How To Improve Eyesight - The Quest For Vision Improvement

I happen to suffer from the very common condition of chronic glaucoma. Glaucoma can be very dangerous if not treated immediately. It can lead to optic nerve damage and eventually blindness! So since I am already taking medication to control the glaucoma, I thought it would be a good idea to see what else I could do to improve my overall eye health. In researching the condition, I found that the cause of build-up of pressure in the eye is due to lack of proper drainage. As my eye doctor explained to me, "imagine your eye is a bathtub draining water, but that water is being blocked by debris clogging the drain." The drops I use unclog the drain thereby releasing the built-up pressure in the eyeball. Great...however, here are a few smart things you can do to help maintain good eye health.

Here are a few Vision Exercises specifically for Glaucoma: Sunbathe: Sit outside with your face lifted up to the sun. Keeping your eyes closed of course; let the warmth from the sun bathe your face. The heat from the sun will help open the blocked fluid channels in your eye. A very relaxing treatment! (Make sure you are wearing some sun block!) Approximately 5 minutes.

Palming the eyes: Rub the palms of your hands together vigorously. This will generate heat; then place palms over your closed eyes and feel the warmth penetrate over the eye area. This is good for blood circulation to the eyes...also very soothing. (I first learned how to do this from my Tai Chi teacher years ago, it's amazing how the Chinese have been practicing this for years!)

The following fruits and vegetables will be beneficial to your eye health. Here are some of my favorites:

Vision Foods: Carrots, celery, cabbage and beets

Raspberries, apples and plums (I love summer plums!)

Be sure to include some salmon and albacore tuna in your diet. And for added protection, the spice Turmeric (very powerful!)

Consult your eye physician and then get to work on improving your eye health with smart food and vision exercises!

Vision Exercises can improve your vision however, we don't seem to find the time to exercise our bodies or our eyes on a daily basis but we somehow find plenty of time to watch TV and everything else we do in our busy and sometimes hectic lives. Just 5 minutes of vision exercises daily can have huge benefits in the health and performance of your eyes. Please consider making daily vision exercises one of your top priorities each and ever day.





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Natural Appetite Suppressants and Weight Loss

Fighting the weight lose battle can be a life long challenge. I know most of us have tried every single diet in the book with a little success and a lot of back tracking. At the end of the day it seams the only thing that really works is changing our life style and eating habits. For some people these changes help lead to long term weight lose results. Here are 7 super foods to help suppress your appetite and beat the bulge battle:

Flax Seed: The more flax seed you eat with each meal, the longer it will take for your sugar level to rise, so ad some raw flax seed to your grocery list and keep the snack monsters down away.

Apples: Red apples, green apples, there all the same way up there on the high-fiber list. The beauty of a crisp apple is all in the chewing time. Usually high fiber foods take much longer to chew this in return tells your body that you are no longer hungry. So go ahead grab an apple and keep the cravings at bay.

Green Drinks: The trick to a good green drink is to stay away from added sugar content and make sure it as lots of enzyme rich ingredient. So the next time you are running around town and you have a snack attack reach for the green baby.

Oatmeal: This is another wonderful high-fiber carbohydrate it enters the blood stream slowly and along with keeping you feeling full it also gives you lots of energy. Real oatmeal is much healthier than the quick oatmeal and the extra few minuets it takes to cook in the morning will be well worth your while. So start the day with this great energy booster.

Pine Nuts: If you want to feel full go ahead and eat some pine nuts with your meals. This tradition originated from Siberia they would take a hand full of nuts with each meal. Pine nuts also contain the highest amount of protein of any nut or seed.

Umeboshi Plums: These amazing pickled plums are great to combat sweet cravings. You can find them in Asian markets or specialty stores. The plums also come in a paste so you can get a little more creative with the use of the plums if you are not so excited about the taste. The whole idea is to combat one craving with the opposite, so if you are craving something sweet then eat something sour. The plums are at the top of the list when it comes to expanding foods.

Soup:  Soup is one of the best kept secrets in the weight loss industry. If you stick to broths and vegetable soups you will be doing yourself a big favor. There loaded with water and there low on calories. So take a flask of soup to work with you and it may stop you from munching on the office candy.

These 7 weight lose super foods will get you off to a good start if you are just starting a new diet or trying to maintain your current weight lose without having to back track on the yo-yo diet scale.

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4 Of The Best Fruits For Weight Loss

Best fruits for weight loss


For weight loss many fruits, indeed some would say, any fruit will help, because you will eat less refined foods if you choose fresh fruit instead. Apples eaten daily can help protect against weight gain, eating and apple before a meal will make you fill full faster and you will eat less. Antioxidants in apples can help prevent metabolic syndrome, which can cause excess belly fat. Apples are also great to eat on the go as a low calorie snack. Nutrition thoughtfully packaged in a take along container, how cool is that. Apples contain "Pectin", a fiber that binds to bile acids in the digestive system, eating apples triggers a process that can suck elevated levels of bad cholesterol out of your system!


Grapefruit


Grapefruit has no fat and only 36 calories per half, making the citrus a very helpful ally in the battle of the bulge.
While helping you cut down on fat the lowly grapefruit also loads up on vitamin C delivering a full 78 percent of daily needs in every half grapefruit serving. Studies have shown that eating half a grapefruit before each meal can help you lose and gain a healthier insulin function.


Berries


Fresh berries add a delightful flavor to your diet and are jammed full of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. The strong flavor in berries can help satisfy the sweet tooth of the weight loss sojourner. Berries carry a high volume of fiber, and are low in fat content, thus you can pig out on berries without ruining your diet. Berries deliver a rich source of phytonutrients containing compounds to help boost your immunity and lower you risk of chronic illness. An added benefit is that even when berries are out of season they are readily available in the frozen food section of the supermarket.


Cantaloupe


At only 55 calories per cup, a sweet cantaloupe is one of the lowest-calorie fruits available. While containing very little fat and sodium the fruit contains lots of folate, vitamins C, A, niacin, potassium and even magnesium. If you're having leg cramps eat magnesium rich foods, I have found that supplementing with magnesium stopped my leg cramps completely. negligible amounts of fat and sodium, cantaloupe is rich in folate, niacin, potassium, magnesium, vitamin C and vitamin A, according to Diet Bites. High fiber and water content makes cantaloupe a filling bulky fruit that can help stave off hunger pains while providing delicious health benefits between meals.

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Top Ten Autumn Foods

The surroundings is getting colder, and you are able to see pale, dry leaves covering up the gardens and roads - autumn has come and with it the whole atmosphere has turned a little depressing. On the other hand, autumn also offers a treat for your taste buds as a huge selection of seasonal vegetables and fruits fill up the stores. What's more, a little bit of food indulgence is just what you need to beat the autumn doldrums and pep up your spirits.

Treat yourself to the deep, dark colored juicy fruits and vegetables rich in nutrients and phytochemicals that will not just delight your senses but will also build your health and prepare you for winter.
Here's a list of some of the best Autumn Comfort Foods -
* Apples - Apples contain flavonoids, which are probably the most powerful antioxidants available in food form. From reducing the risk of health diseases to preventing cancer, apples have many health benefits. There are two reasons why they're great choice, specially in the autumn season - first they have powerful anti-inflammatory and anti-allergenic properties that will fight off the common allergies and infections that crop up in the autumn season; and secondly, they are excellent for your skin and can help your feel and look younger. Have them with your breakfast, or as a mid-day snack, and you can actually keep the doctor away!
* Cranberries - Cranberries are delicious, juicy and absolutely healthy fruit widely available in the autumn season. They're low in calories and are packed with Anthocyanins, heart-healthy antioxidants. Cranberries also play an essential role in treating gum diseases, mouth ad stomach ulcers, urinary tract infections and many forms of cancer. You can find fresh cranberries from September to December, but most of it's used for cranberry juices and sauce.

* Pumpkin - Pumpkins are surely another important autumn comfort food, for they're loaded with beta-carotene, antioxidants, Folate and Vitamin C. Even the seeds are loaded with nutrition and are a rich source of Zinc and Omega 3 fatty acids. The air gets quite dry in autumn, which can affect your skin and make it look chapped and dull. Making pumpkin a part of your diet, can keep your skin supple, moisturized and infection free.
* Garlic - Garlic definitely is nature's own medicine. It contains Allicin, a chemical that is highly effective against fungi, viruses and bacteria. Internal consumption of garlic can reduce the LDL cholesterol levels in the blood and prevent cancer. As for the autumn blues, consuming garlic can drastically improve your mood too.
* Ginger - Ginger has a lot of inherent heat, which is what helps it be a perfect autumn comfort food. Whether you prefer ginger tea, or ginger pickle or just plain julienned ginger with honey, the advantages of this root are many. It can heal cough, cold and throat congestion, provide relief from digestive problems and soothe your stomach, fight nausea and even work miracles in driving away the allergies. As per recent researches, ginger works as an organic anti-inflammatory agent and is quite great for musculoskeletal ailments.
* Parsnips - Parsnip is a root vegetable that belongs to the family of carrots. They are a rich source of Vitamin C, Fibre, Calcium and Iron. These are abundant in colder areas, and are primarily a winter vegetable. You can either eat them raw, for their sweet and delicate flavor or you can steam and cook them with different vegetables.
* Kale - Kale is a deep, green leafy vegetable often available in the autumn season. Kale functions as an immunity enhancer (a must in autumn), clears lung congestion, wards off the infections and allergies. It is particularly beneficial for liver and stomach infections. Kale is full of iron, beta carotene, calcium, Vitamin C and potassium, and is a must include in your list of autumn comfort foods.
* Sweet potato - Apart from the fact that sweet potatoes are commonly available in autumn and taste great, they are also a storehouse of health benefits. These mouth watering delights have high amounts of Vitamin C and beta-carotene (vitamin A), so you can very easily ward off cold and other infections. Sweet potatoes are an excellent food choice for diabetics, as they are low glycemic food. The high amount of dietary fiber present in sweet potato relieves constipation and promotes a healthy digestive tract. For better flavor, eat these hot.

* Cinnamon - It is one of the most ancient known spices, and a perfect choice for autumn. Cinnamon is usually used in traditional Ayurvedic and Chinese medicines for treating cold, cough, flatulence, nausea, diabetes, diarrhea and numerous other physical illnesses. It can soothe your senses and keep your body warm and comfortable in the autumn. Cinnamon is also believed to improve energy and vitality, and is especially useful for people who have warm upper bodies but cold feet. You can sprinkle cinnamon powder over side-dishes and salads, drink it with tea or mix it with juices.

* Pepper - One more group of herbs, which are good for your taste buds as well as your health, are various forms of pepper. Including pepper to your food can help you in many ways - it reduces flatulence, improves digestion, deals with gastrointestinal disorders, kills viruses and bacteria, clears chest congestion, treats cough and cold, and so on. It's also a rich source of antioxidants. Whichever form of pepper you prefer - cayenne, black or white, they're all a great and healthy addition to your recipes specially during autumn.
Autumn signifies the beginning of the cold season, which is why a lot of people suffer from bouts of cough and cold and various types of allergies. Your skin will also feel extremely dry and lifeless, and will be more prone to fungal infections and bacterial.
Different autumn foods stated earlier are warming in nature, and work toward warding off the allergies and common infections associated with this season. These fruits, spices and vegetables will enhance your immune system and keep you comfortable and warm, so you are prepared for the cold days.

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