SERIOUSLY CELERY
Bear with me here, because I’m going to write about cooked celery. Yes, you read that correctly. Celery that has been cooked. I used to eat so much raw celery, and now almost never touch it. Those with young children will know that they can find it really difficult to chew/swallow raw celery, whereas cooked celery is much easier to swallow as well as for the entire body to digest. Not only that, but they seem to prefer the taste when it has been cooked, as it’s slightly sweeter.
Celery has a scraping action, helping to remove the build up of mucus in the digestive tract, actually stimulating digestion. It’s really great for excess Kapha as a result of this action, helping to remove excess water as well as toxins from the system. Because it can lower overall blood volume (by reducing the amount of water in the body), it’s also really great for those with hypertension as it can help to reduce blood pressure.
Those with poor circulation as well as high blood pressure can benefit from eating celery, as can those with high blood sugar. Basically, if there are any issues with blockages, swellings, mucus, fat or retention, celery is your friend. So many people think of it only as a snack with hummus or other dips, rather than using it how our grandparents used it- as part of a stew, or par-boiled with a little salt as a side dish, or perhaps in a risotto or other rice mix. Easy to cook and with a pungent taste, celery is so versatile and so effective!
I must have had so much last week when I was trying to rid myself of an awful achey-in-the-joints cold with lots and lots of mucus (suspected Covid actually, after having spoken to other people who tested positive), and it really did do the job (along with a few herbs of course!) of clearing me out both top and bottom (I’ll leave that image for you here). If your children are snotty, try celery. If you have kidney stones, try celery. If you want to lose a bit of weight around the middle, try celery. If you’re pre-diabetic, try celery. If you can’t stand raw celery, try it cooked. Raw food in Ayurveda makes it more difficult for the body to digest. Cooking food aids the metabolism in so many ways!