What are the health benefits of beetroot?
While beetroot contain more sugar than any other vegetable on the table, they are low in calories, fat, and cholesterol.

They are also an excellent source of fibre, vitamin C, magnesium, and folate, which helps make and maintain RNA and DNA cells and prevent anaemia.

Beetroot also contain potassium, which is necessary for building muscle and regulating the heart’s electrical activity, and manganese, which helps maintain muscle and nerve function, build bone strength, regulate blood sugar levels, and promote a healthy immune system.

Betaine, an amino acid in beetroot, inhibits the formation of cancer-causing compounds and is protective against colon and stomach cancer.
 
How to prepare beetroot? 
Clean your beetroot with a scrubbing brush and water. Do not top and tail them with a knife as they will bleed from cuts, losing flavour and colour. If using raw in salads, just peel them with a vegetable peeler.
 
A little tip: Wash your cutting board, especially wooden one, immediately after cutting beetroot to save it from being dyed purple.
 
For the best shelf life, leave the roots muddy and store in a paper bag in the fridge or somewhere cool and dark, this way they will keep for several weeks.
 
Cooking beetroot?
You can roast, boil, bake or pickle it, but I prefer to stir-fry it along with onion, carrots or parsnip and serve it with brown rice or potatoes.

Beetroot just as spinach, rocket and lettuce is also high in nitrates. Research suggests that cooking significantly reduces the available nitrates. Therefore, eating raw beetroot is the best.
 
Eating beetroot raw?
You can peel, grate or cut into matchsticks or small cubes and use in salads (dress with lemon juice, cider vinegar or olive oil). You can also combine beetroot with other vegetables such as carrots, apples, parsnip, swede, celeriac and cabbage. I love juicing beetroot along with carrots, spinach, kale, ginger, parsley and/or lemon.
 
Why not to try this recipe below which is from my new book Plant-Based Recipes for Healthy Living and you can download it here: https://lenkapagan.com/plant-based-recipes-healthy-living/

Download this book for only £2.99!
Get £5 off with this promo code DECEMBER. Hurry, this offer expires this Wednesday 13th Dec.

Download your book here:
https://lenkapagan.com/plant-based-recipes-healthy-living/

Resources:
Autumn and Winter Veg book by Guy Watson and http://foodfacts.mercola.com

Do you like raw beetroot as well? If so, how do you prepare it? Please leave your comments below.

The post Beetroot: benefits, preparation & juice recipe appeared first on Lenka Pagan.

They are the main root vegetables in my almost every day juice. It is the base of all vegetable juices. Carrots contain vitamins A (beta carotene), D, E, K, C and minerals such as calcium, potassium, magnesium, phosphorous, sodium and other minerals and trace elements.

Carrot juice acts as a liver cleanser and therefore you may experience your skin turning a slight tint of orange in the palms of your hands when you first start drinking fresh carrot juice on a daily basis.

It’s nothing to worry about, it doesn’t last long and there is no permanent skin discolouration! I too experienced this discolouration on my skin as I drank a lot of pure fresh carrot juice every day. If you turn too orange, just lower the volume of carrots and juice them along with other vegetables such as kale, spinach, celery or apples.

Why does such discolouration happen? Well, it is a good sign. It means your body is getting rid of accumulated toxins from your liver – it’s simply detoxing.

Celery

Contains natural sodium with many minerals. A rich source of vitamins C, K and B and minerals such as potassium, folate, calcium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus and sodium. Celery promotes a calming effect on the nervous system, so it is a good tonic for insomnia.

Beetroot

Contains vitamins A and C and minerals such as magnesium, potassium, iron, calcium, sodium, phosphorus, manganese and folic acid. It is a powerful cleanser, as it cleanses your blood, kidneys and keeps your intestinal tract healthy. Also, it eliminates kidney stones and detoxifies liver and gall bladder. Beetroot helps lower blood pressure and cholesterol. It is very beneficial when drunk during menstruation.

Cucumbers

Contains lots of water, it is a natural diuretic and high in potassium levels. It helps with rheumatic ailments and promotes nail and hair growth. It is great for your skin.

Spinach

Is a rich source of vitamins A and E and high in iron, calcium and protein. Spinach is nourishing for the skin, eyes and for building bones. It also helps to increase serotonin levels naturally, so it is a great energy booster.

Parsley

Is nutritionally dense and very concentrated. It contains vitamins A, C, and K and the minerals folate, iron, copper, potassium, calcium and magnesium. It is good for bad breath.

Kale

Is an excellent source of vitamins A, C, K and B as well as minerals such as manganese, protein, magnesium, iron, potassium, copper, calcium, and is high in chlorophyll and fibre. It is a great cancer fighting food, is good for your heart and helps to treat many other ailments.

Apples

Are the only fruit which combines well with other juices. Other fruit juices and vegetables juices do not combine that well.

Apples contain pectin, helping lower cholesterol. Also vitamins such as A, B and C as well as minerals such as calcium, potassium, magnesium and phosphorus. They are great for the immune system as they fight against infection, help remove toxins, relieve constipation and soothe the nerves.

Yes, you can also juice Watermelons  – but do not mix it with other juices. Watermelon drink it alone. Watermelon is very alkalising fruit and high in minerals and vitamins.

Other ingredients that can be juiced are:

• pineapple,

• tomatoes,

• lettuce,

• bok choi,

• fennel bulb,

• lemon,

• herbs, garlic, ginger root, turmeric root, etc.

When choosing greens, get the darkest in colour as they contain the most nutrients!

Three basic tips before you start juicing:

1. Ideally, use as many organic ingredients as are available and affordable.

Why? Organic foods have a higher content of nutrients and taste better and sweeter. Conventional farming methods involve lots of pesticides which are harmful to your health. Farmers don’t spend millions every year in pesticides just so they can be washed away by rain. Therefore washing your produce in water will not remove its pesticides.

2. I use a vegetable spray wash that will get rid of pesticides and chemical residue from produce which cannot be peeled and can be bought in most health food shops.

3. Keep your juicer visible on a counter because if you see it, you are more likely to use it. If you keep it hidden in the cupboard, you have one more reason not to use it regularly.

If you like to learn more please check out my book ‘Healing Beverages’ which has over 100 delicious and simple recipes for juices, smoothies, plant-based milks and herbal teas, plus lots of other helpful information.

Download here

Next: Which type of juicer should I use?

The post What do I juice and why? appeared first on Lenka Pagan.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t! Why?

When most people eat, they do not chew their food properly. Solid food requires an hour or even more before it’s broken down and assimilated at the cellular level in liquid form.

The amount of food that can be eaten in solid form is much less than in juice form, therefore freshly pressed juices are the easiest option.

The juice of the plant, like the blood of the body, contains all the elements that build and nourish. It is a well-known fact that all foods must become liquid before they can be assimilated.

This is why I always start the day with a glass of barley grass or wheat grass juice, fresh if I can, but usually in a powder form. It is the healthiest and simplest way for you to consume a good amount of nutrients.

This image gives you an example of how many vegetables you could get into just a couple of glasses of highly nutritious juice. It’s almost impossible to eat this quantity at once, but its not a problem to drink it in the form of a freshly made juice.

Here are some of the reasons why I have consistently consumed fresh juice on a daily basis since 2004:

• freshly pressed juice gives you lots of energy, leaving you feel refreshed and alive!

• it contains living enzymes, vitamins, amino acids (protein), minerals all in their natural form and proper combination, exactly what your body needs to become the building blocks and fuel to build and rebuild your cells,

• it makes your skin soft and glowing, your hair shiny, your nails stronger, makes your breath fresh and more,

• it cleanses the body of toxins and boosts the immune system,

• it quickly and easily absorbed by your body,

• it reduces cravings,

• it slows down the ageing process thanks to antioxidants,

• it allows you to consume the nutrients in such a large quantity in one sitting, which is much more than anyone would ever be able to eat,

• if you strain your juice, remove the fibre content or pulp, there is no major digestive effort required. The nutrients are assimilated by getting into your bloodstream and feeding your cells within a few minutes in order to provide the nutritional building blocks to create healthy new living cells,

• fresh fruit juices are the cleansers of our body,

• fresh vegetable juices are the regenerators and builders of our body,

• it just tastes so good – you could easily get addicted to it!

Your body is equipped with a self-healing ability and if you allow it to do its job by nurturing it physically, mentally and spiritually, it will provide you with a strong immune system to protect you against disease.

Feeding your body with hazardous foods, drugs, radiation, chemotherapy and other unnatural substances will only weaken your immune system and degenerate your body, thus causing disease.

If you like to learn more please check out my book ‘Healing Beverages’ which has just over 100 recipes for juices, smoothies, plant-based milks and teas, plus lots of other helpful information.

Download here

Next week: What do I juice and why?

The post Why do I juice? appeared first on Lenka Pagan.