Naomi Campbell. Robert De Niro. Pharrell Williams. And the star-studded list of celery juice fans goes on.

Long touted by Anthony William, a self-styled “medical medium,” the celery juice diet is one of the latest nutrition fads to trend in Hollywood and on social media.

What is The Celery Juice Plan?

Using celery juice as part of a detox or weight-loss diet starts with making 2 cups of celery juice to drink first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. William recommends waiting 15 minutes before having breakfast.

The Benefits of Celery Juice

Celery is a nutritious vegetable, and removing the fiber through juicing enhances its other components. Mostly water, celery juice is hydrating, low in sugar, and rich in vitamins C and K and other nutrients whose antioxidant properties fight free radicals in the body.

Celery, according to some studies, “may help reduce inflammation and boost cardiovascular health,” says Kristin Kirkpatrick, MS, RD, a licensed dietitian and consultant to the Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute.

The Cons of Celery Juice

While juicing celery concentrates its mix of nutrients, the removal of fiber presents a problem: Fiber, says Kirkpatrick, “is what makes you feel full . . . and contributes to good gut health.”

Celery juice contains a high amount of the sugar alcohol mannitol, which attracts water to the digestive tract. So, “many people report experiencing digestive side effects like diarrhea after drinking celery juice,” says Rachael Link, MS, RD. While these effects are likely to subside, Link notes that people who already have bowel conditions may suffer more pronounced symptoms.

After the day begins with 16 ounces of celery juice, you’re on your own regarding the diet you follow the rest of the day; “specifics aren’t mentioned,” says Canadian dietitian Katey Davidson, MScFN, RD. “Research also associates juice cleanses with disordered eating and a negative relationship with food,” she adds.

Summary

If you’ve been impressed by stories of dramatic weight loss from the celery juice diet, find out if the success is attributable to other factors, such as exercising and removing processed foods from the diet. And if you want to try celery juice, Davidson says, “be sure to drink it as part of a healthy diet.”

Loading Which Mocktail Are You?

In addition to fresh air, exercise, skin brushing to stimulate lymph circulation, sunshine, and water (drinking, bathing, steams, and saunas), healthy fasting includes digestive cleanses and fresh juices.

The two key times for natural cleansing are the times of transition into spring and autumn.

Dr. Gittleman has created a comprehensive program of internal cleansing, outlined in her book The Fast Track One-Day Detox Diet, that begins with organic foods, features a day of juice fasting, and transitions back to organic food.

“What’s the point of getting all those toxins out of your system only to load yourself up again every time you sit down to dinner? All the detoxing in the world won’t keep up with the load of chemicals you’re consuming if you continue to eat conventionally farmed food,” she says.

Juice fasting, preferably with as much organic produce and pure water as possible, provides fiber and nutrients, while making it easy to transition to and from solid foods.

After fasting, Dr. Haas recommends raw or cooked low-starch (low-glycemic) vegetables, including a little sauerkraut to help stimulate digestive function.

“A laxative-type meal including grapes, cherries, or soaked or stewed prunes can also be used to initiate eating [solid foods once again], as they keep the bowels moving,” he says.

And consume friendly bacteria in fermented foods like yogurt with active and live cultures or take a quality probiotic product, adds Dr. Gittleman.

Dr. Hass recommends that fasting be done only under the care of an experienced physician, usually one who is a naturopathically trained MD, DO, ND, or DC. It’s not recommended for pregnant or lactating women and anyone planning surgery.

In addition, “people with cancer need to be careful about how they detoxify, and often they need regular, quality nourishment,” he adds.

“Some people go to extremes with fasting,” he warns, “and begin to lose essential nutrients. Excessive detoxification can be a concern; finding balance is the key for each of us.”

The right diet, exercise, and mindset might not cut it anymore. You may want to detox. Whether it’s a one-day fast or a temporary flushing out with chelation (pronounced “kee-lay-shun”) therapy or colonics, a good cleaning could do you good.

Why Detox?

Maybe you feel fatigued or your body hurts for no apparent reason. Or you can’t think clearly and have trouble sleeping. What about muscle spasms, thyroid problems, or high blood pressure? Your body’s detoxification system may not be working well. But you needn’t have symptoms to consider an internal scrub-down.

According to Sandy Szabat, MPH, ND, an adjunct faculty member at the National College of Natural Medicine in Portland, OR, “Your liver naturally processes many toxins to eliminate them, but may be overwhelmed by their numbers.”

Detox Methods

Whatever detox direction you’re thinking of going in, see your healthcare provider first. You want to make sure it’s one you both agree on. Then, you’ll be more likely to reach your destination—a body that’s as clean inside as it is healthy all over.

• Detox Nutrition

  • Flushing Foods

    To improve what exits your body, consider what enters it. As Walter Crinnion, ND, puts it, “Eat foods that escort fat-soluble toxins into the toilet.” Dr. Crinnion is chair of the Environmental Medicine Center of Excellence at the Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine, in Tempe, AZ, and author of Clean, Green & Lean. He recommends rice bran and green tea, as well as chlorophyll from algae, spinach, and kale.

    Add these to a balanced, organic diet of whole grains and legumes, fresh fruits and vegetables, and plenty of clean water. Forget processed foods and sugar. Dr. Szabat also suggests milk thistle seeds, dandelion root, black radish root, and beet root (for the liver); and dandelion leaf (for the kidneys). Antioxidants, including selenium, zinc, and vitamins C, A, and E, also support cleansing.

  • Juice Diets and Fasting

    Some people choose to stop eating entirely for a short time, or to limit themselves to just juice. Fasting “is a time-honored method of ‘resting’ the digestive system,” says Dr. Szabat. A few weeks before you fast, get a physical exam to evaluate how well your body can rely on its own stores of nutrients and to receive instructions on preparing. 

• Professional Care

  • Chelation

    Chelation, best done under a doctor’s supervision, removes heavy metals, such as those found in dental fillings, large ocean fish, and cigarette smoke. These include lead, mercury, cadmium, and arsenic. In chelation therapy, you receive a synthetic amino acid called EDTA (ethylene diamine tetra-acetic acid) orally or through an injection. The substance binds with metals on the cell surface, creating a compound excreted in the urine, and causing heavy metals stored within the cell to move to the surface. Each round of chelation clears away more poisons. 

    The heavy metals your body is harboring may be revealed through a hair analysis or blood or urine test. Consider getting screened even if you have no symptoms. Dr. Crinnion says, “The best time to receive chelation therapy is before you need it, especially if you believe you’ve been exposed to heavy metals, and/or are thinking about getting pregnant.” Limiting the process to several sessions is best; otherwise, you risk losing beneficial metals, like calcium, zinc, and potassium.

  • Colonics

    A colonic (or colonic irrigation) is a potential complement to chelation treatments. In this procedure—undertaken with a healthcare professional—water streams into your colon, rinsing out loitering fecal matter and releasing bile, thereby reducing liver-processed fat-soluble chemicals. 

    If you struggle with headaches from fragrances or fumes, “your body is probably overburdened with toxic environmental compounds,” says Dr. Crinnion, who recommends the hour-long (painless) procedure on a regular basis. Make sure you replenish lost minerals and good bacteria with supplements, and drink lots of water.

• Other Methods

  • Skin Care

    “The skin is the body’s largest organ of elimination,” says Dr. Szabat. She suggests dry skin brushing with a loofah to slough off dead skin and open your pores and taking saunas, “to promote sweating and mobilization of the breakdown of fatty tissue.”

  • Exercise

    Don’t forget physical exercise, which “increases circulation and promotes elimination through the lungs.”