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Health & Fitness

Tips on How to Give Your Eyes a Healthy Boost

Don't forget your eyes need exercise, too. Simple tips and exercises to relax and rejuvenate those baby blues, or greens, or browns.

People are becoming more and more conscious about taking care of their health, realizing that good health creates a solid foundation for all the other aspects of life. Regular exercise is certainly one of the things people begin to be conscious of when they decide to live a healthier lifestyle. It's easy to find exercise dvds, exercise equipment, tips for doing this or not doing that. Many people use exercise at the end of a long day to de-stress and relax from a strenuous workday. But some of the most used and strained muscles are not even given a second thought - those that we use constantly to see.

Take a moment to stop and think about how much you use your eyes all day, every day. They sure work hard. How many hours do we sit at a desk, not using many body muscles, while several eye muscles quietly work away. The only time we actually think about them is when our eyes finally get fatigued, red, hot, teary, or strained enough to even lead to a headache.

Following are some tips to give your eyes the needed break they so richly deserve:

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  • ProtectYourVision.org  is a cool free site you can use that reminds you to stop and rest your eyes. You have the option of choosing how often you take a break and how long the breaks will be. When it's time for a break, the computer screen will darken, and a chime will sound. There are several ways you can use this break: get up from the computer and walk around, looking at nothing in particular, while massaging the area where the neck and skull meet (the vision center); look out the window into the distance, allowing your eyes to just 'see', not 'look', just like a camera does; sit back and close your eyes, maybe covering them with an eye pillow; or join the program's robot, EVO, in a few minutes of eye relaxation exercises ("eyes gymnastics").
  • another option is TotemDog.com where similar exercises are available for printing, as well as some really good, basic eye health tips. 
  • As far as foods, herbs and supplements are concerned, be sure to consume the following:
    • plenty of antioxidants
    • a variable, healthful diet that is low in sugar and simple carbohydrates (too much can lead to diabetes and poor eye health, as well as poor overall health)
    • a good whole-food vitamin/mineral supplement for overall health, or one that specifically targets eye health
    • nutrients like lutein and zeaxanthin, which are found in foods like dark green leafy vegetables, guava, peas, broccoli, squash, carrots, yellow potatoes, corn, oranges, and egg yolks
    • eye health herbs that include nettles, dandelion, calendula, eyebright, chrysanthemum, ginkgo, and bilberry. These can best be taken as a dedicated synergistic formula extract (Herbal extract for eye health), for maximum potency.

So, don't forget to take care of your eyes as you go through the day. Must go now, EVO beckons.

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