Don't Let Your Vision Disappear As You Age!

By Michael Cutler, MD

According to American Macular Degeneration Foundation (AMDF), there are approximately 200,000 new cases of macular degeneration in the U.S. each year and more than 10 million sufferers.1 Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) is the name given to that group of diseases that cause sight-sensing cells in the macular zone of the retina to malfunction or lose function.

AMD occurs primarily in two forms: dry and wet.

Dry AMD affects about 90 percent of those with the disease.1 Its cause is unknown. Slowly, the light-sensitive cells in the macula break down. With less of the macula working, you may start to lose central vision in the affected eye as the years go by. Dry AMD often occurs in just one eye at first. You may get the disease later in the other eye. Doctors have no way of knowing if or when both eyes may be affected.

Wet AMD accounts for 90 percent of all severe vision loss from the disease, but only about 10 to 15 percent of all people with AMD have this type.¹ It occurs when new blood vessels behind the retina start to grow toward the macula. Because these new blood vessels tend to be very fragile, they will often leak blood and fluid under the macula. This causes rapid damage to the macula that can lead to the loss of central vision in a short period of time.

If you experience slightly blurred vision… a hard time recognizing faces… a blurred spot in the center of your vision… straight or wavy lines in your line of sight… or other irregularities in your regular vision… then you may be at risk for AMD.²

What can you do if you are diagnosed with macular degeneration?¹

• Wear sunglasses with UV protection.
• Do not smoke and avoid exposure to secondhand smoke.
• Consume a low-fat, low cholesterol diet. A high-fat, high cholesterol diet can lead to fatty plaque deposition in the macular vessels hampering blood flow.
• Eat food and/or supplements rich in vitamins E, C and lutein like spinach, collard greens, kale and other dark green, leafy vegetables.

Seniors in particular with AMD could also benefit from zinc's protective qualities. According to the findings of a nationwide clinical trial of people ages 55 to 80 published in the Archives of Ophthalmology, high levels of zinc combined with high levels of antioxidants significantly reduce your risk of advanced AMD.³

In this clinical trial of 4,757 participants called the Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) and sponsored by the National Eye Institute (NEI), scientists noted that those at high risk of developing advanced AMD decreased their risk by 25 percent when they took high doses of zinc (along with 2 milligrams of copper to prevent copper deficiency), vitamin C, vitamin E and beta-carotene.

If you are over age 40 and haven't had a recent screening and are starting to notice vision problems, make sure you get regular eye exams.⁴ You may not notice the problem until it's too late, that's why a doctor's screening can help with early detection.

And if you want to help prevent vision loss before it happens, I highly recommend adding certain nutritious foods to your diet­. The color of your foods matters -- the richer the color, the better! So when you are thinking of protecting your vision, think red, green, yellow/orange and blue/purple -- and plenty of them!

According to the American Dietetic Association,⁵ "An eating pattern packed with plenty of fruits and vegetables includes two to three servings of fruits and three to five servings of vegetables each day." So when you plan your menu, color-code it and watch what a difference colors can make!

Red fruits and vegetables such as tomatoes, processed tomato products, watermelon, pink grapefruit and red peppers are great for your eyes because they contain lycopene, which is a powerful antioxidant that helps to both prevent cataracts and destroy free radicals that can affect your eyesight. Since the body does not naturally produce lycopene, you can only get it from eating foods that are rich in this antioxidant.

Cooked tomatoes and tomato products such as spaghetti sauce, tomato juice, ketchup and pizza sauce are the main sources of lycopene in the average American diet today, good news if you're a pizza fan! Amazingly, your body can absorb lycopene BETTER when it is eaten in these forms--for reasons that are still not clear. So if you cook fresh tomatoes with a little oil (preferably monounsaturated olive oil), it does wonders for how well your body can absorb the lycopene.

Next, go for the green -- green and leafy fruits and vegetables contain the amazing antioxidant lutein, which fights against the risk of macular degeneration and cataracts and helps maintain good vision. This antioxidant is found in collard greens, kale, mustard greens, spinach, turnip greens, broccoli, green peas, honeydew melons and kiwifruits.

Say YES to yellow and orange fruits and vegetables such as carrots, sweet potatoes, mangos, cantaloupe, apricots and peaches, which are rich in beta-carotene, and oranges, lemons, grapefruits, tangerines, papaya and nectarines that contain bioflavonoids. Both beta-carotene and bioflavonoids are powerhouse antioxidants that work hard to maintain good vision.

Blue and purple vegetables such as black currants, blackberries, blueberries, eggplant, elderberries, purple grapes, plums, pomegranates, purple cabbage, prunes and raisins also contain that powerful antioxidant, lutein, which supports retinal health.

And don't forget the peels! If you are removing the peels before you eat these colorful fruits and vegetables, you are throwing away many of the nutrients that nourish your precious sight. A great idea is to toss several of your favorite fruits and vegetables of all colors -- including the peels -- into the blender and enjoy a healthy, nutritious smoothie!

I encourage you to see the difference a healthy and nutritious lifestyle can have on your vision! You are only awarded one set of eyes for your entire lifetime, so take care to add fruits, veggies and all-natural supplements to ensure eagle-eye vision well into your 70s, 80s or 90s!

Yours for true health,
Michael Cutler, M.D.

References

1. American Macular Degeneration Foundation.
   
2. Macular Degeneration Association.
   
3. Archives of Ophthalmology. Oct. 2001.National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS).
   
4. American Academy of Ophthalmology.
   
5. Dietary Guidelines for Americans. American Dietetic Association.

[Ed. Note: Michael Cutler, M.D. is a Board-Certified family physician with more than 17 years of clinical experience. He is a graduate of Brigham Young University and Tulane Medical School. Dr. Cutler's practice focuses on integrative solutions to health problems, and behavioral and nutritional medicine. For more information, visit www.truehealth.com.]

Green Living:
Sustainable Gardening -- Taking Your First BIG Step
By Mort Mather

In my last article, I discussed how to get started with your first vegetable garden and advised beginners to start small, a 6 x 6 plot being a good size to grow your own salad greens, pole beans, or potatoes. When you've seen success with this size, you can graduate to a serious plot of about 450 square feet and start growing a substantial portion of your food.

Once you understand how the plants perform and other important factors like the weather, controlling weeds and insects, and your water needs, you may be ready for something even larger.

Thirty-five years ago I planted my first garden with the idea to feed my family of four for the entire year. It was nearly 4,000 square feet and I don't remember much of the specifics about that garden but it was largely successful.

As I recall, I learned a lot about slugs that year though it took several more years before I was able to downgrade them from the problem category to just nuisance. I made many refinements to the garden plan each year trying to raise enough to feed our family of four year round.

To start a garden this size you'll need much more than a spading fork to prepare the soil. Farmers will use a tractor to turn the soil and then a disk harrow to break up the turned sod. Without this equipment, the easiest way to turn sod into a garden is to hire someone with a tractor drawn tiller.

Garden size tractors are OK if that is all that can be found in your area but they won't till as deeply or as thoroughly, and even if they charge less per hour they will likely be more expensive because it will take longer. The biggest problem with hiring someone to do the work is the temptation to have too big a garden.

Once you get this far, it's time to decide what to plant. You'll find that onions, potatoes, and winter squash can be stored until spring. Carrots, parsnips, beets, rutabaga, and winter storage radishes can also be stored for several months in a root cellar (with the temperature about freezing and high humidity). Cabbage will store whole for a month or two. Then there are the things you can freeze (peas, green beans), can (tomatoes), pickle (cabbage, cucumbers), or dry (beans and grains).

But how much of each should you plant? That's largely a question of trial and error. For my own family, I came to the anecdotal conclusion that I needed about 1,000 square feet per person to provide vegetables and grains for a year.

Here's how one young farmer I know got started with a large sustainable vegetable garden. He worked with me last summer on my 25,000 square foot garden in which I grow vegetables for my son's restaurant. He wanted to learn about gardening so he could start his own garden next year. I suggested that he start preparing the soil right away. He took my suggestion and hired someone to till 3,000 square feet.

Then he scattered buckwheat seed and raked it gently. The buckwheat came up rapidly and choked out the weeds. When the buckwheat flowered he had it tilled again and planted another cover crop, winter rye. Come spring he will turn under the winter rye incorporating the organic matter which will improve the soil. He also had the soil tested and will add nutrients as recommended. The Cooperative Extension Service in many states has a soil testing lab. In Maine, they will give you organic recommendations if requested.

I told this fellow he should continue to devote part of his garden soil to an easy to grow cover crop like rye so he will not become overwhelmed -- but I suspect he will not take that advice. All that lovely soil will just be too tempting. But hopefully he learned enough about weed control, weather, and tips like "visit the garden every day" to give him success.

By the way, in my sixties I tended a 2,500 square foot garden with only a spading fork, garden rake, and a hoe. Those are the only tools you need, even for a large sustainable garden.

[Ed. Note: Mort Mather has been gardening organically for 35 years. He is the author of Gardening for Independence and has founded two non-profits -- one saved a farm on the Maine Coast and the other saved the historic Ogunquit Playhouse. Mort is a certified organic farmer supplying vegetables for his family-run restaurant (http://joshuas.biz) in Wells, Maine. To learn more, click here.]

Healthy Recipes:
Spaghetti Squash with Grass-Fed Meatballs and Raw Pecorino Cheese
By Kelley Herring

Move over pasta. You've been replaced. Spaghetti squash makes the perfect base for juicy, grass-fed meatballs nestled in a hearty Cabernet Marinara. And because spaghetti squash has such a low glycemic load, you can enjoy a healthy serving of this "spaghetti" without spiking your blood sugar.

Time To Table: 30 minutes
Serves: 4

Excellent Source of: Calcium, Iron, Potassium, Protein, Selenium, Zinc, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12, Vitamin C, Niacin
Good Source of: Magnesium, Vitamin A, Folate
Preferences: Low Sugar

Ingredients
2 tsp. organic dried parsley
1 large organic omega-3 egg
1 tsp. Celtic sea salt
1 whole organic spaghetti squash (about 4 lbs), halved, seeded
1 tsp. organic garlic powder
2 ounces organic, raw Pecorino cheese, shredded
2 tsp. organic dried basil
16 ounces organic grass-fed beef
1 25.5-ounce jar Muir Glen Cabernet Marinara Pasta Sauce
1 slice Ezekiel 4:9® Sprouting Grain Bread, toasted and crumbled

Preparation
First, cook the spaghetti squash. Our recommended method is using a standard oven or a Flavorwave as this will preserve the most nutrients. If using the standard oven, bake squash on a cookie sheet at 350°F, cut side down, for 45 minutes. Using the Flavorwave, cook at 400°F for 30 minutes. Using a fork, scrape the strands of squash into a bowl and toss with 1 Tbsp. olive oil and cover. Meanwhile, make the meatballs and sauce. Combine the beef with the breadcrumbs, egg, basil, parsley, garlic powder and salt. Form into 1-inch meatballs.

Place meatballs on an oiled baking sheet and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes. (Alternatively, cook meatballs in Flavorwave at 400°F for 10 minutes). Now, make the sauce. In a large shallow pan, add Muir Glen pasta sauce and heat over medium. Drain any fat from the meatballs and place in sauce, stirring to coat. Simmer 20 minutes. Place the shredded squash on serving dishes, top with meatballs and sauce, sprinkle with Pecorino cheese, and serve.

Nutrition Information
406 calories, 14 g fat, 6 g saturated fat, 4 g monounsaturated fat, 1 g polyunsaturated fat, 0 g trans fat, 136 mg cholesterol, 944 mg sodium, 33 g carbohydrate, 3 g sugar, 2 grams fiber, 36 g protein

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These articles appear courtesy of Early to Rise’s Total Health Breakthroughs [Issue 02-20-09] which offers alternative solutions for mind, body and soul. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.totalhealthbreakthroughs.com/