Adding Apple Cider Vinegar to your Diet is Great for Weight Loss!
Apple cider vinegar is one of those “old things that are new” again.
Made from apples, this vinegar has an esteemed history in the United States. Before the advent of super highways and chain supermarkets, apple cider vinegar was already a popular pantry staple.
Our pioneers and forefathers made this substance out of apples and yeast. Yeast was always on hand, because they needed it to make bread and beer.
And our ancestors didn’t need fresh, delicious table apples to make vinegar. Year old, sour apples worked just as well. These hardy early Americans used apple cider vinegar to preserve food. This vinegar still works well as a pickling catalyst. And the log cabin Americans used it medicinally to treat colds, flu, blood pressure and upset stomach.
Why does it work?
The active ingredient in apple cider vinegar is acetic acid. Scientists believe this is the chemical that makes apple cider vinegar useful as a weight loss supplement.
Acetic acid works in a few different ways. A teaspoon has only three calories, which you could work off on your way back to the refrigerator from the television. But this vinegar packs a flavor that satisfies food cravings. One study also shows that it blocks starch absorption. That slows the digestive process so that we stay full longer and have to eat less often.
The science behind apple cider vinegar for weight loss is based on three studies. All of them involved a small sampling of dieters, but in all three studies, those who drank vinegar lost more weight than those who did not.
For many people, there are apple cider vinegar health benefits. For example, drinking apple cider vinegar at least 30 minutes before bed can be a good treatment for acid reflux. If you find that it works to treat your reflux, that’s another way it will help you lose weight. Because people with reflux often overeat as a way of mitigating their indigestion.
What is the best dosage?
Apple cider vinegar has a strong, bitter flavor, and it may not be for everyone. You need to go easy starting out because a few people cannot tolerate it. In some people, vinegars cause nausea or other gastrointestinal disorders.
Be aware that apple cider vinegar comes in both raw and processed forms. They both work for weight loss, but you might think one form is tastier than the other, so try both. Keep in mind that raw vinegar has to be kept in the refrigerator, where processed vinegar can be kept on a shelf or in your pantry.
Starting out, add no more than one teaspoon to a glass of water. If you digest it easily, then you can increase to two teaspoons three or four times a day.
The best time to drink water with apple cider vinegar is before a meal. The water and vinegar work together to keep you from overeating.
But adding apple cider vinegar to water is only one of the many wonderful ways you can incorporate this original dietary supplement into your regime.
What are the Best Ways to use Apple Cider Vinegar
If you really want to lose weight with apple cider vinegar or if you are helping one of your family members lose weight, you may want to get inventive. Here are a few easy and clever ways to hide–or feature–apple cider vinegar in foods that you are probably already eating.
1. Make all your salad dressings with apple cider vinegar
At its most basic, apple cider vinegar is one of two ingredients you need to make salad dressing. The other ingredient is cooking or salad oil, like olive oil or canola.
What proportion of vinegar to oil you use has everything to do with your taste and the preferences of the loved ones you are cooking for. Starting out, try mixing one part vinegar with two parts oil.
If that’s too bitter, use more oil and possibly another ingredient like mayonnaise or tahini to level out the bitterness. In a pinch, you can also add honey to your dressing.
2. Make specialty vinegars
Some people are into fancy vinegars. If your pantry routinely features rice vinegar, soy sauce, ketchup, balsamic vinegar, and hoisin sauce, you’re already a vinegar junkie.
You’re only one small step away from buying some decorative bottles and making your own vinegars using fresh basil, rosemary from the garden, or those chili peppers that your crazy neighbors keep giving you.
Using processed apple cider vinegar to make these fancy confections is a no-brainer. You can pour it over the herbs straight up and let it sit for a few weeks. If you want to use it sooner than that, heat the vinegar to a boil and then pour it in the bottle after stuffing it with an herb or fruit or vegetable.
Homemade vinegars can be used in everything from pasta sauce to soups to salads. They make a great cooking glaze for meats and a great additive in stews.
3. Add it to your cocktail
Now we’re talking, right? You need a mixer for your cocktail anyway. Just swap out the juice for apple cider vinegar. You now have about the lowest calorie cocktail that ingenuity can buy.
If it’s way too bitter or strong, add some club soda or grape juice. Talk about a fun way to put a dietary supplement into your lifestyle!
4. Put a teaspoon in iced tea instead of lemon juice
Okay, this might not be for everyone, but you should at least try it to see if it’s acceptable. People who drink very sweet tea may not notice the difference.
For this purpose, you should probably opt for the raw apple cider vinegar as it has a fresher, cleaner, fruitier taste.
5. Put some in your barbecue sauce
Barbecue sauces already have a quantum of vinegar. That’s what makes them so zesty. The easiest way to do this is to find a really thick barbecue sauce and just add two teaspoons of apple cider vinegar to a half cup of sauce.
If you have more time and energy, try making your own barbecue sauce with apple cider vinegar as the main ingredient. You can make barbecue sauce from a myriad of different ingredients: mustard, mayonnaise, tomato paste, molasses, pineapple juice, brown sugar. It’s cheap and easy to experiment until you find the perfect taste.
6. Dilute your ketchup
If you grew up in a thrifty household, you already know how your mother saved that last tatter of ketchup from the bottom of the bottle by pouring some vinegar into the ketchup bottle and swishing it around.
Well, you can do this yourself on a regular basis. Just mix a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar into a quarter cup of ketchup. Not only did you just turn your ketchup into a diet aid, you also reduced its caloric content.
If you are feeling a bit more ambitious, try making your own ketchup out of apple cider vinegar, tomato paste, olive oil, brown sugar, and salt. It worked for the Hunt family! Why not for you?
7. Create an apple cider vinegar steak sauce
Your favorite bottled steak sauce is also vinegar based. If you add some soy sauce, tomato sauce, garlic, and a little maple syrup to your apple cider vinegar, you might find you’ve created your own sauce. And you might like it even better than the store brand!
In conclusion, including apple cider vinegar in your weight loss recipes or adding it to your diet can be great for weight loss. It’s easy to incorporate into your diet, and many people find it really yummy. Try blending it with other, milder, sweeter ingredients to make any number of sauces and dressings. Try it in beverages, including the refreshing, adult variety.
See those pounds melt away while you’re enjoying a time honored supplement that goes back to the pilgrims!
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