Why Should I Drink Apple Cider Vinegar?

ACV has gotten a huge hype for the amazing effects that it has on the body, and for once we have a product that actually has earned it's hype! All over IG and YouTube you'll see fitness gurus taking swigs out of their Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar bottles first thing in the morning and they all preach that it's amazing for you...but we never really get a definitive reason as to why exactly we're drinking this sour beverage. So I took the liberty of digging through some studies that help explain why ACV is such a blessing...

The Benefits

1. ACV had been shown to help kill bacteria in the body; because of the natural preservative properties in vinegar, it has been shown to help prevent the spread of bacteria. Many people swear that drinking apple cider vinegar is the best all natural cold remedy.
2. It has been shown to help regulate blood sugar and prevent blood sugar spikes, this is extremely helpful information for type 2 diabetics. These spikes and dips in blood sugar are also a huge source of cravings, so eliminating these spikes will help keep your cravings in check! Also, studies show that if you take apple cider vinegar before indulging in a high-carb meal, your insulin sensitivity will be significantly reduced after the carb-load.
3. Apple cider vinegar has been shown to increase satiety (aka the feeling of being full). I take 1-3 tablespoons of ACV daily and while I don’t notice it making me feel any fuller I do notice that it suppresses my appetite a bit (maybe from the taste, who knows).
4. Apple cider vinegar is alkalizing; we want our bodies to be alkaline (basic) not acidic. Unfortunately diets today tend to be full of meat, dairy, eggs, and all sorts of other foods that make our bodies more acidic. I mean...hello, we need all those protein sources to help keep us lean, right? So to fight the acid-causing foods, it's worth considering adding alkalizing foods such as apple cider vinegar, lemon water, and green veggies which are all great ways to help get your body’s pH back in check! 

• Why Do I care if my body's pH is too acidic?
•  It has also been shown that being too acidic will cause weight-loss to be extremely difficult even if you're doing all the right things, so if you’re looking to lose weight or you're stuck at a plateau it may be beneficial to add in some acid-fighting foods like ACV!

How do I start incorporating ACV?

The most popular way to drink your daily apple cider vinegar is to add 1-2 tablespoons into a cup of hot water with a little bit of natural honey. It's no secret that the bitter taste of plain apple cider vinegar will leave you with a sour lemon-face, so diluting it and adding in honey is a great way to neutralize the flavor. 

*Honey is another food I'm warming up to; I have always viewed honey as a waste of sugar-filled carbs but I am now starting to appreciate it for it's natural anti-inflammatory properties. During my natural cold remedy research, I discovered that adding in a tablespoon or two of honey per day can actually be more beneficial than taking cough syrup. 

Another way to take it is by simply pouring out a tablespoon into a shot-glass and taking it straight. This is how I personally prefer to take mine...I'm more of a 'just get it over with' kind of person I guess!

Lastly...I love to put this stuff on top of my salads as a calorie-free salad dressing! 

Thank You For Reading!

Xo, Kelsey