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I Drank Celery Juice For A Month: Here's What Happened
If you're a green juice connoisseur, then let me introduce you to its vitamin-rich cousin, celery juice. I first came across the "phenomenon" of a celery juice cleanse while delving deep into the pages of Medical Medium by Anthony Williams.
Here's what usually goes into a typical green juice (some people call it a powerhouse of a drink): dark leafy greens with antioxidants, phytonutrients and enzymes, such as kale and spinach, along with cucumber and celery. Oftentimes, herbs like lemon, ginger, and apple may be added to sweeten.
When I read about the healing powers of celery juice, my interest was piqued, though drinking plain old celery juice seemed pretty boring and pedestrian compared to the green juice I'm used to. But Williams says celery juice, "is one of the most powerful and healing juices we can drink. Just 16 ounces of fresh celery juice every morning on an empty stomach can transform your health and digestion in as little as one week."
Why celery juice may work.
Celery contains vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants such as vitamins A and C, folate, beta-carotene, potassium, sodium, and magnesium. It also contains natural bioactive phytochemicals that have potential health benefits. The most notable: apigenin1 and luteolin2, both of which have been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties in lab and animal studies. It is said to aid in digestion, relax the nerves, and clear up skin problems.
The results of a celery juice cleanse.
I was certainly intrigued enough to give the simple green juice a try on an empty stomach, every morning, for a month. Here's what happened:
It gave me easy, blissful digestion, and more energy, to boot.
The discomforts of indigestion, bloating, and even acid reflux are often caused by low stomach acid. Studies have shown3 that people with Hashimoto's (the autoimmune thyroid condition) and hypothyroidism (low thyroid) often have low, or lack of, stomach acid, and low stomach acid sets off a wheel of undesirable health consequences. Many of us are all too familiar with the fact that when we're stressed, one of the first things to go out of whack can be our digestion.
This is where celery juice steps in, as its natural sodium content raises stomach acid, and when drunk first thing in the morning, it primes you for easy digestion for the rest of the day. Stomach acid is essential for breaking down food4, particularly protein. If your stomach acid is lowered, the body then has to step in using more resources to try to digest that food, thus making you tired.
Once I started drinking celery juice, I noticed that my food digested easier. Instead of uncomfortable feelings of fullness and heaviness after meals, I instead felt satiated but still light and could go on with my activities easily.
It made me less bloated.
With its ability to improve digestion, celery juice also kicks one of the most pesky symptoms of digestion to the curb: bloating. Celery juice is an effective natural diuretic and reduces bloated abdomens and edema, too. With my stomach acid raised and my digestion improved, I wasn't bloated once during my experiment with celery juice.
It reduced my cravings.
Cravings can be the body's way of calling out for nutrients that we are low or depleted in. For instance, when I was suffering from adrenal fatigue, I found myself craving all things salty. This is not a mistake of the body, as the adrenals need minerals to function at peak performance—like the minerals that are found in high-quality salt. Unfortunately we can often confuse this craving for wanting a bag of potato chips!
With my food being broken down, digested, and therefore assimilated better, my body could soak up all the goodness and nutrition I was putting into it. All of my body's nutritional needs were being met better, and thus I never found myself craving foods or reaching for foods out of habit because I was much more satiated.
I felt sharper.
I was firing on all cylinders during the month, and the surplus of energy I had from my food being digested better also helped give rise to a feeling of being a superwoman. Feeling less overwhelmed also helped to reduce stress, thus creating a happy, natural cycle.
I experienced a feeling of Zen bliss.
I found drinking celery juice to have an amazingly calming and relaxing effect on my mind, body, and emotions—so much so that I often found myself making it at the end of a busy workday to help switch myself out of go-go-go mode and wind down for the evening. It gives you the feeling of post-meditation bliss and an internal "ahhhh."
Here's a quick and easy recipe for celery juice that I used (no fancy juicer required!).
The Quickest, Easiest Celery Juice
Ingredients
- 1 head of organic celery
- Splash of filtered water
Equipment
- High-speed blender
- Nut-milk bag
- Large bowl
Method
- Wash and roughly chop the head of celery into rough chunks.
- Add to a blender along with a splash of water (to help the blades spin).
- Blend for a few seconds until broken down.
- Pour into a large bowl through a nut-milk bag.
- Squeeze through the juice, and compost the remaining fiber in the nut-milk bag. Drink immediately for the most nutritional benefits.
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