You know the importance of shielding your skin from the sun, but what about protecting your invaluable yet vulnerable eyes? Air pollutants, computer screens, UV light, smoke, dust, and chemicals can irritate and damage the delicate layers. your eyes, not to mention the natural aging of eyes and the impacts of a poor-quality diet.
The Gift of Sight
Sight is arguably our most cherished sense, since it allows us to interact and engage with everything around us. Polls suggest that more than 80% of people say that vision, of the five senses, would be the one they would most fear losing. At the same time, it’s easy to take healthy eyesight for granted in our busy, fast-paced lives.
At least 2 million intricate parts work in unison to help you see the motions and colors of the world. But most notably, the retina in the back of your eyes - where photons (light particles) are focused - is particularly sensitive and susceptible to damage. This center of vision is continuously bombarded by free radicals from light, airborne toxins, and the oxidative stress of visual metabolism. The truth is, your eyes are constantly fending off attacks from imposing threats in your surroundings - some natural and some man-made (hello, screens!).
Our eyes take a significant amount of abuse day in and day out without us even realizing it. Beneath your baby blues, gorgeous greens, or beautiful browns lies a concentrated antioxidant system that’s continually doing battle to uphold your visual vitality. Essential nutrients including vitamins A, C, and E, and minerals like zinc are expert defenders of healthy eyesight. But even this amazing squad of protection can get overwhelmed.
Fortunately, there are proactive steps that you can take to help preserve and protect your windows to the world for many years to come.
Eat Lots of Eye-Nourishing Nutrients
Of course, good health — including good eye health — starts with the food we you eat. Green leafy veggies like kale, spinach and chard that are packed with vitamin C, dark berries such as blueberries and blackberries rich in antioxidants, and fish like salmon and tuna with omega-3 fatty acids are all great for your peepers. Nourishing visual longevity also includes avoiding nutrient-poor foods high in sugars and saturated fats, which can impact delicate blood vessels in eyes. Caring for this critical vascular network is essential for your eyes’ innate antioxidant and detoxification systems to function at their best.
The natural world abounds with fruits, vegetables, and botanicals full of eye-loving nutrients and bioactive compounds. From every corner of the globe comes plants with colorful carotenoids, deep polyphenols, potent flavonoids, and defensive enzymes. And we’ve selected 15 of the most researched and proven ones to give you Eye Protector®, including astaxanthin, bilberry, saffron, and much more.
Wear Sunglasses
There’s no need to fear the sun. After all, the light and warmth we receive from the sun is essential to every form of life. But like most good things – moderation is key. We’re often reminded to cover our skin in sunscreen, but how about sunscreen for the eyes? Sunglasses are not only stylish, they’re a key way to help preserve your eye health.
Too much of the sun’s ultraviolet radiation can not only burn your skin, it can have a major impact on your eyes. Consistently wearing sunglasses with complete protection against both UVA and UVB rays is an easy and effective way to protect them against sun damage. D And don’t forget to sport your shades on cloudy days as well as sunny ones, and whether you’re on sun-reflecting snow as well as on or the beach. Bonus points for your peepers if you also wear a wide-brimmed hat for an extra shield.
Stay Hydrated
Remember that vital vascular system we mentioned? Eye capillaries rely on hydration for optimal delivery of nutrients, and water is a critical carrier of communication for visual nerves. Dehydration also impacts your eyes’ ability to maintain tear production, an important aspect of clearing toxins. Drinking plenty of fluids throughout the day is much more than quenching your thirst. In fact, staying hydrated is key to keeping most of our body’s systems functioning at peak performance.
Don’t Rub Your Eyes
You might instinctively respond to dry, irritated, or tired eyes by giving them a gentle rub. But not only does this habit do little to relieve the problem, it can make things worse! Touching your eyes with your hands is one of the easiest ways to transfer harmful bacteria with all sorts of downstream effects. Unless you’re religious about hand-washing, it’s a good rule of thumb to avoid touching your eyes or face with your hands when you’re out and about.
Monitor Your Monitor
Screens are a non-negotiable part of modern life, but their unnatural rays are having undeniable impacts on our eye health and long-term vision. If you’re among the majority, you probably spend a large part of your day facing the inevitable glow of a computer monitor. But there are still ways to give your eyes the love and care they deserve while keeping up with the day’s demands.
If you’re familiar with the eye strain, blurry vision, and visual fatigue that comes with too much screen time, remember the 20-20-20 rule — rest your eyes every 20 minutes by looking at something 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds. Keep your monitor at least 20 inches from your eyes and move the screen so that your eyes are level with the top of the monitor and you’re looking slightly down at your screen. It’s also a great idea to get up at least every 2 hours and take give your eyes a longer break. You can also don a pair of tinted computer glasses to reduce screen glare.
A Window of Opportunity
It’s good to be reminded of how much we rely on our windows to the world, and it’s encouraging to know that we have a large hand in nourishing and protecting our own eye health. So focus your gaze on these easy tips and give your peepers the best of care for today and tomorrow.
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