Beets: Can't Beat'em? Join'em!

Fall is a great time for 2 of my favorite foods that also double as real boosters to cleaning out toxins in your body – apples and beets.  Since I live in a town full of apple orchards, I’m going to address my other fall favorite, beets.

Beets are a highly cleansing food because they contain betalains, a very special class of phytonutrients. These phytonutrients have great anti-inflammatory and anti-aging properties and support the body’s abilities to eliminate toxins (yeah, we like that). (Note that this class of phytonutrients is easily destroyed after too much heat. So include some raw and/or low cooked beets for optimal anti-inflammatory help.)

Beets were originally grown for their leaves, and they are my favorite type greens to eat.  The bulbs vary as much in flavor as they can in shape, size and color. The young and little ones, in spring and summer, can nearly be eaten whole (no worries about removing the skin after washing). They’re sweet and tasty. Later in the year you’ll want to remove those skins after cooking because they get a little tougher.

As beets grow in the ground, the quality of the soil directly affects the nature of the beet. Organic beets, grown in compost-rich soil, are likely to taste sweeter and cleaner. Borscht, kvass, juice, salad, sauté, roast, shred, pickle. Whatever floats your beet.

The health benefits of beets: 

• Beets are a great blood and nervous system tonic. They’re helpful for combating anemia, improving circulation and supporting heart function.
• The beet roots are a good source of several vitamins and minerals including calcium, magnesium, iron, vitamin B and vitamin C. Believe it or not, the leaves or greens are even more nutritious with additional stores of beta-carotene and folic acid. 
• As a detoxifier, the beetroot stimulates liver, bowel, kidney and lymphatic functions, enhancing the elimination of toxins and waste. 
• Beets also contain an impressive array of antioxidants that help them to be one of your best friends through the cold and flu season as well as a beneficial for eye health.
• Those beet juices and soups, like borscht, are potent decongestants. They help to clear the phlegm brought on by coughs and colds. 
• Because of it rich antioxidant and phytonutrient properties, the beet has received some attention for its cancer-risk reducing potential. 
• Nitrates, a chemical compound often used to treat heart conditions, are abundant in beets. The nitrates widen the blood vessels to help the blood circulate. This helps to lower blood pressure and increase exercise endurance.
• And bonus benefit from beets has to do with its role in the digestive system. Beets contain a specific type of fiber that facilitates digestion and absorption so that many conditions associated with stagnation, like headaches, fatigue and skin problems can be more easily alleviated. Beets also have a soothing effect on the digestive tract, which can help heartburn and indigestion.

One of the ways I eat my beets on a regular basis besides fermented (like pickled) is serving it with a thickened orange juice sauce.  But below is a new recipe that is not quite as quick but is yummy.  So give it a try.

I have been working hard at getting a program together to help people ‘clean house’ (house being their body) and rejuvenate their bodies - and it’s finally underway.  It’s not too late to join us for the Body Blast Detox.  See way below for details.

In the meantime, ‘eat your beets and greens’, as my aunt used to say to me - and lets beet inflammation!

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Beet Salad with Lemon-Herb Nut Cheese

This is an adaptation of a recipe from Raven’s Restaurant in Mendocino, CA as featured in Thrive Foods by Brendan Brazier.

Serves approximately 2 to 4

Ingredients

4 small red beets and their greens

Dressing:

1 Tbsp. dijon mustard

1/8 cup chopped shallot

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2– 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (start with less and add according to your taste)

3–5 drops liquid lemon or plain stevia

a good pinch (or two) sea salt

Lemon-Herb Nut Cheese:

1/2 cup raw walnuts

Zest from one lemon

Juice from 1/2 lemon

1 clove garlic, peeled

Pinch sea salt, more to taste

Fresh pepper, to taste

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Chop the greens off the beets right at the bulb. Chop the scraggly tail off the beet as well. Wash the beets and wrap them individually in a small sheet of parchment paper, twisting the paper around the top. Roast the beets for 30 minutes.

While the beets are roasting, prepare the dressing by adding dressing ingredients to a blender and blending until well mixed. Set aside. (You will have enough dressing to last beyond this salad unless you use extra greens that are noted here.)

Make the nut cheese by pulsing all the ingredients in a food processor until they resemble a course, crumbled cheese.

Cut the stems off the beet greens. Slice the leaves into ribbons. Place them into a pan with a very small splash of water and steam until just wilted.

Remove the four bundles from the oven. When the paper is cool to touch, open them and allow the beets to cool. Slip off the skins and first cut the beet in half and then slice those halves into half moons.

To Serve

Arrange the beet greens on a small plate. Top with sliced beets. Drizzle with dressing. Sprinkle nut cheese on top. Add more sea salt and pepper to satisfy your taste buds.