Leesa Michaelson

Kitchen products are quickly becoming the darlings of the health and beauty world.  Improving your everyday life with a pinch of this or a teaspoon of that is not only easy but also empowering. A trip to the grocery store will become more productive as you are able to do double duty with apple cider vinegar.

2.26.TW

I can’t imagine my life without apple cider vinegar. I grew up smelling the sour liquid throughout the house when my mother would make boiled cabbage or pickled cucumbers. To be honest, at the time I didn’t like the scent but now as a woman with a place of my own, I associate the tart, snapping smell of ACV with cleanliness, health, and an essential pantry purchase for how to improve your life. 

Basically, ACV is fermented apples. The healthiest kinds of ACV’s are made from crushed organic apples and are allowed to mature in wooden barrels, which boost their natural fermentation qualities. These types of organic ACV’s also contain something called “The Mother.” Whoa. Sounds like a big deal, right? “The Mother” is the best part of the apple after fermentation and contains many beneficial raw enzymes, minerals, and belly-friendly bacteria. There are supposedly over 100 uses for this life-improving household wonder. My favorite brand is Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar, which you can get at your local grocery or health food store. Here are a few thoughts on how to improve your life with apple cider vinegar. 

Fresher Follicles

As a woman of color, I’ve always found it difficult to keep my hair shiny. Most store brand conditioners will dry my hair, leaving it dull and matte. I use diluted ACV after shampooing and I am shocked at the dramatic results. The ACV rinse leaves my hair softer, shinier, stronger, and more manageable. This is because ACV helps clear build up from the hair shaft while smoothing the follicles, creating a shiny appearance. Now I can’t do without ACV in my shower routine. Here’s how to improve your hair with ACV:

Mix 2-4 tablespoons of ACV with about a cup of water. I just keep a plastic cup in the shower for this purpose. After shampooing, pour the tonic on to cover hair root to tip. Leave in hair for about a minute or two then rinse and follow with regular conditioner. Voila! Shiny, tangle-free hair.

Added bonus: The aseptic qualities in ACV will help with shower build-up and grime! 

Tummy Tamer and Cold Crusher

ACV mimics the acidic environment of the stomach and helps food to breakdown. After eating out with friends, I often get heartburn and indigestion from eating rich foods. ACV before and after meals has really helped my symptoms of acid reflux. Here’s how to improve your digestion:

Take 1tsp. - 1tbsp. of ACV as a shot or with a glass of water and consume before and after meals or when symptoms occur.

When throats are sore and scratchy from a cold, ACV can help! Take a shot of ACV, mix with water and honey for a throat coat, or gargle ACV mixed with water. It’s pretty hard for those germs to survive after being washed with such a disinfectant liquid. It’s an excellent germ buster. Here’s how:

A shot: I do about a half a shot glass. Bottoms up!

Throat coat: 1 tbsp. of ACV, 1 tbsp. of honey, and 1 cup of water

Gargle: ¼ cup of ACV mixed with ¾ cup of water. Gargle once every hour.

Crisp Cleaner

Apple Cider Vinegar makes a wonderful, non-toxic household cleaner, perfect for even the toughest cleaning tasks. The ascetic acid in the vinegar is an effective deodorizer and will cut through grease and dissolve mineral build-up with ease. Because of its antibacterial and antifungal properties, ACV also makes an effective disinfectant, preventing the growth of molds and bacteria. I mix with a few drops of essential oil (your choice!) and it makes a fresh smelling all-purpose cleaner. Here’s how to improve your home:

Mix ½ cup of ACV in a large spray bottle filled with water. I add about 15 drops of peppermint oil but you can also use lavender, grapefruit, rosemary or whatever smell you fancy.

There you have it, a few easy and inexpensive tips on how to improve your life by using apple cider vinegar and its many healthful and beneficial properties in your everyday life.

Do you use ACV in any of your health or beauty regimens?

 

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