Posted by: OptiVision Eye care in Recipes

Okay, so we’ve covered how dinner parties can make your eyes healthier, but did you know that late night drinks can too? That’s right, fun cocktails might actually hold the secret to better eye health. Spring is here and the weather is getting better, so get ready to spend some of the upcoming warm nights with these tasty – and healthy – drinks. After all, who says that keeping your eyes healthy can’t be fun too?

Although fruit salads and smoothies can be a fantastic way to work these eye health ingredients into your diets, you’ll find it tough to pass up these wonderful cocktail recipes.

Cranberry Orange Gin Fizz with Thyme

This is one cocktail that you should definitely make thyme for! Cranberries are powerful superfoods that contain a high dose of vitamin C and antioxidants which remove free radicals from your eyes and keep your vision strong. Cranberries even help fight back against the effects of many eye-related health issues such as age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, and diabetic retinopathy.

Oranges, the other primary ingredient in this lovely cocktail (well, besides gin of course) also contain a powerful vitamin C punch. Citrus fruits are crucial in preventing the development of macular degeneration and cataracts in the eyes.

Try this Cranberry Orange Gin Fizz Cocktail with thyme for an array of interesting flavors and better vision!

INGREDIENTS:

–          1 oz of Gin

–          ½ oz of Cointreau or Triple Sec

–          2 sprigs thyme

–          2 oz cranberry juice

–          1 tablespoon orange juice

–          Cranberry Sprite

–          Ice

DIRECTIONS:

Add liquor together with thyme in a cocktail shaker and muddle thyme. Add in cranberry juice, orange juice, and ice. Shake and pour over ice. Add cranberry sprite and enjoy. Bottoms up!

Blueberry Mojito

This minty fresh favorite is a perfect way to find a spot for blueberries in your diet. Blueberries are particularly well suited for strengthening your vision as they contain such great nutrients as vitamin C, vitamin A, zinc, and a slew of other antioxidants.

We already know that vitamin C is magic for eyesight, but did you know that vitamin A is too? Vitamin A can protect your eyes from free radicals and works to reduce inflammation which is great for maintaining good vision. Zinc is also an important component for protecting your eyes from macular degeneration and bettering your chances against night blindness. Blueberries also have special antioxidants called anthocyanins which can prevent inflammatory eye disease and cut down on your chances of developing diabetic retinopathy.

What are you waiting for? Grab a glass of this warm weather favorite: the Blueberry Mojito.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup of blueberries
4 oz of white rum
10 mint leaves
2 teaspoons of sugar
2 limes
6 oz of club soda
Ice

DIRECTIONS:

Blend your blueberries together in a blender and separately muddle together mint leaves and sugar in a cocktail shaker. Add lime juice, rum, and your blueberries into the cocktail shaker and shake. Pour ice and club soda into two glasses and then pour in your rum mixture. Stir and garnish with mint. Serve and relax!

White Wine Sangria with Kiwi and Raspberries

This awesome sangria is easy to put together and fabulous for your eyes. While raspberries, like their other berry brethren, are an excellent choice for eye health, kiwis might seem a little less conventional. Working kiwis into your regular eating schedule is difficult, but definitely worth it!

Kiwis are high in nutrients like lutein and zeaxanthin, vitamins that are normally found in eye health leafy greens like kale and spinach. These nutrients are present in your retina and help produce vitamin A which can rebuild your macula and help combat the symptoms of macular degeneration. Kiwis are also a great source of copper which is rare for a fruit. Copper is great for your nervous system and can help better facilitate the transition of images into electrical impulses within your nervous system. You can also find vitamin C inside kiwis and we all know just how great that little nutrient is for your eyes!

Take the edge off and give your vision a boost with this White Wine Sangria with Kiwis and Raspberries.

INGREDIENTS:

1 bottle of Sauvignon Blanc
½ litre of club soda
2 kiwis
½ cup of raspberries
2 limes
½ cup of sugar
DIRECTIONS:

Chop up the fruit and combine everything in a big pitcher. Chill and serve.

Have more questions about how you can keep your eyesight healthy? Contact us!