Wellness

Smoking damages the entire body, including the eyes. The Australian government has introduced harsh laws to discourage the addictive habit. Cigarette packaging is plain, featuring gruesome color photos and statements such as “Smoking Causes Blindness.” What are Australia’s anti-smoking laws, and will they work? How does smoking cause blindness?

Smokers have a significantly higher chance of developing heart disease, lung cancer, emphysema, macular degeneration, cataracts, and glaucoma. Smoking during
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What you eat directly affects your health and even your vision health.  Whether you get your food from your local grocer, your community’s farmer’s market, your local CSA, or your own garden, you can eat the foods that will best support healthy vision.

Fresh versus Store-Bought

The biggest issue between store-bought and fresh produce from your own garden or your local farmer’s market is that fresh fruits and vegetables have more nutritional value than store-bought, which are often picked a week or earlier before you buy them. Vegetables and fruit which are picked when they are fully ripe have the greatest nutritional value.  It is the ripening process which achieves full development of nutritional value.
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Growing your own is the very best option.  From the garden straight to the salad or the pan is the finest choice for flavor, nutrition, and satisfaction!  You may not have garden space or the inclination to garden, but you can accomplish a surprising amount in less space than you thought possible.  Don’t skip the essentials, below.

Micro-gardens

Micro gardens are designed for small urban spaces and are designed to be extremely productive, sustainable, affordable,
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Now, let’s learn about the foods that you can readily find not only at your grocery store, but in your farmer’s market or CSA and which you could also easily grow on your own.  These provide great support for your vision health.

Preparing your produce

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The links between antioxidants and vision health are strong. Antioxidants are the antidote to oxidization. Normal metabolism creates free radicals. These are atoms that lack an electron. Free radicals roam about the body, scavenging electrons and stealing electrons from healthy cells.  This results in permanent damage to these afflicted cells which ultimately can result in disease. Significant research has shown that antioxidants protect against this cellular damage and are essential for maintaining health. The eye is especially vulnerable to free radical damage. Therefore, providing the body with sufficient antioxidants
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A recent study found that aerobic exercise had a larger positive effect on the brain than stretching alone.¹ The volume of the brain increased, according to MRIs. Also, the aerobic exercise group had a significant improvement on executive brain functioning tests. The researchers are hoping to find ways to head off or reduce the impact of Alzheimer’s Disease in seniors.

The study subjects all had mild cognitive impairment (MCI). MCI is a risk
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While Americans spend billions of dollars each year on how they LOOK, little attention is given to how they SEE. Seniors are especially vulnerable to eye diseases such as glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, and cataracts, as well as hypertension-related eye damage such as retinal vein occlusion.

The American Academy of Ophthalmology issued guidelines on aging and the eye as a result of its 2015 Eye-Q© Survey¹ (updated with 2016 data).

Here is a summary of their recommendations.

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As we age, our chances of developing a serious vision problem increase significantly. More than half of people over the age of 70 years old have an eye condition such as cataracts, glaucoma, and macular degeneration; people with diabetes often develop diabetic retinopathy. These limiting conditions decrease the quality of life. Being a retired senior means having time to enjoy life, read, travel, play golf, enjoy hobbies, and socialize with friends and family. However, participating in these activities requires clear vision.

We can learn to help preserve our vision and to become active
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Americans are spending at least 5 hours per day close-up looking at computers, tablets and smartphones.¹ However, our eyes were not designed for extended hours of close-up work. In the same way that we need regular physical exercises, we also need eye exercises. We evolved as hunter-gathers, and our eyes are made to scan the landscape. Modern technology has resulted in wide-spread computer eye strain. Symptoms include short-term dry eyes, worsening farsightedness, nearsightedness and astigmatism, eye focusing disorders and poor eye coordination.
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Chinese Medicine can support eye health and help preserve vision. This traditional modality is helpful for people looking to reduce the risk developing eye disease and maintain healthy vision. Additionally, patients with existing eye conditions such as chronic dry eyes, cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration, and eye floaters can benefit from Traditional Chinese Medicine as part of their treatment plan.

Chinese medicine includes the use of acupuncture, herbs, as well as Tui Na (massage therapy), Gui Sha (skin scraping), and Qigong (physical exercises and breathing techniques). Acupuncture involves tiny, disposable needles painlessly inserted at certain points on the body.
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