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Aloe Vera for Skin Care, Joint Pain and More

Something you should know about me… Im a sucker for a good kitchen-counter remedy that’s easily accessible, and aloe vera fits that bill. Aloe vera has some amazing therapeutic benefits. So I was pretty excited to stumble across a patch of it growing wild in my yard.

Aloe’s Healing Power

Aloe vera is loaded with healing minerals and earth elements that our bodies need. It contains zinc, sodium, potassium, calcium, copper, manganese, and chromium, to name a few. So it’s not surprising aloe vera has been linked to treating diabetes, fibroids, psorasis and even cancer.

What I really like about aloe is it’s natural ability to help your body adapt to stress to resist disease. In other words, it tells your body to produce more or less of specific enzymes to get you back to normal.

Topical Wound Ointment

Aloe’s healing capability is linked to it being a plant that stores moisture in its leaves. The thick gel you see when you cut open a leaf is where the “magic” happens. And our ancestors knew all about this. They knew that for skin wounds, the juice quickly seals the wound by promoting blood flow to the local area, which starts the healing process. And we’re not talking minor wounds either. There are proven studies that show aloe is effective in treating third-degree burn victims and it heals burned skin, faster. So it’s easy to understand how using it for eczema and psoriasis and other skin disorders can be a good natural alternative.

Treating Arthritic Pain

Aloe has amazing anti-inflammatory properties that make it ideal for relieving arthritis pain, and is reported to work on contact. The gel reportedly has an instant cooling effect.  You can apply the juice from the gel topically, or you can drink the juice to have it relieve inflammation over time from the inside out.

Stimulates Hair Growth

Believe it or not, there’s an enzyme in the plant that’s beneficial for stimulating hair growth. Plus, aloe promotes local blood circulation, so when applied to the scalp it can be beneficial, which is probably why it’s found in all sorts of hair products, including shampoos and conditioners.

It’s for all these reasons why I regularly cut a slice from my plant and add a little gel into my smoothies. I also use a couple leaves and put the slimy gel into a blender to make an excellent detangler for my hair.

Have you used aloe vera for skin wounds, joint pain, arthritis or any other condition? If so, comment below and share your story to help others!

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Fight the Flu or Cold with Raw Garlic

For most of us, the idea of eating raw garlic likely brings to mind images of horrific unpleasantness. After all, it’s one thing to saute it,  quite another to bite into, chew up, then swallow an uncooked garlic clove. But that’s exactly what I do whenever I feel a cold or flu coming on because it really works. Garlic is nature’s antibiotic…. it can stop a cold or flu dead in its tracks.

Garlic Therapy Dates Back to Ancient Times

Using garlic to treat respiratory, digestive and other health problems is a medicinal practice that dates back more than several thousand years to ancient Egyptian, Greek, Indian and Chinese cultures. Today, alternative doctors still rely on garlic to prevent high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart disease and to lower blood sugar. It’s also used treat colds, ear and yeast infections, sore throats, asthma and congestion. There’s even a study at the National Cancer Institute in the U.S. that suggests garlic can slow the growth of cancer cells and cause abnormal ones to self-destruct.

How Garlic Fights Bugs

So how does it work? Unlike blackstrap molasses, whose efficacy comes from being loaded with tons of healing nutrients, garlic’s potency comes from a compound called allicin that’s only produced when the bulb is crushed or chewed up. The compound works by stimulating the body’s immune system to fight off cold or flu bugs, but it can also kill a slew of different viruses and bacteria on contact. The key thing here is that garlic must be raw in order to be potent… it loses most of its healing power when cooked.

Next time you’re sick, and wondering whether to take the plunge and chew on some garlic or default to conventional meds, consider this: according to Paul Bergner in The Healing Power of Garlic, some traditional antibiotics may not be as effective as garlic and may destroy the good intestinal flora.

As for my two cents, I used garlic to fend off a cold before it set in. I came home and suddenly started sneezing and developed an itchy throat and post-nasal drip. So I chewed on a raw garlic clove and swallowed it. I did it again an hour later and went to bed. When I woke up the next morning all my symptoms were gone, and I felt fine. I’ve done this effectively before on several other occasions too.

Garlic Home Remedy

If you’re ready to ditch the meds and try one of nature’s most potent antibiotics, here’s how you do it:

You’ll Need

  • 1 garlic bulb
  • A glass of water

Instructions

Simply use crush up a single clove of garlic into bite sizes, then swallow it like a pill. Chase it with juice or water. You’ll feel the burn as it goes into your system. That’s the allicin compound killing the itchiness or soreness in your throat along with any other viruses or bacteria. Repeat that dose if needed.

Before you try this, be sure to consult with your doctor first. Also, please share your own natural cold and flu or garlic remedies with me, by commenting below.

Here’s to good health!