Coffee Enemas

No, they are completely optional. We recommend them because we find that they greatly speed detoxification through the liver. They are also very helpful for constipation and for relief during healing reactions.

Coffee enemas, using up to 3 tablespoons of coffee grinds (work up slowly to this amount), can be done once daily for several years or more as needed. In fact, once daily is what we recommend for most clients. Any amount is helpful, even once a week, if that’s all the person has time for. Sometimes we recommend for clients to do two or even three enemas daily for a short period of time, but in most instances, once daily is sufficient. In fact, Dr. Gerson (renowned for pioneering nutritional therapy for cancer and other diseases) used six coffee enemas daily for cancer patients. We, of course, do not recommend our clients do them this frequently, since it is not needed on our program.

In most cases, a couple of hours between coffee enemas is plenty of time. In some cases, you may feel that you need to do a second one within an hour of the first. This is okay to do occasionally. There really isn’t a set time. You can go by how you feel. Do not do more than 3 enemas in one day without checking with me first.

During and after an enema, many people experience no noticeable sensations or changes in their body, other than a bowel movement to release the coffee. This does not mean the enema isn’t working. It is common, however, that one may experience some sensations during or after the enema. There are several sensations that have been reported: light-headedness, energy surges, runny nose, mild headaches, feeling very cold, having another bowel movement later that day, feelings of anger or anxiety, etc. These are fairly common, are usually mild, and are not cause for alarm. If you experience sensations you find uncomfortable, try reducing the amount of coffee grinds you use in the preparation of your enema, and feel free to contact us with any questions. You may also experiment with doing the coffee enema after a meal versus doing it on an empty stomach to see which way helps you to feel better. Changing the time of day you do the enema may also help. You may also try eating a little food after the enema. Occasionally, doing a second coffee enema right after the first will relieve any uncomfortable symptoms caused by the first enema.

Coffee enemas are not as much about cleaning the colon out, but rather about cleansing the liver. When your liver dumps toxins, they dump into the small intestine or out through the urine via the blood and kidneys, so you don’t really know it is happening in most cases. You may often feel a little more energy after a coffee enema, or a symptom may lessen (such as a headache), but often you won’t feel much at all. Sometimes you can feel a little worse as toxins dump from various storage sites in the body. You can even feel cold afterwards or more tired depending on what toxins are coming out. If you feel nauseous afterwards, it means a toxin that dumped into your small intestine is either a very strong toxin or dumped in large quantity. The nausea will usually pass quickly. But if it doesn’t, taking 2 charcoal capsules can help absorb the toxins and ease the nausea. With that said, coffee enemas are also usually helpful for cleaning out the large intestine/colon, so you may find relief when doing them if you tend towards constipation. But the bowel doesn’t always fully empty, so you can repeat with a water enema if desired, or wait to do another coffee enema either later that day (if you are doing more than one per day) or the following day.

Yes, an enema can cause a delay in normal bowel movement because the coffee enema is clearing out any material currently in the end segments of the large intestine. It may take a couple of days after an enema to build up enough fecal matter to have another bowel movement. So if you are doing daily coffee enemas, you may not have bowel movements on your own, which is completely fine. Coffee enemas won’t negatively affect your body’s digestive process. In fact, the coffee can stimulate the production of bile from the liver which actually aids digestion! The coffee enemas also detoxify and therefore strengthen the liver, which is one of the most important organs of digestion. And you will not become dependent on coffee enemas. They actually work to tone your bowel. If you want an even stronger toning effect, you may use coffee that is slightly cooler than body temperature for your enema.

We STRONGLY discourage you from putting anything else in the enema. Not only is it unnecessary, but in some cases, it can be a substance that should not be ingested in that manner.

Yes, depending on the age of the child and only if a parent helps, but they are not usually necessary for children on this program. If your child is on this program and you would like to administer an enema to your child, please contact us and we will advise you.

Yes! Just continue the enemas as you normally do — there is no need to stop. In fact, the coffee enemas can actually help with cramps and other menstrual symptoms.

It’s very much a preference thing. Buckets are much easier to clean, but are also easier to tip and spill. Bags are easier to travel with. Enema bags should be cleaned and air-dried after every use to prevent mildew from forming in it. Additionally, enema bags should be replaced every few months. For these reasons, many prefer enema buckets.

Many drugstores sell enema bottles. You want one that can be re-used — not a one-use, disposable bottle. Amazon and some online stores sell enema bottles and buckets as well. Cost ranges from around $8 to $14 for an enema bag, $18 to $35 for a plastic enema bucket, and around $80 for a glass enema bucket (the best of the best!).

Click on this link to view a video tutorial on How to Assemble An Enema Bottle.

No. You can do a coffee enema anytime, even after meals.

There are several options. You may use any kind of coffee maker filter, but if using paper filters, try to get ones that are non-bleached since the bleach is toxic. You can get re-usable coffee filters for most coffee pots.

These are nice because you can simply wash them periodically and use them indefinitely. If not using a coffee pot, you may still use a coffee pot filter or get a fine mesh strainer. The idea here is that you don’t want large chunks of coffee grinds that can clog your enema tube.

Filtered water, RO (reverse osmosis) water, spring water or distilled water are best. We do not advise using tap water, because there are toxins in the water that will then go into your body when you do the enema. You may use a simple water filter like a Brita filter if you don’t have the other kinds of water available.

We usually recommend using one to two cups of total coffee solution, though you may use less as you find comfortable.

The purpose of the coffee enema is primarily to implant coffee that is then absorbed through the wall of the large intestine and transported to the liver, which then triggers a release of bile and toxins from the liver. Two cups of coffee in an enema is sufficient to accomplish this. Most electrolytes that make it to the large intestine during the digestive process are absorbed back into the blood stream in the part of the large intestine furthest from the rectum. We typically recommend doing coffee enemas frequently, and if one uses more liquid, the enema liquid reaches deeper up into the large intestine and can flush out the electrolytes before they have a chance to be re-absorbed. Doing a deeper enema like this once in a while is okay, but if doing coffee enemas a few times per week or more, you run the risk of flushing out too many electrolytes. Using two cups of liquid or less per enema avoids this potential issue. Also, using more than two cups of enema liquid on a regular basis could potentially stretch out the colon and can additionally strip too much of the protective mucosal layer in the large intestines. If you find that using three cups of liquid per enema gives you the best results, this is acceptable occasionally, but we highly suggest not using more than this on a regular basis.

Some people find they do best when doing a water enema before each coffee enema, but it’s not required. If you want to do a plain water enema, you may use up to 3 cups of water for the water enema, but not more (less is better). Use the same type of water and temperature as suggested for coffee enemas.

It is totally fine to get air in the colon while doing an enema. Sometimes when clearing the air out of the tube in preparation for an enema, the coffee spurts out the end of the tube before all the air is removed from it. One may even forget to clear the air out of the tube before doing the enema. It is nothing to worry about. Remember that you naturally accumulate and pass gases through your intestinal tract. So a little air in your colon is harmless and it will come out on its own.

Sometimes, when you go to release your enema on the toilet not all of it comes out. This can cause your abdomen to be slightly enlarged due to the extra fluid in your colon. The body will either absorb the remaining liquid, or it will come out later when you go to the bathroom again. It’s fine either way. Another thing that can happen is that the coffee enema can sometimes cause a healing reaction in the bowel that creates gas, which can make one’s stomach bloat up temporarily. Additionally, coffee enemas will not necessarily remove all fecal matter from the large intestine, so one shouldn’t expect to have a fully empty colon afterwards. Sometimes doing another coffee enema immediately after the first one will reduce the bloating. This is not necessary, though, as the bloating is harmless and will reduce on its own.

You do not need a special kind of coffee. Use regular coffee. Do not use decaf. Do not use instant coffee. It may say “drip grind coffee” or “regular” or “medium-grind”. This means the coffee is ground to be used in a regular coffee pot where the boiling water drips down onto the grinds. This is the standard way coffee is sold and is a good type to use. It can be medium grind or fine grind, but do not use espresso grind coffee. You can buy coffee already ground (usually the easiest option) or grind it yourself. Organic is best, if at all possible, though not absolutely necessary. Coffee from Columbia or South America in general is wonderful if you can find it. Darker roasts are best. Usually if it is dark roast, it says so on the package. It may not say what roast it is on the coffee, so don’t worry if it doesn’t say anything – that means it is probably medium roast, which is fine to use.

You may use previously-brewed coffee. Ideally keep it in a sealed container, and if storing longer than one day, put it in the refrigerator. It is best not to use coffee that is more than five days old, even if it has been in the fridge. Also, don’t use coffee if it has been exposed to questionable materials such as food, pet hair, saliva, or anything else that could contaminate it.

No, don’t use flavored coffee. Just use plain, preferably organic coffee.

We recommend that you start with 1/4 teaspoon (NOT TABLESPOON) of coffee in one or two cups of water (you may use less water if desired). We recommend this because part of what coffee enemas are intended to do is cause detoxification. Although not everyone will experience strong detoxification reactions, it is a possibility. Also, some people are more sensitive to caffeine or other aspects of the coffee. For these reasons, we recommend that you start with a lesser amount of coffee. Then, if you don’t experience strong detox reactions within the next 24 hours, you can increase the amount of coffee for the next enema. You should work your way up slowly, eventually getting to up to 3 tablespoons in one or two cups of water. Some people do best with less coffee, so do not force yourself to do 3 tablespoons if you feel better using less.

It is best to hold (“retain”) coffee for up to 20 minutes before releasing it. If you have a strong urge to release it earlier, you may do so. Retaining an enema for even 5 minutes is still beneficial. The more enemas you do, the easier it usually becomes to hold it longer. In fact, most people get so comfortable doing them that they wind up enjoying them! We do not recommend retaining the coffee for longer than 30 minutes as a general rule, but it won’t cause any harm to retain it longer. If you happen to do one before bed, for example, and hold it overnight, don’t be worried — you will be just fine. The water from the coffee will have likely absorbed through the colon into the body to be used. The colon is designed to absorb water. The rest of the coffee remaining in your colon will be flushed out with your next enema or bowel movement.

It’s fine if you are not able to hold the enema for long. You’ll get used to it over time. Try taking deep breaths, gently massage the intestines a little, and often the cramp/urge will pass. Try laying in different positions, too. Another trick is to do a plain water enema first where you fill with 2 cups of warm water and then immediately release to empty the bowel. Then follow up right away with the coffee enema. And you may also try using only 1 cup of total liquid for the coffee enema, by concentrating the coffee more by using the full amount of coffee grinds with only one cup of water.

We sell an all-natural balm that is good for this (make sure you use the UNSCENTED one only): Badger Balms. This one may be good as well http://www.optimalhealthnetwork.com/Super-Salve-Plastic-Jar-p/903.htm. You can also use any plain organic vegetable oil (such as olive oil), coconut oil, or other oil – just make sure it was stored in a glass bottle, and not plastic. You can lubricate the insertion tube of the enema bottle as well as the exterior of your anus or simply lubricate the insertion tube only.

Coffee enemas are generally considered safe even with hemorrhoids, though there are a few things you can do to make enemas easier. First, you may want to use a thinner, smoother nozzle. Here a couple that may be more comfortable: http://www.purelifeenema.com/tapered-enema-nozzle/ and http://www.optimalhealthnetwork.com/Flex-Tip-Nozzle-Junior-Blue-p/503.htm.

Second, make sure you are using a sufficient amount of lubricant. (See the Question and Answer above for more about this.)

Third, when releasing your enemas, do not sit on the toilet waiting for it to come out. Release what you can, gently dab the area with a moist towelette, then stand up. Sitting and waiting will exacerbate a hemorrhoid. If you don’t have an immediate urge to release, stand or walk around near the toilet until that urge comes. Then sit, release, dab with a moist medium, and stand again. Don’t push the enema fluid out. Let it come out as your body naturally pushes it. Don’t try to force it out.

Lastly, and probably most importantly, insert the nozzle slowly and do not push the nozzle in. It should glide in smoothly with minimal force. If there is any pain while inserting, stop and remove.