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

Is Omega-3 Important to Your Diet?

Last week a study that appeared in the Annals of Internal Medicine (AIM) showed that fish oils such as omega-3 don’t reduce the risk of heart disease.  It caused quite a stir, as we have been told for years, by organizations like the American Heart Association that we needed to increase our intake of omega-3.  For some people that meant taking supplements instead of eating flax seeds, walnuts, sardines or salmon, just a few of the sources of omega-3. omega-3 sources

In May of 2013 the results of the AREDS II study on eye supplements found that while lutein and zeaxanthin may be helpful in helping vision, omega-3 did not have a positive effect over five years.

In both of these studies they are referring to omega-3 supplements.  This does not mean you should give up eating fish, or other sources of omega-3.  To derive the benefits of omega-3 you need to get it from the source –  directly from the food you eat, so it is still advised you eat fish as part of a healthy diet.

If you do use supplements check with your doctor to make sure they are right for you.  A doctor can help you determine what, if anything you might need, making a decision based on your diet, medical history and any medications you might be taking.

If you want to learn more about dietary supplements, here is a fact sheet from the National Institute of Health.

Remember – supplements are what the name implies – something to supplement a well-rounded diet – they are not a substitution.

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

10 Ways to Save Your Vision

More than half of the people responding to a 2012 survey from the American Optometric Association said they valued their eyesight more than their memory or ability to walk. In honor of Save Your Vision Month, here are some everyday things you can control to help “save your vision.”

© Tammy Mcallister - save your vision
© Tammy Mcallister | Dreamstime Stock Photos

 1. Enjoy a cup of tea – Green tea contains antioxidants, like vitamins C and E, lutein, and zeaxanthin that help protect against AMD and cataracts.  It is it hydrating, helping you produce tears.

 2. Take time to blink – On an average you blink about 15 – 20 times a minute. However, that rate drops by half when viewing text on a screen. Try using the 20/20/20 rule when staring at a screen: Every 20 minutes, look 20 feet away for 20 seconds so you can blink naturally and give your eyes time to relax.

 3. Wear sunglasses and a hat – Exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays can deteriorate vision over time, leading to cataracts and age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The American Optometric Association recommends sunglasses that block at least 99 percent of UVA and UVB radiation and that screen out 75 – 90% of visible light. And if you plan to spend a lot of time outdoors, it’s a good idea to get sunglasses with lenses that are polarized, which means that they’ve been treated to reduce glare.  Since the sun doesn’t just affect your eyes from the front, try wearing a large brimmed hat to further protect your eyes.

4. Increase the seafood in your diet – Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to bolster heart and brain health, as well as decrease your risk of eye disease. According to a study published in the 2011 Archives of Ophthalmology, women who ate canned tuna and dark-fish meat (mackerel, salmon, sardines, bluefish, swordfish) just once a week reduced their risk for AMD by 42%, as opposed to people that ate the same fish less than once a month.

 5. Eat a rainbow – Eating a full rainbow of fruits and vegetables regularly helps give your body the nutrients it needs.  In addition to fiber, vitamins and minerals, naturally colored foods contain what are known as phytochemicals, which are disease-fighting substances that also give fruits and vegetable their array of colors.  Star nutrients are lutein and zeaxanthin—pigments found in such foods as dark, leafy greens, broccoli, zucchini, peas, and Brussels sprouts. Also important are antioxidants found in red foods such as strawberries, cherries, red peppers and raspberries,  Orange foods have beta-carotene and include carrots, pumpkins, sweet potatoes and yams.

6. Use digital screens at a safe distance – The brightness and glare from computers, tablets, smartphones and televisions can lead to eyestrain after prolonged use. Recent studies have also shown ill-effects from the UV rays from these devices.  Symptoms can include headaches, blurred vision, dry or red eyes and difficulty refocusing. Experts recommend keeping the computer screen at least an arm’s length away and that you hold a handheld device at least 16 inches from your eyes.

 7. Contact lens solutions serve a purpose – While approximately 85% of contact lens wearers claim that they’re caring for their lenses properly, only 2% are according to a study out of Texas. The most harmful but common problem is moistening contacts with saliva instead of saline solution.

 8. Make-up makeover – Replace tubes of mascara after three months, as it is a breeding ground for bacteria. Sharpen liner pencils regularly and while it is okay to line the base of your lashes, using the liner inside the lash line can block oil glands. Replace eye shadows yearly and don’t share your eye cosmetics.

 9. Use protective goggles –   According to a 2008 study from the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Society of Ocular Trauma, of the 2.5 million eye injuries in the US annually, nearly half happen at home.  Sports activities are another cause of eye injuries, from contact sports to sports that use balls that could catch you unaware.  When snowboarding or skiing remember to protect your eyes from the sun and wind with tinted goggles that have UV protection.

 10. Have a yearly eye exam – Even if you don’t wear corrective lenses, adults should get a comprehensive eye exam (which includes dilating your pupils with drops) by age 40. After that a yearly eye exam is recommended to keep your eyes healthy and catch any changes in your eyes that may be indicators of eye disease.  If you have a family history of glaucoma or age-related macular degeneration, or you have diabetes, you are at a higher risk for vision-related issues and your doctor may elect to see you more often.  If you have symptoms such as persistent pain inside or behind your eyes, redness, or gradual loss of vision, make an appointment with your doctor immediately.

Susan DeRemerSusan DeRemer, CFRE