What your eyes could indicate about your health

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Dr Poonam Kuruganti, Aug 23, 2012 at 12:37 PM

Tags: beta-carotene, Bloody eyes, Carrot, Eye disorder, Eye symptoms, Eyes, Hypermetropia, Macular degeneration, Migraine, Myopia

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There is a road from the eye to heart that does not go through the intellect. - G. K. Chesterton

Eyes have inspired poetry and philosophy for time immemorial and are arguably the most attractive human facial feature. The cosmetic industry thrives on enhanc ing the colour, shape and size of (a womans) eyes, eyelids, eyelashes and eyebrows. In simple terms the much-celebrated and decorated eyes - a window to the soul - receive information as light and express information as a spectrum of emotions .

Each eye is composed of 3 layers of which the partially visible, outermost layer is made up of the cornea and sclera. Iris is the colourful component of the middle layer and the retina forms a major component of the innermost layer. The eyes are connected to the brain (optic lobe) by a pair of optic nerves that relay messages between the eyes and brain.

Any visit to the doctor includes a general eye check-up which one should undergo at least once or twice a year. A visit to the optician or ophthalmologist involves a series of tests that assess the internal health of the eyes which may further provide evidence of other diseases. More than just being a window to the soul here are some outward clues your eyes can give for potentially serious disease(s) and condition(s).

No. Observation (Sign or Symptom) 1 Blind spot

Potential Disease or Condition Ocular migraine (may lead to loss of vision)

Accompanied with flickering lights or wavy lines 2 Bloody eye(s) High blood pressure, Clotting disorder

White-of-the-eye (sclera) has red spots 3 Brown spot(s) Tumour (abnormal growth which may be cancerous) A bump with blood vessels, often on the lower eyelid 4 Bug eye(s) Thyroid disease (hyperactive thyroid)

Bulging eyes with swollen eye tissue 5 Bumpy yellowish patches High Cholesterol

Small yellow spots on the eyelid 6 Burning eyes Computer vision syndrome (CVS)

Stinging in the eyes with blurred vision during computer

use 7 Cloudy eye(s) Cataracts (may cause blindness), Tumour, Diabetes, Medication side-effect Clouding of the lens with hazy vision 8 Colour confusion Colour blindness

Reds and greens are unclear 9 Crossed eye(s) Intraocular tumour, Neurologic disorder

One or both eyes turn inwards 10 Double vision Stroke (sudden), Multiple Sclerosis (neurodegeneration) Seeing double images 11 Droopy eyes Brain tumour, Myasthenia gravis (neuromuscular disorder) Eyelids are droopy 12 Dry eye(s) Sjogrens syndrome (immune cells damage tears and saliva producing glands) Especially in 40+ women with autoimmune conditions and affecting the mouth such that absence of saliva makes chewing and swallowing difficult 13 Golden brown or greenish yellow ring Wilsons disease (excess copper collects in tissues, may lead to liver disease) Coloured ring on the cornea, surrounding the iris 14 Grey or milky-white ring High cholesterol and triglycerides, Increased heart attack and stroke risk Coloured ring on the cornea, surrounding the iris 15 Increased eye-gunk Dandruff, Acne rosacea

Eyelid edges are red and itchy 16 Large eye Glaucoma (damaged optic nerve), Tumour, Infection One eye appears larger (generally in children) 17 Persistent stye Tumour, possibly cancerous

Reddish lumps, on the eyelid, present for more than 3 months

18 Pink eye

Conjunctivitis (eye infection)

White-of-the-eye (sclera) is pink or light-red 19 Pupil size different Horners syndrome (nervous system disorder), Neck aneurysms (blood-filled bulge in blood Different size pupils and droopy eyelids 20 Red, itchy eyes vessel) and tumours Allergic reaction

Along with sneezing, coughing, sinus congestion or runny nose 21 Unable to close eye(s) or control tears Bells palsy (facial paralysis due to dysfunctional cranial nerve VII) Often one side of the face is weak and droops 22 Vanishing eyebrows Thyroid disease (underactive thyroid)

Outer part of eyebrows disappear 23 Yellow eye(s) Liver diseases such as jaundice, hepatitis and cirrhosis White-of-the-eye (sclera) is yellow

Common eye disorders, other than short-sightedness (myopia) and long-sightedness (hypermetropia) include macular degeneration, cataracts, glaucoma, dry eyes and weakened night vision. Myopia and hypermetropia are corrected by wearing eye glasses or contact lenses but other eye disorders require medication and/or surgical treatment.

Most of us are aware of the direct relationship between vitamin A, plus its cousin beta-carotene, and good vision. Vitamin A and beta carotene belong to a class of plant food compounds known as carotenoids which are strong antioxidants. Other nutrients essential for good eye health include antioxidant-rich (particularly highvitamin C) foods.

Food Carrot, Sweet Potatoes, Yams Mangoes, Apricots, Pumpkin Spinach and other green leafy vegetables Beans

Nutrient Beta-carotene Beta-carotene Carotenoids (lutein and zeaxanthin) Vitamin C, Antioxidant, Zinc

Broccoli

Vitamin C, Antioxidant, Carotenoids (lutein and zeaxanthin)

Fish (salmon, sardines, tuna and mackerel) Fortified Milk and Cereals

Omega-3 fatty acids Vitamin A

Besides good nutrition, the following preventive habits further protect eyes:

Go for regular eye exams including complete dilated eye test to detect early-stage diabetic eye disorder and macular degeneration. Be aware of eye health disorders within the family to proactively protect against hereditary eye conditions. Maintain healthy body weight to reduce the probability of developing diabetic eye or glaucoma. Protect your eyes in hazardous environments (under extreme sunlight, sports, etc.) by using sunglasses and safety gear such as shields and eye guards. Stop smoking since it increases the possibility of eye-damage including blindness. Reduce eye-strain by frequently resting your eyes using the 20-20-20 rule. Every 20 minutes, for 20 seconds, look at a 20 feet distance away from you. Avoid eye-infections by always washing your hands before touching your eyes or contact lenses.

Take good care of your eyes.

The eye speaks with an eloquence and truthfulness surpassing speech. It is the window out of which the winged thoughts often fly unwittingly. It is the tiny magic mirror on whose crystal surface the moods of feeling fitfully play, like the sunlight and shadow on a still stream. Henry Theodore Tuckerman

Courtesy Health.india.com .

Power Yoga what you need to know

Neha Malude, Jul 8, 2012 at 11:48 PM

Tags: Beryl Bender Birch, Bryan Kest, Fitness, Power yoga, Weight loss, Yoga

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What do you get when you add a little pace, more strength and a sizeable quotient of glamour to yoga? Thats right power yoga.

The ancient art of yoga isnt alien to India, where it took roots thousands of years ago. This art of meditation for mental, physical and spiritual health has grown exponentially in popularity in recent years, especially in the West. But interestingly, another offshoot of yoga was born there in the late 90s and is called power yoga.

What is power yoga?

Power yoga is a more dynamic version of traditional yoga its faster, more intense and the focus is more on building strength and less on meditation or chanting. And while in yoga theres a fixed set of asanas, in power yoga teachers have more flexibility in terms of arranging postures according to their preferences.

Its believed the new technique was created by Beryl Bender Birch of New York and Bryan Kest based in Los Angeles to make yoga more interesting for westerners.

What are its health benefits?

Since power yoga is more physically demanding, it is more enjoyable for those who are fit like athletes and sportsmen.

Power yoga enthusiasts say it enhances stamina, flexibility and better focus. Like any other physical activity it relieves the body of tension and sweating helps release toxins. It is also said to improve posture and help those with back ache and spinal problems by restructuring bone structure.

However, teachers of conventional yoga, which is believed to be more holistic, more or less condemn power yoga labelling it a commercialisation of yoga thats not hing but a money-making sham.

Many studies abroad have exhibited tremendous advantages of yoga lowered cholesterol levels and blood pressure, increased cardiovascular circulation and even helping de-clogging blocked arteries. Its also said to have helped menopausal women suffering from insomnia and mood swings by introducing poses that massage the pituitary, hypothalamus and thyroid glands.

But there havent been any conclusive studies that prove that power yoga is as beneficial as yoga.

I have tried both yoga and power yoga and yes, there is an obvious difference between the two while the conventional form of yoga is intended for relaxation and rejuvenation, power yoga is more intense. Its more of an exercise than meditation or relaxation, says Apar na Nair, a 20-something Bangalore-based lawyer who gave yoga a try to escape the daily stress of a hectic life.

I have also noticed that yoga teachers more often than not condemn power yoga. They say theres no such thing as power yoga! I would say power yoga is meant for those looking to burn calories but if I have the time and energy, Id choose yoga over the power yoga, she adds.

Avoid power yoga if

You arent fit. Power yoga, at minimum, requires you to be moderately fit otherwise the physically int ensive asanas can leave doing more bad than good.

You are pregnant. This doesnt mean that you should stave off it; rather as pregnancy advances, there are certain asanas one must avoid.

If you are looking only to meditate. Power yoga is essentially anot her form of strenuous physical exercise and focuses more on that than chanting or meditation. Having said that, it depends on teacher to teacher how they incorporate power yoga with meditation.

If you suffer from a chronic physical ailment.

Vasundhara Maheshwari, Centre Head of Mumbai-based Vivekanand Yoga Anusandhan Samasthana has been teaching and practising yoga for 20 years. The institution introduces yoga enthusiasts to Dynamic Energising Yoga or DEY, which aims at combining fitness regimes with yoga to provide a more holistic practice.

If one is suffering from a lower backache, slip disc, hernia, any kind of spinal injury or frozen shoulder, they should not choose DEY. We suggest them to first strengthen their body through conventional yoga and then if they are fit enough, they can move on to DEY. For pregnant women, we design a course that takes into account which trimester they are in, she says.

Can those with psychosomatic problems (such as Alzheimers or Parkinsons) practice DEY?

Yes, but not directly. DEY needs strength so one must begin with breathing exercises. They also need to strengthen their intellect and once they have achieved both they can practice it, says Vasundhara.

Is power yoga more beneficial than yoga?

Theres no real comparison between the two. Although the foundation of both is similar, people choose one over the other for completely different reasons. One is for meditation and the other for physical prowess.

The lowest common denominator is still stress management and flexibility so you have those two in the bag. But experts agree that a more holistic approach is always more beneficial. Too much stress on physical exercise and you miss out on the mental and spiritual quotient of yoga.

The principle objective, after all, is to harmonize the mind, body and spirit. So if you are on the lookout for salvation, make sure you choose wisely. The power of yoga is immense but its not concentrated only in power yoga

Healthy Diets: Must-eats for Men

While there are some foods that we must all eat, men and women have different dietary requirements met by different foods. Heres a list of foods that men must include in their diet.

1. Tomatoes: This popular fruit has many benefits for men. Lycopene (a phytochemical) is known to lower cholesterol, cut risk of colorectal cancer and heart disease. Studies show that men who regularly eat food rich in lycopene have lesser chances of developing prostate cancer.

2. Snacking on nuts in general is good for the heart and skin. Brazil nuts, however, are particularly good for men as they have a high selenium content, which is known to enhance sperm health and motility. Selenium also helps reduce LDL or bad cholesterol and acts as mood enhancer....

3. Cabbage, broccoli and Brussels sprout are some important veggies that every man must include in his diet. These veggies are known to contain cancer-fighting chemicals, which are known to cut risk of prostate and colorectal cancer in men. So add them in plenty in your daily diet.

4 If youre prone to hair loss, then look no further. Eggs, an excellent source of protein and biotin (vitamin B7) boosts hair growth. Additionally, egg yolks are a good source of iron, which research suggests helps alleviate hair loss caused by anaemia.

5 Blueberries: Blueberries have been linked to reduced risk of prostate cancer, owing to high levels of proanthocyanidins (a subtype of flavonoids). The benefits of blueberries does not end there, research also suggests that this fruit can reduce risk of heart disease, age-related memory loss and type-2 diabetes all of which typically effect more men than women.

6 Pomegranate: Packed with antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, and studies show that eating pomegranate regularly can help lower cholesterol, a problem common to many men. Many studies also suggest that drinking a glass of pomegranate juice daily ca slow down the progress of prostate cancer.

7. Garlic: Garlics heart health boosting properties are well known, it helps lower cholesterol, reducing chances of blockage. Further, research findings published in the Journal of National Cancer Institute suggests that regularly eating garlic and onions cuts risk of prostate cancer. So include them in your diet today.

8. Salmon: Salmon, a sea fish is a great source of omega-3 fatty acids, which can help treat the cause of many common health ailments in men. It not only helps reduce LDL or bad cholesterol, it also helps alleviate depression and cuts risk of prostate and colorectal cancer.

9. Whole grains: Whole grains pack in a host of vitamins, minerals and fibre good for both men and women. However, its the B vitamins that particularly benefit men. Vitamin B9 (folate) helps keep sperm healthy, vitamin B7 (biotin) helps reduce hair loss. Silica, also found in whole grains aids healthy hair growth....

Courtesy Yahoo Health.

Benifits of Banana

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Courtesy http://tamil.webdunia.com/miscellaneous/health/articles/1206/20/1120620036_1.htm

Red wine key to longevity?

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Sep 26, 2012 at 7:55 AM

Tags: Alcohol, Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, Honeybees, Longevity, Obesity, resveratrol, Wine

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A new study suggests that could red wine could decrease your appetite, facilitate weight loss and prevent diabetes!

According to the findings published in the journal Aging, red wine could help you live longer. Resveratrol, a compound found in red wine caused honeybees to decrease their food intake and live longer, while in mice it prevented obesity and diabetes. Some research shows that resveratrol could be linked to a reduced risk of inflammation and blood clotting.

A team of scientists from Arizona State University, the Norwegian University of Life Sciences and Harvard Medical School conducted a series of experiments to test the effects of resveratrol on the lifespan, learning ability and food perception in honeybees. Their research has confirmed that this compound extends the lifespan of honey bees by 33 to 38 percent. The research also suggests that resveratrol changes the decisions that bees make about food by triggering a moderation effect when they e at.

For the first time, we conducted several tests on the effects of resveratrol by using the honey bee as a model. We were able to confirm that under normal living conditions, resveratrol lengthened lifespan in honey bees, said

Brenda Rascon, an ASU alumnus and doctoral student with Gro Amdam, an associate professor in ASUs School of Life Sciences and the Norwegian University of Life Sciences.

Free radicals, often released during stressful conditions, are believed to cause damage to cells and have an effect on how we age. Though resveratrol is an antioxidant, it did not, however, diminish the damaging effects of free radicals. It did not prove to extend lives of bees living under stressful conditions. Yet, since the bees tested with the compound were living longer, researchers wanted to know what caused them to live longer.

Because what we eat is such an important contributor to our physical health, we looked at the bees sensitivity to sugar and their willingness to consume it. Bees typically gorge o n sugar and while its the best thing for them, we know that eating too much is not necessarily a good thing, said Amdam. Interestingly, the research team discovered that bees given the compound were less sensitive to sugar. The bees changed their perception about food.

Finally, they measured how much food the bees would consume if given the opportunity to eat as much sugar water as they possibly could. Surprisingly, the bees that received the drug decreased their food intake, said Rascon. The bees were allowed to eat as much as they pleased and were certainly not starving they simply would not gorge on the food that we know they like. Its possible that resveratrol may be working by some mechanism that is related to caloric restriction a dietary regimen long known to extend lifespan in diverse organisms, he added.

Computer Vision Syndrome expert advice

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India.com Health, Jul 23, 2012 at 3:24 PM

Tags: Computer Vision Syndrome, CVS, CVS treatment, Dry eyes, Eye-strain, Eyes, Headaches, Opthamologist, Tear film

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Do you experience dry, burning eyes? Headaches that just wont go away? Are you sick of staring at the computer screen? Well you could be suffering from what the doctors call Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS). CVS is a temporary condition caused by using a computer or staring at a screen for a long period of time. In this day and age where most people work on computers for long hours, its a condition that ails most of the urban workforce. We talked to Dr Prakash Nayak, an expert ophthalmologist about the issue. Excerpts from the interview:

What is Computer Vision Syndrome?

Computer vision syndrome (CVS) is a condition which is ever-present in todays urban population who spend all days on their laptops or computers. Viewing a computer screen often makes the eyes work harder than normal. The unique characteristics and high visual demands of working on computers make individuals susceptible to various vision related conditions.

How is working on computers more strenuous than say reading a book?

Viewing a computer screen is very different than reading a printed page. Often the letters on the computer screen are not as precise or sharply defined, the level of contrast of the letters to the background is reduced, and the presence of glare and reflections on the screen may make viewing difficult. Different distances and angles also result in aggravating the issue. Even minor vision problems can turn into major ones due to protracted computer use. Even people who have an eyeglass or contact lens prescript ion may find its not suitable for the specific viewing distances of their computer screen. In fact along with eye conditions, the posture we use laptops in can result in muscle spasms or pain in the neck, shoulder or back.

Who is at risk to develop CVS?

Well pretty much everyone who works in an office that requires use of computers. People who spend two or more continuous hours in front of the screen are at a greater risk of developing CVS.

What are the common symptoms associated with CVS?

Some of the common symptoms are eyestrain, headaches, blurred vision, dry eyes and pain around the neckshoulder region. The symptoms are usually temporary and disappear after one ceases to use the computer.

What are the treatment options?

There are many things that you can do to guard against Computer Vision Syndrome. You can wear zero power (if you dont have corrective glasses) anti -glare glasses or use an anti-glare screen. Blinking constantly helps too, as it replenishes the tear film in the eye. If you do have dry eyes, you can

use artificial tears. Its also advisable to take frequent breaks to prevent eye -strain. Ideally, you should take a 15 minute break for every two hours you use the computer.

Some other things you can do include placing the computer screen at a comfortable angle (15 to 20 degrees below eye-level as measured from the centre of the screen). Seating position and posture is equally important. Sit on a comfortable chair with an adjustable back and keep your feet on the floor.

A few simple precautions should be enough to keep CVS at bay. If symptoms persist one should contact a professional ophthalmologist.

5 Exercises to strengthen your eye muscles and improve your vision 1.Blinking Blinking is an often overlooked yet simple way to keep your eyes fresh and being able to focus longer. Computer users and television watchers tend to blink less, especially when they are intently focused on something. Try it just now as a simple exercise. For the next two minutes blink every 3 4 seconds. After you have done this for two minutes, mentally take note of how your eyes feel, are they strained, relaxed, tired. Now try and not blink for 30 seconds at a time for two minutes. Do you feel any difference? Whenever you blink your eyes are going into a brief period of darkness which helps to keep your eyes fresh and discharges previous information ready for new information, this helps to reduce eye strain. Your blink rate can also help with your communication skills. Think about someone who looked at you intently and you possibly felt threatened by them. What you may have missed is the fact that they had stopped blinking. When someone stops blinking and stares at you when you are talking its a sign of aggression. However whenever you are talking to someone and they are blinking at a 3 -4 second interval its a sign of a relaxed and friendly listener. Check out peoples blink rates the next time you are talking. Check out this article for more info Dramatically improve your eye contact skills 2.Palming This is done to relieve stress around the eyes and as a way to relax your eyes whilst taking a computer break. Instructions for palming 1. Take a few deep breathes before you begin. 2. Make yourself comfortable whilst leaning forward on a desk or with your elbows resting on your knees. Close your eyes. 3. Place your two hands over your eyes with the cup of your palm covering your eyes, your fingers on your forehead and the heel of your hand will rest on your cheekbone. Make sure you can blink freely and you are not putting too much pressure on your eyes.

Thats it. Palming gives you the opportunity to rest your mind and your eyes for a few minutes at a time. It may not sound much of an exercise but it can make a big difference in your working day if you stop for a few minutes and do this exercise. 3.Figure of eight This is to exercise your eye muscles and increase their flexibility. This is quite a simple exercise but a good one. Imagine a giant figure of eight in front of you about 10 feet in front of you. Now turn the 8 on its side. Now trace the figure of eight with your eyes, slowly. Do it one way for a few minutes and then do it the other way for a few minutes. It may seem very alien at first but its worth persevering with it. 4.Near and far focussing This is one of my favourite exercises as you can do it almost anywhere, I say almost as I couldnt imagine doing it on the underground without getting strange looks from those around me. Instructions for Near and far focussing. 1. Sit in a comfortable position, or stand, this will only take 2-3 minutes at a time. 2. Put your thumb about 10 inches in front of you and focus on it. 3. Now focus on something else about 10 20 feet in front of you. 4. On each deep breath switch between focussing on your thumb and the 10-20 feet object in front of you. This will strengthen the muscles in your eyes over time and improve your vision overall. 5.Zooming This is another one of my favourites as it is very easy and quick to do. Instructions for zooming 1. Sit in a comfortable position 2. Stretch out your arm with your thumb in the hitchhike position 3. Focus on your thumb as your arm is outstretched. 4. Now bring your thumb closer to you, focussing all the time, until your thumb is about 3 inches in front of your face.

5. Now move your thumb away again until your arm is fully outstretched. 6. Do this for a few minutes at a time throughout the day. This exercise will strengthen your focussing skills and your eye muscles in general. I hope this post has stimulated your interest in natural vision exercises and it leads you to research this subject more. I am by no means an expert on this subject so please do your own research. I can only tell you what works for me

Eye Diagram

Courtesy: National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health Cornea Transparent front part of the eye that covers the iris, pupil and anterior chamber. It acts as a powerful fixed lens and contributes most of the eye's focusing power, although the focus is fixed. It's refractive power is ~44 dioptres. Anterior chamber Fluid-filled space inside the eye between the iris and the cornea's innermost surface. It is filled with thick watery fluid, aqueous humour. The aqueous humor is constantly circulating through the anterior chamber. It is produced by a tiny gland, situated behind the iris. It flows between the iris and the lens and, after nourishing the cornea and lens, flows out through a very tiny spongy tissue, called the trabecular meshwork, which serves as the drain of the eye. Iris Colored, thin, circular structure responsible for adjusting the diameter of the pupil depending on the intensity of the light, thus, regulating the amount of light going through it. Pupil The opening located in the center of the iris of the eye that allows light to enter the retina. It appears black because most of the light entering the pupil is absorbed inside the eye. Lens

The lens is a clear, biconvex structure in the eye that, along with the cornea, helps to refract light to be focused on the retina. It's refractive power is about 18 dioptres. But, unlike cornea, which is fixed, the lens, by changing it's shape with help of ciliary muscle, helps the eye to focus on objects at various distances, thus allowing a sharp image to be formed on the retina. This adjustment of the lens is called accommodation. Retina The light-sensitive tissue lining the inner back surface of the eye. Retina converts light into electrical and chemical events that send impulses to the brain through the optic nerve. Macula Is an oval-shaped highly pigmented yellow spot near the center of the retina of the human eye. Macula is responsible for central vision. Fovea Is a part of the eye, located in the center of the macula region of the retina. The fovea is responsible for sharp central vision and contains a high density of photoreceptors with high acuity. Optic nerve A bundle of more than a million nerve fibres that carries information about image from retina to the brain.

Natural treatment of eye twitches

Eye twitching happens to most of us when it is least expected. For example, you are sitting somewhere on the important meeting having conversation and one of your eyelids starts twitching. You get even more nervous, more twitching, everybody is looking at you and they feel uncomfortable too. In fact this problem is so common - other people in the meeting might get eye twitch after this. Or you are talking to a colleague of the opposite sex and here comes a twitch - he(she) might interpret it wrong way. There are thousands of situations where eye twitching would be absolutely inconvenient. But what is this eye twitching? What causes eyes to twitch? If you think about you will be able to name most of the triggers.

Stress Lack of sleep Computer eye strain (or any other eye strain) Fatigue Eye staring Excessive amounts of caffeine or alcohol Eye injury/neurological problems

Most of us do not take eye twitches seriously until it begins affecting our life. This annoying condition does not seem to bother us much in the beginning, but what happens and what can you expect when eye twitching progresses? Usually these are symptoms that your eye muscles are too tense all the time and you propably have

other eye problems as a result of that. You need to treat this eye twitching disease with simple natural ways. If you do not have any injuries associated with your upper face and you are not an alcoholic then it is pretty easy to work against other factors of eye twitching. Cut the amount of coffee to maximum 1 cup a day and lets take care of the other 3 eye twitching factors. When you need to stare at something for a long time (like computer screen or the presentation board, read the book, drive the car, etc...) remember to blink every 4-5 seconds. Make it a new habit of yours. This will not only treat your eye twitching but will also prevent you from another harmful eye disease called dry eye. Blinking will lubricate your eyes and relax your eye muscles which is the most imprtant treatment for any type of eye twitching. The second procedure that you will need to learn is called hard blinking. It restores blood flow to the eyes simultaneously. The only problem is that it is not suggested while you drive, but you can do it while you are waiting on the red signal. Close your eyes as tight as possible. Squeeze them as much as you can and then suddenly open up unexpectedly wide. Perform this type of blinking until the tears burst out of your eyes. Usually 3-4 times are more than enough to stop any of the eye twitches. If you experience really bad eye twitching and it happens more and more frequently you would have to think about more serious eye exercises and eye food at the same time. There are a few eye relaxation techniques that are easy to perform and do not take too much time. I would also suggest to boost your eye blood flow which will tremendously help with your eye twitching. There are certain berries that promote blood circulation in the smallest eye capillaries, they are bilberry and black current.

Eye Care | eye strain relief - make your eyes beautiful in 5 minutes
Despite all the precautions that you take your eyes may still hurt from exercises. That proves only the fact that your eye muscles started to work and you still did not learn how to relax them! Here are some more techniques that you can use to either calm the pain down or to prevent its appearance:

Contrast eye bathing

This is the most powerful and the best in eyestrain relieving method

( and is also count as Eye Relaxation Techinque). I simplified this procedure to the bare minimum. When I feel that my upper eye lids are puffy and the skin that is under my eyebrows is hanging over my eyes I grab one piece of ice (any size) and stand beside sink filled with hot water (just make sure that the water is bearable temperature). Rub the ice against the other hand to ensure that it wont stick to your skin and then

make a few circles over your closed eyes with that piece of ice. Then right away splash your closed eyes with the hot water (careful though! Do not boil your eyes, you may still need them!). Repeat it 7-8 times and all of the puffiness will be gone. This procedure can also be used for the women when they urgently need to prepare for a party.

If you are somewhere at work, just splash your eyes with very cold water a few times. Finish up with the Acupressure procedure.

Tea pads

I hope, you have loose tea leaves in your house. I, personally, prefer black tea (without any additives and flavors) for this procedure. Make very strong tea (1 teaspoon on of a glass hot water), steep it for 3-5 minutes and strain. Put your hot tea either outside or into the fridge for a few minutes. Soak cotton pads in that tea, lie down on the bed (floor, sofa) without a pillow and place those soaked tea pads on your closed upper eyelids. The temperature of the tea is totally individual preference. Experiment with applying warm or cold tea soaked cotton pads on your eyes and find out what is the most comfortable temperature for you. The best timing for this procedure is 15-20 minutes.

Eye beauty secrets

Take a look at some secrets that make eyes look more beautiful and less tired The quickest and the most accessible way to make your eyes look and feel better at any time and place is again the massage of the acupressure dots. In the morning, when you are about to wash your face get some water into your mouth and splash ice-cold water into your face. Perform this procedure any time when you want your eyes to look instantly better.

If you got puffy eyes for some reason (staring at your monitor at work, watching too much TV) use either Contrast eye bathing described above or simply cut 2 slices of cucumber (better be organic) and place them for 15-20 on your closed eyes while you are lying down without a pillow. Cucumber has natural ingredients to moisture the skin. If you want your eyelashes to be long, rich and shiny just apply a drop of burr oil at least twice a week and the results will be seen already in a month! Make sure that there are no any traces of cosmetic products on your eyelashes and your eyelids when you put the oil on. In order to make your eyes shine you have to work a little bit harder. There are a few stages to achieve that effect. First massage all of your fingers from their tips to the base paying special attention to the smallest ones pinkies. Then perform Acupressure massage as I described in the Acupressure Chapter. When you finished with the massage go ahead to the final stage that I call hard blinking (that is also considered as

Eye Relaxation technique - Close your eyes as tight as possible squeeze them as much as you can and then suddenly open up unexpectedly wide. Execute this type of blinking until the tears bust out of your eyes. As soon as this happens you may count your goal achieved. You also can use another trick - fill the sink with cold water and try to blink while your face is down in the water. The blood circulation tremendously speeds up inside of little eye blood vessels at this moment, so, please, do not get scared when you look at yourself in the mirror right at the end of this procedure.

Glaucoma
Glaucoma is an eye disease that damages the optic nerve, leading to progressive loss of eyesight. It is often, but not always, associated with increased pressure of the fluid, called aqueous humor, inside the eye. Glaucoma is called "silent thief of eyesight" because it is in most cases developes in early stages without noticable symptoms. Untreated glaucoma leads to permanent damage of the optic nerve which then progress to blindness. Glaucoma, after cataract is the second leading cause of blindness worldwide. Glaucoma can be divided roughly into two main categories, "open-angle" and "angle-closure" glaucoma. Angle-closure glaucoma develops rapidly as a result of quickly rising pressure inside the eye. Iris, when dilating, is pushed forwad and to the outer edges creating closed angle with cornea and blocking passage of fluid (aqueous humor) from anterior chamber to trabecular meshwork, which drains the fluid to outside. Since gland

keeps producing fluid it builds pressure inside the eye. Elevated pressure damages nerve cells in the optic nerve leading to vision loss. In case of Open-angle glaucoma drainage channels are not compressed by iris and should work properly, but they are clogged, like blood vessels clogged by cholesterol. But, similar to blood vessels blockage causing heart diseases, this happens slowly over time and causes unperceivable loss of eyesight.

Glaucoma Symptoms
Besides gradually decreasing eyesight there are usually no symptoms for Open-angle glaucoma. Due to the rapid increase in inner eye pressure in case of Angle-closure glaucoma some of the following symptoms may occur:

Pain and redness in the eye Blurred and reduced vision, halos around bright lights Headache and vomiting Pupils half-dilated and unresponsive to light Cloudy cornea

If you experience these symptoms let eye care professional check your eye as soon as possible. It might not be glaucoma, but if it is - early prevention is a key to stop disease progression.

Risk Factors

High Intraocular (Eye) Pressure Age 50 or older Family history of glaucoma African Americans Suspicious optic nerve appearance (cupping > 50% or assymetry) Thin cornea High Myopia (nearsightedness) Diabetes Hypertension Eye Injury or Surgery History of steroid use Migraine, headaches Sleep apnea

Treatment Options
Although there are many options including laser surgery, eye drops, other surgical procedures etc, we are not discussing them here because they are not natural. Othtalmologist can explain you all these options if you choose to do so. If you have severe pain or rapid vision loss - it is the best option to go to the doctor because by the time methods listed below start to kick in you might have already very damaged eye. Ether you decide to put your health into the doctors hands or not, if you have glaucoma that progresses slowly, methods below will stop deterioration of eyesight, clear drainage channels, reduce intraocular pressure and return beauty and clear vision back to your eyes. These methods will help, by how much - all depends on you. It is going to take time, so if you are lazy and/or don't want to sacrifize your time or your lifestyle - these methods are not for you, go to the doctor. It usually takes years of bad habits and poor nutrition to destroy your eyesight,

prepare for hard work to stop the damaging process. The glaucoma treatment itself is not exhaustive and brings pleasurable experience to the person that has decided to treat glaucoma. I understand that it sounds surprising, but this is the path that I walked through when I started research on natural glaucoma treatment options.

I thought that if glaucoma is caused by the elevated pressure in the eye the first aid to the eye would be to reduce the amount of pressure. Watch the video with Relaxation Eye Exercises to learn at least half of them. They are all easy to learn, quick and fun to do.

The biggest help for the eyes with glaucoma eye problem is water procedures. Learn about contrast eye bathing, eye icing, eye rejuvenating procedure and incorporate these easy tasks into your glaucoma treatment plan. Here is one of the yoga methods to fight intraocular pressure. Each morning or more frequently go to the bath, open the cold water in the sink, fill your mouth with cold water and, while you hold water inside, splash your eyes with running cold water. This stimulates blood flow in the eyes and releives the pressure.

The last, but not the least is nutritional advice. Most people, especially with low-tension glaucoma, have also other vascular problems. They are usually due to poor eating habits, lack of vitamins and minerals. Read carefully about herbal medicine, particularly about schizandra and bilberry. Vitamin C, taken in dosages up to bowel tolerance, is reported to reduce pressure within the eye and restore collagen balance. Vitamin C supplements with bioflavonoids, especially rutin and lutein, are particularly recommended. Add schizandra into your tea. Drink plenty of green tea of good quality. Make green or white tea out of loose tea leaves. Incorporate Raw Food into your life as much as possible (the recipes are here)

I just want to mention that just the month of following to this advice made the woman that decided to test my methods on herself run to me with open arms and tears in her eyes. She said that this is the first time when something is really helping, not counting many other emails I keep receiving.

Cataract - ways to treat cataract naturally

What is a cataract? A cataract is a clouding of the normally clear crystalline lens of the eye. This prevents the lens from properly focusing light on the retina at the back of the eye, resulting in a loss of vision. A cataract is not a film that grows over the surface of the eye, as is often commonly thought.

Why are they called cataracts?

Cataract derives from the Latin cataracta meaning "waterfall". As rapidly running water turns white, the term may later have been used metaphorically to describe the similar appearance of mature ocular opacities.

Who gets cataracts?

Cataracts are most often found in persons over the age of 55, but they are also occasionally found in younger people, including newborns.

What causes cataracts?

It is known that a chemical change within the eye causes the lens to become cloudy. Therefore the first risk factor is connected to the diet. Iodine deficiency may cause cataract as well. Excessive exposure to infrared radiation from furnaces, cigarette smoking are also cataract risk factors. Glassblowers were at the high risk to get cataract. Microwave radiation causes cataract formation. Cataracts usually develop in both eyes, often at different rates. Some drugs can induce cataract development, such as corticosteroids and Seroquel.

What are the cataract symptoms?

While a comprehensive eye examination can determine for certain if you have a cataract forming, there are a number of signs and symptoms that may indicate a cataract. Among them are:

moves;

Gradual blurring or hazy vision where colors may seem yellowed; The appearance of dark spots or shadows that seem to move when the eye A tendency to become more nearsighted because of increasing density of the Double vision in one eye only;

lens;

A gradual loss of color vision; A stage where it is easier to see without glasses; The feeling of having a film over the eyes; and An increased sensitivity to glare, especially at night.

Cataract prevention:

Have regular eye exams. Eye exams can help detect cataracts and other eye problems at their earliest stages. Talk to your doctor about how often you should have an eye exam. Quit smoking. There is huge variety of the ways to quit smoking. Medications, counselling, hypnosis, patches and many other strategies are available to help you. Take care of your other health problems. Cataract does not usually come alone. It has very nice friends to accompany. Follow your natural treatment plan if you have diabetes or other medical conditions that can increase your risk of cataracts.

Maintain a healthy weight. If you are overweight, start working on losing your weight naturally. The best ways that has ever existed is to change your diet and perform regular exercises. My husband decided that the easiest way for him to lose weight was turning to Raw Food lifestyle. He lost 30 LB in the first month easily.

Choose a healthy diet that includes plenty of fruits and vegetables. Adding a variety of colourful fruits and vegetables to your diet ensures that you're getting a lot of vitamins and nutrients. Fruits and vegetables are full of antioxidants, which in theory could prevent damage to your eye's lens. Studies haven't proven that antioxidants in pill form can prevent cataracts. But fruits and vegetables have many proven health benefits and are a safe way to increase the amount of vitamins in your diet.

Cataract Natural Treatment

Nutrition, nutrition, nutrition. When I was talking to a few elderly raw foodists I found out that they treated their cataracts without even trying to treat them. They all were treating much more serious illnesses like cancer or diabetes. Eye Exercises. Strengthen your eye muscles as well as the little eye capillaries in your eyes. Make sure that your eyes get plenty of fresh blood supply and the blood is able to sash out all of the toxins from your eyes. There are also some specific eye exercises that are designed for the lens. Eye Hydrotherapy or Eye Water Procedures. They are extremely helpful with the cataract. Just one water procedure that I recommended to my Grandma stopped development of her cataract and she was able to do her knitting again. Now she also enjoys reading. CHINESE HERBAL RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CATARACTS In the English-Chinese Encyclopedia of Practical Traditional Chinese Medicine (2), there is a chapter on diseases of the lens. Three basic formulations (well-known traditional prescriptions) are recommended for senile cataract on the basis of differential diagnosis of syndromes, as follows (the number of grams used for a daily dose of decoction is indicated in parentheses after the common names of the herbs): Liver/Kidney Deficiency Spleen Qi Deficiency Yin Deficiency and Damp Heat

Qi Ju Dihuang Tang
Rehmannia (24) Alisma (9) Lycium (9) Phellodendron (9) Ginseng (6) Eriobotrya (24) Rehmannia (9) Scute (9)

Yiqi Congming Tang

Cornus (12) Hoelen (9) Chrysanthemum (9) Peony (9) Baked Licorice (3) Asparagus (12) Rehmannia, raw (9) Ching-hao (9)

Ganlu Yin
Dioscorea (12) Moutan (9) Vitex (12) Astragalus (6) Pueraria (3) Ophiopogon (12) Dendrobium (9) Licorice (6)

Eye Relaxation techniques to improve eyesight

A long time ago the eyes of our Great-Great-Grand Parents were able to see all of the objects up to the line of a horizon. Unfortunately, our technological era of tall buildings, high density, TV's and computers have tremendously limited this ability. And our eyes almost lost this greatest way of natural vision relaxation. We do not even notice when our eyes stop moving and we do not even know how to relax them. We think that we are relaxing when we are in front of the TV, but it is an illusion. We just add up the stress to our own precious eyes. This is the most important point in any eye exercising routines. We have to learn how to relax our precious eyes in the environment we live in today. Now, let's introduce a few different techniques of eye relaxation. Practice these simple EYE RELAXATION EXERCISES throughout your work day, while you are stopping at the red light, while you are in an elevator, in a subway, while you are standing in a lineup, during a TV commercial, etc. Never begin your eye training with tired eyes. Perform these relaxation exercises before you start your main set of EYE EXERCISES.

Eye Relaxation Exercises

To watch my video on eye relaxation go to Eyesight Improving Relaxation Eye Exercises video. Eye Relaxation Exercise #1 - the easiest, available even if you sit somewhere on a meeting Close your eyes half way down. You will notice that your upper lids constantly tremble with different amplitude. Concentrate your efforts on stopping this trembling. (Little hint it will be easier to do if you look at further objects).

Slowly close your eyes, like your eyelids are made out of puffy cottony clouds. Think that eyes get extremely comfortable in their position. The place behind your eyes is getting warm and feels how the blood filled with the oxygen flows through your eye sockets.

When you inhale imagine the breezy oxygenized air coming through your nose into the eyes washing each eyes blood vessel. Exhale through the mouth. Breathe this way for one or two minutes and end this exercise with a smile. Eye Relaxation Exercise #2 Imagine two dots on the wall, one is half a meter from the other. Slowly look at one of them, then move your eyesight to another dot, then slowly move your gaze back to the previous dot, etc... Continue doing these movements, imagining that you are a lazy cat that is falling asleep, but still keeps attention on the fly.Soon your eyes will feel that they are heavy, That they are made out of something that is hard to lift..

Please, do not snore if there are other people in the same room. I placed much more Eye Relaxation Techniques throuthout this website, you just need to watch for the picture in the text. You can find them on Palming page and Eye care page.

Eye Exercises to improve eyesight - Central Fixation

This set of two exercises is called Central Fixation and is inherited from yoga. Interestingly, the yoga places these two exercises into DEEP EYE RELAXATION category. Draw an imaginary horizontal line between your eyebrows (a mirror and a marker* can really help), then draw a vertical line up from your nose. If you are good with geometry you will be able to find the point when these two lines will finally cross each other. The point of intersection will be slightly above the bridge of your nose. Then (this is the most difficult part) you have to fix your eyes on this spot and the most important, try to keep

your gaze in that position for a few seconds. If you succeed you will understand the phrase broken eyes. Some people can even meditate in that condition (I understand, that it is not the path that you are willing to take right now). Either right away or later on, but you will notice that when you do this EYE EXERCISE suddenly all of the objects that are in the peripheral vision zone are seen much more clear with all of the little details on them. Right in the beginning of the central eye fixation exercise you will feel that your eyelids are closing down by themselves. This eye exercise also helps people that have issues with falling asleep. If you still did not get scared and decided to continue eye exercising even after this relaxing procedure you will need to concentrate your vision on the other important spot the tip of your nose (in yoga practice it is called NASAGRA-DRUSHTY)

Always remember about the blinking (another eye relaxation technique!) that lubricate your eyes, cleanse them and at the same time relax all of the muscles surrounding your eyes. Blinking is extremely important especially for the people that have to stare at closer objects for a long period of time (computer screens, TV's, etc...). If you are watching TV, use the commercials for blinking. Or, if you are working on the computer, perform series of blinking whenever you are waiting on the the next application to come up and then just shift your gaze for a second on the further object. Your eyes will gladly pay you back.

Improving eyesight - Stretching Eye Exercises

In order to perform Stretching Eye Exercises you have to hold a perfect posture. Sit (or stand) straight, chin up, stomach in, chest out and shoulders down. Now you are ready to begin. 1. Holding your head straight look to the most left side and try to keep your eyes in that position. Return your gaze back to look straight in front of you. Blink for a few seconds in order to relax your eyes. Repeat 2-3 times. Blink a few times. 2. Look to the most right side and keep your eyes in that position the same time as you tried in the 1 st stretching eye exercise. Repeat 2-3 times. Relax your eyes with blinking. 3. Look up and hold, return the gaze back to the original position, repeat 2-3 times. Follow up with blinking 4. Look down and hold, return the gaze back, repeat 2-3 times. Do not forget about blinking. 5. I hope, you realize that if it is called EYE EXERCISES you need to move your eyes only and not your head! Now turn your head back into the original position (when I was talking about posture, stomach, shoulders, etc ...). Keep up the same posture. Lets continue: look at the right top corner, hold your gaze there. Return it back. Repeat 2-3 times.

6. The next position for the eyes is the right bottom corner. Before you realize where it is you have to recall about blinking! And the right bottom corner will be your right shoulder. Fix your eyes in that direction without moving your head. Hold your eyesight in that pose for a while and look straight ahead again. Repeat 2-3 times and blink. 7. Still trying to keep your head straight, look down to the bottom left at your left shoulder. Try to fixate the eye position there, and then look straight ahead again. Do not forget about blinking. 8. The only unused corner is the upper left one, somewhere above your left temple. Try to concentrate and do exactly the same routine as for all of the other corners. What do I have to repeat once again? Blinkblink-blink! Lets end stretching part of EYE EXERCISES with some fun stuff! Look around yourself and find one object that is small enough in order to pretend that it is a black dot. Start staring at that dot and at the same time turn your head to the right side as much as you can keeping your eyes fixed on that dot. Now slowly move your head to the left side and still keep your attention on the same dot. Lets blink and continue the fun by trying to reach your nose with your chin. Lift it up, up, up! You forgot to keep your eyes fixed on that imaginary dot! Try again, but this time everything has to be done properly. When you realize, that you can not reach your nose with your chin, try to do that in the backward procedure reach your chin with your nose (do not forget about that dot! Keep your gaze on the dot), bend your head down. There is no strict rules about this eye exercise you can simply move your head in any directions you want to, just keep your gaze on the same dot. End it up with blinking to relax your eyes.

EYE EXERCISES - Rolling Movements

Make sure that your eyes are warmed up by now (I hope, you performed set of Stretching Eye Exercises). If you did not follow up with the series of blinking after the stretching, please do so. Now lets draw a horizontal number eight with your eyes.

Try to do that very slowly without cutting any edges. Move your eyes as far to the edges as possible. When you drew about seven horizontal eights, change the direction (e.g. if you were drawing an eight in a clockwise direction at the beginning, then change it on a counterclockwise direction) and draw 7 horisontal eights again. Follow up with blinking to relax your eyes. After that go ahead with drawing a vertical 8 with your eyes (seven times in a clockwise direction and seven times in a counterclockwise direction). Follow up with blinking.

Now close your eyes and repeat this entire math drawing 8 and 8 with closed eyes. Even the blinking part has to be done with closed eyes. By the way, blinking with closed eyes is also considered as EYE EXERCISING RELAXATION TECHNIQUE. The next rolling eye excercise requires a pretty high level of concentration. Please, make sure that you keep your posture straight (chest out, stomach in, etc). Look up and start drawing a circle with your eyes. Try to make the circle as perfect as possible without cutting any angles. Complete 7-8 rounds, then blink for a minute. Then do another set of circular movements in the opposite direction. Follow up with blinking.

After that, repeat circular movements in both directions again but with closed eyes. Blink a few times while your eyes are still closed.

Keep your eyes closed; concentrate all your attention on the eye sockets. Feel the warmth behind your eyes. Now relax bottom eyelids, and then relax your mouth, your ears, upper eyelids, forehead and the crown of your head. Notice this condition. Remember that By the way, that was another Eye Rexation technique

Palming - Deep Eye Relaxation

There are a few ways to perform "Palming", you just need to choose the one that you will feel the most comfortable with. Palming - The easiest method Remember when you were playing hide and seek when you were a little kid? It was enough to cover the eyes with your palms and nobody was able to see you! are not touching your eyelids with your palms. Palming - A bit more complicated variation, but, by yoga, there is a lot of meaning behind the following Palming technique: Warm up your hands - rub your palms against each other or hold them under hot water (not very hot!) running from the tap. Prepare your palms like on the picture. The base of your right pinkie will be on the base of your left pinkie or if it is more comfortable, place your left palm on the top of your right palm making an upside down V with your palms. Just do it exactly the same way as you did in your

childhood - cup your eyes up with your hands and observe the darkness in front of your face. Make sure that you

Cover up your eyes with the palms. The base of the pinkie fingers will be right on the bridge of your nose. Make sure you are able to breathe through your nose, otherwise adjust the location of your palms and fingers. Now leaving your eyes open, turn to any light (sun, light fixtures, etc.) and check out the position of your palms. If you are able to see the light through any of the holes between your fingers, correct the placement of palms until you get a perfect cover that does not allow any light to get to your eyes. Now you are ready for the true eye rest - deep eye relaxation that will remove all eye strain. Do not concentrate on the eyes or area behind them. Breathe deeply. Focus on your breath; it helps to calm down all of the senses. Feel the warmth coming from palms. Then imagine absolutely black space in front of your eyes. I found out that in the beginning it could be an extremely difficult task to perform. The worse your vision is the more difficult it is to picture absolutely black space. But I was able to trick my mind. I recalled drawing different shapes with a black pencil. For example, I would picture in my mind how I draw a circle and then how I shade it in with the same black pencil. Just go ahead and play with yourself, find what tricks work with your mind. I also tried picturing a starry sky and then I was removing stars one by one with the black clouds. There is also another important point that has to be taken into consideration the head and neck position during this RELAXATION EYE EXERCISE. Your back and head have to create a straight line during Palming. If you are doing it at work, in front of the computer, place your elbows on the desk, and then place your head into prepared palms. If your head is bent down then move the chair out of the desk and bend in the waist until your back and neck create a straight line. The reason for this is that major blood vessels and your spinal cord must not be curved during ANY EYE RELAXATION EXERCISE. Do not forget about breathing. Improper posture for Palming

Proper posture for Palming

Eye Acupressure

Eye Massage - Acupressure

Lets have a little break and boost some energy into your eye area. The best way will be the Shiatsu method which is also called Acupressure. Shiatsu is Japanese for pressuring by finger. The force of massaging finger is applied to the same dots that are used by Acupuncture. The science of Acupressure goes back many centuries ago. There are different stories about how the method was born. One of them talks about a Chinese soldier that had a stiff shoulder which was very uncomfortable and painful. The doctor in the soldiers village could not help the poor guy with anything. Then this soldier was called to the war and one day when he was fighting in the battle his leg was pierced by an enemys arrow. Our guy bended down to get the arrows tip out of his leg and suddenly noticed that constant pain in the shoulder was gone. I am not too sure if the enemy became an instant friend right away, but when our soldier came back home he told the doctor about his miraculous healing. That is just one of multiple stories that talk about the way how the method was born. The acupuncture is known and used in Japan, China and India from the Stone Age. There are ancient books found that have diagrams of the meridians and acupuncture points located along these meridians. The human body has different systems of circulation built in that either flow internally or socialize with the Universe. For example, the heart pushes blood through arteries and veins to different organs and muscles. We inhale air, use oxygen by our respiratory system, pass it on to our blood, brain, get back the carbon dioxide and pass it to the atmosphere. The meridians are pathways for the energy throughout the body. If there is something wrong with the organ or muscle they pass this information to the meridian responsible for that organ and the meridian is going to signal through certain points on the body. These spots will become painful crying for help. If their screams are noticed well in advance then the illness can be prevented before it is started to affect the body. By simply massaging these screaming dots or inserting the needle it is possible to restore the energy flow and therefore correct proper functioning of the corresponding organ or muscle. I am not suggesting using the needles, because there are too many conditions for their use, but we can simply follow a few shiatsu rules in order to perform a professional massage on ourselves. Use either tip of your middle finger or the knuckle of the same finger. If you use the tip of the finger, make sure that your nails do not cut the skin of the massaged area. Do not bend the finger. Use spiral or circular movements. Do not move your finger (or knuckle) back and force.

Eye Acupressure Points

The first Eye Acupressure Point is located at both sides of the bridge of your nose. Find the spot that reacts with the pain on the finger pressure. Use middle finger tips to press this point.

The next dot is located right underneath the pupils.

Work on it for a minute, using different pressures of your massaging fingers. Then the next points will be your temples.

Again, you have to remember these dots are either painful or feel like there is a hole in the bone (Do not use any other objects for pressure on these dots except your own fingers!) And the last point of pressure (and usually the most painful one) is located in the middle of the eyebrow.

During this little massage session you will find out that your eyesight becomes much better, especially when you press on the dot from both sides of your nose. If you would like you may add two more important points that are also located on the eyebrows.

Buy the book "How to Return Beauty and Clear Vision Back to Your Eyes"

Improve Eyesight - strengthen eye muscles with dynamic eye exercises

The main position for this exercise is either standing or sitting, but it is important to straighten your back, roll the shoulders down and behind. Move your stomach in and your chest out. While you are standing in the newly learned perfect posture (or sitting) glance quickly to the most left position, then quickly glance to the most right position and return back to the left. Repeat 7-8 times. Keep up the speed. Follow up with blinking. Now eyes movements have to be started form the most right position going to the left. Repeat 7-8 times. Make sure, you are doing absolutely straight lines. Follow up with blinking.

Now roll your eyes up to the sky (or ceiling) and quickly look down to your feet. And up and down and up again. Repeat 7-8 times. Your chin can not move during these types of movements. Now execute this differently begin with checking out your feet first, then look up to the sky. Complete 7-8 straight lines and finish up with blinking.

Make the diagonal moves - begin with the top left corner and look down to the right down corner and then up to the left upper corner. After repeating it for 7-8 times relax your eyes with blinking. Now repeat in the

opposite direction. And again relax your eyes with blinking.

Make different combination right top corner to the left bottom corner in both of the directions. Top it up with blinking.

Roll up your eyes to the upper right corner, and then quickly look down to the right bottom corner and up to the upper right corner again. Repeat 5-7 times and blink-blink-blink-blink. Repeat in the opposite direction from the right bottom corner to the right upper corner and back to the right bottom. It is very important to make lines as straight as possible.

Lets draw the line on the bottom: look at the bottom right corner (your right shoulder), glance over to the bottom left corner (your left shoulder) and back to the bottom right. Repeat a few times and finish up with blinking.

The next line will be on your left side from left bottom corner to the upper left. Proceed with the same technique, finish up with blinking

And the last one is upper line from upper left corner to the upper right corner.

Little tip: I try to make any routines to be interesting. In the case of Dynamic set I use objects that are located around my workplace. For example, for the right bottom corner I would look at the phone that is on my desk. I would use the orchids flowers as left upper corner. Just place different objects around you in the manner that will suit your own purpose and use the locations of these objects. Then change them around one day.

Improve eyesight - Watching the sun (sungazing, eye sunning)

Most of us have a perception that sun rays are harmful to our body, that looking directly at the sun can damage our eyes. This is true for most people living in the city, who work inside all day with artificial lighting, exposed to the sun only during vacation or weekend, if you are lucky. And then, of course, getting sunburned. Did you ever notice vacationers on the beach? You can guess who just started vacation - they have distinct bright pink color to their otherwise pale-white skin. If you know people who spend most of their time outside on the sun, you know that they don't have problems like sunburns, they don't wear sunglasses (they don't need them, their eyes get used to sunlight, they don't squint on the bright day) and they have less eye problems. These people don't get skin cancer, their skin, having constant exposure to sun, knows how to protect itself. Human eyes of our ancestors were conditioned to absorb sunlight without harm; we, through sun deficiency, lost that ability to look at the sun without experiencing pain. Sungazing is one of of most powerful exercises to train your eyes and improve eyesight. For some people who practice sungazing it is a spiritual ritual, they meditate and get energy from the Sun. If you have never done it, the best time for sungazing is before sunset or during sunrise in a day when sun is unobstructed by clouds. And you should increase your sessions gradually. It is the same as with sunbathing, exercising or anything else - if you do too much you can harm yourself, but don't be aftraid of the Sun, this is not the mindset with which you do sungazing. Sun brings powerful energy to everything on Earth including humans, this energy can destroy if you are

oblivious to it, but it can heal if used properly. So, start with short sessions (described below) about 5-10 minutes and you will notice that you can do it longer and longer. Some people can look at the Sun for an hour or more because they sungaze every day. My husband on the sunny day in winter when the ground is covered with snow and reflects sunlight couldn't open his eyes even slightly, while I was walking beside with my eyes wide open.

Choose, if possible, quet place with clear horizon towards the sunset or sunrise. If you live in the city, go to a ravine or a park and find the best spot. Stand or sit, your spine straight; cover up one of your eyes with your palm and watch the sun without blinking for as long as you can. You have to look right at the center of the sun and try to make the sun fill up the whole horizon in front of you. Relax your eyelids, your face, whole body. Observe the sun until tears are about to come out of your eye and it will be unbearable to continue watching. If it is painful to look at the sun directly start watching the space beside it moving your gaze closer while you progress.

Perform exactly the same procedure with another eye. Try to do it every day, soon you will notice that you don't squint on the sunny day, you don't need sunglasses while driving towards the sun. You will be able to watch sunrise and sunset naturally without sunglasses for a long time. P.S. Same rule applies for sunglasses as for eyeglasses - wear them only when you really need them.

Face Lifting Exercises

These face exercises improve the blood flow to the eye region, strengthen upper and lower eyelids, make bags under the eyes smaller or entirely disappear. The skin that used to hang over your eyes tones and rises; eyebrows climb up, naturally pulling the skin and increasing eyes size. The appearance of your eyes becomes living and attractive. Place your middle fingers between the eyebrows above the bridge of your nose, and locate index fingers in the external corners of your eyes. Strain lower eyelids and pull them upward. You have to feel how an external eye

muscles pulsating under your fingers. Strain muscles even more, and then relax.

Repeat this exercise 10 times concentrating your attention on an external eye muscles. After you completed 10th time do not relax lower eyelid muscles, but close your eyes and count to 40 still concentrating your attention on external eye muscles. Do not relax while you count. For the first 3 weeks this exercise has to be performed at least 2 times a day. If the bags under your eyes are really big than consider performing this exercise 3 times a day. If you are in a hurry in the morning and absolutely have no time to complete the exercise, make just two repeats and only then apply your makeup. The appearance of your eyes will be much better. Place two or three fingers on the bone that is located right below your eyes, gaze upwards and squint your bottom eyelids. Do not help yourself with your fingers, there are only eye muscles involved.

Repeat 10 times Perform the same exercise with closed eyes gazing upward. Repeat 10 times

And now we can repeat this exercise again while bending your head down. End up with the EYE RELAXING Exercise that is called Palming Firming upper eyelids Place your index fingers on your forehead right above eyebrows and move them down with (fingers with eyebrows). Try to pull up your eyebrows to original position while your fingers would resist to do so. Relax all of your face muscles.

Repeat 10 times

Eyeglasses - good, bad and the ugly.

When your eyesight is bad, corrective eyewear is a big help when doing some important daily activities that require your focus and precision, like driving, reading etc. Most of the people take eyeglasses off only when they go to bed or take a shower. We wear them all the time. Do we need to? Do you know anybody who improved eyesight by wearing eyeglasses or lenses? No. This is, unfortunately, true with most of our health problems, whether it is our eyes, heart or joints. Doctor will give you something (pills, eyeglasses, knee replacement) that will hide the disease, make you comfortable living with it. And it continues to destroy your body. But what about curing, make disease go away - small percentage of doctors can do that. Why you should almost never wear eyeglasses or contact lenses? In order to answer this question we need to know the way how our eyes work when they need to look at different objects. Our eyes act like camera when it focuses, they constantly adjust the focus, lengthening or shortening their components. The iris acts like the diaphragm of a camera, dilating and constricting the pupil to allow less or more light to get in. The extraocular muscles move and rotate the eye in different directions. They also perform coarse focusing by changing the shape of the eyeball to move retina father or closer to the lens depending on the distance to the objects. Ciliary muscle, which is attached to the lens with small fibers, performs fine tuning on the object by changing the shape of the lens. As you can see all of the eye components constantly move. When we wear glasses we give most of the focusing work eye muscles do to the glasses. Also if you wear eyeglasses try this: look at something on the left and then at something on the right. Did your eyeballs move or you were just turning your head? Fixed position of glasses in front of your eyes and ability to see clearly only by looking at the center of eyeglasses lens makes you move your whole head instead of moving your eyes. So eye muscles stop working as much as they used to. What happens to the astronauts when they come back to Earth after several month in space - they cannot walk, their legs muscles weakened by absence of gravitation cannot hold the body. When I had ski accident and couldnt walk, my strong legs became like matchsticks in 8 months (now I exercise and they are getting back t o normal). Muscle atrophy happens fast, first it is cane, then wheel chair, then bed, then See analogy eyeglasses -2, then -4, -6, -20, blindness. Ophthalmologists know that, but why would they care, you will provide steady income for them by regularly changing to glasses with stronger lenses. I also need to

mention that eyeglasses change your face structure and therefore your appearance.

I need to highlight another point. I do not think that anybody else mentioned that eye sockets become narrower trying to get used to eyeglasses frame. It makes your eyes look smaller and the eye hollows deeper which does not make you look prettier. The cheeck bones move up and you face does not look proportional anymore. There are certain cranial sacral exercises that can help to widen eye sockets and help to move face bones back to place. But this is later.

Improve your Eyesight with proper food

Everybody knows that we should eat healthy food and we should eat in moderation. But we all have our own idea about what healthy food is, especially now with food industry trying to throw in the labels some eye-catching words like "organic", "probiotic", "rich in fiber", "whole grain". Look at the ingredients, if that whole grain bread contains 50 ingredients you never heard of, with names associated with chemical lab - this whole grain bread is as good as organic fries. Now, if you ask me what's wrong with organic fries - you have a long way to go. Or what do you think "probiotic yogurt" should contain? Yogurt is prepared from milk and bacterial culture, hence all yogurts are probiotic by definition and should contain exactly that - milk and bacterial culture, nothing else. Here is what Jack LaLanne said about food: "If man makes it, I dont eat it! You need to make good health a hobby. Would you get your dog up in the morning and give him a cup of coffee, a cigarette, and a doughnut? Well, how about human beings? They get up in the morning with a cup of coffee and a doughnut and they wonder why they are sick and tired and fat. Just ten seconds on the lips and a lifetime on the hips!" And not just hips, toxins we eat are manifested in our body as diseases, including eyesight problems. If you have problems with eyesight (excluding physical trauma), you likely have other health issues and once you stop abusing your body it will recover. Take a look, for example, at cataract - a clouding of the lens in the eye that affects vision. The cause of cataract is denaturation of lens protein - process of losing protein structure by application of external factors (trauma, toxins, UV light). Denaturation is reversible - the proteins can regain their native state - if and when the denaturing influence is removed because all the information needed for proteins to assume their normal state was inscribed in the primary structure of the protein. Now that we agree not to eat any junk, let's find what food is the most beneficial for our eyes. Scientific research shows that our eyes need vitamins, especially antioxidant vitamins A, C and E to be included in everyday diet. Vitamin A Is a vitamin that is needed by the retina in the form of light-absorbing molecule retinal. This molecule is essential for both vision under low light conditions and color vision, it also helps keep your eyes, skin and mucous membranes moist. Vitamin A deficiency is rare, but it can cause night blindness, eye inflammation, diarrhea and other problems. Overconsumption of vitamin A can cause nausea, irritability and blurred vision in its mild form. In

addition, the palms of the hands and the bottoms of the feet can turn orange if a person has a high intake of Vitamin A. This is why your diet has to be well balanced and include all of the needed vitamins. Vitamin A can be found in 2 most common forms in food: 1) Animal based - retinol - it is found in animal or fish liver, whole milk, some fortified foods. 2) Plant based - carotenes, such as beta-carotene that are converted in our body to retinal. RDA for Vitamin A for adults is ~900 g/day and should be increased to 1200 g/day during lactation period. Upper limit is around 3000 g/day. The list below demonstrates top sources of vitamin A. Please, keep in mind that the best way of consumption of the produce is to eat it in its raw condition Plant source Liver (beef, pork, chicken, turkey, fish), cod liver oil Carrot Broccoli leaf Sweet potato Butter Kale Spinach Pumpkin Collard greens Cheddar cheese Cantaloupe/Melon spinach Amount (g / 100g) 6500 835 800 709 684 681 469 400 333 265 169 469

Carrot juice takes the crown for vegetarians, but if you combine it with beetroot juice and parsley you will get one of the best remedies for the eyesight (3 carrots, 1 small beetroot and 1 teaspoon of fresh parsley juice). Lutein It is one of naturally occurring carotenoids. Found in green leafy vegetables such as spinach and kale, lutein is used by organisms as an antioxidant and for blue light absorption. Lutein was found to be concentrated in the macula, an oval-shaped pigmented yellow spot near the center of the retina responsible for central vision. The theory is that lutein helps keep the eyes safe from oxidative stress and the high-energy photons of blue light. Various research studies have shown that a direct relationship exists between lutein intake and pigmentation in the eye. Several studies also show that an increase in macula pigmentation decreases the risk for eye diseases such as Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD). RDA for lutein is 4000-8000 g/day. Below is the table of vegetables richest in lutein/zeaxeathanin: Plant source Amount(g / 100g)

Kale spinach Peas zucchini Brussels sprouts Pistachios Broccoli Corn Vitamin C

18200 12198 2593 2125 1590 1205 1121 644

Vitamin C is essential for our body. Like vitamin E being an anti-oxidant reduces the risk of cataract and macular degeneration. Vitamin C is found in Plant source Rose hip Gooseberry Blackcurrant Red pepper Parsley Guava Kiwifruit Broccoli Loganberry Redcurrant Brussels sprouts Lychee Vitamin E This vitamin is a powerful antioxidant. Vitamin E deficiency causes neurological problems in the eyes and the whole body due to poor nerve conduction. Since it is important in the formation of red blood cells and helps the body to use vitamin K - deficiency can cause anemia. RDA for vitamin E is 15mg/day for adults. Best source of vitamin E are nuts, seeds and vegetable oils. Milligrams (mg) per serving 20.3 Amount(mg / 100g) 2000 445 200 190 130 100 90 90 80 80 80 70

Food Wheat germ oil, 1 tablespoon

Percent DV* 100

Almonds, 1 ounce Sunflower seeds, 1 ounce Sunflower oil, 1 tablespoon Safflower oil, 1 tablespoon Hazelnuts, 1 ounce Peanut butter, 2 tablespoons Peanuts, 1 ounce Corn oil, 1 tablespoon Spinach, boiled, cup Broccoli, chopped, boiled, cup Soybean oil, 1 tablespoon Kiwi, 1 medium Mango, sliced, cup Tomato, raw, 1 medium Spinach, raw, 1 cup

7.4 6.0 5.6 4.6 4.3 2.9 2.2 1.9 1.9 1.2 1.1 1.1 0.9 0.8 0.6

40 30 28 25 22 15 11 10 10 6 6 6 5 4 4

Below are a few salads that are loaded with vitamins and are perfect for eyesight improvement. They are all easy to make and do not require more than 5 minutes of putting ingredients together. Kale Salad 1 Head of Kale Cilantro Yellow Carrots Cherry Tomatoes Red Pepper White Onion Sea Salt Olive Oil Fresh Squeezed Lemon Preparation: Chop kale, red pepper, white onions and cilantro. Cut carrots lengthwise and tomatoes in half. Sprinkle all of the ingredients with squeezed lemon and olive oil. Mix up and enjoy! Lentil Salad Kale Sprouted Lentils Green onions Parsley Dill Sea salt

 Black pepper Olive oil Soak lentils overnight to let them sprout. Cut kale into thin pieces, chop onions, parsley and dill. Add sprouted lentils. Add sea salt and pepper if you desire. Sprinkle with olive oil. Carrot Salad 2 lb carrots 2 C parsley C Hemp Oil 3 T Lemon Juice 1 T Apple Cider Vinegar Pink Salt to taste 1 t cumin t coriander 3 T anise hyssop (optional) Pumpkin seeds to sprinkle The 2 lbs of carrots are chopped finely with the parsley using the s blade of a food processer. Then all the other ingredients are added together in a bowl. The anise hyssop is also optional and can be finely chopped For more great recipes visit my Raw Food Recipes section. These recipes are not only great treat for your stomach, but also for the whole body.

References

1. 2.

"National Nutrient Database". Nutrient Data Laboratory of the US Agricultural Research Service Age-Related Eye Disease Study Research Group (October 2001). "A randomized, placebo-controlled, clinical trial of high-dose supplementation with vitamins C and E, beta carotene, and zinc for age-related macular degeneration and vision loss: AREDS report no. 8"

3.

National Institute of Health. "Vitamin E Fact Sheet"

Natural Vision Correction - Yoga for eyes

When the eyesight gets worse the optometrists prescribe eyeglasses. But before wearing them everyday try yogic eye exercises that existed for centuries and helped millions to get perfect vision back. Here is the short version of yogic eye exercises described in the book of Yogi Ramanantata. Start with massaging your lower eyelids with the tips of your ring fingers. Use short and gentle circular

movements. Close your eyes half way down. You will notice that your upper lids constantly tremble with different amplitude. Concentrate your efforts on stopping this trembling. (Little hint it will be easier to do if you look at further objects). Slowly close your eyes, like your eyelids are made out of puffy cottony clouds. Think that your eyes get extremely comfortable in their position. The blood filled with the oxygen flows through your eye sockets. When you inhale imagine the breezy oxygenized air coming through your nose into the eyes. Exhale through the mouth. Breathe this way for one or two minutes and end this exercise with a smile. Concentrate your vision on the tip of your nose (in yoga practice it is called NASAGRA-DRUSHTY) Blink. Always remember about the blinking to lubricate your eyes, cleanse them and at the same time relax all of the muscles surrounding your eyes. Sit straight, look to the most left side and hold to stretch your eye muscles. Return your gaze back to look straight in front of you. Blink for a few seconds in order to relax your eyes. Repeat. Blink a few times. This exercise has to be repeated for other eye positions (right, up, bottom, right top corner, right bottom corner, left bottom corner and left top corner). Do not forget about blinking. Draw a horizontal number eight with your eyes. Blink Draw a circle with your eyes. Blink with your eyes closed. Perform Palming to relax your eyes after Stretching set of Eye Exercises. Spend 2 minutes to give yourself Eye Acupressure Massage to prepare your eyes for the Dynamic Eye Exercises. Sit straight. Look to the most left position and move your gaze to the most right position. Repeat 3 times. Blink a few times. Repeat looking up and down, diagonally (from the left top corner to the right bottom corner and from the top right corner to the left bottom corner). Each movement has to be repeated 3-4 times in the beginning. Do not forget to blink. Perform focusing exercises. Look at the tip of your nose and then on the far object and back to the tip of your nose. Repeat 10 times dynamically. Be inventive. Choose objects on the different distance and look at each of them. Finish up with Palming to relax your eyes.

Eye Exercises Approved by Science?

When people hear about eye exercises and the facts how somebody else got healed by doing them their reaction

is furious. I get bombarded with questions like

Why dont doctors suggest eye exercises before they prescribe glasses? Why ophthalmologists do not inform us about eye exercises? Why doctors lie about glasses?
And there are many other questions that don't sound as nice. But instead of being mad at the doctors lets imagine the situation where we come to the ophthalmologists office with vision problems thinking that our eyesight deteriorated and we hear the answer exercise your eyes. What is your first reaction? Just imagine that you have never heard about the effect of eye exercises before and the only information you have about vision correction is prescribing glasses. Dr. Janice Wensveen, clinical associate professor at the University of Houston's College of Optometry, says that patient reactions to this quite common prescription range between surprise and relief, but doing the therapy can improve their performance at school and work. . Eye exercises are used to treat a variety of vision disorders. "They're curious, especially when we tell them, instead of putting a Band-Aid on it like we do with glasses or contact lenses, we're actually going to solve your problem. You're going to be cured, and that's something we don't very often do," she said. The patients in the study had to use different instruments and objects to improve vision like:

Loose-lens accommodative facility to improve amplitude of accommodation Letter chart accommodative facility to increase velocity of accommodative response Vectograms to increase positive and negative fusional vergence Barrel card and String card to develop the kinesthetic awareness of converging and diverging; develop the
ability to voluntarily converge; normalize the near point of convergence

One of the standard at-home prescription is known as "pencil push-up therapy," said Wensveen, who practices at the University Eye Institute's Vision Therapy Clinic in the Family Practice Service. In the study patients were instructed to hold a pencil at arms length directly between their eyes, and an index card, serving as a suppression control, was placed on the wall 6 to 8 ft away. Patients were instructed to look at the very tip of the sharpened pencil and to try and keep the pencil point single while moving it toward their nose. If 1 of the cards in the background disappeared, patients were instructed to stop moving the pencil and blink their eyes until both cards were present. Patients were told to continue moving the pencil slowly toward their nose until it could no longer be kept single and then to try and get the pencil point back into 1. If patients were able to regain single vision, they were asked to continue moving the pencil closer to their nose. If patients could not get the pencil back to 1, they were instructed to start the procedure again...

Top 7 Essential Hygiene Tips for Men

Proper hygiene is not just restricted to women. Men have to be equally careful to look and feel good at all times. These 7 essential tips will give you inspiration to groom better and create an excellent impression on everyone you meet.
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Money, success and fame are of no use if you are not healthy. You do not have to sculpt a body to die for. But, what you really have to do is to be polished, presentable and well groomed at all times. Let these 7 essential tips give you the much needed dose of inspiration to groom better and create an excellent impression on everyone you meet. Stick to basics Before we delve into the nitty-gritty of looking great, we cannot undermine the importance of a healthy body and mind. Be well-nourished at all times. Avoid smoking and drinking, sleep well, go for a run, hit the gym, swim if you like, play a sport but be physically active. Shower some love! Stay clean and smell good. How? You must shower in the morning, after the gym, and before a party to look ready and fresh. Use some cologne but not too much as it might repulse someone else's nose. Caring for your feet is very important else you might end up inviting a serious and contagious fungal infection called Athlete's foot. Change socks daily, wash your feet properly and use a foot spray to eliminate odour and to repair cracked skin. Think about your skin Beauty creams and lotions are not restricted to women only. Get yourself an unscented moisturizer to prevent flaky arms and legs. Devote proper time and concentration while shaving because a cut not only looks bad but also takes time to heal. Invest in a good aftershave lotion for a smoother face. Unlike women, men find it uncomfortable to go for facials. However, fixing one facial massage in a month or a visit to a dermatologist when required should not be avoided. Help your hands Always wash your hands with a medicated soap especially before and after a meal and every time you use a toilet. Keep a hand sanitizer in car or in your laptop bag. Long nails never work. Trim them to ensure they do not track dirt from almost everything you touch. Indulge

in a manicure once a month at least. Hairy Troubles Protruding nose hair, thick eyebrows, ear hair or wax and extra facial hair are not something to be proud of. Invest in a pair of trimmers, tweezers and clippers for a quick grooming session at home itself. Always, trim and wash your facial hair. Lip Love! You cannot take chapped lips to a boardroom or the bedroom. Use a lip balm regularly to moisturize them properly. If you are afraid that it looks like you are wearing a lip-gloss, then restrict the quantity before you step out. Cheery mouth Yes! Brushing is important in the morning as well as in the night. Follow it up by using a mouthwash. Do not skip flossing. Avoid foods that cause bad breath and keep some mints with you always. Also, supplement good hygiene with a great sense of style and polished shoes. Check your posture so you do not come across looking shabby. Use an antiperspirant to combat sweating. Look at yourself in a mirror before stepping out for an important date or a meeting.