by Marcey Klein BS, CNC
Our eyes are so crucial and important, usually working overtime to meet our needs, yet we abuse and neglect them all too often. They need to be exercised, nourished, and loved for all the work they do for us.
The eyes need to be exercised like the rest of the body to enhance and strengthen peripheral vision. I have recently started doing eye exercises every day and have noticed benefits. With your eyes open, do three sets of figure eights in one direction, switch directions, then continue with zig zags, up and downs, and left to rights. I find that this really helps relieve eye strain and eye headaches. Another great exercise is to focus on something nearby, then look at something in the distance, and keep focusing on things further and further away.
Excellent nutrition is incredibly important for eye health. Vitamin A plays an important part in the health of the rods, which oversee night vision. It’s really important for us to eat carotenoids, which the body converts to vitamin A. The foods to enjoy are pretty and vibrant, rich in pigments like red, orange, yellow, and green: Cantaloupe, sweet potatoes, squash, dark leafy greens, carrots, tomatoes, apricots, and pumpkin. When you cook the vegetables and put high quality oil on them, it actually helps with absorption, because beta carotene is fat soluble.
Vitamin C is a crucial antioxidant for eye health and for preventing cataracts. I like to take
1000 mg per day with bioflavonoids, which increase absorption as a health insurance policy. Vitamin C is also important in cardiovascular health, cancer prevention, and skin health. Foods that are rich in this nutrient include raspberries, citrus, red peppers, broccoli, strawberries, grapefruit, and kale.
And hydration is super important in eye health to keep our tears nice and fluid. Tears are necessary for lubricating the eyes, keeping our vision clear, and washing away debris, which can cause eye infections. We need to drink eight, 8-oz glasses a day, or half our weight in ounces a day. What I do is drink a nice big glass of water upon waking, then I keep a water bottle with me at all times, which I refill with purified water (no tap water please!). The more water you drink, the more you will want to drink, your body will crave it. If you want to make your water taste delicious so you will drink more, just throw in a tea bag that will give it a slightly sweet or fruity flavor.
Good oils are important for our eyes, especially DHA from cold water fatty fish. DHA is a major structural and functional fat for eye health. You can receive enough of this fat from eating three sardines a day, by eating fatty fish like salmon, cod, mackerel, and herring, or by taking a
1000 mg supplement a day. I also take a tablespoon of flax oil daily, some coconut oil, and vitamin E. In my book, the more oils we have the better, because our cell membranes are made up of fats, the brain is mostly comprised of fat, we need fats to absorb fat soluble vitamins, and fats regulate hormones.
Antioxidants help keep the fragile components in the eye operating properly, and also help keep blood sugar in a normal range. Excess sugars in the blood can cause damage to the fragile capillaries in the eyes. So watch the intake of refined sugars from sodas, pastries, alcohol, and desserts. We also want to keep free radicals in check. Smoking is the worst offender; acetaminophen is another by decreasing the most potent antioxidant in the body, glutathione, which can leave our eyes susceptible.
Healthy eating and supportive supplementing help take care of our wonderful peepers, windows to the soul. Please come in to Wild Roots if you have any further questions, or would like to check out supplements and foods to support your eye. Thank you and be well!