3-Day Smoothie Cleanse (with recipes!)

If you’re looking for a gentle reset after all the holiday celebrations, this 3-day smoothie cleanse is the perfect thing that you and your body need.   This smoothie cleanse is meant to give your body a break from having to digest heavy and unhealthy foods and detox your body. After just 3 days of doing this, you’ll likely notice an increase in your energy, better sleep, and improved digestion.    

For this gentle smoothie cleanse, here’s what I would recommend: 

• Replace 2 of your meals with green smoothies that follow the guidelines below.
• Eat 1 meal that consists of whole foods.   This meal should include lots of veggies and a serving of lean protein such as poultry or fish.  Plant-based protein is cool too!
• Eat 1 whole-food snack such as raw vegetables, fruit, and nuts. 

That’s it!  By keeping things simple, you’re more likely to follow through with it for at least 3 days.  For best results, continue this cleanse for 21 days and then gradually add back in more whole-food meals.   Now let’s talk about the smoothies!

These smoothie recipes are meant to be filling, but you might be significantly reducing the number of calories that your body is used to.  While this cleanse may encourage some weight loss, it’s not meant to starve you.  If these recipes are leaving you feeling hungry, go ahead and add some additional healthy complex carbs like oats, sweet potatoes, or brown rice. The purpose of this “cleanse” is to give you the most amount of nutrients possible over the course of 3 days to optimize your body’s natural detoxification mechanisms and get your body back on track.

Also Read: 7 Anti-Inflammatory Foods for Optimum Wellness

The recipes follow the same basic pattern of ingredients per serving which is

• 1-2 cups of liquid,
• 1 cup fresh leafy greens,
• 1-2 servings of fruit, a serving of healthy fat (nuts, coconut, or avocado), and
• a flavor ingredient such as a sweetener.

You can also optionally include a nutritional boost by adding adaptogenic herbs (such as ashwagandha or rhodiola), bee pollen, or spirulina.

Your blender will determine how smooth your smoothies are. All of these recipes assume that you have a Vitamix with the blending power of 2.2 horses. There’s really nothing on the market like a Vitamix but a high-powered blender with a lower price point such as this one, or this one, may do the job just fine.

The recipes below make 3 servings or a total of 6 cups each which is meant to last all day. I would recommend blending in the morning, drinking your breakfast smoothie right away, and storing the other 2 servings in an air-tight container. These green pint-sized jars are my favorite!

You will likely be decreasing calories significantly so I’d recommend avoiding any high-intensity activity for a few days.  Feel free to incorporate some light, low-impact activity such as walking or yoga. 

Also Read: 15 Ways to Reset, Renew and Reinvent Yourself

In addition to the 2 smoothies, meals, and snacks each day, I’d encourage you to drink plenty of water and herbal tea.  If you find yourself hungry throughout the day, please enjoy another light snack consisting of fruits, vegetables, and/or nuts.  

Here are 3 green smoothie recipes that I LOVE and use in my own 3-day smoothie cleanse.  Feel free to use these or come up with your own using the general formula above.  I’ve also included a green smoothie guide below if you’d like to mix things up a bit.