ready to juice

I've been wanting to try a three-day juice cleanse for a while now, but always seem to make an excuse as to why I shouldn't.  They're expensive.  I'll be hungry.  I have an event or dinner planned mid-week.  Not good for my metabolism.  Some say it isn't healthy. The list goes on. 

Then I went home to see my parents one weekend and saw a huge box had been delivered to their doorstep.  It was a juicer.  Throughout the weekend, I saw my dad juice carrots, celery, wheat grass, brussel sprouts, cabbage, ginger root, apples, spinach, kale, cranberries, cucumbers, and a ton of other good-for-you-foods.  He put all of those together into one juice.  

Well, I'm not that extreme, but it did inspire me to start juicing myself.  I learned in my nutrition classes in college that juicing is the absolute BEST way to get nutrition from a fruit or vegetable because the juice of the plant is so rich in nutrients. By drinking it, your body is immediately absorbing these nutrients into the bloodstream for quick utilization by the body.

I am no nutritionist by any means, but here are some things I've learned by doing a little research:

- By eating fruits and veggies, we absorb 30% of the nutrients (antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, enzymes, and phytochemicals).  By juicing, we absorb 90%.

- Fruit and vegetable juice contains enzymes that are important for your digestion.  These enzymes are destroyed by cooking fruits and veggies.  

- Juicing is a GREAT at detoxifying your body because the antioxidants will help carry the toxins that come from the fat cells that have been broken down.

- Nutrients from raw juices have the ability to correct imbalances in the body's cells that come from eating unhealthy and unnatural foods.

- Since fruit and vegetable juice is easy to digest, it leaves more energy for the body to fight off diseases and heal itself.  (Many doctors recommend it for those fighting cancer and other diseases.)

For anyone interested in purchasing a juicing machine, I found a Living Social deal this morning for a $130 juicer...on sale for $59!  I watched video reviews and it seems to do the job just as well as the more expensive ones.

Happy Juicing!

...and on a more exciting note, HAPPY FRIDAY!