Sanda_Issue_January-2019

19
What You Eat Affects
Your Feet!
Though initially it may seem
odd to you that what you put on
your plate can result in, or help to
ease, problems with your feet, it's
not actually so strange when you
think about it. After all, our feet are
connected to the rest of the body,
they do a hefty amount of work
carrying us (and anything else we
are holding) around and they are
the furthest away from our mouth
and guts so have to wait longer to
get fed. In fact, the state of your
feet can be an insight to your
overall wellness and be the first
indicators of health problems.
What we eat can affect
inflammation in the body which
is a risk factor for many chronic
conditions. When inflammation is
allowed to persist for prolonged
periods it triggers the body to
recruit ‘mediators’ to protect the
cells. These mediators seem not
to differentiate and can destroy
healthy tissue too if present for
extended amounts of time, this in
turn, triggers disease.
Many disorders associated with
the feet are directly connected
to inflammation within the body.
Arthritis (psoriatic, rheumatoid),
and gout are inflammatory
diseases that can cause foot pain.
Osteoporosis can cause fractures
and weakening of the bones in
the feet. Plantar fasciitis results
in extreme heel pain and is also
associated with inflammation. Poor
circulation (affecting blood flow to
peripheries like the feet), diabetes
and obesity are also all disorders
that can cause podiatry problems,
all of which diet has an immense
effect on.
So what does this mean for you?
Basically, a lot of the food that you
are likely to be eating on a daily
basis is not actually best for such
regular consumption. Foods like
refined grains, sugar and trans
fats in baked foods and junk foods
encourage inflammation. Grain-fed
red meat, processed meat (ham,
salami, prosciutto etc), excess
cheese, omega 6 fats in common
vegetable oils (corn, sunflower
and soybean), artificial sweeteners
(think ‘diet’ drinks and ‘sugar free’
foods), artificial preservatives and
alcohol are all major contributors
to inflammation within the body.
The solution is to eat as clean
as you can. Load up on fresh
vegetables and fruit that you
prepare at home - no packets
involved. Make sauces and soups
from scratch. Make sure you have
at least three servings of green
foods daily like kale, spinach,
broccoli, cabbage, lettuce, rocket,
watercress, Swiss chard and
such. Reduce grains as much as
possible and, if you suspect a food
intolerance, get tested to know
for sure. Choose wild-caught
fish, organic eggs and poultry
and occasional grass-fed organic
meats and organic cheeses.
Omega 3s are highly antiinflammatory
so choose fatty fish
like salmon, mackerel, sardines
and trout. Choose inflammationfighting
herbs and spices to
flavour your dishes like turmeric,
ginger, black pepper, cinnamon,
garlic, cumin, basil, coriander,
parsley and rosemary. Invest
money and time in better quality
meals rather than fast food junk.
Your body, and especially your
feet, will thank you for it.
yourwellness.com