I have celiac and I have twins. One is a misfortune and one is a blessing. Both destroyed my body. One I am thankful for, and one I deal with. Both are challenges (one comes with more rewards) but ultimately, both make me strive to be a healthier person. And since having twins, I decided to tackle my celiac once and for all. My kids need a healthy mother and I am stubborn and simply not ok feeling terrible when I am with them.
I was diagnosed with celiac disease at the age of 26. I had chronic constipation, followed by extremely painful bloating, an irregular period, waves of nausea and the unexpected occasional diarrhea (lovely, right?) If you or anyone you know has ever lived with stomach issues, it is debilitating. Your energy is low, your body image is distorted as you are mentally wrapped up in how you physically feel every minute of the day and your weight fluctuations have a wide range. You are scared to eat something, yet always hungry because you aren’t absorbing the nutrients you need. Mealtimes create anxiety. The list goes on.
The diagnosis was a blessing because it provided an answer. Cutting gluten from my diet was step one towards a physical change. I lost 7lbs that have never come back and I stopped yoyo-ing and started fitting into my clothes regularly. I felt less inflamed, a feeling I never thought one could describe.
The bloating and pain improved but the real problem was, cutting out gluten inevitably cut out fiber which made my chronic constipation worse. That uncomfortable feeling of not being regular is unpleasant but the idea of waste sitting in your gut is a real concern. An issue that contributes to toxicity and rising acidity levels within your body, and ultimately can lead to cancer.
I went to more doctors. Doctors prescribed me the usual list – Metamucil, Colace, prescription laxatives and even antidepressants (one doctor thought my brain was telling my gut not to digest??) I tried the holistic route – handfuls of dates and gallons of prune juice, psyllium husk, chia, magnesium, smooth move tea. Nothing worked.
At age 30, I had my twin sons, James and Oliver. I had a C section. When you get opened up you don’t get put back together the same way you came – things feel different. Your abs, your scar, your entire torso. Maybe science would prove this wrong (my very fancy NYC doctor would definitely try to prove me wrong) but I know my body and it just wasn’t the same. My digestion was worse but the issue felt deeper. I needed a solution once and for all. I had to get my health in check so that I could focus on the two little people in my life who needed me. I wanted the energy to care for them and to care for myself and I was not ok with this being my life. I started to furiously research, talk to friends, and seek out others like me.
The subject of Celery juice came to me through Medical Medium’s Instagram, my sister in law and the advice from my very “LA” friend. As the owner of O2, I receive A LOT of advice on health tips and fads but this one was so focused on digestion it was hard to ignore. I’m not typically a juicer – I don’t really believe in the waste that juicing exerts and I don’t believe in eating sugar without the fiber. But there was little harm in trying it so I bought into the fad.
I decided to try making my own for one week because it seemed that getting fresh celery juice was actually very hard. I went all in – researched the “EASIEST TO CLEAN JUICER” which was a Breville BJE200XL Compact Juice Fountain and bought it for $99. I read about how to drink the juice for it’s best effects, which was first thing in the morning on an empty stomach (after eating a probiotic). I added lemon and cucumber for taste reasons and I put the green potion on ice because everything just tastes better cold. And…
All I can say is that all of the issues I dealt with my entire life are not a part of my life anymore. I can eat everything (I still don’t eat gluten) and I digest it and I feel amazing. Celery juice works better for my energy than coffee (which I DO still drink too, did I mention I have twins?) and I am not quite sure where I would be now had I not found Medical Medium’s Instagram or opened up to friends about my issues.
Things that messed with my digestion the first time (like travel and a third pregnancy) are not an issue anymore. I can go off of the juice and be ok, but I want it, and I crave it. I wish this could be an ad for celery and the magical powers it has so I could give celery more business but I think it’s doing ok.
My juice “recipe” is listed below. What I have learned is that when it comes to your health, if something doesn’t feel right, it’s not right. There is always another path and another answer – don’t stop seeking solutions for your health. We all have the right to feel good.
I thank my autoimmune disease and of course, my gorgeous little boys, for helping me find the way to my best self.
Brittany’s Celery Juice Recipe:
Organic Produce ONLY, Locally Sourced if possible
Wash your produce!
2 “Bunches” of Celery (About 20 stalks)
1 Medium Cucumber, peeled
1 Lemon, peeled
Feed half of the celery into the juicer, followed by the cucumber, the lemon and the remaining stalks of celery.
Makes 1-2 servings, about 20 ounce depending on the size of the produce.
