When you look up how to care for your feet, you may skip the importance of nutrition. This is not something we often hear when news reports discuss proper nutrition as many reports focus on heart health. However, many common foot issues can be caused by unhealthy nutrition or various vitamin deficiencies. You need to make sure that you not only have a good, healthy diet for your heart and overall health, but also for your foot health. Here’s a few reasons why eating right is so important for your feet as well as your overall health.
Eating Healthy Can Improve Pain and Inflammation
When we eat healthily, we have a greater chance of lessening inflammation in our bodies. This is something that often causes foot problems and pain, making many people focus on taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs that can be dangerous for your liver. While these are great for immediate relief, you need to consider making an overhaul in your diet to help improve inflammation. In fact, if you suffer from things such as rheumatoid arthritis, making these changes will help your feet, hands, and other joints that swell and hurt. Many doctors might even just suggest a diet change instead of medicines for RA at the beginning of treatment.
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Losing Weight Helps Your Feet
Excess weight  puts a significant stress on our hearts and bodies, including our feet. Along with exercise, most . Both changes are great for your body and feet, making sure that you stay healthy and as you lose weight. While you are going through the process, you can always buy orthotic shoes or insoles that can help alleviate the stress, and to help make excising less taxing on your feet.
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Nutrition Affects Your Feet with Diabetes
Another way what you eat affects foot health is if you suffer from diabetes. Diabetics are at a greater risk for foot problems including things such as diabetic neuropathy. Many diabetic food problems are caused by either too low or high blood sugar, and if this is not controlled, it can lead to devastating consequences. While it is the most severe choice for severe cases, improper nutrition for diabetics can lead to foot amputations. When you have diabetes, it is best to make sure you are always eating healthy, taking the medicine you need or dosing properly with insulin, and you should consider wearing diabetic shoes. Your doctor may recommend these to make sure your feet stay healthy as you learn to manage your diabetes.
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Make These Changes for Best Results
While it’s always a good idea to consult your doctor before making any changes to your diet, here are a few suggestions that many physicians would recommend.
- Eat More Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Many people lack this nutrient in their diets and making sure you get enough omega-3 fatty acids can help create a positive impact. It helps to lessen inflammation in your body, which will help proper nutrition affect your feet in a good way.
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- Add More Calcium to Your Diet
Even if you drink milk regularly, you may not have enough calcium in your diet. This will help strengthen your bones, but it will also help keep foot problems down to a minimum. In fact, those with a calcium deficiency are more likely to have foot cramps than those with the right amount of calcium in their bodies.
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- Many Americans Have Vitamin D Deficiencies
This is a supplement that you can get too much of, so it is always wise to contact a doctor before starting a vitamin D treatment. Many don’t realize that they are deficient in vitamin D, which can cause foot problems, pain, and inflammation. It can also cause problems with rheumatoid arthritis and can either cause minor depression or make depression worse for individuals.
Nutrition affects your feet significantly, meaning it is a great idea to make a change to your diet. A great way to help improve your feet as you make this transition is to purchase and wear orthotic shoes. These will help any pain you are dealing with while transitioning, but orthotics can also be great to continue wearing after you make a diet change. Take a look around The Orthotic Shop to find some great shoes for you!