The first rays of morning sun moved across the ceiling of Annie and LJ’s bedroom. The sunshine glowing through the skylight usually felt friendly, helping both wake up to the promise of a new day. Recently though, Annie was already awake, having spent another restless night tossing and turning.
“I have got to start getting more sleep,” she thought. After completing her morning meditation, she took her glass of water from the nightstand and walked into the bathroom. Peering at her skin in the mirror, she noticed the circles under her eyes and how despite all the moisturizer she applied every night, her skin looked tired and dry. “This is a result of not enough sleep.”
She picked up her toothbrush and applied the toothpaste. Just as she was beginning to brush her teeth, she looked at the tube again and read the ingredients: Aloe Vera toothpaste is more successful at killing and controlling harmful bacteria than any other toothpaste due to its anti-inflammatory compounds.
As she was reading, LJ hugged her, “another sleepless night?”
“Yes, and my skin is really showing the effects too.”
“Well, we have to get your lack of sleep addressed, so I’m going to talk to our naturopathic doctor to see if there are herbal remedies. In the meantime, remember that succulent with a thick outer layer and vast webbed inner vein system that retains moisture – the Aloe Vera plant? As it turns out, its spikes and flowers are natural antioxidants. They are a source of choline and folic acid which, is beneficial to hair and skin regeneration. So how about drinking a daily glass? The juice of the plant is water-dense, making it a great way to stay hydrated. Its nutrients help keep the kidney and liver flushed, which also helps keep your skin flushed.”
Annie chuckled, “It’s amazing how connected we are; I was just reading the value of Aloe Vera on the toothpaste tube. I do recall we used to drink the juice religiously. Its taste takes getting used to, maybe that is why we stopped, but I will get some today because it really does have tremendous internal and external health benefits. I remember reading Aloe Vera, in ancient times was called “the plant of immortality,” and documents show Cleopatra used it in her daily beauty routine.”
“She was a smart queen,” mused LJ. Did you know Aloe Vera leaves have over 240 nutritional and anti-aging ingredients including, vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B6, C, and E, and the minerals calcium, iron, potassium, copper, manganese, selenium, sodium, and chromium, all important to protecting and repairing skin? Also, it is effective at treating sunburns and other skin conditions like acne, due to its anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties.”
“You are a walking Aloe Vera encyclopedia LJ, laughed Annie. You probably already knew its value for muscle growth and maintenance. Its twenty Amino acids are key to building muscle tissue.”
“I did not know that wife. Tell me more.”
“Okay. Aloe Vera contains 8 enzymes that break down fats and sugars from food, thereby benefiting digestion and nutrient absorption. However, for some, the underside of the Aloe Vera leaf is latex. It can cause stomach upset and exacerbate intestinal illnesses such as Crohn’s and Irritable Bowel Syndrome. We must be careful in choosing which brand to buy. I will make sure ours is from a reputable company and more than 99% aloe, so we are getting all its nutritional value and not many additives. By the way, I’m not offering our neighbor Rachel Aloe Vera juice because it is not recommended for ingestion during pregnancy and breastfeeding.”
“You’re all we aloe needed,” sang LJ.
Annie thought, “I gotta get more sleep. I actually think that’s funny.”

Annie and LJ are a fictional couple. Their storyline promotes healthy eating and earth-friendly practices.