ACV cures all.

At least that's what they say.

You may or may not know that I went poo-free several months ago. My friend Jocelyn was giving it a try because it's believed, in some circles, that if you kick the shampoo, your curly hair will be curlier. After about 3 months of it, I have to say that it is, in fact, true. Some people wash their hair using a paste of baking soda, and then rinse with a little apple cider vinegar (henceforth referred to as acv) and water. I tried that, but it wasn't particularly successful for me, so I switched to washing my hair with a really super cheap conditioner. The trick is to find one with out any word in the ingredient list that ends with 'cone'. Cone free. Then rinse with the acv/warm water, followed by clear water. My hair is quite curly to begin with, but I was finding it frizzy. Now it's curlier, less frizzy, but I have to wash it more often (that could be due to cycling/helmet head tho.. I'm not sure). Several times I've gone back to shampoo, but after one wash I always remember why I switched in the first place, and out comes the Rexall conditioner bottle.

(Yes, I know it's midnight.. I can't sleep, so I'm talking vinegar here)

Ok, recently I've been suffering (and suffering in the truest sense of the word) from extreme body pain. Could be one of about 20,000 reasons, but I'm attributing it to the (ahem) flu. I thought I had it kicked, but damn.. it's back again. I tried Tylinol, I tried Motrin, I even tried T3's (even tho I'm allergic to them.. it was a last resort). I had hot baths. I tried to ride it out. I tried to stop whining about it, but to no avail.

While reading threads on a (wait for it...) cycling forum or two, I found a whole lot of information on joint/muscle pain relieved via a daily shot of acv. Apparently it solves acid reflux to boot. Some claim their appetites were dampened while on the acv regime, and one person even mentioned that if applied with a q-tip daily for months and months, that toenail fungus will clear up.

Seriously, it sounds too good to be true, but I was thinking that it's worth a try. What the heck?

So the BFML and I took a trip down to Community Health and picked up a gallon of non-filtered, non-pasturized acv. I mostly take it mixed with a little unpasturized honey and a big glass of water (then I rinse my mouth, because I don't want the acid erosion on my teeth); sometimes if I'm in a hurry I just throw back a shot glass and be done with it... but that's not for the wimpy amoung us. My girl Natasha says that it is disgusting mixed with V-8, so let's believe her, and skip that combo.

I still have muscle pain/aches, but I'm not done with the flu (effing thing). I do think that my heart burn is better and I haven't had any acid reflux at all. Must acid cure acid? Dunno.

I'm not admitting to any wonky toenails.

There is no scientific evidence that apple cider vinegar has any medicinal properties. While the folksy anecdotes from those who claim to have benefited from apple cider vinegar tonics may be amusing to read, they are simply that -- anecdotes. Luckily, I'm into anecdotes.

Gotta say tho, if you are in my vicinity and you suddenly feel like ordering fish and chips or eating pickles, I apologize.

As an aside, tomorrow morning some of the fire damage repairs begin. Roofers are coming, and also the door/wall guy. Should be a tough day for the BFML and the pups, but gosh, we'll be glad to see some of the work done. There's a draft in the living room like you wouldn't believe. If you you take the rag out of the hole, you can peep outside. Not a good quality for the winter months.