CRACKED HEELS

Natural Ways to Cure Cracked Heels - More Than Home Remedies

Cracked heels are caused by more than just overexposure and lack of moisturizing. Cracked heels are a sign that you are deficient in zinc and omega-3 fatty acids.

To heal cracked heels, take 30 mg of zinc twice a day, 4 mg of copper once a day, 400 IU of Vitamin E once a day, and 1 tablespoon of flaxseed oil (which contains omega-3 fatty acids) - or Omega 3 Fish Oil Concentrates - twice a day, and pectin every day.

If it is a callus that is cracking, it works best to get rid of the callus. You can file it down with a nail file or foot buffer. Do this when the skin is dry. Once you feel it, you have gone far enough. If you follow the directions properly, you could also use a callus shaver - when the foot is soft after a shower. But be very careful since this contains a blade and could hurt you if you use it incorrectly.

Signs of omega-3 deficiency: cracks in your heels, flaky skin, dry hair, split or brittle nails, or bumpy skin on the back of your arms.

A diet low in omega-3 leaves you feeling hungry again after 2 or 3 hours, instead of 5 or 8. So this also keeps you slim.

Omega-3 fatty acids cannot be made by your body, so you have to get it from food or supplements. Lack of Omega 3 has been linked to high cholesterol, heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis, breast cancer, asthma, diabetes, insulin resistance, menstrual cramps, psoriasis, eczema, and stroke.

Elevations in blood sugar and cholesterol levels may occur in some people who take fish oil. The increase in blood sugar appears to be related in part to the amount of fish oil used. Some evidence suggests that taking Vitamin E with fish oil may prevent the fish-oil-induced increase in blood sugar levels. In other research, the impairment of sugar metabolism sometimes caused by supplementation with fish oil has been prevented by the addition of half an hour of moderate exercise three times a week.

People who took fish oil and who also took pectin every day were reported to have reductions in LDL cholesterol. This suggests that pectin may overcome the occasional problem of increased LDL cholesterol reported in people who supplement with fish oil. The LDL-cholesterol raising effect of omega-3 fatty acids has also been reported to be prevented by taking garlic supplements (or presumably including garlic in the diet) along omega-3 fatty acids.