by Shareefah Muhammad

A lot of times when we hear the word detox we think of something green yet not all detoxifying foods/substances have to be in that color range. So we decided to share a post of a wonderful detoxifying drink that may appeal to those of us who may be turned off by the idea that something good for us has to be green. This beverage is suggested to be consumed when warm or at room temperature. Of the variety of ingredients in it we chose to focus on the apple cider vinegar (ACV) component and its ability to detoxify!

While ACV has multiple beneficial uses our focus in this post is to highlight its ability to improve our digestive health since the majority of most dis ‘ease’ starts in the gut. ACV is a fermented liquid and when something is fermented that means that it contains beneficial bacteria called probiotics that break down the sugars in the apples and produce beneficial enzymes for our bodies that aid in the detoxification process.

As mentioned in our detox introduction this month, the liver is one of the key players when it comes to detoxification. ACV improves the integrity of this organ by way of improving our bile secretions. Bile is a substance our body produces that helps us to properly metabolize (breakdown) fats that we consume thus reducing stress on the liver. This is one reason it is great to consume ACV at least 20-30 minutes before a meal.

So when purchasing a beneficial source of ACV you want it to be raw, unfiltered and preferably organic. It should have a cloudy appearance. When it lacks that appearance and is clear (though it has an orange type hue) that means that it has been overly processed and lacks the beneficial bacteria mentioned above.

Ingredients

12-16 oz of water

2 Tablespoons of ACV

2 Tablespoons of fresh lemon juice

1/2-1 teaspoon of ginger

1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon

a dash of cayenne pepper (optional)

1 teaspoon of raw (unfiltered) honey (optional)

Recipe

Take a cup of warm water and mix all of the ingredients together an enjoy!

(A Houston native, Shareefah Muhammad is a QRA (Quantum Reflex Analysis) Practitioner, Nutritional Lifestyle Consultant/Coach, wife, mother, community servant, blogger, presenter, and business owner of Nu Day Services and Powder Power products.)