I Have Presbyopia, And Cataracts Are Forming; Now What?

I went to the optometrist two months ago, after almost three years without an eye checkup.

And while the news wasn’t bad, it confirmed why I had waited so long, the pandemic notwithstanding.

In the next four issues of the Microgreens World Newsletter, we look at your eye health and how microgreens, along with the right food, exercises (YES! eye exercises do work), supplements (if you have chronic problems) can heal and start to restore common eye problems.

My presbyopia had gotten a bit worse, and cataracts were forming in the lenses. And I have some macular degeneration. “Nothing to worry about”, the optometrist said.

Not what I wanted to hear, but I was determined to slow them down, and reverse them if that was even possible.

My dad had cataract surgery when he was 75 years old. My sister took him to the medical center one morning and it wasn’t until a month later when I noticed he had new glasses that he told me.

He never wore dark glasses in his later years, and he read a lot.

When I left the optometrist, I asked him what I can do to slow this down the worsening of my cataracts.

He told me once I reach 65, or there about, it will probably be at its worst, and if can I do four things consistently is should remain stable:

• Wear dark glasses in sunlight;
• Use a bright light when you are reading (not the computer screen);
• Eat foods like microgreens that nourish your eyes;
• And do exercises that help relive eye stress.

Well you know I was going to figure out #3 right away, and what microgreens could help.

So, I did some more research I want to share with you. What I found is important.

It is easy to prevent, stop, or slow down any chronic or age-related eye disorders.

Oh! I almost forgot my presbyopia.

Have you been squinting to read lately? Or moving that piece of paper further and further away to try and read it?

Well if you’re over 45, that’s a result of presbyopia, the decline in your ability to focus due to the hardening of the lenses in your eyes, making it more difficult to see while reading or doing close work.

But we have good old Benjamin Franklin who invented bifocals in 1784.

I decided to get that new prescription, and some progressive spectacles instead. Didn’t want to look like an old man!

By the way, cataracts are no big deal. Did you know we’ve been doing cataract surgery since c. 2700 BC!

But read on, and learn about your eyes and how to keep them healthy.

The Facts, Not The Fiction of Eye Care

Before there was Hippocrates, the father of Greek medicine whose oath is taken by all doctors, there was Amenhetep the ancient Egyptian and the first physician 2650–2575 BCE.

And we have plenty of evidence that cataract surgery was performed in ancient Egypt as early as 2457–2467 BCE.

But before we get to the nutrition and science, including the anatomy & physiology of your eyes, lets first dispel some myths.

You know that old saying, “you don’t know what you don’t know?” Well, you’re about to learn some basic facts about yours eyes that you thought you may have known.

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Ancient Egyptian Ophthalmology

The first documented case of cataract is on an ancient Egyptian statue from the fifth dynasty (about 2457–2467 BC) at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, Egypt.

It confirms that ancient Egyptians knew this disease. Scientists have often discussed whether cataract was first operated on in ancient Egypt.

However, the first record of medical treatments for eye disease was discovered in the Ebers Papyrus (Fig. 1), a 110-page scroll that dates back to 1550 BCE.

The Ebers Papyrus contains nine pages devoted to eye conditions, including pterygium, staphyloma, trichiasis, cataract and ophthalmoplegia. The document describes in detail with procedures and remedies.

Next week we will continue with a look at the science of the eye, how our vision changes as we age, and how we can start preserving the sight we have.

Soil Secrets: Eight Days To Growing Nutritious Microgreens Indoors

Now that you know microgreens have the essential nutrients to feed and heal your eyes,  why not try growing this superfood of superfoods in your kitchen, on your plate? Ready to learn how?

• Reduce stress? Gardening is therapeutic.
• Create your own pharmacy? Food is thy medicine.
• Produce nutrient-rich plants? Chronic disease is reversible.

Including microgreens in meals is an easy way to nourish and detoxify our bodies without spending a fortune or cooking up an elaborate, time-consuming dish.

• Microgreens grow quickly
• Microgreens are inexpensive
• Microgreens need very little space
• Microgreens are packed with nutrition
• Microgreens are a sustainable food choice
• Microgreens can be grown year-round anywhere
• Microgreens are a powerhouse of flavor and taste

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