Our Eyes: Taking the Pressure Off

Some months ago I began experiencing pressure behind my eyes.  I do wear glasses to read, but my prescription is fairly recent, so I began to research the problem and look into ways that I could reduce the pressure through diet.   Through my research I discovered that eye pressure, or ocular hypertension, can occur without affecting vision or without damage to the optic nerve.  Also called intraocular pressure, it is considered by eye doctors to be a possible precursor to glaucoma - a condition that includes pressure, vision loss, and optic nerve damage -  if not treated appropriately.  Intraocular pressure can arise as we age, in the same manner that the risk of glaucoma can become more prevalent as we move on through the years.

If we are not suffering from a specific disease such as glaucoma, keeping eye pressure at its normal range of 10 to 22 mm/Hg is not difficult if specific foods are included in the diet. Foods that nurture our blood vessels and nerves can help to lower eye pressure and thus help to subvert the possibility of more serious conditions later on.  According to Dr. Marc Grossman, OD, over 25% of the nutrients found in healthful foods are absorbed through the blood vessels, nerves, and tissues that relate directly to our vision.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that has more presence in the eyes than anywhere else in the body.  If we don’t get enough of this vitamin, our vision is directly affected, weakening and inviting problems such as pressure and deterioration.  Eating citrus fruits like oranges, nectarines, lemons, limes, grapefruits are great choices as they are chock full of C.  Strawberries, raspberries, peaches, kiwi, mangos, guava, and lychees also help to give the eyes a huge anti-oxidant boost.  Veggies such as broccoli, kale, green cabbage, Brussels sprouts, and red peppers are excellent, especially when eaten raw or slightly steamed so as not to damage the vitamin content.

A, B, and Zinc

These three vitamins work in harmony together to reduce eye pressure as one enhances the other’s ability to do its part.  Vitamin A is abundant in dried apricots, mangos, cantaloupe, carrots, and sweet potatoes as well as spinach, mozzarella cheese, egg yolks, milk, and liver.  Vitamin B is found in bananas, avocados, Brazil nuts, potatoes, turkey, tuna fish, and liver.  Zinc is found in wheat germ, bran, pecans, pine nuts, shellfish, fish, and eggs.

Lutein

Lutein is another essential nutrient for regulating intraocular pressure. Lutein is found in parsley, dill, carrots, spinach, kale, Swiss chard, mustard and collard greens, potatoes, and tomatoes.  Apples, plums, and berries are good fruit choices for getting your daily dose of lutein.

Omega 3 Fatty Acids

Rich in bioflavenoids and antioxidants that help to ward off the specter of eye pressure and disease, omega 3 fatty acids help to enrich the nerve cells located in the retina.  Eating plenty of flaxseeds, cod liver oil, soybeans, walnuts, raw tofu, and fish can help you get the dietary requirement of omega 3 that is so necessary for eye health.

Bilberries

Bilberry is an herb that boasts a high quantity of flavonoid anthocyanosides, which are antioxidants that enhance vascular tissues.  During World War II, British Royal Air Force pilots reported that after consuming quantities of bilberry, their night vision had improved radically. 

Ginkgo Biloba

Ginkgo biloba has been used for centuries in the natural treatment of glaucoma because of its ability to improve blood flow to the eyes.  A powerful antioxidant, it holds a number of essential benefits for not only vision, but for other parts of the body, including brain function.  Ginkgo biloba can be found in health food stores in the form of capsules, tinctures, or tea.

Note:  It is always best to consult with your healthcare provider before embarking on a remedial protocol.

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Nutritional Wellness:  Natural Eye Care and Nutrition by Marc Grossman, OD

http://www.nutritionalwellness.com/archives/2005/jun/06_grossman.php

 The Eye Digest: Bilberry and Ginkgo Biloba

http://www.agingeye.net/visionbasics/nutritionandvision.php

 E Medicine Health: Ocular Hypertension

http://www.emedicinehealth.com/ocular_hypertension/article_em.htm

 Nutritional Wellness

http://www.nutritionalwellness.com/archives/2005/jun/06_grossman.php

Natural Eye Care

http://www.naturaleyecare.com/diseases.asp?d_num=7

Natural News:

http://www.naturalnews.com/010203_lutein_cancer_food.html

The World’s Healthiest Foods

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=nutrient&dbid=84

Disconnecting

Though the Argentines don’t necessarily consider the Sierras proper mountains (when compared with the ever-imposing Andes), to me the Sierras emanate an enormous power implicit in these stoic forces of nature.  Here in the Traslasierra about 190 km outside the city of Cordoba in the province of the same name, the particular energy the Sierras emanate is palpable, perhaps from their mineral content, by the fact that they inhabit a micro-climate, or by the deep indigenous history that gives them human context.

My friend Helen and I sit at night in awe, hypnotized by the plethora of stars that make up the southern hemisphere.  We think we are seeing every single one and that they are literally falling into our laps.  The Milky Way has never been as pronounced, and we are determined to discover exactly which constellations are before us.  Over by the horizon are the twinkling, celestial-seeming lights of a distant village, creating an additional magic to the night sky.  The early morning and early evening brings a deafening sound of crickets, making it hard to focus on anything else – which to me is fine as I am keen on discovering more keys to getting out of mind and more into sensation and feeling.

Days are a total obliteration of thought as the deep summer sun runs its rays over our bodies, making reading possible only in the shade of the hammock.  A steady dazzle of bird and insect sounds is everywhere… another kind of traffic noise, but oh so easy to absorb.

Staying at our friend Jose’s hand-built home, all rustic stone and wood with well attended flowers and trees all around, we are way up high above the pueblos below.  This is my second visit to the region, but a new experience, staying so far away from civilization.  We rely on Jose to take us up and down the mountain in his jeep. 

We have our favorite haunts:  a tiny little place off the main square, frequented by locals for delicious and inexpensive pizza or pasta, a lovely shop  for browsing hand made pottery, wooden bowls and furniture, woven items, and soaps, and the local jeweler with his inventions in silver and semi-precious stones.  In a nearby pueblo down the road, there is our favorite café where we can have a blend of herbal teas from the region and a basketful of tostadas with homemade dulce de leche.  Here there is Internet, which calls to me as much as I try and stay away.  It is not easy to disconnect, though this is the true theme of the voyage. 

In the mountains, I have made a commitment to implementing the rituals that make for more permanent habits, regardless of locale.  I will take these rituals as I take my food: for their cleansing, energizing properties; for their ability to dissolve the pressures of the mind; for their ability to re-caibrate the body and spirit. 

 

To disconnect does not mean to go on idle, to be lazy, to tune out.  For me, disconnecting means taking time away from routine in order to recharge.  This means a daily ritual of breathing exercises along with meditation.  Here in the Sierras, I can find my spot under mountains and sky and take my time in harmony with the rest of nature to create my grounding for the day. 

At home, in the middle of a busy city, I do the same.  With the vision of big nature in my mind’s eye, I  imagine that I am still in the Sierra’s…  with the magnetism of the mountains holding me tight as I melt into my best self.

Clove Power: A tasty and aromatic anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, antiseptic, and anesthetic!

Cloves have that wonderful aroma so reminiscent of apple pie baking in the oven, deliciously spicy grog, or aromatic dried oranges studded with clove nails. But cloves also have amazingly powerful remedial uses due to their anti-bacterial, antiseptic, anesthetic, and anti-inflammatory properties. Inserting a clove in the mouth to reduce toothache or in the ear to relieve earache, making an infusion to assuage skin ailments or respiratory difficulties, or applying a poultice of clove oil to reduce infection are just some of the ways cloves can be used to relieve aches and pains.

The moniker “clove” originates from the word “clou,” which is French for nail, and of course describes the shape of this multi-faceted spice. Scientifically, cloves are known as Caryophyllus Aromaticus or Syzygium Aromaticum. Cloves originate in warm, exotic climes such as Tanzania, Sumatra, Indonesia, Madagascar, Zanzibar, the Molucca Islands, and South America.  They have been used as far back as the Han dynasty in China where they freshened the breath of courtesans. In ancient Egypt they were stung on necklaces, and much later in 4^th Century Europe they were introduced by Arab traders and used to flavor teas and culinary dishes. In Tibet, they have been a staple throughout the ages to fortify the immune system.

Cloves come from an evergreen tree with leathery leaves and buds that form a hood to protect their stamens. The buds are responsible for up to 20% of the spice’s volatile oils, with 2% remaining in the leaves and 5% in the stems. Clove oil contains a substance called eugenol, which is both antiseptic and analgesic, which means it helps reduce infection and swelling. Cloves also boast a good supply of phosphorus, potassium, sodium, and vitamins A and C.  Its high calcium and iron content helps to keep bones strong.

Placing clove oil on achy joints and muscles helps to increase circulation, directing nutrients to zones that need particular attention.  Clove oil warms the area as it penetrates the skin, helping to reduce stiffness and swelling.

Including cloves in your recipes is an excellent way to get clove power, either by using it in powdered form, or grinding the spice with an electric grinder or a mortar and pestle. Whole cloves can also be boiled for use a tea or taken in capsule form. Clove oil is easy to find in health food stores and can be applied directly to the skin after diluting it in a bit of coconut, olive, or vitamin E oil to avoid possible irritation to the skin.

Note: Be sure to consult with your healthcare provider before starting on a clove protocol, especially if you are taking medications.

Dark Chocolate: No, really, its okay… go ahead!

I used to engage in occasional experimentations, back in the day, some of which might be considered compromising by some.  But as my body was a tad more youthful, I could withstand occasional molecular imbalances for the sake of hopeful progress into dimensions unknown. Though many a stone was not left unturned, what remains is the only addiction I’ve ever known…one that turns out to be something that I can not only live with quite well, but one that is preferable to all others…and that is dark…oh so deliriously dark chocolate. And with the least sugar content the better, my personal choice is unprocessed died-in-the-wool pure organic chocolate nibs, as touted by one of my heroes, David Wolff.

Chocolate in its purest form contains a superlatively high amount of flavenoids: members of the antioxidant family known as polyphenols. Polyphenols perform the heroic task of helping our bodies fight against free radicals that show up in environmental toxins such as chemicals, pollution, radiation, automotive exhaust, and cigarette smoke. Free radicals are purported to cause premature aging as well as many degenerative diseases because as they float around looking for a match for their unpaired electrons they will almost always attach themselves to the bad guy (does this sound familiar?), causing damage to the life-giving properties within our cells.

Besides fighting free radicals, flavenoids also diminish the stickiness that can show up in blood platelets, which helps to lower high blood pressure, meaning that they can also reduce the possibility of myocardial infarction and stroke. Flavenoids also help prevent oxidation in the cells resulting from the effects of bad cholesterol, or LDL, while also increasing levels of good cholesterol, or HDL.

The essence of chocolate, the cocoa bean, contains over 400 chemicals, including the essential amino acids tryptophan, phenylalanine, and tyrosine. These amino acids assist the body in building protein as well as operating as neurotransmitters sending messages to and fro nerve cells in the brain. One of these messages, as we chocolate lovers have long noticed, is that of pleasure caused by that exquisite endorphin rush after biting into a succulent handful of chocolate nibs or a seductive bar of organic dark chocolate. 

Dark chocolate requires less processing than its frivolous cousins, milk and white chocolate. This means that the inherent flavenoid content is more or less intact, depending on the method of production. The higher the cocoa content in the chocolate, the more potent the healthful elements.  So my friends, go ahead… march right down to your local chocolate supplier and get your deserved measure of bliss.  Enjoy and be healthy.

Please note that as with everything in life, moderation is key…

Pomegranates: Heaven and Health

Anyone familiar with Greek myth knows the story of Persephone and the underworld where she was tricked by the god Hades into staying with him for several months out of the year. Though it was the pomegranate seeds he gave her to eat that bound her to this dark contract, pomegranates are anything but a forbidding fruit. Today they are considered a super food because of their ability to affect overall health in a considerably powerful way. 

Antioxidants Supreme

Pomegranate seeds contain antioxidants that are beneficial to the molecular structure of our bodies. Polyphenols, ellagic acid, gallic acid and punicalagin are some of the components that combat free radicals as well as other invasive toxins. With their additional gift of vitamins B1 2 3 5 6 and 9, vitamin C, potassium, iron, folic acid, zinc, phosphorus, magnesium, thiamine, riboflavin, and niacin, these glistening fruity jewels made for some powerful medicine.

The Briefest of Histories

The Ancients truly knew what they were doing when they incorporated pomegranates into their diet, more than 3000 years ago. Starting with the Persians, they were subsequently used as a flavoring, a refreshing food, and a medicinal throughout the Middle East, India, Southern Europe, and eventually elsewhere in the world. Growing in dry terrain, the pomegranate can withstand drought while still bringing us the gift of its juicy, tart, nutritious seeds.

Pomegranate’s Gifts

According to the scientific advisor to the natural pomegranate juice product, POM, Dr. Risa Shulman, visiting professor at the University of California, these are some of the gifts given to us by the pomegranate:

• Raising good cholesterol and lowering bad cholesterol
• Thinning the blood to allow greater flow to the heart
• Improving the memory by delivering more oxygen to the brain
• Reducing plaque in the arteries by eliminating fatty deposits to lower the possibility of stroke and heart attack. This also decreases arthrosclerosis or hardening of the arteries
• Preventing damage to cartilage through its action as an enzyme inhibitor
• Fighting various types of cancer
• Improving skin tone.

Further Scientific Corroboration

Coronary Disease:

There have been many scientific claims regarding pomegranates. An article in the American Journal of the College of Cardiologists reports an increase in oxygen flow to the heart and advises drinking 8 ounces of pomegranate juice a day for patients with chronic coronary disease. 

Prostate Cancer:

Dr. Christopher Amling, who has been involved in prostate cancer patients reports that those drinking 8 ounces of pomegranate juice daily were able to stop chemo or hormone therapy due to the juice’s positive impact on PSA levels.

Lung Cancer:

Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Cancer Chemoprevention Program reported in the journal, Cancer Research, that pomegranate juice shows promise in slowing down and ultimately preventing the proliferation of lung cancer. 

Estrogen Levels and Breast Cancer:

Dr. Ephraim Lansky of the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in Israel has stated that pomegranates may have the ability to replace the estrogen lacking in postmenopausal women. Further studies in this hospital have revealed that pomegranate seed oil helps to trigger the destruction of breast cancer cells while avoiding healthy cells.  This means pomegranates may also potentially help prevent breast cancer cells from forming. 

Alzheimer’s Disease:

In a study at Loma Linda University in California where mice with Alzheimer’s disease were given a daily dose of pomegranate juice, they were eventually able to perform complex mental tasks as destructive amyloid plaque accumulated in the brain began to diminish.

Erectile Dysfunction:

An article in the Journal of Urology claims that studies on animals suffering erectile dysfunction were successfully treated with pomegranate juice over a period of time, concluding that the overwhelmingly high anti-oxidant content in pomegranates helps to reduce oxidative stress that often contributes to this condition.

Taking Your Daily Dose

Just the simple sensual pleasure of opening up the fresh fruit and popping those juicy red seeds in your mouth (or someone else’s) is the best way to get your daily dose of heaven and health.  You can also put the seeds in a blender with other fruits and a dash of honey for extra sweetness. There are a plethora of dessert recipes using pomegranates, as well as tangy sauces to put over chicken or meat.  And if you swing towards cocktails, why not add a splash of pomegranate juice to your martini?  Delish….

Of course, fresh pomegranates are the best way to reap the benefits of the fruit, but you can also buy already bottled juice, concentrate, oil, capsules, or tablets from your local health food store.

Can Diet Affect Vision? by guest blogger, optometrist Tim Harwood

We have all heard the saying ‘we are what we eat,’ but we may not think of the health of our eyes when we consider this. Everyone knows a diet high in fruit and vegetables is good for our general health, but have you considered what they can do for our eyes?

Our Eyes, Our Bodies 
Our eyes, as part of our bodies, are also affected by diet and lifestyle. People with diets that are high in fat and sugar are more likely to develop eye problems, just as the body will be affected negatively.  In the same way that blood vessels can become narrower on the way to the heart (heart attack) and brain (stroke), so the blood vessels in our eyes can also become blocked. This can lead to a permanent loss of vision, which cannot be treated. Keeping our blood pressure and cholesterol balanced is just as important to the eyes as it is to the rest of the body. 

Diet and the Eyes 
There are certain types of foods that are specifically beneficial to the health and optimal function of our eyes. These are foods that contain the anti-oxidants Lutein and Zeaxanthin, anti–oxidants that play a role in slowing down the progression of two of the most common eye diseases that affect us as we get older: cataracts and age-related macular degeneration (ARMD). Cataracts are less of a concern as they can be removed both easily and safely with a simple operation. Macular degeneration, however, is currently untreatable and leads to a slow and potentially dramatic loss of central vision. The macula is part of the retina at the back of our eyes and is responsible for the very central part of our vision. As macular degeneration progresses, tasks such as reading and recognising faces become increasingly difficult.

To ensure we get the maximum amount of Lutein and Zeaxanthin in our diets there are certain foods that are high in these anti-oxidants that we can include in our daily recipes: broccoli, spinach, green cabbage, kale, green leafed vegetables, mangos, and oranges. By ensuring a good supply of these fruit and vegetables, our eyes will get the very best chance at staying healthier for a long time to come.

Tim Harwood is an Optometrist with over 8 years in practice with a specialist interest in both laser eye surgery and contact lenses. He has worked both in the UK and Australia for both multiple and independent opticians.  

 

Keeping Blood Sugar Levels Balanced with Cinnamon

More than a long time ago the ancient Greeks used cinnamon to treat a host of illnesses, including indigestion and nausea. The Egyptians were known to add it to their embalming formulae, recognizing the spice’s power as a preservative. Later on, during the Middle Ages, cinnamon was mixed with cloves and water to help reduce symptoms of Bubonic plague. Traditional Indian medicine has used cinnamon in Aruyvedic treatment to heal a myriad of problems such as urinary tract and yeast infections.  Today in current medicinal circles, cinnamon is recognized for its ability to balance glucose levels when insulin secretion is high.

The Cinnamon Tree

Native to Sri Lanka, Southern India, the West Indies, Zanzibar, Madagascar, Egypt, and Brazil, cinnamon is an evergreen tree that sports flowers along with berries containing a single seed. But it is the bark of the cinnamon tree that holds the medicinal secrets. Once the bark is removed from the tree, an inner portion is then stripped away and made into rolls or ground into the powder we find in supermarkets and health food stores.

  

Maintaining Glucose Levels with Cinnamon

The body controls blood sugar levels via the pancreas, which secretes a hormone that transports glucose to each cell. A healthy pancreas releases the right amount of this hormone in order to deliver the insulin properly. Our body’s cells are designed with receptors that respond to the insulin. If these receptors become resistant, it causes the pancreas to secrete more insulin in order to get enough glucose to the cells, which then increases the level of blood glucose.  When this happens, the system becomes imbalanced, whereby a pre-diabetic condition can occur.  If left untreated, this can then lead to diabetes.

Diabetes is one of the most serious diseases worldwide. Maintaining healthy blood sugar levels is an essential way to avoid this lethal illness. Keeping glucose levels regulated  often becomes more difficult as we age due to the potential breakdown in the body’s ability to metabolize glucose.

In a study on cinnamon’s ability to control blood sugar levels conducted at the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center, researchers discovered that the spice contains compounds that help to increase glucose metabolism  “twenty-fold.” These compounds are known as procyanidins, which function along with the phytochemicals epicatechin, phenol, and tannin.  Acting similarly to insulin, they help the body regulate glucose levels, reducing symptoms of hyperglycemia, which occurs when blood sugar levels rise. Cinnamon also contains MHCP, or methylhydroxychalcone polymer, another compound that assists with glycogen synthesis.

According to the leading doctor in the study, Dr. Richard A. Anderson, a mere half teaspoon of cinnamon each day can help the body maintain appropriate blood sugar levels while also balancing triglycerides and cholesterol, with no side effects.

Other Studies on Cinnamon and Blood Sugar

In another study conducted by postdoctoral fellow, Alam Khan, 60 diabetic volunteers were divided in half. One half was given daily doses of cinnamon and the other half was given a placebo. The experiment was conducted for 40 days, resulting in the group taking the cinnamon displaying a distinctly healthy change in their glucose levels. Once this diabetic group stopped taking cinnamon however, the levels rose to their former position.

Cinnamon and Blood Pressure

When blood pressure increases due to an over stimulated nervous system, the body secretes both noradrenalin and insulin, which in turn stimulate glucose production. As blood sugar levels rise in the bloodstream, metabolic imbalances can easily occur. In a study done at Georgetown University, hypersensitive rats were tested with cinnamon to see if the spice would lower their systolic blood pressure by helping regulate insulin function.  Sure enough, it did.

Other Benefits of Cinnamon

Cinnamon contains several important minerals, such as iron, calcium, and manganese, in addition to fiber. It is considered an anti-oxidant, and also has anti-fungal and anti-clotting properties along with its ability to lower triglycerides and bad cholesterol. Hard to imagine that such a fragrant and delicious spice can be so potent, but so it is!

True Cinnamon and Cassia

True cinnamon is rather ragged around the edges, as opposed to its sister, cassia, which comes in more distinct and tidy rolls.  True cinnamon originates in  Sri Lanka and is usually light brown in color and quite dry.   

Cassia generally comes from China and other Southeastern Asian countries. It  has a stronger flavor than true cinnamon and is darker in color.  It also has a larger amount of coumarin than true cinnamon, which is a phytochemical that helps to thin the blood.  In the end, deciding between the two is a matter of taste. But do note that labels do not always differentiate between the two, so make sure you look at the shape and color so you know what you are getting.  Most commercial “cinnamon” sold in the United States is actually cassia, or a combination of cassia and cinnamon.

Including Cinnamon in the Diet

Cinnamon is best used when it is fresh. If you are used to buying it ground, make sure that its smell is notable. Sticks of cinnamon can be ground for the best flavor, but even the sticks can become stale if they sit on the shelf for too long. Make sure you store your cinnamon or cassia in a cool, dry cupboard to keep it fresh for as long as possible. 

There are many recipes that feature cinnamon, from curries to hot chocolate and more.  I put cinnamon on my cereal or toast and almost always add some to my curry mixes as well as my blender drinks.  Tasty and healthy, all in one!

Word to the wise:  If you are taking anti-clotting medicine, consult with your health care provider before using cinnamon regularly in your diet.