The Magic of Celery Juice

Have you tried this magical unicorn juice yet? Oh wait, it’s not unicorn juice, it’s just ordinary ol’ celery juice, BUT it most certainly does have magical powers! My guess is, you’ve probably heard about the celery juice craze, but perhaps you haven’t yet drunk the kool-aid, so to speak. Well, if you’re waiting for a sign to give this “craze” a shot…this is IT.

Adding a daily dose of celery juice was one of the very first changes I made when I learned I had cancer. If I am honest, I had been planning on jumping on the celery juice bandwagon several weeks before I was even diagnosed, but because it was summer and we had been traveling a lot, I hadn’t gotten around to it just yet. Well, if ever there was a swift kick in the pants to spur me into action, cancer was it!

So, I didn’t even bother to do much research on this at the time. I had loosely been following the Medical Medium, Anthony William, who is responsible for starting this health craze by educating people on the benefits of this magic elixir. I knew it would be good for me, so I just dove in! After all, so many people were getting amazing results and experiencing vast improvement with sorts of different chronic illnesses, so how could it hurt?

I’ll be honest here…celery is not my most favorite thing. I love pretty much all veggies, but I find it to have a really strong taste, and it ranks pretty low on my list of things I’d choose to eat. BUT, as I may have mentioned before, if something’s got a lot of health benefits, I’ll DO IT, no ifs, ands or buts. So, the first couple of days, I didn’t look forward to it. I don’t really like to eat celery, so the thought of drinking it straight wasn’t super appealing. But, I did it anyway. I started out with 8 oz on my first day, plugged my nose, and guzzled it down. And you know what?? It honestly wasn’t that bad! I expected much worse. And, with each day that passed, the taste seemed a little less strong. Before I knew it, I actually started to look forward to this new morning ritual. SO, before you tell me you don’t like celery, or you want to add other stuff in there to make it taste better, just TRY IT. Commit to a week. I promise, the benefits are worth it!

And speaking of benefits…let’s discuss.

Benefits

Celery juice is incredibly hydrating, and is loaded with vitamins (A, C, K, folate), minerals (molybdenum, potassium), and mineral salts. Its ability to effectively replace electrolytes is awesome in and of itself, but there’s so much more to this juice!

• Let’s start with the big one…cancer: I’m not going to sit here and tell you celery juice cures cancer, but I am going to tell you that it sure as heck can’t hurt, and is likely going to HELP to prevent it, and/or support healing from cancer, along with additional holistic or traditional treatments. Celery juice contains two powerful compounds, apigenin and luteolin, which are both bioactive flavonoids that help to combat free radicals in the body, encourage programmed cell death of cancer cells, and help disrupt the replication of cancer cells. Sign me up.

• Autoimmune issues: Celery juice has the ability to starve pathogens that cause inflammation in the body, which can often lead to autoimmune diseases such as Hashimoto’s, RA, IBS, eczema, Celiac, etc. People participating in the “celery juice movement” are reporting relief (sometimes complete!) from their autoimmune symptoms, and many are reporting that they have been able to get off their medications for these issues. I was recently diagnosed with Hashimoto’s, and now that I have started to research, I’ve been able to connect the dots between the bout with Mono I had in high school, to the Epstein Barr Virus (EBV), to Hashimoto’s, and maybe even to my cancer. Never has it been more important to me to figure out the root cause of any health issues, and now that I know all of these issues to be connected, TRUST ME when I tell you, I am all for using celery juice to break down the pathogens created by the EBV.

• Alkalizing: Word on the street is that most diseases, such as cancer, don’t do well in an alkaline environment. Unfortunately, the western diet relies heavily on acidic foods, which create a slightly more acidic environment in the body, which is a more optimal environment for these diseases to thrive. One of my first priorities after my diagnosis was to alkalize my body as much as possible. And, as luck would have it, celery juice helps with that! Celery juice is an alkalizing food and helps your body maintain a balanced PH. A PH that leans too acidic can stimulate the growth of cancer cells.

• Anti-inflammatory, Anti-fungal, and Anti-bacterial: Celery juice has powerful anti-inflammatory properties. Aside from pain and discomfort, inflammation is also the main cause of auto immune diseases, and other sources of discomfort such as bloating, acid reflux, acne and eczema. It has been shown to kill viruses such as EBV and shingles, and can eradicate bacteria such as STREP.

• Adrenal support: The unique mineral cluster salts in celery help keep your adrenals stable and functioning. Low adrenal function, or adrenal fatigue is related to lots of autoimmune issues, and a highly functional adrenal system is critical for overall health. As someone who has suffered from adrenal fatigue, I have noticed a huge improvement since adding celery juice to my daily regimen.

• Detoxifying: Celery juice helps flush toxins through your system, and supports your liver and kidneys’ ability to effectively do their job. The mineral salts in celery juice bind onto toxins and pathogens and draw them out of the liver, while the diuretic and cleansing properties improve overall kidney function.

• Blood pressure: Celery contains pthalides, which boosts the production of bile juices that reduce LDL cholesterol. The pthalides also relax the arterial wall and dilate the blood vessels, allowing blood to flow without interruption, leading to a stabilization of blood pressure and a reduced risk of heart disease.

• Skin: Bye bye, acne!! Acne is usually caused by inflammation, and the reduction in inflammation caused by the anti-inflammatory properties of celery juice causes the oh-so-awesome side effect of clearing up people’s skin! You’re welcome 😉

• Acid Reflux: Celery juice helps to boost hydrochloric acid production in your gut. Hydrochloric acid is actually a good acid that is critical to efficient digestion, and helps keep your digestive system alkaline. This also helps to eliminate acid reflux (heartburn), and minimize digestive issues. As a long time heartburn sufferer, I NEVER experience heartburn since adding “the juice” into my daily routine.

And that’s not all! Celery juice is known to have a calming effect, can help with emotional issues, promote regularity, balance blood sugar, reduce bloating, improve brain health and strengthen bones. I guess the question is, what CAN’T it help with? And an even better question, why isn’t EVERYONE drinking it??

How You Should Drink It

EVERY time I tell someone about celery juice, they ask me if they have to drink it straight. YES. Or, they tell me they don’t like the taste of celery, so they like to add lemon, apple, etc. DON’T. Here’s the thing…celery juicing is a little bit of a hassle, and a little bit expensive, and a little bit time consuming. SO, if you’re going to go to all the expense, time and trouble of making it, you might as well get the full benefit, yes?? I’m not really someone who does things half way. If the full benefits come from drinking straight celery juice, I am going to drink straight celery juice. Why half-ass it, unless you want to get half the benefit? Makes no sense to me. Plus, I PROMISE, the taste grows on you, so suck it up, buttercup!

• Step #1 – Buy ORGANIC celery (see Tip #4 below). Trust me on this. Celery is on the EPA’s “Dirty Dozen” list of produce with the highest levels of pesticides. So, if you’re drinking celery for the health benefits, I’m pretty sure it would be counterproductive to load yourself up with toxic pesticides and chemicals. Spend the extra buck and make sure you aren’t gulping down a glass full of pesticides. A full 16 oz serving is approximately 1 large celery bunch, so plan accordingly. I usually buy 3 days worth at a time.

• Step #2 – Remove the stub and thoroughly clean your celery (see Tips #3 and #5 below).

• Step #3 – Run the entire bunch (for 16 oz), or less if you’re just getting started (see Tip #1 below), through the juicer. Don’t add water or any other fruits/veggies to the juice. You may be tempted…just don’t.

• Step #4 – Drink your magical unicorn juice first thing in the morning, on an empty stomach. No coffee first. No food. Just the juice. I promise you won’t die if your morning cup of love, I mean coffee, isn’t the first thing that passes through your lips. Start with the juice, drink the entire serving, and then wait at least 15 minutes before you dive into the coffee.

• Step #5 – REPEAT EVERY DAY, and experience the amazing health benefits!

Equipment

Do yourself a favor, and go out and buy a juicer. I know it might seem like yet another appliance you have to purchase, store and clean, but I am telling you right now, this is a worthwhile piece of kitchen equipment, and if you plan on juicing daily, it will pay for itself in a matter of weeks. Sure, you can blend and strain if you happen to have a really amazing blender, but it is a much more messy and time consuming process, and in my opinion, you aren’t able to get quite as much juice out of it. Plus, you end up diluting it a bit with the water you have to add in order to make it blend-able. Years ago, I got a Jack LaLanne power juicer for my birthday, and it works great! But, there is definitely an argument to be made for spending the extra money on a slow masticating (cold press) juicer, rather than a slightly less expensive centrifugal (spinning) juicer. There are a wide variety of juicers on the market, at just about every price point, so I recommend picking one that fits your budget and going for it.

Tips & Words of Wisdom

• Tip #1 (and this is a BIG one!) – Start SLOW. The recommended daily dose is 16 oz, but if you dive head first into that full serving, you might never leave the bathroom that first day, and pretty soon you’ll be sending me hate mail. Celery seems so innocent, but it is POWERFUL. I recommend starting with 4 oz, and then gradually working your way up to the full 16 oz serving.

• Tip #2 – Juice DAILY. Is it more of a hassle to juice every day than it is to do it in batches? YES. But again, the benefits are worth it. The powerful compounds in celery juice (and other fresh juices as well) diminish over time, so it is best to juice it on the same day you plan to drink it. If you do need to juice ahead of time, seal it in a mason jar, store it in the fridge, and try to consume your juice within 24 hours.

• Tip #3 – Save the stubs! This is a new tip I just learned myself, and after juicing daily for the past 6 months, and throwing away hundreds of those little ends, I am KICKING myself for not knowing this sooner. Did you know, you can regrow celery from the little stub you cut off at the bottom? Mind. Blown. Just stick that baby in a shallow dish of water, and within a few days, you’ll see the leaves start to sprout from the center. A couple of weeks later you can pop ’em in the dirt, and before you know it, you can quit spending $2.99 a bunch, and grab them straight out of your own garden!

• Tip #4 – BUY ORGANIC. Did I mention that already?? ‘Cuz it is certainly worth repeating. BUY ORGANIC. In fact, the celery juice craze has hit such a fever pitch in my area that organic celery is often hard to find. I sometimes have to hit up 2 or 3 different stores to find some. Totally worth it.

• Tip #5 – Clean your celery (and all produce, for that matter!) with more than water. I know it’s somewhat commonplace, but it always surprises me when people wash their produce with just water. Don’t worry…I’m not judging you if you do, but I do urge you to give that practice a second thought. Water may remove most of the visible dirt on your produce, but doesn’t remove pesticides. And, even if you’re buying organic (see Tip #4), it doesn’t remove waxes or germs. Fun fact: an average of 20 sets of hands have touched your fruits and veggies before you bring them home from the store. Think about that. Do you feel safe putting that in your mouth after just a quick rinse in water? I sure don’t. Luckily, I have a friend who developed an amazing fruit and veggie wash while helping her father through his cancer journey. Her product, Eat Cleaner, is the one I trust to make sure my veggies are free from pesticides and germs. And, if you happen to be going through cancer treatment and have a weakened immune system, you will rest easier knowing your food is safe after using this product. More on pesticides and food safety in a future blog post!

So, what are you waiting for?? Get out there and start drinking this magical unicorn, I mean, celery juice!

xo,
Malea

*Disclosure: some of the links in this post are affiliate links, meaning that, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase