Wash out - detox - learning traditional Caribbean ways of cleansing

'Wash out' is a traditional Caribbean way of cleansing the body using herbs.

Back in October 2020, one of our food ambassadors, Rosemarie, shared with us her experience of wash out as a child of Jamaican heritage.

It was a lively discussion with lots of stories and laughter. We were delighted that so many people joined the discussion and shared their own experiences.

Rosemarie's parents were from Jamaica, where wash out is common.

As well as the traditional herbal wash out, Rosemarie shared with us how important eating a lot of fruit and vegetables are for our overall health – as well as the digestive system and skin.

Some of the foods Rosemarie grew up on included:

• senna pod

• aloe vera

• prune juice

• apples with the skin on

• pears

• kiwi

• pineapple

• rambutan (looks similar to lychee)

• figs

• citrus

• guinep (also known as Spanish lime).

She stressed the importance of variety – it's not good to eat too much of one thing. Watch the video below.

This session was part of our series of events celebrating Black History Month 2020.

If you like this you might like this article about changing the image of healthy eating with our food ambassador Malika.