An Unexpected Journey...........I would like to start out by stating that I am no expert on matters of healthy eating, supplements, diets, etc. The only reason I am even dedicating a whole blog post to apple cider vinegar is because of the unexpected benefits I have had while taking it. I have now been consistently taking 1-2 tsp in a glass of water in the morning and afternoon for a month and a half now.
It was just after two days that I noticed some differences within in me. After a week had gone by I had realized some more things had changed with me in relationship to certain foods and habits. As more time went by I could not help but to feel a deep level of gratitude for what was changing in my body and habits. This gratitude is what spilled over and had me post a time or two on Facebook about what I had been experiencing. I was amazed at the amount of feedback I received and the interest. I was joking at first about writing this blog but I received that inner "nod" to actually move forward and expand on my experience. I don't usually write a blog until I feel that inner "nod."
As you read about how taking this supplement affected me please remember no two people are the same. You may not experience what I have and you may experience something I will not. Also some people do not do well with vinegar based products. I know apple cider vinegar is not straight up distilled white vinegar but it is still a fermented food product. Please keep that in mind.
Okay so here is my "unexpected journey"........
In the middle of March I put myself on a 30 day ayurvedic body cleanse that consisted of me eating an Ama reducing mung dal dish (mung beans and rice) three times a day. Ama is a word used to describe the inner toxic waste that gets built up within our digestive system and affects are overall sense of well-being. Ama is created from poor eating habits, eating leftover and frozen foods, and eating late at night among other things.
I went on this mono- diet not only to cleanse (mung beans are a great internal cleanser),but also to figure out what foods were contributing to me breaking out on my forehead and right side of my face. As the month went on my skin started to calm down. One of the many positive side effects of being on an internal body cleanse is the connection with the body. The senses get heightened. The body really does communicate what its likes, dislikes, and needs are. Most of the time we are to bogged down in toxic substances to feel that natural connection to the body and feel what it is saying. My body guided me to start taking the apple cider vinegar. I was praying for something to assist me with my digestive system thinking that an imbalance there was contributing to the outbreaks on my skin also. I was soon led to the ACV.
My first glass was just one teaspoon in the morning. I enjoyed the taste. It was a bit of a wake up to my taste buds at first, but I quickly got used to it. I found myself wanting another glass at lunch and one in the late afternoon. My body needed it. The body always knows. It wasn't long until I felt an increase in energy. I would say after two days is when I realized I was not wanting to fall asleep around 3 in the afternoon. I was quite energized. After five to six days is when I suddenly realized I had no desire to take in caffeine. The times I normally would crave caffeine I found myself craving a glass of the ACV. This is a huge deal for me. Caffeine has been an on and off again addiction for me. It is hard because not only does it affect my nervous system in a negative way, but it also disrupts my hormone balance and makes me break out in what looks like chicken pox on my face. I am allergic to it. It is a substance that also takes me out of my serenity and causes me to go into a depressive state if taken for a long period of time. Since taking the ACV I have not had any cravings for the caffeine as I normally do. I could cry tears of gratitude just for that benefit.
Around the same time I noticed the lack of craving for caffeine I realized there was no cravings for sugar either. That does not mean I have not eaten anything sweet. It just means I don't crave and need sugar like I used to. If I do eat something sweet it is not with refined sugar. I have been okay with just eating a little something and not go overboard. I have been able to walk down aisles and past sweet temptations without a battle going on within me. The battle in my mind trying to justify why I need that Vegan Vee treat. I still eat yummy Vegan vee baked goods, but I don't find myself in an obsessive-compulsive state over sugar.
The energy I have gained from taking ACV has been a god send. Let me say, sustained energy. I can't remember the last time I have had a mid afternoon slump or the kind of crash I normally would feel from sugar and caffeine. Low energy has been an ongoing issue in my life also. My energy levels are amazing right now and I am enjoying every day of it. The last thing I would like to share is my mood level. I feel a change. I know with the onset of spring comes elevated moods as the heaviness of winter melts away. This has been different. It feels like some kind of shift within my physiology. It could be a combination of the body cleanse and heavy metal detox I did along with the consistent use of ACV. I don't know. I just know I like it.
I do not drink three glasses a day anymore as my body has indicated one to two is sufficient now.
I have also used ACV as a cool rinse in my hair after showering to make it shiny. I have used it as a toner on my skin. I also have noticed I smell good. I know it sounds strange. I can't help sharing. I said I would share how it has affected me. I smell good from the inside out.
So that has been my "unexpected journey" with apple cider vinegar. I hope you have some positive results if you are taking it. Just remember give it at least 30 days. Oh and if you have it as a drink at work and have to be around other people right after you drink it just be mindful:) You are drinking vinegar! Oh and be careful if you drink it after 6 P.M. It was hard for me to fall asleep if I drank it to late. See what works for you.
I see questions in comment sections often of people asking if it matters what kind of vinegar to use. I have seen more times than not people answer with Braggs Organic Raw Apple Cider Vinegar. You don't want the pasterurized, distilled vinegars. You want the cloudy looking, brownish kind with the "mother" in it. Do not be afraid of the cobweb like particles floating in the bottle. You can find it in the Natural Market section of your grocery store for around $3-4 dollars. Seriously.
Here is a link to an excerpt from the book: Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar
http://bragg.com/books/acv_excerpt.html
I am going to include the link that I know has been around the block a few times on facebook. If you haven't read it please give yourself some time to look it over. 15 Reasons To Use Apple Cider Vinegar
http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-5875/15-Reasons-to-Use-Apple-Cider-Vinegar-Every-Day.html
Let me know how your journey goes! I know I am staying on mine until I get guided another way.
Blessings and Glitter to You,
Kristianna
