chug

since i wrote last night about my drug-free intentions, i have been receiving all sorts of suggestions. the one that i'm most impressed by initially is apple cider vinegar. i had no idea that this wonder drug was hanging out in my pantry all along.

according to the friend who tipped me off - and my subsequent study - a couple teaspoons of apple cider vinegar (ACV for us insiders) in a cup of water daily can lower blood pressure, reduce cholesterol, help control blood sugar, promote weight loss, cure acne, flush toxins, abate allergies and give you an energy boost, much akin to caffeine. and that's an edited list.

surely that can't be true, i first thought. i'm a whole hearted believer in homeopathic medicine, but i still like to understand the science behind it. and sadly i find that many natural remedies rely mainly on the science of the placebo effect. so, i did some due diligence with the help of google. and lo and behold, there's medical research to support most of the claims.

why the hell hadn't i heard of this before?? oh yeah, it's a $4 per bottle natural cure-all, putting no money in the pockets of big pharm. (what was i thinking?)

so, today i stopped at a local health food store and bought a new bottle of organic acv and made a commitment to give it a shot. literally and figuratively.

in my mind, vinegar is either for easter eggs or mopping floors so the idea of swallowing it down on a daily basis turned my stomach a bit. (although, it also is purported to aid digestion in fact.) but tonight, after dinner i took the smallest juice glass i own out of the dishwasher and set it on the counter. i filled it nearly to the top with filtered water. i stirred in half a teaspoon of honey (i'd have done more but the bear was nearly empty.). i shook the cloudy brown liquid filled bottle of vinegar. and i measured two teaspoons into the glass.

when i was a child, at the first sign of a sore throat my mom would send me to the kitchen sink with a glass of warm salt water, to gargle. after my bizarre bout with guillain-barre syndrome i was on a teaspoon a day diet of cod liver oil. and when i had a cough, a tablespoon of honey and lemon juice was the robitussin of choice. so i'm no stranger to repulsive remedies at the kitchen sink.

and all of those moments flashed before my eyes when i carried the murky, smelly glass to the sink. but i told myself that a small glass of water is really only a couple of sips. i'd just chug it back and never even taste it. if it really could help, even a little, with so many different issues it would be worth it.

so i tipped up the glass. put it to my lips. and when i stopped and swallowed about two and a half seconds later, my glass was three quarters empty and my gag reflex hadn't kicked in yet. surprisingly it was milder than i anticipated. i mean, i've had pickles that made me pucker more. so that should tell you something.

mega is enjoying a new addition to her diet as well. flax seed oil in her dry food. it isn't nearly as aromatic as my concoction and isn't quite as yummy as an egg yolk. but she's game to try it, she said.

so, there you have it. i'm replacing my morning decaf with a juice glass of vinegar and mega's morning egg yolk with a spoonful of oil.

breakfast overhaul.

i don't imagine i'll stop with the vinegar. i expect it will take much more to wake me up fully. but i figure breakfast is a good place to start.

d: more answers right under my nose...or in my pantry
b: i'm open to new ideas
g: acv beats cod liver oil by a mile