You’ve heard of teeth whitening, but did you know eye whitening is now a “thing” too?
Yep…Because the whites of our eyes – also called sclera – will show signs of discoloration with age – just like teeth. They may turn more yellow or gray.
Telltale signs of either aging or ill health.
Both undesirable apparently.
Before you start rolling your eyes like I did, I learned that studies have shown that as humans, the whites of our eyes convey conscious and subconscious information – like happiness, fear, surprise and attractiveness – learned as early as infant stages. These signals strengthen our connection and understanding of others in a deep and powerful way.
So this eye white thing is pretty legit.
Aside from the aesthetics, I’m more into the health of our eyes for functional purposes. I want to be able to do what I can and prevent vision loss or macular degeneration for as long as possible.
I can’t hear for shit, but my vision has actually gotten better with age. I used to need glasses for night driving and now I don’t (although I have noticed, reading teeny tiny food or supplement labels does require more light and significant squinting…hmmm).
So here are some nutrition insights I’ve researched related to keeping our peepers healthy and bright:
- Eat a Whole Foods based Mediterranean type diet which includes fatty fish, olive oil, fresh fruits and vegetables and moderate alcohol (1 serving per day for women, no more than 2 for men). No processed foods.
- Consume foods rich in Lutein and Zeaxanthin, found in organic corn, yellow peppers, egg yolks, kale, squash, zucchini (hello Zoodles!) spinach and leafy greens.
- Add curcumin to foods and smoothies.
- Drink Green Tea
I’m not a fan of chemically derived eye drops, but have found some homemade eye wash recipes online just using salt and water or green tea. I suppose saline washes would be ok for hydrating the eyes as well.
Also, getting good sleep, plenty of sunshine and avoiding too much stress, electronics, alcohol, sugar and refined carbohydrates are basic lifestyle factors that’ll keep eyes rested, vitalized, healthy and clear.
Finally, three supplements that I’d recommend for healthy eyes would be:
- Ocuforce – Made specifically for eye health with lutein, zeaxanthin, bilberry, Ginkgo biloba, curcumin, green tea, taurine, lipoic acid, vitamin A and carotenoids including beta carotene.
- PurePaleo – Contains collagen and complete amino acids to support all tissues in the body including eyes. Great as a delicious high protein meal replacement.
- Fish oil – Unless you’re eating good amounts of wild fatty fish, taking fish oil is key to reduce inflammation, support cellular health and fatty acid balance. Take 1-3 grams per day (I just add it to my protein shakes – I swear you can’t taste it!)
So there you go! I hope this was eye-opening and got you thinking about ways you can pretty easily keep those baby blues (or greens or browns) sparkling for the rest of your beautiful life!
xo,
Ev
