There are legends written about this plant that tell of Alexander the Great conquering the Socotra Island in the Indian Ocean to get it to treat the wounds of his warriors. It is believed to have the most miraculous properties from an aphrodisiac to an immunomodulator. It is not surprising that nutritionists recommend using aloe to lose weight because the effect it has on the metabolism and digestion make it effective for this purpose as well.
Mechanism of weight loss
Aloe has become recommended for weight loss because of its comprehensive effects on the body:
- it starts the process of burning fat;
- it has a mild laxative effect;
- it has detoxifying properties;
- it speeds up metabolism regardless of age;
- it improves digestion;
- it lowers blood sugar levels.
All these processes, which are triggered in the body by using aloe juice, gel or extract (the plant’s other name) regularly and correctly, lead to weight loss. However, there is a fly in the ointment in this barrel of honey — it increases appetite.
Benefits
When losing weight with aloe, you can get a lot of pleasant bonuses because it has a medicinal effect on the body:
- it eliminates constipation;
- it reduces pain and inflammation during gastritis, enterocolitis, gastroenteritis, and stomach ulcers;
- it makes breathing easier and relieves apnea and shortness of breath during bronchial asthma and tuberculosis;
- it prevents the development of eye diseases: blepharitis, keratitis, conjunctivitis;
- it strengthens the immune system;
- it speeds up recovery during an exacerbation of infections;
- it softens cough and removes mucus from the lungs;
- it cleanses the skin from pimples and acne;
- it is prescribed to eliminate “female” problems in the area of gynecology.
The plant owes its beneficial properties to its chemical composition, which includes sterols, pectins, phytoncides, enzymes, catechins, vitamins, polysaccharides, organic acids and other bioactive substances that normalize the functioning of the body.
Contraindications
These include:
- pregnancy (aloe could provoke a miscarriage);
- lactation;
- heavy periods, uterine bleeding;
- insomnia;
- inflammation of the brain;
- pathologies of the cardiovascular system;
- hemorrhoids;
- diabetes mellitus;
- kidney, liver, and bladder diseases;
- being under 14 years old;
- allergies.
Recommendations
How to prepare the aloe juice at home?
- Only a plant that is at least 3 years old has medicinal properties.
- Do not water 2-3 days before harvesting.
- Cut 5 or 6 of the most succulent lower leaves with scissors or knife.
- Rinse them in warm boiled water. Dry with a dry towel.
- Wrap them in two layers of gauze, put them on a plate and place them on the top shelf of the refrigerator for 2 weeks. This is necessary to allow the nutrients to form in the leaves.
- Cut each of the leaves lengthwise along one of the sides.
- Use a teaspoon to scoop out the green, jelly-like substance — this is the gel that should be used to prepare the home treatment.
- Put it in a sturdy glass jar, close it tightly and store in the refrigerator.
- Use within 3 days.
If you do not have two weeks to store the leaves in the refrigerator, just pass them through a meat grinder, strain, and you will have the juice, which can be used in the same way as the gel.
How to prepare a fat-burning remedy?
There are various recipes, which will be provided below. These recipes enhance the effect of aloe with additional fat-burning and metabolic ingredients. However, there are the classics — 2 simple recipes that do not require additional ingredients.
Recipe No. 1. Drink 1 tsp of gel or juice extract from the leaves twice a day: a quarter of an hour before lunch and just before going to bed. Drink lots of water. Keep in mind that it will taste very bitter.
Recipe No. 2. 1 tsp of gel (juice) – 100 ml of room temperature water. Stir thoroughly. Drink in one gulp. The method of intake is the same as in the previous recipe.
It is better to use the gel in its pure form (according to the first recipe), and to dilute the juice with water (according to the second recipe).
When is the best time to drink it?
The laxative effect of aloe is mild, and after taking it, a bowel movement will occur in 7-8 hours. So, if the goal is to lose weight by cleansing the body, it is better to take it before going to bed.
However, there is an important point here. Aloe has a mild tonic effect on the central nervous system. So, people who suffer from neuroses, depression, and who are emotionally excitable and unstable, may experience difficulties falling asleep after taking it right before going to bed. If you have such problems, it is recommended to take it in the first half of the day. Another option is to add juice or gel to calming herbal teas.
Each recipe and instruction for preparations should explain how to take the remedy because the method of use can be completely different. It depends on the additional ingredients.
How long should you take it for?
Any remedy, whether it is a pharmaceutical preparation or a folk recipe, should not be taken for more than 2 weeks. The extract of this plant makes the digestive tract function too slowly. And this leads to “lazy bowel syndrome” when the stomach is unable to digest food on its own after the course of treatment is over because it is used to external aid. As a result, you will experience stomach pain, discomfort, and constipation will return. But this is not the most dangerous thing.
According to recent studies, this syndrome is one of the causes of tumor development in the gastrointestinal tract. Given the serious consequences of using aloe actively, it is highly recommended to consult a specialist first.
In addition, there are cases when the aloe juice has caused poisoning. These are the symptoms of the condition:
- stomach pain;
- strong, persistent diarrhea;
- nausea, vomiting;
- dizziness;
- severe thirst;
- shaking of the extremities.
Constipation and hemorrhagic nephritis are serious health problems that can be caused by poisoning or overdose.
Do you also need to follow a diet?
If you only take aloe without changing anything about your diet or lifestyle, you will not achieve great success in losing weight. Perhaps you will lose a couple of pounds during the first days due to the detox, but as soon as the intestines have been cleansed, the weight reduction will stop. To help you continue losing weight, you need to limit your daily calorie intake. Since one of the properties of the plant is to stimulate metabolism, it is good to support this process by eating foods that are portioned and balanced. If you are able to implement this in practice, you will not need to go on diets. On the contrary, diets will only interfere because they slow down the metabolic processes.
Additional tips
Find out in advance how your body will react to aloe. Start by taking minimal doses and gradually increase to the recommended amount if there are no side effects.
End the course of treatment in the same way — gradually decrease the dosage to help the gastrointestinal tract adjust to the fact that it will no longer receive external aid.
In order to fully restore the function of the stomach and normalize the microflora in the intestines, nutritionists recommend taking a course of probiotics after a weight loss course like this.
Sports activities or just increased physical activity will definitely improve the results.
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