamer with 2 inches of water or chicken broth and bring to a rapid boil. Add beets, cover, and steam for 15 minutes. Beets are cooked when you can easily insert a fork or the tip or knife into the beet.

Peel beets by setting them on a cutting board and rubbing the skin off with a paper towel. Transfer to a bowl and serve with a pinch of sea salt.

Beets' color can be modified during cooking. Adding an acidic ingredient such as lemon juice or vinegar will brighten the color while an alkaline substance such as baking soda will often cause them to turn a deeper purple. Salt will blunt beets' color, so add only at the end of cooking if needed.

A Few Quick Serving Ideas

• Simply grate raw beets for a delicious and colorful addition to salads or decorative garnish for soups.
• Healthy Boil beet greens for 1 minute for a great tasting side dish, which is very similar to Swiss chard.
• Marinate steamed beets in fresh lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, and fresh herbs.

Here is my favorite Beet Salad:

RAW BEET SALAD

Serves 6 people. Raw beets taste similar to raw carrots in that they’re sweet, juicy, and crisp. Jicama, a Mexican root vegetable that looks like a large, pale, round potato, is crunchy and mild when peeled and eaten raw. If you can’t find jicama, simply substitute cubed cucumber in this salad.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups grated jicama
• 2 cups grated raw beets (3 medium beets)
• 1 avocado, thinly sliced
• 1 navel orange, peeled, sectioned, each section cut into thirds
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• 3 Tbs. fresh orange juice
• 1 Tbs. lime juice
• 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp. ground coriander
• 11/2 Tbs. olive oil
• 1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds (optional)

Directions:
1.Place beets in medium bowl along with jicama, avocado, orange, and cilantro.

2. Whisk together orange juice concentrate, lime juice, cumin, and coriander. Whisk in oil. Pour over beet mixture, and toss to mix. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Sprinkle each serving with rawpumpkin seeds.

15-Minute Steamed Beets

The beautiful color of beets also reflects their rich concentration of health-promoting phytonutrient antioxidants, which add free-radical protection to your Healthiest Way of Eating. They are also rich in folate and manganese.

Prep and Cook Time: 5 minute prep; 15 minute cooking Ingredients: 3 medium beets, about 3" in diameter 1 medium clove garlic, pressed or chopped 2 tsp fresh lemon juice 1 TBS balsamic vinegar 3 TBS extra virgin olive oil sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste Optional: 1 TBS balsamic vinegar 10 fresh basil leaves, chopped 1 TBS chopped dill 1 TBS chopped chives 2 TBS Feta cheese

Directions:

1. Fill the bottom of a steamer with 2 inches of water.
2. While the water is coming to a boil, wash beets, leaving 2 inches of tap root and 1 inch of the stem on the beets. Cut beets into quarters. Do not peel.
3. Steam covered for 15 minutes. Beets are cooked when you can easily insert a fork on the tip of a knife into the beet. Although some of their colorful phytonutrients are lost to the steaming water, there is plenty of color and nutrients left in the beets.
4. Press or chop garlic and let sit for 5 minutes to bring out their health-promoting properties.
5. Peel beets using a paper towel.
6. Transfer beets to a bowl and toss with remaining ingredients while they are still hot.
   Serves 2

BUT WAIT...

Don’t toss those beet tops out! These undiscovered leafy greens are not only edible, but have a fabulous flavor reminiscent of their culinary cousin, Swiss chard. But, these greens have a distinct edge —their stems are so tender you can forgo the labor-intensive step of stripping the tough rib from the leaf. The only prep work this lusty green requires is a quick rinse and a rough chop.

In this recipe, the beet greens’ slightly bitter and naturally salty flavor are enhanced by the mildly sweet acidic taste of the lime and thinly-sliced fresh garlic—the perfect counterpoint flavors to tame their robust taste. Quick to prepare, this sauté gets to the table in less than 5 minutes, and pairs beautifully as a standout side for any pan-seared cold-water fish.

Another good reason to add beet greens to your culinary repertoire is that they stretch your food budget. In these hard economic times, foods that do double-duty by covering several meals are a go-to bargain. The beet root can serve as the foundation of a light entrée in soups or salads, while the greens will stand alone as a stunning side, or serve as a graceful team player when added to omelets, risotto, quiche or pasta.

And, beet tops pack a lot of nutrition for a mere 39 calories per serving! Beet greens are emerging as a nutritional powerhouse, rich in potassium, magnesium, iron, calcium, betacyanin (a potent antioxidant), leutin,  thiamin, riboflavin, folate and vitamins , A, B6, C, E, and K. In fact, researchers discovered that beet greens are even more nutritious than the roots! They safeguard your health by reducing the risk of cancer, heart disease and Alzheimer’s.

Sautéed Beet Greens with Garlic, Olive Oil and Lime

Serves: 2

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 large bunch beet greens
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced (about ¼ -inch thick)
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
Zest of 1 lime, plus juice of ½ limes
1/8 tsp. honey
Pinch of salt

Preparation:
Rinse beet greens several times in a basin of cold water to remove any sand, and then drain on paper towels. Chop greens and stems into 1-inch slices and place into a large bowl, and then set aside.

Heat a large wok over medium-high until hot.  Add oil, beet greens and immediately start to flip over greens in the pan using tongs.  As the greens start to wilt (about 25 seconds), add garlic and toss with tongs several times— garlic should still be raw but slightly warm. Add lime juice, zest, honey, and salt. Toss with tongs several times until incorporated. Remove from pan and serve immediately.


NOTE: ALWAYS USE CERTIFIED ORGANIC PRODUCE WHENEVER POSSIBLE.