Foot Care 101: Simple and Effective Tips for Keeping Your Feet Healthy and Happy

Whether for your partner or yourself, taking care of your feet has several benefits. Here’s how.

If your partner has a strong inclination for feet, having well-maintained, attractive feet can spice up your relationship. Even if you are doing it for yourself, taking care of your feet has several health benefits, including

• Early detection of diabetic neuropathy

• Prevention of inflammatory diseases

Key Foot Hygiene Tips to Follow

Healthy feet are the result of good foot hygiene. Taking care of your toes and soles helps evade odor and infections. Moreover, regular maintenance enables you to avoid common foot problems like

• Athlete’s foot

• Nail fungus

• Blisters

Keeping Your Feet Dry

One of the best ways to avoid such issues is to keep your feet dry. Wearing shoes or socks over wet feet is a big no as it leads to the accumulation of bacteria. Moreover, moist feet also lead to foul odor and even fungal infections.

Instead, it would help if you dried your feet with a towel or a foot rag before putting on your footwear. Use cold water unless absolutely necessary. This tip enables you to avoid stinky feet, as warm water is known to facilitate bad odors. When exposed to above-average temperatures, your feet will perspire more.

Warm water opens up your pores, causing you to sweat. As a result, your feet are likely to be slick and thus more prone to infections.

Using Moisture-Wicking Socks

The type of socks you use also affects the chances of developing foot odor. For this reason, cotton socks are preferred over synthetic goods. This type of material facilitates evaporation and breathability. Simply put, cotton socks allow your feet to breathe. It will enable air to circulate better, helping eliminate foul odors.

In contrast, socks made of synthetic materials trap the moisture inside. As a result, your feet will get sweatier much more quickly. These goods also do not enable as much air circulation as cotton items. Without proper evaporation, you are thus more likely to develop a stink.

To summarise, the following steps are necessary for preventing prevent infections and odor

1. Wash your regular feet in cold water

2. Dry your feet thoroughly using a towel – don’t neglect the areas between the toes

3. Use socks made of moisture-wicking material, such as cotton

Importance of Regular Medical CheckUps

Aside from these general benefits, paying attention to your feet can help you detect feet problems in their early stages. Regular foot exams and screening can help you find symptoms of nerve disorders and even diabetes.

For example, if your feet are tingling, burning, stinging, or generally weak, you should get a medical checkup immediately. According to studies, these are symptoms of diabetes. Also called neuropathy, this nerve disorder is a manifestation of the disease.

If left unaddressed, it can cause the feet to go completely numb. With such a development, you can completely lose feeling in your legs, even to the point of being unable to feel injuries.

Tips for Better Feet Health

Moreover, diabetes-based neuropathy can cause feet disfiguration, causing the region to swell. This symptom is caused by poor blood flow in the feet. Avoiding such issues requires regular medical checkups. You can also follow simple routines like the following to facilitate better feet health

• Daily moisturization

• Regular nail trimming/filing

• Checking for sores/blisters/corns/cuts/inflammation

• Checking for objects lodged inside when putting your shoes on

• Wearing well-fitted shoes that fit well

• Avoiding walking barefoot

• Getting regular feet exercises

Nutrition and Lifestyle Hacks for Healthy Feet

Aside from healthy routines and regular checkups, nutrition and lifestyle also contribute to your feet’ health. Studies show that diet and hydration can affect foot health and function. For example, inflammation is one of the primary causes of foot pain.

Among these, the most common types are inflammatory arthritis like psoriatic arthritis, gout, and rheumatoid arthritis. Most don’t know that these symptoms are heightened by diet. Improper nutrition can lead to chronic problems if left unaddressed for long.

The Ideal Diet for Healthy Feet

According to the Arthritis Foundation, your feet would be inflamed if you are consuming the following items disproportionately

• Refined grains

• Sugar

• Trans fats

• Saturated fat

• Omega-6 fats.

To avoid these issues, you must consume a healthy diet incorporating Omega 3 fats. An example of such a diet would therefore include

• Salmon

• Cod oil supplements

• Green vegetables

• Calcium

• Vitamin D from sources like mackerel, salmon, and tuna.

Weight and Your Feet

Your weight is another factor that can cause your feet’ health to degrade. Being obese can put immense pressure on your feet. As a result, you may develop painful and chronic conditions. In fact, according to experts, even being 25 pounds overweight can cause foot and ankle issues.

This risk is heightened if your work requires you to be on your feet for extended periods. For example, salespersons and receptionists are more likely to experience the symptoms of inflammation.

You may also face issues with your feet if you wear heels regularly. To avoid neuro disorders, you should therefore limit your time in heels. However, if unavoidable, you can incorporate aids and tools to relieve pressure off your feet. Some of the best items for these cases are

• Insoles

• Arch supports

Moreover, you can also incorporate the following to improve your overall feet health

• Regular exercise

• Healthy diet

• Plenty of rest.

Conclusion

Aside from these, regular spa treatments are another fun way to maintain your feet’ health. If you want your feet to look extra good, you can opt for

• Exfoliations

• Soaks

• Pedicures

• Massages

Did You Know You Can Sell Your Feet Pics?

Incorporating nail paint can also make an impact on your partner. If they are the type to be turned on by feet pics on sites like Feet Finder, they will appreciate you trying new things like henna designs, temporary tattoos, and more – and sell them on Feet Finder!