Eat foods that boost vision. Start by emphasizing foods that contain carotenoids, which are highly nutritious chemical compounds found in many fruits and vegetables. Your best choices are spinach and other green leafy vegetables, tomatoes and other brightly colored fruits, grapes (seeds and all), red and yellow onions, and the beverage green tea.

Phytochemicals in wine also appear to protect the macula. Researchers at Howard University Hospital in Washington, DC, who examined the association between alcohol intake and the risk of poor eye health, found that moderate consumption of wine reduced the risk by 19 percent.

The optimal diet is one that emphasizes plant foods in as close to their natural state as possible. Plant foods are rich sources of antioxidant vitamins and minerals that counteract oxidation. Green, leafy vegetables contain high amounts of vitamin A. Sweet potatoes, squash, and other yellow-orange vegetables are rich in beta-carotene. Unprocessed oils and grains and raw nuts and seeds contain vitamin E. Fruits, especially citrus fruits and berries, have high levels of vitamin C.

Reduce your intake of saturated fat and cholesterol by eliminating high-fat dairy (cheese, sour cream, butter, whole milk) from your diet and relegating meat to side dish status a few times a week. Also avoid trans fatty acids, which are found in margarine, processed oils, fried foods and most commercially baked goods. And artificial sweeteners -- especially aspartame -- should be avoided like the plague.

At the same time, make sure you're getting enough of the good fats—omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids—which are considered essential because they can only be obtained through foods or supplements. Fresh raw nuts and seeds are rich in omega-6 fatty acids, while cold water fish (salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines, tuna and trout) and flax are the richest sources of omega-3 fatty acids. I recommend eating salmon or other cold-water fish several times a week, and having one to two tablespoons of flax oil, or up to one-quarter cup of freshly ground flax seed daily. Flax oil should never be heated, as its EFAs are destroyed by high temperatures. For cooking, use extra-virgin olive oil.