Sharing the benefits of a celery juice detox

People have long been asking if celery juice is good for detoxing. I spoke to a close friend about her recent celery juice detox experience.

Nala (not her real name, although she was kind enough to share her story) had been suffering from chronic health conditions.

At her lowest point, she decided to take matters in her own hands. She came across celery juice, a complete game-changer for her.

Watching her over the years, from when she felt her worst to becoming healthy and strong again, has been an amazing journey. Nala is now 106 days into her celery juice cleanse and says she’s never felt better.

While I appreciate we’re all different and what may work for some may not work for others, I had to share Nala’s incredible journey in case it helps others in theirs. This is her story.

1. Hi Nala, I know the last few years have been really tough for you, but can you take us back to the beginning of how you found out about doing a celery juice detox?

As you know, I experienced a lot of health challenges. I constantly fell ill over the last two years. I didn’t feel like I was functioning properly. My body felt out of synch, and my mind was always foggy.

I saw countless specialists, from a haematologist (who specialises in blood and bone marrow diseases), a gastroenterologist (who specialises in digestive disorders), a neurologist (who specialises in brain, spinal cord, nerves and muscle conditions) and even an infectious disease specialist.

One month, I ended up in urgent care and was hospitalised three times.

There was clearly a deep issue going on with me. Unable to get answers from all these specialists, I came across the effects of inflammation through research.

Inflammation is your body’s natural defence against viruses and bacteria. A lot of it is derived from your immune system. But sometimes, your immune response isn’t enough to clear those viruses.

When inflammation is in your body for a long time, it can become chronic and start to seriously harm the body.

I looked for solutions to reduce my body’s inflammation. I went online and found out about celery juice.

Nala’s research led her to celery juice.

2. With everything you went through, did you think a celery juice detox seemed too simple of a solution?

I had reached a breaking point. If these doctors and specialists couldn’t treat me or know what’s wrong with me, I thought, let me see if I can heal from the inside.

I’d been taking supplements, exercising, and eating what I thought was a clean diet, yet nothing worked.

I was sick and tired of being sick and tired and reached my wit’s end.

Initially, celery juice sounded ridiculous and I was sceptical. But I had run out of options and had nothing left to lose.

I read that celery juice can help heal viruses, reduce inflammation, remove toxins and flush out bad bacteria from your system.

Plus, it seemed relatively cheap and easy to do. I also read dozens of testimonials of people healed from all sorts of illnesses, from fibromyalgia (a condition that causes pain all over the body), diabetes, and Hashimoto’s disease (an autoimmune disorder) to thyroid disease.

I had no real expectation that it would work for me, but I thought, let me give it a shot.

3. How long did you drink celery juice for your detox?

At first, I said let me try it for 60 days.

4. How long did it take to see results from the celery juice?

I noticed a difference from day one. I’d been having a lot of brain fog. I was finding it hard to concentrate and do simple tasks.

From day one, I felt this extreme mental clearing. I will never forget that day and feeling. It’s like when you’ve not worn glasses your whole life, and suddenly you put them on, you can finally see. You think this is what life is supposed to be like, and you can’t believe you’ve been struggling for so long.

Then from day three, my skin felt amazing. From day four, my digestion improved, and I had much better bowel movements. For the first time, I was going to the bathroom daily.

In my first week of doing the celery juice cleanse, I knew something inside me was changing, healing and moving in a positive direction.

Right now, I’m also 100% eczema free which is remarkable because I’ve been dealing with it for decades and it’s finally cleared.

Nala said she saw quick results and benefits from taking celery juice.

5. Were there any side effects?

There were some. I experienced detox symptoms as the juice was cleansing toxins from my body. I persisted because these were signs my body was healing.

Most of my side effects came in my second week. Occasional headaches, dizziness and flu/cold symptoms. I read about those symptoms and contacted experts who said they were normal as the body adjusted.

I also started to eat cleaner to reduce my symptoms. If you put toxins back in your body while simultaneously trying to remove them, you’re overworking your body. The cleaner your diet, the more efficient the cleanse. By day 40 of my celery juice detox, I ate more cleanly to speed up the healing.

Eating clean looks different for everyone but for me, it meant reducing sugar, eliminating processed and fried foods, animal and dairy products, eating organic, and ultimately going vegan.

6. Were there times your celery juice detox got too difficult?

Travelling can make it hard. When my husband and I went on a short trip to celebrate our wedding anniversary, I wasn’t sure how to maintain my cleanse.

I ended up making my celery juice in advance, then freezing it. When we got to our hotel room, I stuck it in the fridge to defrost it overnight and drank it the next morning.

But I wouldn’t recommend regularly freezing it or batch juicing. I only did it that time I was travelling. Like any fruit or vegetable juice, it’s better fresh. That’s when it has the maximum nutrition. When you prepare it in advance, it loses vital minerals and properties.

Next time I travel, I’ll get a mini juicer. But travelling can generally throw most people off their health routine.

Another time, my local supermarket ran out of organic celery. I bought non-organic and reduced the amount I drank daily. I prefer eating organic though, as it has fewer pesticides, so there are less toxins added to the body.

7. Talk us through your celery juice recipe and routine

I drink about 16 ounces (just under a pint) first thing every morning on an empty stomach. That’s about two large bunches. I buy enough for a week.

I wash the celery, dry it out and throw it in the juicer. A blender could also do the job but a juicer’s easier. I avoid eating or drinking anything for about 15-20 minutes after.

The compounds within the celery stalks have unique healing properties, so don’t add anything extra like water, lemon or another fruit or vegetable. It’s just the pressed-out juice from the celery that you need. Use organic if you can, make it fresh and drink it daily.

Do it consistently and avoid missing days to speed up your detox and healing process.

How Nala preps her celery for the week.

Nala then juices her celery daily, drinking 16 ounces or just under a pint.

8. How long should people do it for?

It’s recommended you do it for at least 30 days.

9. And how often after?

I’ve been doing it for 106 days and want to do it indefinitely. That’s the plan for now, but we’ll see. 

10. Do you need to consult a doctor before you do it?

I didn’t consult my doctor(s). Taking celery juice is just consuming a vegetable daily. I would, however, recommend doing your research by speaking to experts and reading books on celery juice when starting your journey.

11. Any final tips?

Join community groups of experienced people on a similar journey. They helped me tremendously by being able to ask them questions and understand what was happening in my body.

Understand, too, that it’s a daily commitment that requires consistency and discipline.

Finally, be clear on your why. Mine was to avoid getting hospitalised again or going back to specialists who, in the end, couldn’t help me.

I had to heal myself. Once I saw the benefits of my celery juice detox, it kept me focused and motivated and cemented my why. And so far, it’s been completely worth it!

Thanks for sharing your story Nala. 

Nala’s journey is a powerful reminder of how important it is to take control of our health. We can make the biggest changes by taking the simplest steps through everyday mindful choices.