How To Do A 3-Day Juice Cleanse: What To Know Before You Start

Juicing, the process of extracting juice from fruits and vegetables, has become very popular and continues to trend. A juice cleanse is a diet in which one consumes only the juices of these fruits and vegetables for 3-10 days.

Viral videos on social media show influencers talking about juicing being part of their lifestyle or have done juice cleanses and claim the diet can help with:

• Weight loss 
• Flushing  toxins from their bodies
• Giving them that extra energy boost needed for the day.

Due to all these purported benefits of drinking natural fruit and vegetable juices, many people are drawn to this practice and wish to try it for themselves. 

If you are among these people and are curious about how to do a 3-day juice cleanse, read on to learn more.

Is It Safe To Do A 3-Day Juice Cleanse?

No, it is not. While short-term fasts like those done under intermittent fasting are considered safe, most experts do not recommend longer fasts that require up to 24 hours without food or even as long as 72 hours.

Going without food for long periods can lead to side effects such as:

• Fatigue
• Insomnia
• Dizziness
• Dry mouth
• Headaches
• Excessive urination (1, 2)

Note that even if you consume some calories through these juices, the amount is insufficient to sustain you healthfully throughout one day, let alone 72 hours.

It is essential to remember that despite what viral social media videos say, the benefits of a 3-day juice cleanse or even a 7-day juice diet are mainly anecdotal (based on personal accounts, not facts and research). The juicing diet does not guarantee you the same positive results.

In addition, while scientific research on these diets has shown they can have some benefits, researchers call for more research to understand their science and safety better (2, 3, 4, 5).

What Are The Side Effects Of First Time Juicing?

Aside from excessive hunger pangs from going without food, as mentioned above, you may also experience insomnia, fatigue, dizziness, dry mouth, headaches, and excessive urination.

How Much Weight Can You Lose On A 3-Day Detox Cleanse?

You are probably looking up ‘how to do a 3-day juice cleanse for weight loss’ because of a viral video showing almost miraculous results from this method. 

What you should know, however, is that, regardless of what you’ve heard or seen on social media, it is unlikely that you will lose a significant amount of fat from a 3-day juice cleanse. Here’s why:

• 3 Days Is Too Little Time For Significant Fat Loss

According to the CDC, the standard weight loss rate is 1-2 pounds weekly. 

You can lose this amount of weight in 7 days through:

• Stress management
• Good sleeping habits
• A healthy calorie-deficit diet
• At least 30 minutes of exercise daily (6).

If experts say that the above lifestyle practices can only help you healthfully lose up to 2 pounds of body fat a week, it is hard to imagine that a water fast—not considered a healthy weight loss plan—could lead to better results.

• Fat Loss vs. Loss Of Lean Mass 

Any weight loss in this time is less likely to come from fat loss and more likely to come from a loss of lean mass.

A study examining the effects of prolonged fasting on humans found that two-thirds of the weight loss was due to loss of lean mass, while only a third was due to loss of fat (2).

Water and muscle make up lean mass, which you lose when you follow fad weight loss diets such as juice cleanses or detoxes.

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How To Prepare For A Healthy 3-Day Juice Cleanse

As seen above, experts do not recommend attempting a 3-day detox to lose weight, and it will likely not yield the desired results.

However, if you insist on going through with it, here’s everything you should know:

• Get Rid Of All The Snacks

Surviving 3 full days on only liquids can be challenging for anyone. 

Increase your chances of success by getting rid of available snacks. 

Go through your pantry and fridge and remove all the hidden snacks.

This cleaning process will ensure that you do not sneak in a snack while on this cleanse, but it is also a good way to eliminate ultra-processed foods from your home and diet. 

Studies show that these foods increase your risk of cardiovascular disease-related mortality, type 2 diabetes, adverse sleep conditions, mental disorders, obesity, and more (7).

Just be sure not to repurchase them after the cleanse is over.

• Plan To Stay Hydrated

Just because you are on a juice cleanse does not mean that all you are allowed to drink is juice. As much as you love your fruit and vegetables, there is no denying that consuming the same thing every day and at every mealtime can be monotonous. 

You should also enjoy water and tea. Water is good for your health, so you should drink lots of it whether you are dieting or not. 

Proponents of juice diets claim that teas – herbal teas, fruit teas, etc. – can help curb food cravings. So, stock up on your favorite teas, but do not add any sugar.

Read more: The 7-Day Hydration Challenge: Try This Expert-Approved Tips To Drink More Water

• Ease Yourself Into It

According to juicing experts, jumping head-first into this cleanse is not wise. 

Instead, they advise slowly easing into it, which can help increase your chances of success. 

To do this, they recommend that you:

1. Cut Out Processed Foods And Eat More Whole Foods 

Experts recommend pre-cleansing as a way to ease into the diet. It should start at least a week before the 3-day juice cleanse.

2. Stop Eating Meat And Dairy 

Eliminating these foods is part of the pre-cleanse, which should start a week before the cleanse or, at the latest, 3 days before the start date of the juice detox.

3. Avoid Alcohol & Soft Drinks

• Go Shopping

The saying, ‘Failing to plan is planning to fail,’ applies to many facets of life, including prepping for a detox diet.

Because the 3-day juice cleanse is so short, most people make and drink one recipe throughout. However, if you prefer some variety in your drinks, you can easily find many 3-day juice cleanse recipes online.

Some popular juice cleanse combinations include:

1. Orange, ginger, and turmeric
2. Beets, apples, lemons, and carrots
3. Celery, cucumber, spinach, and lime
4. Kale, apple, cucumber, lemon and ginger
5. Pineapple, celery, ginger, parsley, and turmeric
6. Red cabbage, apple, ginger, cilantro, and celery
7. Kale, strawberries, green apple, lemon, turmeric, and a pinch of cayenne pepper

Once you have identified your 3-day juice cleanse recipe and shopping list items, head to the grocery store or farmer’s market. Once you’ve bought everything, it’s time to prep the ingredients.

If you prefer fresh juice: Clean the ingredients and store them correctly so they may be fresh for the first day of the cleanse. 

If you want to meal prep: Clean the ingredients, and make juice combinations.

Store the ingredients in airtight containers in the fridge, where they can stay fresh for up to three days.

To learn more about belly fat burning juice recipes check out our in-depth article on the topic.

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What Should I Eat Before A 3-Day Juice Cleanse?

As seen above, juice cleansing and detoxing advocates advise cleansing one’s diet as thoroughly as possible before detoxing. 

Avoid alcohol, caffeine, soft drinks, animal protein, and ultra-processed foods.

They state that you should try to eat as healthily as possible one week before the detox, and your eating plan should primarily consist of organic plant-based foods.

They also recommend not overeating the day before the first day of the detox.

Read more: 8 Drinks To Burn Belly Fat The Healthy Way

What Is The Hardest Day Of A Juice Cleanse?

While answers differ from person to person, many people claim that the second day is the hardest for them. 

They claim that most side effects, such as irritability, mood swings, fatigue, etc., are often experienced on the second day.

If the second day is difficult for you (or any other day, for that matter), stay hydrated by drinking more water and herbal teas and practicing self-care, such as meditation. 

If you feel too hungry and cannot withstand it, you can have a handful of nuts to hold you over.

How Do You Feel On Day 3 Of A Juice Cleanse?

People claim that the third day is often the easiest of them all. 

They claim that the body becomes less hungry and more energized when it gets used to going without food. They recommend staying hydrated and continuing with self-care practices to help you ignore hunger pangs and become more in touch with your body.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Can you workout on a 3-day cleanse?

You can, but most experts recommend that you don’t. 

As mentioned above, you are fasting for a prolonged period, not providing your body with enough calories to give energy. This deprivation explains why fatigue is one of the most common side effects.

Because of the low energy, most people should avoid physical exertion as much as possible while on this diet. 

However, you can try slow and less intensive workouts. For example, you can leave the weights and HIIT workouts alone and opt for lower-intensity workouts like walking or yoga.

• What should you not do during a cleanse?

While on a juice cleanse, follow these restrictions:

• Don’t consume anything but fruit and vegetable juices. If your hunger is too great, you can make exceptions for nuts, but generally, you should only drink juices.
• Don’t do hard workouts. While you should rest for the cleanse, low-intensity workouts like walking or yoga are okay.
• Don’t have caffeine or alcohol. Only non-caffeinated drinks like herbal or fruit teas and water are allowed.

• Can you drink coffee on a 3-day cleanse?

No, you cannot. Stick to water, herbal teas, and juices.

• Can you eat eggs on a juice cleanse?

No, you cannot. You can only have fruit and vegetable juices, water, and herbal teas while on a cleanse. No other foods are allowed. 

The rules state that animal protein consumption, including eggs, should pause at least three days before detox starts.

The Bottom Line

We have shown you how to do a 3-day cleanse, but we would be negligent if we did not remind you that such diets and detoxes are not considered healthy or effective. 

Limited research claims that a juice diet helps weight loss, and if it does happen, it is temporary.

If you wish to lose weight this way, we recommend better methods, such as combining a healthy calorie-deficit diet, exercise, and at least 7-9 hours of sleep a night. 

The weight loss seen here may be gradual, but it will be long-term.

If you simply wish to detox the body, know that your body already has a built-in detox system through the following:

• Skin
• Liver
• Lungs
• Kidneys
• Digestive system (8)

You do not need a detox diet to help the system work better. Sticking to a healthy diet, drinking lots of water, and getting enough sleep will help these organs function optimally.