Update: 6 Weeks Drinking Celery Juice

People are still talking about celery juice!  What many thought would be a passing fad is still going strong. Just type in #celeryjuice on Instagram to see the hundreds (maybe thousands) of people drinking celery juice everyday and experiencing miraculous health improvement.

A few weeks ago I decided to try celery juice for myself to see if it was really worth the hype. I wrote a post all about it: the origins of this health fad, the benefits, how to make it and my own experience drinking celery juice for two weeks.  Check out that post here!

Today I’m back with my celery juice update.

For a total of six weeks I drank celery juice every morning on an empty stomach, just as Anthony William (the Medical Medium), creator of the celery juice challenge recommends.  I was fully committed to the process and even got a new juicer. I was really hopeful that I’d see some amazing results like those I was reading about online.

Overall, my results were...mixed.  Did I experience a health breakthrough? Not really.  Did I see any positive results? Yes, definitely!

Will I continue drinking celery juice? Well…

My Experience

I know many people are skeptical about the idea of drinking celery juice and question how beneficial it really is. There’s a lot of debate because there isn’t concrete scientific evidence to prove that it works in transformational ways.  The evidence is mostly anecdotal (though pretty compelling from what I’ve read). Not to mention, it’s promoted by a guy who calls himself the “Medical Medium,” and says he gets his knowledge from a spirit guide.

Despite all of this, I kept a pretty open mind because I do believe that conventional medicine doesn’t always get it right when it comes to healing and addressing the root cause of illnesses.  Natural remedies and diet changes can do a lot to support health and aid in recovery.

I also read William’s recent book, Liver Rescue, which I found really, really interesting.  It gives a completely new perspective on the underlying cause of various illnesses. it also gave me a bit more background information on celery juice and its effect on the body. I give a brief summary of this in my previous post.

So over the last six weeks, I faithfully drank my celery juice every morning and tracked how I felt along with any physical changes I experienced.  

Overall, I really enjoyed it! It became such an important part of my routine. This was more mental than physical, but I felt great drinking something that was completely natural and healthy, compared to a fattening coffee or sugary tea. It took some time and effort, but allowed me to prioritize my wellbeing a little everyday.  It was like a form of self-care.

Here’s what else I noticed:

Energy

Many reported feeling super energized after drinking their daily celery juice.  For me, I did experience a bit more energy. I had recently weaned myself off coffee prior to starting celery juice and it became a nice replacement for my morning joe. I wouldn’t say my energy was through the roof, but it was a nice pick-me-up in the morning.

Digestion

Drinking celery juice had a major impact on my digestion. I noticed this almost instantly and wrote about it in my previous post.  Bare with me here, this is a little TMI! I suffer from mild IBS with symptoms like bloating, gas, upset stomach and constipation.  While drinking celery juice, and even after, it really cut down on these symptoms. It seemed to really soothe my stomach after drinking and cut down on stomach discomfort throughout the day.

Prior to drinking celery juice my bathroom trips were pretty infrequent, which isn’t the healthiest.  It means your body isn’t eliminating waste, which can cause toxins to build up in your system. And this can lead to increased inflammation and other more unpleasant side effects that can negatively affect your health.

Celery juice completely changed my...bathroom experience. I went from going every few days to one or more times a day, which is pretty drastic. I felt much better-- less bloated and uncomfortable on a regular basis. In that way, celery juice had a positive impact on my gut health.

Skin Conditions

My primary reason for trying celery juice was to improve my skin, specifically acne and eczema.  I’ve suffered from eczema consistently for over a year and more recently have experienced an onset of acne, since going off birth control.  Many of the celery juice success stories involved healing chronic skin conditions and I was hoping for similar results.

Unfortunately, I didn’t see a substantial change in my acne or eczema.  I know six weeks isn’t an extremely long amount of time, likely not enough to see drastic improvements.  However, I do think it’s enough time to start seeing some changes. But I really didn’t see any obvious changes in my skin.  

My eczema remained the same, with minor flare ups every week or two. My acne, on the other hand, actually got worse. I was experiencing more frequent breakouts and pimples were popping up on new areas of my face where I didn’t normally break out.  

At the time I thought this could be a detox effect and tried to push through.  But it just seem to be getting worse and worse. It’s possible that celery juice was helping to rid my body of toxins and they were escaping through the skin.  It’s also possible that if I kept with celery juice things would have improved like it did for many celery juice advocates.

But after six weeks I decided to stop drinking celery juice.

Why I Stopped Drinking Celery Juice

Like I said, I actually enjoyed drinking celery juice.  It was fully a part of my routine after six weeks and I had no intentions of stopping.  Then something changed that made it really hard to continue.

The main reason that I stopped drinking celery juice is because of how hard it was to find celery!!  The struggle to find good celery is real! It seems like literally everyone is drinking celery juice these days, which is great, but the stores can’t keep up. At least not in my area.

At first I was buying my celery from Costco, which was organic and a great price.  Then, out of nowhere, they ran out and almost a month later still haven’t restocked (I called weekly to check!).  I tried Whole Foods, which also ran out shortly after and hasn’t had organic celery for over two weeks.

I’ve tried many other supermarkets and had mixed results.  I learned that not all celery is created equal. Sometimes you will get a bad batch (organic or conventional) and it can taste HORRIBLE.  Toward the end of my six months, I seemed to be getting more bad than good.

So many times I went through the whole process of washing the celery, juicing the celery, cleaning the juicer (about 15-20 min), only to take a sip of undrinkable celery juice. It had a bitter, almost metallic taste that just didn’t seem like it could possibly be healthy.  I like to think of myself as something of a celery juice connoisseur at this point (lol!), so I know what celery juice is supposed to taste like. And that was not it!

This kept happening and I felt like I was wasting time and money. Basically throwing away bunches of celery, that cost anywhere from $2 - $4. It was also getting to be stressful--I never knew how the juice would come out and didn’t always have time to go through the entire process all over again. I had no way of knowing what celery to buy or if the juice would even be drinkable until I tasted it, even if it was organic.   

This, along with a few other issues made it hard to sustain:

• Time commitment - finding the celery, making the celery juice every morning (can’t really be made in advance),
• Cost of celery - about $2-4 a day (sometimes more) to make 16oz of juice,
• Skin results- didn’t see any change in my eczema and acne seemed to get worse.

Final Thoughts

Even though I’m no longer drinking celery juice on a daily basis, I don't have anything negative to say. It did wonders for my digestion and even though it didn’t give me the results I was hoping for with my skin, I still experienced some physical and mental benefits.

It’s definitely something worth trying depending on your health goals, schedule, budget, and access to celery.

I’m not completely done with celery juice yet. I plan to incorporate it in my diet every now and then when I can, but not everyday. At least not until the stores can keep up with the demand for good quality celery.

Have you tried celery juice?  What was your experience?

Celery Juice: Why and How to Drink It

All over social media people have been raving about celery juice.  Is it really a magical healing potion or is it just another health fad that will come and go?  

Since first hearing about this miracle drink a few weeks ago, I decided to do a little research of my own.  With all the testimonials, articles and even celebrities swearing by it, I was definitely interested to learn more.

To be completely honest, it was going to take a lot for me to drink liquid celery.  I don’t mind having a celery stick here or there dipped in hummus or blue cheese dressing.  But plain, raw celery is not on my list of favorite foods.

On top of that, I’ve never been able to drink green juices.  I love eating vegetables, but the thought of drinking kale or spinach has always grossed me out.  I know I’ve probably been missing out on tons of nutrients and health benefits, but I just haven’t been able to get past the visual.  

However, with all that I was learning, I decided I had to give celery juice a chance!

What really caught my attention was the incredible impact it was having on chronic skin conditions like eczema and acne.  

I’ve struggled with both of these for some time and I’ve found that common medical approaches DON’T WORK.  Topical creams and antibiotics are just band aids that covers up the root cause, but don’t actually address the issue.  It’s a temporary fix, but not a way to heal. Skin issues like eczema, acne, and psoriasis are a sign of a deeper problem going on within.

Based on what I was reading, celery juice was healing acne and eczema sufferers from the inside out.  That, along with the many other reported health benefits prompted me to join #teamceleryjuice and try it for myself.

Why Drink Celery Juice?

The source of this celery juice craze is Anthony William, author of New York Times-bestselling Medical Medium series.  He writes about the natural healing power of fruits and vegetables and their ability to cure almost any illness. I’m in the middle of reading his newest book, The Liver Rescue and it’s been extremely eye opening.  It’s a fascinating approach to health and natural healing. I highly recommend it!

According to William, incorporating celery juice into your diet can have life changing effects on your health.  We all know that celery is good for us, but I wasn’t aware of just how many vitamins, minerals, and nutrients celery contains.

It’s very high in antioxidants and has antifungal, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties.  A great source of vitamin K, vitamin C, potassium, folate, manganese, calcium, riboflavin, magnesium, and vitamin B6. It also has a high percentage of water and electrolytes that keep you hydrated and flushes the system.  

Surprisingly, celery is high in sodium due to its mineral salts. These special salts have been shown to starve out bacteria, potentially killing viruses in the body.

Benefits of Celery Juice

There seems to be some controversy over the true benefits of celery juice and whether or not claims are scientifically supported.  But studies have shown that celery has the potential to improve a wide range of health concerns and conditions. Here are just a few of the reported benefits of drinking celery juice.

1. Cancer Prevention
2. Lowers Inflammation
3. Supports weight loss
4. Improves Digestion and IBS
5. Helps heal eczema, psoriasis, and acne
6. Builds the immune system and fights against infection
7. Stabilizes blood pressure
8. Reduces cholesterol
9. Balances PH levels
10. Restores gut health
11. Protects Liver Health
12. Helps with Infertility
13. Fights Autoimmune Disease
14. Improves Mental Health
15. Prevents UTIs and Yeast Infections

How to Make It

There are two ways that you can make celery juice: using a juicer or a high speed blender. Luckily, I was able to borrow an old juicer from my mom, so that is the method I’ve been using. It’s pretty quick and easy. But both will get the job done.

The recommended amount to drink is 16 oz and, depending on the size of your celery, you will need about 1-2 bunches. To allow the celery juice to fully cleanse your digestive system, it is recommended that you drink celery juice every morning on an empty stomach. It’s also best to make it fresh and drink as soon as possible to get the most nutrients. But it can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container (like a mason jar) for up to 24 hours.

If you’re using a juicer, just wash and cut up your celery (into thirds) and put it through your juicer. I also like to strain it at the end so it’s perfectly smooth and not pulpy, but that’s completely optional. And if you’re using a newer juicer you may not have to worry about this at all.

Prepare your celery the same way if you’re using a blender. Blend the celery with a little water (about ¼ cup). Strain out the juice with a nut milk bag or cheesecloth and enjoy!

Organic vs. Conventional Celery

Organic celery is preferred but either can be used. If you’re using non-organic celery, then you may want to take extra care when washing to get rid of any pesticides or other chemicals that might be on it. One trick I learned is to soak your celery (or any produce) in baking soda and water to help dissolve any hard-to-wash substances from the surface.

I’ve tried both organic and regular celery, as some stores don’t have a wide selection. And organic celery can be pretty expensive and usually smaller in size than conventional.  But I will say, I can taste the difference between the two.

I’ve tried celery from a few different stores--Trader Joe’s, Giant, Food Lion, Costco, and a local farmer’s market.  No matter the source, I’ve found that juice made from organic celery tastes a lot better! Non organic celery juice is a little more bitter and has a thinner, more watery consistency.

If organic celery isn’t easily accessible, then regular celery is perfectly fine and still has the all vitamins and nutrients you want. I’ve used both with good results.  I got lucky and found organic celery for a great price at Costco. Otherwise, I would be primarily using non-organic. But it’s completely up to you!

The Taste

Everyone has a different reaction to the taste of celery juice. Honestly, I thought it was pretty disgusting the first time I drank it. But now I actually enjoy it. It really is an acquired taste!

If you find that it’s a struggle to get all 16 oz of pure celery juice down, here are a few tips:

• Start small -  I started drinking about 6 oz and slowly increased the amount overtime.  Now I can drink 16 oz with no issue and I’m considering upping it to 24 oz.
• Add an apple - To get the full benefits you want to drink pure celery juice. But, juicing an apple in with the celery really helped me adjust to the taste. After about a week I was able to wean myself off and have the celery juice straight.
• Use a straw - something about sipping the juice through a straw rather than taking gulps makes it easier to drink.
• Drink it cold - I can’t imagine drinking warm celery juice.  I store my celery in the fridge before using. After juicing, I put my cup of celery juice back in the fridge for a bit while I wash out my juicer. It’s much more refreshing when cold.  I’ve read that the process of blending warms the juice, so if you’re using a blender you may want to refrigerate for longer before drinking.

My Experience

I’ve been drinking celery juice every morning for about 2 weeks, so not that long.  But I’ve really been enjoying celery juice as a new addition to my morning routine. It feels good knowing that I’m doing something wonderful for my health first thing everyday.  Of course there’s no quick fix to improving your health, but I have seen some positive results from drinking celery juice in this short amount of time.

I've already been working on building up my gut health and celery juice has had a major impact on my digestion. I don’t want to get into too much detail, but celery juice has definitely helped things move along and made me more...well...regular.  Additionally, I don’t have as many cravings and feel more satisfied after meals. I also have more energy and haven’t felt the need for coffee or tea in the mornings.

I haven’t seen a major change in my acne or eczema yet. It does seem like breakouts are healing a little faster, but I’ll need more time to see if the celery juice is having a real impact on my skin.

One weird thing I’ve noticed is that I started experiences more headaches after I began drinking celery juice daily.  This could be a coincidence and have nothing to do with the celery juice. But if anyone else has experienced this let me know!  Could it be a possible side effect?

Overall, my results have been good and I’ve enjoyed the challenge of getting outside my dietary comfort zone. I’m going to continue drinking my daily celery juice and will keep you posted on my results.

If you haven’t tried celery juice yet, I highly recommend it!  Even if you’re not into green juices or are worried about the taste, believe me it’s doable and it’s worth it. If I can drink it, anyone can!

Have you tried celery juice? What were your results?

Gut Health and Healing

If you really want to get healthy, the first place you should start is your gut!

Our gut controls so much of our overall health. In fact, 70% of our immune system is located in the gut. Not to mention, it’s where all of the nutrients our bodies need to function come from.

A healthy gut = A healthy you!

Before I started learning about gut health, I thought eating a healthy diet and exercising was enough to improve my overall health and wellbeing. But even with these healthy habits, I constantly felt exhausted and generally unwell physically and mentally. I always seemed to be coming down with some illness and was in and out of doctors’ offices with no concrete explanation.

Just more and more frustration.

It wasn’t until I visited a nonconventional doctor who, to my surprise, prescribed me probiotics to help with eczema, that I began to explore this topic of gut health and its far-reaching impact on our bodies.

What is Gut Health?

Your gut isn't just your stomach, as I once thought.  It’s your entire digestive tract running all the way from your esophagus to your rectum. It's responsible for taking in and excreting the food we eat.  But it also contains microbes and nerves that communicate with the brain and other parts of the body affecting everything from hunger to mood.  Experts have referred to the gut as the second brain.

When it comes to gut health, it's all about balance.  Good and bad bacteria that live in our intestines make up our gut microbiome. When in balance,  they allow for the proper digestion of food and absorption of nutrients which our bodies rely on for everything from energy production to hormone balance, skin health to mental health, and even toxin and waste elimination.

When this balance is off, it can create major problems, but not just for your digestive system.  It can negatively impact your immune system, and lead to autoimmune diseases, skin conditions, endocrine disorders, and cancer (source).

The cause? There are various dietary, environmental and lifestyle factors that can lead to poor gut health. We're all different and genetics play a role in what affects our gut the most. Some things to watch out for are:

• Overuse of antibiotic
• Excess alcohol
• Lack of whole foods and fiber
• Diet high in processed foods
• Consumption of GMOs
• Sedentary lifestyle
• Poor sleep quality
• Stress

Given the society we live in, it's almost impossible to avoid all of the triggers above.  For me, many of these have contributed to my own gut issues.

My Battle with Gut Health

I've had poor gut health for years but had no idea. Of course, gut health itself is a fairly new concern.  But it's taken me years of research and doctors' visits to put together the pieces of the puzzle and see that my gut was impacting my health in countless ways.

Digestive Issues

For as long as I can remember, I've suffered from poor digestion. From bloating and gas, to constipation (sorry TMI!).  Not every single day, but more often than not and this became my norm.

In my Caribbean family, the remedy for most gut issues was a cup of herbal tea or tums.  So that’s what I used to ease the discomfort.  But for the most part I just lived with it.

Since I didn't have IBS (or so I thought) or other more serious stomach conditions, I assumed I was perfectly fine.

But even things we consider minor or normal, like bloating, gas, reflux, constipation, irregularity, abdominal pain or occasional diarrhea can be a signal of a more serious issue going on with your gut. Don't ignore it!

Recently I learned that I do, in fact, suffer from a mild form of IBS.

Chronic Fatigue

I can't say for sure that I've had Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (I was never officially diagnosed), but I have felt chronically tired--drained and sluggish around the clock, even after getting a full night's sleep.

I'm far from the "I'll sleep when I die" type of person.  Very rarely do I sacrifice sleep. But I've always envied the people who can sleep for five hours (or less!) and wake up refreshed and recharged with all the energy in the world.

Unfortunately, I've never been that person.  Doctors have thought that I was anemic or lacking in a particular vitamin.  Their findings:  I could use a bit more vitamin B.

When rest, multivitamins, or even diet changes aren't cutting it, poor gut health might be the culprit. When your gut is overrun by bad bacteria it prevents your body from absorbing all the proper nutrients from the food you eat, leaving your body feeling exhausted.

An unhealthy gut can also become permeable (leaky gut syndrome), allowing toxins to flow through the intestinal wall and into your blood stream causing inflammation.  Your cells work overtime to kill these harmful chemicals, depleting your energy levels in the process.

Skin Conditions

For me, acne and eczema have been some of the worst symptoms I've experienced as a result of poor gut health.  Maybe that sounds a bit dramatic, and you may be thinking "girl if that's all you have to worry about, you should be grateful!"

However, if you've suffered from any chronic skin condition, you know how difficult it can be. Feeling self-conscious, helpless and in physical pain all because of your skin.  It can really affect your self-esteem and overall mental health.

For acne, I took prescription antibiotics along with hormonal birth control (the pill) on and off since I was a teenager.  I was willing to do almost anything to manage my acne. And it helped a lot, but I was never completely cured.

Little did I know, those years of taking antibiotics were actually doing more harm than good.

They were killing off the good bacteria, leaving my microbiome completely off balance, and jeopardizing the health of not only my gut, but my entire body.

About a year ago, I started having severe and painful eczema flare-ups on my hands.  Possibly the worst place to have eczema! A doctor recommended that I try a quality probiotic as eczema and other skin irritations are linked to the gut.

Conditions like acne, eczema, psoriasis and rosacea are inflammatory disorders directly related to our immune system. And much of our immune system is where? You guessed it…in the gut!

Other Signs

After doing more research, I realized that other health issues I was experiencing were also likely linked to gut health.

• Stress, anxiety, and depression
• Brain Fog
• Headaches
• Poor immunity
• Yeast Infections
• Allergies

Now, that's just my list! There are so many ways that our gut affects our health and wellness.  As Hippocrates said over 2000 years ago, it all starts in the gut.

The Healing Process

Getting your gut health in balance is no easy task, especially when you've had years of damage from processed foods, antibiotics, and loads of stress.

Here are some of the lifestyle and dietary changes I’ve made in an effort to repair my damaged gut.

• Consume Probiotics - One of the most helpful things I've done to restore balance to my gut is adding probiotics to my daily regimen. Probiotics help to rebuild the population of good bacteria.  I take a probiotic supplement and also get probiotics from fermented food like kombucha, sauerkraut, and beet kvass that I make myself.
• Add Bone Broth - My doctor recommended that I start drinking this nutrient-dense and all around healing drink. Bone broth, with its many vitamins and minerals like glutamine and collagen, help repair the gut lining. I tried some of the store bought varieties. But I much prefer homemade.
• Reduce sugar - Sugar is an inflammatory food for most people and feeds the bad bacteria in your gut. For that reason, as difficult as it, I've reduced my sugar intake quite a lot. I haven't eliminated it completely, but I've definitely become more conscious of how much sugar is in everything and avoided many of the sweets and snacks I once thought I couldn't live without.
• Eliminate dairy - Dairy is also an inflammatory food that can irritate the gut and studies show that it can also exacerbate acne. So it had to go! Luckily for me, I was never a big milk drinker, I actually prefer almond milk. But I must admit, I do miss cheese!
• More whole foods - I've incorporated more colorful, clean, nutrient-rich foods into my diet. And that means having to cook most of my meals and limit eating out. As much as possible, I try to eat nourishing, fresh foods and avoid processed, packaged options that bad bacteria thrive on.
• More water - Drinking more water helps to flush out toxins from the body and maintain a healthy gut. My goal is to drink at least 72 oz of water a day. I find that using an app helps me keep track of my water intake and stay motivated to reach my goal.
• Eliminate antibiotics (when possible) - Once I learned that the antibiotics I was taking were actually contributing to many of health issues, I knew I had to stop taking them.  Fortunately for me, the medication I was taking wasn't for a life threatening condition. So instead of continuing to put stress on my gut, I decided to wean myself off the medication and allow my body to truly heal once and for all.
• See a Functional Doctor - I've gone to doctors in the past who were quick to write me a prescription for every little symptom, instead of working with me to find the root cause. It's really helped my healing process to work with a doctor who takes a more holistic approach to health and understands how the gut works.

If you think you may be suffering from poor gut health, I encourage you to take action! Continue to educate yourself and seek help from a medical practitioner.  You are far from alone!  I'm on this journey with you!

Have you ever suffered from poor gut health? What strategies have you used to heal your gut and minimize your symptoms?