12 Steps to Whole Foods

Reaping a Gardener’s Rewards
Why Should I Grow and Eat Beets?
Beets are not only easy to grow, they’re a “bonus” food since you get two for the price of one. Not only are the
colors in the root vegetable indicative of powerful nutrients, but the greens contain much more iron, vitamin A,
potassium, and calcium than the roots—and they are a mild-tasting green smoothie ingredient. So never throw
them away!
The juice of the beet is rich in sodium, sulphur, chlorine, iodine, copper,
bioflavanoids, and vitamins B1, B2, and C. Folic acid, found abundantly in
beets, helps prevent anemias and cervical cancer. The juice is excellent for
cleansing and rebuilding the kidneys and gallbladder. As a fibrous root, it’s
excellent for eliminating constipation, adding bulk to the diet, and improving
peristalsis in the intestines. The red color is actually betacyanin, a powerful
anti-carcinogen known to prevent colon cancer. And a study showed a 30-
40% drop in the cholesterol and triglycerides of animals fed beet fiber.
Some say that if you see red after you eat beets, you shouldn’t be worried,
because it’s harmless beeturia that dyes your urine or stool. Others, including
Victoria Boutenko, claim that red in the stool or urine after eating beets is a
symptom of hypochlorhydria, or low stomach acid secretion. Thus, eating
beets may be a good test for a health problem that is both important as well as
pervasive in modern culture, with up to half of us suffering with low stomach
acid and therefore not absorbing nutrients, especially minerals. Some with
low stomach acid are being incorrectly treated with antacids.
Dr. Ron Kennedy, M.D., says you can take 3-10 capsules (don’t buy tablets) of Betaine HCL (glutamic acid or
hydrochloride) with each meal, starting with one capsule and working your way up, stopping where you feel
any heartburn. If this eliminates the “red” problem, you may have solved your low stomach acid problem. He
also recommends getting vitamin B12 injections twice a week for a few weeks, and taking folate, as you begin
to address a hypochlorhydria problem. Someone close to me took his suggestions for only a couple of months
and the problem has never returned in the ensuing two years.
For recipes, see “Beet Recipes” on page 140.
Why Should I Grow and Eat Bell Peppers?
Bell peppers can be eaten in large quantities because, unlike most other peppers, they aren’t hot. And grow and
eat them in large quantities you should, not just because they’re crunchy and delicious, but because their bright
colors betray fantastic nutritional properties. Red and orange bell peppers are dramatically higher in vitamin C
than green ones. When the summer harvest provides more bell peppers than you can eat, dice and freeze them
for use in soups and sautéed dishes later.
Peppers are high in two B vitamins, B6 and folic acid, consumption of which leads to healthy blood vessels and
lowered risk of stroke and heart attack. The antioxidant lycopene is found in red peppers and known to prevent
cancers of the prostate, cervix, bladder, and pancreas. And lowered risk of colon cancer is associated with
vitamin C, beta-carotene, and folic acid—all some of bell peppers’ virtues. Those same compounds also
protect against cataracts, and the lutein and zeaxanthin in red peppers also prevent macular degeneration.
Bell peppers are an important garden crop because they are part of the “dirty dozen,” those fruits and
vegetables most likely to contain residues of harmful pesticides when commercially grown. And the colorful
124 12 Steps to Whole Foods
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw