Apple cider vinegar is a time-honored home remedy. Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, is believed to have used it as a treatment. Hippocrates was onto something. A 2004 study done by Arizona State University suggests that taking a teaspoon or two of apple cider vinegar before a meal helps your body process starches more efficiently and avoid the insulin spike that can lead to the storage of fat. Using apple cider vinegar to lose weight should be just part of a healthy meal plan. Before starting an apple-cider regimen, talk with your doctor.
Step 1
Take 1 to 2 teaspoons of straight apple cider vinegar 10 to 15 minutes before every meal to help regulate your blood sugar levels. You must use organic, unfiltered apple cider vinegar, because the clear supermarket stuff does not have the foamy sediment called "mother" that contains the bulk of the acetic acid, which helps regulate your blood sugar.
Step 2
Dilute the apple cider vinegar if you can't handle the taste right out of the bottle. Place 1 to 2 tsps. of organic, unfiltered apple cider vinegar into a 16-oz. glass. Drinking a stronger concentration will not give you better results and can upset your stomach.
Step 3
Fill the glass with cool water, stirring as you add the water. Cool water makes the vinegar more palatable for some people, although there is no reason you cannot use warm or even hot water if that tastes better.
Step 4
Drink one glass of vinegar and water mixture every morning or every night before bed. The webswite Earth Clinic says that you can also add a splash of apple cider vinegar to the water you sip throughout the day, but you should consume no more than 1 to 3 tsps. per day, because apple cider vinegar can irritate your stomach.
Tips and Warnings
- Add a spoonful or two of raw, local honey to your apple cider vinegar drink to improve the taste.
- Never substitute any kind of wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar, because these can cause digestive problems.
Things You'll Need
- Organic, unfiltered apple cider vinegar
- Measuring spoons
- Water
- 16-oz glass
- Raw honey (optional)
References
- Healthy New Age: Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar for Weight Loss
- Global Healing Center: The Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar
- The Diet Channel: Apple Cider Vinegar Diet
- American Diabetes Association: Vinegar Improves Insulin Sensitivity to a High-Carbohydrate Meal in Subjects With Insulin Resistance or Type 2 Diabetes
- Organic Facts: Health Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar
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