Diet & Lifestyle: How it Affects Your Eye Health

Guest post by Sara Roberts

Taking care of our bodies is not only the hip and happening thing to do, but it’s a practical plan that can add years of quality life and living to the fullest. Nutrition matters, and eating the right foods for extended body benefits is a preventive medicine game plan that you can start right from where you are at today. From bones and joints to younger skin and better eyesight, we truly are what we eat.

Degenerating Eyesight
Older adults may be plagued with eyestrain, blurred vision and diminished eyesight, much of which slowly accrued over the years due to a bad diet. Studies have shown a direct correlation between good nutrition and regular exercise to stave off the symptoms of poor ocular conditions. Mature adults, over the age of 55, may be suffering from Age-Related Macular Degeneration, or AMD, a condition that progresses over the years creating decreased or impaired vision.

Researchers have discovered that the early onset of AMD occurs in patients that have engaged in high risk eating habits, such as a diet lacking in vital nutrients and antioxidants. Consuming too many processed foods and too little fruits and vegetables can lead to serious health consequences and choke the life out the body’s cell system. To renew and regenerate your cells, its imperative to eat a high fiber diet rich with leafy greens, fresh fruits and get plenty of vitamins C and E.

Take Charge of Your Diet
Sometimes our busy schedules make it difficult to get all the fruit and fiber necessary for optimal health, so technology has stepped up to the plate with the answer. Food processors and juicers are excellent tools to break down the produce and drink your way to robust living.

A juicer is a gadget that separates the juice from the pulp, creating a light and smooth beverage made entirely of fresh produce. The food processor uses commercial grade blades to emulsify the produce to a beverage retaining the pulp and fiber from the fresh ingredients. Either machine is ideal to bulk up on fresh fruits and vegetables, providing the daily essentials to protect your total health and stave off the effects of AMD.

Recipe For Healthy Vision
Typical healthy cocktails, from either a juicer or food processor, contain a blend of vitamin C rich foods such as blueberries, strawberries, oranges, carrots and raw spinach. Add a large apple for additional nutrients to include pectin, and season to taste with a dash of cinnamon or nutmeg. Fruit and vegetable smoothies in the food processor may be thickened with banana or try a tablespoon of your favorite yogurt. The beverages from either machine are delicious, nutritious and may be customized to your individual taste.

Be Good To Yourself With Exercise
It’s never too late to begin taking better care of yourself, so be sure to use each day as a new beginning. In addition to a diet rich in antioxidants, daily exercise is important to your overall health and strengthening your immune system. A gym membership may not be for everyone, but whatever you decide to tackle is going to do your body some good. Try a brisk walk around the block, a home workout from TV or a DVD, or find yourself a dance class to set your “feel good” endorphins in motion. The more you exercise, the more the body craves that euphoric feeling when your blood gets circulation.  Today is the day to take charge of your body and get yourself in gear for a longer, healthier life.

Sara Roberts is a content contributor for Just Eyewear, a prescription eyeglasses and a prescription sunglasses retailer.