What’s the Deal with Celery Juice?
Celery juice is a hot topic in the health world right now, with health and fitness influencers claiming it is a miracle juice that we all need to be drinking first thing in the morning.
I’m not usually a fan of fad diets, but the thing I love about this trend is that it’s not some scam product that people are trying to sell you—it’s just celery! No one is trying to push a supplement that might be unsafe for your body. So I thought to myself, why not try juicing celery for 30 days to see what the fuss is about? What do I have to lose, really? Regardless of its amazing health claims, celery juice would be upping my vegetable intake each day, if nothing else.
What Makes Celery Juice So Special?
Celery juice is extremely detoxifying, as it flushes out old toxins and poisons that have built up over time. It can help kill viruses, bad bacteria, fungi and parasites in your body. This greatly helps to maintain a healthy gut, improve digestion and reduce bloating. Celery juice also increases your body’s ability to break down protein and fat.
Oftentimes, the protein and fat we eat go undigested in our stomach and just sits there to rot. This is what causes bloating and many other digestive issues, and celery works to break down that undigested food. So if you struggle with bloating, gas or constipation, celery juice just might be the cure for you. Also, juicing celery regularly may help boost energy levels, balance hormones, reduce inflammation and alleviate skin issues (like acne, psoriasis and eczema) and many other symptoms.
How Do You Gain These Amazing Benefits?
Experts say drinking 16 ounces of celery juice a day is a great starting point. (Although if you have severe or chronic issues, you may find it beneficial to drink up to 24 or 32 ounces a day.) So how much celery is that, exactly? A lot! One bunch of celery yields about 16 ounces of juice.
There are a few other considerations to keep in mind in order to gain the full benefits of celery juice. First, celery juice needs to be consumed 100% on its own, first thing in the morning. This means you need to drink it on an empty stomach—no food or coffee beforehand. A good rule of thumb is to wait at least 20 to 30 minutes before consuming anything else.
You will also want to avoid mixing anything into your celery juice. Anthony William, also known as the Medical Medium, claims mixing it with anything—like lemon juice, collagen or apple cider vinegar—will take away from its health benefits.
It’s also important to make the distinction between juicing celery and blending celery. Some people are blending their celery rather than juicing it—when you blend it, the fiber from the pulp also takes away from its health benefits.
If you don’t have a juicer and only have a blender, there is a way to blend your celery and remove the pulp afterward. You will need to a cheesecloth, which you can order from Amazon. Put your celery in the blender, blend it all up and cover the top of the blender with the cheesecloth and use it as a strainer as you pour out the juice. Then wrap the pulp in the cheesecloth and squeeze out any extra juice from the pulp.
While drinking celery juice first thing in the morning is extremely beneficial, it’s also beneficial to drink it immediately after you juice it. Juicing a bunch at a time and then storing it in the fridge for the entire week will also cause it to lose some of its health benefits. Once you juice your celery, aim to drink it immediately or at least within 24 hours.
Also, people are trying to make celery juice simpler by buying celery juice powder and mixing it into a glass of water. This, too, simply won’t give you the same benefits as freshly juiced celery will. It won’t cause any harm, but it won’t have the same effects.
Celery Juice and Bloating
Many people start drinking celery juice to help reduce bloating, although some of these people are realizing that it’s making them more bloated. As I mentioned above, celery juice works to break down all the old, rotting, undigested food in your stomach.
What does that mean for those who are experiencing more bloating? Celery juice may cause extra bloating in someone who has a highly toxic digestive tract and has a lot of rotting, undigested food in their digestive tract. Over time, if they continue to drink celery juice, their digestive tract will become less toxic and their bloating will start to disappear. So if celery juice is causing you to bloat, this may be a sign you have a lot of built-up toxins and celery juice is exactly what you need.
I Juiced Celery for 30 Days and…
I juiced celery for 30 days straight to see if there was validity behind all these health claims. The main benefit I was looking for was to alleviate my psoriasis, which I had heard celery juice could help treat. I have psoriasis on my scalp, and it has been something I have been living with for eight years. I couldn’t find anything to help treat it because I personally try to avoid putting chemicals, or anything unnatural, into my body. This means I refused to take steroids or toxic topical creams that my doctor suggested.
I also have been struggling with gut and hormone issues and have been working with a naturopath to heal. So, I was also looking to increase my gut health and rebalance my hormones through drinking celery juice.
It’s important to note that over these 30 days, I did not change anything in my diet outside of juicing celery. I also decided to ease my way into it by beginning with 8 ounces for the first few days before committing to 16 ounces each day.
Juicing celery every other day was a lot more realistic for my life. This way, I could still ensure I was drinking it within a 24-hour period. I generally would juice two days’ worth at a time, then drink 16 ounces immediately and save the other 16 ounces for the next morning.
My first few days of drinking celery juice, I felt absolutely amazing. My digestion was great, my bloating was going down and I felt so much more energy. But once days four, five and six hit, my bloating came back (it actually worsened), and I was completely backed up. I continued to juice regardless and am so happy I did because after those few days passed, my digestion, bloating and psoriasis became better than ever before. My psoriasis didn’t completely disappear, but it has been drastically alleviated.
One question I get asked the most is, “What kind of juicer should I buy?” I personally really enjoy my Breville juicer. With all the parts being dishwasher safe, it’s extremely simple to clean. Plus, it also has an extra-wide feeder chute that allows me to juice a bunch of celery in just five seconds!
My final consensus: I now swear by celery juice and continue to drink it every morning! Yes, it’s time-consuming to prepare, but the effects it has on my health make it more than worth it. I also record a podcast episode entirely about my experince juicing celery, so you can check that out here.
My top advice? Stay consistent! As with anything in life, if you want to see results and gain optimum benefits, you have to stick with it.
Just trying celery juice for the first time, I am on meds, need to know how that effect the meds.
Hello Morgan. One question I have is :
Do you have to add water to a regular BLENDER? If I didn’t – the motor would burn out bc it isn’t cutting up the celery at all ?
I thought we were not supposed to add water BUT I don’t see how ?
Thank you
Serena
Interesting to read what you went through. I have bought his book CELERY JUICE and found the same. It’s good but I cut up the celery by hand smaller and got the start of pain in my right, chopping/cutting hand.
Do I just put in longer pieces? I have the “Nutri bullet’. I would like to go back to it very much as I have very swollen left ankle and now the right is following it.
Any advice appreciative. Hazel
Does this have to be ORGANIC celery, as I am finding it quite hard to come by lately
This was super helpful, I myself have been doing this for a few days. I was worried that I began to get bloated. But you’re right a bunch of garbage was in my stomach and this is detoxing me. Thank you so much this was a great article!
I’ve been drinking celery juice for now two months and I have noticed my stomach bloating in the last 4 or 5 days.🤔
I take celery juice everyday but still bloating. What do I do
The celery juice is causing do much gas and discomfort later in the day. Any solution ideas?
I am on thyroid, blood pressure and acid reflex medicines. Can I drink the celery juice first thing in the morning, wait 30 minutes and then take my thyroid med which is suppose to be taken on an empty stomach?
Thanks – Joanne
According to the expert it’s a sign that you have a lot of toxins and to keep drinking it. The bloating will eventually disappear.
Yes the gas problem & uncomfortable feeling is Horrible. Help. Gas x Ultra not enough
I have been juicing for month now, I also take thyroid meds and blood pressure. I take them before I juice with just enough water to get them down, then wait the hour after my juice to eat my breakfast. Seems to work well for me.
Thank you for this information. I’m so glad I already have a Breville juicer. I’ll try ASAP.
for gas and bloating, consider sipping on cumin, coriander and fennel seed tea. A tsp of each seed steeped in water may help considerably and speed up the detox process.
I just start drinking celery juice on yesterday, I pray that it works for me.
I have been drinking celery juice for a few months. I would have my coffee first thing in AM, wait a couple hours and then drink the juice. Is that okay? My husband will not tolerate not getting his coffee as soon as he wakes up. At first I seemed to be sleeping better, but after three months of daily use, it doesn’t seem to be having that effect. Also after three or four months, I was getting diarrhea daily so I’ve been off of it for five days now and that has stopped. I have also been getting a lot more gas for all this time. I’m very confused. Since drinking it within 24 hours works, I guess I can make it the day before and drink it first thing in AM. Is that my best option? Also an the organic celery be washed in tap water. Our tap water has chlorine. Your help would be very much appreciated.
I have been drinking celery juice since 2/25/20 and all day long my stomach hurts. I have been taking pepto cause it is so uncomfortable . Will this finally go away. There is no way I can drink first thing in the morning. My stomach hurts very badly if I do this. After 2 hours of eating oatmeal then I can do the juice. Would like to know what you think. Thank you
Hi I don’t agree with the cheese cloth idea. Get a nut milk bag. Much easier to clean and will make you enjoy using it with your blender way more!
Great feedback, thank you Jane!
I started juicing about two weeks ogo I had this in the morning and waited 30 minutes before eating or having coffee. Now I am having itching over the upper parts of my body and nothing inside the mouth or throat. It feels like an allergy reaction. I have also had severe diarrhea. Is it safe for me to continue or stop? Will I build a tolerance? I am taking it due to UTIs and severe inflammation. I also have problems correcting my bowels to obtain a normal bowel movement. Would it help if I lowered the dosage until I get used to it. I now take 16oz twice daily.
I did the celery juice 16 oz. for 8 weeks, do not drink it. I quit after 8 weeks and my stomach cramps and bloats badly. It has been going on for the past 12 weeks after I quit drinking the juice. I have been living on ibuprofen and pepto. Now I am having to go to dr. to find out what is wrong with my stomach. Already had a sonogram this past Friday. May have to have an endoscopy done. The pain is awful. I purchased all of his books, gave them away after my stomach messed up. Bought some probatics to see if it would help my stomach, to no avail. I repeat this is not good it has messed my stomach to where I can’t hardly eat anything. I now have lost 14 lbs because I can’t eat, very little. Whished I had known all this I never would have dranked this stuff. Bad choice for me.
Stella, I wonder if you had a lot of toxic build up? I also just read that some people unmask conditions they didn’t know they had . I am trying to figure out what that means exactly and if people should just continue until the pain or symptoms go away.
Hi Stella, how is your stomach doing now? I’ve been doing celery juice for more than a week now and my stomach feels bloated and gas. I feel it on the left side of my abdomen. Still undecided if I need to continue or stop my juicing.
As we are all different and some people more sensitive than others I feel 16 oz may be too much for some. I am a small person and intuitively felt I would take some time to build up to
16 oz. After 3 weeks I am still only taking 8to 10 oz a day and that feels right for me. This way the body gets a chance to adjust and detox slowly without dramatic effects. It is common sense that a 90 kilo person would take more that a 50 kilo person. We are not one size fits all!!!