Juicing with Ampalaya

Ampalaya Garden

Ampalaya or Bitter Melon, or Bitter Gourd, has been part of my childhood diet.  Because of its bitterness my Mom would squeeze the sliced gourds with salt and water to extract the bitterness.  Mom would then mix the sliced gourds into a mixture of eggs and onions and stir fry them. I’d always wonder how anyone can eat this extremely bitter vegetable. I always thought it was out of necessity because there was no other vegetable from our backyard garden. Fast forward, a great deal of discussion revolved around the bitter melon, not only of its bitter taste but its effectiveness in treating a number of skin diseases from sores to psoriasis. The bitter melon was also found to be effective for diabetes as it helps reduce glucose level and also helps to improve the production of insulin. Other benefits include detoxification and improvement of the cell function. The Philippine variety is known for its more potent anti-diabetes components.



Ampalaya Juice

 When I was first introduced to ‘juicing’ with bitter melon as part of the main ingredients, I was very skeptical. I attended a series of fellowship from my church that discussed about the importance of ‘juicing’ and how it could transform ones physical body. The juicing is composed of carrots, celery, apple, cucumber, and bitter melon. I chose to use one stalk of celery, one carrot, one-half of the cucumber, one apple, and one-third of the bitter melon. This concoction of fruit and vegetables became part of my normal diet which I drink at night before I go to bed.




Ampalaya or Bitter Melon or Bitter Gourd

  According to several herbal articles, ampalaya could help treat and reduce the symptoms of rheumatism and gout ailments for the spleen and liver. It also helps in lowering the body’s blood sugar and blood pressure levels. It enhances the body’s immune system to ward off infections; serves as an effective antioxidant, antibacterial and antipyretic agent, and most of all, it helps with reducing the cravings for food.  Since I started with my juicing, I went down from a size 12 to an eight.
Also bitter melon salads are ready good. I always look forward to our church potluck when the Pastor’s wife brings in her bitter melon salad that I always enjoy. I might ask for her recipe one of these days. But, here’s a recipe that is similar to what she makes:

Ingredients:
3 cups ampalaya, pulp and seeds removed and sliced thinly
6 cups mango, sliced into tiny cubes
½ cup red bell pepper, chopped
1 cup cilantro, chopped

Combine the following ingredients for the salad dressing.
½ cup sugar
1 cup vinegar
1 teaspoon ground pepper
1-2 tablespoon salt

Pour over salad mixture, mix well and serve!