Fall Detox Beet Smoothie

The fall season has finally kicked in, after another endless humid summer here in Florida. It’s too cold for the pool or the Gulf of Mexico, and as usual, the slightest temperature change although highly welcomed, causes many of us to start feeling mildly under the weather. Suddenly socks and a cardi become a functional requirement, (at least in the evening anyway.)

Yesterday, I woke up horrified to hear my 3 and 4-year-old  coughing from their beds, then my husband mentioned that his nose was also stuffy, then…to top it off, this morning I woke up with a bit of a sore throat and started to panic (just a little.)  We are a family that rarely gets sick, but with 2020 providing us all with elevated levels of stress, every little change in my families well being has me on tenterhooks.

After dosing everyone with probiotics, vitamin C, and extra zinc, I decided to make use of the lovely beet that had been sitting in my fridge for the past few weeks, still in absolutely perfect condition. When all my other veggies start to wilt and turn if not used within the first few days, it ALWAYS amazes me how resilient the beets are. Patiently waiting, as I figure out what to do with them. Now, here’s the thing, I always buy beets as I know they are ridiculously healthy, but to be honest, I’m not a huge fan of their flavor.

They are detoxifying, brain fortifying, stamina improving, loaded with potassium, manganese, and fiber not including all the rest of it. Today I had to figure out a way to take advantage of the beet’s rich profile of polyphenols and antioxidants, to kick this autumn sniffles thing before it kicked into gear. I came up with this recipe to make drinking beets palatable for my tiny ones, my husband, and myself, so we could all BEET the fall cold symptoms. So here it is guys…ginger, blackberry jam, apple, strawberries, chia, flax….oh yea, and the star ingredient the BEET!

You can omit the blackberry jam if you don’t have toddlers, but I have to say, a tiny smidge of that made the world of difference in terms of flavor. I’ll leave it up to you: orange, lemon, a handful of other berries, or spinach can be added or substituted also. The bottom line, within 24hours we are all back to feeling absolutely healthy and fine. If you’re starting to feel a little under the weather, do this right away,  its a perfect recipe to increase well being and optimal health: back it up with extra vitamin supplements like C, D, Zinc, and a decent probiotic.

Be well guys, and I wish you all the best of days to come.