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Pamper
your feet
Women’s
feet have inspired many poets to pen couplets on them.
Popularly called “Lotus feet” a pair of dainty, clean,
well shaped feet have indeed been many an owner’s pride
and a neighbors envy.
There
was a time when women were- covered from head to toe. In
fact, they wore veils and one could not see their faces. The
feet were the only visible part of there body. This was a
common practice in many countries.
Women’s feet have thus
inspired many poets to complete on them. Popularly called
lotus feet, a pair of dainty. Clean well-shaped feet have
indeed been many an owner’s pride and a neighbor’s envy.
You too can own a lotus feet by caring from them and using
them easily available raw materials to attain a pair of
desirable feet.
An
average person walks 110,000 miles in a lifetime. They
support the entire body and control the gait and posture.
Yet we tend to neglect them, ignore them and take them for
granted. To own a soft, lovable beautiful feet you need to
pamper them by creaming and massaging them regularly. Dry
rough nails, fungal infection, cracked heels, swollen
feet’ corn’s calluses are all the result of years of
neglect. How thoughtlessly we ensnare them in a pair of ill
–fitting sandals or shoes that only seem to pinch, hurt
and maul. It ends up disfiguring your feet, causing back
problems and poor posture apart from disrupting blood
circulation.
Your
foot care should start first with a sensible pair of shoes.
A well fitting shoe should be half an inch longer than your
foot, thus allowing some moving space for your toes. Before
you buy a pair, put in a walk around for a few minutes to
ensure that it doesn’t pinch or hurt.
By
following a few careful dos and don’ts you can look after
your feet. First, some basic rules:
The
first golden rule is to buy shoes of the right size. Apart
from the size, you have to ensure that the length of heels
that you are buying, does not de-stabilize you. People with
bad backs should not wear pencil heels that hurt the spine
.One should buy shoes in the afternoon or evening when the
feet are swollen from the days walking. This will ensure
that you get the right fit and size.
Next
is exercising
your feet. Most people believe that just because
they are ‘on their feet’ the whole day, they have
exercised on their feet. This is far from true. You need to
exercise to relax your tired feet and to strengthen your
foot muscles. The best time to exercise is at the end of the
day.
Sit
comfortably on an erect chair and clench your toes, then
relax them –do this 4-6 times a day. This exercises your
ankles, keeping them supple and lean.
Next
draw circles in the air with your feet. Move one foot at a
time, first clockwise, then anti clockwise five to six
times. This exercises your anckles, keeping them supple and
lean.
Besides
exercise, you should especially bathe your feet daily.
Normally when one has a bath, the body, face and arms get
all the attention-the feet remain neglected. So make it a
habit of treating your feet to a lavish footbath, especially
at the end of the day.
Take
a basin of warm water to which a little salt has been added.
Soak your feet in this. Your aching feet will get instant
relief. Pat dries your feet thoroughly. Apply a lotion of
glycerin and rose water and dry your feet and apply talc
later. Once a week indulge yourself in a good pedicure. You
can easily do this at home.
Every
day, after you have cleaned and exercised your feet, put
them up. Take a round bolster. Lie down flat without a
pillow. Now place your ankles on the edge of the bolster so
as to raise your feet. Keep in the position for at least 15
minutes. This gives immediate relief to tired feet .Its also
helps reduce swelling due to water retention. Last, but not
least, while bathing, remove dead skin with a pumice stone
and loofah.
Our
feet keep us balanced and carry our weight. In a lifetime
they walk as much as going five times around the earth. We
only pay attention to our feet when they rebel at their
utter neglect, when they can bear the neglect no longer and
become ill with calluses, corns, bruises and ingrown
toenails and bunions. We should look after our feet before
any of these problems may need the attention of a doctor. So
prevention is always better than cure. You can certainly
prevent a lot of foot problems by knowing about them and
preventing them by using the right home cures. So take a
look at your feet and start caring for them right away.
Now
let us discuss a few common foot problems and how we can
tackle them.
Neglected
Feet
Most of the foot problems
arise due to neglect and oversight. Cracked feet, corns and
other common ailments should be attended to and nipped in
the bud. A few suggestions to deal with them.
Cracked
Heels:
 This is one of the most
common and embarrassing problems. Cracked heels are the
first signs of sheer neglect. A daily does of cleaning and
moisturizing will help. Before going to bed, soak your feet
in warm soapy water. Soak for 15 minutes. Wash and dry. Then
take one teaspoon Vaseline. Add to it the juice of one
lemon. Rub this mixture into the cracked heels and other
areas of the feet till it is thoroughly absorbed. This
should be done daily.
A
mixture of glycerin and rosewater too, if applied regularly,
helps to soothe and cure cracked heels.
Foot
Exfoliation and scrubs:
You need to exfoliate your
feet without being too harsh. Dead skin accumulated on the
feet can cause a lot of problems. The ideal way to get rid
of calluses is to exfoliate. Use a loofah at least twice a
day to get rid of the dead skin. However, nourishing and
exfoliating your feet should be done every week.
Strawberry
Exfoliation:
Take 6-8 strawberries and two tablespoons of olive (or
almond) oil and one teaspoon of sea salt.
Mash the strawberries .Add the
oil and salt. Make into a paste. Massage into the feet,
rubbing harshly as you go along. Keep rubbing especially
around the hundred areas of your feet. Leave the paste on
for 10-15 minutes. Rinse with warm water, then with cold
water.
Another
good exfoliate is to use crushed almonds instead of
strawberries. Both exfoliate the tough skin of your feet and
the natural juices and oils nourish your feet.
Other
natural exfoliating foot scrubs can be prepared by grinding
corncobs and walnut shells. These are especially good for
exfoliating very toughened feet, especially the heel areas.
Orange
and oil scrub:
This is an ideal cooling foot scrub. Take two oranges, one
cup of oil (any vegetable oil will do), and one cup of sea
salt. Mix together salt and oil. Thickly slice the oranges
into rings. Dip them into this oil and salt lotion and start
rubbing all over the feet. Use generously on the hardened
skin areas. Keep rubbing vigorously for 10 minutes, then
rinse off. This cleans your feet, cools and softens them.
Rubbing the soles of the feet with lemon sliced into half
can also cure calluses on the feet. Take a lemon, slice it
into half, and rub it vigorously in circular motions over
the toes, heels and other tough and hard areas.
Corns:
These
are caused by friction and pressure when the bony parts of
your feet rub against your shoes. The problem needs to be
treated by a doctor. Change your footwear immediately. Use
exfoliates, warm footbaths and moisturizing routines to ease
the pain. There are a few home cures too that can cure newly
formed corns. They should be treated at once. Any delay will
require the attention of a doctor.
Marigold:
The marigold flower belongs to the same family as the
arnica. It has antiseptic qualities. The juice of the leaves
is an excellent cure for warts. The sap from its stem is
useful in curing warts, corns and calluses of the feet.
All
one has to do is to slice the stem lengthwise and apply the
juice of the stem on the affected areas. Leave it on .Use
this treatment everyday at the first sight of the corn.
Licorice:
The dried roots of this plant and its
underground stems are used as flavorings agents in food as
well as the base in many cough medicines.
Take
a few licorice sticks:
Powder them and add a little mustard
oil rub this paste onto the corns and the hardened skin. Use
regularly, especially at bedtime. Leave it on .All newly
formed corns will disappear.
Pineapple:
This is an absolutely unique way to treat
corns. At night, just before bedtime, soak your feet in warm
water for 20 minutes to tenderize the corns. Cuts out a
square piece from the pineapple peel. Rest the inside of
this directly on the corn. Use tape to attach this piece
directly on the corn. Cover with socks and leave on
overnight. Apply for four to five nights consecutively. This
would be of great help in treating corn. Pineapple contains
an enzyme called Brometain that softens and breaks down dead
skin. So don’t throw away that pineapple peel. Use it to
cure painful corns.
Swollen
Feet:
Sometimes. Mild water retention or odema,
especially during the menstrual cycle or due to hormonal
changes can cause immense discomfort. Here is a simple cure.
Carrot
and parsley Juice:
Take four carrots, one beetroot or
apple., and a few sprigs of parsley. Wash peel and finely
chop the carrots and also the apple or beetroot. Add a few
springs of parsley. Blend in a juice strain. Drink this
juice twice a day to treat bloated feet.
Athletes
Foot:
This is one of the most common and
irritating foot infections. This usually spreads through wet
socks, bedding on bathrooms or swimming pools. This
infection spreads due to dampness. The best thing to do is
to keep your feet dry. Here is a useful home remedy:
Ginger
or Garlic:
Soak your feet in a basin of warm water
containing either a few pods of crushed garlic or crushed
ginger. Add to this a little alcohol. Soak feet for 10
minutes. Remove feet and dry them thoroughly. Repeat 2-3
times a day. This provides immense relief.
An
all –purpose foot cream can easily be prepared at home
too.
Coco
Rose Foot Cream:
Take half-cup coconut oil, one-teaspoon
glycerin and two-table spoons rose water. Take a mixing bowl
and pour all these ingredients together. Beat till a smooth
paste is formed. Store in a jar and keep it in your
bathroom. Beat till a smooth paste is formed. Store in ajar
and keep it in your bathroom. Use every night to prevent
drying of the feet and cracks in the feet. It’s an ideal,
multipurpose foot cream.
Shoe
Bites :
How
often are we afflicted with shoe bites? These can occur due
to wearing new or ill-fitting shoes. Whenever you buy a new
pair of shoes, use these preventive measures to prevent shoe
bites.” treat’ your shoes: apply a little petroleum
jelly inside your shoe. Leave it on overnight. Clean it off
with a cloth and then wear your shoes. Apply coconut oil
inside your shoes for three consecutive nights to soften
them before wearing. You could apply castor oil too. Apply
some raw potato slices inside the shoe and particularly the
heel area. Repeat for two nights before wearing your shoes.
In case you do get a shoe bite, try the followings:
Rice:
Take a half-cup rice. Pound it to a powder and then add
enough water to make a thick paste. Apply the paste on the
shoe bite. Leave it on till dry. rinse gently with Luke warm
water. Dry the feet thoroughly. You will get immense relief.
Neem
and turmeric paste:
Take a few Neem leaves and add to them a
tablespoon of turmeric powder. Add a little water and put it
into a mixer to form a thick paste. Apply this paste on the
painful shoe bite. This gives tremendous relief and also
dries up the bite. We thus see that in the case of care of
hands and feet prevention is the key word.
If
you want to own a pair of flawless hand and lotus feet, you
just need to treat them right a little care goes a long way.
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