5 Uses and Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar: a much overlooked natural staple in our everyday lives with hundreds of benefits.  Here are a few of my favorites!

1. DRINK IT:

Drinking apple cider vinegar can come with many benefits; that is, if you can tolerate the taste! When I first learned apple cider vinegar can speed up your metabolism, I poured myself half a cup of it diluted with water, and began sipping. You can imagine that in a few short minutes this had me had my stomach churning in the worst way.  Since then, I have learned another method to sip this remedy in way that is actually enjoyable.  Try mixing 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar into a cup of hot water.  Mix in 1 tablespoon of honey, a dash of cinnamon, and squeeze in 1 lemon wedge.  This makes for a great tea that not only actually tastes good, but really helps to provide a great kick start and energy boost for your morning.  This is my favorite way to use apple cider vinegar on a daily basis.  If you don't have time to make a tea, drinking 1 tablespoon of straight vinegar twice a day can help boost your metabolism, especially if you have weight loss goals.  Other benefits of drinking apple cider vinegar include lowering blood sugar, suppressing appetite, soothing a sore throat, fighting bacterial infections, soothing constipation.  There are even claims that apple cider can help fight cancer, although sufficient evidence has yet to be provided. 

2. CONDITION YOUR HAIR WITH IT:

My second favorite way to use apple cider vinegar! The simplest way to explain this is that your hair has an outer cuticle.  When the cuticle isn't sealed properly and becomes damaged, this results in split ends.  Your hair has a pH of about 4.5-5.5, which is slightly acidic.  When we use shampoos which have a basic pH, we open up the cuticle and leave it prone to damage. This is why we condition.  However, most drug store conditioners aren't pH safe and do not properly close our cuticle leaving us with split ends.  There are many pH friendly conditioners on the market, but they might cost you a buck or two.  A budget friendly way to ensure your ends are sealed with proper pH is to mix 1 cup of apple cider vinegar with 1.5 cups of water.  Pour the mixture over your hair after washing with a mild shampoo.  Leave on for 1-2 minutes then rinse it out.  Not only does apple cider vinegar condition your hair, but its antibacterial properties prevent against dandruff and fight bacteria.

3. WHITEN YOUR TEETH:

Dilute apple cider vinegar with water, about a 1:1 ratio.  The mixture can now be used as a mouth wash that will not only fight bacteria, but can even whiten your teeth over time! This especially comes in handy when i'm fighting a flu or a cold.  I've noticed that when I do this, specifically when I am sick, my mouth overall feels cleaner when I wake up. Rinsing with apple cider vinegar also helps in preventing oral thrush.  However, rinse with caution!  Many articles state that the high acid content of the vinegar can damage teeth overtime if used everyday.  While I do encourage you to dilute the mixture to avoid teeth erosion, i'm not completely sure if even my method is safe for every day use.

4. DISINFECTANT SPRAY:

Again, dilute the apple cider vinegar with water, about a 1:1 ratio.  Pour into a spray bottle, and grab yourself a bunch of paper towels.  You have now got a budget friendly, natural, effective, antibacterial cleaning spray that can be used safely on almost any surface including marble countertops and hardwood floors.  In fact, my family recently got all the hardwood floors redone in our home and the only cleaner my mom will use on them is diluted vinegar.  And get this; the best part about it is, it's completely odor free. 

5: VINAIGRETTES:

This one is pretty straight forward but fits in so nicely with my cooking blog! While it's not quite balsamic vinegar, apple cider vinegar can add a nice amount of acidity to any vinaigrette or marinade.  Try mixing it with a bit of olive oil, seasoned with just salt and pepper; or squeeze in an orange for a bit more citrus flavor.  Pour over any salad for a little kick.  Apple cider vinegar also only has 3 calories per a tablespoon, so if you're trying to cut back, it can be a really great way to spice things up completely guilt free.  Like I mentioned above, it also provides your metabolism with a little kick, which is a great way to start off your meal.

*Photo from Eatwell101 and Bulletproof Blog