Sand Is Good For Your Heart!

No, I am not suggesting that you go ahead and add sand to your diet? However, I have been known to inadvertently eat sand on a windy day along with my cucumber sandwich on the beach! I simply wish to describe the importance of your feet in the health of your body and how sand can be the best thing for your heart. Not convinced, well read on Mac Duff!

During Neanderthal days, when women were supposedly dragged around by their hair, and men were macho beasts hunting for our food; when it came to footwear, rather like some of us in Australia, they were happy to avoid wearing shoes. If they did, it was to protect their feet, and early shoes were usually made from animals skins. No such thing as feet being crammed into stiletto's which not only can cause damage to the small bones of the toes if worn for years on end, but also damage to the spine as the body is tipped forward in an unnatural gait. Flat shoes really are not better! Excuse me? Yes, flat shoes are not natural either. Our feet are not flat, even if the Dr says they are. We may have fallen arches, but our feet are never entirely flat. There are undulations and curves, that when forced into flat shoes do no allow our feet to do their job.

I once wrote an ode to my feet, appreciating them for all the adventures they have taken me on, sometimes into mischief but also keeping me safe from trouble by allowing me to walk away. However, our feet have much more power than simply taking us from A to B and looking fine in our latest pair of designer heels. Sex and the City persuade us that we can look like Sara Jessica Parker regardless of our age as long as we can squeeze our tootsies into Manolo Blahniks and the like, which, yes, I reluctantly admit have seen me drinking to quell the agony that ensued after 3 hours of standing at a wedding.

Modern society dictates that we not only wear shoes, but that we continually walk on flat surfaces. As you can imagine, when our friends in bear skin shoes roamed the earth, there were no such thing as pavements, or boardwalks or an earth that was flattened out for our convenience. Thankfully there is an awareness as more and more healthy shoe manufacturers are measuring our paws, endeavouring to fit us into running and walking shoes that mimic the contours of the feet whilst providing us with support against the ravages of the flat surfaces and roads. They realise that the constant pounding of these 'flatmospheres' can cause serious knee and hip damage. Ask any Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Specialist. Start at the bottom and work your way up they will tell you. Bare feet would be ideal but of course this is not practical in our 'dress to impress' world.

We can do much to alleviate the deterioration of our sole mates, maybe not in the workplace, but at home. If we are lucky enough we can also go to the beach. Our feet love the sand as it accomodates their shape and does not force them to splay out unnaturally. Soft sand is best. The benefits of being able to sink our feet into millions of tiny moving particles will not only save your hips and knees from further damage, but will pump your calves up to sexy dimensions. Wouldn't you agree that muscularly defined calves look really good on men and women alike?

Why would your calves get pumped? Simply because we are not used to really using our feet. We need our lower legs to lift and work them properly. It is a symbioisis. After a long stroll on the beach, you will notice that your calves usually ache for the next day or so. With regular beach walking this of course disappears and the muscles start to appear, along with admiring looks.

Sexy calves, exfoliated feet, but why is this good for your heart? Another little known fact is that the feet contain some very important blood vessels. Defined originally by Leonardo da Vinci I believe, the feet have their own built in extremely vital pump. The Dorsal veins and arteries and the Saphenous vein rely on the feet to return the blood that comes from the heart and down the legs, to be pushed back up from whence it came. While we are walking the foot muscles act as the first stage of sending that blood on its way, via the calves to the upper part of the leg, the abdomen and back to the lungs for oxygenation prior to being pumped by the heart to the head and the rest of our bodies. If we sit around doing nothing, we are reducing the efficiency of this marvellous work of anatomy and letting our heart work even harder. Another reason why being sedentary is not healthy.

Take for instance when you fly on a long haul flight, a good airline will ensure that you are able to walk around the plane when appropriate, and will have video exercises for your feet and calve muscles as you sit for long periods of time. This is to prevent the formation of a Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT), left untreated, a DVT can become a Pulmonary Embolism, which is where a small clot breaks free from the large clot (DVT) and may work its way to the lungs and can be fatal. Some people are more predisposed to DVT's than others, and it is worth assessing the risk factors before you fly. There is plenty that can be done to decrease those risks. Support socks or stockings are the first line of defence, ask your Pharmacist or Dr for more information.

You can start with the beach if you want to be healthier, go find some sand if you can, and walk, walk, walk. Kick off your shoes whenever you can, wiggle those toes, and wear correct running shoes for running and for long walks. Get a loved one to give you a foot massage or treat yourself to a pedicure that involves total foot care.

Our feet are far more important than we realise, and they really can look after our hearts. As a baby we love our toes, and as we age they loose our respect. Those couple of characters on the end of your legs can keep you really healthy. So look after them, let them out whenever you can and hey, don't forget the sunscreen.