Beets are the new thing

I mainly go to Farmers Markets for my produce.  This time of year you will mainly find good, hardy, root vegetables; which I love!  However, I am not quite as good at finding good diverse ways to use my root veggies, but I am beginning to branch out.  It has been fun for me to try new things. I have discovered that I absolutely love beets, who woulda' thunk it?  I roast them, stir fry them, and put them in soups, yummmy! They are strangely sweet, but still has that earthy texture going on. I just love them, and so does my son, which is wonderful since it is packed full of goodness.

http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/beets.html

Health benefits of beets

• Garden beet is very low in calories (contain only 45 kcal/100 g), and contain only small amount of fat. Its nutrition benefits come particularly from fiber, vitamins, minerals, and unique plant derived anti-oxidants.

• The root is rich source of phytochemical compound Glycine betaine. Betaine has the property of lowering homocysteine levels in the blood. Homocysteine, one of highly toxic metabolite, promotes platelet clot as well as atherosclerotic-plaque formation, which is otherwise can be harmful to blood vessels. High levels of homocystiene in the blood results in the development of coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke and peripheral vascular diseases.
• Raw beets are an excellent source of folates; contains about 109 mcg/100 g (Provides 27% of RDA). However, extensive cooking may significantly depletes its level in food. Folates are necessary for DNA synthesis in the cells. When given during peri-conception period folates can prevent neural tube defects in the baby.
• It contains significant amounts of vitamin-C, one of the powerful natural antioxidant, which helps body scavenge deleterious free radicals one of the reasons for cancers development.
• Beet greens (tops) are an excellent source of carotenoids, flavonoid anti-oxidants, and vitamin A; contain these compounds several times more than that of in the roots.Vitamin A is required maintaining healthy mucus membranes and skin and is essential for vision. Consumption of natural vegetables rich in flavonoids helps to protect from lung and oral cavity cancers.
• The root is also rich source of niacin (vit.B-3), pantothenic acid (vit.B-5), pyridoxine (vit.B-6) and carotenoids, and minerals such as iron, manganese, and magnesium.
• In addition, the root indeed has very good levels of potassium. 100 g fresh root has 325 mg of potassium or 7% of daily requirements. Potassium lowers heart rate and regulates metabolism inside the cells by countering detrimental effects of sodium.
  
  
  
  
  Today I heated up my skillet added some coconut oil, garlic, onion, than chopped up some daikon (a root vegetable known as the "chinese radish"), and leftover sweet potato, and lastly added my beet leafs. We had this for lunch and it was delicious.   I am loving trying new foods and new ways to make things I have not tried before. I would encourage you to branch out of your "normal" foods and try something different for a change. It is fun to see what you will like (and maybe what you will hate) but you will have some great stories (and maybe recipes!) to share along the way.