Welcome to National Celery Month!
March is National Nutrition and National Celery Month, making it a perfect time to focus on feeding the mind, body, and spirit well. It may be hard to believe it is the third month of the year, but if you have fallen off the wagon to healthy eating, just jump back on with no judgment. Now let's talk about celery and why you may need to add it to your healthy diet/lifestyle now.
What is Celery?
Celery is a low-calorie vegetable that is high in water content and fiber. It is also full of antioxidants and is an anti-inflammatory. Celery is exceptionally rich in vitamin A, C & K; it has a host of minerals like calcium, folate, iron, magnesium, manganese, potassium, phosphorus, and sodium. This vegetable is a beast in detoxification; it helps to get rid of all the junk from acidic foods and neutralizes the body leading it more towards alkalinity. Celery can be eaten cooked or raw and even used in a juicer or blender to obtain its nutrients.
Celery Benefits
There are so many reasons to include celery in the diet, whether in meal or juice form. Here are few reasons you may want to consider adding it to your healthy diet/lifestyle sooner rather than later. The positive results of consuming celery for those who are not allergic to it don't take long to notice.
1. Improves digestion.
· The high-water content of nearly 90+% and the large amount of fiber encompassed in celery makes it very helpful to the digestive systems. Eating heavy acidic foods causes the body to feel sluggish, frequently brings on bouts with constipation. However, drinking celery juice helps push the food through and eventually out the body, cleaning out the colon's fecal matter. The quick action and medicinal properties of celery can help alleviate diseases brought on by poor digestion and constant constipation.
2. Helps with weight loss
· Intaking celery curbs appetites; it makes one feel full faster and longer. Causing a cut back on unnecessary eating.
· When the body is not eliminating foods regularly, like two to three hours after most meals, the food starts to pile up. This causes fat, among other things, to take refuge within the system, hence all over the body. However, when intaking celery, the fiber helps to discharge unwanted matter and begins to cleanse the kidneys consistently. This action on behalf of the almighty celery lowers the risk of disease in the body, especially colon cancer. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition conducted a study where they found that a high-fiber diet filled with vegetables like celery may lower the risk for colorectal cancer.
3. Lowers Blood Pressure
· The potent vitamins and minerals that are present in celery help to relax and lower blood pressure. The intake of celery consistently causes blood pressure to decrease as the blood vessels dilate, allowing blood to flow more freely. This is truly a heart healthy vegetable that needs to be apart of a lifestyle change program if high blood pressure is present.
4. Reduces Inflammation
· Celery is an anti-inflammatory that helps reduce inflammation brought on by foreign invaders in the body like parasites and bacteria.
5. Stops Infections
· Celery is a reputable opponent to most foreign invaders that try to wreak havoc inside the body. Drinking a glass of 16oz on an empty stomach most mornings will eradicate unwanted organisms in the body. The detoxification action of celery helps move dead food and bacteria out of the intestines, liver, or wherever they may be lodged at and out of the body.
6. Halt Urinary Tract Infections (UTI's)
· Celery has the power to clear out the bladder by increasing urine production, which impedes the growth of microorganisms, making it harder for bacteria to hang onto the urinary tract walls. Urinary tract infections can be painful and annoying but with the use of celery which is antimicrobial they shall be gone in no time. Give yourself a month to witness a big difference.
Be Aware
Be careful, though; too much celery can lead to bloating and diarrhea, so having it in moderation is better than having too much or none at all. Start slow with a celery juice in the morning a few times a week and maybe add celery to a salad 2 days throughout the week. Test how it makes you feel and go from there. Ease up if you start to notice signs of bloating, diarrhea or gas. Also if you are allergic to celery or develop a rash stop use.
Final Thought
In conclusion, celery is so good for us, even if we don’t enjoy the smell or taste. Our stomach and other organs will thank us for providing them with such a nutritious vegetable capable of helping them function and heal on so many levels.
Pondering Question
Now that you are aware of some of the benefits of celery, what will you make?
Reference:
Dietary fiber intake and risk of colorectal cancer and incident and recurrent adenoma in the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial
https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/102/4/881/4564676