In recent years fruit juices have not enjoyed good publicity as it has been argued that they are full of sugars and should only be consumed in moderation.

But every food, regardless of how healthy it is, should be consumed in moderation, and that hoes for fruit juices as well. Consuming too much fruit juice can add up to your calorie intake as one fruit juice contains several whole fruits.

When juicing a fruit, many people tend to discard the fiber, which is highly nutritious, and so it is important to replace the fiber with ingredients like ground chia seeds or ground linseeds.

Or, you can use the pulp from your juicer to make soups or muffins. Beet juices, for instance, are an excellent alternative as they are both refreshing and help ward off a number of diseases.

Below are three beet juice recipes you can make yourself at home.

1. Citrus beet juice

Around 400 ml

• 1 orange, around 160 g
• 1 beetroot, around 125 g
• 1/2 cucumber, around 175 g
• 1 large carrot, around 150 g, plus extra to decorate

Peel the orange and juice it with the carrot, cucumber, and beetroot. Now pour the juice into a glass and it’s ready to drink.

If you want to add a little spice to your beet juice, stick to the recipe above and add a 2 cm (3 to 4 inch) piece peeled fresh root ginger in the mix with the other components.

2. Heart beet juice

Around 350 ml

• 1 orange, around 160 g
• one beetroot, around 125 g
• 1 apple, around 125 g
• ice cubes

Peel the ring of the orange then peel the orange and slice it into wedges. Now rub the edge of a glass with one of the orange wedges and put the orange rind on the edge of the glass.

Juice the orange wedges, apple, and beetroot, add some ice cubes in the glass and pour the drink. It is now ready to consume.

If you prefer green heart beet juice stick to the recipe above and add 50g (2oz) spinach to the mix and juice it with the other ingredients.

3. Spicy beet juice

Comes to around 250 ml

• 1 fresh large beetroot, around 175 g
• 15 g coriander leaves
• 2 celery sticks
• large pinch of ground turmeric
• pepper

Juice the beetroot, celery, and coriander and add the minced turmeric then add some pepper. Pour it into a glass and it’s now ready to serve.

To make it more spicy juice a parsnip, which is approximately 100g; one carrot, which is about 150g; an apple, which comes to around 100g, and 2 cm (34 inches) piece peeled fresh root ginger. Season it with some turmeric and serve it straight away.

The reasons why beetroot juice is, to say the least, good for you are plenty. It improves the function of your liver, promotes healthy weight loss, facilitates digestion, supports the detoxification process, helps fight iron deficits, the list goes on.