In honer of the movie ECLIPSE coming out in theaters this Wednesday... I thought I'd make a special 'drink' using my Vita-Mix... and what better ingredient to start with than... THE BEET!?
This SUPER food rocks the house with it's
blood cleansing abilities to rid the body of many unwanted ailments...and just look at this gorgeous color... you wont be disappointed with this sweet yet earthy tasting smoothie!
Beetpire Smoothie Recipe:
1/4 - 1/2 c water
1/2 of large beet, cut into pieces
1/2 apple
1/2 orange, peeled
1 large carrot
1 large frozen banana
1/2 inch thick slice of fresh pineapple (core included! sides trimmed off.)
1-2 frozen strawberries
1 teaspoon flax seed oil (optional)
1 teaspoon sweetener: agave, honey or Stevia (also optional)
Directions:
Add ingredients in order into your high powered blender. Blend on high till well incorporated. Add more water if it's too thick. Store extra in fridge in air tight container.
Want to know the benefits of BEETS???
The beets belong to the same family as chard and spinach. Beet leaves have a bitter taste like chard, but are rich in chlorophyll. Although bitter, the greens have a higher nutritional value than their roots.
Both beet root and beet greens are very powerful cleansers and builders of the blood. Betacyanin is the phytochemical in beet that gives it its rich 'amethyst' color that significantly reduces homocysteine levels.
Nutritional Benefits
Beets are loaded with vitamins A, B1, B2, B6 and C. The greens have a higher content of iron compared to spinach. They are also an excellent source of calcium, magnesium, copper, phosphorus, sodium and iron.
While the sweet beet root has some of the minerals in its greens to a lesser degree, it is also a remarkable source of choline, folic acid, iodine, manganese, organic sodium, potassium, fiber and carbohydrates in the form of natural digestible sugars.
Its iron content, though not high, is of the highest and finest quality that makes excellent food that is blood building. This renders it highly effective in treating many ailments caused by our toxic environment and surrounding.
Health Benefits
Beets have long been known for its amazing health benefits for almost every part of the body. And yet, it is something that very few people take, much less its juice.
Start adding beets to your juicing diet to enjoy all of their heavenly goodness:
Acidosis: The alkalinity is essential and effective in combating acidosis.
Anemia: The high content of iron in beets regenerates and reactivates the red blood cells and supplies fresh oxygen to the body. The copper content in beets help make the iron more available to the body. A great blood builder.
Atherosclerosis: This wonderful crimson juice is a powerful solvent for inorganic calcium deposits that cause the arteries to harden.
Blood pressure: All its healing and medicinal values effectively normalize blood pressure, lowering high blood pressure or elevating low blood pressure.
Cancer: Betaine, an amino acid in beet root, has significant anti-cancer properties. Studies show that beet juice inhibits formation of cancer-causing compounds and is protective against colon or stomach cancer.
Constipation: The cellulose content helps to ease bowel movements. Drinking beets juice regularly will help relieve chronic constipation.
Dandruff: Mix a little vinegar in a small cup of beet juice. Massage it into the scalp with your fingertips and leave on for about an hour, then rinse. Do this daily till dandruff clears up. Warning: you will smell awful during this hour!
Detoxification: The choline from this wonderful juice detoxifies not only the liver, but also the entire system of excessive alcohol abuse, provided consumption is ceased.
Gastric ulcer: Mix honey with your beet juice and drink two or three times a week on an empty stomach (more frequently if your body is familiar with beets juice). It helps speed up the healing process.
Gall bladder and kidney ailments: Coupled with carrot juice, the superb cleansing virtues are exceptional for curing ailments to these two organs.
Gout: Another ailment that can be greatly helped by the cleansing that beets have to offer.
Liver or bile: The cleansing virtues in beet juice is very healing for liver toxicity or bile ailments, like jaundice, hepatitis, food poisoning, diarrhea or vomiting. A squeeze of lime with beet juice heightens the efficacy in treating these ailments.
Varicose veins: In similar ways that it helps to keep the elasticity of arteries, regular consumption of beet juice also helps prevent varicose veins.
Consumption Tips
Choose beet roots that are firm and unwrinkled. With the greens attached, beets can keep for only three to four days in the fridge as the root has to supply moisture to the leaves. Without the greens attached, beet root can keep for a couple of weeks.
Beets with round bottoms are sweeter than flat-bottomed ones. Eat beets fresh to better enjoy their flavor. Do not overheat beets when cooking, as heat destroys all the essential nutrients. Remove the skin before cooking.
Caution
Individuals with a history of oxalate-containing kidney stones should limit their consumption of beets.
As beetroot juice is very potent, do not consume too much, especially if your body is not yet accustomed to it. For a beginner, start with the juice of half a medium-sized beetroot once a week, slowly increasing to one whole beetroot a week.
This delicious juice is so potent that it may cause some dizziness during cleansing as toxins are being eliminated. This process may cause some discomfort but there is nothing to be alarmed about. During this time, drink plenty water also to flush out the toxic materials.
Please click HERE to visit the source of this fantastic info!
Caitlin, is that a spoon from the kitchen?
We are really looking forward to seeding the back yard this fall or spring... but for now... Justin loves that he doesn't have to mow it...
Will, digging in the dirt... probably with another spoon from the kitchen...
We ordered the kids some pocket sized Books of Mormon for Primary. They LOVE them! They practice turning the pages slowly and even at this young age they know they are special books. Will takes his everywhere with him... he was on his way to the bathroom the other day and said... "Oh, i forgot my scriptures!"
Will was excited to go to church once he had his scriptures...He ran upstairs and got 'dressed all by himself!" And he came down stairs wearing this...
two shirts, top one *inside out* "now it's white"
I told him it wasn't Sunday yet and that he'd have to wait! Then decided to help me make dinner! love this little man!
Our future Missionary!
Happy Brinners waking up from a nap... playing with her FAVORITE Glow worm!
I happened to have the camera in the diaper bag at church on Sunday... and thought this was so cute...
Here's Will with his Sunday outfit (dressed himself again!) and Caitlin pretending to be a dog!
Yesterday I gave the kids HAIR CUTS! Caitlin's hair was still a little lop-sided from when she tried to cut her hair herself a few years ago! (click HERE to remember that day!) So, i didn't want to cut too much off... but it needed to be even. (well, as even as a 5 year old can sit still and a mom who's had little to umm.... no training! (i think it turned out pretty good!?)
Will did REALLY well with his hair cut... usually he cries the whole time! he only cried half the time! Progress is his middle name!
havin' fun... on the computer!
