Do you have a bloated middle that no fast, flush, or crunch can cure? You are not alone.
If you're an American, you've probably inherited a diet low in vitamins, minerals, and natural (animal) fats. Mainstream media has endorsed nutritionally void foods as fit for your regular consumption, yet you may wonder why you don't feel quite right. All these things cause your body to lose the nutrients (especial the mineral zinc) which you need to produce powerful stomach acid, that is, the first line of defense in your digestive cascade. Without this powerful acid, with a pH of 1.5-3 that could burn a hole in your carpet, your food is left to ferment your stomach, and then continue to cause havoc as it works its way through your small intestines, large intestines, and colon. As you can imagine, these improperly digested particles can do serious damage because they are not broken down completely. This can even lead to food allergies, digestive disorders, and autoimmune diseases).
Low stomach acid can also cause you to become malnourished over time, even if you eat the perfect diet, because your body is not able to create the highly acid environment that is required to absorb all the vitamins and minerals from your food that you need. Calcium, zinc, and B vitamins are just a few examples of nutrients that require a highly acid environment for absorption.
An easy way to remedy this very problem while you also work to change your diet and up-regulate your metabolism, is to take 2-3 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar in a small amount of water before your meals. The apple cider vinegar will help increase the acidity in your stomach, and aid in your digestion/absorption of nutrients. It can also help decrease blood sugar spikes (less blood sugar spikes = less insulin released) which can also help your midsection because of the role insulin plays in weight gain. [1,2]
Over time, you want to work on increasing your digestive juices and balancing your blood sugar with food, but in the short-term, apple cider vinegar can help decrease bloating (through increasing digestion) and help those abs show through!
Looking for more digestive tips? Find more right here.
Have you tried apple cider vinegar for digestive distress, weight loss or blood sugar support? Please share in the comments!
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References:
1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4438142/
2. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19661687
Jayjay
I steep digestion-aiding herbs in raw apple cider vinegar for about a week, then stain them out. Then I mix 1 T. of the vinegar in about 5 ounces of water, and sip it 20-30 minutes before meals. It not only helps with digestion of food but with better sleep and fewer hot flashes as well.