REALAGE TIP

Is Sugar Bad for Your Eyes?

Looks like there may be yet another reason to kick sugar and white flour out of your diet: eye health.

Cutting back on processed carbs could lower your risk of advanced age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a leading cause of blindness in people 60 and older.

Return to Full Tip

Add Your Tip

Tips from the RealAge Community MemberTipsIcon

What are your secrets for cutting back on white flour?

Sort by:

HealthyChe...

7 of 9 people found this helpful.

6/10/2008 5:01:09 PM

Bad New for splenda lovers. Splenda advertises it is made from real sugar, in fact it is not, it is an artificial sweetner like all the rest and they are finding all kinds of bad stuff about it. The sugar industry is actually sueing the splenda people for false advertising. On the other hand, Agave Nectar is lower in glycemic index, we use it at our cafe and even diabetics have asked for it. It is like a syrup. You don't need a lot at all, it has no after taste. We make our Green Monster smoothie with it. If you would like the recipe for it, it helps lower cholesterol. You can email me at
Kristi@vigoacuisine.com
Kristi Linebaugh

6456

12 of 14 people found this helpful.

6/6/2008 9:45:53 AM

Sleep has been my best friend through out the years..

arazi

12 of 16 people found this helpful.

6/5/2008 4:55:35 PM

mill your own wheat and make your own bread then you know what you are eating, your house smells good and the bread is wonderful

RodiKenley

6 of 10 people found this helpful.

6/5/2008 4:53:04 PM

I have a sister who eats sugar, sugar, sugar every day. She's over 30 now, and with contacts, she has over 20/20 vision. On the other hand, I know of an adult boy who's probably in his 50's, eats no pies, cakes, tarts, puddings, candy or kids cereals, does not drink out of plastic containers ever or even buy them, and pretty much eats organic all the time, and he has to wear glasses!!! So, no. I do not think so. Some children need to wear glasses before they're 7, so, it's not exactly sugar. I would say: wearing sunglasses, watching your sodium level, avoiding wearing mascara and staying away from eating preservatives and too much saturated fat, drinking plenty of water and getting sleep, are all things that need to be done. Honest. I don't wear glasses or contacts. I also think that zinc, beta carotene, lutein, zeaxythin and vitamin C ester, are what we're missing out on to protect our eyes, plus: we're by computer rays, radios, tv, car exhaust, cigarette smoke and cellphones a lot. I think it's these things, not sugar, that's responsible.

LaLinda

40 of 56 people found this helpful.

6/3/2008 9:08:59 AM

Pray before you eat. Every time.

berrynotbarry

45 of 46 people found this helpful.

6/2/2008 7:39:23 PM

To be sure you get whole grain bread be sure the first thing is whole grain and NOT enriched !!!!

locarbs4me

28 of 36 people found this helpful.

6/2/2008 6:57:11 PM

Cutting back on white flour (which I have to do anyway because I'm allergic to pretty much anything with this in it)? Easy--start following one of the available low-carb diets. Pick one--they're all slightly different; I'm ostensibly following Atkins, arguably the most restrictive carb-wise (my version is currently modified to allow me to eat stuff like oatmeal), but there's also South Beach Diet, which is about Smart Carbs, then there's The Zone. If you like milk, I can recommend the Calorie Countdown milk made by Hood--has a fraction of the carbs and sugar of regular milk and can be used for all the same things regular milk can, plus it comes in regular, 2%, fat-free and chocolate (I'm especially fond of the chocolate, which is very rich and flavorful). Also, low-carb substitutes for flour, pasta etc. can usually be found at places like GNC and other natural food stores. I tried a low-carb cornbread mix one time and it was impossible to distinguish from regular cornbread mix as far as the end result--I even got my very-skeptical-about-diet-foods husband to eat the cornbread it made. You just have to keep your eyes open--alternatives are available for those who don't want to go off carbs cold-turkey (so to speak).

ladyfit

13 of 15 people found this helpful.

6/2/2008 6:56:50 PM

If you want to look good on the outside you must look after the inside. keep food as close as possible to its natural state.Colour code is excellent as a guide for content of fruit and veg. Achange of lifestyle soon becomes a way of life you enjoy..

lamarinka

6 of 8 people found this helpful.

6/2/2008 6:34:50 PM

I think that avoiding milk is good idea!But i do drink an organik soy milk and is very goood!In the morning my breakfast is 100% whole grain cereal+1/8 of a cup raisins+1/8 of a cup dried cranberries+1/8 of a cup walnuts!It gives me so much energy and is so delicious!Enjoy it!

pepsi1

10 of 15 people found this helpful.

6/2/2008 4:21:30 PM

Lost lots of weight by cutting out wine and diet pepsi...still have high cholesterol though...

hrmpro2

29 of 39 people found this helpful.

6/2/2008 11:18:31 AM

Delicious morning hot cereal, whole grain good carbs. For two servings, put 1/4 cup steel cut oats, two teaspoons flax seeds, and 1/8 teaspoon salt into 8 ounces boiling water. Boil seven - ten minutes. Add two teaspoons of polenta, two teaspoons of dried cranberries, and boil mixture three to four more minutes. Pour into two bowls, add to each bowl a teaspoon of chopped almonds and a teaspoon of sunflower seeds. Butter to taste. Options: leave out salt, butter, cranberries, almonds.

CO_Magnolia

28 of 34 people found this helpful.

6/2/2008 11:15:21 AM

Hey Kattraxz-- why do you say not to eat wheat pasta? I thought 100% whole wheat pasta was the best kind to eat. What am I missing? Thanks!

kloma

15 of 18 people found this helpful.

6/2/2008 9:45:54 AM

I started using a smaller plate. It makes the portions look bigger, so mind over matter it makes me feel fuller because it looks like you have more to eat.

ErinMontgo...

22 of 23 people found this helpful.

6/2/2008 9:36:10 AM

Be wary of products labelled "whole grain" or "whole wheat". Read the ingredients list. Many products call themselves "whole wheat" and the first ingredient is white enriched flour. Then they throw in a little whole wheat flour for good measure so they can call themselves "whole wheat". And, then look out for the added high-fructose corn syrup in those products.

KATTRAXZ

9 of 17 people found this helpful.

6/2/2008 9:35:23 AM

This added absolutely nothing to my knowledge base. Try putting more content and less "pitch" to sell a book. Eat Organic. Eat whole grains in breads, Kashi grain cereals, and fresh fruits in the MORNING only. Eat vegetables and meats later in the day. Have semolina pasta but not wheat pasta. You can indulge once a week. Avoid sugar, use xylitol in place. Drink green tea, avoid coffee since it stimulates hunger, and avoid milk products because they are stimulants for fat production. Exercise, naturally. We are not built to be sedentary.</