Nutrition plays a much larger role in your life than simply affecting your weight or the health of your heart.

To some degree, it affects every last aspect of your life.

And it even affects the health of your feet too.

For example, medical research published in the British Journal of Nutrition in 2015 found that what you eat affects bodily inflammation.

Inflammation is actually usually a good thing. Your body uses it to stop the growth of abnormal cells, heal damaged tissues, and fight off viral or bacterial infections.

However, inappropriately triggered inflammation causes problems. For example, psoriatic arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and gout can be inflammatory responses. And this inflammation can cause intense heel pain with your plantar fascia.

Refined grains, sugar, and trans fat (found commonly in junk food) are believed to encourage inflammation. But, the story doesn’t end there. Omega-6s found in vegetable oil and the saturated fat found in red meat both are believed to increase inflammation too.

What Should You Eat to Reduce Inflammation?

The story here does not change. Basically, you should eat something resembling the Mediterranean diet: lots of vegetables (and especially green veggies), fish, and poultry. Limit your sweets and red meat.

At a high level, that’s all you need to focus on.

And eating that way does so much good not just for your feet, but for your health in general. It keeps your mind sharp, your heart healthy, your weight in check, and it can reduce your risk of diseases like Type 2 Diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and stroke.

Healthy Eating Doesn’t Just Reduce Your Risk of Inflammation. It Helps Reduce Your Risk of Many Other Conditions That Can Affect Your Feet Too!

Eating this way can also reduce your risk of osteoporosis. One of the most common initial signs of osteoporosis is a stress fracture in your foot.

Risk of peripheral artery disease, and diabetes, both of which we see a lot of here at North Texas Foot & Ankle, can also be greatly reduced with a healthy diet.

Finally, eating healthy also helps keep your weight in check. Though 20 – 25 pounds isn’t a huge deal in the grand scheme of things, that’s enough to put more pressure on your feet and ankles, increasing your risk of health problems.

And as you know, many Americans have much more than 20 – 25 pounds to lose.

So, yes, you’re wise to consider how nutrition plays a role in problems that affect your feet. And remember, when you eat healthy, you’re doing not just your feet, but your entire body, an amazing favor!

There’s plenty of delicious and healthy recipes. And they’re all over the internet, which makes living a healthy lifestyle easy and convenient.