Essential Nutrients for Your Feet and Ankles
That saying you’ve heard all your life is true: You are what you eat.
Everything you chew and swallow has the potential to be great nutrition or…not so much. It’s to your advantage to eat in the most nutritious way possible. Enter National Nutrition Month. These 31 days of March offer a fantastic opportunity to reflect on our eating habits and how they affect our bodies.
Poor nutrition can lead to weight gain, which has a direct effect on foot health. Not getting enough nutrients can lead to osteoporosis and bones that fracture easily, especially in the feet.
The best nutrition for your feet
So, what about those nutrients that help your feet? Are there particular nutrients you should strive to eat every day to maintain good foot health? Absolutely, yes. They are calcium and Vitamin D – both are important for maintaining strong bones.
- Calcium is found in milk, plain low-fat yogurt, and hard cheeses like Parmesan and Romano. It may surprise you that many vegetables are also high in calcium, including broccoli, kale, bok choy, and leafy greens such as collard and turnip. Many seeds and nuts also contain lots of calcium, so stock your pantry with almonds, chia seeds, and sesame seeds (which contain a whopping 280 mg of calcium per serving).
- Vitamin D. The list of foods rich in vitamin D is much smaller: fatty fish such as salmon, herring, and sardines; egg yolks; and vitamin D-enriched foods such as cold cereals and dairy products. It’s much harder to get this nutrient from food. As a result, consider increasing the time you spend in the sun (but still following safe practices to prevent sunburn), and talk to your doctor about taking a vitamin D supplement.
Our experienced podiatric surgeons, Dr. Craig B. Frey, Dr. Megan L. Oltmann, Dr. Jim Swienconek, Dr. Rachel Robinson, and Dr. Courtney Yoder encourage you to eat a variety of foods to help your feet and ankles thrive. If you develop pain in your feet, call Foot & Ankle Associates of Cleveland in Solon, Ohio at (440) 903-1041 or contact us online to schedule a consultation. We offer a modern office with the latest technology for podiatric patients in Portage, Geauga, Cuyahoga, and Summit Counties, proudly serving our patients from Solon, Aurora, Bedford, Chagrin Falls, Hudson, Macedonia, and Twinsburg.
