I just created a New Year’s Resolution. It’s too late, you say? Well, conveniently, it’s something I’ve been doing successfully for the first two weeks of January, so I thought I’d make it official. Why not?
I’m working on eating more vegetables and being adventurous about trying new varieties that I’ve been pretty convinced I hate. This is greatly enabled by my new juicer. My family will only eat so many kale salads and my kids have a lot more veggie aversions than do I.
So the other day I tentatively bought some dirt-caked, but beautiful, beets at the farmer’s market. I created the following juice, which I’ve dubbed:
Beet Juice for People Who Hate Beets
3 small beets
4 small carrots
4 small or 2 large Granny Smith apples
½ lemon, peeled and seeded
It was delicious and one of the most beautiful colors under the rainbow! Here’s the proof.
I especially wanted to try beets because they are loaded with vitamins and minerals, namely: potassium, magnesium, fiber, phosphorus, iron; vitamins A, B & C; beta-carotene, beta-cyanine, and folic acid. Beets are also a unique source of phytonutrients called betalains that provide antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and detoxification support. They help lower blood pressure, suppress tumor growth, cleanse the liver and purifying the blood.
As I was drinking my juice, I read an article about a study on the role of fruit and vegetable intake in fighting prostate cancer after diagnosis. It’s underway now and is jointly funded by Prostate Cancer Foundation, the National Cancer Institute and the U.S. Department of Defense. I emailed the article to my father who was diagnosed a few years ago. My mother says he doesn’t willingly eat a fruit or vegetable unless it’s placed on the plate before him. Maybe I should get him a juicer!
Here’s another take on beet juice (Berry Red Beet Juice) from Love and Lentils.
Elemental Wellness 