The Way I Live Now

I stumbled across a fascinating and enlightening article in the New York Times today. Eating for Eye Health confirms what I hoped my anti-inflammatory diet would do for me all along.  Though the article dealt with age-related macular degeneration, its findings are noteworthy and meaningful for those of us with macular degeneration. Period.   The article does not mention it by name, but all its food recommendations are perfectly in line with the anti-inflammatory way of eating.

Thank goodness.

When I began my anti-inflammatory diet, I honestly just sort of took a stab in the dark.  Anti-inflammatory diets are not concerned with ocular inflammation. Most folks think of inflammation of the joints...or some other tangible chronic pain.  My inflammation is a silent and painless one---when my right eye is duking out all sorts of neovascular and hemorrhaging activity, I honestly don't feel a thing.  At best/worst, I might get a headache because the flashes of light become overwhelming.  I embarked upon this diet out of hopelessness more than anything else.  Whether the diet could help ocular inflammation was a big unknown.

And then the article!  It's a small ray of hope for me.  Surely, some part of all this must help.

Today, my CSA with Lancaster Farm Fresh began.  My box was on the smaller side (typical for the early season) and filled with the makings of salad (lettuce, arugula, cress, radishes, mushrooms, scallions, and rhubarb).  I picked up some other goodies at the market, along with some fish because I was motivated by the article; my plan is to make some salad with seared salmon.  For dinner tonight I had leftover risotto with carrots and leeks.  I added a simple salad of lettuce, grape tomatoes, mushrooms, balsamic vinegar, and a sprinkle of flax seeds.  It was a very springtime dinner, which was a nice diversion from all the rain we've been experiencing lately.

...as for the rhubarb.  I'm going to try my hand at a rhubarb crisp, of which I will have one bite.  Friends will hopefully finish the rest.   Perhaps I'll see if I can track down a healthy rhubarb dessert recipe.