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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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