Nutrition counseling for those who want to feel healthier

Tip of the Month:  Have you used "Freecycle" yet?  If you want to get rid of that white elephant or almost anything else (but not into the landfill) go to www.freecycle.org . It's also the place to find treasures for free from your neighbors. Enter your city and state and see what those neighbors are offering and wanting -- computers, garbage can lids, mattresses are all listed for Cambridge, MA at the moment.

Food focus: Beets

There are three ways I know to prepare beets: cook them, pickle them, or shred them. If cooking, there are several choices, including boiled or roasted.  If boiled, then hot? Or cold in a salad?  If raw, the usual method is to grate or shred them quite fine to help with chewing and digestion.  Beets, like carrots, are sweet and thus a good choice for parents of balky eaters.

Why Beets Are Good For You: Antioxidants

We hear a lot about deep colored fruit and vegetables these days, said to bountiful in antioxidants.  Why do we need antioxidants?  Because, although oxidation is a normal part of biological life, too much of it undermines our health.  An oxidized  radical (one element of a molecule, e.g., the sodium or the chloride in NaCl, salt, would be a radical in the salt molecule) needs an extra electron from somewhere to continue functioning well.  Antioxidants provide those extra electrons.  A three-legged dog can hobble around, but he won't be the leader of the pack.  If you want your body firing on all cylinders, be sure to eat lots of fruit and vegetables -- especially the darkly colored ones, like beets.

Beets May Lower Blood Pressure

A recent study at the University of London Medical School has come up with a recommendation to drink beet juice for hypertension.  If curious about why, read the abstract at this website:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18250365?dopt=Abstract

When purchasing, always get them with their tops on if you can, as beet greens cook up very quickly and are full of what's good for you, like viatamins A and C and folate plus minerals -- calcium, manganese, potassium. Try to find organically grown beets as their soil will no doubt provide richer nourishment for the beets and hence for you.

Recipe of the Month: Beet Soup

Ingredients:

-         one medium sized onion, chopped

-         half a head of garlic

-         three tablespoons of butter or coconut oil

-         four medium sized beets, peeled & chopped

-         four cups of water (not broth)

-         salt and pepper to taste

-         garnish (optional): tablespoonful of yogurt or sour cream and a  chopped fresh herb of your choice: chives, dill, parsley...

Directions:

-         heat the butter or oil in a large pan;

-         add the onions over medium heat;

-         chop and then add the garlic;

-         when the onions are translucent, add the beets for five or ten minutes, stirring if they stick;

-         add the water, bring to a boil, then lower the heat to simmer under a not-too-tight lid for 30-60 minutes or until the vegetables are soft;

-         when ready, blend some of them to get a mixture of smooth and lumpy;

-         serve as is or with the garnish.

Recipe adapted from A Taste of Heaven and Earth, Bettina Vitell, Harper Collins, 1993.