Beets Are Better!!!
I was invited to be a Guest Blogger for Andrea Beaman, world renowned Health Coach, and I was honored to write for her website. Thank you, Andrea.
By Karen Dame, ChhC, AADP
Beets are better, there, I said it! Better than what you ask? Better than night shade vegetables. They are a powerhouse of nutrition and considered to be one of the healthiest foods on the planet.
Beets contain precious life sustaining vitamins and minerals like, Folate, Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, Thiamin, Manganese, Potassium, Magnesium and are a great source of fiber. Whether you are eating purple or golden beets, they provide health benefits for so many disorders.
Beets are touted to help conditions such as, anemia, indigestion, certain cancers, heart disease, macular degeneration, improves blood circulation, cataracts, liver cleansing and respiratory problems. The delicious plant aids in correcting constipation and has been used as a remedy for digestive disorders. They are also a known aphrodisiac, boosting sexual function. Part of the family of good carbohydrates, they provide fuel for energy and researchers have noted that oxygen uptake is increased when you drink beet juice because of it’s high nitrate content.
If you suffer from an inflammatory condition such as arthritis or an auto-immune disease, GI problems like GERD or IBS, you’ll want to consider withdrawing from eating any and all night shade vegetables. We know that inflammation is the root cause of disease and night shade vegetables exacerbate pain and inflammation. Night shades are a member of the Solanaceae family which include, tomatoes, goji berries, white (but not sweet) potatoes, eggplant, chilies and the sweeter bell peppers. The list of nightshade plants also includes any spices made from peppers, like paprika, red pepper flakes, and cayenne pepper. Solanines are a naturally occurring glycoalkaloid, a poison found in night shades that protect the plant from insects. When eaten they can cause gastrointestinal distress, muscle cramps, pain, headaches and more.
Tomatoes are a very common night shade found in traditional ketchup and pasta sauces and when my son became ill 8 years ago, his illness included sudden food allergies, accompanied by gastrointestinal distress. I found I was now in the position of having to create healthy alternatives for him. Cullen’s allergies surfaced overnight and as his health continued to deteriorate, we have traveled the country all this time to try to find a diagnosis for his symptoms. It was not until the spring of 2015 that we finally received a firm diagnosis….Lyme Disease. If you are at all familiar with this horrible, debilitating disease, you know that symptoms include food allergies, which in turn creates GI problems.
The Beet Lady Organic, Non-GMO Beet Ketchup and Marinara Sauce was born from a need to help my son by replacing the foods he could no longer tolerate, with healthy ones he could eat and enjoy. Beets were perfect because they have a myriad of nutrients his body needs and are a natural tomato replacement.
Creating these alternatives was truly a labor of love and that is why the first ingredient in The Beet Lady Organic Beet Ketchup and Marinara Sauce is LOVE because this recipe was created out of LOVE for my son. It was Cullen’s food allergies and my training in Health and Nutrition that inspired me to develop a wide variety of alternatives like, Beet Ketchup and Beet Marinara Sauce, which Cullen loves! The Beet Lady Ketchup and Marinara Sauce are all gluten, dairy, soy and night shade free. They are also vegan, organic and non-GMO. For more information and to see the products please visit, www.TheBeetLady.com
Link: http://www.andreabeaman.com/health/beets-are-better/#disqus_thread
