Think Globally, Wink Locally

Eye Vitamins that keep your eyes healthy

By: Dr. Liz

Good nutrition may improve vision and reduce deterioration that occurs as a natural consequence of aging. Several vitamins for eye health have been identified for their potential of having a therapeutic value for the eyes.  We will discuss some of the different eye vitamins that we prescribe in our office.

I also want to add the Dietary Reference Intake Guide so depending on your age and sex you can see the recommended doses of some of the different vitamins we will be discussing as well as important food to eat.

This is a link to The Dietary Reference Intake Guide:

http://www.iom.edu/Object.File/Master/21/372/0.pdf

Foods to Eat:

following foods which contain the key nutrients for eye health:

• Lutein and zeaxanthin: Colorful fruits and vegetables such as broccoli, spinach, kale, corn, green beans, peas, oranges and tangerines
• Essential fatty acids: Fatty fish like tuna, salmon, or herring, whole grain foods, chicken and eggs
• Vitamin C: Fruits and vegetables, including oranges, grapefruit, strawberries, papaya, green peppers and tomatoes
• Vitamin E: Vegetable oils, such as safflower or corn oil, almonds, pecans, sweet potatoes, and sunflower seeds
• Zinc: Extra-lean red meat, poultry, liver, shellfish, milk, baked beans, and whole grains

Antioxidants:

Antioxidants seem to counter the effects of oxidation on the tissues and structure of the eyes. This may be the reason that many vitamins for eye health and supplements have a positive effect on eye health; they are rich in antioxidants and other compounds that halt the destruction of healthy tissue. In eyes much of this oxidation is related to light exposure over time.

An American Presbyope in Paris

(Brian) Hello All, as a bit of catch up Liz and I are in Paris for an optical show and then a subsequent week of visiting european opticiens around the city of lights.  The American part of my title is mere poetic license so now on to the hard sell. 

I have progressive lenses (no line trifocals) in both my regular and sun glasses.  This is even more helpful traveling than being at home.  Save for the Champs Elysees no street in Paris runs straight for very long and never maintains the same name.  Consequently I have my nose buried our map at almost every intersection to ensure we are not off our intended path.  You still get lost but it is quite enjoyable.  As the midget said in Time Travelers, "ya see gents stick with me and you wont go far wrong".  If I had to wrestle with changing eye wear each time I needed to see up close we would still be at the airport.

Progressives are also helpful when visiting the sites so you can read plaques, see what your taking a photo of and reading a menu.

The second advantage I am enjoying more than I had realized, again on my regular and sun glasses, is in their ability to darken in the sun and lighten out of it (transitions).  We are in and out of churches, museums, cafes, and public transit so frequently that transitions save me one more activity when things are moving fast and I'm trying to pay attention (i.e. is this metro  #12 going towards Porte de la Chapelle or Mairi d'Issy?).  Just like on a boat, in traveling things happen fast.

What most, who are not in our business, may not know is that transition lenses come in sunglasseses too.  They start at a nice tinted brown (which in the case of my progressive transitions allows me to read inside) to a dark sun glass when outdoors.  But Brian what about your regular transitions working as sunglasses you ask?  They really aren't effective in that role.  After very long you will find that in bright sun you are squinting a fair amount if you are counting on transitions to double as your sunglasses.  Also they don't work in a car as no UV activates their darkening.

However in both cases of clear and sun transitions it allows you to be a little lazy.  Much like the progressives they allow you to avoid too many eye wear changes the moment your conditions change.  I don't have young eyes anymore and I like all the aids I can get so I'm not having to stop, unzip whatever pocket I last put my other glasses in, balance the camera while I exchange them in my case and on and on. 

Tonight a champagne river cruise on the Seine at twilight and then off to a special restaurant Lizzie picked out for my birthday.

Au Revoir,

Wink

Retro Nouveau Eyewear

Why are we here?  To find what isn't available to us in the US.  Wink found at SILMO (the French optical show) a couple of new lines one of which captures the white hot retro styling but brings color and edgy design to the mix.

Preciosa is an 80 year old, family owned and operated, independent Dutch eye wear manufacturer.  We dealt directly with Mr. Menno Borsboom whose father started the frim in 1936.  Despite the company's age their styles are fresh and at the leading edge of today's hot classic style.

Bright colors in angular styles comprise the look of Presciosa's "vintage eye wear" collection.  That on its own wouldn't be enough to make us buy.  The qualtiy, fit and finish is magnific.  Multi layered laminates make the plastics sparkle and the baked on colors of the special alloys in the metals will maintain the original luster for years.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day 2 at SILMO European Eyewear Collection:

Besides the thrill of seeing all of the worlds' greatest eyeglass frames under one huge roof, we're here to find those 'just right' european frame lines that meet Wink's criteria of eyewear:  unique; handmade; luscious.

Today we added two new european lines to Wink's eyewear collection which we know will please...

What most impresses us about the Preciosa line from Holland (a family-owned business hand-making their frames since 1936) is the way this gorgeous and high-quality eyewear fits so cooly into our nouveau-retro niche.

These are downright great frames that we just couldn't pass up.  Dr. Lizzie had to treat herself to an angular straight-edged modification of a cat-eye frame which is a truly inspiring mix of colors.  For the vintage classics in 'never-out-of-style' shapes and colors, Preciosa delivers.

We're confident our clients will appreciate the way Preciosa's smooth finish, angular shapes and sleek curves compliment their sense of taste and style.

City of Lights

Sorry about the truncated first post from Paris I was creating on my Ipod and inadvertently sent it out.  We are off to the show this morning to visit Face A Face, Beau Soleil and Lunor.  These are brands Wink already carries but we'll get first dibs on the new styles.

Subsequent days will be checking out the latest stuff de Paris.

Planes, trains & automobiles

We invite you to join us as we travel to Paris for an optical show called SILMO. As this is a business trip no fun of any kind will be had. Our lead optician ,Anthony, has been in France for the past week doing the advance work for Liz and my arrival but having absolutely no fun as this is a fully deductable business trip.