A Drink That You Can't Afford To Miss
For the past several months every Tue after my anatomy class I stopped by the Juice Generation on 72nd st and Columbus to get 
a couple of tiny bottle of aloe vera juice. It was love at first taste, my body was literally drawn to it. Juice Generation aloe vera is really good but very pricey and last literally 1 sip. Even though theoretically even a little bit of aloe vera is really good for due to it cleansing and rejuvenating properties, I never felt the effect that I read so much about. At least not until my recent trip to Albuquerque, NM. Dr Vasant Lad the founder and the main lecturer of the Ayurvedic Institute was giving lecture on 15 most powerful ayurvedic herbs and I couldn’t miss that. While there I got to browse Institute’s ayurvedic treasury-shop. (Take a pic of what I got). Among the found treasures was a big bottle of Aloe Vera juice. It was cheap ($4.80) and had 8 2 oz servings in the bottle. It is produced by Lily of the Desert, a company specializing in organic Aloe Vera based products. As soon as I left the register, I generously poured aloe vera juice into my water bottle… And tasted my new favorite drink. It is slightly sour (like lemon water), very refreshing and crisp, and it is extremely good for you. The Egyptians referred to aloe as the “plant of immortality” and included it among the funerary gifts buried with the pharaohs. It is traditionally used to heal wounds, relieve itching and swelling, and is known for its anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. According to ayurveda, when taken internally, aloe vera juice aids the digestion and absorption of nutrients, helps control blood sugar, increases energy production, promotes cardiovascular health, improves liver function, and boosts the immune system.
What I felt in my body: I usually feel pretty good to begin with but this weekend was extraordinary. I can’t tell whether it was from the energy of the workshop and Dr Lad or from the aloe juice or from the combination of both. All I can say is that I slept 6 hours a day, went running for an hour each day, did daily yoga, and biked to and from the institute (1 hour), ate worse than I usually do because didn’t have time to cook and nevertheless had tons of energy and my stomach was working by the clock (it usually doesn’t like long flights). There is no panacea but there are herbs and spices that help and I believe aloe is one of them.
How to take: Maharishi Ayurveda recommends taking Aloe Vera this way:
- For balancing digestion and elimination: Take 1 tablespoon aloe vera gel in the morning on an empty stomach. Aloe helps clear the toxins out of the digestive system, facilitates digestion and improves the functioning of the kidneys, liver and gall bladder. The anti-inflammatory fatty acids in aloe alkalize the digestive juices and prevent acidity-a common cause of indigestion. These fatty acids benefit not only the stomach but the small intestine and the colon as well.
- Skin problems: Since aloe vera purifies the body and aids liver function, it is beneficial for the skin when taken internally. Take 1-2 teaspoons fresh aloe gel daily for young and healthy skin.
Where to Buy: Apparently, most Vitamin Shoppes carry this brand of Aloe Vera Juice along with a lot of health stores. To find the store in your area, use you zip code on this page.
My first bottle of Aloe Juice was gone in 3 days and I m planning to buy a few more bottles to start off the summer fresh and clean.
Have you tried aloe vera? What was your experience with this interesting plant?
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Nadya
