I anticipated the withdrawals and negative physical symptoms to be much worse. So far, Edmund and I have experienced very little. We’re lucky! The only symptom Edmund has experience is longing, lol. At work, he walked past a Subway and had to cry a little inside due to the smells. For me, my restless leg syndrome has increased. This is not fun! I have always suffered from on and off again RLS; however, it’s mild and normally happens only a few nights a week. On day 3, it was so bad that I sat in the closet crying due to the constant pain, exhaustion from lack of sleep, and aggravation. Last night was much better, so I hope it will only continue to decrease as my gut heals.

I’ve been doing some research on the benefits of juicing celery. I read an article stating that restless leg syndrome is more often than not a result of an unhealthy gut. Here is a link to the article.

Celery Juice Helps Restless Leg Syndrome

Here is the part that really got my interest!

It might surprise you to learn this, but restless legs can be triggered by food moving through the colon. Sometimes people develop a little bit of gastritis because of inflammation from bacteria. As the gas bubbles are moving through the intestine they can hit inflamed areas—little pockets in the lining known as diverticulosis that could be caused by old E. coli or streptococcus. These gas bubbles traveling past can trigger restless legs because there are countless nerve endings in our intestinal tract. To better grasp this, it might be helpful to know that the intestinal tract is like a second nervous system.

This is one of the most irritating and common causes of restless legs syndrome. Gas bubbles moving through the intestinal tract irritate the nerve endings in the colon that are connected to the lower half of your body, which can trigger sensations in the legs.

If clean eating and drinking celery juice alleviate my RLS, I’m all in!

I’ve found a website that states the top five powerful benefits of celery juice. Here is a link to the article if you would like to read it!

Food Matters – 5 Powerful Healing Benefits of Celery Juice

According to the article, here is a summary of the top 5 reasons.

1. Heals the Gut – Celery contains special nutrients in its fibers which are realized when the vegetable is juiced. These nutrients promote optimal functioning of the digestive tract by acting as a natural laxative and relaxing the nerves that have been damaged by unhealthy lifestyle and food choices.
2. Strengthens the Bones – Celery is very high in calcium and silicon which help to regenerate and strengthen damaged bones. Celery is also high in Vitamin K which plays an important role in bone metabolism and protection against osteoporosis.
3. Purifies the Blood Stream – Celery contains a particular compound called coumarins which promotes the activity of white blood cells and assists the vascular system. This helps the blood flow, reduces blood pressure and purifies the bloodstream.
4. Highly Detoxifying – This magical juice is extremely hydrating and alkaline, making it effective for balancing the body’s pH level and neutralizing any acidity in the body. This, in turn, helps protect healthy cells and balance essential mineral levels, lowering the risk of heart disease, protecting bone density, reducing inflammation, boosting the immune system, and helping to maintain a healthy weight.
5. Anti-Inflammatory – Two special compounds in celery, polyacetylene, and luteolin, make celery an anti-inflammatory powerhouse. Luteolin is a potent bioflavonoid that has been shown to inhibit the effects of certain enzymes which activate genes responsible for inflammatory response. A study done by the Journal of Nutrition showed that brain cells exposed to this plant flavonoid showed a massive lowered inflammatory response. Luteolin shuts down the production of a key cytokine in the inflammatory pathway by a huge 90 percent! Therefore, drinking celery juice can reduce symptoms associated with arthritis, osteoarthritis, heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s, multiple sclerosis, gout and more.

For me, I am most attracted to the anti-inflammatory part of it. I had my first glass this morning before my coffee with unsweetened almond milk. Truth be told it tasted horrible!! But, I won’t let that deter me. Mind over matter, right? I downed it like a shot and went on with my life. If it helps me run again pain-free and sleep better, then I will do almost anything!

Last night after work, Edmund and I went for a run. Well, Edmund went for a run. I ran a half-mile and then rode the rest of the time on my bike. My knee still hurts a little and I want to slowly get back into it. Fingers crossed that between the clean eating and celery juicing, my pain will slowly disappear and I will be free to run again! After our workout, we went for dinner at Chipotle. They now offer Whole30 approved salad bowls! I loved it!! It has lettuce, pulled pork (carnitas), onions and peppers, tomato salsa, and guacamole. I never realized how good their guacamole was! It was so nice to not have to cook and deal with the cleanup! I can tell that this will be a goto!!

So far the meals have been pretty good. I feel amazing and have a clear mind! Last night I slept better than the night before. My takeaway note for the day – guacamole is WAYYYYY better than avocado! 🙂 Happy almost weekend!

 

References

Budgen, O. (2018, 09 18). 5 Powerful Healing Benefits of Celery Juice. Retrieved from Food Matters: https://www.foodmatters.com/article/5-powerful-healing-benefits-of-celery-juice

CELERY JUICE HELPS RESTLESS LEG SYNDROME. (n.d.). Retrieved from Medical Medium; http://www.medicalmedium.com/celery-juice/celery-juice-helps-restless-leg-syndrome