Apple Cider Vinegar Drink Recipe: How to Make Old-Fashioned Health Tonic
What goes around comes around. The old farmers have been using the tonic for centuries and now it is once again becoming a trend that everyone is talking about. Today I am going to outline the many health benefits of this health tonic, and give you a quick apple cider vinegar drink recipe to enjoy at home!
I have been hearing about the incredible health benefits of this tonic for at least 40-50 years. Those health benefits include blood sugar regulation, weight loss, stomach and digestion improvement, lowering cholesterol, cell detoxification, and improvement in skin health. There is even talk about improvements in blood pressure, inflammation, pain, asthma, depression, and diarrhea. There are many scientific apple cider vinegar studies that can be referenced, but my mission here is not to cause boredom, but to demonstrate a simple palatable way of enjoying the benefits of the Tonic.
What is Apple Cider Vinegar?
Well, the simple answer, it is a type of vinegar made from very ripe, chopped, apples. The apples, apple juice and yeast are fermented and the sugars are turned into alcohol. Then, beneficial bacteria is added to the vinegar solution which turns the alcohol into acetic acid.
Apple juice vinegar has just 3 calories for each tablespoon (15 grams) and no starches. The amino acids in this vinegar are powerful cleaning agents and detoxifiers, and the acidic corrosive substance in the vinegar can help in the treatment of different parasitic and bacterial diseases.
Health Benefits of this Apple Cider Vinegar Drink Recipe
Weight Loss and Metabolism
Every study that I have seen agrees that the apple cider vinegar plays an important role in terms of speeding up the metabolism of the body. When diluted apple cider vinegar is consumed with a high-carbohydrate meal, it helps increase the feeling of fullness and help with weight loss by preventing overeating. Apple cider vinegar also works by making the body burn all the unwanted calories by getting the body’s metabolism working at its best. The acetic acid in the tonic with a low calorie diet will actually target body fat.
Prevents Acid Reflux
Nothing fancy here, but I know people that have acid reflux and treat themselves with the tonic and say that it works about 2-3 times as fast as antacids.
Blood Sugar Levels
The dietary fiber present in apple cider vinegar is extremely beneficial for maintaining healthy blood glucose levels. Apple cider vinegar may also significantly improve insulin sensitivity in those with either insulin resistance or type 2 diabetes. According to an animal study diabetic rats fed with apple cider vinegar for four weeks significantly reduced their blood sugar levels.
Reduces Cholesterol & Improves Heart Health
The vinegar contains acetic acid, that is effective in reducing the LDL (bad) cholesterol levels and increasing the HDL (good) cholesterol levels. This helps to protect the cardiovascular system.
Skin Care
For years I have heard the local farmers talking about drinking tonic to restore their weather beaten skin. The tonic does this by balancing the body’s pH levels. The pH level of the apple cider vinegar is similar to the pH level of the protective acid mantle of the skin. This keeps your skin from becoming too oily or too dry by balancing the production of skin oils, and aids in the absorption of skin nutrients.
Blood Pressure
The European Journal of Nutrition, published an article that showed that vinegar lessens the blood pressure in rats, which is a primary cause for heart diseases and kidney problems. So, if you have any rats that you are concerned about make sure that they see this article!
Healthy pH levels
Crude apple juice vinegar enables the body to keep up a sound basic pH level and beat corrosiveness and its undesirable consequences for the body. It likewise helps clean the blood during the oxidation procedure.
Relieves Pain
Some say that the arthritic condition of inflamed joints is due to the accumulation of toxic waste in the body. Natural apple cider vinegar can relieve pain in the joints by cleansing the body of these toxins and slow progress of the arthritic condition.
Diarrhea Symptoms
Vinegar contains pectin. This gelatin helps treat diarrhea symptoms by re-forming waste matter and by adding a protective coat for soothing the lining of the colon. Some say this miracle tonic can give relief in as early as twenty minutes. Diarrhea is not a problem of mine, but will keep you updated.
Anti-Cancer Properties
Arizona State University, Department of Nutrition published a research paper in which they mentioned that this health tonic aids in neutralizing the free radicals that can form cancerous growths. The beta-carotene in the tonic acts as an antioxidant and neutralizes the free radicals formed through everyday oxidation. The free radicals can cause major damage to blood cells.
Apple Cider Vinegar Drink Recipe
Materials Required
½ gallon of water
¼ cup of honey
¼ cup of apple cider vinegar
Steps to Make an Apple Cider Vinegar Drink
Warm honey gently for just a few seconds, this will help it “stir” better in your mixing process.
Add ¼ cup of honey to the ½ gallon of water.
Add ¼ cup of apple cider vinegar to the ½ gallon of water and honey.
Stir thoroughly.
OPTIONAL add one of your favorite flavorings to the Tonic. Mint or ginger are common favorites.
Store mixture in refrigerator.
Enjoy it over ice on a hot day, or warm a cup on a cold day!
Conclusion
I am a healthy man and rarely see a doctor. I am not on any prescriptions, and am not one of your band-wagon health nuts. And I certainly do not go chasing after every new health fad or claim that comes across the Internet. But I do believe in the Tonic! I have used it for years and have seen what it can do for your skin, for your weight, and overall feeling of well-being from head to toe. If I had to pick the 3 pillars of my healthy lifestyle, I would say the following:
Raw honey (for energy)
Daily meditation (for clarity of thought and centering)
The Tonic (for the maintenance of my body)
And if I were to pick a number 4, it would be lots of green vegetables. I pick these things because without them, I can really feel the impact of a hard day’s work or daily emotional stress on my mind, body, and energy level.
Family, Farm, & Fellowman
With these tools in my pocket I am prepared for whatever crosses my path, I can readily focus on the things in my life that really matter…My Family, My Farm, and My Fellowman.
Try the Tonic, give it a chance! What if you only get half of these great benefits, wouldn’t that be wonderful?
Thank you for spending some time with me.
I wish you… Love, Peace, and Light!
Terry, Thistle Downs Farm
Terry has a Master’s Degree in Business Administration. He has taught in the New York State School system for 18 years, where he teaches Career and Financial Management, Agricultural Business, Marketing and Distribution, Sports Management, Wildlife Conservation Management, and Resort and Recreation Management. His time has also been spent as an FFA advisor for 12 years and he has been farming his 100-acre family farm since 1991. Terry has a deep love of all types of agriculture and takes every opportunity to promote agricultural education.