Juice Cleanse 101

Jump to Recipe

My favorite Juice Cleanse Recipes that make for a great juice cleanse and full body reset.

I’m a huge fan of juicing. I just love it!! And because so many of you have asked me to elaborate on it, I’ve decided to share what my juice cleanse look like from start to finish!

Juice Cleanse 101 from www.whatsgabycooking.com (@whatsgabycookin)

First and foremost let me say, I am not a nutritionist and I don’t claim to know everything. I just know how my body reacts to juicing and it’s nice to shed 5+ pounds when I’m feeling bloated and pudgy after some serious holiday indulgence. I also know it’s not for everyone – so if you’re totally anti-juicing, might I suggest you check out these healthy quinoa salads I’ve been whipping up!

Now that we’ve got that out of the way… here’s the deal!

What does a juice cleanse do to your body?

As I mentioned above, I’m not a nutritionist so you should absolutely consult with one if needed. That said, my personal experience from juicing is as follows. The juices provide a mega dose of nutrients into my body which always makes me feel great. It allows my body to reset when it comes to digestion. The extra dose of vitamins boosts my immune system and gives me way more energy that usual.

How long should you do a juice cleanse?

It’s totally up to you. I find that I get the best results when I juice for 3-4 days. You should keep in mind that on top of those 3-4 juicing days, there is a pre and post period that’s very important. So if I’m juicing for 3 days, it really means the cleanse is 9 days… because of the 3 day pre cleanse and 3 day post cleanse schedule that I follow.

If you’re new to juicing, I’d say start with a 3 day cleanse. They aren’t easy – and you want to make sure you aren’t going crazy all the time! So I vote for starting on the shorter side and seeing how your body reacts. And for sure, don’t skip the pre and post cleanse – I’ve done it before and it’s much harder without the pre/post schedule.

How do you prep for a juice cleanse?

I usually prep for 3 days leading up to the cleanse. I cut out basically everything except fruits and vegetables. I eat loaded salads with different veggies, drink boat loads of herbal tea, and hydrate with LARGE amounts of water to prepare myself. No meat, no cheese, no pasta… you get the idea.

What juicer do you use for a juice cleanse?

Let’s talk equipment. I have the Breville Slow Juicer which I love. The Hurom is also AMAZING. I like the “slow” juicers because you actually extract more fiber and nutrients from the fruits and veggies which gives you more pulp and gives you a bit of a thicker juice and all that jazz aka more fiber!

What does a juice cleanse schedule look like?

During my 3-4 days of “juicing” I drink about 6 glasses of juice a day and 6 glasses of water.  I make 3 kinds of juice and for lack of better names, I call them by color: Green Juice (3 glasses daily), Red Juice (1 glass daily), Orange Juice (2 glasses daily). And then I cap off the day with my strawberry almond milk.

Juice Cleanse 101 from www.whatsgabycooking.com (@whatsgabycookin)

So here’s what a day would look like for me:

  • 7:00 am wake up – drink some white ginger tea or hot lemon water
  • 8:00 am – Green Juice #1 + Water
  • 10:00 Orange Juice #1 + Water
  • 12:00 Green Juice #2 + Water
  • 2:00 Red Juice #1+ Water
  • 4:00 Green Juice #3+ Water
  • 6:00  Orange Juice #2+ Water
  • 8:00 Strawberry Almond Milk and some more white ginger tea
  • And that’s about it. Then it’s off to bed where my dreams are usually filled with food. Just kidding, kinda, not really. It’s hard when I live in the food world not to dream about food!!

What do you eat after a juice cleanse?

Post juice cleanse I slowly work my body back onto normal food. I eat lots of raw veggies to start and then slowly work in fruits, fish, quinoa etc. I usually try to stay off of meat for a few more days because that’s just how I roll.

How do you feel during a juice cleanse?

Day 1 is always the hardest for me because I am “head” hungry. Which basically means I think I’m hungry… but really I’m not. I’m just bored and want to eat. Truth is, I’m packing my body with so many micronutrients, it has plenty to run on. I just start day dreaming about grilled cheese sandwiches and then I go crazy. So if you’re juicing, you should probably stay off the food section of Pinterest. 🙂

By day 2 I feel like a million bucks. I sleep better at night, wake up in the morning ready to go. (I literally jump out of bed and Thomas thinks I’m a crazy person) Okay and this might sound weird, but you actually see things more clearly. Not figuratively… I mean literally. Things are sharp and crisp and you’re just ready to take on the day!

So… you might be wondering why I juice? Well, I love it. I do it about every 3-4 months as a way to re-set my body and let it rest. And have you guys ever seen that movie, Fat Sick and Nearly Dead? It’s kinda life changing. I’d highly recommend it if you’re into this kinda thing. It’s super inspiring.

Alright. Ready for some recipes… I am going to give you recipes for all 4 of the liquids I drink during the cleanse. And each recipe is enough for 1 glass so if you’re juicing in bulk every morning, multiply each recipe by however many juices you’ll need that day!

Looking for more amazing breakfast ideas? Check out my 100 favorite breakfast recipes here

Juice Cleanse Recipes

5 from 6 votes
The 4 juices I love to drink when I'm juice cleansing!
Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 0 mins
Total Time 5 mins
Course Drinks
Cuisine American
Servings 1 person

Ingredients
  

For the Green Juice

  • 3 leaves kale stem removed and roughly chopped
  • 1 handful spinach leaves roughly chopped
  • 1 cup chopped romaine lettuce
  • 1 bunch parsley roughly chopped
  • 1 cup chopped english cucumber
  • 2 sticks celery roughly chopped
  • 1 whole apple halved and seeds removed
  • 1 inch fresh ginger
  • 1 whole lemon rind removed

For the Red Juice

  • 1 apple, quartered
  • 2 red beets, quartered
  • 3 large carrots
  • 1 orange, rind removed
  • 1-inch piece of ginger
  • 1 handful fresh spinach

For the Orange Juice

  • 9 larget carrots
  • 1 orange, rind removed
  • 1 apple, quartered
  • 1/3 cup fresh pineapple chunks
  • 1/2 lemon, rind removed
  • 1-inch turmeric root

For the Strawberry Almond Milk

  • 1/2 cup unsalted raw almonds
  • 2 cups water
  • 1/2 tbsp agave nectar
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 vanilla bean, seeds removed
  • 3 strawberries, hulled

Instructions
 

For the Green Juice

  • Place ingredients for the green juice into a juicer and juice!

For the Red juice

  • Place ingredients for the green juice into a juicer and juice!

For the Orange Juice

  • Place ingredients for the green juice into a juicer and juice!

For the Strawberry Almond Milk

  • Soak the almonds in some water for at least 2 hours
  • Drain the almonds and combine them with 2 cups of water, agave nectar, cinnamon, vanilla bean and strawberries in a high powered blender and blend for about 2 minutes until very smooth. No need to strain.

Photo by Matt Armendariz / Food Styling by Adam Pearson / Recipe from What’s Gaby Cooking

321 Comments

  1. a little confused.. isnt a juice cleanse supposed to remove all the fiber so that the nutrients are readily available and absorbed immediately putting less stress on the digestive system making the body have energy and time to detox? sooo wouldnt using a blender to make smoothies just be healthy eating or rather “drinking” not detox or cleansing?

    1. The best way to drink juice is with all the fibre. If you remove the fibre you’re just drinking sugar without the fibre to help break that down, your body just stores it as plain old sugar so fibre is VERY important. It makes your body work harder to break it down and it doesn’t store fat from the sugar.

  2. These recipes were amazing…..I tried them and I loved them. So easy and not too many ingredients. Thank You so much, you are the best.

  3. I am excited to try this! Do you have any links for the 3 day pre and post diet. I know you have some ideas, but I was wondering if you had anything a little more in detail?

    1. you can check out pressed juicery website for their recs on the pre and post cleanse!! I just try and eat fruits, veggies and drink a lot of tea to prep!

    2. I have two questions about this juice cleanse!
      1st; Would it be okay to drink regular store bought Almond milk instead of making the strawberry almond milk?
      2nd; Is it okay to make all the juices on the first day and store them in bottles in the refrigerator so that they are all already made for the 3 day cleanse?

    3. Hi Abby!

      The store bought one has added sugar – so if you’re okay with that then go for it! And yes – you can make them all ahead of time and store for 2-3 days. Just shake them up or give them a stir before drinking as it will have seperated

  4. Hi Gaby, your recipes look great and I can’t wait to try them but I have a quick question. I am allergic to both raw beets and kale. What can I substitute for the beets especially? I’ve just subbed spinach for kale in the past but any other suggestions would be great! Thanks!

  5. Hi! This might seem like a dumb question, but when you say 9 carrots, what size carrots are you using? Like the big carrots with the tops still on or the precut ones? Thanks!!

  6. Gaby! Such a lovely recipes for juicing you got there. What I would love to try is the strawberry almond milk. I just would like to ask, what kind of blender did you use in order to achieve that kind of consistency? This would be perfect to drink before I go to sleep. Thanks for sharing!

  7. Hi there, thanks for the ideas! I am allergic to celery… do you have any suggestions on what to replace it with or should I just add some extra cucumber?

  8. Thanks for sharing this such informative blog about the juice cleanse are very famous these days because it helps you to improve your health and the functioning of body like skin, liver, kidneys, intestine and other parts of the body.

  9. Is there a juice to replace the one with almonds and strawberries at night that you recommend? I’m allergic to both. Thanks!

  10. Hi all. I’m new to your site Gaby. Thanks for the good information. I am in the process of picking recipes for my first juice cleanse. I don’t have a juicer. I see that you say that a blender will work but I am hoping that someone that has tried it in a blender can confirm that it worked. I’m skeptical of the carrots and beets being anything smaller than bits and pieces. Thanks!

    1. Hey Mattie! If you have a super high power blender like a blend-tec or vitamix then it will work great!

  11. Are these recipes the bulk recipe or should I double it? I am starting today with the salad and veggies. With 2-3 juices.

  12. Hi! Love this recipe plan, and I can’t wait to try it! I am allergic to pineapple, so I was wondering if there is a comparable substitute? Maybe half a peach or something? Thanks!

  13. Great article Gaby! I love juice cleansing also, and especially loved your green juice recipe! I also liked how you included ginger tea into your cleanse. A lot of people don’t know that adding teas, and especially herbal teas is not only good for cleansing goals, but also really helps with adding variety. Some days you just need that little change up in your juice cleanse to keep you going!

    I’m going to have try your red juice recipe next! 🙂

  14. Hi Gaby,
    some great recipes those juices looks great I own the Breville Slow Juicer too, I love it but its been gathering dust for some time your article has just given me the push to dust it off and get back into juicing.
    Thanks 😉

  15. Hi Gaby,

    I am looking to follow your cleanse this month and I just wondered are your recipes for one juice or a bulk of juice? Thanks Emily

  16. I really want to do juicing but I don’t want to loose weigh, just be super healthy!! Any sugestions?
    Thanks,
    Zelia Barbosa

  17. Hi. Couple questions please and thanks
    About how many onces are you making your juices? Also are the recipes listed for one juice? Or the whole day?

  18. Hi there,
    I am allergic to all tree nuts. Can I use unsweetened flax milk for the strawberry almond
    as a substitute?

  19. Gaby, thanks for the step by step juice cleansing process! I’m always looking for more great juicing recipes, so thanks for these colorful ideas! I haven’t actually done a cleanse yet, but I think it’s probably time to clean out my system! Thanks for the advice.

  20. Hi Gaby,
    I recently came across your website and love the juice cleanse recipes! Do you happen to know the nutritional value (approx) for each juice? Thanks!

    1. Hi Liz! I don’t know the nutritional value for each juice – so sorry!! I don’t have the software to calculate that! Hope you enjoy them!

  21. Thank you so much for posting this Gaby, I really appreciate it. Here’s my story: I just found out a couple weeks ago that I am heavily sensitive to Milk and Egg products. My stomach was like a war zone it was so bad. I would find myself feeling horrible, nauseous, and sick quite a bit. I finally figured out what it was and switched up my diet, however my stomach was still feeling a bit off from all of the craziness I sustained over time. I decided to try out this cleanse to get rid of anything left over from the poisoning of my system. Yesterday was my final day on the cleanse and today I feel phenomenal. Back to myself again. Thank you so much for this. For anyone trying this, if you have a ‘Wholesome Choice’ nearby, try them out for the ingredients. It was super cheap to do this cleanse, whereas it would have cost me a fortune if I had gone to Vons, Ralphs, or any of the other well recognized brand stores. Good luck to all who are trying this out!

  22. Question — I have a sadist for a personal trainer who likes to torture me a few times a week. Do you think it would be okay if I had more juice on the days he tortures me? I burn off some serious calories!

    Thank you.

    1. I think so!! Also, on days when I’m going nuts at the gym I eat a ton of slices of cucumber just to keep me full. 🙂

  23. Gaby, Thank you for sharing your recipes! I’m constantly on the go and on the road most of the time. How long will the juices stay for if I made them in bulk and refrigerate?

  24. HI! I’m excited to start a juice clens for the first time, but intended about continuing with daily vitamins? I am taking a tone of fish oil as prescribed by my natropath to help with information. will the juice cleanse still be effective if I continue to take fish oil? Thanks so much!

    1. hey emily! I’m not a nutritionist – but my gut instinct tells me that taking vitamins and supplements during a juice cleanse is 100% okay!

  25. Hi Gaby,

    I am not at all opposed to juicing ….like your recipes! Just want to mention that I just decided to eat gluten free for awhile….(not that I have Celiac disease). Just thought I would try it….amazing results…lost the bloating…my stomach is flat…and I feel lighter, lost weight. Think there may be something to this gluten-free thing! Found all these amazing products …Udi’s bread, coconut wraps, Jovial foods makes an organic brown rice pasta gluten free capellini….amazing! Love eating this way…for now….going to try your juices!
    ❤️ Happy New Year to you & yours! Barbara

  26. Hi! These recipes look so amazing and I’ve been dying to try to make my own juice! You said to comment on what we would like to win most for the give away and so I would absolutely love a juicer if I won!! 🙂

  27. when you say the recipes yielded one glass, what size glass are referring to, 8oz, 16oz? They are yielding 16 for me.

  28. Gabby,

    I am a little confused a little confused at the top of your blog u say the recipes are for one juice but then in the comments you say its makes 2 ?? so can you please clarify the serving size

  29. This is very exciting! Your photos are beautiful and the recipes sounds delicious. Thank you so much for sharing . A few friends and I hsve been talking about going on a 3 day cleanse together through my gym . As much as I want to support them , $175 is nuts ! ! ! This will save us so much money .
    Side note , where can I purchase those awesome bottles your juice was in ?

    Cheers!

    1. the bottles are just old juice bottles from buying them at a store! But I think you can find some on amazon!!

  30. How many ounces is one juice and how many juices does one recipe make? If stored in glass jars, how long will they stay good in the fridge?

    1. 2-3 days in the fridge.

      ounces depend on the size of the fruit but I drink about 8-9 ounces at a time = save the rest for another drink.

  31. I’m actually starting tomorrow with this juice thing, this will be my first time, any other advice?

  32. It’s not the same as the juice cleanse many people do that eliminate the fiber. There are reasons for that type of cleanse that are worth researching and equally wonderful. Juice without fiber is sugar and so it’s recommended a pure juice cleanse limits fruit juice but doesn’t avoid it altogether. Please research that type of cleanse.

    I love these recipies and use them for pre and post cleans when I do straight juice cleanse using a juicer and continue to use them on a normal eating diet for the health benefits.

  33. Am I correct in that each recipe is for one serving? I multiplied each recipe as instructed and it seems I have an incredible amount – close to a quart. Also, the consistency seems very thick, I wouldn’t say it is a juice consistency. Any suggestions as to where I may have gone wrong?

    1. recipes are enough to get you though one day. so if you follow the recipes you’ll have enough for the following schedule each day:
      8:00 am – Green Juice #1 + Water

      10:00 Orange Juice #1 + Water

      12:00 Green Juice #2 + Water

      2:00 Red Juice #1+ Water

      4:00 Green Juice #3+ Water

      6:00 Orange Juice #2+ Water

      8:00 Strawberry Almond Milk and some more white ginger tea

  34. Hi!
    Quick question for you.

    If you do high intensity workouts, is it ok to add protein powder in the morning and evening juice?

    Thanks

  35. Thank so much for your great recipes! I just came back from a long girls week in Vegas and wanted to reset my digestion. I only did the juicing for one day and that was enough for me, but it was fantastic. I will definitely do this again for more than just one day in the future. I will share this site with others as well. Thanks again!

  36. Oh yea, and I work out often and am training for a half marathon. I wouldn’t suggest you do intense workout while fasting or doing a juice cleanse for more than one day. Just my opinion, but I feel like if you are giving your digestion a break, you should go easy on the rest of your body as well.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

Recipe Rating