Sniffing Apple Cider Vinegar For Happy Sinuses?

Snort (whaaaaat?) Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) and enjoy….

In case you think I’ve gone off the natural health hippy deep end, there is indeed reasoning behind the theory of supporting “snorting” apple cider vinegar (diluted, of course!).  Diluted ACV can help break up mucus and it also has some antibacterial properties. Add 1/2 to 1 tsp of apple cider vinegar to at least one cup of warm, distilled water and put some in the palm of your (washed!) hands.  Plug one nostril and snort with the open one (sniff if you are apprehensive but it really won’t get up where it needs to go), then repeat with the other side. Plug and snort. Those who have only gone the medical route will struggle with this one but..if what your doing ain’t workin’…what’s there to lose? And, if you are into natural health, I suspect this particular use seems perfectly within the realm of normal to you (God love ya!).

Benefits, Benefits, Benefits….

Candida, Acid Reflux, Blood sugar levels, Sore throat, Skin irritations, Liver health…the list of benefits from Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) is lengthy.  A person would likely have to live under a rock to be unaware of the many benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar.

What is ACV?

Just what is ACV?  On a very basic level (which is all we need unless you want to make your own) ACV is Apple Cider (fermented apples with cane sugar and water) that has been naturally fermented with some good bacteria in it known as The “Mother” –the stringy, gunky looking stuff floating in your cider that is a colony of good bacteria that is much like the Scoby on Kombucha–gross but necessary. So, even though it doesn’t look appetizing, don’t be dissin’ the Mother. It’s necessary to get an ACV that has benefit to you. If you purchase an ACV that has been strained or you choose to strain it, you are taking away the most important part.  Thus, you want to get one that is not only organic but one that also has “The Mother” in it.  One that has been around forevvvvver is Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar with The Mother. It’s what I use. I trust the company (sometimes that’s hard these days) and they surely know what they are doing.  Even better…its cheap (a great side benefit 😉 and easy to find. You can find it through my link or almost any grocery store will have it too.

“I don’t use ACV because”….

• It’s too strong-makes me vomit (or want to vomit)
  This very likely means you are making it too strong. I had one lady tell me she can’t take ACV because when she uses a Tbsp of ACV right off the spoon and it makes her vomit. Well now…c’mon.  Don’t stop using it. Change up how you are using it. What do you suppose her body is telling her?  Let’s remember apple cider vinegar is acidic. It’s a good acidic that literally helps with PH balance IF we deliver it gently into the gut. A Tbsp, undiluted, would likely make me vomit too. Or, at least surely not like it. Rather than bombard the gut, start with only 1/4 to 1/2 TEAspoon in a full glass of water when starting out. Then slowly work up to a tsp to Tbsp IF your gut can handle it. If not, stay at the tsp and use it once or twice per day. There surely should be no vomiting using this approach. If there is, I suspect there is more going on in the gut that needs attention.
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• I don’t like the taste
  I can’t help you with this one other than the harsh “we have to get over it” statement.  There are many things in life that may not taste great that are good for us. We may not like fish oil off the spoon either. But, again…it’s good for us so if we want good health, we may need to suck it up, yes? Far too many taste buds are adapted to the sugary juices and sodas in a persons daily life. There’s no doubt ACV is far from a sugary taste–in fact, it’s pretty much the polar opposite.   Once again, dilute, dilute, dilute and, over time, your taste buds adapt to the taste. If you are an essential oils user, I like to add a drop or two occasionally of my Young Living Lemon Vitality oil to make the taste “pop” a bit more and make it more tasty.
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• I don’t know how to use it
  You do know this is an unacceptable excuse, right? While I will never belittle anyone that is new to natural health that needs help learning, there are times we have to take ownership IF we are serious about taking charge.  It doesn’t get any easier than ACV. If we are serious, we start by reading the directions on the the bottle that say “use 1 to 2 tsp in water”. Start there and adjust downward if your tummy doesn’t like it.  Now you know how to use it 😉
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• I forget to use it
  Yes. This happens…and especially when we are first getting used to using a new supplement. I overcome this by setting my new supplement/habit right next to my kitchen sink so that whenever I need water (often) or do dishes (very UNoften), I am reminded. This makes for a cluttered kitchen counter but the benefits outweigh the negative IMO  😛

Yes but…why should I use it?

• Candida!  ACV acts as a prebiotic to support the growth of health bacteria (the good guys). When we support healthy bacteria and PH, it makes an unwelcome for the nasties like Candida to potentially help deal with its resulting health condtions of:   .
  • Brain fog
  • Skin breakouts (think Eczema, acne)
  • Fatigue
  • Sugar cravings
  • Headaches
    
• ACV has aecetic acid which boosts the body’s ability to break down proteins to amino acids. This leads to another lengthy list of benefits when we discuss amino acids. But, a few are fat burning, energy, mental focus…to name only a few. Suffice to say, we badly need amino acids in our body and ACV is a great way to support healthy levels.
• Enzymes=healthy digestion!  Add a bit of ACT (maybe 1/2 tsp) to about 1/4 glass of water and drink it about five minute prior to eating. The enzymes in ACV support your own natural “digestive juices” to aid in breaking down food. When we help the digestive system out in breaking down food, it takes off some of the burden of digestion so your gut gets a little reprieve on the hard work of digestion to avoid food putrefying in your gut (think bloating, acid reflux, gas) to soothe and let your system work toward healing/homeostasis. I discuss Gut health more in this article. Soothing and supporting is always a very good thing for our overburdened digestive system!
• Supports healthy metabolization –(think healthy weight ;-0)
• ACV has potassium to support a great energy boost
• Stimulate circulation

One other great benefit of ACV is that its cheap, cheap, cheap.  And I don’t mean in effectiveness. I mean in price. You will not find another addition to your daily habit that has this much benefit for this little money.

The list of benefits is lengthy. The list of reasons not to drink/use ACV? Danged short.  My health goal for myself as well as for my readers is always the goal of simplifying the number of supplements we feel compelled to consume. There are many, many supplements I would discontinue before ACV. Natural enzymes, help assimilating protein to give us amino acids, supporting normal PH/acidity in the body…well, its hard to beat the benefits of something so natural.

Make a bit of ACV in your water a daily habit. It’s one of the easiest, most natural AND most beneficial substances we can find.

Head ya’self on over to the store to find some ACV.  And don’t mind me.  I’ll be right here…sitting in the corner…snortin’ and a smilin’ with my Apple Cider Vinegar  😛

Do you use ACV on a daily basis and, if so, what are some ways you use it…drinking it, hair, cleaning or ?  Comment below!