How My Family uses Aloe as an Everyday Healing Plant and How You Can Too

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There are no coincidences or accidents in holistic medicine. Every action, even if somewhat unconscious like cutting yourself with a kitchen knife, is actually an intentional and “thoughtful” act. Left in a confused state, your body, mind and spirit inevitably ask “Why did I just do that to myself?” Aloe is a convenient and quick remedy to make sure your body truly knows how much you do love it. Aloe’s amazing healing attributes are capable of addressing mild to severe abrasions and burns.

My family uses fresh, raw Aloe almost every day here on our medicinal herb farm in Hawaii. Even though it’s scattered abundantly throughout our gardens, we typically keep a single raw stalk of aloe in the kitchen, and take one with us on adventures for 1st Aid situations. We have three young children so we like to be prepared for those unpredictable booboos of everyday life. We mostly use it to relieve pain from abrasions, to clean infections, to hydrate our skin and hair, as well as to heal all different degrees of burns.

When Consumed Internally, Aloe is a Gentle Expellant, Capable of Cleansing the GI tract and Repairing Damaged Cells.

When I first got to the farm, I was cleansing myself from a lifetime of white bread, synthetic sugars, meat, alcohol and other acidic toxic “food.” I was eating stalks of fresh Aloe gel regularly; applying it to my skin to cleanse, hydrate, and rejuvenate my body, mind and soul. The Aloe gel hydrated my skin and cleaned it at the same time. It also helped me to gently cleanse internally by lubricating my digestive tract, replenishing my body from the inside out. Aloe gel is packed with vitamins, live enzymes, and trace minerals. It helps the body restore to it’s a natural balance while it cleanses. I felt lighter, and freed from of years of toxic buildup.

Constipation is a complication for anyone’s lifestyle, including children. Raw Aloe gel is totally safe for children of all ages to use externally and can also be used to alleviate constipation when consumed internally. Morning smoothies are a fun and delicious way to introduce Aloe into a child’s daily dietary regimen.

Bright yellow “blood” from the fresh, raw Aloe stalk spews forth from the base of the stalk when it is harvested. This golden “blood” of the fresh Aloe stalk is rich with beneficial enzymes. This is the most potent medicinal part of the plant, so use it aggressively externally and cautiously internally. On a different but related note, I have seen healthy people consume the shell of the Aloe stalk too, consuming the entire stalk bite by bite, but I have never tried this myself.

Fresh, Raw Aloe is the Single Most Effective and Balanced 1st aid Medicine for Burns and Abrasions

The single best treatment you can provide for a 1st, 2nd or 3rd degree burn is to consistently apply fresh, raw Aloe to the burn area, until the area cools, rehydrates, and thoroughly cleanses the injured area(s). It is important to lightly hold the aloe gel on the burn for an extended period of time to ensure an optimal healing outcome. The longer amount of time the aloe is applied to the burn, the better. Continuously applying fresh pieces with live enzymes increases the effectiveness.

Everyone Can Have Fresh Aloe at Home

The Aloe Vera plant is a succulent plant that thrives year-round in arid environments. As a potted plant, that makes it extremely easy to care for. Succulents almost seem to thrive on neglect as long as they have access to a sunny spot. They innately retain water and can withstand long periods of time without the need to be watered. In warmer climates, Aloe grows well outdoors and will flourish in the ground, as well as in pots. In colder climates, aloe grows well in indoor pots by the window. This plant can easily be grown by anyone, as your 1st Aid “Go-To” for abrasion and burn medicine, and can also be used daily as a nourishing and healing gel for the skin and hair. It is relatively simple to grow just about anywhere, so I encourage everyone to grow Aloe and benefit from its multitude of everyday medicinal uses.

What Else Can Aloe Do?

  • Aloe is also one of the few plants that can be applied directly into open eyes. This makes Aloe a key player when it comes to cooling, cleansing, calming and ultimately soothing typically hard-to-heal eye injuries.
  • Aloe has the ability to increase metabolism while detoxing the body, and as a result is an excellent weight-loss supplement.
  • Aloe is known to be anti-parasitic. Aloe gel soothes and hydrates the digestive system as it cleanses.
  • Aloe is an excellent uterine tonic for women. It is known to stimulate or increase menstrual flow. Hence the Sanskrit name Kumari, which means “goddess” or “like a young girl.”
  • I have been told that Aloe contains trace amounts of gold in it; the other herb that has this characteristic is the native Polynesian Noni Plant. Gold was originally a well sought after precious metal for its electrifying conductive characteristics.

How to Filet an Aloe Leaf

To harvest the leaf of the Aloe plant, tear the most exterior stalk from the plant at its base, attempting to expose a minimal amount of fresh gel. Rinse the stalk clean of dirt. Slice off the tip of the outer green shell and remove the thorny sides by running the knife lengthwise. Next, filet the Aloe stalk, exposing the clear flesh of the flat side of the stalk. This leaves the outer green shell of the curved side to hold when applying the Aloe externally. To prepare the gel for internal consumption, continue filleting the remaining outer green shell from the curved side of the stalk. The gel can be eaten or blended to a liquid consistency.

Healing with Aloe is simple and accessible. Living Aloha is the Hawai’ian way. May we all live with Aloe-ha!

References:

Need a Digestive Aid for Your IBS? Soothing Aloe May Be Just Your fix

The Alternative Medicine Cabinet: Aloe Vera for Burns

Aloe

Read more by Doug Wolkon.

Wolkon Doug
Doug Wolkon is founder of Kauai Farmacy in Hawaii. The Kauai Farmacy gardens are home to some of the most powerful herbal supplements in the world; growing over 60 varieties of medicinal plants. Herbal teas, powders and salves are hand-crafted by skilled artisans for ultimate potency, balance and freshness. https://www.kauaifarmacy.com