Feeling the need to cleanse a bit between this holiday and the next? Try a spoonful of apple cider vinegar in the morning. Here's to your health!

xoxo,

Sukey

Part home remedy and part health tonic, apple cider vinegar has been a fixture in American kitchens since the 1950s when it was popularized by the book Folk Medicine: A Vermont Doctor’s Guide to Good Health. This tart condiment’s claims to fame include everything from killing weeds to treating diabetes.

There are more than 20 different varieties of vinegars made from fruits, vegetables and grains, and they all contain vitamins, minerals and amino acids. Vinegar is a product of fermentation, a process by which natural sugars are broken down by bacteria and yeast, turning them into alcohol and then vinegar. But unlike other vinegars, apple cider vinegar is unprocessed and unpasteurized, so it helps balance the body’s pH levels.

As a fermented food, apple cider vinegar is widely used to cleanse the digestive tract, improve the digestion process and increase circulation. Holistic experts agree that apple cider vinegar promotes healthy weight loss, and studies have shown that it helps prevent diabetes by lowering blood sugar levels. The best part: at just a few cents per serving, apple cider vinegar is incredibly affordable.

Feeling brave or want your quick fix? Take apple cider vinegar by the spoonful, dilute it with juice or water or drizzle it on salad. We prefer to reap its benefits by using it in salad dressings, sauces and dips.

The Well Wisdom: You don't have to ingest apple cider vinegar to put it to good use. The alpha hydroxy acid in it will prevent skin inflammation, infection and irritation, so use it as a simple skin toner or to heal blemishes. Just remember: always go for unpasteurized apple cider vinegar made from organic apples.