How to do a 3-Day Juice Cleanse

I want to start right out by saying that I am a huge proponent for real, whole food eating lifestyles. I don't advocate for deprivation diets or crazy, unnecessarily restrictive eating plans.

But with that being said, sometimes you just need a good reset.

We are over halfway through January now and if those pounds you resolved to lose this year still haven't budged even a little bit... you might consider a short juice cleanse to kickstart that weight loss.

Why Juicing?

Juicing treats your body with nutrients, vitamins, and raw enzymes that are easy to digest and that enter the blood stream immediately. It also helps to cleanse the body, enhance digestion, and boost your immune system.

A juice detox gives your digestion a break. Juicing is different from drinking smoothies because you are having just the juice without any pulp. The body can easily consume up to ten pounds of vegetables in juices, which would be tough to accomplish while eating vegetables with the fiber. Juicing is ideal for people with IBS, leaky gut, candida, and even Crohn's Disease.

For those without hampered digestion, the combination of both methods – juicing and smoothies – can be very useful.

Juicing is also a powerful way to replenish and hydrate the body, after exercising, for example, to address health issues like exhaustion, or even during treatments such as chemotherapy.

Benefits of Juicing:

Better digestion and assimilation
Weight loss and decreased belly bloat
Supports detoxification and boosts immunity
Improved sleep
More energy
Clearer skin and brighter eyes
Feeling happier and having more balanced moods
Having a clearer mind and feeling more in tune with the universe.

Before You Start

Get into the mindset of cleansing and supporting your body to detox in a natural way. If possible, scale back your obligations for the three days. Get the support you need to stay committed to your juice cleanse.
Clean out the clutter. I suggest cleaning out your cabinets of foods that might tempt you. Have fun filling your shopping basket with a rainbow of beautiful vegetables and fruits.
Clean off the kitchen countertop, and prepare your kitchen to be a laboratory for your juicing experience.
Before you embark on the juice cleanse, begin to reduce processed foods, caffeine, sugary foods, and breads loaded with yeast. Begin to add at least one juice per day.
Note that you are preparing to cleanse your body and flush toxins out of your system. To make this gentler on yourself, increase your water intake a few days before your cleanse to start that flushing process.
Make sure you buy a BPA-free container for your juice or use glass Mason jars to avoid taking in toxins from plastics.
Practice relaxation, and enjoy letting go. Give yourself space to be quiet, take a relaxing bath, or give yourself a massage.

After the cleanse

Be sure to give your body time before re-introducing your normal diet. You don't want to shock your digestive system after it's had this nice reset. Ease gently into your meals.

Gentle Meal Ideas:

Breakfast smoothie
Bowl of fruit
Steamed broccoli
Simple salad
Cultured veggies
Simple stir fry of warm veggies

2. Continue to stay hydrated. Drink lots of water throughout the day. You can continue drinking juice between meals and nut milk at night if you wish.

If you feel you need to snack during your post-cleanse, have a piece of fruit, a handful of seeds, soaked nuts, a smoothie, or some potassium broth with vegetables.

How to Begin

I recommend drinking five juices each day. One at each of your mealtimes and one between breakfast and lunch and one between lunch and dinner. If you are feeling dehydrated and need a boost you can add in some broth.
I also encourage you to drink a portion of nut milk every evening during the detox to replenish your proteins and amino acids. Look for unsweetened store-bought brands with the least amount of additives, or make your own.
It's a good idea to incorporate some other detox tools into your cleanse. This will help reduce the chances of unwanted detox symptoms. You can find my recommended daily detox tools in this free guide.
During a cleanse, this is your opportunity to quiet the noise and go deep into your body, your breath and your soul. In life, we are bombarded daily by noise. Take some time every day to work on finding simple ways to de-stress your life.

What to Juice

Now that juicing has become more mainstream, it isn't too difficult to purchase freshly made juice from your local health food store or cafe. That can quickly add up though and doesn't always give you the option to customize to your preferences.

I prefer to make my own juice. That requires a juicer (duh!), but other than that and your ingredients, juicing is pretty simple!

Here is one of my current favorite juicing recipes:

Revitalize

• 1 cup spinach or kale • 2 celery stalks • 1/2 large cucumber • 1 apple, cored • 1 handful of parsley • 1/4 lime • 1/4 lemon

So delicious and hydrating!

There are hundreds of resources online with recipes and ideas for creating your own yummy juice concoctions (pinterest, anyone?) But if you are looking for all your juicing needs to be met in one article, I have got you covered, my friend.

I have created a mini e-guide designed to walk you through a 3-Day Juice Cleanse from start to finish, complete with recipes! Pinterest is great, but if you're short on time - or if you'd just rather do something else with your time - I've done the work for you.

Click here to get everything you need to start your Juice Cleanse.

If you found this guide helpful, would you do me a favor? Would you share this post using one of the buttons below? Choose your favorite social media platform and spread the love, I'd be ever so grateful!

Thank you! And until next time, happy juicing!