Apple cider vinegar is a fermented liquid made mostly of apple juice. Most people don’t know how wonderful vinegar is. Its cleansing properties are known to aid digestion by stimulating the flow of enzymes and saliva in the mouth. It’s used to reduce inflammation & detoxify. Yeast is added to turn the fruit sugar in the apple juice into alcohol, which is what is known as fermentation. The bacteria in the alcohol then becomes acetic acid, which gives the vinegar its strong smell and sour taste & makes it full of raw enzymes, potassium & nutrients.

It’s an incredible supplement to incorporate into your diet if you’re suffering from digestive issues & are trying to restore your gut back to a balanced level of bacteria in your microbiome.

Just make sure you buy the Raw Unfiltered ‘With The Mother’ Apple Cider Vinegars as otherwise you wont reap the benefits.

Let’s take a look at some of the Health Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar:

1. Keep a healthy pH balance in the body for proper digestion and function. Homeostasis or proper equilibrium is what the body is constantly working on to keep everything just right, ACV helps allow the body to do this.
   This process takes most of its energy during digestion and other processes in the body
2. Low stomach acid is a common contributor to SIBO and heartburn. SIBO, or small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, looks a lot like irritable bowel syndrome, and may occur alongside of it.
   A dilution of apple cider vinegar before a meal helps relieve these symptoms by increasing the acidity in your stomach. Apple cider vinegar also contains prebiotics — indigestible carbs that help balance your gut microbiome and keep bad guys like H. pylori in check.
3. Acetic acid can increase your ability to absorb nutrients such as calcium from your food. This is especially beneficial when your nutrients come from whole foods. Reap this benefit by adding vinegar to your meal or sipping an apple cider vinegar tonic.
4. Because of its antibacterial properties, apple cider vinegar makes an effective home remedy for sore throats.
   Sipping or gargling a diluted ACV tonic can help relieve pain, but make sure to rinse your mouth with water to protect your tooth enamel as it’s pretty harsh on teeth otherwise.
5. The ability of ACV to help maintain normal blood sugar is actually one of the most well-studied apple cider vinegar benefits. ACV may also increase insulin sensitivity. Insulin is the hormone responsible for transporting sugar from the blood to the tissues where it can be used as fuel. Sustaining high levels of insulin can cause insulin resistance, which reduces its effectiveness and can lead to high blood sugar and diabetes.
6. ACV doesn’t just help with your internal health; ACV has also been shown to treat acne and reduce scarring. Certain strains of bacteria often contribute to the development of acne.
   Vinegar is well-known for its antibacterial properties and has been shown to be effective against many strains of harmful bacteria.
   ACV also contains specific components like acetic acid, lactic acid, succinic acid and citric acid, all of which have been shown to inhibit the growth of Propionibacterium acnes, the specific strain of bacteria responsible for causing acne.
7. ACV works to detoxify your liver for better overall health and bodily functions. Also, it helps build a healthy lymphatic system that nurtures proper circulation of lymph. This is the body’s garbage disposal.

How do I take ACV?

There are so many ways, but how I like to take it, is first thing in the morning on an empty stomach to help with upping my stomach acid production and help with my digestive system for the day ahead.

It’s very easy, all you have to do is dilute 1 tbsp ACV with 50ml of hot water & 1/2 squeezed lemon. Sip on it with a straw to protect your enamel, and rinse your mouth with water after you’ve finished.

You can also add it to your stir-fried veggies, salads or meals to help breaking down the nutrients more efficiently as ACV contains raw enzymes. It’ll help take the heavy load off your digestive system, especially if you’re finding it hard for your body to process whole foods or are in the midst of healing your gut.

Read more about Natural Remedies for Bloating & Stomach Cramps here.

The post Apple Cider Vinegar Health Benefits & Why You Should Take It Daily. appeared first on Caroline Høgh Groth.

Today, I want to share more about BLOATING, STOMACH CRAMPS & PAINS stemming from a poor gut and what you can do to help ease these symptoms by using natural remedies because, as you’d know by now, I’m not much into non-natural products, however in some areas, of course, it serves its time & place in some cases (western medicine).

But, for now, please stop reaching out for the painkillers and read this post if you want help with healing your gut naturally and gently.

So, let’s dive into it.

1. Heat-Packs:

When heat over 40 degrees is applied to the skin, heat receptors deeper down, where the pain is, are switched on. The heat receptors in turn block the effect of chemical messengers that cause pain to be detected by the body.

The heat doesn’t just provide comfort and have a placebo effect – it actually deactivates the pain at a molecular level in much the same way as pharmaceutical painkillers work.

For quicker relief of pain & discomfort caused by gas and bloating, lie down with a hot heat-pack across your stomach. Allow its heat and weight to help the gas leave your body and the pressure to subside. It also aids digestive organs with a soothing circulation boost – just lie back, preferably with a pillow under your knees, and relax for at least 10 minutes.

2. Peppermint:

Whether you have it as a tea, essential oil rubbed on your stomach or as a supplement, peppermint can be really beneficial for stomach discomfort, and help soothe your digestive system quicker.

Peppermint has relaxant and antispasmodic properties and can help relieve cramps and spasms in the gastrointestinal tract, bile duct and gallbladder. This will help improve the passage of food through the digestive tract, allowing them to go through smoothly and without pain or discomfort.

The volatile oils in peppermint also stimulate the gallbladder to release bile that your body uses to digest fats.
The flow of bile to the liver can also be increased by the compounds in peppermint tea. A well functioning liver is another key element & vital to overall digestive health and therefore reducing bloating & stomach problems.

Please buy real peppermint-tea and not a product that has artificially flavoured peppermint in it as it won’t have any benefits to your health.

3. Magnesium:

Magnesium is a mineral that is naturally found in your body, as well as in several different foods. It’s a required element of energy production, and it is also present in over 300 enzyme systems in your body. This mineral plays a vital role in almost all of the systems in your body. It helps keep your bones strong, regulates your digestive system, protects your brain from oxidative stress and stimulates energy production.

You’d have seen me absolutely rave about Magnesium before, and I’ve been a big believer in Magnesium for many, many years. However, it wasn’t up until about 6 months ago that I started using Topical Magnesium and I cannot tell you how many beneficial effects it’s had on my body and how diverse it is in its usage-methods.

You see, your muscles need magnesium to relax. Without it, you get a buildup of lactic acid, which causes cramping. This goes for your digestive system, too.

For women, magnesium spray can reduce cramps, migraines and symptoms of PMS like bloating and moodiness.

And, did you know, Magnesium Spray is absorbed better topically through the skin than it is when you take it orally? Mindblown, right?

I use Abundant Natural Health Magnesium Sport Spray & Magnesium Ache Gel on my stomach – it’s 99.9% natural, certified organic, contains Australian salt & cucumber and is Australian made.

You can try a free sample here and use my code CAROLINE15 for 15% off.

4. Digestive Enzymes:

Your pancreas can secrete up to eight cups of pancreatic enzymes each day, and these enzymes are vital in helping your body break down and process carbohydrates, fats and proteins.

Lipase breaks fat molecules down so your body can absorb them. Protease breaks down proteins and helps regulate bacteria levels. Finally, Amylase works to break down starch or carbohydrates so your body can absorb them more quickly.

And, if you’re suffering from Leaky Gut then your digestive tract experiences a lot of inflammation. Researchers performed a study that showed having adequate amounts of pancreatic enzymes in your body can help heal inflammation. It does this by taking a lot of strain off of your intestines by breaking down the nutrients so your body can absorb them better.

5. Deglycyrrhizinated Licorice (DGL)

DGL has many medicinal properties that can help you internally and I love and swear by this, especially if I have a bit of reflux and heartburn as well, I’ll pop a DGL pill (I find the chewable version best) and swallow the rest with some water.

One trial took 17 participants with various digestive issues and had them take DGL a few times a day for a period of six days. The patients that got DGL reported less pain and irritation in their symptoms. DGL is important for helping your body maintain the mucosal lining in your stomach and intestines, as well as soothing irritation and inflammation.

6. Stop Stressing:

One of the biggest factors that plays a significant role in whether you will feel bloated & with a painful stomach or nicely balanced after a meal is.. STRESS.

It can be about little or big things, but as soon as you bring further stress and frustrations into your body with every bite you take, you stomach will immediately react. I’m a big supporter and believer of the gut-brain connection and a lot of our food-patterns are grounded and rooted in our emotional subconscious mind. This can manifest itself in the stomach and cause stress-induced pain & bloating.

To soothe your stress and racing mind, try to add in some stress-reducing practices like yoga, meditation, calming herbs like Ashwaghanda, listening to a podcast, reading a book or even exercising or a walk to get your digestive system moving.

Remember, the mind-body connection goes both ways – I know that when my gut feels healthy & thriving, my mind will be a lot happier as well. This is because 90% of your overall serotonin (the happiness hormone) is found within your intestines, along with 50% of your dopamine, which is involved in your motivation.

7. ACV & Lemon:

When the body is unable to produce enough stomach acid, it is unable to digest protein molecules and key minerals. These partially digested protein molecules get into the small intestine and create significant stress on the pancreas to produce adequate enzymes to metabolise the protein effectively.

If this occurs repeatedly over time, it will wear down the pancreatic enzyme storage and cause stress and irritation to the intestinal lining.

When we digest our food poorly it leads to increased inflammatory activity which depletes key minerals and anti-oxidants throughout the body. This mineral depletion leads to an inability to form stomach acid and the vicious cycle of poor digestion and chronic inflammation continues

So, start your day, on an empty stomach, with Raw Apple Cider Vinegar (with the mother), Lemon Juice & warm water. Drink it with a straw so it doesn’t ruin the enamel on your teeth.

This will help your body to have the resources it needs to produce adequate stomach acid in the future.  When you improve stomach acid levels, it makes a huge difference on your overall health.

As I always say; we’re all different. We have different bodies, we live different lives. No human being contains the exact same cells as another human and so our diets and approach to health should be tailored to suit us.

I hope you can find inspiration to help soothe your bloating, stomach pain and cramps naturally, but please remember to go see someone about your overall gut-health if symptoms persist and you continue with pain and discomfort.

Lots of love, Caroline xx

The post Stomach Cramps, Pain & Bloating? Use These Natural Remedies For Soothing & Prevention appeared first on Caroline Høgh Groth.