A Thanksgiving Spread that Promotes Eye Health

Thanksgiving is almost here; a meal that nourishes the family bonds and traditions.  It’s the one time of the year where you can guarantee your eyes will be bigger than your stomach. This meal also has another added bonus — almost every item on the Thanksgiving table is healthy for your eyesight!

Here are several of the most popular Thanksgiving dishes and their corresponding benefits to your eye health:

Turkey –

No Thanksgiving is complete without a turkey, roasted golden brown and stuffed with fresh vegetables and herbs. Turkey is loaded with zinc and B-vitamin niacin, which helps prevent the formation of cataracts. Cataracts are the leading cause of vision loss in the United States, so gobble up!  You are “preventing” cataracts with every bite.

 

Spinach, Green Bean Casserole, Asparagus and Brussel Sprouts –

These foods and other leafy greens are loaded with lutein and zeaxanthin, two nutrients that protect the retina, which may also help reduce the risk of cataracts and macular degeneration.  Healthy Green Bean Casserole Recipe

 

Sweet Potatoes –

Sweet potatoes are full of Beta-carotene, which is a carotenoid and antioxidant that promotes night vision and overall good eyesight. Sweet potatoes are also loaded with vitamins C and E. Diets that are rich in these vitamins can help prevent or delay the development of cataracts and macular degeneration. Mashed Sweet Potatoes Recipe

 

Cranberry Sauce –

Cranberries contain bioflavonoids, a large class of antioxidants. Bioflavonoids are found in the pulp, skin and rinds of foods that contain vitamin C. Both flavonoids and vitamin C help protect the eyes from free radical damage caused by pollution and the body’s normal metabolic processes.

 

Pumpkin Pie –

Pumpkin is one of the best sources of vitamin A, so pumpkin pie is an eye-healthy dessert. In fact, one cup of cooked, mashed pumpkin contains more than 200 percent of the recommended daily intake of Vitamin A. Vitamin A provides nourishment and protection to the eye’s lens, cornea and macula (part of the retina), so it improves night vision. 

 

A diet that’s full of the right nutrients is a great start to keeping your eyes healthy, but don’t forget that regular eye exams are equally important! We hope you enjoy a happy and delicious Thanksgiving with family and friends.

*For more eye healthy recipes click here EYE COOK

Carrots For Healthy Eyes

Carrots forHealthy Eyes
Lately we have heard quite a bit about carrots and the positive effects they can have on your vision, such as slowing the progression of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). This is because carrots contain pigments called carotenoids. These pigments also give vegetables their colors, in this case orange. But carrots weren’t always orange.

The beginnings of carrots can be tracked back to the dry, hot lands of Iran and Afghanistan in 3000 BC, when the root vegetables were black, white, red and purple. They were bitter and used as a healing remedy for many illnesses, as well as an aphrodisiac.
carrots for healthy eyes
The vegetable grew in popularity because it was still edible even after months of being stored in a variety of conditions. Carrot seeds were soon picked and sold to neighboring Middle Eastern, African and Asian populations. This is when the crossbreeding started and new types of carrots were created.

Across centuries and continents, the carrot evolved, improving the composition, look, flavor and size. After years of selective breeding, in the 17th century a Dutch yellow carrot was engineered to get rid of the bitterness, increase sweetness and minimalize the wooden core. This appears to be the origin of the orange carrot we enjoy today.

Americans didn’t fully use carrots until after World War I when soldiers returning home told about French and other European cuisine which included the carrot. However, it didn’t really become popular until World War II, when England actively encouraged home growing of carrots while the US was engaged in cultivating “Victory Gardens.”

Today the carrot is found around the world in temperate regions. They have a high nutrition value, presence of ?-carotene, dietary fiber, antioxidants, minerals and ability to be prepared in a wide variety of recipes. They have become a staple in many countries.

Currently, the largest producer and exporter of carrots in the world is China. In 2010, 33.5 million tons of carrots and turnips were produced worldwide, with 15.8 million tons from China, 1.3 million tons each from the US and Russia, 1 million tons from Uzbekistan and less than a million from Poland, the United Kingdom and Ukraine.

Because of the popularity and health benefits of carrots, they are now enjoyed in a variety of ways – beyond the simple salad. Here are some recipes you might find interesting to try:

carrots for healthy eyesCrab Toast with Carrot and Scallion – Forget your traditional bruschetta, wow your guests with the appetizer.
 
 
 
 
 

carrots for healthy eyesPotato-Carrot Latkes with Lemon-Raisin Topping – Seems perfect with Hanukkah just around the corner.
 
 
 
 
 

carrots for healthy eyesRoasted Carrot, Squash and Sweet Potato Soup – This is a more traditional carrot recipe, it is not that hard to find a carrot soup, but this one also has squash and sweet potatoes which are also eye healthy!
 
 
 
 
 

carrots for healthy eyesCarrot Farfalle Pasta with Lemon and Herbs – Not only are carrots good for flavor, but they add a nice color to this pasta that could be the base for any number of pasta dishes.
 
 
 
 
 

carrots for healthy eyesCarrot Ginger Layer Cake with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting – Most carrot cakes have no frosting or a traditional cream cheese frosting. The idea of an orange frosting makes this cake special.
 
 
 
 
 

carrots for healthy eyesCarrot, Ginger, and Lime Juice – Refreshing and healthy.
 
 
 
 
 

10/22/15

Susan DeRemerSusan DeRemer, CFRE
Vice President of Development
Discovery Eye Foundation

Eat A Rainbow

4/8/14

When planning what to eat, think of a rainbow.  Eating brightly colored fruits and vegetables helps to give your body the nutrients it needs.  These same nutrients are the disease-fighting components that give fruits and vegetables their array of colors.

by Sarah DeRemer - rainbow
by Sarah DeRemer

Eating a variety of colors can help –

  • Strengthen your immune system

  • Lower risk for certain cancers

  • Help ward off type 2 diabetes

  • Maintain heart heath

  • Improve memory

  • Reduce the risk for some eye diseases

 

 

Red

The pigments that make some foods red are known as anthocyanins and lycopene.  These are the compounds that fight free radicals and prevent oxidative damage to cells, important to preserving eye health, keeping our hearts healthy and helping to fight cancers. Heat concentrates lycopene levels so cooked tomatoes and tomatoe sauces have higher concentrations than raw fruit.

Add red to your meals by tossing a handful of raspberries, strawberries, goji berries or pomegranate seeds into your cereal, slicing roasted beets or red bell pepper into a salad, or adding cooked red adzuki or kidney beans to a rice dish.

Here are examples of red fruits and vegetables:

  • Red apples

  • Adzuki beans

  • Beets

  • Red cabbage

  • Cherries

  • Cranberries

  • Goji berries

  • Pink grapefruit

  • Red grapes

  • Red peppers

  • Pomegranates

  • Red potatoes

  • Radishes

  • Raspberries

  • Rhubarb

  • Strawberries

  • Tomatoes

  • Watermelon

For a recipe filled with lycopene, try a zesty Orange and Tomato Salsa, one of three salsa crudas using brightly colored fruits.

Orange & Yellow

Orange fruits and vegetables contain beta-carotene, a powerful antioxidant that promotes eye health, can delay cognitive aging and protect the skin from sun damage.  Beta-carotene also converts to vitamin A, which is important for night vision and the health of your immune system.  Orange foods also contain vitamin C, another antioxidant that boost the immune system, but also protects against cardiovascular disease.  Yellow fruits and vegetables contain lutein, another nutrient important for healthy vision.

Some of the sources you can enjoy include:

  • Sweet potatoes

  • Carrots

  • Pumpkin

  • Apricots

  • Cantaloupes

  • Summer squash

  • Citrus fruit

  • Papayas

  • Peaches and nectarines

  • Sweet corn

  • Yellow peppers

  • Mangoes

  • Pineapple

  • Yellow tomatoes

To incorporate more orange/yellow foods into your diet, replace French fries with crisp, baked sweet potato slices, keep dried apricots, pineapple or mangoes handy for a ready-to-eat snack or add sweet potatoes to black beans or chili for a color and texture boost.

To get your day off to a great start, try an Apricot-Orange Breakfast Smoothie.

Green

Green fruits and vegetables are colored by natural plant pigment called “chlorophyll” and are rich in lutein and zeaxanthin,  pigments that may help your eyes filter damaging light rays, thus protecting against macular degeneration, the leading cause of vision loss in people over 65. Green fruits and vegetables are also a good source of vitamins C & K, fiber, folate and magnesium which contain anti-cancer properties as well as helping promote strong bones and teeth.

Some examples of the green group include:

  • Green apples

  • Artichokes

  • Asparagus

  • Avocados

  • Green beans

  • Broccoli

  • Brussels sprouts

  • Green cabbage

  • Cucumbers

  • Green grapes

  • Celery

  • Green Pepper

  • Honeydew melon

  • Kiwi

  • Kale

  • Lettuce

  • Limes

  • Green onions

  • Peas

  • Green pepper

  • Spinach

  • Zucchini

A delicious way to eat your greens is a Summer-time Asparagus, Strawberry and Spinach Salad.

Blue & Purple

Blue and purple fruits and vegetables are rich anthocyanins, lutein, zeaxanthin, resveratrol and vitamin C.  These nutrents help protect cells and heal your body. Research suggests they play active roles in promoting eye and heart health, preventing premature aging, reducing inflammation, decreasing cancer cell growth and improving memory.

Foods such as blueberries, figs, eggplants, plums and grapes get their gorgeous hue from the phytochemical anthocyanin (also found in red foods). Anthocyanins act as powerful antioxidants that protect cells from damage and may help reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke and cancer. Studies have even shown that eating more blueberries is linked with improved memory function and healthy aging.

Be sure to help yourself to plenty of blue/purple foods, such as

  • Blackberries

  • Blueberries

  • Eggplant

  • Figs

  • Juneberries

  • Plums

  • Prunes

  • Purple grapes

  • Raisins

  • Purple cabbage

  • Bilberries

  • Acai berries

Here is another easy yet eye-healthy dish from our Eye Cook webpage, Eggplant and Tomato Pasta .

White

White fruits and vegetables are colored by pigments called anthoxanthins, which may help lower cholesterol and blood pressure.  Onions also have the flavonoid quercetin, known for its anti-inflammatory properties and cardiovascular health benefits.   As we know, being heart-healthy is also being eye-healthy.

Some members of the white group, such as bananas and potatoes, are also a good source of potassium, while the hard-shelled coconut is considered a “superfood” because its natural water is loaded with vitamins, minerals, and electrolytes, while the raw coconut meat (flesh), which is found around the inside of a coconut shell contains high levels of lauric acid, for helping reduce cholesterol and promoting brain health.
Some examples of the white group include:

  • Bananas

  • Cauliflower

  • Coconut

  • Garlic

  • Ginger

  • Jicama

  • Mushrooms

  • Onions

  • Parsnips

  • Pears

  • Potatoes

  • Radishes

  • Shallots

  • Turnips

This recipe for Dark Chocolate Fondue, not only has cream of coconut, but is wonderful when dipping bananas!

Susan DeRemerSusan DeRemer, CFRE
Vice President of Development
Discovery Eye Foundation