By: Cat Ebeling, RN, MSN-PHN, co-author of the best-sellers:  The Fat Burning Kitchen, The Top 101 Foods that Fight Aging & The Diabetes Fix

Cauliflower is super popular these days, and it makes the perfect low carb base for so many dishes. You can swap it out for rice, potatoes, beans, pizza crust—you name it, cauliflower can become the perfect non carb-y carb, thanks to the keto diet and low carb diets.

The great thing about cauliflower is that besides it being such a versatile low carb option for so many foods, it also is full of nutrition, fiber, and phytochemicals, so it’s the perfect choice!

Cauliflower is a member of the cruciferous vegetable family, along with broccoli, brussels sprouts, kale, kohlrabi, cabbage, and more. These slightly bitter tasting veggies contain a lot of super phytochemicals to help fight cancer, protect your bones, balance your hormones, strengthen the immune system and detoxification.

Cancer fighting

Cruciferous vegetables have a strong cancer-fighting link, and are helpful to prevent breast cancer, colon, liver, lung and stomach cancers as well. It not only helps to slow the growth of cancer cells but it also helps to prevent the growth of tumors as well.

Cruciferous vegetables are rich in a compound called glucosinolates which are sulphur containing compounds. The sulphur is part of the reason cruciferous vegetables have such a strong odor.

Inflammation fighting

We know that inflammation is the beginning of many chronic diseases including cancer, heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, Alzheimer’s and more. Lowering our toxic intake of foods that cause inflammation, while eating more ant-inflammatory foods will go a long way towards protecting our health and longevity. Cauliflower lowers oxidative stress and fights free radicals in our body. It also contains a host of powerful antioxidants including vitamin C, to fight inflammation and protect health.

Aids in Digestion

Compounds in cauliflower including sulforaphanes, glucobrassicin, glucoraphanin and gluconasturiian, aid the liver and support detoxification. These sulfur containing compounds help with nutrient absorption, and toxin and waste removal. In addition, glucosinolates help protect the stomach, and reduce leaking gut syndrome and other digestive disorders. They also feed our good bacteria in our guts, keeping a healthy gut environment which in turn aids our immune system, and reduces unhealthy bacterial overgrowth in the gut.

Cauliflower has a high fiber content, and one cup of it cooked has about 10 percent of the recommended daily amount of fiber. Diets rich in fiber help with digestions and help keep us regular. These beneficial effects not only make life more comfortable but also help maintain colorectal health.

Helps Keep our Hormones in Balance

Eating a diet heavy in cruciferous vegetables helps to maintain the proper levels of healthy estrogen, for both men and women. An inflammatory diet and unhealthy lifestyle make hormonal imbalances very common. In addition, processed foods like soy, meat, dairy, yeast and refined sugar can all lead to high levels of a bad version of estrogen in the body. Too much estrogen can cause health issues like weight gain, hypothyroidism, autoimmune disease, chronic fatigue, breast and ovarian cancer.

High Antioxidant Levels

Cauliflower contains ample amounts of vitamins C and K along with the mineral, manganese which neutralize free radicals before they can cause damage to healthy cells and contribute to disease. Vitamins C and K are considered powerful antioxidants that may help prevent conditions such as cancer, heart disease and arthritis.
One cup of cooked cauliflower provides 70% percent of the recommended daily amount of vitamin C, 19 percent of the daily vitamin K amount and 8 percent of the daily manganese amount, according to World’s Healthiest Foods.

Can you Eat Too Much Cauliflower?

Given the prevalence of cauliflower everywhere, can you eat too much of it?

Large quantities of cruciferous vegetables can inhibit thyroid function, but only for those who are deficient in iodine.

Cauliflower and other cruciferous vegetables are known to cause some gas and bloating, especially if you eat them raw. Cooking helps to relieve the gas issue, and also helps with absorption of vitamins and minerals.

Cruciferous veggies including cauliflower do include compounds called purines which can aggravate kidney stones and gout, but generally there is little risk unless you are eating large quantities.

Roasted Cauliflower, garlic and Tahini Dip

One of my favorite ways of enjoying cauliflower is roasting it. The roasting brings out a rich, nutty flavor in cauliflower and it blends well with garlic. Check out this delicious low carb dip with sliced fresh veggies.

Ingredients

• 1medium sized head cauliflower, chopped into florets
• 1 head garlic
• Juice of 1 fresh lemon
• 2 tbsp tahini paste
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp each ground black pepper and ground cumin

Directions

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Toss chopped cauliflower in a bowl with olive oil, sea salt and pepper. On a large rimmed nonstick baking sheet, spread cauliflower. Slice off about ¼ inch off the top of the garlic head so that cloves are exposed and wrap garlic in foil and place on baking sheet with cauliflower. Roast for 45 minutes, turning cauliflower halfway. Remove from oven, unwrap garlic (being careful of steam) and set aside to cool for 10 minutes. Add cauliflower, tahini to food processor. Squeeze out garlic from peel, add lemon juice and 1-2 tbsp water. Process until smooth. Serve with sliced cucumber, sliced carrots, and sliced radishes.

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References
https://www.livescience.com/54552-cauliflower-nutrition.html
https://draxe.com/nutrition/cauliflower/

The post Roasted Cauliflower, Garlic and Tahini Dip appeared first on thenutritionwatchdog.com.

By: Cat Ebeling RN, MSN-PHN, co-author of the best-seller: The Diabetes Fix

Celery has gone from that boring veggie on the crudité tray to a virtual vegetable superstar overnight! And now celery juice is blowing up social media with all kinds of health claims.

What’s up with celery and celery juice?

Celery and celery juice can be a great way to add concentrated health benefits without a ton of sugar or calories. Celery juice is light, refreshing and enjoyable!

One of the best things about celery juice is that it only has 40 calories. It also contains vitamins A, K, and C, and beta carotene, a powerful antioxidant. In addition, it has calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium. Celery is full of powerful antioxidants and flavonoids.

Scientists have identified at least a dozen other types of antioxidant nutrients in celery. The primary antioxidant support we get from celery is largely due to its phenolic nutrients that have been shown to help protect us against unwanted oxidative damage to our cells, blood vessels, and organ systems. These phenolic nutrients include caffeic acid, cinnamic acid, coumaric acid, ferulic acid and flavones and flavonols, apigenin, luteolin, quercetin, kaempferol, and more.

Read on to find out about the health benefits of celery juice.

Celery Juice Health Benefits

1. Quenches Thirst

Celery juice does not contain all that good fiber that celery stalks contain, but the great thing is that celery juice helps you stay hydrated because it is mostly water with lots of healthy electrolytes and antioxidants—so if you are thirsty or dehydrated, celery juice may be just the thing to help you regain your hydration and electrolyte balance.

2. Lowers Blood Pressure

Studies show that celery can have beneficial blood pressure lowering properties. The most effective blood pressure extracts come from celery seed, which contain some specific phytochemicals such as hexanic, methanolic, and aqueous-ethanolic extracts. Celery’s phytochemicals, along with the minerals potassium, magnesium and sodium exist in a perfect balance that relax the walls of your blood vessels. This increases blood flow, lowers resistance and helps lowers blood pressure. We have a full article on how to lower your blood pressure naturally here.

3. Fights Inflammation

As you may already be aware, inflammation is the root of most disease, especially chronic diseases like arthritis, heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and on and on. Celery, especially celery juice, fights inflammation with its powerful flavonoids specifically, apigenin.

This study shows how apigenin helps to fight inflammation and helps protect you from diseases. Celery contains flavonoid and polyphenol antioxidants that fight free radical damage (or oxidative stress) that negatively alters genes and leads to inflammation and aging.

Scientists have also identified a dozen different types of antioxidants including phenolic acids as caffeic acid and ferulic acid, and flavanols like quercetin. This makes celery beneficial for health conditions associated with inflammation including, acne, joint pain, gout, kidney and liver infections, skin disorders, irritable bowel syndrome, and urinary tract infections—to name just a few.

4. Protects the Liver

One of the biggest problems with our high sugar (especially high fructose corn syrup) is Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease. NAFLD is a result of too much glucose in the body, and the liver trying to store it as fat. 17 to 33 percent of Americans most likely have NAFLD. This condition tends to go with obesity, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.

This can be a serious health issue and leads to inflammation and cirrhosis . Researchers from Department of Nutrition and Food Science in Egypt studied how a diet that included celery drastically lowered the dangerous fatty acid buildup in the liver. In addition, the celery helped to improve the liver enzymes’ function and blood lipid levels as well.

5. Prevents Ulcers, Helps Heal Digestive Tract

A 2010 study published in the Journal of Pharmaceutical Biology found that celery contains a special type of ethanol that protects the lining of the digestive tracts.

Certain substances in celery have the ability to actually replenish depleted levels of gastric mucus needed in the stomach lining and digestive tract to prevent tiny holes and openings, as in leaky gut syndrome. Celery’s flavonoids, tannins, volatile oils and alkaloids also help to control gastric acid to protect the mucus lining.

6. Boosts Digestion and Reduces Bloating

Celery also contains powerful health benefits including a substance called NBP which has a diuretic effect (makes you urinate more), which helps the body detox better and is good for the kidneys. Celery also helps digestion and relieves bloating and puffiness from water retention.

The compounds apigenin and quercetin have been found in this study to help improve digestion by inducing gastric relaxation which helps to slow things down as food moves through your gut.

Celery juice helps to stimulate the production of stomach acid, easing heartburn, indigestion, and bloating. Many people have low stomach acid, making it more difficult to break down nutrients from food. Low stomach acid can be caused by SIBO or IBS and also drugs such as proton pump inhibitors.

Celery juice stimulates bile, which is necessary for breaking down fats, and similar to hydrochloric acid, it helps to kill off pathogens that have made their way into your body. It also helps to detox the liver from things such as toxic heavy metals and toxic chemicals, like pesticides, air fresheners, detergents, petrochemicals, and preservatives, to name just a few.

7. Helps to Prevent Urinary Tract Infections

Celery helps to reduce uric acid production (helps prevent gout) and stimulates urine production. It also contains substances that help to fight dangerous pathogens and microbes, making it ideal for fighting bacterial infections in the urinary tract. Celery is a powerful preventative for UTI’s, bladder disorders, and kidney problems.

8. Is a Cancer Fighting Weapon

Celery is in the same family as fennel, parsley, carrots and parsnips. This family of vegetables contain compounds called polyacetylenes. Some early studies have shown this compound helps to reduce toxicity of chemotherapy and fight against new cancer cell formation especially in the breast, intestines, and blood (leukemia).

Polyacetylenes have many immune-boosting effects, including their tumor-fighting abilities that stop mutated cells from reproducing. According to studies at the Department of Agricultural Sciences at the Aarhus University of Denmark, polyacetylenes have shown many interesting bioactivities including anti-inflammatory, antiplatelet, cytotoxic, antitumor activity, as well as activity against bacteria and mycoplasma. Celery’s flavonoid, apigenin, also helps to kill off cancer cells.

Buy Organic Celery to Avoid Toxins

Celery has been listed on the Environmental Working Group’s “Dirty Dozen” list for several years. Over 95 percent of conventionally grown celery samples tested positive for synthetic pesticides. Evaluators found up to 13 chemicals on a single sample. Choose organic celery to minimize exposure to these toxic substances.

What to do with Celery?

Besides everyone’s favorite “ants on a log” with nut butter and raisins, celery sticks make the perfect low-carb dipping stick for any type of dip—guacamole, salsa, hummus, etc. It’s bland taste make it a great addition to stir frys, soups, casseroles, salads, and of course, egg and tuna salad.

It’s great in smoothies, where you get to benefit from it’s amazing fiber or juiced with a little squeeze of lemon or lime for added zing. One of my favorite juices or smoothies is celery, cucumber, green apple and lemon. Add a sprinkle of cayenne or a few sprigs of mint for some extra zing!

As we found celery has all of these amazing benefits for the body: Fights inflammation, protects the liver, helps with digestion and can even help lower your blood pressure. Keeping a healthy heart can be tricky, so our Friends from Physio Tru want you to know this…

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References
https://foodfacts.mercola.com/celery.html
https://draxe.com/benefits-of-celery/
https://www.healthline.com/health/celery-juice#recipe
https://blog.bulletproof.com/celery-juice-for-digestion/#ref-3

The post The Real Truth about Celery and Celery Juice appeared first on thenutritionwatchdog.com.