Thoughtful Thursday…Natural ways to maximize eye health...
Welcome to Thoughtful Thursday. This GreenNote Fitness newsletter mindfully gathers and distills useful information that is supportive to our journey. It is my mission to educate, inspire, and propel you into action that moves you towards your goals and life of purpose. Take control of your journey today.
It happened. I was trying to read a label. In small print. My husband watched as I brought the food label closer then further away in desperation to find that optimal distance that my eyes would be able to adjust to the fine print. “You need to get a pair of cheaters”, he said. Ugh…dreaded words. Those half-lensed glasses that librarians would wear, complete with a chain to wear them around your neck when not in use? How could this be? I need to wear cheaters to read? This got me thinking about the health of my eyes. There is much attention paid with books, fitness programs, videos, conferences, on how to take care of your body however, how much attention do way pay to our eyes? Obviously a very important part. Am I taking the best care of my eyes as I can? In short, no…not yet. So I did some research and am sharing with you some natural ways I’m taking care of the peepers. Let’s do this! Technology World Mindfulness - Perhaps one of the biggest threats to eye health is the daily strain of staring at a computer screen, phone, and tablet. Have you ever gotten headaches, eye strain, or even brain fog after being on a computer all day or even after a few hours? Those screens can increase the risk of nearsightedness or myopia. The technical term is Computer Vision Syndrome. Here are few tips that can help ease the strain of live in a high tech world.
Eye breaks - Think 20-20-20 rule; every 20 minutes look 20 feet away from the screen for 20 seconds
Dimming the brightness on screens - I’ve adjusted the screen on my phone to make it less bright; especially useful for later in the day
Blue-light blocking glasses - There are glasses you can get that reduces glare and filters out blue light from our devices. I have not purchased these yet (if I worked in an office all I would getting a pair right away). Some brands include Gunnar and LowBlueLights
Train the eyes - Just like we train other muscles in the body, we can train the small muscles in the eyes. This is a whole other conversation that we will continue. Stay tuned...
Power Food - Nothing too earth-shattering here; the food we eat affects our health. There are some that are particularly good for the eyes. They contain high amounts of carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin. Both have been linked to a lower risk of cataracts and advanced macular degeneration. I already consume these but it’s good to know how it’s helping my eyes; it makes me more mindful of the importance of getting these into my daily diet.
Green leafy vegetables i.e. kale and spinach
Carrots
Sweet potatoes / yams
Eggs
Blueberries
Alaskan salmon
Supplements - There is a time and place to be taking supplements. Through a proper diet I try to get as much nutrients as I can. Sometimes though we need a little help from our supplement friends.
Astaxanthin - A very powerful antioxidant. It can help prevent retinal damage, cataracts, age-related macular degeneration. Wild-caught Alaskan salmon is a good source of this but it may be difficult to eat enough of it. A good one-two punch combo is to have both salmon and Astaxanthin. I’ve been using this supplement daily
Resveratrol - Can help with anti-aging and free radicals that can cause eye damage. Can be found in grapes and blueberries as well
Magnesium - Relaxes blood vessel walls around the eyes
Essential oils - Not in the eyes but placed around your cheek muscles has been shown to improve circulation, eye sight, and vision. A few essential oils include Frankincense, Cypress, Helichrysum. I have Frankincense and will mix a couple of drops with coconut oil to gentley massage around the eye area
Nothing can bring awareness to something faster than if we loose what we were once able to do easily. Not being able to read a label has propelled me into making eye health a priority. As I alluded to above, we can train the eyes. This is super interesting and results can be amazing. Stay tuned as we will delve deeper into that subject. Enjoy your journey, Lisa Schaffer GreenNote Fitness You wouldn’t happen to know just one person that would benefit from this information? Please forward it to them! Did you miss last week’s newsletter on Human skills for longevity …? P.S. Check out my Facebook page for inspiration. P.P.S. Discover GreenNote Fitness recommendations for books, podcasts, and more on body, mind, and spirit.
