Everyone has touted apple cider vinegar as the miracle elixir that can eliminate fat and address other needs. Is it worth all the hype though? Here’s what happened when I took apple cider vinegar for 30 days.
You’ve probably read or heard about the health benefits and various uses of apple cider vinegar and if not, it’s not limited as a fantastic salad dressing. Apple cider vinegar or ACV has been used as a remedy since ancient times. ACV helps reduce inflammation, helps you in your weight loss, an appetite suppressant, and relieves painful acne to leg cramps.
Now, let’s just be forward here. These natural remedies that can supposedly help you with various ailments and can fix everything are often too good to be true. I am not saying they are all useless, but often the efficacy and the claims aren’t up to par. So, it’s always best to be a little skeptical of these claims even if it’s just apple cider vinegar.
I was interested in the claim of apple cider vinegar being a great weight loss helper. A close friend started taking ACV six months before her wedding. She wanted a faster way to lose weight and ACV seemed like an all-natural, cheap, and easy solution. She took it together with her diet and exercise and was actually seeing good results. She swore it also helped her boost her immunity, helped with her digestion, allergies, and made her stop craving for sweet things. With all this said, I said to myself I need to jump on this bandwagon. I wanted to give myself at a month to observe what the effects are on me.
Here’s what happened.
(Best brands of apple cider vinegar to buy.)
First Week of drinking apple cider vinegar for 30 days
The first shot I tried was rather tart. I didn’t expect it to be so “acidic” since I thought it’s going to be just like any salad dressing. My mistake was that I took the shot in pure ACV form. That was a big no-no!
I called my friend and talked to her about it. How could she stand this stuff? Then I was told that I shouldn’t be taking it in pure form. I had to dilute it with water or my favorite drink.
The next day, I started to mix it with a turmeric apple juice that was freshly extracted.
It did two things for me, it cut back on the acidity of the apple cider vinegar and then it also made the turmeric more pleasurable to drink. I am not a fan of turmeric’s smell. I know a lot of people like it because it has that earthy smell and taste, but it never really appealed to me. It made drinking vinegar so much nicer.
Two days in of drinking this concoction and I already noticed that my cravings for sweets has been cut back. I wasn’t looking for my daily candy bar. By the end of the week, my cravings for sweet stuff was eliminated. Acetic acid found in vinegar can lower blood sugar and help you feel “full”. It lowers blood sugar by reducing the absorption of carbohydrates.
Second Week of apple cider vinegar 30 day challenge
After drinking the turmeric apple vinegar shots, I was looking for other “flavors” I could try. My friend recommended that I mix it with cinnamon maple tea. For many starters of the apple cider vinegar drinking movement, this is a good flavor combination because it still gives them the “sweetness” that they sometimes crave. Unfortunately, I didn’t like the strong combination of sweet and sour. Two dominant flavors that felt like they were waging a war on my taste buds but I was determined to stick to this combination because I wanted to see how long I could endure. I dutifully drank this still as it wasn’t all that bad.
Third Week of drinking acv for 30 days
I grew up in the tropics so I really love pineapples. I thought what it would taste like to combine this wonderful fruit with apple cider vinegar. So, I decided to juice pineapples, ginger, and add my ACV.
The benefits of this drink are numerous. Ginger has been used for hundreds of years to treat ailments like migraines, sore throat, to arthritis. The third week was interesting though. By this time, I have been feeling something in my stomach. It made me wonder if the daily apple cider vinegar intake was stripping my stomach’s lining. I tried diluting the apple cider vinegar in my drinks. Putting in more water.
I tried to tell myself that all this is good for my health still. It didn’t work. My stomach hurt.
Looking up if this was a reaction that I only experienced, I was surprised to know that many people who tried this apple cider vinegar drink had the same reactions too.
ACV’s side effects include a worsening of stomach ulcers and acid reflux.
And if you value your pearly whites, a word of caution. ACV can also erode your teeth’s enamel and lower your potassium levels. I don’t have any pre-existing gut conditions but still, I felt off.
Fourth Week of drinking acv for 30 days
By this time, I was getting wary of drinking my apple cider vinegar concoctions. I eye my big bottle of apple cider vinegar and just imagine the hundreds of salads I can drizzle that thing on. Still, being the persistent little hard head that I am, I continued. I went back to my favorite flavor which was the pineapple and ginger juice. I also changed the time of time that I took my beverage. Instead of drinking it early morning like my morning coffee, I now drink it after I have my breakfast.
I was curious what my progress was so I measured my weight and had my blood pressure checked.
30 day apple cider vinegar results
My blood pressure dropped and I was normal. It was often at 120 – 130 over 100. This was “normal” for me. But after a month, I was at 110 over 80. I also lost a few pounds. I lost 10 lbs. without even exercising. I guess, I no longer craving sweets or snacks. I also have stopped drinking sodas or sweet drinks because I no longer craved it.
Will I be continuing this ritual, YES! Keeping in mind the drawback I felt on my third week, I think that overall that this was a good thing. I now dilute my apple cider vinegar and drink my concoction by sips throughout the day. It has effectively stopped my sugar and junk food cravings.
If you have any pre-existing conditions though, please consult your physician first before going through this.
