http://www.nutritionforamd.com/

Nutrition for AMD, Altrincham (2026)

03/09/2026

The “I’ve blown it” trap

Have you ever eaten something you hadn’t planned to and immediately thought:

“Well, I’ve blown it now. I might as well carry on.”

There’s actually some psychology behind this.

It’s sometimes called the “what-the-hell effect” – that tendency for one slip to turn into much more because we feel we’ve already failed.

It’s also a classic example of all-or-nothing thinking, or what I sometimes call the “diet mentality”: I’m either doing this perfectly, or I’m not doing it at all.

When we have very rigid rules around food, breaking one of those rules can make us feel as though we’ve failed completely. And once we think we’ve failed, it becomes much easier to think, “I might as well have another...”

So one slice of cake can become an afternoon of eating, a takeaway that evening, or even a whole weekend of “I’ll start again on Monday”.

The interesting thing is that beating yourself up about it doesn’t necessarily help you make a better choice next time. Research around self-compassion and eating behaviour suggests that responding with less self-criticism after a slip may actually help us get back to our usual habits more easily.

And this is something I often talk about with my clients.

If you eat something you hadn’t intended to, don’t turn it into something bigger than it is.

You haven’t “blown it”.

You ate the cake (sorry cake, just using you as the example!)

Draw a line under it and go straight back to the way you normally eat at your next meal.

No punishment. No trying to compensate for it. And no waiting until Monday to start again.

Because this isn’t about being “on a diet”. It’s about changing the way you eat and building habits that support your health and your eyes for the rest of your life.

And real life doesn’t always go to plan.

Part of consistency is learning how to deal with those times, draw a line under them and carry on.

Do you recognise this in yourself? Have you ever fallen into the “I’ve blown it, so I might as well carry on” trap? I definitely have!

01/09/2026

What I look for when someone sends me a food diary

When a client sends me a food diary, I’m not looking to see whether they’ve been “good” or “bad”. And I’m definitely not counting every calorie.

I’m looking for patterns.

Things like:

• Is there enough protein at each meal?

• Are they getting plenty of nutrients from real, whole foods?

• What might their meals be doing to their blood sugar?

• Are they getting enough healthy fats – in particular, omega-3 fats from oily fish?

• Are there lots of ultra-processed foods creeping in?

• Are they constantly snacking, or leaving good gaps between meals?

• Are they eating a good variety of different foods?

• Are there foods that might not be working particularly well for them?

And importantly, I don’t look at a food diary in isolation. I consider it alongside someone’s health history and symptoms, because there isn’t one perfect diet that works for everyone!

When I work with someone with AMD, the aim is to work out where the biggest opportunities are for them – and make changes that are realistic enough to actually stick.

Sometimes that means progress, not perfection!

Here’s a question for you: if I looked at your food diary, what’s one change you think I’d recommend?

26/08/2026

Carrots help you see in the dark… right? 🥕👀

We’ve probably all been told at some point:

“Eat your carrots – they’ll help you see in the dark.”

But did you know there’s a fascinating story behind this?

During the Second World War, the British government heavily promoted the idea that RAF pilots could see so well at night because they ate lots of carrots. In reality, their success had rather more to do with new radar technology…

But there is a little bit of truth behind the myth.

Carrots are rich in beta-carotene, which our bodies can convert into vitamin A. Vitamin A is essential for normal vision, and deficiency can cause difficulty seeing in low light.

Here’s another interesting bit…

Carrots don’t actually provide much ready-made vitamin A. They provide beta-carotene, which first has to be converted by the body. Foods such as eggs, dairy, oily fish and liver provide vitamin A in a form the body can use directly.

So should we bother with carrots?

Absolutely.

They’re a nutritious whole food, providing fibre, potassium and a range of beneficial plant compounds alongside that beta-carotene.

But are they the special food for your eyesight that we were brought up to believe?

Not really.

For AMD, I’d much rather we looked at the bigger picture – plenty of nutrient-rich whole foods, including leafy greens, colourful vegetables, eggs, oily fish and healthy fats, while also looking after things such as blood sugar and inflammation.

So you can keep eating your carrots. 🥕

Just don’t expect them to give you night vision!

Were you told the carrot story as a child?

20/08/2026

Eating more spinach isn’t a nutrition plan.

Don’t get me wrong — leafy greens are fantastic for your eyes. They’re rich in lutein and zeaxanthin, two nutrients that are particularly important for eye health.

But nutrition for AMD is about so much more than adding spinach to your plate.

I’m interested in the bigger picture too:

How well are you managing your blood sugar?

Are you eating enough protein?

Are you including a variety of colourful vegetables and other nutrient-rich foods that work for you?

Are you eating oily fish and other healthy fats?

What does the rest of your health look like?

And perhaps most importantly — are the changes you’re making actually realistic enough to stick?

There isn’t one magic food that protects your vision.

It’s the overall pattern of what you eat and how you live, day after day, that I want you to think about.

So yes, keep eating the greens 🥬

Just don’t stop there.

08/08/2026

For years, many of us were told that eating little and often was the healthiest way to eat.

But for many people, constantly snacking may actually make it harder to keep blood sugar stable.

Each time you eat you may be causing

• Your blood sugar to rise

• Your body to produce insulin to help move that sugar into your cells

If you’re eating or grazing throughout the day, your body spends much more of its time processing food, with fewer breaks in between.

Over time, this may:

• Make blood sugar harder to control

• Contribute to insulin resistance

• Promote inflammation, which is linked to many chronic health conditions, including AMD

Instead, aim for meals that actually keep you full and diminish the need to snack.

Build your meals around:

🥚 Protein

🥬 Plenty of vegetables

🥑 Healthy fats

If you do need a snack, choose something rich in protein or healthy fats, such as a handful of nuts, some cheese or a boiled egg.

And if you’d like something sweet, try having it after a meal rather than as a snack. This usually has less impact on blood sugar than eating sugary foods on an empty stomach.

One simple habit that can also help is aiming for around 12 hours overnight between dinner and breakfast. By avoiding late-night snacking, you’re giving your body a longer period without constantly releasing insulin, helping to support healthy blood sugar regulation.

Do you tend to snack between meals, or do you usually eat three satisfying meals a day?

04/08/2026

Have you ever promised yourself, “I’m going to eat better from Monday”… only to find yourself slipping back into old habits a few days later?

You’re not alone.

The truth is, healthy eating isn’t usually about having more willpower. It’s about making the healthier choice the easier choice.

Here are three simple strategies that really work:

🥕 1. Make unhealthy choices less convenient

Instead of relying on willpower, change your environment.

For example:

• Keep biscuits and sweets out of sight (or don’t buy them at all).
• Chop vegetables in advance so they’re ready to grab.
• Keep nuts or boiled eggs in the fridge for an easy snack.

🥗 2. Start small

You don’t need to change everything overnight.

Instead, pick one small habit and stick with it.

For example:

• Add one extra portion of vegetables each day.
• Swap your breakfast cereal for eggs or Greek yoghurt.
• Replace one sugary snack each day with nuts or cheese.
• Aim to include some protein with every meal.

Small changes are much easier to keep going than trying to be perfect.

💚 3. Replace, don’t just remove

If you simply take something away, you’ll often miss it.

Instead, ask yourself:

What need is this food meeting?

Are you hungry?
Bored?
Stressed?
Looking for comfort?

Then think of another way to meet that need.

For example:

• If you’re hungry between meals, try a protein-rich snack instead of biscuits.
• If you’re craving something sweet after dinner, try a few squares of dark chocolate with some berries.
• If you’re eating because you’re stressed, a short walk or a cup of tea might be what you really need.

The goal is simply to make the healthier choice a little easier than yesterday.

Which of these three strategies do you think would help you the most?

31/07/2026

Do you often feel hungry soon after eating?

If you’re constantly hungry, craving sugary foods or reaching for snacks, it isn’t always about willpower.

Sometimes it’s simply about how your meals are built.

One reason you might feel hungry is that you’re not eating enough protein. Protein helps keep you feeling full for longer, so you’re less likely to be looking for something else an hour later.

Another thing that helps is fibre. Fibre adds bulk to your meals and slows digestion, helping you stay satisfied for longer. Vegetables are one of the best ways to increase your fibre intake, while also providing a wide range of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that support overall health.

Including some healthy fats, such as olive oil, avocado, nuts or full-fat yoghurt, can also make a meal more satisfying. Healthy fats work alongside protein and fibre to slow the release of energy from your meal.

When meals contain all three, many people find they stay fuller for longer and their energy is steadier. That’s because these foods also help to slow the rise in blood sugar after eating.

On the other hand, meals that are high in refined carbohydrates, sugar or highly processed foods, especially if they’re low in protein and fibre, are more likely to leave you feeling hungry again sooner. For many people, they can also lead to bigger swings in blood sugar, which may trigger cravings and make it harder to avoid snacking.

Better blood sugar control doesn’t just help with appetite and energy. It may also support the long-term health of your eyes.

If you often feel hungry soon after eating, try asking yourself:

✔ Could I include a little more protein?

✔ Could I add more vegetables?

✔ Would a little healthy fat make this meal more satisfying?

Small changes to how you build your meals can make a big difference. Do you build your meals this way?

27/07/2026

Cholesterol: is it really the villain it’s often made out to be?

For many years, we’ve been told that cholesterol is something to fear.

But cholesterol isn’t a toxin.

It’s an essential molecule that your body makes because it needs it.

Cholesterol is essential for:

• Building and maintaining every cell in your body

• Making important hormones, including oestrogen, progesterone, testosterone and cortisol

• Producing vitamin D when your skin is exposed to sunlight

• Making bile acids, which help you digest and absorb fats and fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K)

• Supporting normal brain and nerve function – around a quarter of your body’s cholesterol is found in the brain

Without cholesterol, we couldn’t survive.

It’s also why cholesterol-rich whole foods, such as eggs, shellfish and meat, are no longer routinely discouraged for most people.

These foods have been part of the human diet for generations and provide many valuable nutrients alongside cholesterol.

For many years, cholesterol was seen as one of the main causes of chronic disease.

Today, the science is much more nuanced.

Rather than looking at cholesterol in isolation, many researchers are now asking what may be driving changes in a person’s cholesterol panel in the first place.

Increasingly, attention is turning to factors such as poor blood sugar control, insulin resistance and chronic inflammation as important drivers of many chronic diseases.

That’s why, in my work with people living with AMD, I focus on improving those underlying factors rather than encouraging people to fear cholesterol itself.

* Healthy blood sugar.

* Less inflammation.

* Nutrient-dense whole foods.

* Regular movement.

* Quality sleep.

* Managing stress.

These are the foundations of good metabolic health, and by supporting the health of your whole body, you’re also supporting the health of your eyes.

What are your thoughts? This can be one of those controversial areas of nutrition! Has your understanding of cholesterol changed over the years?

22/07/2026

Keeping blood sugar healthy is one of the key ways you can support your eyes over the long term.

One simple way to do that is to change the order you eat your food.

Try eating your meal in this order:

1. Vegetables 🥦🥗
2. Protein and healthy fats 🍳🐟🥩
3. Carbohydrate-rich foods 🥔🍚🍝

For example, if you’re having chicken, vegetables and potatoes, eat the vegetables and chicken first, then the potatoes.

This can:

✅ Slow the rise in blood sugar after a meal.

As an added bonus, you’re filling up on the parts of your meal that are generally the most nutrient-dense and supportive of eye health first.

It’s a small change but it can make a difference.

💬 Have you ever tried this?

21/07/2026

If you have AMD, this is something worth knowing about. 👀

It’s called insulin resistance.

With insulin resistance, your body has to produce more and more insulin to keep your blood sugar under control.

This process often begins years before someone is diagnosed with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes, so many people don’t realise it’s happening.

That means insulin resistance can be developing even if you’ve never been told you have prediabetes or diabetes.

Some people have no obvious symptoms, but others may notice things like:

• Feeling hungry again soon after eating

• Strong cravings for sweet foods

• Energy crashes or feeling sleepy after meals

• Weight gain or difficulty losing weight, especially around the middle

• Skin tags

• Dark, velvety patches of skin around the neck or armpits

• Brain fog or difficulty concentrating

• Elevated blood pressure

• High triglycerides or low HDL cholesterol

So why does this matter for AMD?

Insulin resistance is linked with inflammation, oxidative stress and damage to blood vessels.

Over time, these changes can affect the health of your eyes and contribute to the processes involved in age-related macular degeneration.

The good news is that insulin resistance responds well to nutrition and lifestyle changes.

That’s why blood sugar is one of the key areas I focus on when helping people with AMD.

💬 Do any of these signs sound familiar to you?

Nutrition for AMD

03/09/2026

01/09/2026

26/08/2026

20/08/2026

08/08/2026

04/08/2026

31/07/2026

27/07/2026

22/07/2026

21/07/2026

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