Site for Sore Eyes Berkeley: ‘Bye November, Hi December'

Ah, that satisfying, sometimes lazy feeling one gets after a bountiful Thanksgiving dinner. Everyone here at Site for Sore Eyes Berkeley hopes you had an enjoyable holiday (and that you may have been inspired to include some of the eye-healthy dishes that were listed in last week’s blog). So, if you are not into the mad rush of Black Friday, and are not feeling TOO lazy and want get more out of what remains of this holiday weekend, we have a few sights and sounds you can take in. And, as always, they’re all local, so you won’t need to travel far.

If you are feeling some of that post-Thanksgiving laziness we mentioned earlier, wake yourself up tonight by visiting the Freight & Salvage Coffeehouse where aptly titled musical farce, “Too Much Coffee Man Opera” will be playing. Written by Emmy Award-winning composer Daniel Steve Crafts, the title says it all in this zanily harmonious ode to the joys of java. The Freight & Salvage Coffeehouse is located at 2020 Addison St. and show time is 8:00 pm. Call (510) 644-2020 for more info and to order tickets, or order online by clicking here.

If you feel like some real activity, treat yourself to a lesson in swing dancing at the Ashkenaz Music & Dance Community Center tomorrow at 8:00 pm. Ring up (510) 525-5054 to reserve your place and then polish off your dancing shoes and step out and over to 1317 San Pablo Ave. With musical accompaniment from “The Queen of Classic Jazz & Blues,” Lavay Smith & Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers, you can pick up a few pointers in cutting the rug to an authentically tuneful blend of music that has a 1940s and ‘50s flair. After the lesson, stick around for more music with a set that begins at 9:00 pm.

If you want to conclude the Thanksgiving weekend with a truly unique and different event, come down to Spenger’s Fish Grotto (located at 1919 Fourth St.) for the American Alpine Club’s Sierra Nevada Section Holiday Dinner. (To be fair, we must let you know that the dinner reservations will no longer be accepted by time this blog is posted. You may, however, attend the presentation that begins at 7:30 for $10.00). Freddie Wilkinson, noted alpinist and author, will host a multimedia show entitled “Mountain/Story,” where he will recount his adventures in the daring world of mountain climbing. To learn more, call (510) 845-7771, or email Karen Zazzi at zzkarenzz@yahoo.com (and tell her Site for Sore Eyes Berkeley sent you).

And so, we wish you a happy close to November and a hopeful beginning to December in Berkeley, CA. We hope some of the ideas listed above may serve as enjoyable alternatives to end Thanksgiving weekend (as opposed to the stress of trying to go shopping). As we get ready for the winter season, please remember to keep your eyeglasses polished, those contact lenses fresh and sunglasses at the ready to ward off the rays of the sun.

Have fun; keep safe, and your vision strong. 

Site for Sore Eyes Berkeley is Serving Up a Feast for Eyes…Literally

We are well into November, which can only mean one thing: eating season is officially upon us. With Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas and New Year’s Eve looming closer and closer, most of us are preparing our waistlines and loosening our belts in anticipation for all of the food we will feast on in the coming weeks. Now, this is all well and good, because let’s be honest – who doesn't absolutely love all of the delicious food that finds its way to the table around this time of the year?

What you might not know is that many of the foods that you will undoubtedly nosh on are actually good for your eyes. (I know, right? Piling your plate with mountains of food and doing good things for your eyes at the same time? That is definitely a win/win situation in our book at Site for Sore Eyes Berkeley.)

Now we’ve all heard the claims that carrots as well as other orange-colored fruits and veggies are good for your overall ocular health, and we are here to say that those claims are true. These orange-colored foods get their bright hue from beta-carotene, which is a certain type of vitamin A. Beta-carotene has been proven to help the retina and other parts of the eye function smoothly. The connection to beta-carotene and eye health, however, isn’t as well-known as other nutrients and their relation to promoting eye health and protecting vision.

Doctors have found that nutrients such as lutein, zinc, omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins C and E can help stave off age-related vision problems, such as cataracts and macular degeneration, in addition to improving your overall eye health.

Greens: Leafy greens such as spinach, kale, lettuce and collard greens are packed with lutein and zeaxanthin. Lutein and zeaxanthin are antioxidants that have been proven to lower the risk of developing macular degeneration and cataracts.

Eggs: Egg yolks are also very high in zeaxanthin as well zinc. Zinc is known to help reduce your risk of developing macular degeneration.

Citrus and Berries: Citrus and berries are jam-packed with vitamin C. Not only does vitamin C help reduce your risk of developing cataracts and macular degeneration, but it can help you stay healthy and may ward off the flu, the common cold and other “wintertime” illnesses.

Almonds: Almonds are powerhouses for vitamin E. Research shows that vitamin E can help slow macular degeneration. Almonds (as well as other tree nuts) contain omega-3 fatty acids which, when consumed daily (about 1.5 oz. per day), can help lower your risk of heart disease by increasing the amount of healthy cholesterol in your body.

Fish: Tuna, salmon, mackerel, trout and anchovies (also known as the fatty fish) are filled with DHA. DHA is a fatty acid found in your retina. Low levels of DHA are linked to dry eye syndrome. Have dry eyes? Eat more fatty fish! These fatty fish are also high in omega-3 fatty acids which can help lower your risk of heart disease. Did you know that your body absorbs more omega-3 fatty acids from fish itself than from fish oil supplements?

Bet you didn’t know that there were that many foods that could help improve your eye health! Now you can make an entire Thanksgiving feast with all different kinds of “eye-healthy” food.

Think you might be experiencing early signs of cataracts, macular degeneration or other eye-related illnesses? Visit one of our eye care specialists at Site for Sore Eyes Berkeley for a professional diagnosis. We take eye health very seriously. (Plus we’d also just love to see you.)

Site for Sore Eyes Berkeley Raises Awareness About Diabetic Eye Disease Month

In case you didn't know, November is Diabetic Eye Disease Month. Now you might be wondering – a disease can have a disease? Unfortunately, the answer is yes. Diabetic eye diseases refer to a group of eye problems that people who live with diabetes can encounter. Diabetic eye diseases are further complications of diabetes that can result in severe vision loss or even blindness. We at Site for Sore Eyes Berkeley cannot stress the importance of knowing about these conditions enough, so please, read on…knowing this information may be a help to you for the future.

Three of the diseases that can result from diabetes are cataracts, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy.

A cataract is the clouding of the eye’s lens. Cataracts lie behind the pupil and the iris, and give the pupil a milky-white appearance. Cataracts can have an effect on your vision – but they are totally treatable.

Glaucoma is an increase in eye pressure due to a buildup of fluid inside the eye. Glaucoma leads to damage of the optic nerve and loss of vision. A person with diabetes is nearly twice as likely to develop glaucoma as other adults.

Diabetic retinopathy is damage to the blood vessels in the retina. Diabetic retinopathy can cause severe vision loss or even blindness. This condition can be treated with a special scatter laser treatment, but the best method of prevention is to make sure you control your blood sugar, blood pressure, and blood cholesterol.

If you need help controlling your blood glucose levels, make sure to schedule an appointment with a registered dietician. They can provide you with information on what to eat, give you tips on how to address daily challenges, help create a diet plan (taking what you like to eat, your lifestyle and your levels of physical activity into consideration), and help you set nutritional goals that will improve your overall health.

Your vision is nothing to joke around with. If you have diabetes and are worried about diabetic eye diseases, do not hesitate to contact one of our vision care specialists at Site for Sore Eyes Berkeley. They can help you develop a plan for the treatment and prevention of these avoidable diabetic eye diseases.

Site for Sore Eyes Berkeley: Daylight Saving Time…Time for Some Changes

One event worth mentioning for the beginning of this November is Daylight Saving Time. Regardless of this change in time and having to setting the clocks back one hour, the first few days need some getting used to. In short, the mechanical clocks may be set right, but the body clock needs to catch up. Your eyes are part of your body, and they too need to catch up. The staff of at Site for Sore Eyes Berkeley would like to offer some pointers about how to keep your vision focused at this time of year.

Readjusting to the change in light (or rather, the lack of light) in the evening is something that everyone quickly becomes conscious of. For the past few months, you’ve been able to watch the sunset as you drive home from work or school and have probably been wearing your sunglasses well past 5:30 and 6:00 in the evening. You’ve obviously stopped wearing shades as you drive at night, but did you know that your night vision could be affected without you being aware of it?

According to the National Safety Council, traffic fatalities are three times more likely to take place at night than during the day. Ninety percent of reaction time is vision-based, and depth perception, color recognition and peripheral vision are not as clear and sharp when you drive at night. With the new Daylight Saving Time upon us, this is especially worth keeping in mind. Here then are some pointers and practices for safe and sound night driving. Use them and share them with friends and family…

•          Keep the headlights, taillights, signal lights, and windows of your clean. This may sound obvious, but it can be taken for granted. This simple practice will make all the difference in how well you see as you drive.
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•          If you wear eyeglasses or contact lenses, make sure that your prescription is up to date, and that they are properly polished for optimum vision.
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•          Here is one that not many people know: remember to keep your eyes moving from side to side as you drive, rather than focusing on the center line or the road ahead. This practice keeps your eyes adjusted to the dark and will help avoid “highway hypnosis,” a state which impairs reaction time.

Thank you for reading and following some of the steps we’ve listed here. For more information and tips on safe driving conditions at night, click here.

Site for Sore Eyes at Berkeley would like to close this edition with some interesting trivia. Did you know that Benjamin Franklin has been (mistakenly) credited for coming up with the concept of Daylight Saving Time? He did come up with an unofficial theory on this in an essay he wrote, entitled An Economical Project for Diminishing the Cost of Light, where how money and time could be saved on candles by encouraging people to wake and rise earlier in the day. Old Ben was also the inventor of bifocal glasses (the first type of progressive eyeglasses), which is something we at Site for Sore Eyes Berkeley certainly appreciate.

Again, thanks for reading. Be safe…and keep your sites on healthy vision.