Natural Vision Improvement

Well, it’s been a little while since lunch (our last article), and I imagine you must be getting pretty hungry by now.  I am excited to get to dinner as I get to feature a couple of my favourite recipes here.  The baked rice recipe is fantastic for convenience.  I love being able to throw a bunch of ingredients in the pot, bang it in the oven and walk away and do something else for 1 ½ hours, as so many meals seem to have us standing at the bench for that period instead!  It can be kept as a simple and nourishing meal by having with salad, or add a few toppings after cooking for an absolute feast.

For dinner the feature topic is good oil vs bad oil. I have promised a little discussion on eating oils, which has been a controversial issue for many years.  The mainstream information has gone back and forth over the issues of fats, cholesterol, animal fats, vegetable oils, margarine, butter….it’s become a real confusion.  I hope that a few simple principles plus some suggestions for further reading will help to clarify this important nutritional topic. 

Remember that we will always come back to our principle of ‘off the vine’ meaning the foods that are best for us are those in their most natural form.  The more we process the ingredients the more nutrients are lost, the more disease inducing alterations are wrought in the molecules of the food substance. And often the more toxic and unnecessary additives are included. This is especially true for fats.

First let’s get an idea of what to eliminate.  Those fats that are altered in their structure by whipping will be the first to go.  Throw out your margarine, your blended (fridge soft) butters.  These whipped fats provide ‘free radicals’, altered oxygen molecules known to be implicated in many serious diseases.

‘Free-radicals’ is an important topic for presbyopes. (Those with ‘old-age’ reading blur.)  These altered fat molecules are a toxin which the body can often have difficulty eliminating and must store somewhere in the body.  The storage location chosen by the body is frequently the lens of the eye, creating the ‘stiffening’ that is often attributed to aging.  Those who wish to reverse or prevent reading blur in maturity will follow these guidelines for fat consumption, helping to avoid or reverse this accumulation and it’s effects. 

Do your best to eliminate from your diet whipped cream, fried foods (where the fats have been altered by heating to high temperatures) heat processed and old oils, which have been stored in clear jars or for long periods.  These will have been altered by the exposure to light and air.

Many of the vegetable oils available in these modern times contain fatty acids which are not beneficial to the body, and the methods of processing them do not assist. Come back to the old fashioned vegetable oils, Olive being the pre-dominant traditional oil. Purchase high quality oil (the more ‘virgin’ the better), and only use that which has been stored in dark bottles. Buy small quantities and use it up within a matter of weeks. Store in a cool dark place and use it on foods after they have been cooked rather than before as much as possible.

Why eat fats at all?  Fats from animal and vegetable sources are an essential nutrient for long term health. For vegetarians it is especially important to ensure a sufficiency of beneficial fats in the diet. Fats give a concentrated source of energy, they provide the materials for building cell membranes and hormone and hormone-like substances. Fats play a vital role in bone health, allowing calcium to be incorporated effectively. They enhance the immune system. They act as carrier for fat soluble vitamins such as A, D, E and K. They contribute to nutrient conversion and a multitude of other processes.

General health is important to good eyesight, as we have discussed at previous meals. This can be brought down to specifics in many ways. One example is Vitamin A, which is an important chemical component of night vision.  While it is toxic in overdose, constant appropriate amounts are vital to fuel the chemical interchange that allows us to see in dim light.  As you can understand, it’s not just the vitamin A that is needed, but the beneficial fats to facilitate its use in the body.

In general, for all these processes to take place we need different kinds of fats, which work together for optimum bodily function.

For those who don’t wish to eat animal products, beneficial fats can be obtained from nuts, seeds and avocado. Good quality organic olive oil can also play an important role.  One of the most beneficial vegetarian fats is that obtained from cold-pressed linseed (flaxseed) oil. (Purchase this oil only from the refrigerator section of the store, keep it in the refrigerator and never ever heat it.  Drizzle it over salads and cooked foods on the plate.  Cap quickly and return to the fridge after each use.) This oil provides those essential fats now widely promoted as being most obtainable in fish oils (omega-3), making it a vital option for vegetarians and vegans.

For those who have a more varied diet, then fish, eggs and some meats will join the vegetarian sources to provide a complete cross section of fatty nutrients.  I say ‘some meats’ and what I mean is that it is better to eat small quantities regularly than large portions.  For many people who do not have a very physically active lifestyle, longevity will be improved by not overloading the body with lots of heavy proteins.

What is your body doing at dinner time?   As most people have already completed their periods of vigorous activity through the day, it seems clear that dinner is not a time for large energy inputs.  Eating meals that are easily and quickly digested will be the best option, especially for those with any tendency towards sleeping problems. This can include having a hard time falling asleep, waking up in the night and being unable to return to sleep, and finding it hard to wake up even after a full nights sleep.

You will notice that your eyesight is strongly affected by your energy levels.  It’s not just that your eyesight at its best when you feel energetic and well rested. Good brain function is important for good eyesight and good brain function requires sufficient deep and restful sleep. Ensuring you get enough good quality rest is an important part of your overall health and good eyesight routine.

Nutritional responses to insomnia would begin by first eliminating any sugars or sweets of any kind after 7pm or after 4pm if the first solution is not effective.  This means even fresh fruit.  Establish a routine bedtime and stick to it, as the body responds best to regular habits.  Eat a light meal in the evening, preferably before 7pm. Your best sleep is obtained before 12midnight, and it is suggested that the most beneficial bedtime is no later than 10pm.

If you find you are waking up tired then the suggestion about no snacks after dinner, and a light meal become even more important.  Watch your food combining as well. In these ways you can help to ensure that your body is resting during the night rather than using energy for ongoing digestion of large meals or poor combinations. If you are feeling tired as soon as you get up in the morning then a boost of B vitamin complex may be helpful.  These are also the vitamins often found very useful if you are stressed.  I have found I sleep better during times of stress and have much more energy during the day with the addition of a B complex to my diet. 

Brown rice contains B1, B3 and Biotin. Egg yolks, lentils, sunflower and sesame seeds (remember vitamin content will be easier to assimilate if seeds and nuts are sprouted, see our breakfast article) contain B1 & B2. Fish is also a good source of B3, B6, and B12, especially Tuna. Brewer’s yeast, nuts and whole grains each offer many of the B vitamins.  The combination of brown rice, lentils or other legumes, and vegetables is therefore an excellent source of both complete vegetarian protein and a good source of B vitamins.

Recommended reading:
Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon, New Trends Publishing, Washington DC.
Fats that Heal, Fats that Kill by Udo Erasmus, visit http://www.edoerasmus.com/.

Recipes:

1. Baked Red Rice
2. Chinese Corn Soup
3. Honey & Lemon Dressing
4. French Dressing

 

1. Baked Red Rice
 

By Carina Goodrich

Serves 6

4 to 5 tablespoons Butter
1 med or large Onion, chopped
½ tsp. Cumin Seed
2 cups Brown Rice
4 ½ cups stock
400 grams (1 regular can) chopped tomatoes including juice (or fresh)
1 cup Red Lentils
½ tsp. good Salt
1 Red Capsicum (Bell Pepper) chopped (optional)

Put all ingredients in lidded baking dish. Cover and bake at 180C (350F) until cooked, about 1 ½ hours.

Can be served as the main dish with the addition of salad or vegetables, or as a side dish with protein and salad or vegetables.

To make a rich Mexican style feast, top with grated cheese, and/or serve with sour cream, beans and/or plain corn chips.

2. Chinese Corn Soup

Serves 4 - 6

From The Longevity Chinese Cookbook by Margaret Gee and Graeme Goldin Tortoiseshell Press, Sydney, 1985

This delicious soup makes a satisfying yet light dinner.  The starch in the corn means that it is filling without the need for accompanying breads.

6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
4 cups fresh corn off the cob
 Shred 2 cups corn in the blender or food processor
250gm chicken (optional) crabmeat is also wonderful in this soup
2 eggs
1 medium onion
1 clove garlic
1 tsp. fresh ginger chopped fine
pepper to taste
1 – 2 tbs. Cornflour mixed with 2 – 3 tbs. cold water (if you like a thicker texture use the larger amounts)
Chopped spring/green onion tops to garnish

Bring stock to a boil. Add all ingredients except egg and cornflour mix. Reduce heat & simmer for 8 minutes. Add cornflour mix and simmer for another 2 minutes. Swirl through egg white serve & garnish with spring onion. 

As a salad is the best light meal available, I have given below two wonderful salad dressing recipes.  I love a well-dressed salad, but these days the dressing available in the supermarkets tend to be packed with unhealthy oils (yes, avoid those ‘low-fat’ dressings, they are bad fats in disguise!), they tend to be expensive and often have artificial additives.  Freshness is always an important quality when using any oils, and makes for such a yummy dressing! When making the following dressings you can use high quality oil and mix it gently, avoiding whipping it.

3. Honey & Lemon Dressing

From Brenda Holligan175 ml olive oil

55 ml lemon juice
55 ml clear honey
1 tsp. grated onion
¼ tsp. mustard powder
1 tsp. sweet paprika
1 tsp. celery seed

Combine all in a bowl and gently whisk. Allow to stand for 15 min, mix again before serving.

 

4. French Dressing or Sauce Vinaigrette

From The Joy of Cooking by Irma S. Rombauer and Marion Rombauer Becker Bobbs-Merrill Company Inc., New York, first published 1931

1/3 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. freshly ground pepper
¼ cup vinegar or lemon juice
(I use organic balsamic vinegar, the authors also suggest trying substituting dry red wine and reducing the oil content.)
¼ to ½ tsp. prepared mustard

Place ingredients in jar and shake until blended. Add gradually, shaking gently between additions:

¾ cup olive oil

This also makes a wonderful dressing for potato salad.

Enjoy!

This entry was posted on Friday, February 29th, 2008 at 12:02 am and is filed under Vision Improvement Articles. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.