Celery is one of the vegetables with the lowest energy value, that is, it hardly provides any calories. But it does have many beneficial properties for the body. This makes it a perfect vegetable for a healthy diet, especially if you are trying to lose weight.
Now, the most likely thing is that you have been eating celery incorrectly all your life and because of a very common mistake, it causes irritation in your stomach. Chef James Tahhan has shared on his Instagram profile (@chefjames, with 713 thousand followers) a video where he explains the correct method to consume celery.
The chef explains that celery is a great ally for fat loss due to its high fiber content. However, if you do not chop it properly, you will have a counterproductive result, as it will cause irritation to the colon and the walls of the stomach.
This happens because on the outside of the curve of the celery, from tip to tip, there are fibers that the human body cannot digest. That is why it is advisable to remove them in order to make the celery not indigestible.
To do this, you must place the celery with the lower part of the curve facing up and make a horizontal cut in the whitest part, without removing it completely, as seen in the video. Then, pull the end upwards and you will see how some fine strands come off. Repeat the process again by cutting another piece and pulling to get rid of all those unnecessary fibers. And voila, your celery will be ready to consume, both raw and cooked.
The Spanish Nutrition Foundation (FEN), regarding the properties and benefits of celery, as well as its nutritional value, points out that this vegetable is not an important source of energy, but its consumption is healthy and refreshing due to its water content. , mineral salts and various vitamins.
Celery has very few calories and is known for its powerful diuretic function, due to its high water content and the presence of apiol, a volatile oil. It also contains small amounts of biologically active furanocoumarins, which can act in the prevention of cancer, and which have also been used in the treatment of some skin diseases such as vitiligo and psoriasis.
Likewise, it is rich in flavonoids, compounds with antioxidant activity and diverse biological functions (vasodilators, anticarcinogenic, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, immunostimulant, antiviral, etc.). It also contains vitamins C and E, although in smaller quantities than other vegetables, and potassium, sodium and calcium, also in low proportions compared to other vegetables.
To include celery in your eating pattern, you can consume it raw, for example in salads, as an ingredient in a smoothie, to accompany spreads, tomato juice or gazpacho; or to flavor and add cooked flavor to stews, creams, purees, or a vegetable stew.
