the good doctor On: A Bountiful Harvest
Blog Vol.II, # 16. A Bountiful Harvest
I cannot remember a summer that has been so kind to all the fruits and vegetables grown in our area. The Niagara Peninsula and surrounding area farms all sorts of delicious fruits and vegetables. This year, the combination of sun and nicely timed rains has produced a bumper crop. Our apple tree is loaded with fresh fruit, and the farmers’ markets are full and overflowing.
This is a happy time for our eyes. Think orange: this colour is usually an indicator of vitamin A , which is essential for retinal health and moist corneas (i.e. good for your eyes). Think: fresh carrots, sweet potatoes, which have high vitamin A content, Ontario cantaloupes and apricots.
Of course there is vitamin C , a widely available antioxidant that protects us from free radicals (i.e. good for our overall health); we have peaches, nectarines, red bell peppers, apples, and my favourite, the humble tomato. Tonight is pizza night for us and we are making Margarita pizza with fresh grown tomatoes and basil, yummy.
We cannot forget vitamin E which is important for overall cell health, and is found in almonds, sunflower seeds, and avocadoes which unfortunately do not grow around here .
The summer also produces leafy greens, like spinach, kale, romaine lettuce, collards, turnip greens, broccoli and peas (we had a bountiful harvest of snap peas this year). These greens have lutein and zeaxanthin , which are macular protective pigments that help prevent macular degeneration and improve overall retinal health (i.e. good for your eyes).
Last but not least, our harvest also produces minerals like zinc , which are important in helping Vitamin A and E get from the liver to the eyes. Whole grains and nuts are great sources of zinc.
As you can see, all these locally grown foods in such abundance are great news for our eyes, not to mention being delicious! The harvest is also a beautiful visual feast for our eyes with its panopoly of shapes, textures, and colours.
Enjoy!
Til next week,
The good doctor, Dr. Mark Germain, Burlington Optometrist
