Eat Right for Foot Health
posted: Jan. 14, 2015.
The foods you eat have a direct effect on your foot health. After all, they are part of your body. You’ll want to make sure your bones, muscles and tendons are strong and healthy and that you avoid foods that increase chemicals in your body that cause inflammation. With a bit of planning, you can eat right for food health.
Tips to Help you Eat Right for Food Health
- Make sure you get enough calcium and vitamin D in your diet.
While you are growing, your body needs calcium to build strong bones and to create a calcium reserve. Vitamin D helps your body to absorb the calcium. Building this bone mass will help you in your future. If you don’t get enough calcium during this time, you are at higher risk for developing osteoporosis later in life.
You continue to need calcium for healthy bones throughout your life. Women do experience gradual bone loss after menopause, but getting enough calcium helps to maintain bone quality. For people with osteoporosis, getting enough calcium can help to lower the risk of a fracture.
2. Reduce your intake of foods which cause inflammation.
Refined grains, sugars and trans fats are not the healthiest choices you can make in the foods you choose to eat, and they also contain chemicals that cause tissue inflammation. This inflammation can effect your feet, causing pain and discomfort. Choose whole grain products more often and reduce your sugar consumption for better foot health.
3. Eat foods containing Omega-3 fats more often.
Foods containing Omega-3 fats include flax seeds, walnuts, sardines, beef, soybeans, tofu, shrimp, Brussels sprouts and cauliflower. Fatty fish like salmon is also a good source of this nutrient. Eating these foods more often can help to reduce inflammation.
4. Watch your sodium intake, since most people ingest far too much.
Packaged foods contain high levels of sodium, and if you are in the habit of adding salt while cooking and at the table, you are probably getting far more than the recommended daily amount of 1500 mg per day (Institute of Medicine). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the average daily sodium intake for Americans aged two years and over is 3,446 mg.