CARROTS ARE HIGHLY NUTRITIOUS

Carrots are tasty, sweet and extremely good for you. Eating cooked carrots is far more important than drinking carrot juice, however drinking the juice does provide you numerous yummy benefits. This article focuses on all things carrots, just to give you a boost in your carrot- consumption- motivation!

Carrots contain many minerals

Carrots are so nourishing because they contain high levels of a very useable form of calcium and other minerals such as potassium. They also contain Vitamin K, B vitamins, bioflavanoids, and anti-oxidant substances such as carotene. The carotenes are what give the carrots their gorgeous colour and it is converted into Vitamin A in the body. Vitamin A is exceptional for eye health, and proper immune system function.

Few other foods contain as much calcium as carrots do. Dairy is a great source however the pasteurisation and homogenising destroys most of it. Raw dairy is preferable.

Research has shown that carrots lower blood cholesterol, decrease risk of several types of cancer, aid in eye health and digestion, and promote weight loss.

Carrots do so much good… but I ask you: Why did the carrot get an award? Because he was out standing in his field!!

Cook your carrots

Please cook and juice your (preferably organic) carrots. Do not eat them raw, as the tough fibre makes it very difficult for your body to extract the many beneficial minerals. The cooked fibre feeds all your good bacteria in your gut, improving your overall health and decreasing your risk of illness. Cooked and juiced, the humble carrot helps to alleviate constipation and keeps you using your bowel regularly.

The best ways to enjoy your carrots:

• Cooked via pressure cooking. Chop carrots and place in pressure cooker with a small amount of water depending on how many carrots you are cooking. Cook for 5-7 minutes.
• Cooked via steaming. Cut up and then place in steamer basket over some water in a saucepan. Steam for 30-40 minutes until the fibres have turned soft. Place some butter on top and serve. Drink the water or add it to your stock pot.
• Cooked via roasting. Cut carrots and place in baking dish with a little olive oil and cumin seeds. Roast for 1-1.5hours at 180C.
• Juice them alone or with a small amount of greens such as kale, silverbeat, spinach or parsley.
• Feed them to your babies/ young children after simply mashing the cooked carrot up.
• Eat carrots either alone as a mono-meal, or with a variety of other vegetables. Due to their sweetness, they go well with vegetables that aren’t so sweet, such as turnips and rutabagas. They combine well with a protein such as lamb, chicken, eggs, sardines or cheese. OR they combine well with a complex high quality carbohydrate/ starch such as quinoa, millet, amaranth, rice or blue or yellow corn.

Juice your carrots

Whilst on a Nutritional Balancing Program, and indeed if you are not, carrot juice is a delicious treat to enjoy.

• Drink 300-350ml of fresh organic carrot juice daily. This is not essential on NB, however you will be providing your body with a burst of nutrients especially calcium which will speed your healing! Don’t drink more than this as you will be interrupting your digestion and unbalancing your blood glucose levels!
• Make and drink your carrot juice as fresh as possible to gain the most goodness. It lasts well for 24 hours in the fridge. Purchasing a home juicer is worth the extra health you will obtain. There is no need to pay hundreds of dollars for a top quality juicer. The best things to look out for are cold-pressed juices, and ones that actually juice- don’t blend. You want the juice to be extracted and the fibre to be separated out. I give all our carrot fibre to our chooks!
• You can purchase carrot juice from some health food shops, and supermarkets. Try and get one with no additives, and one that hasn’t been pasteurised for maximum benefit.
• Please don’t give carrot juice (and definitely not fruit juices) to children under age 10. It is very sweet and young children are usually fast oxidisers and cannot handle the extra carbohydrates.
• Drink your carrot juice 1.5 hours after a meal, and 15 minutes before a meal. The liquid will dilute your stomach digestive enzymes and inhibit proper digestion of your food if you drink it close to or with a meal. Drink it alone.

Carrot juice a day

So with so much goodness, and such a lovely sweet flavour, how could you NOT incorporate carrots into your daily lives? A carrot juice a day is a great afternoon snack, and a large serve of carrots every second day will serve you and your body well.

Of course, you could make thick carrot soup. But how do you make gold soup? You put 24 carrots in it!

Happy Healing!

Sari