Beets Me

I'm reading a book called Kluge about the workings of the mind, based on evolution, which [besides pointing out throughout the book how impossible it was that humans could have been created, as well as evolving, since clearly mistakes were made] points out that much decision-making bypasses the frontal cortex and goes straight through to the animal brain, causing us to forego long-term benefits in our choices and cut to the chase of immediately perceived gain.

Which helps explain why, when the chips are down on a late evening of work, I select fast foods which leave me feeling very bad the next day. But which fact I forget about the next evening. I ate at [I won't name the place] Fast Food Place the other night, which seemed like a good idea at the time, then later drove to Eatonville at midnight, where I discovered my husband [and therefore I] was going to be awakened at 0345 so he could drive his daughter to the airport. She was packing and turned off her light at 0100, so I finally slept after that.

At o345 I was brought back from Pluto and instantly discovered how horrible I felt. I had a stabbing headache and edema in my fingers and other sludgy complaints, which did not ease until the following evening when I took time to make beet soup. The instant I tasted the broth my headache eased and I could almost hear my body saying, "Aahh!" By the next morning I was feeling more alert than I have in a long time. I don't know if this is true or has been clinically tested, but the beets also seemed to have a wonderful diuretic effect.

And the soup was delicious. Way better than the over salted fast-food muck my brain thought tasted good. For this I didn't have a pressure cooker; I just cooked the soup over an hour instead of in ten minutes. This is so simple I'm embarrassed to relate how to make it.

Beet Soup With Potatoes and Peas

3 beets, scrubbed and diced [I don't use the tails. Too much like my daughter's pets.]
3 potatoes, scrubbed and diced [they don't have tails, so okay there.]
1 yellow onion, peeled and diced. Olive oil. Several cloves of garlic.
1 cup split green peas. Eight cups of water.
Seasonings: cumin, basil, oregano, coriander, turmeric, and the rest of the gang. Sea salt. [But not too much.]

Peel and dice onion, let it "sweat" on low in extra virgin olive oil [I figured Olive Oyl was a virgin, but I never knew there were extra virgins around] while you prepare the other vegetables, stir in seasonings as well. Add 8 cups water, vegetables, peas. Bring to a boil, then simmer covered on low for 45 minutes to an hour until peas and beets are tender. Pass out and die, it's so good.