At Dr. Jill’s Foot Pads, we know that COVID 19 has brought many challenges to families. We hope all of our customers are staying healthy and taking the necessary precautions to prevent the spread of the disease. In an effort to focus on positive outcomes during this time, we want to suggest that this may be a good time to make a move toward healthy eating habits.

Eating a nutritious, well-balanced diet with an appropriate number of calories for each member of the family has many health benefits for your feet and the rest of your body, including:

• Losing weight if you are overweight or maintaining a healthy weight
• Helps prevent many disease including: arthritis, heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure
• Can decrease inflammation, a symptom of many joint disorders
• Increase your ability to stay active and focused

Roadmap to Better Habits

Start by doing some research online about what makes a healthy diet. If you have children who are learning at home, see if you can tie in healthy eating to a science or health class. The USDA website has special sections on healthy eating. Check out https://www.choosemyplate.gov/. Some tips to try:

• Since grocery shopping isn’t as easy as it’s been in the past, this is a doubly good reason to plan menus ahead of time. Get family member input on what makes a healthy meal. Hint: at least half your plate should be filled with fruits and vegetables, one quarter with lean protein and one quarter with whole grains or starches.
• Discuss healthy cooking methods like broiling, grilling and roasting. Keep fried food to a once in a while treat or consider air frying which uses less fat to cook foods. Teach your children some basic cooking skills and let them help with age appropriate tasks in the kitchen.
• Explore international cuisines that use different spices and cooking methods that fit the healthy model you’ve developed. Choose a different country to “visit” at the dinner table each week.

Enjoy the time you spend cooking and eating together as a family. Hopefully, this will help create some new family rituals that will continue after the virus is long gone.

If you have foot health care needs, review our online catalog. We’re here for all your foot pad needs. Don’t hesitate to contact us by calling: (866) FOOT-PAD (366-8723).

At Dr. Jill’s Foot Pads, we are hoping all of our patients are taking the necessary steps to avoid the virus and stay physically healthy. But what about emotional health? This time of pandemic can create stress and anxiety for adults and children. The good news is that this is an area you can actually have control over. Below are some suggestions that will help.

• Stick to a Schedule—although many adults are not going into the office and children are home from school, it is still beneficial to maintain a routine. Endless hours of free time, hanging out all day in pajamas and mindlessly flipping through television stations can increase depression and fuel scary thoughts. Try to get up at the same time each day (at least Monday-Friday). Eat meals at regular times. Set a schedule for doing schoolwork or office work. Try to keep as much normalcy as possible—for instance, if you usually walk your children to the bus in the morning, take a quick walk around the neighborhood with them before settling into work.
• Get Enough Sleep—insomnia is linked to depression and with all there is to worry about it’s no wonder sleeping well may prove difficult. Be sure your family engages in some physically active pursuits such as working in the yard, exercising, etc. This will improve sleep quality. Have a wind down routine—reading, warm shower, prayers, etc. that signals time for sleep. Strive for 8 hours nightly.
• Plan for Positive Activities—be sure your schedule includes time for connecting with family and friends that you are no longer able to see. Phone calls and even better, options that allow you to see the person as well such as Zoom, What’s App and Facetime, will be grounding and make everyone feel better.
• Maintain Personal Care—making sure children are brushing their teeth, bathing on schedule, changing into clean clothes, combing hair, etc. will help improve everyone’s mood. Ditto for making beds and staying on track with keeping bedrooms and common living areas clean and organized.

Making these efforts will have a twofold benefit. First, it will improve emotional health during this challenging time and second, it will help everyone be ready to smoothly transition back to regular school, work and life routines when the virus passes—which it will!

As always, we are here for you. If you have any foot care needs, view our online catalog and feel free to contact us by calling: (866) FOOT-PAD (366-8723).

At Dr. Jill’s Foot Pads, we hope all of our clients are staying healthy and taking the necessary precautions to prevent the spread of the COVID virus. This challenging time has meant a lot of adjustments for people and we’d like to offer some suggestions for ways to pass the time that will help everyone make the best of this stressful period.

1. Have a Feel-Good Movie-a-Thon—what’s your favorite genre? Romance, comedy? Rather than mindlessly flipping from channel to channel, look for movies with a positive message. If you live with others, ask everyone to share a favorite movie and tell why it impacted them.
2. Finally Clean Out That Closet! Sort clothes into keep, give away and toss piles. Make note of items you need to replace in your wardrobe. Consider have a facetime or zoom session with friends and have a virtual swap. Show pieces that are up for grabs and put aside for when you get together to give to your friends. Don’t forget to go through your shoe wardrobe as well and toss styles that are worn or hurt your feet.
3. Stay Fit—although gyms may be closed, it’s important to continue to get regular exercise. Enjoy neighborhood walks, especially on good-weather days. Get creative at home and set up your own fitness circuit using whatever exercise equipment you have. You can use water bottles and canned goods for weights. Try a thick book for stair stepping up and own. Look up new exercise routines online. For a quick fitness hit that’s fun with children, have a spontaneous dance party—crank up the tunes and have everybody show off their best moves.
4. Preserve Precious Family Memories—how many of us have flash drives full of images or boxes of actual photos that have never been organized? Now is a great time to put photos in albums and organize digital images. Discover new ways to share photos. Let children help with this project and use the time to pass on stories about your family.
5. Learn Something New—thanks to the wonders of the internet, you can learn just about anything from how to knit to speak a foreign language or make the perfect souffle. What have you always wished you knew how to do?  Many schools have switched to online learning. Why not explore new places around the globe as a family using the resources available.

At Dr. Jill’s we want you to know that we are here for you. If you have any foot product needs, don’t hesitate to contact us by calling: (866) FOOT-PAD (366-8723). Be safe and stay healthy.