Old-time Remedies Worth Keeping

With all the medical advancements available today, it’s comforting to know a few things from Grandma’s kitchen are still around, working their wonders in amazing ways.

Take, for example, good old-fashioned distilled white vinegar—the versatile cleaning and disinfecting solution that’s used throughout the house, especially if mold and mildew are lurking about. There are literally dozens of uses for this handy product.

Another essential item is apple cider vinegar, an acetic acid produced from the fermentation of apples. It’s a staple definitely worth having on the shelf at home or out on the road in your RV.

Apple cider vinegar (ACV) has been used for centuries as a healing elixir. Hippocrates used to treat his patients with it, and the Roman army issued its soldiers a daily ration of vinegar for general health. When the Black Plague swept through Europe, the healers of the time protected themselves by taking ACV because of its disinfectant properties.

Liquid or Tablets
Many people today swear by it, swallowing it every morning—two tablespoons mixed into a pint of water, with some honey stirred in to cut the bitter taste. Others, who can’t stand the tartness, have discovered apple cider tablets at the health food store, or wherever vitamins are sold—an easy-to-take alternative.

It’s recommended to use raw, unpasteurized, unheated, organic apple cider vinegar—a rich amber color with the “mother” (sentiment on the bottom) still intact and viable. The strength of vinegar is important. All varieties contain about four to seven percent acetic acid, with five percent being the most common amount. Distilled white vinegar and cider vinegar sold alongside salad dressings at the grocery are considered “dead” vinegars with none of the enzymes and nutrients that make raw, unpasteurized vinegars so valuable. Distilling destroys the beneficial “mother” from the vinegar.

Ask your grocer to stock the raw ACV, or look for it at specialty markets, health food stores or on the Internet. It’s still reasonably priced and definitely better for you.

Destroys Bacteria

Scientists have found that raw, unpasteurized apple cider vinegar contains cholesterol-reducing pectin and a balance of 19 minerals, including potassium, phosphorus, chlorine, sodium, magnesium, calcium, sulfur, iron, fluorine and copper, plus Vitamin C, E, A, B1, B2, B6 and beta-carotene.

Apple cider vinegar destroys microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi and viruses. The acid nature of vinegar makes the digestive tract environment unpleasant for germs and fungi. It also helps the natural process of breaking down food in the stomach.

If ever you discover yourself with discomfort from eating an overly rich meal or perhaps a bout of mild food poisoning that brings on stomach cramps and diarrhea, try the ACV, water and honey mixture. You’ll soon find relief that will settle things down promptly. The bad bacteria simply can’t survive in that acidity. Of course, if you experience a serious case of food poisoning, seek medical help immediately.

Health Benefits
Some of the benefits of apple cider vinegar are that it improves stamina, increases resistance to disease, protects against food poisoning, aids in digestion, regulates blood pressure, and maintains the correct pH in the body. Many in the medical field believe it helps reduce cholesterol (the dangerous LDL), reduces excess sodium from the body, assists in preventing circulatory problems, helps with diminishing premature calcification of the arteries, regulates the water content in the cells and body, reducing water retention, assists in blood circulation, and helps increase concentration and memory.

Naturally, this humble product is not a substitute for regular medical care, but it’s something you might want to add to your daily regimen. As always, it’s imperative and practical to learn more before running off to the store and insisting everyone in the family drink this concoction. Talk to your doctor and folks who take it on a regular basis. Many are also giving it to their horses, birds and other family pets in their daily water for good health maintenance. Read up on the subject, ask questions and explore your options.

Another tonic you might want to try, especially if you feel a cold coming on, or you just need a little energy boost, is hot water and grapefruit. Take out the sections of the entire fruit, including as much as possible of the white pulp next to the skin. Put it in a tall glass and fill with boiling water. Let it seep a few minutes, and then drink it all, including the fruit. It’s a good pick-me-up, especially on a cold winter’s day. Just remember not to drink it when taking your daily medications—the acid neutralizes the effectiveness of the medicine.

It’s nice to know that kitchen cupboard wisdom is still around. Grandmothers everywhere would be proud.

Here’s to your health!