So, in my final podiatrist’s blog of this heel pain series I would like to broach a somewhat touchy subject, weight. It can be easy to ignore your weight. It can sneak up on you like when your car starts making odd noises, and you have to take it eventually to the mechanic. So, just like it’s a bad idea to overload a car the same principle applies for gaining weight when your feet are in pain. You don’t want to be running on rims!  When you figure that any extra weight on your body is multiplied by the moving speed of your leg, the weight of your leg, PLUS the force of gravity every time your heel hits the ground – that’s a lot of pressure on your feet!
To better understand the impact of weight gain, consider these two scenarios.  Say, for example, that you take 2,000 steps a day and you experience 10 pounds of weight gain.  That’s 20 added pounds of heel pain pressure, which over a single day adds 40,000 pounds of pressure (two tons!) to your frame.  Now imagine that instead of 2,000 steps you take 4,000 steps.  That’s an additional 80,000 pounds (4 tons!) of pressure in just one day. There are 9 Secrets to optimal health which makes you lose weight naturally, all of which are outlined in my book 9 Secrets of Health.  I have given a quick summary of them below.

REMEDY #9: WEIGHT LOSS

II. WHAT TO DO TO LOSE WEIGHT

•  Secret #1: Super-Hydrate with Water. Water activates a fat-burning enzyme in your body, called lipase, to help you lose weight. You need to drink 100 fluid ounces a day to burn fat effectively. You should drink four times each day: once in the morning, once between breakfast and lunch, once between lunch and dinner, and once after your final meal.
• Drink water at least 30 minutes before a meal and 30 minutes after completion.
• Secret #2: Eat Vegetables and Lean Animal Protein. They are highly nutritious and excellent sources of antioxidants, which fight “free radicals” that “rust” the body, and reduce inflammation.
• Secret #3: Reduce Processed Sugar. Cut out junk food, prepackaged snacks, and soda pops from your diet. The preservatives and artificial sweeteners in them do nothing, but make you fatter. They are toxins and it is the fat cells whose job it is to store toxins, so you’re giving fat cells a reason to stick around when you eat these kinds of food.
• Secret #4: Increase Natural Fat. Avoid trans fat at all costs. Trans fat is the worst kind of fat and is prevalent in all types of fast food as well as all packaged and processed goods. If the words “partially hydrogenated” appear on the ingredient list, trans fat is inside.Two-legged animals, like chicken and turkey, are much better for you. The general rule of thumb is the fewer the legs, the better.
• Secret #5: Supplement. Your body needs 88 essential nutrients that you can’t produce on your own. These include 60 minerals and 16 vitamins, so it’s crucial that you take vitamins and mineral supplements daily to ensure a sufficient supply of nutrients. The essential vitamins include A, B, C, D, E, and K. The minerals most important to our bodies include calcium, chloride, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium, sodium, and sulfur.
• Secret #6: Walk and/or Exercise Regularly. It increases your metabolism to burn off excess fat. Walk and do other fat burning exercises (bicycling, elliptical machine, treadmill, etc.) for 45 minutes to one hour, three to four times a week. You want to reach a target heart rate while exercising for optimal fat burning. It is figured using the formula of (220 – your age) x 0.65. So, if you’re 40 years old, you need to work up to a heart rate of (220 – 40 = 180, 180 / 0.65 =) 117 per minute. Try resistance exercises, such as weightlifting, for about 3 sets of approximately 10 repetitions for 20-30 minutes (or until fatigued). Do this two or three times a week to build muscles and increase growth hormone production.
• Secret #7: Reduce Stress. Stress is a primary reason for weight gain. The more stress you feel, the more weight you pack on. So just relax away the pounds! Taking Deep Breaths before a meal and eating it with celebration and enjoyment can reduce stress and less stress means less weight.
• Secret #8: Get More Sun. Go outside and get at least 15 to 20 minutes of sunlight, three to five times a week. The UV light from the sun actually stimulates your thyroid gland to increase metabolism, sustains the serotonin levels in your brain to relieve hunger, and perks up your mood to chase off fat-causing stress. It also boosts the production of vitamin D in your body that is essential to cellular growth and healing.
• Secret #9: Believe and Commit.  You can accomplish anything when you truly believe it in your heart. Commit to reaching your ideal weight and it will happen. Write down everything you eat in a pocket journal. This helps you become aware of what you are eating and your dietary habits, so you can change them for the better.

Remember that everything you put into your body affects its performance. Any extra pound you put on multiplies the pressure on your feet for every step you take. You wouldn’t overload a car with balled tires would you? The same goes for your body! Take time to Super-Hydrate with Water to rev up your metabolism and activate the fat-burning lipase enzyme. Eat Vegetables and Lean Animal Protein to build up muscles. Reduce Processed Sugar to store less fat and toxins. Increase Natural Fat to burn more fat. Supplement your body with vitamins and minerals daily for sufficient nutrients. Walk and/or Exercise Regularly to burn fat. Reduce Stress and you will lose weight. Get More Sun. Believe and Commit to building muscles and to losing fat quickly and permanently. I have enjoyed sharing this information with you over the course of these blogs if you have any remaining questions please refer to my book 9 Secrets of Health. Savor every moment this life has for you and above all love, appreciate, enjoy, and forgive.