Foods You Should Know About: Beets
As we’re heading into the summer months, I’m reaching more for the fruits and the veggies! I like to cool off from my morning runs with a smoothie. Another great hidden gem for smoothies is beets. Beets are a GREAT veggie if you’re a runner or just want to round out your diet!
What are Beets?
Beets are the lovely red veggies that Dwight Schrute loves (any fans of The Office?). I’m sure you’re aware that a well rounded diet eats fruits and veggies of colors. Beets may not seem like the easiest veggie to prepare but it’s loaded with many vitamins and minerals, which leads me to my next point.
Why Should I Eat Them?
See that red color? It comes from the many different antioxidants in the vegetable. The antioxidants contained in beets are very helpful for eye and nerve tissue health. There’s still additional studies on how much beets enhance the health of the eyes and nerve tissue but you’ll be on the safe side with a normal dose of beets in your diet!
Beets also contain many anti-inflammatory benefits. Due to the unique phytonutrients present in beets, you get to experience the ant inflammatory effects! This along with the high fiber content of beets makes it a big candidate for those who wish to reduce the risk of certain cancer types. How we nourish our body is very important and I think beets are a big player!
How Should I Eat Them?
If you are lucky enough to have a Vitamix, beets are great in juices and smoothies! Try this recipe! A way I enjoy my beets is in a cold pressed juice from JuiceLand near my spin studio. I actually really like the taste of beets but I know that isn’t the case for everyone which is why a juice is a safe bet. When purchasing a juice, make sure it is cold pressed with no additional sugar. You’ll typically find a juice that contains beets along with other fruits to “hide” the taste.
