Natural Relief for Constipation: Coffee Enema, Diet, and Lifestyle Strategies

Do you struggle with constipation? You are not alone. It is a very common problem that can cause pain, bloating, and other gastrointestinal complaints. Fortunately, there are some great options that can offer natural relief for constipation. Our favorite is using coffee enemas for natural constipation relief. Want to learn why? Read on to learn more about constipation and how to improve it naturally.

What Is Healthy Poop?

Healthy bowel movements are an important sign of healthy digestion, gut health, detoxification and overall health. The Bristol Stool Scale is the most commonly used tool to identify normal and less-than-ideal stool. It looks at the appearance and the consistency of your poop, as well as the time it takes to pass through the colon (1, 2). 

Type 4, in the middle, is healthy stool: it’s smooth, soft, and looks like a sausage or snake. It’s easy to pass without pain or straining. Types 1 and 2 are associated with constipation; they are either sausage-shaped but lumpy (type 2) or are characterized by separate little lumps (type 1). Types 6 and 7 are associated with diarrhea, either mushy (type 6) or entirely liquid (type 7). Types 3 and 5 are close to normal but are tending towards constipation or diarrhea, respectively (type 3 being a sausage with cracks and type 5 being soft blobs without edges).

What Is Constipation?

We all have different bowel habits. Your bowel habits may change slightly day to day depending on your diet, schedule, or health. Constipation is a gastrointestinal symptom that happens to most of us from time to time. 

Chronic constipation, which affects about 20% of the population, however, seriously impacts your quality of life. It can come with abdominal pain, bloating, gas, poor appetite, headaches, and other complaints (3, 4). It may also be a sign of a gastrointestinal condition.

Constipation is generally characterized by some or all of the following symptoms (5):

• Fewer than three bowel movements a week
• Hard, dry, lumpy, or small stools
• Straining during bowel movements
• Pain during bowel movements
• Not feeling complete relief and a feeling of fullness after a bowel movement.

While constipation can often be improved naturally through some dietary and lifestyle strategies, if you are experiencing any of the following symptoms, seek medical advice to rule out irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), irritable bowel diseases (IBDs), colorectal cancer, and other serious gastrointestinal conditions (5):

• Ongoing constipation, especially despite dietary and lifestyle changes
• Blood in the stool
• Bleeding from the rectum
• Ongoing abdominal pain
• A feeling of trapped gas
• Lower back pain
• Unexplained weight loss
• Sudden change in bowel habits
• Vomiting
• Fever

Causes of Constipation

You may develop constipation for a variety of reasons. Common causes of constipation may include:

• A diet low in fiber
• Dehydration
• Sedentary lifestyle
• Changes in routine or travel
• Delaying a bowel movement
• Pregnancy
• Older age
• Certain medications, including diuretics, pain medications, and antacids
• Misuse or overuse of laxatives
• Thyroid and other hormonal problems
• IBS, IBDs, diverticulosis, intestinal obstruction, or other gastrointestinal health issues
• Certain other health conditions, including diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, and stroke

Coffee Enemas for Constipation

If you are looking for natural constipation relief, coffee enemas may be one of your best bets. Water enemas have been used as a relief for constipation for centuries. They may be used to treat fecal impaction, which is a severe form of constipation, or to prepare for various medical procedures by cleaning out the bowels. When it comes to natural relief for constipation, water enemas are not only used in holistic health circles but within conventional medicine (6).

Coffee enemas are similar to water enemas, but they use specially prepared, caffeinated enema coffee and water, rather than just water. This combination of enema coffee and water may allow a much deeper level of detoxification compared to regular water enemas.

Constipation can be an incredibly uncomfortable experience. Besides the pain, bloating, gas, and other discomfort, constipation may also disrupt your digestion and increase toxin buildup in your digestive system. 

If you are looking for a quick and natural relief for constipation, coffee enemas can help to soften your stool and stimulate your bowels to help elimination (7, 8). Using coffee enemas regularly can help to reduce chronic constipation, digestive discomfort, bloating, and other gut-related symptoms, improve detoxification, and increase overall well-being. 

Coffee enemas may be beneficial for you if you are dealing with IBS or other digestive disorders that are characterized by constipation, bloating, gas, diarrhea, or pain (9). Gut microbiome imbalances, including candida overgrowth, intestinal parasites, and an overgrowth of harmful bacteria, can aggravate IBS. Since coffee enemas may help to flush out harmful microbes alongside other toxins and waste materials from your digestive tract, they may help with underlying issues of IBS. 

By improving liver detoxification, coffee enemas may create a less favorable environment for yeast, parasites, and harmful bacteria. This means that regular coffee enema use may help to decrease overall toxic burden, gut microbiome imbalances, and chronic inflammation, creating a more balance gut environment and reducing IBS-related constipation and other IBS flare-ups.

Other Natural Options for Constipation Relief

Of course, coffee enemas are not enough if you are looking for natural constipation relief. Your diet and lifestyle matter too. Poor nutrition and lifestyle choices can increase the risk of constipation. Coffee enemas may offer short-term relief, but for long-term wellness, you need to think holistically, considering all areas of your health. 

Combining regular coffee enemas with health dietary choices, good hydration, regular exercise, and other strategies may offer long-term natural relief for constipation. Let’s look at some of our favorite strategies for natural constipation relief (besides our true favorite, coffee enemas, of course!).

Improve Your Diet

Eating a gut-friendly, fiber-rich diet is the best way to improve gut health and find natural constipation relief (10). Remove inflammatory and low-fiber foods, including refined sugar, refined oils, cheese, dairy, and other ultra-processed foods. Choose a diet rich in greens, vegetables, herbs, spices, sprouts, fruits, nuts, seeds, and whole grains. If you eat animal products, choose grass-fed meat, pasture-raised poultry and eggs, wild-caught fish and seafood, and wild game, and balance it with lots of plant-based foods.

Eat lots of foods rich in fiber, including raw fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans, and prunes (11). Aim for 20 and 35 grams of fiber per day. Foods rich in prebiotics, such as apples, bananas, onions, leeks, jicama, and Jerusalem artichokes, can feed the friendly bacteria in your gut, while probiotic-rich fermented foods, such as sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir, and kombucha, can help improve your gut microbiome to reduce digestive issues, such as constipation (12).

Try an Elimination Diet

Food sensitivities and food intolerances may contribute to constipation and other digestive issues. Gluten and dairy are among the most common triggers (13, 14).  Uncovering and eliminating your food triggers can help you find natural relief for constipation. 

The easiest way to figure out your food sensitivities is a blood test. However, these tests only look for certain foods and are often unreliable. The most reliable way to figure out your specific issues is an elimination diet. Eliminate common and suspected triggers for 2 weeks from your diet, then reintroduce them one by one, observing your symptoms. If you notice any increase in symptoms when reintroducing a food, you’ve found a sensitivity. By removing this food from your diet, you may notice a change in symptoms and relief from constipation.

Hydrate Your Body

Proper hydration is so important when it comes to detoxification and elimination (14). In fact, dehydration is among the common underlying issues behind constipation. Limit the consumption of caffeine and alcohol, and avoid sugary drinks and energy drinks, as they can cause dehydration. 

To support healthy bowel activity and allow natural constipation relief, start your day with a big 16 to 32 oz of water. Mixing in some lemon juice may support your digestion even more. Drink at least one 8-oz glass of water throughout the day. For additional hydration, consume lots of hydrating fruits and vegetables, green juices, green smoothies, and herbal tea. 

Improve Your Gut Microbiome Health

Gut microbiome imbalances may contribute to various gut-related symptoms, including constipation, and gut health issues, including IBS with constipation. Improving your gut microbiome health may help to offer natural relief from constipation and other digestive issues. Besides eating a gut-friendly diet and probiotic-rich fermented foods, you may benefit from taking a high-quality probiotic supplement to improve gut microbiome imbalance (12).

Move Your Body

A sedentary lifestyle can increase your risk of and symptoms of constipation. Regular movement can help stimulate your bowel activity, stimulate intestinal contractions, and move stool better. It may reduce symptoms of IBS and other digestive disorders (15). It can also decrease chronic stress, chronic inflammation, fatigue, and the risk of other health issues that may contribute to or develop due to chronic constipation. 

Move your body throughout the day. Rebounding, yoga, stretching, or a short walk in the morning. Get up and stretch regularly, and try some chair yoga during your workday. Go out for a stroll during lunch. Get a workout in at least 5 days a week, combining both cardiovascular and strength-training. 

Try Some Supplements

There are a variety of supplements that may help to improve your gut health and offer natural relief from constipation. Magnesium is a great supplement that may support bowel function and relieve constipation (16). Aloe vera may help to support your body with minerals, electrolytes and enzymes, reduce gut inflammation, and relieve constipation (17). 

Vitamin C supplements may offer stool-softening and anti-inflammatory benefits that can offer natural constipation relief (18). Fiber supplements may help to increase your fiber intake and improve bowel movements (19). Finally, as we already mentioned, a high-quality probiotic supplement to improve gut microbiome health and symptoms of constipation (12).

Try a Squatty Potty

Just think about it. Our ancestors didn’t have shiny toilets to poop in. They dug a hole in the ground or just squatted down behind a bush. In many cultures, squat toilets are still the preferred method in the bathroom. 

Squatting down can help to open up your colon, relieve tension from your intestines, and allow for better release without straining or pain. Chances are, you don’t have a squat toilet at home. This is when a squatty potty comes into the picture. This toilet school can elevate your legs and put you into a natural deep squat position while still sitting comfortable on the toilet (20). It’s a great option for improving your bowel movement and natural constipation relief.

How to Get Started with Coffee Enemas for Constipation

Are you new to coffee enemas? We have everything you need, including our bestseller, Pure Life Complete Coffee Enema Kit, our Dream Coffee Enema Kit for Gerson Therapy, and various blends of Pure Life Enema Coffee. Visit our shop to find everything you need for your coffee enemas at home.   

Final Thoughts 

Constipation is a common health complaint. Fortunately, you can relieve symptoms of constipation and reduce the risk of chronic constipation through natural strategies, including a gut-friendly diet, exercise, supplementation, and coffee enemas. Coffee enemas are a great option for constipation relief and better gut health. We recommend you try Pure Life Coffee Enemas for detoxification and better health. Our Pure Life coffee enema kits for home use are the best on the market with organic Gerson-accepted coffee.