Bragg’s

The other day I was reading the latest post on Tosca Reno’s blog. For those of you who don’t know who she is – Tosca Reno is the creator of the Eat Clean Diet and one of the most motivational and knowledgeable women in the health and fitness world. At age 40 she turned her life completely around. She went from unhealthy to a fitness competitor and she did it in THE smart way – through a healthy diet and exercise. In one word – AMAZING! Anywho, she was talking about Raw Apple Cider Vinegar and the benefits that she has seen and felt since she started drinking it. I thought, SERIOUSLY? She drinks that stuff…no way I would ever drink that smelly stuff. THEN I saw the picture of her abs. After throwing a temper tantrum and screaming at my laptop about how she photoshopped the hell out of the picture because NO WAY does anyone have abs that great (I was having a really bad Monday – sorry Tosca. I know those are your incredible abs and you have worked very hard for them), I sat back down and finished reading the article. Tosca was talking about how, after eating, she occasionally would feel discomfort and bloating for no reason. So after being frustrated with this feeling she did some research and found out that drinking Raw Apple Cider Vinegar helped with this feeling and also gave her flatter abs. Below is a portion of her blog entry which explains the hows and whys:

Many of us in North America are under the false belief that we have too much stomach acid and pop Tums and other acid reducing supplements.  The truth is most of us DO NOT have enough stomach acid and this is where so much tummy trouble begins including carrying extra inches around your waist.

Other wonderful additional benefits happen when you add raw apple cider vinegar to your eating habits.  Here is a short list:

You are better able to digest your food,which  means you get more nutrients from your food

ACV contains potassium, pectin and calcium

ACV improves bowel workings

ACV slows down the digestion of starch which breaks down into sugar and helps to buffer the otherwise sharp rise in blood sugar after a meal

ACV helps to maintain healthy pH levels

Works as a detox

Helps body break down fats into a readily usable state rather than storing them

Make sure to purchase a good quality organic version of raw apple cider vinegar like Braggs.  It should have a cloudy film at the bottom of the bottle.  This is called “the mother” and is loaded with healthy bacteria and other nutrients.

Many of you who know me, know that I have Celiac Disease – a severe intolerance to gluten. One of the main side effects of CD is bloating and intestinal discomfort, which I seem to have most of the time. So, if Tosca said it worked for her, I was hoping that it would help me. So off to the store I went and I bought myself a bottle of Braggs RACV.

Today is Day 1 of my self challenge to see if this stuff really works. I read the label and decided that since drinking it in a quick, straight shot wasn’t an option (drinking undiluted ACV can cause enamel erosion), I’d try the Bragg’s ACV Drink recipe – 8 oz water, 2 t. ACV and a little sweetener (I used blue agave nectar). Mix, Measure, Pour and this is what I had.

Not pretty and it smelled awful. The taste was even worse, but I got it down the hatch. After I drank it, memories of elementary dares came flooding back to me. I almost completely forgot about the times I was dared to drink a jar of pickle juice. That is one memory I was not happy to have back.

So, the challenge is on it’s way and I’ll be updating soon to let you knwo how it’s going.

For anyone reading this who has suggestions on how to make this process a little better tasting, PLEASE feel free to comment.