Integrative Vision

10/07/2025

Day 🎗️

I wasn’t meant to be here—not in the way I once imagined. I didn’t know this would be my path. Being diagnosed with one of the most painful disorders known to medicine became, unexpectedly, my turning point.

It showed me the light. It taught me that healing requires more than medication—it requires a system that embraces both medical and integrative perspectives. Whether you call it functional medicine, lifestyle medicine, or simply compassionate care, I am living proof that recovery is possible when we treat the whole person, not just the condition.

Today, I stand in solidarity with those still suffering. I hold deep gratitude for the strength I’ve gained and the mission it sparked—to help our healthcare system see differently. Wherever I can elevate awareness, support patients, and empower healthcare professionals, I will. Because compassion isn’t optional—it’s fundamental. 💫

08/26/2025

Feeling grateful ✨ I had the chance to contribute to July/August edition with two articles:👁 [How to Eat for Eye Health]🕶 [Sunglasses: More Than Just a Cool Accessory]Links in bio; With an amazing shoutout from@instituteforfxmed spotlighting integrative eye doctors leading the way in functional medicine + eye health 💡💪The print version distributed nationally with some great local friends finding the article right here in .middletownredbank 🏋️‍♀️🧡. This is about more than articles—it’s about bringing nutrition and functional medicine into the conversation for vision and lifelong wellness.

08/20/2025

🌱 Making Healthy Changes Isn’t Easy — But You Don’t Have to Do It Alone! 🌱

We all know what it feels like: trying to start a new habit, adjust your diet, or reduce stress… and realizing it’s harder than it sounds. That’s where health coaches come in.

At Integrative Vision, our health coaches are here to walk beside you every step of the way — turning goals into realistic, lasting changes that fit YOUR life. They provide support, accountability, and personalized strategies to make sure you succeed, whether it’s with nutrition, lifestyle, or eye health.

💡 Because small, consistent steps matter more than “quick fixes.”

👉 Stay tuned — we’ll be sharing more in our upcoming webinar on how health coaching can transform your health journey!

✨ Your eyes. Your health. Your life. Supported. ✨

08/12/2025

✨ Glutathione: Your Eye’s Master Antioxidant ✨

Did you know your eyes have their own built-in antioxidant defense system?
One of the most powerful players is glutathione – a small but mighty molecule found in the lens, cornea, and retina.

👁 Why it matters:
Every day, your eyes face oxidative stress from light exposure, pollution, and even normal metabolism. This stress can damage proteins, lipids, and DNA in your ocular tissues — accelerating aging and increasing the risk of cataracts, macular degeneration, and glaucoma.

💪 How glutathione protects:

Neutralizes harmful free radicals before they cause damage

Helps regenerate other antioxidants like vitamins C & E

Maintains the transparency of the lens by preventing protein clumping

Supports healthy mitochondrial function in retinal cells

📉 When glutathione levels drop — due to aging, poor nutrition, chronic illness, or environmental stress — your eyes lose part of this protective shield, making them more vulnerable.

🌱 Support your eye’s glutathione by:

Eating sulfur-rich foods (garlic, onions, cruciferous veggies 🥦)

Including vitamin C-rich produce 🍊

Prioritizing sleep and stress management

Avoiding smoking and excess alcohol

Your eyes aren’t just windows to the soul — they’re biochemical battlegrounds. Give them the tools to defend themselves.

08/07/2025

Khai starts her day with .
🧘‍♀️👁️ Yoga & Eye Health: Help or Harm?

Yoga can be a powerful tool for overall wellness—including eye health.
Practices like Trataka (focused gazing) and Pranayama (breathwork) have been shown to:

✔️ Improve visual focus and attention
✔️ Support relaxation and stress reduction
✔️ Lower intraocular pressure (IOP) in certain populations

But there’s a flip side 👉

Certain inversion poses—like extended headstands or shoulder stands—can acutely increase IOP, which may be harmful for individuals with glaucoma or optic nerve risk.

📈 A study in the Journal of Glaucoma (Rao et al., 2013) showed IOP doubling within seconds in poses like Downward Dog, Plow, and especially Headstands.

👁️ Be smart with your flow:
• Embrace gentle yoga, trataka, and breathwork
• Avoid prolonged inversions if you have or are at risk for glaucoma
• Always consult your eye care provider before starting inversion-heavy routines

08/04/2025

🧒👀 August is National Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month!
Vision plays a critical role in your child’s development—supporting learning, focus, and overall wellbeing. 👓✨

🧠 Want to make it fun? Check out the [NEI for Kids](https://loom.ly/wYUQY3A) page by the National Eye Institute—packed with games, videos, and easy-to-understand eye facts! (link in bio)

🔍 Wondering when to schedule an eye exam?
Here’s what the American Optometric Association recommends:

✅ 6–12 months: First comprehensive eye exam
✅ Ages 3–5: At least once to check for vision issues like amblyopia
✅ Before 1st grade (around 5–6 yrs): Full exam for school readiness
✅ Every 1–2 years after school starts: More often if vision problems are found

✨ Healthy vision = better learning, reading, and playtime!

Most people rely on their eyes to see and make sense of the world around them. Learn about your eyes, how they work, and how to keep them healthy — and discover fun eye facts!

07/28/2025

👁️ Your Gut Might Be the Key to Protecting Your Vision 🦠 FULL BLOG Link in Bio

In the past few years, we’ve learned that gut health isn’t just about digestion—it may also play a role in preventing eye disease.

Emerging research shows that gut dysbiosis (an imbalance in gut microbes) is linked to serious ocular conditions like:

👉 Autoimmune uveitis
👉 Age-related macular degeneration (AMD)
👉 Dry eye

Studies in both humans and animal models reveal something groundbreaking: your gut bacteria can activate immune responses that affect the retina. In some cases, changing the gut microbiome even reversed disease symptoms.

💡 What does this mean for eye care?
We need to look beyond the eye and into the microbiome—both gut and ocular.

Nutrition, lifestyle, and targeted therapies could become key tools in protecting vision for the long haul.

As someone who bridges optometry and functional medicine, I’m passionate about driving this conversation forward. Because the future of eye health… may just start in the gut.

07/24/2025

👁️ GLP-1s & Your Eyes: What You Need to Know
📄 From the American Optometric Association (AOA):
🔍 GLP-1 Receptor Agonists (GLP-1RAs) and Ocular Health: Guidance for Optometric Practice (June 2025)

GLP-1 medications are transforming care for diabetes, obesity, and heart health — but did you know they may also affect your eye health? We have had many patients ask as well as get their eyes checked for this reason.

📉 Why it matters:
These meds can rapidly improve blood sugar and cause weight loss — great for overall health — but can lead to vision risks, especially if you already have diabetes or retinal conditions.

🧠 Key takeaways from the AOA report:
🔹 Diabetic Retinopathy (DR): Risk of temporary worsening when blood sugar drops quickly
🔹 NAION (optic nerve stroke): A rare but serious side effect reported with semaglutide
🔹 Wet Age related Macular Degeneration (neovascular): Slightly increased risk in GLP-1 users
🔹 Other symptoms include blurred vision, visual field changes, and color vision loss

👀 Watch for:
• Sudden or painless vision loss
• Blurry or distorted vision
• Shadowy or missing areas in your visual field
• Color vision changes

📋 What you should do:
✔️ Schedule a comprehensive, eye exam before or shortly after starting GLP-1s
✔️ Stay up to date with eye exams — especially in the first 12–18 months
✔️ Tell your eye doctor you’re using a GLP-1 medication; They need to know!
✔️ Report any vision changes immediately

Even if your systemic health is improving, your eyes may be more vulnerable during this transition — especially if you have a history of eye disease or diabetes.

💬 With the right care, you can stay on top of your health and your vision. Ask your optometrist if you're at risk.
***FULL report link in bio

07/10/2025

July is —Let’s Talk About the Gender Gap 👩‍🔬
We need to expose the unnoticed vulnerabilities that hormone fluctuations create in women during perimenopause, menopause and surgical menopause.
Hormonal fluctuations exist in both s*xes when aging but produce dissimilar effects.

Women experience greater testosterone decline during aging and their postmenopausal hormone levels become more critical than those of men.
These changes can:
Alter lipid secretion in the meibomian glands
Reduced tear volume from the lacrimal glands
Increase ocular inflammation at the conjunctiva and cornea

🧬 Hormone Receptors in the Eye: What the Science Says
Human eyes function as part of the hormonal system of the body. The human eye contains specific s*x hormone receptors that maintain tear production and stabilize tears and ensure ocular surface health.

The following receptors were found to exist in ocular tissues:
Androgen Receptors (AR)

Estrogen Receptors (ERα, ERβ)

Progesterone Receptors (PR)

💡Women need medical explanations that understand their complex biological makeup.
The time to put a spotlight is now.

*xhormone

06/06/2025

👁️ + 🦠 = 🔍
Let’s talk about something essential to whole-body (and eye!) health: digestion

As an OD, board certified in nutrition & functional medicine; I’ve seen firsthand how often the gut is the hidden culprit behind chronic inflammation, autoimmune activity, and—yes—even ocular conditions.

The gut–eye connection is real.
From dry eye and uveitis to neuro-ophthalmic disorders, we need to start asking better questions—and looking deeper.

That’s why functional stool testing has become one of my most powerful clinical tools. Thank you for helping bring targeted, actionable insights into my patient care.
Here’s to normalizing digestive health in eye care—and beyond. 💩✨
Because the gut talks... and the eyes listen.

06/01/2025

🧠💜 June is **Alzheimer’s & Brain Awareness Month**, and it's personal for me—my grandfather suffered from Alzheimer's, and it shaped how I view brain health in clinical care.

At Integrative Vision, we recognize that the eyes can offer early clues to brain change. The retina is an extension of the brain, and ongoing research continues to highlight the eye-brain connection as a potential early window into neurodegenerative disease.

We urgently need more research—especially studies that look at functional, nutritional, and ocular biomarkers in early cognitive decline.

I’m continually inspired by the work of Dr. Dale Bredesen, whose research and protocols (“The End of Alzheimer’s,” “The First Survivors of Alzheimer’s”) have opened new doors in prevention and reversal strategies. His integrative approach reminds us that complex conditions require whole-body solutions.

We stand in support of the families, caregivers, and researchers pushing this field forward.

🧠✨ Early detection, personalized care, and prevention start with awareness.

💜

05/26/2025

Today, we pause to honor and remember the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country.

Thank you to all who serve—and have served—for your courage and commitment.

🇺🇸 **Wishing you a safe and meaningful Memorial Day.**