VIRTUE OF VINEGAR
Want a fresh start to the day? I absolutely love these Cult Vinegars that I bought from Caro in Somerset (one of my fave shops) the other day.
Made in fresh, small batches (much like our candles I like to think) using premium wines (OK we use essential oils, bit different there then!), this array of live wine vinegar is totally unpasteurised. This means each one retains its live bacteria which is the aspect in pure vinegars that is believed to be good for your health: helping with arthritis, auto-immune, skin conditions and gut health.
They're really quite delicious - and I'm by nature not a vinegar fan. Try their Red or White Wine Cult Vinegar, or my fave the Champagne.
I am already a Braggs 'Mother' fan, which I drink neat in a little shot glass every morning - it's a key prebiotic and it's how I like to start my day.
THERE’S A LONG HISTORY AS A ‘CURE-ALL’ HOME REMEDY, USED TO TREAT EVERYTHING FROM A SORE THROAT TO SPOTS, ACNE, DIGESTION ISSUES, TO BALANCING BLOOD SUGAR, REDUCING CHOLESTEROL DEPOSITS IN THE ARTERIES, AND SUPPOSEDLY BOOSTING WEIGHT LOSS. BUT ASIDE FROM ALL THAT – DRINKING NEAT APPLE CIDER VINEGAR IS SIMPLY ONE OF THOSE ‘MICRO-RITUALS’ THAT JUST FEELS SUPER CLEANSING AND A POSITIVE START TO EACH DAY!
DON’T GET ME WRONG – I DETEST VINEGAR WITH A PASSION IN EVERY OTHER MEANS: CAN’T DO PICKLES, BALSAMIC, ETC… YET SOMEHOW, THE PROSPECT OF DOING MY GUT SOME GOOD…HAS ME MENTALLY PREPARED WHEN SWIGGING BACK THIS STUFF.
THE RITUAL
With my husband Jim and youngest daughter Phoebe, morning and evening, before food, we pour out one shot each of Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar (I get it from Amazon) and clink glasses. And I firmly believe that healthy rituals that include other people in your life for support and camaraderie are the easiest rituals to stick to.
There’s no set amount of apple cider vinegar to drink for health, however most respected sources recommend about a teaspoon to a tablespoon three times a day. (I do 2x 10ml shots)
WHICH TYPE?
Why Braggs? Because it’s the only one I know of that is created using ‘The Mother’, which basically means it is organic and unrefined, and so contains the healthier acetic acid and all the beneficial bacteria, much like the Kombucha scoby, that is otherwise lost when filtered or heated. This is the only type of apple cider vinegar to look for, I believe.
WHAT’S IN IT?
Pretty much apple juice, but when yeast is added it ferments the fruit’s natural sugar to alcohol. Live bacteria then turns the alcohol into acetic acid, to give the distinct taste and potent smell.
THE BENEFITS?
Like many natural rituals, drinking neat apple cider vinegar has been used as a remedy since Cleopatra and the ancient Greeks but many claims aren’t supported by modern research, and many are far-reaching too. However, rich in antioxidant polyphenols, some studies suggest it may curb cell damage that otherwise may lead onto numerous diseases including auto-immune, diabetes and cancer. Japanese scientists also believe that drinking vinegar might help reduce obesity, which leads to many complications in life too.
AVOID IF
As a precaution, do be wary if you’re on medication for diabetes or heart disease – although the line ‘check with your GP’ is fast becoming a joke as the majority of GPs, including newly qualified, never study nutrition (though some Cambridge med students are campaigning for this).