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Dr. Swartwout's Food Target
Set Your Sights on a Healthy Diet
*Allowed fish include: cod, flounder, haddock, halibut, herring, mackerel, Pacific salmon, perch, pollock, rockfish, sardine, scrod, sole
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Note: The foods that have been eliminated or restricted on this diet have been shown to upset body chemistry and therefore prevent effective balancing of that chemistry with the nutritional supplements that have been recommended for you. In order to achieve the best chemical balance possible, we urge you to follow this diet as closely as possible.
The Vision Diet
Foods to Enjoy:
Vegetables All are allowed; raw or steamed are best. Frozen are the next best to fresh vegetables if they have no sauce, sugar or other additives. Potatoes are very good, but be sure to include the skin. Sprouts are good additions to salads. Olive oil, other cold-pressed oils, and a good vinegar (i.e., balsamic) or other natural salad dressing may be used.
Eggs Eggs are recommended, with organic the healthiest choice. Soft boiled or poached give the greatest nutritional value.
Butter We recommend unsalted, real butter. Avoid margarine.
Meats All lean meats, poultry and fish are permitted, including shellfish. Most experts agree that red meat should be limited to about once per week or so. Pork should be mostly avoided. It is best to remove the skin of poultry since most hormones and antibiotics collect there. Remember to cook your chicken well.
Snacks Nuts, seeds, popcorn, rice cakes, whole grain crackers with tuna, egg or tofu salad; almond or other nut butters; raw vegetables with hummus or other bean dip.
Seasonings All natural herbs and spices may be used. Sea salt is better in small amounts than regular table salt. Also try Herbamare, Seazun or kelp.
Grains Always use whole grains: brown rice, whole wheat, rye, millet, buckwheat, oats, etc. Avoid breads with hydrogenated oils or corn sweeteners. Oatmeal and oat bran make excellent hot cereals.
Water Avoid regular tap water. Distilled water from a stainless-steel distiller is the best. Soft plastic containers should be avoided; use hard plastic or glass containers. Bottled mineral waters or sparkling waters are much better than tap water. Drink 68 8 oz. glasses daily.
Fruits Eat 12 pieces per day maximum if you tend to have a sugar intolerance or hypoglycemic reaction. Apples, melons, berries and bananas are the best fruits to choose
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from. Fruits should not be eaten alone for blood sugar stability, but with nuts, a small snack or with a meal. Small amounts of diluted apple juice are often tolerated in moderation. Fresh, natural vegetable juices are usually well tolerated.
Foods to Avoid:
Caffeine Coffee, colas, regular tea and any herb containing caffeine.
Sugar White, brown, turbinado, cane, raw, sugar substitutes, candy, pastries, ice cream and any other foods that contain excessive sugar. Also read labels to avoid dextrose, lactose, glucose, maltose and any other -ose ingredient.
Honey can usually be tolerated in small amounts.
Dairy Milk, cheese, yogurt, ice cream. Butter is the only product from cows that is acceptable. Milk and cheese from goats and sheep can be used. Or use soy milk instead.
White Flour Avoid (use whole wheat or other whole grain flours). Alcohol Avoid or have one drink no more than 12 times per week.
Condiments Avoid products containing artificial colors, flavors or preservatives. Avoid table salt, MSG (monosodium glutamate), Accent, or any product with hydrogenated oils or sweeteners.
Vitamins and Minerals
In addition to eating well, there are certain vitamin and mineral supplements that are essential for your visual health. While specific recommendations for each condition are mentioned in the corresponding chapters, the following is more indepth information on the essential fatty acids and L-Glutathione, which are utilized in most of the eye conditions discussed in the book.
Essential Fatty Acids
Essential fatty acids, also called EFAs, are just as essential to a healthy balance of body chemistry, and thus proper cell function as good food, vitamins and minerals. They are an integral component of nerve cells, cell membranes and vital hormone-like substances known as prostaglandins, which help to regulate numer-
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ous body functions, including normal immune response during inflammation. These unsaturated fatty acids are also necessary for healthy skin, hair and nails; have a supportive effect on the circulatory system; and can reduce blood cholesterol levels.
Unfortunately, diets typically consumed in the United States and other developed countries do not provide sufficient amounts of the richest sources of these beneficial essential fatty acids. Our consumption of saturated fats from meat and dairy foods is often too high, while our intake of unsaturated fats from fish and certain vegetable oil sources is often too low. In addition, modern food processing techniques frequently remove or alter the levels of important fatty acids, so adding these EFAs back into the diet with certain foods or supplements is advised.
There are two basic types of EFAs: omega-3 and omega-6. The best sources of omega-3 EFAs are the flesh of cold water marine fish (salmon, herring, mackerel) as well as black currant seed oil, flaxseed and flaxseed oil and hemp seed. Omega-6 EFAs are found in evening primrose oil, borage oil and black currant seed oil. In general, we recommend 1,500 mg per day of the essential fatty acids.
L-Glutathione
Since the 1900s glutathione has been shown to be essential for eye health. Low glutathione levels have been linked to cataracts, macular degeneration, glaucoma and floaters. Glutathione is considered by many to be the most important antioxidant made by the body and is integrally involved in maintaining good vision. Glutathione is composed of three amino acids: cysteine, glycine and glutamic acid. The eye nutrients that can help increase glutathione levels are: N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC), alpha lipoic acid, vitamin C, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, selenium and zinc. Melatonin, pycnogenol and grapeseed extract can also boost glutathione levels.
N-acetyl-cysteine is a valuable nutrient used by the body for glutathione synthesis inside cells. It also has antioxidant properties of its own. Alpha lipoic acid enhances the movement of blood sugar into the cells, thereby maintaining balanced blood sugar metabolism. Selenium is an antioxidant which helps fight free radical damage while increasing the potency of vitamin E; zinc is necessary for protein synthesis and amino acid production. Both are necessary for optimal production of glutathione.
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