Natural Remedies For Varicose Veins

What Are Varicose Veins and Why It Matters

In order to effectively use natural remedies for varicose veins, you first need to fully understand what varicose veins are and what causes them. Varicose veins are dark blue or purple gnarly masses seen just beneath the skin. What you are actually seeing is the pooling of old blood that did not make it back to the heart.

A weakened heart beat and weakened or damaged veins can both cause varicose veins.

 Weakened veins are most often caused by normally elastic vein walls becoming brittle, like an old rubber band.  When this occurs, the veins do not expand as they should and this causes leakage around the vein values that normally prevent the back flow of blood as it is carried back the heart. When this happens, blood will pool and fluid will accumulate as it seeps out of the veins. This can happen anywhere in the body but it is usually most pronounced in the lower legs and feet due to gravity.

Weight gain and pregnancy can make the problem worse. Type 2 diabetes can also lead to weakened vein walls and vein pump valves.

Why Should You Heal Your Varicose Veins

Viscose's veins aren’t just unsightly. If you do not treat them, they can lead to ongoing health issues, including some that are very serious. Many people who suffer with varicose veins experience a constant “heaviness” or soreness in their legs. This constant discomfort can interfere with the most basic daily tasks, including work and parenthood.It can also make life a lot less enjoyable. Many people don’t realize this but haemorrhoids are just varicose veins in the anal region!

Varicose veins can also lead to thrombophlebitis, where the pooled blood becomes infected. This is a very serious condition because the infected clot can break off and travel to the brain or heart causing death!  Varicose veins at the surface of the skin is often a sign of a blood clot in a deeper vein too. This condition is called deep vein thrombosis and can also lead to death.

Foot Pump Exercises

Foot pump exercises are one of the very best natural remedies for varicose veins! These exercises are extremely simple to do and get your foot moving like it would if you were using a foot pump to blow up an air mattress or pumping the gas pedal in your vehicle.

As you make this simple movement, the circulation in your legs and feet will improve.

It will also help to strengthen the walls of your veins. Both of these effects will prevent the pooling of blood and fluid that cause varicose veins.

You can do foot pump exercises from a standing position, sitting position, or when lying in bed. From a standing position, slowly rise up on your “tip toes” as if you are trying to peak over a tall fence and then come back down again.

Repeat this motion at least ten times. You can do the same in a sitting position by raising your heels off the floor when your feet are flat on the floor. You can also hold your foot in the air and make the same motion.

Alternately, you can raise your foot off the ground and move your ankle in a circular motion, first clockwise and then counter clockwise. When you first wake up and before you go to sleep, it is a good idea to get in the habit of doing foot pump exercises while in bed if you have varicose vein problems.

Simply raise your foot off the mattress and either pump your foot forward and back or in a circular motion, the same as you did while standing or sitting.

Leg Exercises In Bed

These are easy exercises you can add to your foot pump exercises in bed to increase your circulation and strengthen the walls of your veins. Slowly raise each leg into the air, hold it there for 2-3 seconds, and then put it back down.

Repeat at least ten times for each leg. You can also add a circular motion at your hip while your leg is raised for an even greater benefit.

Another variation is to add knee bends while your leg is raised in the air. To do these, simply bend your knee all the way down to the point your heel touches your thigh and then back up again.

Walk Every Day Or Use a Treadmill

Human beings were not designed to sit or stand in one spot all day. We are designed to be upright and moving around when we are awake.

Remember, we evolved as a hunting and gathering species! However, in modern society most people do not move around enough and it affects our health, including the formation of varicose veins.

Taking a 15-30 minute walk every day can go a long way toward improving your overall health and reducing your varicose veins.

Lose Weight and Reward Yourself

If you are overweight, simply losing five to ten percent of your body weight can greatly reduce the pressure put on your pumping heart and on your vein valves. Instead of paying dearly for an herbal remedy or a prescription medication, this will cost you nothing.

In fact, it can even save you some money if you cut out snack foods and unhealthy processed foods as as both are very expensive. Instead, take the money you save and put it in a special jar to save toward a vacation or another reward for yourself!

Compression Stockings

You can get high quality compression stockings over the counter from a good drug store or from online medical supply site. When you wear these, they put gentle pressure on your legs which reduces the blood and fluid pooling in your leg.

You may need to try different brands before you find one that feels good to you as everyone is shaped differently. Some people report that compressing stockings feel like someone is giving them a nice massage as they walk!

Herbs That Can Help

There are two herbs widely used in Europe to treat varicose veins. These are horse chestnut and grape seed extract.

Horse chestnut contains a chemical called escin which has been found to strengthen vein walls. One 1996 research study, published in the prestigious medical journal “Lancet,” showed that the administration of horse chestnut was as effective as compression stockings at reducing leg swelling due to chronic venous insufficiency, which often accompanies varicose veins. Grape seed extract contains antioxidants that improve the elasticity of veins and make them less porous for fluid leakage.

Final Notes

Foot pump exercises will cost you nothing and will take only a few minutes of your time. You can also do them from practically anywhere. You can easily do them while at work, standing in line at the grocery store, or from a small hotel room while you are travelling!

If you are at high risk to develop varicose veins, such as you have a sedentary job or you drive long distances, it is very important that you take a few moments to do foot pump, leg exercises and walk each day.

A short walk at lunchtime ending with a few standing foot pump exercises can literally save your life by preventing blood clots. This will also greatly improve the way you feel at the end of the day!

Selected References: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

What you need to know if you pregnant and suffering from diabetes GDM

Diabetes has three types, the "type 1 diabetes" which is the least common type but predominantly diagnosed among kids and teens, the "type diabetes" which is the most common to all ages and the "gestational diabetes" which are common for women once they get pregnant. It can be said that among these three types of diabetes, "gestational diabetes" is the easiest to deal with because it usually ends once the woman gives birth. However, this is not always the case because there are also those that continue to suffer from the disease that can lead to "type 2 diabetes" if not monitored and given proper medical attention immediately.

Although almost pregnant women are expected to suffer from gestational diabetes at one point during their pregnancy, there are also those who suffer from it even before they conceive. In this scenario, dealing with diabetes can be harder and much more complicated. But now, with the help of modern technology and advances in the field of medical research, pregnancy for women who are diabetics is fairly easier and lesser risk when it comes to the overall health of the baby and the mother as well.

First things first

For women who are diagnosed with diabetes, getting pregnant should be an utmost decision to make. This is because it will greatly determine not just the baby's health but the woman's overall health condition as well. For women who are planning to get pregnant despite suffering from diabetes, the major consideration to ponder on is the readiness of the woman's body. This is very important to ensure that the woman can meet all the challenges and difficulties that goes with pregnancy.

To know if the woman's body is ready for pregnancy despite diabetes, she should undergo a thorough physical examination administered by a licensed physician. This is very important because the physician can tell if the body is ready for the demands of pregnancy and labor and the possible complications that might occur along the way.

Experts say that pregnant women who have diabetes will most likely develop related complications such as diabetic retinopathy, hypertension, kidney disease, autonomic neuropathy or nerve damage to the internal organs, and cardiovascular diseases. 

Please always check with your diabetic health team before making any changes

Watch out for a New eBook --- Which is full of useful information about diabetes. 

8 Diabetic Diet Myths Dispelled

Diabetes is fast becoming one of the most common illnesses in the world. As such, there is a treasure trove of rumors and misinformation regarding this disease. It's extremely important to separate fact from fiction, and that is why we've brought you 8 of the most common myths about this disease that we are going to bust right now. 

Myth 1: Eating too much sugar causes diabetes

It is widely thought that eating too much sugar causes diabetes. What does cause diabetes is an insulin malfunction . This means your body struggles to turn the food you eat into energy. Usually food gets broken down into glucose, a sugar that powers cells. The pancreas produces insulin, a hormone which helps cells use glucose for energy.

There are 3 common forms of diabetes and none of them are caused by sugar intake.

Type 1 diabetes usually starts in childhood or young adulthood and is when the pancreas can’t produce insulin. These people need to take insulin to help move the sugar into the cells and prevent it from amassing in the blood.

Type 2 diabetes can affect any person, of any age and is when the pancreas doesn’t produce sufficient insulin or the insulin stops working, and sometimes both scenarios. Being overweight can make this form of diabetes more ly.

Another common type is Gestational diabetes, a temporary form of diabetes that occurs in pregnancy due to hormone changes that cause insulin not to work properly.

Myth 2: You won’t be able to eat your favorite foods anymore

The idea that you are limited to uninteresting food when you are diabetic is widespread and misleading. You don’t have to give up foods you love; you just might need to think of how you eat them differently. You will need to change the way you prepare these foods, and might need to change the foods that you eat alongside them, and possibly reducing the portions.

Myth 3: You’ll have to prepare separate diabetic meals

You might be thinking that you won’t be able to eat what the rest of the family is eating, and extra preparation would be required. This isn’t necessarily true. A diabetic diet is a healthy diet, nutritious for the whole family and doesn’t require separate preparation. The person with diabetes just needs to pay more attention to the amount of calories she or he eats and monitor the types of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins in their diet.

Alternative sugars

Stevia

This is a plant extract that tastes much sweeter than sugar and has no calories. It has the added benefit of lowering blood sugar and blood pressure. Stevia has a distinct taste and it can take a while to adjust.

Erythritol

This sugar alcohol is low in calories and doesn’t affect your blood sugar levels. It is safe to eat however eating too much can cause digestion issues.

Xylitol

Another sugar alcohol that doesn’t raise blood sugar or insulin levels. Similar to Erythritol, Xylitol causes digestive issues if eaten in large quantities. This sugar alcohol is also been shown to have dental benefits and improve bone density. It’s highly toxic to dogs.

Myth 4: Carbohydrates are bad for diabetics

Carbohydrates, commonly shortened to carbs, are the foundation of any healthy diet and are not bad for diabetes. Why they are important to monitor is because they have the greatest effect on blood sugar levels. It’s best to discuss which ones you eat with a dietitian so that you select nutrient rich ones.

Myth 5: You can replace carbohydrates with protein

Carbohydrates ability to affect blood sugar levels quickly might tempt people with diabetes to lower their intake of carbs and compensate with more protein. This is fine in principle, but in practice many proteins, such as meat, are dense in saturated fats. Consuming too much fat can increase the risk for heart disease.

Myth 6: You can take medicine and eat what you

It would be great if taking a pill would allow you to go about eating what you usually do but adjusting your medication makes it less effective as medicine works best taken consistently, as instructed by your physician. For those who take insulin, it’s often the case that you learn to adjust the amount of insulin to match the amount of food you eat, but this doesn’t give you permission to eat as much as you want. You still have to stick to a diabetic diet to stabilize your blood sugar levels.

Myth 7: You have to eat diet foods

A lot of ‘diet’ foods are smart marketing. They are often more expensive and no healthier than regular foods. It’s important to read the ingredients and consider the number of calories before deciding if it’s suitable for your diabetic diet. As always when in doubt about what food is beneficial its best to consult with a nutritionist or dietitian.

Myth 8: No more dessert

Similar to myth #2 you need to rethink how you look at desserts. There are plenty sweet options available for eating at the end of a meal. You can use artificial sweeteners, alternative sugars or try expanding your food horizons to include fruit, and yogurts. You can even make your recipes more nutritious by including whole grains, and vegetable oil when preparing desserts. For many recipes you can skip or reduce the sugar without changing the consistency or sacrificing the taste. Another option is to practice portion control. Consider splitting dessert or opting for a single ice cream scoop.

NOTE: Before making any changes to your diet check with your GP.


Manek Chowk <pothinudehlu@gmail.com>