Nutrition for eyes

They say mothers know best, and when it comes to eating your
vegetables, well, she was right!

"Eat your carrots, they're good for your eyes," my mother used to
tell me. As a child, I didn't realize how true this statement was.

We all know proper nutrition and diet are key elements in
maintaining a healthy body. But did you know that certain
nutrients can actually reduce your likelihood of becoming
blind through eye diseases such as glaucoma, cataracts, and
macular degeneration?

Research also indicates that low levels of certain nutrients in
your body can affect your everyday visual clarity, especially
your night vision.

For example, whether she knew it or not, there was a reason your
mother used to pile those carrots on your plate. Carrots contain
a carotenoid called beta-carotene. Your body converts
beta-carotene into vitamin A, which is an anti-oxidant.
Anti-oxidants such as vitamin A are essential to eye health.

*Carotenoids are pigments in plants that provide red and yellow
color.
*Beta-carotene is a carotenoid. It is contained in carrots and
other food sources. The body converts beta-carotene into vitamin
A.
*Vitamin A is an anti-oxidant that is very important to the
health of the eyes.
*An antioxidant is any substance that prevents or impedes cell
oxidation (destruction) by free radicals.

Vitamin A:

*helps your eyes adjust to light changes
*moistens the eyes, which can enhance visual acuity
*has been shown to prevent the forming of cataracts
*has been shown to help prevent blindness from macular
degeneration-the leading cause of blindness in the world

There are actually 17 different nutrients that are essential
in ensuring your vision is operating at 100%.

Why your Vision gets Worst at Night

If you need a nightlight to find your way to the kitchen for a
midnight snack, or have difficulty seeing while driving in the
evening, you may be suffering from a condition known as "night
blindness."

Unlike animals, human vision is generally not as keen at night.
Cats, for instance, see well at night because they have more rods
than cones in their retinas, unlike humans. (Rods are the
receptors that the eye uses for nighttime vision.)

It is estimated that most people take about 20 minutes to see
adequately in the dark. This time allows your eyes to adjust
from the brightness of daylight or indoor lights. As the light
dims, your pupils dilate (grow larger) to take in more light.

But your dilated pupils reduce your ability to change your focus
between near and far objects, so if you are driving, say, you may
be "blinded" by streetlights and oncoming headlights. Your pupils
constrict to block out the lights, but once those have passed,
they must dilate to readjust to the dark, making it difficult to
see the road.

Unlike a cat's, human pupils simply can't adjust
fast enough to keep up with the cycle of light and dark.

One of the most common causes of night blindness is deterioration
due to age. In the natural aging process, the eye lens becomes
less clear and grows cloudy over time, making it difficult to see
in dim light. It is estimated that seniors need up to 50% more
light to see clearly.

Another general cause is uncorrected myopia, or nearsightedness.
Even with vision correction, nearsighted people may find their
nearsightedness is exacerbated when their pupils dilate at night.

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Essential Tip #1
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Vitamin A supplements are often recommended for those with poor
night vision, along with a diet emphasizing Vitamin A-rich foods,
such as sweet potatoes, carrots, mangoes, spinach and cantaloupe.

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Essential Tip #2
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Bilberry is also thought to improve night vision. A close relative
of the blueberry, bilberry is high in a certain type of
bioflavonoid that speeds the regeneration of rhodopsin, the purple
pigment used by the eyes' rods.

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Essential Tip #3
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Keep your car windshield and car windows clean-inside and out.
Having dirt and debris on your windshield makes it harder to see
and exacerbate glare, especially at night.

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Essential Tip #4
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The exercises in the Rebuild Your Vision program combat both aging
vision and nearsightedness, thus helping with the root causes of
night blindness.

And when you get the Rebuild Your Vision Program you will also
receive a complimentary bottle of my 'Ocu-Plus Formula' which is a
proprietary blend of 17 nutrients, all in one vitamin, that
are essential in ensuring your eyes are operating at 100%.

To your vision -- for life,

Orlin Sorensen

How to Maintain Youthful Looking Eyes

Aside from being the window of your soul, the eye (or at least the patch of skin surrounding it) is also a good indicator of skin aging. Since the area around the eyes is the most sensitive part of your face, even the slightest tugging or rubbing could damage it permanently and cause the formation of wrinkles.

If you are interested in maintaining your youthful glow and beautiful skin, you should also take utmost care of your eyes. No matter how soft and supple the skin on your face is, you will still look old, stressed out or haggard if you do not take care of your eyes and the areas surrounding it.

The lack of oil glands on the skin surrounding your eyes is the main reason why this area is quite susceptible to aging. Because of this, your eyelids and the skin under the eyes are prone to damage caused by environmental toxins, harmful UV rays and pollution. Dehydration is another reason why crow's feet and eye wrinkles develop.

If you want to look young forever, it is important that you do not forget to allocate some of your time to care for your eyes. It is also crucial that you know how to properly nurture and tend to this delicate area. Here are some tips that you need to remember on how to correctly care for your eyes:

Handle Your Eyes With Care

You need to treat the area surrounding your eyes gently. Constant rubbing, tugging (a lot of women do this when they apply eyeliner), stretching and mishandling can be the reason for the formation of the fine lines you are worrying about. Remember that as you age, your skin loses elasticity and manufactures less collagen. When this happens, your eyes will surely sag and droop, especially if you are fund of pulling your skin and rubbing it.

Shield Your Eyes From The Sun

As mentioned earlier, UV rays from the sun can be harmful to your skin because it contributes to loss of elasticity and damages collagen fibers. So what do you need to do to protect your eyes from the sun? Always wear sunglasses with UV protection every time you go out during the day. Refrain from going outdoors from 10AM to 3PM, when the sun is at its brightest. Lastly, look for a sunscreen that is formulated for the sensitive skin around your eyes.

Quit Smoking

Just like sun damage, smoking is bad not only in the area all over your eyes, but also for your entire skin, not to mention your health. Smokers usually have wrinkles, even when they are young, because this habit causes the blood vessels underneath the skin to constrict or narrow. Since smokers squint more, probably because of the fumes they emit, they also have the tendency to have crow's feet on their eyes and wrinkles around their lips.

Clean Before You Sleep

Unless you are stuck inside your room and virtually impervious to pollution and dirt, then you need to clean your face and eyes before you go to sleep. This is especially true if you love eye makeup. By the way, don't just use any type of soap. What you need is a makeup remover that is specially designed for your eyes. Gentle cleansers are also recommended. Those facial scrubs with beads may not be good for your eyes.

Always Moisturize

Even before you reach the age of 30, an eye cream should already be a part of your anti-aging arsenal. The skin surrounding your eyes need all the help it can get in order to keep the area hydrated, smooth, and wrinkle free. Moreover, you also need to find an eye cream, such as Eyevive, that is also effective in banishing discoloration or eye bags because these problems can really make you look older than you really are.

What Exactly is 20/20 Vision?

Herman Snellen, a Dutch ophthalmologist, designed the first eye
chart, which measures visual acuity. Referred to as the Snellen
Chart, it was developed in 1862 and is still used today.

He set the baseline of measurement at 20 feet, the approximate
distance at which light rays entering the eye are parallel
and do not require our eyes to bend the rays to focus them
upon the retina.

Snellen set the standard of 20/20 vision to represent "normal
sight," or what a person with normal vision could see at a
distance of 20 feet.

This means that a person with 20/40 vision must be 20 feet away
to read what he or she should be able to read at 40 feet; a
person with 20/85 vision must be 20 feet away to read what he
or she should be able to read at 85 feet away, and so on.

This standard does not measure visual acuity at close distances.
Similar charts were devised with smaller letters to read at
close range for the measurement of near vision.

How Computer Damage Your Vision

Over 175 million Americans use a computer either on the job or
at home. Nearly 75% of these people report vision problems as
a result of their computer use.

Are you one them?

Dry and irritated eyes, difficulty focusing, headaches, backaches,
neck strain, and double vision are just a few of the symptoms
caused by computer use.

Collectively, these symptoms are known as "Computer Vision
Syndrome," which the American Optometric Association (AOA)
defines as being "related to near work - experienced during
computer use."

You might recognize that phrase "near work" from an earlier
lesson. Computer use causes near-point stress-reported by
the AOA as one of the leading causes of nearsightedness
and its progression.

How does the computer hurt your eyes?

Human eyes were not made to look at a computer screen. The screen
you are viewing right now is actually made up of thousands of
pixels. Pixels are, essentially, colored dots that make up the
image you see or the text you read. The more pixels on your screen
for a given image, the clearer the image will appear.

But your eyes cannot focus directly on each of these thousands of
pixels. Instead, you have to focus over and over to keep the
images sharp-which causes strain and tension in your eyes.

Computer screens have also been shown to reduce blink rates by
up to five times! This is why your eyes feel dry and irritated
after staring at the screen.

Think of blinking like breathing: you can't do without it. Reduced
blinking could be said to be the asthma of the eyes.

So, short of quitting your job, what can you do about Computer
Vision Syndrome?

In the long term, following the Rebuild Your Vision program will help
you combat the deterioration caused by the near-point stress of
computer use.

And in the short term, here are some tips your eyes will
appreciate.

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Essential Tip #1: Monitor Your Monitor
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Repositioning your monitor is an easy and effective way to avoid
awkward head or eye movements. It should be squarely in front of
you at a distance of 18 to 28 inches, with the top of the monitor
(not the screen) level with your eyes.

You may also have to adjust the angle of your monitor to allow
your eyes to remain in a natural position (straight ahead and
slightly down).

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Essential Tip #2: Glare Care
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Modifying your office lighting will eliminate glare and harsh
reflections. First, find the source of the glare: is it coming
from a window, task light, or the computer screen itself?

Adjust blinds or curtains to minimize sunlight. Turn down
overhead lights so that the brightness of the screen and the
surrounding room are balanced. Task lights should be positioned
to provide direct light for reading and other office work but
should not shine directly on the computer.

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Essential Tip #3: Take a Break-the "10-10-10" Rule
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It's easy to lose track of time at the computer. So you need to
learn how to take a break. Here's how:

Every time you are performing close vision work for over 10
consecutive minutes, look up and focus on anything that is
at least 10 feet away, for at least 10 seconds.

The best way to incorporate the 10-10-10 rule while at your
computer is by using our Vision Defense Software, included
as a bonus with the Rebuild Your Vision Program.

This simple rule helps to prevent the damaging effects of
near-point stress and could literally save your eyesight! (And a
computer break is a perfect excuse to perform your Rebuild Your
Vision eye exercises.)

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Essential Tip #4: Some Folks Have Special Needs
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Seniors should take extra care arranging their work stations. The
AOA notes that workers over 50 years of age require twice the
light levels of younger adults for comfortable work.

By the same token, very often small children share the same
computer as their parents, a situation that can lead to injury,
as monitor distance and position have been set up to accommodate
the adults.

To your vision -- for life,

Orlin Sorensen

Afew easy moves

A few easy moves to uncork a stuffy dome

You wake up with an aching head. You’d love to lie in Corpse pose for the next century, but you’ve got to get the kids to school, the dog to the vet, and yourself to work. To make it through the day, use this sequence from MaryKate Bronder, a Kripalu yoga instructor at Healthtime Fitness in North Reading, Massachusetts. Since it relieves sinus pressure, use this move for allergies, infections, and tension headaches, too.

The Fix: Kneeling Yoga Mudra
Sitting on heels with back straight, clasp hands together and press shoulder blades down and back. Keep arms straight (but not locked) while pressing toward the floor. To avoid arching the back, bring the belly button toward the spine. Lift the top of your chest and lengthen the spine pressing up through the crown of the head (keep chin level with the floor).

Holding the core strong, bend forward at the waist until forehead is on the floor in front of knees. Reach arms overhead and toward the wall in front of you. Gently send body weight forward, curling neck and spine so weight rests gently on the crown. Roll back and forth, slowly and gently, from forehead to crown. This rolling stimulates pressure points on the skull, which relieves congestion. (Make sure you’ve got tissues nearby since it will release mucous, especially in your sinuses). Continue rolling 10 times or for as long as it feels good. If you do more, take a breath between sets of 10.

To come up, reach arms toward the wall behind you, keeping back straight, and slowly return to starting position (kneeling and sitting back on heels). Release arms by the sides of your body and relax.

HEART

This heart-opening sequence beats the blahs

We don’t usually take life lessons from Jon Bon Jovi, but he was onto some yogic philosophy with his song “It’s My Life”—where he sings that the key to happiness is a heart “like an open highway.” Studies show that sudden emotional stress can release hormones that prevent the heart from pumping normally. Even watching a sad movie can reduce arterial blood flow, according to a study reported recently in the journal Heart.

“The heart is a vulnerable space,” says Kimberly Wilson, author of Hip, Tranquil Chick: A Guide to Life On and Off the Yoga Mat. “Heart-openers and backbends help expand the heart center and help you exude confidence and grace.” Backbends open the chest and lungs to ease breathing, reduce stress, release tension held in your tissues, and improve your posture. So the next time you need to kick the bad-day blues, try this sequence of heart-openers from Wilson’s book.

Here’s how:

1. Begin in Child’s pose with big toes together and knees open. Drop belly and chest in between knees. Soften your breath with a few deep inhales and exhales.
2. Slowly slide along the floor into Cobra pose. Lift through the heart, soften the shoulders, and take deep, slow breaths.
3. Pull hips up and back to Downward Dog.
4. Pivot left heel down and in, step right foot toward hands, and lift arms along the ears to Warrior I.
5. Lower left arm to left leg. Lift right arm alongside right ear in Reverse Warrior.
6. Windmill your arms down to the ground and lower body into a lunge, then step right leg back to meet left foot in Down Dog.
7. Repeat steps 4–6 on right side.
8. Drop knees and lower to Child’s pose. Take 10 deep breaths. Fill the back of your body with breath.
9. Roll up to a seated pose, drop hips to the left, extend legs straight out, and roll down onto your back. Bend knees, draw heels up toward bum so you can brush heels with the tips of your fingers. Inhale and lift hips up. Roll onto shoulders, and interlace hands underneath body for Bridge pose.
10. End in a supported pose on your back with a folded blanket under the length of the spine to help arch the upper and middle back, and lengthen the lower back.

Give your eyes a Workout

Give your eyes a workout with this pair of socket soothers

Sometimes we don’t even notice how long we’ve been staring at our computer screens. It’s like watching a reality dating show—you just can’t pull your eyes away from the action. But your eyes are just like your shoulders or neck, and they’ll tire just as easily. “Doing exercises for your eyes is like doing hip openers after sitting all day,” says Karin Wiedemann of Urban Yoga in Washington, D.C. When we do look around we tend to move our entire heads instead of just moving our eyes. Use these techniques to pump up your orbs (figuratively speaking, of course), whether you’re already feeling some strain or to fight off soreness.

Eye Warming
Sitting in a chair, rub your hands together to create heat in your palms. Close your eyes and cup your palms over your eyes. This blocks out light and allows your eyes to absorb the heat from your hands. Hold for 10 deep breaths, in and out, and repeat as necessary.

Eye-ercize
Stay in your chair, and don’t move your head as you: Look up to the ceiling, then look to your right, then down to the floor, then over to the left, and back up to the ceiling. Repeat 5 times and then reverse direction for 5 more rounds.

Stimulate the brain for better recall

Stimulate the brain for better recall

“Those keys have to be somewhere around here!” “Is my anniversary the 28th or 29th?”

It’s hard enough to remember every #!*$#! computer password, let alone your mother-in-law’s birthday. To increase your capacity for instant recall, Arden Sundari Pierce, a structural yoga therapist based in western Massachusetts, recommends a pose that stimulates the brain to ramp up. "This yoga nidra (sleepless sleep), a breathing and visualization technique, energizes the brain," Pierce says. Here’s how to do it.

Lie down comfortably. Relax your body and mind completely. Then imagine you are smelling a beautiful flower. Gently bring the scent into your nostrils. On the inhalation, visualize the breath like an aromatic fog coming in through your nostrils, eyes, and ears, nourishing your mind. Pause after the inhale; hold the awareness of the breath at your "third eye" area (about 1 inch above the eyebrow line in the mid-forehead). Imagine a ball of light resting there. As you exhale gently, the breath moves out through the same sense doorways. Repeat this for 10 breaths, then relax and observe the effects of the breathing.

BRAIN PAIN

Four ways to banish nagging headaches

The Yoga Headache Rx

1. Warm your hands by rubbing them together. Press the heels of your hands on your temples so your fingers point up. Breathe deeply 3 to 5 times. Then use your fingers to massage around your eyes, temples, jaw, and sides of your neck while breathing evenly.

2. Warm your hands again and hold the sides of your neck lightly. Gently move your neck, from side to side, then looking gently down, side to side and ear to shoulder. Holding your neck alleviates compression of the cervical spine.

3. Roll your shoulders in slow circles 4 times, first forward, then backward. Sit on a hard chair, put your hands behind you, and grasp the chair back as high as you can. Take 3 to 5 slow breaths to open your chest and neck and loosen the soft tissue in your upper back to increase blood flow to the area.

Cure poor Eyesight

Cure Poor Eyesight
By: Karl Ross

People tend to think that better eyesight always relate to eye surgery or glasses. Eye surgery is very risky and could lead to irreversible damage. Glasses maintains vision problem and do nothing in order to cure it. Yet, there are healthy natural treatments which cure poor eyesight symptoms. The only problem is that these methods are being hidden and disregarded by doctors and optometrists who wish people will continue to buy glasses and risk their eyes with laser eye surgeries. It is better to avoid the risks and try these basic simple exercises first. They could improve your eye vision dramatically.

Eye chart
Its purpose is to exercise the eye to a healthy behavior of shifting instead of central fixation. Hang the eye chart and move to a distance where you can read the first 4 lines. Look at the first letter carefully close your eyes and try to visualize it in your imagination. Try to create a clear picture of it. Instead of static letter try imagining it slowly swinging. Repeat this with the rest of the letters in the four first lines you can read.

Covering
This is a very important exercise. People think that their eyes rest when they sleep. Actually, on the dreaming stage they keep moving and work as if the person is a wake.
Therefore, proper resting is crucial. For best performance you need a quite and comfortable place like your favorite couch. Cover your eyes with your hands, and try to feel as pleasant as you can. Listen to the music you like best, or try to imagine your favorite view. The eyes need about 10-15 minutes to reach full relaxation, the longer the better. It is recommended, to perform it daily for 15 minutes or a few times a day for 5 minutes.

Reading
Reading is a very important task for the eyes as it is performed on daily basis. It is important to adjust natural way of reading which will reduce eye tension and will educate the eyes for better, healthy vision habits. Healthy eyes read a sentence by focusing on each letter and then moving to the next one. A tensed eye will jump from word to word and will try to read the complete sentence in a few eye glances. Reading large areas instead of focusing on central vision, letter by letter, lead to increased eye tension. It is best to move slowly from letter to letter as a practice. At the end of each page focus on a point a few meters a way. This will ease the tension on the eyes from the reading.

Tiny writing
This exercise requires the eye to use its central vision. The eyes and the mind should be very relaxed to avoid over pressure on the eye when reading the tiny writing. Get text and print it from and word processor in size 4 or 3. It should be black text on a white paper. Hold it against your eyes and read it in a slow and relaxed mode. Make sure you keep blinking often and look at a distanced point once in a while.

Physical exercises
It is important to understand that the aim of these exercises is to make eyes muscles more elastic and avoid tension. First try to feel your eyes: are they tensed? If so try to feel exactly where, and relax that area. Look at an object not far from you, and move your eyes: ten times up and down and ten times left to right, then in circles for 5 times. Take a piece of paper with a dot at its top edge. Bring it as close as 5 CM from your nose and then move it away as far as you can. Concentrate on the dot all time, do it for about tem times. Hold the piece of paper close to your nose, look at for a few seconds and then look at a distant point for a few seconds. Again do it for ten times.

EYE

First Aid for Eye Injuries Print Email
Specks in the Eye
Do not rub the eye.
Use an eye wash, flush eye copiously.
See a doctor if speck does not wash out, pain or redness continues.
Cuts, Punctures, Objects Stuck in the Eye
Do not wash out the eye.
Do not try to remove an object stuck in the eye.
Stabilize eye with a rigid shield without pressure such as with the bottom half of a paper cup.
See a doctor at once.
Chemical Burns
Immediately flush eye with water or any drinkable liquid. Open the eye as wide as possible. Continue flushing for at least 15 minutes. For caustic or basic solutions continue flushing while in route to doctor.
If a contact lens is in the eye, begin flushing over the lens immediately. Flushing may dislodge the lens.
See a doctor at once.
Blows to the Eye
Apply cold compress without pressure.
Crushed ice in a plastic bag can be taped to the forehead to rest gently on the injured eye.
See a doctor at once in cases of continued pain, reduced vision, blood in eye or discoloration which can mean internal eye damage.