Is Your Diet Affecting Your Feet in a Harmful Way?
When people think about health and nutrition, what usually comes to mind is heart health, diabetes, or losing weight. But many fail to recognize that what you eat affects much more than just your heart, blood sugar level, and weight – it also affects your foot health. So today, in honor of National Nutrition Month, Dr. Ross Cohen of The Foot & Ankle Center of Maryland in Anne Arundel County, Maryland is sharing some information about how what you eat affects your feet.
How Does Your Diet Affect Your Feet?
Inflammation: This is one of the most usual foot problems, and in many cases, it causes a substantial amount of pain. Inflammation results from an extreme intake of particular food types, including red meat, refined sugars and grains, baked and junk foods, and the omega-6 fats typically found in most vegetable cooking oils.
There are, however, many other foods that can help you deal with inflammation.
Whole grains, nuts, and fish have some anti-inflammatory properties that can be very helpful.
Minerals and Vitamins: Regardless if you’re dealing with mild heel pain or plantar fasciitis, consuming foods that are rich in minerals and vitamins like magnesium, calcium, and vitamin B5 can be very helpful.
Nutrition Tips to Improve Foot Health
Be sure to control your food portions from all groups to avoid deficiencies.
Monitor and keep your blood sugar at proper levels to prevent foot problems and make sure existing issues don’t get worse.
Combine regular exercise with nutrition to make bones and muscles stronger.
Limit your consumption of trans fats, sodium, and saturated fats while eating as many vegetables and fruits as possible.
The bottom line is that nutrition is your key to improving foot health. And while diet alone might not be enough to guarantee better foot health, it certainly plays an important role.
In addition to food, you must oversee your foot health and visit your podiatrist if you notice any pain, weakness, numbness, or any other unusual sensation in your feet.
If you are experiencing an ankle or foot injury or showing symptoms that have you concerned, contact the office of Dr. Ross Cohen of The Foot & Ankle Center of Maryland in Glen Burnie, Maryland at (410) 761-3501 today to schedule a consultation.