This vegetable has just 16 calories per cup making it the perfect low calorie snack food but it is also loaded with vitamins and minerals too:
- 16.2 calories
- 3.5 grams carbohydrates
- 0.7 gram protein
- 0.2 gram fat
- 1.6 grams fiber
- 29.6 micrograms vitamin K (37 percent DV)
- 453 international units (9 percent DV)
- 36.5 micrograms folate (9 percent DV)
- 263 milligrams potassium (8 percent DV)
- 3.1 milligrams vitamin C (5 percent DV)
- 0.1 milligram manganese (5 percent DV)
- 0.1 milligram vitamin B6 (4 percent DV)
- 40.4 milligrams calcium (4 percent DV)
- 0.1 milligram riboflavin (3 percent DV)
- 11.1 milligrams magnesium (3 percent DV)
All with some sugars, celery also contains some vitamin E, niacin, pantothenic acid, iron, phosphorus, zinc and selenium.
Benefits include:
helps to lower high cholesterol
lowers inflammation
prevents or treats high blood pressure
protects liver health
aids in weight loss
boosts digestion and reduces bloating
contains anti-microbial properties that fight infections
helps prevent uninary tract infection
may help protect from cancer
I have been doing a lot of reading on the benefits of celery juice. Here are a few key bits that I found:
Celery juice is one of the best remedies for regulating blood pressure levels and is proven to have a calming effect on the entire body.
Celery juice is soothing and cooling to the digestive tract, which aids any inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract. This is perfect for anyone with IBS, Crohn’s, colon cancer, etc.
Celery is very high in calcium and silicon which help to regenerate and strengthen damaged bones.
Celery contains a particular compound called coumarins which promotes the activity of white blood cells and assists the vascular system. This helps the bloodflow, reduces blood pressure and purifies the bloodstream.
Celery juice is extremely hydrating and alkaline, making it effective for balancing the body’s pH level and neutralizing any acidity in the body.
The combination of sodium and potassium makes it a natural diuretic. It regulates the fluid in the body and promotes urine production. This makes celery incredibly good for flushing toxins out of the body while also enhancing weight loss.
Drinking celery juice by itself, compared to mixing it with other ingredients, simplifies digestion and elimination, helping the body to cleanse, detoxify and restore.
Two special compounds in celery, polyacetylene and luteolin, make celery an anti-inflammatory powerhouse.
Celery is on the dirty dozen list so make sure to buy organic if you can.
I decided to add celery juice to my diet. 1 qt a day- as my first thing in the morning drink. The recipe is super easy- it is just celery. The resulting juice is salty and a little sweet. I used 1 package of celery hearts from Costco which resulted in exactly 1 qt. 2 whole heads of celery (I found organic heads of celery at Raleys) will give you 1 qt plus 16 ounces.
If you don’t have a cold pressed juicer then consume your juice right away (at the very most, consume it that day). If you have a cold pressed juicer the juice will stay fresh for up to 3 days.
If you are not used to juicing I recommend you start with 8 ounces and work yourself up to 16 ounces consumed first thing in the morning. You want to ultimately work up to 32 ounces a day. It is best to drink it straight but if you cannot handle the taste at first then add 1/2 a green apple and slowly wean yourself off the apple.
If you cannot do juice then I hope that you will incorporate more fresh celery into your diet.
Raw Chef Debra Garner
To learn more about Raw Chef Debra’s new 10 dayGreen Smoothie Cleanse coaching program please visit her website.