I have taken Braggs ACV for eight straight months. That's right, I've religiously taken 1-2 tablespoons 2-3 times per day for 250 days. I'd like to share my personal experiences and the changes my body has gone through since I started last October.
At the outset of my ACV "diet" I was a pretty healthy 6'2" 210 pound 29 year-old guy with a decent spare tire around my waist. I was enjoying life a little too much and exercising too little. I started taking ACV for heartburn. I enjoy cooking so I had a bottle of it in my kitchen already. After experiencing the instant and amazing relief (and energy boost), I did a bit of research and found out that it cures a laundry list of other ailments. It sounded too good to be true, so my skeptical self decided to give it the old college try for a month. I continued taking it and noticed within days that I was sleeping better, eating better and generally had more energy. After a few weeks, my wife noticed that I had lost weight, and I shocked myself one day when I caught myself in a full-length mirror. I was getting my skinny college body back! And this without any exercise or apparent change in diet. I was doing nothing different except for the addition of ACV to my diet.
Energy levels. This is the first thing you'll notice as the ACV hits your stomach. Almost instantly, you get a natural boost that lasts for hours. Any desire to eat unhealthy food fades. I've read that this is a result of the normalizing effect it has on blood sugar. This is also related to the weight loss people experience while taking it. The high energy levels given by ACV is my new normal.
Addiction. Before taking ACV, I was drinking far too much alcohol and caffeine. A pot of coffee was my mainstay during the day and a bottle of wine was easy to finish after dinner. A few years ago I was getting heart palpitations from drinking too much caffeine so I quit cold turkey, but my usage was creeping back up again. Fast forward to after eight months on Braggs--I drink one glass of coffee per day (maybe two) and am lucky if I can finish a bottle of wine or a few heavy beers. My stomach just says ENOUGH. Oh, and no heart palpitations since!
Sleep. I was a sleepwalker as a child. I never grew out of it. As an adult, I still sleepwalk and in addition suffer from insomnia and sleep paralysis (where you wake up, can't move and believe something is in the room with you--not fun). Before ACV I'd get sleep paralysis a few times per week and sleepwalk a few times per month. I needed 9-10 hours of sleep per night to feel rested. After ACV I fall asleep easier, RARELY get sleep paralysis and don't sleepwalk anymore. I wake up feeling refreshed after 7-8 hours.
Weight loss. While not a magical fat-burning elixir, it will control your blood sugar and cravings, resulting in a slow weight loss over time. My "spare tire" is nearly gone and some of my pants are looking big on me. I'm continuing to lose weight slowly, and family and friends who only see me a few times per year always remark how thin I'm getting. ACV also gets rid of water bloat, which will have the visual effect of weight loss right away. Take it before going out to Macaroni Grill to prevent feeling like a lumbering dinosaur afterwards. Now that the weather is warmer I've started jogging and this magnifies the weight loss even more, and a shot beforehand always ensures a great workout with high energy levels.
Skin. I never had a problem with acne before so I can't comment on its use for that. I did break out with some psoriasis on my nose recently, and I thought it was just dry skin. But it didn't go away after a month and was getting worse. I applied ACV directly with a Q-tip for a couple weeks and PRESTO it was gone. Amazing!
Digestion. If you suffer from heart burn or acid reflux (I had both!) ACV works wonders. It also calms the stomach after a large meal and eliminates bloating and hangovers. It acts as a "cleanser" of sorts, so don't stray too far from the bathroom the first few times you take it. You'll be amazed at what comes out. On second thought, no you won't. Just flush.
Immune system. I had a pretty strong one before starting the Braggs diet, however I still found myself getting sick a couple times per year, whether it was something nasty like the flu, a sinus infection or simply a cold brought on by stress. Guess what? I haven't been sick in eight months. Not even a sniffle. If I ever get sick again, I will be surprised.
Here are a couple pointers. If you can't stand the taste, mix it with honey or juice. Or just man up and shoot it like a tequila shot (after awhile you'll get used to it). Now I simply drink it straight and instantly chase it with a big glass of water. I shoot it back so it doesn't touch my teeth and swish my mouth with the water. If you do it right it doesn't burn. Just think of it as really tart apple cider. If you're going to wuss out of taking ACV because of the taste, you're doing yourself a disservice and missing out on a lot of health benefits.
Apple cider vinegar does AMAZING things to every bodily system. I don't know how it works, but it works. I was a believer after days and will remain one for years. Now I know why doctors and the medical establishment scoff at ACV--if everyone took it they'd be out of a job! Do your body a favor and start your own Braggs experiment!
