This is the time of year we all make resolutions. What I have found is, as soon as I tell myself not to do something I want to do it more.  So this year I am focusing on balance.  I am not telling myself I can't have this or that but instead saying I can enjoy what I want as long as I am aware of staying in balance.  

I talk more about how to do this in the my recent video and post  Balance Your pH So You Feel Fabulous 

The truth is I like sweets.  So I allow myself to have a sweet treat once a week to satisfy the cookie monster inside me. It is easy for me to say "not today" when I know I can have a treat on Saturday. Sometimes I don't even want it by the time Saturday comes around.

Below is a  video and recipe for a  Raw Vegan Bittersweet Chocolate Cake which is a healthy dessert you can enjoy and not throw your body out of balance. It is not hard to make and tastes rich and creamy. So the next time you want something sweet give it a try.  

(happening January 14-18 so you can take the opportunity to recover your health and get back into balance after the holiday indulgences).

Why do I like to include aloe vera in my cleanses and in many of my clients daily protocols?

Aloe works like a cooling lubricant, healing the intestines and the entire digestive tract. Just as you put aloe gel on a burn, where inflammation will occur, aloe works to cool the inflammation inside the organs as well.    In the cleanse you will wake up in the morning and add this magical herb to your water.  You will be using the aloe vera as part of the protocol to soothe and balance your body.

 

In the Recover-Nourishing Foods Winter Cleanse we will be delving into the health of your colon and you will learn how to bring your acid levels down so your pH is more in balance. Aloe will help with this. You will be using the easy diagnostic tool of testing your pH levels daily so you see exactly what is going on inside your body.  I have found when you want to manage something the best thing to do is to measure it.

 

Cleansing your colon and lowering the acid in your body go hand in hand.  Improving digestion almost always improves the pH balance of the body.  When we reduce the acid in our body we improve our digestion and get back into balance. The more toxic you are the more alkaline foods you will need to eat in order to regain balance. I will help you with this in the cleanse.  

 

In the Recover-Nourishing Foods Winter Cleanse we are going to clean out the colon which is the lower portion of our digestive system. We are going to consume foods which are alkaline so we reduce the acids which may have built up over the holiday. This is where joining me and the other cleansers in the Recover-Nourishing Foods Winter Cleanse may come into play for you.

 

If, like most people, you indulged in your fair share of heavy foods, alcohol and copious amounts of sweets over the holidays, you may realize that you could indeed use a little soothing support.  If you are feeling a little fatigue, painful joints, constipation or excess weight you're probably more motivated than ever to change that and start 2013 on the healthiest foot possible. Sign up for the cleanse now and change your life for the better!

 

But whether you decide to join me for that cleansing journey or not, I invite you to think about incorporating the amazing variety of healing benefits granted by aloe vera.  

 Digestive Benefits of Aloe Vera

To get you started, let's take a quick look at the top digestive benefits of consuming aloe and just how you go about doing so.

Aloe vera juice soothes the lining of the intestines just as it soothes burns and wounds on your skin. Using aloe vera juice can have the following positive benefits on your entire digestive process:

• Balancing acid and alkaline levels in the stomach, helping to ease gastric irritation.
• Promoting proliferation of good bacteria in the gut which crowds out the bad bacteria
• Improving bowel regularity without causing diarrhea or constipation
• Slowing transit time to allow for optimal digestion and nutrient absorption. This also stabilizes blood sugar to help prevent diabeties.
• Helping to alleviate yeast in your digestive system
• Reducing inflammation throughout the body from the inside out by using aloe vera internally. This is due to specific anti inflammatory enzymes included right in your aloe juice.

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If you're going it alone, I recommend starting slowly, with 2 Tb aloe vera in 8 oz of water in the morning or add it to your smoothie. Some people dislike the taste, if so add a splash of unsweetened cranberry juice to your water. This will help. 

If you're working with a nutritionist or integrative health care practitioner I invite you to move toward finding the right dose for you. This is something we can certainly do together in the cleanse to ensure that you're finding the amount that will bolster your digestion and elimination in conjunction with the most colon supportive dietary protocols.

So try the aloe to help heal your body, from one end to the other.

I hope to see you in the cleanse.
  
 Pre Cleanse Information Call:  January 12, 2013
 Cleanse Dates: January 14-18
Location: In your home, on your computer and phone

Raw Vegan Bittersweet Chocolate Tart