Beautiful Beetroot Latte

I'm not sure what took me so long to make this ruby red beetroot latte! I'm a big fan of beetroot in many forms, it's deep, rich hue makes me feel good just looking at it. Beetroot is the main star of my liver-loving beetroot, mint and carrot salad, and even sneaks in to moisten and increase the rich goodness of my chocolate cupcakes! :-) Having it in this warm spiced drink is particularly luscious.

As well as all this sensual appeal, beetroot has some pretty therapeutic properties to offer us as well. It is a rich source of betaine, helping us produce good quality stomach acid. Having this strong digestive fire is super important for effectively breaking down our food and liberating important minerals such as iron and calcium. good levels of stomach acid are also important as our first line of defense, burning up any pathogens that hit the digestive system.  Our production of stomach acid often decreases as we age so adding in some beetroot to the diet is a great way to support this important part of our well-being. Betaine also supports liver, kidney and heart health - and even help the healthy expression of our DNA! Beetroot is hugely beneficial for our hard working liver, helping it with bile production, reducing gall stone formation, helping detoxification and metabolism of all our food types - fats, carbs and proteins. 

The bright, rich colour of beetroot lets us know that this is an especially potent antioxidant rich plant that protects our body from disease - of ongoing interest to us all in these times. Beetroot also contains a special plant constituent that helps our cells produce more nitric oxide, a compound that helps our energy, stamina, physical and cognitive performance. Nitric oxide produced by beetroot has a significant effect on heart health - beautifully reflected in it’s juicy, rich, blood-like colour and often heart-like shape. It signals the arteries to relax, dilating the blood vessels and lowering blood pressure. This has been found to be protective against many cardiovascular problems, including heart attacks and strokes.
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Beetroot is also rich in glycine, a naturally sweet amino acid important for bile production and liver detoxification. Glycine also has calming effects on our nervous system. No wonder I feel so good drinking this brew! :-)   

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Ingredients:

• 1 small or medium beetroot 
• 1 1/2 cm fresh ginger root, peeled (or 1/2 tsp dried)
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup of milk option (coconut and almond works well)
• Sweetener if desired

To prepare:

1. Cook the beetroot until tender. Options include steaming (takes around 1hr) or wrap with baking paper and bake in the oven at 180 degrees for 40mins or so until tender when pierced with a knife.
2. Peel skin off beetroot - this slips off easily when cooked, use gloves if you don't fancy pink hands! Chop coarsely and place in blender with all other ingredients. 
3. Blend on high till smooth and creamy.
4. Pour into pot to heat till just simmering, then pour into cups to serve. This has a silky consistency, if you wish to make it more frothy, blend some of the milk separately in a milk frother or blender and pour on top.
5. Top with extra cinnamon if desired, and enjoy. Serves 2.