Beets

I have recently learned about the benefits of beets. They contain nitrates, which are converted to nitric oxide. The nitric oxide increases blood flow capacity and decreases the amount of oxygen that muscles need. As my nutritionist says, “They allow your body to do more with less oxygen”. In POTS, the muscles and brain are not getting enough oxygen due to blood not flowing properly. For this reason, POTS patients may benefit from consuming beets.

Note- The nitric oxide produced in your body by beets relaxes blood vessels and can lower blood pressure. For this reason, beets may not be suitable for all people with POTS or Dysautonomia. I imagine it depends on what “brand” of POTS you have of whether this effect is a positive or a negative. Please discuss this with your doctor if you are curious about trying beets.

I am a total newbie to beets and didn’t even know what they looked like. I spent a long time looking for them at the grocery store because I thought they looked like radishes. When I saw them my first thought was “Ew” and then “How do I get all that crap off it and make it be edible?”. Luckily, I have found some ways to enjoy the benefits of beets with zero prep.

Beet chips

These chips are tasty! The flavor is mild and somewhat sweet. I have enjoyed dipping them in hummus, avocado, or plain. Warning- If you eat these, you may have a red tinge to your pee or poo. It is normal. Do not panic.

Frozen beets

It is great that these are real food, but chopped up so I don’t have to do it. You could probably sauté these, but I have never tried it. I have been adding them to smoothies. It took me a while to find the right blend that would lend itself to the beet flavor. For the record, mixed berries and citrus fruits do NOT go well.

I call it the BASS smoothie- beets, apple, spinach, strawberry. It is really good and has a mild apple-sweet taste.

BASS smoothie ingredients

• 1/3- 1/2 cup beets
• 1 cup organic frozen strawberries
• Handful of organic spinach
• 1 cored organic apple (I have used fuji and ambrosia varieties so far)
• A little less than 16 ounces of unsweetened almond milk
• 1 tbsp. organic flax seeds
• 1 tbsp. Brain Octane Oil

Blend all of that up in a powerful blender until it’s smooth and you’re good to go.

Beet Powder

Target just stopped carrying the frozen beets that I use so I have been using this powder to mix with my smoothies. Real food is best, but some beets is better than none. Warning: This is a powdered form of beetroot juice, it may turn your excrement red.

Canned beets

I didn’t know that canned beets was a thing. Score! After I use up the beet powder, I’ll continue to use this instead because it’s cheaper and is closer to whole food. These taste just as good as the frozen beets in the smoothie. I have not tried preparing them any other way yet. I wonder if I could bake the Julienne beets and make crunchy “beet fries”.

What is your favorite way to enjoy beets?

Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional. Statements on this site are not meant to be taken as medical advice. These statements reflect my personal experiences having mild-ish post-viral POTS and ME. Due to the wide spectrum of these diseases, comorbidities, and everyone being different, your experiences may be very different than mine.

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