Eyeworld

predictor of counseling patients about these same behaviors, I have even had my own private cooking lesson with leading Australian chef Luke Mangan (view the video at bit.ly/1ybT0Az). As with many aspects of medicine, ophthalmology is well, if not best, placed to lead the way in providing (and monitoring the effects of) sensible dietary advice. Dr. Chang: How has the public response been to Feast Your Eyes? Are you planning a sequel? Dr. Coroneo: We have sold approx- imately 3,000 copies of the book in Australia (which has roughly the population of New York state), and I have been asked to give numerous talks on this subject. We have even run a cooking class at the Sydney Fish Markets! We have nearly completed a U.S. edition with generous contributions from Chefs Mario Batali, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, David Myers, Ricardo Zarate, Bernard Guillas, and Carole Peck. We have found it harder to convince U.S. chefs to contribute. Since the original edition, there has been a huge expansion of informa- tion on this subject, particularly re- lated to ophthalmology, and I have done my best to summarize it and convert it into plain language. We have even identified a publisher. Dr. Chang: You are donating all of the proceeds to the Genetic Eye Foundation. Tell us about this organization. Dr. Coroneo: Yes. The Genetic Eye Foundation (GEF) was registered in 1989 as a non-profit company limited by guarantee to keep a register of hereditary eye disease in Australia, to help ophthalmologists to care for patients with heredi- tary eye disease, and to liaise with other organizations in respect to education, research, and provision of services. Membership comprises patients and members of their fami- lies, ophthalmologists, optometrists, and industry. Its activities include recovery of medical information, supporting existing services (current- ly improving access to cost-effective genetic testing), and patient care and education. The GEF supported the initial bionic eye project in Australia. Some of the proceeds of the U.S. edition will be donated to the ASCRS Foundation. EW Contact information Coroneo: coroneom@gmail.com of my patients generously agreed to meet publication costs. Susan Rintoul at Seaview Press constructively tackled my difficult manuscript. Dr. Chang: Based on your research, what are the top dietary recommen- dations that most ophthalmologists should know about (for themselves or for their patients) but don't? Dr. Coroneo: Diet alone is not a magic bullet—yet it is diet that is conveniently focused on. If the aim is good health (including eye) and longevity, a study of populations where this is prevalent ("longevity zones") places diet in the context of communities with social engage- ment, supportive family structure, regular exercise, and little smoking— factors that once established are dif- ficult to change. The consumption of legumes appears to be the only common factor in what are tradi- tional, largely vegetable-based diets. In the words of "foodie intellectual" Michael Pollan, it is a safe bet to "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants"—an elegantly short response to a complicated, confusing, and controversial issue. To this advice, I would add occasional fasting (as traditionally practiced in many religions including Orthodoxy) and perhaps drinking boiled Greek coffee. We have come to realize that Western diets of largely processed food (convenient and with long shelf-life) have replaced healthy unsaturated fat with saturated and trans fats and switched the balance of our essential fatty acid intake. A healthy diet consists of a 1:2 ratio of omega-3s to omega-6, whereas the average American diet has a ratio of 1:25 to 1:50. This type of diet is associated with a state of low grade, systemic inflammation, considered by some to contribute to many of the chronic diseases seen in modern societies. It seems to me that chang- ing diet, while less convenient than taking supplements, could be fun and perhaps sustainable. Some studies show that almost 60% of patients on supplements don't take them—astonishing given the consequences in AMD. Programs that include culinary education can address our lack of knowledge and practical experience in this field: "See one. Taste one. Cook one. Teach one." This may help us to learn firsthand practical strategies so that healthy, delectable, inexpensive, and efficiently prepared meals become part of our lifestyles and those of our patients. With evidence that practicing healthful behavior oneself is a powerful What is he cooking continued from page 10

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