The Benefits of Probiotics

What are Probiotics?

No doubt – acidophilus and other probiotic bacteria do help digestion and strengthen the immunity.

However, an important note to bear in mind: No amount of probiotic supplements or yoghurt will help you if you have an allergy to milk, or wheat and you are still using these products.

This is because the bowels become clogged with mucous if you do not digest these foods, which are often problematic, properly.

The mucous lining the bowel will prevent the probiotics from doing their good job, and the mucous will also harbour intestinal parasites, which will further weaken your digestion and your immune system.

So – I have one major reservation about the value of taking probiotics.  I think that they are generally over-rated.  People often want that quick-fix without making any radical changes to the diet, and so everybody goes overboard about taking probiotic supplements, or probiotic yoghurt.

If you really want to get the full effect from taking probiotics, then give up wheat, sugar and milk.

The word probiotic is derived from Greek roots. Pro means ‘supporting’ or ‘pro’, ‘for’; and ‘biotic’ means life. The word Probiotcs means anything, really, which is supportive of life.

When we talk about food supplements and ‘probiotics’, we usually think about the special brands of yogurt which contain those specific cultures of beneficial bacteria which are probiotic. Or we might bring to mind the various supplements containing probiotics which we see in our favorite health food shop.

Although the term probiotics is one which has only recently been applied to the beneficial cultures used in yogurt making today, and which are found in some other fermented foods, and nutritional supplements, the therapeutic value of  the lactobacillus probiotic has actually been known for centuries.

Yogurt is still, and always has been,  an important part of the diet in many places of the world.  Today, yogurt with added probiotics is also becoming a very popular addition to the Western diet because of the nutritional boosts this gives us.

Note: If you have a sensitivity to dairy products, or you are suffering a candida infection, then you should go to see your health practitioner for advice. Probiotics can be helpful in many conditions, but a professional opinion should be sought.

There are a variety of culures of bacteria which can be added to milk to make yogurt: Of the many and various cultures known by scientists,  we will outline some of the most commonly  used strains, those which have been proven to enhance health, in this article.

Yogurt making is a skill which  will preserve fresh milk in the hot places of the world where the milk would otherwise ‘go off’ very quickly. This is one beneficial aspect of yogurt making, and the lactobacillic organism.

However, the other important factor, which is why yogurt, and other fermented foods like sauerkraut have remained  so popular in many parts of the world, is because these foods which have been fermented with special cultures of bacteria- probiotics –  have definite health giving effects.

What are the Main Benefits of Probiotics?

  • Two of the main benefits of probiotics are that your digestion will improve, and your immune system will become stronger. A stronger immune system means that you will have improved resistance to disease.  It has been scientifically illustrated, also,  that lactobacilli work a little like a natural antibiotic because they possess  the ability to kill some unfriendly bacteria which cause certain diseases.
  • There are other health-giving attributes  to be had if you use probiotics, or specific fermented foods on a daily basis.  One important benefit from using probiotics is that your digestion of fats and proteins is improved.
  • Another is that you have better absorption of  the minerals and vitamins in your food:  Probiotics help to keep your intestinal flora  healthy, and this is why the absorption of minerals and vitamins is improved. Healthy intestinal flora also assists in the manufacture of certain vitamins and enzymes in the bowel.
  • Another health bonus from including lactobacillus probiotics in your daily diet, is that your cholesterol levels will most likely be lowered. This cholesterol-lowering effect gained from using lactobacillus in the diet will be enhanced, of course, by the eating of plenty of high fiber foods.
  • Certain probiotics enhance the body’s ability to manufacture Vitamin B and Vitamin K in the body, as well as Biotin.
  • Some people who are otherwise intolerant to the lactose in milk  find that their sensitivities are reduced when acidophilus/or bifidus or other probiotics are added to the diet. Some people are able to digest yogurt which has been treated with special cultures, whereas they still cannot digest unfermented milk properly.

Now, the benefits of probiotics have been proven scientifically by many researchers. Dr Khem Shahani, Ph.D is one emminent doctor who has devoted his life’s work and his research  almost specifically to the topic of organisms and their effect on health, such as the Lactobacillus acidophilus strain, and the Lactobacillus bifidus, otherwise known as bifidobacterium bifidum. Dr Shahani emphasises that our good health is really dependent upon these two organisms. This is no quackery – Dr Khem Shahani has worked as an advisor to the World Health Organisation.

Khem Shahani’s  latest book  is entitled ‘Cultivate Health From Within’ – Dr Shahani’s Guide to Probiotics. This book gives much detailed  information on the benefits of probiotics to your health and how probiotics help  promote longevity. This book is a fairly recent one, published in 2005 by Vital Health Publishing, Danbury, CT 06811.

The Bifidobacterium bifidum organism lives primarily in the large intestine and colon. The Lacto acidophilus lives mainly in the small intestine, although it is also found in the large intestine and colon, though in smaller numbers. These two work together synergistically in maintaining good digestion and elimination of waste products.

You can help proliferate the Lacto acidophilus bacteria in the small intestines by eating fermented foods like yogurt, sauerkraut, umeboshi plums, tempeh and miso. If you are to get the benefit of  either the Lacto acidophilus, or the Bifidobacterium organism from eating yogurt, though, you have to buy a product which advertises the probiotics on the packaging. Otherwise, you might be eating a yogurt which has been pasteurised, and this means that the beneficial organisms such as the Lacto acidiophilus, or L. bifidus, will have been killed off. These organisms need to be live in the food you eat, or in the supplement which you take, to enable them to proliferate in the intestines.

Why Do We Need To Consider Supplementing Our Diets With Probiotics?

Many things in our environment interfere with our digestion and our body’s ability to keep the intestinal flora in a proper, healthy  balance.

Here are some of the main things which upset the intestinal flora, which in turn affects our immunity and our ability to process food and manufacture vitamins:

  • Antibiotics. (Note – sometimes antibiotics are necessary and will save a life. See your health practitioner or your doctor if you have a health complaint)  These are one of the worst things for interfering with digestion. Antibiotics readily kill off the beneficial bacteria in the bowel. The trouble is, that even if you do not take allopathic medications,  antibiotics find their way into our bodies because the animals we eat have been fed antibiotics.
  • Milk is contaminated with antibiotics too, as the cows which produce our milk for us are treated regularly with antibiotics.
  • Eggs, unless they are certified organic, will have quantities of antibiotics and hormones in them. It is important, for the sake of our health and that of our children, therefore, to find organic sources for our milk and our meats and eggs.
  • If you take a probiotic after a course of necessary antibiotics, then your intestinal flora will quickly be restored. A Probiotic will help alleviate the negative side- effects of the antibiotic.
  • Drinking too much coffee, alcohol, and smoking, will deplete the supply of healthy bacteria in the bowel.
  • Radiation, such as living too close to intense power sources and cell phone towers, or sleeping next to the meter box at your house, or the television, will affect the delicate balance of your intestinal flora.
  • Insectides and herbicides also harm your intestinal flora.
  • Medications such as the pill, and blood thinners, will affect your intestinal flora.
  • Read merrilyn’s other post on probiotics entitled Probiotic Advantage.

What Happens When You Stop Smoking

You can imagine what happens when you stop smoking.

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Giving up smoking is very difficult for most people. A few people  manage  the cold turkey approach to giving up smoking:  something makes them decide one morning that they are just sick of  the coughing fit which is experienced  every morning upon waking. And that  coughing fit  is always followed by the  crazy routine of going straight for the fags, the cause of the problem. They decide, on the spot,  that they’re never going to smoke  again, and that’s it. They don’t.

For most of us, achieving our goal of being a non-smoker is far more difficult. It certainly takes a lot of perseverance, in my experience, to keep going on the no-smoking tack, when you repeatedly disappoint yourself by breaking your vow to stop. Read about some helpful tips in Merrilyn’s post http://merrilynhope.com/giving-up-smoking/

It is important to keep motivated and  positive about your intentions. All you have to do really,  is to Keep on keeping on – Keep believing that you will finally become a non-smoker, despite the slow progress. If you keep  believing that, then it won’t matter whether you take three weeks,  three months, or three years, as long as you  get there. Of course, sooner is better, rather than later, but  don’t be disappointed in yourself if you break your vow of abstinence.

Feeling guilty about your failure to quit  actually makes you likely to smoke more. Pick yourself up again, and continue trying to give up. Finally, one day, you will have become a non-smoker.

So – finally, you manage to do it. What happens when you stop smoking – how do you feel?

Of course, you will feel proud of yourself. And justifiably, too. Giving up smoking is, along with  giving up alcohol, one of the best achievements you will make in your life time. Giving up smoking will  improve your health, prolong your life,  and give you and your family a better quality of life. The whole family will benefit because there will be more money for good food and outings. Your family, and your friends too, will also be happier, because they are not subjected to your smoke, and because they do not see you getting closer to death with every puff.

Initially, after you have stopped smoking, you will most likely feel more stressed and bad-tempered. This is partly because all those tobacco and combustion toxins which have been stored in your body suddenly begin to be expelled. The body is jolted into throwing off the stored poisons, because of the sudden withdrawal of tobacco. These poisons which suddenly begin to be expelled can cause you to feel very sick, if not irritable.

As the poisons get expelled, and flood through the bloodstream, you might experience heart palpitations, a fluctuating blood sugar level, dizziness, a foul tasting mouth, a yellow-furred tongue, profuse sweating, and other disturbances of the metabolism.

Over Eating can be a a problem for many people. Initially, though, you should not worry about this, unless you are excessively fat. Generally, smokers are malnourished. They have a deficiency of many of the important vitamins and minerals on which our good health depends. So eating up at the beginning of your adjustment to a smoke-free life should not be of concern. The main thing is to eat nutritious food and  avoid eating bread and wheat products  and  fried foods: if you susbstitute brown rice for any bread you might eat, you won’t get fat, and your cholesterol levels will remain healthy.

Avoid Getting Fat: The thing you have to do,  is not so much to curb your eating, but  to ensure that you are not eating any crap foods. Nourish your body and nervous system.  If you are hungry between meals, then try to make the effort to make yourself a carrot juice, or an apple juice. Or simply eat an apple, or a banana – something which will provide sustenance to your body and your brain and your nervous system.

How To Minimize Withdrawal Symptoms

The classic symptoms which you experience when you stop smoking can be remedied very quickly if you take  measures to expell the tobacco poisons as quickly as you can. The more quickly that you can rid the body of these harmful toxins, the more quickly will your health be returned to normal and your mood be happy and constant.

Castor Oil to Eliminate Poisons One of the most efficient ways to get rid of poisons in the body and brain is to take castor oil every second day, for a week or two. An irrigation of the bowel is recommended during this time, especially if you have not done a cleansing diet in a while. This washes away the poisons from the bowel immediately, so that you do not reabsorb the poisons back into the bloodstream. These reabsorbed poisons keep the tobacco drugs in your blood. Getting rid of theses poisons from the bowel and blood  increases the liklihood that you will quit the tobacco habit forever.

Castor Oil, or Ghee Oil  Put either of these two oils into your nostrils at night.  Ghee oil has been used in Ayurvedic medicine to help many health conditions, and ghee oil to stop smoking is one of them.  Castor oil has a similar effect and is another well-tried remedy.

These oils will help your mucous membranes to heal, and also deter youfrom smoking.  Put just three drops up into each nostril and inhale it into the sinuses. You can smear a little of either of these oils into the nostrils during the day time as well.  Every time you get an urge to smoke, just put a little of either castor oil or ghee into the nostrils.

The Apple Diet

If you do not wish to  tackle the castor oil treatment, you might try fasting on only apples for a day. Eat normally for a few days, then do two days on the apple diet.

The Grape Diet

Grapes work just as well as apples. Just eat grapes whenever you are hungry. Grapes and apples eaten raw will have a cleansing effect on your whole body.

Carrot Juice Diet

Another way to cleanse the body quickly is to take a glass of carrot juice every hour for the whole of the day. Again – eat normally for a few days, then try two days on the carrot juice diet.

Natural Tranquillizers

Of course, your brain has been relying on the tobacco drug, to help with your stress levels. Now this is what happens when you stop smoking: your brain does not make the adjustment to a drug-free existence so lightly. It will tell you that you ‘need’ something. You will fell restless, and perhaps anxious. See the paragraph below on the effects of Vitamin C and Vitamin B, which help  to de-stress your body while you get used to doing without cigarettes.

Yoga Breathing, and Yoga Nidra can help greatly in destressing the body and in oxygenating the blood and brain so that you will feel great.

Read merrilyn’s posts  entitled ‘Yoga Nidra’, and the ‘Ha Ha Ha Breath/Quit Smoking’ for some simple yoga techniques you can use in quitting smoking.

Alternate Nostril Breathing is of great value in calming the emotions and in acting as a deterrent for smoking.  Simply block off the right nostril with the right hand thumb.  Breathe in through the left nostril.  Hold for a second, then release the thumb from the right nostril and put the ring finger over the left nostril.  Your middle finger and ring finger should be resting above your nose on the eye-brow center.

Exhale through the right nostril.  Breath in through the same nostril you have just exhaled from , that is the right.  Hold the breath for a second, then swap the fingers over so that the left nostril is released.  Breatheout through the left, then in again through the same nostril.  Change the fingers to release the other nostril and repeat, exhaing through the right nostril, then breathing in again through the right nostril.

This can be done in bed at night.  It helps to bring restful sleep and calm the brain.

Diet and Vitamin Supplements

Generally, a low carbohydrate/ high protein diet is the one which is recommended for people giving up smoking or alcohol.

You can give your brain that ‘added something’ by nourishing it with foods and vitamins and minerals which will negate those unwanted cravings. You can improve your stress levels enormously with the following  specific vitamin supplements.

Vitamin C, especially the non-acidic form such as Ester C, or Calcium Ascorbate, will work not only as a detoxifying agent, but as a soothing,  mild tranquillizer. This makes Vitamin C especially useful when you are giving up smoking, or alcohol. Take 1000 mg three times a day to begin your smoke free life. A dose should be taken last thing at night, as this will help you to sleep well.

Vitamin B Complex is another important supplement for giving up smoking. This nourishes your nerves and brain so that you do not suffer the effects  of giving up smoking so intensely.

Zinc, Magnesium and B6 are essential to good health. You need an extra boost of these minerals when you are giving up smoking.

Calcium is another important mineral which helps us to sustain good health. Alcium also acts as a mild tranquillizer, so this is another one to add to your diet. If you ate a small can of sardines, or some mackerel, every day, then you will be getting plenty of calcium from the small bones in these fish.

You might experiment with merrilyn’s recipe for home made calcium supplement in the post “Best Calcium Supplement’. This supplement is better absorbed than calcium tablets are, or even dolomite powder, because it is naturally mixed with other minerals like magnesium and zinc, which aid the absorption of calcium.

Iodine is another important mineral, and you will get this in ample supply from eating sardines or any sea food.

Look at merrilyn’s posts entitled  ‘Giving Up Smoking’, ‘Giving Up Alcohol Vitamins’,  and  ‘Detox Diets’.  Also:

‘Homeopathic Remedy To Reduce Craving For Tobacco‘

Fluoride

CALCIUM FLUORIDE
Natural fluoride is found in most fruits, vegetables, milk, eggs and meat. This type of fluoride is known as calcium fluoride. Calcium fluoride  helps to build strong bones and teeth and nails.
The recommended daily allowance is somewhere between 1000 mcg and 4000 mcg. or between 1 milligramm and 4 milligrams. Your body weight is the deciding factor. Enough calcium fluoride can be gained from your food to amply make up this amount, if  your diet includes plenty of fluoride rich foods such as are included in the list below.

Sodium fluoride is not such a good type of fluoride. This is added to our water to provide more fluoride for the growing of strong teeth and bones. However, this type of fluoride is not assimilated in the same way as the natural calcium fluoride found in food. Many authorities think that sodium fluoride in fluoridated water is the cause of many health problems.
There should be no need to fluoridate water with sodium fluoride.

One negative aspect of fluoridating water is that you cannot regulate the dose: if you drink a lot of tap water or beverages made with tap water,
then you will be consuming huge amounts of sodium fluoride: one litre of fluoridated water contains about 1100 mcg.
If you are a big tea drinker, then you will be absorbing plenty of calcium fluorde from the tea itself, plus extra sodium fluoride from your tap water.

Too much sodium fluoride can cause brittle, and stained, chalky-looking teeth in children. These fracture easily.
People with bone conditions and immune disfunction should avoid drinking fluoridated water and opt for pure unadulterated water, in order to make a recovery or prevent a worsening of symptoms.

It can cause calcium growths on bones and on the joints of people of all ages.
It can cause fatigue, headaches, numbness in the limbs and fingers and toes, easy bruising and internal bleeding.
It is better to get your fluoride from natural sources and avoid  fluoridated water, if possible.

Some of the best food sources for naturally occuring calcium fluoride are:

One cup of black ceylon tea, made with UNtreated,UNfluoridated water gives you about 250 mcg of fluoride.
One cup of whole milk gives you 45 mcg
The outer bran part of grains yields fluoride – one slice of wholemeal bread gives roughly 35 mcg
100 gms of fish gives about 80 mcg. Canned salmon, mackerel and sardines are higher because the bones are also eaten:
these are high in calcium fluoride and other minerals, including iodine.
100 gms of meat gives about 50 mcg
One cup of either broccoli or cabbage or brussels sprouts or carrots give around 30 mcg.
Untreated water contains small amounts of natural fluoride. The amount will vary depending on where you live, and where your water is sourced.

Easy Gluten Free Recipes

from Canon 279Gluten Free Diet:

Many thanks to Lok for this awesome pic of gluten free food:  Stuffed Red Capsicums With Rice.

Here are a few of my most favourite easy gluten free recipes for you to try.

You also  might like to look at merrilyn’s post entitled ‘Complete List of Gluten Free Foods’ and the cookie site  Gluten Free Cookies.info

This collection of gluten free recipes has to begin with the ‘humble-pie’ cornmeal polenta porridge. Cornmeal, and brown rice, are the two grains which you will use a lot in your gluten free cooking. These are very nutritious, and, with the added help of a bit of soy, or chick pea flour, or arrowroot, you can learn to cook delicious wheat-free dishes: your visitors will never know the difference.

Polenta Porridge is a great way to start the day. You can add a grated apple to the serving of polenta, some olive oil, a dash of butter, or cream, or your favorite sort of milk,  and you have a good,  nourishing, high fiber, gluten free breakfast.

To make Polenta Porridge

  • Take a cup of yellow cornmeal groats.   OR  you can use fine, yellow cornmeal instead.
  • Add a 1/4 tsp of sea salt.
  • If you wish, add 1/2 cup of dates, or sultanas or raisins, to sweeten.
  • Add two cups  and a half of water. Groats are best if you can soak them for an hour, as this quickens the cooking time and results in a softer porridge. If you are using fine yellow cornmeal, then mix the water in slowly as you stir, to get all the lumps out before you begin cooking.
  • Stir the polenta as you cook it over the stove. Once it is bubbling, turn the heat down to low and cook for a further five minutes on gentle heat. Remember to stir frequently.
  • If you can digest butter, then stir  a tablespoon or two of butter nto the cooked polenta,  just before you serve it. Butter renders the polenta ‘delicious’. If you do not wish to use butter, then add a tablespoon of olive oil or grapeseed oil to the plate of polenta. Butter or oils  add nourishment to the polenta, and help digestion and assimilation of vitamins and minerals.
  • You can  add sunflower seeds, sesame seeds and chopped almonds to give the polenta great flavor, texture, and added nourishment.

Flours for Gluten Free Pancakes

  • You can use any combination of these flours to make  gluten free pancakes:
  • Arrowroot
  • Chick pea flour, or ‘Besan’ flour
  • Fine yellow cornmeal
  • Potato flour
  • Rice flour
  • Soy flour
  • Tapioca flour

Here is a combination for Gluten Free Pancakes which works well. These gluten free pancakes are great  rolled up as a sweet, with maple syrup and whipped cream, or simply  lemon juice and heavy brown sugar. Or they can be used with your favorite savory filling.

  • Get your  measuring cup. Put in two tablespoons of chickpea flour, and two tablespoons of fine yellow cornmeal.
  • Top up the cup with arrowroot flour, or soy flour.
  • Break two large eggs in a bowl. Beat slightly.
  • Add half a cup of your favorite milk to the eggs,  and beat again.
  • Add two tablespoons of olive oil, or grapeseed oil to the egg and milk mixture.
  • Add the cup of flour and a pinch of salt. Beat until smooth.
  • Add two more cups of milk. Beat.
  • Finally, add the juice of half a lemon.

Let the mixture stand for an hour before cooking.

Heat your heavy fry pan up. Add a teaspoon of butter, and spread it over the pan. Make sure the pan is hot, and then add a good half cup of batter to the pan. Tilt the pan so that the batter covers the base of the pan. Cook until small bubbles begin to appear in the batter, and it has firmed nicely, then flip and cook the other side.

Fill with your favorite filling.

Delicious Gluten Free  Lemon Pudding

This pudding really is delicious, with a firm custard underneath it, and a light foamy sponge on top. It can be made with dairy milk, or with soy milk if you prefer. I have used coconut milk to make this pudding, and this has also been delicious, and a great hit with the family.

First, preheat your oven to 180C.

  • Two tablespoons of butter
  • 200 gm of sugar
  • Juice of two lemons
  • Two teaspoons of finely grated lemon rind. Make sure you do not get any of the white flesh included, as this gives a bitter taste.
  • Four eggs.
  • One tablespoon of chickpea flour
  • One tablespoon of rice flour
  • One tablespoon of arrowroot or tapioca flour.
  • 250 mls of milk
  • Optional – 2 tablespoons of coconut can be added for variety.

Grease your oven proof dish with a smear of butter, or olive oil.

Cream together the butter, sugar and lemon rind. Add the egg YOLKS. Mix in well, then add the flours, milk and lemon juice. Beat again.

In another clean bowl, beat up the egg whites with a pinch of salt. When peaks have formed, fold this beaten egg white  gently into the first mixture.

Pour into your greased baking dish, and bake for about 25 minutes, or until the pudding is set and browned slightly.

Serve with cream, or stewed fruit.

Yoga Exercise for Varicose Veins

Yoga exercise is beneficial for everyone, as we all know. Here are a few very simple yoga exercises which will benefit people with varicose veins.
The first category of  yoga exercise  for varicose veins  is the one which improves circulation. Improved circulation will help those sore veins.
The second category is the inverted posture: Inverted postures help drain old blood out of the legs, enabling new blood to nourish the veins. This exercise has the effect of relieving those  tired and aching legs. The inverted posture also benefits the brain and the thyroid, as it causes more blood to reach the head area.

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We will begin our exercise programme with some very  simple yoga exercises which almost anyone can do.

Day One: The first exercise which you will learn, ‘the simple leg raising exercise’,  will help your cicirculation, and give your legs a small opportunity to rest, as well.
The Simple Leg Raising Exercise:  This  exercise, believe it or not, has the combined effects of stimulating the circulation AND draining old blood from the legs. It is great for preventing constipation. It can be done at any time during the day, but it is a good one to do just before you go to bed, followed by the next listed here, the ‘simple inverted posture’. For preventing constipation, try to do the leg raising  exercise as soon as you get up. These take so little time – the benefits are so great for the little time spent in doing them.
Just lie on the floor, hands beside the body on the floor.  Breathe in a long, slow, deep breath. Hold the breath, and as you do, lift the legs up slowly until they are perpendicular to the body, upright, with the toes pointing towards the ceiling.
Hold the legs in this upright position, while you breath out slowly.  Slowly take another breath in and out while you keep the legs up with the toes pointing towards the ceiling.
Take another slow breath in, filling the lungs completely. Hold the breath as you slowly lower the legs to the floor.
Breathe  out again while your legs are lying relaxed on the floor. Take another breath in and out. Then take a deep breath in again, and hold the breath while you repeat the precedure of lifting the legs slowly up until the toes point to the sky.
Release the breath again, while you hold the legs in this position. Another breath in, and out. Then another breath in which you hold while the legs move down slowly to the floor again.
Repeat a third time. Then relax on the floor, breathing normally. Watch the breath as you lie relaxed on the floor, and feel the effect of having done this exercise.

Simple Leg Clasping Exercise:  This is another good one to prevent constipation, as it massages the stomach area. This also aids digestion. The legs benefit too, as they are drawn up with the knees getting applied pressure as you do so. Lie on the floor.  Draw the knees up towards the chest. Clasp the hands around the knees. Breathe in a deep breath. As you breathe out, pull the knees towards the chest, tugging the legs towards you. Release the pressure on the knees as you breathe in again, relaxing the pose a little, but keeping the hands clasped around the knees.  Breathing out, pull the legs inward towards the chest again. Hold for a second, then breathe in as you let the knees move outward again. Repeat for up to five rounds.

Rest.

Easy Knee Massage:  After you have done the above exercise, whilst you are still lying on the floor, or on your bed, you can give some gentle massage to the knees, using only the legs. Draw the knees upward off the floor. Just gently rub the inside of one knee against the other for half a minute. Put the legs down. Repeat. Then stop. This simple exercise will benefit your legs if you perform it at least once a day. You can do it even while you are in bed before sleeping, if you haven’t already done your exercises..

Simple Inverted Posture for Varicose Veins:
Lie close to a wall, close enough to touch the wall with your feet, with your knees bent.
Now place your legs up the wall. About two or three feet up the wall is a good height. Simply rest there, with your feet touching the wall. The wall holds the weight of your feet. Lie there for ten to twenty minutes, doing your yoga breathing. Imagine the tummy rising and falling with each breath, even if it is not moving much in this position. This exercise is also good for chest ailments, and asthma. Stop doing the exercise when it becomes uncomfortable, or if you are short of breath.

YOGA NIDRA , or the ‘Yoga of Sleep’ is beneficial for treating varicose veins.  It is also excellent for destressing the body, and ridding feelings of anxiety, so these are very good reasons to do this exercise. People with varicose veins often have high blood pressure and high levels of stress which contribute to health problems. This is the very exercise to relieve these symptoms. This exercise could follow the inverted posture above. For instructions on how to do yoga nidra, see merrilyn’s post entitled:  ‘yoga nidra’. Also see merrilyn’s post entitled ‘Yoga Breath and Sleeping Well’

Day Two: So – now you have done two simple yoga exercises, and maybe you have even done Yoga Nidra.Stimulating Circulation – Churning the Mill:  This exercise  most definitely belongs to the stimulating category. Churning the Mill is also great for massaging the intestines, which helps prevent constipation. Constipation is one of the main causes of varicose veins, and must be avoided if you are to improve those veins and prevent the condition from worsening.  Perform Churning the Mill as soon as you get up, before the above two exercises, if you are able. It can be done at any time really, but it should always be done before the gentle exercises of your routine. Always perform Churning the Mill before Yoga Nidra.

Sit on the floor with your legs spread apart. Clasp the hands together. Breathe out, as you stretch out as far as you can over your left leg, without straining. Now, holding the clasped hands together, move the hands across to the right leg, reaching towards the foot. Breathing in, bring the clasped hands up along the leg, top the top of the thigh. Lean the body back back as you do so. Keep the arms straight if you can, for the whole of the exercise. The idea is that you bend backwards slightly as you draw the clasped hands up the legs, so that you keep the arms straight. Breathe out as you take the clasped hands back down the left leg towards the left foot. Breathe in as you bring the hands along the right leg, upwards towards the right thigh.

The lean backwards is important, as this brings the stomach muscles into play. This stimulates circulation whilst it  massages the stomach area.

Continue the exercise. Begin with five rounds, or do only one or two if you find it difficult. Change the direction to perform the same amount of rounds going the opposite way. Build up your practice slowly so that you can do ten rounds  each way.