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Apple Cider Vinegar Health Benefits: All about this amazing healer!
A lot of people look at me funny (or scoff!) when I tell them that apple cider vinegar changed my life. I had been suffering for years with chronic fatigue and pain, but after my gut completely gave up on me I got tired of being pushed around by doctors that clearly had no idea how to help me. I couldn’t digest anything at one point! But they were telling me that I had too much stomach acid. After a few months on a PPI, I kept feeling worse and worse.
It was on my 23rd birthday that I had had enough. I tapered off the PPI and I started apple cider vinegar with each meal. After months of living off of bland foods, I actually managed to eat a normal meal without pain the first night I took ACV. I was in shock to say the least! How could just a teaspoon of this stinky stuff help so much?! I added in aloe vera the same week of the ACV and over the next few months, my health completely transformed. You can read my whole healing journey here.
Now, it’s been about 9 years since I started on this natural health path. A huge bottle of ACV has been on my counter this whole time. I took it daily for several years, but after awhile I realized I didn’t need it anymore. My gut function has improved so much! Now we keep it on hand for special circumstances- like if we eat something that didn’t agree with us, or if we have a cold and want a boost of ACV power.
I personally like the taste of ACV, especially mixed with ginger juice and water. However, I know that a majority of people cannot stand the taste of it. So I wanted to share these recipes, and some more information about ACV that might convince you to try it if you already haven’t.
Why Use Apple Cider Vinegar for Better Health?
First and foremost, ACV helps aid in digestion and the assimilation of nutrients. This is what stomach acid is mainly for, but most people are sadly lacking in stomach acid because of nutrient imbalances. Eating the Standard American Diet is a huge cause for low stomach acid as well. After years of eating fake foods, our bodies basically use up the stomach acid we have because it’s trying hard to digest these foreign foods. Plus, these fake foods have barely any nutritional value which can lead to so many more health issues.
It’s quite a bad cycle- we need stomach acid to digest nutrients, but we need certain nutrients to make stomach acid. Using things like ACV, lemon, gelatin, and bitter herbs can help the body get back into balance by digesting foods.
This awesome vinegar helps digest food, assimilate minerals, regulates blood sugar, helps weight loss, detoxes the liver, can kill pathogens and some bacteria (like e.coli), is great for cardiovascular health, and has a role in protecting against cancer.
ACV is usually my first recommendation for my clients because it is food based and very effective. If you have histamine intolerance you will likely need to hold off on adding ACV though as it can be an issue. Read my post on histamine intolerance here to start with other gut healers.
Here are some great recipes to use Apple Cider Vinegar
- 5 Drinks with ACV
- Ginger Honey Switchel (delicious!)
- Kristin’s “Apple Cider”: Heat up some water or apple juice on the stove, but not to the boiling point. Use 2 tablespoons ACV, 1/2 tsp Ceylon Cinnamon, 1 tsp raw honey, and 1/4 tsp of ground ginger. Mix it all together and enjoy! This is the recipe I use if anyone in my house gets sick- it helps to knock out colds quick!
- Or if you are brave: Just add 1-2 tablespoons in a glass of water. Drink 2-3 times a day, ideally before meals. This helps to get digestion started before you start eating. This can seriously help people that have trouble digesting different types of foods and you can notice a difference quite quickly.
- My favorite way to drink ACV: 1-2 Tablespoons of ACV, 1-2 Tablespoons of The Ginger People Ginger Juice, and fill the rest of the glass with water or organic apple juice. This blend can help with nausea, bloating, menstrual cramps, constipation, detox reactions, and certain urinary issues.
The body is a whole and we must treat it as such! I have my Bachelor of Science in Natural Health Sciences, certificates in Herbal Studies from Herbal Academy, and I am constantly learning more about health to help my clients and followers.
My goal is to help you unleash your own inner healer! You already hold the power to heal inside you. My role is as a guide to help you realize this potential.