How to Make a Superfood Beet Juice Shot Without a Juicer
If you have ever taken a beet juice shot before a 5K, then you already know that this stuff is absolutely amazing! Anyone who knows me knows that I am always praising the benefits of beets, especially for runners. I recently convinced my Freshman cross country runner to try it on her last run of the season…she cut 1:59 off her best time! Almost 2 minutes! Anyone who runs knows that a 2 minute PR in a 5K race is a lot.
Why are beets so awesome for your body and especially athletes? There are a lot of studies about how the nitrates in beetroots turn into nitric oxide, which helps your body more efficiently distribute oxygen. The result of getting the oxygen to your muscles faster is that your heart doesn’t need to work quite as hard, and your perceived difficulty doing an exercise is a lot less as well.
I love the concentrated beet juice shots you can buy premade, but I wanted to drink one that had other health benefits too, so I decided to make my own using my Vitamix Blender. I added other ingredients that would help athletes recover from their workouts, like turmeric, parsley, and ginger for their awesome flavonoids and their anti-inflammation properties. Less inflammation means a faster recovery time.
This juice shot is packed with antioxidants too. It’s a perfectly healthy drink for not just athletes, but anyone wanting to consume more alkaline rich foods, get more antioxidants in their diet, and reduce inflammation in their body! And best of all…it’s just so tasty! The parsley, turmeric and ginger give it a really fresh flavor - you feel a little healthier just drinking it!
Ingredients:
1 Large or 2 Med sized Beets
1 Large Lemon
1/2 Packed Cup Flat Leaf Italian Parsley Chopped
1 inch Peeled Ginger Root
1 Piece of Tumeric Root
1/2 Cup of Water
Directions:
Peel and cut beets into large pieces, I like to wear gloves so my fingers don’t get completely stained. Tumeric can be peeled, but it can leave hands and utensils a bright yellow, so it can be left unpeeled if preferred. Add all the ingredients to the blender and blend at high speed until liquified. Remove from blender and strain through very fine strainer (I use a very fine tea strainer) or cheesecloth, pushing remaining juices out with a spoon. I have to do this part of process in batches since none of my strainers are large enough to do the entire batch at one time.
Please let me know how you like the Superfood Beet Juice Shot in the comments below! We always love to hear from you!