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Episode 031
Eye on Nutrition for Diabetes
Your Eye-Q Question for the Week:
How can good nutrition help manage diabetes and protect your vision?
In this episode of The Eye-Q Podcast™, Dr. Rani Banik discusses the critical connection between diabetes and vision loss with expert Jacinda Shapiro, RN. They explore the impact of diabetes on health, the importance of nutrition and lifestyle changes, and the role of a plant-based diet in managing diabetes. The conversation delves into the different types of diabetes, the complications arising from poorly controlled diabetes, and practical strategies for prevention and management through dietary choices and healthy habits.
IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN
00:00 – How does diabetes affect vision health?
07:05 – What led to the shift toward plant-based nutrition?
13:54 – What are the different types of diabetes?
17:47 – What complications arise from poorly controlled diabetes?
25:00 – How can a plant-based diet help manage diabetes?
32:01 – What lifestyle habits help prevent diabetes?
Connect with Jacinda Shapiro, RN
Website: https://www.empowermediabetes.com/
LinkedIn: Jacinda Shapiro RN BSN CDCES DipACLM
Phone Number: 727 758 3800
Free eBooks
Exercises For Eye Strain: https://rudranibanikmd.activehosted.com/f/62
Best Digital Eye Strain & Light Sensitivity Product Guide: https://rudranibanikmd.activehosted.com/f/77
Product Links
Ageless Eyes Bundle: https://shop.rudranibanikmd.com/collections/all/products/bundle
Nourish: https://shop.rudranibanikmd.com/collections/all/products/nourish
SHOP Ageless by Dr. Rani: https://shop.rudranibanikmd.com/
Dr. Rani’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.ranibanik/
What a powerful and heartfelt message — thank you for sharing this. It’s a beautiful reminder that our daily choices truly shape our long-term health. Vision is such a gift, and this is wonderful motivation to protect it through what we eat.
Opening Motivation (By Jacinda Shapiro):
“Our eyes are not only the windows to the soul — they are also mirrors of our health. And for those living with diabetes, what we choose to eat can mean the difference between clarity and blur, between prevention and progression. Today, I invite you to see nutrition not as restriction, but as vision — the vision to live fully, vibrantly, and clearly.”
Beautiful and Motivational Key Points:
1. What You Eat, Your Eyes Reflect
Every bite you take either fuels or fails your future vision. Let food be your prescription.
Diabetic eye disease is preventable with mindful nutrition.
Blood sugar spikes silently damage the retina over time.
2. Colors on Your Plate, Colors in Your Sight
The brighter your plate, the brighter your world.
Antioxidant-rich foods protect your eye tissues.
Lutein and zeaxanthin found in spinach and kale act like natural sunglasses for your eyes.
3. Omega-3s: Tears of Nourishmen
Dry eyes, inflammation, and retinopathy don’t stand a chance when your cells are well-fed.
Salmon, chia seeds, and walnuts reduce eye inflammation.
Omega-3s improve retinal health and overall vision clarity.
4. Sugar is a Silent Thief
You may not feel it now, but sugar steals your vision in silence.
High blood sugar leads to retinopathy.
Balanced, low-GI meals protect not just your vision but your heart and kidneys too.
5. Healing Starts in the Kitchen, Not the Clinic
Your plate is your power. Use it wisely.
A fiber-rich, plant-forward diet can reverse early eye changes.
Whole foods nourish the body, mind, and eyesight.
Closing Words from Jacinda Shapiro:
“Nutrition is not a punishment — it is a promise. A promise that each day, we can choose health over harm, clarity over complication. Let us not wait for vision to fade before we begin to see. Start today — because when your nutrition is right, your future looks bright.”