A friend of over thirty years has just been told that she needs a liver transplant! She does not smoke or drink and use to be a aerobics teacher!
So I started to look up some advice about ways to maintain our liver health especially as most of our food and water has synthetic products added to them.
Article by Diane Shawe M.ED Well it would seem that Beetroot support liver health (one of our main detox organs) and are full of nutrients and antioxidants. Beet roots are an incredible food and if you can use the leaves also, even better.
According to Jo Robinson, author of Eating on the Wild Side, beets are some of the highest antioxidant foods and have nine times more antioxidants than tomatoes and fifty times more antioxidants than carrots! Beets’ unique combination of phytonutrients and antioxidants have been shown to be especially helpful in reducing chronic inflammation.
Beets have a special pigment, betalin, which strongly supports the body’s phase 2 detoxification process.
Phase 2 detoxification is when the body neutralises and removes potentially harmful substances from the body by making them water soluble.
Beets can also spice up your love life! They are high in boron, an element that has shown to increase testosterone levels and therefore sex drive in both sexes.
Beets have also been shown to widen blood vessels. This increased blood flow throughout the body also supports sexual health.
What about beet greens? Beet greens are some of the healthiest greens available at your supermarket and have a similar nutrient profile to kale. If you buy beets with the greens attached you’ll know you are buying recently harvested beets, which can also have greater nutrient levels.
I know you can get jars of beetroot soaked in vinegar, but if you can get the freshly grown from the market I believe this will be better for you.
So what else? Pepper It’s easy to dismiss pepper as a common spice. Its commonality almost makes it boring. What’s fascinating about peppers that it accounts for 1/5 of the total spice trade in the world! Besides adding a pleasant taste to our food, black pepper is a warming stimulant that promotes good digestion.
I think the most amazing thing I found out about black pepper is its ability to increase the bioavailability of our herbs and foods. Adding a bit of black pepper to herbal formulas or to our dinner plate means that we have increased the qualities and nutrients available to us.
So here's a couple of delicious recipes to help you detox your liver.
Beetroot salmorejo
Check out our super easy recipe to make a fresh and delicious Spanish 'Beetroot Salmorejo' Time: 15 mins Yield: 4 people Ingredients include: 400 g Beetroot (- Boiled) 600 g Tomato 8 units Strawberries (- Medium size) 100 g Breadcrumbs 2 cloves Garlic
Put everything in a blender, add two cups of water and blend until smooth. Pour out into small saucepan bring to boil and then turn down and simmer for 20 minutes.
Peppery Borscht
Peppery Borscht Today’s beet borscht recipe is a beloved and traditional soup from Russia. Borscht soup is a fantastic way to support your body’s natural detox abilities while enjoying a delicious soup. There are lots of different borscht recipes out there.
In this version that I found it includes those incredibly nutritious beet greens and added extra pepper for zing and increased nutrient absorption. What you’ll need… 1 1/2 cups cubed potatoes 2 cups cubed beets 6 cups chicken or vegetable broth 2 tablespoons butter 1 1/2 cups chopped onions 4 garlic cloves minced 1 cup chopped beet greens 1 tablespoon caraway seeds 2 teaspoons salt (or to taste) 1 celery stalk, chopped 1 large carrot, sliced 3 cups coarsely chopped purple cabbage 2-3 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper 2 bay leaves a couple handfuls of shitake mushrooms 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 1 tablespoon honey 1 cup tomato puree sour cream (optional) green onions for garnish
Heat the butter in a large pot. Sauté the onions until they are translucent. Add the garlic, caraway seeds, salt, pepper, bay leaves. Sauté for 1 minute. Add the celery, carrots, cabbage, beets, potatoes, mushrooms and stock. Simmer until all the vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.
Stir in the balsamic vinegar, beet greens, honey and tomato puree. Cover and simmer for 5 more minutes. Serve with a dollop of sour cream (optional) and green onions for garnish. Source of info and recipe
Rosalee de la Forêt Rosalee is the Education Director of Learning Herbs and author of Alchemy of Herbs: Transform Everyday Ingredients Into Foods & Remedies That Heal. She is passionate about helping people discover the world of herbalism and natural health. Rosalee teaches at international herbal conferences and runs a popular herbal mentoring program. Read more about Rosalee https://learningherbs.com/remedies-recipes/beet-borscht-recipe/