Adventures with Celery Juice
Behold - the triumphant power of celery juice
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Celery Juice - the Background
I’ll preface this entry by saying, I’ve become such a celery juice convert that initially I considered calling this blog “The Corporate Celery.” I continue to be blown away by the healing power of food, and celery is no exception.
You’ve potentially seen the craze sweep the internet. I stumbled across the concept of celery juicing back in January, so I was perhaps late to the game. Lying in bed in agonizing stomach pain, I went down the rabbit hole of the #guthealth hashtag on Instagram. I’ve known for years how strongly our gut is tied to our overall health (both physical and mental) - ten years ago, at the direction of my doctor, I stopped eating gluten because of a sensitivity test that came back positive. As she explained it to me at the time, our stomach is our “second brain” and what we eat, if our body doesn’t respond well to it, can negatively affect our mood.
At the time, people thought I was crazy when I tried to explain why I wasn’t eating pizza. However, over the past ten years and especially recently, it’s been well established that inflammatory and processed foods can indeed cause aggravation in your gut, and in turn, to your entire system.
I’d planned to start an elimination diet many times last fall, suspecting I had a gut imbalance that could be improved (a suspicion triggered by the horrible cystic acne that had been reemerging, after a few years of being kept at bay, all along my jawline and cheeks). But life has a way of getting in the way, and it wasn’t until I was in dire need of a fix that I decided to take action. Through my Instagram searching, I discovered the Medical Medium, Anthony Williams.
Williams is a controversial figure, and for good reason. He is not a doctor, but touts his “medical” findings in an authoritative way. To that end, I think it’s important to take what he says with a grain of salt regarding health and the causes behind various ailments. Your first stop should always be your actual doctor. That being said, the proof is in the pudding in that there are thousands of success stories on Instagram, touting Williams’ guidance. Most significantly, he promotes the health benefits and life changing qualities of celery juice.
How Does it Work?
As I scrolled through hundreds of testimonials of women with chronic stress, adrenal imbalance, gut distress and SIBO, metal toxicity, and psoriasis to name a few, I couldn’t help but feel inspired by their results after drinking 16 to 32 oz of freshly juiced celery each day, for varying lengths of time.
Williams claims that celery juice, along with having an abundance of natural electrolytes and minerals, contains natural salt crystals that work extraordinarily well at scraping and sloughing … let’s call it “toxic crap” … out of your digestive system (and liver). The idea is to have a huge glass of it at least 30 minutes before consuming any food or beverages for the day, to act as a gut primer.
While the habit seems potentially expensive, to the extent you already have a juicer on hand, it’s much cheaper than a coffee or tea habit out. We dug out our dusty, budget juicer from the back of a cupboard - I had serious doubt that I’d want to use and clean it every single morning. But seven months later, the juicer lives on the counter now and is used almost every day! Celery is, conveniently, the easiest detritus to clean from a juicer that I’ve ever encountered. If you don’t have a juicer, you can blend and strain the juice. Williams advises to not eat the celery juice whole or as a smoothie for the same gut-cleaning effects, because the fiber will carry many of the minerals and salts out of your body with it.
My Experience - Stellar, to Say the Least
I combined my celery juice habit with a restricted diet (I didn’t consume caffeine, dairy, gluten, soy, corn, pork, eggs or added sugar for a few months). I simultaneously began seeing a therapist and managing my stress much better, so I can’t say that celery juice is a cure-all - I put in a lot of work in all aspects of my life to reduce my stress and improve my overall balance. However, I noticed some immediate and long term benefits that I can easily attribute to drinking the celery juice every morning.
Within the first several days, I noticed immediate reduction in the gut pain I’d been having, such as acid reflux and ulcer-related pain. I also noticed that eliminating caffeine was not going to be an issue, because the celery juice gave me so much natural energy, I found myself sleeping more deeply at night and waking more rested in the morning (without an alarm clock!).
Within the first couple of weeks, I discovered how my cleaner system and gut, apart from making me feel physically lighter on my feet, made me feel mentally lighter as well. After months of brutal PMS (extreme depression and anxiety, mood swings, and gut pain/cramping), my PMS during this time was calmer, and I felt more at peace. I also didn’t feel the mittelschmerz that I usually experience during ovulation.
Within a month, I noticed a significant improvement to my skin and acne, which has continued to improve as I’ve set my gut health (and corresponding adrenal and hormonal balance) straight. And, the general riding depression and anxiety that had been significant for several months straight prior to starting this routine almost 100% dissipated. I’ll add that I have lived with depression and anxiety for a long time, and I do not believe it’s curable. But in my experience, I've been amazed at how both depression and anxiety are alleviated when my body is free from inflammation. I feel like I could have saved myself a lot of pain and heartache over the years, if I’d been receptive to this idea earlier.
Incorporating Celery Juice as a Health Tool
I drank celery juice for about three weeks straight, then we went to Disneyworld (where, it was much easier than I expected to eat with restrictions - I’ll write more about that experience). After our trip, I drank celery juice for thirty days straight, and thereafter, have incorporated it when I feel I need it.
When do I feel I need celery juice? I try to have it for a few days in the beginning of each week, if I ate out or consumed alcohol over the weekend. Any time I have a meal that I think might bother me, or have over-indulged, it’s a great way to cleanse the system in combination with a clean diet. I also drink celery juice more often when my immune system is compromised or I’m experiencing any sort of physical irritation (either internal or external).
The experience has opened my eyes to the healing power of juice of any kind. I’d always viewed “juice cleanses” as an unhealthy way to lose weight rapidly. But now I view a nice, large glass of freshly squeezed juice as a supplement. When my body needs vitamin A, I drink a big glass of freshly squeezed carrot juice, for example - in addition to my meal.
If you’d like to check out my experience and journey with Celery Juicing, I invite you to visit my Instagram page and check out my “Health” and “Celery Juice” stories!
I’d love to hear any questions you have - I had such a game-changing experience, prompted by my celery juice adventure, that I want to spread the word to others for whom it could be a useful tool.
