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Writer's pictureLindsay Brown

"Eat your veggies."

How many times were you told to eat your veggies as a kid?? Were you ever told that eating carrots would help you see in the dark??


Well, I recently got new glasses that I’ve been having trouble with. It just feels like I can’t see as clear as I would like to in the distance. I’ve been to the eye doctor multiple times this year trying to figure it out.


I’ve come to the realization that my eyes are probably bothering me so much because of all the time I’ve spent looking at screens over this past year. I’m sure you can relate. And only being within the four walls of my house for so long probably isn’t helping…


I mean, before this pandemic we were already spending too much time on screens. When everything went virtual, it was bound get worse. Now a lot more of our time is spent looking at screens. Even right now as you read this, you are looking at a screen.


It’s honestly hard for me to do things that don’t involve a screen these days. It may just be me but reading, painting, doing puzzles… they all bother my eyes for some reason. It totally might just be a me problem, since I wear my glasses all the time when they are only meant for far away. It’s just an awkward distance that I can see without glasses, so I am probably straining my eyes by wearing them when it’s unnecessary… I’m rambling 😂.


But this brings me to what I want to share with you guys today. I’ve been doing research here and there to try and figure out why my eyes have been bothering me so much, and what I can do to remedy this issue.


Something obvious we can do to take better care of our eyes as we adjust to this new norm is take breaks from looking at our screens, but that is probably easier said than done when so much is still taking place virtually.


Have you ever thought about the role nutrition plays when it comes to the health of your eyes??


As I was looking into this, I learned about these carotenoids/antioxidants called lutein and zeaxanthin that protect our eyes against the blue light that these screens give off. We get them from the food we eat, so nutrition is really important when it comes to eye health. Just a few things they're found in are spinach, blueberries, broccoli, and even pistachios.


It’s actually pretty simple to take care of your eyes, as long as you are eating enough fruits and veggies. That’s my problem… I don’t eat enough fruits and veggies!! I make it too complicated trying to have a recipe to follow for every meal I make. This week my goal is to just get creative in the kitchen and simply EAT MORE VEGGIES!!


I’ve also been feeling like I can’t see as well in the dark these days. I mean, it makes sense. Looking at bright screens on a daily basis is damaging to our eyes, especially when we lose track of time and end up in a dark room because the sun has gone down… it can’t just be me, can it??


The more our eyes have to adjust to bright lights, the harder it’ll be for them to adjust in the dark. To remedy that, we can lower the brightness on our screens and just be more aware of the time we are spending on our phones in the dark…


And all those veggies I’m going to start eating will also be helpful because something else I learned is that vitamin A can help with night vision. Remember learning that carrots are good for your eyes?? Well… our parents were right in telling us that. Carrots, being that they are orange, contain beta-carotene (a form of vitamin A that helps with night vision). So … eat those carrots!! It's that simple.


I read that this is a myth... that carrots help you see in the dark, but it has some truth. They might not immediately give you superhuman night vision, but they technically can help you see in the dark because with beta-carotene your eyes are better able to adjust in the dark.


- Lindsay


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