Central Florida Green Guide

Okay, Dr. Vo is not really a holistic practitioner, but I just had to share his information after the experience I had at his office this past week.

I was raised on the Standard American Diet and didn’t make any changes until 2003 when my son started on table foods.  I realized then that we couldn’t continue on that path and decided to “go veg” and mostly organic.  Up until that point, my vision had gotten worse every year, so I was surprised when I went for my yearly exam in 2005 (with another doc) and found that my vision had stayed the same.

I immediately thought that the changes in my diet must have something to do with it because of the significant increase in fresh fruits and vegetables. I mentioned it to the doctor and he shrugged it off saying that eyesight leveling out around my age was pretty common.  In 2006, I had another exam and, once again, my vision hadn’t worsened.  I didn’t even bother getting new glasses since I didn’t need a new prescription. 

This past weekend I had an appointment with Dr. Vo, the doctor who replaced the former optometrist at Lenscrafters.  I was due for new glasses since the old ones were bent, scratched, and really out of style.   To my surprise, he told me that the prescription in my glasses (from 2 years ago) was too strong.  Hmm..too strong?  He explained that, either the previous doctor had it wrong or my vision had actually improved. 

I went on to explain that we had made major dietary changes and asked if that could have anything to do with it.  I held my breath, expecting the typical “doctor” response, but instead he said, “Absolutely!”  It turns out that Dr. Vo is a big believer in the power of nutrition.  He said that I may indeed be reversing my vision problems.  He said that I will probably never be able to go completely without glasses, but if I keep doing what I’m doing, I may see more improvement in subsequent years.

Wow!  Knowing that the changes we’ve made are making such a difference was really exciting.  Sure, my eyesight is better, but more important, I’ve reduced my risk of cataracts and glaucoma.  Americans today are dealing with extreme vision problems at early ages and many of these issues are related to diabetes–which of course is related to a diet filled with processed foods and void of fresh produce and whole grains. 

I’ve written this review because I think Dr. Vo at Lenscrafters in Sanford is a great optometrist who recognizes the importance of a diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables.  While he doesn’t practice alternative medicine, I feel comfortable recommending him because he was personable, took the time to answer my questions, and recognized the link between diet and eye health.