Gluten Got Your Gut? Try Apple Cider Vinegar

Archives for March 2015

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There are many simple, natural substances and foods that are invaluable when it comes to great health.

Not only do these natural health aids help to alleviate uncomfortable and sometimes even dangerous conditions, but they can also work in a preventative way as well.

Among these are such things as honey, coconut oil and apple cider vinegar.

Introduced to the United States in the 1950’s by D.C. Jarvis, author of Folk Medicine: A Vermont Doctor’s Guide to Good Health, apple cider vinegar is finally being embraced as a dietary supplement worthy of attention.

Special Report: How Apple Cider Vinegar can Shrink Your Belly, Lower Blood Sugar, and more =>

What is Apple Cider Vinegar?

Raw, organic and unpasteurized apple cider vinegar contains what is known as “the mother” of vinegar, which makes the vinegar appear somewhat cloudy.

Although it may look rather unappealing, it is the mother that is loaded with raw enzymes and gut-friendly bacteria that promote health and healing.

Raw organic apple cider vinegar (ACV) is made from organic apples and undergoes a double fermentation process, which produces enzymes and preserves many of its health-promoting characteristics.

Some of the beneficial ingredients in raw organic ACV include:

Potassium: essential for normal heart, kidney and other organ function
Iron: important for blood health
Magnesium: vital to heart health
Enzymes: boost chemical reactions in the body
Malic acid: protects vinegar from viruses, bacteria and fungus
Acetic acid: slows the digestion of starch
Calcium: builds strong bones and teeth
Pectin: helps regulate blood pressure and cholesterol
Ash: maintains a healthy alkaline state in body

New medical research is beginning to unfold in favor of raw apple cider vinegar as a “go to” for many common conditions. Traditional uses of ACV are vast.

To name just a few, it has been used to ease digestion, aid in flu prevention, reduce inflammation, regulate pH balance, alleviate allergy symptoms, ease nausea and heartburn, as a staple in detox regimens, and for a number of skin conditions, including reducing acne and smoothing wrinkles.

Gluten sensitivity and apple cider vinegar

You may be gluten intolerant and not even know it. In fact, most people have some form of sensitivity to modern wheat, which is found in all sorts of foods.

Gluten is a protein compound found in wheat, barley, rye. It is found in many processed foods, unfortunately, not always with names that divulge the fact that there is gluten inside. About one percent of the population has celiac diease, an autoimmune reaction to gluten, which can lead to inflammation and the inability of the body to absorb essential nutrients.

While celiac disease is receiving much more attention nowadays, it is estimated that only about 17 percent of those afflicted know they have it.

Up to 30 percent (some experts say as high as 40 percent) of people in the world are estimated to have a sensitivity to gluten, in varying degrees. As medical tests for gluten sensitivity are often unreliable, it can be difficult to diagnose. It is often mistaken for a digestive disorder such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), or generalized fatigue.

Decanter with apple vinegar and red apple isolated on the white background

Have you ever eaten a meal that included gluten, perhaps a big bowl of pasta, gone to bed, only to awaken prematurely feeling like someone had filled your gut with lead weights? Maybe you ate way too much or maybe you are responding to the gluten in the food you ate.

Gluten sensitivity not only destroys a good night’s sleep but can also cause painful digestive distress. (Note: lacking digestive distress symptoms does not necessarily mean you can safely tolerate gluten – there are a number of other symptoms to look out for when determining if gluten is a problem for you.)

Desperate to get some shut eye, you may reach for the bottle of Pepto Bismol only to find that it provides just temporary relief at best. This is where raw apple cider vinegar comes in.

Because ACV is slightly acidic it can be helpful for a number of conditions and is especially beneficial when used as a digestive aid. When taken before meals, apple cider vinegar can help combat the side effects of gluten or other digestive disturbances.

At the same time, apple cider vinegar can help eliminate toxins and promote healthy gut bacteria which is beneficial to overall health and wellbeing.

How to take apple cider vinegar

Although there are no official rules for how to consume ACV, most people take a couple of teaspoons a day mixed with water, raw honey or fresh juice, in the morning or before meals. You can use ACV as a salad dressing, drizzle it on steamed greens or marinate your organic meat in it. It has a truly zippy taste that will clear out your sinuses, but it will grow on you the longer you drink it.
Keep in mind that ACV must be diluted. Straight apple cider vinegar may damage tooth enamel or burn mouth and throat tissue.
ACV may interact with diuretics and other medicines, so be sure to check with a healthcare provider before using.

So, if you are planning on eating a big meal or a meal that contains gluten (although we would strongly suggest you give up gluten), try sipping on an ACV cocktail prior to eating. You may find that you have a restful night’s sleep and are not woken up with stomach pains or bloating.

Choosing the right apple cider vinegar

When choosing an ACV make sure to select one that is raw, organic and unpasteurized, as the pasteurization process can destroy many of the health benefits. Most vinegar manufacturers nowadays pasteurize the vinegar before it hits the shelves, to get rid of the mother of vinegar, and in turn, a lot of the nutrients that the vinegar offers.

Make your own

The good news is that it’s easy and inexpensive to make ACV right at home. It just takes a little time for it to ferment.

By using apple scraps like the peels and cores from the apple, your apple cider vinegar can be ready in less than two months. Another method is available using whole apples, but the process takes much longer – typically about seven months.

What you’ll need:

A large bowl or jar with a wide mouth
Cores, peels and leftover pieces from organic apples
Cheesecloth to cover the jar and prevent debris or bugs from getting in

Instructions:

Leave the apple scraps out, allowing them to turn brown. Once they’ve browned you can add them to your bowl or jar. Cover them with filtered water. If you leave extra room you can continue to add more apple scraps over the next few days, although it isn’t necessary.

Cover the bowl or jar with a piece of cheesecloth and place it in a warm, dark place. After several days you’ll notice that the mixture will begin to thicken and a gray-colored scum begins to form on top.

Once this has happened, don’t add any more scraps. Allow it to sit for a month in order to ferment.

After this period, you can begin testing it. Once it tastes strong enough, strain out the apple scraps, place it into a bottle, seal and store in the refrigerator.

It will probably be cloudy, which is fine, but if you’d like it to have a clearer appearance, you can use a paper coffee filter to strain and remove the sediment.

Click Here to learn 81 more ways ACV can help shrink your belly, lower blood sugar and more =>

Thanks to our friends from the Alternative Daily for giving us the OK to republish this from their original article.

Yours in Health,

Danette May

P.S. Please share this article with your friend and I welcome your comments below.

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Spring is here at last and the sun is setting later with every passing day. That means more time on the run with sports practice and other fun outdoor activities.

If you're like me, you are LOVING every minute of it but maybe you aren't getting as much time at home for healthy meal prep.

I have you covered with this quick, easy and super filling salad recipe. It only take 10 minutes to put together and you'll have a beautiful and protein packed salad. This one is ideal for packing in a lunch cooler for work or snacks on the bleachers at soccer practice.

Everyone will think you have and indulgent salsa-like treat and all the while you and your kids are getting some much needed power food. I like to scoop this up with some pita chips and if you take it to the games, make sure you have plenty to share.

INGREDIENTS

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15 oz. can black-eyed peas

1 bell pepper

1/4 cup red onion

2 Roma tomatoes

{For the dressing}

1/4 cup natural rice vinegar

1 clove garlic, minced

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp. raw honey

1/8 tsp. salt

DIRECTIONS:

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1. Make the dressing: add all ingredients to a small bowl and whisk to combine.

2. Rinse and drain black-eyed peas, and add to a medium mixing bowl.

3. Dice bell pepper, red onion, and tomatoes. Add to bowl with beans.

4. Pour dressing over top and stir to combine.

5. Chill for at least an hour, or up to 24 hours. Salt/pepper to taste if necessary, and stir before serving

I hope you and your family enjoy this salad as much as my family and I do.

Bikini

Yours in Health,

Danette

P.S. Feel free to share this recipe with your friends and I always love reading your comments below.

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Did you know that nine out of 10 people who are newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes are overweight?

The American Diabetic Association estimates that 80% of the 15 million individuals who suffer from Type 2 diabetes are significantly overweight and that the obesity contributes greatly to the development of the disease.

It is no secret that a slow, intentional weight loss will decrease the risk of health problems and diabetes is included in that list. This weight loss will also reduce the need for insulin, improve cardiovascular health and improve lipid profiles.

By achieving these goals you also reduce your risk factors for developing stroke, heart attack, retinal damage and kidney failure.

Losing weight as a diabetic is accomplished the same way that weight loss is achieved under any other circumstance. Weight gain or weight loss is simply a matter of the amount of food  eaten versus the amount of energy spent.

In other words, if an individual burns off 1500 calories per day but eats 2000 calories per day they will gain weight. If the reverse is true they will lose weight.

It isn't always useful to think of food intake in terms of caloric intake since all calories are not created equally but we can talk about calories for a minute. Each pound of body weight is equal to 3500 calories.

If there is a negative caloric intake of 500 calories per day and individual should be able to lose 1 pound of body weight each week.

While weight loss of 1 pound a week is a realistic goal, too many times we want our results to happen today. When an individual decides to lose weight they often want to lose 10 pounds this week.

weight-loss-surgery.final_

If you really lost 10 pounds in one week you would have to have a negative calorie intake of 35,000 calories! This is not possible.

To achieve this it would require that metabolism was increased through some external chemical response, such as chemotherapy or cancer, and you had stopped eating altogether.

The goal of any weight loss program is to achieve a gradual loss that can be maintained.

This results in a healthy body and mind and can also result in the elimination of medication required to control Type 2 diabetes.

On the quest to lose weight individuals who suffer from diabetes will find that exercise is their friend. The American diabetes Association recommends that individuals engaged in exercise for two reasons.

In the first place, exercise reduces the body's need for insulin while still controlling blood glucose levels.

In the second place, it increases metabolism and enables an individual to lose weight with greater ease.

Individuals who are overweight and suffer from Type 2 diabetes find their overall health improves with weight loss and the management of their disease improves as well.

Unfortunately, researchers also found that those who lose weight, put it back on, take it off again and continue to go through a roller coaster ride of weight loss and weight gain actually do more harm to their overall long-term health than those who just remain several pounds overweight.

But, before giving up and deciding not to attempt weight loss it is important to recognize the significant health benefits that you achieve even through the loss of five or 10 pounds.

If five or 10 pounds is all that can be achieved initially it is enough that you should do it, maintain the loss and attempt to lose more later.

Yours in Health,

Danette

P.S. Please feel free to share this info with your friend and I welcome your comments below

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Want to know what I do every morning to make sure I create an amazing day? Watch this short video I just made for you and start doing this for yourself every morning!

Much Love,

Danette

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Listen, I know what it's like to have super busy mornings. With myself, 2 kids and a husband all getting ready for our days, things gets pretty fast paced at my house too!

 

It could be so easy to just say, ‘forget it, there's no way I have time to make a hot, healthy breakfast this morning. I'll be late to my meeting!' I have just the solution for you on “those” mornings.

 

You can whip up a batch of these on Sunday afternoon and you are set for the whole week with my Omelets for One ‘To Go' You won't have to sacrifice your entire Sunday afternoon for these either.

About 30 minutes does the trick to arm you with a hot, healthy breakfast for ‘those' mornings.

 

Omelets For One On The Run

Yields: 12

 

INGREDIENTS:

  • 3 – 4 cups mixed vegetables of choice (mushrooms, tomato, and asparagus are great)
  • 3 teaspoons unrefined coconut oil
  • 2 – 3 tablespoons minced garlic
  • Himalayan salt, black pepper, and your favorite seasonings
  • One dozen eggs
  • 1/4 cup water or unsweetened almond milk

 

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.

2. Chop vegetables and saute in a pan with oil and garlic for about 4 minutes. Don’t saute too long as they will cook more in the oven.

3. Add seasonings of choice and set aside.

4. In a bowl, beat eggs and water or almond milk.

5. Spray muffin tin with unrefined coconut oil.

6. Divide the vegetables among the 12 wells. Top off with egg mixture.

7. Place in the oven for 20 minutes or until eggs puff.

8. Let cool for 5 minutes.

9. Store in a glass container in the refrigerator for easy heating. Enjoy!

 

Life gets busy for everyone and it's all about what is worth our time. Put you and your health first and with a few tricks, you will always find time for good, healthy meals.

 

Yours in Health,

Danette

You may also be interested in: 

WARM EGG WHITE & SPINACH QUICHE

The Great Big Breakfast Roundup: 12 Healthy & Delicious Recipes

6 Common Breakfast Mistakes (and the fix)

P.S. Please share this recipe with your friends and family. I always love reading your comments below too!

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“How do I increase my metabolism?”

That's a common question I hear from women almost daily.

They want to know all about metabolism boosters, metabolism secrets and diets that can increase metabolism.

Can you really boost your metabolism?

Does your metabolism really decrease as you age?

Is this lower metabolism something you’ll just have to learn to live with, whether it's age related or not?

The bad news is that you metabolism does decrease as you age. The GOOD news is that it’s something you can fix.

You see, starting around age 25 to 30, most people lose 5 to 10 pounds of lean muscle every decade. And lean muscle is more metabolically active.

So all you need to do to boost your metabolism or keep it from slowing down is to focus on a workout program that preserves the lean muscle you have or adds a few pounds of lean muscle to give your metabolism a boost.

metabolismboost

Let’s take a look at the four components of your metabolism.

* Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR)

Your resting metabolic rate makes up most of your daily calorie expenditure and includes everything your body needs to do to survive, such as thinking, repairing tissue and anything else it needs to do.

* Thermogenesis – simply the calorie burning from the act of eating.

Your body burns calories when you chew, swallow and digest the food you eat.

* Genetic Thermogenesis – the calories you burn based on your genetic makeup.

* Physical Activity – these are the calories you burn from physical activity via exercise such as biking, playing tennis, weight training and cardio.

If you want to boost your metabolism you need to focus on these different aspects of metabolism.

Your resting metabolic rate can be increased by adding lean muscle.

Will 5 pounds of added muscle increase your resting metabolic rate?

Absolutely!

In addition, if you add 5 pounds of muscle, as opposed to losing that much muscle mass each decade, the difference will be quite dramatic over time.

There’s another huge positive metabolism boosting advantage to weight training or high intensity interval training and that’s the post-workout metabolism increase.

After an intense resistance training session (or high intensity interval training session), your metabolism will stay elevated for up to 39 hours AFTER the workout!

There is a lot of debate on just how big the metabolic boost is when it comes to post-exercise calorie burning but most studies agree that it happens and it's important.

With an intense resistance training session you also burn calories during the workout.

Another way to boost your metabolism is by increasing your protein intake.

Your body requires more energy (i.e. calories) to process protein than it does carbohydrates.

Your lifestyle will determine how much exercise you need for the metabolism boost you need to start burning fat.

If you sit at a computer all day you’re going to need more exercise than someone who does construction work all day.

That’s just the way it is.

exercisestoboostmetabolism3

Combine an effective workout plan with the right nutrition and you’ll not only prevent your metabolism from decreasing as you get older but you’ll increase it…leading to greater fat loss, more muscle and a healthier, sexier, more energetic you.

Now, if you're ready to gain lean muscle and release 10 pounds (or more) of toxins and stubborn body fat, this is for you…

My 30 Day Challenge is where you get fast and effective 10-minute workouts, step-by-step meal plans, and 24/7 support you need to create a NEW YOU:

>> Click HERE to join my 30-Day Challenge <<

Yous in Health,

Danette

P.S. Feel free to share this with your friends and I welcome your comments below.

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Well, it's that time of year again. Little smiling faces offering those tempting treats are at every turn!

 

It can be hard to resist the classic cookie favorites, believe me, I have my favorites too!

 

I still support my local troop but I let them keep their cookies which actually allows them to sell them again so, win-win.

If you find yourself having a hard time resisting those little green boxes, I have just the recipe for you at just the right time.

 

My Thin Mint Cookie Smoothie will satisfy your craving and power your body with energy and nutrients. Talk about guilt-free!

 

This is the ideal way to make your waistline and your taste buds happy.

 

The scouts say to always be prepared so buy the ingredients now and you will be ready!

 

Skinny Mint Smoothie

 

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1/2 cup chilled coconut milk
  • 1/2 cup fresh spinach leaves 
  • 5 fresh mint leaves, chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
  • 1 tablespoon Cacao Bliss
  • 1 packet stevia powder
  • 1/2 frozen banana
  • Ice and water as needed
  • 1/8 cup raw cacao nibs (for garnish)

 

DIRECTIONS:

1. Blend all ingredients together, except cacao nibs.

2. Once blended, stir in cacao nibs for a nice chocolate chip texture. If you don’t want the texture, blend everything together. 

Yours In Health,

Danette

P.S. If you liked this recipe, your friends might too. Please share it and leave your comments below!

You may also be interested in:

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Danette May Thin Mint Cookie SmoothieNutritional Information: 1 drink = (½ cup veggies, ½ cup fruit)

 

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HIIT training has really exploded in popularity in the last few years.

And with good reason. High intensity interval training works!

But if you want HIIT to work for you, you need to know how to make it part of your exercise routine.

You see, long, slow, boring cardio isn't the best way to lose fat and bring out that sexy, lean muscle you have hidden under there.

Old fashioned cardio can be part of an overall program that helps you burn fat, but the “bang for your buck” isn't as great as HIIT.

If you don't know what high intensity interval training workouts are, in the most basic form, you perform short bursts of high intensity exercise (like sprints), with brief periods of rest.

For example, you might sprint the straightaway of a track and slow jog the turns and repeat for 8 or 10 “sets” (intervals).

It's not an easy way to work out, but your workouts will be shorter and you'll love the results. If you do HIIT correctly. And this is where a lot of people run into problems with interval training.

Regular cardio doesn't burn nearly as many calories as most people think it does.

Want to know how many calories are burned during a marathon of 26.2 miles?

Sure, it varies from person to person based on body weight, lean muscle mass, how fast you run, etc. but on average a marathoner burns about 2,500 to 3,500 calories running one marathon.

There are 3,500 calories in a pound of fat!

Let's say that's how many calories you would burn running a marathon. So if you eat the exact number of calories your metabolism burns off in a week all you have to do is add a marathon every week and you'll drop a pound a week!

hiit-miss-image

That sounds great, doesn't it? There's also the small problem that a good percentage of that weight would be muscle, you wouldn't lose just fat.

Have you seen what a marathon runner looks like? My clients have fitness goals but most aren't trying to get quite that lean of a look.

And that's assuming that your food intake and energy burned are equal. Most people start exercising because they've gained weight, ie, are eating more fuel than they are burning off.

And let's face it, if you did run a marathon every week, you know you'd be eating a lot more than you are right now!

So if you don't want to run a marathon or two every week AND you actually want to get results from your exercise program, what's left? High intensity interval training workouts, of course! (and yes, some changes to your diet, too!)

With interval training, you get a one two punch of calories burned DURING your workout, as well as calories burned AFTER your workout (up to 39 hours!)!

Due to the high intensity nature of HIIT training, you will see an increase in excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC).

What this means is that your metabolism will stay elevated for many hours after you are finished the exercise, allowing you to burn more fat even while doing nothing.

hiit

There is little to no EPOC from a low intensity session, meaning your metabolism does not rise, and you burn few, if any calories after the exercise session is over.

Another study had individuals perform either an endurance training (ET) or interval training routine for a period of 15 weeks.

The interval training group experienced 9 times as much fat loss as those performing the endurance training program.

Numerous studies have shown that HIIT increases both one's aerobic and anaerobic workout capacity while endurance training just improves the former.

It has also been shown that intense interval training actually increases aerobic capacity to a better degree than traditional low intensity aerobics.

So how do you use HIIT training effectively?

This is very important, because improper training will lead to over training, burn out, injury, a loss of muscle mass and a slower metabolism! My guess is you aren't working out and eating right to get those kind of results!

Interval training is intense, and while you will improve your aerobic and endurance capacity, you also highly tax your anerobic system as well.

It's much more like a weight training workout, as far as how it affects your muscles.

This means you shouldn't do interval training workouts more than 3 or 4 times per week.

You shouldn't do them two days in a row, and these workouts should NOT be long!

Interval training focuses on quality over quantity. Forget 45 minute or 60 minute sessions. With HIIT you don't have to spend as much time but still get great results.

By the way, swimsuit season is right around the corner and I have just the thing for you to be ready…

Step-by-Step Plan >> Lose 7 Pounds in 7 Days

Much Love,

Danette

P.S. If you enjoyed this article, please feel free to share it with your friends and I always love to read your comments below:

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You can eat healthy and exercise all you want to get a lean and fit body, but if you suffer from lower back or knee pain, you may be visiting the chiropractor more than your gym…

Or even WORSE, you might be popping pills to deal with the pain!

Here's the good news…I made a quick video to show you two simple things you can do right NOW to relieve your lower back and knee pain.

Speaking of fixing your back pain, I'd like to introduce you to my friend Emily, and her unique techniques to not only reduce, but get rid of back pain permanently…

The #1 stretch to FIX back pain & sciatica (try this today)

Much Love,

Danette

PS – I love hearing from you so please leave your comments below and let me know what you think of this video.

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