My girlfriend Lori gave me a big bag of beets from her fall harvest and it inspired me to write this blog. I love beets because they are delicious and nutritious. Yum!
Low in Calories
They are low in calories only 44 per ½ cup of cooked beets. They contain fiber, Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, folate, magnesium, manganese, potassium, phosphorous, iron, even some protein and next to no fat!
High in Plant Nitrates
What makes beets so special? They have a high concentration of naturally producing plant nitrates (not to be confused with nitrates in deli meats) that convert in the body into nitric oxide. This molecule opens the blood vessels that can help to lower blood pressure and heart rate. Thus, eating beets on a regular basis will positively affect your blood pressure.
Studies show that athletes can enhance their performance with plant nitrates occur naturally in beets as well as other vegetables. It appears to help with endurance, meaning a runner will have more stamina. For maximum effect it is best to consume beets 2 to 3 hours before exercise or physical work. My husband loves to have a big bowl of Borscht at lunch because it provides him with consistent energy all afternoon when he is working one of our house flips.
These same nitrates may also improve mental and cognitive function due to dilation of blood vessels which results in increasing blood flow to the brain.
Nutritionally Dense
Beets do contain natural sugar and have a glycemic index (GI) score of 61, which is considered medium. The GI is a measure of how fast blood sugar levels rise after a meal. On the other hand, the glycemic load of beets is only 5, which is very low. What does this mean? They are a fantastic carbohydrate to eat!
Beets are nutritionally dense and contain so many good nutrients especially fiber. This means that fiber slows down absorption f the beet sugars and that minimizes the impact on glucose levels. If you want to lose weight or are diabetic, enjoy eating beets.
Ways to Eat Beets
There are lots of ways to eat beets. They are delicious roasted and can be served as a vegetable on the plate or perhaps as a salad by adding goat cheese or feta with arugula and drizzle extra virgin olive oil on top.
The beet tops are edible and pack a lot of important nutrients like protein, fiber, zinc, phosphorus and more. I chop them up and add them to my salad. I throw a handful in my morning shake along with my USANA Vanilla Nutrimeal.
You can also sauté them with some dill, garlic and onions in olive or coconut oil. I add chopped beet tops to my chicken vegetable soup.
My favorite is Borscht soup! An old Ukrainian Baba taught me how to make authentic Borscht soup when we worked together at the Beausejour Deli many, many years ago. Want to make this authentic recipe? Check out my recipe section of my website where I share my Borscht recipe. Enjoy!
Red Poops
Don’t be alarmed if your poops or urine turns red after eating a lot of beets. This is perfectly normal. HaHa
Enjoy eating your beets for energy and vitality!
