However, ten years later, my eyesight took an abrupt turn for the worse and I was diagnosed with premature senile cataracts, at least that is how they translated it into English from the Thai as I had by now married a Thai lady and moved to her village in rural northern Thailand. I went to a very decent hospital in Pattaya known as the Bangkok Pattaya Hospital and one of their senior eye surgeons examined me.

She confirmed the diagnosis and added that it was to be expected that the other eye would develop a cataract at some time in the future although there was no sign of it at that moment. The next day she carried out an operation to take out the lens from my eye and replace it with a plastic one.

The operation is quite painless although it can become a bit scary and lasts between thirty and sixty minutes. Mine was ‘a long one’, said the surgeon at forty minutes. After an hour’s recuperation, a nurse showed my wife and me how to care for my eye and I was permitted to go. My eye was taped up, so I could not see out of it until that evening when my wife put the drops in.

Everything was so bright and clear. It was truly amazing. I had to keep going back for post-operative supervision for four weeks and then we went back to the village. I cannot express how wonderful it was to be able to see clearly again without glasses after what I realized was more than a decade.

The eye or the brain or both take a a little time to adjust to the new lens and your eyesight improves for a period of time which can be from six to twenty-four months. Within six months, my other eye began to pack up. It had borne the strain of two eyes for long enough and now that there was a working replacement, it decided to quit fighting the impending cataract and gave up.

I was not back to square one because my plastic eye was far better that the other one had been in similar circumstances. So, about six months later, I went back to Pattaya to have the other one done. The procedure was the same with the same surgeon. I went back the next day for the check up, but it was a long wait for my turn and the time came around for my drops. My wife put them in but as I removed my protective eye-covering, I noticed the English-language newspaper on the table in front of me.

That was not unusual, but what was certainly curious was that I could read it – without specs for the first time in fifteen years! I could see the look of horror on my fellow patients’ faces as they looked into my eye so I put the covering back on. (After the operation the eye swells up and it as black as an eight-ball with a blood-red dot in the middle – it is quite frightening).

When I went in to see the surgeon and told her about the newspaper, she smiled. “Yes”, she said, “that was my surprise, I put a long-distance lens in last time and a reading lens in this time. Your brain will decide what you are looking at and use the right eye”.

She had not told me because a small percentage of brains cannot accomplish this trick, which is why some people cannot take to variofocals too.

That was a year ago and both plastic eyes and brain have ‘bedded in’ nicely. I can read a book and drive a car without specs and my world is so brilliant. I still wonder at the brightness everyday. I had not noticed the light getting gradually dimmer for fifteen years.

Owen Jones, the author of this piece, writes on several subjects, but is now involved with Designer Spectacles. If you would like to know more, please visit our website at Spectacles Direct.

Fairly of late, health researchers have discovered another inventive application of the isometric concept in the health care field: nutrition. These researchers have acknowledged that an isometric approach to diet – a.k.a. the “Isometric Diet” — can lead to health improvement.

The Isometric Diet, which provides the idealistic base for the Zone Diet, has speedily gained respect from the health and nutrition community because it applies this clear “balance” lens to the rather confused, often misinformed world of dieting. Created by Dan Duchaine in the mid 90s, and evolved by researchers, for instance, Dr. Barry Sears (founder of the Zone Diet), the Isometric Diet is an eating schedule that calls for a balanced proportion of protein, low-glycemic carbohydrates, and very important fatty acids.

The balanced relation is the outcome of an overall awareness that the human body does not necessarily desire, or call for, all kinds of micronutrients in all situations. While carbohydrates, proteins, and fats do provide the essential building blocks of human existence, not all sources of every are optimal in all situations.

The Isometric Diet so takes a holistic approach to eating, and incorporates both macronutrient and micronutrient sources of energy. This goes ahead of just balancing proteins, carbohydrates and fats. As an alternative, an optimal balance is achieved on a deeper level one that leads to perfect body functioning, normalized blood-glucose levels, a controlled metabolism, and a healthy satiating of hunger.

This optimal balance, and chiefly the point regarding healthily satiating hunger, is in absolute contrast to various “fad diets”, which seek to artificially quash hunger. This potentially dangerous suppression regularly forces eaters to experience a weakened immune system, bone density loss, and additional adverse consequences of malnutrition.

The Isometric Diet is founded upon five integrated values: balance protein variety, unsaturated fats, low glycemic carbohydrates, and awareness of food priority.

Principle One: Balance. The Isometric Diet recognizes the fact that the human body functions at its best when it is fueled by a balanced micronutrient share of proteins, carbohydrates and fats.[i] The optimal ratio for these three is 1:1:1, or the similar number of calories from proteins, carbohydrates and fats.

Principle Two: Protein Diversity. The human body responds in a different way to dissimilar sources of protein.[ii] For instance, a post-exercise meal that consists of hurried-assimilating whey protein will have a added beneficial wellness impact than an intake of caseinate or soy protein. The Isometric Diet therefore promotes a mix of protein intake to seek an amino acid balance, and to decide the most suitable assimilation pace for optimal wellness.

Principle Three: Unsaturated Fats and MCT’s. The Isometric Diet acknowledges that the human body processes saturated fats differently from mono- and polyunsaturated fats.[iii] What’s more, the diet exploits the truth that there are various fats, called Medium Chain Triglycerides or “MCTs”, which are shorter chains of 8-10 fatty acids. These MCT chains are shorter, absorb rapidly, and digest especially easily. The effect is a further efficient digestive system and better results through less effort.[iv]

Principle Four: Low Glycemic Carbohydrates. Healthy eaters are swiftly adopting the Isometric Diet’s promotion of carbohydrates that do not provoke the blood-sugar to rise. Dieters can thus use the “glycemic index” (GI) as an intelligent way to measure the body’s insulin response to a given food and to monitor the intake of “good” carbohydrates.[v]

Principle Five: Awareness of Food Priority. The Isometric Diet is aware that there are naturally occurring micronutrients found in food that supplements, typically, cannot engineer. As such, the Isometric Diet does not put forward an eating regime that continuously replaces food with supplements. Rather, a controlled diet that is fortified by scientifically planned supplements is largely effective.[vi] This is particularly crucial in a especially hurried paced world where eating a complete meal can be quite a challenge. In such cases, the Isometric Diet approves of the supportive value of supplements – provided that such supplements are created in light of the above four values.

One such supplement that has been engineered inside the framework of these philosophies, and that is receiving positive commendation in the health care field, is called Isometric, formed by Pennsylvania-based Protica, Inc. Therefore named to echo its balanced composition and support of the Isometric Diet beliefs, Isometric is a third-generation supplement that provides a complete spectrum of macro- and micronutrients.

Of bigger importance to most wellness-conscious eaters, nonetheless, is Isometric’s balanced micronutrient breakdown. Every all-natural 3-fluid-ounce serving – which can be correctly used as a meal substitute — delivers 25 grams of low-glycemic carbohydrates, 25 grams of protein, and 10 grams of unsaturated, highly-bioavailable vital fatty acids. Of additional value to dieters is Isometric’s modest 300-calories per serving.

The path to perfect eating balance is an evolving one. The more information that nutritional science uncovers, the more helpful shall be the resulting eating regime.

References

[i] Source: “Balancing Fats, Proteins, and Carbohydrates”. With respect to Network. http://nutrition..com/od/recipesmenus/a/balanceddiet.htm

[ii] Source: “Picking Your Protein”. C- http://chealth.canoe.ca/columns.asp?columnistid=9&articleid=10798

[iii] Source: ” Diet for a Healthy Heart”. WebMD. http://aolsvc..webmd.aol.com/content/article/54/65205.htm

[iv] Source: “MCT: Do They Really Make it Easier to Lose Weight?”. http://www.thefactsaboutfitness.com/research/mct.htm.

[v] Source: “Study Shows Benefit from “Good-” Carb Diet”. MSNBC. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6567344/

[vi] Source: “Dietary Supplements No for Diet”. CNN. http://archives.cnn.com/2000/HEALTH/diet.fitness/09/05/diet.cancer.ap/

Protica Research (Protica, Inc.) specializes in the development of Capsulized Foods. Protica manufactures Profect, IsoMetric, Pediagro, Fruitasia and over 100 other brands, including Medicare-approved, whey protein shots for dialysis patients. You can learn more at Protica Research – Copyright

Since a healthy diabetic food plan depends on strict measurement of different kinds of food, it must be prepared with the utmost care, paying a great deal of attention to exact ingredient measurements. For instance, it should have 50% starch, 30% protein and 20% fat.

Baked, broiled, steamed and boiled foods are ideal in a diabetic person’s diet, and fried foods must be avoided at all time. No snacks are allowed between meals and meals must never be missed, because it can put your metabolic system into turmoil if you do. So, this means that when you are eating out, you order only fat-free and low caloric dishes.

On your diabetes diet plan, you will have to avoid a lot of foods like whole milk products, frozen and preserved fruits, honey, candy, sweets, confectionery items, your favorite desserts – instead, you must stick to healthy alternatives, like fresh fruits and vegetables and skimmed milk for your diary intake.

Binges out on the town are out of the picture, too, when you are on your diabetic eating plan. Alcohol should be strictly avoided. Red meat, mayonnaise, eggs and other foods that are high in cholesterol and fat content should be avoided as far as possible too. Fizzy drinks, sauces and dressings and bottled juice are other items you must try and avoid. What you should aim at is a daily intake of around 1800 calories. This means that your daily diet must be carefully planned.

It is not as difficult as it might seem to figure out a good diet plan for a diabetic. Here is a simple and wholesome one. Breakfast can be a slice of wholemeal bread, a soft-boiled egg, half a cup of oatmeal, two thirds of a cup of apple juice and one cup of skimmed milk, without sugar. Lunch can include two slices of wholemeal bread, half a cup of tuna, a half a cup of diced tomatoes, one cup of mixed fruit, a glass of lemon tea and a teaspoon of margarine. A good dinner to round off the day would include half a cup of mashed potatoes, one slice of wholemeal bread, three ounces of baked chicken and either a cup of broccoli or a tossed salad. Salad dressing is something else you have to be wary of – store-bought dressings are high-fat and high-sugar. You could try a teaspoon of olive oil with some chopped garlic and a condiment like parsley, sage, basil or oregano for seasoning.

So making the right diabetes diet plan is not easy – you have to know what nutrition your body needs and you have to understand your metabolism. With your doctor, you can make your own diet plan to keep diabetes away, which will be tasty, healthy and a pleasure to follow.