It's likely most of the #BareBabes reading this have tried drinking apple cider vinegar or incorporating turmeric or ginger, because you've heard some of the supposed benefits. It's likely almost all of us have also gone to the local juice shop and ordered a wellness shot (a $3-6 shot, mind you!) when we've felt lackluster, under the weather, or just to detoxify or give us a boost. Those shots are typically filled with superfoods that give hope for some kind of miracle to happen. But let's be honest with ourselves...
That sh*t is expensive and it's super unrealistic to do consistently enough to make a difference. So, if it's not realistic to take a store bought wellness shot regularly, how can we ever know if these little "miracle working" ingredients can help us reap all the benefits of their anti-aging and anti-inflammatory properties, like giving us glowing skin, healing our gut, and minimizing bloat?? Personal experimentation. At home. Easily. For Cheap.
First I must say, that nutrition is always the foundation for any major improvements you want to see in your gut health, skin, energy, immunity, etc. This is a nice added *supplementation,* if you will.
Don't worry, I did the personal experimentation for you. For the past 30 days, I have started my morning off with an own at-home wellness shot that we created. If I was going to give this a try, I wanted it to be quick and easy to do consistently, but I also wanted it to really be potentially powerful. So, the shot has just 6 potent ingredients, and it can be composed and downed in less than one minute, which made it simple to incorporate into the morning routine. The 6 ingredients chosen all share similar beneficial properties and all work well together, to theoretically give the result we want: apple cider vinegar, turmeric, black pepper, cayenne, cinnamon, and ginger.
THE GOAL:
Based on the theorized benefits of the ingredients chosen (apple cider vinegar, turmeric, black pepper, cayenne, cinnamon, and ginger), I was looking to see if I would notice changes primarily related to skin and gut. This would be something I could see a difference in, likely after a few weeks. Is my skin clearer, is tone more even or brighter, is there less puffiness? Is my tummy flatter/less bloated, is my digestion better, is my appetite controlled or different?
There is also significant research on all of these ingredients' potential to prevent and treat chronic illnesses and inflammation, slow down aging, and suppress or prevent tumor growth/cancer cell proliferation. These are things I personally wouldn't know I was benefiting from any time soon, but it certainly can't hurt, and I think the potential makes it worth a shot (pun intended).
MY EXPERIENCE & MORNING RITUAL:
DISCLAIMER: Nothing happens overnight. Again, a healthy diet is always the most crucial cornerstone. I did this for at least two weeks before I even tried to think about any impacts it might have been having on me. I also will add that the original trial period was 30 days, but since writing this it's now been closer to 90 day and I plan to continue. With that being said, I feel like although this is an n=1 (where my science ppl at?!), I can accurately give you my personal experience since it was a descent trial period.
Every morning after a 5-10 meditation and jade-rolling my face, I start my tea kettle for my hot lemon water, and while that's happening, I am making what we now are calling (SPOILER ALERT) The Glowing Skin and Gut Shot. I take the shot then I sip my hot lemon water and take my probiotic while I think about my intentions for the day (We're big fans of a specific morning ritual).
So, the name "Glowing Skin & Gut Shot," aka GSGS obviously gives away the fact that this has worked wonders for my skin and tummy. I have been fortunate enough to always have fairly clear skin, but I have always struggled with uneven skin tone, a little redness and puffiness, and definitely dark eye circles. I also suffer from eczema, and prior to starting this I was having a severe flare up. Ya'll also know I have pretty severe IBS. I have experienced major improvements in my skin in all of these areas, and my eczema is completely gone right now! I can also honestly say I feel way less bloated, my digestion has been on point, my stomach feels better and flatter, and I feel more in control of my appetite (slight appetite suppression, less ravenous feeling when hunger strikes, and less cravings).
Ok, so why is all this awesome stuff happening?
THE INGREDIENTS & BENEFITS:
1. Apple Cider Vinegar (with "The Mother")
"The Mother": strands of protein, enzymes, and probiotics that can balance the gut and improve digestion
Anti-bacterial: kills pathogens/inhibits harmful bacteria growth-- great for treating acne as well as boosting the immune system
Improves Insulin Sensitivity: lowers blood sugar, regulates metabolism, and energy use
Alkaline: creating an alkaline environment in the body may help protect against cancer and chronic illnesses
Fights free radicals: great for slowing the aging process and increasing detoxification
2. Turmeric (curcumin)
Anti-inflammatory: reduce inflammation in the body, puffiness/redness of skin, inflammation/irritation in the gut
Antiseptic: keeps bacteria from spreading, boosts immune system
Stimulates Circulation: great for dark circles, muscle pain and soreness, overall cellular function
Tumor suppressor: may suppress tumor growth and cancer cell proliferation
Antioxidant/Immunity Booster: powerful antioxidant, reducing damage caused by free radicals and boosting immunity
3. Black Pepper (peperine)
Peperine: enhances the absorption of curcumin (active ingredient in turmeric) by inhibiting its breakdown, thus magnifying the benefits of turmeric
4. Cayenne (capsaicin)
Capsaicin: active ingredient in cayenne is also the active ingredient in many OTC pain relievers
Increased Metabolism: may also contribute to mild appetite suppression
Anti-inflammatory: modulates histamine making this an anti-inflammatory/anti-irritant, great for gut and skin
Immunity Booster/Antioxidant: high in vitamins C, E, manganese, potassium, and beta carotene
5. Cinnamon (cinnamaldehyde)
*go for Ceylon cinnamon ("true" cinnamon) vs. Cassia, which is cheaper but can be harmful in higher doses
Antioxidant/Polyphenols: high in antioxidants such as polyphenols, which can improve or help treat digestion issues, weight management, aging, neurodegenerative disease, and cardiovascular diseases.
Anti-inflammatory: can help lower chronic inflammation, again, great for gut and skin issues
Improve Insulin Sensitivity: lowers blood sugar, regulates metabolism, and energy usage
Anti-bacterial/fungal: helps fight infections in the body as well as in the gut or of the skin (including acne)
6. Ginger
Anti-inflammatory: can help lower chronic inflammation, great for gut and skin issues
Anti-bacterial/fungal: helps fight infections in the body as well as in the gut or of the skin (including acne)
Improve digestion: The phenolic compounds in ginger can help with gut irritation, stimulate bile production, and soothe gastrointestinal contractions (i.e. cramping/abdominal pain).
Immunity booster: high in vitamin C and has antimicrobial properties
THE GLOWING SKIN & GUT SHOT RECIPE:
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar (with "The Mother")
dash turmeric
dash black pepper
dash cayenne
dash cinnamon
dash ground ginger or grated fresh ginger
splash of water
optional squeeze of lemon (this actually cuts the acidity of the vinegar as it is alkalizing)
We advise making a "spice blend" of the spices used for the GSGS in a larger batch, that way each morning you can simply pour your apple cider vinegar and add a hefty sprinkle of the prepared spice blend! Simply combine equal parts, say about 1 tsp, of each spice, into a small container and store it. Easy and efficient.
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