Arkansas Valley Low Vision Center

The Vision Center News Letter

January-February, 2009
News From
The ARKANSAS VALLEY LOW VISION CENTER
Your All-Volunteer Organization Serving the Blind and Visually Impaired in Chaffee, Fremont, Lake and Park Counties

EXPANDED OUTREACH:
In November, Low Vision Center volunteers traveled to the Salida Senior Center to demonstrate some of the aids available to vision-impaired persons. We presented the assistance available from local, state and national organizations – both private and governmental. Travel to Salida, Leadville and Fairplay is scheduled on a regular basis, discussing a different area of available aid each month.

We traveled to Salida to visit two vision-impaired individuals in their homes. These visits were arranged by a healthcare worker, to present the help available, since the individuals were not able to travel to our Buena Vista office. Center personnel will gladly arrange to travel anywhere in the Valley to help vision-impaired people as needed.

FINANCIAL AID:
Working with local agencies, the Low Vision Center is providing cash assistance up to $100.00 for individuals who need glasses or other vision aids but can't afford to pay for them. This period, we've been able to help three people with this program.

LOAN PROGRAM:
We loaned a magnifying Closed Circuit TV (CCTV) to a lady from Alma, whose mother visited from England at Christmas. We also have loaned several hand-held magnifiers to individuals to use at home so that they can see if these devices will help them. We also have large-print Bibles and dictionaries, games, and kitchen aids for loan as well as large-number phones. All these items, and more, are available for loan, FREE OF CHARGE. We have distributed all of the audio book tapes that were donated to us by the BV Library. They included novels, self improvement, history, etc.

EYE HEALTHY FOODS:
(Based on studies by the National Eye Institute, the American Optometric Association and others) There are many factors that contribute to the health of our eyes. Some are beyond our control, such as a family history of certain inherited eye diseases. We can help ourselves by controlling our actions in the areas of diet, exercise and smoking. Smoking, and a diet high in refined carbohydrates (sugar and white flour) have been shown to greatly increase the chances of getting cataracts, macular degeneration and glaucoma. However, exercise, and a diet high in anti-oxidant nutrients and vitamins can help control these devastating conditions.
The following nutrients have been shown to be highly beneficial for eye health: Lutein, Zeaxanthin, Vitamin C, Vitamin A, Lycopene and Vitamin E. Some foods that have high concentrations of these nutrients are:

• Kale,
• Swiss Chard,
• Collards,
• Mustard Greens,
• Beet Greens,
• Spinach,
• Parsley,
• Red Bell Peppers,
• Carrots,
• Broccoli,
• Tomatoes,
• Apples,
• Pears,
• Citrus Fruits,
• Eggs and
• Romain Lettuce.

Looking at the list of recommended foods, it's obvious that our diets should be high in vegetables, especially green leafy vegetables – lots of salads! Also, most kinds of fruit. And whole eggs are rich in Lutein, a critical nutrient in the control of Macular Degeneration. So, how can we be sure we're getting these nutrients? One way is to take supplements (pills), because it can be hard to get the recommended amount of these nutrients strictly from daily meals. Many dieticians believe that the nutrients in natural foods are superior to those in supplement pills.

So most people will try to follow an eye-friendly diet, and supplement it with commercial products.
Some suggestions:

• Make a salad with some of the greens listed, add some fruit such as sliced apples, add a hard-boiled egg, and use an olive-oil or canola-oil dressing.
• Cooked or sun – dried tomatoes are more beneficial than raw tomatoes.
• Add raw spinach or mustard greens to a sandwich.
• Add red peppers to salads and sandwiches.
• Be creative!

WISH LIST for the CENTER:
We need one or two volunteers to help staff the Center while we're out in Leadville, Salida or Fairplay in our Outreach program. This would involve only one day a week, on a rotating basis. If you enjoy working with people, this could be very rewarding. If interested, please call 395-2854.