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!
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 and acai bowls 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.
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
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
- ⅓ cup fresh pineapple chunks
- ½ lemon, rind removed
- 1-inch turmeric root
For the Strawberry Almond Milk
- ½ cup unsalted raw almonds
- 2 cups water
- ½ tablespoon agave nectar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ 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.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Photo by Matt Armendariz / Food Styling by Adam Pearson / Recipe from What’s Gaby Cooking
I have been researching juice cleanses for some time now and would like to try one soon, I like they way your "program" is designed and will probably be following the recipes you have provided. My one question to you is how much do the recipes yield and what are your serving sizes? Are the recipes listed for one serving or multiple, and are you taking in 8oz per consumption? Thanks for sharing!
Hi, I noticed that in your normal daily routine you have two Green Juice #2's
So do you have 3 green juices total and only 1 Red juice per day or do you have 2 of each color each day?
Yes, I drink more of the green juice than any other of the juicers. 3 greens a day for me.
Hi, Are you supposed to strain the almond milk or do you also eat the pulp? Thank you!
I eat the pulp too!
Hello! How do I add beets to the juice? They are tough to cut raw, should they first be boiled? Also I work out pretty hard at the gym, should I do lighter workouts so as not to faint or you think I will be just fine? Thanks!!
Hi Jen - just chop up the raw beets and add them to the juicer!!
I usually decrease the intensity of my workout during a cleanse so I don't over-do it! But you'll know what feels best for your body - so I'd just trust yourself! Good luck~
Hi Gaby,
Just wondering if it's ok to add tofu or any other protein source to the juices? If so, will they still be effective for a cleanse? Thanks!
Hi Dawn,
hmmmm that's a good question. I'm not sure. I've never tried it or see it with protein - so my guess it that would alter the results. I'll ask around and see if I can get an answer!
Hi Gaby,
I am totally new to juicing although I have been on a few water fasts before. I really love your article and would like to thank you so much for it. Your recipes sound so delicious, I have finally decided to start a 6 days juicing (plus preparation of course) but I just have a quick question. I understand that your juices are mainly sweet and cold(right)? How would you recommand to go about juicing some vegs with hot water to make it more like a soup, at least for 2 or 3 of the meals? It's just for the salt craving people like me... 6 days of sweet juices can be a bit long...
Waiting to read your reply 🙂
Hi Dee,
I've never tried making the juices more soupy - and yes they are all cold. I think the only thing I can see with the hot juices is that steaming or simmering the veggies kills some of the nutrients - but that said - I still think it would work for juicing! I say give it a go! Let me know for sure 🙂
Hope this helps!
Gaby, I am new to your site and just love your insights and commentary. I see you are using the new Breville vertical juicer and just wanted to comment that their are also multi-purpose juicer options that offer the slow juicing abilities and can do nut butters and baby food! Check out the Omega Nutrition Center juicers, not too spendy and they look nice too!
I cook for my whole family, 3 meals per day for everyone. My husband works long hours and my kids are not old enough to make their own meals. I'm worried that I won't have the willpower to stick with it while I am preparing all that yummy food for everyone else. Any tips for staying on course?
Hi Lori! What if you made some dishes ahead of time and kept them in the freezer? That way you could just pull them out, pop them in the oven, and you dont have to cook them for the few days you're juicing? That's what I'd do 🙂
When doing this in a blender is it ok to use almond or coconut milk to blend
sure thing!
Hi there! i was just wondering how expensive all of these ingredients will be? would you say you spend more or save more when you cleanse? thanks!
Soooooo I think I spend less in groceries... maybe $40 a day? But I do spend a lot of time cleaning the juicer... which is painful, but what can ya do! It also depends if I can get things at my farmers market since that's cheaper than the regular grocery store. But a cleanse in LA is about $70 a day, so I'm saving some money by juicing at home!
are the carrots whole carrots or baby carrots?
whole carrots!
are the carrots whole carrots or baby carrots?
HI! I was so excited to find your juice plan. I am planning to do a juice cleanse next week. Really excited to try out the almond milk. Yum! One question, roughly how many calories a day do you intake on this plan?
Hi Sheran! Unfortunately I don't have the calorie count on the juices. Sorry!
Hey! I'm planning to follow your plan next week. Super excited to try your Almond Milk recipe. Do you happen to know the daily calorie count on this plan?
Do you work while you do the juice fast? I work crazy hours and am trying to figure out how I can balance juicing and keeping up my energy with 12 hour shifts... Any advice?
Hi Charisa,
Yes, I work while juicing. I usually start my cleanses on Saturday so I have 2 days to be at home before going back to work on Monday!
And the juice actually gives you a lot of energy 🙂 Sometimes if my energy is super low at work, I'll snack on some celery 🙂
Hope this helps!