If you know me, then you are probably aware that I swear by apple cider vinegar. Reading these articles really made me think about it.
And the truth is, as much as I disagree with the idea that it doesn't help anything whatsoever, I will be the first to say it isn't a miracle cure. Nothing is. Except for, you know, actual miracles.
I started consuming ACV for either two or three years now, I'm not sure which exactly. It wasn't too long after I got diagnosed with PCOS and could not keep taking the medication I was put on.
It started out, I would put a few tablespoons of ACV in a cup and dilute it with water. That didn't help the taste at all. Then I tried adding lemon juice, which helped a little bit, but honestly, it was a struggle to drink it every morning.
Now, I drink it with honey instead of lemon juice and it is actually remarkably refreshing.
I will continue to share what I feel are the benefits of ACV for whoever might listen and for however long it takes for more people to become aware of it.
With that said, ACV is NOT a miracle cure for anything. It is NOT the one-stop shop to fix everything.
You can't just add it to your diet and expect to lose lots of weight, have insulin issues completely cured, and fix all digestion problems. You can't add it to your morning routine and within moments have it fix everything from sunburn and acne to the cancerous cells.
What ACV can help with:
-It does help with weight loss: According to different studies, it DOES help with weight loss in a few different ways. It helps suppress your appetite for a little while, it will help regulate insulin resistance (note: that does not mean it will fix it completely and definitely not immediately.)
Warnings: Don't drink straight ACV, nor more than 6 tbs of it a day. This is an acid. Even by diluting it, it can cause enamel issues on your teeth and erode your esophagus. It also can cause an imbalance of bacteria in your gut and it can either help heart burn or cause heartburn. If you have an easily irritated stomach, try it out in little spurts to begin with rather than a full regimen.
-It can help with acne/ seborrheic dermatitis/ psoriasis/ eczema : I have been known to use it (diluted) as a toner. When I'm nearing my period, I tend to get really bad cystic acne (or at least I used to), but since I've cleaned up my diet and started using this, I've had three cystic zits total. In the winter, my skin suffers from both eczema and seborrheic dermatitis. Although I've learned it is helpful for the SD, it made my eczema worse.
Warning: Be sure to dilute ACV before putting it on your skin especially if you've never used it before. It is an acid and CAN burn your skin.
-It helps with sunburn and bug bite relief: This is true. I recommend putting it in a tub and dilute it with warm (not hot) water and some baking soda. Not only does it fizz like bath bombs, but it also relieves sunburn pain temporarily. I've only used it a couple times on bug bites and although it works, if you have access to a lavender essential oil, that works better (and smells better).
What it is said to help with:
There are a few things it allegedly helps with but I've not tried it yet.
-Making hair look shinier and healthier
-Cleaning and disinfecting things
-Stopping jellyfish poison from spreading
-Heartburn relief
-Removing fleas, lice, and bedbugs
-It may or may not be a blood thinner. There are different studies saying it is or isn't, so be careful.
Those are just a few of the things that I think it possibly will help with, but I haven't tested it before or I don't suffer from the afflictions mentioned.
Things it does not do:
-Whiten teeth: I've seen this on a few different places and I have to express extrme annoyance at this. ACV is an acid. It wears away enamel on your teeth. DO NOT TRY TO USE IT AS A TEETH WHITENER.
-Replace medication, especially for diabetes and thyroid issues: Don't stop taking a prescribed medication from your doctor unless told you can. And if you're considering starting taking ACV and have some major health issue TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR.
-Cause weight to magically melt off: I've mentioned before on this blog that ACV has helped me on my weight loss journey. NVER have I given it credit for all of it. Losing weight takes hard work. Getting in shape takes hard work. It is all worth it, but for both weight loss and getting fit, there is no magical solution.
A Few Extra Warnings: Consuming too much ACV can cause severe medical issues, including death. Although not a lot of people are warned about this it IS a possibility. There is only one recorded death linked to it that I've found online, but she was consuming about 8oz of the stuff a day. So be careful.
Always dilute it if you will be putting it on your skin (including your scalp) or if it will touch your teeth.
After drinking (or eating) ACV, be sure to brush your teeth. Just don't do it immediately after you drink it because that's apparently not good for your teeth either.
More and more scientific studies are being done around ACV so hopefully sooner rather than later we will have definitive answers on what exactly ACV can do for us, but in my experience, it has been an overall pleasant experience.
Do you use ACV? If so, how and does it work for you? Are there any other miracle cures out there that you've tried?
Until Next Time,
Shelby
I will continue to share what I feel are the benefits of ACV for whoever might listen and for however long it takes for more people to become aware of it.
With that said, ACV is NOT a miracle cure for anything. It is NOT the one-stop shop to fix everything.
You can't just add it to your diet and expect to lose lots of weight, have insulin issues completely cured, and fix all digestion problems. You can't add it to your morning routine and within moments have it fix everything from sunburn and acne to the cancerous cells.
What ACV can help with:
-It does help with weight loss: According to different studies, it DOES help with weight loss in a few different ways. It helps suppress your appetite for a little while, it will help regulate insulin resistance (note: that does not mean it will fix it completely and definitely not immediately.)
Warnings: Don't drink straight ACV, nor more than 6 tbs of it a day. This is an acid. Even by diluting it, it can cause enamel issues on your teeth and erode your esophagus. It also can cause an imbalance of bacteria in your gut and it can either help heart burn or cause heartburn. If you have an easily irritated stomach, try it out in little spurts to begin with rather than a full regimen.
-It can help with acne/ seborrheic dermatitis/ psoriasis/ eczema : I have been known to use it (diluted) as a toner. When I'm nearing my period, I tend to get really bad cystic acne (or at least I used to), but since I've cleaned up my diet and started using this, I've had three cystic zits total. In the winter, my skin suffers from both eczema and seborrheic dermatitis. Although I've learned it is helpful for the SD, it made my eczema worse.
Warning: Be sure to dilute ACV before putting it on your skin especially if you've never used it before. It is an acid and CAN burn your skin.
-It helps with sunburn and bug bite relief: This is true. I recommend putting it in a tub and dilute it with warm (not hot) water and some baking soda. Not only does it fizz like bath bombs, but it also relieves sunburn pain temporarily. I've only used it a couple times on bug bites and although it works, if you have access to a lavender essential oil, that works better (and smells better).
What it is said to help with:
There are a few things it allegedly helps with but I've not tried it yet.
-Making hair look shinier and healthier
-Cleaning and disinfecting things
-Stopping jellyfish poison from spreading
-Heartburn relief
-Removing fleas, lice, and bedbugs
-It may or may not be a blood thinner. There are different studies saying it is or isn't, so be careful.
Those are just a few of the things that I think it possibly will help with, but I haven't tested it before or I don't suffer from the afflictions mentioned.
Things it does not do:
-Whiten teeth: I've seen this on a few different places and I have to express extrme annoyance at this. ACV is an acid. It wears away enamel on your teeth. DO NOT TRY TO USE IT AS A TEETH WHITENER.
-Replace medication, especially for diabetes and thyroid issues: Don't stop taking a prescribed medication from your doctor unless told you can. And if you're considering starting taking ACV and have some major health issue TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR.
-Cause weight to magically melt off: I've mentioned before on this blog that ACV has helped me on my weight loss journey. NVER have I given it credit for all of it. Losing weight takes hard work. Getting in shape takes hard work. It is all worth it, but for both weight loss and getting fit, there is no magical solution.
A Few Extra Warnings: Consuming too much ACV can cause severe medical issues, including death. Although not a lot of people are warned about this it IS a possibility. There is only one recorded death linked to it that I've found online, but she was consuming about 8oz of the stuff a day. So be careful.
Always dilute it if you will be putting it on your skin (including your scalp) or if it will touch your teeth.
After drinking (or eating) ACV, be sure to brush your teeth. Just don't do it immediately after you drink it because that's apparently not good for your teeth either.
More and more scientific studies are being done around ACV so hopefully sooner rather than later we will have definitive answers on what exactly ACV can do for us, but in my experience, it has been an overall pleasant experience.
Do you use ACV? If so, how and does it work for you? Are there any other miracle cures out there that you've tried?
Until Next Time,
Shelby
I've recently picked up a Soda Stream, and I've found adding a bit of ACV to a full bottle of freshly carbonated water is pretty tasty to me (but I've always been on the acidic tastes of things). I do notice it helps control my appetite, though I haven't tried it for acne. Might have to give that a thought.
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