Who new that your diet could play such a detrimental role in every aspect of your health?
With my need for glasses, aging grandparents with vision loss, and a recent sty (ugh!).. the importance of maintaining a healthy vision has become more apparent to me.
Nowadays, our eyes are exposed to so much light which can be damaging to our retina. Through increased computer screen time, cell phone use, television, and just the regular day light…. the light exposure to our eyes is never-ending!
So how can your diet impact your eye vision?
Two very important nutrients play a role in maintaining a healthy vision. Lutein and Beta-Carotene. If you are not regularly consuming a healthy diet that includes a variety of fruits and vegetables…. you are likely not getting an adequate dose of these nutrients. Beta-carotene, as I have mentioned in many previous posts, converts to Vitamin A within our bodies. Vitamin A is important to maintaining a healthy vision in addition to keeping your skin healthy. Lutein plays a similar role as it works with another antioxidant, zeaxanthin, to prevent damage to our cells and maintain healthy eyes.
What foods should I eat?
Increase your intake of lutein by consuming dark green leafy vegetables (e.g. kale and spinach), eggs (FYI brown and white have the same nutritional content), corn, red peppers, and grapes.
Increase your intake of beta-carotene/vitamin A by consuming: yellow and orange fruits/veggies (e.g. sweet potato, cooked carrots, carrot juice, pumpkin, papaya, mango, etc).
Overall good health and nutrition is critical to maintaining healthy eyes. Don’t wait until your eye sight starts deteriorating to make changes. Get ahead and take preventative measures to prevent any deterioration. Nutrition is the greatest form of preventative medicine.
Try some of my personal recipes high in lutein and vitamin-A content:
BBLISS Yoga 