Just BEET it: here's a few tid bits on why I started adding beets to our grocery list...

Fun factoid: About 5-15% of U.S. adults are estimated to experience beeturia following consumption of beets in everyday amounts (source).  Beeturia = the pink discoloration of one's urine due to consumption of beets.  

Maybe it's TMI but I am part of that 5-15%... and I did have a mild panic attack one day when I noticed our littles (4yr old twins) had slightly red poop!  Being a veterinarian... my mind went through a WHOLE list of differentials (or causes) of the red poop.  Seriously.  This mama bear went into PANIC MODE... until my calm and more reasonable husband pointed out, over the past few days we ate a lot of beets.  

WHEW.  

Besides the discoloration one can get on their hands (+ countertops) when handling beets... and in their voids (pending if you are a child, in the 5-15% of folks who naturally have this occur or have an underlying medical condition)... there are some amazing benefits to beets.  So. Let's dive a wee bit deeper... shall we? 

How do you select BEETS? 

• obviously.  you want to avoid any veggies which have discolored spots or bruises.  simply, feel for any areas along the beet which are soft or shriveled.  also, the greens part of the beets should not be wilted.  
• we opt for medium sized beets - rich vibrant color-  smooth - firm.  

How do you store BEETS? And any tips of prepping? 

• I tend to slice the top of the greens off (keeping about an inch or so left) and then store the beets in a plastic bag in the veggie drawer of the fridge... they tend to keep for ~2 weeks.  
  • I'm just learning you can even cook the GREENS of the beets... WHAT?!?  So many times, I simply chucked those bits in the compost!   { insert: face palm } 
• when prepping, simply rinse under cold water to remove excess dirt but don't tear the skin!

NOTE:  when handling beets, I learned the hard way to one should wear gloves!  your hands will be stained hot-pink while cleaning... and cooking them!  need to remove the stain, adding a wee bit of lemon juice while washing will remove the stain. (just remember:  lemon juice + open cuts will BURN!)

What are the benefits of BEETS?  

The more I learn about beets, the more I fall in love with them... not because of all the goodness they hold BUT beets are so versatile.  We will touch on that later, but for now, here's a few of the amazing benefits: 

• Promotes healthy liver due to bioactive agent, betaine
• May help lower blood pressure
• Reduces the risk of osteoporosis
• May help increase exercise performance 
• Antioxidant properties
• Lowers the risk of cardiovascular disease and strokes
• Helps fight fatigue

You can check out some more benefits + fun tidbits here, if you'd like!  

How do you use beets in your daily beauty regimen? 

Now. Here's a sweet DIY all-natural blush recipe... it made sense to try it, since beets always leave a nice subtle hue to my skin when handling + beet root powder is used in the culinary world to "pink" dishes up!  So.  Here you go, love!

ALL NATURAL HOMEMADE BLUSH

GROCERIES: 

• 1 tbsp of arrowroot 
• 1 tsp of beet root powder
• cinnamon (optional)

NOW WHAT?

1. Start with a base of arrowroot powder then gradually add in the beet root powder until you get the desired color.
2. If you need a wee bit of glow... try adding in a dash of cinnamon.

NOTE:  Just a note, beet root powder can be bit bright... but, you can always add more arrowroot powder to lighten it back up.