When it comes to the topic of healthy eating, it feels like the focus is on the positive impact that a healthy lifestyle can have on your weight (and ultimately your appearance), heart, and other seemingly more major parts of your body. But one part that gets left out of these conversations is actually the one (or should we say, two) you’re using right now to read this: your eyes!
There are, of course, steps you can take to ensure that your eyesight is at its top level. According to Acuvue, these include the following: Being aware of any flashes, floaters and loss of vision; receiving a routine examination by an optician at prescribed intervals; and, if you’re up for it, testing your eyes at home between visits. But did you know that there are foods that you could be eating as part of your regular diet that could help your eyesight? It’s true, and there are even some that can not just assist your eyes but make them stronger than they were before!
I’ve previously blogged about tips about how to reduce the puffiness around your eyes, for example, by using cucumber eye patches. But in this post, the focus is on how to improve and maintain the strength of your eyes through healthy food choices.There are a variety of vegetables, fruits, and meats that you can add to your diet to accomplish this goal and if you’re familiar with my recipes, as well as my healthy food shopping list, then chances are that you’re already indulging in some of these foods!
- Fruits
There are three fruits that you could work into your meals that will improve your vision, both during the day and at night. The story goes that World War II fighter pilots snacked on blueberries because they helped them see better in the dark. In addition to eating more of those, perhaps with porridge or in a smoothie, you’ll get similar benefits from eating goji berries and grapes (yum!).
- Antioxidants
Antioxidant-rich foods can help to prevent the age-related eye disease known as macular degeneration. You will see (no pun intended!) this benefit from munching on dark greens (such as kale, spinach, and beet greens) and yellow/orange veggies (such as pumpkin, yellow peppers, and, of course, carrots!). You can always indulge on both when making my version of a Healthy Shepherd’s Pie. Egg yolks also contain the same type of antioxidants as its fruit and vegetable cousins along with other nutrients (try my Healthy Spanish Omelette for inspiration!).
- Fatty Acids
Foods rich in the fatty acid docosahexaenoic (commonly known as DHA) are known to help your eyes, too. And if you just so happen to eat fish regularly, you’re probably getting a solid dose of this acid already. You’ll find it in wild salmon, mackerel, and cod—or cold-water fishes that have a higher concentration of fat than their warm-water brethren. This just gives you more of a reason to try my salmon pate dip or even my mackerel dip. Go ahead and make them for your next party—your friends (and your eyes!) will thank you.
I hope this blog post inspires you to take good care of your eyes!
*This blog post has been featured with the aim of promoting eye health.
