Does what you eat affect your body, really?
“Eat those greens,” they say. Some people willingly accept the challenge, the ones who already love dropping handfuls of kale into the blender for smoothies or adding toppings to a gargantuan lettuce salad for lunch. Others may begrudgingly order broccoli for a side at their favorite restaurant only to long for the french fries they would ordinarily enjoy. Could some of these individuals be eating greens in vain? Hold on, let’s investigate. Another popular phrase comes to mind, “You are what you eat.” That doesn’t mean solely drinking kale smoothies will make you the healthiest person on earth. Balancing out the benefits of kale with other nutrients your body needs will really be the key to longevity, and keep all bodily systems up to par, especially the brain and vision!
Vitamins for your brain…Vitamins especially for eyesight
No matter how you get them, your body needs vitamins and minerals to survive. Getting vitamins from your food first is ideal, but supplements can help you fill in the areas lacking. Our focus for this blog is brain health as vision is using the brain and eyes together to interpret what we see. Two of the top vitamins for vision are zeaxanthin and lutein and the top greens that contain them are, you guessed it: kale and spinach. A bar graph from the blog How Eating the Right Foods Can Improve Your Brain and Eye Health¹ shows other greens and the levels of these 2 vitamins in them. Lets look over these and other important vitamins and nutrients, what they provide and foods that contain high amounts of them. It’ll make your shopping list easy! The following information was taken from Diet and Nutrition²:
- Zeaxanthin & Lutein – lower chances of chronic eye diseases and cataracts
- Dark green leafy vegetables are the primary source of lutein and zeaxanthin, as well as other colorful fruits and vegetables like broccoli, corn, peas, persimmons and tangerines.
- Vitamin C – helps with visual acuity and age-related macular degeneration
- For your daily dose, try incorporating oranges, grapefruit, strawberries, papaya, green peppers and tomatoes into your diet.
- Vitamin E – protects against free radicals
- Good food sources of Vitamin E include vegetable oils (including safflower and corn oil), nuts, wheat germ and sweet potatoes.
- Essential Fatty Acids – necessary for retinal function and vision development
- Salmon, tuna and other cold-water fish are the best sources of omega-3 fatty acids and can help reduce inflammation, enhance tear production and support the eye’s oily outer layer.
- Zinc – brings vitamin A to the retinas to create melanin to protect the eyes
- For natural dietary sources of zinc, try red meat, oysters and other shellfish, and nuts and seeds.
Freepik.com
Diet and Attention Challenges
Mood swings, energy spikes followed by crashes, an eagerness to eat more and more, what could precede this? Kids and parents both likely know a food that fits the bill, the first to come to mind is typically SUGAR. It can give a satisfactory feeling for a moment but it doesn’t linger and usually contributes to more problems, both health-wise and behaviorally. The article Why Sugar is Kryptonite: ADHD Diet Truths³ shares the necessary parts of a healthy diet, including supplements, some of which are already mentioned above. Protein, B vitamins and omega-3 fatty acids are a few that can make a big impact on health in all ways! When your body is deficient in these and other nutrients, it is hard for your brain to work at its full potential, thus hyperactivity and attention difficulties can be displayed. Food sensitivities/allergies can also contribute to attention challenges. Consult with your doctor to address these and other potential deficiencies to give your brain all the resources it needs to help your vision and overall health.
Resources
How Eating the Right Foods Can Improve Your Brain and Eye Health¹
https://www.optimumvisionaz.com/blog/2018/1/30/foods-for-brain-and-eye-health
Diet and Nutrition²
https://www.aoa.org/healthy-eyes/caring-for-your-eyes/diet-and-nutrition?sso=y
Why Sugar is Kryptonite: ADHD Diet Truths³
