Written by: Rozalia Kieliszkiewicz, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Root and Tuber vegetables are the world's most consumed group of vegetables. These vegetables are made along with a main meal or dish. Often, they are part of a mixed vegetable dish or seasoned with other meals. The most popular are carrots, potatoes, garlic and onions.
Eating root and tuber vegetables can positively impact your skin health. The vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants found in root vegetables can help your skin stay hydrated and protect it from damage from free radicals.
Eating root vegetables like carrots, beets, turnips, and potatoes can help keep your skin looking healthy and glowing. Their high portions of carbohydrate properties are healing and regenerating, fueling the body with a healthy dose of Vitamin A, C and other nutrients and providing the skin with anti-aging, antioxidant, antiseptic and antibacterial properties, keeping your skin looking and feeling its best.
Additionally, root and tuber vegetables are high in fiber, which can help your body eliminate toxins and other wastes that can cause skin problems. Eating root and tuber vegetables as a balanced diet can help keep your skin looking beautiful.
1. Beets
Did you know that humans have eaten beets since the times of the ancient Romans? They used to eat them pickled or boiled. As a result, they are low in calories and high in dietary fiber. Fun fact: beets are related to spinach and quinoa!
A red-purple root vegetable that stains other vegetables when cooked. It would help to watch out for a natural tie dye when cooking while wearing white, as it could stain your clothing. Also, this vegetable can sometimes cause fear to those with paranoia as it creates the look of bloody urine and stool when going to the toilet.
Beets are nothing to be afraid of, as they are natural detoxifiers for the Kidneys due to their high magnesium levels. Beets have the highest sugar content of all root vegetables. Yet, they are rich in Vitamin A, manganese, zinc, iron and calcium, potassium, copper, niacin and vitamin C. They will leave you with beautiful-looking skin when juiced, eaten as a soup, or raw in a salad.
2. Carrots
Did you know that carrots were initially purple and yellow? They were bred to become orange in the 17th century in Holland as a tribute to William of Orange! Carrots are also a great source of beta-carotene, an antioxidant that helps protect the body from free radical damage. Even more interesting, carrots contain a particular type of carbohydrate called polysaccharides that can help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease!
Carrots are known for their high vitamin A content, one of the most eaten vegetables in various colours, including orange, yellow and purple. A favourite children's snack, often eaten raw with dip, and famous for its loud bite in a crunch.
One cup of carrots will provide the body with over 20000 IU of Beta ‒ Carotene, which converts into Vitamin A, leaving you with subtle skin. They are also high in vitamin C, potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium and selenium, essential for healthy glowing hair, strong nails, and clear skin.
Rich in several skin-glowing properties, drinking carrot juice or eating carrot puree soup will give you a healthy dose of phytonutrients, such as quercetin and cinnamic acid, essential for immune protection.
3. Potatoes
Did you know potatoes are the world's fourth-largest food crop or contain more potassium than a banana? They are a staple food in many countries and are rich in vitamins and minerals. In addition, they are among the oldest vegetables in history, with evidence of potatoes being cultivated in Peru as far back as 8,000 BC.
During the Irish Potato Famine in the 1840s, over a million people died due to a fungus that destroyed the potato crops. In addition, you can use Potatoes to produce electricity ‒ a single potato can generate enough electricity to light up a light bulb for around 40 minutes! Lastly, the world's giant potato weighed 7.2 kg and was grown in the U.K.; that is a ton of electricity!
Potatoes come in several types of sizes, used for a variety of complex dishes around the world. Potatoes; are inexpensive root vegetables that carry abundant necessary nutrients for the body to function optimally.
Potatoes are closely related to tubers as they grow underground off the root after the plant has grown and flowered.
Rich in nutrients, low in sodium and low caloric, potatoes are approximately two-thirds carbohydrates and 10 % protein. They are high in vitamin C, B Vitamins, magnesium, manganese, iron and zinc and hold a generous amount of potassium, leaving the skin hydrated, smooth and free of wounds.
4. Parsnips
Parsnips are a root vegetable that is closely related to carrots and parsley. An abundant vegetable previously used as a currency in Greece. They are a popular ingredient in stews, soups, and casseroles. They have a sweet, nutty flavor and can be eaten raw, cooked, or mashed. They can even be used as a coffee substitute!
Parsnips are mainly starchy vegetables, rich in Vitamin A, C and Folic acid. In addition, a food that is rarely consumed is rich in phytonutrients such as beta-carotene, quercetin, and lycopene, unless passed down from cultural diets.
Whether cooked, baked, steamed or eaten in soups, parsnips can often be dried and made into flour. As a result, parsnips have some B vitamins and are high in potassium, hydrating the body and moisturizing the skin.
5. Onions
Did you know that onions are a member of the lily family? Onions have been cultivated for over 5,000 years, making them one of the oldest known vegetables. Onions can help reduce cholesterol levels and lower blood sugar. Did you know that the world's giant onion weighed 10 pounds and 14 ounces?
The root vegetable known for making one cry is a natural defence mechanism when cutting their skin, creating a chemical gas reaction. There are a variety of onions, such as red onions, white onions, green onions, and chives, eaten raw in salads, dips and flavourings. They are often cooked in soups and found in almost every dish.
A universal food, they carry an antiseptic effect from their natural oils. In some cultures, Onions are used as natural remedies to fight cold infections and to boost the immune system. In addition, their sources of Vitamin C, E, A, Selenium and zinc will keep your skin clear of conditions.
6. Garlic
Did you know that garlic is believed to have originated in Central Asia? It's been used in cuisine and medicine for thousands of years! Ancient Greek and Roman cultures even used garlic to protect themselves against evil spirits!
Garlic is often used raw in salads and dressings and cooked with fish, meats, poultry and other vegetables. Garlic can lower platelet creation lowering blood clotting and promoting cardiovascular health.
A root vegetable with a strong odour, garlic is considered the King of herbs, famous for its wild known healing properties and use for healing remedies.
Garlic has been used to treat the common cold and digestive issues and can even reduce cholesterol levels. But that's not all ‒ when garlic is eaten raw, it releases a compound called allicin, which has significant antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal properties.
A natural antibiotic, garlic can purify the body and rid it of bacterial infections such as Yeast, candida and some throat infections. In addition, the mineral sulphur promotes the elimination of toxins from the blood, and lymph, detoxifying the skin.
7. Radishes
Did you know that radishes were one of the earliest cultivated vegetables? They have been around since ancient Egyptian times and were a favourite of the Pharaohs. Radishes come in various colours, from the familiar red to black, white, and even purple. In addition, you can use radishes to make a pale green dye. The world's giant radish was grown in Japan and weighed 18 pounds!
High in water content, radishes are crunchy roots that grow fast and are low in calories. In addition, they contain iron, zinc, selenium, silicon, and some Vitamin C and Folic Acid.
Radishes help with digestion and clear the sinuses of any mucus in the upper airways when spicy.
These salad toppers are high in beta carotene, providing hydrating clear, glowing skin.
8. Sweet Potatoes
The exact origin of the sweet potato is a bit of a mystery, with some experts believing it was first grown in Central and South America, while others theorize it was first raised in parts of Asia. However, it is known that sweet potatoes were cultivated by the indigenous people of Peru as early as 8,000 B.C. As the years passed, the sweet potato spread across the world, with Spanish explorers introducing it to Europe and Africa.
There are over 400 varieties of them around the world. They are not potatoes, but root vegetables related to morning glory and are often used as a natural sweetener in many recipes.
Whether baked or steamed, these delicious sweet potatoes are a tasty treat on any occasion. They can make into several delicacies such as Sweet Potatoe Pie, soup, juices and even ice cream!
Sweet potatoes are high in anthocyanins beta-carotene, vitamin C, potassium and iron. Their phytonutrient content will give you excellent eyesight and beautiful skin free of acne and other skin conditions.
9. Rutabagas
Rutabagas are a hybrid vegetable created by crossing a turnip and a cabbage! They are also known as swedes in some parts of the world and have been cultivated since the 17th century.
This northern European root vegetable is often mashed, baked, and eaten alongside its root family of potatoes, beets and carrots.
Its high antioxidant properties reduce oxidative stress on the skin and help promote collagen production.
Rutabagas is known for its rich fibre and Vitamin C content that promotes anti-aging. Since Vitamin C is known to protect the skin from harmful U.V. rays from the sun, its no doubt that your skin will be free of wrinkles eating this prestigious vegetable.
10. Turnips
Did you know that turnips were first cultivated in Europe and Asia as early as the Bronze Age and have been a staple food in many cultures for centuries? They have a mild, slightly sweet taste. Additionally, turnips are believed to have originated from the wild plant Raphanus raphanistrum, native to the Mediterranean region and parts of Asia.
Turnips are a low-caloric vegetable consumed as a whole, bulb and green alike. A great source of dietary fibre, they can help reduce cholesterol levels. Turnip greens are rich in Vitamin A, C and Folic Acid, which protect the skin from harmful conditions. Still, their rich breakdown of glucosinolate compounds into Isothiocyanates (ITCs) protects the body from harmful microbial and bacterial growth, the cause of many diseases and cancers.
You can enjoy this root vegetable with potatoes or toss it in warm beet soups, to enhance its detoxifying properties, giving you beautiful skin.
Conclusion
Do you know what foods are best for your Biochemical Individuality? As a Holistic Nutritionist, I understand the healing aspects of food and the necessary nutrients needed for optimal health.
Connect with me today here and find liberation in your daily Nutrition!
Rozalia Kieliszkiewicz, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Rozalia Kieliszkiewicz is a writer and entrepreneur educated in the various healing arts. Her goal is to help others create change within by healing and connecting with their Body, Mind and Soul by experiencing her healing and spiritual journey. Founder and Owner of Soul Food Fitness, She shares the knowledge that she has learned with others through practices such as Tarot Divination, Astrology, Psychology, Nutrition and Fitness. In addition, she is one of the co-founders of Leinko, a free space platform dedicated to entrepreneurs who wish to work in freedom to teach, coach, heal and serve humanity.
Her Mission: Heal Within, Heal the World.
