Of the foods which my body and my Parkinson’s reacts well to, root vegetables are at the top of my list. Here’s a (non-comprehensive) list of root vegetables: yams, beets, parsnips, turnips, carrots, onions, garlic, celery root, daikon, turmeric, jicama, radishes, and ginger.
Some of these are probably already staples in your diet, and others we hope you’ll begin incorporating! Turnips, celery root, daikon, jicama, and radishes all make fantastic bases for fresh salads. Beets are the cornerstone of borscht and Russian beet salad. Parsnips can be used in place of potatoes to make a delicious side dish. Once you start incorporating these foods, you’ll wonder where they have been all your life!
In general, all of these vegetables are good sources of vitamins and minerals, high in fiber, and most have anti-inflammatory properties. Beets are a source of betaine, a nutrient which you probably have not heard of, but it seems to have anti-inflammatory properties. Carrots contain beta-carotene, a compound that gets converted into vitamin A by our bodies, which in turn has effects on our immune system function and supports good vision. Turnips are an excellent source of vitamin C. Half of a medium turnip provides approximately 13 mg of vitamin C, which is 21% of the recommend daily amount. The exact benefits of these vegetables are perhaps not the most important thing for you to think about…
Perhaps for those of us with Parkinson's, what is even more important is how we feel after eating these foods. The best results are achieved if you can incorporate some root vegetables into your daily diet. When you account for the variety of root vegetables available, it’s really quite simple to enjoy a lot of them.
Take one of my favorite salads, Daikon with Honey Mustard. With radishes, scallion, and daikon, it has three different root vegetables. Borscht with beets, carrots, onion, and garlic (along with a whole host of herbs and other vegetables) is another one of my root vegetable staples.
Go to the grocery store and pick a variety of root vegetables. Don't be afraid to try something new. If you’re unsure how to eat them, take a look through our recipes to see what we came up with. The cashier might not know what you are buying, and may even ask you what a particular vegetable tastes like or what it's called. That’s part of the fun! Seek the nutrients your body needs to feel its best… and don’t be surprised if you begin buying turnips, beets, and radishes regularly!