It’s American Heart Month, and at Feet First Foot Care Specialists, we want our Middlesex County patients to have the facts about heart disease.

Consider these statistics:

  • Heart disease is the biggest killer in our country, taking the lives of more people than all forms of cancer combined.

  • 72% of Americans don’t consider themselves to be at risk for heart disease.

  • 83% believe that it’s possible to prevent heart attacks but aren’t motivated to do anything.

It’s true that there has been a significant advance in medicine in the field of heart health.  Still, unhealthy lifestyle choices—primary among these being the continual rise in obesity rates—have made fighting heart disease difficult.

Being overweight also carries consequences for your feet, including:

  • Excessive pressure on joints, increasing the risk and pain of arthritis

  • Increased risk for several podiatric conditions including plantar fasciitis, flat feet, and sesamoiditis, to name a few

  • Decreases your ability to be active, which in turn reduces your ability to lose weight

Take Small Steps

Experience shows that trying to make multiple, dramatic changes all at once is not usually successful. In addition, fad diets that promise fast weight loss tend to have short-lived results. Instead, try some of these simple changes to decrease calories in and increase calories burned:

  • Re-design your dinner plate. Start by filling half of your plate with vegetables and salad. Then use one quarter for lean protein and the last quarter for carbohydrates (starches).

  • Use a smaller size plate to reduce portion size.

  • Make smart swaps: low-fat milk for full fat, salted caramel yogurt for ice cream, flavored seltzer for soda.

  • Find more ways to move. Choose the parking space furthest away from stores and your office. Get off the bus one stop earlier and walk the rest of the way. Walk while you talk on the phone.

  • Make exercise social. Instead of meeting for drinks, suggest a walk in the park. Join a dance class or hiking club.

If increases in physical activity cause pain or discomfort in your feet or ankles, contact our Cromwell office promptly so that our podiatrist, Dr. Adam Mucinskas, can examine your feet and get to the root of the problem.

Questions or Comments?

We encourage you to contact us whenever you have an interest or concern about our services.

Call Today (860) 632-5499

162 West St Ste K Cromwell, CT 06416