Celery, carrots, parsley and fennel all belong to the family known as umbelliferous. Modern day celery actually evolved from a wild celery native to the Mediterranean where its seeds were once widely used s a medicine — in particular a diuretic. Celery is an often overlooked veggie, usually not on anyone’s list of superfoods or exotic exciting recipe ingredients. I get that. Carrot and celery sticks are so ubiquitous and have likely been around in your life since childhood. They are kind of the obligatory vegetable at cocktail parties and childhood events due to their mild nature. “Ants on a log” and I go way back. So I get it if you don’t have a current obsession with celery. Honestly, I didn’t either until juicing and juice cleansing became such a huge part of my health turnaround and my foundation for working with thousands of people around the world.
But I encourage you to take another look at this humble green vegetable. It is an excellent source of Vitamin C, potassium, folate, vitamin B6 and B1. It’s also a good source of calcium, did you know that? Because celery juice is rich with both potassium and natural sodium, it is a perfect electrolyte replacement drink for post-workout hydration.
But research has discovered that celery also contains phytochemicals known as coumarins that can help tone your vascular system, including a compound called 3-n-butylphthalide that can lower blood pressure. This is important in lowering your risk of heart disease, and the great news is that the amount needed to lower blood pressure in humans by 12-14 percent was only 4 celery ribs!
Celery also adds to its credibility as a health food the fact that it can help reduce migraine headaches, lower cholesterol, improve detoxification in the body, and lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease thanks to the 3nB.
How To Pick Your Celery?
Make sure it is light green, and crisp — it should snap! Avoid limp and soft bendable celery. Here are some of my favorite celery juice recipes:
CELERY CUCUMBER CARROT
- 6 celery ribs
- 1 cucumber
- 4 carrots
CELERY SPINACH APPLE
- 6 celery ribs
- 2 green apples
- 1 handful spinach
CELERY LEMON BEET
- 1 red beetroot
- 6 ribs of celery
- 1/2 lemon, peeled
