[texas]

Beets have a great nutritional profile and are a necessary addition to any player's food vocabulary. They are not too commonly used where I am so it's another reason to get in the upscale grocery store or Latin supermarket and make some approaches while walking around looking like Super Mario 2. Pick it up and look puzzled and ask the cute Mexi produce girl how to cook them even though I'm about to tell you.

Nutritional Value
The beets
-Betanin which is being researched and looking to be promising against cancer and to reduce tumor cell growth
-Rich in antioxidants like Manganese (bone production, skin integrity, blood sugar control)
-Good for eye health and nerve tissue health
-Good for reducing inflammation
-Good for lowering blood pressure
-Folate for brain/nervous system health, red blood cell production
-Potassium for maintaining blood pressure, kidney health
-Copper for bone/tissue integrigy, energy support, cholestorol balance
-Boron for production of sex hormones
-Good for detoxing
-Increased endurance/stamina for working out due to decreased Oxygen consumption (makes exercise seem less tiring)

The greens
-Vitamin K for blood clotting, bone health
-Vitamin A for eye health, immune and inflammatory system support, cell growth support
-Vitamin C for producing collagen, creation of certain neurotransmitters
-Copper for bone/tissue integrigy, energy support, cholestorol balance
-Potassium for maintaining blood pressure, kidney health
-Manganese for bone production, skin integrigy, blood sugar control
-Vitamin B2 for promoting energy production, antioxidant protection, promoting iron metabolism
-Magnesium for energy production, maintaining nervous system balance, controlling inflammation and blood sugar
-Vitamin E for protecting LDL cholestorol from free radicals, cardiovascular health

Cooking the beets
It's best not to cook beets with lots of heat. For this reason, steaming is a good method. Boil some water, rinse them, and steam them for around 15 minutes. When you can poke them with a fork without a lot of resistance they are ready. Slice them and add some salt or cinnamon and put them next to your ribeye.

Juicing the beets
Cut the stems and wash the beets. Cut two or three of them into quarters. You can add ginger, carrot, apple, spinach or whatever else you want too. I've been doing three beets with one carrot and an apple plus a 1 inch piece of ginger in the morning.



The greens
Dark green leafy vegetables (DGLV) are always a good bet if you are looking for a nutrient-rich food option. Kale, spinach, mustard greens, turnip greens, chard are great options as well as beet greens.

Cooking the greens
The greens contain a lot of oxalic acid. Excessive consumption of this can cause crystalline formations such as kidney stones and similar formations in joints which cause pain. To combat this, its best to boil the greens to release acids instead of just throwing them in the pan from the get-go.

Bring water to a boil. Rinse the greens and stems to get any dirt off and then put them in the pot for 1 minute. Remove (best with tongs to shake excess water in sink) and then cook them like you would cook spinach in a pan with some olive oil. You can do it with onions and garlic or whatever you want.

Head's up
Your piss and shit will be affected by eating beets. A red tint will occur. This is normal as long as you recently ate beets.

Since incorporating beets and greens into my diet I have noticed a difference in my skin. It was not bad before but seems more pleasant like there is almost a glow, probably related to the carotene. Tomatos and carrots are also important for this. Usually after eating or juicing I notice a marked difference in how I feel, especially a noted sense of calm and awareness for a few hours afterward. This is likely attributed to a decreased blood pressure. Also, after preparing beet greens the other night, I woke up with three boners the next morning*+.

Probably some Eastern Euro members can share some beet soup recipes or anecdotes and some Asian-based members may have some pickled stories.

Beets in other languages
Spanish - betabel or remolacha in South America
Portuguese - beterraba
French - betterave
Russian - svekla
Polish - buraczany
Chinese - tiáncài
Vietnamese - củ cải tía
Thai - phạk chnid h̄nụ̀ng
Hindi - chukandar

I am not 100% sure on all those translations but get out there and do some approaches at your market, find out, and let me know if they are wrong.

*Past performance is not indicative of future boners.
+Each boner was individually owned and operated. Said boners were consecutive and not simultaneous.