The Do's & Don'ts of Apple Cider Vinegar

Today, we’re talking to Bragg's Director of Communications Jennifer Santiago about apple cider vinegar, as well as a few other other nutrient-packed and healthful products.

Use the code CLEANBODY15 on www.Bragg.com to get 15% off Bragg purchases

Apple cider vinegar dates as far back as 400 BC in ancient Greece when Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, prescribed ACV and honey for ailments like colds and coughs. Now, there’s science that suggests it may help manage blood sugar levels, manage diabetes, assist in weight loss, improve immunity and more. 

During this episode, you'll also learn about:

• Nutritional yeast: A great source of protein, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, its a beneficial food item for vegans and vegetarians
• Liquid aminos: As the name suggests, the product contain amino acids – the building blocks of cellular life – and is a great gluten-free, vegan-friendly alternative to soy sauce
• Cold-pressed, unfiltered extra virgin olive oil – An awesome source of healthy fats that helps fuel cognitive and nervous system function, nutrient absorption, reduce body inflammation, and – when consumed from a high-quality brand – can improve heart healthy. 
• The adulteration olive oils currently on grocery store shelves
• The difference between Prebiotics, Probiotics, and Postbiotics
• What to look out for when shopping for olive oils
• Why it’s so important to buy unpasteurized apple cider vinegar
• How to properly consume apple cider vinegar so you don’t experience any negative side effects. 

About Jennifer Santiago:

With 10 plus year of experience in the food and beverage industry, Jennifer Santiago has recently joined Bragg as the Director of Communications. Jennifer’s previous work includes marketing and communications for popchips and POM Wonderful, developing her skill in brand strategy, content creation, internal/external communications, influencers, social media/digital and experiential events. Jennifer holds a BS from the University of Colorado at Boulder and completed the Food Industry Executive Program at the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business.

About Bragg:

Founded in 1912, Bragg aims to help people live more vibrantly, every day for the rest of their lives by making products that deliver time-tested wellness benefits. Bragg products are always organic, non-GMO, gluten-free, dairy-free, plant-based, and made with zero additives or artificial colors. They have apple cider vinegar drinks and wellness shots, as well as salad dressings, nutritional yeast, liquid aminos, and more. 

For more on Bragg, http://www.bragg.com

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For more on Lauren Kelly and The Clean Body Project, visit www.thecleanbodyproject.com. 

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Transcript

Jennifer Santiago, Bragg (00:00:00):

Apple cider vinegar. If you take one tablespoon a day preferably to that, it can help control your appetite and manage your manage weight gain that it can help maintain healthy blood sugar levels and help maintain healthy cholesterol levels. So there is tons of science behind that.

Lauren Kelly, Host of The Clean Body Podcast (00:00:25):

Welcome to the clean body podcast. I'm Lauren Kelly, a certified nutrition therapist, and soon to be specialized holistic cancer coach with a certification in cancer biology from UC Berkeley. I am so grateful that you're here. This podcast introduces you to the souls and brains behind some of the cleanest food beverage and lifestyle products on the market, because what you put on in and around your body matters from cookies, bread, and mushroom superfoods to adaptogenic lozenges, clean medicines, organic mattresses, and fluoride-free toothpaste. We'll explore how the brands came to be how scientific studies drove decisions about ingredients and materials. And most importantly, how the products support all the physical and mental microscopic miracles that occur in your body every minute of every day. Thank you for being here. Let's get this started.

Lauren Kelly, Host of The Clean Body Podcast (00:01:22):

Hello. Welcome back for episode at number four today, we're talking about Apple cider vinegar, as well as a couple other nutrient packed and helpful products that I love. And I suggest to pretty much all of my clients now, Apple cider vinegar, just to give you some fun facts before we jump in, it dates as far back as 400 BC in ancient Greece, when Hippocrates the father of modern science prescribed Apple cider vinegar, or also known as ACV and honey for elements like colds and coughs. Now there's tons of science that suggests it may help with other things as well. Manage blood sugar levels, help with diabetes assist in weight loss, improve immunity. And more today for this episode, I am speaking with Jennifer Santiago. She is the director of communications for Bragggg, a leading producer for Apple cider vinegar since 1918. If you're not familiar with the name braggg, you've most certainly seen the label at the grocery store.

Lauren Kelly, Host of The Clean Body Podcast (00:02:29):

Aside from ACV though braggg also makes nutritional yeast, which is a great source of protein, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, especially for vegans and vegetarians. We talk about liquid amino acids, which as the name suggests contain amino acids, the building blocks of cellular life. And it's also a great gluten-free vegan friendly alternative to soy sauce. And we also discussed cold pressed, unfiltered, extra Virgin olive oil, which of course is an awesome source of healthy fats that helps fuel cognitive and nervous system function. It helps increase nutrient absorption, reduce body inflammation, and one consumed from a high quality brand can also help improve heart health. With that being said, if you've never read about the adulteration of many of the olive oils currently on grocery store shelves, you don't want to miss this episode. It has to do with the Italian mafia, and it's pretty wild during the next 60 minutes, Jennifer and I discussed prebiotics probiotics, and postbiotics, don't worry.

Lauren Kelly, Host of The Clean Body Podcast (00:03:36):

We define all of those as well as what to look out for when shopping for all of oils, why it's so important to buy unpasteurized, Apple cider vinegar, and how to properly consume Apple cider vinegar. So you don't experience any negative side effects. If you liked this episode, do not forget to subscribe, give the podcast a rating, leave a review. You can also follow me on Instagram at holistic Lauren Kelly, or you can follow the podcast at the clean body project. Before we jump in here, braggg is offering 15% off to all listeners of the clean body podcast. Jesse's the code clean body, 15 at checkout. Okay. Let's get to it. Welcome to the clean body podcast, Jennifer, how are you today?

Jennifer Santiago, Bragg (00:04:22):

I'm good. How are you doing

Lauren Kelly, Host of The Clean Body Podcast (00:04:24):

Good. So excited for this episode, honestly, I was surprised that bragggs responded to me because I've been using bragggs forever. And it just seems like such a huge brand with such notoriety, especially in the Apple cider vinegar industry. So I was just so excited to feature you guys on the podcast.

Jennifer Santiago, Bragg (00:04:45):

Yeah, we're excited. I'm excited to chat with you and we're actually a pretty small team compared to what you'll probably think, which is a surprise for how long the brand's been around. But I think we're really trying to keep it, you know, we try to keep it small and talk to everyone and not leave anyone out

Lauren Kelly, Host of The Clean Body Podcast (00:05:07):

Well that's, those are all good things, important things before we actually get to talking about bragggs and the products that the company and the brand has. I would love to just hear about you a little bit, what your journey into the health and wellness world was and what your day to day responsibilities are for the business.

Jennifer Santiago, Bragg (00:05:26):

Yeah. So for me, I'm the director of brand and communications. So I really am focused on ensuring that we're taking a heritage brand into a modern world that we're we're, we're calling modern nostalgia and really trying to ensure that braggg is keeping up with the times, but also staying true to its roots. So really overseeing all creative, all branding, all marketing, consumer marketing. So anything consumer sees comes across my desk or came from my desk. At some point it's needless to say very fun, but very busy. So what was your journey into kind of the health and wellness world? I mean probably like most girls, I started reading magazines and high school and started reading about health and wellness. I think I would say high school is probably where I became more aware of my body and what, like, I never really paid attention to what size I ever wore.

Jennifer Santiago, Bragg (00:06:30):

What, and I felt like that was the beginning of that. Like most women were always trying to be thinner in shape, stronger, whatever it may be. And for me that was the beginning of it and it really escalated. And to college, I was much more aware of, you know, I was drinking matcha well, like, you know, more than 10 years ago before there was a cool macho place that has like pink straws. And I think, you know, that kind of progressed and I never really, I just always felt like if I feel good, like I feel putting the things in good is coming out. And it was actually about a couple of years ago that I started breaking out at like nine o'clock at night. And these like horrific huge welting like, I don't even rashes, I guess you could say it was like all over my body.

Jennifer Santiago, Bragg (00:07:26):

And it was happening every night, like clockwork and Nolan. I went to like millions of doctors and everyone was just like, we don't really know what's wrong with your clearly, like, I mean, some sort of like pH balance offer there. I was in a very stressful work environment and I ended up going to a place called parsley health at it started in New York that they had just opened an office in LA at the time they were really small. They're huge now. And they take a more holistic, functional wellness approach and they were just like, your cortisol levels are through the roof. You're clearly very stressed out. Like you should not be eating gluten. You have high inflammation. Like even though I was eating healthy and like thinking I was doing all the right things, there were other things that I think people today don't realize like you can be eating perfectly.

Jennifer Santiago, Bragg (00:08:19):

And I heard this doctor say once, like you could eat perfectly, but like, you can still, like if we opened you up, there still could be inflammation and problems that, you know, came from earlier in your life that you've never, never really defeated, et cetera. So I even took health and wellness to a whole other after that, luckily I stopped breaking out in these weird, very Brisen hives that were super uncomfortable. And I think in general, it just made me even more realize what I realized that so important, what you do, and it's not just what you eat and drink every day. It's also like your mental health, your stress levels, like your environment that you're in exposure to like cleaning supplies, chemicals, like all those things like still can affect you. And so that was sort of like my step two into it was that, you know, I kind of took that first wave and then went the second wave of getting even deeper into it.

Jennifer Santiago, Bragg (00:09:21):

So I definitely meditate more now do yoga more, try not, you know, I was running a lot and running can be really stressful on your body. So trying to minimize as many stressful things. And that was just for me, some people, it totally worked some, some people that, so that was kind of how I started. And I I've only worked for healthy brands. So I've made that a mantra for me. Once I got into the food space, it was really important for me to work for a brand that was doing something healthier and whether it was from pomegranates to pomegranate juice, to, you know, pop, pop chips, which was, you know, better for you chips. And now at broad, like always just really trying to work with people who I can get behind what they were doing.

Lauren Kelly, Host of The Clean Body Podcast (00:10:07):

That's great. I love parsley health. I've been such a big fan of them and what they do for such a long time. So that's really cool that you sought out help from them. And yeah, you're so right. It's all so interconnected. If you are chronically stressed, the things that that cortisol does to your body, I mean, it sends you into a fight or flight mode, right? So we haven't evolved to be able to deal with the kind of stress our modern society has. We had that fight or flight mode to run away from tigers and lions. And so when we're in that fight or flight mode and we are stressed it's so that all the energy can go into our muscles and we can go into survival mode. And so our digestion stops actually, you know, functioning properly and all the energy is just going into survival.

Lauren Kelly, Host of The Clean Body Podcast (00:10:55):

And that does over, if you have high cortisol levels for a long time, that's going to cause chronic inflammation, which causes your immune system to freak out, which can manifest on your skin. So, yeah, I mean, I'm working with a client right now where it's the same thing. I look at her food diary and I'm like, you're eating great. Like there's no problems with your, your food and Bev consumption. So we need to dig deeper here and talk about your emotional health and your mental health and just your day-to-day stress levels that could be impacting everything that's going on. So thank you for sharing that personal journey story with me. I think a lot of people can probably resonate in our all overly stressed out world

Jennifer Santiago, Bragg (00:11:39):

For sure. It's and it's interesting that I felt like the modern, I needed to go to a more holistic approach for myself because I had tried our Western side for so long and not the Parsley's super, but it's an, in-between their MDs who are doing wellness. So it's just, it's like you said, it's peeling back more than just like your emotional state it's what's happening. Like what's going on at work, what's going on in your personal life. So it's, it's great to hear that I'm not the only one out there.

Lauren Kelly, Host of The Clean Body Podcast (00:12:12):

Why not? Yeah. And you want to figure out the root cause, right? You don't want to just take something, that's gonna make the rashes go when you don't know whatever caused it. And so I'm always encouraging people to seek out integrative medical professionals because they typically have a modern medicine background, but they also bring in the holistic functional medicine aspects as well. I even do that for my dogs. You know, they're getting older and I go see an integrative veterinarian because there's just so many more things that play into health than we often give credit to. But braggg, let's kind of transition over there. Eight A's. I love that you call it modern nostalgia because it is an older brand the founders aren't around anymore. And so it's up to you to keep their legacy going in a really authentic way that speaks to the heritage of the brand. What is from your knowledge, what is some of the evolution that the brand itself has gone through?

Jennifer Santiago, Bragg (00:13:15):

Yeah. So this is actually a great timing because I just was working on our timeline for a new website. And I went through probably pages of historical information. So our brand was started by Paul rag and the first like health food store in Los Angeles. And you know, who would have been like in 1912, no one had internet, no one had anything. He probably was the first person, but from what we know, and that was truly a holistic approach that he learned through other people he had interacted with someone he knew had been entered and went into the plant-based diet and found that he felt better in during this time period in our history, from the food history timeline. This was starting when some of the bigger brands that you see out there today, like Heinz and, you know, aunt Jemima, like all of these processed foods were starting to come out and they were, there were actually in from 1912 to probably the forties.

Jennifer Santiago, Bragg (00:14:20):

There was a time period of when they were actually promoting, like eat potato chips. They're good for you, which we all know is not true. And like rant, like Manny, like things like that, like that was when food started evolving into this more process space. And he was really mom like had this mantra, like you should be eating plant-based whole grains and maybe some fish, but he was mainly more plant-based he was key. So against sugar, so against salt two products that we still on today that were in the original ones that he created were our liquid aminos. We still use the original formula that Paul created and then our sprinkle, which is a no salt seasoning, which is great to put on like vegetables, eggs, but whatever you want, honestly, it's great. And you know, Paul really brought that message on and then Patricia took over and I continued that, but here are these two people were talking about fasting and like intermittent fasting, like in the forties and thirties while before it was cool. And now you have, how did they

Lauren Kelly, Host of The Clean Body Podcast (00:15:32):

Know? How did they know?

Jennifer Santiago, Bragg (00:15:35):

I mean, it's wild. They had, you know, a lot of it was, you know, like the remainder of her example was if you look at history was said to be drinking by like Egypt and that same thing with all of it, like you give students, used all Wells for their face for moisturizer. So a lot of it came sort of back to this, like historical look at like how things progressed. And Paul was really into that. He was really into like what people were doing way back in the day. And it's just, you know, I've obviously Paul passed away in like the seventies, Patricia took over the company and just two years ago she's still alive, but she's very much retired. She's 91, like you know, 89 I guess, was the year to retire for her. And, you know, they just continued their mantra and they were like, everyone will catch up to us someday. And we've tried to continue that message along the way with them as best we can. But it's hard because a lot of people use our products that are, you know, that are vegan or plant-based, but that's okay. We know you can use our products every want, but we still are trying to stay true to our roots. And what Paul originally started.

Lauren Kelly, Host of The Clean Body Podcast (00:16:55):

Yeah. It's just really incredible because you say everyone will catch up to us eventually, but it's not catching up. It's just going back to, what's been done for hundreds of thousands of years. And it just always blows my mind because they were using Apple cider vinegar and they were using olive oil before they had the kind of science that we have, you know, and that they had the data to back up a reason. It was like an instinctual, intuitive feeling, gut feeling that drove them. I mean, I don't know, I haven't interviewed any people from, you know, Ady BC or any of those generations, but it seems like it it's just as like intuitive knowledge that so many of those like health gurus had in that time, because they didn't have the kind of science we have now. And even though we have the science, it gets ignored or reported incorrectly.

Jennifer Santiago, Bragg (00:17:47):

Often a lot of that goes to like how people are reporting on health and, you know, the, the food pyramid scheme as I call it, it's like, whoever someday, someone's going to tell me that sugar is good for you. It's because sugar manufacturers probably paid enough money to get in that space. Like, it's just, it's the same thing with like, you know, they just, they were well beyond, they just knew this worked. And Paul actually was like a trainer. And Jack Liani is like a very famous bodybuilder from the twenties and thirties. And Paul actually trained him and had him living a plant-based diet. And it just, he just took his message to people. And I think it just wasn't mainstream. And there was no, like there were newspapers and there were eventually television commercials, things like that, but they really were trying to get their message across to people as best they could because they knew that it worked and they knew it was for the better

Lauren Kelly, Host of The Clean Body Podcast (00:18:54):

Dig into the science of all of this. Then I know, you know, braggg of course has science to back up the claims that it makes in. I'm sure you often read studies about Apple cider vinegar and its its powers and even liquid aminos. I have liquid aminos in my fridge right now. Actually that's a lie. I just finished my bottle of liquid aminos. So I don't have it in my fridge right now. But what is some of the science behind the products that Brad puts out?

Jennifer Santiago, Bragg (00:19:22):

Yeah. So in the food world, there are like health benefit claims, which you have to have enough substantiation behind me. So for Apple cider vinegar, the ones that we push against the most cause we have the most science behind is that Apple cider vinegar. If you take one tablespoon a day preferably to that, it can help control your appetite and manage your manage weight gain that it can help maintain healthy blood sugar levels and help maintain healthy cholesterol levels. So there is tons of science behind that. Obviously acidic acid is actually what you want to be the benefit. It's where you're getting, it's the enzyme. You're getting all these benefits from. And you know, if you aren't drinking pasteurized, Apple, cider vinegar, they, you know, when you do pasteurization, you're basically taking those enzymes out. So you're not going to be able to get those benefits from it, which, you know, you want those benefits.

Jennifer Santiago, Bragg (00:20:29):

So it's super important to always have organic, raw and unpasteurized for your Apple cider vinegar. And you know, for us, just to kind of explain a little bit of it is the blood sugar levels. So for example, take, if you ate a donut and you were like, well, I know it's going to spike my blood sugar. You could have Apple cider vinegar before or after preferably after you have the donut and your blood levels, sugar will, will not spike. You'll actually help it even out. It basically prevents the starch from being absorbed. Doesn't mean you're not in here. Do you still drink eating or drinking those calories, but you just, your blood sugar, won't spike, obviously, as you know, when your blood sugar spikes you tent, you then crash and then you crave something more in that sugary carby space because you're crashing, wants somebody to bring you back up.

Jennifer Santiago, Bragg (00:21:33):

So it's this constant up and down. So what you're going to can do for blood sugar is really help maintain that so that you don't have those cravings afterwards and it helps level you out. And, you know, in general, we all have our products that have Apple cider vinegar. We make sure that this heated acid isn't it. A lot of people don't know, even with like supplements that VC to gossip is really what you're looking for. Saying things like with the mother or this is a pre or post biotic, like, yes, the mother is important, but the mother at the scenic acid can still live there. If it's unpasteurized and the mother isn't there, like the scenic basket lives through whatever process you might be doing to make that happen. But the scenic acid is what's most important. And I like to call it the good stuff and you know, there's a seed of acid and it's, it's the it's friendly bacteria is the best way also to describe it.

Jennifer Santiago, Bragg (00:22:38):

It's like the fermentation process of Apple cider vinegar. It is that it turns into this friendly bacteria and obviously friendly bacteria is good for your gut. There are, you know, prebiotic service fuel for probiotics, which are beneficial bacteria that we do work in archive. So there's a lot of conversation around Apple cider vinegar, having a lot of postbiotics in it. You know, we could go into a long conversation about pre-pro and posts, but I won't, we don't, I'm not a scientist and, you know, hold on. I've actually never even heard someone say posts. Yeah. So actually it's plus Biotics include the substance produced by the bacteria and the fermenting process. So it's a short chain, fatty acids and functional proteins as well as part of the bacteria leftover after the process. So such as like the cell walls, not to like get too science-y, but think of postbiotics as the end result of probiotics work and sign beliefs, some postbiotics act to maintain gut health and reduce inflammation.

Lauren Kelly, Host of The Clean Body Podcast (00:23:51):

Let's pause for a moment here. People get confused with prebiotics probiotics. Now there's, postbiotics, there's just so many biotic terms out there. So let's break them down. Probiotics are the bacteria that live in our body. We have microbiomes throughout our entire human body, but specifically, right now we're talking to the gut microbiome. So probiotics are the bacteria that live in that gut microbiome prebiotics are what that probiotic, bacteria eats in order to sustain itself. And to keep that delicate balance for our gut health, the postbiotics is the end byproduct of it eating. So I guess if you want to think about it in human terms, it's kind of like the bacteria is poop in your gut, but it's not gross. It's actually something called short chain fatty acids, which are a main source of energy for the cells that line our colon, as well as protein chains called peptides, which are amino acids. As mentioned before, those are building blocks for ourselves. They help repair skin build muscle, and they may be easier for our body to absorb and protein that is consumed during a meal. Let's get back to it.

Jennifer Santiago, Bragg (00:25:08):

So there's still not a ton of information on postbiotics yet, but we've been talking with Dr. [inaudible] Is a doctor who has a pretty broad fan and knew knows Patricia pretty well. And just said, he, he recently did a study that actually says that there's postbiotics are actually just as important as anything else. So there's going to be more information coming out about it more as we do more studies, but we'll definitely keep you posted some other things that postbiotics are in is like kimchi, sauerkraut TemPay yogurt take care, like saying names. Yeah.

Lauren Kelly, Host of The Clean Body Podcast (00:25:59):

Fermented type of foods I was going to ask is, does Apple cider vinegar have any standout differences from the other products that are included in any list of, you know, if you Google fermented fermented foods or fermented food sources, you always get the same list. And you pretty much just rattled it off, but does Apple cider vinegar stand out from any of those other items that are usually on those?

Jennifer Santiago, Bragg (00:26:27):

It's definitely going to be, you know, the lower Cal, like there's no calories, there's no, there's no carbs. So I would say it's definitely a more healthy and quick way to get those postbiotics. Before you, you know, obviously yogurt and some of these other things, you have to be mindful of their sugar or, you know, your kimchi, like you're not really consuming that much, that many calories, but it just is a simpler thing, you know, and it's just drinking a tablespoon or two with eight ounces of water, you know, it's pretty quick and painless, but other than that I would say all the other options are great as well.

Lauren Kelly, Host of The Clean Body Podcast (00:27:05):

I do just, I don't want to hit on it for too long, but like we've mentioned Bragggg has liquid and coconut aminos as well as nutritional yeast. And I'd love to just do like a high level dive on the health benefits of those products as well.

Jennifer Santiago, Bragg (00:27:19):

Yeah. So we actually just found some new information about nutritional yeast that shows that nutritionally yeast actually supports your immune system. So we're really excited. That's something that we haven't really been able to share with. We had a sense that it was there. It helps with blood sugar levels. It also helps with cholesterol. It's also an excellent source of vitamins, B6 and B12. Gluten-Free, it's a good source of protein. You're getting about five grams per serving. And it just does such a great cheese alternative that you could really put on anything. It actually, so the immune system, you're getting the natural occurring, beta Duluth again, fiber, which helps support a healthy immune system is what we recently found out is in there. So that's something new that if you're having nutritional yeast daily or making vegan Mac and cheese, like you're supporting so much of your body, you're getting protein, you're getting immune boosting, you're getting, you know, all these things.

Jennifer Santiago, Bragg (00:28:28):

You're getting your B-vitamins, which is super important if you're on a vegetarian or vegan diet. So that's on I w nutritional yeast or what we call it in the office. And our coconut aminos is really just a soy-free gluten-free organic, non GMO. Alcohol-Free no MSG three ingredient sort of alternative to soy sauce. So it's just organic coconut Blas, nectar, Apple, cider, vinegar, water, and Cecil. So super simple panel, really good tasting if you're looking to it's a little sweet. So obviously with coconut blossom nectar, you're going to get that sweetness from it. But if you are someone like I have family members who cannot have soy, if you're looking to replace that somehow coconut aminos is the perfect product for you, and you can put it on veggies, stir fry, soups, dressings, marinades, like you could do anything with it. You can really get a good replacement if you like tamari or what's your services. Yeah. Going to nutritional

Lauren Kelly, Host of The Clean Body Podcast (00:29:42):

Use. It's also a complete protein. So this is something a lot of people are transitioning to plant-based diets or going predominantly, plant-based not eating as much meat throughout the week, either for dietary or ethical reasons, same with vegan. And it can be really hard to get all the complete protein and the amino acids that your body needs to receive to function optimally. So nutritional yeast is a great option for boosting that as well as seeds and nuts and all sorts of other things. But yeah, that's, that's a great option. I actually do not put enough nutritional yeast on my food. I need to start doing that. Another one is and I actually never knew this Bragggg makes extra Virgin olive oil and olive oil is kind of an interesting conversation because so much of the olive oils in America are mixed. You know, they're adulterated, they're mixed with other potentially refined vegetable oils, and you don't want those in your diet and you don't even know that you're getting them from the olive oil, you're buying off of the counter at the grocery store. So I'm curious how braggg makes their olive oil.

Jennifer Santiago, Bragg (00:30:50):

Yeah, so I would say olive oil is one of our more premium items because we are single source. So we get it from one place in Crete, Greece, and it's, you know, it's tested. We actually the Allwell council, you know, we send it in and it meets and exceeds their stringent quality and priority standards. So we not only know that it's a hundred percent pure, but we know that it's meeting the quality and purity that they have set standards for, which is not, you know, a lot of companies don't send it into the international all council, which is, you know, exactly what you're talking about. The other thing is we're unrefined and we're first pressed. So first cold pressed, I should say. So that means that the first press that you're getting out of an olive is actually the most nutritious product nutritious.

Jennifer Santiago, Bragg (00:31:49):

So our all well has like all the great benefits at all. The oil gives you inflammation, you know, helps with cholesterol, all these things like your olive oil has the highest quality of that because we're using the first cold press, which again is like a, you know, is not a standard in this space. For the most part, I think it's mostly with Italian oils that you see the olive oil business believe it was, I forget what I was watching, but I think it was salt, fat acid heat. And there's actually like Italian mafia that had been running the oil business and Italy. And that's why a lot of it, they were obviously cutting it and then selling it to people in the U S telling them as a hundred percent Italian. So just something to be mindful of, of when you're buying your, all the oils that you really want to see single source, cold pressed unrefined, and you want to make sure it's free of vegetable and seed oils. That's what the biggest fillers are, tend to be. And you also, it would be nice to see that they've been tested from the international olive oil council. So we really have like a bright peppery flavor. And, you know, we have been trying to really continue that and also can potentially expand into other areas. But for now, we're just trying to make sure that we're always providing the best olive oil, because we think that that's super important because it's a staple in a lot of Groupon Patricia has been doing for awhile.

Lauren Kelly, Host of The Clean Body Podcast (00:33:29):

Yeah. That's so great. I will have to try your olive oil. I'm always, I'm such a stickler for olive oil. I will shell out so much money for olive oil. I think I also learned about the Italian mafia's control of the olive oil industry and a book called feeding you lies. I think that's where I originally learned about that. And it's a pretty, it's pretty crazy to, to read about it.

Jennifer Santiago, Bragg (00:33:54):

It is it's wild. And I think it's, it makes it hard to be a brand as old as we are and have been around for so long to try for all, any all brand you're trying to convince people like, no, we are, we're a hundred percent. Like we promise like this is, we can tell you exactly. At some point, we're talking about putting the harvest code or the lock codes on there. And to just really emphasize on what are all of oil does and that it's really coming from this place. Cause that's super important. I think that people are starting to catch onto it more than they were before. But the other thing is

Lauren Kelly, Host of The Clean Body Podcast (00:34:30):

So hard though, because food labels are also not food labels, but big food brands are also catching on. And so they're creating packaging that just visually by the eye, you're like, Oh, that looks healthy. I've heard people say that a million times it looks healthy. And I'm like, well that's because brands know that you're trying to buy healthy. And so they're going to mask their products that you shouldn't buy in really pretty packaging

Jennifer Santiago, Bragg (00:34:54):

Yes. Marketing at its best. Right. So I think that the good thing to do is just do your research. I think, definitely know that if it's in the ideal scenario for olive oil is to be in green glass. For obviously you need to keep a cool temperature. You want to use it within the first three months that you open it cause the oxidation continually spoils it. And you know, you, so if you're buying something that's in plastic or that's clear, it's not protecting the olive oil. So the transportation by the time that you get it, it could be oxidized already. So just things to think about when you're purchasing all while in general and yes, pretty packaging always, but

Speaker 3 (00:35:38):

Just make sure that the, all the is coming from the right place. Cause you could be having seed oil and you're not getting the benefits from it. And you'll be able to taste it. Like once you taste a really good olive oil, which I would recommend to tasted on its own, you cannot like there is no D you'll to notice the difference now forever.

Lauren Kelly, Host of The Clean Body Podcast (00:35:59):

That's great. Those watch outs are really good and really helpful. And also olive oil tasting is like one of my favorite things in the world. Are there any watch outs you have for Apple cider vinegar? I know that you don't use any fillers or preservatives or emulsifiers in your product. Are there brands that do do that to your knowledge, that shoppers should look out for?

Speaker 3 (00:36:22):

The only thing to look out for is pasteurized. So you never, if you want those benefits from ECB, don't buy Pash pasteurized. Obviously if you can find organic, you should definitely buy organic. But other than that, typically, you know, vinegar has vinegar. It's a fermented, it's basically an Apple that's been fermented. That's sort of the process of it. And there's not a whole lot that you can feel like there's water in there. And then you also really want to make sure there's 5% of the citizen in it. So that means that there's actually an [inaudible] acid and a citizen in it to be getting those benefits. Also, you see, they're not calling it out on there. It's likely more watered down than you want. So those are sort of the things that I would be mindful of when you're buying Apple cider vinegar.

Lauren Kelly, Host of The Clean Body Podcast (00:37:11):

And is that called out right on the label? Like on the front or back of the label,

Speaker 3 (00:37:16):

We call it out on ours. We tell you it's 5%. So it should, they should talk about that because you do want to know how your product is.

Lauren Kelly, Host of The Clean Body Podcast (00:37:26):

And just for listeners who maybe don't know the difference between pasteurized and unpasteurized in the pasteurized process, they're essentially heating up that product, right? It's bringing the product to a boiling point, essentially. That's actually killing those beneficial enzymes. So you're not getting the enzymes that you want, which really contribute to the health benefits of Apple cider vinegar. Yes. Am I communicating that correctly?

Lauren Kelly, Host of The Clean Body Podcast (00:37:57):

Let's pause for a second. I have defined enzymes in previous episodes, but in case you didn't hear that, we do mention it a couple more times. So enzymes are biological molecules that speed up the rate of the chemical reactions that happen within our bodies and within all of our cells. They are so important for life and all of the functions that take place in our body, but especially digestion and metabolism. Metabolism is the process that occurs to break down what we eat and drink and turn it into energy. So we can fuel ourselves throughout the whole day. Enzymes also really important for digesting fat, converting starches into sugar and breaking down those proteins that we eat during our meals. All of this is to contribute to that energy. We feel throughout the day. Let's get back to it. Yeah. I always buy I'm pasteurized. I have to say though, the, the, you mentioned that you don't need to have the mother as long as it's unpasteurized it's okay. I think the Apple cider vinegar with the mother is way more intense and hard to drink. Is that just me?

Speaker 3 (00:39:06):

I it's, I honestly have never had, so I've been like a braggg user without really knowing it for so long that I've only had our vinegar for the last like 15 years. Which is another story, but just in general, like some things like if they're seeing with a mother, it just there's the, you know, it's the fermentation process. It's kind of like, I relate it to the SCOBY of GTS, you know, remember, do you remember when DTS first launch? And like, you could see the SCOBY in there and now it's not even in there anymore. It's similar to that. Like the like you're right. The set to see is going to be a little bit stronger. It doesn't mean you're not getting the same benefits. The true thing is to make sure that it's not pasteurized because pasteurization would kill all the Bennet will kill the enzymes. So,

Lauren Kelly, Host of The Clean Body Podcast (00:40:01):

Okay. This is where we get to have fun because I just remembered, we talked about the psychology of people, drinking Apple cider vinegar. When we chatted before making the podcast and people believe that the stronger it burns, the more it hurts, the more discomfort they experience, the healthier it is, but that's kind of a myth, right?

Speaker 3 (00:40:23):

Yes. So this actually goes into just in general, people in health and wellness feel like if it is burning, it is working and the grocer tastes the healthier. It is real and that's not necessarily always true. I understand that going from potato chips to a kale chip is not going to be the same. But I do believe that with Apple cider vinegar, we've had so many people taking it straight as a shot. And at the end of the day, you have to remember that this isn't super acidic compared to kombucha. Anything else that you're drinking? So like, it's not great for yourself. I guess it's not great for your tummy. It's not great for your teeth and they haul it. Is there a reason why we point out this, a disease to tell you like this is acidic, please be careful. So we're trying to communicate that you really need to dilute the vinegar.

Speaker 3 (00:41:20):

So you can have a more beneficial experience. We actually want shots this year because people just kept taking shots. And we were like, all right, we're going to give you a shot. That's diluted with like carrot and ginger, ginger, and turmeric, whatever it may be. We have four flavors and we're doing that to the people who want that quick burn, but we're still diluting it for you so that you can do it. But if you're a purist, like me, the biggest thing is to dilute it with water and have it. I have it first thing in the morning and then I'll have it like after lunch and, you know, call it a day after that. And that, that, like, I also, like, I don't know how or why, but like everyone at our company who does drink, it says that it gives you energy. So like after lunch, when you're full and you're kind of tired and you're, you know, you want to take a nap, but you can't like that. It can help you get through that afternoon slump.

Lauren Kelly, Host of The Clean Body Podcast (00:42:17):

I wonder if that's because of its impacts on blood sugar. You know, a lot of people after they eat lunch, feel really like slow and lethargic, but it's probably, it probably has to do with the way that it's an enabling your body to break down the meal, you just consumed and release the energy and like really sustainable way so that you're not going through that like huge energy energy increase or like insulin increase in your bloodstream. And then having a massive crash. I don't know if that's scientifically sound, but I was like, how could that be possible that it's raising your enemy?

Speaker 3 (00:42:50):

I think in general, I mean, even if you're not eating a grilled cheese sandwich for lunch, your blood sugar is still rising from whatever you're consuming, even if you're eating a salad. So I'm sure it just levels you out so that you don't have this huge spike and crash. Like I think you're totally right. I think that there's, you know, it doesn't just apply to like starchy things. It also applies to food in general, so it does really help with that. And I've just felt in general. It's the first thing that I like to put in my body when I wake up besides water. Cause I just feel like it helps get my day going and it just it and do feel like I get, I don't drink coffee or I drink green tea occasionally, but that's like to me, my ritual of like coffee and stuff,

Lauren Kelly, Host of The Clean Body Podcast (00:43:37):

I have a big coffee right here that my husband delivered to me, but I haven't even drank half. So maybe there's that, you know, give myself some credit for some control. But I think that's a really interesting point around the relationship and habit you build with Apple cider vinegar because some people find it a very unenjoyable experience and it could be because of the way that they're consuming it. So for example, in my twenties, I was about every health trend and fad that you could possibly think of. And I used to take straight shots of Apple cider vinegar, and I felt like, because as you said, I wasn't diluting it and it's not supposed to be consumed in that way. So what are some suggestions you have for listeners about creating a beneficial relationship with Apple cider vinegar and ha forming a habit that makes them feel good. And that they look forward to in the, when they're going to have

Speaker 3 (00:44:32):

Their Apple cider vinegar. Yeah, for me, I would say something super important. I'm sure you tell your clients this all the time is you wake up, you were to hydrated who have not had anything to eat or drink for hours and drinking water is so important. So if you can get in the sense of like putting some lemon and Apple cider vinegar in it and with your water and try and drank like eight to 16 ounces of water, you can dilute it as much as you want. It does not matter. You can put 32 ounces in there. The big thing is like, you don't want to be sipping it all day. You want to definitely have it within like, just cause it's not again, like for your teeth, if you're like constantly putting acid on your teeth for like hours on end, it's better just to like have it in a setting again.

Speaker 3 (00:45:21):

Like I would say, if you could get into the habit of doing that, that's what I found was like, I know I need to drink water when I wake up. So why don't I just include this in there? And then it's sort of like my get to go. If you work out in the morning, I would say maybe wait till after you work out. Because again, for, as you experienced, it can be really harsh on your stomach, especially as you initially start drinking it. I would say if you've never had it before baby steps, like do one tablespoon one day, like then you don't have to do it every day. Like slowly go into it. Do not just start guzzling up soap, integrate your stomach is acid, your stomach acidic. So, but it's, it's good acid. It's the acid that you need to help you break down food and help you digest all those things.

Speaker 3 (00:46:10):

So I would say, try and get into the habit of just being like, I know I'm a need to drink water. Let me just include this in my water. Or, and if you're at work and you can't have no one carries around a bottle of Apple cider vinegar, we have drinks that you could have that have some of them have zero calories. Some are low calorie, like 40. We have six flavors. You could bring that with you and have that with real lunch. Same thing with the shot. Like if you're just too busy, you could just take the shots with you wherever you go. I always am mindful low that, you know, they do have carrot juice and ginger and lemon and like honey. So like you just want to make sure you're not having too much sugar in the morning. Cause again, even though you're cooking up beside a banner and you can still have a little bit of like a sugar rush from it I am a purist, so I only drink Apple cider vinegar, but we also launched flavors of our Apple cider vinegar to really help those people who are like, I just can't do it.

Speaker 3 (00:47:14):

Like I'm never going to get used to this. So we made cranberry, Apple, citrus, ginger, and orange tart cherry. And those, you have to do two tablespoons and that literally tastes like a flavored beverage. So if you do two tablespoons, 16 ounces of water, it tastes like or sparkling water. It just tastes like this really refreshing orange tart cherry drink, like barely Tay-Sachs or vinegar. It's so good. I think it's such a good entry point for people. And then if you're meeting the convenience, I mean we're, most of us are all home still. So hopefully you can just buy a bottle and slowly get into it. But if you're on the go, we have those convenient options for you as well.

Lauren Kelly, Host of The Clean Body Podcast (00:47:54):

What about putting your Apple cider vinegar into hot beverages or food items? So is it the same thing as pasteurizing? Are you killing some of the enzymes when you pour it in hot tea or warm-up tea or even put it in soup?

Speaker 3 (00:48:09):

Yeah. So great question. We get this a lot because people do like drinking it with hot with lemon and other things. I would say the big thing is for tea. It's typically like 150 degrees where you drink tea, like coffee needs to be about one 80 because you have to get the coffee out of it. You have to drink like that's how you get coffee out of the beans. So I would say that don't go above one 50. If you are boiling your water to like, it is so hot, like there are, there is a chance that you are going to be killing a lot of these enzymes. I always stick to like put it with water that you could drink a whole immediately. So like don't make something that's so high being hot that you can't drink it right away. Like only do it to where it's warm enough that you're, you can actually drink it. That's like my broader, if you're gonna burn your tongue, it's probably means that the, some of the stuff that like your enzymes are not all in there, probably not though

Lauren Kelly, Host of The Clean Body Podcast (00:49:14):

I have this super healthy, like detox soup that I always make and I put Apple cider vinegar and it goes into the Instapot and it's probably just burning off all the benefits of the Apple cider vinegar right here. I am like,

Speaker 3 (00:49:28):

Not all of them, but some of them, we can't what we, what we haven't done. And we shouldn't do is actually test how that, like what actually happens to the seating outside. Cause that's all you really care about is, and the seating acid is still intact then you're totally fine. But you're for sure, like the mother definitely can't survive high temperatures like that, but some of the, of acid likely will. So it's not like it's, you're pouring water into your, to, you're definitely still getting some benefits.

Lauren Kelly, Host of The Clean Body Podcast (00:50:01):

So the acidic acid is created during the fermentation process. Okay. Okay. I just wasn't like entirely sure if it's something that gets added to the process or if it's just a natural byproduct of fermentation,

Speaker 3 (00:50:15):

The natural by-product it's just part of the fermentation process. It's just, that's what this it's. The CDOT factor is just naturally inherently in there and it's, it's pretty stable. Doesn't like, you know, it doesn't change, but you do want to make sure that you're, if you're not drinking straight ACV, that you're getting at least a tablespoon in there of it so that you can have that a SITA acid. Cause for example, on that, I'd at like products we've looked into, you know, with different temperatures we've there are ones we've had to stay away from. Cause it's too hot, but it doesn't mean that the CDEC acid isn't in there. It just means that the mother isn't alive. So the mother gets killed, which sounds so weird. The mother,

Lauren Kelly, Host of The Clean Body Podcast (00:51:02):

They call it the mother. It's not even the mother. It's just mother. It's sorry. I've been arguing with mother. And I'm like what

Speaker 3 (00:51:10):

The mother definitely is. The fragile part, the CDEC acid is actually more like can withstand most of that.

Lauren Kelly, Host of The Clean Body Podcast (00:51:18):

I think one other important question to ask before we kind of get to our wrap up quick hit questions is what's the maximum people should consume on a daily basis because I feel like when people start, they make a decision to transition to a health and wellness diet. They go like balls to the wall and that's not always the best thing to do. So what would you say is the maximum consumption someone fairly new to Apple cider vinegar should follow for awhile.

Speaker 3 (00:51:46):

So I would say start with one tablespoon a day with eight ounces of water. It could be warm water with lemon, cayenne, whatever you want every other day, don't do it every day. Then bring in once you feel like your body's do that for a week or two and then increase it to every day. And then, and sometimes it's hard to do it every day. I know I don't do it every day. I try to like during the week I do, but the weekends I'm like, Oh, I didn't have my CV today. That's okay. It's not going to, you're still, if you're drinking it a couple of days a week are still going to see the benefits from it. And then I would say that once you're comfortable, once you like have brought that into a habit, you could go up to two to three tablespoons to four tablespoons a day.

Speaker 3 (00:52:28):

The big thing is you never, there is such a thing as too much acid. So you don't want to be drinking like a third, a cup of ACB a day, which is a lot that, that would be a lot of ACV, my mouth of tablespoons to a third, a cup, but just know that I would say for four tablespoons, it's like heavy user. And obviously like, even if you had four tables in state, you could still put in your salad dressing, you could still put it in recipes and you know, and that would be okay because it's diluted, it's mixed in with things like if you're making a salad for a bunch of people, like not, everyone's getting a tablespoon or a salad dressing on their salad. So like it's okay. Like you can still use it for me. That's great. Like you can use it as a marinade, whatever it is. Like you can still use it in those cooking moments and still drink it every day and be okay. That's great. Thank you for giving us

Lauren Kelly, Host of The Clean Body Podcast (00:53:26):

Those guidelines. Cause I definitely have been one of those people. That's just like, I'll just drink the whole bottle. Be fine. Right. It's a healthy product. I can just overdo it. So I want to get to the quick hit questions. So the first one I have for you is what does a clean body mean to you?

Speaker 3 (00:53:43):

Clean body means to me living a life of whole foods and light activity, and then also going into like trying to use clean products. Like I think that's the next space that from cleaning supplies to makeup, I think makeup starting to get in the right direction with like beauty counter. And there's a lot more like Meagan or, you know, clean products out there than there ever were. And I think that the cleaning industry started to see a rise. I've seen a lot of good stuff that says they're good. And then I do my work and I'm like, this isn't actually good. You can actually use Apple cider vinegar as a cleaning agent if you want. A lot of our consumers use it as just water and they'll use it as like a multi-surface cleaner. It's like typically it's probably what people were doing back in the day when they didn't have cleaning supplies. But yeah, to me, that's like having a holistic approach on life and listening to your body is to me having a clean body cause you're listening to your body. And when it streaming, like how might was, you'll the cleaning up of whatever it is you need to do will happen on its own.

Lauren Kelly, Host of The Clean Body Podcast (00:55:01):

Yeah. I love that. You said it's not just like food and Bev. It's all the skin and skincare products you use or scalp care products, or even just the air fresheners you have around you. We've done some interviews with brands like that, but we definitely need to get some more cleaning brands on here because inundating your nostrils with those chemicals on a daily basis is just not a great thing to do.

Speaker 3 (00:55:24):

Even essential oils. Like you have to be careful because there's frequency is the number one thing. So like in people were like, Oh, of course I like things that smell, smell nice. Yeah.

Lauren Kelly, Host of The Clean Body Podcast (00:55:35):

Yeah. Second question for you. What are other diet and lifestyle habits that you just couldn't live without?

Speaker 3 (00:55:43):

I definitely couldn't live without drinking my ACB every day. And I also drink an electrolyte called elemental it, they have a citrus salt and it's the cleanest electrolyte out there. Again, just sort of helps me absorb that water then I'm trying to drink. And to me it would probably be also just like movement. Like I have been a big runner in my life. Been transitioned that to more Pilates and yoga these days, but just get getting outside and being with nature in any way that I can, I could not obviously quarantine was like not my fun zone because being told to stay inside all day and not been able to, you know, it was a huge adjustment not to be able to go do those yoga classes I used to do and things like that. And I've sort of found my, my rhythm in it eventually, but it definitely was hard.

Lauren Kelly, Host of The Clean Body Podcast (00:56:43):

Yeah. I mean, there's so much science to prove that just going outside, even for two to three minutes and mindfully taking in nature around, you can have such great benefits on your mental health and your energy levels and just clarity and focus throughout the day. Nature is so important. So yeah, hopefully we're coming out of this dark hole of COVID pretty soon and we can all appreciate nature a little bit more after this. I think last quick question for you, which is one of my favorites is what other brands are you Lebanon? You mentioned one, but are there any others?

Speaker 3 (00:57:17):

So gold thread is really good brand. They're doing like elixirs for health alumna's I personally like their macho. They also have like a green mineral drink. That's interesting. They just start kind of doing, doing interesting things in the drink space. It really like this beauty brand called merit that just launched and he R I T it's a vegan, clean beauty brand. The reason why I like it is because it's like the five minute makeup. So it's like, here's all the things that you need to just be ready in five minutes. And it comes with like a pouch on the go super convenient. And then another brand that I think is doing something really interesting is a wine company called Valvoline. And they're like a beacon, you know, along with many of my hives, I had a really hard time drink. I CA I could have never been able to drink wine.

Speaker 3 (00:58:21):

I don't really drink as it is. And when I do wine, always felt like everyone, all everyone drank wine. I live in California. Like everyone drinks wine, but I had reactions to it. And it's the first wine I've ever been able to not promoting drinking alcohol by any means, but I been able to drink without any reaction. And it's because they have no, no chemicals, no additives, no sugar. So it's the first wine that is really true, good, clean wine that you can actually like people like be hoops that had reactions to sulfites and things like that. People don't realize. And this goes to your point of like so many brands out there, filling things with additives so that you're tasting something and wine is no different. Like the harvest is changes every year. And those wineries want you to taste the same cab that you've liked for the last five years. So they add a bunch of stuff to it to make sure it tastes the same every year. So just something else that even if you are going to drink, drink alcohol in any way, like you should definitely be making sure that it's clean because some of them are especially in the wine business,

Lauren Kelly, Host of The Clean Body Podcast (00:59:30):

But yeah. Stay away from four buck. Chuck, it's just like, not worth it, but to wrap this up, how can people get in touch with braggg? How they, how can they find your products engage with you on social media?

Speaker 3 (00:59:42):

Yeah, so we are at Bragggg on Instagram at Brandless is on Facebook. We are at bruh life foods on Twitter as well. We are, you know, find us anywhere there. Our products are on Amazon. We also have our own website where we're going to be selling or redoing it in may. So it will be a whole new website in may, but find our products there. If you don't want to buy it from Amazon or our website, we have a great store locator on our website that can help you. You should not have a problem finding an ACB anywhere in the, in our entry. You can even find it in like the UK and Australia. People are really big fans all over.

Lauren Kelly, Host of The Clean Body Podcast (01:00:26):

That's great. Well, thank you so much. I'll put all those links in the show notes so people can find the store locator. They can find the Amazon page. I'm excited to see the new website. That's exciting, but thank you so much for joining us today. I've like you been using braggg for so long and I'm happy to create more of an emotional connection and relationship with the brand. So I just appreciate you.

Speaker 3 (01:00:50):

Thank you for having me.

Lauren Kelly, Host of The Clean Body Podcast (01:00:55):

Hi everyone. I hope you loved that interview. Don't forget. Braggg is offering 15% off to the clean body podcast listeners. Just go to bragggg.com. That's B R a G g.com and typing clean body 15 at checkout to get the discount. As a reminder, this podcast is for educational purposes. Only. It is not a substitute for professional care from a doctor or otherwise qualified health professional. This podcast is provided on the understanding that it is not a replacement for medical or other health related services. If you are looking for help in your journey, seek out a qualified practitioner, see you next week.