Monday Challenge:

Add Healthy Beets to Your Diet

Do you like beets? I didn’t for a long time. Then I discovered that it’s all about how you prepare them - no canned or pickled beets for me! When beets are in season, like right now, I really enjoy adding them to my diet.

Beets provide some impressive health benefits:

1. Beets are rich in anti-oxidants & vitamins. They are low in calories yet contain a bit of almost all the vitamins and minerals that you need

2. Beets keep blood pressure in check due to high concentration of dietary nitrates.

3. Beets can improve athletic performance by improving oxygen use.

4. Beets may help fight inflammation.

5. Beets are a good source of fiber and may improve digestive health.

6. Beets help support brain health - nitrates help increase blood flow to brain to improve cognitive function and possibly reduce risk of dementia.

7. Beets have anti-cancer properties - studies show pigments in beets may help reduce the growth of cancer cells.

8. Beets can help you lose weight - they are low in calories and high in water.

Beets are delicious and easy to include in your diet. Check out these golden beets I recently found on sale at my local Kroger.

And yes, you can even eat beets raw. Try slicing them up adding them to your salad - they add a wonderful crunch.

Or roast them and add to a buddha bowl. Enjoy smoothies? Lightly steam your beets and add to your smoothie.

And did you know you can eat the beet stems and the beet greens? Try steaming them (both greens and stems) and enjoy with your soup. Delicious!

How will you enjoy beets this week?

Let me know in the comments below.

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