Taking the ick factor out of coffee enemas

A coffee enema is the perfect example of “don’t knock it until you’ve tried it.”  I’ve done them as part of periodic cleanses, and I can attest the results are remarkable. You can see my before and after pictures of how they helped me with stomach bloat, when paired with a juice cleanse.  

Some basics. An enema is a colon cleanse traditionally used to relieve constipation. Healthline says that coffee enemas are thought to stimulate the production of glutathione, a detoxifying antioxidant. GST (glutathione) is not only a detoxification enzyme, but it is the ‘master’ detoxification enzyme. And coffee enema’s are able to bring the production of this master detox enzyme by 600-700% which nothing else is able to. This is unique specifically to coffee due to the palmitic acid. Anyways, everything else is great! When performed correctly, an enema shouldn’t be painful. It involves inserting a lubricated tube into your rectum (which is the lower part of the large intestine), filling your colon with an organic coffee mixture, holding it, and emptying.

I do coffee enemas to release toxins from my body. As a Juice Therapist, I eat an extremely clean vegan diet, but some foods can still contribute to poisons in the body, and I just want them out. In addition to that, know that you can still have toxins if you eat clean. With juicing and healthy raw foods, I’m putting so much good in my body, I want to assist my body to flush the bad out.

To start, people you need to make your coffee. I use any type of organic coffee. You will bring 2 cups of water to a boil and add in 2 tsp of coffee. Bring to a simmer and let cool. Then add in 4 cups of distilled water. Now you are ready to get going. Many find lying on their sides most comfortable, however I lay on my back. I take deep breaths, insert the tube and release the valve to let the coffee fill my colon. I try to hold the solution in for about 15 minutes, and then release on the toilet.

I learned a lot about coffee enemas through the Gerson Institute. This California non-profit educates people on alternative treatments for cancer and other diseases. Here’s what the institute says about coffee enemas for detoxifying:

“The purpose of them is to stimulate the liver to increase its detoxification of the blood and decrease the toxic load on the liver. This includes removing a variety of toxins and free radicals from the bloodstream.  The enemas assist the liver so as not to overburden an already sluggish and toxic liver with the flood of toxins dislodged from the clean, nutrient-dense food and juice of our program. They are not for everyone.”

To start, the coffee solution is held in the colon for about 15 minutes each session. “The vessels in the lower part of the descending colon and rectum carry the solution to the liver. The potent compounds in coffee are absorbed by the hemorrhoidal and mesenteric veins that route the liver,” according to the institute.

Coffee enemas aren’t new:  they date back to ancient Egyptian writings, and have been documented in the case reports from the late 1800s, according to the institute.

Why coffee?  It contains compounds that help the body detoxify.  Some people prefer to make homemade coffee enemas by brewing organic ground coffee with filtered water that’s been boiled and filtered.

Other benefits?  The institute cites that coffee enemas don’t produce bile. “The coffee does cause some stimulation of the liver to produce bile, but it’s the potent compounds including caffeine, theobromine, and theophylline that dilate blood vessels, bile ducts, and relax smooth muscles, increasing the flow of bile.”

Since electrolytes are lost during the evacuation process, coffee enemas should be followed up by juice. The Gerson Institute recommends twenty-four ounces of juice after an enema.  

Want to learn more about how juice therapy can help you? Download your free copy of Evie’s Enlivening Juice List featuring my enlightened list of juicing essentials plus some of my favorite recipes.