Most people only eat a fraction of the government's daily recommendation of vegetables. This is where the revolutionary idea of juice comes to play. The juice theory is that it is hard to eat enough servings of vegetables when vegetables are in their natural form, but if you juice up your broccoli and your celery, you may be able to squeeze all your daily vegetable recommendations into one cup.
Vegetable Consumption
The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends eating at least five servings of vegetables a day, which amounts to 2 ½ cups of vegetables a day. According to "USA Today," only 27 percent of adults manage to eat even three servings of vegetables a day, meaning that most Americans aren't able to consume even close to the recommended daily serving of vegetables. Broccoli and celery both have many beneficial nutritional qualities and juicing them up just might provide you with a quick and easy way to experience them all.
Benefits of Celery
Celery is widely thought to be a fairly bland and without nutrition vegetable. However, it is a common juicing ingredient and is surprisingly very beneficial. Celery juice is said to be good for people who suffer from eczema, as it contains antioxidants that can detoxify and cleanse the lymphatic system. If mixed with lemon juice, celery juice is said to ward off headaches. The use of celery to cure ailments dates back to the time of the ancient Romans, who used celery to cure headaches as well as constipation.
Medicinal Value
The Chinese have also long recognized the medicinal qualities of celery. Chinese medicine uses celery to combat high blood pressure. According to "The New York Times," the phytochemicals found in celery help to lessen stress and relax arteries, which stimulates blood flow and increases circulation. Celery is also known to be an anti-inflammatory, which means it can help arthritis. Though it is true that celery isn't very loaded with any single nutrient, it does contain a small percentage of many vitamins and minerals, including vitamins K , B6 and C, potassium, manganese, molybdenum, folate and dietary fiber and is considered virtually fat-free. It is therefore possible to benefit from the vitamins and minerals in celery -- and to increase the amount of vitamins and minerals you consume by juicing many sticks of broccoli at once -- without having to worry about gaining weight.
Nutrients in Broccoli
Broccoli contains a high level of vitamin C, which enhances the immune system. According to dietitian Leslie Beck, the vitamin C in broccoli also works to speed metabolism, enhancing weight loss. "The Daily Telegraph" says that the vitamin C in broccoli responds in the body like an antihistamine, opening airways and removing constrictions that affect breathing is asthmatics. Like celery, broccoli is also used to prevent constipation. This is because it contains a lot of fiber which, besides preventing constipation, is also known to help in weight loss. Broccoli is known to be much more potent than celery and has been called "a nearly perfect vegetable" by "The New York Times." Juicing broccoli up with some celery should provide an extremely potent cocktail of health.
Juice Easier to Digest
Toronto-based nutritionist Barbie Casselman says that juice is "a wonderful thing for people who have trouble digesting large amounts of raw fruits and vegetables;" however she says "there's no miracle food." Casselman says that there is no one food or type of food that will magically cure everything and that even something as healthy as vegetable juice has its drawbacks. She says that juicing vegetables takes away much of their fiber content: "You lose all those wonderful things connected with fibre -- it makes you feel fuller and it takes longer to eat, so you feel satisfied. If you have a glass of juice,you don't feel like you've really had anything." This means you can end up drinking a lot of calories without feeling full. Juicing celery and broccoli up is sure to provide many health benefits, but it should not be the only thing in your diet and should not be over-done.
References
- USDA: My Pyramid
- "USA Today;" U.S. Diets Short on Fruit, Vegetables; Lindsey Anderson; Sept. 30 2009
- "The Daily Telegraph;" The Big Squeeze -- Exotic Juices May Be the Key to Curing Winter Ills; Anastasia Stephens; July 29 2002
- "Sunday Telegraph;" A Healthy Snack to Crunch Or Juice; Mercedes Maguire; March 11 2007
- "The New York Times;" What To Do With the Rest of That Celery; Martha Rose Shulman; Nov. 10 2008
- "The Daily Telegraph;" Your Own Juice; May 25, 1998
Member Comments