Friday, January 27, 2012

Apple Cider Vinegar, Miracle Cure!

I woke up this morning with a slightly sore throat, probably due to the 40 degree temperature flux NYC has been experiencing this month. I immediately pulled out my trusty bottle of Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar, poured about a teaspoon in water and gulped it down. Five minutes later my throat is already improving.

What Is Apple Cider Vinegar Good For?
1. Throat and sinus health. After beginning to drink ACV daily, issues I had during the winter with chronic congestion and post-nasal drip went away completely. If I stop drinking it for a few weeks (as is the case today) sometimes the throat irritation will return (I do live in a thoroughly dirty city), but usually is healed within a day of drinking the diluted ACV a couple of times.
2. Skin health. When taking ACV for my throat, I noticed that my skin became clearer and clearer! One day I had a blemish and started rooting around online for skin home remedies. I discovered ACV was recommended on multiple blogs to be used as a facial cleanser! When I perform and have to wear stage makeup (on a daily basis I don't ever wear makeup), I use a mixture of ACV and aloe juice to remove my makeup and now do not experience any breakouts from the makeup clogging my pores.
3. Dry throats. A splash of ACV in water is an instant thirst quencher.
4. The website claims it also helps sore muscles, is rich in enzymes and potassium, promotes digestion and helps maintain weight, all of which I don't doubt.

Why Bragg's Brand?
Bragg's is organic and raw and also contains the Mother, which is "the dark, cloudy substance in the ACV formed from naturally occurring pectin and apple residues - it appears as molecules of protein connected in strand-like chains. The presence of the mother shows that the best part of the apple has not been destroyed. Vinegars containing the mother contain enzymes and minerals that other vinegars may not contain due to overprocessing, filtration and overheating." It's not terribly expensive (about $4 for 16 oz), so I would suggest going to a health food store and buying it rather than getting some generic brand. (You can also order it online with my link above.)

Caveats
If you drink too much you'll get a belly ache-- I usually do a teaspoon in about 4 oz of water, which seems to do the trick. If you accidentally have too much you can neutralize the acidity in your tummy by drinking another glass of water with a pinch of baking soda.

Some people may find it doesn't taste good (I personally enjoy the taste), so you can add a teaspoon of honey or maple syrup to your drink if you find it too sour for a sort of lemonade-y flavor.

Other suggestions
If you're experiencing chronic phlegm you might want to reduce or eliminate dairy from your diet, which is a well-known phlegm producer. I felt a notable difference in my congestion level when I went vegan. Also, the Neti Pot nasal wash is a great all-natural tool for clearing out your sinuses. I also sometimes gargle with the ACV/water mix to clean out my throat. A tea called Traditional Medicinals is also helpful for minor ailments. Whatever you do, try to keep OTC medicine and worse, antibiotics to an absolute minimum. These so-called medicines often weaken your immune system and make you sicker in the long run. About a month ago my husband called me in a panic, convinced he had strep due to a red, swollen, painful throat. I advised him to cancel his hastily-made doctor's appointment, drink a nice healthy portion of the ACV, and clean out his sinuses with the Neti-Pot. About 4 hours later we were sitting down to a nice lunch and he was completely cured.

1 comment:

  1. It is true! This is the greatest. I felt a cold coming on, drank some Braggs apple cider vinegar, and poof, gone. My husband (who, on the rare occasions he gets sick, gets SICK) had a terrible cold, so I had him drink the above recipe, with honey in it, and he was better in two days. He drank it three times a day for those two days, and by the third day, he didn't even have any congestion. I like to drink the vinegar straight up, but I have taste buds of steel.

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