Multiple Sclerosis - What Foods to Avoid

While there has been a lot of discussion about the foods that you should include in your MS diet, the coverage of foods you should not eat has been lacking and can lead to confusion. If you have done any reading at all on the subject, you will have no doubt heard of Dr. Roy Swank. His MS Diet is considered by many patients to be one of the foremost authoritative works on the subject of what you can and cannot eat when you have multiple sclerosis.

Watch the Fats

Of all the multiple sclerosis foods to avoid, saturated fats have always been at the top of the list. Along with alcohol and cholesterol, saturated fats have been proven to cause the production of PgE2. This substance is known to be an inflammatory that is responsible for making MS exacerbation far worse and more frequent.

Eat no meat, especially red meats as they contain large amounts of saturated fats as well, in fact the best option to stop eating any kind of meat with the exception of fish as it is high in the Omega 3 fatty acids your body needs as an anti-inflammatory. These essential fatty acids also help with myelination and the renewal of cell membranes. Since you are not going to be eating meat, you need to stop eating or drinking dairy products as well. Cow's milk that is fed to babies has been found to cause MS in young adults.

Out Process those Processed Foods

Most people today tend to eat a diet that is high in processed foods; these are often high in saturated fats, low quality ingredients with no nutritional value and heavily processed flour. Not only do these foods contain very little in the way of real nutrition, they often contain products that have been linked to an increased risk of developing MS.

You are also going to have to list anything with sugar in it on your list of MS foods to avoid as it too has been linked to an increased risk of MS. The list goes on to include chocolate, tobacco, fried foods and many, many more. However, if you stop and look at the list, you will find that all of these foods are not part of any healthy diet. When you look at it in this light, whether you have MS or not you need to remove the bulk of these foods from your diet anyway if you want to stay healthy.-By Gary P Owen

How to Cure and Prevent Varicose Veins Naturally

To prevent and maintain varicose veins, you need to strengthen the walls of your veins. There are several natural treatments available today that will cure and prevent varicose veins without the use of drugs or chemicals.

The herb horse chestnut provides hope for those people with varicose veins. Horse chestnut has in it a natural chemical called aescin, which strengthens vein walls and prevents leaking.
In a study of 22 people with varicose veins, 22 percent of people given horse chestnut had decreased vein leakage, compared to an increase in vein leakage in the people who were given a placebo.
It is recommended that people interested in using horse chestnut to cure varicose veins take two to four 500-mg capsules of the herb daily.
Another thing found to help cure and prevent varicose veins is antioxidants. Antioxidants contain bioflavonoids that strengthen veins. People with varicose veins should eat antioxidant-rich foods, which include fruits and vegetables. The more colorful the fruits and vegetables, the better.
Acupuncture can also help varicose vein problems. Acupuncture reduces the size of varicose veins with no side effects. In one study, five treatments of acupuncture reduced the pain in most people with varicose veins.
Believe it or not, pineapples also contain a natural chemical that treats varicose veins. The chemical, called bromelain, reduces the swelling and soreness that are caused by varicose veins. Bromelain can be taken in capsule form.
Onions, apples, and black tea have also been found to help varicose vein problems. These foods have a chemical called quercetin, which is an anti-inflammatory. Quercetin also comes in capsule form. It should be taken together with bromelain for optimum effectiveness.
Another, simpler way of preventing and treating varicose veins is to simply put your feet up for 10 minutes per day. The idea is that your legs should be raised higher than your heart so that blood can flow away from your veins and give them a chance to get stronger. To do this, lie back and put your feet up on a coffee table or chair.
If this 10-minute-per-day break is hard for you to fit into your schedule, you can purchase a mattress wedge that raises the foot of your bed by several inches. This way you can help your varicose vein problem while you sleep.
Another solution is to wear compression stockings or an anti-embolism hose. You must get these fitted because if they are too tight they can do more harm than good. Compression stockings and anti-embolism hoses restore veins and help them function properly.
If these natural solutions fail to help a varicose vein problem, there are other, more invasive procedures, including: laser and low-level radiofrequency energy, sclerotherapy, TriVex, and endovenous ablation. These procedures may remove varicose veins but they can be expensive and inconvenient..
The above-mentioned treatments are simple, pain-free ways to deal with varicose veins. They can always be used on their own or as a complement to varicose vein removing procedures.

By Michael Russell