Simple Steps

Eat 12–15mg of zinc daily to prevent stinky feet.

Have your feet measured. The majority of women wear shoes that are too small.

Limit your everyday shoe collection to those with support—from arch-friendly flip flops to over-the-counter orthotic inserts in work boots—to prevent heel pain from plantar fasciitis.

Skip polishes and shellacs with brown or red bases, which can yellow nails and make them look fungus-filled, even if they’re not.

High heels place feet in an unnatural position and inflame toe bones and nerves. Save the sexy stilettos for nights that don’t involve a lot of walking, uneven terrain or drinking. Keep other heels less than two inches high.

Opt for chunky heels (but not rigid platforms) instead of skinny stilettos to prevent wobble-walk sprains that increase your risk of osteoarthritis.

Soak your feet in dark tea, warm sage water, vinegar (or natural apple cider), vodka or diluted tea tree or calendula oil to cure stinky feet caused by excess bacteria.

Avoid shoes with low, rigid backs that can cause irreversible bony deformities on the back of your heel.

Pointy-toed shoes are trending for men as well as women and they can cause nerve damage, bunions, corns and hammertoe.

Consider your toe box (space in shoes for your digits) when buying shoes. Even if the shoe is pointy, the part holding your toes should not be.

Technology

Barefoot/Minimalist Shoes: Runners are more prone to injury today than they were before the 1970s introduction of the modern running shoe. Running on a platform of reverting back to the natural, minimalist running shoes spur the debate: Which came first: bad form or form-altering shoes? Minimalist shoes garner praise for encouraging better form because, frankly, it hurts to heel strike without an inch of high-tech cushion. Runners then have to work harder to retrain their bodies to move comfortably and properly during exercise. Criticism comes when unaccustomed runners take off minimalist-style without coaching or an adjustment period and damage the little bones and tendons in their feet. Any runner switching from a modern shoe to a minimalist shoe should have his or her form professionally assessed. To prevent injuries, try to have your foot strike below the center of your mass, not in front of it. Boulder Running Co., Newton Natural Running, Boulder Community Hospital and Radiant Running in Lafayette, among others, offer gait analyses.

Rocker Bottom Shoes: Unless your doctor has prescribed shoes with a rocker bottom, their dangers outweigh unsubstantiated toning claims. Experts agree these shoes can create dangerous instability, especially on stairs, and exacerbate existing foot problems. They’ve been blamed, in at least two lawsuits, for hip fractures following extended use.

Tips

“We recommend you pedicure once a month to keep nails trimmed, prevent ingrown nails, so you don’t end up with any kind of fungus, and so any damage to nails is maintained and checked. Older people especially, or anyone who’s had surgery or can’t reach their feet, have a tendency to wait too long.” —Tina Capaldi, cosmetologist, Longmont

The post Health and Beauty 360: Feet appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

We Got the Funk

Spruce jewelry is very obviously inspired by the landscape, especially with pieces named Maple and River. You can see it in the irregular, flowing pieces that seem so intricately effortless. We adore these earrings that are both feminine, delicate and funky.

Spruce Jewelry: sprucejewelry.com

Where to buy: Encore, 439 Main St., and Suburban Hill, 2015 Ionosphere St., in Longmont

Foodie Gift Boxes

Cheese: it’s the gift that keeps on giving. Cured, Boulder’s new cheese and unique food shop, is offering gift boxes that include cheese, meats, breads, olive oil, pickles, sweets and more. Baskets range from the “day trip” to the “vacation,” which includes cheese knives and custom-made cheese board. We love the “Colorado road trip” basket with local cheese and cured meats from Il Mondo Vecchio, local pickled beets and Ritual Chocolate, among other items. It’s the perfect gift for the foodie in your life. Prices range from $75 to $250.

Cured: curedboulder.com

Where to buy: Cured, 1825 B Pearl St., Boulder

Festive Gift Tags

A Fobbie sounds like it could be some newfangled toy or a new character on Sesame Street. Really, it’s a concept developed by a Colorado inventor: a gift tag with a patented “slot system” for weaving ribbon through and securing it to your gift. Fobbie simplifies the gift wrapping-process and makes the holidays just a little easier. $1.49 each

Fobbie: fobbie.com

Reusable Bags

It can be tough to find gifts for your favorite environmentalist…You never even thought about presents’ carbon footprints. Well, RuMe  could just be your saving grace. RuMe offers multi-functional, design-driven reusable bags and totes. Not only are they über green but the bags have a sleek style perfect for anyone with eco-tendencies.

RuMe: rumebags.com

Where to buy: McGuckin Hardware, 2525 Arapahoe Ave., Boulder

Pillows and Rugs

Nicole Linton is like many Boulderites: Her business values combine sustainability, cultural diversity  and global awareness. And alpacas. Linton’s é bella uses alpaca fur fibers from Peru to create bold, beautiful rugs and pillows. Abstract patterns and bright colors create a modern aesthetic that seems to bring comfort, warmth and a funky style into
any home.

é bella: ebelladesigns.com

Where to buy: é bella, 2304 Pine St., Boulder (call for studio hours: 303.442.6226); holiday  pop-up store at studio from Nov. 23–Dec. 23

Mod Modules

Everyone needs storage, but there is no need to sacrifice aesthetics for practicality. The bright, modern storage modules from Denver’s Housefish are contemporary beauties that can be stacked or used as a console for your entertainment system. All Housefish furniture is made with sustainably harvested wood in Denver.

Housefish: housefish.com

Where to buy: I Heart Denver, 500 16th St., Denver

Shoes for Kiddos

You often think your kids resemble monkeys, and now, you can make it legit. Created by a CU grad and single mom, Monkey Toes are adorable sneakers and Mary Janes for tots adorned with hand-painted monkeys and other animals.

Monkey Toes: monkey-toes.com

Where to buy: Fruehaufs, 1665 33rd St., Boulder

The post Finding the Eclectic Elements appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.