Hope you are all having a lovely Saturday :) Since I have no food to share with you today, I am going to take this post to talk a little bit about apple cider vinegar, why I'm drinking it and how I feel after a week. Please keep in mind that I'm not an expert at all and these are all things that I've been told or read about and figured I'd give it a shot!
This is the apple cider vinegar I've been using. It is raw and unfiltered which means there is stuff floating around in there. I guess I AM ready for kombucha! Apple cider vinegar is apples that have gone through 2 fermentation processes. The first produces apple cider and the second produces apple cider vinegar. That second fermentation process produces extra acids and enzymes that are said to contribute some wonderful health benefits.
I've been asked what health benefits are supposed to come from drinking apple cider vinegar. The ones I've read about are increased energy, weight loss, flu, allergies and that it makes your blood alkaline. If you haven't heard of the alkaline diet, achieving the alkaline state is said to be incredibly beneficial for you as it might prevent cancer, fatigue, obesity, allergies and increase bone health. As you can see, the symptoms are quite similar so it would make sense that by achieving the alkaline state you would see the benefits they are claiming for apple cider vinegar.
I've also been asked why I decided to try apple cider vinegar. My trainer had told me about it about 6 months ago (he was talking to me about the alkalizing benefits) and I decided that it was one piece of advice that I was just going to have to hold off on at the time. At that point I didn't really get it. Now as the weather begins to change and "sick" season comes upon us, I decided it was time for me to find a NATURAL way to fight illness. In addition, after the hectic busy summer season at work, I've found myself constantly run down and exhausted so the energy boost was definitely something I was interested in. I get sick easily and I'm hoping that this will help me. And weight loss is always an added bonus ;)
So, what have I noticed since I started drinking it? ENERGY. It is night and day difference. I can't really speak to the other symptoms just yet but I have had incredible energy since I started drinking it. I can work in the studio until 9pm and I don't feel tired and run down. Before I started, I would drink a second coffee at about 5pm and I'd still be tired. Now, I only drink a small coffee in the morning and I still walk out with energy. It is hard for me to fully attribute energy and a lower appetite (which I've noticed...I also get full quicker) to apple cider vinegar because I started eating small meals every 3 hours at the same time, but I've eaten that way before and still haven't had this much energy on just that schedule alone. I'm interested to see how my energy at a wedding will be effected. I can be at work until 1am on some days and not having any caffeine after my morning coffee usually makes me SUPER tired! We'll see!
If you are interested in trying it I definitely don't think it hurts to give it a whirl. The only thing is to make sure you do it properly! It is highly acidic and can be harmful to your teeth and throat if you don't dilute it. No apple cider vinegar shots everyone! ;) I dilute 1 tbsp of apple cider vinegar in a glass of water...probably about 16 oz. I've seen that some people start with 2 tsp in a glass of water so try whatever you like. I also brush my teeth after I drink it to protect the enamel. The first time I drank my water it was NASTY but I got used to it after that.
So there you have it! I also wanted to share this with you because I thought it was funny!
My Whole Foods has a whole refrigerator case of kombucha (so many kinds!) and in the top corner I found these apple cider vinegar bottled drinks! I think there was apple juice, the vinegar and maybe some sugar...there was a reason I didn't try it but I don't remember. I think I just want to stick to the pure stuff. I just thought it was funny because all of a sudden this popped up! I'm sure it has been there for a while and I just didn't notice it until now because it is on the radar but it is still funny nonetheless :)
Hope this clears everything up and makes sense! It is kind of hard to explain something when you are still getting a grasp on it yourself :) Have a great Saturday!
*Edited to add - I do this twice a day...once when I wake up first thing and once at night after dinner.
Thanks for the explanation, Sarah. The extra energy sounds fantastic. Maybe I should try it? I'm tired a lot, but that may be because of all the cookies and caffeine I get. :) I swear, I have the most unhealthy diet of any vegan I know. Have you written anything about detox diets?
ReplyDeleteThat's great you're feeling the effects so quickly! I've tried the water/cider drink, but it is difficult to stomach, so I do it sort of on and off, and use it mainly on salads and other foods. I've heard other people say that same as you though, that if you just stick with it, you get used to it.
ReplyDeleteIt worked a treat when I used it topically on skin fungus too, like tinea versacolor. (Sorry if that's TMI) As you say, it's probably not the best thing for your enamel, but I use it to clean my gums a few times a week...it kills the bacteria that forms plaque; I always brush with paste and water afterward and haven't had any probs...so I hope it's ok.
my mom and husband take apple cider vinegar capsules as a natural heartburn preventative, but i hadn't heard of drinking it. maybe i'll give it shot -- i could always use more energy! :)
ReplyDeleteSage - No prob! Hope it all made sense! The energy boost is immediate and I have been feeling great! I've only ever written about 2 detoxes I've done...the first on my other blog (tumblr) was when I detoxed from wheat/gluten. I had gotten really sick and my trainer suggested I may have a gluten intolerance so I did a 4 week detox. The first 2 weeks no grains at all, just fruit, veggies and protein. Then the second 2 weeks I added grains in slowly...mostly just oatmeal and brown rice. I felt great after that one. The second one was a raw detox that I talked about in this blog :)
ReplyDeleteRose - Yeah the first time was really difficult. Honestly I just chug. It isn't so bad now and the effects for me far outweigh the 30 seconds of yucky taste :) I've also read that to get the best effects it has to be raw, unprocessed vinegar containing the "mother". I saw that it is a great topical treatment! And I think brushing after use is fine :)
Sara - Definitely give it a try! Like I said, give it a few tries because the first time is very yucky :X
Thanks for the information on this. It was very insightful! I have seen this brand of apple cider vinegar at my local Super Supplements, so I might have to pick it up next time I'm in there (I go there a lot).
ReplyDeleteDo you think that consuming any type of vinegar has a similar affect? I use a lot of red wine vinegar and malt vinegar as dressings on salads or in soups and stuff (I like tangy soups), so I'm just wondering if there are any benefits to those too..
No problem! I haven't heard anything about other types of vinegars, I'm not sure if the acids and enzymes with the beneficial effects are only from the fermentation of apples? I've only read that the raw, unprocessed apple cider vinegar is the best way to go to reach the maximum benefits.
ReplyDeleteGreat information! I need more energy that's for sure. I could take a nap as I'm typing this. I've been reading up on how you body should be more alkaline, but had no idea that apple cider vinegar helped with that. When I get back from vacation I'm going to print off all the benefits for Tony to read and see if he will do it too. Thanks for posting about it!
ReplyDeleteVery informative. You've sold me!
ReplyDeleteMichelle - Glad it was helpful! That would be great if you guys did it together! Honestly, it is so easy and so effective it is crazy not to at least try it!
ReplyDeleteShen - Awesome! Let me know how it works!
ACV is my go-to cure all! I drink it almost daily, but I mix it with cranberry juice for extra benefits! I love it so much I even use it as a conditioner in my hair, as a rinse when its doggy bath time, as a flea deterrent in season, doggy hot spots, as a skin toner and of course in baking and cooking.
ReplyDeleteWow, it really is versatile! I just started using it so I'm getting used to it but it really seems to have so many benefits!
ReplyDelete