Eye Issues (General, Cataracts, Glaucoma & Macular Degeneration)
Foods to Eat More Of:
Foods to Avoid or Minimize:
Essential Oils:
*If additional information or precautions are available, the links below will direct you that information. If not, you will be directed to Amazon for purchasing options.
Natural/Herbal:
*If additional information or precautions are available, the links below will direct you that information. If not, you will be directed to Amazon for purchasing options.
Supplements & Homeopathic:
Mind-Body Connection:
Recipes - Food Medicine:
*Note: Not all recipes are nutritionally perfect, but the options below are a great way to start incorporating beneficial foods into your diet in delicious ways. Always try to buy organic, and feel free to make substitutions to accommodate gluten-free, vegan, etc diets. Recipes naturally Vegan and Gluten-Free are marked as such (V=Vegan; GF=Gluten-Free).
Smoothies/Beverages:
Meals:
Sides & Salads:
- Fruits: apricots, avocados, bananas, blackberries, blueberries, clementines, cranberries, grapefruit, grapes, lemons, limes, mangoes, melons, oranges, peaches, pumpkin, raspberries, strawberries, tangerines, tomatoes, watermelon (dried fruits are good as well)
- Vegetables: asparagus, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, collard greens, fennel, green & red bell peppers, kale, squash, sweet potatoes, spinach, watercress, white potatoes
- Whole grains, eggs, seeds (especially pumpkin), nuts, beans, fish/seafood, poultry, yogurt
- Olive oil, wheat germ, garlic (raw if you can), ginger, turmeric
Foods to Avoid or Minimize:
- Red meat & dairy products (except eggs & yogurt)
- Refined foods, fried foods
- Excessive sugar
Essential Oils:
*If additional information or precautions are available, the links below will direct you that information. If not, you will be directed to Amazon for purchasing options.
- To improve vision: juniper, lemongrass, cypress, eucalyptus (diluted in carrier oil on feet, big toes, bottom of feet, ankles, pelvis, brain stem and/or eye area but NOT directly in the eyes).
- For swollen eyes: cypress, helichrysum, lavender (diluted and on eye area, NOT directly in the eyes).
- For Cataracts: lemongrass, cypress, eucalyptus (around eye area, but do NOT get in eyes).
Natural/Herbal:
*If additional information or precautions are available, the links below will direct you that information. If not, you will be directed to Amazon for purchasing options.
- Dandelion leaf, fennel, garlic, ginger, ginkgo, parsley, rosemary, turmeric
- Flaxseed Oil: 1 Tablespoon (14 grams) daily (take in the morning).
- Eye Rinses:
- Eyebright (1 tsp/pint), Chamomile (2 tsp/cup), Goldenseal (1 tsp/cup), Marigold (1 Tbsp/cup)
- Instructions: mix amounts indicated above of dried herb and hot water; cool and strain. Prepare fresh daily. Use an eye-cup to wash affected eye 3 times daily. Can also drink the tea.
- For pink eye and styes: Marigold eye bath (see above for instructions).
- Styes: a little marigold or tea tree cream (be careful not to get IN EYE). Marigold eye bath (see above for instructions). Taking garlic or echinacea internally can also help.
- For tired eyes, cover with slices of cucumber or used teabags of green tea, fennel or chamomile.
- For improving night vision, try noni.
- Recent studies suggest fresh aloe sap directly in the eye can heal multiple eye issues as well, but check with your doctor before trying this.
Supplements & Homeopathic:
- Vitamin A: 50,000 IU twice daily for 7 days, then 25,000 IU daily for 3 weeks (pregnant women should not exceed 5,000 IU daily).
- Vitamin C: 1,000 mg 3 times daily for a month (reduce if it causes diarrhea).
- Vitamin E: 400 IU daily (check with doctor if you are taking anticoagulant drugs).
- Zinc/ Copper: 30 mg zinc (add 2 mg copper daily if using zinc longer than 1 month).
- Bilberry: 80 mg 3 times daily (should contain 25% anthocyanosides; may be included in nutritional supplement eye formulas).
- Grape Seed Extract: 100 mg twice daily (should contain 92%-95% proanthocyanidins).
- Ginkgo Biloba: 40 mg 3 times daily (should contain at least 24% flavone glycosides).
- Selenium: 400 mcg daily (don't exceed 600 mcg daily; higher doses may be toxic).
- Alpha-lipoic acid: 150 mg daily (take in the morning or without food).
- Carotenoids: 2 pills mixed carotenoids daily with food (should supply 25,000 IU vitamin A activity).
Mind-Body Connection:
- Nearsightedness can represent a tendency to live in the moment and not plan for the future, or a fear of the future.
- Farsightedness can represent a tendency to plan for the future and focus on "what-if's" and not being able to live in the present moment or a fear of the present.
- General eye problems or Astigmatism can represent that you aren't looking at something clearly, or don't want to discover something. A symbolic gesture that may help you open up is to clean the windows in your house.
- Cataracts can represents the need for approval from others. Tied to rejection and hurt by others. Try to improve your self-esteem/self-worth.
- Nearsightedness can represent a tendency to live in the moment and not plan for the future, or a fear of the future.
- Farsightedness can represent a tendency to plan for the future and focus on "what-if's" and not being able to live in the present moment or a fear of the present.
- General eye problems or Astigmatism can represent that you aren't looking at something clearly, or don't want to discover something. A symbolic gesture that may help you open up is to clean the windows in your house.
- Cataracts can also represent an inability to see joy in your future.
- An eye sty can represent anger at someone or looking at a situation through angry eyes.
Recipes - Food Medicine:
*Note: Not all recipes are nutritionally perfect, but the options below are a great way to start incorporating beneficial foods into your diet in delicious ways. Always try to buy organic, and feel free to make substitutions to accommodate gluten-free, vegan, etc diets. Recipes naturally Vegan and Gluten-Free are marked as such (V=Vegan; GF=Gluten-Free).
Smoothies/Beverages:
- Apple-Orange Smoothie (GF)
- Banana-Blueberry Smoothie (GF)
- Basic Fruit Smoothie (V, GF)
- Blueberry Peach Smoothie (V, GF)
- Blueberry Smoothie (V, GF)
- Blueberry-Pomegranate Smoothie (GF)
- Brain Smoothie (V, GF)
- Cranberry-Blueberry Smoothie (GF)
- Golden Milk (V, GF)
- Green Smoothie (GF)
- Mango Lassi (GF)
- Mango Pineapple Smoothie (V, GF)
- Mango-Banana Smoothie (GF)
- Mango-Blueberry Smoothie (GF)
- Mega-Greens Smoothie (GF)
- Peach-Banana Smoothie (GF)
- Peach-Berry Smoothie (GF)
- Soothing Elixir (V, GF)
- Sunrise Smoothie (V, GF)
- Super Skin Smoothie (GF)
- Superfruit Smoothie (V, GF)
- Tropical Smoothie (V, GF)
Meals:
- Adult Ramen (V, GF)
- Asian Broccoli & Rice Bowl (V, GF)
- Avocado & Egg Toast
- Balsamic Glazed Chicken
- Black Bean Bowl (GF)
- Black Bean Chili (V)
- Black Bean Soup (V, GF)
- Blueberry Mini Muffins (GF)
- Broth (Veggie/Chicken/Beef) - (V, GF)
- Buddha Bowl (V, GF)
- Bulk Spaghetti Sauce (V, GF)
- Chicken & Potatoes with Mustard Vinaigrette
- Chickpea Salad Sandwich (V, GF)
- Cornmeal & Pecan Crusted Fish
- Dumpling Soup
- Edamame Rice Bowl (V)
- Garlic Soup (V, GF)
- Healthy Mac & Cheese (V)
- Healthy Scrambled Eggs (GF)
- Lemon Chicken (GF)
- MahiMahi with Cucumber-Dill Sauce (GF)
- Pasta Della California (V)
- Pasta Fagioli (V)
- Red Beans & Rice (V, GF)
- Salmon with Avocado Salsa (GF)
- Salmon with Red Pepper Sauce (GF)
- Shrimp with Homemade Red Sauce (GF)
- Shrimp Scampi (GF)
- Slow Cooked White Chili (V, GF)
- Soy Chicken (GF)
- Spiced Lentil Soup (V, GF)
- Spicy Black Bean Soup (V, GF)
- Tilapia with Balsamic Brown Butter
- Turkey BLT with Avocado & Sprouts
- Vegetarian Chili (V, GF)
- Veggie Omelet (GF)
- White Bean & Spinach Soup (GF)
Sides & Salads:
- Asian Cabbage Salad (V, GF)
- Best Baked Potatoes (V, GF)
- Bruschetta (V)
- Butternut Squash Risotto (V, GF)
- Cannellini and Tomato Crostini (V)
- Caraway Brussels Sprouts (V, GF)
- Double Mashed Potatoes (GF)
- Favetta & Pita Triangles (V)
- Guacamole (V, GF)
- Homemade Salsa (V, GF)
- Hummus & Pita Triangles (V)
- Kale Salad with Sesame Dressing (V, GF)
- Mashed Sweet Potatoes (V, GF)
- Molasses Beans (GF)
- Pesto Potatoes (V, GF)
- Pesto Vegetables (V, GF)
- Quinoa Salad (V, GF)
- Red Beans & Rice (V, GF)
- Roasted Asparagus or Green Beans (V, GF)
- Rosemary Red Potatoes (GF)
- Smoked Almonds (V, GF)
- Southwest Pasta Salad (V)
- Spinach & Strawberry Salad (V)
- Steamed Edamame (V, GF)
- Three Bean Salad (V, GF