After about six months of sleeping with a snorkel on her bedside table in case her throat swelled shut, Heather Carrisk realized her wild-child days spent surfing all day and partying all night were over.
A failed attempt at landing an air while surfing checked off Carrisk’s eighth concussion, paired with a split-open skull, brain swelling, and eventually going into anaphylactic shock. After many trips to the doctor for prolonged symptoms and walking out with a prescription slip and no answers, she decided to take matters into her own hands, going down the dark rabbit hole of Googling: what the heck is wrong with me?
Eventually, she found Dr. Kristy McCoy, a holistic doctor at Cohn Institute in Costa Mesa, Ca., who Carrisk says saved her life. Dr. McCoy explained that her body was covered with bacterial fungus due to her brain shutting off her immune system.
Following countless vials of blood and a week’s worth of urine and stool samples, Carrisk finally got her answer, an answer filled with both fear and relief: she had chronic Lyme Disease. Dr. McCoy immediately prescribed Carrisk celery juice, along with other herbs and supplements.
“Recently with my Lyme, I’ve been suffering from Epstein-Barr. Holistic doctors and nutritionists find celery juice to heal symptoms of both because it flushes out viruses and bacteria, along with repairing the lining of the gut,” Carrisk said.
Although celery is found beside Buffalo wings and ranch dressing, celery juice is the new wellness trend filling up social media feeds despite limited evidence of its benefit. Among other benefits, say its users, the milky green potion is linked to healing autoimmune diseases. Many social media posters credit “the Medical Medium,” Anthony William — the self-proclaimed founder of the celery juice craze.
William contends he is not misleading anyone; he neither owns a celery farm nor sells the juice himself. “I’m not saying it’s a cure-all,” he said in his book, “Celery Juice: The Most Powerful Medicine of Our Time Healing Millions Worldwide.”
“It’s definitely the latest fad in the diet world,” says Boston-based weight loss dietician Lainey Younkin, MS, RD, LDN. There’s some preliminary research in rats that shows the high levels of antioxidants in celery are anti-inflammatory and act as a vasodilator, helping decrease systolic blood pressure, she says.
Nutritionists say other elements could be influencing health gurus’ sense of well-being: low in sugar and better hydration from celery’s 95% water content makes it easy to incorporate into a healthy diet.
“If you enjoy the taste, consuming celery juice isn’t bad. It’s packed with helpful vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants,” Younkin said.
Unlike other vegetables that may lose flavenoids and antioxidants from the pulp or skin when juiced, Younkin said, it’s unknown how much loss happens when juicing whole celery stalks. Nonetheless, nutritionists suggest consuming a variety of vegetables and their juices since they all have their own unique blend of phytochemicals, vitamins, and minerals.
Sofia Lizares, 20, is a body-positivity advocate and full-time juicer at Mother’s Market & Kitchen in Costa Mesa, Ca. Growing up on the North Shore of Oahu, she said she was surrounded by fresh fruits and vegetables, often starting her mornings off with an immunity-boosting acai bowl or a cold-pressed green juice.
Lizares explained that the salty flavor in one cup of celery juice comes from the 215 milligrams of sodium—an essential electrolyte that helps our bodies maintain a balance of fluids.
“Celery juice is not a hoax; it’s a vegetable full of vitamins and fibers that we need to maintain a healthy system,” she said. “I’ve been juicing consistently for 6 months and it helps keep my skin clear, hair growth, cognitive function, and it aids in all the vitamins I’m lacking.”
Carrisk also said she experienced the ‘Celery Glow’ after about a week of juicing, paired with less constipation and bloating—a common symptom in people with Lyme Disease.
On top of daily juicing, Carrisk takes many supplements and vitamins to lessen Lyme symptoms—colloidal silver olive leaf spray, activated charcoal before bed, and fish oil are among the many. She said drinking celery juice first thing in the morning helps the vitamins, minerals, and herbs absorb better since the juice helps repair the gut by flushing out all the toxins and built-up candida in the body.
“The power of celery juice is real,” Carrisk said.
Unlike McCoy, Younkin said she has never recommended celery juice to her clients and most likely, never will. She explained no one food or drink will help you lose weight. To lose weight, you need to create a small calorie deficit in a way that works for you.
“For weight loss that lasts, you need to make small habit changes you can keep up with over time and it’s important you don’t feel restricted or deprived,” Younkin said.
For weight loss, Younkin said it’s best to eat celery versus drinking it. The juice contains 3.78 grams of fiber per cup, still far below the 25 to 30 grams recommended daily, primarily from food. The fiber found in celery is important for stabilizing blood sugar levels and helping you feel full longer, both of which help people maintain a healthy weight.
“When you juice celery, you lose insoluble fiber, which is digested slowly and keeps you full,” Younkin said. “If you enjoy the taste, consuming celery juice isn’t bad, but it shouldn’t be used solely as a means for weight loss.”
For those who were consuming few vegetables and are now drinking celery juice, nutritionists say that’s a good change. According to Younkin, one beneficial component behind juicing is your body is able to absorb nutrients without working hard to digest food due to the lack of fiber.
To those wondering why we can’t just eat the celery, the answer is, you can. But, to get the full benefits that everyone is raving about, you would have to eat the whole bunch of celery first thing in the morning (9-12 stalks equals about 16 ounces of juice when juiced).
If you have to wake up early in the morning, you can juice the night before and store it in a sealed mason jar in the fridge. Make sure to add a few drops of lemon juice and drink it as soon as you wake up. The citric acid will help keep its validity. This method is not preferred because it will lose its potency and the enzymes in the juice won’t stay active.
“What I tell people who are just getting into this lifestyle is, juicing the night before is better than not doing it at all. If it’s once in a while it’s no big deal, but don’t make it a habit,” Carrisk said.
Organic is best, but if you can’t get organic don’t worry. Anthony William recommends if you purchase conventionally grown celery, wash each stalk with a drop of natural fragrance-free dish soap, followed by rinsing in water. It’s okay to chop your celery and store it in an airtight container, just make sure to use the prepped produce within 1-3 days.
If you plan on drinking coffee after celery juice, ditch your go-to Starbucks mocha, and instead, purchase coffee grounds that are mold-free and grow in the shade. A lot of coffee on the market is contaminated with mycotoxins, a potentially harmful chemical that may cause you to perform worse and increase your risk of disease.
“Think of your morning cup of Joe as your reward. Wake up, put on some music, chop up your celery, and get to pressing,” Carrisk said. “While you wait for it to digest, take a relaxing shower or bath, maybe do some yoga or read a book. Make those 30 minutes all about you.”
How to turn this ‘miracle superfood’ into juice (juicer or blender):
Use 1 bunch of organic celery, cutting off the base to separate the stalks. This should make roughly 16 oz., the recommended daily amount to see benefits.
Wash them in clean water to remove any debris
Feed the celery through your juicer
If using a blender, chop the celery stalks into 1-inch pieces and place them inside. Add ¼ cup of purified water and put the lid on the blender. Blend until smooth. Place a clean cheesecloth over the mouth of a pitcher or bowl and pour the blended celery through the cheesecloth. Use your hands to squeeze the celery juice through the cloth.
Drink immediately and think straight celery. Avoid adding ice, lime, lemon, or other added ingredients—all of which change the pure celery juice’s healing benefits. Also, drink on an empty stomach and wait 30 minutes before consuming anything else. By doing this, it allows the liver to cleanse, instead of metabolizing the fats, protein, and carbohydrates of a meal, according to William.
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