The notion any diet, faithfully followed for eight or nine days or any short period of dieting time can permanently solve your weight worries is a cruel, inhuman illusion. It is certainly true that you can reduce your weight gratifyingly and safely by following such diets but what happens afterward? This is blog that specializes in-practical tips and reviewing weight loss programs we incorporate tips that are easy to follow and attainable 2e8c09b13fc6ac2253a0dad72a298c98
When you talk about sports fitness, what comes first in your mind? It is, basically, the different sports activities, right? This is because sports fitness has always been referred to as the sports-itself.
Generally, sports fitness entail physical activities that are usually carried out for some “recreational” functions such as self-satisfaction, entertainment, competition, etc. It uses physical activity that is why most fitness experts regard sports as one way of staying fit and healthy. It can also be considered as one way of physical fitness; the only difference is that sports fitness is more inclined to the development of skill or ability.
However, like physical fitness, sports fitness is also capable of toning down the body fats of any person. Because of its rigid and strict health program, a sports enthusiast is able to maintain a well-balanced lifestyle in order to cope up with the strenuous demands of sports.
In sports, people should learn how to value their health. Otherwise, they can never endure the kind of energy that is required when playing sports activities.
Therefore, for people whoa re into sports fitness, here are some tips that you could use in order to stay healthy and be active on whatever sports you want to pursue:
Humans can survive days, or even months without food, but they can never last a day without water.
Water is, indeed, the most important element needed by the body. Excessive perspiration, without any means of replenishing the lost fluids will result to serious health problems, and even death.
Therefore, for people who are into strenuous exercises and trainings, it is best to always drink lots of water. However, for sports enthusiasts, water may not be enough to replace the kind of fluid lost. Hence, it would be better if they would have sports drinks instead.
Aside from the fluid, sports drinks have tow additional important ingredients needed by a person who is into sports fitness: carbohydrates and electrolytes but avoid any sports drinks have high sugar concentrates.
Electrolytes are usually lost during strenuous physical activity, and this can only be replaced through sports drinks. Carbohydrates, on the other hand, are also needed by the body during rigid workouts to provide more energy so that the body can cope up to the demands of the activity.
People who are into sports fitness require more intakes of vegetables and fruits. This is because the body is craving for more vitamins and mineral supplements. It makes the body stronger and healthier enabling it to cope up with demands of the activity.
People who are into sports fitness should have calcium present on their diet. This is to provide stronger bones to the body.
Since the body is more exposed to greater physical activities, it is important to have stronger bones in order to avoid fractures or certain bone diseases like “osteoporosis.”
Calcium can be found in different vitamin and mineral supplements. They are also abundant in foods like sardines, tofu, dairy products, etc.
4. Warm Exercises Are Always Important Before Any Kind of Strenuous Activities
This kind of activity is needed in order not to strain the body. Hence, before playing the sports that you have always love, it is best to do some warm-up exercises first.
Indeed, engaging into sports activities is one great way of being physically fit. The best thing about it is that in sports, you get to enjoy the best of both worlds.
It is very easy to get started on your path to fitness. Men Fitness –Women Fitness-Twenty Four Hour fitness centers; have over three hundred clubs located in the whole nation and is open for twenty four hours. There is no long term contract to sign up in. You have the option to pay monthly, but you are offered a complete personal training package that suits your body type, body weight and built so you are ensured with a service that is truly personalized.
Which club do you belong in?
Men Fitness –Women Fitness-Twenty Four Hour fitness center gives you the option to choose the specific type of club that you desire. The active club involves a group exercise as well as free weights and cardio machines to work off that fat. The sport club also includes everything in the active club but with additions such as basketball, heated pools and whirlpool. The super-sport club also includes the amenities found those in the active club and the sport club but with more additions such as massages, a sauna as well as a steam room. The ultra sport club is the works. It includes most of the amenities found in the active, sport and super sport club, plus a day spa, courts for racquetball as well as an executive locker room.
The Path to Performance
It all depends on what you want to achieve. In Men Fitness –Women Fitness-Twenty Four Hour fitness centers, a uniquely specialized fitness program is available to anyone who simply wants to improve their performance in a specific sport or is seriously training for competition. The program is designed by athletes.
The Performance program includes a menu plan specifically customized for those intense workouts. A resistance training is also available as well as a full cardio workout. After your exercise, a metabolic rate test is conducted.
This program is designed for those who wants to get started as soon as possible but has no clear and specific idea how. This is clearly the best option for them because all the information on nutrition, resistance training is learned through this program. This is the foundation one needs in order to have results that would last your body a lifetime.
The Components of fitness
A regular exercise, an intense workout is just part and parcel of your path to health, fitness and well-being. There are other factors that should just as well play a part and which Twenty Four Hour fitness center teaches you.
Food intake is one of them. A menu is provided to those who follow the performance path. This details what you should or should not eat, or at least eat less of, if not completely avoid. Cardio is also one as this enhances your endurance to stress and exercise. Vitamins and supplements are a necessity unless you are sure that you are able to receive the proper amounts of iron, calcium, vitamin C or D or E in a day. If not, it is best to take them in. Resistance training is a feather in your fitness cap and is a necessary tool for being healthy, wealthy and wise.
Utilize the supermarket staple of rotisserie chicken in this comforting casserole. Combine shredded chicken with sautéed spinach in a cream sauce, pour into a baking dish, and top with torn bread. Serve your family this creamy, bubbling casserole for a cozy dinner.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine bread with 1 tablespoon oil; season with salt. Set aside. In a medium pot, heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil over medium-high. Add spinach; season with salt; cook, stirring, until wilted, 2 minutes.
Wipe pot clean and heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil over medium. Add onion, garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft, about 8 minutes.
Add wine to pot and cook until almost evaporated, about 5 minutes. Add flour and cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Gradually whisk in Cream Fraîche. Add lemon juice and bring mixture to a boil over high.
Men’s fitness is the essence of a man. Fitness is the ability of a person to do his normal everyday tasks with full alertness and vigor without worrying about fatigue afterward and with extra energy in reserve which can be useful when emergencies arise or during leisure and recreation. Overall fitness must be the primary goal every man must try to achieve. In man’s fitness, no one is ever too young or too old for improvement.
One's fitness can be improved by nagging in aerobic exercises and through strength training. There are three components of overall fitness that every man must focus on working out in order to be in healthy, tip-top shape. These are cardiovascular work, strength training and of course, these should be coupled with a healthy diet.
Staying strong by building muscles, through men's fitness regimen should include a work out routine which aims to build the muscles. Aging causes a decrease in muscle mass of five to seven pounds (2-3.2 kgs) of muscle for every ten years in one's adult life given that he lives an inactive lifestyle. Truly, the saying "use it or lose it" is very applicable to the muscles. Fortunately, there is a good solution to this. Loss of muscle mass can be replaced by engaging in strength training.
Improvement of men's fitness by cardiovascular work out and flexibility exercises, strength training and cardiovascular work out surely help boost a man's fitness and all these should be part of a man's work out scheme. But of all these, cardiovascular work is the most necessary. Exercises under cardiovascular work conditions and develops the cardiovascular system and also works out large muscle groups.
So if a man does not have much time for working out, devoting whatever free time he might have to aerobic exercises would do him fine. He might have to pass out on developing those biceps but so long as cardiovascular work out exercises are done, then the blood pressure, heart and cholesterol levels will be fine to keep you staying happy and healthy.
The essence of nutrition to men's fitness, is best as well as well recommended to eat whole and natural foods frequently than do it on large amounts in one to three sittings. Always keep variety in mind when doing the shopping. This will ensure that one is getting most if not all of the nutrients and minerals needed by the body to keep fit and healthy. Always keep the three important macro nutrients in the diet; these are fats, carbohydrates and proteins. Prioritize proteins though over carbohydrates but never exclude any one of the three on some fad diet.
Men’s Fitness some tips in keeping a man's fitness level high, efficient and safe:
1.) Drink plenty of water all through out the day, especially when working out.
2.) Do exercises properly using the correct techniques, whether it's weight lifting or aerobic exercises. Always read and understand, and follow of course, the instructions outlined by the personal trainer.
3.) Make sure there is always a spotter when lifting weights.
4.) Challenge the muscles, but make sure that it's kept safe.
5.) Stretch, warm-up prior to working out and cool-down gradually after sessions.
6.) Check the equipment for safety before using them.
7.) It is better to do less than overdo the whole thing. Over-training will exhaust enthusiasm and kill performance for any type of men's fitness.
Just like beauty and fitness is like taking any medicine, one should first consult the doctor before undergoing any form of exercise.
Physical exercise is beneficial because it helps maintain and improve ones health from a variety of diseases and premature death. It also makes a person feel happier and increases ones self esteem preventing one from falling into depression or anxiety. It has also shown to make a person with an active lifestyle live longer than a person who doesn’t for beauty and fitness
The best exercise plan should have cardiovascular and weight training exercises, this helps burn calories and increase the muscle to fat ratio that will increase ones metabolism and make one either gain or lose weight.
A person who has never worked out before should do it gradually. Doing it too much for the first time can make one pull a muscle or have an injury making it worse. Endurance will never be built in a day and doing it repeatedly will surely be good to the person.
Focusing on certain portion in the body can help make it improve. A good example is going to the gym and doing a workout more often in a specific area such as the abs can give one a chest pack.
But beauty is not only about having muscles which is what people can see. It is also about enhancing the beauty within.
Beauty and women fitness here are some things one can do everyday to stay beautiful and healthy;
· Reading books and other reading material more often keeps the mind sharp just like working out keeps the body in shape.
· Work no matter what kind it is produces stress. One can reduce this by taking the time out to do something special like lying in a hot tub, shopping or watching a movie. Studies have shown it is reliever and helps one from looking haggardly.
· Pollution is something people cannot control given the size of the problem. When one goes out, it is best to put some form of protection such as beauty products that contain antioxidants that protect the skin from damage. There are also other beauty products available and choosing the right one with the help of a dermatologist can help the person.
· Another way to stay healthy is to give up some vices. Most people smoke and drink. Smoking has been proven to cause lung cancer and other diseases as well complications for women giving birth. Excessive drinking has also shown to do the same.
· For people who don’t smoke, it is best to stay away from people who do since studies have shown that nonsmokers are also at risk of developing cancer due to secondary smoke inhalation.
· Lastly, it is best to always start the day with a positive outlook. Just as studies have shown that exercise makes a person feel happier, smiling produces the same effect. A smile can do a lot and it is contagious in a positive sense. Beauty and woman fitness brightens the day of not only one but others as well.
Wash, trim and peel the beets. Shred them into a saucepan and add the water. Bring to a boil, skim off foam that will form, and simmer, covered, for about 45 minutes or until the beets are very tender.
Strain the liquid and reserve the shredded beets or puree the beets in your processor or blender, whichever you prefer.
This is to prevent eggs from curdling. Add remaining soup and blend. Adjust seasonings. Chill. When ready to serve, ladle the soup into bowls and top with a dollop of crème fraiche.
This is probably Russia's best known soup. There are as many variations of this beet soup (hot, cold, with or without meat, etc.) as there are cooks. This recipe is perfect for a summer brunch, luncheon or dinner or serve warm by reheating for cold winter night. The first time I ate borscht was in college it’s like dieing and going to heaven.
Pour consommé into a large soup kettle. Add tomato sauce, cabbage, celery, carrots, and onions.
Bring to boil; turn heat to low. Skim soup. Simmer covered for ten minutes or until vegetables are tender, but with shape. Stir in sugar and add beets. Skim as needed. Simmer covered for 10 minutes or until beets are tender.
Check seasonings. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in vinegar, if using it. Turn soup into a tureen or 6 individual soup bowls. Sprinkle with dill. Serve hot with Crème fraiche on the side.
Simmer the beef in salted water until tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Meanwhile, in large saucepan, simmer the beets, carrots, turnips, onion, tomato puree, vinegar, sugar and butter for 15 minutes.
Stir frequently and cover when not stirring. Add cabbage and cook 10 minutes longer. Add the vegetable mixture, pepper and bay leaves to the meat and the broth.
Adjust seasonings, cook until tender. Add more vinegar if desired. Before serving, add Crème fraiche to taste.
Ukranian Beef Borscht Version #4
Preparation time: 3 hours
Yield: 6 to 8
Ingredients
2 lb. meaty soup meat (like shank or brisket)
7 or 8 cups of water
1/2 bunch beets
1 pound of red new potatoes
1 pound green cabbage
1 small can tomato paste
6 slices bacon, chopped
1 teaspoons of vinegar
2 tablespoon of avocado oil
2 large carrots, peeled and sliced
1 #303-can peeled tomatoes, drained or 3 peeled fresh tomatoes
1 large onion, sliced
1 stalk celery
2 tablespoons of flour
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste
Dill to taste
Chopped parsley
1 cup of Crème fraiche
Directions
Cover meat with water and simmer until tender, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Meanwhile peel beets and slice julienne style.
Sauté beets and chopped bacon and tomato paste for about 30 minutes. Add vinegar when beets are soft; add 1-2 tablespoons meat stock or warm water if beets look dry.
In another skillet, brown in the avocado oil the peeled and finely sliced carrots, onion and celery. Slowly sprinkle the flour over the top of the browned vegetables and carefully stir. Add about 3 tablespoons meat stock and bring it to a quick boil. Remove from heat.
When meat is soft, remove from stock and cool slightly. Cut it up into bite size pieces, removing all fat, bone.
Add beet and bacon mixture, peeled and quartered potatoes, and cut up cabbage to meat stock. Cook slowly for 15 minutes.
Add remaining browned vegetables and all the seasonings except the garlic powder, and cook until the potatoes and cabbage are soft.
Add cut up tomatoes. Sprinkle meat with garlic powder and return to the stock. Bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and let the soup stand for 15 to 20 minutes.
Or you can refrigerate for 2-3 days, skim off hardened fat, heat slowly and serve with a dollop of the Crème fraîcheand sprinkle some chopped parsley over the top.
If you wish to freeze the soup, omit the potatoes and cook them separately and add them to the stock when you are heating it to serve. This recipe doubles nicely.
Note-Crème fraîche is produced by a process similar to that of sour cream. Each processing step requires attention to maintain high viscosity. It can be made at home by adding a small amount of cultured buttermilk or sour cream to heavy cream, and allowing it to stand for several hours at room temperature until the bacterial cultures act on the cream.
Beets Health Benefits
Remember all those legendary Russian centenarians? Beets, frequently consumed either pickled or in borscht, the traditional Russian soup, may be one reason behind their long and healthy lives. These colorful root vegetables contain powerful nutrient compounds that help protect against heart disease, birth defects and certain cancers, especially colon cancer.
Promote Optimal Health
The pigments that give beets their rich colors are called betalains. There are two basic types of betalains: betacyanins and betaxanthins. Betacyanins are pigments are red-violet in color. Betanin is the best studied of the betacyanins. Betaxanthins are yellowish in color. In light or dark red, crimson, or purple colored beets, betacyanins are the dominant pigments. In yellow beets, betaxanthins predominate, and particularly the betaxanthin called vulgaxanthin. All betalains come from the same original molecule (betalamic acid).
The addition of amino acids or amino acid derivatives to betalamic acid is what determines the specific type of pigment that gets produced. The betalain pigments in beets are water-soluble, and as pigments they are somewhat unusual due to their nitrogen content. Many of the betalains function both as antioxidants and anti-inflammatory molecules. At the same time, they themselves are also very vulnerable to oxidation (change in structure due to interaction with oxygen). In addition to beets, rhubarb, chard, amaranth, prickly pear cactus, and Nopal cactus are examples of foods that contain betalains.
It's interesting to note that humans appear to vary greatly in their response to dietary betalains. In the United States, only 10-15% of adults are estimated to be "betalain responders." A betalain responder is a person who has the capacity to absorb and metabolize enough betalains from beet (and other foods) to gain full antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and Phase 2 triggering benefits. (Phase 2 is the second step in our cellular detoxification process).
Antioxidant Benefits
What's most striking about beets is not the fact that they are rich in antioxidants; what's striking is the unusual mix of antioxidants that they contain. We're used to thinking about vegetables as rich in antioxidant carotenoids, and in particular, beta-carotene; among all well-studied carotenoids, none is more commonly occurring in vegetables than beta-carotene.
In beets, however, the "claim-to-fame" antioxidant is not beta-carotene, but two different antioxidant carotenoids, not nearly as concentrated in vegetables as a group. These two carotenoids are lutein and zeaxanthin. Similarly, when it comes to antioxidant phytonutrients that give most red vegetables their distinct color, we've become accustomed to thinking about anthocyanins.
(Red cabbage, for example, gets it wonderful red color primarily from anthocyanins.) Once again, beets demonstrate their antioxidant uniqueness by getting their red color primarily from betalain antioxidant pigments (and not primarily from anthocyanins). Coupled with their status as a good source of the antioxidant vitamin C and a very good source of the antioxidant manganese, the unique phytonutrients in beets provide antioxidant support in a different way than other antioxidant-rich vegetables.
While research is largely in the early stage with respect to beet antioxidants and their special benefits for eye health and overall nerve tissue health, we expect to see study results showing these special benefits and recognizing beets as a standout vegetable in this area of antioxidant support.
Anti-Inflammatory Benefits
Many of the unique phytonutrients present in beets have been shown to function as anti-inflammatory compounds. In particular, this anti-inflammatory activity has been demonstrated for betanin, isobetanin, and vulgaxanthin.
One mechanism allowing these phytonutrients to lessen inflammation is their ability to inhibit the activity of cyclo-oxygenase enzymes (including both COX-1 and COX-2). The COX enzymes are widely used by cells to produce messaging molecules that trigger inflammation.
Under most circumstances, when inflammation is needed, this production of pro-inflammatory messaging molecules is a good thing. However, under other circumstances, when the body is undergoing chronic, unwanted inflammation, production of these inflammatory messengers can make things worse. Several types of heart disease—including atherosclerosis—are characterized by chronic unwanted inflammation. For this reason, beets have been studied within the context of heart disease, and there are some encouraging although very preliminary results in this area involving animal studies and a few very small scale human studies. Type 2 diabetes—another health problem associated with chronic, unwanted inflammation—is also an area of interest in this regard, with research findings at a very preliminary stage.
In addition to their unusual betalain and carotenoid phytonutrients, however, beets are also an unusual source of betaine. Betaine is a key body nutrient made from the B-complex vitamin, choline. (Specifically, betaine is simply choline to which three methyl groups have been attached.) In and of itself, choline is a key vitamin for helping regulate inflammation in the cardiovascular system since adequate choline is important for preventing unwanted build-up of homocysteine. (Elevated levels of homocysteine are associated with unwanted inflammation and risk of cardiovascular problems like atherosclerosis.) But betaine may be even more important in regulation of our inflammatory status as its presence in our diet has been associated with lower levels of several inflammatory markers, including C reactive protein, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor alpha. As a group, the anti-inflammatory molecules found in beets may eventually be shown to provide cardiovascular benefits in large-scale human studies, as well as anti-inflammatory benefits for other body systems.
Support of Detoxification
The betalin pigments present in beets have repeatedly been shown to support activity in our body's Phase 2 detoxification process. Phase 2 is the metabolic step that our cells use to hook activated, unwanted toxic substances up with small nutrient groups. This "hook up" process effectively neutralizes the toxins and makes them sufficiently water-soluble for excretion in the urine.
One critical "hook up" process during Phase 2 involves an enzyme family called the glutathione-S-transferase family (GSTs). GSTs hook toxins up with glutathione for neutralization and excretion from the body. The betalains found in beet have been shown to trigger GST activity, and to aid in the elimination of toxins that require glutathione for excretion. If you are a person who thinks about exposure to toxins and wants to give your body as much detox support as possible, beets are a food that belongs in your diet.
Other Health Benefits
It's important to note two other areas of potential health benefits associated with beets: anti-cancer benefits and fiber-related benefits. The combination of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory molecules in beets makes this food a highly-likely candidate for risk reduction of many cancer types. Lab studies on human tumor cells have confirmed this possibility for colon, stomach, nerve, lung, breast, prostate and testicular cancers. Eventually, we expect to see large-scale human studies that show the risk-reducing effect of dietary beet intake for many of these cancer types.
Beet fiber has also been a nutrient of increasing interest in health research. While many people tend to lump all food fiber into one single category called "dietary fiber," there is evidence to suggest that all dietary fiber is not the same. Beet fiber (along with carrot fiber) are two specific types of food fiber that may provide special health benefits, particularly with respect to health of our digestive tract (including prevention of colon cancer) and our cardiovascular system. Some beet fiber benefits may be due to the pectin polysaccharides that significantly contribute to the total fiber content.
Description
Both beets and Swiss chard are different varieties within the same plant family (Amaranthaceae-Chenopodiaceae) and their edible leaves share a resemblance in both taste and texture. Attached to the beet's green leaves is a round or oblong root, the part conjured up in most people's minds by the word "beet."
Although typically a beautiful reddish-purple hue, beets also come in varieties that feature white, golden/yellow or even rainbow color roots. No matter what their color, however, beet roots aren't as hardy as they look; the smallest bruise or puncture will cause red beets' red-purple pigments (which contain a variety of phytonutrients including betalains and anthocyanins) to bleed, especially during cooking.
Betalain pigments in beets are highly-water soluble, and they are also temperature sensitive. For both of these reasons, it is important to treat beets as a delicate food, even though they might seem "rock solid" and difficult to damage.
Beets' sweet taste reflects their high sugar content, which makes beets an important source for the production of refined sugar (yet, the beets that are used for sugar consumption are of a different type than the beets that you purchase in the store). Raw beet roots have a crunchy texture that turns soft and buttery when they are cooked. Beet leaves have a lively, bitter taste similar to chard. The main ingredient in the traditional eastern European soup, borscht, beets are delicious eaten raw, but are more typically cooked or pickled.
The greens attached to the beet roots are delicious and can be prepared like spinach or Swiss chard. They are incredibly rich in nutrients, concentrated in vitamins and minerals as well as carotenoids such as beta-carotene and lutein/zeaxanthin.
While beets are available throughout the year, their season runs from June through October when the youngest, most tender beets are easiest to find.
History
The wild beet, the ancestor of the beet with which we are familiar today, is thought to have originated in prehistoric times in North Africa and grew wild along Asian and European seashores. In these earlier times, people exclusively ate the beet greens and not the roots. The ancient Romans were one of the first civilizations to cultivate beets to use their roots as food. The tribes that invaded Rome were responsible for spreading beets throughout northern Europe where they were first used for animal fodder and later for human consumption, becoming more popular in the 16th century.
Beets' value grew in the 19th century when it was discovered that they were a concentrated source of sugar, and the first sugar factory was built in Poland. When access to sugar cane was restricted by the British, Napoleon decreed that the beet be used as the primary source of sugar, catalyzing its popularity. Around this time, beets were also first brought to the United States, where they now flourish. Today the leading commercial producers of beets include the United States, the Russian Federation, France, Poland, France and Germany.
How to Select and Store
Choose small or medium-sized beets whose roots are firm, smooth-skinned and deep in color. Smaller, younger beets may be so tender that peeling won't be needed after they are cooked.
Avoid beets that have spots, bruises or soft, wet areas, all of which indicate spoilage. Shriveled or flabby should also be avoided as these are signs that the roots are aged, tough and fibrous.
While the quality of the greens does not reflect that of the roots, if you are going to consume this very nutritious part of the plant, look for greens that appear fresh, tender, and have a lively green color.
Cut the majority of the greens and their stems from the beet roots, so they do not pull away moisture away from the root. Leave about two inches of the stem attached to prevent the roots from "bleeding." Do not wash beets before storing. Place in a plastic bag and wrap the bag tightly around the beets, squeezing out as much of the air from the bag as possible, and place in refrigerator where they will keep for up to 3 weeks.
Store the unwashed greens in a separate plastic bag squeezing out as much of the air as possible. Place in refrigerator where they will keep fresh for about four days.
Raw beets do not freeze well since they tend to become soft upon thawing. Freezing cooked beets is fine; they'll retain their flavor and texture.
How to Enjoy
Tips for Preparing Beets
Rinse gently under cold running water, taking care not to tear the skin, which helps keep the health-promoting pigments inside.
Since beet juice can stain your skin, wearing kitchen gloves is a good idea when handling beets. If your hands become stained during the cleaning and cooking process, simply rub some lemon juice on them to remove the stain.
Cut beets into quarters leaving 2 inches of tap root and 1 inch of stem on the beets.
The Healthiest Way of Cooking Beets
Cook beets lightly. Studies show beets' concentration of phytonutrients, such as betalains, is diminished by heat.
We recommend healthy steaming beets for 15 minutes to maximize their nutrition and flavor. Fill the bottom of the steamer with 2 inches of water and bring to a rapid boil Add beets, cover, and steam for 15 minutes. Beets are cooked when you can easily insert a fork or the tip or knife into the beet.
Peel beets by setting them on a cutting board and rubbing the skin off with a paper towel. Wearing kitchen gloves will help prevent your hands from becoming stained.
Transfer to a bowl and serve with our Mediterranean Dressing and your favorite optional ingredients. For details see 15-Minute Beets.
Beets' color can be modified during cooking. Adding an acidic ingredient such as lemon juice or vinegar will brighten the color while an alkaline substance such as baking soda will often cause them to turn a deeper purple. Salt will blunt beets' color, so add only at the end of cooking if needed.
A Few Quick Serving Ideas
Simply grate raw beets for a delicious and colorful addition to salads or decorative garnish for soups.
Healthy Boil beet greens for 1 minute for a great tasting side dish, which is very similar to Swiss chard.
Marinate steamed beets in fresh lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, and fresh herbs.
WHFoods Recipes That Feature Beets
15-Minute Beets
Individual Concerns
Beeturia
Consumption of beets can cause urine to become red or pink in color. This condition"called beeturia"is not considered harmful. About 5-15% of U.S. adults are estimated to experience beeturia following consumption of beets in everyday amounts. One area in which beeturia may be a potential concern involves problems with iron metabolism.
Persons with iron deficiency, iron excess, or known problems with the metabolism of iron are more likely to experience beeturia. If you experience beeturia and also suspect iron deficiency, iron excess, or iron metabolism to be a problem affecting your health, we recommend that you consult with your healthcare provider to determine your best dietary and health steps.
It's possible for beet consumption to bring a red color into your bowel movements as well, although this outcome tends to be more common in children than adults. Once again, the production of a reddish color in the stool due to beets is not considered harmful.
It's important, however, to be confident that the reddening of the stool is caused by the pigments found in beets and not by the presence of fresh or dried blood. If you experience reddening of the stool and have not recently (with the past 24-48 hours) consumed beets, we recommend that you consult with your healthcare provider to determine the reason for this change in your stool color.
Beets and Oxalates
Beets (notably beet greens) are among a small number of foods that contain measurable amounts of oxalates, naturally occurring substances found in plants, animals, and human beings.
When oxalates become too concentrated in body fluids, they can crystallize and cause health problems. For this reason, individuals with already existing and untreated kidney or gallbladder problems may want to avoid eating beet greens. Laboratory studies have shown that oxalates may also interfere with absorption of calcium from the body.
Yet, in every peer-reviewed research study we've seen, the ability of oxalates to lower calcium absorption is relatively small and definitely does not outweigh the ability of oxalate-containing foods to contribute calcium to the meal plan. If your digestive tract is healthy, and you do a good job of chewing and relaxing while you enjoy your meals, you will get significant benefits—including absorption of calcium—from calcium-rich foods plant foods that also contain oxalic acid.
Ordinarily, a healthcare practitioner would not discourage a person focused on ensuring that they are meeting their calcium requirements from eating these nutrient-rich foods because of their oxalate content. For more on this subject, please see "Can you tell me what oxalates are and in which foods they can be found?"
Nutritional Profile
Beets are unique in their rich combination of betalain pigments. Both betacyanins (red-violet pigments) and betaxanthins (yellow pigments) can be found in beets. Betanin and vulgaxanthin are betalains that have gotten special attention in beet research.
Beets are also an excellent source of hearth-healthy folate and a very good source of the antioxidant manganese and heart-healthy potassium. Beets are a good source of digestive-supportive dietary fiber, free radical scavenging vitamin C and copper, bone-healthy magnesium, and energy-producing iron and phosphorus.
For an in-depth nutritional profile click here: Beets.
In-Depth Nutritional Profile
In addition to the nutrients highlighted in our ratings chart, an in-depth nutritional profile for Beets is also available. This profile includes information on a full array of nutrients, including carbohydrates, sugar, soluble and insoluble fiber, sodium, vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, amino acids and more.
Introduction to Food Rating System Chart
In order to better help you identify foods that feature a high concentration of nutrients for the calories they contain, we created a Food Rating System. This system allows us to highlight the foods that are especially rich in particular nutrients.
The following chart shows the nutrients for which this food is either an excellent, very good, or good source (below the chart you will find a table that explains these qualifications). If a nutrient is not listed in the chart, it does not necessarily mean that the food doesn't contain it. It simply means that the nutrient is not provided in a sufficient amount or concentration to meet our rating criteria. (To view this food's in-depth nutritional profile that includes values for dozens of nutrients - not just the ones rated as excellent, very good, or good - please use the link below the chart.)
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Now, returning to the chart itself, you can look next to the nutrient name in order to find the nutrient amount it offers, the percent Daily Value (DV%) that this amount represents, the nutrient density that we calculated for this food and nutrient, and the rating we established in our rating system. For most of our nutrient ratings, we adopted the government standards for food labeling that are found in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's "Reference Values for Nutrition Labeling." Read more background information and details of our rating system.
Beets, Boiled
1.00 cup
170.00 grams
74.80 calories
Nutrient Amount DV
(%) Nutrient
Density World's Healthiest
Foods Rating
folate 136.00 mcg 34.0 8.2 excellent
manganese 0.55 mg 27.5 6.6 very good
potassium 518.50 mg 14.8 3.6 very good
dietary fiber 3.40 g 13.6 3.3 good
vitamin C 6.12 mg 10.2 2.5 good
magnesium 39.10 mg 9.8 2.4 good
tryptophan 0.03 g 9.4 2.3 good
iron 1.34 mg 7.4 1.8 good
copper 0.13 mg 6.5 1.6 good
phosphorus 64.60 mg 6.5 1.6 good
World's Healthiest
Foods Rating Rule
excellent DV>=75% OR Density>=7.6 AND DV>=10%
very good DV>=50% OR Density>=3.4 AND DV>=5%
good DV>=25% OR Density>=1.5 AND DV>=2.5%
In-Depth Nutritional Profile for Beets
Note-Crème fraîche is produced by a process similar to that of sour cream. Each processing step requires attention to maintain high viscosity. It can be made at home by adding a small amount of cultured buttermilk or sour cream to heavy cream, and allowing it to stand for several hours at room temperature until the bacterial cultures act on the cream.
Let the mixture stand for 15 minutes at room temperature; as time passes, the curds will begin to separate from the whey. If only a few curds form, your lemon may not be acidic enough; add another 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, gently stir so you don’t break up the curds too much, let stand for 5 minutes more.
Using a large spoon (not a slotted spoon) or measuring cup, spoon the curds into cheesecloth-lined sieve set over a large bowl. Note-the longer you drain the ricotta, the denser and more flavorful the ricotta cheese will be. This method will boasts a fresher flavor and creamier texture than that stuff you purchased from your supermarket.
Ricotta Cheese Version #2:
makes about 2 cups or 1 pound
from Richard Ferretti at Gourmet
2 quarts whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Line a large strainer with a layer of cheesecloth and place it over a large bowl.
Slowly bring the milk, cream and the salt to a rolling boil in a 6-quart heavy pot over moderate heat, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching. Add lemon juice. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring constantly, until mixture curdles, about 2 minutes.
Pour into the lined strainer and let drain for 1 hour (note: I let it drain for just a few minutes, so it does not become so dry). After discarding the liquid, chill the ricotta, covered. It will keep in the fridge for 2 days.
9 cups whole milk
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon salt
2-1/2 tablespoons distilled vinegar
Heat the milk and buttermilk in a heavy pot over medium heat to a temperature of about 185 degrees. Stir in the salt and vinegar and remove from the heat. Let stand until curds have formed, 5 to 10 minutes. Pull the curds gently to the side.
Drain the curds for 5 minutes, then transfer to a covered container to store in the fridge until ready to use. The ricotta is best the same day but will still be good for 2 to 3 days.
