Aloe Makes for a Happy Tummy

I've been using my dehydrated aloe for a little over a week now (see entry: My Aloe Has Arrived). It goes into my daily smoothie and down the hatch. Prior to using it, I have always had issues with a VERY sensitive stomach. I often suffered from nausea in the mornings if I drank or ate too fast, and had to be cautious about spicy foods. Any changes in my diet, even minor ones, led to an unpleasant "adjustment period" for my bowels. It was something I took for granted as a quirk of my anatomy. There is nothing physically wrong with me that any doctor has been able to find. Well it's almost too good to be true, but after the last few days I definitely can't deny it...my stomach is happy! I've had no issues with nausea, and no repercussions from spicy food. Eating quickly doesn't bother me anymore, nor does that first drink of water in the morning. It feels consistently settled and steady, which is so foreign to me that I can't stop thinking about it every time I eat. You may think it's a placebo effect, but I DO tend to be very methodical and even cynical with my "experiments". I wasn't expecting any noticeable results to be honest. I am very pleased to be able to recommend adding aloe to your daily diet. At best you may experience the same healing effect that I have, and at worst you certainly won't be doing yourself any harm.

My Aloe Has Arrived!

I had ordered some dehydrated aloe a few weeks back after reading about the awesome benefits (see my post: Day 12 Aloe Vera Awesomeness). After apparently being held at the border it finally arrived late last week. The company "Good Cause Wellness", based out of Arizona, delivered exactly what they had described. Three bottles of aloe vera flakes that had been dehydrated using a low-temperature, short-term process so as not to destroy any of the nutrients. The instructions call for measuring a tiny 1/16th of a teaspoon into 8-10 ounces of liquid. Yes that's right- half of the smallest measuring spoon you likely own. Each small bottle contains a whopping 60 servings! I've been mixing it into my green smoothies every day. I cannot detect any kind of flavor difference with such a small amount, and I hope I'm actually absorbing a helpful amount. The more I read about the benefits of aloe, the happier I am that I ordered this stuff. I feel like I've got a great head start on preventative nutrition.

Here's what a bottle of it looks like (that measuring spoon shown is a 1/4 tsp...my boyfriend has a 1/16th on order for me. He couldn't find any in stores locally):

Day 12: Aloe Vera Awesomeness

We all know that aloe vera is very effective for topical use on burns, abrasions and minor skin irritations, but it was news to me that you could also get some amazing benefits from ingesting the gel. With a list that rivals even garlic, this article piqued my interest:

http://www.naturalnews.com/021858_aloe_vera_gel.html

The article goes quite in-depth, but here is a list of the main benefits from Mike Adams, the Health Ranger Editor at NaturalNews.com:

- halts the growth of cancer tumors
- lowers high cholesterol
- repairs "sludge blood" and reverses "sticky blood"
- boosts the oxygenation of your blood
- eases inflammation and soothes arthritis pain (ding, ding, ding!)
- protects the body from oxidative stress
- prevents kidney stones and protects the body from oxalates in coffee and tea (another personal concern of mine)
- balances overly acidic dietary habits
- cures ulcers, IBS, Crohn's disease and other digestive disorders
- reduces high blood pressure
- nourishes with minerals, vitamins, enzymes and glyconutrients
- accelerates burn healing
- helps to halt colon cancer, heals the intestines and lubricates the digestive tract
- ends constipation
- stabilizes blood sugar and reduces triglycerides in diabetics
- prevents and treat candida infections
- protects the kidneys from disease
- functions as nature's own "sports drink" for electrolyte balance
- boosts cardio performance and physical endurance
- speeds recovery from physical exertion or injury
- hydrates the skin and accelerates skin repair

So after reading the entire article and doing some additional online research about aloe vera, I wanted to give it a try. Sadly it's not readily available in Alberta in its pure, ready-to-drink form, and I don't have an aloe vera plant in my house (maybe I should!) I followed the link to "Good Cause Wellness" based out of Arizona, where they offer pure, unadulterated aloe vera powder dehydrated from its gel form, but still retaining all of its benefits.They don't raise any scam alarms, so I went ahead and ordered some.

I will be adding the powder to my green smoothies when it arrives, and will hopefully start feeling the benefits after a few weeks. For now, I will continue to use the ingredients I have at hand. This morning I varied my recipe by replacing the banana with greek yogurt (yum!), and tossing in a 1/4 cup of ground flax seed. It completely altered the taste obviously; the greens tasted a lot more prominent (I didn't realize how much the banana flavor masks everything), and the flax added a nutty taste and grainy texture. It was more filling as well. All in all it was  satisfying, but I think I'll stick with my banana in the future.