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Nutrition and Your Feet

How Nutrition Affects Your Feet

Some foods, like those with lots of sugar, can cause inflammation. And inflammation can impact the health of your feet.

By Eric Metcalf, MPH

Medically reviewed by Lindsey Marcellin, MD, MPH

When most people think about nutrition and their health, they have no trouble associating the foods they eat with weight loss or heart health, says Sherri Greene, DPM, a podiatrist in New York City who practices holistic foot care. However, your diet affects many other parts of your body, including your feet.

"When I explain to people that your feet are connected to the rest of your body, and what you put into your body is what makes up your body, they're like, 'Wow!' When they feel better after they change their diet, then they get it," she says.

Feet and Nutrition: Fighting Off Inflammation and Pain

One problem linked to nutrition that can affect your feet is inflammation, Dr. Greene says. Certain foods can increase chemicals in your body that cause tissue inflammation. This inflammation could appear in your foot as plantar fasciitis, which causes pain in the thick band of tissue that runs across the bottom of your foot, in your heel, or elsewhere in your foot.

Many common foods in the American diet encourage inflammation, such as the refined grains, sugar, and trans fats in many baked goods and junk foods; the saturated fat in red meat; and the omega-6 fats found in many commonly used vegetable oils, such as corn, soybean, and sunflower oils.

In addition, some people may have increased levels of inflammation in their bodies due to chronic allergies to common foods such as wheat, Greene says. Another factor that can contribute to inflammation is eating too many foods that cause your blood sugar to rise quickly, such as sweets, white flour, and pasta.

As a result, the nutritional approaches Greene discusses with patients to reduce inflammation include:

Eating more omega-3 fats. Fatty fish such as salmon, as well as fish oil supplements, are good sources of omega-3s, Greene says. Omega-3s help reduce inflammation, and nutrition studies suggest they should be properly balanced in the diet with omega-6s. Most people's diets provide far more omega-6s than omega-3s, and a fish-rich diet can address this imbalance.

Doing a general diet makeover. Following an overall healthier diet can provide anti-inflammatory benefits to your feet and your total health. This includes eating more green vegetables and other fresh plant foods, and cutting out refined grain foods and sugary treats, Greene says.

Feet and Nutrition: Other Health Connections

Two common conditions that affect millions of Americans' feet are peripheral artery disease and diabetes. Each of these conditions can harm your feet by damaging arteries that bring blood to your lower extremities.

Good nutrition can also help protect your feet from these conditions. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), a diet low in saturated fat, trans fat, and sodium and rich in fruits and vegetables can help reduce your risk of peripheral artery disease. A 2008 study in the Journal of Vascular Surgery specifically found that omega-3s were associated with a lower risk of peripheral artery disease.

If you have diabetes, a healthy diet can help protect your feet from complications of that condition, too. In general, the NIH recommends a diet rich in whole grains, beans, vegetables and fruits, lean meats, and a limited amount of fats and sweets for people with diabetes.

Whether you eat more healthfully to counteract a medical condition or to avoid one, following the NIH’s recommendations will help ensure that your feet, along with the rest of your body, continue to serve you well.

 

Health Benefits of Fennel

Health Benefits of Fennel and How to Use It

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Posted on February 27, 2014 by The Alternative Daily

Cooking with fennel is a great way to add flavor and nutrition to many dishes. The bulb looks a bit like a cross between an onion and the base of a celery bunch, and has a firm, crunchy texture with a taste similar to licorice.

When adding it to your meals, rather than making the food taste like licorice, it actually helps to bring out a nice spring-like quality.

This aromatic herb, including the bulb, stalks, leaves and seeds, has been a staple in Mediterranean cuisine for many years; the roots and leaves have been used for medicinal purposes since ancient times.

The Greeks referred to fennel as “marathon,” and passed down a myth through the generations that it was delivered to mortals by the gods at Olympus in a fennel stalk filled with coal. Both Greeks and Romans revered it for its medicinal and culinary properties.

Just some of the health benefits that fennel offers include:

Powerful antioxidants. Fennel contains a unique combination of phytonutrients that help to give it powerful antioxidant activities, including anethole which has been shown to reduce inflammation and prevent cancer. In addition to its phytonutrients, it contains two other powerful antioxidants, vitamins A and C, which help protect the body from free radical damage.

Aiding digestive disorders. Herbs like fennel are considered carminatives, as they are known to contain oils that help to relax the stomach and help to stimulate the digestive system. This, in turn, aids in preventing the formation of gas. Fennel has long been used to relieve bloating, gas discomfort and flatulence, as well as to stimulate the appetite.

High fiber content. Fennel is rich in fiber, which is known to help decrease elevated cholesterol levels as well as to reduce the risk of colon cancer.

Folate and potassium. Fennel is an excellent source of folate, which is essential for transforming harmful homocysteine molecules into benign molecules. High levels of homocysteine are known to cause direct damage to blood vessel walls, contributing to strokes and heart attacks. Fennel also contains potassium, which helps to lower high blood pressure, further lessening stroke and heart attack risk.

How to shop for fennel

Fennel is usually available from autumn through early spring. When shopping for it, always buy organic and look for clean, firm bulbs that don’t have any signs of bruising, spotting or splitting.

They should be white or pale green, while leaves and stalks should be green in color. If there are any signs of flowering buds, don’t purchase them, as this indicates that the fennel is past its time. It should also have a slight licorice or anise aroma.

Cooking with fennel

There are many ways to use fennel, including these ideas:

Make a fennel salad. The Italian version of a fennel salad is delicious. Marinate very thinly sliced, raw fennel in organic, extra-virgin olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Serve at room temperature.

Add to mashed potatoes. To liven up mashed potatoes, steam two to three fennel bulbs until tender, then puree them in a food processor with organic olive oil and cream. Combine with cooked mashed potatoes and add a little sea salt to taste.

Saute. Saute fennel and onions together for a tasty, nutritious side dish.

Enjoy as an appetizer. Top thinly sliced fennel with plain organic yogurt and mint leaves.

-The Alternative Daily

 

Anger Can Make You Sick

How Your Anger May Be Harming Your Health – Six Ways to Cool Down

Posted on February 27, 2014 by The Alternative Daily

We all get angry sometimes, it’s a natural human emotion. Also, let’s face it, sometimes life situations can be pretty enraging! However, some people get angry often, and it can become a vicious cycle that can become both destructive to your health and to your relationships with others.

Unfortunately, trying to shove your anger down instead of exploding can be even worse. According to WebMD, suppressing anger can lead to depression and anxiety issues down the road, and lead to altered cognitive patterns as well as stress. Prolonged stress that is not managed can lead to an array of chronic illnesses.

Long-term anger (both explosive and suppressed) that is not dealt with can also lead to the following:

§  Heart disease

§  Digestive distress

§  Skin problems

§  Deteriorating social relationships

§  Issues in the workplace / loss of opportunities

§  Possible violence against yourself or others

Although it may sometimes seem like you anger is controlling you and not the other way around, there are many things you can do to keep it in check. It may take some repetition, trial and error and hard work, but try the following few tricks:

Visualization

Some people call this method ‘going to their happy place.’ During a time that you are not angry, and feeling relaxed, close your eyes and think of a place that soothes you and makes you feel at peace – real or imaginary. Take a moment to note the colors, sounds and smells that you experience there.

When you feel your anger coming on, make yourself pause for a moment, close your eyes, and visualize yourself back in that place. Remember to breathe, and try to smell the smells, hear the sounds and see the sights and colors that you associate with your place in that moment. Remain in your place for at least 30 full seconds, longer if the situation will allow. Some people find it useful to count backwards from 30 slowly while performing visualization.

Deep breathing

The rate at which you breathe can have a huge impact on your anger and stress levels. When we get angry, we tend to take short, halted and shallow breaths, elevating our blood pressure and making it much more difficult to relax. If this kind of breathing is continued for a long period of time, it can even send us into rage or panic mode.

Next time you feel yourself becoming angry, take a step back and focus your attention on how you are breathing. Then, start taking slow, deep breaths through your nose, pausing for a few seconds after the exhale before you start the next inhale.

Make sure you don’t hold your breath in for too long before exhaling, and when you do exhale, try to empty all of the air out of your lungs before pausing, and then inhaling again. It sounds simple, but it is a time-honored trick that works.

Journaling

If you experience anger on a regular basis, it may be therapeutic to keep an ‘anger journal’ to record your feelings. Doing this can serve a couple of purposes. First of all, writing down your feelings in a place that only you can read them gives you a chance to thoroughly vent without hurting anybody’s feelings. Also, it gives you the opportunity to go back and read the thoughts and feelings that you had while you were angry.

Many people, after they have calmed down, don’t remember exactly what they were angry about in the first place. This is especially true if they are experiencing anger at irrational things.

When you read what you wrote when you were in the thick of a rage session, you can then start to identify the patterns of what made you angry, and what pushed you over the edge. If you know exactly what makes you angry, and the process by which your feelings spiral out of control, you will be much more equipped to deal with it early on.

For this reason, try to be as detailed as possible in your journal entries, and include what happened before, during and after the incident, if you can. However, if you just need to ‘rant’ and then fill in logistical details later, that works, too.

Meditation

Yes, we recommend meditation a lot – because it really does work. If you suffer from chronic anger, making a point to perform regular meditation can really help you shake off what is bothering you, especially lingering negative emotions, and help you to focus on the present moment. It may take a little practice, but once you’ve meditated for a little while, you may find that you get to a place where all burdens and outside distractions fall away, and you can really get to the root of your being, beyond all the anger.

Even if you do not have much time in your busy schedule, meditating for just five minutes when you wake up in the morning, and five minutes before you go to bed at night, can work wonders.

Simply find a quiet place that you can sit comfortably, physically relax every part of your body, paying special attention to any tension in your chest, shoulders, neck and face, close your eyes, focus on your breath, and dismiss all rushing thoughts as they come. Do not try to repress them – just let them flow through you and exit your body.

If you wish to receive instruction in meditation, look around for glasses or sessions in your area. No matter which type of meditation you choose, and there are many, the discipline you will learn may dramatically affect your state of mind, as well as your physical health.

Exercise

Have you ever heard the phrase, ‘blow off some steam?’ That is exactly what doing some cardiovascular exercise can accomplish. If you are feeling frustrated or angry, try going for a run, swim, bike ride or fast-paced hike – something that takes a little bit of endurance and gets your heart pumping. Not only will this send a rush of endorphins to your brain, it will also draw your focus away from what you are angry about, and onto the task at hand.

If you can exercise outdoors, the combination of the physical activity, the fresh air and the vitamin D from the sun can be especially effective.

Talking to someone you trust

Having a friend or family member you can talk to honestly about what is bothering you is a treasure indeed. This is usually best accomplished when you’ve cooled down a little bit, or before you enter into full ‘seeing red’ mode, unless you have someone in your life who knows you well enough to calm you down in the midst of your anger. Once you have cooled down, try to really listen to what the other person is saying to you, as many people with explosive anger are a bit lacking in listening skills.

-The Alternative Daily

 

Finding the right facility is key to long-term happiness and aging with dignity

Women More Worried Than Men about Being Moved into Senior Housing Facilities When They Can No Longer Care for Themselves

February 27th, 2014

Finding the right facility is key to long-term happiness and aging with dignity

According to a recent Harris Poll survey conducted among adults 65 and older, women are twice as likely as men to be worried about being moved into a senior housing facility when they are no longer able to care for themselves.
“Women are often the caregivers in our society,” said chief medical officer, Brian Kiedrowski, MD at Miami Jewish Health Systems, one of the largest healthcare providers for seniors in the southeast. “But the truth is, whether male or female, you need to prepare yourself for successful aging.”
For Dr. Kiedrowski, this means asking seniors what they are doing to maintain their independence, socialization, and hobbies. It also means having a plan in place. While the majority of the 2,000 people surveyed in the Harris Poll last week said they are not worried about where they will live out their golden years, Dr. Kiedrowski thinks they may be in denial. “We have a society where people don’t want to talk about aging,” he said. “That’s why we have so much trouble with this topic.”
As hard as it may be to broach the subject of aging with loved ones, Dr. Kiedrowski says it is imperative. He recommends scheduling a meeting—much like a business meeting—so that families and friends are aware of loved one’s wishes.
“Ask the tough questions,” he says. “And don’t wait until it’s too late. There’s never a perfect time.”
Dr. Kiedrowski offers the following advice to help seniors plan for the future:
1. Communicate your advance directives. Let families and friends know how you want to be treated if you are seriously ill and unable to speak for yourself.
2. Know where you want to live. It’s hard to make that first visit, but find a way to learn your options before you need them. Consider facilities that offer a continuum of care with medical services that allow you to be cared for right on campus.
3. Think about what you are doing to prepare for your aging process. Are you eating right, exercising, and visiting your doctor regularly?
Miami Jewish Health Systems is one of the most innovative healthcare providers in the United States. More information is available at miamijewishhealthsystems.org.