March is National Nutrition Month. This is an annual campaign created by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and provides a resource from which people can learn more about making informed food choices and healthful eating habits. Usually, we don’t think about how our eating habits affect the health of our feet, but it does. One big side effect people experience from consuming certain foods is inflammation. Let’s look at what foods may cause inflammation, and what you can do to avoid it.

Inflammation

Inflammation is a common cause of foot pain associated with both arthritis and gout. This condition can also strike the thick, fibrous ligament in the arch of the foot called the plantar fascia. This may result in plantar fasciitis arch pain, similar to heel pain.
This type of inflammation can be caused by several foods. One culprit that may trigger this effect is saturated fats and red meat is often the source. Sugar and highly processed junk food are also big offenders.

People may also be susceptible to increased levels of inflammation due to chronic allergies to common foods, including wheat gluten. This allergy may increase any existing heel pain.

What Can You Do?

There are several things you can do to decrease inflammation. Eliminating the protein gluten found in wheat, barley, and rye may benefit patients with plantar fasciitis. It’s also a good idea to cut out large portions of red meat. Doctors advise patients to add more omega-3 fats to their plates. This can be found in fatty fish such as salmon. Fish oil supplements are also sources of omega-3s. A healthy diet rich in green vegetables can help as well.

If you notice any symptoms of pain it’s vital to see an experienced podiatrist right away.

You can count on the Foot & Ankle Specialists, PC foot doctors to provide care for your feet using a full range of both conservative and surgical therapies. Our expert team, including board-certified podiatrists Dr. Scott E. Hughes, Dr. Greg P. Vogt, and Dr. Christine I. Tumele, serve patients of all ages with state-of-the-art diagnostic and treatment technologies including onsite digital x-ray, ultrasound, diabetic shoes, and digital scanning for custom orthotics.

For any questions or to make an appointment, please contact us at one of our Southeast Michigan facilities in Monroe 734-241-0200, and Lambertville 734-856-8900, in Bedford and Monroe counties. Don’t forget we make house calls.