How Eye Health and Metabolic Health Are Related
Everyday Wellness with Cynthia Thurlow
“There are more areas of our brain dedicated to processing vision than all the other senses combined.”
“Today I am delighted to connect with Dr. Bryce Appelbaum! He is a pioneer in neuro-optometry and is passionate about unlocking life’s potential through vision. He is an owner and managing doctor at Appelbaum Vision and practices in the Bethesda and Annapolis, Maryland areas.”
Our brain uses 48-50% of its physiology just for us to be able to see, and there is a very complex interrelationship between the eyes and the brain.
In this episode, we dive into Dr. Appelbaum’s background in neuro-optometry and discuss how his family influenced his career trajectory. We get into eye physiology and the differences between vision and sight and explain how eye problems are also brain problems specific to rewiring our brain and processing. We discuss the impact of nutrition on eye health, foods to support vision and eye health, and how electronics impact myopia. We also talk about ways to address screen limits and visual hygiene, traumatic brain injuries, and more.
Referenced in the episode:
- How Dr. Appelbaum’s passion for eye and vision health began in the first grade and how he helps people turn their visual weaknesses into strengths.
- Some of the basics of eye physiology.
- The interrelationship between our eyes and our brains.
- Why are more vision problems emerging now than ever before – particularly in the younger generations?
- What is the difference between eyesight and vision?
- How do our eyes feed information to the rest of our body?
- Doing vision therapy versus getting stronger prescription lenses as we age.
- How vision problems can lead to or be misdiagnosed as ADD, ADHD, or dyslexia.
- How does electronic use impact eye health?
- How to practice 20-20-20 for visual hygiene.
- Dr. Appelbaum shares some recommendations for managing screen time.
- The interrelationship between nutrition, metabolic health, and eye health.
- Some dietary guidelines for the brain injury population.
- Dr. Appelbaum dives into depth perception.
