Tag: Celery

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The Flu Shot

One of Journey Juice’s most popular juices is the Flu Shot. When we first made the Flu Shot several winters ago, it was a huge success. We thought of it as one of our seasonal juices, so when Springtime came, we discontinued it – much to our customers’ chagrin. So many customers complained and asked us to put it back on the shelves, we happily complied that summer. It’s been a year-round best seller ever since. So now that we’re in the ‘Back to School’ mode, and everybody is getting upper respiratory illnesses again, we thought we would explore the specific benefits of each powerful ingredient of the famous Journey Juice Flu Shot. As always, nothing in this column should be mistaken for medical advice, as the contents are our personal opinions, and none of these statements have been evaluated by the FDA, CDC, EPA, or the FBI.

Let’s take a closer look at the benefits of each ingredient in the Flu Shot.

  1. Raw Garlic: The active ingredient in garlic is allicin, a reactive sulfur species. Garlic is an antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral agent. In the right clinical dose, garlic has been shown to kill antibiotic-resistant strains of Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) (NIH2014-PMID25153873). We could write a whole column on the benefits of garlic, but suffice it to say, garlic is just about the best single anti-sickness ingredient you can eat – in spite of the strong breath side effects. Be sure to share your Flu Shot with your partner!
  2. Turmeric: The active ingredient in turmeric is curcumin, which is a polyphenol that has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Like garlic, we could write an entire column about Just Turmeric. Chinese and Indian doctors have been using it for centuries to treat multiple illnesses. The list of ailments turmeric can affect is very long. We think of it as popping a couple of ibuprofens without the liver damage. PRO TIP: Add a little fresh ground black pepper to your turmeric before ingesting it to improve the bioavailability (absorption) 1000 times!
  3. Ginger: 100 percent, raw ginger juice contains gingerol, a natural oil which is the main biologically active compound in ginger. Like garlic and turmeric, ginger has been used for centuries all over the world to treat many symptoms. Among these are morning sickness and other forms of nausea; menstrual pain; and indigestion. Ginger is an antioxidant and is anti-inflammatory. Ginger is antiviral, antibacterial, and antifungal. In this October 2021 research study about ginger’s potential effects on Covid, the authors cite numerous positive effects of ginger including anti- microbial, anticancer, neuroprotective, antimigraine, immunomodulatory, hepatoprotective, cardiovascular protective, respiratory protective, anti- obesity, and anti-diabetic effects. (NIH, Oct. 2021 PMC8492833). That’s a lot of positive effects!
  4. Jalapenos: The active ingredient in jalapenos (and many other hot peppers) is capsaicin, which is an antioxidant (it’s full of vitamin C) that increases metabolism and decreases inflammation, and may prevent obesity (NIH, July, 2017 PMID28360431). Contrary to popular belief hot peppers do not cause ulcers and are actually protective against stomach ulcers.
  5. Lemons & Limes: Every juice at Journey Juice contains either lemon or lime juice, which acts as a natural preservative. The Flu Shot has both. Citrus juice has been curing numerous ailments since Dr. James Lind cured scurvy in the 1700’s for the British Navy. (James Lind, 1772. A Treatise on the Scurvy). Lemon and lime juices assist your body in fighting heart disease, cancer, hypertension, kidney stones, and throat infections. All citrus juices boost immunity, improve digestion, control weight, reduce cancer risk, and they are great for your skin and your hair!
  6. Broccoli Tops: Broccoli’s health benefits come from a phytochemical called sulforaphane. The tops have more sulforaphane than the stems or florets. Consuming broccoli helps your body make vital enzymes that fight cancer cells, strengthens immunity, and can strengthen eye health. (NIH, Nov. 2012 PMID23110644).
  7. Cucumbers: Cucumbers hydrate your body, lower blood sugar, prevent constipation, and help your body fight free radicals.
  8. Celery: Celery hydrates your body, is an antioxidant and an anti-inflammatory. Celery is high in vitamins B, C, and K, and potassium.

Wow! In one bottle of Journey Juice Flu Shot, you get all of those incredible ingredients! So the next time you’re feeling a little under the weather, come see us. Like Amy always says, “It will make your cells dance!”

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Raw Celery Juice

Have you read about people drinking raw celery juice lately? Many celebrities swear by it. More than 7 years ago when celebrity health advocate Gwineth Paltrow wrote on her blog Goop that celery juice was “one of the most powerful healing juices available to us” (Goop Oct. 2018), little did she know she was launching the latest health & wellness craze that would survive a lot of criticism and scrutiny, including lawsuits. But in the end, Ms. Paltrow got the last laugh as Goop is now reportedly worth close to $500 million. (CNBC July 2024)

There is both scientific evidence of health benefits in raw celery juice and historical evidence of healers using raw celery juice to treat a variety of issues. An eight ounce cup of raw celery juice contains significant amounts of vitamin K, vitamin C, vitamins B2 & B6, Vitamin A, folate, calcium, magnesium, sodium and potassium. (USDA Dec. 2024) Raw celery juice is also full of antioxidants which contain anti-inflammatory properties which can reduce stress and blood pressure, possibly reducing the risk of arthritis, heart disease and even certain types of cancer. (Forbes Jan. 2024)
The Ancients

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) raw celery juice was used to reduce stress and to promote a strong immune system by supporting the spleen, liver and kidneys. The ancient Egyptians added celery to soups and stews to aid digestion. The ancient Greeks and Romans regularly consumed celery for its anti-inflammatory effects, but they also thought of celery as an aphrodisiac. Interestingly, modern studies have shown that celery contains phthalides which relax the muscles around the arteries, thereby lowering blood pressure, which means celery juice is a vasodilator – just like Viagra! (Medical News Today Dec. 2023) Even the godfather of medicine (and healthy living!), Hippocrates, used celery seeds for their diuretic and anti-inflammatory properties. (Hippocratic Corpus 4th C. BC)

We can learn a lot about healthy eating and drinking and living by reading the Ancients’ texts. You don’t hear a lot about all the health benefits from vitamin D, Epsom Salt baths (magnesium), and celery seeds or juice, because there is ‘no money’ in selling those products. Compared to pharmaceuticals, natural healthy products make the sellers very little money. That is also the reason there are not many professional double blind, placebo controlled trials for things like raw celery juice. Those ‘gold standard’ experiments are very expensive. And the last thing Big Pharma wants to pay for is scientific proof that any natural product is more effective than one of their drugs. You would think the FDA or the CDC would pay for trials like that, but alas, they do not.

Be Your Own N1

The best way to find out if a certain natural product is good for you or if it alleviates certain symptoms, is to give it a try. First do some research about your symptoms or condition. Doing research in 2025 is easier than ever, but it is always a good idea to confirm health claims about natural substances from two or more separate sources. Once you make sure it is not dangerous or potentially harmful, try it out. Be your own N=1. In the clinical research and statistics world, N=r, r is the number of participants or samples in any given research experiment. N=1 means only one participant, YOU! Be Your Own N1 means, Do Your Own Research. You’ve heard of the somewhat ambiguous term, “Personalized Medicine?” For smart, motivated people, that’s the future!

But if you know how to do your own research and stay healthy, both Big Food and Big Pharma lose a customer. And unfortunately, Big Government is not here to help you either. The last thing any of them wants is an educated consumer. The more ignorant and helpless you are, the better in their eyes. They spin tales of scientific studies, cancer prevention, and recommended food pyramids. They told you not to eat too many eggs in the 1980’s and recommended the food pyramid in the 1990’s – but it was upside down! Being your own N1 means being your own best advocate. We could learn a lot from the Ancients: They knew how to build a pyramid – right side up. And they drank raw, cold-pressed celery juice. Always remember: Hippocrates is not trying to sell you anything.

As always, this article is based on our personal beliefs and not intended to treat or diagnose any disease, condition, or illness.