End A Suma Wash Out (End of Summer Detox)

Summer break was the best time of the year. The countless beach trips with your friends and family were greatly anticipated. You ate, drank and was merry! But the last week of summer was met with dread—not only because you had to go back to school the following week, but you also had to do that dreaded annual detox a.k.a WASH OUT! (DUM DUM DAHHHHHHH!) The main method of this dreaded process is by drinking a tea made from the leaves of the Cerasee/Bitter Melon plant.

Cerasee Tea is the most bitter, vile thing you'll ever, EVER experience! I know this is a broad statement but trust me, it's a horrifying experience. It's one of those things that the more you try to make it palatable by sweetening, the worse it gets. Just pinch your nose and gulp it down. The fruit itself can be eaten raw or cooked as well as juiced but Jamaicans primarily consume it in tea form.

Not only did you go back to school with new books, uniform and possibly new shoes, you went back with a clean bill of health ready to tackle the new challenges of a new grade level. Cerasee purges the blood and organs of impurities, which in turn clears up any skin blemishes, eases menstrual cramps, clears up infections such as urinary tract, flu viruses and other viral infections. It also helps regulate the sugar content in the blood—a good remedy for diabetes. 

Once you're washed out, you have so much energy and stamina. You sleep better. Your urine and bowel movements become regular and your immune system can better fight off infections and diseases. According to Al Sears, "Cerasee, or bitter melon, has so many healing properties that researchers brought it to the University of Miami to study it. They discovered that an enzyme in the ripe fruit can inhibit growth of cancer cells. A recent study looked at a compound called “kuguaglycoside C” that’s in the leaves of cerasee. They found that the extract killed off cancer cells of the nerve tissue (neuroblastoma) in just 48 hours." (Click here for more information)

Luckily drinking cerasee does not result in "violent" detoxification i.e. diarrhea or cramping. You'll excrete the toxins through your pores, urine and bowel movements. You'll notice a change in as little as a couple days of consumption. If you can tolerate it, drink it daily for at least a week or two. If you're a super health nut, it can become a regular dietary practice. 

You might be able to find cerasee tea bags in specialty stores and grocers that are in areas with a large Jamaican diaspora or on Amazon.com.

If you want more information on Jamaican remedies, check out crazyjamaican.com and click on Over 80 Herbs—their medicinal benefits and Illnesses—Herbs for Cure.

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Momordica charanta

Momordica charanta

Momordica charanta