Eat for Your Feet: How Your Diet Affects Your Feet

When talking about the benefits of proper nutrition, many people think about a shrinking waistline or improvements to heart health. But proper nutrition can also help improve your foot health. Because March is National Nutrition Month, Dr. Mark Thompson and Dr. Brandon Holloway of Amarillo Foot Specialists located in the Amarillo, TX panhandle are sharing information regarding how nutrition affects your feet.

How Does Nutrition Affect Your Feet?

Several medical disorders influence foot health, some of which are affected by nutrition.
Here are some of these conditions:

Inflammation - Some types of food, including those with trans fats and refined sugar, can increase the inflammation in your feet and result in plantar fasciitis. 

Diabetes – For those suffering from diabetes, it can affect the circulation in your feet, which can trigger diabetic neuropathy and cause a loss of feeling in the foot.

Osteoporosis - Bones that have been damaged by osteoporosis are more vulnerable to trauma-related breaks and stress fractures.

Poor circulation - Circulatory issues caused by smoking, diabetes, peripheral artery disease, and other conditions can generate various issues with your legs and feet.

Obesity - Obesity can lead to heel pain and even plantar fasciitis and make hammertoes and bunions worse.

Nutritional Tips for Your Feet

While proper nutrition alone might not prevent all of the above medical problems from forming, it can also be an important part of achieving better health, and that includes better foot health.

Following are some tips to improve your overall foot health:

Consume a healthy diet. By maintaining a healthy diet that is low in trans-fat, sodium, saturated fat, and rich in fruits and vegetables, you can lower the risk of peripheral artery disease, help you lose weight, and reduce inflammation.

Control your blood sugar levels. If you’re diabetic, it’s important to watch and manage your blood glucose levels. By keeping your condition in check, you can stop symptoms and keep existing conditions from getting worse.

Increase your consumption of vitamin D and calcium. If you build stronger bones with daily minerals and vitamins, you can fight off the onset of osteoporosis.

Exercise regularly. While exercise is not a form of nutrition in the conventional sense, regular exercise can provide nutrition to your bones and diminish bone loss.

In addition to these tips, you should keep a close watch on your foot health and visit your podiatrist if you begin to notice pain, numbness, weakness, or any other abnormal feeling in your feet. Identifying foot problems early can help decrease the likelihood of long-term negative effects.

Dr. Mark Thompson and Dr. Brandon Holloway of Amarillo Foot Specialists located in the Amarillo, TX panhandle treat a variety of conditions such as arch and heel pain, bunions, wound care, hammertoes, ingrown nails, ankle and foot injuries, and diabetic foot care. If you have these or other issues with your feet

contact us today at (806) 322-3338 to schedule a consultation.