A frequent question we get asked is, will coffee enemas impact my ability to go to the toilet naturally?
Let’s take a look, the answer might surprise you!
People often wonder whether doing this practice regularly could make the bowel ‘lazy’ or replace the natural urge to go, but rest assured, coffee enemas are here to strengthen and support your body to eliminate waste, not the opposite.
So, let’s talk about how coffee enemas affect natural bowel movements and why you might find you are not going as often if you do this practice regularly.
When you do a coffee enema (or water enema) you will usually find that you release a lot more than you would in a normal bowel movement.
Have You Heard About Gut Transit Time
Gut transit time refers to the amount of time it takes for food to travel through your entire digestive system, from the moment you swallow it until it is eliminated as waste.
For most people, a healthy transit time is anywhere from 12-48 hours. Meaning, what you ate for breakfast yesterday, is the bowel movement you are having first thing the next day. If you eat three sizable meals each day, you should be seeing the same amount in bowel movements.
This would be a sign your bowel was eliminating optimally.
However, for many people, their transit time is actually slower.
A slow transit time is when food or waste moves too slowly through the digestive system.
When discussing what impact enemas can have on your natural bowel movements, it is important to understand this concept.
Role of an Enema
An enema clears out a good portion of your lower descending colon which is why it is often referred to as a tool for “colon cleansing”. The descending colon is where stool sits before it is signaled to be evacuated.
An enema cannot clear your entire colon, only the lower portion. The entire large intestine track is approximately 2 meters long and can hold a large amount of waste. After an enema, there will still be some stool sitting in your transverse and ascending colon.
If you do not have a bowel movement later in the day or for a few days, it is likely that you are actually compacted and the stool is moving slower through the digestive tract than it should. A slow transit time or lazy bowel is a vicious cycle, as the longer stool (waste) sits in the colon, the harder it becomes to move.
Thus enemas can be a powerful tool to show your true transit time.
What causes a slow transit time or constipation?
Having less than one bowel movement a day can be considered as a slow transit time and is characterised as constipation. Less than three bowel movements a week would be There can be many causes, including diet, lack of fibre, inflammation, hydration, or even stress.
Fun tip: Do you want to know your true transit time? Simple – eat some corn! Bright yellow is easy to spot and then see how long until you see it in your natural bowel movement!
How to speed up your transit time
To get your body back into a healthy transit time, we recommend the following:
- Increase your hydration. Are you drinking enough? After doing a coffee enema, it’s always a good idea to add some electrolytes to your water. Electrolytes are a great way to help maintain fluid balance as they help with absorption, especially when you’re giving your system a good cleanse. Hydration is essential for healthy bowel movements regardless if you are doing enemas or not.
- Increase your fibre intake. Adding more fibre, such as fruits, veggies, chia seeds or other forms to your diet can help you become more regular. You could also take a gut fibre supplement to add to your daily routine. Fibre helps to bulk and soften the stools allowing them to sweep through the colon.
- Take Magnesium Oxide. Magnesium Oxide is a natural solution to support constipation. It draws water into the intestines to soften the stool and promotes easy bowel movements.
- Do your enemas after your natural bowel movement. A great way to ensure your natural bowel movements do not get disrupted if you are doing regular coffee enemas is to do them after you have had a natural movement yourself. This way your body stays in routine but you still get the benefits from the coffee enema.
- Decrease your stress levels. Stress is one of the most common reasons for someone not having regular bowel movements as the gut and mind are interconnected. Emotional stress can constrict the gut and take the blood flow away from the digestive system. Try a cup or relaxing herbal tea or turn your enema practice into a self-care routine to further reduce your stress levels. Close the door, put on some music, grab a book or listen to a podcast. The more relaxed your body is during the process, the bigger the benefits. Breath is also a great tool to help relax the body and promote movement in the colon.
Adding coffee enemas to your routine (whether that’s daily, weekly, monthly, or whatever works for you) is a great way to help deeply detoxify the body and promote better gut health. It’s also a good way to cleanse the colon and find out your true transit time.
