You've probably seen the bright green jugs. Maybe a coworker was sipping one while looking suspiciously energetic, or you stumbled across that famous white and green book cover while doom-scrolling. It’s been years since the jj smith 10 day green smoothie cleanse first blew up, and yet, here we are in 2026, and people are still blending spinach like their lives depend on it.
Why? Because it’s aggressive. It promises a 10-to-15-pound loss in less time than it takes to get a package delivered from overseas. But let's be real—drinking nothing but blended plants for ten days straight isn't exactly a walk in the park. It’s more like a sprint through a swamp. A very healthy, fiber-filled swamp.
The Raw Reality of the 10 Days
Most people think "cleanse" and assume they'll be starving. Honestly, that’s the first thing JJ Smith tries to debunk. You’re not just drinking water and lemon juice. You are consuming massive amounts of fiber.
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The core of the program is built on three specific smoothies a day, totaling about 60 ounces of liquid greens and fruit. You aren't just "juicing." You’re blending. That distinction matters because you keep the fiber, which is basically the only thing keeping your stomach from staged a full-scale revolt by Day 3.
What’s actually in the blender?
The recipes aren't random. They follow a specific formula:
- Leafy Greens: Spinach, kale, or spring mix.
- Fruit: Apples, bananas, berries, or mangoes to make it actually taste like something other than a lawn.
- Water: The base.
- Flaxseeds: For those essential fatty acids and more fiber.
- Stevia: A little sweetness so you don't feel like you're punishing yourself.
If you’re doing the "Full Cleanse," that’s your life for ten days. If you’re doing the "Modified Cleanse," you get two smoothies and one healthy meal (think grilled chicken and sautéed veggies) per day. Most people who want the dramatic "before and after" photos stick to the full version.
Why Your Body Screams on Day 3
Detox is a fancy word, but the process is kinda messy.
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By the third or fourth day, many people hit a wall. JJ Smith calls it the "detox period," but your brain might call it "why am I doing this to myself?" You might get headaches. You might feel irritable. This is usually your body reacting to the sudden lack of caffeine, processed sugar, and white flour.
It’s a literal withdrawal.
The book mentions five detox methods to help push through this, including the somewhat controversial saltwater flush or using detox teas like Yogi or Triple Leaf. The goal is to move waste out of the colon. Fast. Some critics argue your liver and kidneys already do this for free, but proponents of the jj smith 10 day green smoothie cleanse swear that the jump-start is what resets their cravings.
The "Secret" Snacks You're Allowed to Eat
Here’s the part people get wrong: you can actually eat solid food.
It’s not an all-you-can-eat buffet, but Smith allows high-protein snacks to keep your metabolism from tanking and to stop you from biting your neighbor's arm off.
- Hard-boiled eggs (limit 2 per day)
- Raw, unsalted nuts (just a handful)
- Crunchy veggies (carrots, celery, cucumbers)
- Unsweetened peanut butter (2 tablespoons)
These snacks are the bridge between "I can do this" and "I’m ordering a pizza." Without the protein from the eggs or nuts, the blood sugar spike from all that fruit fruit in the smoothies might leave you feeling shaky.
Is it Actually Sustainable?
Let’s be intellectually honest here. You aren't losing 15 pounds of pure fat in ten days. That’s physically impossible.
A lot of that initial drop is water weight and, frankly, clearing out the "backlog" in your digestive tract. However, the real value isn't the number on the scale on Day 11. It’s the "reset."
After ten days of zero processed sugar, an apple suddenly tastes like candy. A salad feels like a treat. Smith’s program is less about a permanent liquid diet and more about a "pattern interrupt." It breaks the cycle of salt-sugar-fat addiction that most of us live in.
The Science-ish Side
Studies on ultra-low-calorie diets show they can spark rapid weight loss, but they also risk muscle loss if you don't get enough protein. That’s why many modern practitioners of the cleanse add a scoop of plant-based protein powder (like SunWarrior or Garden of Life) to their morning blend. It protects the muscle while the fat burns.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Not rotating your greens: Don't just use spinach for ten days. Too much of one green can lead to a buildup of alkaloids. Switch to kale, then chard, then arugula.
- Skimping on water: You’re already drinking smoothies, but you still need plain water. It helps the flaxseed fiber move through your system instead of turning into a brick in your gut.
- The "Post-Cleanse" Binge: If you finish Day 10 and go straight to a burger joint, you’ll gain 5 pounds by morning. The transition back to solid food needs to be slow—think light soups and salads for the first few days.
How to Start Tomorrow
If you're actually going to do the jj smith 10 day green smoothie cleanse, don't just wing it.
Buy the bags of frozen fruit in bulk. Wash your greens thoroughly (pesticides are the opposite of a detox). Get a good blender—a cheap one will leave you chewing on kale stems, which is a one-way ticket to quitting by noon.
Actionable Next Steps:
- Audit your kitchen: Toss the white bread, sugar, and soda today so there's no temptation when the Day 3 "hunger monster" hits.
- Pick your start date: Don't start on a Friday if you have a big dinner party on Saturday. Success is 90% logistics.
- Grab the protein: Find a clean, plant-based protein powder to add to your smoothies to keep your energy stable.
- Join a group: The Facebook community for this cleanse is massive and surprisingly active for a book that came out years ago; having people to vent to when you're craving a taco is vital.
The 10 days will pass anyway. You might as well spend them seeing what happens when you actually give your body the nutrients it’s been asking for.