News

13 Things You Should Know About Chia Seeds

‘m really not a huge fan of the term ‘superfood’. Basically because there tends to be lots of hype and a big price tag for something that may or may not taste any good.

So I was a bit hesitant to jump on the chia seed band wagon. But my curiosity got the better of me.

And you know what?

They are pretty tasty little suckers. Combined with their nutrition credentials they’re worthwhile having around.

So today I thought I’d share some chia seed facts in case you’ve been thinking about trying them yourself…

13 Things You Should Know About Chia Seeds

1. They pack a mean nutritional punch.

Aloe Vera Juice Benefits: They Seem To Be Endless

Aloe vera juice is the latest health and beauty craze and it’s easy to see why.

The benefits of the stuff seem endless. After all, the Sanskrit name for aloe vera is kumari, which means ‘princess’, attesting to its ability to help you maintain youthful beauty and a healthy glow. Sounds good, right?

Sebastian Pole, co-founder of Pukka Herbs and an expert in herbalism, says: ‘Aloe Vera is renowned as a ’heal-all’ that is good for many conditions, both internal and external.

‘It is a great rejuvenator and can help in some of life’s big transitions, from cleansing teenage skin to cooling menopausal hot flushes and soothing dryness.’

Here, Sebastian breaks down the benefits of aloe vera juice:

1. Detoxifying

Aloe vera juice is crammed full of amino acids, vitamins and minerals making it one of nature’s most effective cleansers. ‘It can help strengthen digestion and rid the body of any nasty waste, thus detoxifying the body naturally,’ says Sebastian. ‘Its main property is to be soothing, cooling and moistening which helps to clear inflammatory and irritating heat, such as in menopause, plus inflammatory skin and digestive problems, such as acne, rosacea and IBS.’

2. Supports the immune system

Aloe vera is packed full of immune-boosting polysaccharides which help the immune system to behave properly. ‘Too much inflammation in the body can cause problems within the immune system and can cause conditions like asthma, eczema and Crohn’s disease. Soothing herbs like aloe vera juice can slow the inflammatory cascade and help reorder the immune response to prevent these conditions.’

3. Lowers cholesterol and blood sugar

There is some evidence to suggest aloe vera lowers cholesterol and has a positive effect on blood sugar levels, meaning it can be useful for treating diabetes and obesity.

4. Excellent for digestion

It's worth trying for anyone who suffers with digestion problems like IBS. Its healing and soothing properties can help with the painful symptoms.

5. An easy way to boost your vitamin and mineral intake

Aloe vera juice is packed with vitamins A, C, E, B1, B2, B3, B6, B12 and folic acid. It’s also rich in minerals like calcium, magnesium, zinc, iron, selenium and potassium. Sounds pretty good, right?

6. Hair growth

Full of natural vitamins and enzymes that can directly promote healthy hair.

7. Good for burns, acne and hydrating skin

When used topically aloe vera can soothe inflamed skin and enhance collagen and hyaluronic acid to help rejuvenate skin.

It sounds amazing, but are there any side effects you should know about?

'There are no negative side effects if you use a pure aloe vera inner leaf juice,' Sebastian. 'If you use an aloe vera leaf product it may have high aloin levels and aloin is a laxative which can cause diarrhoea if too much is used.' Of course, you should always consult your doctor before undergoing any complementary or alternative treatments for health problems.

How much aloe vera juice should should we take?

It depends on the potency of the aloe vera. Sebastian recommends taking 3 – 6 tablespoons of Pukka’s Aloe Vera once or twice a day. Mix it in fruit juice or smoothies, or drink on its own

Aloe vera juice is the latest health and beauty craze and it’s easy to see why.

The benefits of the stuff seem endless. After all, the Sanskrit name for aloe vera is kumari, which means ‘princess’, attesting to its ability to help you maintain youthful beauty and a healthy glow. Sounds good, right?

Sebastian Pole, co-founder of Pukka Herbs and an expert in herbalism, says: ‘Aloe Vera is renowned as a ’heal-all’ that is good for many conditions, both internal and external.

‘It is a great rejuvenator and can help in some of life’s big transitions, from cleansing teenage skin to cooling menopausal hot flushes and soothing dryness.’

Here, Sebastian breaks down the benefits of aloe vera juice:

1. Detoxifying

Aloe vera juice is crammed full of amino acids, vitamins and minerals making it one of nature’s most effective cleansers. ‘It can help strengthen digestion and rid the body of any nasty waste, thus detoxifying the body naturally,’ says Sebastian. ‘Its main property is to be soothing, cooling and moistening which helps to clear inflammatory and irritating heat, such as in menopause, plus inflammatory skin and digestive problems, such as acne, rosacea and IBS.’

2. Supports the immune system

Aloe vera is packed full of immune-boosting polysaccharides which help the immune system to behave properly. ‘Too much inflammation in the body can cause problems within the immune system and can cause conditions like asthma, eczema and Crohn’s disease. Soothing herbs like aloe vera juice can slow the inflammatory cascade and help reorder the immune response to prevent these conditions.’

3. Lowers cholesterol and blood sugar

There is some evidence to suggest aloe vera lowers cholesterol and has a positive effect on blood sugar levels, meaning it can be useful for treating diabetes and obesity.

4. Excellent for digestion

It's worth trying for anyone who suffers with digestion problems like IBS. Its healing and soothing properties can help with the painful symptoms.

5. An easy way to boost your vitamin and mineral intake

Aloe vera juice is packed with vitamins A, C, E, B1, B2, B3, B6, B12 and folic acid. It’s also rich in minerals like calcium, magnesium, zinc, iron, selenium and potassium. Sounds pretty good, right?

6. Hair growth

Full of natural vitamins and enzymes that can directly promote healthy hair.

7. Good for burns, acne and hydrating skin

When used topically aloe vera can soothe inflamed skin and enhance collagen and hyaluronic acid to help rejuvenate skin.

It sounds amazing, but are there any side effects you should know about?

'There are no negative side effects if you use a pure aloe vera inner leaf juice,' Sebastian. 'If you use an aloe vera leaf product it may have high aloin levels and aloin is a laxative which can cause diarrhoea if too much is used.' Of course, you should always consult your doctor before undergoing any complementary or alternative treatments for health problems.

How much aloe vera juice should should we take?

It depends on the potency of the aloe vera. Sebastian recommends taking 3 – 6 tablespoons of Pukka’s Aloe Vera once or twice a day. Mix it in fruit juice or smoothies, or drink on its own.

Aloe vera juice is the latest health and beauty craze and it’s easy to see why.

The benefits of the stuff seem endless. After all, the Sanskrit name for aloe vera is kumari, which means ‘princess’, attesting to its ability to help you maintain youthful beauty and a healthy glow. Sounds good, right?

Sebastian Pole, co-founder of Pukka Herbs and an expert in herbalism, says: ‘Aloe Vera is renowned as a ’heal-all’ that is good for many conditions, both internal and external.

‘It is a great rejuvenator and can help in some of life’s big transitions, from cleansing teenage skin to cooling menopausal hot flushes and soothing dryness.’

Here, Sebastian breaks down the benefits of aloe vera juice:

1. Detoxifying

Aloe vera juice is crammed full of amino acids, vitamins and minerals making it one of nature’s most effective cleansers. ‘It can help strengthen digestion and rid the body of any nasty waste, thus detoxifying the body naturally,’ says Sebastian. ‘Its main property is to be soothing, cooling and moistening which helps to clear inflammatory and irritating heat, such as in menopause, plus inflammatory skin and digestive problems, such as acne, rosacea and IBS.’

2. Supports the immune system

Aloe vera is packed full of immune-boosting polysaccharides which help the immune system to behave properly. ‘Too much inflammation in the body can cause problems within the immune system and can cause conditions like asthma, eczema and Crohn’s disease. Soothing herbs like aloe vera juice can slow the inflammatory cascade and help reorder the immune response to prevent these conditions.’

3. Lowers cholesterol and blood sugar

There is some evidence to suggest aloe vera lowers cholesterol and has a positive effect on blood sugar levels, meaning it can be useful for treating diabetes and obesity.

4. Excellent for digestion

It's worth trying for anyone who suffers with digestion problems like IBS. Its healing and soothing properties can help with the painful symptoms.

5. An easy way to boost your vitamin and mineral intake

Aloe vera juice is packed with vitamins A, C, E, B1, B2, B3, B6, B12 and folic acid. It’s also rich in minerals like calcium, magnesium, zinc, iron, selenium and potassium. Sounds pretty good, right?

6. Hair growth

Full of natural vitamins and enzymes that can directly promote healthy hair.

7. Good for burns, acne and hydrating skin

When used topically aloe vera can soothe inflamed skin and enhance collagen and hyaluronic acid to help rejuvenate skin.

It sounds amazing, but are there any side effects you should know about?

'There are no negative side effects if you use a pure aloe vera inner leaf juice,' Sebastian. 'If you use an aloe vera leaf product it may have high aloin levels and aloin is a laxative which can cause diarrhoea if too much is used.' Of course, you should always consult your doctor before undergoing any complementary or alternative treatments for health problems.

How much aloe vera juice should should we take?

It depends on the potency of the aloe vera. Sebastian recommends taking 3 – 6 tablespoons of Pukka’s Aloe Vera once or twice a day. Mix it in fruit juice or smoothies, or drink on its own

ALOE VERA

Description

Erect perennial, originating from North Africa and the Mediterranean, with thick, very succulent, dagger shaped 30- 80cm long leaves, encircling a thick, central stem. The oldest and largest leaves are at the base, with leaves in the centre of the rosette formation being younger and smaller. Mature leaves can be 2-2.5cm thick and 6-10cm wide at the base, gradually tapering to a point at the apex. The upper leaf surface is flat or slightly dish-shaped and the lower surface rounded, with both surfaces being smooth to the touch. However, the margins of the leaf are armed with firm, spreading, triangular-shaped teeth 2-4mm long. Leaves on mature plants are a distinctive grey-green, due to the surface being covered by a greyish bloom, although during summer they can be greener and during winter they can take on a bronze tinge. I personally feel the plant colour depends a little on fertility and moisture available to the plant. New young plants, called pups or suckers, develop near the base of the parent plant as it grows to a good size or to maturity, which may take 2-4 years, depending on climate and growing conditions. Leaves of young pups tend to fan sideways and are pale green with white spots. The spots and fan shape disappear as the pups become older.

Aloe Vera Barbadensis

Flower stalks develop from the main stem of the plant and stand upright, reaching a height of 60-90cm. They may have 2-3 terminal branches and poker-like blossom heads 5- 8cm long, made up of many pendulous tubular flowers with a green tinge that changes to bright yellow at maturity. Pistil and stamens protrude beyond the end of the petal tube, which is an identifying feature of this species. Another identifying feature of A. vera barbadensis is that when the leaf is cut, the sap has a strong smell.

Top 12 Benefits of Aloe Vera

Aloe vera is quite an incredible medicinal plant full of nutritional benefits. It is a succulent plant and part of the lily family (Liliaceae), the same family that garlic and onions belong to. Different parts of the plant are used for different purposes and aloe vera has both internal and external applications. I love to juice aloe and use it in my clear skin juice and recently started making fresh aloe vera salads. I also like to add aloe to my smoothies to gain some of the benefits of this incredible plant. (Update: Due to the tremendous amount of emails I now receive each week about aloe vera, I will include here that I don’t consume aloe every day. Its medicinal, and like all plant medicines, should not be consumed every single day. I use my intuition when working with plant medicines and never usually consume it for more than a week at a time. When I do use aloe in my smoothies or juices, I cut a piece of aloe about 1 inch long and open up the skin and only add in the clear inner gel of the aloe plant.) Be sure to read the last section about over-use of this plant as well as dose recommendations. I consume fresh aloe, because that’s what I have access to. (Want to experience fresh aloe? Check out our Raw Food Hawaii Retreats and come join us for a life-changing experience.) When I didn’t have access to fresh aloe, I drank the Lily of the Desert Organic Aloe Vera Juice. I recommend buying smaller bottles and drinking it within a couple of weeks upon opening. See below for aloe vera dose recommendations.

Top 12 Benefits of Aloe Vera

Aloe Vera contains over 200 active components including vitamins, minerals, amino acids, enzymes, polysaccharide, and fatty acids – no wonder it’s used for such a wide range of remedies! The bulk of the aloe vera leaf is filled with a clear gel-like substance, which is approximately 99% water. Humans have used aloe therapeutically for over 5000 years – now that’s a long-standing track record! The list of benefits and effects for this miraculous plant are many. Here is a list of the Top 12 Benefits of Aloe Vera (including some medicinal uses):

1. Aloe Vera Is High in Vitamins & Minerals:

Aloe Vera contains many vitamins including A, C, E, folic acid, choline, B1, B2, B3 (niacin), B6. Aloe Vera is also one of the few plants that contains vitamin B12. Some of the 20 minerals found in Aloe vera include: calcium, magnesium, zinc, chromium, selenium, sodium, iron, potassium, copper, manganese.

2. Aloe Vera is High in Amino Acids & Fatty Acids

Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. There are about 22 amino acids that are necessary for the human body and it is said that 8 of these are essential. Estimates of the amino acids found in aloe range from 18-20 amino acids, with all 8 essential amino acids. Aloe vera also includes quite an impressive range of fatty acids. Aloe contains three plant sterols, which are important fatty acids – HCL cholesterol (which lowers fats in the blood), campesterol, and B-sitosterol. All are helpful in reducing symptoms of allergies and acid indigestion. Other fatty acids include linoleic, linolenic, myristic, caprylic, oleic, palmitic, and stearic.

3. Aloe Vera is an Adaptogen

Aloe vera is a well-known adaptogen. An adaptogen is something that boosts the body’s natural ability to adapt to external changes and resist illness. It is thought that aloe’s power as an adaptogen balances the body’s system, stimulating the defense and adaptive mechanisms of the body. This allows you an increased ability to cope with stress (physical, emotional and environmental stress like pollution)

4. Aloe Helps with Digestion

Poor digestion is related to many diseases. A properly functioning digestive tract is one of the keys and foundations of health. Aloe is known to soothe and cleanse the digestive tract and help improve digestion. The interesting thing about taking aloe internally is that, because it is an adaptogen, it helps with either constipation or diarrhea, helping to regulate your elimination cycles in whatever way you need. It’s been a great remedy for people with problems such as irritable bowel syndrome as well as acid reflux. Aloe also helps to decrease the amount of unfriendly bacteria and in our gut keeping your healthy intestinal flora in balance. Aloe is also a vermifuge, which means it helps to rid the body of intestinal worms.

5. Aloe Helps in Detoxification

Aloe Vera is a gelatinous plant food, just like seaweeds and chia seeds. The main benefit to consuming gelatinous plant foods in your diet is that these gels move through the intestinal tract absorbing toxins along the way and get eliminated through the colon. This will help the proper elimination of waste from your body and help the detoxification of your body.

6. Aloe Alkalizes the Body

Disease cannot manifest in an alkaline environment. Most people are living and subsisting on mostly acidic foods. For great health, remember the 80/20 rule – 80% alkaline forming foods and 20% acidic. Aloe vera is an alkaline forming food. It alkalizes the body, helping to balance overly acidic dietary habits.

4 Benefits of Aloe Vera for Hair

Healthy hair shouldn’t just look the part- it should feel great, too. With all the unfortunate damage our hair faces from weather, styling tools and products, it’s hard to find the right solution that can be the hero our locks are looking for. Thankfully, Aloe Vera is a natural ingredient that can help fight countless hair issues without breaking the bank.

Because of its various healing nutrients, Aloe Vera is a plant species often used in various herbal medicines. Aloe Vera is rich in amino acids, vitamin A, folic acid and vitamin C. While it seems like just about everybody knows Aloe-Vera can be used as a go-to solution for sun burn relief, who knew you could use this soothing gel for damage relief for your hair, too? Read on to find out how Aloe Vera can be utilized as much more than a skin treatment, and why we love it for fighting hair damage, too.

Aloe Vera as a Hair Treatment

1. Dandruff

Aloe Vera can be used in dandruff treatment and prevention. Just like Aloe Vera soothes dry skin from a sun burn, it can also moisturize a dry scalp, which helps to alleviate the presence of pesky flakes. Treating a flaky scalp is also a key factor in eliminating dandruff all together.

2. Oily Hair

Treating dry hair can be often be accompanied by undesirable oil build-up. Thankfully, Aloe Vera can be used as a rinse for oily hair without additional, unwanted effects like making hair dry or brittle. The rinse is easy to make and only needs one part aloe vera juice with two parts lemon juice, then apply to the shaft of the hair.

3. Frizzy Hair

13 Things You Should Know About Chia Seeds

Top 12 Benefits of Aloe Vera

1. Aloe Vera Is High in Vitamins & Minerals:

2. Aloe Vera is High in Amino Acids & Fatty Acids

3. Aloe Vera is an Adaptogen

4. Aloe Helps with Digestion

5. Aloe Helps in Detoxification

6. Aloe Alkalizes the Body

Aloe Vera as a Hair Treatment

1. Dandruff

2. Oily Hair

3. Frizzy Hair

RITA FOOD AND DRINK CO.,LTD