An Apple a day keeps the doctor away!
Turns out the benefits of consuming apples don’t just stop at eating“an apple a day”. The natural sugars found in apples also lend themselves as the perfect candidates for fermentation, resulting in a byproduct (apple cider vinegar!) that has endless benefits. Its power lies in its active compound: acetic acid.
Its the time of the year when the weather changes and flu comes along with it. How many of us have got the rain check on our immunity during this changing weather season. If the weather gods are playing catch 22, thank your new friend – Apple Cider Vinegar who will help you cross the bridge healthier with better immunity.
Apple cider vinegar (ACV) has been around for thousands of years and has many uses and benefits. Way back in 400 BC, the father of medicine, Hippocrates, prescribed apple cider vinegar with honey to treat ailments, including coughs and colds.
How does Apple Cider Vinegar Work:
- Drinking a glass of water with a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar before a meal helps to curb your appetite. It also helps stimulate hydrochloric acid, which we need to break down our foods for further absorption and digestion.
- It can help control your blood sugar.
- It contains several antioxidants, which are great for you because they boost your body’s immune system and help you fight off illness.
- Combined with a balanced diet, it can help to regulate your pH levels, which are the ratio of acid to alkaline in the body. We want a mildly alkaline environment to stave off disease, including cancer, autoimmunity and the common cold.
- It is high in is acetic acid, which helps your body absorb minerals.
But how do we find the All Natural Apple Cider. Facts to check before you buy.
Apple Cider is made by fermenting apple in its natural form. What results is a 5% acidic vinegar with “mother”. Mother are the nutrients in the vinegar which form the living organisms. So make sure you are always buy the organic, raw, unpasteurised apple cider vinegar with “the mother” on the label in order to reap the benefits.
A few golden recipes for the ACV consumption:
Apple Cider Water – for drinking every day for weight management.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 cups water
- The juice from ½ of a lemon
- A drop or 2 of raw honey (optional)
Instructions: Mix all ingredients well and enjoy!
As Immunity Booster
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup green tea
- A squeeze of lemon juice
- A drop or 2 of raw honey
- 1 small slice of ginger
- A dash of cinnamon
Instructions
- Steep the tea in water for 2-3 minutes.
- Remove tea and stir in the remaining ingredients. *The longer the ginger steeps the stronger it will be.
- Remove ginger slice before drinking.
Kick it up Salad Dressing
Ingredients
- ½ teaspoon liquid Stevia/Hony/Maple Syrup
- ¼ cup cider vinegar
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon red pepper
- Juice from 1 lemon
- Salt and pepper to taste (you can also use black seeds for the pepper)
Instructions
- Whisk together sweetener, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice and red pepper.
- Slowly pour in olive oil while whisking to emulsify.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Pour into jar with lid and refrigerate. Makes about ½ cup.
Lose It Salad Dressing
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 3-4 drops sweetner of choice / fruit juice
- 1 teaspoon finely ground flax seeds
- A dash of salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper (you can also use black seeds)
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper
- ½ small clove of garlic, finely grated
Instructions
- Whisk together all ingredients until mixed.
- Pour into jar with lid and refrigerate.
Makes about ⅓ cup.
