What to Eat for Your Feet

We know that stretching, exercise, and washing our feet are essential parts of foot care. These are external activities that we can do to keep our feet in tiptop shape. So what about caring for our feet from within? Eating a well-balanced diet can help to keep our feet’s bones, joints, muscles, tendons, ligaments and skin healthy and strong. Having healthy and strong foot components can prevent acute and chronic injury, prevent developmental deformities and certain diseases, and help to keep our feet resilient when they do get injured or suffer from natural wear and tear.

Here’s what you can eat to care for your feet:

• Dairy products and dark, leafy greens – These food items are high in calcium, which you need for strong bones. Lacking calcium can lead to brittle bones that break easily.
• Sunlight – Okay, so you can’t eat sunlight, but you need to have exposure each day to increase your vitamin D levels. Vitamin D is necessary to absorb calcium into your bones.
• Water – Yes, drink that water! Hydration helps with dry skin and for flushing toxins out of your body. Staying hydrated also helps with muscle recovery.
• Salmon, tomatoes, almonds, and olive oil – These are examples of foods with omega-3 fatty acids, which help joints function properly and reduce inflammation.
• Meat and beans – These high protein foods can help rebuild muscles, tendons, and ligaments.
• Raw vegetables – These contain enzymes, which are also needed to build muscle and other tissues.
• Dark Chocolate and Wild Berries – Yes, these have a place in your healthy diet for feet as they are antioxidants that combat free radicals and reduce inflammation.

For anyone who is severely deficient in certain nutrients, vitamins and other supplements may be helpful. Your physician can help you determine what vitamins or minerals you might be lacking. Additionally, it is important to keep up with a consistent healthy diet and regular exercise including cardio and weights. Preventing diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and obesity is important as these issues can cause problems in your feet and ankles as well.

If you have questions about foot problems or finding solutions for pain or weakness in the feet and ankles, make an appointment today at Alamitos-Seal Beach Podiatry Group. One of our board-certified podiatrists, Dr. Douglas H. Richie, Dr. Jeremy L. Cook, Dr. Faye E. Izadi will be happy to assist you at either of our Seal Beach, CA and Los Alamitos, CA offices in Orange County.