In the Eyes of the Beholder

Mark 8:25 Once more Jesus put his hands on the man's eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly

Ezekiel 47:12 Fruit trees of all kinds will grow on both banks of the river. Their leaves will not wither, nor will their fruit fail. Every month they will bear, because the water from the sanctuary flows to them. Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing."

• Half of the U.S. population ages 20 and older has poor eyesight, according to a study in the August Archives of Ophthalmology.


• It is estimated that more than 150 million people in the U.S. use corrective eyewear (Prevent Blindness America, 2002).


• Among all individuals who report "serious difficulty seeing, even when wearing glasses or contact lenses," 33% live in cities, 37% live in suburbs, 28% live in non-metropolitan areas (e.g., small towns) and 1% live in farm areas (Schmeidler & Halfmann, 1998b).
  

What can one collectively presume looking at the 3 above statistics?

Perhaps that "most people lose their eyesight as they grow older, needing corrective eyewear from something that rural living has to offer"?

Am I suggesting that one move to the "country" if they have poor eyesight? Absolutely not! But I will attempt to suggest a reason as to "why" the considerably higher percentage of people are from non-rural areas. Perhaps the people on farms having good eyesight have lived on a diet mostly of freshly picked vegetables and fruit that help them to nourish their sightseeing organs. Most people know that Vitamin A (from orange vegetables) helps to "feed" the eyes, but are there others? I ran across a great article at:

http://www.treelite.com/articles/nf/natures-field---july-20-2010.html that I'll share some excerpts with you:

"The sad thing is that one simple nutritional change could save many people's vision. That change is to get more antioxidant nutrients into the diet. Antioxidants are extremely critical to eye health because the eyes are extremely prone to oxidative stress and free radical damage. In fact, oxidative stress is the underlying cause of cataracts, glaucoma and macular degeneration."

Many people do not make the connection between diet and nutrition (me being one of them in the past. I found I needed glasses after my mom went back to work, with my diet offering meals with considerably less vegetables, being sacrificed for a busier, but comfortable lifestyle). Others may think that vegetable flavored chips, synthetic meal replacements, and fruit flavored cereals / fruit roll-ups make an exceptional form of a daily vegetable and fruit intake. I'll be the first to admit that I didn't even try THAT hard, but completely threw any diet-to-eyesight connections out the window! YES...I wear glasses now and have for over 15 years now. I'm trying to play "catch up" for those years 'lacking' in my diet, but it's VERY hard to do! I have found by not trying CONSIDERABLY hard (other than upping my raw vegetable intake) that I have for the first time in 15 years not gotten worse when I had my eyes checked, but even improved by a degree! After I heal fully from our latest addition to the family, I plan to travel down the road of improving my eyesight naturally. Here are some more tips I'll be following from the above article link:

• Lutein and xeaxanthin, are yellowish pigments found in foods like spinach, kale, green beans, corn and egg yolks. They are also antioxidants that protect your eyes from the blue and near-ultraviolet wavelengths of light. Protecting the eyes from these wavelengths of light reduces the risk of macular degeneration.
• Carrots are high in beta-carotene, a precursor to vitamin A. Both vitamin A and beta-carotene are very critical antioxidants for the eyes, meaning there is some truth to the popular belief that carrots are good for your eyes.
  There are other carotenoids that protect the eyes, too. For instance, lycopene, a carotenoid that contributes to the red color of tomatoes, helps protect eyes from light and oxygen damage. It also protects the prostate and blood vessels.
  The dark purple color of blue berries, huckleberries and bilberries is due to the presence of anthocyanodins. These compounds protect blood vessels in the eyes (and throughout the body) and enhance night vision.
  The bottom line is that our eyes can help to guide our nutritional choices, so we obtain the nutrients our eyes need to stay healthy. An ingenious system, don't you think?
  

Find yourself living a busy lifestyle and plan to slow down later to a life with more vegetables and fruits?

Look for a supplement offering carotenoids, which are so important for the eyes! NATURE's SUNSHINE offers a product with beta-carotene, alpha-carotene, lutein, lycopene, and zeaxanthin called: CAROTENOID BLEND. NATURES SUNSHINE was the first company to encapsulate herbs, back in 1972, and have thus been known for their disease-fighting properties. You might also search for a health product containing the herbs BILBERRY and TUMERIC, which have powerful anti-inflammatory properties that protect the eyes, liver, blood vessels and other tissues from damage. NATURES SUNSHINE also offers as a product: PERFECT EYES, which contains the carotenoids lutein, xeaxanthin, beta-carotene, lycopene, along with bilberry and turmeric.

Desire to see God's pathway clearer? Use His creation as an investment in your vision by increasing your raw fruit and vegetable intake. Your eyes may thank you come 40 years from now, and you're not needing to wear those unsightly senior citizen SUNGLASS BLINDERS for extreme sunlight sensitivity!

In Christ, Ms. Salubrious

******None of the above statements have been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. All of the information in this BLOG is strictly for educational purposes. This BLOG should not be used to treat, diagnose, or prescribe for a condition you feel you may have. If you have any health concerns, you should see a competent practitioner. ******