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No More Blood Sugar Blues
Let’s Take Care of Our Eyes
by Alice Osborne
 Our eyesight is one of our most precious commodities. And unless we’ve been living under a rock, we know junk food isn’t good for us. But did you know it may also cause eye problems? It’s recently been shown that fatty snack foods may lead to macular degeneration, which causes vision impairment for many seniors.
To protect our eyes, we need to find healthy alternatives to the foods we love that don’t love us back. Thankfully, many healthy foods contain vitamins that actually promote eye health. Foods rich in beta-carotene (vitamin A) have been proven to positively affect both night vision and day-to-day eyesight and helps prevent cataract and macular degeneration. Foods that contain thiamine (vitamin B1) and vitamin E prevent lens deterioration, and foods rich in vitamin C provide antioxidants help prevent glaucoma.
Other nutrients also support healthy vision. There’s evidence that lutein reduces eye problems, according to the National Eye Institute. Their researchers have even gone out on a limb and said that zinc, found in shellfish, eggs, legumes, herring, liver and milk, reduces the risk of advanced age-related macular degeneration and vision loss. They also believe that fish, such as salmon and sardines, contains omega-3 fatty acids that promote retina health.
It just takes a little extra effort to add more eye-healthy foods to your daily routine. The following healthy recipes will help us do just that:
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Coleslaw with Visionary Power
(serves 8)
 2 6-oz. containers of low-fat pineapple yogurt
3/4 tsp. salt
2 T. low-fat mayonnaise
1 head of cabbage, thinly sliced
4 carrots, shredded
1 small sweet bell pepper, finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
Whisk yogurt, mayonnaise and salt together in a large bowl. Chop the cabbage, sweet bell pepper and onion; scrub and then shred the carrots. Don’t peel them so you preserve the vitamins and minerals near the surface. Add these ingredients to the yogurt mixture bowl and mix well.
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Eye-Happy Salad
(serves 8)
 2 heads romaine lettuce
2 C. carrots, shredded
2 C. sweet bell peppers, diced
2 C. seedless cucumber, diced
2 C. tomatoes, diced
4 scallions, thinly sliced
2 ripe avocados
1-1/2 T. lime juice
Salt and pepper, to taste
Cut the tough ribs from the Romaine, chop the remaining leaves into small pieces and place them in a large bowl. Wash and chop the tomatoes, bell pepper, cucumber and scallions, and then scrub and shred the carrots. Place them in the salad bowl. Cut the avocados into 1/4- to 1/2-inch cubes. Place the cubes into a separate bowl and cover with a thin coating of lime juice to prevent discoloration. Toss well until coated and add the avocados to the salad bowl. Add a low-fat dressing and toss the salad.
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