Food for your Eyes - Juicing Recipes for Eyesight

See Juicing Recipes for Best's, Cataracts & Conjunctivitis, Diabetic Retinopathy, Floaters, Glaucoma, Lattice Degeneration, Macular Degeneration, Choroidopathy, & Choroidal Neovascularization, Optic Nerve: Optic Neuritis, Optic Nerve Atrophy, Leber's, Ocular Herpes, and Retinitis Pigmentosa.

Making freshly juiced drinks of mostly organic fruit and vegetables is a critical part of the process of healing your eyes and body. The health of your eyes is tied to the health of your body. Juicing is a great way to get the freshest, purest nutrients into your body in the most easily digested manner - and in turn having those nutrients readily available in the quickest time. It can take only several minutes for nutrients from fresh juice to be utilized by your body. And once they are in your body, they are carried through the blood stream to your eyes.

Benefits of Juicing

Juicing for Vision Health

Enzyme protection. Enzymes are the catalysts for your body's essential and effective functioning. They increase the rate nearly all the chemical reactions in every cell and different glands and organs produce these enzymes in the process of regulating metabolism, circulation, respiration, reproduction and the functioning of the brain. Within your digestive system specific enzymes help digest food. They break down food into smaller building blocks so that the body can absorb them rapidly. They are found in your saliva, your stomach, your intestinal tract and pancreas.

They convert proteins into peptides and amino acids. They convert fat into fatty acids and glycerol. They convert starches and sugars into glucose.

Enzymes are in fruits and vegetables and help in the breakdown of those foods by your body. But they become sluggish above 118 degrees, and deteriorate completely above 130 degrees. Note, microwaves destroy them completely. Juicing, therefore, is a way to consume the maximum possible enzymes. It should be noted that some very high speed juicers or blenders operate at such high speed that the temperature can rise about 188 degrees or even 130 degrees.

  1. Faster digestion. When you consume solid foods it takes several hours for your body to break it down into usable components. Although fiber is important for good health, the juicing process removes fiber making digestion faster - minutes rather than hours.
  2. Concentrated nutrients. Juicing concentrates the nutrients. By juicing the various recipes we recommend below you quickly introduce ample amounts of nutrients into your system, more than you could take in comfortably if you ate all of those fruits and vegetables whole.
  3. Living juice. Many people feel that to nourish your own life it is important to consume foods are "alive." Juicing preserves this quality of life that is destroyed through cooking.
  4. Juice for health. There is ample research for almost every eye and health condition that demonstrates that diets high in fruits and vegetables are critical to good health and reduce the risk of disease.
  5. Vegetable protein. Fruit and vegetables contain more protein than you might think. Vegetables such as green beans, corn, artichoke, watercress and the cabbage family: broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, etc. have the most protein of the vegetables. And juices are an easy way to add additional protein such as brewer's yeast, wheat germ, or you can add whole grains to your juicing recipe.
  6. Phytochemicals Phytochemicals are chemical compounds that exist only in fruits and vegetables that control their color and smell. These compounds are very important for good health. For example, lutein is found in yellow fruits and vegetables and is also in the macula of the eye, where it helps with circulation. Juicing is a wonderful way to get large quantities of phytochemicals that are readily absorbed into the body.
  7. Quantity to consume. You may consume as much fresh juice as you wish as long as you don't force it. Follow your comfort level. At least one pint daily is great. For therapeutic purposes, your healthcare professional might recommend 2-8 pints daily.
  8. Freshness. You should drink your fresh juice as soon as you make it and not store it for later. Many enzymes and vitamins break down quickly once exposed to the air or sunlight.
  9. Organic. Non-organic products contain pesticides, and not only on the surface of the skin. If you juice non-organic foods you are likely consuming concentrated amounts of those pesticides. Some feel that pesticides reside mostly in fiber, which is removed, but better to be safe.

Juicers

There are many excellent juicers. We recommend those that operate at a slow 80RPM, slowly enough to not create heat. Most juicing equipment works at 3600RPM or higher. The Omegas are known as "masticating juicers." They chew up fruits and vegetables slowly, preserving nutrients and enzymes. The downside is slightly slower operating time and slightly longer cleanup.

Some Juicing Recipes for Specific Eye Conditions

Best's Disease

Ginger, leeks, garlic, beets, parsley, carrots, cabbage, celery, apples, spinach, raspberries, grapes, lemon, wheat grasses chlorophyll, (not too much fruit).

The Lens: Cataracts, Conjunctivitis

Carrot, celery, spinach, endive, blueberry, parsley, apple

Diabetic Retinopathy

Ginger, asparagus, garlic, leeks, jerusalem artichokes, spinach, parsley, beets, pumpkin, celery, carrots, cabbage, raspberries chlorophyll, (not too much fruit)

Floaters

Garlic, beets, parsley, carrots, apple, parsnip, celery, raspberries (not too much fruit).

Glaucoma

Celery, cucumber, carrots, radish, parsley, turnip, beets, raspberries, cabbage, apple, plums (not too much fruit).

Lattice Degeneration

Ginger, leeks, garlic, parsley, cabbage, beets, carrots, spinach, apples, celery, grapes, lemon, raspberries, wheat grasses, chlorophyll - (not too much fruit).

Macular Degeneration

Broccoli, green and red bell pepper, raspberries, apples, leafy greens

Ocular Herpes

Celery, cabbage, carrot, green, leafy vegetables, blueberry, cherries, other berries, parsley, dandelion greens, garlic, lemons, pomegranate, ground flaxseeds, raw honey

Optic Nerve: Optic Neuritis, Optic Nerve Atropy, Leber's

Ginger, beets, parsley, cabbage, endive, carrots, wheat grasses, chlorophyll, berries.

Retinitis Pigmentosis

Ginger, leeks, garlic, parsley, cabbage, beets, carrots, celery, apples, spinach, grapes, lemon, chlorophyll, raspberries, wheat grasses (not too much fruit).

Central Serous Retinopathy (Choroidopathy)

See Macular Degeneration recipe

Choroidal Neovascularization

See Macular Degeneration recipe

Stargardt's Disease

Although Stargardt's is similar to Macular Degeneration, because Vitamin A should be avoided, it is probably better to avoid juicing.

References

  • Fresh Vegetable and Fruit Juices: What's Missing In Your Body?, N.W. Walker, D.Sc.
  • Healing with Whole Foods, Paul Pitchford, N.D.
  • The Complete Book of Juicing, Michael T. Murray, N.D.