How to Celebrate Health with Celery?

Answer 1

Most of us would like to be tall, slender, trim, and lean---just like a celery stalk. And although celery is common as a staple in stuffing mixtures, chicken soup, before dinner crudités, and kids' ants on a log, it is often overlooked as the truly great nutritional food it is—much more than that 'tasteless' unappetizing low calorie weight loss snack that sits in the fridge.

Celery Stands Tall in Health History

Celery has been touted, placed in high regard and esteem for the centuries for its stalks, leaves, seeds, roots as food, seasoning, and for its natural medicinal healing abilities. And, to top it all off, it is also a believed aphrodisiac even in Ancient times. This in fact is true as research shows that celery has a pheromone that men can release in sweat that does attract females. Famed Casanova is claimed to have indulged frequently in celery for his prowess. When it comes to health benefits, you can't do better than tiny slim celery's abilities to promote health. It is a documented aid in lowering cholesterol, cancer prevention, support of the immune system, heart health, and a stress buster.

How does this health happen? Celery contains high levels of important nutrients. Vitamin C for starters. Of you are bored with OJ and Oranges, munch on celery to keep your immune system healthy, lessen or reduce your cold symptoms. Research has shown the nutrients in celery also reduce inflammation such as Asthma or Arthritis.

Chinese medicine has known about celery as a calming food for centuries, and research has shown evidence that the use of celery helps to relax the muscles around arteries which in turn allows blood to flow at a lower pressure and reduces stress hormones. Hippocrates, known as the father of modern medicine, had even described celery as a nerve soother. If you feel bloated with extra water weight, celery is helpful in regulating bodily fluids and ridding the body of excess.

Cancer worry is a hot topic these days, and celery contains important substances that are great fighters and defenders in the body in preventing free radicals from taking hold, aiding white blood cell defenders, and even stopping the growth of tumors.

Notes on Celery

Celery is a great seasoning agent, but munching it raw, you probably want to go for the sweetest bunch. In the center of celery are those smaller and tiny stalks—but sometimes it is not there but instead, a round stem which is a seed stem is there instead. The seed stem often results in a more bitter taste to the celery, so try to check for this factor.

If your celery gets wilted on the countertop or buffet, sprinkle with a little water and refrigerate a while and it can come back to crispness.

There is an important warning about celery in regards to pesticide residues. Pesticide residues, sadly, are found in just about all commercially grown fruits and vegetables in varying levels. The Environmental Working Group's 2010 repot that is called a Shoppers Guide to Pesticides, reports on various levels, and celery is very high on the list, so it is advisable to buy organic celery, if you can.

Not so Ordinary Celery Soup

About 4 or 5 stalks thinly chopped celery, 1/4 cup finely shredded carrot, 1 finely chopped onion, 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, 1 cup chicken or vegetable stock, 1 cup milk or soy milk, 2-3 ounces blanched or slivered toasted almonds, or cashews, or walnuts chopped, 1 cored chopped apple, 3 tablespoons yogurt.

Bring all ingredients-- except yogurt-- to a boil in a pot and simmer about 15 minutes until vegetables are tender. Carefully blend in blender in batches to smoothness if you like a smooth soup, and swirl in yogurt to serve.

Nutritious Celery Smoothie

If you don't feel like cooking, you can always have your celery in a quick smoothie—and your kids can join you. Blend up 2 tablespoons peanut butter, 2 stalks of celery, 1/2 banana or an apple or both, 1 1/2 cups of milk of your choice (milk, soy, almond, rice).

Frozen Celery and Fruit Delight

You can make this a smoothie, or freeze it for a no added sugar frozen treat with the hidden celery and greens magic.

4 stalks celery (take out strings), 1/4 cup chopped kale, 1/2-1 banana, 1 cup frozen cherries, mango, berries—your choice of amounts, 2 cups cherry, blueberry, or pomegranate juice or combination of them, 1/2 cup almonds, 1-2 tsp. lime or lemon juice Blend all ingredients. Pour into dessert bowls and freeze.