Why Your Detox Isn't Working

Let’s just be real for a minute. Drinking green juice for three days and calling it a detox is not going to do much for you. And neither will a random cleanse that sends you running to the bathroom every hour. The truth is, most people have no clue how detoxification actually works inside the body. That’s why so many detox attempts end in frustration, bloating, and zero long-term change.

If you’ve ever done a detox and thought, “Why do I feel worse?” or “Why didn’t anything happen?” this is for you.

Let me walk you through why your detox isn’t working and what you need to focus on if you actually want to support your body’s ability to eliminate toxins.

Your Body Is Always Detoxing but You Might Not Be Supporting It

Here’s the thing most people miss. Your body doesn’t wait until you start a juice cleanse to detox. Your liver, kidneys, gut, lymphatic system, lungs, and skin are working constantly to eliminate toxins. The problem is that we live in a world where we are bombarded with junk. That includes pesticides, heavy metals, plastics, medications, mold, alcohol, poor sleep, stress, and hormone-disrupting chemicals in our food and environment.

So no, the issue is not whether your body can detox. The issue is whether your detox pathways are overloaded or sluggish. And in most people, they are.

The Three Phases of Detox That Most People Don’t Understand

Let’s get into the science. Detoxification in the liver happens in three phases. If even one of them is backed up, toxins get stuck in the body and start circulating, reabsorbing, and causing damage.

Phase 1 is where toxins are converted into intermediate forms using enzymes. This process actually makes toxins more reactive, so if you stop here, you will feel worse. Think of this as unlocking the toxins.

Phase 2 is where your liver binds those reactive toxins with amino acids and other compounds so they can be safely eliminated. If your body is low on nutrients like glutathione, B vitamins, or sulfur compounds, this phase can stall out completely. This is the phase most people ignore.

Phase 3 is the final elimination phase. Your body pushes the toxins out through bile which gets excreted in your stool, urine, and sweat.

If your gut is backed up, if you’re not sweating, or if your liver is nutrient-deficient, those toxins can get reabsorbed and recirculate.

How You Know Your Detox Is Not Working

If your detox isn’t actually supporting your body properly, you might notice things like:

• Headaches

• Bloating or constipation

• Skin breakouts

• Fatigue

• Brain fog

• Hormone imbalances

• A strange chemical smell in your sweat or urine

  
  

That is your body trying to tell you something is off. And chances are, it has been off for a while.

Why Toxins Get Stored in Fat Cells

Here’s something most people don’t realize. When your body cannot get rid of toxins, it stores them in fat to protect your vital organs. That’s why so many people struggle to lose fat. They are unknowingly carrying a toxic burden that the body does not want to release. If you don’t support your detox systems first, burning fat can release those toxins into the bloodstream and make you feel even worse.

This is why we always talk about doing things the right way, not the fast way.

How to Actually Support Detox the Right Way

If you want to help your body detox effectively, here’s what matters. These are the same things my family and I focus on every single day.

• Hydration. I’m not talking about a glass of water with lunch. I’m talking 80 to 100 ounces of clean, filtered water a day to help flush your kidneys and support lymphatic drainage.

• Eat organic and clean. Toxins enter through food. You cannot out-supplement a dirty diet. Melinda makes sure our family eats organic, non-processed meals every day.

• Daily bowel movements. If you are not pooping daily, toxins are backing up. Fix your fiber, hydration, and gut health.

• Sweat. I’m in the sauna nearly 3 times a week. Sweating is a major detox route. You can also sweat through workouts but do not overtrain if you are already toxic or sick.

• Liver support. We use supplements that contain milk thistle, dandelion root, turmeric, N-acetyl cysteine, and glutathione. Your liver needs these nutrients to do its job.

• Binders. If you have been exposed to mold, metals, or other toxins, binders like activated charcoal or bentonite clay can help trap and carry them out through the gut.

• Sleep. Detox happens when you sleep. Your brain even goes through its own version of detox at night. You need seven to nine hours of real, uninterrupted sleep every night to allow your systems to reset.

This Isn’t a 3-Day Detox. It’s a Lifestyle

This is not about jumping on the next detox fad and hoping for a miracle. This is about creating daily habits, eating clean, using the right supplements, and taking care of your body the way it was designed to function.

Melinda and I don’t treat detox like a special event. It is part of how we live. Once you make the shift, it becomes second nature. You will feel the difference in your energy, digestion, skin, and even your mental clarity.

So if you’ve been asking, “Why is my detox not working?” now you know. It’s not your fault. You just haven’t been given the full picture. But now you have it. And you can finally do something about it.