The shelf was wiped clean: Apple Cider Vinegar
New Year’s Day, I hit the grocery store—along with every other, now, decidedly “healthy eating” shopper in Austin—to stock up on my weekly grub.
As I elbowed my way through the crowds, I somehow managed to come out with everything on my list, but one thing: Apple Cider Vinegar (or “ACV”)—Apparently, my former best kept secret that everyone else (and their mom) knows about now.
Apple Cider Vinegar is all the rage—the “next best thing” since sliced bread (or since green juice).
Blog and Magazine articles boast the “metabolism boosting effects” of the tart liquid.
Diets and cleanses promote its thermogenic properties.
Your trainer told you “it works.”
And model Heidi Klum and actress Scarlett Johansen use it—so it must be good.
But what is all the apple cider vinegar hype really all about?
How does ACV “boost” your metabolism in the first place—and is it really a “must” to incorporate into your routine?
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STOMACH ACID IS GOOD FOR YOU
First things first: Stomach acid is good for you.
Apple Cider Vinegar enhances stomach acid.
As a natural stomach acid booster, ACV promotes a healthier gut flora and acidic environment (crucial for digestion).
Your stomach, in fact, should be one of the most acidic environments inside your body, composed of Hydrochloric Acid to properly break down your daily food.
Unfortunately a vast majority of people are LOW in stomach acid—and don’t even realize it.
Without enough stomach acid, you’re more susceptible to constipation, bloating, leaky gut, bacterial overgrowth, acid reflux and a host of other side effects from gut pathologies (like allergies, breakouts, anxiety, autoimmune conditions, blood sugar imbalances and a slow metabolism).
Low stomach acid happens thanks to modern-day living and triggers such as not chewing your food properly, eating on the go, lack of fiber or water, lots of coffee, eating sugar and grains, stress, training, medications and disordered eating—to name a few.
Enter: Apple Cider Vinegar—a booster to your stomach acid and all around health.
THE STOMACH ACID + METABOLISM CONNECTION
So what’s stomach acid got to do with your metabolism?
Does it really make you “burn more calories” or give you superpowers to eat Home Slice pizza as much as you want?
Apple Cider Vinegar’s “superpowers” really all boil down to the gut-healing and enhancing benefits it brings to your digestion.
Knowing what we know about the gut-body and gut-health connection, therein lies why it may also “boost” your metabolism.
Hormonal and metabolic “imbalances” happen most often when our gut health (and stress levels) are out of whack. By targeting improved gut health, you naturally improve your metabolism?
How does the gut connect to your metabolism?
Think about it this way: Your gut is the one “organ” in your body that takes a hit three times per day, every day, from a host of outside forces—the foods we eat, the toxins we breathe in, the drinks we drink, the medications or supplements we take.
If and when you are not digesting your nutrients properly (or you’re body is trying to digest foreign foods and substances), then the rest of your body takes a hit—it doesn’t get everything it needs to thrive.
And when your hormones and cells don’t get “fed”…imbalance happens.
SUMMARY: 3 REASONS APPLE CIDER VINEGAR IS GOOD FOR YOU
- Gut health. Apple cider vinegar promotes enhanced stomach acid—a must for good digestion.
- Metabolic balance. When digestion is working properly, metabolism is able to work properly. Win. Win.
- Bacteria Killer. ACV cleans house—and any buggies (or foreign) that may be standing in your way. It is often used as a natural cleaner, skin toner and food preserver because it fights bacteria crime. Imagine the good support it brings to your gut.
HOW TO USE IT
Easy peasy: 1 tablespoon in 4-8 ounces water. Drink up.