If you are a fan of this green juice or plan to begin making it a part of your day, you have come to the right place. Although celery is a common thing to be found in the refrigerator, there are probably many things you do not know about it.
For example, did you know that celery belongs to the carrot family? Shocked right? Obviously, celery does not resemble carrots in shape, color, or taste. Then how can they be related? This surprising truth and many other facts about celery and its juice are available for you here. So read on and choose the path towards health today.
What is Celery Juice
This vegetable has been for many years now. It is an elegant-looking plant that grows in marshlands, It is a staple part of people’s diet in many regions, and its seeds are used as a spice.
In recent years, with the trend of detoxification becoming popular, celery has come to gain prominence as a plant. With its many qualities, it can even be claimed that this plant is now synonymous with weight loss and body cleanses.
There are various claims about the benefits of celery juice, but there is a shortage in the amount of scientific research being made on the topic. Celery juice is essentially the blended version of a celery stalk, sometimes including the leaves as well.
This green juice is lauded for its antioxidant properties and for being rich in minerals and vitamins. Due to being blended and consequently strained, celery juice often contains less fiber than a celery stalk.
Nevertheless, it has various benefits not only for body health but also for skin and hair.
How To Make Celery Juice
The ingredients you need to make celery juice are quite straightforward. Plus, you can alter the quantities of the ingredients depending on whether you are making this only for yourself or more people.
Here, I shall tell you how to make the tastiest and most beneficial celery juice in the easiest way possible. If you do not own a cold-pressed juicer or a regular juicer, you can even use a blender to prepare this juice. Before we get to the method, let’s look at the ingredients first.
Ingredients To Make Celery Juice
The preparation time for this recipe is roughly 5 minutes and may only take longer if you are a slow chopper. Although you need not don your master chef hat for chopping here, as uneven, coarsely chopped stuff is all a blender or juicer needs.
Essentially, celery and water are all you need for this recipe, but to make it easier on your taste buds, we can offer you a list of stuff you can add to your green juice.
- Take one bunch of celery and cut off the base from the head (the part where leaves begin).
- You may include the leaves too, but they tend to make the juice bitter, so I suggest starting with the leaves later or using them in your salads or stir-fries.
- Wash the stalks in clean water. Remember to check for any debris.
In A Blender
- Cut the stalks into roughly 1 inch parts or small enough to fit your blending jar.
- Pour in ¼ cup of water.
- Place the lid intact and blend until smooth.
- Use a strainer/ clean nut milk bag and pour the contents of the blender through it.
- Get in there and squeeze the contents out of the bag or strainer with your hands or a spoon.
- Enjoy fresh or store for later.
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In A Juicer
- Do not cut into smaller pieces. Instead, feed the long stalks through your juicer’s chute and apply pressure with the push rod, if required.
- If some remnants refuse to leave the feeder chute, add a bit of water to help it pass.
- You don’t need a strainer here, as most juicers come fitted with one.
- Drink immediately or store for later.
What Can You Add To Your Celery Juice?
Let’s face it. Sometimes it is just challenging to drink the same bland thing day in and day out. And for your juice cleanse to be effective, most experts advise that you continue drinking this for at least 21 days.
Now that is a significant amount of time, and if you find yourself dreading the moment in the morning when you have to practically push down your celery juice, these tips will help.
Green Apple
Keeping with the green element of this super drink, adding a green apple will significantly add flavor and allow you to relish the drink. It also adds natural sugar, protein, fiber, and essential vitamins like A and C.
Ginger
No. Don’t scowl yet. Ginger is an excellent taste enhancer and has many proven medicinal qualities like aiding in digestion, lowering blood sugar, and keeping nausea at bay. It also enhances immunity.
Pear
Here is another green fruit that goes great with celery juice. Pears are also sources of Vitamin C, Vitamin K, potassium, and other nutritious elements.
Pineapples or Strawberries
Since these fruits tend to be on the sweeter side of the scale, we recommend using them scarcely. Nevertheless, they work really well in improving the taste of celery juice.
Lemon Juice
This is the best thing you can add. Lemon juice, along with a hint of ginger, is one of the best celery juice recipes.
Cucumber
Adding cucumber to your green juice maintains its low calories count while providing a refreshing twist.
Related Post: Benefits Of Drinking Beetroot Juice In Early Morning
When Should You Drink Celery Juice
Most proponents claim that in order to have a detoxifying effect, celery juice must be consumed on an empty stomach, when the digestive tract is free to absorb the nutrients from it.
It is also best to drink after a fast as it is a great drink to break your intermittent fasting routine. Hence, celery juice should be drunk first thing in the morning. Although, we must add that there is insufficient scientific evidence backing this claim.
Although celery juice has many benefits, it should not replace a meal. You should have breakfast a while after you drink celery juice and ensure that your meals are balanced. This will definitely help you in achieving your fitness goals.
Drinking celery juice in the morning is a great way to kickstart your day as it activates your metabolism, making you feel fresher and more active during the day.
How To Store It?
You may not have the time to go through the process of preparing fresh juice every morning.
The preparation may not be so time-consuming. Nevertheless, thoroughly cleaning and chopping the ingredients may absorb your precious morning time.
Thus, while preparing this juice, you could blend more servings and store it for later. The leftover must be stored in an air-tight container or a mason jar, and it needs to be refrigerated.
This juice must be consumed within 1-2 days, and keeping it longer than that is not recommended. However, it is imperative to point out that the longer celery juice is stored, the more nutrients it loses. Thus, it is always best to prepare fresh portions every day and store just enough for a second serving.
Health Benefits Of Drinking Celery Juice In The Morning
While it is often advised to consume whole vegetables to retain their nutritional value, celery is beneficial even in juiced form. Though some fiber content is lost in juicing and straining, this loss makes digestion easier.
The benefits of celery juice are manifold, and it is best to understand them fully before venturing onto your new juice regime.
Anti-Inflammatory Properties
Celery contains polyacetylene, which is a key factor in reducing the effects of arthritis and easing joint pains. It soothes the nerves with its properties and is a great item to add if you suffer from long-term pain issues.
Rich In Antioxidants
It is apigenin and polyacetylenes that are said to have cancer-fighting properties that make it a superfood. They aid in cleansing the body of harmful toxins that tend to build up over time, thereby boosting immunity.
Improves Digestion
Celery juice acts as a natural diuretic and sheds off the accumulated water in your body. It also has laxative properties that cure constipation, distention and significantly reduce acid reflux.
Lowers Blood Pressure
With its nerve relaxing properties, celery also functions as a muscle relaxant that allows the blood vessels to expand and contract with ease. This lowers blood pressure and helps circulate it well through different parts of the body.
Lowers Cholesterol
Celery has an element called BuPh that lowers the bad cholesterol level in the blood and improves heart health.
Aids Liver Function
Liver function significantly improves with the increase in the production of enzymes. It can help reverse fatty liver disease to an extent. By flushing toxins and excess fat out, celery greatly helps improve liver function.
Healthy Gut
Along with digestive features, celery also increases gastric mucus, which is essential in preventing ulcers and corresponding acid reflux. This is especially beneficial if you follow a high protein diet that is usually difficult for the stomach to digest.
Alkalizing
An alkaline diet is beneficial in managing chronic pain and offering a better quality of life.
Nutritious
As mentioned before, celery juice is rich in vitamin C, vitamin K, B6, and potassium. These elements are what escalate this green juice to the superfood category.
Insomnia
Drinking celery juice treats insomnia as it soothes and relaxes the body. The magnesium content helps you to sleep peacefully, uninterruptedly.
Skin Benefits of Celery Juice
Getting hydrated is essential for most skin ailments like dryness, dullness, and acne. Since celery juice is mostly water (about 95%), it is a great drink to increase your hydration.
Due to its high sodium level, drinking celery juice brightens your skin.
It is believed that regularly drinking it repairs skin damage and prevents acne. It is also beneficial in nourishing the skin due to the presence of collagen.
Benefits for Hair
The green juice is rich in Vitamin A, which is a known factor in helping replenish hair roots and making them stronger.
This also stimulates growth and improves the overall texture of your hair. Celery juice keeps your scalp hydrated and thus prevents the formation of dandruff and scaly scalp.
Celery Juice for Weight Loss
As this green juice aids in digestion, it helps move food items through the bowel while absorbing required nutrients and pushing out toxins and waste. This helps in weight loss and many individuals who have incorporated this regime claim to have dropped a few pounds.
Additionally, it is low in calories, and if you add any fruits to the juice, it keeps you feeling full for longer, thereby helping you resist binge eating or scrounging for snacks between meals.
How Much Green Juice Should You Drink
You should never replace your timely meals with celery juice or any other fluid, for that matter. Whether you are aiming for a cleanse or to lose a few pounds, not eating any meals will not help you.
You can incorporate this green juice in a fast and continue eating balanced meals. It is recommended to drink two servings per day.
You can drink one glass of celery juice in the morning, and if you feel you need to incorporate it more, have another glass before your evening meal.
Each serving should be 16 ounces and can only be increased if you have a chronic disease whose effects celery juice may efface. However, we recommend speaking to your doctor before going on this regime to avoid unwanted reactions.
Negative Side Effects Of Celery Juice
With all the good benefits you can reap from this ‘miracle drink,’ you may ponder why you need to read through this section. Just as a coin has two sides, celery juice has both benefits and potential side effects.
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Digestive Problems
Celery has a high amount of mannitol which is an osmotic agent. This means that it pulls water into the digestive tract, which results in the loosening of stool.
Hence, diarrhea is one of the possible side effects of drinking celery juice. This can become chronic for people suffering from digestive issues like ulcers and IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome).
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Increased Hunger
Yes. We said it helps reduce hunger. But celery juice, when blended and strained, loses much of its fibre content. However, you can avoid this by choosing fiber-rich content in your meals.
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High Blood Pressure
At this point, you may think we are just countering our statements about the benefits of celery juice. But you must remember that these side effects are only found in individuals with existing morbidities.
The high sodium content in celery may increase the blood pressure level of individuals already suffering from the same. To avoid this, you must limit your serving to 1 glass per day and be on the safe side.
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Reactions with other Medications
The Vitamin K in celery may prove detrimental as it is a known blood-clotting agent. Hence, this may be a concern for individuals on blood-thinning medicines.
They must ensure that their medicines work effectively with regular check-ups if choosing to go on a celery juice regime.
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Allergens
As with any new item, you must test for allergies before going all out on your drinking binge. Celery may cause allergic reactions like contact dermatitis, rashes, itchy throat, asthma, and anaphylaxis.
Always check for allergies and immediately go to the emergency room if you suspect an allergic reaction.
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Sun Damage
Psoralen is a chemical that is found in celery. If the consumption quantity is very high, there are chances of this chemical reacting to sunlight and leading to increased skin sensitivity to UV light. This propagates the risk of sun damage, dermatitis, and photoaging.
The Bottom Line
Celery juice has many benefits and will improve your health. You can avoid adverse reactions by keeping an eye on your intake. For anyone suffering from the health issues mentioned above, we suggest speaking to your doctor before beginning your consumption. Limit the amount you ingest to one serving per day.
Celery for Immunity
Immunity is the keyword of the age, and everything from salt to clothes is promising immunity. Hence, we must understand whether celery juice improves immunity and protects you from harmful diseases.
The presence of apigenin, a known anti-inflammatory plant compound traditionally used in medicine, brings the immunity factor to the green juice.
Although there are medical practitioners and health coaches who swear by the magical effects of celery, we cannot confirm any of the same due to the lack of scientific study in the field.
However, as far as immunity is concerned, the presence of this compound, along with other elements, does make it possible for celery juice to prevent diseases.
Are Store-bought Celery Juices Good?
Fresh juice is always best when it comes to health. Freshly squeezed juice has the most nutrients and does not have any added preservatives.
However, for convenience, you can resort to store-bought options. When doing this, make sure that you read the fine print and understand the implications of all additions to the processed juice.
Frequent Doubts and Myths Debunked
Ever since the soaring popularity of green juice, its presence is everywhere, from cooking channels to influencer reels. There are also equal numbers of myths, doubts, and wrong assumptions floating around this mystery magic drink.
This section will attempt to throw light on a few of them.
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Does Celery need to be organic for it to work?
No. Regular celery works just as well. The only concern here is the use of preservatives and fertilizers that may bring down the health quotient of this juice.
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Why not just Eat Celery Instead?
While eating and chewing are always better for health and digestion, celery is better when blended because it brings down the fiber content. It is also easier to drink the juice rather than wake up and chew on a celery stalk first thing in the morning.
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Do you Need to Drink Celery Juice Every Day?
Yes. A 21 day period is optimum for best results. Individuals have reported feeling different from the first week onwards.
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In What Other Ways Can We Incorporate Celery?
You can eat it raw with an accompaniment of sauces, dips, yoghurt, or hummus. This is an excellent snack for between meal times or even for lunch boxes.
Alternatively, you can make celery soups and use them in salads, stews, or stir-fry.
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Who Should Not Drink Celery Juice?
People with digestive issues, IBS patients, or individuals with known allergies to the contents of celery juice should surely try to avoid them.
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How Long can Celery be Stored in the Refrigerator?
When correctly stored, i.e., in a plastic bag or jar, celery can remain fresh for 3-4 weeks.
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Will Drinking Celery Juice Make You Sick?
No. Unless you have known allergies or have chronic digestive issues, drinking celery juice in proper amounts will not make you sick. To avoid such situations, you should clean your stalks well, store them properly and limit your intake to 2 servings per day.
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Does Celery Magically Reduce Weight?
No. It reduces bloating and improves digestion. However, when used in a cleanse with avoiding any processed food and excess sugar, you may see some positive results.
To Conclude – Benefits Of Drinking Celery Juice In the Morning
There is no magical formula for weight loss. Celery juice is your best bet if you want to integrate a healthy choice into your daily meals. It will not cause you harm and will definitely bring about positive changes in your life.
