This is a guest post by Taylor Carroll, the PR/Communications Manager for The Full Life by Rachel
SO many people suffer from heartburn and more and more young people are turning to antacids to help with the pain. In college I would get heartburn all the time; I mostly ignored it because it wasn’t everyday, but some mornings I would wake up and my throat would be in so much pain. It was so bad that I felt like I could hear a sizzling noise in the back of my throat. I never did anything about it, until my boyfriend had the same problem but much more often than me. He would take antacid tablets ALL the time- I even made fun of him for being such an old man!
I decided to look into the causes of heartburn to see if it could be prevented naturally. I learned that heartburn can be caused by not only a poor diet, but also stress, which weakens the bodies ability to make the stomach acid needed to break down food. Antacid tablets lower the acidity of the stomach temporarily and only mask the issue. The key to overcoming heartburn is to balance the pH of your stomach; Although it seems counterintuitive, the best way to treat and prevent heartburn is to increase the acidity of the stomach and help your body break down food on its own. This is exactly how apple cider vinegar saved the day for me! With just a tablespoon mixed into hot water every morning and night heartburn is totally prevented.
But I have to be totally honest here— apple cider vinegar is not exactly tasty. It’s similar to kombucha, apple juice, and regular vinegar mixed together. Watering it down and adding stevia is a good way to make it easier to drink. Bragg’s raw organic apple cider vinegar is my favorite. It is a bit more fruity and looks a lot like kombucha; it has a mother, which according to authoritynutrition.com is “ strands of proteins, enzymes and friendly bacteria that give the product a murky, cobweb-like appearance.” The good bacteria in ACV makes it a great probiotic supplement too. After discovering this, I looked more into Bragg ACV to find out the benefits and uses of ACV. Here’s a few uses and benefits I’ve found!
Beauty uses:
Facial toner
– Add this to your morning routine to help bring on a healthy glow and clarify your skin in the morning.
Teeth whitening
– use it a few times a week, adding activated charcoal can help even more
Dandruff treatment
-works great when used as a shower rinse after shampooing
Health benefits:
Prevents diabetes by stabilizing insulin levels
Encourages weight loss
Lowers cholesterol
Sore throat treatment
– mix with hot water, honey, and turmeric for a health tonic
Heartburn remedy
– mix with warm water and add stevia and lemon for a healthy lemonade in the morning and at night
I encourage anyone with pre-diabetes, insulin resistance, or chronic acid reflux to look deeper into the benefits of ACV. It really can work miracles and help you to avoid the cascade of prescription drugs that only cause more harm to our bodies!
Morning Detox Tonic Recipe
by Rachel
- 2 Tbsp’s lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1-2 tsp’s stevia
- 1/2-3/4 cups hot water
- pinch of cayenne
Mix everything together and drink first thing in the morning for the perfect detox and metabolism booster!
xx
Taylor