The way you eat impacts every part of your body. Obviously, you already know what your diet can do to your waistline. You’ve probably read studies that connect nutritional eating habits to higher brain function. Maybe you’ve even noticed a direct correlation between donuts and feeling really sluggish.
But what you might not know is that your diet can also have a direct correlation to the quality of your vision. As you age, it’s important that you do everything you can to preserve the senses that allow you to enjoy life.
Fortunately, there are ways to do this that are actually quite delicious!
Feed Your Vision
According to WebMD, by incorporating certain foods into your diet, you can help to delay or prevent the vision problems most commonly related to aging. This includes conditions like macular degeneration and cataracts. With vision loss ranking as one of the top ten disabilities among U.S. adults, such prevention is absolutely critical.
Take steps to ensure that your diet is ‘easy on the eyes.’ WebMD reports that you can contribute to your own long-term eye health by eating foods rich in nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids, lutein, Beta-carotene and vitamins C and E. Zinc also plays an important part in maintaining and preserving healthy eye function. Because this element is found in the retina, it is important to keep a steady supply of zinc in your diet.
The Optimal Optical Diet
You’ve probably heard that eating a ton of carrots can help sharpen your eyesight and enhance your night vision. According to Health.com, it’s true. The Beta-Carotene in carrots helps to promote smooth retinal function. But it goes farther than that.
Beta-carotene is also plentiful in leafy greens like kale, spinach and collards. These hearty greens are also rich in antioxidants called lutein and zeaxanthin, which both promote healthy cell growth.
If you aren’t a fan of greens, perhaps you’d prefer some fruit. According to Huffington Post, apricots are a great source for Beta-Carotene and another carotenoid called Lycopene, also known to promote healthy vision. Health.com also says that the Vitamin C found in abundance in citrus fruits and berries helps to reduce your risk of developing vision-specific conditions as you age. This means that an orange, a grapefruit or a handful of blueberries could do the trick!
If you’re in the mood for something heartier, look for foods that are high in those celebrated omega-3 fatty acids. Salmon is one of the tastier and more affordable ways to get a weekly dose. Tuna and sardines are also a good way to get in your omega-3 fatty acids.
Also seek out non-meat proteins, which are critical to maintaining healthy muscle function as you age. This includes the muscles in your eyes. Prevent macular degeneration by keeping nuts, beans and eggs in your diet. As a positive offshoot, egg yolk is also a prime source of lutein, zeaxanthin, and zinc.
And if you’re feeling adventurous, you might try an Ostrich burger! Today.com says that this lean meat is a great substitute for red meat and is loaded with proteins, iron, and zinc.
Seeing your Food More Clearly
A healthy diet will impact every part of your body. What’s more, according to WebMD, diabetes is the leading cause of blindness among adults. This means that in addition to eating many of the foods recommended here above, your vision will depend on you’re ability to exercise restraint around junk food and to exercise your body around gym equipment.
As you’ve probably noticed, most of these recommendations aren’t just good for your vision. They’re good for your whole body. That’s exactly the point!
