Dessert for breakfast? Yes, please! These fewer than 10 ingredient protein cookies are healthy enough to eat for breakfast. Alternatively, they work well as a snack, or healthy dessert. Feel free to eat the entire batch in one sitting because I certainly do. Also, pay close attention on how to protect your eyes from damage for the upcoming solar eclipse next week. This gives you plenty of time to prepare for this potential once in a lifetime event.

I had planned on having today’s post be on heat stroke to follow up my last post on heat exhaustion. However, I thought it more prudent to cover solar retinopathy since there is a solar eclipse coming next week on August 21st.

So, the post on heat stroke will be postponed, because I want to make sure you guys have some information on a very relevant topic in light of the upcoming eclipse.

What is it?

Solar retinopathy basically is a fancy word for damage to the back of your eye (the retina) by very bright and intense light. I am sure you have been told before not to look directly at the sun. This is the reason. Many people, however, ignore this warning during an eclipse and come down with this problem afterwards.

Who is at risk?

1. Those who choose to look directly at the sun, or are exposed to very bright and intense light (ex: welders, laser pointers)
2. Those more at risk include those who are younger in age (aka those who have clear lenses and do not have a cataract impeding the light penetration)
3. People who are on medications that make you more sensitive to sunlight (ex: tetracycline, doxycycline)

Signs and Symptoms

Problems with vision generally start within hours of the light exposure. These can include:

-most commonly: blurry vision/decreased vision,and/or a central blind spot in one or both eyes.

-there may also be changes in color vision, headaches and other vision distortions

-Depending on the amount of damage, changes may or may not be able to be visualized by your eye doctor. There is additional testing that can be done if the diagnosis is uncertain, though

Treatment

THIS IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE THERE IS NO KNOWN EFFECTIVE TREATMENT. All you can do is observe and hope for recovery.

Prognosis

-Variable

-If recovery is to happen, most of it occurs within the first 1-6 months after the initial insult

-Most, but not all patients recover some, or all of their vision

-Some patients however may have permanent vision loss and blind spots right in the center of their vision, which is why prevention is key.

Stay safe during the eclipse

-The only time it is safe to look at the sun is during the total eclipse which is expected to last for less than 3 minutes. (Only certain areas will be privy to view the total eclipse, many areas will only have partial eclipse/shadows and this is NOT safe to look at)

-If you truly want to view the eclipse you must protect yourself with special solar glasses. Your typical sunglasses, even the darkest ones will NOT protect your eyes adequately.

-If you want special viewing, or want to take pictures you must use the special, certified glasses and special lenses for your camera/phone etc.

-Here is a link put out by the American Astronomical Society of reputable vendors for these solar glasses and filters. There are fake glasses out there being sold, make sure yours are on the approved list!

In summary, stay safe while watching this potential once in a lifetime event. Wear certified glasses and have special filters for your camera/phones etc while viewing. Pay special attention to children trying to view the eclipse.

REMEMBER PERMANENT VISION LOSS OR BLINDNESS COULD RESULT FROM LOOKING DIRECTLY AT THE SUN EVEN IF IT IS PARTIALLY OBSCURED BY THE MOON SO PLEASE BE VERY CAREFUL AND VERY MINDFUL OF THIS IF YOU CHOOSE TO VIEW THE ECLIPSE.

While you think about solar retinopathy, chew on this new recipe! These cookies are healthy enough for breakfast and only require 7 ingredients and less than 10 minutes!

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Chococherry Almond &Apricot Protein Breakfast Cookies [Clean, GF, Vegan]

Prep Time 3 minutes

Cook Time 7 minutes

Total Time 10 minutes

Author AZ@...And A Dash of Cinnamon

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup old fashioned oatmeal ground
• ~1/2 T almonds crushed
• 2 dried apricots
• 1 T dried cherries
• few dashes cinnamon
• 1/2 scoop chocolate protein powder
• 1/2 t baking powder
• water/liquid of choice

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease a cookie sheet

2. Pulse your oats in a food processor until ground into flour and place into a bowl. Mix in your protein powder, baking powder, and cinnamon.

3. Crush your almonds and cut up your apricots and/or dried cherries. Add these to the dry bowl unless you want to top each cookie individually. 

4. Add liquid until desired consistency is achieved*

5. Spoon out cookies onto sheet (top with toppings if kept separate)

6. Bake for ~7 minutes or until cooked through

7. Cool on a cooling rack, eat and enjoy! Keep leftovers in airtight container

Recipe Notes

More liquid results in more, but thinner cookies. You want the mixture to at least be thick enough not to run all over the cookie sheet.

Less liquid=thicker but fewer cookies

I link up with Deborah and Sarah’s, and  the fit foodie mama’s Meatless Monday, #recipeoftheweek,Homestead Blog Hop, glutenfreefridays,  #healthyveganfridays,  What’s for Dinner, Sunday Fitness and Food, GraciousPantry, Kriska Marie