ChatterTip of the Month March 2011

Tips for Healthy Feet

As we travel around the zodiac and move through the 12 signs, we also travel down the human body. So now, we have reached the 12th sign of Pisces, and we have reached our all-important feet. Here are some suggestions for treating some common foot ailments and for keeping your feet happy and healthy!

Athlete’s Foot

Garlic is a powerful antifungal and is great for treating Athlete’s Foot. Boil several cloves in hot water and cool to a comfortable temperature. Pour into a large bowl and soak your feet in it, and don’t worry, boiled ‘uncrushed’ garlic won’t leave a smell! Salt is another simple remedy you can use to treat athlete’s foot because saline solution makes a hostile environment for fungus, as well as getting rid of excess perspiration and making the skin softer. Use approximately 2 teaspoons salt per pint of warm water and soak foot/feet for 5-10 minutes. Mouthwash can also be used to prevent athlete’s foot, believe it or not! Just soak a cotton ball with some mouthwash and wipe between toes and bottoms of the feet.

Bunions, Calluses & Corns

Bunions (also known as Bursitis) are an inflammation of the soft tissue, or enlargement of the bone at the base of the big toe, usually due to ill-fitting shoes. One suggestion is to soak the feet in a Mustard footbath to help ease the pain and reduce inflammation. Alternatively, how about a footbath with Ginger or Apple Cider to help reduce symptoms, and Nettles are another useful anti-inflammatory. Calluses & Corns also occur on parts of the feet (and sometimes the fingers) and can be painful to walk on, even when they are small or barely visible. One remedy is to soak them in a footbath of Epsom Salts and warm water for about 20 minutes. This will soften them and reduce the inflammation. Once the Corn softens, you can use a Pumice Stone to grind away at the dead skin. You may have to wear little pads in between the toes and avoid wearing the high heels that probably caused them in the first place! Another suggestion is to cover the area in Castor Oil at nighttime, and then wear a pair of socks to prevent staining your bed linen.

Foot Baths

There’s nothing like a good footbath or soak, so here are some suggested natural ingredients to make your feet happy! Let’s start with a footbath containing one or a combination of the following: Epsom Salts, Baking Soda & Kosher Salt. Alternatively you can make a footbath of hot water with a cup of one of our old faithful friends, and that is Honey! Imagine how soft your feet would feel after that? Another recipe I found was with 1 cup Lemon Juice, 3 tablespoons of Olive Oil and ¼ cup of Milk. Mix the ingredients together well in a small bowl before adding to the water. And here’s a bizarre one: add freshly brewed Coffee to the water to stimulate the feet! You may also want to add some Essential Oils to the water and some suggestions are: Lavender, Peppermint & Sandalwood. Another great idea is to place some small, Smooth Rocks or Marbles at the bottom of the bowl so you can roll your feet on top of them while you soak. Can’t wait to do that one.

Foot Massage

It may not always be possible to have a proper foot massage or to get to a reflexologist, but there are some simple solutions to massage the feet while you are at work or at home. One prop is to have a Wooden Foot Roller, which you simply place on the floor and roll back a forth to massage the underneath of the foot/feet. Another idea is to place a hard Rubber Ball under each foot and roll the foot gently around on top of the ball. You can adjust the pressure as you go, but be careful not to press too hard! If it’s easier, do one foot at a time, instead of both at the same time.

Reflexology

And last, but by no means least, Reflexology (or Zone Therapy) is an amazing alternative medicine involving the physical act of applying pressure to the feet, hands or ears with specific thumb, finger and hand techniques. It is based on a system of zones and reflex areas that correspond to specific areas of the body. For instance, if the person is suffering from sinus problems, the reflexologist will work on the tips of the toes. Or if they have high blood pressure, they will work on one particular spot on the large toe, and so on. It is a fascinating study that has been around for a long, long time, like many of our natural healing remedies.