EBV: The Gut Inflammation Connection

The Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) and consequently full blown mononucleosis (mono) can be Kryptonite for even the strongest superheroes. A happy, productive person can turn into a shell of their previous self who hibernates as their liver, spleen, lymph nodes, and possibly brain swell.

I’ll never forget Jan 1st, 2014. It was the day the EBV took over my body and turned into an intense case of mono. My level of fatigue was so severe that walking ten feet from the couch I was laying on to the bathroom was a daunting feat. My body was under so much physical stress that any additional mental stress would trigger seizures. My adrenals were depleted. My motivation to do anything was completely gone. I was in enormous amounts of pain. I was unable to work. At times speaking or standing was more than I could bare.

I had tested positive for EBV two years before I developed any symptoms. I wondered what caused this virus to activate and how could I reduce the symptoms so I could return to living my beautiful life. I initially looked to medical literature for answers, which was incomplete at best. This is what I read.

What causes Mono? EBV.

This answer is incomplete. It does explain why I was able to be infected with EBV without mono symptoms. It does not explain what activated the virus. This answer essentially claims they have no idea what causes mono.

What is the treatment for Mono? There is no treatment available. Drink fluids, get plenty of rest, and avoid contact sports to prevent the Spleen from rupturing.

Without understanding the cause, it is impossible to recommend an effective treatment. Avoidance is not the answer. Much more can be done, but we will get to that later.

How long does Mono last? The virus has an incubation period of 4-6 weeks. Once the body builds up antibodies, then it is immune and the illness will not return.

FALSE. The time period of mono varies from person to person and can return. My first bout of mono lasted four weeks, but I fought in on and off for over a year. If I took one wrong move, then mono would return. In fact, I’ve been battling mono this past week, which inspired me to further research the cause of EBV activation.

To begin to understand the cause of EBV activation, we have to look from a perspective that views viruses as symbiotic organisms, not demons. According to Antoine Béchamp’s Pleomorphism Theory, germs are the result, not the cause of disease. An unhealthy terrain creates a breeding ground for viruses and bacteria. In fact, virus activation is the most effective method for the body to overcome a toxicity crisis. They initiate a strong immune response that cleans up dying tissue, increases blood flow, and provides nutrients to the site of toxicity thereby restoring it back to health. Therefore, a negative change in terrain can cause a dormant virus to become active.

The Missing Gut Inflammation Connection

As soon as my EBV symptoms returned this week, I began to dissect my every move. What changes had occurred in the terrain of my body to allow this virus to reactivate? My diet, activity level, and sleep had remained consistent. However, I had been passing a large amount of rope worms after liver flushing and daily coffee enemas. Rope worms are extremely toxic. The colon becomes inflamed as they pass. I experience severe bloating, liver congestion, fatigue, and heavy metal poisoning. As soon as the rope worms are flushed out of the colon with an enema, the gut inflammation significantly decreases and my EBV symptoms disappear. Was I on to something? Was severe gut inflammation the cause of EBV activation? I looked to scientific research for evidence to see whether or not my theory had a valid basis. Bingo!

A study performed at the University of Rochester Medical Center analyzed and compared the amount of EBV DNA in the mucosal lining of health individuals to that of individuals with various bowel diseases. Here is what they found.

“RESULTS: EBV DNA was essentially undetectable in normal gastric mucosa but was present in 46% of gastritis lesions, 44% of normal colonic mucosa, 55% of Crohn’s disease, and 64% of ulcerative colitis samples. Levels of EBV DNA exceeded what would be expected based on the numbers of B lymphocytes in inflamed tissues, suggesting that EBV is preferentially localized to inflammatory gastrointestinal lesions.” (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/22410851/)

Essentially, EBV prefers to activate in lesions of the stomach and intestines. When there are lesions in the stomach and intestines, unwanted particles pass through the gut lining into the bloodstream. This can create blood toxicity and therefore incite a systematic viral infection associated with inflammation in the lymph system, also known as mono.

Treating EBV/Mono

Since gastrointestinal lesions may be at the core of EBV infections, one must become a detective and determine what is causing their lesions. Often times, parasites, heavy metals, and a poor diet can cause gastrointestinal lesions. Therefore, it is important to eat a clean, whole-food diet, gentle exercise, drink plenty of water, rest when possible, and detox the body.

I recommend starting with soft, easy to digest foods that promote gut healing. Bananas are soft, easy to digest, and are a great pre-biotic, which feeds the good gut bacteria and promotes gut balance. Cooking anti-inflammatory vegetables increases nutrient availability and absorption while reducing gut irritation. This is not the time to load up on raw vegetables or fiber-rich grains. Pro-inflammatory foods, such as grains containing gluten, dairy, meat, nightshades, refined sugar, and alcohol should be avoided. Coconut oil is particularly helpful as it is anti-viral, antimicrobial, and full of medium length chain saturated fatty acids that promote energy and healing. Turmeric and cinnamon should generously added to meals as they greatly reduce inflammation. Anti-parasitic herbs, such as clove, may also be helpful. Taking chlorella will help bind heavy metals and reduce gastrointestinal irritation.

If you can muster up the energy, exercise at a level your body can tolerate. This will help get the lymph flowing, reduce pain and dehydration, and boost the immune system. Intense exercise should be avoided, since the adrenals are already over-taxed over-training will reduce your body’s energy reserve for healing purposes. Yoga, rebounding, and DIY pressure point deep tissue massage with a tennis ball are great to promote blood circulation, reduce pain, and decrease fatigue.

If you are too weak to exercise, then I recommend a warm Epsom salt bath or sauna therapy. These detox methods will promote blood circulation, get the lymph flowing, and reduce organ swelling without the exertion required by exercise. When my symptoms became unbearable, I immediately soaked in a warm Epsom salt bath and drank lots of water to stay hydrated. Coffee enemas are another great detox method, especially if you have a parasitic infection. They flush out parasites and worms that may be causing gastrointestinal inflammation and lesions while healing the swollen liver. During a coffee enema, intracellular glutathione increases 500-700%. Glutathione is the body’s most powerful anti-oxidant, so inflammation decreases dramatically.

Incorporating the previously mentioned lifestyle factors will speed up the healing process, thereby reducing the length and severity of EBV infections and mono. With a greater understanding of the purpose and cause of infections, we no longer need to fear them. We should view the symptoms as a reminder to love ourselves by incorporating healthy lifestyle changes.

Coffee Enema Procedure

What You’ll Need:

  • Organic Coffee (Must be caffeinated to work!)
  • Enema Kit (Bag or Bucket and Tube)
  • Lubricant (Coconut Oil, Olive Oil, or Castor Oil)
  • Old Towels
  • Bathtub or Yoga Mat
  • Stove with pot
  • Cheese Cloth
  • Sea Salt
  • Distilled water
  • Hydrogen Peroxide
  • Timer
  • Measuring spoons
  • Medium Bowl

Ingredients for optional binding elixir:

  • 2 tsps Hawaiian Spirulina
  • 4-6 oz Cranberry juice
  • 1-2 oz Grade A Maple Syrup
  • 1 Lime

Directions:

It is highly recommend to drink a binding elixir, 1 hour before the coffee enema. Mix 2 tsps of spirulina with enough maple syrup to cover the surface of spirulina in a glass. Add in 4-6 oz of cranberry juice and the juice of one lime. Stir altogether and drink. This will help absorb toxins in the intestines that are released by the coffee enema and support the kidneys. Another option is to eat a whole food containing fiber with strong binding properties. Apples or beans are a great choice, but many fruits and vegetables will suffice. If you skip this step, then you may experience a toxicity symptoms a few hours after the enema due to toxin reabsorption through the gut wall.

Water Enema Preparation (Optional)

Pour 4-12 cups of distilled water into a pot with 1 tsp of sea salt. Bring the pot to a boil and then let cool down to a warm, but not scalding temperature. Think of the ideal temperature for a baby bath water. Transfer water to a pitcher to bring to the bathroom.

Coffee Preparation 

Pour 4 cups of distilled water and 2 tbsp of organic coffee into a pot. Bring the mixture to a boil, cover, and simmer on medium heat for 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool to a warm, but not scalding temperature.  If the coffee is too hot, then you could burn the intestinal lining, ouch! If the coffee is too cold, then the liquid will shock your system making the enema very difficult to hold. Be like Goldilocks and make sure the temperature is just right.

Place a medium bowl on the counter with a cheese cloth draped on top. Pour the coffee through the cheese cloth into the bowl. The cheese cloth will strain out the coffee grinds leaving only liquid in the medium bowl. Rinse out the cheese cloth and hang to dry. Add 1 tsp of sea salt to the coffee and stir.

Bathroom Setup

Lay one towel on the bottom of the tub where you will lay your body above your waist. Roll up a second towel so that it is several inches thick, and lay it below the other towel where you can rest your hips. Place a third towel on the tub edge. This is where you will lay the enema bucket. Remove floor bath mats near the bathtub and toilet. It is easier to clean the tile than wash the bathmats if there is an accident. Place Hydrogen Peroxide, a spoon containing coconut oil, and a timer on the tub edge. Lubricate the bottom 5-6 inches of the enema tube and the site of insertion with coconut oil.

Water Enema Procedure (Optional)

Those new to enemas often benefit from performing a water enema first before a coffee enema. The water will clear out the colon and make coffee retention much easier.

Make sure the clamp on the enema tube is closed. Pour the water from the pitcher into the bucket. Start with 2-4 cups of water per enema. Open the clamp to let the water flow through the tube thereby removing the air. Lay down on your back with your hips elevated on the towel. Gently insert the tube into your rectum. Do not force the insertion. Remember to breathe, relax, and move the tube around if there is resistance. Once the tube has been inserted 5-6 inches, unclamp the tube and let the water flow.

Once all of the water has drained from the bucket, remove the tube and set a timer for 3-5 minutes. When the timer beeps or you can no longer hold them enema in, sit on the toilet and release the liquid. Be patient and wait until all of the bowel contents have passed. If you are having issues, massage your belly two inches to the left of your belly button. You can repeat the water enema up to 2 times or move on to the coffee enema procedure.

Coffee Enema Procedure

Make sure the clamp on the enema tube is closed. Pour the coffee into the bucket. Open the clamp to let the coffee flow through the tube thereby removing the air. Lay down on your back with your hips elevated on the towel. Gently insert the tube into your rectum. Do not force the insertion. Remember to breathe, relax, and move the tube around if there is resistance. Once the tube has been inserted 5-6 inches, unclamp the tube and let the coffee flow.

Once all of the coffee has drained from the bucket, remove the tube and set a timer for 15 minutes. If you are new to coffee enemas, you may find it difficult to hold the liquid for the full 15 minutes. This is fine. If you are more experienced, you may feel more comfortable laying on your right side. Be sure to lay on your back or left side for a minute before releasing. When the timer beeps or you can no longer hold them enema in, sit on the toilet and release the liquid. Be patient and wait until all of the bowel contents have passed. If you are having issues, massage your belly two inches to the left of your belly button.

Clean Up

Rinse and clean the bathtub, enema kit, and any spills with water, hydrogen peroxide, and/or castile soap. Throw dirty towels into the laundry hamper, and you’re done!

Tips

  • Buy the enema kit online.
  • Whole Foods sells organic coffee, cheese cloth, and spirulina.
  • Target and Walmart sell Distilled Water, Hydrogen Peroxide, and Epsom Salt.
  • Trader Joes sells Himalayan sea salt.
  • Double the recipe. This becomes very useful if you can’t hold it for the full 15 minutes. Extra coffee can be kept in the fridge.
  • Light a 100% Beeswax candle and put on relaxing music. Use this time to pamper yourself.
  • If you’re not squeamish, check the toilet bowel for parasites. You may be surprised at what you see.
  • If you are having a gallbladder attack, add 1-2 tsp of Epsom salt instead of sea salt. This will dilate the bile ducts further and will help intrahepatic gallstones to pass.
  • If possible, perform the enema after having a bowel movement. Otherwise, perform a warm salt water enema prior to the coffee enema. This will reduce toxicity reabsorption and improve the ability to hold the coffee enema for the full 15 minutes.
  • If you are sensitive to caffeine, begin with 1 tbsp of coffee and lay on your right side.
  • Do not exceed 4-6 tbsp of coffee per day.
  • If diarrhea is induced, drink water with one fresh squeezed lemon and a pinch of sea salt to stay hydrated.
  • If you are detoxing heavy metals, crush broken cell wall Chlorella into a powder and add it to the coffee.

Coffee Enemas Saved My Life

Yes, you read the title correctly. Putting coffee up my butt saved my life. After a year of Lyme Disease treatment with an functional medicine doctor, I was at a point in my life where I was having hundreds of partial seizures a day. I was not living, but rather just trying to survive. I spent most of the day in bed. My cognitive function was at an all-time low. I stopped working, relocated to a place with family, and decided to become my own doctor researching full time.

My grandfather, who has pancreatic cancer, suggested that I watch the documentary series call “The Truth About Cancer,” led by Ty Bollinger. He interviews several alternative cancer doctors who have successfully treated thousands of cancer patients. They all recommended coffee enemas, calling it the most effective liver detox method. After observing many parallels between successful cancer treatments and Lyme treatments, I took this advice as a sign from the universe and the final push I needed to get over my hesitation.

I ordered the supplies and gave this “miracle” detox method a shot. The first enema gave me a sense of calmness and mental clarity, but only for a few hours. At this point, I experienced my first gallbladder attack. I knew my liver functioned poorly, but I was completely unaware until this moment that I had stones in my gallbladder and liver. The gallbladder attack inspired additional research, which led me to liver flushes by Dr. Andreas Moritz.

If you are suffering from a chronic illness, I highly recommend reading his book, “The Amazing Liver and Gallbladder Flush.” Approximately 80% of adults age 30 and over have gallstones, also known as intrahepatic stones, in their liver and gallbladder. You know how you can no longer drink as heavily as you did when you were younger? This is not a byproduct of the aging process, but rather a sign of liver dysfunction caused by intrahepatic stones blocking the bile ducts.

I administer 2-3 coffee enemas daily. They have given me energy to live life again. In my experience, coffee enemas are the most powerful detox method for the liver. They have greatly reduced the symptoms of herx reactions, which are caused by a temporary toxicity crisis as the body heals. They were especially helpful as I focused on cleansing my body of parasites.

Coffee enemas increase the bile flow from the liver and gallbladder to the intestines thereby creating an environment where parasites, rope worms, fungi, and viruses can no longer take hold. Over the past few months, I have rid my body of a large infestation, including but not limited to round worms, pinworms, tapeworms, rope worms, liver flukes, parasite egg sacs, Epstein Barr Virus (EBV), Lyme bacteria, Babesia, Bartonella, Candida, walking pneumonia, West Nile Virus, and several Herpes Viruses.

The increase in bile not only got rid of bugs that were stealing my nutrition, but also increased my ability to digest and absorb food in general. Seizure activity can stem from severe nutritional deficiencies. When the body lacks proper vitamins and minerals, such as Zinc, Calcium, Magnesium, and Copper, then the body will hold on to toxic heavy metals, such as Aluminum, Mercury, Lead, and Cadmium. Heavy metals in the brain leads to dysfunctional brain cells and a wide variety of neurological disorders, including but not limited to seizures, brain fog, encephalitis, memory problems, and cognitive disturbances. As my body increased its ability to digest and absorb the proper nutrition from fruits and vegetables and detox the heavy metals through a cleaner liver, the seizures decreased, the brain swelling disappeared, and my mental clarity and cognitive function returned.

In my experience, coffee enemas diminished the following symptoms:

  • Fatigue
  • Headaches
  • Migraines
  • Brain Fog
  • Encephalitis
  • Joint Pain and Swelling
  • Constipation
  • Diarrhea
  • Gas
  • Bloating
  • Anal Itching
  • Skin Rashes
  • Asthma
  • Systematic Inflammation
  • Fever
  • Muscle Tension and Weakness
  • Cramping
  • Chi Deficiency
  • Pain
  • Dehydration
  • Seizures
  • Anger
  • Irritability
  • Fear
  • Anxiety
  • Low self-esteem

I am extremely grateful for the positive impact coffee enemas have had on my life. I hope to make the world a better place full of peace and love one coffee enema at a time. If you would like to know more about my experience with coffee enemas, feel free to contact me or email me directly at LymeElixirConsultant@gmail.com.