August 2, 2007
Caring for Your Feet – A Foot Conscious Guide to Texas!!!
Introduction:
Our poor feet… they are so disrespected. We put them in a confined area all day, let them get hot and sweaty and then complain when they come out hurting and worst of all, smelly. Imagine if you wore a sock over your head down to your ankles all day – how would you feel? So in the interest of being nicer to our feet, here are some tips for foot care that are helpful in the prevention of disease and injury especially if you live in hot climates such as Texas.
First of all, did you know that your feet and hands contain more sweat glands than any other part of the body? They clock in at 3000 glands per square inch – that’s alot of sweat potential!
Our feet secrete a particular acid in their sweat that can create odor in our footwear.
Do the following to minimize the potential for malodorous shoes:
1. Bathe feet daily and dry THOROUGHLY.
2. Change socks at least once a day.
3. Dust feet with non-medicated baby powder or foot powder.
4. Wear thick soft socks that are made of materials that “wick” away moisture.
5. Avoid nylon socks or plastic shoes – neither of these materials allows the foot to breathe.
6. Rotate athletic shoes so they can dry out for at least a day. If shoes have an odor after drying out for 24 hours, throw them out. Odor is natures indicator of bacteria.
7. ALWAYS wear socks with closed shoes.
Injuries & Prevention:
Gentle stretching such as slow foot circles, spreading your toes, pointing the toes and flexing the feet go a long way toward injury prevention.
A doctor should always be consulted if the following conditions apply to the feet:
1. Swelling of one leg or foot for more than 72 hours.
2. Pain associated with feet or legs increases with exercise or walking.
3. Pain when at rest or with elevation of the legs.
4. Sudden progression of foot deformity.
5. Any infection – don’t try to treat an infected ingrown toenail yourself.
6. Development of a blister or ulcer on the foot which doesn’t appear to be healing (possible sign of diabetes)
7. A unilateral flattening of the feet arch.
8. Loss of sensation in feet or legs.
Summary:
It feels good to let the feet come out and breathe by going barefoot. Always be careful when walking barefoot as punctures and cuts can happen this way. Going barefoot in the yard seems safer but then you can run into fire ants and other critters you can’t see called microbes that can enter through the skin of the feet and actually cause intestinal problems.
If you are prone to being bitten by bugs you may want to try using some all natural bug balm.
Also try to walk gently when going barefoot. Heels are rigid and many people slam them into the ground, shocking the legs and knees. Instead, while you should still make your heels touch the ground first, you should shift most of your weight forward onto the balls of your feet. The balls of the feet are flexible and will mold to the contour of the surface; they also have a wider surface area to better distribute your bodys weight. Once you get used to walking this way, it will become natural for you.
Feet aren’t gross, they’re just asking for a little more respect. So be nice to your feet, take them out for a pedicure or just say “thanks for taking me where I want to go!” with some all natural foot balm.
The Sweet Smell of Success
Our store has a large room at the back left corner which has historically contained all things scented. The room has a deep red wall paper and although containing two large windows it has a dark and heady atmosphere.
The biggest addition to this room has been a large dresser stocked with triple scented candles made by “Keepers of the Light” candle company. Their triple scented candles come in a huge variety of scents and we stock almost all of them!
Many of our employees buy the candles for their own homes and my wife and I are no exception. We basically have one of these in each room of the house and when lit they quickly fill a room with a great scent.
We have four dogs and keeping the house smelling good is a must so we generally get home from work and go around lighting them all, the good thing is they seem to last forever and they have sturdy bases so there is no risk that the dogs wagging tails can topple them over!
We’re hoping that when people buy these candles they get the same experience as we do, I know for sure that I love coming home to the smell of fresh treacle pudding or tropical coconut. I am as they say, converted to the joys of smelling!
The Day Lily Cottage - Beautiful Daylilies 
