Recipes for Fighting Varicose Veins: Main Dishes
Creating meals and dishes with varicose vein fighting potential is not as difficult as most people think. With the following recipes you'll be whipping up vein health boosting main dishes in no time! But, before you start cooking, you may want to explore the diet section (see Diet for Treating Varicose Veins) and the food section (see Foods for Preventing Varicose Veins) which focus on providing more general information about how your dietary habits may be linked to the health of your veins and capillaries.
Radicchio, Cress and Pear Salad
Sure enough, garden cress and radicchio add a peppery bite to this vegan salad, but they can do much more than that! The red leaves of radicchio contain anthocyanins, powerful flavonoid pigments that have been associated with good health (including healthy veins). Garden cress delivers glucosinolates, health-protecting compounds that have made Brassica vegetables, such as broccoli, popular among health foodists. The pears in this low-calorie salad provide plenty of soluble fiber which can help reduce pressure on your veins by preventing constipation.
See the RecipeIced Watercress and Mint Soup
Here's another soup recipe that draws on the benefits of watercress—a super food that is used to treat numerous health problems, including varicose veins.
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Upgrade Your Salad-Making Tools!
Toss out that old plastic bottle and invest in an elegant salad dressing shaker made of high-quality glass! Don't know which one to pick? Try Trudeau's wonderfully-designed vinaigrette mixing bottle – it has a large spout opening, dripless design, and three mouthwatering recipes printed on it for easy reference.
Do you live in the UK? Typhoon manufactures a similar glass shaker which is available from Amazon.co.uk
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Apple and Onion Soup
Apples are rich in pectin, a type of dietary fiber that absorbs water in the colon, keeping the stool soft and preventing constipation. Constipation increases pressure on the veins, which can contribute to the development of varicose veins over time. This soup is also rich in flavonoids which help support the structure of capillaries.
See the RecipeWholesome Winter Pea and Watercress Soup
Watercress, a key ingredient in this light, pleasantly peppery soup, is a true superhero food which has been used to treat and prevent a vast range of ailments. Hippocrates, who called watercress the 'cure of cures', supposedly located his first hospital close to a stream where he could grow watercress to help treat his patients. In modern herbal medicine, watercress is often recommended to people with varicose veins. Also green peas, the other key ingredient in this health promoting soup, are great for those concerned about varicose veins as they are low in calories and rich in fiber.
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Arugula, Avocado and Tomato Salad
Also this salad recipe draws on the benefits of avocados which are crammed full of nutrients that help figth varicose veins, including vitamin C, vitamin E, and glutathione.
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Tangy Tomato Soup with Basil
Not only do tomatoes, basil, and shallots create a mouthwatering soup, they also deliver plenty of flavonoids which provide antioxidant protection and help prevent varicose veins.
See the RecipeBroccoli and Barley Soup
Both barley and broccoli, the two key ingredients in this soup, are rich in fiber which helps reduce your risk of developing varicose veins. The vitamin C and vitamin E found in broccoli are also thought to help prevent and reverse unsightly varicose veins. Thyme and marjoram, which are used to flavor this soup, contain ursolic acid. Ursolic acid stimulates collagen and elastin synthesis, strengthens the capillaries, and provides antioxidant protection.
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Beet and Carrot Salad with Ginger
This recipe pairs beets with carrots and ginger to create an excellent natural weapon for fighting varicose veins. Betacyanin, a phytochemical compound responsible for beets' intense color, is known to significantly reduce levels of homocysteine, a naturally occurring amino acid that can damage blood vessels. The carrots in this salad provide an amply supple of fiber and vitamin C which help combat varicose veins.
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Paleo-Friendly Zucchini "Noodles" for Healthy Veins
This Paleo-friendly recipe combines "zoodles" (noodle-shaped zucchini strips) with mashed avocado and halved cherry tomatoes to create a low-carb vegetarian dish that is perfect for those looking to improve the health of their veins and perhaps lose some weight on the side. Not only is this creamy dairy-free dish loaded with vein-protecting antioxidants – such as vitamin C, vitamin E, lycopene and glutathione – it also contains oleic acid and pinolenic acid which have been shown to possess appetite-suppressing properties and which may therefore promote weight loss. See the Recipe
Beet and Carrot Soup
This recipe pairs beets with carrots to create a beautiful crimson soup that also helps combat varicose veins. Betacyanin, a phytochemical compound responsible for the deep red color of beets, is known to significantly reduce levels of homocysteine, a naturally occurring amino acid that can damage blood vessels. The carrots in this soup provide an ample supply of fiber and vitamin C which help combat varicose veins.
See the RecipeWholewheat Pasta with Nettle Pesto
This pasta dish won't sting your tongue; it will only do you good. Young, blanched nettle leaves are perfectly edible, and they help support the structure of capillaries and prevent varicose veins. What's more, the whole wheat pasta this recipe calls for provides a healthy, lower glycemic alternative to the traditional white pasta.
See the RecipeNourishing Nettle Soup
Nettle—the star of this intriguing jade green soup—helps support the structure of capillaries and prevent varicose veins. As an additional bonus, this soup is packed with antioxidant nutrients which can give you a real health boost.
See the RecipeBarley Soup with Beans and Basil
Barley and beans are rich in fiber which helps reduce your risk of developing varicose veins. The basil in this soup contains plenty of flavonoids which provide antioxidant protection.
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Romaine and Smoked Salmon Salad
Low in calories, this salmon and romaine lettuce salad is packed with fiber and vitamins. It also features radishes which help support the structure of capillaries.
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Ginger and Cucumber Salad
This salad is a great way to include more ginger in your diet. In herbal medicine, ginger is often used to treat varicose veins because of its ability to dissolve fibrin in blood vessels and to improve circulation.
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Carrot and Avocado Salad
Avocados, a key ingredient in this salad, are brimming with natural compounds that fight varicose veins. They contain both vitamin C and vitamin E, two key vitamins for vascular health. Avocados are also at the top of the list of plant foods with the highest concentration of glutathione, a tripeptide molecule that protects the heart, veins, and arteries from oxidant damage. Glutathione also ensures vitamin C and vitamin E can function properly. As an additional bonus, avocados are typically low in pesticides and other harmful chemicals.
See the RecipeScandinavian Spinach Soup with Boiled Eggs
This delicious, vibrant green spinach soup draws on the health benefits of spinach. Spinach is rich in flavonoids and vitamin C which help support the structure of capillaries and prevent varicose veins.
See the RecipeFor more recipes that help fight varicose veins, please visit the main recipe directory of HealWithFood.org's Guide to Fighting Varicose Veins.
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