During Diabetic Eye Disease Awareness Month focus on healthy eating that can have a positive effect on your vision. Fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and seeds high in antioxidants, such as vitamins A, C, and E, beta-carotene, lycopene, and lutein, can all contribute to your eye health.  Add omega 3 fatty acids and zinc to the mix and you have the perfect allies to help you lower your risks for developing common eye diseases such as, cataracts and macular degeneration.  These healthy eye foods include kale, spinach, carrots, sweet potatoes, salmon, walnuts, oranges, blueberries, and more.  Drinking water during the day can also help prevent dry eyes and keep your body hydrated.

Eating these healthy food groups won't just help protect your vision they will also help improve your overall wellbeing.  Sometimes though, the idea of crunching on carrots or eating a handful of leafy greens doesn't sound appetizing.  Finding fun, easy, and tasty ways of preparing or cooking veggies will help you enjoy a healthy lifestyle. 

Cooking with low vision can be daunting, but with the right tools, it can be fun again. Keep your Optelec ClearView video magnifier on the kitchen counter so that you can easily refer to recipes or read food labels and packages.  Using a portable video magnifier or simple handheld optical magnifier will allow you to read settings on your oven, stove, or microwave.

Check out these links to read more articles about food that can help your eyes stay healthy and recipes for eye health:

Recipes for Healthy Eyes - AOA

Eating for Better Vision and Healthy Eyes - By Linnea Hagberg, RD

12 Recipes for Healthy Eyes - By Laurie Capogna, OD, and Barbara Pelletier, O