Summer is on the way, and after a long cold winter of being wrapped up in leggings and boots, it will soon be time to expose your legs, ankles and toes once again.

Although it's exciting, bringing out those gorgeous strappy sandals, flowing skirts and micro minis — it is also quite terrifying to expose those white, scaly, legs and unmanicured toes for the first time.

The obvious answer is to go on a quick retreat to the beach at the onset of summer, where the sun can kiss your legs, the beach sand can naturally exfoliate your feet and you can spend time lounging on a deck chair doing your toes.

This, however, is not always practical, and perhaps it's better to start looking after your legs and ankles now, so that they don't emerge looking like a pair of dehydrated albino caterpillars on that first day of summer.

From the inside out

Jokes aside, before summer arrives, start looking after your legs from the inside out, and that means that besides getting out there and getting the blood flowing, you must focus on your diet.

Besides needing to look good, it is a fact that your legs work hard for you and sufficient blood flow to and from them can be difficult to maintain, especially as you get older. For this reason, legs are susceptible to circulation problems such as chronic venous insufficiency (CVI), which can manifest as spider and varicose veins.

What you should eat

  • Oily fish such as sardines and salmon, which are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, help to prevent blood clotting, which can lead to thrombosis.

  • Foods rich in vitamin C such as oranges, strawberries, kiwi fruits, watercress and red peppers have high levels of antioxidants, which help maintain good circulation.

  • Potassium-rich foods such as apricots, celery, potatoes and bananas, can help alleviate the swelling associated with fluid retention.

  • Drinking water also benefits your legs by helping reduce fluid retention, aiding in proper muscle function and preventing dehydration, keeping your skin clear, healthy and resilient.

Natural supplements

As well as eating properly and keeping hydrated, there are a number of natural supplements that you can take to maintain fit and healthy legs.

Horse chestnut is a traditional remedy taken as a preventative for varicose veins, while vitamin C, beta-carotene, manganese and zinc all promote good circulation.

New on the South African market is an extract of the red vine leaf called AS 195 which has been clinically proven to be effective in the early stages of CVI. Antistax has been on the South African market for a year now, and can be found at most pharmacies.

So make sure you're ready for summer this year from the inside out...