Sharpening the senses - Vision part 3 - optimal food and anti-nutrients

Today, we continue our exploration of the five senses with a final cluster for the eyes... we have information about diet, foods that could be potentially harmful, better alternatives and about the best nutrients.

And, here’s a quick re-cap from the last two week’s that summarises what to do and what not to do for general eye care. (If some of these pointers resonate, why not write them down?

Can you:

• Blink often? If reading a book or lines on a screen, blink every line or two (you can do this one straight away).
• Soften your gaze? There are many opportunities in your day to include your peripheral vision.
• Be consistent with your eye exercises such as cupping, near and far and tracking.
• Spend more time outdoors and take a good walk outside everyday? While out…
• Look at nature? Trees, leaves, flowers, the sun/sky… be present and really look at the colour and texture of what’s there).
• Practice looking into the long distance at regular times in your day?
• Set your lap-top, tablet, desk top and mobile phone to permanently be on ‘blue blocking’ mode?
• Eat a clean diet based on whole foods (no highly processed foods)?
• Keep hydrated?
• Get to bed and rise early? (Aim for around 8 hours with the same time schedule each night).
• Enjoy regular exercise which helps with just about everything?
• Get sun exposure, including morning and evening sun and when possible some time in peak sunlight?
• Opt for salt lamps, natural fire, and/or incandescent light bulbs in the warm/orange/red spectrum after sundown?

Can you also:

• Avoid looking at things with a strain, rather see what it is you are looking at from a restful place? If you notice you are straining, interupt up by blinking and can you move closer to what you are trying to see? 
• Reduce unnatural lighting from screens, LEDs and fluorescent bulbs (office and shop lighting) because these tend to have a continuous on and off flicker?
• Watch out for using indoor overhead lighting after sundown?
• Stop using any kind of screen two hours before bedtime?
• Avoid always wearing sun glasses when you leave the house? (Try a wide brimmed hat instead).
• Watch out for too much exposure to UV rays from the sun? (Grab that wide brimmed hat)!
• Manage your weight as carrying extra can lead to inflammation?

Ok, let’s get to how food and nutrients can effect your eyes and health in general

As a health coach, having knowledge on nutrition is part of my job and it’s been 36 years since my studies began. And learning more about what it means to eat a genuinely healthy diet is still a daily passion! However, my speciality is mindful movement, so when it comes to food and supplements I recommend doing your own research and of course consulting a nutritionist or medical professional where appropriate. 

The dark side of ‘superfoods’

 Many so called health foods are unfortunately high in anti-nutrients and one of these is oxalic acid (oxalates). This is a compound found in many plants foods that in normal amounts (and with good gut health), our body can break down and eliminate. However, we can get into trouble when these oxalates build up and form tiny crystals that get jammed into the organs, glands and joint tissues contributing to inflammation, pain and illness.

To give you an example, kidney stones are made of oxalates. Other issues include connective tissue stiffness/pain, nerve irritation, immune function, poor sleep, skin conditions, thyroid issues, digestive problems, urinary trouble and even your mood and ability to concentrate.

If and where these crystals cause problems is unique to you, but one place that can be affected is the eyes. 

Also, like phytic acid, oxalates can bind to key minerals such as iron, magnesium, calcium and zinc and vitamin B6 and can therefore lead to deficiencies in these essential trace nutrients.

If you suspect oxalates might be linked to any of the above conditions, you might consider reducing the following foods that register high on the oxalate scale:

• Grains/flours including wheat, buckwheat, bulgur, barley, rye, soy, cornmeal, rice bran
• Beans, pulses and legumes (sorry including cacao)
• Nuts including almonds, brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, pine nuts, chestnuts and peanuts
• Seeds including sesame seeds and chia seeds
• Spinach, Swiss chard, beet tops etc
• Beetroot
• Rhubarb
• Sweet potatoes and regular potatoes 
• Figs and dates
• Kiwi and dragon fruit
• Raspberries
• Avocados (one of my favourites and we have about 15 fruiting trees this season)!
• Spices such as black pepper, cumin and turmeric

Note: With some of these, you soak, sprout, ferment and cook them which can help reduce oxalates and other anti-nutrients but not eliminate them. Also, dried fruits can be higher in oxalates compare to fresh.

“But”, you might say “those foods are some of the most anti-oxidant rich, health boosting ingredients that we’re told to eat everyday”!

Yes, on some level, they may have a good side but is the trade off worth it? They are all on the high in oxalates and many have lectins and phytic acid too that could lead to mineral deficiencies and negatively affect your gut lining and therefore many auto immune conditions.

The point here is not necessarily to change your diet, just to consider that an abundance of these foods might not be serving your best health. E.g. if you have some level of inflammation in your body and every morning you drink a smoothie with raw spinach, chia seeds and raspberries… all blended up in almond milk, then you might reconsider your breakfast!

This is just a whisper of information. For further research on this topic, check out interviews, blogs and podcasts with Sally K Norton and her book Toxic Superfoods.

And below are some alternatives:

• A better grain is organic white rice. Oats are low to moderate in oxalates but high in lectins, (although some of those can be broken down with soaking and pressure doing). 
• Low oxalate fruits include apples, bananas, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, papaya, mangoes, cherries, pears and cantaloupe, honeydew and watermelon.
• Lower oxalates veggies include cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli, mushrooms, onions, peas, radish, lettuce, courgette (zucchini) and cucumbers (best de-seeded and peeled). Tomatoes are technically a fruit and generally low in oxalates, however they are high in lectins and  part of the nightshade family so may have other inflammatory complications. (Again de-seeding, peeling and cooking will reduce lectins). 
• Lower oxalates nuts include coconut (zero), macadamia nuts, pecans, walnuts and pistachios.
• Lower oxalate seeds include pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, flax seeds and hemp seeds.

Then there’s that old chestnut of processed food

Aside from anti-nutrients, another link to eye health comes from processed food (especially when so processed that it no longer resembles real food). If a food has a label with more than two or three ingredients, best put it back on the shelf. There are of course exceptions to this but the longer and more unpronounceable the list, the more unhealthy it is. The main three ingredients to watch out for are seed/vegetable oils, flour and refined sugar.

It’s number one food tip is very simple… aim to help get more whole foods in your diet, with less trips to the supermarkets and more time in your own garden and supporting farmer’s markets.

Ok, enough of the doom and gloom what are the foods and nutrients that support eye health?

Please do your own research, but the following foods and supplements might help support your current and future eye function (and in fact any area of health). 

Can you add natural and whole food sources of these key nutrients:

• Vitamin A - We can get this from plant and animal sources. However the plant version of carotenoids (bright colourful fruit and green veg) require converting to the pre-formed version (retinoic acid) and some people have a poor conversion rate. Animal sources are pre-formed and so more bio-available (easier to absorb). These include fish, liver from any animal, eggs and dairy (butter, cheese, yogurt and milk - best opt for raw, whole organic versions).
• Vitamin E - Plant foods include avocado, mango, nuts and seeds (as discussed above certain nuts and seeds are high in oxalates so they might be a double edged sword). Animal sources include wild salmon, trout, crayfish and crustaceans.
• Vitamin C - Plants are the best sources of vitamin C. Due to anti-nutrients I prefer fruit over veg.  E.g. Melon, papaya, guava, papaya, berries and really high in vitamin c are acerola cherries (our trees are beginning to fruit)! 
• Omega 3 fatty acids - This essential fatty acid is part of cell membranes found especially in the eyes. There are three forms: ALA from plants and DHA and EPA from meat/fish. Unfortunately, ALA is not that absorbable and your body’s ability to convert ALA into the absorbable forms (DHA and EPA) is limited with about 5% of ALA being converted to EPA and less than 0.5% converted to DHA). To get your quota from plants only, you’ll need to eat a lot of nuts and seeds (but that will up your oxalates). You can get DHA and EPA from micro algae, however there maybe digestive issues and complications with blood pressure.
• The best source is to get your essential omega 3’s directly from wild caught fatty fish such as Alaskan salmon, mackerel, sardines, halibut and trout.
• Zinc - Best is from animal sources - oysters, grass fed beef, seafood, eggs and dairy products. Plant forms include beans, lentils, chickpeas and certain nuts and seeds. Bio-availability is an issue here again especially with phytic acid. This anti-nutrient not only steals the zinc from the pulses themself but also from the seafood you have with them.
• Eye supplements to consider include lutein, zeaxanthin, anthocyanins and astaxanthin. 

Ok, that was a long write up, thanks for reading and I imagine you might be about to get busy with your own research. If you are to make changes, I suggest you get professional advice, that you do so slowly and of course all the while, listening to your body.

Remember, I offer 121 coaching online, so get in touch if you would like some support.

Good luck with your vision this week and drop me an email with any questions.

  Thanks for reading

Take care

Danny

To access all Dojiva classes, start the 10 day trial - click here

Members, log straight in here