How to Improve Your Eyesight Naturally

A frequent question I get asked via email is how to improve your eyesight.  Well, we use our eyes everyday and they are a vital part of our lives, so it makes sense that we should take good care of them. Perhaps you have noticed that your eyesight is not as sharp as it used to be. If that is the case, there is still hope.

Did you know you can improve your eyesight naturally, from home without the use of glasses or contact lenses? With simple exercises and the right diet you can see great improvement in your eyesight, and you can see changes more quickly than you would expect.

So put off getting glasses for a little longer and improve your eyesight naturally instead.

Read on to find out how to improve your eyesight, naturally!

Eat the Right Foods for your Eye Health

Your diet has a significant impact on the health of your eyes as well as other parts of your body. It is important that you choose the right nutritious foods that feed your eyes with the right vitamins and anti-oxidants.

A healthy diet crammed with plenty of fresh vegetables and fruit is a great place to start, as this will help improve your eyesight and prevent its deterioration. [1] Vegetables are packed full of anti-oxidants which take care of your eyes.

Remember the old wives tale of eating carrots to help you see in the dark? It is not too far from the truth. Carrots are full of vitamins that provide great nutrition for your eyes.

Specific foods that are recommended for eye health are leafy greens such as kale and spinach, citrus fruits, bananas and nuts. [2]

Omega-3 is an important fatty acid that helps your eyes too.

Lutein is a particularly important antioxidant when it comes to eye health. [3] It is a pigment found in the retina of the eye and it helps protect the eye against excessive light. It is found in spinach, kale, carrots and Brussel sprouts among other vegetables and fruits.

It can be difficult to get optimum levels of vitamins and antioxidants from diet alone, and it can be expensive too. If you are serious about improving your eye health you will probably want to consider taking a good quality multi-vitamin. This is a convenient way of taking care of your micro-nutrition and protecting your eyes too.

Get Rid of Bad Habits

Many of our lifestyle choices can damage our eyesight, and it is important we cut these things out in order to prevent our eyesight from deteriorating again. It also lowers our risk of developing eye problems and diseases further down the line.

To improve your eye health you should:

• Stop smoking
• Wear sunglasses
• Reduce strain on your eyes [2]

Smoking can damage many parts of your body, your eyes included. It speeds up vision degeneration and even causes cataracts. Exposure to too much UV light has a similar effect, so make sure that your wear sunglasses in the sun and that the pair you choose protect against both UVA and UVB rays.

Eye strain can happen when the muscles around your eyes become tired through overuse. This is particularly likely when you are sitting at a desk or computer for hours on end. Reducing eye strain can be done using a simple exercise, known as the 10:10:10 exercise. [1]

What is The 10:10:10 Exercise?

This exercise can be done by making sure that you look at an object 10 feet away for 10 seconds every 10 minutes while sitting at your computer.

Taking regular breaks from this kind of work is also recommended. [1] Other measures you can take to reduce eye strain are turning down the brightness level of your TV or computer screen and enlarging small text. [2]

The latter is easily done on the computer, but books can be more challenging. If you are struggling to read small text, you may want to invest in a magnifying strip for reading. These magnifiers can be stored easily in books as they are flat, and will enlarge the text for you.

Exercise your Eyes

While diet and other lifestyle choices can help our eyes function at their best and slow down degeneration, you will need to combine these with eye training in order to see improvement in your vision. One of the most well-known exercises for the muscles around the eye is known as ‘palming’. It relieves muscle tension around the eyes. [4]

Exercise #1: Palming Exercise

To perform this exercise, sit or lie on the floor, propping your elbows on a soft surface in front of you. Place your palms over your closed eyelids with your fingers interlinked on your forehead. Try to relax completely so that all you see is blackness. Then visualize a pleasant memory and relax your head and shoulders. This would complete the exercise.

Exercise #2: Pencil Push-Up Exercises

Another exercise is known as the ‘pencil push up’. This exercise involves focusing and refocusing your eyes repeatedly and can help correct double vision. [2] Mark a pencil half way down with a sticker or dot. Focusing on the mark, hold the pencil at arm’s length.

Then slowly bring it towards you in a straight line. Stop when your vision doubles, and focus on something else for a few seconds. Then bring your focus back to the pencil so that you are not seeing double.

Then slowly move the pencil away from you again. Repeat this exercise daily for five to ten minutes. If you are still struggling not to see double, rest your eyes for longer or close them for a few seconds. [2]

There is no ‘Miracle Cure’ for Eyesight

Be aware that there is only so much you can do to improve your eyesight. While diet, adequate rest and eye exercises may be able to help, it is important to visit your eye doctor if you continue to experience problems with your vision.

Many eye diseases and problems cannot be ‘cured’ from home and need treatment. If you have concerns about your eye health, seek advice from a medical professional.

References

[1] http://www.rebuildyourvision.com/blog/rebuild-your-vision-program-tips/how-to-improve-your-eyesight-naturally-and-fast/

[2] http://www.wikihow.com/Improve-Your-Vision-Naturally

[3] http://coopervision.com/eye-health-and-vision/improving-eyesight-naturally

[4] http://www.motherearthnews.com/natural-health/improve-your-eyesight-naturally-zmaz83jazshe.aspx