Dr. Cabral 7-day detox review + recipes

 Sharing my thoughts on the Dr. Stephen Cabral 7-day detox, and sharing the recipes I enjoyed while I was on this Functional Medicine detox. I have a podcast episode about the detox here!

Hi friends! How are you? I hope you’re having a lovely day so far. I’m re-sharing this post today because we’re heading into fall, which is the perfect time for a detox. Hundreds of you have done this functional medicine detox with me and have experienced amazing results. For this one, we’ll be joining the giant IHP community with our group detox; last time over 50,000 people joined in!! You can order your detox kit here (use code FITNESSISTA10 if it’s your first order and then join our private (new) Facebook group here. 

Here is a recap of one of my experiences with this detox!

In this post, I also wanted to share some of the recipes and meals I enjoyed for my friends out there who are considering doing this functional medicine detox on their own time. It can be helpful to have meal ideas for days 3-7. This post is a beefy one because there’s so much I wanted to include. Grab a mug of coffee or tea and I’d love to chat with ya and share my experience.

Here we go!

Dr. Cabral 7-day detox review + recipes

What is the detox and how does it work?

-This detox was created by Dr. Stephen Cabral. He’s the founder of EquiLife, the founder of the Cabral Wellness Institute, the host of the Cabral Concept podcast, a board-certified doctor of naturopathy and the author of the Rain Barrel Effect. He’s my mentor through the Integrative Health Practitioner Institute and I’m a huge supporter of his mission to have a health coach in every home.  He always has great recommendations and I enjoy following along on Instagram. Check out his podcast to see if he has an upcoming house call episode – those are my faves.

– It’s a liver-based detox to help reset your body, provide a break from digesting heavy foods, and potentially help your body eliminate toxins that we accumulate from our environment and decrease our toxic load. It includes functional medicine ingredients and Ayurvedic herbs to support phase 1 and 2 liver detoxification. It can help with a variety of symptoms, and help to restore specific nutrient deficiencies and mineral levels while removing toxicities from the body.

– It’s nutrition-focused. It includes the POWERHOUSE Daily Nutritional Support powder (which I’ve had in my smoothies for the past couple of months and notice a difference in how I feel when I drink this smoothie), and meal guidelines for the remaining meals. The goal is to NOT have your body depleted of nutrients during the process.

– This powerful system can potentially help with weight loss (although that’s not a focus for me), along with anti-aging, and total body wellness. I’ve found it to be life changing and so have so many of my clients.

– It’s only 7 days! When I first started working with a naturopath (back in the old days! It was like 2010), he had me do a month-long detox that was similar in format (but did not include the Ayurvedic supplements). It’s so much easier to do for 7 days, and I feel like my results were even better from the extra nutritional support. (The first two days are supplements, fruit, and smoothies only, and on day 3, you add in nutrient-dense meals using their meal guideline/template.)

Each detox kit includes the following: 

Daily Nutritional Support Shake: 

This one-stop shop for vitamins, minerals, protein, electrolytes, and antioxidants is the heart and soul of Dr.Cabral Detox. With 15 grams of vegan protein, the EquiLife Daily Nutritional Support provides your body with much-needed energy and nutrition while your body begins to rid itself of toxins. This complete nutritional support is something that I have on a daily basis, year round.

FM Detox:

Utilizing the most recent research in Functional Medicine, FM Detox provides the compounds necessary to support both phases of liver detoxification. Essential amino acids, antioxidants, and botanical extracts like milk thistle help the body to capture and move toxins to the liver where they can be metabolized and removed during phase two. Ingredients like dandelion root extract support the production of bile which aids in elimination. As a diuretic, dandelion root increases the water supplied to the liver which facilitates toxin elimination in the urine.

AYU Detox:

Incorporating ancient Ayurvedic healing traditions that support optimal detoxification, the AM Detox helps begin the detox process. Various diuretics move water to the liver and increase the solubility of toxins. Triphala, the combination of three plants: Emblica Officinalis, Terminalia bellerica, and Terminalia chebula, have been studied for their roles in gastrointestinal health. When used in conjunction, it is suggested this powerful trio promotes the growth of beneficial gut microbes Bifidobacteria and Lactobacillus, while inhibiting the growth of undesirable strains.

(You can read more and explore scientific references here.)

My experience by day:

Day 1:

Day 1 was just shakes and supplements, and I expected to feel run down and tired. I felt amazing. I had a lot of energy and felt clear and focused. So, I took this day entirely off from the gym and spent extra time meditating and reading in the evening.

Day 2:

I expected hunger to kick in, and it hit pretty hard in the afternoon. I ate a bowl of raspberries and blueberries and felt much better. And, I figured if I needed to skip ahead to Day 3 at any point during the detox, I could do it. But, I didn’t feel like I needed it. I did feel more tired this day, and only took Maisey for our usual walk for activity.

Day 3:

The first day of adding back whole foods and food had never tasted so amazing in my life. This is why I LOVE doing occasional resets; it brings me back to my tastebuds and the foods I genuinely enjoy. I made channa masala, which I knew was going to be flavorful, but it was bursting with spices and citrus. It was incredible. I felt my energy soar in the afternoon, so I did a quick Sculpt Society workout (no cardio, just lightweight and bodyweight strength).

Day 4:

I feel like I hit my groove with meal planning and felt myself looking forward to the shakes and each meal. This was another off day from the gym and I just walked Maisey. Lunch was an awesome Mediterranean lentil dish for lunch (recipe below) and we had the best scallops and asparagus for dinner. (Got the scallops from ButcherBox and the girls went crazy for them.)

Days 5-7:

I started to get back into a more *normal* workout routine but modified it quite a bit since I felt weak. I did an F45 class one day, a hot yoga day the following day, and took Sunday as a rest day.

Something I noticed during this detox:

– My Oura scores were the best they’d ever been consecutively. I had multiple triple crown days (usually if I get 3 for the entire week, I’m pumped) in a row!! I slept SO well and had vivid dreams each night.

(5 triple crown days in one week!)

My final thoughts/results:

Physically, I feel like inflammation is down in my face, and wish I would have taken photos to compare. My wedding ring usually fits me snugly and is now loose. Mentally, I feel even more energized, focused, and clear. I feel like I’m back in touch with the way I like to eat, which makes me feel and perform my best. Pre-detox, it was very normal for me to walk past the pantry and grab a cookie from the cookie jar each time. Sugar and treats started to become habits rather than something I truly enjoyed.

Fruit and veggies started to taste bland to me, and I found myself craving more and more sugar. This helped me remember how good it feels to focus on fresh, whole, foods and how they taste pretty good. I will absolutely do this again, and next time, I might go for the 14-day plan. Many of the gals in our group are continuing with the program because they feel so amazing. And I love that I can achieve the same results as some 21-day plans in 14-days or less.

We’re exposed to so many toxins, pesticides, and harmful chemicals in our modern world and I love having this tool to implement on a quarterly basis.

Dr. Cabral Detox Side Effects

You may experience some of the following side effects during days 1-2 of your detox plan. Side effects can include jitters (or “brain fog”), headaches, bloating, low mood, brain fog, and cramps. If you’re feeling any of these symptoms, don’t worry! It’s a normal part of the detox process and will go away once your body gets used to being cleansed. Another side effect that many people notice is powerful weight loss; is wild how much inflammation can affect fat storage and water retention.

Here’s a short video I made with my experience:

7-day detox recipes

Detox lunch recipes

Channa Masala

Makes about 5 large servings (save any leftovers for upcoming lunches or freeze)

Ingredients: 

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 teaspoon fresh minced ginger

15 oz tomato sauce

8 oz water

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon garam masala

2 cans chickpeas, drained

1/2 bag spinach

Cilantro and lemon, for serving

In a large pot, sauté the onion, ginger, and garlic in a bit of avocado oil until fragrant. Season with salt and pepper, and add all of the spices. Coat with the spices, and then stir in the tomato sauce, water, and chickpeas. Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Wilt in the spinach for a minute or two, and then serve with chopped cilantro on top and a squeeze of lemon juice. I enjoyed this on cauliflower rice and it was incredible! The leftovers were even better.

Mediterranean Lentil Dish

Makes 4 servings (save any leftovers for upcoming lunches or freeze)

1/2 sweet onion, chopped

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes rehydrated in water (I like to do this because they’re much softer)

16 oz cooked black lentils

8 oz artichoke hearts

1 teaspoon oregano

1/2 bag of spinach

Dressing:

2 tablespoons olive oil

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon each of thyme and basil

In a large pot, sauté the onion and garlic in a bit of avocado oil until fragrant. Add the lentils, artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes, oregano, and season well with salt and pepper. Warm through while you make the dressing. Whisk all the dressing ingredients together and pour on top. Serve with extra lemon juice.

Hummus and veggie wraps

– I made the hummus with chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, cumin, garlic powder, salt, and pepper and then served it on romaine boats with avocado, bell pepper, and carrots

Detox dinner ideas

Hot bar!

One night P had soccer late and I didn’t have time (or energy) to make anything. We went to a hot bar and I grabbed Paleo chicken, cabbage slaw, broccoli, cauliflower, and a scoop of hummus. It was perfect.

Scallops and asparagus (I made risotto for the fam, too):

Just pan-seared them with salt and pepper, and served with roasted asparagus (garlic powder, avocado oil, and salt and pepper)

Blackened salmon in the air fryer

Makes 4 servings

Here’s the recipe for the salmon:

1/4 teaspoon each: cumin, garlic powder, oregano, paprika, chili lime seasoning from Trader Joe’s (to the fam’s I added 2 tablespoons brown sugar)

Make the blackened seasoning by mixing the above ingredients in a small bowl

Season the salmon well with salt and pepper and preheat the Air Fryer to 400 degrees. Fully coat the salmon with the seasoning and spray the basket of the air fryer with avocado oil. Add the salmon and cook for 7-10 minutes until cooked through. Serve with any sides you like! We had this with baked sweet potato and salad with lemon and olive oil

Turkey burgers with avocado and veggie salad:

The Pilot made the turkey burgers, and the fam had theirs on buns with waffles fries, and salad, and I ate mine on a chopped veggie salad with avocado

Related: Detox vegetable soup recipe

Get more of my detox recipes for free here.

If you’re curious about checking out these programs for yourself, you can check them out here. Please let me know if you decide to give this a whirl! Doing this before the holidays helped me reset before a time of extra sugar and events, and I also look forward to doing it quarterly.

If you decide to join us this spring,  pick up your detox kit and join us in the Facebook group!

If you’re interested in working together with functional labs, 1:1 or group wellness coaching, book your strategy call here. My goal is to help you make sustainable lifestyle changes, and get to the root cause of weight gain, autoimmune symptoms, low energy, and hormone imbalances.

Hope you have a wonderful day and I’ll see ya soon!

xo

Gina