LISA ROBBINS: Do you want to lose fat throughout your body, including where it is accumulated and buildup in your arteries, lower your cholesterol levels, lower your blood pressure and uric acid levels, rebuild your joints and bones, AND reduce cancer growth in your body?

Eat celery!

Celery is the ultimate cleanser. It is full of cancer fighting, blood pressure reducing, fat reducing, cholesterol reducing, and acid reducing, aka healing properties!

A study at the National University of Singapore fed rats a high fat diet for eight weeks then supplemented half of the rat's diets with celery extract. A significant reduction in serum total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides was noted. (1995, Tsi, Das, Tan)

Celery and its seeds have been used in Chinese Medicine for centuries, to lower high blood pressure. Phthalides are phytochemicals present in celery that work to lower stress hormones and relax muscle tissue in your arteries, improving blood flow.

Celery has a high silicon content which makes it an important nutrient for rebuilding your bones, joints, connective tissues and arteries.

Celery is also high in acetylenics and phenolic acids, natural compounds, which reduce the growth of cancer cells and cancerous tumors. (2007, Bowden)

The seeds and stalks are known to reduce uric acid levels, relieving symptoms of Gout, such as joint pain and immobility. (1997, Duke)

Celery is rich in B-Complex vitamins, adding to its stress reducing and sedative qualities. It is rich in vitamins A and C, and is indicated in arthritis and kidney problems. (1997, Balch)

Here is an easy and delicious way to use celery for all its incredible healing benefits!

Celery Apple and Cranberry Salad
Crunchy, tart and sweet, sprinkled with the gutsy heat of slivered shallots.

This salad has four simple and nutritious ingredients, which are most likely in your pantry right now: Celery, apple, shallot (substitute: red onion) and dried cranberries.

The dressing is a simple vinaigrette. Its makeup can depend on your preferences and what you have on hand.

The Vinaigrette
Oil
Hemp Oil
Flax Oil
Olive Oil

Sour
Apple Cider Vinegar (always with 'Mother' ~ having active beneficial bacterial culture ~ the fermenting stuff in the bottom of the jar!)
White Wine Vinegar
Red Wine Vinegar
Lemon or lime juice

Combine the oil and sour in a glass jar and shake. Add a squirt of raw Agave Nectar or a spoonful of unpasteurized honey to take the edge off the vinegar if desired.

The rule is two-thirds oil to one-third sour. For 1/3 cup of vinegar, use 2/3 cup of oil. Choose your oil (or mix two together) then choose your sour. The dressing will stay refrigerated for up to two weeks, sealed in a glass jar.

If you are making a salad for one, just sprinkle on your vinegar first, then sprinkle on, up to two times as much oil as vinegar, and toss your salad. That's it!

Assemble the Salad
Chop the celery and apple in very small chunks. Sliver the shallot. Toss together with dressing and scatter cranberries on top.

This quick salad refrigerates well and is a perfect lunch for packing and taking with you.

Tip about Flax Oil
Flax oil is a very beneficial highly unsaturated essential oil, which makes it a key ingredient in your healthy life.

Learn to use flax oil in your smoothies and salad dressings to improve the viscosity of your blood, to rebuild your nervous system, improve the integrity of your cell walls, burn fat buildup, and fight cancer growth.

Flax oil has a very short fresh span, once it is removed from its seed. If your flax oil smells off ~ don't eat it ~ throw it out! Purchase your flax oil fresh from the refrigerator in your health food store or grocer. Mix two or three tablespoons of flax oil with hemp or olive oil in your dressings.

Enjoy!

Until next time, Heal Yourself!

References

Balch, James F., M.D., Balch, Phyllis A., C.N.C. Prescription for Nutritional Healing. 1997. Avery Publishing Group, New York.

Bowden, Jonny., Ph.D., C.N.S. The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth. 2007. Fair Winds, Massachusetts.

Duke, James A., Ph.D. The Green Pharmacy. 1997. Rodale Press, Pennsylvania.

Tsi, D., Das, N.P., Tan, B.K.H. Effects of Aqueous Celery (Apium graveolens) Extract on Lipid Parameters of Rats Fed a High Fat Diet. Thieme eJournals, Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart, New York. Planta Med 1995; 61(1): 18-21. Accessed online March 8, 2011, at https://www.thieme-connect.com/ejournals/abstract/plantamedica/doi/10.1055/s-2006-957990

Mar 29, 2011 - 9:24 AM

Lisa -

Hello Andrea,

You are most welcome and Thank You for reading them!

Lisa :)

Mar 28, 2011 - 8:55 PM

Andrea Connell -

Hey Lisa
I just wanted to drop a note to say how much I always enjoy your articles and recipes. They are so well written and informative - you hardly notice that you're learning something good for your health. Thanks for your passion!
Thanks again - Andrea