In the spotlight - Celery

"Eat your greens" is a phrase ingrained in the English language. Whether you've said it yourself or been on the receiving end of it, we're all familiar with the concept that green veg such as cabbage and broccoli are good for us. They're a source of iron and calcium, particularly important for anyone who avoids animal products. They also contain Vitamin K, important for maintaining bone strength, but also essential for blood clotting. Celery, a veg that is currently in season, is also a source of Vitamin K - while not as rich as many other veg, it is the vitamin, which it provides the greatest contribution to. So why are we dwelling on Vitamin K? It might be difficult to overdose on Vitamin K from your diet, but there is one group of people who have to exert some caution with regards to foods rich in Vitamin K - anyone who takes warfarin.

Warfarin is the most common medication used to prevent the blood from clotting. It is taken by anyone who has had a blood clot or is at risk of having one, such as someone who had a deep vein thrombosis previously or has an irregular heart rhythm. Warfarin works by slowing down how quickly the body produces Vitamin K, so blood clots less quickly. Foods rich in Vitamin K, notably spinach, kale, brussel sprouts, spring greens and cabbage, interfere with how warfarin works, increasing the risk of a blood clot forming. This does not mean that you need to avoid them if you are taking warfarin, but instead have them in small amounts daily. The point about portion size is obvious and the advice to eat them daily ensures your INR - the measure of how well your warfarin is working - is kept stable. If you find it hard to moderate your portions of your greens or don't want to eat them so regularly, you are best sticking to veg with a relatively low Vitamin K content - aubergines, carrots, cauliflower, courgettes, cucumber, green beans, mushrooms, peppers, pumpkin, sweetcorn and tomatoes are all good bets. Anyone wishing to increase their fruit and veg intake while on warfarin, which is no bad thing if you are at risk of cardiovascular problems, would be best to concentrate on eating more fruit, which is low in Vitamin K.

But getting back to celery, how can you use it more often? Celery sticks to dip into salsa, soft cheese or sour cream might be common, but here are some other ideas for how it can be used:

•  Add to a salad. An ingredient in Waldorf salad - joined by apples, lettuce and walnuts, but grapes and dried fruit can also feature - celery can be chopped up with any combination of salad veg that you fancy.
• You can use celery in coleslaw, either as an extra or perhaps to replace the cabbage. Use a yoghurt dressing rather than mayonnaise to save fat and calories.
• Chopped into stews and casseroles, cooking softens and dents the strong flavour somewhat, so a good option for anyone not keen on it raw.
• Another cooked use for celery is in soup, but don't just stick with cream of celery. Curried soups with celery or when it is combined with fruit, such as apple, work well.

For further ideas and recipes using celery, try the following websites:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/celery
http://allrecipes.co.uk/recipes/searchresults.aspx?text=celery
http://www.goodtoknow.co.uk/recipes/celery