All the goodness of ACV

I want to have some real talk with you about health. And about a product that I can’t live without, and have been living without, and need to not live without any longer. But before we get into all that…

In case anyone cares, we are ALMOST DONE with the Whole30. Tomorrow is actually our last day and I seriously can’t wait. I don’t even think I’m craving anything in particular, and totally don’t want to go all crazy eating all the things and then feel like complete garbage. I really just want to be able to drink a fancy coffee beverage. And maybe have a glass of wine. And a piece of chocolate. I’ve been dying for a piece of chocolate for some reason, and I don’t even eat it that often!

What did everyone think of the Superbowl? Were you rooting for one of the teams? And the HALFTIME SHOW. JLo and Shakira are fire. I hope I look half as good as JLo does at 50. Amazing. So speaking of Whole30, and the Superbowl, this is not the first year we have had to do this. I don’t know how it always gets planned this way, especially because January is already over. WHY DOES OUR JANUARY WHOLE30 LAST INTO FEBRUARY?! Someone remind me of this next December when we’re getting ready to rock. Start 1/1 like the rest of the world. Kthanks.

Anywho, I wanted to share with y’all what we ate for our Whole30 Superbowl. Because despite it all being clean and wholesome and good for you, it was also all absolutely delish.

Course 1: Crispy Baked Buffalo Wings with Paleo Ranch Dressing
Yes, these are Whole30 approved and yes, they were delish.

For the wings:
Toss with ~2Tbl avocado oil, salt, garlic powder and chili powder (to your liking, I don’t really measure). Throw skin up on a lined baking sheet on top of a wire rack. Bake at 450* for 20 minutes, flip, and bake for another 10.
While the wings are in the oven, heat ghee (I use this one for this recipe from my favorite ghee brand) and good ol’ Franks hot sauce along with added garlic powder and chili powder over medium heat. You want your ratio to be about 1 part butter to 2 parts hot sauce. We like ’em on the spicy side. Get that all combined and bubbly, make sure to keep stirring so it combines.
After your 2nd buzzer, remove wings from oven and toss in a large bowl with the sauce. Bake for another 5 minutes. Repeat. If you want to broil them for a few, you can certainly do that too. #YOLO

For the dressing:
Follow this recipe, and add 1 tsp dill. I have made it without the dill, and felt pretty strongly that it needed to be added this time around and I was right. It was perfection. Definitely make it ahead so that you can let it set up in the fridge to get nice and thick. I promise it doesn’t taste like coconut.

Course 2: In & Out Copy Cat Burgers: Double Double Animal Style AND spiralized sweet potato fries
I repeat, yes this is Whole30 approved, and YES they are ridiculously good.

This is the second time we have made these burgers on THIS Whole30 because they are legit that good.

I’ve never had In & Out Burger, but if these are anything close, I would eat there every dang day if I lived near one. You grill suuuuuper thin burgers (I cut pre-formed patties in half and then got out some serious aggression I didn’t know I had pent up) slathered in mustard until they form a crust, then flip and do it all over again. Create the lettuce buns, and layer the patties with animal sauce, beautiful tomato slices and crunchy dill pickles. Oh and how could I forget the caramelized onions. Hoooollly Hannah. The caramelized onions. I would say I could put animal sauce on everything I ate for the rest of my life and be happy, but I think I would need caramelized onions onions too. Or instead of. I don’t know what I’m even saying, they’re just so good.

You MUST wrap these burgers in parchment because you’re going to have a big ol’ mess either way, but the parchment paper contains it just enough to not have everything running down your arms. Picture the Guy Fieri “Hunch” as he eats any type of burger or sandwich on DDD. 100% necessary.

So do yourself a favor and go get the recipe for these amazing burgers from 40 Aprons and also learn how to craft the most PERFECT lettuce bun here. And serve them up with a side of sweet potato fries. Preferably with a little char, but not completely blackened, like ours were last night. And no, not in a good way. I completely burnt the shizzz out of them. That’s what I get for trying to be all fancy and spiralizing instead of sticking with the tried and true method 🙂

Side note: I do make some of my own condiments, and did make my own ketchup to go in the animal sauce, but TBH I haven’t quite mastered making my own mayo yet. So instead, we like this avocado mayo.

Okay, now I’m hungry. But, I really must get on to the main event here. ACV.

So, I used to drink Apple Cider Vinegar (referred to as ACV for short) on the daily. But somewhere along the way I stopped drinking it altogether. The health benefits are unmatched. The taste, also, is unmatched, but as you can imagine, not necessarily in a good way. You eventually get used to it… I honestly don’t even mind it anymore.

We all know I love sharing my secret weapons, and Apple Cider Vinegar is 100% one of them. I actually think that not drinking it daily has ultimately impacted me in ways that I am just now realizing as I write this article. I am hoping that by sharing some of the health and overall benefits that this miracle in a bottle provides, that I will inspire you to go give it a whirl, and perhaps I will add it back into my morning routine as well. (Side note: want to know more about morning routines? Definitely pay attention because I have a great article coming on my morning routine over the next few weeks!)

So, first thing’s first. We’re not talking about your average store brand apple cider vinegar that you buy on the shelf at your local supermarket. This type of vinegar is usually filtered, likely pasteurized. You can easily tell the difference, because the filtered version will appear more clear and is always going to be the cheaper option. Perfectly fine for cooking, and cleaning if you’re into that sort of thing. But for the added health benefits, read on.

What we’re talking about is raw, unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar. Unfiltered ACV is organic, unpasteurized, unrefined, and contains the mother. The mother is simply a substance present in the vinegar that is made up of enzymes, strands of proteins and healthy bacteria. If we want to get all scientific here, the mother of vinegar is actually made of acetic acid bacteria. First, yeast will break the sugars down and turn them into alcohol. Next, there is a second fermentation where bacteria is added, turning the alcohol into acetic acid and ultimately into vinegar. This second fermentation process is when the mother is created.

When the mother is present, as it is in the product I drink, Braggs ACV, you will notice that the ACV is not as clear. If you are a ‘Booch drinker, this is along the same idea as the SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture Of Bacteria and Yeast) that is in Kombucha. Love love LOVE the ‘Booch, but that will be a story for another day. You can shake it up to break up the actual strands (read: clumps) a bit, but the liquid will still appear cloudy. It’s kind of weird and gross to look at, I’m not gonna lie. BUT this is the good stuff. Once you hear about the benefits this magic mama brings to the table, you will quickly overlook her murky appearance and love her for who she is.

Wellp, there you have it. Some really great benefits for adding Apple Cider Vinegar into your daily routine. Have you tried it? Will you give it a shot? Drop a comment below and let me know!

GUYS! I am not a doctor, these are strictly things that I have found work for me, through lots of trial and error along with a ton of research over the years. As with anything, you will see best (health and weight loss) results if incorporated into an already healthy lifestyle, complete with a balanced diet and exercise. ACV can cause adverse reactions when mixed with certain Rx and of course will not react with everyone’s body chemistry the same way. I appreciate the trust you put in me, always, but please consult with your physician to find the best course of action for you and your body!