So all this talk about apple cider vinegar made me think about how I had a bottle of Braggs, but ended up discarding it when I cleaned out my pantry. On a weekly trip to Whole Foods this week, I bought a new bottle. A few of you have commented on your daily doses of the stuff and though I think it tastes pretty nasty, I am reminded of how many things it claims to be good for, so I started drinking it again this week. Here is a list of benefits that I found when I googled it:
1. When diluted with water 50/50 it is often used as a toner for the face. Caution should be used when applying as cider vinegar is very dangerous to the eyes.
2. A bath of apple cider vinegar is said to reduce the effects of sunburn. The vinegar soaked on a cloth and applied to sunburn may also be used.
3. Many women have tried a douche of apple cider vinegar as a remedy for yeast infections. However, many others claim that vinegar causes or worsens yeast infections. Some say it depends on the brand used.
4. There are many claims that apple cider vinegar is a powerful weight loss aid. Many people use it in salad dressings or drink a tablespoon diluted in a glass of water once or twice per day.
5. It is said to treat dandruff by destroying the fungus Malassezia furfur and restoring the PH balance of the scalp. Some people recommend applying a 50/50 mixture of water and vinegar, applying it to the scalp, and leaving it to dry. Others suggest applying a couple of tablespoons of straight vinegar to the scalp and leaving it on for an hour or two before rinsing.
6. It has long been promoted as a remedy for arthritis. The National Arthritis Foundation says apple cider vinegar has not been proven effective against arthritis but is harmless to try.
7. A reported treatment for warts is to soak the affected area for 20 minutes per day in a 50/50 mixture of vinegar and water.
8. It is said to be a natural lowerer of bad cholesterol.
9. A teaspoon of cider vinegar in a glass of water per day is said to lower blood pressure.
10. Mother of vinegar, the layer of film that forms on top of the cider, is believed to have antibacterial and antifungal properties.
I am wondering how it can lower blood pressure and yet still boost metabolism. That makes me curious. The first day I had some, I felt my heart rate was elevated which could have been coincidence, but it makes me think NOT. The elevated heart rate could be part of the metabolism boosting effect. Not sure how that would translate to lower blood pressure but maybe if you burn more calories and lose weight, the pressure goes down. In any event, I am going to stick with it for a bit. My numbers are all pretty decent, but there is always room for more improved health.
Dr. Paul Braggs, the guy behind the apple cider vinegar, also has a handful of other products such as nutritional yeast, a mix of spices and liquid aminos, to name a few, was a renegade in the field of health and wellness. This guy, crippled as a child by TB, was hosting a health show on the radio in the 1920s and was actually Jack LaLanne inspiration and mentor, claiming that Braggs saved his life when he attended a “Bragg’s Crusade,” when Jack was just 15 years old.
The way I am viewing this addition of apple cider vinegar to my daily diet is this…if it was good enough for the good doctor, good enough for the father of fitness, and it is good enough for Carole…and Rita, then it is definitely good enough for me!
Thanks, Kyle, for the updates. Thanks Carol, for the mulberries from your tree. They are not only yummy but very nutritional…more about them, tomorrow! In the meantime, I walk around singing “all around the mulberry bush…” and checking to see how purple my fingers are 🙂 Thanks, Jane, for all that inspiration from the people at lululemon. The quotes are wonderful and definitely worth repeating!
Tonight, it’s bean burgers and no-pigs in the blanket with some baked potatoes and a big salad. But first, its off for my daily walk with the big guy. Have an awesome VFT and remember that “your outlook of life is a direct reflection of how much you like yourself. What we do to the earth, we do to ourselves.” See, there’s one of those quotes, already!
I drink Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar tonic almost every day. I do add a few squirts of honey to sweeten the taste a bit. It does LOOK nasty….but that is the unfiltered raw apple pulp. Cheers!