Ways to Improve Eye Health Naturally
By Rachel Remington
As humans, a major component in how we experience life is through our eyesight. Without eyesight, we wouldn’t be able to experience all the beauty the world has to offer, and daily tasks would be more difficult to complete. For those reasons, it’s very important for us to take care of our eye health. Some may choose to repair eyesight with surgical procedures, such as Lasik eye surgery or cataract surgery, but there are many ways that you can improve your eye health naturally.
Foods to Consume for Eye Health
You may have already been told that eating carrots can improve or maintain your eyesight, but there are a number of other foods that contain nutrients with the same effects. The nutrients that are most important to consume for eye health include vitamins A, C, and E, as well as copper and zinc. Foods that contain high quantities of these nutrients include kale, spinach, broccoli, green bell peppers, eggs, whole grains, and meat (including poultry and fish). There are many other foods that contain high amounts of these nutrients, so if you do a bit of research, you may find that some of your favorite foods contain the nutrients you’re looking for.
Exercise for Your Eyes
Although the concept of exercising your eyes may seem strange, it can actually help you to maintain good vision. According to the Harvard Medical School Family Health Guide, “Eye exercises may actually help delay the need for glasses or contacts in some people.” For best results, you should be exercising your eyes daily or anytime that your eyes feel fatigued. Below are a few eye exercises that you can use daily to maintain your eye health.
- Roll your eyes by moving your eyes in a circular direction. Do this exercise in clockwise and counter-clockwise direction at least five times each way. You can also move your eyes in a figure eight motion for this exercise to give your eye movement more range.
- Focus your eyesight on something you can hold in your hand, such as a spoon. Start by holding the object at arm’s length and focusing your eyes on it, and then slowly pull the object toward yourself until it is about six inches away, all the while keeping your focus on the object. Slowly move the object backward until it is arm’s length away again, and repeat this exercise at least 5 times.
- Similar to the last exercise, you can focus on objects farther away to improve eyesight. Start by focusing on an object about five feet away for five seconds, then switch to focusing on something 10 to 15 feet away for five seconds. Repeat this exercise for two minutes.
- For two minutes, blink your eyes every three seconds, slowly and deliberately. Repeat this exercise at least a couple times a day.
Rest Your Eyes
In order to keep your eyes healthy, you need to regularly rest your eyes, much in the way that you should rest your muscles between exercises. The most obvious way to do so is by sleeping, but you should make sure that you’re getting enough sleep in order to give your eyes enough resting time. During your time of sleeping, you’re not only resting your eyes, but allowing them to repair and recover from the strain of the day. There are other ways to rest your eyes as well, which you can do throughout the day. You can take brief naps during the day to give your eyes a bit of rest time. Another way to rest your eyes is to place your hands over your eyes, allowing enough room to still blink. You can use this resting technique throughout the day, for a few minutes at a time, whenever your eyes are feeling fatigued.
Conclusion
Along with consuming foods and exercising your eyes for better eye health, you should be aware of the environment you are subjecting your eyes to and how it may be affecting your vision. For example, fluorescent lighting and staring at computer screens for long periods of time can contribute to a decline in eye health. Often, these environments often can’t be avoided, but if you eat the right foods, exercise your eyes, and allow your eyes to rest, you should be able to maintain healthy eyes and potentially improve your vision.
