Dr. Laurie Capogna, OD and Dr. Barbara Pelletier, OD both received their Doctor of Optometry in 1998. For the past ten years they have been partners, working together in their Niagara Falls office; they also share an interest in nutrition and the relationship it has with eye disease prevention.

As doctors, they have seen firsthand the effects of eye disease. Because many people aren’t aware that the food choices they make can directly impact their overall eye health (and actually prevent eye disease and vision loss) they decided to spread the word by putting this book and plan together, for patients and colleagues. The book is intended to be a tool, a plan for preventing eye disease and maintaining eye health through the power of food.

They say, “the basic principle behind eyefoods is that these foods are full of the nutrients essential to eye health. These are eye nutrients… we have determined the most important nutrients for the prevention of eye disease and the promotion of eye health.”

Part one of the book covers “The Basics” about eye health and nutrition, and gives a concise, but information packed, rundown on types of eye disease and eye nutrients. Part two goes into what they call “The Details,” a list of foods and nutrients essential to eye health. Part three is “The Plan,” which helps put everything learned together into an easy to follow plan. It outlines weekly targets for eyefoods, offers simple ways to identify serving sizes, and provides a plan to track weekly eyefood consumption.

Eyefoods: a food plan for healthy eyes is well-researched and thought out. It’s a small book that covers a great deal of ground. Patients will learn a lot from even a brief 15-minute reading while waiting for their appointment. The book is a good addition to any optometric waiting room, and is a great resource for those patients who want to know how to achieve and maintain optimal eye health.

For more information, visit www.eyefoods.com, and be sure to read Dr. Capogna and Dr. Pelletier's first article for Optical Prism in the January/February issue.