Slow Down the Aging of Your Eyes Naturally (written for Vision Without Glasses)
Perhaps you already seek out natural solutions to health conditions first. Do you know that there are natural solutions available to you to help improve your vision?
First, you can help your eyes by reducing your "staring at one thing" time. Catch yourself staring at the television, at your computer, at your up-close work; you may notice increased headaches from such activity, blurring, and a bothersome burning sensation around your eyes. While wearing glasses or contacts does correct your vision, it does not strengthen your eye muscles at all; in fact, wearing glasses or contacts could be making your eyes muscles weak and lazy.
A better solution and goal is to exercise your eyes by moving them around and purposefully choosing to focus on many different things throughout your day. Eye muscles, like any muscles in your body, respond well to exercise and then rest. Dr. Bates (from the 1890s) developed relaxation and exercise techniques that are still highly respected today and deliver results. You can seek out the "Bates Method" of exercises to prevent or improve near- or far-sightedness, macular degeneration, aging eyes, troubles due to eyestrain, glaucoma, and cataracts.
Some of the "Bates Method" exercises include "palming," "blinking rapidly," and "zooming." Palming, for example, involves resting your eyes in the palms of your hands for darkness and relaxation. Blinking rapidly improves the lubrication to the eyes and also cleanses them each time you blink.
Along with exercise and rest, your eyes will benefit from a diet rich in vitamins A, C, and E. Also, zinc and selenium are helpful minerals for your eye health. While you cannot stop the clock, you can through diet and exercise slow down the aging process that your eyes will go through and maintain your best possible eyesight for a longer period of time.
Exercise and Nutrition Benefit Your Eyes
Many people do not understand that eye exercises can actually improve their vision. If you suffer from poor vision, you really can improve your situation by exercising your eyes. With consistent effort, you can make a difference. The exercises are extremely easy to perform. Mostly, they involve moving your eyes around and focusing them in different directions-rather than allowing them to remain in one position for hours. While reading this article, you could take a break to do an eye exercise that will improve your vision. Sit with good posture in a comfortable chair. Relax your eyes and yourself in general. First look forward, then up, and then slowly focus your eyes in a clockwise circle about five times. Take a short break, and then repeat the exercise in a counter-clockwise circle. By doing this, you will keep your eye muscles from getting tight and stiff.
In addition to exercising your eyes for optimal health, you can also feed yourself good nutrition. While eyesight does typically worsen with age, making good nutrition choices along the way can help slow down this natural progression.
Specifically, antioxidants protect the eyes and the damage that can be done by oxidation and exposure to light and the environment in general. If eyes suffer from oxidation, they will start to show protein clumps, which can lead to cataracts. Eat fruits and vegetables to curb this potential future deterioration: foods rich in Vitamin C, Vitamin A, Vitamin E, and carotenoid.
Vitamin C specifically helps prevent cataracts and slows the progression of macular degeneration. Vitamin C also reduces the effects of glaucoma. Thus, look for citrus fruits, and broccoli, spinach, tomatoes, and green leafy veggies. Vitamin E also helps to reduce the chances of developing cataracts and macular degeneration. Look for whole grains, sunflower seeds, almonds, and egg yolks. Vitamin A specifically lowers the changes of developing both cataracts and night blindness. It can also improve a person's night vision. Look for carrots, sweet potatoes, cantaloupe, milk, and mozzarella cheese.
Carotenoids color plants, flowers, and fruits yellow, orange, and red. Carotenoid is a pigment that fights against cataracts by fighting against the oxidizing blue light. Look for carrots, red peppers, and salmon. Omega-3 fatty acids are known to be essential for overall health. In regards to eye health, omega-3 fatty acids protect you from degenerative eye conditions. Look for salmon, soybeans, flaxseed, scallops, walnuts, raw tofu, and cooked soybeans.
Relax and Improve Your Eyesight
Mistakenly, many people think that there is only one solution to impaired vision: to correct it. Most people do not consider that there could be a natural cure available. Instead, they look to correct their vision with contacts, glasses, or Lasik surgery. These corrections are only a "fix," not a cure.
It is easy to strain your eyes these days. Staring at a computer, a television, a video game, a book, and straining to see something far away can all produce mental and physical strain on the eyes. In order to improve your eye health, you will first have to learn how to relax your eyes. Relaxing your eyes is very simple and only requires a conscious effort. Try the following five exercises for relaxation:
" Blink. Blink every three to four seconds for about two minutes.
" Palming. Place your elbows on a desk, and palm your hands over your closed eyes. Do not apply any pressure anywhere; just simply relax in the dark for a few minutes.
" Figure eight. Imagine an "8" about ten feet in front of you, and then move your eyes through the figure "8" in one direction and then the other direction. Repeat this a few times.
" Near and far focusing. Hold out your extended thumb from your extended arm in front of you. Breathe deeply and stare at your thumb. Then, change your focus to something up close and focus on it for a while. Repeat.
" Zooming. Assume the above-mentioned position with your arm and thumb. Focus on your thumb from a distance, and slowly bring it in towards your face (about three inches away from your face). Then, slowly return your arm to its original position-all the while focusing on your thumb.
