Healthy foods with super healing power, Cataract cures.

Blurry faces,  distorted colors and sensitivity to light are a few signs you could have cataracts. Some medications may cause these symptoms too. If you are on medications be sure and ask your doctor how some drugs may affect your vision. But the important thing we want to look at is foods that will give you the natural vitamins and minerals before signs of problems and without loading up on or the added expense of costly vitamin and mineral supplements.

 A good saying I read once to help remember this is three Bs and a pea. And these being the following,

• B1
• B2
• B3
• Protein
• A vitamin
• E vitamin

First will focus on thiamin (another term for B1) for those who like hearty foods it can be easy to get plenty of thiamin or B1 vitamin. One of the best for this is a simple nut and oat trail mix as thiamin is found in nuts, raw oat bran, beans, pork, brown rice and whole grain products.

Next is B2 or riboflavin. One good source of riboflavin is one of our holiday favorites eggnog. Unfortunatly not many of us want to drink eggnog year round ( if you could even find it) but no fear there are many other ways to get our B2 year round. As it is found in milk, eggs, meat, chicken, yogurt and shiitake mushrooms. MMmmmMM! I just got this picture in mind of a nice baked chicken breast smothered in shiitake mushroom gravy. Yum yum!

Our third B is niacin or B3. Niacin helps to protect the center of our vision and is often found in main course items thus the center of the meal. Niacin is found in meat and potatoes, so being a meat and potato man now looks like an even better thing. Also chicken, tuna and even liver for those who like.

Next is Protein the first of our PEA. Of course most of us know meat is a good source for protein, but we don't have to think just beef. As above and for niacin chicken, fish, beef and turkey are all good protein sources. Also for those who do not eat meat protein can be found in the legume group which contains beans and peanuts. Try this next time you have that peanut butter sandwich, have it on whole grain bread with a glass of milk and you've just done three good things for your eyes as well as many other healthy body functions.

Next is vitamin E and the second of our PEA. One delicious refreshing way to get your vitamin E is in the Papaya. While the word doesn't have an E in it the fruit actually has a good source in it. Also try sunflower seeds, almonds, peanut butter or for another sweet quick snack have some canned juice pack peaches.

And last but not least is vitamin A in our PEA. One of the best single sources for vitamin A would be the mango. A single mango contains about 400 micrograms of the 900 mcg daily requirement. But many other foods provide a good source of vitamin A like carrots, sweet potato, turnip greens, beef, pumpkin, sweet red pepper and spinach. For quick healthy snacks try some dried apricots or raw carrots.

 Vitamin C has been shown in some studies to reduce cataracts. So you could C without cataracts so to say. Of course many fruits are a good source of vitamin C like, oranges, pineapple, kiwi, papaya as well as sweet red peppers, green peppers, cauliflower and kale.

Another study suggest adding selenium and lessening salt is like a mineral bath for your eye's. Seleniumis known as a defense mineral or antioxidant. And as free radicals and ultraviolet light from the sun can cause cell damage to your eyes. Antioxidants are vital for fighting cell damage as well as waring off free radicals. Some ways to get selenium is through Brazil nuts, broccoli, cabbage, celery and cucumbers.

So if you think about most of the foods described here they also have a common thing in that they are vibrant, brightly colored and unique in the beauty and in eating them hopefully we can keep seeing them that way.

Until my next tip Happy and Healthy eating!