As someone who works round the clock 24/7, do you have times when you feel as though you’re lacking some stamina? Kind of like you’re running on flat batteries?
Well besides catching up on some long lost sleep (which is extremely difficult to do when you work irregular hours) there is an alternative and it’s called ‘beetroot’.
Sound a bit strange? Well as a nutrition student I’m always fascinated with wholefoods and how they can heal the body. In particular, how they can specifically help shift workers who are continually prone to a depleted immune system, digestive complaints and nervous system dysregulation.
As Hippocrates once said – ‘Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food’.
Beetroot has so many wonderful therapeutic benefits including:
- It’s high in vitamin C and iron.
- It’s a great cleanser on the gut, and helps to maintain bowel regularity (excellent for shift workers who are prone to digestive complaints).
- It helps to regulate blood pressure.
- It helps to guard against infections, in particular bowel and stomach infections.
- Studies have shown beetroots can boost endurance and stamina via the efficient use of oxygen (*Murphy et al. 2012) – music to the ears of any energy depleted shift worker!
So if you’re looking for a bit of oomph or get up and go, try including some beetroot into your shift working diet.
This super easy and superfast recipe below is perfect to pack into your lunchbox and take into work. Try serving it with some fish for added protein and healthy fats (omega-3 fatty acids) and you will have the perfect macronutrient-balanced meal to take into work!
Beetroot Salad
Ingredients:
- 1 large beetroot
- 1 large grated carrot
- 4 tablespoon desiccated coconut or sesame seeds
Dressing:
The juice of 1 orange, lime or lemon and 2 tablespoons of olive oil
Method:
Combine all ingredients and serve!
Recipe inspired and adapted from Digestive Solutions – 101 Proven Methods to Solve your Tummy Problems Naturally by Michele Wolff.
*Murphy, M, Eliot, K, Heuertz, R & Weiss, E 2012, ‘Whole beetroot consumption acutely improves running performance’, Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, vol. 112, no. 4, pp. 548-552.
0 Comments