As a (very) busy mom of three kids, I am always on the go and I never have time for nutritious meals unless it’s dinner and I am forcing my family to have some bonding time over tater tots and fish sticks. So, when I heard that celery juice is having a moment thanks in huge part to some impressive sounding health benefits, I took notice.
People have been juicing forever and we’ve definitely seen a million and three variations of every smoothie and juice recipes under the sun, but there is something apparently healing about juicing a bunch of celery with a touch of water. Some folks swear by this tonic as a way to seek a healthier body.
The benefits of celery juice are said to include
- Anti-inflammatory properties that can help reduce flare-ups in joints and skin
- General gut health including easing the pain and burden of bloating, acid reflux, and IBS
- Clears skin including some eczema problems
- A good source of vitamins C and K, both essential to a healthy body
- And contain bioactive flavonoids, which are said to help prevent cancer
It’s easy to see why anyone would want to give this celery juice stuff a shot. But are these health tonic claims of genuine healing true? The science is still catching up to these claims but there does exist this study that shows that celery juice does have anti-inflammatory properties.
Like any nutrition fad, though, it is wise to remember that no one should live on a diet of just celery juice and that no one juice (or pill or hype of any kind) can replace the benefits and impacts of a well-balanced diet and exercise on the health of an individual.
That said, adding a regimen of celery juice to your diet for its widely reported health benefits may not be such a bad idea.
To try this tonic:
- Gather together one bunch of celery stock – organic is best if you can get it.
- Chop off the leafy tops and the bulbous root end,
- Wash the stocks thoroughly, and place in a juicer with a quarter to a half cup of cold water.
Some say that smoothies are healthier because it includes the fiber material that juicing leaves behind. Since most smoothies rely on fruits, which are high in sugar, that added fiber can help the body not absorb so much sugar. But with celery, there is already almost no sugar present in the vegetable so you can feel OK about skipping the smoothie.
If the taste of celery and water sounds less than appetizing, you can jazz it up by adding lemon or lime, ginger, apple, or even just incorporating celery into your regular juicing/smoothie routine.
