When was the last time you considered your eye health?
When is the last time you visited your optometrist? Vision is such an important part of our everyday life. It often seems that we go to our eye doctor once something is wrong, whether it be vision, blurriness or burst capillaries.
Once the eyes start to give symptoms, it can be often too late to fix the problem with diet and lifestyle, so more drastic procedures need to be pursued.
Having a regular eye examination and check up every two years can act to avoid many serious issues in the future. Eye checks are covered under Medicare.
Patients who visit me at my clinic in Minchinbury are aware of the importance I place on the consumption of Omega 3. Omega 3 comes from avocado, nuts, seaweed and fatty fish. These good fats stop our blood from becoming ‘sticky’ and assist the heart and blood vessels. Good fats also allow the brain and eyes to maintain good health. Without adequate Omega 3, our eyesight and eye health can be impaired.
Did you know, studies have proven that eating a diet high in Omega 3 or taking a good quality Fish oil capsule high in DHA can actually improve our vision and reduce our glasses prescription!
Most of us expect our vision to get worse as we get older, but this does not need to be the case. Finding a good quality fish oil capsule is important. I use the ‘Kissun Pharmaceuticals Memory Power’ fish oil for any eyesight issues.
Obesity and diabetes can have a huge impact on our eye health. Diabetic retinopathy occurs when the tiny blood vessels behind the eye are damaged due to diabetes. Almost one third of diabetics in Australia have diabetic retinopathy. It is so important that those with diabetes have a regular eye exam. It is also important that all of us maintain a healthy diet high in vegetables and protein and avoid sugar and excess carbohydrates to avoid diabetes at all costs.
Wearing sunglasses when outside and especially when driving is important for maintaining healthy eyes. Strong sunlight can damage the eyes and may increase risk of cataracts. Speak to your optometrist about the best sunglasses to suit your situation.
Increasing blood flow to the eyes is a great way of improving eye health. Exercise is by far the best way to do this. Herbal medicines such as Gingko biloba and Rosemary can also do this but must be prescribed by a qualified natural health practitioner.
If you feel you might need more help with your eye health, visit your optometrist for a check up and take a look at the ‘Kissun Pharmaceuticals Eye Max’ which contains all natural ingredients to improve eye health
Finally, here is my list of foods you can add to your meals this month to feed your precious eyes the nutrition they need to be healthy, bright and disease free:
- Avocado – try eating 3 avocados a week.
- Fish – go for oily fish such as salmon and mackerel and try to eat fish at least four times a week.
- Foods to improve blood circulation to the eyes include rosemary, chilli, ginger and garlic.
- Foods high in lutein, beta carotene and vitamin A are excellent for eye health and include blueberries, carrots, beetroot, cod liver oil, capsicum, figs and coriander.
Leave a replyThe eyes are our first point of contact for our everyday interaction, so let’s look after them with the care they deserve.