Varicose Veins
What Is It?
The venous return system is a network of veins which carry the de-oxygenated blood back from the tissues to the heart and lungs for re-oxygenation. The venous system is working against gravity for the large areas of the lower trunk and the legs. To help prevent the blood from flowing back away from the heart, the veins contain bi-cuspid or half-moon shaped non-return valves to hold the blood and allow it to pass one way only through the veins.
When the veins become engorged with blood, these valves can become inefficient as the veins balloon out. This allows the blood to back-flow and pool in the veins, leading to veins which cannot hold their own elasticity and assist the flow of blood upwards, causing lumpy blow-outs at any point along the veins and in some cases, for extended lengths along the veins.
Cause and Effect
Causes of varicose veins include carrying excess weight, lack of regular exercise, pregnancy and standing for extended periods on a daily basis. Varicose veins are more prevalent in those who consume a diet high in processed foods which are lacking in fibre. All these factors make it hard for the body to fight gravity all the time, trying to push the blood up the legs towards the heart.
Juice Pharmacy Recommendations:
What to Avoid
Refined white sugars, highly processed foods, dairy products, red meats and meat products, sugary carbonated drinks, alcohol and smoking.
Standing for long periods - Avoid standing for long spells, but if this is unavoidable make sure it is interspersed with as much movement as possible. Finding an exercise you enjoy will make it more likely that you will continue. Aim for 20 mins each day to begin with and gradually increase.
What to Include
Complete a Juice Master detoxification programme of your choice to restore nutritional balance, allowing the body to begin to reduce the varicose veins. Thereafter aim for a diet at least 80 per cent mostly raw plant-based.
Incorporate lymph-drainage style massage to help remove stale blood from the veins and drink an increased amount of water daily. In severe cases, surgery is usually the only really successful option but detoxification and a healthy diet, along with daily exercise, can minimise the effects of the veins and prevent further deterioration.
Bioflavonoids - Incorporate fruits and vegetables containing bioflavonoids such as grapefruit, oranges, apricots, pears, cranberry, strawberry and beetroot. Also, high in bioflavonoids are onion, parsley and sage. Bioflavonoids found in the skin of fruits and vegetables help activate the healing properties of varicose veins as well as providing protection against free radical damage. (Intuitive Eating by Humbart ‘Smokey’ Santillo N.D).
Herbs - Research has shown that the herbs, horse chestnut, butcher’s broom, witch hazel and vine leaf have been found to be effective in the treatment of varicose veins. www.wddty.com
Himalayan salt - Reported as being beneficial in the prevention of varicose veins, unlike processed salt, Himalayan salt contains all the elements found in the body. Sea salt is known to contain a balance of minerals and trace elements but there is research that it can be loaded with toxins such as mercury, so Himalayan salt is a better option.
Huckleberry - Research has shown huckleberry to have a positive effect in the treatment of varicose veins. (Heinerman’s Encyclopedia of Healing by John Heinerman)
The Juice Recipes
Shot: The Beetroot Shot
1 Small Beetroot
½ Lemon
Juice and knock back in one juicy go!
Juice: Apple, Mango & Apricot Medley - taken from the Funky Fresh Juice Book
2 Golden Delicious Apples
4 Medium Fresh Apricots (pitted)
½ Medium Mango (pitted and peeled)
Ice
Remove the stone from the apricots. Juice the apples and apricots. Make sure you pack the apricots tightly into the chute of the juicer, sandwiched between the apples, to get the most juice. Carefully slice the mango just off-centre, avoiding the large stone inside, then scoop out the flesh from the skin into the blender. Add the freshly extracted juice and ice and blend until smooth.
Disclaimer
Please note, it is impossible to give a definitive list as what supports one person can be a trigger food or allergen for another. You must stay your own juice detective at all times and listen to how your own body responds to certain foods and always consult with your healthcare provider when making changes to your diet which may affect your medication. Please be aware that we are not doctors, so it is important to consult with your GP or medical practitioner BEFORE making any changes to your diet. The suggestions above are not meant as an alternative to any current medical treatment so please DO NOT stop taking any medications you are on. They are also not an endorsement of their effectiveness, or a recommendation that they should be followed but instead, are provided for informational purposes. None of the information on the Natural Juice Therapy site is intended or implied to treat, cure or prevent any condition or disease.