How To Drink Apple Cider Vinegar Without Gagging

There are so many amazing health benefits of adding apple cider vinegar (ACV) into your daily routine, but it can be hard to drink for many people, including me.

I wish I could say I was a health goddess/badass and could just drink apple cider vinegar straight, but I would be lying. It makes me gag like you wouldn't believe! I know people do it, but I just CAN'T! And from the many messages I get from ladies on my Instagram, a lot of you can't stand the taste either. I'm glad I am not alone in this!

But this doesn't stop me from drinking it and getting all the amazing digestive benefits that ACV has to offer. I have learned how to sneak it into my diet so I hardly even notice the taste!

First, what is apple cider vinegar?

Apple Cider Vinegar is made from fermented apples and is full of probiotics, the beneficial bacteria we need in our gut, and enzymes, which help out our digestion by breaking down the food we eat. 

It should be organic, raw, unfiltered, and have the "mother" present, a colony of beneficial bacteria, which is a cloudy, dark, stringy substance that you will usually find at the very bottom of the glass jar.

So, what are the benefits of drink apple cider vinegar?

• Decrease belly bloat by boosting digestion

• Supports gut health with probiotics

• Helps stimulate digestion with enzymes needed to break down food

• Reduces high blood sugar

• Stop cravings in their tracks

• Regulates blood sugar levels

• Helps with weight loss by increasing satiety and decreasing calorie consumption (to get the most benefit of this you need to be taking 2 Tbsps a day)

• Lowers bad LDL cholesterol and increases the good HDL cholesterol

• Calms acid reflux

• Soothes heartburn

• Replenishes low stomach acid

• Helps soothe a sore throat

• As well as many other natural remedies for things such as acne, dandruff, healthy skin and hair, etc.

How to drink apple cider vinegar without gagging:

I have 4 ways that I like to drink my ACV so I it doesn't taste as harsh but I still get all the benefits.

• The main and easiest way I drink my Apple Cider Vinegar is to sneak it into all of my protein smoothies! I usually make a berry banana smoothie with a scoop of chocolate Vega & Greens protein, banana, frozen strawberries and blueberries, nut butter, stevia, cacao nibs, and then my splash of apple cider vinegar! It helps to balance out the sweetness and the banana taste, plus helps get the digestive enzymes flowing. So it's a win win!

• First thing in the morning in warm lemon water and a dash of stevia. It still has a little tangy taste to it but the stevia helps to cut it down and make it more bearable. We do this daily in the Beat Belly Bloat program and it does AMAZING things for the digestive system early in the morning and can also help you cut down on coffee needed. 🍋 The recipe is below!

• Add it to my salad dressing. Ok so technically, this isn't "drinking" ACV but this is a great way to get it into your diet in a way that tastes super delicious! I love to mix 1 Tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil with 2 Tbsps of apple cider vinegar + herbs, salt, and pepper and toss it on a grilled chicken salad. SO freaking good!

• Drink it in my green tea flat belly tea recipe. Now don't let this cute catchy name make you think this flat belly tea recipe is a quick fix for weight loss because that requires all healthy living components: healthy meals, habits, and exercise (weight lifting + cardio), but it CAN be a great aid in beating belly bloat, helping your digestion, and boosting your weight loss abilities.

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Morning Slimdown Elixir

1 cup of warm water

Juice from 1 whole or a half of lemon

1-2 teaspoon organic raw apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon raw honey, allulose, OR a couple dashes of stevia

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So there you have it! Drinking apple cider vinegar can actually taste good!

How do you like to drink your apple cider vinegar? I’d love to hear more ideas!!

Learn How to Stop Bloat From Happening

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We are Chris and Amber, a husband and wife team dedicated to helping you improve your nutritional and personal fitness habits for a better lifestyle. If you have issues with bloating, inability to lose fat, brain fog, or are in need of a proven nutrition and fitness plan to get you out of a rut, then sign up for our 30-Day Beat Belly Bloat Program today!

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7 Ways to Kick Your Cold to The Curb Naturally + Garlic Chicken Sweet Potato Soup Recipe

Tired of the winter yet? Despite the many ice burgs that we have to jump over to get around the streets of New York City these days, Chris and I still love snow! We are actually heading to Vermont early Friday morning to go snowboarding with friends for the weekend.

But as much as we love snow, cold and winter, we also have to face the facts that it is cold and flu season. If you aren't already, it's a great time to start eating homemade soup and bone broth to keep your body warm and your immunity strong. I was down for the count last week, first with a bad cold, then a 24 hour bug. It all really snuck up on me and I wasn't prepared for it. But as soon as the symptoms hit, I started eating as many healing foods as possible! I think for the first time in years, I resisted taking any cold or flu medications. I still had all my yucky cold symptoms, but I let my body have the rest it needed and go through the motions naturally. I've been so accustomed to heavily medicating myself anytime I feel bad, and I often overlook the power that natural remedies have!

Next time you are sick, try these 7 natural ways to kick your cold to the curb:

• Take a break from the gym and daily life to let your body fully rest. As much as we all hate to get out of our routine and slowing down, sometimes it's necessary for good health!

• Drink delicious teas like organic green, peppermint, ginger, and eucalyptus. Add in fresh ginger, turmeric, raw honey and lemon.

• Start the day by drinking warm lemon water in the morning to get some of its antiviral benefits. I even made this amazing sweetened raw apple cider elixir from Delighted Momma that tasted amazing! I subbed orange juice in for the fruit juices she suggested, for added vitamin C.

• Use more antimicrobial foods like organic cold pressed coconut oil, coconut flakes, cinnamon, lemon, ginger, raw honey and garlic. These foods have antiviral, antifungal and antibacterial properties that kill bacteria and viruses in our bodies.

• Get high amounts of vitamin C, which is an antioxidant, through natural and supplemental sources to help speed up recovery.

• Gargle with warm salt water every few hours to help relieve sore throat.

• Drink homemade meat stock and bone broth to help sooth and heal your gut lining to boost your immunity. I posted recently about how far off we've strayed from the traditional cooking methods of our ancestors. They would use not just the meat but also the bones of animals to make nourishing meals to cure the common cold and flu as well as many other digestive and physical ailments. Broths are great to keep on hand and in the freezer at all times. You can drink them on their own, I love broth with lemon, salt and ginger, or make a delicious soup in minutes, like the recipe below!

Garlic Chicken Sweet Potato Soup

2-3 serving

• 10-12 oz organic shredded chicken
• 4.5 cups homemade bone broth or meat stock
• 2-3 steamed medium sweet potato cut into chunks
• 2-3 cups organic kale
• 4 cup organic spinach
• 4-5 cloves chopped organic garlic
• Season to taste with cumin, ginger, and pink Himalayan salt

Precook shredded chicken and steam sweet potato ahead of time. Turn burner on high to medium-high heat. In a large pot add broth and let it come to a boil. Add kale and garlic, then reduce heat to medium-low heat. Once kale is cooked well, add in remaining ingredients and cook for another 15-20 minutes.

I hope that you all are staying healthy this winter! Leave us a comment below and tell us what some of your favorite cold busting home remedies are!

Immune Boosting and Gut Healing Bone Broth

I don't think you're ready for this gelly...

Your grandmother was right when she said to drink chicken soup to cure a cold or flu but she was referring to homemade bone broth and meat stock not chemical filled Campbell's or Progresso. Our ancestors were in the know and made gut healing broth out of the bones that came from the meats that they ate, nothing went to waste! But in the land of factory farming and processed food factories that practice faded out and chemically powders took its place for convenience purposes. I don't know about you, but I will take the extra effort along with the wonderful benefits over convenience any day! Bone broth and meat stock are great for supplying magnesium, calcium, glucosamine, amino acids arginine and glycine, collagen, other trace minerals, and much more. It aids in digestion, helps with achy joints, heals the lining of your gut to help boost your immune system and prevent diseases, sickness and leaky gut...just to name a few of the many benefits.

Talk to your local butcher about getting animal bones or use the carcass of a whole roasted chicken. Any bones, head, neck or feet will do! I can usually find organic necks and backs at Whole Foods throughout the week. These can be frozen until you are ready to use them. Also another great time to stock up is right after a big holiday like Thanksgiving or Christmas because they will most likely have an overflow of turkey necks and backs, and will be sold even cheaper than the already low price!

Broth or stock can be used to make delicious soups, to cook your vegetables in for added nutrients, to boil your rice or quinoa, make sauces or gravy, or you can drink it alone from a mug throughout the day.

Classic Bone Broth

Ingredient:

• 2-3lbs of bones, preferably organic, free-range/pasture raised
• 4 quarts cold filtered water
• 2 Tbsp organic apple cider vinegar, Braggs brand
• 1-2 tsp sea salt

Optional:

• organic garlic, onions, celery, carrots and parsley

Instructions:

To make broth in your slow cooker or stove top in a stock pot:

Soak 2-3lbs of bones in 4 Qts cold water with 2 tbsp organic apple cider vinegar for about 30 minutes, this will pull the minerals out of the bone.

After soaking bring water to a boil and skim the gunk and fat off top of the broth with a spoon for the first hour. Add 1-2 tsp of sea salt, I use pink Himalayan salt.

Then, leave alone to simmer for the next 12-24 hours. For the last hour of simmer add in your favorite vegetables, I add organic garlic, onions, celery, and carrots. Add parsley and other fresh herbs for the last 10 minutes if desired.

Strain out the bones and vegetables, I use a sheet of cheesecloth or a nut milk bag (these are great because you don't waste as much and can wash the bags to use over and over!) to catch anything left behind.

Let cool and either store in wide-mouth mason jars to keep in the fridge or freeze to enjoy later or go ahead and use the broth as a base to make a huge pot of your favorite soup to eat throughout the week! Broth will last up to a year in the freezer and 5-7 days in the fridge. If you use the freezer, make sure to use wide mouth jars and leave about an inch or so extra room at the top so the jars do not crack. I also like to put the lids on loosely when I first put them in the freezer and then tighten the lids once the broth is frozen solid. 

*If making a meat stock you can cook your whole chicken in the slow cooker first for a few hours and once done, remove and debone meat, then throw the bones back in the pot and add more filtered water to cover if need and continue cooking for 12-24 hours.

Leave a comment below telling us your favorite way to enjoy bone broth?

Resources:

Sally Fallon - Weston A. Price Foundation "Broth is Beautiful" http://www.westonaprice.org/food-features/broth-is-beautiful 

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