ACV

In the past week or two I feel like I've transitioned from cute pregnant to just massive...and it's a bit exhausting to think that I'll keep growing for six or seven (+) more weeks. My weight gain has been normal--nothing too crazy, but I am getting a bit chubbier everywhere and I know that it's not going to disappear when little baby is born.

I'm hoping that healthy eating and lots of walking will eventually get me back to normal, but I've also been reading about the benefits of apple cider vinegar in one of my classes and I'm looking forward to experimenting with it. Apparently, ACV works wonders with gout, diabetes, warts, reflux, and is great for weight loss (oh, and a really good shiny hair rinse).

Nobody really knows how the magic happens, but it's thought that the "nutrients, enzymes, and organic acids in apple cider vinegar cause weight reduction by acting as an appetite suppressant, by increasing your body's metabolic rate, by reducing water retention, and by helping you maintain a feeling of well being." (source)

It's important that the vinegar you use contains "the mother" (cloudy stuff at the bottom of the bottle)--most health food stores carry the Bragg brand or another good one. This shows that it's unfiltered an unpasteurized and that all of the enzymes are still alive.

It's generally recommended to take 1-2 teaspoons of ACV in a glass of water before each meal, with or without a teaspoon or two of raw honey to make it more palatable. You can also add it to fruit or vegetable juice.

It seems like such an easy little thing...what is there to lose (I'm refraining from the corny joke here)? And if it doesn't work, I can always pour it on my hair, use it as a facial toner, wash my faucets with it, etc etc.

It'll be a few months until I try it, but please do go out and buy a bottle and report your experience. I am so curious.

PS: One of the great things about ACV is that it's totally natural and completely full of goodness. It wouldn't be harmful for me to take now, but I don't really want to be messing with my natural appetite at a time like this... anyway, yeah--try it!