Saturday, December 1, 2012

The Marvels of Apple Cider Vinegar

Being a lifelong hedge witch has fot me interested in all things herbal. I have tweeked and created more herbal recipes than many will ever dream of. Apple cider vinegar is a unique product as it is fermented and can be used in a large diverse set of recipes for different uses. Natural healing Apple cider vinegar kills germs and nourishes the body at the same time, so have a look at some of the many different ways people have been benefiting from the external and internal application of this folk medicine.

Lavender Rose Hair Rinse

This rinse smells heavenly and is wonderful for your hair, especially weak, dry and/or damaged hair.

16 oz container (such as an old witchazel plastic bottle)
4 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
5 drops Lavender essential oil
5 drops Rose essential oil
5 drops Sandalwood essential oil
3 drops Rosemary essential oil

Combine all ingredients in container and top off with water. Cap bottle and shake thoroughly to mix.
You may wish to include a tag with the following information:

Lavender Rose Hair Rinse
Apply liberally after normal washing routine, let sit for about 3-5 minutes, then rinse.

The key to not getting a 'slimy' or 'sticky' feeling to your hair (it looks perfectly clean, but feels odd to the touch) is to use water as cool as you can take to rinse with, and rinse it WELL


More hair care recipes
Make your own healthy after-shampoo hair rinse by mixing 1/3 of a cup (75 ml) of ACV into a quart (1 liter) of water. You can then store this mixture in a plastic bottle and keep it in the shower for ready use.

If you would like to prepare a smaller batch of this vinegar hair rinse recipe to experiment with, try mixing 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of apple cider vinegar into 1 cup (250 ml) of warm filtered tap water.

Apply the vinegar rinse after shampooing and then rinse it all out, or for extra conditioning, you can leave the rinse on your hair. This natural hair care product can be used once or twice a week or more often as needed.

 

Hair Herbal Rinse – Natural Hair Care Product

By infusing various herbs into the vinegar rinse, you can enhance different hair colors and condition hair at the same time.

Here are some recommended herbs to use with apple cider vinegar:
  • For dark hair:......Parsley, Rosemary, Sage
  • For light hair:.....Chamomile, Flannel Mullein, Marigold
  • For red hair:.......Henna
  • For oily hair:......Lavender, Thyme, Witch Hazel, Yarrow
  • For dry hair:.......Marigold
  • For brittle hair:...Horsetail
To make your own herbal hair rinse natural hair care product:
  1. Place 2 tablespoons of the dried herb (or herb mixture) into a muslin bag or tea ball and put in a warmed tea pot.
  2. Pour 1 pint (500 ml) of boiling water over the herbs and infuse for 2 hours.
  3. Allow the liquid to cool then pour it into a quart (1 liter) jar.
  4. Add 1 pint (500 ml) of apple cider vinegar and mix well.
To add extra fragrance to the herbal rinse, try adding a few drops of lavender or lemon or rose essential oils.

No time to make your own natural hair care product?
You can buy online, ready made apple cider vinegar herbal hair rinses:


Dog shampoo and rinse
a homemade shampoo and rinse that kills fleas and at the same time soothes irritated skin:
  • Add to an 8-ounce bottle of your favorite pet shampoo, 10 drops of tea tree oil and one tablespoon (15 ml) of aloe vera and shake well.
  • Shampoo your pet as you would normally then wait for 6-10 minutes.
  • Rinse with apple cider vinegar diluted in water. (1 tablespoon ACV to 1 pint of water
For minor flea infestations, another recommendation involves washing your pet with a gentle shampoo, followed by a thorough rinse then spraying on apple cider vinegar diluted with an equal amount of warm water. Allow the pet to drip or shake dry.

The fleas will drown in the soapy shampoo water and the vinegar rinse will acidify your pet's skin making it very unattractive to other fleas and ticks.

Wart removal

For this simple procedure, the removal of warts using apple cider vinegar requires just 3 things:
  • Apple Cider Vinegar
  • Cotton balls (end of Q-tip will do)
  • Band-aid
Each night before going to bed soak a cotton ball in apple cider vinegar, apply it to the wart and then hold it in place with a band-aid. Leave it on all night, or if you like, 24 hours a day but change the soaked cotton and band-aid each evening for a week.

The wart will swell and may throb as it reacts with the vinegar and then start to turn black within the first two days and after a week or two will be completely gone.

N.B. It is important to continue the treatment for a few days to a week after the wart has fallen off to help ensure it does not come back.


Acne aides

Apply a solution of apple cider vinegar and water (2 tablespoons to 1 eight ounce glass of water) with a cotton ball several times a day. This will help reduce infection and dry out inflammation.
Another natural healing home remedy calls for the daily application of apple cider vinegar which has been infused with horseradish.

Prepare the solution by adding two cups of Apple cider vinegar to one pound of grated horseradish. Let it sit for two weeks, then strain. apply to blemishes with a cotton ball.


Other recipes and uses include:

AGE SPOTSApply daily, to these darkened areas of the skin, a solution containing 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar and 1 teaspoon of Onion Juice. According to this home remedy, the spots should begin to fade within 2 weeks.

ARTHRITIS HELP
Message the sore joints with a liniment made up of 2 egg whites, ½ cup (125 ml) apple cider vinegar, and ¼ cup (60 ml) olive oil. Also, simply taking the apple cider vinegar tonic (2 or 3 teaspoons to 8 ounces of water) before each meal has been an effective natural healing home remedy for many people.

ASTHMA
Some people have found relief from mild asthma by taking the apple cider vinegar tonic along with applying a vinegar-soaked compress to the inside of the wrists.

ATHLETE'S FOOT
Athlete's foot is a fungal infection which is quite difficult to get rid of. One of the best home remedies involves soaking the feet twice a day in a 50/50 mixture of apple cider vinegar and water. Or, you can apply pure apple cider vinegar to the affected areas several times a day and before bedtime.

BLEEDING NOSE
Soak a cotton ball in pure apple cider vinegar, have the person lay his head back and then place it in the bleeding nostril. This home remedy will help stop the bleeding quicker.

BLOOD PRESSURE
Take 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and 1 tablespoon of honey in a glass of water twice a day to help lower blood pressure. The high potassium values in both natural healing substances helps to balance out sodium levels in the body, which aids in maintaining blood pressure within healthy limits. Apple cider vinegar and honey also contain magnesium, a mineral that works to relax blood vessel walls and thus lower high blood pressure. To maximize the benefit of this and other home remedies, take the holistic approach, and couple this with dietary modifications such as a reduced fat and salt intake, increased fiber intake, moderate coffee and alcohol, no smoking, and daily exercise.

BODY ODOR
Use apple cider vinegar as a natural body deodorant and eliminate the bacteria causing offensive body odor. For example, check out these two related home remedies:

Underarms can be kept free of odor causing bacteria by wiping them once a day with undiluted apple cider vinegar whereas foot odor can be greatly minimized by soaking the feet two or three times weekly in a pan of warm water mixed with 1/3 cup (75 ml) of apple cider vinegar.

BONE HEALTH
Due to its mineral content, Apple cider vinegar helps to sustain bone mass and fight against osteoporosis. The important minerals involved include manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, calcium, and silicon.
Take the general apple cider vinegar tonic (2 or 3 teaspoons to 8 ounces of water) to boost the body's supply of these minerals.

BRUISES
Dissolve 1 teaspoon of salt in ½ cup (125 ml) of warm apple cider vinegar and apply it to the bruise as a compress.

BURNS
Apply pure apple cider vinegar to the burn, whether it's from the sun or a hot surface, to reduce the pain, to disinfect, and to supply nutrient required for healing.
To get the maximum benefit of this home treatment, treat the burn immediately, until pain is relieved.
Generally the results occur faster and more efficiently than when flushing the burn under cold water, often eliminating almost all swelling and redness.
Note also that the skin does not burn on contact with vinegar (unless this is an open wound, which is not the common case of a burn), you only feel a slight tingling sensation without pain.

CANCER PREVENTION
Apples and apple cider vinegar contain numerous substances that protect against many types of cancer. They contain beta-carotene, a powerful antioxidant, and phytochemicalssuch as flavonoids and polyphenols that are also protective against cancer formation.
Plus they both contain pectin, a soluble fiber, which binds certain cancer causing compounds in the colon and speeds up their elimination from the body.
So eat an apple a day and take the general apple cider vinegar tonic home remedy (2 or 3 teaspoons to 8 ounces of water) to maximize these benefits.

CHOLESTEROL REDUCTION
It is thought that the water soluble fiber pectin, found in apple cider vinegar, absorbs fats and cholesterol and eliminates them from the body. And at the same time, the amino acids present in apple cider vinegar neutralize some of the harmful oxidized LDL cholesterol.

Maximize this benefit by taking the apple cider vinegar tonic home remedy (2 or 3 teaspoons to 8 ounces of water) and increasing the amount of fiber rich food in your diet (more fruits and vegetables) while reducing the amount of saturated and unsaturated fat.

COLDS
At the first sign of a cold, take 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar in half a cup of water several times a day. The body becomes more alkaline during a cold and the vinegar will help to rebalance the body's acid level. If you have a chest cold, a long-standing home remedy calls for soaking a piece of brown paper in vinegar then sprinkling one side of it with black pepper. Place the peppered side of the paper on the chest, cover with a towel, and relax for 20 minutes.

CONSTIPATION
A low fiber diet and the reduction in digestive acids and enzymes as we age, can lead to constipation. More fruits and vegetables and a daily tonic of apple cider vinegar (2 or 3 teaspoons to 8 ounces of water) is a natural healing home remedy to combat constipation.

CORN AND CALLUS TREATMENT
Soak your feet for half an hour in a warm bath containing half a cup of apple cider vinegar. Use a clean pumice stone to rub the affected areas then apply pure apple cider vinegar and cover with a bandage. Reapply vinegar and bandage the following morning.
COUGHS
A home remedy to sooth a nighttime cough is to sprinkle apple cider vinegar on a cloth placed on a pillow.

CRAMPS
Muscle cramps can be caused by a calcium and magnesium imbalance in the body and by a lack of vitamin E. To help prevent the recurrence of cramps, take a regular tonic of apple cider vinegar (2 or 3 teaspoons to 8 ounces of water) along with 1 teaspoon of honey.

DANDRUFF
Apply pure apple cider vinegar to the scalp and work it into the roots of the hair; allow the vinegar to stand for a half hour or a full hour before washing your hair. This will help to destroy the bacteria and fungus that cause dandruff and itchy scalp.
DIABETES
A daily tonic of apple cider vinegar (2 or 3 teaspoons to 8 ounces of water) supplies dietary fiber and other ingredients, which are beneficial in controlling blood glucose levels. As well, the acids and enzymes promote better digestion and nutrient absorption, which is impaired in many diabetes sufferers.

DIAPER RASH
Use a 50/50 mixture of apple cider vinegar and water to eliminate the bacteria and fungus that cause diaper rash.

DIARRHEA
Pectin, the water soluble fiber in apple cider vinegar, will help to absorb water in the intestines and provide more bulk for the stool. Also, intestinal bacteria transforms pectin into a protective coating which soothes the irritated lining. The well known over the counter diarrhea preparation, Kaopectate contains pectin. So take the natural healing apple cider vinegar tonic (2 or 3 teaspoons to 8 ounces of water) to help eliminate diarrhea.

DIGESTION
As we age, it is common for people to produce less stomach acid (hydrochloric acid) which can lead to digestive problems. Taking the apple cider vinegar tonic home remedy (2 or 3 teaspoons to 8 ounces of water) before a meal will enhance the action of your stomach's acid and digestive enzymes.

EAR INFECTIONS
Use an ear syringe (found at drug stores) to squirt a vinegar solution into the ear and let it sit for a minute or so, then turn your head and let the liquid drain out.

The vinegar solution can be a 50/50 mixture of ACV and pure water, a 50/50 mixture of ACV and rubbing alcohol or a solution consisting of one-third vinegar, one-third pure water, and one-third rubbing alcohol.

If the ear problem persists, see a health professional.

ECZEMA
To help relieve the itching and dryness of eczema, apply a 50/50 mixture of apple cider vinegar and water to the affected areas.

FATIGUE
It is thought that the potassiumand enzymes obtained through regular use of a vinegar tonic can help beat fatigue. Some experts believe that the addition of 1 or 2 teaspoons of raw honey to the ACV tonic will also help.

FLATULENCE
Many people avoid eating certain foods such as beans due to the gas they produce in the body. This gas is a result of incomplete digestion and can be minimized by soaking the beans in apple cider vinegar prior to cooking them.

FOOT CARE
Try this home remedy for sore and tired feet which sometimes ache at the end of a long day: Add a cup of apple cider vinegar to a basin of warm water and allow your feet to soak for 15 minutes.

GALLBLADDER FLUSH (GALLSTONES)
Along with the apple cider vinegar tonic (2 or 3 teaspoons to 8 ounces of water) before meals, take 6 ounces of organic , unfiltered apple juice for 1 week. This natural home remedy has been reported to help purge small gallstones that could grow to larger ones that would require conventional medical treatment to remove.
GOUT
Although not yet backed up by scientific testing, many people have found that gout home remedies using apple cider vinegar are very effective.
The procedure involves either ingesting an apple cider vinegar tonic or applying ACV to the affected area.

HEADACHES
Research has shown that people have slightly more alkaline urine when they have a headache. An apple cider vinegar tonic will help restore your body'sacid/alkaline balance.
According to one home remedy, inhaling the vapors from a small bottle of apple cider vinegar can also help or if you have a vaporizer, add about 2 tablespoons cider vinegar to the water and inhale the vapors for five minutes.

HEARTBURN (ACID REFLUX)
Heartburn or acid reflux is a condition in which some of the acid content of the stomach periodically backs up into the esophagus.
Even though testimonials abound throughout the net on the effectiveness of using apple cider vinegar to relieve heartburn, no scientific studies have been done to substantiate this.
A recent survey, however, conducted at the Earth Clinic web site found that vinegar was the best of all the home remedies suggested to relieve heartburn or acid reflux.

So to relieve occasional heartburn, try drinking the general apple cider vinegar tonic (2 or 3 teaspoons to 8 ounces of water) before each meal.

HEMORRHOIDS
A) For mild cases:
Apply the natural healing abilities of pure apple cider vinegar directly to hemorrhoids to help reduce stinging and promote shrinking. Use a cotton ball to apply the vinegar every few hours until symptoms are relieved.
HICCUPS
To stop hiccups, try sipping a glass of warm water in which one teaspoon of apple cider vinegar has been mixed in. This is a lot simpler than many other home remedies for hiccups.

INSECT BITES AND STINGS
Bee and wasp stings, as well as itchy mosquito bites can be soothed by applying undiluted apple cider vinegar to the affected area.

INSOMNIA
Dr Jarvis in his book "Folk Medicine" recommends the use of honey and apple cider vinegar for those who have a hard time falling asleep at night. Mix one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in one cup of honey and take two teaspoons of this mixture just before going to bed. Repeat after an hour if required. (You can sleep on that one!)

Some people find that simply taking one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in 8 ounces of water just before bedtime, helps them to get to sleep quicker and sleep much longer.

JELLYFISH STINGS (Chironex Fleckeri and Chiropsalmus Quadrigatus)
The sting of the large box jellyfish, found along the northern tropical coastline of Australia, can be deadly. The venom injected by these animals is capable of killing humans within minutes.
When a sting occurs, pieces of tentacle may be left in the victims skin which can continue to release venom. However, by dousing the sting area with regular vinegar (5% acetic acid content), the further release of poison will be rapidly and completely stopped.
That's why Australian lifeguards always keep vinegar on hand and it's their initial first aid treatment of choice.

Reference:Australian Resuscitation Council Guideline 8.9.6

LEG CRAMPS
Take the apple cider vinegar tonic regularly (2 or 3 teaspoons to 8 ounces of water) to help the body's absorption of calcium and magnesium and thus protect against painful leg cramps.

MENSTRUAL PROBLEMS
A glass of apple cider tonic (2 or 3 teaspoons to 8 ounces of water) in the morning has been reported to help reduce the flow of a heavy period.

MORNING SICKNESS
Many women experience nausea and vomiting, often in the morning, during the first three months of pregnancy. A home remedy reported to help keep morning sickness at bay involves simply drinking, as soon as you get up, a glass of water containing a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar.

MUSCLE SORENESS
Apply a cloth dampened with apple cider vinegar and a dash of cayenne pepper directly to the sore muscle for 5 minutes and reapply as needed.
Forsore muscles all-over, try soaking in a warm water bath into which you have added 2 to 3 cups of apple cider vinegar.

NAIL FUNGUS
Nail and toenail fungus infections are very difficult to cure even with modern drugs which many people prefer not to use due to reported side effects and poor effectiveness.
Fortunately there are many vinegar home remedies used to cure this condition some which use only vinegar and others involve combinations of vinegar with hydrogen peroxide, tea tree oil, olive oil, etc.
In all cases the treatment lasts for months and is usually applied to the effected area twice a day.

NIGHT SWEATS & HOT FLASHES
Apple cider vinegar has helped reduce, even eliminate, hot flashes and night sweats for many menopausal women. The home remedy recommends taking a vinegar tonic daily, morning & night: 1 – 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar in 8 ounces of vinegar (or other beverage).
POISON IVY & POISON OAK
The health and fitness expert Patricia Bragg recommends spraying a solution of equal parts apple cider vinegar and distilled water on to the affected areas to stop the pain, itching and ease the swelling. Cooling the spray in the refrigerator will provide even more relief.

SHINGLES
Taking a bath of warm water mixed with with 1 cup of apple cider vinegar will help relieve the itching of shingles rashes.
Also, drinking the ACV tonic and applying undiluted ACV directly to the rash is a home remedy for shingles.
It has been reported to lessen shingles pain and limit the rash from spreading.

SINUSITIS
To help relieve the pain of sinusitis, both Patrick Quillin PhD, in his book Amazing Honey Garlic and Vinegar, and Cynthia Holzapfel, in her book Apple Cider Vinegar for Weight Loss and Good Health, suggest drinking a glass of water with 1 or 2 teaspoons of ACV added, every hour for 6 to 8 hours.

For sinus headache, Marie Nadine Antol, in her book The Incredible Secrets of Vinegar, recommends adding an eight of a cup of Apple cider vinegar to a cool-air vaporizer and inhaling the infused-air directly for 5 minutes.
After that lie down for 20 minutes and wait for your respiratory passages to clear.

For excess mucus in the nose, throat, or sinus cavities (post nasal drip), try a solution of warm water and 1 to 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar. Place a small amount in the palm of your hand, block one nostril, then place the other nostril into the vinegar solution and sniff hard. You'll experience the disinfecting and mucus-cutting benefits of apple cider vinegar deep into your sinus cavities. Let the solution run down the back of your throat then spit it out. After that, repeat with the other nostril.

SORE THROAT
One of many natural healing home remedies for a sore throat involves gargling with a mixture of 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar to half a cup of water, using 3 mouthfuls of mixture each hour.
As P. Bragg warns in her book "Apple Cider Vinegar-Miracle Health System", don't swallow the gargled mixture, because Apple cider vinegar acts like a sponge drawing out throat and mouth germs and toxins.

SUN BURNS
If the sunburn is localized, apply full strength apple cider vinegar on the affected skin to obtain relief. Do this by soaking a thin towel in apple cider vinegar and placing it over the burn. Leave it on to help prevent peeling and itching.
If the sunburn covers a large part of the body then try this home remedy recommended by Patricia Bragg in her book called Apple Cider Vinegar-Miracle Health System:
Take a cool bath in which one cup of Apple cider vinegar has been added. After soaking in the bath, gently dry the body and pat Apple cider vinegar directly onto the needed areas. Wait 5 minutes, then pat on aloe vera gel.

ULCERS
A preliminary study in Japan showed that taking a weak vinegar solution can give over 95% protection from alcohol-induced ulcers.

URINARY TRACT INFECTIONS
Drink a daily tonic of apple cider vinegar to help you keep the right pH balance in the urinary tract since the proper acidity creates an inhospitable environment for bacteria and yeasts that cause these infections.
Cranberry juice is also a well known home remedy for urinary tract infections. It prevents bacteria from attaching to the walls of the urinary tract.
For a tasty drink, try adding 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar to an eight ounce glass of cranberry juice and benefit from both home remedies at the same time.

VARICOSE VEINS
Dr Jarvis notes that the following folk remedy is used not only in Vermont but also in Scotland, England and Germany.
Apply undiluted apple cider vinegar to the varicose veins at night and in the morning, and take two teaspoons of ACV in a glass of water twice a day. Shrinking of the veins will be noticed after one month.

WARTS
Patricia Bragg cautions: do not rub warts since this could spread them. Apply an Apple cider vinegar soaked gauze bandage to the wart overnight and in the morning replace it with a castor oil soaked gauze bandage. At night alternate the Apple cider vinegar with crushed fresh garlic and vitamin E (prick open capsule).

WEIGHT LOSS
The use of apple cider vinegar as a home remedy for weight loss is centuries old. Dr Jarvis maintained that an overweight person could lose weight gradually by taking 2 teaspoons of ACV in a glass of water at each meal. No change in the daily food intake is required except to avoid high fat containing foods. YEAST INFECTION
According to one home remedy, relief can be obtained by the use of a vinegar douche, consisting of 2 tablespoons of Apple cider vinegar mixed in one quart of warm water, applied twice a day until the burning and itching symptoms of the infection have stopped.

Frequent douching however is no longer recommended, since recent studies have shown that this can cause more harm than good.
A vinegar bath, prepared by adding one cup of ACV to the bath water, can help provide external relief.

If you tend to get frequent yeast infections, try to find the cause (such as antibiotic use or a diet too high in refined sugars) and reduce or eliminate it.
Many have found that a daily intake of yogurt helps to get rid of this problem.

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