Natural Parenting

.

How about a little background?

.

When I was 18, I started getting a few spider veins here and there, on the sides of my thighs.  Let me tell you, I was very upset about this.  My mom didn’t start getting any until she hit 40, so finding them on myself while still a teenager was extremely unsettling.  At the time, though, I thought those sorts of things were out of my control.  I was never taught that diet played a part in how my body worked, much less one of the most important parts!

.

A few years later, about three months into my pregnancy, I started experiencing a lot of pressure in my legs, particularly after taking hot showers.  It felt like my veins were going to explode.  I would literally have to jump out of the shower, and immediately elevate my legs.  I knew that varicose veins were in my near future if I didn’t do something, and fast.

.

Upon consulting with my midwife, she suggested I start supplementing with rutin.  I had never heard of it, but I figured anything was worth a try, and the fact that it was a vitamin, and not a drug, helped persuade me (addressing the problem, not masking the symptoms).  Little did I know at the time that citrus fruits are packed with the stuff.

.

Three or four days after beginning supplementation, I started noticing an improvement.  My legs were hurting less, and hot showers were becoming more bearable.  However, as my belly/baby grew larger, the pain would return, leaving me no choice but to up my dosage.

.

After my son was born, the pain did decrease, somewhat.  I wasn’t carrying nearly as much weight, which helped with the leg pressure.  But, I soon found that when I stopped taking the rutin, things would quickly become uncomfortable for me again. 

.

I spent the next six months taking the supplement on and off.  I would go a week without it, and then take it for 2-3 days straight, when absolutely necessary.  It was a tiresome routine, but well worth it, since it prevented a lot of discomfort.  I knew there had to be a better way.

.

Fast forward to six weeks ago, and you would find me studying up a lot on rutin.  I needed to know what the natural supplying source was, so I could stop taking it in the pill form.  I found the answer to be most commonly citrus fruits.  And, wouldn’t you know, grapefruit are in season?  Thus, my trial began.

.

I stopped supplementing completely two weeks ago, and started eating a grapefruit for breakfast every morning, sometimes two.  The change has been dramatic!  My legs don’t hurt much at all anymore, and I just plain feel better.  It’s as if my body has been crying out for true, natural rutin this entire time!  I am so shocked, but so not at the same time.  I’m telling you, if I had one of those little light bulb icons go on above my head every time I finally got something, I’d go through a TON of light bulbs.  Haha.  Sometimes it just takes me awhile. 

.

Rutin, as it turns out, is classified as a bioflavonoid, and helps the body in a lot more ways than one.  (A bioflavonoid is any of a group of water-soluble yellow compounds, present in citrus fruits, rose hips, and other plants, that in mammals maintain the resistance of capillary walls to permeation and change of pressure – dictionary definition) 

.

It is great for blood circulation, and varicose/spider veins, which has been proven in my case.  Rutin also helps the body properly utilize vitamin C, which is extremely important for all body functions.  On top of all this, rutin helps maintain skin collagen, and may have antioxidant properties, which protect the body from free radicals.

.

All of this to say, I’m in love with rutin.  Well, that’s somewhat of an overstatement, but I am really enjoying the benefits of it.  Who would have thought that everything the body needs to function properly is supplied in nature.  Every time I learn something new like this, I get all the more excited about understanding this beautiful creation called earth.