Open Your EYES!

Vision is such a gift.  It allows us to experience the world with much more precision.  It’s a sense that we so often take for granted.  Think about how much greater life is when you can look into the eyes of a loved one or stare at the expanse of a sunset or majestic mountain range.

Our eyes help us express and understand the emotions of others.  You can tell when someone has sadness in their eyes…or joy…or anger…or adoration.  Words are important as well, but our expressions can support what we are saying to a greater degree.

We want our eyes to be healthy and high functioning for the entirety of our life.  Even a slight vision impairment can impact your quality of life.  In this post, we will dive into the best things you can do (and not do) to have excellent and long-lasting vision!

And if you’re reading this and you already have some vision issues, including needing glasses or contacts, experiencing some blurred vision, have difficulty seeing at night or have floaters or dry eyes, it’s NOT TOO LATE!  Your body’s self-healing mechanisms never stop working for you.  

What’s hurting your eyes?

1. Prolonged screen time- Yes, you knew that one was coming!  Lots of screen time can contribute to eye strain, blurred vision and burning, tired eyes.¹  This phenomenon is becoming more common, even in school aged children.  Besides the EMF impact on the entire body, being on screens can cause major issues for your eyes.
2. Poor nutrition- This could be an entire post on it’s own but suffice it to say, like any other part of the body, your eyes need certain nutrients in adequate doses.  When they’re not getting them, your eyes will suffer and manifest in vision decline, dry eyes or other eye challenges over time.²  A diet rich in sugar and processed foods will deplete essential nutrients that are needed by the eyes.
3. Medications- Certain medications, especially those used for depression and anxiety can have vision/eye issues as a side effect.³  The issues can range from dry eyes to cataracts!

What helps to keep your eyes working well and vision clear?

The answer isn’t to quit your job (or pull your children out of school) and never look at another computer, smart phone or tv again.  But there are LOTS of things we can do to reduce these issues and even improve the health of our eyes.

1. Take breaks from your screen- One study showed eye strain improvement using the 20 20 20 rule.⁴  Every 20 minutes, look at something at least 20 feet away for 20 seconds to readjust the eyes and reduce strain and dryness.  You won’t likely remember to do this.  I’d recommend setting a timer!
2. Avoid electronics as much as you’re able, especially at night.  Figuring out ways to be on your screens less often is helpful (and doable).  Avoiding screen time at night is especially helpful as it can disturb your sleep (Sleep is SO important).  At night when you sleep is when your body heals, repairs and resets (eyes are no exception).⁵
3. Improved nutrition- Your eyes need a variety of micronutrients especially vitamin A, E, D, C and zinc to name a few.⁶  If even one of these are deficient, your vision will feel the effects.  Eating a healthy whole food plant diet is a great way to get what you need (A Whole Food Vegan Diet for Health and Vitality and Whole Food Vegan Diet-Get Healthy Now).  If you want to know EXACTLY what you’re deficient in, I highly recommend getting a micronutrient test.
4. Supplements can help- As I always say, it’s important to remember that supplements are just that.  They are here to supplement your already healthy lifestyle.  If you ignore the things above and opt to “just take the supplements” but not make important lifestyle changes, you will likely see some improvement, but it often will pale in comparison to the progress you can see when you build a solid foundation.  That said, there are lots of supplements that can support good vision.  This list isn’t exhaustive but here are a few of my favorite ones that support your eyes either directly or indirectly.
   1. Vitamin D (D3 Serum, D3+K2)
   2. Zinc (Physica Zinc Oro and Liquid Zinc Ultra)
   3. DHA (DHA caps, DHA+E, EPA/DHA Marine (softgels and liquid)
   4. Astaxanthin Complex
   5. OcuVen
   6. Xeno BioForce
   7. Deltanol
   8. Vitamin C (Truly Natural Vitamin C, Physica Camu Camu, Plant Vitamin C)
   9. Copper
   10. Complete B and 
   11. Max B (2 oz and 8 oz)

Emotional connections…

On another note, if you like to journal through potential emotional causes of eye/vision issues, ask yourself if there’s something you don’t want to see.  Is there something in your life that you don’t want to face?  Digging into things like this can sometimes help us get to the root of the energetic or emotional aspect of healing.

Check out what some of our New Hope Health clients have to say:

• “I am a testament to what Dr. LeAnn has continued to learn, stay on top of, and implement at New Hope Health. When we found that one of my eyes was an interference field and mud packed it, I could tell a difference in my eyesight within the first 24-48 hours. Everyone is different, but over the last 5+ years that I’ve been working with her, my eyesight has improved at every eye appointment!  Literally, Every. Single. One. I love it!” –Jessica Bowen, FL

• “I am 65 years old and have worn glasses for the past about 30 years.  Recently I became very concerned because in spite of much effort and becoming healthier in so many other ways, my vision started getting really blurry at times, making it hard to read (even street signs while driving) and I occasionally felt light headed and slightly nauseated.  I told Dr. LeAnn and she said it was quite possible that my vision had improved, rendering my prescription too strong and perhaps I needed new glasses (that weren’t as powerful).  I was sure that wasn’t the case because I had tried seeing if my vision was better with out my glasses.  But, yesterday I had an appointment with my eye doctor… the verdict… MY VISION HAD IMPROVED! So sure enough, my prescription for my current glasses was way too strong!  YES!!  I am so excited that my vision is not only good, but even better than it was 10 years ago!  I am so thankful for Dr. LeAnn’s guidance on my health journey.” –Dawn, Southwest Michigan
• “When I first started this program I wasn’t sure what to expect as I had never done a detox program before. I was dealing with several health challenges including itchy, peeling skin on my nose, low grade discomfort in my leg, intermittent tinnitus and spots in my vision to name a few. These all cleared or improved by the end of the 30 days! It’s really amazing how quickly my body was able to heal while focusing on clearing the liver! This program was simple and easy to participate in.  It doesn’t require any drastic food changes and I was traveling for two weeks of it, yet I didn’t miss a thing! I was able to listen to the recordings at my convenience.  Doing this program with other people was key to the successful results I experienced. The encouragement and tips/hacks that were shared were invaluable.  The investment I made into my health was rewarded with healing, encouragement and knowledge that I will carry with me forever.  THAT is priceless! Many times I’ve put off taking care of myself to invest in others.  This is typical for wives, mom’s, and grandmothers especially. I have ZERO regrets taking this time for myself. It’s been reinforced to me how important it is for me to care for myself before I can have energy and clarity to pour into others. Thank you Dr. LeAnn and New Hope Health!” -Michelle Harris- Michigan, Age 57

If you are looking for some additional help or support for your eyes or any area of health, we’d LOVE to help you!  Call the clinic to schedule your initial consultation.  269-204-6525

Reference:

1. Chu GCH, Chan LYL, Do C wai, et al. Association between time spent on smartphones and digital eye strain: A 1-year prospective observational study among Hong Kong children and adolescents. Environmental Science and Pollution Research. 2023;30(20). doi:10.1007/s11356-023-26258-0

2. Serhan H, Alma’aitah H, Irshaidat S, Ameer M, Asghar M, Tahir M. Ophthalmic manifestations of nutritional deficiencies: A mini review. J Family Med Prim Care. 2022;11(10). doi:10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_790_22

3. Constable PA, Al-Dasooqi D, Bruce R, Prem-Senthil M. A Review of Ocular Complications Associated with Medications Used for Anxiety, Depression, and Stress. Clin Optom (Auckl). 2022;14. doi:10.2147/OPTO.S355091

4. Talens-Estarelles C, Cerviño A, García-Lázaro S, Fogelton A, Sheppard A, Wolffsohn JS. The effects of breaks on digital eye strain, dry eye and binocular vision: Testing the 20-20-20 rule. Contact Lens and Anterior Eye. 2023;46(2). doi:10.1016/j.clae.2022.101744

5. Perez Zarate R, Colman O, Blake SC, et al. Factors That Influence Sleep Behaviors of High School Students: Findings From a Semi-Rural Community in Georgia. Journal of School Health. 2023;93(5). doi:10.1111/josh.13312

6. Lawrenson JG, Downie LE. Nutrition and Eye health. Nutrients. 2019;11(9). doi:10.3390/nu11092123

Nothing said or implied in this post is intended to treat, cure, diagnose or prevent any disease.  It does not take the place of a qualified health care practitioner and is intended for educational purposes only.