Keywords vision, eyesight, holistic eye care, diet, concussions, protective eyewear, eye exercises, brain plasticity, sports vision, eye health Summary In this conversation, Dr. Sam Berne discusses the holistic approach to eye care, emphasizing the distinction between eyesight and vision. He highlights the importance of diet, the impact of screen time on eye health, and the connection between concussions and vision. Dr. Berne advocates for protective eyewear in sports and shares insights on the plasticity of the eyes and brain, suggesting that vision training can enhance athletic performance. Takeaways Vision is a holistic process involving the eyes, brain, and body. Diet plays a crucial role in maintaining eye health. Screen time has detrimental effects on children's vision. Artificial blue light disrupts sleep patterns and eye health. Concussions can lead to significant visual system issues. Protective eyewear is vital for athletes in contact sports. Eye exercises can improve vision and brain function. The eyes and brain can adapt and improve with training. Nutrition and functional medicine are gaining attention in eye care. Sports vision training can enhance performance in athletes. Sound Bites "Eyesight is only one part of vision." "People get older and their eyes get better." "The eyes have one of the highest metabolic needs." Chapters 00:00 Understanding Vision vs. Eyesight 03:08 The Impact of Diet on Eye Health 06:09 The Connection Between Concussions and Vision 09:02 The Importance of Protective Eyewear 12:09 The Plasticity of the Eyes and Brain 15:00 Enhancing Performance Through Vision Training Dr. Sam Berne, welcome to the fourth doctor. Thanks, Dr. Bob. Great to be here. Sounds good. So when you go for an eye exam, you know, the doctor has you read the eye chart and you get the reading 2020. That's a measurement of your eyesight. But vision is how the eyes in the brain and the body work together. So eyesight is only one part of vision. So as a holistic eye doctor, I look at the eyes as an interrelated interconnected part of the body and there are things that you can do to improve your vision even as you get older. And that's kind of the difference between the regular eye care. They just say your eyes get worse as you get older. my practice, people get older and their eyes get better. Well, exactly because the eyes have one of the highest metabolic needs of the body highly concentrated with those tiny blood vessels. So it's one of the entryways into the body like the foot and you can pick up disease very early. And of course in diabetes, this is a real vulnerable area. I'm talking about the retina. So, you know, if you have glucose levels that are off the charts or your pre-diabetic You're going to see it in the eyes. It's going to be one of the first places and then you can treat it by doing some holistic things if you want to. big emphasis on prevention. You know, it's being proactive, you know, just with diet alone, the eyes and the brain make up about 2 % of the body weight and use 25 % of the food intake. So if you cut out processed foods and sugar and mostly gluten and you eat, you know, the colorful vegetables and berries get enough healthy fats in your diet that in itself. can keep your eyesight healthy and well as you get older. Well, when you get glasses as a child, what it's doing is it's reinforcing the problem that's causing the need for glasses to begin with. So, you know, again, back to the holistic perspective, I find the cause and treat that and we know that the eyes originate from the brain. And so if you do eye exercises, not only are you changing the brain, but you're also changing the eyes. And of course, the other thing that's going on with kids is screen time. So the more screen time they have, this is really wreaking havoc. And then with COVID, where schools were just online,
