Everything You Need to Know Before Starting a Juice Cleanse

Juice cleanses (along with fresh juices in general) have become a go-to for health nuts and normal people alike. Besides the obvious weight loss benefits, an effective juice detox increases overall heart and stomach health, and provides an improved mood that lasts for weeks after the cleanse.

Part of the reason people love juice cleanses is because they’re simple: spend around 1-5 days consuming only water and fresh juice (although some programs suggest a salad or some soup with lunch). During this time you should also be limiting strenuous exercise, and enjoying stress-free activities like nature walks, yoga, or writing.

But before you jump headfirst into a juice cleanse, health experts suggest a period of preparation. After eating poorly, drinking alcohol, getting poor sleep, and being stressed, a juice cleanse can be an uncomfortable shock to the body. An effective two-day preparation period and a gradual two-day finish not only makes the actual cleanse easier to handle but also much more effective.

For two days on both ends of the juice cleanse, replace unhealthy foods, drinks, and activities with healthy nutrition and light exercise. This means replacing animal products, alcohol, sugar, and coffee, with caffeinated green tea, fruit, lentils, and rice (click here for the full list). During these two days you should also try to avoid stress as much as possible, and get a good night’s sleep.

Below are some of the best juice cleanse kits, so you don’t have to worry about planning or making your own juices.

1. Jus by Julie

BEST OVERALL

Jus by Julie is our #1 pick because the brand has straightforward packages that are great for diving into your first juice cleanse or upping your detox game. You can choose juice packs that range from one to five days in length, depending on how much detoxing you need and how experienced you are with juice cleanses. The juice from Jus is slightly different than other cleanse packages, as their juices are blended instead of cold-pressed. This process retains more fiber, ensuring that your body gets more nutrients while cleansing.

2. Smart Cleanse 1-Day Juice Cleanse

BEST BUDGET

Juice cleanses can get pricey, but there’s no need to fret if you’re detoxing on a budget. There’s great affordable cleanses out there, like this $25 one-day detox from Smart Cleanse. It comes with 2 packets of vanilla proteini for muscle maintenance and fat loss, 2 packets of pressed greens for energy, and a packet of pineapple chia cleanse for the colon. They come in a powder form that can be mixed with water, juice or nut milk, and makes a great on-the-go option for cleansing during work or daily errands. Take the packets throughout the day as recommended by the included guide, and if you’re new to cleansing, eat a clean meal for lunch as well.

3. Pressed Juicery 7 Day Cleanse

LONGEST CLEANSE

Pressed Juicery is probably the most recognized brand in the market for a few reasons. Their juices taste good (like, really good), they’re made of wholesome, nutritious ingredients, and you can find the juices at a wide variety of retailers. Their 7-day package includes 7 bottles of celery lemon juice and 7 bottles of a probiotic shot. It’s very reasonably priced at $60, and you can use it as either a hardcore 7-day, no-food cleanse, as a supplement to a diet, or just a daily health booster in addition to your normal eating habits.

4. BluePrint

BEST FOR PROS

Blueprint provides straightforward juice cleanse kits for a decent price. All their juices are gluten, dairy, and sweetener-free, but they still taste good. Their offerings include easy 3-day plans like the beach-day detox that’s great for beginners, as well as more advanced cleanses for seasoned juicers. The BluePrint site is also very helpful for getting tips and tricks to make your cleanse as effective as possible.

5. Cleanse On The Go 3-day Detox

BEST POWDER

Another great powder detox is this one from Cleanse On The Go. It’s well-priced ($70 for a full 3-day cleanse), and includes 21 packets of instant juice. Over the 3-day period you’ll drink 7 juices a day that detox and naturally provide energy to get you through the process. The package comes highly-rated on Amazon as well, with cleansers loving the easy-to-use packets and weight-cutting results.

6. Juice From the Raw

BEST FOR BEGINNERS

Juice From the Raw is a highly-rated option for a three-day package with great reviews on Amazon. You get 18 bottles of high-quality cold-pressed juices – each specifically made for a different step of your juice cleanse plan. The packs come in a few variations for different levels of expertise, including beginner cleanses that even incorporate a little real food (don’t worry, it’s not cheating). This allows you to tailor the experience to your personal detoxing capabilities, which is key as some people shoot too high and end up having an uncomfortable, ineffective cleanse their first time around.

7. Raw Generation

BEST FOR WEIGHT LOSS

Raw Generation does things a little differently, allowing you to subscribe to their juices. It’s the best option for people focused on weight loss, as Raw Generation also provides a helpful guide for using juice to lose weight. Their website offers two cleanses: one for straightforward weight loss and another that features protein which supports supplemental exercise while you’re on the cleanse. They both come highly-rated, especially the original weight loss cleanse.

 

8. Lemonkind 3-Day Cleanse

BEST SUPERFOODS

This cleanse from Lemonkind boasts a hefty serving of different superfoods in each juice. The pack comes with five different juices that each contain a different superfood, including Turmeric, chia seeds, chlorella, green tea and acerola. These superfoods ensure that you get proper nutrition for energy and focus while doing a cleanse, making it easier to continue working and going about your daily routine.