Diet for Better Vision and Overall Health

Diet for Better Vision and Overall Health

The standard Western diet tends to lack essential phytonutrients that support the health of the retina, as well as other nutrients such as adequate amounts of omega-3 fatty acids and a wide range of amino acids, minerals, vitamins, and vitamin-like nutrients. The standard diet features processed foods, non-whole grains, fats, sugars, and some types of meat that may aggravate inflammation in the body. Inflammation is an underlying cause, or sometimes a direct cause, of many health issues, such as arthritis. Inflammation also harms vision health.

We recommend an anti-inflammation diet based on a combination of the Mediterranean Diet and the Alkalizing Diet.

Dietary Guidelines

• A well-balanced diet, combined with good eating habits, promotes the best possible absorption of nutrients.
• Avoid foods containing AGEs. AGEs are biochemical compounds that form naturally within the body through enzyme reactions involving sugars, proteins, fats, or nucleic acids. If too-high levels of AGEs form, they cause oxidative damage and inflammation. AGEs are found in some foods and are formed by cooking these foods. High-heat methods of cooking meat and cheese, such as grilling, searing, roasting, and frying, hasten the formation of additional AGEs. High-fat, aged cheeses contain more AGEs than low-fat cheeses (low-fat mozzarella, cheddar, and cottage cheese). Other foods high in AGEs include butter and processed foods such as cream cheese and mayonnaise. Oils and nuts contain lower quantities.
• Favor an Anti-inflammatory diet. Tight control of blood glucose levels and hypertension is essential to slow and manage inflammation. There are several treatments available to help control it.
• Limit or avoid sugar and artificial sweeteners. It is thought that excess sugar in one’s diet results in too much glucose making its way to the eyes, making it difficult for the eyes to utilize all the glucose. This may result in more dry eye symptoms and can cause diabetes. 54.3% of diabetics suffer from dry eye syndrome. Know what you are putting into your body.
• Avoid toxic fats in commercial red meats, dairy products, fried foods, and hydrogenated oils such as margarine and shortening. These fats interfere with the proper metabolism of essential fatty acids in the body and, indirectly, cause dry eye syndrome.
• Gut issues may contribute to dry eye. Try taking a high-quality probiotic to replenish the healthy flora in your gut, particularly if you have been on long-term antibiotics. Once your symptoms are under control, try switching from probiotics in pill form to real food ferments such as sauerkraut, pickles, miso, kefir, kombucha, kimchi, yogurt, etc. They provide a greater variety of beneficial bacteria than can be found in a pill. And they contain many vitamins and minerals.

Suppose inflammation is a contributing factor in an individual’s dry eye syndrome. In that case, it is imperative to look at the possibility that your gut may be the source of the inflammation. Leaky gut syndrome and imbalances in gut flora may also be contributing. Chronic inflammatory conditions have been tied to dry eye syndrome.

Nutrition and Vision

The eyes need essential nutrients to maintain healthy vision, second only the needs of the brain. Macular degeneration is often related to the retina “starving” for essential nutrients. Glaucoma, cataracts, macular edema, epiretinal membrane, retinal tears and detachments, and other eye issues have underlying causes. Major contributing factors to eye disease are often connected to a poor diet, lack of exercise, chronic stress, and underlying inflammatory conditions. Other factors can come into play, such as genetics, being highly myopic, and exposure to environmental toxins. This represents an opportunity to take charge of our healthy vision and overall health. The body is always trying to heal, so the focus is on taking actions that support the body’s natural healing process.

The Vision Diet: A Plant-Based Diet

We believe that the Vision Diet is a healthy diet for both eyes and body. The diet consists mainly of plant-based foods, along with small portions of preferably organic, consciously produced animal products, such as free-range, grass-fed meats. Vegetarians on a strict plant-based diet need to routinely check their levels of certain nutrients that are difficult or not possible to obtain solely from plants, particularly vitamin B12, zinc, and iron.

The Vision Diet incorporates the following principles:

1. The Alkalizing Diet avoids the foods that cause inflammation, including high amounts of processed food, refined carbohydrates, poor-quality oils, and high levels of salt.
2. The Mediterranean Diet, for example, is alkaline and avoids processed and refined foods; it is rich in vegetables and fruit.
3. Balanced omega-3 and omega-6. Minimize carbohydrates, particularly all refined carbohydrates (white flour, pasta, white bread and rice, and sugar).

Learn more about the Vision Diet.

Juicing

Make healthy juice in your kitchen. Choose at least four to six fruits and vegetables. Do not use too many carrots and beets due to their natural sweetness. Remember to include healthy ingredients, such as ginger, parsley, beets, cabbage, carrots, endive, green-leafy vegetables, chlorophyll, wheatgrasses, and berries. Favor organic produce. Do not use cold fruit or ice. Cold arrests the digestive fires. In the winter, you may have warm soups or stews instead.