Celery Juice: Fad or Real?

My attempt at celery juice.

I’ve been asked many times about the 2019 wellness trend celery juice and whether the health claims are actually valid. So I did a little digging to find out if it really is all that it is cracked up to be. Is it the ultimate detoxer? Can it actually cure chronic disease, bloating, heartburn, acne, eczema etc? Let’s break it down.

Pros:

• What I love about this trend is that it is pushing people to first drink more fluids in the morning and eating (or drinking in this case) more vegetables. This is key is my book! I try to get my patients to eat 2 cups of veggies 2x/day so if you can cross a cup or two off your list in the morning that it a bonus!

• Celery is full of vitamins and minerals, especially vitamin K (although not nearly as much as what is in other greens such as kale, spinach or broccoli). Most of its nutrients are still intact in the juice form, except for the fibre, so you are still reaping the benefits if you drink the juice.

• Celery can decrease inflammation as it contains many antioxidants, which decrease overall oxidative stress in our body. This can ultimately decrease chronic disease such as hypertension, cancer and digestive concerns.

• Due to certain non-starchy polysaccharides, especially one called apiuman, celery protects against inflammation in the digestive tract as it improves the integrity of the stomach lining (although only tested in animals). This can lead to decreased bloating, heartburn and inflammatory bowel conditions. This helps in the Repair portion of my 4 R’s in gut health.

• Celery reduces water retention due to phytonutrients called phthalides, ultimately leading to decreased blood pressure or edema/bloating (however only the blood pressure effects have been researched).

Cons:

• Studies on celery, as I have eluded to above, have mostly been on animals only, and not much research has been done. I could not find a study on just celery juice as well.

• The studies on the effects of phthalates for water retention are only on celery seeds, celery oil and celery extracts and not the whole plant (or just juice in this case).

• Finally, some stores are running out of celery!! What are we to do?!

Confusing claims:

• This wellness trend seems to have been initiated by the medical medium Anthony William. He claims all the above pros as well as the ability of celery juice to kill pathogens in the body, which could be causing GI upset, acne, UTIs etc, by its sodium cluster salts. What are sodium cluster salts you ask? I don’t know! He even states that science and research has yet to discover them. He also claims that these sodium cluster salts get neutralized and therefore are inactive if you add anything else (even water or lemon) to your juice and do not drink it on an empty stomach. He may be correct, but as he said this has not be proven or even discovered yet!

Final thoughts:

Is celery juice healthy for you? Yes! Is it a must to incorporate into your morning routine? No.

Although there are several health benefits of celery (the whole plant, not the just the juice), research is lacking on the health claims that have been shared. That said, I don’t see any negatives to adding it to your healthy diet, as long as you are already getting other veggies in your diet including the fibre.

Those that have tried it have told me they have seen great benefits in their digestive system and skin mostly. So it may be worth giving it a shot!

Have you tried 16oz of pure celery juice, first thing in the morning on an empty stomach? I’d love to hear your experience!

In health & happiness,

Dr. Karen

p.s Any other health trends you are curious about? Let me know :)

How are you? No, but for real. Uncovering anxiety and depression.

How many times have you asked that question yet are not quite ready to hear the full answer? Are you asking to be polite or out of habit or are you truly there to listen. Of course no one is being rude when they ask that question out of habit. Sometimes this question can open up a can of worms and in my opinion, this is where the good comes. This question, "How are you?", if you have more than a second to listen, or more importantly to answer, is a time to get real, to allow those feelings and emotions to come boiling up instead of being suppressed, which can eventually cause physical or mental health issues.

There was a recent study that showed the connection between Alzheimers and stress. This proves, yet again, the connection between the mind and the body. We also hear heart-wrenching stories of those taking their life due to depression, when no one around them knew they were suffering.  I see this mind-body connection every week, both personally and professionally. 

Professionally I ask the question “How are you?", usually hoping for more detail, to figure out if there is an emotional connection to the root of my patients concern. Time and time again there is! Because I understand the mind body connection I ask these questions first before doing any extra testing or giving supplements. I love taking the time to listen. Most people aren’t given that time or space and it can be very therapeutic. 

Personally, building a practice and understanding how to structure it to best suit my needs is hard. I have learned this since I started and still struggle to find the right balance. I can suffer health wise myself because of stress and worry. No job is perfect but being the perfectionist that I am I can’t seem to settle for anything else. I want to help you, I want you to heal, I want to give you that space and be open to truly listening to your answer when I ask how you are. In order to do that I need to find time to answer that question myself, to breath, to meditate, to talk. Practice what I preach. 

Are you feeling overwhelmed, anxious or depressed? Don’t hide it. Find people that can support you. That could be family and friends or it could be someone with an unbiased approach or simply a sounding board; a counsellor, a therapist or me, an ND. We are all happy to listen and to help. It’s time to talk.  

In health & happiness,

Dr. Karen

5-Day Stress & Anxiety Challenge - Get Started!

Food Friday: Best Brunch Frittata

https://drhyman.com/blog/2016/05/03/broccoli-sausage-frittata/

Do you have leftovers vegetables or meat in your fridge? Are you looking for a breakfast option that is packed with protein and veggies? Are you on a paleo diet or limiting grains and lost for what to eat for breakfast? This is your dish!

I was not able to eat eggs for awhile as they were a sensitivity for me, I also never liked them as a kid, so cooking an egg (in its many ways) was a mystery to me. Luckily that has changed, so over the years (years meaning about 1!), I am exploring different egg dishes and perfecting my cooking methods. This still is a struggle…I constantly overcook my fried egg!

Good quality protein to start my day is very important to me. It helps me focus for the day and prevents a crash of energy in the afternoon. If I am not doing an intermittent fast day, something I weave in and out of, I always make sure to have some sort of protein, and eggs are a great option. What makes this frittata so awesome is that it is very easy to make and you can make it on the weekend with leftover veggies you have, and then eat it for breakfast the next few days. You could even make this in little muffin tins and have an easy on the go breakfast. Feel free to switch up the vegetables and protein to your liking (eg. red pepper, broccoli, tomato, grated sweet potato). Anything goes really!

Ingredients:

• 6-8 eggs

• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 uncooked sausage, skin removed and broken into pieces

• 1 leek, diced

• 1 garlic clove, minced

• 1/2-1 cup mushrooms, diced

• 1 cup greens, chopped (swiss chard or baby spinach)

• 1 tsp coconut or almond milk

• 1/2 tsp Herbamare or sea salt

• freshly ground pepper, to taste

• optional - feta cheese, cheddar cheese, grated

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375F.

• Heat the oil in an oven-safe skillet, such as a cast-iron pan, over medium heat.

• Add sausage, leek and garlic and saute for 5-7 minutes or until sausage is cooked through. Spread vegetables and sausage evenly around skillet.

• Beat the eggs with the coconut/almond milk, add salt and pepper, then pour into the skillet and cook for 2 minutes.

• Place the pan in the oven and bake for 12-20 minutes, until egg is no longer runny and slightly golden.

• Serve in pie slices and garnish with avocado, chives and parsley if you like.

Enjoy!

Do you have a favourite combination for a frittata?

Food Friday: Cauliflower and Butternut Thai Curry

Photo courtesy of OhSheGlows.com - mine disappeared too quickly!

I have been needing some quick and easy meals to prep lately that are still full of flavour and for those reasons this one is a hit! I love curries that have a bit of a kick to them as well as hearty stews like this that pack a punch of nutrients in one bowl. This is a great meal to cook on the weekend for your week day lunches, especially with the winter weather we are having lately, or a quick meal to make in the evening after work for the family. Angela from OhSheGlows never disappoints! This dish is vegan but so delicious, so for those carnivores out there, I challenge you to give this a try (hint hint to my guy!).

I used swiss chard for this dish, which is very high is essential minerals such as magnesium, iron and potassium. It is also very high in vitamin K, A and C. Two thumbs up! Butternut squash (and other winter squash) is higher in carbohydrates than other veggies since it is a starchy vegetable, however “despite its high-carb nature, winter squash has recently been shown to help steady the release of sugar inside of our digestive tract after being eaten, and to lessen our overall glycemic response to meals.”(1) Another two thumbs up!

Without further ado, the recipe:

Ingredients:

Curry:

• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 14 oz (398 mL) can coconut milk

• 1 14 oz (398 mL) can diced tomatoes, with juices*

• 2 cups chopped cauliflower florets, bite sized

• 2 cups peeled and cubed butternut squash, bite sized

• 1/2 cup uncooked red lentils

• 2 tbsp red curry paste

• 1 tsp dried flaked onion (or 1/2 diced onion cooked first)

• 1/2 tsp garlic powder

• 3/4 tsp fine sea salt, or to taste

• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

• Lots of freshly ground black pepper, to taste

• 2 cups packed stemmed and finely chopped swiss chard (or kale)

Other:

• Cooked basmati or jasmine rice (or no grains)

• Fresh chopped cilantro leaves

• Fresh lime juice

Directions:

• Add all of the curry ingredients except the swiss chard to a large pot, stir, and bring to a low boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, for 25 to 35 minutes, adding the swiss chard during the last 10 minutes.

• Cook until the veggies and lentils are tender. Stir the curry every 5 minutes while cooking, and reduce the heat if necessary to prevent it sticking to the pot. Adjust seasoning if needed.

• Serve over rice, if desired, and garnish with cilantro and a little lime juice (not necessary if you don’t have it).

• Enjoy!

In health & happiness,

Dr. Karen

(1) http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=63