What a year, 2015! (Part 1)

It's that time of year when you reflect somewhat and look forward even more, this is exactly what I did when I realised that it'd been a few months since our last blog!  Oops - there's a New Year's Resolution right there!  Must do better!

2015 ... WOW!

What a great year!  As a young business we are always looking for the next milestone, perhaps even the next reassurance that we are on the right path.  You could say it's a little needy, but you pour your hopes and dreams in to the business you create and so it helps to seek reassurance that they're not just going to crash and burn.

January

The year started off in a great way, continuing to create fabulous eyewear for folks to wear.  When

we say create, we really do mean that we can individually make one-off custom frames exactly to the desires of the wearer.

A great example of this is shown with local designer Bethan.  We had a definite look in mind, and starting with a slightly cats- eye  shaped frame, we weaved some wonderful design magic using the TD Tom Davies Supertool CAD system.  The end result - nailing exactly the look we were going for.

One of the great things about working with TD Tom Davies is that not only do you get to have fun with the creativity of designing the frame, you also end up with a beautifully fitting pair of glasses.  Like a made-to-measure tailored suit, the glasses just feel wonderful to wear.  This really set the tone for the rest of the year.

Then do you remember what happened next?  How can you forget!  Snow!  Snow, snow, snow, snow and snow.  With a side of ice.

 

The first few months were brutal and there's no getting away from it, there were some hard old days in those first few months for Downtown Halifax.  Sadly some of our friends on the downtown business scene were not able to make it through.

Getting out in these days and exploring the downtown is an incredible support for all of the many wonderful local small and independent businesses that make up the vibrant scene in Halifax.  If the weather happens again in 2016, you know what you've got to do.

March

On the night that the worst snow storm rolled in to Nova Scotia, our two docs (and owners) Dr. John Wilson and Dr. Euan McGinty headed off in to the wilderness.

Well, not quite, but they started an epic road trip to head to New York.  Driving cautiously in a blizzard all the way through New Brunswick, then travelling further on driving right through the night to get to New York, was definitely a moment which cemented the friendship of the creators of Ocean!

Why were they doing it?  Did they really stop to have a snooze at LL Bean?  Did they learn their lesson that when meeting border guards you are not the one allowed to crack the first joke?  In a snow storm?  At midnight?

The simple reason - to bring the finest independent eyewear from throughout the world back to Halifax.It was time to venture to the Big Apple again, on one of our buying trips looking for incredible eyewear to have exclusively at Ocean.  We seek out independent manufacturers who can produce eyewear which meets our exacting standards.  What are they?  They must be high quality, superbly designed, well made and have that 'X' factor - that they excite us.The trip to New York is a real highlight in our calendar and there is so much that we could share with you about it, here's just a few pictures:

May

Finally the weather started to warm up and, as you know, the sun is always shining on Blowers Street!

As the weather started to play nice, the city started to wake up out of hibernation and one of our favourite events came around - Open City.

This year we were joined by Humble Pies from Dartmouth who came across with a warmer and their most delicious pies.

If your in Dartmouth and looking for some fine food, then definitely check them out - http://humblepiekitchen.ca/It was a lovely day and we met lots of new people who we kind of new through the Twitterverse, as well as spending a fun day with the Humble Pie folks.  Humble Pie is a lovely new business creating the most delicious New Zealand style pies, if you haven't experienced them already they now have a permanent home over on King Street in Dartmouth, they also have a regular Friday pop-up in Fred, Halifax.It really wasn't long before we were starting to enjoy some beautiful evenings as well, as well as working hard, at Ocean, we like to enjoy life and relax as well.

Spending time with the people you love doing the things you love is incredibly important, don't forget to do it.  We love Nova Scotia and the fact that in the winter you can be skating on the lakes, but when summer rolls around you'll be swimming in them. The first six months of the year aren't over and already so much has happened, but to top it all, in May we were also honoured to meet Mayor Mike Savage.  First Dr. Euan and Dr. John were privileged to go to his office and then Mayor Savage came to Ocean to find out all what we were about.I'm not sure he quite got what he was meant to be doing during the eye examination, but it really was a wonderful experience meeting him and we are humbled by the time that he shared with us.

Through out all this busyness we did also manage to help some fabulous folks into some fine, fine eyewear!  We love regularly featuring them as our "Catch of the Day" through our social media feeds, so make sure you give us a follow on FaceBook, Twitter and  Instagram.

Stay tuned, we're only half way through 2015 ... more to come!

Omega 3 Supplements (Part 2)

We continue our series of questions reviewing the benefits of Omega-3 fish oils with Drs. Wilson and McGinty (part one available here).

4. Can I not just eat more fish and not use supplements?

"YES!!!!!!! is the short answer. You would need to eat approximately 3.5oz of fish every day to acquire the desired daily amount of Omega 3 oil. You also need to remember that this figure can vary due to things like the variety of fish you choose or how it's prepared." Dr. Wilson answers, "As with most things fish is much healthier baked or broiled. Deep­ frying may just undo all the good work you're trying to do."

He goes on to add, "With supplements you have the really big advantage of consistency - you can know that you are consistent with your doctor recommended dosing regime.  Another advantage of using a supplement for Omega 3 is all reputable manufacturers screen their product for unwanted elements, like mercury, thus reducing the health risks associated with these heavy metals.  The supplements also make it easier to add in to a busy lifestyle, whereas switching to a fish rich diet may mean a major change for some."

5. So if I'm going to start taking these supplements, is there an omega 3 fish oil that is better quality?

"That's a really interesting question," Dr. McGinty responds, "To answer this it really is best to look at the kinds of fish oil supplements available, there two different kinds:

a) Triglyceride or TG and

b) Ethyl Ester or EE

TG is naturally occurring and the EE is synthesized chemically. Putting it another way. EE omega 3 is like having fruit juice made from concentrate and I for one prefer my juice freshly squeezed. TG
for me then!"

"Great point!" Dr. Wilson adds to the explanation, "There has been various studies into the comparison between the two forms and the long and short is that the EE is not absorbed nearly as effectively as the TG. Some studies showing an absorption rate up to 50 times slower for the EE derivative. Strike 2 for EE!"

"Looking into it further, there's also some debate about the harm that could come from the metabolism of the EE type in the intestines. During it's synthesis the EE form has a single fatty acid molecule bonded to an ethanol “backbone” whereas the naturally occurring TG has 3 fatty acid molecules bonded to a glycerol “backbone”. The ethanol is released when broken down in the gut and this for many is a cause for concern. That said, tests have shown that the amounts of ethanol (an alcohol) should be safe for humans. Not quite strike 3 but that bonding to the ethanol “backbone” also means technically that the EE form isn't a true oil.

That's a home run for TG in my game!"

6. Can I not just take omega 3,6 and 9 combined?

Dr. Wilson is enthusiastic to answer this question, "Firstly Omega 3 and 6 are essential acids and need to be consumed in our basic human diet through food sources or supplements. Omega 9 is non-­essential and as such isn't actually required so why supplement it at all.

Omega 3 has a potent anti­-inflammatory response in the body. This helps reduce the pain and swelling from most inflammatory responses in the body whereas Omega 6 has the complete polar opposite being pro-­inflammatory. Maintaining a balance between these two important acids is critical. The kicker is that Omega 6 is abundant in the Western diet so you're much less likely to need a supplement.

So, yes, you could take an Omega 3, 6 and 9 supplement but in the words of my esteemed business partner, Dr. Euan McGinty, “You can but you'd be wrong!”

In conclusion, I believe supplementation of Omega 3 fish oil in the Western diet is essential, but, as with many things, the simple rule is everything in moderation. Obtaining it in it's most natural form is always preferred and regularity works best. Always check with your doctor before starting any new medication or supplements.

Remember, we're always interested in peoples experiences, comments or concerns and would love to hear from you so please do not hesitate to fill in our contact form or reach us through our social media with a tweet or a post."

Many thanks to optometrists Dr. John Wilson and Dr. Euan McGinty for taking the time to answer these questions.

Omega 3 Supplements (Part 1)

Here at Ocean, Dr's Wilson and McGinty are strong advocates of the use of Omega-3 fish oil for the health of your eyes, especially when a patient has dry eyes.  We decided to interview our optometrists to find out more and answer some of the common questions that you may have about Omega-3 fish oils and the eyes.

1. Why Omega-3 fish oil? Won't flax seed or hemp oil do?

"There are 3 acids that make a complete omega 3 molecule. These are ALA, DHA and EPA.  ALA is found mainly in nuts and plants, e.g. walnuts and flax seed, but to a lesser degree in fish.  DHA and EPA are found to be more concentrated in fish derived Omega 3."  Dr. Wilson explains.

"Until recently, this wasn't considered an issue as all Omega-3 was really considered equally beneficial. More recently, however,  studies have found that the processing of ALA in the human body isn't nearly as efficient. It's conversion to the more usable DHA derivative is limited and slow."

"Now, I'm not saying there are no benefits to the ALA form."  Dr. Wilson adds, "It's still beneficial as a supplement for vegans and vegetarians who may wish not to take the fish oil, but you need to consume approximately 80% more than the equivalent fish oil supplement to achieve the same effect."

2. When should I take my fish oil?

Dr. McGinty responded, "Conventional reasoning states that Omega-3 supplementation should take place with meals, or just prior to meals. Probably to help combat the fishy aftertaste that is sometimes encountered by some and also to promote good uptake through digestion. It is also wise not to take fish oil prior to working­ out as this may cause gastrict distress."  

"Did you know that I used to have really trouble with taking them?" Dr. Wilson asks, "Then I was chatting about them with a retired pharmacist who said “Why don't you just freeze them and take them at night before bed?” I was amazed that this worked so quite often will recommend this to my patients and so far no-­one has complained of any gastric­ distress through the night"

"I had never heard of that" remarked a surprised Dr. McGinty, "every day's a school day!"

"Indeed!  I would value your feed­back if anyone tries it (good or bad I'm interested) so if you do try this tip, please e-mail me with how you get on: dr.john@oceanoptometry.ca."

3. How much fish oil should I take?

"Now, as optometrists we are dealing with the eyes primarily, but have to remember that the eyes are connected to the rest of the body and therefore have to consider any potential side ­effects." explains Dr. Wilson, "I never recommend more than the daily recommended amount of Omega-3 fish oil, which is between 900-­1200mg/day. This amount should contain a minimum of 600mg of DHA so check those labels carefully."

Dr. McGinty adds, "Sometimes you actually have to take 2-­3 times the amount of “oil” to get the appropriate concentrations depending on the quality and type of fish oil you choose. 

There are also times that amounts higher than this that may be recommended by your Physician for other health issues, especially increased blood triglycerides, but this is done in careful consideration of any other medications you're taking at the time. Omega-3 acids can both enhance and decrease the effectiveness of a number of medications."

"Absolutely" agrees Dr. Wilson, "There is even evidence that excessive amounts of Omega-3 can, in some people, increase their risk of stroke. I, for one, believe in everything in moderation so the daily recommended amount values sit well within my ethics and personal feelings."

To be continued .../ (Part 2)

Contact lens wearers are all idiots!

There, he said it!

A series of recent encounters with contact lens wearers coming to us for the first time has led our optometrist, Dr. Euan McGinty, to this conclusion, shall we find out why?

Dr. McGinty writes:-

The eye is perhaps the most exquisitely sensitive organ in the body, one which provides information that we are highly dependent upon.  Lets take some cold hard facts - 40% of all nerve fibres connected to the brain are linked to the retina.  More of our neurons are dedicated to vision than the four other senses combined.  When our eyes are open, vision accounts for two thirds of the electrical activity in our brain.

There's no denying it, we like to see!

Contact lenses can be a great way to correct our vision and we now have options available to cover most prescriptions and eye-curvatures.

Over the years I have been practicing as an optometrist, perhaps the best single factor in contact lens development has been the move disposable contact lenses.  Compared to years ago, the frequent disposal of contact lenses has dramatically reduced the number of complications I see day-to-day related to the wear of contact lenses.

Disposable lenses are much safer

Studies have shown the compliance with proper contact lens care improves dramatically with the use of disposable lenses and, by a long margin, the best regime is single-use daily disposable lenses.

I was recently discussing this with a contact lens patient who we were refitting with new lenses.  This person had been running in to problems with discomfort, red eyes and variable vision with his regular contact lens regime.

As we discussed all of the options, two things became apparent - firstly, that the idea of single-use daily disposable lenses was something this patient was very keen on and; secondly, that although the current lenses being used were monthly disposable lenses, these had routinely been used for in excess of a month.

Let's make one thing clear, daily lenses are to be used for one day, two-weekly lenses for two weeks and monthly lenses for one month.  That's from when you open the packet until you throw them away, it is not two-weeks' or a month of "wears".

There was no doubt that a lot of issues had arisen for this patient due to the poor contact lens regime and that sorting out the routine, in terms of lens renewal, hygiene and cleaning and also ensuring a good contact lens fit would resolve a lot of the issues.

We really were tempted to switch out to a single-use daily disposable lens, for him the fresh-lens comfort every day was great and for me the excellent safety profile was highly desirable.

The stumbling point? 

Price.

This then caused quite a moment of humour as we realised that purchasing daily disposable lenses would be a third less in cost compared to the cup of coffee that he had come in with and that he picks up every day.  The difference is that you don't buy a year's worth of coffee all in one transaction.

He'd never thought about it in those terms, however, with a bit of perspective it became apparent that great vision and healthy eyes were at least as important as his daily cup of Joe.

If you hear hooves, don't think of zebras

The second encounter which really led me to the conclusion that all contact lens wearers are idiots was a lady who was scheduled for an eye examination.  She contacted us on the day of the eye examination to cancel and reschedule, she had a red-eye.  We suggested that this would be an ideal time to see her optometrist, however, for whatever reason, she didn't want to do so.

I then saw her two weeks later.  We were chatting about her eyes and her recent red eye, she was quite frustrated by it.  She was sure that there must have been a faulty contact lens, or an issue with her solutions.  She had just opened up a new set of lenses and put them in, so they must be to blame.  She stopped wearing them, used some over the counter antibiotic eye drops and it had eventually resolved.  So, in her mind, it was definitely the contact lens's fault.

I examined her eyes and noticed a corneal scar in her eye that had been the affected one.  In my assessment this had been a recent corneal ulcer and she was fortunate that it had resolved, as they have the potential to be quite damaging, especially when associated with contact lens wear.

I discussed my findings and again we went through the lead up to the red-eye to see if we could tease out what had gone wrong.  It was only at this point that it turned out that this patient had slept in the contact lenses and worn them for almost 48 hours straight - something they were never intended for!

We like to have cause and effect, and somewhere to lay the blame.  In this patient's opinion it was the new contact lens which had caused the issue.

This was a contact lens which, until it was opened, had been in sterile packaging.

This was a contact lens which then had been used inappropriately.

I politely suggested that this may not have been the contact lens which had caused the issue, however, it was much more likely to have been caused through "user-error"!

Okay, maybe not all contact lens wearers

These are just two stories of recent encounters which reminded me again how much we take our eyes and vision for granted ... until something goes wrong.  There is no doubt that there are many successful contact lens wearers who run in to no problems whatsoever.

I'll admit it, of course not all contact lens wearers are idiots, but there are some things we should think about.

It doesn't really matter if you believe in all-powerful being, in evolution, or in some other explanation of how we got here, if we were meant to have contact lenses in our eyes, we would have.  We don't!  Contact lenses are a foreign body, to our eyes, they're not meant to be there.

Therefore, when we wear contact lenses, we have to accept we are increasing the risks of having something adverse happen to our eyes.  We need to ensure that we follow simple care steps to make it as safe as possible.

Preferably we should look at single -use daily disposable lenses.

Even with all of these steps, things can go wrong, a recent news story on the BBC website highlighted this: http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-32797394

More information about our contact lenses can be found on our website here: http://www.oceanoptometry.ca/index.php/the-collections/the-contacts-collections

April #SpringForLunch with I Love Local HFX

We're proud to be members of I Love Local HFX, being an active part of this great community of local businesses has helped us make many good business friends since we opened.  I Love Local HXF brings awareness of the best local businesses in our city to a large audience and also inspires the businesses to think of different ways to think collaboratively so that we all benefit from having a diverse and thriving business community.

This winter has been a harsh one and I Love Local recognised that and the feeling that we all need to get out and about, shake off those winter blues and enjoy what our fine city has to offer.  To encourage us to do that, they're turning April into #SpringForLocal month!  Throughout the entire month lots of different businesses and restaurants will be providing customers and guests with specials and promotions to get folks out from behind their desks and exploring the wonderful businesses within the city.

If you take part in this city wide promotion, you may even be lucky enough to have your lunch paid for you!  You could also pay it forward, when was the last time that you sprung for a co-worker's or a friend's lunch?

To help really enjoy the opportunity to #SpringForLunch we've teamed up with our pals down on Barrington Street, 2 Doors Down.

At Ocean, what we do really well can be summed up in three phrases:

• Eye Examinations
• Fine Eyewear
• Contact Lenses

So during April, if you partake in any of these fine offerings from ourselves, you will be automatically entered in to one of four draws for a $50 gift card for 2 Doors Down.  If you're one of the lucky winners, we'll #SpringForLunch for you!

We'd like to thank 2 Doors Down and I Love Local HFX for their support of what we do!

NB - only one entry per person for the whole month and there are no alternatives or substitutions available.