Canker Sores BEGONE!

Canker sores have a wide array of contributors which are often mistaken for causes. But eating lemons is not a surefire path to a canker sore. As we will explore, canker sores are increasingly understood as a T-cell-mediated inflammatory response in the oral mucosa, meaning that your immune system is overreacting to normal stimuli. This shows up strongly in behçet’s disease, celiac disease, and inflammatory bowel disease – but of course, you do not need to have one of these to get a canker sore!

Research also shows links between canker sores and oral streptococcus sanguinis overgrowth, reduced microbial diversity, and fungal involvement – especially in stubborn cases. In most cases, however, improving lymphatic drainage, addressing pH imbalance, and addressing nutritional deficiencies will cause canker sores to rapidly heal. Let us now explore all of this together.

What is a canker sore?

A canker sore is a small ulcer in your mouth. An “ulcer” just being a fancy term for a breakage of your skin. Sores inside your mouth feel different than sores outside your mouth – and you can’t use a bandage to protect them. Canker sores (or “aphthous ulcers”) can also be thought of as “shallow lesions” that develop on the inside of your cheeks, tongues and/or on your gums. Unlike cold sores, canker sores don’t occur on the surface of your lips and they aren’t contagious.

What causes canker sores?

Not everyone gets canker sores from drinking orange juice – because acidic foods are not the root cause. Historically, most research around canker sores focused on creating topical treatments and drugs to cure them – not on what causes them. Now, however, we have some more information on the cascade of events which leads to these painful, pesky oral sores. It is important to note that something can contribute to a canker sore forming without causing irritation at the time.

Canker Sore Causes:

• Immune activation (from gluten, dairy, cacao, benzoates, nuts, and/or sulfites).
• Injury within the mouth, such as biting one’s cheek or tongue (although this will often heal very quickly unless one or more of the other items on this list are at play!).
• Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, a common toothpaste ingredient, has been shown in studies to thin the mucosal barrier and increase ulcer frequency and severity. 
• L-lysine deficiency.
• L-glutamine deficiency. 
• Vitamin deficiencies, particularly B₁₂ (cobalamin) and B₉ (folate/folic acid), and zinc.
• Sensitivity or allergy to cinnamaldehyde which is found in cinnamon and cinnamon essential oil. 
• Emotional trauma related to verbalizing, speaking, being creative, or being authentic.

Canker Sores Irritators:

• Excessive consumption of acidic or spicy foods such as vinegar, hot peppers, ascorbic acid (synthetic vitamin C), and citrus.
• Excessive consumption of foods with enzymes that break down the lining of the mouth, namely kiwis and pineapples.
• Consumption of refined sugars, particularly in large quantities or when combined with acidic foods.
• Overload of stagnant lymph fluid stored in your cheeks and gums – often caused by toxic diet combined with a sedentary lifestyle.
• Dehydration from any combination of breathing dry air, not drinking enough water, and/or eating dehydrating foods such as nuts, cheese, certain fried foods (French fries, etc), meats, and excessively salty food (especially pure sodium-chloride).
• Stress and the hormonal imbalances that accompany stress.
• Low progesterone and high prostaglandins – as is often the case right before menstruation. 
• Oral pH imbalance caused through diet or stress.
• Autoimmune disorders.

Canker sores generally don’t require treatment – they’ll heal on their own . . . eventually. Meanwhile, they’re painful. But more than that, they indicate something isn’t right. If your body is mysteriously breaking out in open lesions, something is out of balance! 

While you have a canker sore you want to abstain from exacerbating foods such as oranges to some extent, and certainly from pineapples, but know that these are likely not the root cause unless they are specifically an inflammatory trigger for you. If you have mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), then certain foods high in histamine can trigger a wide variety of inflammatory symptoms – including canker sores.  

Preventing Canker sores

If you are reading this page, you are probably unsure why you get canker sores. Any symptom (from running nose to aching feet) can come from myriad sources, and canker sores are no exception. For this reason, you will likely want to employ many of the strategies on this page. Some of them may only work when synergistically combined with others.

Furthermore, emotional patterns create physical patterns. As most recently summarized in the masterpiece book, The Myth of Normal, our physical diseases manifest from our unresolved negative experiences. While this idea still feels radical to many people today, it is increasingly scientifically verified. However, this does not mean that going to talk therapy is going to heal your canker sores. What it does mean is that addressing a symptom in one way often leads to another symptom arising in a similar way, or even the same symptom returning even though you continue to use solutions which did work for years. 

With my clients, I have found that approaching a symptom from multiple angles actually begins to address unmet emotional needs. We can speculate as to why this is, but one simple explanation is that using a wide array of healing, nourishing modalities in your life is self-loving.

If you would like to be more proactive about healing emotionally and connecting with your subconscious, consider looking into the wide array of consciousness alchemy practices. 

Hydration 

Stay hydrated! And not just in your mouth. Signs of dehydration include: dry skin, constipation, canker sores (heh), fatigue, irritated eyes, bleeding sinuses, and headaches.

Drink at least a quart of water every twelve hours. Tea and coffee are not hydrating. Be sure you are actually drinking water.

If your lips, mouth, hands, or eyes are getting dry overnight, use a humidifier.

Address Constipation 

If you struggle with recurring constipation, I urge to you find solutions that work and incorporate them into your daily lifestyle. If you don’t poop on a single day, that’s constipation. A tremendous amount of conditions go back to bowel dysfunction – because if you are unable to eliminate toxins and absorb nutrients effectively, there will be spillover affects in every organ of your body.

Chronic constipation is more common than you likely realize. Daily poops are not actually proof that you are not constipated, as material can still be stuck in your colon and upper intestines whilst still allowing some material to pass through. Furthermore, diarrhea can be thought of as a subset of constipation, as this also generally involves some material being stuck while a watery slurry passes on through. This is common with small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), and hypermobility disorders such as Ehler's Danlos (EDS), and hypermobility spectrum disorder (HSD) – the latter of which being a condition which has caused me constipation struggles since birth.

Improving colon transit is very individual. I have devised numerous different protocols over the years for a wide variety of clients. In some cases, increasing soluble fiber is enough: hydrated chia and flaxseeds. Lettuce and leafy greens in general tend to help as these are not only rich in fiber and water, but also alkaline minerals. Taking magnesium citrate daily can be used as a colon stimulant. For years, I took magnesium citrate in kombucha or sparkling water and called it my daily “mag-fizz”.

If increasing magnesium is insufficient and/or fiber is not practical due to your particular digestive complaints, there we turn to high vitamin-C foods like bell peppers, kiwis, or vitamin C supplementation (from whole foods). Fruit, in general, helps many people stay regular: blueberries, bananas, and apples. If these do not work or are not optimal for your body, then Ayruvedic herbs can be utilized. 

Remember that this is all very individual. In my case, bananas do help me poop, but they are a canker sore trigger for me (likely due to causing an immune response)! Depending on which flora are imbalanced in your gut, prebiotic foods may be triggers in general. Side effects from bananas may be bloating or skin irritation. Plantains can be a powerful motility regulator, but for some people, these prebiotic foods can lead to inflammatory joint pain. Prunes (dried plums) are a common remedy for constipation, but these are very sweet and they can cause gas. If a food is giving you gas which is painful, especially foul-smelling, and especially abundant, then that food is making things worse rather than better and should be either omitted or reduced.

In addition to food, it is also worth looking at the emotional causes perpetuating any health condition. You can learn more about the emotional causes of constipation in this article.

Maintaining Oral pH Balance 

Since a thorough solution means keeping the pH balance in your mouth at a healthy 7 to 7.2, you’ll want to pay special attention to keeping your stress levels down. It’s been scientifically proven that negative moods lower the pH of the saliva. If your saliva’s pH gets below 5.5 you begin to lose minerals from your teeth, and this has also been associated with the generation of canker sores.

You can compensate for this by rinsing your mouth with an easy solution of water and baking soda. Just drop a pinch of baking soda in quarter-pint of water and then swish the solution in your mouth. If you do this every time you feel stressed and after meals, you’ve solved the pH problem in your mouth. Unfortunately, this doesn’t compensate for all the other devastating impacts of eating a demineralizing and demoralizing diet. While a rinse with baking soda is a great measure against acute problems (like removing bile from your mouth after vomiting), it isn’t something you should have to rely on multiple times each day. Also, if acidic saliva or tooth decay is a concern for you, you may be interested in: Raederle’s Teeth Remineralizing Master Class. 

Maintain Levels of B₁₂

Take a sub-lingual B₁₂ once per week. (I used to be opposed to supplements, but I changed my mind over time. To understand why read this other article of mine.)

Consume L-Glutamine

Consume foods rich in l-glutamine at least once every other day, such as red cabbage, spirulina, asparagus, and parsley.

Consume L-Lysine 

Consume foods rich in l-lysine at least once every other day, such as spirulina, parsley, spinach, leeks, horseradish, onions, and radishes. I found that I was not able to get enough lysine through food alone and began supplementing with it daily in 2022. This has resulted in myriad benefits, including being able to eat cinnamon in moderation without a canker sore immediately forming.

If you want a whole food source, I recommend ordering organic spirulina tablets right away; these are a fantastic source of l-lysine and other amino acids which help you rapidly repair your skin – including internal skin on the inside of your mouth, your stomach lining, and your intestinal lining. When I was introduced to spirulina tablets it felt like a miracle. I had tried incorporating spirulina powder into my diet, but the strong flavor only paired well in limited contexts and thus, I didn’t consume it regularly. Having the tablets on hand made it easy to take them daily and to up my intake if a canker sore started to develop.

Prior to 2018 (when I was introduced to spirulina tablets), I had tried “everything.” I had tried increasing my vegetable intake. I tried taking out all the fruits that were “causing” me canker sores (oranges, tomatoes, kiwis, pineapples, raspberries, etc). I tried eliminating everything tart and sweet and yet I would still would get canker sores whenever I was even a little stressed or a little dehydrated. In other words, any time I traveled or had a busy day! Ugh.

In 2018 I learned that spirulina is a concentrated source of l-glutamine, the most critical amino acid for repairing ulcers in the mouth and stomach. Cabbage is also a high source which is one of the reasons that raw, fresh cabbage juice on an empty stomach is a long-standing cure for stomach ulcers. Spirulina, however, is also a good source of a wide variety of trace minerals and co-factors for l-glutamine, and much easier to keep “on hand” than cabbage. In the past I’ve sneaked spirulina powder into desserts since it seemed to clash flavors with everything savory. I found I could sneak it into raw banana ice cream and similar recipes. However, daily consumption never stuck because I couldn’t find a way to consume the powder in enough recipes. Then, I discovered organic spirulina tablets. For years I was able to keep the continual recurring canker sores at bay with just four spirulina tablets a day. Spirulina gives me more energy and improves my digestion to.

Spirulina may not be all it takes for you to get rid of a chronic canker sore problem, so I suggest employing other strategies as well, like taking any refined sweeteners out of your diet. Refined sugar products (cane sugar, brown sugar, molasses, etc) rob your body of minerals, hurt your pancreas, imbalance your hormones, and ultimately cause you to age far more rapidly. When you can use fresh or dried fruits to sweeten foods just as well, there really is no excuse for including refined sugars in your diet. They’re an addiction, and science has proven them to be more addictive than heroin! 

Avoid Chewing on Yourself 

Break any habits of chewing on your lips or cheeks. Use self-hypnosis if you have this habit. Repeat this to yourself several times each day: “My teeth, jaw and tongue are relaxed in every mood and situation.”

Eat Consciously & Compensate Accordingly

Whenever you eat cinnamon, spicy foods, citrus, pineapple or kiwi, immediately stop eating if you notice any discomfort in your mouth. Stay alert for discomfort. Eating consciously can help with a wide array of human health complaints. Follow-up with water and a baking-soda rinse if discomfort occurs. Also, take extra spirulina tablets, lysine capsules, glutamine, and magnesium accordingly – as getting the nutritional support before you have an established sore is much more effective than taking it after it is already established.

Read Labels

You may already be aware that you are sensitive to cinnamon or cayenne. But have you read all the labels of your tea blends, your toothpaste, and your supplements? Many clients discover that they have foods or herbs which they are sensitive to in multiple areas of their diet. Individuals have differing levels of sensitivity to cinnamaldehyde, so assess if cinnamon is a factor for you through observing any changes you experience when entirely avoiding it versus consuming it regularly. But in order to test this, you really must check all your supplements and oral products. It may be hiding in your mouthwash, your nutritional gummies, your protein powder. If reading labels is exhausting and annoying, then try reading just one label per day. 

Lymphatic Massage

Perform lymphatic self-massage on your face. You can use ecosia to look up videos on this. 

Lymphatic massage is something that came naturally to me as a child, long before I knew what it was called or what it was for. As someone with a hyperactive trigeminal (face) nerve since birth, I have always found facial massage highly beneficial. It helps reduce the frequency and severity of migraines, pimples, canker sores, sore throats, sinus infections, and ear infections. With the exception of migraines, these things all have one thing in common: stagnant lymph fluid in the face and throat. (The migraine bit has to do with the trigeminal nerve which spans your entire face. Thus, when you massage your face, you are doing lymph work and trigeminal nerve work at the same time.)

Reduce Stress

Reduce stress through regular exercise, taking breaks from computer work, deep breathing, reading relaxing fiction, meditation, journaling, and conversing with friends who uplift you. Everyone says we should reduce stress, but few people say how, so that is why I have chosen to open this section with specific suggestions. In particular, I have found it helpful to set an alarm for every half an hour while I am at my desk. When that alarm goes off, there is no particular agenda besides taking my eyes off the screen, checking in with my body, and addressing my bodily needs. This usually includes palming my eyes (trigeminal relaxation), using the bathroom, stretching my shoulders, and sometimes a brief visit to my yoga mat. If I have a cankersore at the time, this alarm can also serve as a reminder to drink water, to swish with baking-soda water, to spray the sore with silver, or to use CankerCare on the sore.

Consume Zinc

Consume foods rich in zinc at least every other day. Foods rich in zinc which are not dehydrating include alfalfa sprouts (be sure they’re organic), basil, broccoli raab, parsley, asparagus, cardamom, spinach, thyme, cilantro, dill, cauliflower, chard, arugula, sage, lettuce, peeled cucumber with seeds removed, and blackberries. 

Other foods rich in zinc – which may be dehydrating but still have good, noninflammatory properties and good mineral balance – include oysters, shrimp, hemp seeds, sesame seed (tahini), eggs (pasture-raised only!), and liver (from grass-fed cows or pasture-raised chickens). 

Foods rich in zinc which are only appropriate in moderate due to other issues with these foods include poppy seeds, pumpkin seeds, and pine nuts.

Bell peppers and goji berries are also relatively rich in zinc and vitamin C besides, but these are nightshades which can be a strong irritant and immune stimulant for some, so eat these with some caution if canker sores are a recurring issue for you. Most humans are at least a tiny bit sensitive to eating large amounts of nightshades (peppers, potatoes, eggplant, etc), especially if they are raw.

Peas, zucchini and lentil sprouts are also rich in zinc, but some clients seem to be reactive to their lectin content. All people are sensitive to lectins to some degree, which is why raw kidney beans are toxic to humans. Gluten is also a lectin, by the by. As always, dietary needs are very individual.

If you’re intolerant of gluten, have stomach ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome, acid reflux, arthritic pain, or chronic lethargy, then you may be interested in my article on eating a low-lectin diet: My First Three Weeks on the Plant Paradox Program.

If you’re looking to figure out what foods are rich in what substances in a reliable, easy way, I created my own mega-reference for my own personal use (because no tool out there met my exacting needs and impatience for learning accurately how foods compared to one another). The charts I created turned out to be so useful that I turned them into a book, The Ultimate Nutrition Reference. If you’re ready to understand foods as you never have before, get yourself a copy right now.

If you are looking to buy zinc as a supplement specifically for canker sore prevention, look for zinc carnosine, which is zinc bound to L-carnosine (a dipeptide involved in tissue repair). While regular zinc supports immune function broadly, zinc carnosine adheres to damaged tissue and releases zinc slowly at the site. Thus, it is specifically used in healing ulcers (both of the mouth and stomach).

Oral Probiotics

As I have mentioned elsewhere, I have found the fermented coconut water product known as Inner Eco to be very effective for many oral complaints, including reducing the occurrence of canker sores. You can also specifically look for chewables or lozenges which contain streptococcus salivarius K12 and/or lactobacillus reuteri. These are meant to colonize your mouth and throat, compete with harmful microbes, and modulate immune signaling locally.

Treating Canker Sores

Many common tips are actually really bad. Don’t suck on popsicles to numb them. Do not add sugar to a problem that is clearly exacerbated by sugar because it “feels good” in the short run. That is akin to the bad advice my mother received as a child from her doctor – ice-cream for a sore throat! Also, don’t use alum. Alum is a remedy that was going around in my childhood, but this sketchy product includes trace amounts of aluminum which is not a beneficial trace mineral. Okay, okay, enough about the bad ideas, and let us progress to good ones!

Water Floss 

For immediate treatment, I’ve found that a water flosser one of the most powerful interventions. I originally purchased my water flosser when I had a case of pericoronitis due to the gum flap that was still hanging out over my wisdom tooth. The water flosser is an amazing device; the horrible pain I had been experiencing was reduced even on the first use, and continued to diminish with each use and was entirely gone within a few days. I’ve found the water flosser to be similarly useful for canker sores.

A water flosser can mechanically break up the biofilms that bacteria have made to protect themselves, making this technique a powerful combination with any other topical treatment. It will also clean out other debris in the sore and help restore hydration to an area of your mouth which may be chronically dry.

To use a water flosser on a sore: set your flosser to the lowest setting, aim the stream of water at the sore. Slowing increase the setting so that the pain is where you can barely tolerate it. At first, this is usually speed three or four for me (out of ten). Hold the stream of water on the sore for a minimum of ten seconds. Repeat this several times a day. While this will hurt at first, relief is usually very rapid after the fact.

If you do not have a water flosser and do not wish to buy one, you can also use the stream of water in your shower. Of course, spit out the water afterward – in either case.

Silver 

In 2020 I discovered silver spray, which can be used to spray the canker sore to decrease bacterial imbalances in the area and in your mouth in general. This is something easy, odorless, and (nearly) flavorless which you can use during a long car ride or while on an airplane.  

Deglycyrrhizinated Licorice (DGL)

Ddeglycyrrhizinated licorice is, well, licorice – with the glycyrrhizin removed so it doesn’t raise your blood pressure. Taking this in capsule form may help some, but contact with your mouth will be most effective for rapid treatment. It will increase mucus production, promote skin repair, and have mild anti-inflammatory effects. I primarily recommend this to clients with stomach complaints, but it can be quite useful for the oral cavity as well. For oral treatment, get chewable tablets. For stomach upset, get capsules. You can open the capsules if you happen to already have some, but the flavor is earthy bitterness with tree root notes.

Melatonin

We think of melatonin as a sleep hormone, but like all hormones (including neurotransmitters), it does a vast multitude of things. Melatonin serves as a mitochondrial repair molecule throughout your body. A generally safe range is 0.3 milligrams to 3 milligrams. While more is sometimes used in studies, higher amounts can backfire – especially in sensitive systems. Melatonin helps by reducing oxidative stress, modulating immune response, and by supporting tissue regeneration.

In addition to taking melatonin capsules for systemic benefit, you can also get it as an oral gel which is applied directly to the sore. This can promote faster healing while also reducing pain.

Bromelain

While eating 🍍 pineapples – a potent source of bromelain – is not advised when you have a canker sore, the bromelain itself may be quite helpful. Bromelain as an isolated enzyme reduces swelling and helps break down inflammatory proteins.

Vegetable Juice

Drink vegetable smoothies/juices that don’t contain anything acidic or overly sweet. This especially helps if you include cilantro, cabbage, parsley, kale, and/or spinach.

Water Swish

Sip water throughout the day and swish your mouth with every sip.

Baking Soda Solution 

Rinse your mouth with baking soda solution and/or hydrogen peroxide and/or aloe juice.

Salt Water 

Gargle with warm salt water. This is also great for sinus infections, sore throats, and ear infections.

Toothpaste

Brush your teeth with a mixture that does not include sodium lauryl sulfate. One of my favorites is Uncle Harry’s Toothpaste which has great flavor, texture, and results. Uncle Harry’s Toothpaste also has the benefit of being cinnamon-free. Another favorite of mine is The Dirt Toothpaste, particularly their cacao mint flavor. I have also sought options which are plastic-free and mint-free, and found the fabulous Dr Tungs Herbal Toothpowder Tabs.

Avoid Burns

Avoid burning your mouth with hot foods and hot drinks. However, warm green tea is usually helpful. You can refrigerate the tea bag after making and drinking the tea and then put the tea bag in your mouth on the sore for a minute at a time for even deeper relief.

Celery

Chew celery (gently). This tends to numb the sore while providing electrolyte balance to the mouth.
Brush your teeth consciously and don’t hit the sore. While using a water flosser directly on the sore is helpful, but brushing it is usually too abrasive. On the same note, avoid excessive abrasion from textured food (absolutely no chips or crackers).

Essential Oils (with Caution)

Apply a numbing, disinfecting substance or essential oil to the sore. Some great choices are silver, clove essential oil, or use an amazing blend like Quantum Health’s Canker Care. I personally use this product (since I discovered it in 2020) and wish it had been in my life earlier. It has ingredients that soothe and numb the sore, but also ingredients that help address common root causes of canker sores. Check out these ingredients: Aloe, Calendula, Myrrha, B₁₂, Dipotassium Glyrrhizinate (DGL, Licorice), Echinacea, Clove, Goldenseal, Lysine, Tea tree, Cajuputi, Peppermint, Propolis, and Zinc!

 

If you’re interested in learning more about healthy oral hygiene, read my extensive article called Cure Pericoronitis & Periodontitis Naturally. This article goes into a variety of unusual oral hygiene practices not mentioned in most readily available sources.

Wishing you healthy gums, tongue, cheeks, and psyche,

Raederle

The Consciousness Alchemist

Note: I originally drafted this article in January 2017. It was updated a lot in 2018, a little in 2020, and just went through an overhaul on May 5th 2026.

Celery!

The Celery Song

Celery

Celery contains vitamin C and several other active compounds that promote health, including phthalides, which may help lower cholesterol, and coumarins, that may be useful in cancer prevention.

Celery is not just extremely low in calories: you actually burn more calories chewing celery than you are consuming by eating celery!

Celery's Health Benefits

Weight Loss

Celery juice and whole celery help burn fat. The chewing action releases hormones in the brain the reduce cravings. Research has shown that snacking on celery reduces the urge to eat unhealthy snack items.

Celery has a balance of minerals that is very hydrating. When thirsty, we often over-eat. Because celery quenches thirst on a level beyond just drinking water, it prevents over-eating causes by thirst.

Stress Reduction

Chewing reduces stress. This is why many people choose potato chips when they are stressed out. Choose celery instead. (Other great options include kale chips, chard stems, carrots, oranges and squash chips.)

Detox

Celery appears frequently in detox diet plans. This makes sense because celery has properties that aid digestion. Because celery is mildly sweet and contains sodium, it curbs cravings.

All raw fruits and vegetables have detoxing properties. Celery in particular is excellent because it provides a mild detox and highly balanced nutrition.

Insomnia

Celery is beneficial in cases of insomnia. Celery juice particularly is very calming to the nervous system. The high magnesium levels are soothing, and helpful to relaxation, and fully restful sleep.

Constipation

Raw celery aids constipation. The high fiber content "sweeps" the colon clean. Other helpful aids in the face of constipation include: psyllium husk, aloe juice, ginger, and turmeric.

Calicum

According to Hippocrates, the father of medicine, celery calms nerves. This may be contributed to by its high calcium content.

Celery is good for the kidneys and will eliminate the body's waste through the urine. The seeds, leaves, and edible root of the plant can all be used. Celery seed in particular is very high in calcium, and it is one of the few seeds commonly available that has a positive calcium to phosphorus ratio. A single tablespoon of celery seed provides 11% of the recommended daily need for calcium.

100 Calories of Celery

Ten large ribs of celery amounts to 102 calories. The calorie breakdown is 73.4% from carbs, 9.5% from lipids and 17.1% from protein. This is a highly ideal ratio if you're trying to lose weight or build muscle.

To maintain healthy muscle you only need 10% of your total calories to come from protein (on a 2000 calorie diet), and celery contains protein in a more digestable form than foods such as meat and beans. I explain this in detail in my article about protein, amino acids and enzymes.

Ten ribs of celery (102 calories) provides roughly 20% of all of your nutrient needs for an entire day, including the following RDA values:

12% B1 (thiamine), 33% B2 (riboflavin), 15% B3 (niacin), 31% B5 (pantothenic acid), 36% B6 (pyridoxine), 58% B9 (folate), 20% vitamin A, 26% vitamin C, 12% vitamin E, 208% vitamin K, 26% calicum, 7% iron, 23% magnesium, 35% potassium, 5% selenium, 34% sodium and 10% zinc.

All of that in just 100 calories!

Potassium

Celery has a lot of potassium. Potassium is an electrolyte that is good for maintaining a healthy nervous system. It is vital for proper brain function and normal muscle growth. It lowers blood pressure and helps balance normal water levels in your body. Lack of potassium can cause heart problems, fatigue, and dry skin. Coconut water from young Thai coconuts is extremely high in potassium content as well.

Vitamin K

Celery is rich in vitamin K, which will help to suppress the appetite. Vitamin K also helps to form normal blood clots, i.e. it's the vitamin that stops you from bleeding to death.

Adults over age 50 should increase the vitamin K intake, as it aids in making essential bone proteins, preventing bone fractures and osteoporosis. A lack of vitamin K can cause liver problems, excessive bruising and bleeding.

Coumarins

Celery contains phytochemical compounds known as coumarins. Studies have shown that coumarins are effective in cancer prevention and capable of enhancing the activity of certain white blood cells. Coumarin compounds also lower blood pressure, tone the vascular system, and are possibly effective when used in cases of migraines.

After-Workout Drink

Due to the high levels of potassium and sodium, when celery-based juices are consumed after a workout they serve as great electrolyte replacement drinks. Studies have also shown that celery may help to lower cholesterol and prevent cancer by improving detoxification. Celery extract that contains 85% 3nB, has been shown to be effective in the treatment of "rheumatism". That is, celery is effective against arthritic and muscular pains.

Vitamins

Celery provides an excellent source of vitamin C and fiber. It is a very good source of folic acid, potassium, and vitamins B1 and B6. Celery also offers a good source of vitamin B2 and calcium. Even though celery contains more sodium than most other vegetables, the sodium is offset by it's high levels of potassium. Studies have shown that the sodium content of celery does not bother even the most salt-sensitive individuals. And yet, if you ate enough celery, you could meet all of your sodium needs on celery alone.

Vitamin C

Celery is an excellent source of vitamin C, a vitamin that helps to support the immune system. Vitamin C-rich foods like celery may help reduce cold symptoms or severity of cold symptoms; over 20 scientific studies have concluded that vitamin C is a cold-fighter.

Vitamin C also prevents the free radical damage that triggers the inflammatory cascade, and is therefore also associated with reduced severity of inflammatory conditions, such as asthma, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis.

As free radicals can oxidize cholesterol and lead to plaques that may rupture causing heart attacks or stroke, vitamin C is beneficial to promoting cardiovascular health. Owing to the multitude of vitamin C's health benefits, it is not surprising that research has shown that consumption of vegetables and fruits high in this nutrient is associated with a reduced risk of death from all causes including heart disease, stroke and cancer. For more about vitamin C, read this article containing ten different ways to get a full day's supply of vitamin C from whole foods.

Blood Pressure

Celery's potential for reducing high blood pressure has long been recognized by Chinese medicine practitioners, and Western science researchers may have recently identified one reason why: Phthalides.

Phthalides

Celery contains active compounds called phthalides, which can help relax the muscles around arteries and allow those vessels to dilate. With more space inside the arteries, the blood can flow at a lower pressure.

Phthalides also reduce stress hormones, one of whose effects is to cause blood vessels to constrict. Research has shown that celery can rapidly reduce blood pressure upon consumption.

Cholesterol

In studies of animals specially bred to have high cholesterol, celery's cholesterol-lowering activity has been demonstrated. In eight weeks, aqueous solutions of celery (like celery juice) fed to specially bred high cholesterol animals significantly lowered their total cholesterol by increasing bile acid secretion.

Uses

Grated raw celery can be used on swollen glands.

Celery is used in aromatherapy and other traditional ways of healing, like Ayurveda.

In Japan, rheumatic patients are sometimes put on a celery-only-diet.

As stated before, celery is also a useful component of a detox diet.

Buying & Storing Celery

Season

Available year-round in the U.S.

Buying

Look for firm, tight bunches with healthy leaves. Avoid bruised celery as it will taste bitter. When celery (or most any plant) is damaged, it releases bittering agents to fend off bugs.

Storing

Refrigerate in a plastic bag (preferably a green bag) and place in the crisper for up to two weeks. If the ribs are wilted, separate the ribs and place them in a bowl of ice water for several minutes before use.

You can also store upright in a vase with a little water or a wet towel at the bottom of the vase inside or outside the fridge.

Growing & Eating Celery

Preparation

Wash thoroughly, as the bunch attracts sand. Celery can be boiled, braised, eaten raw or steamed. I recommend enjoying it raw to get the full benefits. Vitamin C and many other compounds will be entirely ruined by heating celery to high temperatures.

Celery is also good to add to fruit and vegetable smoothie. Click here to check out a smoothie recipe including celery (which includes a how-to video).

Good Food Combinations

Celery is good to combine with just about anything.

Flavor wise, celery goes great with fatty foods such as avocado, almonds and walnuts. Also, curry, celery seeds, dill, fennel, lemon, nutmeg and parsley are great with celery.

In terms of digestive combinations, celery is one of the only foods that can be combined with fruit without causing a digestive upset. For more about healthy digestive combinations, read my food pyramid page.

Speaking Botanically About Celery

Celery is a biennial vegetable (meaning it has a normal life cycle of two years) that belongs to the Umbelliferae family, whose other members include carrots, fennel, parsley and dill. While most people associate celery with its prized stalks, its leaves, roots and seeds are also used as a food and seasoning as well as a natural medicinal remedy.

Apium graveolens is a plant species in the family Apiaceae commonly known as celery (var. dulce) or celeriac (var. rapaceum) depending on whether the petioles (stalks) or roots are eaten.

Apium graveolens is used around the world as a vegetable, either for the crisp petiole (leaf stalk) or the fleshy toproot. The root of the celery is also often eaten, which tastes similar to parsnip. Celery root is sometimes grated for use in raw recipes imitating rice.

Celery Seeds & Celery Salt

In temperate countries, celery is also grown for its seeds. The seeds are actually a very small fruit. These "seeds" yield a valuable volatile oil used in the perfume and pharmaceutical industries. They also contain an organic compound called apiol.

Celery seeds can be used as flavouring or spice, either as whole seeds or ground and mixed with salt, as celery salt.

Celery salt can also be made from an extract of the roots.

There are many versions of celery salt, but I make my own at home like this:

1. Slice up several bunches of celery finely.

2. Dehydrate celery slices at 105 degrees F overnight or however long it takes for them to become completely dry. Flip pieces as needed.

3. Blend dehydrated celery flakes with celery seeds (to taste).

4. Add dulse flakes to taste. (Dulse is a salty sea vegetable that is also very good for your health.)

5. Store in a glass spice jar and use as you would use regular sea salt.

The celery salt I make can be referred to as a "Veggie Salt" because all of the sodium content comes from whole foods. Veggie salts are much healthier than any other salt, including sea salt, because veggie salts contain other minerals besides sodium in plenty. While sea salt contains some other minerals, it doesn't really compare to that which you'll get from dehydrated celery, celery seeds and dulse.

Growing Celery From Grocery Store Celery

World-wide Cuisine: Celery

Celery salt is used as a seasoning, in cocktails (notably to enhance the flavour of Bloody Mary cocktails), and in Old Bay Seasoning.

Celery, onions, and bell peppers are key in Louisiana Creole and Cajun cuisine. Celery, onions, and carrots make up the French mirepoix, often used as a base for sauces and soups. Celery is a staple in many soups, such as chicken noodle soup.

Celery On The Raw Diet

Celery is important for any raw vegan who is avoiding consuming excess salt in the crystallized form that is added to food. Getting enough sodium is vitally important to hydration and overall health, although most Americans get too much sodium in their diet.

In an episode of my radio show I mention a woman who went raw and actually fainted from lack of sodium.

Most raw foodies add sea salt to their salads to their own taste, but some 'natural hygienists' prefer to get all nutrients from plants. If you're going to seek out sodium exclusively from plants then I recommend listening to the episode of my show I linked in the previous paragraph. In that episode I explain precisely how to get enough sodium from whole foods alone.

Thanks for reading!

Article by Raederle Phoenix

Originally written in 2009-2010, updated in January 2012 and September 2012

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Day 5 | Raederle's Raw Blog

September 7th 2010 | Day 5 | Failure & Success

Oh where has the day gone!

I have failed at doing an all-water cleanse.

However, I have been 100% raw for longer now than my usual, with lots more green drinks in succession than I've ever had in my life. I am finding some success at raw foods at last!

I've got to admit that I have had more energy today than I can remember having in weeks. (I've been closeted up with my novel and not spending enough time making salads or exercising...)

I sanitized the trash-bin today. (Trying to continue to clean something thoroughly each day. Parasites of all shapes and sizes: Begone!)

I did a lot of work-outs and went on a thirty minute walk with my husband today. (This would have been impossible for me a mere few months ago!)

I took a very long shower after working up a good sweat which is excellent for cleansing the pores of toxins and healing troubled skin.

Total consumption overview for the day:

• 2 herbal parasite-killing pills, and 3 enzyme pills
• 3 tall glasses of water
• 1 green drink (spinach, lettuce, green onions, celery, carrot & carrot top, cucumber)
• A handful of blackberries
• A few handfuls of raw pistachios
• ½ banana, 
• 1 apple
• A few mouth-fulls of coconut water

An awesome side note: My Raw Blog now has two new features: Blurbs (Q & A page) and My Raw Food Photo Gallery. (This is obviously a very out-of-date and irrelevant statement, as these were pages on Really Raw Raederle back in 2010 and 2011.)

~ Raederle Phoenix

Blast From The Future

Check it out! I've hopped in a time machine and gone back some years to add this note to the bottom of an entry from 2010! Okay, in reality, this post is a blast from the past. To see more blog entries, articles, and everything of awesomeness, visit the site map where you can use the search bar to look for articles on certain topics, or peruse the page for something relevant to your interests.

Return to: Raederle's Memoirs

Day 4 | Raederle's Raw Blog

September 6th 2010 | Day 4 | [11:22pm]

I've discovered that the herbal parasite killing pills are really hard on my system if I'm not eating anything. I've gone similar periods of time without eating without the effects of the past few days.

I was fine today however. I slowly put very tiny of portions of food into me throughout the day with lots and lots of enzyme pills (so that nothing would be left undigested for parasites/bacteria to eat).

Throughout the day I finished the apple I started yesterday, essentially three bites at a time, a handful of blackberries, a handful of raw pistachios, half a banana and a green drink which contained celery, cucumbers, spinach, lettuce, carrot and carrot tops.

Last night I discovered how truly important enemas are while detoxing. If you're flushing toxins from your muscles, they just end up somewhere else if you don't get them out of your body. Clean intestines make a world of difference to how I feel.

The reason I hadn't been doing enemas from the beginning, as I intended, was because I was so faint I didn't feel up to it. After eating just a few berries, raw nuts, and couple bites of banana and a green drink I got my strength back and stopped being cold.

I think I'm going to write a new detox outline tomorrow based on what I've learned.

[11:35pm]

My new outline will include a day of water-fasting a week, plenty of enemas, lots of cleaning and being hygienic as I laid out before, but certain portions of vegetables and fruits on a cycle throughout the week.

Total consumption today:

• 2 herbal parasite-killing pills, 4 enzyme pills and 1 probiotic
• 2 tall glasses of water
• 2 cups tea
• 1 green drink (spinach, lettuce, green onions, celery, carrot & carrot top, cucumber)
• A handful of blackberries
• A handful of raw chipoltli pistachios
• ½ banana
• ½ kiwi
• A couple mouth fulls of coconut water
• ¾ apple, throughout the day

Ah, It's actually been a quite pleasant labor day.

~ Raederle Phoenix

August 30th 2012

If this isn't obvious, I'm migrating this content from my old blog (Really Raw Raederle) to my website where I'm putting all of my content (art, poetry, recipes, meal plans, blogs, articles, musings, etc) together. It's actually fascinating to go back to the beginning of my raw journey and read these old posts.

I no longer struggle with the taste of celery, spinach or many other vegetables I used to hate. I ate sunflower sprouts on a salad yesterday without even thinking twice about it. Back when this was written I still couldn't stand the thought or smell of sprouts.

It's been well over a year since I had the sensation of going numb so easily as I described on Day 3. My circulation is obviously much stronger today than ever before. It's incredible how much I've forgotten about my previous ill health. It slipped my mind that I used to go to bed dizzy and that my limbs went numb if any gentle pressure was applied to them.

How strange to find strength in reading of my own past problems...

I hope you find inspiration here! Let your healing begin.

~ Raederle

Day 3 | Raederle's Raw Blog

September 5th 2010 | Day 3

On today's original agenda:

•  Water
•  Garlic Tea
•  Shower
•  Vacuum & Clean Desk Surfaces
•  120 Crunches

[9:28pm]

It's been a tough day. I have not done any of the above except drink water; and not nearly enough of that either.

I woke up again nauseated, like yesterday. I went to bed last night with my circulation so low that resting any weight at all on any of limbs made me go numb. Now, this may sound shocking, but this is something I experience on a somewhat regular basis when very tired or depleted because I have such a weak circulatory system. It was a nightly occurrence when I was at the lowest point in my health (and my life) at the age of sixteen.

I've been doing some serious re-thinking on how I'm going to detox.

Firstly, I think eating up all the cooked foods around the kitchen was a bad thing to do on the week before. I was overeating, and eating a number of things that were not particularly healthy all in a row. That made it even harder on my body to suddenly switch to drinking all water and eating no food.

[11:26pm]

I tried to plunge into this way too fast. I need to take some steps towards it first before I try to dive-in head first. I'm thinking about doing a two-day juice fast with my husband each weekend (with two or three green drinks a day and one smoothie), and then fasting for one or two days after that.

Then on Wednesday and Thursday just eating all-raw, with one green drink a day, and then on Friday eating as much fruit as I want, which I would be limiting the rest of the week, and allowing my husband to have one cooked meal on Friday.

This would allow us to both be much better prepared to dive into a more intense phase of detoxing. As it is, I need to build up some strength. I'm going to start by just adding very small amounts of raw food into my diet.

Total consumption overview for the day:

• 1 green drink (spinach, lettuce, carrot & carrot top, cucumber)
• 6 blackberries
• 4 raw chipoltli pistachios
• 1 half of a rice cake (to calm my stomach this morning. I held each bite in my mouth until it dissolved. Good for digestion to do so.)
• 4 thin slices of organic banana
• 3 very thin slices of organic apple

As a side note, I particularly am unhappy about today's events since it prevented me from making any progress whatsoever on my fantasy novel.

~ Raederle

August 30th 2012

Don't make the same mistakes I did. Instead of doing something "extreme" try a balanced raw diet and follow a nutritionally complete raw meal plan. My raw meal plans are unique because they are nutritionally sound and give you all the directions you need. It's worth it to have a meal plan. It'll save you a lot of "healing crisis" pains!

Return to: Raederle's Memoirs

Day 2 | Raederle's Raw Blog

September 4th 2010

On today's original agenda:

• Water
• Garlic Tea
• Shower
• Clean Kitchen Sink & Counters & Floor
• 20 Push-ups

[8:30pm] – Nausea

I woke up this morning very early with horrible stomach pains. I've felt hunger pains before, and I've experienced bloating, gas, cramps, and so on and so forth in the past but this pain was unique in my experience.

I felt better after vomiting, and based on everything I experienced, this was my conclusion:

Because I took one of those really powerful parasite-killing pills (raw pill containing dehydrated herbs), but didn't eat anything or take any probiotic tablets yesterday, there was nothing to absorb all the things in my stomach that the herbs killed. It is recommended to take a probiotic with the parasite-killing pills, but I didn't expect to need to take them for a while.

Effects of Eating Habits

I recovered from the mishap over a very small portion of 'rice cakes' (which were stale) that Lytenian found for me to ease my extremely upset stomach. I took a probiotic, a peppermint pill (meant to settle the stomach), and an enzyme pill. I've felt fine since... Mostly.

I have all sorts of reactions to food which I can trace. Back before I quit sugar I used to be able to trace eating it to headaches, joint pain, and lack of energy, all of which make perfect sense if you do the research on the effects of sugar; even natural organic cane sugar.

I can now trace much, much, much more subtle, but similar effects from eating fruit in a large quantity.

Before I stopped eating your standard egg-noodles, your conventional high-fructose-corn-syrup-filled bread, and other terribly unhealthy "American staples" I was able to trace my depletion of energy, stomach aches, apathy, and bloating to eating those things.

Now I can see similar effects (in a much milder form) when eating long-grain-brown rice, cooked beans and other complex cooked starches.

What's interesting is that today and yesterday I have not had any strange symptoms I'm used to experiencing from food. No joint pain, no muscle cramps, no headache, no mouth soreness, no bloating, gas, stomach aches (unless you count this bout this morning; but I don't since it was clearly unlike anything I've experienced before), and so forth.

What I do feel is tired. Not lethargic, apathetic or depressive-tired which can be caused from excessive amounts of sugars and simple carbohydrates in general (bread, candy, soda, pasta, white rice, etc), but rather a somewhat-faint tired. This form of being tired is what real hunger feels like.

Hunger vs. Cravings

What a lot of people don't realize is that huger is different from a food craving. Many people have never experienced hunger in their entire lives. When people say "I'm hungry" they are usually saying, "I feel like eating," or "My sugar has crashed and I crave more sugar," or "The parasites in my stomach and intestines are telling my body that I need more carbs." This may sound absurd or exaggerated to some, but it's completely true. What you think is hunger is really cravings; and they may not even be your cravings. They could be cravings causes by parasites in your intestines. There are hundreds of book on this topic or that are related to this topic.

Detox Revision

Today's various adventures have brought me to a few conclusions.

Firstly, it's going to be neigh impossible for me to consume nothing but water. If I had monk training, or if I were a martial artist, or if I was a much more active person, I could probably do it. It has been done before. But I don't think I'm actually healthy enough yet to take such a large step all at once.

I've decided to revise my plan to include bite-size portions of what-ever green drink or vegetable my husband is having, once a day, and at most twice a day. And when I say bite-size I do mean it. And if it's not liquid, then I'll chew that bite over and over until it's liquid in my mouth. (The way we're meant to chew.)

Secondly, I may want to consider taking less parasite-killing herbal pills.

My revised agenda for the day;

• Probiotics & Enzymes
• Water
• Shower
• Clean Kitchen Sink & Counters & Floor
• 20 Push-ups

I've done the twenty push-ups; which are from my knees, to note. I could do them from my feet but I'd make myself too exhausted to be of much good. I only want to damage the muscles a little; just enough to grow back stronger. Not so much that my shoulders take days to recover. (For anyone who doesn't know, building muscle is a process of damaging your muscles and rebuilding them back stronger.)

I have yet to shower or do the cleaning. I've been slacking a little and playing video games most of the day because it's Saturday and my husband wanted to play games, and I wanted to play with him... So there you have it.

We're playing a turn-based game together. I have extra time whenever his turn takes longer than mine (we can take our turns simultaneously, but whoever completes their turn first still has to wait for the other person to finish). I've been thinking of designing a board game to go with my fantasy novel's setting. Today I designed the board to the board game.

I'm really in love with the board design, and happy that I did that today, even if I should have been working on the novel itself, not some side-project.

Total consumption today:

• 2 mouth-fulls of Lytenian's green drink (primarily spinach with garlic and beets)
• 2 tall glasses of filtered water
• 1½ rice cakes; to settle this morning's upset stomach
• 1 enzyme tablet, 1 probiotic, 1 peppermint tablet

Despite the horrible pain this morning, I feel that I'm still on the right track. After all, no battle plan survives first contact.

Thanks for stopping by.

~ Raederle

Return to: Raederle's Memoirs

Day 1 | Raederle's Raw Blog

September 3rd 2010

Today's agenda:

•  Water
•  Garlic Tea
•  Onions & Garlic & Cinnamon oil in the ears
•  Shower
•  Clean bathroom sink and toilet
•  100 Crunches
•  Take "Before" Pictures

[12:12pm]

So far I've taken my shower and taken my first detox tablet. And of course I've had some water. I'm already thinking about how I don't want to do a water fast.

The two most important things about the first stage of this detox is having nothing sweet and nothing solid. Doing all-water is just taking things to a higher level than that. A complete reset on the way my body works.

Gah! This is going to be really tough.

I should start on those 100 crunches if I ever want to get through them today. I'm not feeling very high energy. I stayed up way too late last night thinking about my novel and the movie my husband and I went to see last night; Avatar. [At the time this was written I was working on a fantasy novel.]

It's not an auspicious start for day one.

[2:03pm]

Since this morning's log I've sanitized the toilet and sink. It's important to clean and santize your entire house while detoxing to make sure you don't simply reinfect yourself with all the same bacteria. While doing a detox without cleaning your home will still have results, cleaning will make the results last longer.

I've also taken some "before" photos. Because I already lost the "extra baggage" a few years ago, and because my face already slimmed out when I cut butter and some other last straggling habits out of my diet several months ago, there wouldn't be much of a change to see if I were wearing a T-shirt and jeans. Hence, don't be surprised when seeing me in a bikini.

[7:49pm]

I just now finished my 100 crunches for the day.

I did make a couple exceptions today, but for good reason. I still had four carrots that I had not eaten, and my husband is somewhat allergic to them. [Jay stopped being allergic to carrots after four months on raw vegan foods. Jay started the raw diet the same time I did: the day I wrote this blog: September 3rd 2010. Although, the onion soup wasn't raw, it was one of a very, very short list of exceptions to a 100% raw vegan diet for the year that followed.]

I blended and strained the carrots for a cup of carrot juice. Before having that cup of carrot juice I was feeling a bit faint, but now I'm feeling quite excellent, and not the least bit underfed.

I did make another small exception, which was to have some onion broth. I cooked two onions and added seasonings. I made the soup mostly for my husband, but had a small bowl of just broth with no actual clumps. So thereby I have not violated being on an all-liquid regime, nor have I had any fruit, but I did have two things that were certainly not water.

I've decided a cup of tea every day isn't unreasonable since it helps to ease a clove of raw garlic down. The clove of raw garlic by far negates any effects that the tea could possibly have to disrupting the detox process, from my standpoint.

Total consumption overview for the day:

• 1 cup of tea
• 1 clove of garlic
• 2 tall glasses of filtered water
• 1 small bowl of onion broth
• 1 glass of carrot juice (including carrot tops)

All in all, I think it's a good first day.

~ Raederle

Return to: Raederle's Memoirs