Anti-inflammatory Booster: Red Beet and Walnut Salad

Red beets are good especially this time of the year when fresh greens are difficult to come by because of the frosty temperatures. This red tuber is packed with nutrients and is very healthy and a salad is one good way of adding it to your diet. The best part is that it takes only a few minutes to prepare!

Red beets help lower blood pressure, improves digestion and provides you with plenty of vitamins and minerals like Iron, Phosphorous, Manganese, Magnesium, Folate, Vitamin C, Vitamin B6. It also has Betalains that give the beet its bright red color, which is useful on its own special way.*

In addition to the goodness of the red beets, the pigments in the red onion, turmeric and balsamic vinegar add even more nutrients and antioxidants into the salad to give yourself a great anti-inflammation booster. This is especially amazing since the synergy of all the nutrients multiply as you mix the ingredients together. The omega-3 (Alpha-Linolenic Acid) in walnuts also helps against inflammation and keeps your heart healthy. What more can you ask for?

Good for 4
Preparation time: 15 minutes (if you have a device) OR 30 minutes (if you chop it with a knife)

Ingredients:
500 grams red beets, peeled
1 apple
1 medium red onion
1/4 cup walnuts
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar (or 1/8 if u want it less sour)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
a pinch of turmeric

Directions:

1. Using a julienne-cutting device or a knife, julienne the red beets. It is important that they are thinly sliced for the condiments to mix well to remove the mild bitter taste of the beets.

2. Julienne the apple and the red onion as well and put it all in a large bowl.

 

3. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Enjoy!

*If you want to know your transit time, i.e. how long it takes for food to get out of you after eating, you can take the beetroot test! You basically just eat lots of red beets, like in this salad, and check how long it takes to get out. Since the color is quite red, the chances are good that you will see it. Optimal transit time is between 12-24 hours but if you are part of the population that has slow digestion, it might take up to 72 hours. In some people, however, Betalains get absorbed in the intestines for a variety of factors such as genetics, amount of acidity in the stomach and oxalic acid in the intestines, and so the colour might not be as vibrant to do the test - in that case, go for corn kernels. If you are not sure, try the beetroot test anyway