Feet Speak

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Ok! So I saw this ad online a while back for a feet picture competition. Yeah! You read right, a competition for photographs of ladies’ feet.  I quickly glanced down at my feet and couldn’t help giggling.

I’m sure the judges would throw out my picture if I dared apply. Would have been ROTFL but I was in a bank.  I had to quickly compose myself before security walked up to me.  We seem to give all the attention to our faces, hair arms and other “more visible” parts of our bodies.

Let’s try this, picture a nicely clothed, make-up-on-point, lip-gloss-popping, prettyface in a poorly fitting pair of sandals with chipped toe nails, feet-blisters, stinky smelly feet, bl… alright! I see you get the picture (Lol!).

The truth actually is that the feet are the unsung heroes of the body; they carry you everywhere you go and help you balanced and poised.  An average person takes about 10,000 steps / day.  That equals about 115,000 miles in a lifetime, enough to go round the world four times!

When walking, each time your heel lifts off the ground it forces the toes to carry one half of your body weight.   There are roughly about 250,000 sweat glands on a pair of feet that produce as much as half pint moisture each day. That’s a LOT! this explains why feet stink!

You may not think about your feet that often — way down there at the ends of your legs — but they’re an essential part of almost everything you do. Whether walking, running, exercising, or just standing, having feet that are comfortable and well-cared for (rather than aching or in pain) improves the quality of life.

When your feet don’t get the attention they need, chronic problems can develop, which may trouble you for years to come.  So you see, knowing how to care for your feet is key.

• It is important to wash your feet while having your bath and dry them thoroughly. Use a foot file or pumice stone to gently rub away the hard skin To deal with foot odour  use an antibacterial wash and wipe them with cotton wool dipped in surgical spirit and dust them with talc.  Put on a pair of bathroom slippers If you use a communal shower, this will protect you from picking up foot infections.

• Moisturize, apply moisturizer lavishly on your feet and massage gently until its completely absorbed.  Aqueous crèmes are particularly helpful for dry skin. Dry skin causes burning and itchy feet and can lead to unsightly, painful cracking. Encourage absorption and soft feet by applying the foot crème or foot balm at bedtime.

• Keep well groomed toenails.  Be it natural or artificial. Use proper nail clippers and cut straight across, not too short, and not down at the corners as this can lead to ingrown nails. File them, if that’s easier. Ensure nail polish is all the way to the end of the nails or just clean them off.  Nail polish wearing off on its own is not a pretty sight!

• Change socks daily  If you have to wear socks ,change them once a day and choose ones that contain at least 70% cotton or wool to keep your feet dry and stop them smelling

• Wear well-fitting shoes. This cannot be over-emphasized.  90% of all women wear shoes that don’t fit.  Wear shoes or sandals that fit well and aren’t too loose.  Don’t select shoes by the size marked inside the shoe but by how the shoe fits your foot.   Wearing shoes that fit properly relieve pressure and friction.  Ill fitting shoes cause bunions. This is a foot deformity in which the big toe joint of the foot is distorted, leading to the toe pointing inwards and the bone protruding. The joint is easily inflamed by pressure and can be very painful.  Also, wearing a variety of different sandals and shoes to help prevent cracked heels, hard skin and blisters.  Don’t kill your feet, trust me you still need them

• Go barefoot   as often as you can.  While you are at home or behind your desk at work.  This will keep your feet from getting sweaty and smelly.

• Walk as much as you can rather that standing still; wiggle your toes; shift back and forth from one foot to another; stand on one foot while lifting the other slightly off the ground and rotating the ankle

• Get help if you need it. Basic hygiene and nail cutting should be all you need to keep your feet healthy. But if you have any problems, such as hard skin that you can’t get rid of, blisters or sores that you didn’t notice.  They may be signs of a serious ailment.  You want to check with your doctor.