Here at Chatoo Of London we’re all about improving eyesight. New glasses, UV protective sunglasses and comfortable Contact lenses will always be at the forefront of your visual health, but we like to make sure that you know of other ways to see better.
For example, work in an office environment? Hey! Same here! Like myself, you probably stare at a computer screen all day and let’s face it, that is a real strain on the old eyeballs. There is a simple guideline that opticians recommend for anyone that spends their day glued to an LED screen:
20/20/20. After every 20 minutes of computer time, look 20 metres outside, for 20 seconds.
Sounds simple enough, right? but it can be forgotten, especially if you’re working hard. Think about it. When was the last time you stopped working to rest your eyes for just 20 seconds?
Another often overlooked way of improving your eyesight is in what you eat. Now I don’t mean just any type of food. Fried Chicken is not going to help, no matter how many nutrients you think are in those 11 herbs and spices.
So, what foods can help? Pretty much everyone knows about carrots, and yes, they are part of this list because they do help (Turns out Bugs Bunny was on to something). But what else? Well it turns out, there is quite a lot of food that is advantageous, so I’ve chosen 6 common ones that you can get at most good supermarkets.
Honestly though, these types of lists are quite dull. Listing food and telling you their nutritional information is not exactly a great read. So instead, I’m going to suggest some food that contains the vision improving ingredient. I’ve either made these myself (seriously, I can cook!) or found them online (Because my cooking skills may be good, but they are simple).
- CARROTS
See! I told you they’d be on this list! The question of whether Carrots can improve vision has always been debated, but lucky for us, good ol’ Science has informed us that the orange sticks contain a good amount of Vitamin A and C which thankfully, tastes great in a Carrot Cake (I never said these were healthy suggestions…). Paul Hollywood, the British King Of baking has a recipe that tastes amazing and helps your eyesight! What could be better?
- KALE
Lutein, Vitamins and antioxidants make Kale a superfood. But in my personal opinion, it does not taste good unless cooked into something, or turned in Kale crisps.
Salt, Olive Oil, ½ inch Pieces of Kale. Bake for 20 minutes until Crispy. To quote a famous Meerkat. Simples.
- EGGS
One word. Breakfast. That’s right, the most important meal of the day can be part of your daily eyesight improvement regiment. Eggs contain Vitamin A, and you can add whatever you want to them to make them even better for your eyes. Kale Omelette anyone?
- FISH
Fish fingers! Fillet o’Fish! Battered Cod! Fish Pie! Salmon Burgers! Eyes loooooove Fish. Our friends from Under the Sea contain a good amount of Zinc and Omega 3 and taste amazing when accompanied with roasted carrots!… Or chips… definitely chips…
- ORANGES
Vitamin C is awesome. It reduces the development of Cataracts and is found in loads of citrus fruit.
Now Orange juice is great, but pretty basic. Stay with me here because this is an out of the box idea.
Orange juice soaked chocolate chip cookies…
Before you start throwing things at me, try it! Take 5 Maryland cookies in a small bowl, and slowly soak them in orange juice, let it absorb all the juice, then enjoy. It sounds nuts, but it works. My sister made them about a year ago and I still have dreams about that crazy dessert.
- BEEF
Beef contains Zinc, which helps the body absorb Vitamin A. Both are good for eyes and summer is approaching. So grab your new sunglasses you purchased from Chatoo And Co LTD and start making burgers.
Salt, Pepper, Olive oil. That is all you need. It’s not rocket science, it’s art. Pair it with Kale crisps and Carrot cake for dessert.
So there you have it. 6 different foods that will help your vision.
BUT! Remember, these foods work best the closer they are to their original form. So as good as eating Carrot Cake and Fish Fingers all the time might sound, eating raw carrots in a salad and grilled fish will do significantly more good.
Do the best for your and your families eye health make sure you have a varied diet with plenty of fresh fruit and veg, dairy nuts seeds and fish. Please remember the above is a guide and research has shown that various eye health conditions can be prevented when they are consumed, but not cured.
Written by our Optometrist Aiman Poptani and our Dispensing Optician Saahil Chatoo
