Ziza Vita: Juicy Jumpstart

Starting 2012 with a kickstart to my bloodstream: three days of nothing but juice!

But the real kicker?

My husband is joining me. (Have I mentioned lately how much I love that guy?)

This is also the reason I'm doing a three-day fast versus the standard week or ten days. Since my husband has agreed to actually do this with me, I'll take what I can get and rejoice over the baby-steps.

The benefits of juicing far outweigh my ability to type in entirety here. I'll include some links at the end of this post for anyone weary or intrigued by the adventure, but the short of it is this: juicing does the work so your body can soak up the green.

Everyone knows that eating fruits and vegetables is good for you, right? Well, how many of us scoop a cup or two of veggies in a bowl and call it a day of healthy living? The reality of it is, our plates are far too nutritionally shallow and monotonous to fully reap the benefits of what grows in the ground, which is why juicing becomes so advantageous.

Imagine trying to eat two grapefruit, two apples, four carrots and a cup full of berries in one sitting. You might be able to do it, but not without a strain on your tooth enamel and possibly a sour stomach. Chances are you would be full before finishing, leaving the rest of the vitamins and anti-oxidants to be tossed aside with the trash. Through juicing, you are able to fully extract every good-for-you nugget out of the produce and condense it down to a glass, thereby absorbing with one drink what you otherwise would have to get through several bowls and plates.

The reason why juicing is so frequently associated with detox regimens is because juicing allows your body to take a break from its normal cycle of breaking down food and concentrate on healing the parts that need repair. In the meantime, it's receiving a steady stream of fresh nutrients to serve as the building blocks to expedite the process and replace the junk it doesn't need. Giving your body time to rest helps keep cancer-causing oxidative and inflammatory processes at bay, and less stress inside or out is always a good thing.

Though I'm not usually big on New Years resolutions, I'm always big on organization and simplicity, which is why I thought January 1st would be an easy marker for a little detox and gentle reset heading into the new year. Below is the menu for day one of our jumpstart, I'm writing this down as much for our accountability as for anyone else considering a jumpstart of their own. Additionally, while many are normally opposed to juicing due to the seeming cost, I'll point out we were able to buy all the produce needed for these three days at a grand total of $17.50 from Sprouts.

Also, as with any good detox plan, don't forget to hydrate at all times. Water is imperative for cleansing and flushing out the body.

Cheers!