Eye Health – 9 Simple Ways to Keep Your Eyes Healthy
Tanya Turner

Do you eyes feel tired and sore by the end of the day? Modern life puts a lot of stress on our bodies and eyes are among the first things to suffer. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Learn simple things you can do for your eye health and your eyes will feel and look much better in only a few days.

Have your eyes checked every 12 month

Uncorrected vision problems can progress, and wearing corrective contact lenses or glasses that are no longer right for you can cause vision problems and severe headaches.

If your contacts don’t feel right in your eyes, it is probably time to visit an eye doctor, even if it hasn’t been a year since your last visit.

Go for the best quality contact lenses

Not all contact lenses are equal. Some are safe for you, while others put you at risk of damaging your eyes.

See reviews of quality contact lenses. Knowing what the modern contact lens industry has to offer will help you make an educated choice, not just blindly follow what your doctor says.

In summer, always wear sunglasses

It is proven that UV rays can seriously damage your eyes, but good sunglasses can prevent this damage. When buying sunglasses, make sure that they block at least 98% of UV radiation. Contrary to popular belief, light sunglasses can block UV as well as very dark ones, even though dark glasses usually offer more protection against bright sunlight.

By the way, did you know that you need sunglasses on cloudy days as well? Clouds might provide shade, but they are no barrier for UV light. Clouds are basically water, and water is UV-transparent.

Finally, remember that you would need sunglasses even if your contact lenses offer UV protection. Even a very high quality lens can only protect the area it covers, but the entire surface of your eye needs protection.

Eat what is good for you and your eyes

The good news is that there are no foods that would be harmful for your eyes. Most foods don’t affect your eyesight at all, although the right vitamins and minerals are helpful. Recent studies have shown that vitamins of the antioxidant group can prevent, or at least slow down, age-related conditions like macular degeneration and the development of cataracts. So a healthy diet won’t restore eyesight that is already lost, but it can definitely slow down the process of the disease, or prevent one from starting.

Vitamins C, A and E, folic acid, selenium and zinc are definitely beneficial for the health of your eyes. The effects of the other vitamins and minerals aren’t determined yet, but it seems likely that they affect your eyesight as well. Thousand-page books have been written on the topic of nutrition for eye health but, to summarize, it is known that whatever is good for your body is good for your eyes, too. So put a carrot and a bunch of grapes into your lunch box.

When you read or work on the computer make sure that the light is right

It is a common knowledge that working with poor light can cause eyestrain, but light that is too bright can do as much damage.

Keep your blinds down on sunny days and switch off half of the household lights, if possible. The best lighting for working on the computer is a soft desk light, coming from the side. Also, you can try decreasing the brightness of your monitor. The colors won’t be so vivid, but your eyes will feel much better by the end of the day

Give your eyes a health break

The great invention of the 20th century – computers – is not so great from the point of view of health. Almost everybody feels discomfort in their eyes after peering at a computer screen all day long. This is because people blink about 25% less often then usual, while working at the computer, which causes eye dryness.

I won’t advise you to blink more often – it is almost impossible to control natural reflexes. One thing you can do, though, is close your eyes and count to 5 before opening them, whenever your computer decides to take its sweet time doing something. Another thing is to look away from the screen and focus on some faraway object, as often as possible. If you train yourself into the habit, your eyes should feel much better at the end of your working day.

If you wear contact lenses, take proper care of them

Contact lenses don’t require a lot or fuss, but you can’t neglect their cleanliness. Every time you put your lenses in or take them out, rinse them. You should also take care to change the solution, when you are putting your lenses to rest for the night.

Wear your contact lenses to the recommended schedule

Daily disposable lenses should be replaced daily, two weeks replacement lenses should be replaced every two weeks, and so on. Some people try to save money by wearing their lenses for much longer than is intended. This isn’t a good idea. Even though the quality of the lens itself might not decline, protein build-up will make your vision less clear. Another thing to consider is that the longer you wear your lenses, the higher is your risk of eye infections.

There are other ways to save on your contacts without risking your eye health. See suggestions on how to get discount contact lenses.

Try not to wear your contact lenses from 6 in the morning until midnight. Most lenses aren’t designed to be worn for longer than 12 hours. If this doesn’t suit your life style, though, try using extended wear lenses. You can wear Acuvue contacts for a week without removing them, or Focus Night and Day lenses for up to 30 days.

If you want to change the color of your eyes, choose only top quality color contact lenses

Color contact lenses are great fun. If you didn’t try them yet, maybe you should. But only high quality color contacts, like Freshlook or Acuvue 2 Colors, are as safe and comfortable as they are beautiful. Many beauty salons, however, sell color contacts lenses of questionable quality, and these can do serious damage to your eyes.

If you follow these simple rules, your eyes should feel much better. They will look better too – you might notice that your eyes shine and their whites are actually white, again.

For more information about eye health visit http://www.1-contact-lenses-consumer-guide.com/eye-health.htm

About the Author

Tanya Turner is a contact lens expert and a founder of www.1-contact-lenses-consumer-guide.com/, where you can find unbiased information about eye health and all types of contact lenses with reviews and pictures.

Tags: Author, Best Quality, Bright Sunlight, cataracts, Cloudy Days, Contact Lens, Contrary To Popular Belief, Corrective Contact Lenses, Dark Glasses, disease, Eye Doctor, Eye Health, eye infections, eyestrain, Few Days, folic acid, Lens Industry, Light Clouds, Macular Degeneration, Quality Lens, Radiation, Severe Headaches, Sunglasses, Tanya Turner, Uncorrected Vision, Uv Protection, Uv Radiation, Uv Rays, Vision Problems, www.1-contact-lenses-consumer-guide.com —

End Winter Weight Gain With Healthy Snacking
Kathryn Martyn, M.NLP

It’s that time of year we all start thinking about putting on a healthy layer of fat, just like the hibernating bears. From a nip in the air to a massive snow and ice storm, there is a palpable difference in the air. We’ve generally accepted that it is nature’s way of helping us provide a little extra winter fat, storing up for the winter, just in case. But how long since you last had a food shortage or had to wait out the winter for your next meal?

This year can be different.

Today consider making one small change. When you make a small change, it is easier to handle, you are more likely to incorporate it into your daily life and you are more likely to succeed, than if you try to make a global change to your whole way of being.

Instead of taking something away, start by adding more fresh fruit and vegetables to your diet. Just for today, throw out your rules, if you typically follow a diet that forbids fruit or fresh vegetables because fresh foods are too important to miss. Fresh foods are sweet, satisfying and full of vitamins, minerals, bioflavonoids, and other things that your body requires for optimum health.

Choose a few you particularly enjoy. This time of year apples are great, citrus fruits, bananas are available year-round. Get some fresh fruits you like and start carrying a food sack everywhere you go. Try little packages of baby carrots, or cut up cauliflower and broccoli. A fellow I know always has a bagful of chopped cauliflower, carrots, and others vegis he munches on. That’s smart.

The idea with healthy snacking is that when hunger strikes (or what you think is hunger), no matter where you are you’ll now have healthy snacks handy. No more having to buy a candy bar because you’re famished. My choices for healthy snacks won’t suit everyone, but that’s fine. Choose other things that would work better for you. I enjoy things such as jerky, whole grain rolls or bagels, yogurts, and fresh fruits as I mentioned earlier. I almost always have an apple nearby.

The idea is that it’s not that you couldn’t wait, but what has forestalling your hunger done for you so far? It tends to set you up for later binging and out-of-control snacking. Eating a few healthy snacks during the day can end that pattern once and for all.

Here’s a plan: Think of one or two fresh foods you could carry in a big or small cooler and then do it. As I’m writing this I’m a little hungry and I’m starting to think about having a snack. I might eat an apple, a banana or some jerky because they are all within my immediate reach. That’s far better than not eating anything now, but instead deciding to “wait it out,” while I start thinking about cookies and cake and pizza and other fast foods I can grab on the way home.

Going all day in a hungry or denied state sets you up for late night binging and out-of-control snacking. You’ll never be able to make up for the earlier deprivation. Why bother. I’ve never met anyone yet who got fat from eating too much fruit, so be brave and give this idea a chance.

About the Author

Kathryn Martyn, Master NLP Practitioner, author of the free
e-book: Changing Beliefs, Your First Step to Permanent Weight
Loss, and owner of http://www.OneMoreBite-Weightloss.com

Get The Daily Bites: Inspirational Mini Lessons Using EFT and
NLP for Ending the Struggle with Weight Loss and Tackling any
Obstacles http://www.onemorebite-weightloss.com/getnews.html

Tags: Author, Baby Carrots, Bioflavonoids, Candy Bar, Chopped Cauliflower, Citrus Fruits, E Book, food sack, Food Shortage, Fresh Foods, Fresh Fruit And Vegetables, Fresh Fruits, Fruit And Vegetables, Healthy Snacks, Hibernating, Kathryn Martyn, Losing Weight, Massive Snow, Nip In The Air, Optimum Health, Practitioner, Vitamins Minerals, Whole Grain, Winter Fat, Winter Weight Gain —

Eating Out! – 5 Healthy Tips
Weight-Control-Services.com

It’s one thing to stick with your diet regimen when you’re at home, in control of the contents of your refrigerator and your portion sizes. But what about going out to dinner with friends? Worse, how do you stay on track when your dream vacation has you seated by the dessert cart at every meal?

Eating right when you’re out of your comfort zone can actually be easier than when you are at home, so long as you think smart and plan ahead.

Getting in shape can be an arduous journey, and you should allow yourself to celebrate along the way! However, celebrating doesn’t mean two helpings of dessert. Instead, focus on these simple tips to help you enjoy your dinners out on the town without compromising your weight loss goals.

Tip 1: Daily Plan

Incorporate meals out like any others. Don’t skip meals beforehand, setting yourself up to be starving, then overeat. Plan. Don’t be afraid to call ahead and find out what the specials are going to be and figure out a couple of choices, so that you don’t stress out when you arrive and order foods that are not the best options for your diet.

If the restaurant or event is going to serve you buffet-style, again, call ahead to plan. If that’s not an option, here are a couple ideas. First, ask someone with whom you’re comfortable sharing your dietary concerns to help you. Tell him or her what foods you can eat (or what you cannot eat) and ask the person to fill a plate for you. Or second, walk up to the buffet table(s) beforehand with no plate. Just take a casual stroll around and see which foods are being served. Then decide if you would like to ask someone else to place your selections on a plate for you or if you would prefer to get them yourself.

Tip 2: Slow and Steady

First of all, use manners and eat slowly. Not only will this help with your digestion, it slows your eating down so that you don’t “gulp” and be a chow-hound, eating everything in sight.

If out with others, remember you are also there for socializing, so talk between bites. Set your eating utensils down while you chew. Have a sip of water between bites. The goal is not to see how fast can you wolf down the food while someone else is talking.

Tip 3: Avoid temptation

There is no law that says you must have a basket of bread, butter and oil before a meal out. If it is on your table when you are seated, request that it be brought back to the kitchen.

If your dinner mates are eager to start off with the carbs, then order a glass of water and take a sip each time you are tempted to break bread. Besides, you’ll want the time you would have wasted buttering and dipping to spend reading the menu for smart, sensible choices.

Don’t assume that you’ll be able to hold out on temptations throughout the entire meal. Set yourself up for success when you order by requesting they leave off the oils and sauces. Request that your meat and vegetables be steamed, not fried. Order a salad (with light or no dressing, on the side) or side of veggies instead of fries or mashed potatoes.

Tip 4: Fill up on the good stuff

Drink plenty of water before you leave for the restaurant, and while you wait for the food to arrive. This will help fill you up and prevent hunger-inspired indulgences.

Request your salad (and/or soup, if it’s not creamy) be brought out first, and dig in. By the time your food arrives, you should be able to more rationally determine what portion sizes are appropriate, and if anything needs to be avoided.

Tip 5: Dreaded desserts

First of all, do not order dessert until you are completely finished with your meal. You may be full and not want anything. And that’s certainly not a crime!
After the meal, if everyone is splurging on the dessert menu, keep in mind that you don’t have to join in just to be part of the “gang.” Enjoy a cup of coffee or tea to end your meal. Or ask someone to split a dessert with you. Hint: Doggie bags can also be used for desserts! So split it in half and take part home for another day or your neighbor.
You have to be left out of choosing a neat dessert, either. See if the kitchen can put together a fruit bowl or a sorbet dish to satisfy your cravings without putting all your conscientious work at dinner to waste. This might be something to call ahead about..hint!

With the right approach, eating out can be a pleasurable experience. Remember, a successful diet is a lifelong lifestyle modification. You need to be able to incorporate healthful eating out activities into your routine.

What happens if you DO stress? Add extra activities to your schedule. Swim some laps. Walk or jog. Leave your wallet in the trunk and go to a mall for a shop-walk. Take a tour. Visit a museum. Enjoy a park and feed the ducks. Just get out, focus on something else and enjoy life.
About the Author

Weight Control Services, a site dedicated to providing current health and fitness information. The article you have read is available for your use in its entirety as part of a collection of ebooks offering valuable information on a variety of Health and Fitness topics.

Tags: Arduous Journey, Author, Buffet Table, Casual Stroll, Choices, Chow Hound, Comfort Zone, Couple Ideas, Dessert Cart, Diet Regimen, Dietary Concerns, Digestion, Dinner With Friends, Dream Vacation, food;, Fruits And Vegetables, Getting In Shape, Healthy Diet, Incorporate, Losing Weight, Manners, Portion Sizes, Refrigerator, Stress, Weight Loss Goals —

Eating Can Be an Adventure – Keep It Interesting, Simple, Healthy, and Fun
Alan Detwiler

I have been preparing my own meals for many years. Like most people, I suppose, I would fix only familiar dishes. That has changed. For health benefits, I began eating more fruits and vegetables. Trying unfamiliar vegetables and fruits made eating interesting and more
enjoyable. Many of those new fruits and vegetables became favorites. I tried many other foods that were new to me, for example, whole grains, various types of beans, seeds and nuts. Many of those became favorites. Using unfamiliar ways of preparing food also made eating more of an adventure. A few of my favorites are pesto (pureed greens and oil), raw foods that are normally eaten cooked, and unusual combinations such as bread with peanut butter, covered with pizza sauce.

The circumstances of my life encouraged more changes. Making do with a small amount of money gave me a liking for oatmeal, beans, and other very low-cost foods. Growing up on a farm and having a garden each year provided new fruits and vegetables to try and enjoy. Having been raised to ‘waste not, want not’, helped me not to pass up unusual foods: gifts such as my sister’s ‘beans ‘n’ greens’, the landlord’s parogies, and my son’s homemade deer jerky. The point is: The changes in my diet gave me more foods to enjoy. I now know that I can like a great many unfamiliar foods. At first some of those foods may not be enjoyed because they are so different and are unrecognized as a ‘goody’. For me, that recognition is typically made gradually by many small trials. Once that recognition is made, the food ‘hits the spot’ and can be nutritious, healthy and convenient. Then I have yet another food to enjoy.

The process of trying new foods and having them become enjoyed fare, makes eating an adventure. Eating becomes more interesting and more enjoyed. Meals become more than a time to enjoy what I have enjoyed before. Awareness is heightened by experiencing the unfamiliar.
There is anticipation of discovery of a new enjoyment. Meals become pay-off times of previous experimentation efforts. The food is more appreciated for having creative effort invested in it. Perhaps I have gained a health benefit, saved some prep time, saved money that can be used for some other purpose, and have added to my repertoire of pleasure.

A cookbook might help you get ideas about what new foods to try. A cookbook about a particular ethnic food or some other unfamiliar category of food would be particularly helpful. Buy one or get one from the library. Some ethnic categories are Middle Eastern, Southeast Asian, African, soul food, Southern, and Mexican. Other categories are health food, quick and easy recipes, weight loss diets, vegetarian recipes, and using food from the garden. You might even enjoy some obscure categories such as pioneer/early American food, Native American food, wild food, early European food, food from storage, and low cost food. I particularly like quick and easy cookbooks.

If you need help becoming comfortable with trying new foods, try small changes:

– Eat breakfast foods at lunch or supper.
Or try a vegetable at breakfast. If you normally have a sandwich at bedtime, have a salad instead.

– Try different brands from the ones you normally use.

– Leave out one or more ingredients from your standard recipes.
Or change the proportions – a little more of this or a little less of that.

– Substitute a similar ingredient for a usual ingredient, for instance, orange juice concentrate or lemon juice instead of vinegar on a salad.

– It may help to eat smaller portions but include a greater number of foods at each meal. That may help you develop a liking for variety.

– Try unusual combinations such as cooked chicken and raw fruit cut in small pieces and mixed together…or pizza sauce on a peanut butter open-face sandwich…or a teaspoon of honey or pancake syrup on a dark green, leafy salad.

Salads are great to experiment with. Many vegetables can be enjoyed in a salad. Try various amounts and combinations of carrot, tomato, cabbage, broccoli, bell pepper, cucumber, or other vegetables you enjoy. Use other types of greens: romaine lettuce, bibb lettuce, collards, mache, and basil. Dressing can be just oil, pesto, syrup, tomato sauce, ketchup, fruit juices, mayonnaise, peanut butter softened with oil, and even jam or jelly. Dressing can be used to soften the strong flavor of raw cabbage, basil, or dark green lettuce.

The subtle flavors of many vegetables are easily hidden with anything more than tiny amounts of vinegar, lemon juice and tomato sauce. Try a salad without any dressing to enjoy the full flavor of the vegetables. The vegetables can be proportioned to subdue or enhance particular flavors – use less basil to lessen its pungent flavor, use more carrot to boost its flavor and texture. Other salad ingredients can be nuts, peanuts, coconut, cereal, baked beans, and fruit. Some ingredients I like are raw beets, raw potato and raw sweet potato.

Watch out for raw greens and other raw vegetables that cause digestion system upset. It only takes small amounts of some raw vegetables to cause a lot of discomfort. Use small quantities of an untested food to begin with until you know how well your body deals with it. The body will adapt to some food over a period of weeks or months but results vary from food to food and, I suppose, from individual to individual. Some raw foods I avoid because of previous bad experiences are green beans, asparagus, and beet leafs. I don’t eat more than a tablespoon of raw parsley pesto in a day. The same for kale. I don’t eat more than the equivalent of 1/4-cup pesto of raw Chinese cabbage.

To develop a liking for a new food, eat it at the beginning of a meal when you are most hungry. Being hungry greatly improves the ability to appreciate the taste of a food. Eat only a small amount of the new food at each sitting. For some food, a tiny bite, just enough to sense its flavor, is enough to handle at first. Don’t give up easily on a food that at first seems too strange to be enjoyed.
Some foods will require dozens of ‘get acquainted’ trials.

Other strategies for liking new foods:

– Read about nutrition and health to know the benefits of a changed diet.

– Be aware of how much time you spend shopping for food and other food related tasks. Would you rather have some of that time available for other things? Non-traditional foods can use preparation methods that take less time.

– Make a choice about the money you spend for food. Atypical foods may be less expensive than traditional and popular food. Getting the most bang for the buck can add to the pleasure of eating.

– Make a decision to increase the pleasure in your life. Your success in developing a fondness for a new food, will encourage you to try other kinds of new pleasures.

Have reasons in mind to try unusual foods:

– to be able to enjoy healthy foods.

– to enjoy low-prep-time foods.

– to use what you can grow in your garden.

– for the satisfaction of acquiring new pleasures.

– to increase your enjoyment of eating.

Know why liking new foods is difficult. This is the know-your-enemy principle. It seems to help me. People have an instinctive protection against eating toxic foods. Nature has provided you with a mistrust for new, unfamiliar food. If the food is enough different from what you are used to, it will not be immediately liked. This is a necessary instinct that keeps you from poisoning yourself by eating the wrong mushroom, for example. Evolution along with chemistry eliminated the gulp-down-anything individuals from our gene pool. The little-by-little taste-developers survived.

If it’s the sugar, salt and spices you depend upon to enjoy food, other flavors will go unappreciated. To help your fondness for new foods come easier, ease up on spices, salt, and sugar. That encourages your taste to appreciate a greater variety of flavors. You then can more appreciate the sweetness of cherry tomatoes, the sweetness of raw pumpkin, and the sweetness of sweet potatoes, for example. You can enjoy the mild flavor of raw chestnuts, the richness of nuts, and the subtle starchiness of cereal grains. Your palate will be more adept at experiencing the pleasures of subtle
flavors. A great many foods that previously seemed mostly tasteless, can then be enjoyed for their unique flavors.

Your enjoyment of stronger tasting food will be helped by reducing sugar and salt use. You will be switching from depending on saltiness and sweetness to getting pleasure from other flavors.

Finding new foods:

– Browse at a health food store, a farmers market or an ethnic food festival.

– Take the time to look at all the items at a local supermarket.

– Browse at local ethnic food markets: Middle Eastern or Greek, for example.

– Try raw foods and whole grains.

– Use native plants and foraged plants. Know what you are doing, there are poisonous plants that resemble edible ones. A few plants are toxic even when eaten in small quantities.

– Do your own cooking and gardening, if you have the time and space.

A few unusual recipes can be found at www.leisureideas.com/easy recipes unusual recipes.htm
About the Author

Alan Detwiler is the author of several books. To find them, do a search for his name in the Ebooks and Docs category at Amazon.com
He has a web site about ideas for having fun at www.leisureideas.com

Tags: Alan Detwiler, Amazon.com, Amount Of Money, Author, author of several books, Combinations, Detwiler, ethnic food festival, food;, Fruits And Vegetables, Goody, Greens, Growing Up On A Farm, Health Benefits, Health Food, health food store, Landlord, Liking, local ethnic food markets, low cost food, Oatmeal, oil;, Parogies, particular ethnic food, Peanut Butter, Pizza Sauce, Raw Foods, soul food, stronger tasting food, Types Of Beans, Unfamiliar Foods, Unfamiliar Vegetables, untested food, Vegetables And Fruits, Whole Grains, wild food, www.leisureideas.com, www.leisureideas.com/easy —