People suffering from varicose veins should adhere to certain nutritional principles, which serve as an auxiliary means to alleviate the condition of patients. You can learn more about what a diet for varicose veins is in our article.
The essence of the diet for varicose veins
The main essence of the diet for varicose veins is to regulate nutrition, which will allow you to return your weight to normal (which will reduce the load on blood vessels) and reduce the thickness of blood - oneof the main dangers of varicose veins. veins.
It has been proven that with varicose veins, the blood can thicken, which can lead to thrombosis. Additionally, viscous blood is harder to pump, which also increases the load on the heart.
How to make blood more fluid? This will be helped primarily by diet, as well as maintaining a drinking regime. According to statistics, most vascular problems occur in people who do not drink enough fluids. As a result, the body loses its own fluid, the blood becomes viscous, and blood clots form in capillaries and other vessels.
We can conclude that to replenish fluid losses and ensure normal metabolic processes, you need to drink at least 2 liters of clean water every day - this is a natural and affordable remedy for reducing blood viscosity. It is allowed to replace water with herbs or green tea without sugar, or freshly squeezed fruit or vegetable juices. Grape, citrus, tomato or berry juices are the most popular.
Alcoholic beverages, including beer, will need to be excluded, as they do not contribute to saturating the body with moisture.
Before you start creating a nutritional menu for varicose veins, you need to remember that the greatest benefits come from natural products that dilute and renew blood. Most foods containing preservatives, stabilizers, dyes and other chemicals contribute to blood thickening - they should be removed from the daily diet.
Patients suffering from varicose veins are recommended to always have two lists of food products at hand: those that are allowed and those that are not recommended and can harm the body. We will talk about these products a little later.
In addition to affecting blood circulation, diet should also help facilitate liver function. The fact is that the liver is responsible for many reactions and metabolic processes that occur in our tissues. In particular, this organ produces special components that prevent the increase in blood viscosity. It goes without saying that dietary deficiencies, bad habits, unfavorable environmental conditions, frequent and uncontrolled use of medications have a negative effect on liver function. Hence the following conclusion: nutrition should be done in such a way as not to overload the liver, but to facilitate its work. That is, it is necessary to limit fatty, smoked, canned and heavy foods - all those products that require additional resources for processing.
In order to alleviate the manifestations of varicose veins and prevent the disease from worsening, it is recommended to reconsider your attitude to bad habits, pay attention to the medications you take and evaluate the advisability of taking them(especially for hormonal medications and diuretics). - all these factors greatly influence the increase in blood coagulability.
What substances are most needed in the treatment of varicose veins?
- Vitamin E (tocopherol) ensures the elasticity of blood vessels. It is found in sufficient quantities in sprouted grains, egg yolk and vegetable oils.
- Ascorbic acid thins the blood and eliminates inflammation of blood vessels. Berries, tomatoes, citrus fruits and kiwi are rich in vitamins.
- Rutin is considered an essential vitamin for blood vessel health. It is found in citrus fruits (especially the peel), blackcurrant, nuts and green tea.
- Bioflavonoids are beneficial substances that facilitate venous circulation. The substances are mainly found in dark cherry varieties.
- Copper is necessary for the production of a sufficient quantity of elastin in the tissues, which helps prevent the appearance of venous "nodules". A lot of copper is found in seafood.
- Fiber forces the digestive system to work, preventing constipation, one of the factors that causes varicose veins. Fiber is found in plant foods, bran and grains.
- Water thins the blood, facilitates blood circulation and reduces the load on the vascular walls.
Diet for varicose veins of the lower extremities
The lower limbs are perhaps the most susceptible to varicose veins. Basically, this can be explained by the increased load on the legs: a person walks a lot during the day, stands, sits cross-legged, etc. At the same time, the vessels experience quite significant pressure. This is particularly noticeable if you are overweight or have unfavorable heredity (one of your relatives suffers from chronic varicose veins).
If your varicose veins are associated with a genetic predisposition, then you should focus all your efforts on maintaining normal vascular permeability and tone: do not overexert your lower extremities, wear special underwear and stockings, welleat and lead a healthy lifestyle, drink enough water. . It is good if your professional activity does not involve prolonged stress on your legs.
If you are overweight, the first task is to reduce it - preferably not by fasting, but by following a proper diet, with enough protein foods and limiting simple sugars.
You should not deprive yourself of seafood: sea fish, shrimp, seaweed, squid are rich in minerals that our ships really need. Thanks to seafood, blood vessels become elastic, their fragility and permeability decrease.
In addition, food must provide the body with sufficient vitamins. Rutin (vitamin P) and ascorbic acid are particularly useful for the vascular system.
These vitamins are found in large quantities in tea leaves, rose hips, citrus fruits, rowan berries, etc. By the way, for a healthy person, the routine daily norm is 25-50 mg, and in case of vascular diseases this amount increases to 150 mg per day.
Vitamins C and P tend to stimulate the production of collagen, considered one of the main components of skin and vessel walls. If there is no deficiency of the listed vitamins, the walls of the capillaries are usually strong, elastic, durable and provide good blood circulation. Normally functioning vessels mean no problems with pressure, swelling and varicose veins.
Dietary changes, taking into account the enrichment of the diet with vitamins P and C, should be started already with the following symptoms:
- rapid fatigue in the legs;
- the appearance of bruises and spider veins without cause;
- pain in the joints of the lower extremities.
Diet for varicose veins and thrombophlebitis
In case of thrombophlebitis, as in no other disease, anticoagulant measures are relevant. Nutrition is not negligible: the foods consumed must contain all the necessary substances to avoid clogging of the veins with blood clots and the development of the inflammatory process.
The diet for thrombophlebitis involves the predominant consumption of plant foods. Dishes made from pineapples, watermelons, melons, ginger, all types of onions as well as cinnamon are particularly welcome. It is not recommended to eat bananas, legumes, meat products and soy in large quantities.
It is important to reduce the proportion of foods rich in vitamin K in your daily diet, which improves the coagulation process - blood clotting. This vitamin is present in all green plant foods - lettuce, parsley and cilantro, any type of cabbage. There are also plenty of vitamins in nuts, eggs, whole milk, meat, liver and fish. If you like to drink herbal teas, you should exclude plants such as nettle, raspberry leaves, linden and rosehip from teas.
In addition, you must limit the consumption of fatty foods. The fact is that fats promote better absorption of vitamin K, since they are fat-soluble.
What foods should you take with varicose veins and thrombophlebitis? Give preference to colorful vegetables, fruits, berries, dairy products and cereals. You can cook stews, stews, steam, etc. Also, don't overeat or drink alcoholic beverages.
Diet for pelvic varicose veins
Pelvic varicose veins are a disease that mainly affects women. It is associated, in most cases, with pregnancy and childbirth, a sedentary lifestyle and the internal use of contraceptives. The disease especially often affects those who already have varicose veins of the extremities and hemorrhoids.
In addition to drug treatment, diet will help relieve pelvic vein symptoms. This represents a transition to a healthy diet, rich in plant-based foods and rich in fiber. Fiber is needed primarily to prevent constipation, which aggravates varicose veins, thereby increasing the load on the vascular system of the abdominal cavity.
The body also needs protein foods, which help regenerate vascular walls.
What you should first give up is alcohol, tobacco, fatty and carbohydrate foods.
What recommendations can be given regarding the diet for pelvic varicose veins:
- If possible, eat a few pieces of pineapple a day;
- prepare this medicine: chop 200 g of peeled garlic, mix with 300 ml of honey. Leave for a week. Take the finished mixture 1 tbsp. spoon before each meal;
- Sea kale is considered an excellent remedy for varicose veins. It must be consumed several times a day, every day for 3 months;
- It is recommended to eat a handful of pine nuts every day;
- It is useful to add a little nutmeg powder to your food, as well as cinnamon and ginger.
All other recommendations correspond to the general rules of nutrition for varicose veins.
Diet for esophageal varicose veins
Esophageal varices are a rather insidious disease, because for a long time the patient can be unaware of its existence. And only in an advanced state does the disease make itself felt.
Dilation of the veins of the esophagus requires a fairly strict diet, which reduces the load on the digestive system and facilitates the passage of food.
- The number of meals should be divided into 5-6 times and the portions should be small.
- Food should be crushed and chewed well, or better yet, cook food to a semi-liquid state so as not to damage the walls of the esophageal tube.
- The last meal of the day should be taken approximately 4 hours before bedtime.
- It is not recommended to sleep on a low pillow to avoid reflux of stomach contents into the esophagus.
- It is necessary to sharply limit (or better yet eliminate) the consumption of fatty, fried, smoked foods, canned foods, as well as dishes with hot spices and a lot of salt.
- Fasting days have a good effect: fasting on watermelon, melon, as well as days based on freshly squeezed fruit or vegetable juices are particularly welcome.
It is advisable to limit meat in the diet - it is replaced by shrimp, lean fish and squid. You should also "forget" about jellies, canned foods (fish and meat), alcohol and rich broths. Consumption of black coffee is also limited.
All dishes are steamed, baked, boiled or baked. Experts advise paying more attention to plant-based and fermented dairy products and grains.
Diet menu for varicose veins
In order not to think about what to cook yourself throughout the day, without breaking your diet, it is recommended to draw up a sample menu in advance. In the future, using the already developed diet, it will be possible to change it by simply replacing some products with similar ones.
Let's give an example.
First day:
- We have oatmeal with raisins for breakfast.
- For a second breakfast, you can make a kiwi and orange smoothie with honey.
- For lunch - buckwheat soup and vegetable salad with Borodino bread.
- Snack – fruit yogurt.
- We dine with a piece of boiled fish and a portion of seaweed salad.
Second day:
- For breakfast, prepare a serving of low-fat cottage cheese with fruit and honey.
- For the second breakfast, fruit jelly or mousse is suitable.
- We have lunch with pumpkin porridge and baked eggplant with tomatoes.
- As a snack - carrot and apple salad with yogurt.
- Dinner: a portion of mashed potatoes with beet salad.
Day three:
- For breakfast: rice pudding with prunes.
- For the second breakfast, cook a pear with honey and nuts.
- You can have lunch with onion soup and vegetable casserole.
- For a snack – a glass of tomato juice.
- For dinner – steamed chicken meatballs with vegetables.
Day four:
- We have steamed cheesecakes with fruit for breakfast.
- For the second breakfast: a smoothie made with yogurt and fruit.
- We have lunch with tomato soup and carrot cutlet with sour cream.
- Have a snack with a cup of vegetable salad.
- For dinner, you can boil chicken breast with mint sauce.
Fifth day :
- For breakfast: wholemeal bread with peanut butter.
- Berry kefir is suitable for the second breakfast.
- We have lunch with okroshka and stuffed tomatoes.
- Snack: freshly squeezed apple juice.
- We dine with a piece of steamed salmon with lemon sauce.
Sixth day:
- We have breakfast with buckwheat pancakes and applesauce.
- For the second breakfast - a handful of pine nuts or dried fruits.
- We have lunch with rice soup and a piece of fish in a casserole.
- Snack – apple with cottage cheese.
- We dine with a portion of vegetarian pilaf.
We make the seventh day a fast day.
Before going to bed, half a glass of low-fat kefir or yogurt without additives is allowed.
Diet recipes for varicose veins
- Kiwi and orange smoothie– a healthy sweet and sour drink that is quite simple to prepare. All you need is a blender and ingredients: peeled orange, kiwi (if desired, you can also add tangerine or other fruits), a teaspoon. HoneyIn summer, it is also recommended to add a few cubes of edible ice for added freshness. Grind all products in a blender and pour into glasses or glasses.
- Eggplant cooked with tomatoes- a healthy dietary dish. Ingredients: two medium eggplants, 4 tomatoes, 2 or 3 cloves of garlic, vegetable oil, sour cream, spices. Let's move on to cooking: cut the washed eggplants into slices (about 5 mm), do the same with the tomatoes. Peel the garlic and squeeze it through a press, or simply chop it. Sprinkle the eggplant slices a little with spices and place them on a baking sheet greased with vegetable oil. Bake until golden brown, turning once to the other side. Place the finished eggplants on a plate, put 0. 5-1 teaspoon on each circle. sour cream mixed with garlic and put a piece of tomato on top of the sauce. Already in this form the dish can be served to the table. If you wish, you can sprinkle with grated cheese or sesame seeds.
- Rice pudding with prunes- a good replacement for the usual boring porridge. Necessary ingredients of the dish: 100 g of round rice, 600 ml of milk, sugar, 2 eggs, lemon zest, cinnamon. Cooking: add the sugar (around 60 g, to taste) and the lemon zest to the milk. Put on the heat, bring to the boil and add the rice. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring constantly. After that, add the dried fruits cut into pieces and washed and put the rice in the oven at t° +120°C for about 40 minutes. Stir the rice several times during cooking. Take out the cooked rice and let it cool. Meanwhile, separate the yolks from the whites. Add the yolks to the rice and mix well. Add a few drops of lemon juice to the whites and beat until stiff, then gently fold into the rest of the mixture. Place in the oven for about another 15 minutes - this can be done directly in the mold or distributed into special molds. We serve the dish there. When serving, sprinkle with cinnamon. You can also top it with honey or fruit sauce.
- mint sauce- A delicious addition to chicken breast. Ingredients: 75 ml of red wine vinegar, 25 g of sugar, fresh mint leaves (about 10 g), a small onion (preferably sweet). Mix the vinegar, sugar and salt on the tip of a knife. Grind the mint leaves and onion, add them to the vinegar and place in the refrigerator for several hours (minimum 2-3 hours). Serve with meat.
- Peanut pastecan be used for a quick and healthy breakfast, or to prepare various sauces and main dishes. We will need: 200 g of roasted and peeled peanuts (without salt or pepper), ½ tsp. salt, 40 ml of vegetable oil, 5 g of honey. Pour the nuts into a blender, add salt and honey and grind at maximum speed for about 1-2 minutes. Add the oil, mix and turn the blender back on for 2 minutes. The dough is ready, it can be stored in the refrigerator for 1. 5-2 months.
- Buckwheat pancakes– thin, suitable for any filling, or simply with sour cream. Ingredients: 1 cup buckwheat flour, 1 cup kefir, salt and sugar to taste, 1 cup water, 2 eggs, vegetable oil. Beat eggs, add kefir, a little salt and sugar. Mix everything. Gradually add the buckwheat flour, stirring continuously. After that, add water little by little, kneading and controlling the consistency of the dough. Fry thin pancakes in a small frying pan greased with vegetable oil.
Enjoy your food!
If you have symptoms of such an unpleasant disease as varicose veins, a proper diet and diet for varicose veins can prevent the condition from further worsening. In addition, if varicose veins are just beginning to develop, a change in diet will help avoid complications and negative consequences of the pathology.
What can you eat if you have varicose veins?
It is not difficult to choose useful products for varicose veins. It is important to remember the main thing: the foods consumed should be enriched, varied and should not contain large amounts of animal fats, unnatural additives (chemicals, preservatives), salt, simple sugars, dpungent spices and blood-thickening substances.
Recommended Use:
- berry, fruit and vegetable dishes (tomatoes, carrots, onions, garlic, citrus fruits, kiwi, pears, grapes, watermelons, eggplants, pumpkin, melon);
- nuts (except walnuts);
- berries that reduce the permeability of the vascular wall (cranberries, currants, cherries, blueberries, sea buckthorn);
- various cereals (in the form of porridges, side dishes, stews and soups - buckwheat, oatmeal, millet, rice);
- lean fish, seafood, seaweed;
- dried fruits (all kinds);
- tea, fermented milk products, cottage cheese, unsalted cheese;
- vegetable oils.
The proposed set of products will help maintain normal vascular tone, control your weight and prevent the accumulation of fluid in the tissues. It is good if the diet is supplemented with drug treatment using special creams and medications prescribed by a doctor.
What should you not eat if you have varicose veins?
Proper nutrition for varicose veins involves limiting or eliminating the following foods:
- Candy. These include baked goods made from white flour, sweets, cakes, jam, chocolate, condensed milk, cakes and ice cream.
- Hot seasonings: black pepper, chili, mustard, horseradish, but also adjika, wasabi, etc.
- Soft drinks, alcohol, coffee, cocoa, store-bought juices.
- Salt and sugar.
- Fatty meat products: pork, lard, meat with layers of fat.
- Marinades, pickles.
- Canned fish and meat.
- Rich broths, jellies, aspics.
- Bananas, pomegranates.
- Whole sour cream, cream, melted cheese, butter.
- Legumes: lentils, beans, peas.
- Nut.
It is not recommended to overeat, especially in the evening. Fasting is also not encouraged. But fasting days, on the contrary, are useful. They can be organized once a week, using, for example, kefir, watermelon, buckwheat, tomato juice or apples.