The leaves and the roots are also very low in calories and contain small amount of fats. They are also packed with large quantities of dietary fiber, which help in maintaining good digestive system and helps minimize effects of cholesterol.
• Garden beet is an outstanding source of folate. Folate is an important property that helps in the synthesis of DNA in the cells and helps prevent neural tube defects in newborn babies.
• This vegetable contains significant amount of powerful antioxidant elements that helps neutralize free radical cell that cause chronic diseases like cancer.
Health Benefits of Beets
• Anti Cancer: – A pigment known has betacyanin – responsible for the bright purple color in beetroots – contain strong antioxidant properties that fight cancer causing cells. The presence of dietary fiber and amino acid in beetroots, make this vegetable to be very effective in battling with various types of cancer especially colon cancer.
• Stroke: – Foods rich in potassium like beets help decrease risks of stroke. Deficiency of potassium exposes the body to stroke risks.
• Fights Anemia: – Anemia is caused by lack of enough red blood cells in the blood to carry and supply oxygen. This vegetable is rich in iron, a vital mineral needed in the formation and production of red blood cells. It’s also rich in copper, which helps the body produce enough irons.
• Infant Development: – Like avocado and spinach, raw beets are highly rich in folate. The folate is important in the development of infant’s nerves system. It helps prevent neurological defects of infant’s spinal column. Its deficiency could lead to a condition called neural tube defect.
• Constipation: - Beet greens and roots are rich in roughage, which helps ease or prevent constipation. Roughage helps balance water levels in the large intestine and boost good bowel movement.
• Prevent Blindness: – Bête-carotene compound present helps prevent age related blindness.
• Stomach Ulcers: – Vitamin A activates the stomach mucus membrane to secrete thick mucus that prevents the corrosion between stomach walls and the digestive acid.
• Blood Pressure: – Foods rich in potassium like fruits and vegetables helps control and regulate blood pressure. Potassium helps balance the sodium levels in blood and decrease risks of high blood pressure. Fiber helps decrease LDL and serum cholesterol that cause high bloods risks.
• Cleansing Effects: – Iron and choline properties act like cleansing agents. They help clean and detoxify the entire system especially the liver and the bile. The cleaning of the liver and bile helps prevent food poisoning, hepatitis or vomiting. A glass of beet juice mixed with lemon is a wonderful cleansing agent.
• Healthy Heart: – Just like other foods rich in fiber, beets fiber help decrease cholesterol and triglycerides which increase risks for heart related cardiovascular diseases, by increasing the level of good HDL cholesterol.
Safety note:
Beet greens contain high levels of oxalic acid just like spinach. Oxalic acid interferes with absorption of the calcium and irons, which are necessary for strong bones and red blood cells formation. Osteoporosis patients or anemic patients should limit their consumption of beet leaves.
Also patients with a history of kidney stone should limit intake of beets. This is because oxalic acid is crystallized as oxalate stone. Just wanted to say that Apple Cider Vinager and hot mineral water will also reduce inflamation
7 easy steps to make homemade ACV
Step 1: Wash 10 whole apples or the scraps from up to 30 apples with pure spring water or filtered water. Chop them up into pieces no smaller than one inch chunks.
Step 2: Fill a large glass jar (one-half gallon sized at a minimum) with the apple pieces at least half way. It's okay to even include seeds and stems.
Step 3: Fill the jar of apple slices with water until it's at least three-quarters or entirely full. Pearson warns, "Do not exceed 2 parts water to 1 part scraps which will leave you with a diluted, low acidity vinegar."
Step 4: Sprinkle sugar (organic cane or wild organic honey, one-quarter cup to each quart of water) into the jar with the apple scraps and water.
Over the course of an hour, stir occasionally with a wooden spoon, making sure to cover the container with a cheesecloth that's secured with twine or a rubber band. Then, repeat this process for one week, stirring the ingredients with a spoon and making sure to keep the jar in a darkened area. It will be normal for bubbling and foaming to take place, and for a strong odor to exist. That's a good thing; it's all part of the fermentation process and means that it's working.
Step 5: Once the apples have settled to the bottom of the jar, use the cheesecloth to strain them so that only the remaining liquid is transferred into another container.
Step 6: Cover this liquid with a cloth and again, store in a warm, dark location. This time, it will be stored for four to six weeks, in which time you'll see that the mother will form on the surface.
Step 7: Keep sealed and out of sunlight, just as you would with store-purchased ACV. After about another two weeks, it should lose its alcohol content, become more acidic and develop into the ACV you've come to know. Of course, you may alter the taste by straining the liquid from the mother and determining what best suits your taste buds. If the ACV is too acidic, you can add water to mellow the taste.