Apple Cider Vinigar For Improving Digestion? Any other suggestions?

I did a search but couldnt find this specific question...

As I am recovering from an ED I do not want to lose weight. I would not be lowering calories with the ACV or doing excessive exercise. The goal here is just to make my digestion more efficient and less uncomfortable.

I spoke to my doctor in the past and he gave me a persc for acifex, which did not help as I did not have acid reflux at all...but he wasnt very supportive. I cant go back as I have no more money to spare and no health insurance (and dont trust the man to be honest)

I have been eating ginger, lots of green tea and ginger tea, yogurts with probiotics and have been cutting down on most processed foods. I eat a very clean diet generally, lots of water, and do have some exercise a few times a week. Tums and rolaids dont help really...

So i was thinking about having maybe 2 tsp with a glass of water before meals to help digest food. Is this a good idea? Are there any other things I've missed and should try? Thanks in advance

I've never heard of apple cider vinegar for digestions but would be really interested to know because I have the same problems. I tried several doctors and the only one that was actually useful was the homeopathic one who basically just cleaned up my diet and gave me some herbal pills to help me absorb nutrients and calm down the cramping in my stomach. Now I eat as clean as possible, drink a lot of tea, eat yogurt and take probiotic pills on top of that. The probiotics have really helped a lot. I've taken rolaids on occasion and it sometimes works temporarily but then I'll be constipated for the next day or two so I would rather not have to use that. One of the 2 gi doctors also just gave me a prescription antacid that actually just made things worse because I didn't have acid, and the other one just did some bloodwork and never called me back...yeah doctors suck :\

Good luck! I hope someone can answer this.

I don't have any scientific proof, but I believe that drinking warm things after a meal helps with digestion.  Things like hot tea (which you mention), hot chocolate, even just warm water. 

I did a Machu Picchu hike in Peru, and they gave us warm things just for this reason.  Apparently, the elevation slows down your digestion if you're not used to it which, of course, makes it uncomfortable to hike after you've eaten.  I noticed a difference after one meal where I just had a cold drink.

I'm not sure about taking vinegar.  It's an acid and could cause heart burn.

Tums and other antacids will make the situation worse.

add fiber, drink a lot of watter and caffeinated tea or coffee. generally people recovering are alowed by their doctors to take Colace, Miralx, or variations of metamucil by their doctos, which would also  help.      &nbs p;       & nbsp;      &nbs p;       & nbsp;      &nbs p;       & nbsp;      &nbs p;       & nbsp;    Taking probiotics in a capsuile or powder form is mych more effective(i think bifidus is the best one)        ;       &n bsp;        ;       &n bsp;        ;       &n bsp;        ;     

having lots of fruits and vegetables supplemented by a good amount of healthy fats would help. Also, most grains/pulses are good for the digestive system too... Oats and barley especially!

Yes, Apple Cider Vinegar has for many, many years been shown to be beneficial to the digestive system.  Google it - there's lots on the internet about it.  There are also books written about it - I work a second job at Barnes and Noble and I saw it just yesterday.

i actually have a lot of fruits and veggies and healthy fats (e.v olive oil, peanut butter, cashew butter etc) as part of my diet daily. i did take digestive enzymes in pill form but didnt see any change..

im going to give the apple cider vinigar a shot-ill let you guys know if it helps! thanks again :)

gibbit, if you are having cramping in your stomach about 4 hours after you eat a particular food, it is because you are not digesting it.  There are a couple of causes to consider for this.  One is that you do not have adequate enzymes for that food like protien (ate cheese and stomach cramps) or lactose intolerance.  The deficiency in enzymes can increase as we age.  The other possibility is that you have a food sensitivity to some food such as wheat or grains.  Start paying attention to what you have eaten and when the cramping occurs you will begin to see a pattern.  You may need to avoid certain foods, or take enzymes with your meals to help in the digestion.  I have a really good Naturalpath/M.D. that helped me through a similar problem.

I posted this in the weight gain forum a little while ago....

"Oh yeah...I've also discovered a massively helpful tool for killing the bloat!!! An old music teacher of mine has GI issues just as I have, and suggested that I begin taking organic, good-quality apple cider vinegar daily. OMG, it's amazing! I take 1 tbsp of vinegar mixed with 2 tbsp of water in a shot (haha, this stuff is vile) followed by a full glass of water 30 minutes before a meal, three times daily (so, breakfast, lunch, and dinner). After a week, the bloating has greatly reduced and my tummy is a TON happier!:) I know, apple cider vinegar is a component of a fad diet...but it only really made me lose a pound of water...not a bad price to pay for largely reduced pain! ...Just wanted to pass that on in case it could help. "

I've read that apple cider vinegar decreases appetite.

For a tip on the veggies: cook them.  they're healthier raw, but they're easier to digest cooked.  to get all of the nutrients, drink the water leftover from when you cook them.

abby- hey! thanks for the advice, I've recently found out one of the main problems was lactose intolerance. I"ve cut it out for the most part and feel a lot better, and when I do have any dairy my stomach literally turns into a balloon and hurts a lot. I think other culprits are anything fried, or too much spice, or certain sauces...still haven't narrowed down the specific things, since it's all trial and error, but blander foods are always safer. The dairy was a huge factor though. My main problem is dealing with it when going out to eat or eating other people's cooking, I hate being so difficult to dine with but always end up either looking overly picky and annoying or getting a stomachache.

I'll try the vinegar thing though and see what it does!