Beneficial Beets

Old fashioned sweet treat is back in style for its many nutritional and health benefits. Beets are rich in fiber, Vitamin C, Folic Acid (helps memory), Calcium, Iron, Manganese, antioxidants and Nitric Oxide compounds (increases oxygen).Current Health Claims of Beets:-Boost Longevity, Weight Loss and Stamina (especially during workouts)-Prevents Chronic Illness and Possibly Cancer-Increases Oxygen to the Blood. Improves Blood Flow and Lowers Blood Pressure.-Increases Blood Flow to the Brain. May Reduce Dementia.-Useful for Detoxification, Improve Digestion & Sexual Health. Reduces Inflammation.There are many ways to eat your beets. The young, fresh greens can be eaten in salads, smoothies or cooked. The root is often boiled used as a vegetable, pickled or made into a soup. If you don’t have time for that, ground beet root powder is available as a supplement added to smoothies alone or with other greens. Try Herbal Elements- Chakra Detox, Rainbow Greens and Super Beet powders to add to your favorite beverage or food.Growing your own Beets is another alternative and is a relatively easy garden root crop. Best planted direct sow (directly applied to the soil where it will grow outdoors) after the full moon before the new moon phase. Beets grow best in rich, fertile soil free of rocks or heavy clay. Beet seeds can germinate in soil as low as 45 deg. F (55-65 is best) and seedlings are frost hardy. Plant seeds- 1 per inch, ½ inch deep in rows 16” apart. Germination is between 5-14 days typically. Thin seedlings to 3-4” when they are 3-4” tall. Keep well- watered. Harvest is in 60+ days.