Ah yes, the annual post-holiday haze, where the clock strikes midnight and all of a sudden your friends are doing weird stuff like only eating vegetables or signing up for gym memberships. We all fall victim to the new-year new-me mentality, but this year I tried to figure out a small change that I could reasonably commit to doing. That's how I found out about the Apple Cider Vinegar Every Day challenge.
This wasn't something extreme like Whole 30, it wasn't a cleanse, and lord knows I would never do dry January, but I wanted something that I could do every day that would make me feel better, and this was the perfect solution. Before chugging my usual gallon and a half of coffee, I would combine 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar every day with warm water and lemon juice.
Throughout the month I went ahead and added variations of spices/mixers in there to make it more bearable, but I continued to make this face EVERY. SINGLE. TIME
Starting Out
The first three days were awful. I would set up my cup of water, lemon juice, and apple cider vinegar every day, then proceed to chase it immediately with mouthwash.
The next 5 days were a learning curve. I started experimenting with the 'recipe' I had been given, and added spices like Turmeric and Cayenne, which made the drink a very unappealing color. But nevertheless I persisted.
One day I added Kombucha, and the next I decided I'd throw in some orange juice. Although I never managed to enjoy the taste, it became really manageable to drink through the things I added to it.
Day 9 I read this article about just taking the two tablespoons in shot format: this was the worst idea ever. I commend the author for doing this, but I felt queasy all day after hitting my stomach with a non-diluted version of this very potent drink
The middle
On day 10 I went to the west coast, and actually managed to find a pre-mixed drink sold by Bragg's that was essentially the same recipe I had been using. I bought 7 day's worth of those. The two flavors I was able to find were Concord Grape - Açai (pictured below), and ginger.
On day 10 I went to the west coast, and actually managed to find a pre-mixed drink sold by Bragg's that was essentially the same recipe I had been using. I bought 7 day's worth of those. The two flavors I was able to find were Concord Grape - Açai (pictured below), and ginger.
The finale
Days 18-25 I tried valiantly to find a cocktail recipe that incorporated ACV, but try as I might, I wasn't able to do it. I tried mixing it with whisky, ginger beer, tequila (which was particularly awful), and champagne at brunch.
For my final six days of the challenge, the process was surprisingly seamless. I had gotten into the routine of drinking it in the morning, before brushing my teeth, and from there I would go about my day as usual. But I would still make this face.
Re
Results
While I was busy focusing on how gross the drink was, it was working in my favor. Without changing anything else (diet, exercise, skincare) I was breaking out less, feeling more energetic during my day and my workouts, and found myself forgoing a midnight snack most nights.
This is just the tip of the iceberg, there's tons of benefits to Apple Cider Vinegar, and drinking even that small of an amount each day can have a huge difference on your body. Plus, if you have leftovers, here are some more ways you can use ACV around the house
Want to try this?
Great! Follow the #ACV28 on Instagram, and order your ingredients. February is the shortest month, so you're already closer to a full month than I was!
Here are the staple ingredients:
-Raw Apple Cider Vinegar with the mother
-Lemon juice (either squeezed from a lemon or bought
-Warm water
OPTIONAL ADD ONS
-Cayenne
-Turmeric
-Pink Sea Salt
-Ginger
-Honey
-Black Pepper
Good luck, and may the odds be ever in your favor.