As the old saying goes, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away”. This is because apples are a great snack to reach for when looking for a nutritional boost. They contain high levels of Vitamin C, dietary fiber and loads of antioxidants that can reduce the risk of cancer, diabetes, and help control weight gain. Apples also provide potassium which is important to many functions within the body including muscle contractions, nerve signals and can help reduce the risk of strokes and osteoporosis. Not only do apples provide all these health benefits, they are also incredibly filling relative to their low calorie count and so make a great addition to any healthy diet. But perhaps eating an actual whole apple a day doesn’t sound appealing to you. I love apples as much as the next fruit eater, but sometimes eating the same thing everyday tends to get old. This is why I started drinking an apple cider vinegar drink every morning. Not only do I get all the health benefits of an apple a day, I’m feeling the effects of the vinegar daily as well.

Apple cider vinegar has been gaining popularity lately for it’s long list of health benefits. Not only does it contain the nutrients from the apple, but fermenting the fruit brings the benefits to a whole other level of goodness. For me personally, I notice the change mainly in my digestion, skin and muscle contractions. As someone who occasionally gets heart burn, break-outs and foot cramps, I’m happy to say that since taking this drink every morning I’ve had less instances of each. This is because apple cider vinegar totes all of the nutrients necessary to boost these functions. The nutrients within it are also things that I probably was not getting enough of before just through my regular diet. And although I eat fairly healthy, the change from adding a small drink to my morning is surprising.

If you’re going to make this drink, be sure to use an apple cider vinegar that is raw, unfiltered and what will be labeled as “with the mother”. This might sound odd, but the “mother” is really just the healthiest part of the apple. In this type of apple cider vinegar, the “mother” has not been filtered out through high processing or pasteurization. It will sometimes appear in the bottle like a dark cloud. This cloud is the healthiest part of the apple cider vinegar, so you want to use a vinegar that includes it, otherwise you aren’t getting the healthiest part of the apple. Simply gently shake the bottle to disperse the cloud into the rest of the liquid before serving. Another great benefit to this drink is the honey. But again, it must be raw, unfiltered and preferably local. Having fresh local honey can help with allergies, boost your Vitamin B and like apples is loaded with antioxidants. Lastly, you can add a little lemon to your drink if you like for even more Vitamin C and digestion assistance.

Overall, this small drink really packs a nutritional punch. Do be warned that the first couple times may be shocking to your palate. The apple cider vinegar has a strong and acquired taste. Luckily the honey and lemon help to dispel that a bit, and after a few days you may even find yourself enjoying the flavor. Always be sure to use a method like this or similar for taking your apple cider vinegar – always dilute it before drinking. Drinking straight apple cider vinegar is not good for you because of it’s high acidity. You can destroy the enamel on your teeth as well as damage your esophagus. So always be sure to at least mix with water when ingesting, even if you don’t have the other ingredients available. I hope you enjoy this drink and find that the benefits are evident for you as well. If you are already drinking this daily, let me know what effects you’ve seen if any.

Apple Cider Vinegar Drink

Drink one of these mixtures in the morning daily.

8 oz warm water (to help melt the honey)

1 Tbsp raw, organic, unfiltered apple cider vinegar (I like this kind)

1 Tbsp raw, organic, local honey (check your local farmer’s markets)

1/2 lemon, juiced (just squeeze however much lemon you want from 1/2 a lemon)

1. Stir to combine until honey is dissolved
2. Enjoy!