Apple Cider Vinegar, Part 1 of 2

I’ve been wanting to blog about apple cider vinegar for quite some time, so I’m excited about today’s post. Apple cider vinegar is one of those powerful foods that can be used for countless reasons. If you don’t have a big jar of it in your cabinet, I recommend purchasing one! Go for the good organic stuff – it’s not too much more expensive, and the quality is superior. You want something that is raw and unfiltered as well, to get the most health benefits. Right now you can get a 16-ounce jar on Amazon.com for only $3.55! Normally I don’t push the product until AFTER I’ve touted all of its health benefits, so I apologize, but trust me – after reading the rest of this post, you’ll be ready to buy.

ACV is made from fresh apples. They are crushed and allowed to mature in wooden barrels, which boosts the natural fermentation qualities of the apples. It contains potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, chlorine, sodium, sulfur, copper, iron, silicon, and fluorine – all of which are essential for our health. It is naturally antibacterial and antimicrobial. The health uses and benefits are as follows:

Hydrochloric Acid: Remember a LONG time ago (last November, to be exact) when I talked about the importance of HCL in the stomach? And how taking antacids can actually really hurt your digestion and overall health? To review, stomach acid is absolutely necessary for activation of digestive enzymes and for assisting with breakdown and digestion of our food. Without it, our food will remain undigested, causing cramping, bloating, gas, reflux, and serious damage to our digestive tract. Many things can cause someone to have low stomach acid, such as aging, overuse of prescription medications, poor diet, or disease. While there are HCL supplements that can be used, you don’t want to take these forever because your body will stop producing its own stomach acid and become dependant on them. Apple cider vinegar is one way to stimulate production of stomach acid before a meal. Just take 1-2 teaspoons 15 minutes before eating, and see if you notice a difference in your digestion!

Healthy Hair: Since ACV and our hair are both mildly acidic, and shampoo and hair products are alkaline, ACV can be a good way to balance out the pH in our hair and remove buildup from our hair and styling products. Simply mix 1 tbsp ACV into 1 cup water and rinse your hair with this mixture after you shampoo and condition. People who have tried this have reported that their hair becomes much shiner and smoother than ever before! The acids and enzymes in the ACV can also help kill off the bacteria that causes dandruff. For a dandruff treatment, rub ACV all over your scalp and leave in for 30 minutes before rinsing. Some even say ACV can be used to treat lice, although personally if I had bugs living in my hair, I may go straight for the strong, toxic stuff!

For Colds, Coughs and Flu: ACV is a detoxifier and cleanser of our organs. It has the ability to break down fatty deposits, mucus and phlegm within the body, which can be beneficial when we are sick. It helps balance the natural pH inside our bodies, which will in turn create an uninhabitable living environment for whatever bad bacteria we have when we’re sick. A simple mixture of warm water, ACV, lemon juice, and maybe a little raw honey can be really powerful for someone who is sick – kids or adults.

Arthritis: If you suffer from arthritis, ACV can be used internally and externally for the joints. Soaking the painful foot or hand in a solution of ½ cup ACV and 1 ½ cups warm water will help ease joint pain. Also, drinking a glass of water with 2 tsp ACV and some raw honey will also help. This should be consumed 2-3 times per day when joints are particularly inflamed and painful. This goes for those with painful gout attacks, as well.

Tomorrow I'll wrap this up with even more health uses for ACV!

Enzymes, Part Two: Digestion

(Read Part One here).

It’s a few days after Thanksgiving, and you’re hungry. You make yourself a simple turkey sandwich with the leftovers. Bread, turkey, lettuce, maybe a little mayo or mustard. You sit down and take a bite…

Before the turkey sandwich even hits your lips, your digestive enzymes start working. Just the thought of a juicy, leftover-turkey sandwich begins to activate the enzymes in your saliva, called amylase. Amylase is contained in everyone’s saliva and is the first enzyme utilized in digestion. It breaks down carbohydrates while you chew. The more you chew your food, the easier it will be to digest your meal, because you are allowing the amylase to get a good start on digestion before the food even hits your stomach. Occasionally you may take a bite and swallow it with only a few chews. This bite will be difficult to digest because the amylase did not get a chance to begin the process in your mouth.

You may notice that when you eat a cracker or a slice of bread and chew it thoroughly, it begins to taste sweet. This is because the amylase in your saliva is breaking down the carbohydrates into their component sugars inside of your mouth. Try it! If you taste the sweetness, you know you are chewing your food thoroughly, which is a good thing.

Now back to your turkey sandwich…

Your bite travels down your esophagus into your stomach. It lands in the hydrochloric acid that should be in everyone’s stomach (Why? Read about it here). Your stomach releases protease enzymes that, along with the hydrochloric acid and your stomach muscles, further break down the protein from your bite of turkey sandwich. Lipase is another enzyme found here that works to break down fats. If you have plant enzymes in your stomach (from a fresh veggie or from an enzyme supplement you’ve taken before your meal), these will also begin breaking down that bite of turkey sandwich. All of these enzymes work hard to break down your food for about an hour before the food travels on to your small intestine.

Once inside your 20-25 foot small intestine (it lies right behind your belly button), additional enzymes are enlisted to further aid in digestion. Your intestine lining and your pancreas will excrete some enzymes that begin to work on that turkey sandwich. If you have digestive issues such as yeast, food allergies or inflammation, the enzymes in your small intestine can be affected and you may start to experience discomfort (gas, bloating, cramping, etc.) at this point in the digestion process.

Once the small intestine enzymes complete the breakdown of your food, the nutrients are absorbed into your body. This includes vitamins, minerals, proteins, carbohydrates and fats. Anything that is undigested will then enter your large intestine (which is actually shorter at only 5 feet long, but is much wider than the small intestine). Here, water is removed from the undigested food, turning it into solid waste. This solid waste is then excreted appropriately.

Without sufficient enzymes in each step of this process, you will experience digestion problems. Pain or discomfort after a meal could mean you do not have proper enzymes to break down your food, or a healthy stomach or intestinal environment in which these enzymes can work. This is where supplementation comes in. For some people it is helpful and even necessary to take enzyme supplements with each meal.

So next time you dig into a turkey sandwich or juicy burger, chew slowly and thoroughly. It could be the difference between a stomach stuck doing somersaults and a stomach that is calm, full and satisfied!

Can't you just see the amylase enzymes activating in Teddy's mouth as he is about to bite into this bacon cheeseburger??!!

Hydrochloric Acid

Do you have enough of it? Many people don’t.

Hydrochloric acid is produced in the stomach and is critical in the digestion of food, primarily protein and fat. It prepares food for digestive enzymes. Enzymes are needed to break food down into basic nutrients so they can be absorbed into our cells. Stomach acid is also our first line of defense against foreign substances entering our body, such as bacteria, viruses and parasites.

When we are eating too many processed foods, taking a lot of medication, consistently stressed, or aging, the hydrochloric acid and digestive enzymes in our stomach experience decreased production (called hypochlorhydria). Food is not broken down properly before being sent to our intestines. This can lead to symptoms such as gas, bloating, or general stomach discomfort after meals. Long-term, it can lead to iron deficiencies from iron malabsorption; osteoporosis from calcium deficiencies; food allergies and sensitivities; gallstones; irritable bowel syndrome; B-vitamin deficiency which can lead to anxiety and depression; chronic fatigue; and an increase of bacteria and yeast within the intestines.

All of these symptoms are representative of a body out of balance and more susceptible to disease. Remember, sickness and disease can only form in a body out of balance.

What can you do about it?

The symptoms of someone with too much hydrochloric acid can be extremely similar to those of someone with not enough. Therefore, doctors will often hear these symptoms and suggest antacids (which neutralize stomach acid). If that person really has a hydrochloric acid deficiency, which is more often than not the case, the antacids will lead to further problems. Some MDs and most natural health doctors can test your hydrochloric acid levels and identify whether or not you are deficient.

A simple home test: Gently push on your lowest rib, about 1 inch out from your midline. If it is sensitive to the touch, you may be low in hydrochloric acid.

If you suspect you may be low in hydrochloric acid, you can increase it in the following ways:

• Maintain a diet of mostly fresh, whole foods and try to avoid processed foods

• Reduce stress level (I will elaborate on this next week…)

• Digestive enzymes can help if you are not breaking down food properly

• Drink warm water with lemon juice 30 minutes before a meal to help stimulate hydrochloric acid production

Thanks for all your great questions and comments this week. They help me come up with ideas for the blog, so keep them coming! Next week I will talk about Fight or Flight and will also show you how to make your own nut butter at home - much healthier and can save you tons of money!!!