An Ode to Apple Cider Vinegar

Arkansas Black apple with ACV

Apple cider vinegar (ACV) and I have a pretty solid relationship.  It’s always there when I need it; it is healing and supportive, and doesn’t get jealous when I love on other vinegars.

I often waffle back and forth on which vinegar I love more; white or apple cider.  I have come to respect each type of vinegar individually, because each one is better than the other in certain arenas.  White vinegar is the clear winner for cleaning and household chores, but ACV is the clear winner when it comes to taste, healing and health benefits .  ACV has an unparallelled portfolio of healing power, and has been proclaimed as a reliable and magnificent “medicine”  since 400 B.C. in the time of Hippocrates, the “Father of Modern Medicine.”

He said,

“Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food.”

Apple cider vinegar does just that.

When referring to ACV, assume that I mean the raw, unfiltered vinegar with the ‘Mother’ included.  Well, yes, my mother can be a bit raw and unfiltered at times; sorry, Mom :), but what I mean to say by ‘Mother’ is the by-product of the creation process in which the vinegar is made.  The ‘Mother’ is made up of strand-like enzymes of connected protein molecules with living nutrients and bacteria.  If you are familiar with the ‘Mother’ in the kombucha creation process, it is similar to that.  And, just like all mothers and their babies, the ‘Mother’ in the ACV is what makes it so special!  A reliable and very well respected brand for raw ACV is Bragg’s.  It’s organic, high quality, trusted and affordable.  The only brand of ACV I buy.

ACV has taken Hollywood by storm.  Not that I care, but the populous might, so it’s of mention that Madonna, Oprah, Tosca Reno, Clint Eastwood, Tom Selleck and many other health conscious celebrities use ACV to stay fresh as a daisy and healthy as an ox.  What I do appreciate about this news though is that the folks who have bajillions of dollars choose to spend mere pennies (to them) on an old-fashioned food that promotes health and healing.  When they could be buying million dollar retinol cream for their youthful glow, they choose to buy ACV instead…  All may not be lost after all, eh?

ACV is easy to take, though some may be offended by the taste.  It is most commonly recommended that 2T of ACV is added to a glass of water and is drank once, and up to three times per day.  Some people who are not fond of the flavor add a bit of juice, stevia or honey to the mix, but in my opinion, adding raw honey would be the best choice because you then receive the healing benefits of honey along with the healing benefits of the apple cider vinegar.

The Benefits of ACV:

Internal

• Rich in living enzymes
• Rich in acetic acid, which slows the digestion of starches and helps to regulate the glucose spike which commonly occurs after meals.
• Rich in potassium, a key mineral to the body that helps the body grow, build muscle, transmit nerve impulses, and maintain a healthy heart.  Potassium also helps to beat fatigue.
• Rich in ash, which gives ACV it’s alkaline property.  ACV can help to restore proper pH in the body.
• Rich in malic acid, which is what gives ACV it’s anti- fungal/bacterial/viral properties.
• Helps soothe dry throats
• Excellent for digestive health. ACV contains pectin which can lessen intestinal spasms.  When drank before meals, ACV can help to prevent indigestion
• Improves oral health when gargled with by whitening teeth and killing bacteria
• Is rumored to stop hiccups
• The amino acids in ACV help the body clear lactic acid that causes fatigue and muscle cramping, and can build up after a workout or extreme stress.
• Aids in maintaining a healthy weight.

External

• When used as a hair rinse, it can detangle, condition and deep clean hair.  It also contributes to shine, by closing the cuticle of the hair, making light reflect off it.  Apply to hair in equal parts of water and vinegar and rinse.
• Improves the health of your skin by balancing the pH, reducing redness and blemishes and softening through locking in moisture.  Use as a balancing toner in a solution of one part vinegar to two parts water, or for all over softness, add to your bath water.
• A key ingredient in a holistic pet care regimen, it prevents fleas and ticks, improves coat, and heals skin conditions, and arthritis, removes pet odors–including skunk, and can even increase fertility in dogs!  (As always, consult your veterinarian first before using this remedy).
• Helps heal eczema with internal and external applications.

There are many applications of ACV, and whether you bathe in it, drink it, or cook with it, its incredibly impressive properties lend themselves with ease in the implementation of ACV as part of your healthy living regimen.  If you are not already on the ACV bandwagon, I’ll make it easy for you to jump on.  If you are not partial to the flavor, (yet), you can hide it in your:

• fresh juice, or processed, but remember fresh is best 🙂
• daily smoothie
• hot or cold homemade apple cider
• stir fries
• homemade salad dressings

Alternatively, Bragg’s has created an ACV beverage for sale in stores and it is delicious, but can easily be created at home.  I use:

• 1-2 T raw ACV
• 2-3 T of fresh juice, unsweetened, not from concentrate– grape works best
• 5 drops liquid stevia, or 1/4-1/2t powdered stevia, to taste
• 16 oz. water

Combine all ingredients in a glass jar; a mason jar, (ha ha, if I have any returning readers, you knew that one was coming, huh), and drink it down — Enjoy 🙂

~~This post is best enjoyed when sipping a glass of water with apple cider vinegar and honey~~

*As always, the Author is not a doctor, nor is she a butcher, or baker, or candlestick maker, and encourages you to do your own research on topics of interest to you.  Remedies suggested are not a substitute for professional medical advice.

My Homework:
Huffington Post
Bragg
Eating Bird Food
Reader’s Digest
Apple-Cider-Vinegar-Benefits.com–Pet Care
Livlong Inc.–Treating Eczema with ACV

**This post was shared with: Simple Lives Thursday, Healthy Vegan Friday, Wildcrafting Wednesday, LHITS DIY Linky, Sunny Simple Sunday, Your Green Resource, Fat Tuesday, Real Food Wednesday, Fight Back Friday, Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways