Your eyes are the windows to your soul they say, and the way we can see the world, so it is important to care for them just like we do all the other organs in our body. Due to our obligations to the society and a fast paced world, where a lot of us are spending long hours on the computer screen or in front of a television, its important to make sure that your eyes are not strained by too much, and that you are working under adequate light.

In order to promote good eyesight, it is important for your diet to contain the proper amounts of vitamin A, B’s, C, and E; and the minerals selenium and zinc. Fresh fruits and vegetables are good sources of these vitamins and minerals; include plenty of these in your diet, especially dark colored and yellow-orange foods such as carrots, yams, peppers and cantaloupes. A well-balanced diet with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables can help keep your eyes healthy.

Another important consideration is the exposure to direct sunlight, which can be quite damaging for the delicate proteins of the eyes, causing cataracts. Hence its important to wear ultraviolet (UV) protective sunglasses that block both types of UV rays, UV-A and UV-B. This especially is true for children, and their sunglasses should be of a good quality to block out these rays.

Here are some simple tips for keeping your eyes healthy and strain – free:  

• Include vegetables that are full of beta-carotene in your diet these include the yellow-oranges vegetables such as carrots, peppers, pumpkin, squash and also foods that give your good amounts of vitamin E – such as seeds and nuts, avocado, walnut, sesame seeds and sunflower seeds.
• Drink fresh carrot juice – about a ½ a cup a day – its loaded with beta-carotene. This can help to prevent or alleviate some eye problems.
• Please eliminate sugar and white flour from your diet. Not only will you loose weight, but this action will also help your general overall well being.

• Do eye exercises that help with eye strain and stress – Focus on a point at a distance for a minute and then change the focus to a point up close for a minute, repeat this activity often during the day.
• Rub your palms briskly until they feel warm, close your eyes and cup your hands over your eyes, with your fingers pointing upward. Hold your hands over your eyes for a minute. This activity helps relax and refreshes your eyes as well.
• Try to avoid using any products that contain coal tar in and around your eyes. Avoid using hair dyes containing coal tar on the eyelashes or eyebrows; doing so can cause injury or blindness.
• Be careful when using any prescription or over-the-counter medications. Some may cause serious eye problems. Recreational drugs such as marijuana and antibiotics such as tetracycline and streptomycin can also cause disturbances in color distinction.
• Talk to your medical doctor if you notice vision deterioration or changes after starting drug therapy of any kind. Consult your health care provider if you develop any of the following conditions: change in pupil size; eye pain or pain on eye movement; impaired vision; intolerance to light; known exposure to gonorrhea or Chlamydia; or swelling, tenderness, or redness around the eyes.

By: Dr. Sushma Shah, Naturopathic Doctor.

Just as we try to maintain a healthy body, it is important to maintain the health of our window to our soul, our eyes. Without the health of our eyes, we are unable to see the sights around us, leaving us quite impaired, hence it is very important to take care of our eyes’ health just as we do the health of our body.

Nutrition for the eyes:

Like all other parts of the body, the eyes need to be nourished properly. Proper eye care includes a healthy diet containing sufficient amounts of vitamins and minerals. In order to promote good eyesight, you must make sure your diets contains the proper amounts of the B vitamins, vitamins A, C, and E and the minerals selenium and zinc.

Fresh fruits and vegetables are good sources of these vitamins and minerals; include plenty of these in your diet, especially yellow and yellow-orange foods such as carrots, yams, and cantaloupes. A well-balanced diet with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables can help keep your eyes healthy.

Physical health for the eyes:

Unfortunately for most of us, our daily work requires us to stare at computers for long hours, creating a lot of strain on the eyes, here its very important to make sure that the eyes are not strained by too much intense close work or inadequate light.

When you are outdoors, exposure to sunlight can be damaging. Make sure that you have your sunglasses on.
The recommendation is that people who must deal with prolonged exposure should wear ultraviolet (UV) protective sunglasses that block both types of UV rays, UV-A and UV-B.

UV-A is ultraviolet radiation with a wavelength of 320-400 nanometers. It passes right through the earth’s ozone layer. UV-B is ultraviolet radiation, the ozone layer absorbs most of this radiation, but a small amount gets through and can cause cataracts, pterygia (benign lesions that grow on either side of the cornea), and skin cancer. This especially is true for children, and their sunglasses should be as good or better than those of an adult. In other words, buy real sunglasses, not the kiddy models. Look for polycarbonate lenses, which are light, shatterproof, and optically sound.

Here are some recommendations for the health of your eyes:

• Include the following in your diet: broccoli, raw cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, green vegetables, squash, sunflower seeds, and watercress.
• Drink fresh carrot juice, which is very high in Vitamin A – the vitamin for the eyes. This can help to prevent or alleviate some eye problems and skin problems such as acne!
• Eliminate sugar and white flour from your diet, not only do they acidify your body, they also leach the body of essential nutrients.
• If your wear glasses, wear clear spectacles that have been treated to keep out ultraviolet rays. This will help protect against damage from ultraviolet exposure. Avoid wearing tinted eyeglasses for this purpose, especially on regular basis; dark glasses prevent from needed light from entering the eyes. The functioning of the pineal gland, which plays an important role in the regulation of metabolism, behavior, and psychological functions, is largely governed by sunlight.
• Never use hair dyes containing coal tar on the eyelashes or eyebrows; doing so can cause injury or blindness. Although coal tar dyes are legal, marketing them for the eyebrows and eyelashes is not.
• Be careful when using prescription or over-the-counter. Some may cause eye problems. Various drugs that can cause damage to the optic nerve, retina, or other vital parts of the eye as well, talk to your Medical Doctor to confirm if your medications may be affecting your eyes.
• Consult your health care provider or naturopathic doctor if you develop any of the following conditions: change in pupil size; eye pain or pain on eye movement; impaired vision; intolerance to light; known exposure to gonorrhea or Chlamydia; or swelling, tenderness, or redness around the eyes.
• If you have a baby or young child who exhibits any signs of eye infection. Have the child evaluated by your naturopath.
Adapted from the Prescription of Nutritional Healing

By: Sushma Shah, Naturopathic Doctor at the Nature’s Intentions Naturopathic Clinic