You might not think about your eye health the same way as your heart or bone health, but they aren’t something you should take for granted, either.
You can do things to help your eyes stay healthy and functional. Here are a few steps to follow if you want to give yourself the best chance at seeing long into the future.
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Eat a Healthy Diet: Good eye health really starts with the food on your plate. Foods with Omega-3 fatty acids, lutein, zinc, and vitamins C and E may help hold off age-related vision problems like macular degeneration and cataracts. Try eating more:
• Leafy green vegetables like spinach, collards, and kale
• Salmon, tuna, and other oily fish
• Eggs, nuts, beans, and other nonmeat protein sources
• Oranges and other citrus fruits/juices
• Oysters and pork
Quit Smoking: Smoking increases the risk of cataracts, damage to the optic nerve, and macular degeneration. If you’ve tried quitting and failed, try again: the more times you try to quit, the more likely you are to succeed.
Wear Sunglasses: The right pair of sunglasses can help protect your eyes from powerful ultraviolet (UV) rays. Too much UV exposure can boost the chances of cataracts and macular degeneration.
Choose shades that block 99- to 100 percent of UVA and UVB rays. Wraparound lenses can help protect your eyes from the sides.
Look Away from Computer Screens: Staring at a computer, phone, or tablet screen for too long can lead to a number of issues, including eye strain, blurry vision, trouble focusing on distance, dry eyes, headaches, and neck, back, and shoulder pain.
To protect your eyes from screen viewing, ensure your prescriptions are up to date and take screen breaks every 20 minutes. Look at something about 20 feet away for 20 seconds,
Keep Up With Eye Doctor Appointments: Regular visits to the eye doctor can help protect your sight and catch any potential concerns early.
About eight years ago, Mat Lecompte had an epiphany. He’d been ignoring his health and suddenly realized he needed to do something about it. Since then, through hard work, determination and plenty of education, he has transformed his life. He’s changed his body composition by learning the ins and outs of nutrition, exercise, and fitness and wants to share his knowledge with you. Starting as a journalist over 10 years ago, Mat has not only honed his belief system and approach with practical experience, but he has also worked closely with nutritionists, dieticians, athletes, and fitness professionals. He embraces natural healing methods and believes that diet, exercise and willpower are the foundation of a healthy, happy, and drug-free existence.
