Simple Steps to Your Best Eyesight

"I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead; I lift my eyes and all is born again."
Sylvia Plath

"The eyes are the window of the soul."
 Traditional Proverb

"The eyes can do a thousand things that the fingers can't."
 Iranian Proverb

"The face is the portrait of the mind; the eyes, its informers."
 Latin Proverb

If our eyes do all that and more - lots more - we best take care of them! It really is not difficult to keep your eyes at their best with a few tactics and precautions. Some simple measures can do wonders for those doors into our soul. Read on to find out if you are taking care of those peeps the very best that you can.

How the Sun Can Hurt Your Eyes

I love sunlight and lots of it.  But the glare it gives off and the rays that it delivers can be blinding - literally. Sunglasses are a necessity for me. And, they should be a requirement for you, too. Here's why you should reach for your sunglasses and for more reasons than cutting the glare:

1.  Those sun rays can knock out some damage.

Sunlight exposure, winter and summer and everything in between, damages the surface tissues of the eye as well as the retina and the lens. It can increase the risk of macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness in people over age 65.


2.  Unwanted cells can be created.

Too much unprotected sun exposure can contribute to cancer of the eyelids and the skin around the eyes and cause cancer in the back of the eye as well.


3.  Sunlight is relentless. 

Those pretty days in the sun contain rays that can penetrate. Those rays can burn the surface of the eye, causing a painful condition called photokeratitis and amplify signs of aging around the eyes as well.


4.  Without protection, clouds will form.  

Over time, unprotected exposure can contribute to cataracts, a film over the eye that make you nearly blind and that must be surgically removed.

3 Tips to Finding the Right Pair of Sunglasses to Protect Your Eyes

Don't just reach for any pair of sunglasses as not all sunglasses are the same.  In fact, some can even cause more harm than good. Sunglasses that protect your eyes well are not necessarily the most expensive either. Don't forget the children too.  Their eyes are vulnerable to damages of the sun as well. Here are three tips for finding sunglasses that will actually protect your eyes from all the harm:

1.  Knock it off with the knock-offs.

Keep walking past those stands with the fake designer labels. You do not know the quality of the lenses. The darkness of the lens in many pairs of no brand sunglasses that do not have proper coatings causes your eyes to dilate and allow more damaging radiation hit your retina than if you were wearing no glasses at all.


2.  Read the labels.

No, not the designer labels. Look for UV labels and tags indicating the sunglasses block all UV radiation (UVB and UVA rays) up to 400 nanometers.  That is equivalent to blocking 100 percent of UV rays. Note that UV protection is not related to how dark the lens is. Polarized lenses do not increase UV protection either. If you wear prescription glasses, a protective UV coating can be applied to your lenses.


3.  Bigger is better. 

Larger sunglasses offer more coverage. Sunglasses should cover the sides of your eyes to prevent stray rays from entering. Close-fitting glasses with wide lenses are a good choice as well.

Other Healthy Eye Tips

Besides wearing the right sunglasses to best protect your eyes, here are a few other actions to take to protect those peeps:

1.  Rest every 20. 

Looking at those screens often? Take 20 seconds every 20 minutes and look 20 feet away. This practice breaks up eye strain and helps decrease eye dryness by encouraging blinking.


2.  Go towards the light. 

Light up your work area. Insufficient light will strain your eyes and make them tire easily, causing your eyes to age faster. No one wants that!


3.  No sharing. 

All eye products should be hands off to others. This includes eye drops, eye make-up and towels. Eye infections are spread very easily through these means.

4.  Eye exams aren't just for glasses.

Many diseases have no symptoms and can affect the eye suddenly and can have dire consequences if not caught in time.  Regular eye exams are important for those over 40 to prevent many age-related ocular conditions from macular degeneration to glaucoma.  Children should be screened from their pediatrician but should see an opthamologist as well at some point.  Here is more specific information on how often and what age to have an eye exam.

During your exam, be extra thorough on your medical history.  Many connections between illnesses in the body and the eye exist like high blood pressure and diabetes. Discuss your sports activities as well to ensure proper eye protection.

If you do require corrective contact lenses or glasses, reputable on-line shopping is a great option to save you time and money.


5.  Protect with goggles. 

Operating machinery? Wear the goggles. Debris flying about hitting your eye can do serious damage and serious pain. The same goes for proper protection when playing sports. Those flying balls or other parts of the game can do a lot of harm.


6.  Practice contact lens cleanliness.

Besides following lens care that your doctor gave you, take the extra step to clean your contact lens case frequently to avoid bacterial infections. If possible, replace it often and in between sanitize it and keep it in a dry place. I throw mine in the dishwasher once a week at least to keep bacteria infections away. Change the soaking solution daily as well.


7.  Eat your colors. 

Those leafy greens and other whole foods likes the darker berries that have lutein are great choices for eyesight protection.  Omega 3s in walnuts and some fish are helpful, too. Try incorporating gogi berries, commonly used in Traditional Chinese Medicine to improve vision. Recent studies found that these small red berries are a rich source of zeaxanthin, a carotenoid helpful in protecting your vision.


Note: A sponsored link is contained in this post, but all opinions are my own.

eye: photo credit: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/liesforaliar/5167553781/">Claire Brownlow</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/">cc</a>
sunglasses: photo credit: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/uomodiatlantide/458604820/">UomoDiAtlantide</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/">cc</a>
eyechart: photo credit: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/nationaleyeinstitute/7544604758/">National Eye Institute</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/">cc</a>

Related Posts:

Tweet

Creating Flavor: Making Your Own Seasoning Salt

Eating healthy is a goal for many, but that is hard to keep up if the food does not taste good, right? Flavor is important! It is especially needed to keep to the healthy eating habits you are creating. Seasoning your food well is a great way to add flavor without diminishing the healthy elements.

I wrote about the simple and quick way of creating flavor with compounding butters and oils here as one flavoring technique. But, another quick way to add distinction without a lot of effort is to use seasoning salt.  But, those premixed seasoning salts? Most of them on the market shelves have some detrimental ingredients.

Why Toss The Premixed Seasoning Salt 

Here is why you should consider deleting premixed seasoning salt from your grocery list:

Some ingredients in them are not needed and harmful.  Preservatives, anti-caking agents and MSG in many pre-made seasoned salts are not chemicals our body needs and could be harmful. The levels of sodium and sugar in them can be  quite high as well.

They are made with undesirable refined salts.  Regular white table salt has been bleached, and who wants bleach in your seasoning salt?  I wrote about swapping out regular table salt to unrefined pink salt here and why you would want to consider that simple switch. Unrefined salts usually have less sodium as well.

The taste can fall flat. If on the store shelf for a long time, premixed salts can lose potency and flavor. Unless they are dated, you do not how long ago it was created. If the flavor is bland, you may end up using more than you should as well adding sodium levels to your food.

How and Why To Use Your Own Quick Seasoning Salt

You can whip up one of your own seasoning salts in seconds and alter it just how you like it. Here are a few ways to use it:

• Use as dry rub before grilling for a nice crust
• Add to olive oil as a quick dip or marinade
• Add to soups, stews, and chiles that have not been heavily salted already
• Sprinkle on roasted or grilled vegetables and in mashed or baked potatoes

And, making your own reaps these benefits too:

Herbs and spices are jam-packed gems of phytonutrients.  Win. Win. Flavor and lots of vitamins. Read more about just how much here and here.

Making your own mix is cheaper than buying premade. You make as much as you need and eliminate waste as well.

You control heat level and flavor profile. Want more kick, amp up the pepper then.

Making your own is better for you. Choosing unrefined salt and organic herbs and spices offers health benefits like exposure to minerals and phytonutrients without pesticides.

One Salt, Three Ways

Here are a three ideas on how to take that salt and create more flavor!

Starting with 2 tablespoon of unrefined pink salt, add in the rest of the following ingredients (adding more of what you like and less of what you don't). Mix well to create the flavor profile of choice. Each mixture makes enough to season a dish or two you are making.

1.  Looking to add a little smokey Mexican bite to those beans or tacos? Then add this to the salt:

• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried chipotle chili powder
• 1 teaspoon fresh lime zest (optional: dry in low oven for five minutes)

2.  Would you like to give your vegetables a mild curry distinction? Try tossing in these with the salt:

• 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• pinch of cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander
• pinch of ground red pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

3.  Want something a bit spicy and complex for that grilled wild-caught salmon or organic chicken thighs? Can't get simpler than rubbing on this mixed in the salt first:

• 1 tablespoon ground coffee
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika

How to Season Best With Salt

How you apply your seasoning can make a big difference in flavor. Here are simple steps to season with salt or seasoned salt to extract the most flavor:

1.  First, ditch the salt shaker. Create your seasoned salt in a small bowl or other small vessel and keep your unseasoned salt that way as well. Salt shakers don't work well in distributing the salt evenly.

2.  Taking from the bowl of salt, pinch the salt or seasoned salt between your fingers.

3.  Raise your hand with the salt in it high over the food you are to season. The higher the better!

4.  Sprinkle back and forth over the food and keep moving.  The higher you are with sprinkling, the more evenly it is distributed. Go back and get more pinches as needed. But, go lightly the first time as you can add more seasoning later as well.

5.  Try not to miss a spot!

Do you have a favorite recipe for seasoning salt? Please add a link in the comments!

mortar photo credit: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/harryharris/1955412721/">harry harris</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/">cc</a>

Related Posts:

Tweet

Science of Nutrition Podcast

I recently did an interview with Seth Yoder, who has a master's degree in nutrition science and writes the blog The Science of Nutrition.  Seth caught my attention recently with his withering review of The Big Fat Surprise, the latest book to claim that ideological/incompetent scientists and public policy makers got the science of nutrition backward and we should all be eating low-carb, high-fat, high-meat diets.  I was impressed by how deeply Seth dug into the reference list, and how well he picked up on subtle but troubling misrepresentations of the evidence.

Last week, Seth and I got together at a local brewpub to do an interview.  We were joined by Carrie Dennett, an MPH/RDN who has a nutrition blog and writes for the Seattle Times.  I'd probably do a lot more interviews if I could ride my bike to them and have my interviewer buy me a drink.

Speaking of drinks, by the end of the interview I had a little buzz-- you might hear it in my voice if you listen closely.  As usual, I had plenty to say about body fat regulation, food reward, and other topics, with plenty of side trips to discuss particularly fascinating studies.  Also, the word of the day was 'compelling'.

Enjoy the interview!

Related Posts:

Tweet

How To Make Your Coffee Habit a Healthier One

Java. Joe. Jitter Juice. Morning Jolt. Whatever you like to call it. Coffee is a liquid infusion that many enjoy worldwide.  I know, I enjoy a morning cup, and it is something I look forward to when I awake. And, on that really rare occasion when I order an ice cream cone? You got it.  Coffee ice cream it is!

Many health practitioners suggest eliminating coffee and other caffeinated beverages from our diet and it may be a smart move for many of us, but more studies are emerging that show that cup of joe just might carry some real merit.

How Coffee Might Be Good For Your Health

Although for some, it is not a good choice, recent studies have been published that show those that drink the most coffee may enjoy these benefits:

1.  Java may lower your risk for several diseases.

With over 1.000 various phytochemicals, coffee provides an enormous range of disease deterrents.  For example, coffee can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes because studies are showing that coffee interferes with glucose synthesis and release in the body.  It is also being studied for its use as a cancer risk reducer.  Other diseases it may fend off include liver disease, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and cardiovascular disease.

2.  It helps dissolve stones. 

Coffee could slightly reduce the risk of gallstones and lower your risk of kidney stones.


3.  Coffee may improve your outlook.

In larger amounts, coffee is showing to lower depression risk.


4.  Coffee is a headache fighter.

The caffeine in coffee may help absorb headache medications more quickly.  This is why you may see caffeine added to these type of OTC pain relievers, or why, myself included, some drink a beverage with caffeine once the headache begins to send it packing. This can get tricky if you rely on this tactic too much though for migraines as it could then have the countereffect.

What Kind of Coffee to Buy

If you choose to drink coffee, here are a few guidelines when purchasing it:

1.  Buy organic beans.

Coffee beans are heavily sprayed.  There are so many organic options out there, why not just choose organic to eliminate the added exposure to pesticides.  One of my favorites is this brand, french roast.

2.  Darker is better.

Darker roasts are best.  Darker roasted beans produce a higher level of antioxidants than lighter roasted beans and may even help shed a pound or two.

3.  Pulse it yourself.

Fresh ground coffee that you just made yourself with whole beans lessens oxidation of all those antioxidants in the beans providing more exposure to them. Freshly ground tastes best too!

5 Tips To Prepare Your Coffee The Healthiest Way

So, you have purchased the good stuff. Now, here are five tips on how to best prepare your next pot or two to reap all those health benefits:

1.  Create a layer. 

There are many methods you can choose to make your coffee. That choice, though, can affect the health benefits.  For example, using a non-bleached paper filter in processing your coffee can help eliminate harmful substances that can increase cholesterol levels. Turkish and Greek coffee, coffee brewed in a French press, and the boiled coffee consumed in Scandinavia do not use filters.

These methods of making coffee use a filter:

• Pour over coffee - Here is extensive information on how to do it and what to use.  It may be a bit involved for many but the coffee prepared this way always wins the taste tests. 

• Standard coffee maker - Standard drip coffee makers require the use of a filter.

2.  Water down.

If the morning ritual includes a cup or two for you, best to first wake up your digestive system with some plain warm water or like me, warm water with a squeeze of lemon.  The acidity of coffee will be less of a shock to your digestive system.


3.  Eliminate these . . . 

Chemicals like artificial sweeteners or other additives, creamers with high fructose corn syrup and trans fats, or high amounts of sugar.


4.  Add these . . . 

Cinnamon, cacao and coconut oil are all nice additions to your java.  Other spices like cardamon, Chinese five-spice or nutmeg can add antioxidants to the brew as well.  Almond milk or coconut milk or grass-fed dairy products are best as well.


5.  Pick a chemical free coffee cup or mug.

Glass or porcelain mugs and cups are best. A plastic cup could leach the chemicals in plastic into your beverage.  Styrofoam is not a good choice either for the same reason.


So, coffee lovers! Tell me, do you have a favorite brand of coffee or bean, way to prepare it or recipe to share? Or, have you eliminated it from your diet and how has that worked for you? The Health-Minded would love to know. Do tell -- in the comments! Include a link, by all means!



coffee beans in hands: photo credit: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/n1ct4yl0r/13554422834/">Nic Taylor Photography</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-
beans: photo credit: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/bonjourwill/4528624762/">威爾家 ♥ Will Family</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/">cc</a>

Related Posts:

Tweet

How a Band Aid Might Change Your Life

Sounding a bit melodramatic, am I? To say that a band aid changed my life?  Well, it did. It actually did!

Here's my story:  Almost a year ago, I suffered a large injury to the bottom of my foot. I was in New York City at the time and had to hail a cab to rush to the nearest urgent care. I will not elaborate on the injury details, but suffice to say, it was not pretty, the cab driver was horrified and it was quite painful.  It certainly put a damper on the rest of my time in the city with my family as well as the days that followed at home.

I received great care from the doctor in New York City, but when I got back home a few days later, my wound, and it was a large one, was healing slowly. It required a good amount of daily home care and the pain was getting worse.  I decided to see my own general practitioner to check on my progress. There, I was introduced to hydrocolloid dressings. This bandage, this dressing, this way of covering a wound, it changed my life, at least for the next few weeks anyway. Here is why:

Better Band Aids, Better Healing with No Scarring

Stocking up your first aid kit at the drugstore offers boxes upon boxes of band aid choices. Bandages are not so simple anymore. And, that is a good thing apparently as research proves there are better ways to cover that boo-boo and make it better, heal faster, and create a lot less scarring and other complications.

Some bandages help create a better environment for your wound healing. Here are some reasons to consider using hydrocolloid dressings to heal your next wound:

Your wound will heal much faster and better.  Hydrocolloid dressings create an environment that allows skin to form new skin cells where they do it best - in a moist climate. The principle of moist wound therapy is to create and maintain optimal conditions for your skin to heal faster and better with less chance of infection.  If you keep your wound covered with a hydrocolloid dressing, your skin cells will divide and migrate at an increased rate accelerating wound healing.

I watched it happen with my foot and it was fascinating.  Once I switched to that new dressing, it got so much better, so much faster.  I was up and around much quicker than the original doctor had predicted.



No scabbing and much less scarring.  In a moist wound healing environment, there is no scabbing. Wounds that are left uncovered or get air through other dressings will always create a scab making it harder for it to close and perhaps then creating a scar. That large foot injury I suffered? No scab, no scar. no evidence it ever happened!

They don't cramp your style.  Go ahead. Move about! If your wound is located on joints such as knees or elbows, there is no scab to disturb when bending your joint. Plus, showering and bathing is no problem. The bandages are waterproof and stay on during all of that and do not require you to change the dressing after bathing.

Changing your bandage is a breeze!  Moist wound healing ensures that removing or changing your bandage remains painless as the bandage does not adhere to the wound.

This was one of my favorite parts of the hydrocolloid dressing.  Before I had this type of bandage, I was required to change the dressing on my foot several times a day, and it was inconvenient, painful, kinda gross and I felt like it was disturbing the healing process.  It also took a lot of time as well. Changing this bandage did not hurt at all and I only had to do it every five days!

You save money. Hydrocolloid bandages are more expensive up front, but in the long run because you do not change them often, they save money and time at the drugstore. Plus, those doctor visits should be non existent due to the better healing.

You save time.  With these type of bandages, all that time attending to changing the dressing is eliminated. In fact, you are only required to change it every few days or even up to a once a week.  I kept re-reading those instructions as I could not believe that part, but it is true!

Your skin will thank you.  I am one of those sensitive to surgical tape and band aid adhesive.  Before I switched to the hydrocolloid dressings, changing my bandage so frequently was really aggravating the surrounding skin on my foot.  But, the hydrocolloid dressings use skin-friendly, hypoallergenic-type materials that are thin, flexible, and breathable that stretch with your skin.


So, no overly dramatic statements here. That band aid was a life changer for me. Once I changed bandages to the hydrocolloid dressings, I began to heal much faster and get on with my busy life! I spent little time taking care of it and there was no scarring, less pain and no secondary infection. Thus, for me, there is no better choice for injuries like the one I had. Sure, I keep regular, old-fashioned band aids for the occasional paper cut, but these hydrocolloid bandages have a permanent home in my first aid kit at my house.

I really think you should introduce yourself to them, too, but always check with your doctor to ensure this bandage is appropriate for your particular injury. I used this brand and purchased them at Walgreens. But, there are other brands using the same concept.  Still curious? Click here for more information on this type of bandage and its appropriate use.


Have you tried this bandage before? If so, what did you think? What brand did you use? Please tell us in the comments.

photo credit: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/mag3737/262200284/">mag3737</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/">cc</a>
dollar: photo credit: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/59937401@N07/5929472943/">Images_of_Money</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">cc</a>

Related Posts:

Tweet

Can Hypothalamic Inflammation and Leptin Resistance be Reversed?

A new study by yours truly begins to address the key question: can hypothalamic inflammation and leptin resistance be reversed?

Leptin is the primary hormonal regulator of body fatness in the human body (1).  Secreted by fat tissue, it acts in many places in the body, but its most important effects on body weight occur via the brain, and particularly a brain region called the hypothalamus.  The hypothalamus is responsible for keeping certain physiological variables within the optimal range, including blood pressure, body temperature, and body fatness.

In obesity, the brain loses its sensitivity to leptin, and this causes the body to begin 'defending' a higher level of body fatness, analogous to how a person with a fever 'defends' a higher body temperature (1).  Once a person has become obese, it's difficult to return to true leanness because this system vigorously opposes major fat loss.  Leptin resistance makes fat loss more difficult.

In rodent models, leptin resistance is caused at least in part by inflammatory signaling in the hypothalamus.  We can observe this in multiple ways, but one common way is to look at the appearance of specific cells in the brain that change number, size, and shape when inflammation is present (2).  These cells are called microglia and astrocytes.  In addition to the work in rodents, we've published preliminary evidence that these same inflammatory changes occur in the hypothalamus of obese humans (2).

A key question is whether or not these inflammatory changes can be reversed.  Is a person with leptin resistance doomed to have it forever, undermining fat loss efforts for the rest of his or her life?  Or can it be corrected, possibly allowing easier and more sustainable fat loss?  We just published a study in Endocrinology that begins to answer this question, using a mouse model of dietary obesity (3).  I'm co-first author of this study along with my colleague Kathryn Berkseth, MD.  My former mentor Mike Schwartz, MD is senior author.

The Study

Read more »

Related Posts:

Tweet

Food Reward Friday

This week's lucky "winner"...  Cheesecake Factory Bruleed French Toast!

Read more »

Related Posts:

Tweet