With the holidays often comes sugar-laden food with bad fats, as well as traveling, crowded shopping centers, family dynamic stressors, and financial strain.  No wonder tis’ the season for high blood pressure, with an increase in strokes and heart attacks. 

Add this to your diet: Celery!

In preliminary studies, it has been shown that the equivalent amount of four stalks of celery, eaten daily for six weeks, whether eaten whole or juiced will lower both systolic and diastolic pressure by 10 points!

Celery is an excellent fibrous food that is full of vitamins and nutrients.  As Americans, we are not getting enough fiber or nutrition.  Celery can help us to do that. 

Celery is an excellent fall and Holiday food.  It is yummy in stuffing for thanksgiving, excellent in a cup of hot soup during any cozy holiday.  Great to munch on when you are cooking or hungry.  My children love to pair it with hummus or bean dip.  You can also have a fun making ants on a log!  That’s celery filled with a teaspoon of almond butter and raisins pushed into the almond butter.  It makes a family friendly, healthy horderve!

One more thing, don’t forget the celery leaves.  They are great in soup, stew, pasta sauce, and in a salad to provide interest and even more nutrition!