Self Care Sunday: Why you should try a Coffee Enema

If you’re into health and wellness you probably have heard the word enema thrown around or colon cleanse. There are a few different things you can do to really clean out the large intestine. And let me just say don’t knock it until you try it. Gigi has done full on colonics and raves about it. I am looking forward to trying her recommendation now that I’m back east. 

I decided to look into coffee enemas because my mom had always talked about them and health and wellness sites piqued my interest. I am an avid juicer and go through phases of juice cleanses a few times a year. I used to do them once a month which I still believe is a great active reset for your body, however I don’t have the same access to the wonderful OH! juice i used to be a part of. Now I am on my own making my own juices which can be a lot when you are cold pressing. Details on juice cleansing and how to make your own can be found here. 

SO when you are on a juice cleanse or any kind of cleanse for that matter an enema of any sort is the perfect accompaniment to your cleanse. When your body is doing a juice cleanse you eliminate fiber from your diet for a few days, this gives your digestive tract a true break from breaking down foods and fiber blocking some nutrients from absorption and the nutrients from the juice can essentially get straight into your bloodstream. 

During this cleansing and cleaning time I LOVE doing a coffee enema and let me tell you why. The more I research it the more I was excited to try it. Seriously some people do it every day and I’m like damn #goals. The Gerson Therapy puts a heavy emphasis on coffee enemas along with juicing as an effective way to treat cancer patients. Cleansing and doing an enema is ideal, but you can do an enema any time. 

Coffee Enemas: 

• Eliminate parasites or candida overgrowth
• Stimulates the "Master Detoxifier" Enzyme in the liver: GST (glutathione S-Transferase) which binds to toxins and eliminates them. 
• Cleanses the colon and improves peristalsis (the process of moving things through the digestive and lower GI tract).
• Cleanses the liver. Because you are absorbing the coffee straight through the colon wall it is able to effectively and quickly stimulate the GST in the liver and help the liver with eliminating the toxins it processes on a regular basis.  
• Kickstart your body into functioning optimally. The enema process clears the colon of nasty buildup and toxic waste that cleans and clears for better digestion. 

After a Coffee Enema You Feel: 

• lighter
• cleaner
• energized
• mental clarity
• relaxed
• healthy AF. 

On top of all of that it’s seriously INSANE the amount of crap  (sorry, but literally) that is built up in your lower GI. I eat a predominantly clean diet (besides my pizza binge during my move) and when I did my juice cleanse I was on day 2 of 3 so I hadn’t eaten in 2 days and out of curiosity I weighed myself before I started my enema and after I had eliminated everything. This is also saying that I had already had a daily movement so I was really clear before I began the enema process… or so I thought. The difference of weight was INSANE. 2 pounds. My mind was blown that I had been juicing a few days and already gone to the bathroom and then THAT much more was built up inside of me. I felt much lighter after the enema too. Every time I do an enema out of curiosity I do the weighing thing and it's always 1-2 pounds difference. Yikes. 

The enema process.

1. Make the coffee. I bring 4 cups of distilled or highly filtered water to a boil* and add 3-4 Tablespoons finely, freshly ground ORGANIC coffee**. 
2. Simmer the coffee and steep for 15-20 minutes and strain through cheesecloths or alternatively brew with a coffee filter. Make sure you remove ALL solids from your enema coffee. You do not want any coffee grinds going into your colon. 
3. As your coffee cools Create a comfortable spot on your bathroom floor. I repeat you need to be in CLOSE vicinity to your commode. Put a towel down grab a magazine or book and get your space set up. Do not sit on your phone. You will be laying here for at least 15-30 minutes. 
4. Set up your sterilized enema kit and use some fresh, medical grade silicone tube. I rinse mine through with warm water first. Connect your tubes and place your stopper in a stop position to catch the coffee. 
5. Make sure the coffee is at room temperature, it should be lukewarm and close to your body temp. Should be cooler than bath water and if you submerged your finger you would be able to leave it there and not become burned or uncomfortable. 
6. Pour the filtered water into your enema bag to the stopping point. Remove all air bubbles from the tube by releasing the coffee into the tub or sink and then clamping the tube while it is full and without air bubbles. 
7. Using coconut oil or grapeseed oil you can lubricate the tip of the tube that will be inserted. Insert 1-2 inches of the tube, and relax on your right side.
8. Unclamp the tube and allow the coffee to flow. Relax and allow the bag to drain for 15-20 minutes max. 
9. You might experience cramping this is normal. When you have taken in all of the coffee or when you are unable to hold it anymore release on the toilet. You will probably have to go a couple of times until it all comes out. 
10. Make sure you drink plenty of water after the elimination process as it can cauase diarrhea especially if you have a lot of toxic buildup. 

*The importance of water being filtered or distilled: There are many minerals that our bodies need that come from water, but most of the tap water in this country is highly contaminated with chrlorines, chloramides, fluorine, etc. not to mention the risk of bad bacteria in water. Don't risk it when you are putting things up your bum and make sure the water you use is distilled, reverse osmosis, or berkey filtered with fluoride filters. The same way the caffeine is easily absorbed through your colon into your liver so would the bad bacteria, chlorine or fluoride become available and they are countering the detoxifying effects. 

**ONLY USE ORGANIC COFFEE THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT.  Coffee Tangent: I don’t drink coffee, however if I did I would ONLY drink organic not just because almost everything I put into my body needs to be organic, but because the coffee industry is especially heavy on the pesticides that go onto the beans during growth. When you roast and grind and concentrate the coffee bean to what everyone enjoys as coffee you are also concentrating all of those pesticides and chemicals that you don’t want in your body (no matter where they are entering). Commercial coffee can damage the liver so PLEASE avoid using that and go for the organic coffee for an enema. 

Things have been hectic since I’ve been in this transitional period of moving across the country so a lot of my routines and health are out of whack. I’m ready to get back into at the very least once a month, but ideally bi-weekly committing to an enema cleanse. It is recommended for healthy individuals to do an enema once a week and those with chronic disease to do enemas 1-4x daily. 

Not the most glamorous way to treat yourself on Sunday, but if you really want to give your body a thorough cleaning from within this coffee enema will not disappoint.  This will help your body to function at its best. 

Please let me know if you have any questions about enemas in the comments below. 

Disclaimer: The information provided on this site is intended for your general knowledge only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice or treatment for specific medical conditions. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease without consulting with a qualified healthcare provider. Please consult your healthcare provider with any questions or concerns you may have regarding your condition.