The ABC’s of Colonics & Enemas
During detox month at Welluvia, we're looking at countless ways to rid the body of toxins, and one of the best ways to do that is by getting a colonic. Colonics, also known as colonic irrigation or colonic hydrotherapy, have been around since Ancient Egyptian times, later being adopted and expanded upon in Ancient Greece. Being no stranger to the world of colon hydrotherapy, I've had family members swear by it for years for a myriad of benefits. While I haven't personally had a colonic, I had done coffee enemas in the past and was surprised by how easy the process was.
Initially, I assumed that both colonics and enemas were the same, and wasn't too familiar with all the benefits they could provide past just improving digestion. This led me to today's article with Shahnee Froome, the director of Authentix Beauty & Wellness Clinic, located in Canberra's central district, Braddon. We discussed the ins and outs of the treatment and the range of ways it can help us improve our wellbeing.
What is the function of the colon in the body?
The colon is the last segment of our digestive tract. Primarily the colon is where waste is eliminated from the body. A small amount of nutrient absorption happens in the colon as well.
Simply put, what exactly is a colonic?
A colonic (or colon hydrotherapy) is the gentle infusion of warm water into the bowel, gently filling and releasing while performing an abdominal massage.
What are some of the benefits that a colonic can provide?
When we perform a colonic, the water goes in and refreshes the environment which cleans the lymphatic system, boosting the immune system, and is also blood cleansing. As the bowel is the most absorptive part of the body, it is excellent internal hydration, which will then go through the kidneys and give the kidneys a good flush. Some other aspects it can assist with are:
Improved Digestion and Nutrient Absorption
Billions of beneficial microflora live in our colon. This microflora is responsible for helping with the removal of waste, but also for nutrient absorption, maintaining a balanced PH level, and controlling our appetite. Over time the microflora can be impaired by a variety of factors such as a bad diet, inflammation in the digestive system and chemicals or other toxins. When this is affected, we can start to experience a variety of concerns, as without the microflora working correctly, our toxin and waste elimination is altered.
Increased Energy & Vitality
As faecal matter begins to collect and solidify in the walls of the colon, the body has to expend more energy to work harder moving solid waste. This can lead to the colon becoming less efficient in eliminating waste, and also creates an ideal environment for harmful bacteria to grow. All these things combined can drain our bodies of energy, leaving us lethargic, unproductive and sluggish. By using colonic irrigation to loosen and release the hardened matter, we can see our colons be flushed of these toxins and return to normal function again.
Weight Management
The colon can hold up to 8 meals at a time. When our colons are not performing correctly, it can lead to increased storage of waste. Over time, the waste that is moving slowly through the digestive tract will begin to produce thick mucus that lines the walls of the colon and makes it harder for the colon to empty.
Improved Mood & Cognition
The colon and our mood have an inextricable link. There are nerves within our bowels that directly communicate with the brain and affect signals sent throughout the nervous system. When our colon is in bad shape, the regular signals between the brain and colon can be impaired, and without the removal of these toxins can lead to problems such as brain fog, depression, sleep disturbances, and anxiety.
Is there a specific time that is best to get a colonic? Or certain situations that call for more sessions?
You can't overdo with getting colonics. We recommend at least four colonics a year for maintenance. When you have a colonic every three months, you can reduce your chance of bowel cancer by up to 74%. We also recommend colonics to people who are facing high-stress situations. When we are highly stressed, our nervous system is in fight or flight, meaning we can't defecate properly. We can usually only release when our nervous systems are in a rest and digest state.
If people are eating healthy, taking probiotics and have a healthy gut - is there still benefits that can come from a colonic?
Absolutely. At all times there is plaque in our bowel. The plaque is similar to what we have on our teeth and is made up of residue from food, medications, alcohol and environmental exposures. It's a sort of sticky substance that sticks to pockets in the colon and that's when faecal matter begins to stick to it and stagnates. This is where we see problems arise. For this reason, we recommend them every three months to remove this toxic plaque from the body.
What is the difference between closed and open colonics?
Open colonics are essentially a big bed with a sink at the end. The clients insert the speculum themselves and are in control of the fill and release, and the temperature control. We do the closed system version, which I believe is better. During the treatment, we also do stool analysis which we have been trained to do. The average person doesn't know what they see when they release, but we can pick up a whole range of important things. Things like how hydrated the body is, how fats are being absorbed, how much sugar is in the body, how stressed the liver is, candida and parasites, to name a few.
The closed system is a more gentle treatment, and I believe it is a much safer option also, as we are trained with the speculum insertion. We are also trained in the abdominal massage, which aids in relieving particular areas of the colon, which may have entrapped gas or matter.
What is the difference between a colonic and an enema?
An enema enters the lower part of the bowel, and a colonic goes through the entire bowel (large intestine). Enemas use only the force of gravity while colonics use water pressure. During an enema, the client generally fills up with water, then interrupts the inflow of water to let it come out, and then repeats the filling up again.
What benefits do enemas/colonics with coffee or probiotics provide that normal water doesn't?
Enemas are excellent for maintenance at home, such as an at-home coffee enema kit. Whenever we do any implant, we do a normal colonic first, and then the client will go to the bathroom and empty the bowel. We then prepare the coffee or the probiotic, and then we insert again and implant the coffee/probiotic. The benefits of the coffee are that it will enter through the portal vein, which is attached to the bowel and go up to the liver. Around the liver, there are membranes that will naturally detox. The coffee breaks that down, so it's a quicker detox for the liver. When we opt for the probiotic colonic, we are introducing good bacteria straight to the bowel.
Why do you think people are sometimes apprehensive towards getting them?
I think for most people, it is the fear of the unknown. There has been a lot of misguided information out there saying that we will flush out all the good bacteria in the bowel. This, however, is false. Most of the good bacteria are in our gut, while there is only a little bit of good flora in our bowel. The remainder is predominately harmful bacteria. We're exposed to up to 7800 more chemicals a day than our grandparents. We are generationally becoming more toxin loaded by factors such as the food we consume, our cosmetics, or even the soil our food is grown from. This is why some of the information out there can confuse people, as what might have been right decades ago isn't the same now.
What do you recommend for people to do alongside colon hydrotherapy?
The most important thing I believe is drinking plenty of good filtered water, a healthy and balanced diet using good pre and probiotics, and good sleep. Another great option is treatments such as infrared saunas which can assist with the detoxing process, but we'll leave that for another time.
I hope today’s interview has helped demystify some of the in’s and out’s of colonic hydrotherapy for you. It was such a pleasure meeting and discussing this with Shahnee, who was a vessel of knowledge in the field. You can find out more about the practice and other treatments available here. Authentix is also on Instagram, available here.
With wellness,
Aleksandar
Photography by Aleksandar Zarić for Welluvia