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Permalink Reply by Melissa on February 21, 2008 at 1:13pm

I would like to know too. I am kind of afraid of enemas. But, I've been hearing a lot about this "old fecal matter" that is hard and dark that somehow comes off the walls of our colons/intestines. But how do we know? Maybe I need to get a book on enemas....hhmm!

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Permalink Reply by Allison on February 21, 2008 at 2:03pm

This program requires enemas because fiber is removed from the blended vegetables in order for the detox to happen more quickly. I'm happy to trade speed for fiber since I won't do enemas. But when I noticed that straining the juice leaves some fiber in, I wondered if it might be enough for some people to not even need enemas in the first place. But my guess is that if the juice is still kind of thick, that they would say strain it again or something. :-) Lots of people just go ahead and do the enemas. Juicefeasting.com has some good information on enemas- you might want to check it out.

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Permalink Reply by David and Katrina Rainoshek on February 21, 2008 at 5:35pm

You are near the truth, but lets get right to the heart of it. Great points, great conversation, by the way.

The program does not require enemas because of the lack of fiber. I know it would appear that way, and you are close...

If in the realm of possibility we could achieve the same level of cleansing with all the fiber we normally consume, you would still do well to do enemas on the Juice Feast. Even in that hypothetical (and unfortunately not possible) scenario, your body would not be able to eliminate as quickly as you are processing all that old toxic matter from every cell in your body. Cleansing reactions and healing crises would occur at a much higher rate.

So, the enemas are not a replacement for what fiber does - they are to help toxins move out more efficiently - and that higher toxic release is made possible by virtue of removing fiber from the equation and turning on the body to a physiology of cleansing. The formal term for this reality is called "physiological compensation," which means that energy saved in one department will be used in another. In the case of Juice Feasting, energy saved from having to digest solid food is then relegated to healing the whole body.

Don't be afraid of enemas. The body, on a daily basis, puts some water into the colon to help with bowel movements. You are putting a little more water in your colon to help that process out. Water in your colon is already a daily done deal, we are just increasing that reality.

Great questions, you guys. We love the conversation that is going here!

With peaceful steps,

David and Katrina Rainoshek

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Permalink Reply by Allison on February 21, 2008 at 8:08pm

I know you've talked about the need for enemas before but you've made the reason why especially clear here (or it may be that all the green juices I've been drinking are clearing my brain). Thanks!!

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Permalink Reply by Melissa on February 22, 2008 at 12:22am

Is it possible to potentially hurt yourself performing an enema? I think this is the one thing that scares me. See, our bodies naturally put water into our colons, however, it's from inside, not from the outside! I am really going to have to research enemas and things, as I want to detox and get rid of as much junk as possible.

I've also had family talk to me about colonics and things...and phew! So much to learn about.

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Permalink Reply by juicespirit on March 5, 2008 at 11:46am

I would bring this to David's attention.

He does say using an enema once a day, and the Gerson Clinic may use multiple enemas on a patient in a day.

I have used it, felt good, and want to do it twice a day, but I am afraid of getting use to it than having natural bowel movements.

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Permalink Reply by Becca on March 5, 2008 at 1:07pm

I have been internally cleaning off and on for 10 years. When I don't do them for a few weeks, or even a few days, I have no problem going on my own. I just like to clean myself out, I liken it to taking a sauna, just because you take a sauna to help promote sweat doesn't mean you won't be able to sweat on your own through exercise... If you make sure the water isn't too hot or too cold, and you use some sort of oil or aloe gel to help the ease of entry of the wand, I don't see how you could hurt yourself :)

perhaps some people are afraid that enemas are somehow like taking a laxative, the laxative will promote your body to start expelling from the inside, but the enema just washes you out, like washing out a glass after you drink juice, or water moving down a clogged up garden hose. It's not replacing our normal internal processes that move our bowels.

I wanted to add that I have performed them more than once a day - I don't hesitate to do it if I feel I need it.

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Permalink Reply by Allison on March 5, 2008 at 2:14pm

Well, sweating is different from peristalsis (the movement of the intestines) so we really can't compare the two process. Too many enemas can indeed cause the body to "unlearn" these muscle contractions and develop a dependency upon enemas to do perform the job. And every body is different; some of us will be more sensitive to enemas and others will have little problem with it. We really need to pay attention to our bodies. It is my understanding, however, that within the juice feasting program the enemas are short term- is this correct? Or do you do daily enemas for 92 days?

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Permalink Reply by David and Katrina Rainoshek on March 5, 2008 at 2:30pm

We recommend doing enemas for the first 10-14 days. After that, only as needed (if you are feeling headachy, tired, sluggish, yucky, detoxish, etc.) Also, you are not necessarily going to have a BM every day on your Juice Feast, don't worry about that! But please, please do get in a morning enema for the first 10-14 days while your body is going to be doing quite a bit of cleansing!!

We explain this more in the Juice Feasting Intro, check out the Timeline!!

Don't worry about hurting yourself with enemas, Becca has a great metaphor with washing out a glass.

With love,

David and Katrina.

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Permalink Reply by leslie on May 10, 2008 at 12:45pm

Hi David and Katrina!
I'm happy to join you all----! I'm on day 20 (starting the GJF a little late...) AND I'm still in this place where if I don't do an enema I barely have a BM. I've done 2 coffee enemas... which have been Really Deep! Getting to know/feel my liver. Is it possible that I can keep doing enemas until my digestion kicks in on its own? I feel like my colon is used to being "pushed around" by fiber and so... without anything to "externally stimulate" it---- it's in shell shock mode?! Also, do you think parastalsis is potentially hindered by blood sugar or fruit in general. I'm trying to have a 0-glycemic juice feast, at the moment--- because it seems like my emotions/body/imbalance is ...way too sensitive to everything.
Thoughts?
Love to Patagonia!
L

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Permalink Reply by Mark on May 11, 2008 at 3:35pm

Hi Leslie. I'm sure David or Katrina will have some great advice for you, but in the meantime, have you tried psyllium? If not, that may be an option for you. Also, you may wish to try colonics to get things moving. A colonic will go far deeper than an enema will.

I think you are doing the right thing as well by doing mostly green juices if you are feeling at all hypersensitive. You may experiment with some root juices too which grow in the Earth and can possibly be very "grounding".

Best of luck.

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Permalink Reply by juicespirit on March 5, 2008 at 6:52pm

Thanks Becca. Have you ever tried adding coconut oil with coffee for an enema? It sounds like a powerful combination.

Also, what about using wheatgrass juice as an enema fluid? If you have tried it what results have you had?

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