How Does the Eye "See"?

HOW DOES THE EYE “SEE”

The eye with good vision and the eye with weak vision do not “see” in the same way. Understanding how normal eyes “see” may help you make your eyes “see” in a totally different way.

Look at a simple illustration of the difference in the process of “seeing” by the eye with good vision and by the eye with weak vision. Here is how and what the healthy eye will “see” when it looks at the following:

A  B  C  D  E

The eye with good vision will be able to “absorb” or “see” A, B, C, D, and E all at the same time, irrespective of the closeness or distance.

Then, the eye with good vision will subconsciously “select” the one (e.g. E) that it wants to see, and immediately shifting its focus to E. Remember, the healthy eye can “select” its own vision.

In other words, the healthy eye has “soft vision”—it sees everything immediately but without gazing. “Soft vision” is practiced by all martial arts practitioners because they need to know where the attack of the enemy may be coming from—which could be from any or all directions. Therefore, it is important to train your eyes to have “soft vision” so that you can see everything all at once.

Soft Focus

Train your eyes to “see” and “look” at the same time.

Look at a printed page with a lot of details.

Become “aware” of what you are looking at, without blinking your eyes for five to thirty seconds.

Practice soft focus for five minutes at least once a day.

AWARENESS: Look without blinking (soft vision) for 10 seconds or so.

When you gaze, you use mostly your central vision, with little or no peripheral vision (which is side vision); accordingly, you weaken your macula, which is responsible for seeing visual details. Over time, you begin to lose much of your peripheral vision (use it or lose it). Because you cannot see what you want to see, you form the bad habit of “staring” or “frozen gaze,” and thus further weakening your macula. This is how the vicious circle of poor vision is formed. To improve your vision, you must break that vicious circle.

The eye with weak vision will do the following when looking at the above:

The eye with weak vision will probably look consciously at C first, without seeing the other alphabets (probably due to constant use of central vision).

Then, the eye with weak vision may probably shift its gaze to B and D, and then to A and E, back and forth, in order to “select” what it wants to see. Finally, the eye may decide that E is what it wants to see, and begins to focus on E (all these happen subconsciously and within only a fraction of a split second).

The above illustration demonstrates how the eye with weak vision may “see.” One of the characteristics of the eye with weak vision is its “frozen gaze,” which allows it to focus on only one object one at a time. To improve your vision, you must overcome the bad habit of “staring.”

AWARENESS: Do not stare!. Blink frequently to stop frozen gaze!

Stephen Lau

Copyright© by Stephen Lau

Don't Let Your Vision Deteriorate

Conventional curative eye-care is damaging to the eye because it focuses on prescribing corrective eyeglasses or contacts for artificially clear sight. Unfortunately, at worst, eyeglasses or contacts do more harm to the eye; at best, they never improve vision to normal.

The explanation is that constantly wearing corrective lenses will constantly maintain the eye’s refractive error, and thus leading to the steady increase of the strength of the corrective lenses in order to maintain the same visual acuity. In other words, wearing eyeglasses or contacts only makes vision worse, and not better, because it makes you subconsciously crave for clear vision. In order to see better, you strain your eyes, and eyestrain only leads to further vision deterioration. Before long, you need another pair of corrective eyeglasses with a stronger prescription. This is how your vision goes from bad to worse. Ask yourself how many pairs of eyeglasses you have obtained for yourself over the years, with each pair having a stronger prescription than the previous one.

The truth of the matter is that corrective lenses only perpetuate the eye’s refractive errors.

They are only “crutches” for artificially clear eyesight; they do not correct poor vision.

They do not accurately reflect your eye conditions, which change constantly, from moment to moment,  according to the physical environment and your mental conditions.

They do not let your eyes adapt naturally to the mind; in other words, they disconnect the eye from the mind.

They perpetuate the refractive error of your eyes, leading to more eyestrain and ultimately stronger prescriptions.

AWARENESS: No need to go for perfect vision! Never strain your eyes in order to see better!

Poor vision leads to further vision loss and impairment, resulting in legal blindness (20 percent or less vision), which is defined as 20/200, that is, the capability of seeing within 20 feet what a person with normal vision can see within 200 feet. Legal blindness occurs to more than 10 percent of population aged between 50 to 69, and more than 70 percent aged 70 and over.

Wearing contact lenses is not any better than wearing eyeglasses. As a matter of fact, wearing contacts may have many other less-than-desirable side effects: 

• Distortion of the cornea
• Drying out of the eye
• Eye infection and inflammation
• Irritation of the eye and eyelids
• Oxygen deprivation
• Pain and dizziness
• Vision Loss

Laser eye clinics are touting the risks of laser eye surgery as minimal, and testimonials of those who have undergone such a surgery attest to the success of this virtually risk-free procedure. The fact of the matter is that 10 percent of laser eye surgeries have complications, and, more importantly, the long-term consequences of the surgery still remain relatively unknown because it is a fairly new procedure on the eye.

The good news is that poor vision loss does not have to be an inevitable consequence of aging. You can successfully improve your vision at any age.

Stephen Lau

Copyright© by Stephen Lau

Computer Vision Syndrome

Computer Vision Syndrome

According to CNN 11/12/13, working on the computer for too long and too close may result in computer vision syndrome (CVS), which is a vision disorder due to spending too much time on the computer.

"We definitely see a lot of people who complain of eyestrain," says opthalmologist Dr. Brian Boxer Wachler. "Hours upon hours of close focusing without taking a break is usually the main culprit." Sitting too close and too long to the computer is the main cause of eyestrain. "This forces your eyes to work harder than usual as you strain to focus on tiny font sizes," Dr. Wachler warns.

Common symptoms of eyestrain and CVS include: sore eyes, dry eyes, teary eyes, blurry vision, double vision, light sensitivity, difficulty focusing on images, neck pain, headache or a combination of all of the above. Given that vision is one of the most important assets in your life, protect your vision health.

To protect your eyes while working on the computer, you must sit with the right posture (that is erect) , at the right distance (20" - 40'), and at the right level (eyes level with top monitor screen). After every half hour or so, blink your eyes. The blink should be soft, not hard, and it should be complete. Do this a couple of times. Look at a distant object. and blink again. Form the habit of blinking, and consciously blink when you scan words on the computer screen. Wherever possible, do a eye-palming exercise, which is covering your eyes with both hands but without touching them with your eyes gently closed. Eye exercise are particularly important not only for relaxing your eyes but also for improving your vision naturally. Read my book VisionSelf-Healing Self-Help.

Stephen Lau

Copyright© by Stephen Lau

Conventional and Unconventional Treatment of Weak Vision

The Conventional Treatment of Weak Vision

To correct weak vision or refractive error (light not properly refracted on the retina of the eye), the conventional treatment by ophthalmologists and opticians is to make use of corrective lenses (eyeglasses or contacts) with proper prescriptions to enable the light from a close or distant object to refract accurately on the retina.

The conventional treatment serves two purposes:

To make the eye see more clearly

To prevent further eyestrain through clearer vision

These are the sole reasons for the professionals to provide eyeglasses and contacts: to provide better vision, and to prevent more eyestrain.

The conventional treatment is based on the belief that weak vision is due to incorrect refraction on the retina because of the distorted eye lens; therefore, to correct the impaired vision, corrective lenses are used to correct the refraction from the distorted lens.

Dr. William Bates’ Unconventional Treatment of Weak Vision

Dr. Bates completely disagreed with the conventional theory of distorted lens. According to Dr. Bates, the conventional treatment is WRONG because the eye is constantly changing, so much so that the eye prescriptions (which are constant) in corrective lenses may not help the patients in certain conditions; quite the contrary, they unduly increase their eyestrain. That is to say, if the eye is forced to see in different eye conditions with the same corrective lenses, the eye will have to strain itself to see in different conditions, and thus causing further eyestrain that damages vision.

Dr. Bates’ explanation was that what might fit the eye (i.e. the prescriptions) at one moment might not be appropriate at another moment, given that the conditions of the eye are constantly changing. In addition, because the eye is capable of adapting and adjusting to different conditions (eye accommodation), wearing corrective lenses will deprive the eye of such accommodation, and thus leading to further vision deterioration. That was the reason for his objection to wearing corrective lenses.

Dr. Bates’ treatment was based on the belief that the incorrect refraction on the retina is due to weak and unrelaxed eye muscles, which cause distorted shape in the eyeball, resulting in the refraction falling in front of or behind the retina, instead of directly on the retina.

In nearsightedness, the lens become flattened; in farsightedness, the lens become thicker.

Accordingly, eye relaxation holds the key to correcting vision problems.

The normal eyeball is round. According to Dr. Bates, if you strain to see, your eyeball becomes distorted. As a result, you cannot see clearly. Because you cannot see, you strain your eyes more. The more you strain your eyes, the less you will be able to see, and thus forming a vicious circle of poor vision. The Bates Method is to break that vicious circle of eyestrain.

Unfortunately, you cannot consciously control your eye muscles. That is to say, you cannot tell your eye muscles not to squeeze your eyes out of shape. What you can do is to control them unconsciously through awareness, which is what this book is all about.

Below is a brief comparison between Dr. Bates’ method and the conventional method of vision treatment:

Fact: Weak vision is due to incorrect refraction—either in front of or behind, but not directly on the retina.

Bates' Treatment Theory: Distorted shape of the eyeball, due to weak and un-relaxed eye muscles, causes the incorrect refraction on the eye’s retina.

Solution: Strengthen and relax eye muscles to prevent them from squeezing the eye out of shape when focusing.

Recommendation: Corrective lenses only create the desire for clear vision but deprives the eye from naturally adjusting to the constant changing conditions of the eye, and thus causing eyestrain as a result. Stop wearing your corrective lenses. Instead, relax your eye muscles to improve your vision such that you can ultimately do without your glasses.

Conventional Treatment Theory: Distorted eye lens causes the incorrect refraction on the eye’s retina.

Solution: Use corrective lens to re-adjust the refraction on the retina in order to give clearer vision and to prevent further eyestrain.

Recommendation: Just continue to wear your corrective lenses. If vision changes, get a new pair.

The Bates Method focuses on the following basic principles of good vision:

(1) Central fixation: Train the eye to focus on only one point one at a time. To illustrate, let your eyes look at a printed page:

Focus on only one word on the printed page, allowing other words in its vicinity to become blurred.

Then, try to see one letter of that word better than the other letters of that word.

Then, look at the other letters, one by one.

Now, look at the blank space between that word and the next.

Focus on the next word, and repeat the process.

The objective of this training is to help you focus on only a very small area because the macula (responsible for detailed vision) can see only a very small area. Stimulate the macula to enhance vision improvement.

(2) Shifting: Train the eye to look from one object to another frequently, from a close object to a distant one, and then back again in order to relieve tension and eyestrain, which impair good vision. Reinforce shifting with constant blinking to clean and to rest the eye.

(3) Sunning: Train the eye to adapt and adjust to bright light to avoid squinting, which causes eyestrain. Close your eyes and look up at the sun. Then, turn away from the sun, opening your eyes, and look at some clouds. Close your eyes for a moment, and then open your eyes at look at a point a little nearer the sun, but without looking directly at the sun. Sunning sharpens your vision, as well as prevents squinting.

(4) Relaxation: Visualizing “black” induces complete relaxation of the eye. A completely relaxed eye will see only black when it is closed; seeing the field of vision grayish or light-golden in color means that the eye is not totally relaxed. Eye palming is the most effective exercise for complete eye relaxation.

Stephen Lau

Copyright© by Stephen Lau

Meditation to Improve Vision

Meditation is critical to vision health. Stress causes eyestrain that often leads to many eye problems. Meditation is a proven mind-body therapy for body-mind relaxation.

The healing power of meditation lies in its capability to focus the mind solely on the very present moment, thereby removing memories of the past and worries of the future. Meditation helps you focus your mind on the present moment to the exclusion of past and future thoughts. The mind in its natural and perfect stillness relaxes completely.

In contemporary living, your mind is often riddled with thoughts of what you just did, what you will do, or should have done. Nearly all your thoughts, including your desires and fears, are based on either the past or the future. Your desires are no more than recollections of the past pleasures and hopes of repeating them in the future. Fears are also memories of past pain, and your efforts to avoid the pain in the future. All these rambling thoughts in your subconscious mind indirectly affect your conscious mind, and hence your body and your eyes.

In the present, your mind is always preoccupied with the past or the future, leaving little or no room for the present moment, which, ironically enough, is the only reality. The past was gone, and the future is unknown; only the present is “real.” The present is a gift, and that is why it is called “present.” But, unfortunately, most of us do not live in the present, not to mention appreciate it, because the present is interlaced with the past and the future. Meditation is about re-focusing on the present moment.

The mental focus of meditation is not quite the same as the mental concentration, such as solving a difficult math problem or while performing a complex mental task. Meditation is focusing on something seemingly insignificant (such as your breathing) or spontaneous (such as eating and even driving) such that your mind can be conditioned to focusing on only the present moment. In this way, your mind concentration excludes all past and future thoughts, thereby instrumental in giving your mind a meaningful break. It is in this sublime mental state that you are capable of understanding the true nature of things, and their relativity to the meaning of life and existence. Meditation awakens you to what is real or what is quasi real.

Points to remember when you meditate:

Focus on an object as your focal point of concentration: your own breathing; looking at a candle flame; listening to a sound (such as the sound of running water from a fountain); watching your footsteps when you are walking, or just about anything that can easily draw you back to your meditation.

Palming is an excellent exercise not just for vision improvement, but also for deep meditation. 

During your meditation, if your mind wanders away (which is quite common), gently direct your mind to re-focus on the same object of your concentration. Learn how to focus through your act of noticing that your mind has wandered off, as well as through your repetitive efforts. Meditation is all about focusing on the present moment. Make focusing a habit of relaxation for your eyes 

Keep yourself in full consciousness: you must be fully aware of what is going on around you. That explains why in meditation (except in the walking meditation) you need to sit erect in order to keep your body in full consciousness. Do not lie down (or else you may fall asleep); do not slouch (this may not help you focus).

A full lotus position is not required. However, it is important that you maintain a consistent position or posture with your thumb tip and forefinger tip of each hand touching very lightly, while the other fingers are either curled or extended out. A consistent posture and hand position will promote a meditative mind to practice your meditation techniques.

Stephen Lau

Eye Relaxation Is Vision Health

Vision health has to do with the mind. You see everything through your eyes that form images in your mind, which interprets and records them in your subconscious mind. Your eye conditions are constantly changing such that they can be adversely affected any optical or mental stress, resulting in eyestrain that can cause vision blur or any vision problem. On the other hand, if your eyes are very relaxed, you can significantly improve your vision. That said, it is almost impossible to relax just the eyes, while the rest of your body remains tense and stressed. Therefore, it is important to relax your mind to relax your body, and thus your eyes, which are organs of your body.

Total relaxation begins with your mind first, and then your body, and ultimately your eyes. Accordingly, use your mind to relax your body and your eyes. The best way to achieve total body-mind relaxation is by meditation.

Meditation is a proven body-mind therapy for total relaxation. The healing power of meditation lies in its capability to focus the mind on the very present moment, thereby removing memories of the past and worries of the future. Meditation helps you focus your mental attention on the present moment to the exclusion of past and future thoughts. The mind in its natural and perfect stillness relaxes completely.

Meditation is mindfulness of the now. In contemporary living, your mind is often riddled with thoughts of what you just did, should have done, or are going to do. Nearly all your thoughts, including your desires and fears, are based on the past or the future, except the present. Mindfulness is awareness of what is happening to you in the now, such as your breathing. You can practice mindfulness while walking (walking meditation) by paying attention to your breaths, to the movements of your limbs in order to stop temporarily your compulsive thinking mind.

You can also relax your eyes through eye-palming, which is using your palms to cover your eyes, but without letting them actually touch your eyes, while resting your elbows on a table. Now gently close your eyes, and they will see a world of blackness. Meanwhile, breathe in and breathe out softly and slowly. Concentrate your mind on your breaths if any thought should come to your mind. Eye-palming relaxes your eyes completely, and as soon as you reopen your eyes, the world looks very different. Try this and you will agree that mind relaxation is eye relaxation. 

Stephen Lau

Copyright© by Stephen Lau

Different Treatments of Glaucoma

Glaucoma, a major cause of blindness, is a condition due to increased eye pressure. In conventional medicine, most eye doctors would recommend surgeries and eye drops to relieve high ocular pressure in the eye.

However, there is one problem: surgeries and eye drops would also create a chronic condition, ironically enough, leading to ultimate blindness. The use of eye drops may have adverse long-term effects, one of which is the falling off of pieces of iris, causing blockage, and thereby instrumental in increasing eye pressure over the long haul, instead of reducing the eye pressure.

Dr. Leslie Salov, M.D., O.D. Ph.D., in his book Secrets for Better Vision, states that most glaucoma patients are highly intelligent professionals who lead very stressful, busy lives. This finding led Dr. Salov to believe that to improve vision or eye health, you need to improve the health of your entire person simultaneously because your body is a set of interlocking systems that affect one another. Given that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, your eyes are only a small part of your whole person. Accordingly, to heal the eyes, you must heal the body first. It is just that simple!

To have healthy vision, even as you age, you must employ not only the sciences of physiology, biology, and chemistry, but also the healing powers of philosophy and even spirituality. This is no exception when it comes to treating glaucoma. In other words, to treat glaucoma, you need to examine not just your eyes, but also every aspect of your life, including your emotional and spiritual health.

The methods of glaucoma treatment recommended by Dr. Salov include the following:

Visualization is the use of guided imagery to direct blood, oxygen, and leukocytes (immunity cells) to the eye through a mental image of a healthy eye. Essentially, your conscious mind controls the involuntary processes that occur automatically inside your body. Specifically, visualization relaxes the muscles in the walls of your canal of Schlemm (circular channel in the eye that collects watery substance between the lens and the cornea). By relaxing these muscles, extra fluid can be excreted to relieve the glaucoma pressure. Without using eye drops with chemicals, visualization can naturally relax eye muscles so that your pupils become small enough to open up the canal of Schlemm to excrete the fluid for eye pressure relief.

However, it must be pointed out that visualization     works only when you use it with dedication and consistency. In other words, you have to practice visualization daily and diligently.

Meditation is the art of thinking of nothing to remove everyday stresses and worries. When you are under stress, you body produces chemical changes within your body, which decrease blood flow and oxygen level to your eye. Practice meditation to de-stress yourself.

Stephen Lau        

Copyright© by Stephen Lau

Simple Things to Do for Eye Relaxation

There are some simple things you can do for your eye relaxation:

"Vision is about the eye. It is all about what you see, or how well you see. Healthy vision gives you sensation, perception, and conception. Your life depends on your eyes. In short, healthy vision gives you all the raw materials for living for life.

Do some simple things to relax eyes for better vision.

Shifting: Train the eye to look from one object to another frequently, from a close object to a distant one, and then back again in order to relieve tension and eyestrain, which impair vision. Reinforce shifting with constant blinking to clean and to rest the eye.

Tracing the “8” eye exercise

Sit comfortably in a relaxed posture.

Consciously breathe in and breathe out through your nose until you attain a natural rhythm.

Imagine the figure “8” in the distance.

Let your eyes trace along the imaginary figure without moving your head.

First, trace it in one direction, and then in the opposite direction.

You can modify the exercise by imagining other alphabets and figures. The objective of this exercise, in addition to promoting relaxation and flexibility, is to train your eyes to consciously shift when focusing on an object in the distance.

You can modify the exercise by imagining other alphabets and figures. The objective of this exercise, in addition to promoting relaxation and flexibility, is to train your eyes to consciously shift when focusing on an object in the distance.

You can do this when stopping in front of the traffic light, or when you look away from your computer screen. Do this anytime, and just be conscious of it.

The Taoist squeeze-and-open eye exercise

This ancient Chinese exercise developed by Taoist monks thousands of years ago increases blood circulation to the eyes, prevents watery eyes, and alkalizes the eyes to detoxify the liver. It removes eyestrain and soothes eye-muscle tension.

Inhale slowly, while squeezing your eyes tightly for 10 seconds.

Then, slowly exhale your breath, making the sh-h-h-h-h sound, while opening your eyes wide.

Repeat as many times, and as often as required to cleanse the eyes and the liver.

Again, you can do this anytime.

TIPS: Always be aware of the BLINKING and SHIFTING of your eyes. Avoid STARING and EYE-FIXATION. It is just that simple."

The above is from Health and Wisdom Tips.

Remember, take good care of your eyes, and eye relaxation is something you can do.

Stephen Lau

Payback Anger

     In Houston, Texas, a man using his gun robbed diners in a taqueria restaurant. The robber was on the verge of leaving that restaurant when he was shot 9 times by a vigilante diner, who then helped diners recover their money robbed at that Houston taqueria restaurant before disappearing.

     The police later discovered that the suspect’s weapon was only a “plastic gun.” Texas police began searching for that vigilante diner, with that “you-take-my-cash-I-take-your-life” mindset out of anger.

      Anger is more than a feeling; it’s a functional emotion. Its objective is to stimulate your mental awareness and direct your physical attention to something important going on in your own psychological world. Emotions are informants. Positively experienced emotions bring gratitude in appreciation, joy in fulfillment, and pride in accomplishment. Negatively experienced emotions bring anger, anxiety, danger, fear, frustration, worry, and even violence.

     Anger is about threats and violations to your wellbeing. So, being able to feel anger and use anger to safeguard your own personal wellbeing is important. People who can’t get angry often end up accepting aggressions and violations of their wellbeing. Many victims of family abuse simply adjust to verbal threat or even physical violence and accept mistreatment as an unhappy fact of life. They learn to deny its emotional impact, to rationalize its harm, and even to avoid upsetting the abuser. Adults, who’ve learned these “survival” skills as children, often end up marrying into abusive relationships not because they want to, but because they unconsciously feel the abuse comfortably familiar and even normal.

    Angry No More: A new book on how to control and eradicate your anger.

Stephen Lau

Copyright© by Stephen Lau

Improve Your Vision Health

Vision is one of the most important assets given by your Creator because it is the most important of the five senses. Without good vision health, the quality of life will be considerably compromised, especially as you continue to age. Therefore, it is important to improve vision throughout your life. To improve vision, you must empower yourself with self-help and self-learning tools to keep your eyes in good shape and maintain good vision health so that you can enjoy good eyesight for the rest of your life without major eye problems, such as cataracts, glaucoma, and macular degeneration.

What is vision health, and how to improve vision?

Vision health is the application of natural eye science in natural healing of poor vision and related eye problems through eye relaxation, eye exercises, eye nutrition therapy, corrective eye habits, and natural vision improvement techniques. Vision health is holistic health, because your body, your mind, and your eyes are interrelated in terms of health and healing. For example, a yellowish tint in the whites of the eye is often a reflection of a toxic colon, manifested in jaundice or a liver disorder.

My book VISION SELF-HEALING SELF-HELP may help you improve vision. It is based on the groundbreaking work of Dr. William Bates (1860 - 1931), the well-known founder of natural vision. For more than a century, many doctors and scientists have expressed many different controversial opinions on the famous Bates Method to improve vision.

According to Dr. William Bates, poor vision is the result of eyestrain, due to mental and physical stress on the eye, and hence the distortion of the eye shape, leading to nearsightedness and farsightedness. Dr. Bates strongly believed that eye relaxation holds the key to improving vision.

Vision health is holistic health, which means it includes not only the health of the eye, but also the health of the body, the mind, and the spirit. Eye relaxation begins with the mind first, not the eye. To improve vision, the mind must be completely relaxed before it can relax the body—and then the eye, which is only one of the organs of the body. In other words, eye exercises can improve vision only when the body is also completely relaxed. According to Dr. Bates, wearing prescription lenses (eyeglasses or contact lenses) is not only unnatural but also detrimental to recovery from poor vision.

Improving your vision takes time. You must first and foremost have the intent to get rid of your eyeglasses or contact lenses to improve your vision. It is a long and slow process that may take months or even years. So, you must be persistent.  Remember, even if you cannot get rid of your glasses, at least you can prevent your vision from further deteriorating as you continue to age.

 Stephen Lau

Copyright© by Stephen Lau

The TAO in Everything

 

The TAO is the profound wisdom of Lao Tzu, the ancient sage from China more than 2,600 years ago. as 

The TAO has thrived and survived thousands of years for a good reason: what was applicable in the past is still applicable in the present; what was true in the past is still true today. Another testament to this universal truth is that "Tao Te Ching"-- the only book written by Lao Tzu -- is one of the most translated books in world literature -- probably only after the Bible.

The TAO is easy to understand but most controversial. The explanation is that there is no absolute truth about human wisdom, which is all about self-intuition and self-enlightenment. That is to say, your mind is uniquely yours, and your thinking is your own thinking.

The TAO plays a pivotal role in every aspect of your life. With wisdom, you will see the TAO in everything, including the following:

Don't Die     Letting Go    Immune System    Golden Years    Cancer Cure   Yin Yang

No Depression   Healthier Younger   Miracle Living   Money Wisdom    Living Life

Prayers Unanswered   Happiness Wisdom  Nothing Everything   Healthy Pregnancy

Aging Revelation   Marriage Divorce   Deadly Sins   See Better  Biblical Wisdom

No Ego

Go to: TAO in Everyday Life.

Important Nutrients for Healthy Vision

Balanced Acid-Alkaline to Combat Free Radicals

Your body cells need a balanced acid-and-alkaline environment to fight against free radicals. Acid and alkaline are substances that have opposing qualities. Your body functions at its best when the pH is optimum, which is slightly alkaline. The pH of your blood, tissues, and body fluids directly affect the state of your cellular health, in particular, that of the eye.

The pH scale ranges between one and fourteen. Seven is considered neutral. Anything below seven is considered acidic, while anything above seven is considered alkaline. Deviations above or below a 7.30 and 7.40 pH range can signal potentially serious and even dangerous symptoms, forewarning you of a disease in process.

When your body is too acidic, the tissues of your cells are forced to relinquish their alkaline reserves, depleting them of alkaline minerals, which are the components of the tissues themselves.

Over acidification comes from excess intake of foods containing great amounts of acid (animal proteins, sugar), and insufficient elimination by the body through the kidneys (urination) and the skin (sweating).

Alkaline foods contain little or no acid substances, and they do not produce acids when metabolized by your body. Alkaline foods include: green vegetables; colored vegetables (except tomato); chestnut; potato; avocado; black olives; bananas; dried fruits; almonds and Brazil nuts; alkaline mineral waters; cold-pressed oils (e.g. olive oil).

Alkaline medicinal plants also maintain the optimum pH level.

Black currant fruits are a good source of vitamin C and other vitamins and minerals, including an omega-6 fatty acid to increase blood flow to the eye.

Cranberry has been in use since the Iron Age, but the Romans were the first to recognize its medicinal values. Cranberry contains anti-asthmatic compounds, and is high in vitamin C and antioxidants. Eat fresh or dried cranberry, not the sugar-loaded cranberry juice obtainable in the supermarket.

Alkaline energy boosters can enhance your alkalinity to fight against free radicals.

Blackstrap molasses is an excellent source of iron and calcium, copper, magnesium, manganese, and potassium.

Make a healthy alkaline drink with a tablespoon of organic blackstrap molasses (mixed in some hot water first) and ¾ cup of soymilk. Add ice.

Cod liver oil, which comes from fatty fish, such as salmon and sardines, is rich in vitamin A and vitamin D, and essential omega 3 oils. It enhances the absorption of calcium and maintains a constant level of blood calcium. Cod liver oil improves brain functions and the nervous system, which play a pivotal part in vision health.

Alkaline supplements, such as coral calcium, can keep all mineral levels up, and each and every mineral in balance. Alkaline supplements should contain calcium (Ca), sodium (Na), silica and copper, and other minerals to aid de-acidification of the body. More importantly, they should contain every mineral in similar proportion to that found in the human body. Remember, the human body functions synergistically: the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Every mineral has its crucial role to play in the human anatomy, including the eye.

Essential Fatty Acids

The high consumption of foods loaded with saturated fats and cholesterol, as well as man-made fats in egg substitutes, margarines, and basked foods, has led to a host of age-related eye disorders, such as macular degeneration, glaucoma, and retinal vein occlusion, among others. The explanation is that the tiny blood vessels located in the eye may become easily clogged with fats and other deposits that may cause eye problems.

The omega-3 fats, on the other hand, are good fats that help the normal functioning of the eye:

Regulating eye pressure

Moistening the eye

Relieving spasms in the eyelids

Reducing the eye’s sensitivity to the sun

Boosting the immune system

The omega-3 fats are found in chestnuts, flax seed, northern beans, soy, walnuts, wheat germ, and fish, such as cod, mackerel, salmon, and tuna.

For the omega-3 fats to be potent in protecting against free radicals, they must be combined with antioxidants.

Stephen Lau

Copyright© by Stephen Lau