Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and the team at Syracuse Podiatry hopes you’re planning to celebrate with family and friends and feasting. But as much as we love the holiday, we wouldn’t recommend stuffing in too much of the wrong food at once!

Corny jokes aside, our expert DPMs want to remind patients that a healthy diet is essential to healthy feet. The connection between podiatric well-being and nutrition isn’t spoken about enough, so we’ve decided to put together some handy info that you can use.

What Foods Should Be Enjoyed in Moderation?

It’s great to chow down with your loved ones. However, a few foods can be harmful to your foot health if you overindulge:

• Diabetics must watch out when it comes to desserts like pie, cake, or cookies, as they can lead to abnormal blood sugar levels.
• When diabetes isn’t managed properly, it harms circulation, increases the risk of infection, weakens the immune system, and leads to complications like PAD (peripheral artery disease).
• Gout is linked to diet, and the wrong foods or beverages can trigger attacks.
• If you have gout, avoid alcohol, and try to limit your intake of rich sauces, gravy made with organ meats, and proteins.

Which Foods Actually Help My Feet?

You’ll be happy to know that certain Thanksgiving options can boost your podiatric well-being, and we’ve listed a few of them here for your convenience:

• Foods containing sufficient calcium and vitamin D can be great for your ankles and feet.
• Vitamin D and calcium strengthen your bones, warding off painful problems like fractures and osteochondritis.
• Turkey and roasted veggies are good options for vitamin D, while cheese can provide calcium.

We hope you’ll take these tips to heart and make healthy dietary choices for your feet this Thanksgiving. They’ll thank you if you do! Dr. Ryan L. D’Amico, Dr. Donal M. Erickson, Dr. Keith Sherman, Dr. Anne-Louise Smith, Dr. Justin Muser, Dr. Nicholas Cronin, and the rest of the staff at Syracuse Podiatry in East Syracuse, New York, wish you happy and healthy holiday. If you have concerns about your diet and how it might be affecting your podiatric health, contact us or make an appointment online today!