Celery (Apium Sativum)

Flowers
The celery has white flowers, a color symbol of purity but also symbol of the capacities to absorb the light and the mysterious powers of nature.

Leaves
The capacity to harmonize itself with the nature but also to receive the solar message is given especially by the leaves. The celery has strong, vigorous leaves, their color being dark green, sign that the chemical processes in this plant are intense, continuous and all embracing. In this context the flowers signify a miraculous explosion, a definition of the plant after two years of consuming the cosmic energies landed on the earth not only through sun light but through other ways as well, some known, some doubted and some unknown.

Stem
The celery has an medium aerial stalk among umbelliferous plants (the family from which it comes), it’s height being about 80 cm. although the dimensions of the stalk are not impressive, here as well we will notice the same strength, the same stability in living.

The rhizome
Almost round shaped, the celery rhizome is the most known part of the plant. It is actually a stalk, an underground stalk. This stalk that we meet almost in every season on the fruit and vegetables markets is remarked through the surrealist drawing on its peel, which forms most of the times some weird eyes, eyes that seem to watch and encourage. Sometimes as big as a sugar beet, sometimes in the dimension of a nut, the celery rhizome has a protruding smell. Weighted in hand this weird beet has a certain unreal weight, perceived differently that the one of an orange, of any genuine beet or a grape-fruit. Actually, for us this rhizome is a fruit consumed by the ones who need it as well as the ones who don’t, but are hungry. In other word the celery is firstly a food.

Seeds
In our part of the world, the celery seed are rare to see. The plant produces them only after two years of accumulations, the celery being a biennial plant. Based on these seeds there has been started a real polemic, a controversy between two continents. The Asians and especially the skilled Chinese, say about the celery seeds that exactly this is the part of the plant that encourages the man to love, while the Europeans don’t even want to hear about this, sustaining that the rhizome is the source of the encouragement to strengthen the relationships between men and women. In this context some specialists say that practically all parts of the celery have aphrodisiac properties. This can very well be true and especially useful in a man’s house, if imposed id the use of the whole plant, which is a maximum utilization. Coming back to the celery seeds, let us share with you a recipe coming from the precepts of the far Orient kitchen. It’s about a decoction that is prepared from 20 grams celery seeds and 10 grams of black pepper which are boiled for 15 minutes in 250 ml water. After the boil is cooling down to the room’s temperature, it is filtered and put into a glass container. Two or three spoons are drunk before making love.

Scientific and common name
T the celery is known as Apium sativum or Apium graveolens. Commonly is also called very suggestively “man’s strength”.

Medical products
Form celery is prepared infusions, syrups, fruit juices, decoctions, cataplasms. The tea from celery leaves (about 20 -45 g of plant) is one of the most accessible preparations. As a medicinal plant, the celery has five important qualities – it is digestive, diuretic, anti asthma, expectorant and carminative. Thanks to these qualities celery can be use in treating renal lythisis, edemas, dropsy, chronic bronchitis, asthma, albuminuria, demineralization processes, and fever. For diabetics celery is a true emergency help, because it contains a compound similar to insulin. With the celery leaves and leaves stalks efficient cures for rheumatism can be made. Lately, other new properties of the celeries have been discovered, for example it is a true anti stress cure, because it relaxes thoroughly the nervous system. Beyond all these, the celery is known a tonic generator of health and vigor.

Usual dishes
The celery is a much appreciated spice but it is also used currently for sour soups, soups, numerous types of food. From the root are made juices which of course are tonic and strengthening. Actually, all preparations based on celery whether on the roots, rhizomes, leaves or tender tops, have the capacity to enhance the will of life and to contribute more or less at the lighting of a small spark in every consumer. Remarkable is the celery juice, which is the juice prepared out of the rhizome and roots, the specialists affirming that a person that drinks 100 – 200 ml of such juice per day can obtain the desired results.

Contraindications
The celery has no toxic effect on the human organism. Still, the celery consumption should not be exaggerated because it can create saturation, like it has been seen at the ones who have eaten cabbage or beans for a long time and now they can never et again cabbage or beans foods.

Who can use the celery?
The answer is simple – men (especially men) as well as women, because celery can create will of life for both without discrimination. Still, pregnant women should avoid celery consumption.

Active principles
At a first glance, the list of the celery ingredients is not impressive. 83% water. A lot and insignificant. Protides – only 1%. Hydro carbonates – 5%, no more no less. Still, notable are the quantities of sodium, calcium, phosphor salts – about 50 – 60 mg% in the case of every one of these compounds. The vitamins are few and so are the microelements. So, where do all these tonic effects come from and how do they work? Exactly this is unknown, but it appears that the miracle of life comes from the volatile oil that this plant contains, an oil that in his composition has substances called sedanolid, sedanonic acid, anhydride of sedanonic acid just like glutamic acid, tyrosine. Of course the list of ingredients doesn’t stop here but the quantities are almost insignificant. From these we mention: amino acids, lactone, manithol, asparagines.

The impulse
It is not known precisely which gland the celery influences to produce its effects known since antiquity. Some scientists believe that the celery influences the suprarenal glands, which means the production of the corticosteroid hormones, like adrenalin and noradrenalin. As it is known these hormones are responsible for the rhythm and tonus of live within every one of us. Plinius paid great attention to the celery in his written work “Naturalis historia”, considering it as an important remedy. Here is what Plinius said among other things: “The celery is appreciated by the people. In the country, its root is sunk into milk, into drinks and it has a special taste with spices. Moreover, applied with honey is good for the eyes; in cleanses with hot celery juice; boiled; it fights off extremely well the leaks of other organs, minced alone and applied with bread or oats flour…The applied leaves soften the hardened breasts. The water in which celery was boiled is more pleasant to drink. The celery juice with wine calms down very efficiently the back pains, and poured into the ears fights off deafness. Applied with egg white it give the bruises the normal color back, and boiled into water and drank treats the kidneys; minced in cold water it heals the wounds in the mouth. The seed with wine or the root with old wine eliminates the bladder stones. The seed is also recommended for the jaundice suffering if mixed with white wine". After about 2000 years from the observations of Plinius the Old, celery has become even more known and of course more appreciated. The medicinal and gastronomical practice has confirmed celery as a true life plant. In this context the aphrodisiac effects are practically a sum but even an expression of the goodness that the celery gives to the human body.

Celery Recipes