3 Types of Enemas to Boost Detoxification & Improve Gut Health

I've shared some of my personal health battle against Late Stage Chronic Lyme Disease on and off on this blog.  And since May is Lyme Disease Awareness Month, you will be hearing  a bit more about my journey and how I'm slowly healing from this devastating illness. Along the way, I hope to provide some insight into some of the daily at home, self-care, and detoxification remedies that I use to keep myself healing physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

I strongly believe that you cannot heal from this disease or any chronic illness with just medications alone. You've got to dig down deep, make some sacrifices, implement changes, and make commitments to yourself to really heal from chronic illness.  When your body has been chronically ill, it is toxic and supporting your body to appropriately eradicate those toxins is a must do or you simply will not get well.

While your doctor or other practitioners may suggest or prescribe medications, supplements, or herbal remedies that will be helpful in this area - this is simply not enough for someone who has been ill for a very long time. This is where the expert help ends and you are the one with the responsibility to treat and support your body in a healing way.  It's a choice you have to make everyday. 

But...a daily practice of detoxification and relaxation strategies can very hard for someone who is ill to implement. I totally get it! This is a learned practice, especially for those who are used to putting others needs before their own.  I have to continually motivate myself and "keep myself in check" to stay on track and make sure I have dedicated the time to focus on my self care.  

One way I do this is by making my daily self care strategies my first priority. For example, I often start my day with some yoga stretches, followed by doing a castor oil pack while listening to a guided meditation.  I also block off time to take a detox bath about 5-7 days a week in the afternoon or early evening to help my body unwind from my day.  I usually incorporate my EFT and positive affirmations during bath time as well. Yes, I'm still a "multi-tasker" at heart:)

Then some days I will also do a coffee enema or an ionic foot bath. These are my weekly self-care rituals I try to stick to...am I perfect? Absolutely not! But if I miss a day or don't do all of it one day I try not to beat myself up.  Tomorrow is a new day to chose healing, choose positivity,  and choose putting myself first! The longer I've been dedicated to these types of practices, the easier they are and the more I look forward to doing them rather than having to make myself do them. This has taken me almost 3 years to slowly incorporate these practices regularly, but if I can do it, so can you!

Last week, I shared my 10 Self-Care Practices to Promote Healing & Relaxation and this week's post is dedicated to one of the at home detoxification practices I use weekly: enemas! 

To be very honest, getting started with this practice was very hard for me  - doing ENEMAS, sounded a bit scary and overwhelming to me. This may be something many of you are thinking right now as well! But I did it  and cannot say enough how much this practice has helped me to decrease my toxic load and reduce my die-off symptoms and flares from treatment.  Big shout out to my fellow Lyme warrior's and friends - Christie & Shelly for inspiring me to start these about a year ago! Love you ladies! So....in this week's What's That?! Wednesday post, I share my top three favorite home enema remedies, the benefits of each and how to do them! Check it out...

First, Here is What You Will  Need to Do an Enema at Home:

1. Enema kit with a stainless-steel enema bucket or clear enema bag and medical, grade, silicone enema tubing:  I prefer the bucket method, but some folks really like the bags. I like the PureLife enema kit which you can  purchase online via the link or another online retailer like Amazon.
2. 2-4 cups filtered water. Chlorinated water kills gut flora, so choose filtered.
3. Small-medium pot and a stove-top
4. Fine mesh strainer
5. Cheesecloth (only needed for coffee enemas)
6. Glass mason jar(s) or glass Tupperware (if making a double or triple batch - see below for details)
7. Yoga mat, towels, blanket, etc: whatever you can lay on the ground to make yourself comfortable. I use a yoga mat with a few old towels laid on top. Another option is laying in your clean bathtub. 
8. Lubricant: I like organic, unrefined, raw coconut oil but Vaseline also works well. 
9. For coffee enema's only: Organic, enema-grade, purified coffee: I recommend Purelife Brand coffee which you can purchase on Amazon or other online retailers. Regular coffee is not suitable for enemas because even organic coffee can contain high amounts of mold or fungus. I recommend the medium roast, which is best for beginners and those with a large toxic burden. 
10. For probiotic enemas only:  Quality probiotic pills or powders. Something with a good selection of bifidobacteria since these are the dominate flora in the colon, whereas acidophilus prefer the small intestine. I follow an Anti-Inflammatory - GAPS sort of diet and the two of the products I like and that meet my dietary restrictions are the Seeking Health Probiotics and the RenewLife Ultimate Flora.  Seeking Health brand is available online and the RenewLife brand can be found online and in stores. Each come in different strengths, for someone whose never tried probiotics orally, you will want to do this first and start with a smaller dose, maybe 10-20 billion vs. the 50-100 billion to see how you tolerate it. If you get gas and bloating after taking probiotics, you should work with a qualified healthcare practitioner to access your gut health and help you choose a product that might be right for you. 
11. Privacy & Time - I use my bathroom which is the most logical space and choose a time where I wont be interrupted or rushed.  I've been doing these several times a week for so long now, I can do an enema and finish the clean up within about 30-40 minutes.  But the first time you do this, make sure you dedicate a few hours before you have to be anywhere or do anything active. You will be learning and moving slower!
    
    Plus if you are someone who is chronically constipated, the first elimination or two will usually be a bit tougher in that you may eliminate on and off again for a couple hours following your enema and you may feel flu like. Once you start to do these regularly and you are not constipated any longer, it is much faster and you start to feel energized afterwards instead of tired and fatigued.  Everyone will be different, I recommend checking with your healthcare practitioner before you start to see what they recommend for you as far as frequency and duration and learn if you have any contraindications.

3 Types of Enemas to Boost Detoxification & Improve Gut Health:

1. Water enema - This is a great place to start if doing an enema is new to you.  If you have chronic constipation, I strongly recommend doing 3-5 water enemas within a 1-2 week time frame before moving onto trying the coffee or probiotic enemas. Water is a simple way to clean the colon, soften your stools, and flush out some toxic waste. In fact the average person carries 10 pounds of toxic waste on them - what?! gross?! If you are someone who is chronically constipated, this practice can help you have more regular bowel movements and eliminate the excess toxic weight. Water enemas will also help to increase your energy and decrease your pain and edema. 
   
   
2. Coffee enema - The way a coffee enema works is the caffeine travels via the hemorrhoid vein and the portal system to the liver where it opens up bile ducts and allows the liver to release bile. This is a really good thing, since bile is where toxins are stored in the liver. A few of the compounds in the coffee, including caffeine dilate blood vessels and bile ducts, relax smooth muscle, and increase bile flow.
   
   While these compounds do not have the same effect when consumed orally, when given rectallly, they stimulate the release of an enzyme called glutathione S-transferase.  Studies show this can increase your body’s level of glutathione production by as much as 600-700%. The reason this enzyme is so special is that is reacts with free radicals in the blood stream that cause damage to our cell walls and make them inert.
    
   These toxic substances dissolve in the bile and are then released from the liver and gallbladder through the intestinal track. Another very cool thing is that the body’s entire blood supply passes through the liver in just 3 minutes. So while your coffee enema is being retained for 12-15 minutes, your blood passes through and is “cleaned” 3-4 times.  This makes coffee enemas a great way to cleanse  your liver and your blood of toxins. I find that regular coffee enemas help to relieve my "herx" reactions, decrease my brain fog, ease depression and anxiety, and increase my energy.  I also find that coffee enemas help relieve my  headaches very effectively.
   ​
3. Probiotic enemas - These enemas can be a very beneficial for those who have done antibiotic therapy since antibiotics really harm the beneficial bacteria that make up your gut microbiome. The billions of bacteria  that make up your gut microbiome actually comprise over 60% of your entire immune system. Keeping your gut healthy and populated with these beneficial bacteria is imperative in healing from any long term illness, chronic infection, dysbiosis, leaky gut, or autoimmune condition.  The enema allows the bacteria from your probiotics to be dropped off right in their "home" in the colon to start repopulating and crowding out the bad bacteria. My personal experience is that doing these 2-3 times per week for a few weeks improved my digestion, decreased my sugar and carb cravings, and helped to improve my brain fog.  Remember to always start with some cleansing enemas like water or coffee before incorporating the probiotic enemas.  I also recommend consulting with your healthcare practitioner before starting any enema routine. They can help you determine the appropriate frequency, duration, and timing of your enema therapy as well as if it is safe for you.

​
How to do an Enema:

1. Always do enemas in the morning on an empty stomach and after you’ve had a bowel movement. If you are constipated and have not had a bowel movement, do a water enema prior to doing any other type of enema.  
2. Place 2-4 cups filtered water in a pot and bring to a boil. If doing a water enema, stop here. For a coffee enema, add 1-3 tablespoons of enema-grade coffee into the boiling water. Boil for 5 minutes, then reduce heat, put the lid on and allow to simmer slowly for an additional 15 minutes. If you are new to coffee enemas or are sensitive to detox therapies, I’d recommend starting with just 1 tablespoon of coffee grinds. You can also start with 2 cups water before moving up to 4. 
3. Remove from the stovetop and allow to cool down to barley warm. While it cools, put your enema bucket and tubing together by following the instructions that come with your kit. NOTE: it is best to use the 3-4” enema nozzle, 16” or longer nozzles are for a deeper colon cleanse and will not have the same “liver detox” effect as using the shorter nozzle.
4. For water enemas, pour water into enema bucket, making sure your clamp is tight. Then you can skip straight to step 5.
   
   For probiotic enemas, use only 1 1/2 - 2 cups of water. Once your water has cooled, you will want to add  in your probiotic powder. Break open the capsules, depending on their size you will need 2-4 capsules. Always start with just 1 cap, no more than 1/8 of a teaspoon.  Then mix it around until it dissolves and pour the probiotic solution into your enema bucket with a tight clamp on. 
   
   For coffee enemas, place the fine mesh strainer over the bucket and then line it with a double layer of cheesecloth to prevent the grinds from going through. Make sure the clamp on the tubing is locked, then pour the coffee solution through the strainer and into the empty bucket.
   
   
5. Remove the strainer (for coffee enemas only) and set aside, then take your bucket and tubing to the bathroom and place the bucket on the counter-top close to where you will be laying. If you are using a bag, you can hang it above you. You want it to be 20-45 inches above where you will be laying so that it flows easily.
6. Double check the temperature to make sure the water is lukewarm. Hold your finger inside the liquid for 10 seconds, if it feels too hot to your finger, it will be too hot for your intestines. Make sure you have cooled the liquid  enough to be just lukewarm.
7. Lay your towels, etc on the floor and then lay down on your right side in the fetal position.
8. Unlock your enema clamp for only a second or two to slowly allow the liquid to fill the tubing up until the clamp. DO this gently:) Then clamp back down tight while you get comfortable.
9.  Lubricate the tip of your nozzle using coconut oil or vasoline and gently insert it about 2-4 inches into the rectum. Then unlock your clamp and allow the enema solution to flow into your gut. You can use a pinching motion on your tube with your fingers to slow it down if you feel any amount of discomfort.
   NOTE: If your enema solution doesn’t flow when you release the clamp it could be a sign that your tubing is being pinched or kinked, your bucket is not high enough, or you are clenching your rectum. If the equipment is ok, relax your rectum, take some deep breaths into your gut and try adjusting the nozzle, maybe pull it out or in ½ inch or so to see if that helps the flow.
10. Lock the clamp when you start seeing the “air bubbles” go through the tubing. You can keep the nozzle inside you or remove it once your enema solution is done. Most people find keeping the nozzle in helps them to hold the enema longer- this is what I do.
11. Lay in this position for 5-8 minutes for water enemas, 12-15 minutes for coffee enemas, and 20-30 minutes for probiotic enemas. 
    
    NOTE: You may hear or even feel a gurgling/squirting noise(s) – this is your gallbladder and colon emptying toxins; a good sign!  Try to avoid the urge to eliminate and hold the enema the full amount of time. You should not force yourself, so if you feel like you can’t or if the urges get too strong, go ahead and eliminate. This may especially be the case for beginners or those who have or have had chronic constipation.  

Each time you do these they will get easier and easier and you will feel better and better. Remember, you are the one that gets to make the choice everyday to support your body to heal or prevent your body from healing. Choose yourself, choose positivity, choose healing!

Are enemas something you do regularly? What benefits have you seen? What types are your favorite? I'd love to hear your experiences and stories in the comments below! Happy healing friends!

~Billie

DISCLAIMER: Please be sure to inquire about all home remedies including enemas with your physician or healthcare practitioner to make certain there are no contraindications for you. The information shared here should not be seen as medical or nursing advice and is certainly not meant to take the place of your doctor's recommendations. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding,  I highly advise not doing enemas of any kind. Always consult with your physician before making any changes.