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The Best Homemade 3-Day Juice Cleanse Recipe Guide 

The right 3-day juice cleanse recipe may provide you with the reset you were looking for. However, the juice cleanses you buy online cost a fortune. You’re likely wondering if you can follow a juice cleanse at home for a fraction of the price. Fortunately, you can!

Our 3-day juice cleanse recipe may make you feel rejuvenated, and perhaps experience other benefits. You’ll need plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables with a few add-ons, but you’ll save money while following expert tips to ensure you juice correctly. Let’s discover more. 

What Does a Juice Cleanse Do for Your Body?

A 3-day juice cleanse recipe with whole fruits and vegetables may claim to do the following:

  • It may support your liver (5)
  • It may improve gut bacteria (12)
  • It could sharpen your mind (9)
  • It might protect against heart disease (7)
  • It may reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s Disease (8)
  • It could help you lose some weight to start eating healthy (12)

Let’s dive into why a juice detox is said to be a nutritious treasure to reset your body and mind.

Is it a Good Idea to Juice Cleanse?

A 3-day juice fast is not necessary for anyone, and there are a few people who shouldn’t do one. It won’t miraculously make you lose tons of pounds, and it doesn’t “detox” your body. Some people do them because it makes them feel good, but that is subjective and not universal.. Juicing should only complement your diet on occasion and not be a meal replacement for long periods. Let’s see what a cleanse may do for you.

Juice Cleanse Benefits

For starters, a 3-day juice cleanse recipe will provide you with some dense nutrients. You’ll skip some other essential nutrients but only for a short period. 

Juicing May Support Liver Function

A review in Nutritional Sciences discusses some small flawed studies that suggest that commercial detox diets may support liver detoxification (5). Unfortunately, there isn’t much evidence that juice detoxifies your body, but it may offer short-term support for your natural detox organs. 

Juice May Reset Your Gut Bacteria

A small Nature study found that individuals saw positive changes in their microbiome composition on the fourth day after juicing for three days (12). However the changes were partially reversed by day 17. Juicing may help reset the microbiome with an occasional 3-day fast. 

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Juice May Sharpen Your Mind

Researchers from the UK reviewed how fruits, vegetables, and juices impact cognitive performance (9). The results suggested that consumption of fruits, vegetables, and juices may improve memory and cognitive performance in older adults. This benefit is not limited to juice or juice fasting, however – simply including more fruits, vegetables, and/or juices in your diet would have the same benefit.  

Juice May Protect Against Cardiovascular Disease

Chinese scientists reviewed the relationship between fruit and vegetable juice to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases (7). Studies suggest that the polyphenols and antioxidants in juice may help lower blood pressure and improve blood lipid profiles, reducing heart disease risk. However, this is related to simply including juice in the diet, not doing a juice fast or cleanse.

Juice May Protect Against Alzheimer’s Disease

Nashville researchers found that juice polyphenols may protect your brain against hydrogen peroxide, a possible mediator of cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s Disease (8). They found that drinking juice more often was associated with a reduced incidence of Alzheimer’s Disease in a population of Japanese Americans.  Again, this is not related to juice fasting or cleansing, but simply including juice in the diet. 

Is a Juice Cleanse a Good Way to Lose Weight?

A juice cleanse for weight loss may help you drop water weight and prepare you to transition to more healthy eating habits. However, it won’t miraculously make you drop ten pounds overnight. 

The Nature study showed how individuals lost weight by day four after juicing for three days (12). They maintained some of the weight loss until day 17, but were not followed up after that.  Occasional juice cleanses might be included in an otherwise healthy balanced diet, but they can’t sustain weight loss. 

How Much Weight Can You Lose With a 3-Day Juice Cleanse?

The 20 individuals from the Nature study lost an average of 1.7 kg (3.74 lbs) in the three days, and on day 17 weighed an average of 0.91 kg (2 lbs) less than their starting weight (12). You should eat a well-balanced diet to attempt sustainable weight loss after a 3-day juice cleanse. Returning to high-calorie nutrient-poor foods will make your weight jump back up.  

 

Who Should Avoid a Juice Cleanse?

You shouldn’t do a juice cleanse if you fit any of these profiles:

  • Avoid juicing if you have kidney problems because some juice ingredients contain too much oxalate, putting more pressure on your kidneys (3).
  • Don’t juice if you have any history of eating disorders or feel that you obsess over what you eat more than the health benefits (22).
  • Avoid a juice cleanse if you’re diabetic because of the imbalance of macronutrients(17).
  • Juice cleanses are not safe if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding because you can’t miss the essential nutrients during this time.

Read more: 2 Day Cleanse To Debloat and Reset Your Body

Best 3-Day Juice Cleanse

The best juice cleanse uses the right blender, packs liquid meals with dense nutrients, allows meal prep, includes a quick shopping list, and shows you how to return to normal eating after three days. 

5 Tips to Maximize a 3-Day Juice Cleanse

Sadly, the CDC suggests Americans aren’t consuming enough raw fruits and vegetables daily (2). Some tips can help you maximize your juicing benefits. Let’s look at the tips.

Tip 1: Use a Blender

Healthline says a blender is the ideal kitchen gadget to maximize vegetable and fruit dietary fiber (19). A blender helps your produce maintain the fiber. It helps your body absorb nutrients and vitamins from your vegetables and fruit. A juicer may remove your fiber content, even if it has denser nutrients. 

Tip 2: Use the Recommended Minimum

The CDC also recommends consuming 1.5-2 cups of fresh fruits and 2-3 cups of vegetables daily (2). Our juice cleanse will provide the recommended amounts. You’ll miss out on some other nutrients, but you can add seeds, nuts, and plant-based milk for some protein and fat. 

Tip 3: Drink Water

You’ll drink plenty of fluids on a juice cleanse, but drink water as you feel thirsty. The Mayo Clinic suggests men need 15.5 cups and women 11.5 cups of water daily (25). How much water you add to each juice recipe depends on how thick you want the liquid meal. With that in mind, aim to drink the remainder of your water between juices and drink more if you notice signs of dehydration.

Tip 4: Don’t Strain Your Juice

The high fiber content will be lost if you strain your juice (19). Instead, keep the pulp and juice with every recipe. 

Tip 5: Embrace Light Exercise

A juice fast can stress your body while you aren’t consuming all of your nutrients and daily recommendations. Don’t run marathons, but yoga, walking, and staying lightly active can feel good. If it doesn’t, listen to your body and rest. 

 

3-Day Juice Cleanse Instructions

The next group of juice recipes make enough of each flavor to cover all three days. Split each recipe into three servings to store what you don’t use in the fridge, as you’ll only keep it for up to three days. Store prepped juice in airtight containers to prevent potential spoils. 

Alternatively, split the fresh ingredients into three servings to make fresh juice every night for the next day. The National Center for Health Research recommends fresh juicing to prevent potential bacteria growth (1). Proper storage will prevent or reduce the growth risk. 

Furthermore, the instructions are simple:

  1. Drink each juice cleanse recipe flavor once daily
  2. Enjoy them in any order you wish
  3. Start your day with a detox tea
  4. Repeat the day’s recipes for the three days

3-Day Juice Cleanse Recipe List

The 3-day juice cleanse recipe list includes six recipes you’ll blend with water. Add as much water to each recipe as you like, depending on your desired consistency. Each recipe makes three servings if you’d like to prepare them ahead of time. 

Lemon Ginger Tea to Start the Day

Start your day with a detox tea inspired by A Spicy Perspective before juicing (20). A cup of hot water with two tablespoons of honey, a tablespoon of freshly grated ginger, and a lemon wedge will kickstart your juicing mornings. Besides, Johns Hopkins Medicine says ginger may improve intestinal motility, encouraging efficient digestion (10). 

Juice 1: Healthy Green Juice

Blend the following ingredients with 3-6 glasses of water:

  • 6 celery stalks
  • 3 green apples, halved
  • 1 ½ cucumbers
  • 9 kale leaves
  • ¾ lemon, peeled
  • 1 ½” fresh ginger root

Macros per serving: 144 calories, 36 g carbs, 1 g fat, 4 g protein, and 8 g fiber (13)

Juice 2: Carrot and Orange Juice

Blend the following ingredients with 3-6 glasses of water: 

  • 3 lbs. organic carrots
  • 12 organic oranges, peeled

Macros per serving: 183 calories, 44 g carbs, 1 g fat, 4 g protein, and 11 g fiber (4)

Juice 3: Pineapple Sunrise Juice

Blend the following ingredients with 3-6 glasses of water: 

  • 1 ½ fresh lime wedges
  • 1 ½ lbs. carrots
  • 3 cups of fresh pineapple chunks
  • Ice

Macros per serving: 186 calories, 47 g carbs, 1 g fat, 3 g protein, and 10 g fiber (21)

Juice 4: Mango Citrus Juice

Blend the following ingredients with 3-6 glasses of water: 

  • 1 ½ bananas
  • ¾ lemon wedges
  • 1 ½ mangoes sliced into wedges
  • ¾ orange, peeled
  • 3 sliced green apples
  • 1” fresh ginger root

Macros per serving: 180 calories, 49 g carbs, 1 g fat, 2 g protein, and 8 g fiber (24)

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Juice 5: Green Dragon Juice

Blend the following ingredients with 3-6 glasses of water: 

  • ½ large lemon cut into wedges
  • 1 ½ cups of chopped fresh spinach
  • 3 sprigs of parsley
  • 3 celery stalks
  • ½ small jalapeno
  • 1 ½ tomatoes, quartered
  • A pinch of salt
  • Ice

Macros per serving: 74 calories, 16 g carbs, 1 g fat, 5 g protein, and 7 g fiber (11)

Juice 6: Rainbow Juice

Blend the following ingredients with 3-6 glasses of water: 

  • 3 small beets, peeled
  • 3 oranges, peeled
  • 3 carrots
  • 1 ½ cups of freshly chopped spinach
  • ½ cup of blueberries
  • 1 ½” fresh ginger root

Macros per serving: 138 calories, 32 g carbs, 1 g fat, 5 g protein, and 9 g fiber (23)

Read more: Benefits of a Juice Cleanse: Do They Outweigh The Risks?

3-Day Juice Cleanse Recipe Visual Chart

Here’s a chart to help you visualize randomizing the juice orders over three days:

Day 1 Day 2 Day 3
7:00 Detox tea Detox tea Detox tea
8:00 Rainbow juice Green dragon juice Pineapple sunrise juice
10:00 Mango citrus juice Pineapple sunrise juice Healthy green juice
12:00 Green dragon juice Carrot and orange juice Rainbow juice
15:00 Carrot and orange juice Healthy green juice Green dragon juice
17:00 Pineapple sunrise juice Rainbow juice Mango citrus juice
19:00 Healthy green juice Mango citrus juice Carrot and orange juice

Quick Shopping List

Here’s what you need to buy to make all the above juice cleanse recipes (13, 4, 21, 24, 11, 23):

  • 9 celery stalks
  • 6 green apples
  • 2 cucumbers
  • A small bunch of kale
  • 2 lemons
  • A 4” piece of ginger root
  • 4.5 lbs. carrots
  • 16 oranges
  • 2 limes
  • 1.5 cups of pineapple chunks
  • 2 bananas
  • 2 mangos
  • 3 cups of chopped spinach
  • 1 small bunch of parsley
  • 1 small jalapeno
  • 2 tomatoes
  • 3 small beets
  • ½ cup of blueberries

How to Break the Juice Cleanse Properly

Easing into a juice cleanse with tips to maximize results ensures you feel better. However, easing out of one also matters. Gradually introduce soft foods to prevent digestive discomfort. Yogurt, mashed potatoes, soups, smoothies, oatmeal, avocado, hummus, soft but whole fruit, or scrambled eggs work. 

The USDA recommends a well-balanced diet with vegetables, fruit, whole grains, lean protein, nuts, seeds, beans, healthy fats, and dairy daily (6). Eat foods from all food groups once you’ve eased out of your cleanse to maintain a healthy weight and feel better.

Harvard Health Publishing recommends you eat at least 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight or 15-30% of total calories from protein daily (14). Incorporate protein into your juice fast break by adding protein powders to smoothies. Hemp powder, pea protein powder, or soy protein isolate might be easier on your stomach. 

For more healthy juice information:

 

FAQs

  • How Much Weight Can You Lose With a Juice Cleanse?

A Nature study recorded a 1.7 kg (3.74 lbs) average loss per person over three days, but only 0.91 kg ( 2 lbs) of that weight loss was maintained two weeks later (12). However, the Mayo Clinic recommends you only lose 1-2 pounds weekly for sustainable weight loss (26). You need to create a 500-calorie deficit to lose weight weekly.

  • How Long Should You Do a Juice Cleanse to Lose Weight?

A small Nature study suggests a 3-day juice cleanse is enough to modify the composition of intestinal bacteria (12). Bacteroidetes and Cyanobacteria were increased in individuals the day after their fast. Having more of these two types of bacteria is thought to be associated with a healthy body weight. However, those changes were partially reversed two weeks later. Juice cleanses are not considered to be an effective long-term weight loss strategy.

  • How Often Should You Do a Juice Cleanse to Lose Weight?

Juice cleanses are not a viable weight loss strategy. In the Nature study, although participants lost some weight over the 3 day juice cleanse, they had partially regained it two weeks later. Fasts, cleanses, and restrictive diets typically do not result in sustainable weight loss.

The Bottom Line

A 3-day juice cleanse recipe might help your gut reset while providing some nutrients that may protect you from heart disease and cognitive decline. Follow the tips to ensure you get the most out of your juice cleanse, and don’t juice for more than three days. 

DISCLAIMER:

This article is intended for general informational purposes only and does not serve to address individual circumstances. It is not a substitute for professional advice or help and should not be relied on for making any kind of decision-making. Any action taken as a direct or indirect result of the information in this article is entirely at your own risk and is your sole responsibility.

BetterMe, its content staff, and its medical advisors accept no responsibility for inaccuracies, errors, misstatements, inconsistencies, or omissions and specifically disclaim any liability, loss or risk, personal, professional or otherwise, which may be incurred as a consequence, directly or indirectly, of the use and/or application of any content.

You should always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or your specific situation. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of BetterMe content. If you suspect or think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor.

SOURCES:

  1. 6 Things You Need to Know About Juicing Your Veggies (n.d., center4research.org)
  2. Adults Meeting Fruit and Vegetable Intake Recommendations – United States, 2013 (2015, cdc.gov)
  3. Are Juice Cleanses Actually Good for You? (2020, houstonmethodist.org)
  4. Carrot and Orange Juice Recipe (2022, allrecipes.com)
  5. Detox Diets for Toxin Elimination and Weight Management: A Critical Review of the Evidence (2014, onlinelibrary.wiley.com)
  6. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025 (2020, dietaryguidelines.gov)
  7. Effects and Mechanisms of Fruit and Vegetable Juices on Cardiovascular Diseases (2017, mdpi.com)
  8. Fruit and Vegetable Juices and Alzheimer’s Disease: The Kame Project (2006, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
  9. Fruits, Vegetables, 100% Juices, and Cognitive Function (2014, academic.oup.com)
  10. Ginger Benefits | Johns Hopkins Medicine (n.d., hopkinsmedicine.org)
  11. Green Dragon Veggie Juice Recipe (2018, allrecipes.com)
  12. Health Benefit of Vegetable/Fruit Juice-Based Diet: Role of Microbiome (2017, nature.com)
  13. Healthy Green Juice Recipe (2023, allrecipes.com)
  14. How Much Protein Do You Need Everyday? (2023, health.harvard.edu)
  15. How to Detox Your Body Safely, According to Experts (2024, forbes.com)
  16. How to Ease Out of a Juice Fast (2019, livestrong.com)
  17. Intake of Fruit, Vegetables, and Fruit Juices and Risk of Diabetes in Women (2008, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
  18. [Juices in a Healthy Diet: Recommendations for Consumption Based on Chemical Composition Data] (2022, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
  19. Juicing vs. Blending: Which is Better for Losing Weight? (2018, healthline.com)
  20. Lemon Ginger Tea [Detox Tea Recipe] (n.d., aspicyperspective.com)
  21. Pineapple Sunrise – Juice Recipes (2022, allrecipes.com)
  22. [Potential Relationship Between Juice Cleanse Diets and Eating Disorders. A Qualitative Pilot Study] (2018, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
  23. Rainbow Juice Recipe (2016, allrecipes.com)
  24. Yummy Mango Citrus Drink Recipe (2014, allrecipes.com)
  25. Water: How Much Should You Drink Everyday? (2022, mayoclinic.org)
  26. Weight Loss: 6 Strategies for Success (2021, mayoclinic.org)
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