Let’s continue the beet affair
I have many previous posts where I have used beet tops in smoothies, juices, and have also recommended that readers ask at the grocery store or Farmer’s Market if there are any beet tops that someone did not want. In this post I also go over the health benefits of beet tops.
Beet tops and radish tops are edible! Both add a great bite to salads, smoothies, juices and are delicious chips when dehydrated.
I have seen several videos where people are juicing carrot tops. I am slightly confused because what feels like since the beginning of time I have been told that carrot tops are toxic for humans, and completely safe for animals like bunnies, cats, and horses.
I won’t lie, for a minute I considered juicing the carrot tops too just because I saw so many people who have been juicing/creating raw food for years longer then myself. I decided to bunker down and do some of my own research by reading up on botany and looking through some old newspaper issues for answers.
Carrot tops are in the parsley family (they even look a little similar) as well as looking like hemlock which is super toxic and deadly.
Carrot tops like most dark leafy greens contain alkaloids, a group of organic compounds that includes caffeine, cocaine, and strychnine. Thus they should be rotated in your diet like spinach and kale. These foods are also high in oxalic acid. Concentrations of oxalic acid are typically fairly low in most plants and plant-based foods. There is enough in a few greens like; spinach, chard and beet greens to interfere with the absorption of the calcium these plants also contain. It is crucial to rotate your greens to prevent these things from happening and also for me personally I have noticed this keeps me from ever getting fed up with a fruit or vegetable ever.
Some of the effects of eating carrot tops range from slightly elevated blood pressure, and slightly heartbeat, all the way to death. Several researchers go as far as saying it is connected to the fact that most farms do not grow this considering as being edible. I read these exact lines several times in botany books and in newspapers, this does sound like something several people have agreed on.
So if you personally do not see the issue with eating carrot tops at least eat them organic. People have been consuming them for years, many recipes cooked and not cooked ask for carrot tops.
But like always please go with your own personal instinct. It is harmful for us to disguise foods that taste bad just to get them into our bodies. This is something I mentioned in my previous post about cilantro and parsley, since many people are actually allergic to this herb which is why it tastes so terrible to them. Please trust your body.
When shopping for carrots it is actually ideal to buy carrots with the tops still on. They protect the carrot head from bacteria, just like the little nubs on avocado or the vines on tomatoes. When these greens are removed it is kind of like an open wound. This is why that area sometimes is dark looking and dirty.
I personally could not find an article explaining the nutrition value or importance of carrot tops. So I am not positive if there is any vitamins or minerals that we miss out on if we do not consume the greens.
If you ever consider taking a stroll for edible plants please take someone who is an expert. The relatives of these vegetables have little flowering plant friends that are hundreds of times more dangerous to consume.
But yes happy thoughts time!
Sweet Dark Cherry Cacao Beet Top Smoothie Recipe
1 cup water (or cooled tea if you prefer!)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 cup frozen cherries
Around 6 Beet Top Greens (it was one beet worth of greens for me)
1 teaspoon or more raw cacao powder
Optional, 2 pinches of vanilla powder or one quarter of fresh vanilla bean
Optional, add half a cup of ice if you want it really icy!
Blend until smooth!
I love how the cacao, cherries and beet tops go surprisingly well together. The bitterness of raw chocolate is so much fun to play with in the kitchen! Raw cacao is a great way to get a little energy boost if your green juice just didn’t work it’s magic on you today.
I have had several readers ask me to speak more about happiness. I am not sure if it is too much, too heavy, confusing or how people feel exactly about speaking about self help on here. I personally feel like eating healthier goes with thinking and BEING healthier. I would love ANY feedback on this matter!
I had a very specific email about the sizes of clothing and hating oneself. I meant to go over this in my video but completely spaced out. So here is my response…
If you hate your pants size, it makes you miserable and think “I’m fat” over and over again remove your pants size tag. Get rid of those old pants that no longer fit you. That is the old you, you are in the progress of becoming a far more inspiring person. If you want write something like “fabulous” or “perfect” on those stupid tags. A factory, machine, random person can not define you or make you feel stuck. Being a smaller size reflects nothing about you as a human being. Skinny doesn’t mean healthy.
Here is a rambling video of me chatting about where I think feelings of loneliness, self hate, negative thoughts and how/why people become attracted to one another. I am in some really stinky clothes, covered in mystery sweat. I’ve noticed that a lot of videos nowadays is staged, raw foodists look fairly naked but not in that raw emotion way but the I’m sexy way. I prefer to come to you all as I am, nothing more and nothing less. When I think of doing a video and can actually block out all of those negative voices I do one right away.
Thank you all for stopping by my site and taking the time to read and watch my jibber jabber. One of the things that keeps me so happy is knowing that I have people to connect with, there are people all over interested in the same things and together we can make the changes we want to see in the world.
Much love❤ and raw power
Jess
