I tried this cleanse twice in 2024. Failed both times — quit halfway through and went straight to In-N-Out. Worth it, honestly.
Third time was different. Better headspace, more positive, more focused. I finished it.
What this cleanse actually is
This isn't a detox that flushes years of toxins. It's not a weight-loss plan, even though I dropped a few pounds.
It's a liquid diet that gives your intestines a break from digesting food. Same logic as a daily meditation practice — your organs need rest too.
Three days of bare minimum input teaches you to slow down. You stop stuffing. You relearn your actual limits.
By the end, I felt more connected to myself and sharper mentally. The juice schedule gave my day structure. Juice #4 became my excuse for a 20-minute break outside, away from work.
The 3 days, honestly
Day 1 — Easiest. New flavors, new routine, novelty carries you.
Day 2 — The hardest. Woke up hungry. It passed, but it tested me.
Day 3 — I went heavier on ingredients to avoid repeating day 2's hanger. More on that below.
Daily juice schedule
I wake up around 7am, so the first juice comes two hours later. Spacing matters — too long between juices and you're starving by evening.
- 9:00 AM: Juice #1 — Green
- 11:00 AM: Juice #2 — Apple Cucumber Pineapple
- 1:00 PM: Juice #3 — Green
- 3:00 PM: Juice #4 — Spicy Lemonade
- 6:00 PM: Juice #5 — Carrot Apple Beet
- 8:00 PM: Juice #6 — Banana-Cashew "Dessert"
The window between juice 4 and 5 are the longest gap — three hours. That's where day 2 nearly broke me.
Shopping list ($53 total)
Everything here was easy to find. I bought a basic $40 juicer — does the job, though a high-end one would extract more.
Note: Prices vary, especially with current inflation.
- 13 organic green apples — $7
- 13 organic red apples — $7
- 7 kiwis — $3.50
- 1 bunch organic kale — $1.49
- 1 container spinach — $3.49
- 2 organic cucumbers — $2.50
- 9 bananas — $2
- 4 organic carrots — $1.69
- 4 organic beets — $1.99
- 1 whole pineapple — $1
- 3 lemons — $1.50
- 3 cups raw cashews — $20
- 6 mason jars (16oz+) — $9
How to make each juice
Green Juice (#1 and #3)
Juice: 1 peeled kiwi, 2 Granny Smith apples Blend in: 1 banana, a handful of kale, a handful of spinach, plus the juiced apple/kiwi
Apple Cucumber Pineapple — Juice #2
Juice: 5-6 pineapple wedges (skin off), 2 red apples, ½ cucumber
Spicy Lemonade — Juice #4
Fill a mason jar 2/5 with filtered water. Add: juice of 1 lemon, 1 tsp honey, 1 tsp cayenne pepper. Shake.
Carrot Apple Beet — Juice #5
Juice: 1 red beet, 1 carrot, 2 red apples
Banana-Cashew Dessert Smoothie — Juice #6
Blend: 1 cup cashews (soaked 2 hrs), 1 banana, 1 cup filtered water (use the cashew soak water for extra flavor), 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp nutmeg
For all juices: after juicing or blending, add ½ cup filtered water and stir to mix.
What actually made this work
Pick low-demand days. The less you have to do, the less you'll burn, the less hungry you'll feel. Think Work From Home days.
Prep the night before. I cut fruit and juiced everything around 5-6pm the evening prior.
Get a partner if you can. My partner and I split the work night one — she juiced, I cut. Solo working the next two nights.
Batch your prep. Cutting board, bowls, everything pre-cut and grouped before you start juicing. Saves real time.
Front-load day 3. I added an extra apple to every juice, an extra kiwi to juices 1 and 3, and more pineapple to juice 2 — to avoid repeating day 2's hunger spiral.
Stay hydrated separately. I paired this with my 2-Ingredient Daily Water Detox.
Keep your other rituals. I still oil-pulled every morning and kept my usual walk-and-stretch routine.
Skip intense workouts. I tested this on day 2 with a park workout — bad call. Burned calories I wasn't replenishing. If you exercise, keep it light.
Have fun with it. Stay focused. And if you fail the first two times like I did — that's data, not failure.