Feast your eyes cookbook

As part of National Eye Health Week, which took place last month, the organisers created a cookbook containing a collection of recipes packed full of essential nutrients for good eye health. We have a pile of them in reception and it has been so popular I thought I’d share it. The super sight saver smoothie is a personal favourite and I’m looking forward to knocking up the sea trout with a crab cigar this weekend!

It is encouraging to see patients taking note of the fact that a good diet really can benefit not only your waistline, but your eyes too.

The recipes feature ingredients proven to help maintain good eye health including some of the following:

Dark green, leafy vegetables – Eating spinach and kale for example, could help avoid macular degeneration. They contain lutein and zeaxanthin; two important nutrients that have antioxidant functions in the body and help prevent cell damage. Lutein helps protect the retina, much like sunglasses.
Bright orange fruit and vegetables – The likes of sweet potatoes have a rich source of beta-carotene, a natural precursor to vitamin A, the vitamin most commonly associated with healthy eyes. And fruits like oranges and papaya are a great source of vitamin C which evidence has suggested may slow the affects of macular degeneration and the formation of cataracts.
Beans and eggs – Adding zinc to your diet by eating zinc-rich foods such as beans, lentils, eggs and turkey will help the liver release vitamin A.
Oily fish -Fish such as salmon and tuna are rich in source of omega-3, which studies have found may also help protect eyes from age-related macular degeneration and dry eyes.
Wheat germ, soy and sunflower seeds – Great sources of vitamin E, which can help protect the eyes from free radical, damage.

Please feel free to pop in to the practice to pick up a free hard copy of the cookbook before they are all gone.
As part of National Eye Health Week, a fellow independent optometrist who was a former Masterchef finalist, also created a range of recipes, from smoothies to fish dishes. Worth a watch if you’re looking for inspiration and a step-by-step guide.