Vision occurs mainly in the brain
Our eyes receive information in the form of light, and the brain processes the
information to make meaning of it, creating our "visual world". The process of improving vision helps
to bring one more into balance and harmony.
Nothing is more precious than your vision says a post card mailed by an
optometrist as a reminder to his patients. Yet many people find their vision worsening due to modern
lifestyle and cultural beliefs about the
inevitable decline of health, including vision. The field of holistic vision care offers programs
to help you keep healthy vision all your
life. Vision educators teach good visual habits, exercises, nutritional information, and much more.
Sunlight for Healthy Vision
Dr. Jacob Liberman. - "Sunglasses block healing ultra-violet light and
thus contribute to the increased incidence
of blindness and eye disease in this country."
Eyeglasses and contact lenses rob you of energy by blocking some of the ultra violet rays that travel through the eyes to
the pineal gland, wrote Patricia McCormac. After discontinuing wearing his eyeglasses,
Dr. John Ott wrote that he exposed his eyes to sunlight
without lenses and his vision was much improved. He recommended similar therapy
to his friends and they gained similar improvement in their vision. Ott wrote that nothing should block out the full spectrum of sunlight, no
glasses of any kind should block the ultra violet rays, and especially dark glasses.
Modern scientists began recognizing the benefits of light therapy in the late 1700's.
Although many people believe the ultraviolet (UV) light
is harmful, Dr. Liberman maintains our bodies need at least a small amount of UV light in order to function properly.
Sensitivity to Bright Light
"Every morning as the sun came into the bedroom my eyes used to hurt so badly that
I had to close the blinds. It felt as though I had needles going
into my eyes as soon as the sun hit them. Since drinking Marine Phytoplankton, my eyes are fine.
No more sensitivity to the sun." W. E
I have a tendency to experience blurred vision after working on the computer for a couple of hours. Taking hour long
walks without sunglasses help relax my eyesight and clears the blurred vision. Also,
I experienced vision improvement with a diet rich in organic vegetables (preferably raw), daily
green juices, sea vegetables, and
omega 3 oils. Shirley
Better Vision Without Glasses, Contacts, or Surgery
The Bates Method for Improving Eyesight is a method discovered at the beginning of this century by Dr. W. H. Bates, M.D.
(1865-1931), a prominent American ophthalmologist, and developed by him and his followers to improve
sight and restore natural habits of seeing, which have
been lost through strain, tension and the resulting misuse of the eyes. Thus the aim of the method is
to teach people with problems of vision the
faculty of easy and attentive seeing whereby the eyes and mind work together harmoniously to give good sight.
Discover the amazingly simple natural vision improvement method that touts an unmatched 94.3% success rate in reversing and
improving bad vision. Thousands have better vision without the risks and expense of laser surgery.You can too
after you read this eye opening
letter... The fact of the matter is, you don't have to wear glasses, contacts or resort to Lasik surgery to
improve your vision. Instead there's
a safer and easier way to restore your eyesight. It's called natural vision correction and it's widely
recognized as a proven method for reversing your vision problems.
Since the Bates Method is a means to improve sight and restore the natural use of the
eyes by re-learning the art and skill of
seeing, it is not, therefore a medical treatment, but a method of re-education, in the form of both
active learning, such as learning a skill like
drawing and painting or how to play tennis, and also the receptive awareness of how to appreciate
what we see, such as the appreciation of a painting, a
beautiful garden or a cathedral.
Eye and Vision Improvement with Marine Phytoplankton
"My father-in-law developed an eye infection due to cataract surgery. He was under a
specialist's care for over two months, going to see him every
day for a while and then every few days and using FOUR types of drops in the infected; eye every hour.
Then the doctor mentioned he might have
to do surgery to "hopefully" correct the problem. But he started my father-in-law on a marine phytoplankton tonic three
times a day on a Tuesday and the doctor saw improvement the following Thursday. Then the following Tuesday,
the doctor was very impressed with his
progress. Plus, my father-in-law said he could see better out of that eye than he had in over two months.
The following Thursday, the infection had
completely CLEARED up. The doctor was so impressed, he told my father-in-law to keep taking the marine
phytoplankton and released him because the
eye problem was completely healed." Pat Thomas
"About 5 years ago my eyesight had deteriorated to the point of requiring
glasses. Suffering from astigmatism I worked for years on computers not noticing that
I was squinting all the time trying
desperately to focus on the screen. I am a graphic designer and my eyes are everything to me. I started taking
Marine Phytoplankton less than a
month ago and my eyesight has improved greatly. I still require glasses, but I can focus easier,
my vision is much more focused with no squinting, and
it gets better everyday. I use to perform eye exercises daily and had noticed only a slight
difference after a few months. But after a couple of weeks on
this product, the exercises are giving me dramatic results. I can now read the directions on
the back of the shampoo bottle, which is something I haven't
been able to do for years. Along with vision clarity is the brain clarity as well. I have taken
greens for years and saw improvement in mind focus and
energy. With the addition of Marine Phytoplankton in my diet, I am seeing dramatic differences
in my ability to focus on tasks and the amount of
energy I have to take them on - plus I sleep better at night." Chris
"I've worn corrective lenses for almost thirty years.Two years ago,
I had an optometrist tell me my eye sight had
worsened; and I would need a stronger prescription. After a few months of taking marine
phytoplankton regularly I, noticed I needed to take
my glasses off for short periods during the day due to the strain. My eyes were changing.
My whole life is changing with my new eyesight. My
vision has improved significantly for the first time in almost thirty years." Tanya S.- Boulder CO
Dangers of LASIK Surgery: Why You Want to Avoid This Like the Plague
For those who have entertained the idea of getting Laser-Assisted In Situ
Keratomileusis -- commonly referred to as LASIK
surgery -- in hopes of correcting their vision ... think again. What exactly is LASIK surgery?
It is a procedure that permanently changes the shape
of your cornea (the clear covering of the front of the eye) with an excimer laser:
- Using a knife known as a microkeratome, a flap is cut in the cornea; a hinge is spared at one end of the flap.
- The hinged flap is then folded back, revealing the stroma (the middlesection of the cornea).
- Finally, pulses from a computer-controlled laser vaporize a portion of the stroma and the flap is replaced.
The end result: perfect vision, right? Not necessarily.
Many patients are under the impression LASIK surgery will end in instant perfect vision; however, that simply is not the case.
That's because, while the procedure is quick in itself, it is likely to lead to at least
six months of impaired vision and significant discomfort,
at the end of which only one eye may have normal sight. (And if the
first eye does not heal to expectation, the second operation on the other eye
will never be done and the imbalance will be permanent.) Then there are the
surgical disasters that can happen. You can visit SurgicalEyes.org to
review some of the horror stories. The site is devoted to focusing attention on
the unique problems faced by those who have undergone unsuccessful LASIK
(and other eye) surgeries.
Bates Method principles
According to Dr. Bates' teachings, common vision problems are not irreversible -- and not the result of genetics. He believed that
blurred vision is functional rather than structural; that is, it results from
chronic tension in some or all of your six extrinsic eye muscles. The Secrets
of Regaining Your Vision Naturally program addresses the retraining of these
external muscles of the eye to correct four common types of vision problems.
Nearsightedness or myopia. If you are nearsighted,
near objects are clear but far objects are not. According
to Bates Method principles, your eyeball has become elongated due to chronically tense external oblique muscles in your eye. The only
way to permanently reverse this condition and regain normal vision is to learn to release this chronic tension or strain.
Farsightedness or hyperopia -. If you are farsighted, your eyeball has shortened and cannot focus clearly
on near objects. Dr. Bates demonstrated that this is due to chronic tension in the four external recti muscles of the eye. Vision
retraining gently coaxes these muscles to let go of their chronic strain, allowing the eyeball to
return to its normal round shape, which is necessary for clear vision.
Astigmatism -. In this condition, your eyeball becomes oval-shaped
or lopsided due to a combination of chronically
tense eye muscles. Dr. Bates told us: "All persons who have astigmatism have eyestrain. When
the eyestrain is relieved, the astigmatism disappears."
Presbyopia- This condition, which literally means "old eyes",
is a type of farsightedness that is typically
observed in those over the age of 40. Conventional theory maintains that this condition is
the irreversible result of the lens becoming hard and
inflexible as the result of aging. However, Dr. Bates said that the cause of presbyopia is
the same as other eyesight problems -- tense and strained
eye muscles that undermine close vision.
Nutritional Influence On Health, Eye and Vision
Nutrition is a key factor in keeping a healthy visual system
throughout life. The eyes and brain contain millions of highly specialized
cells, such as the rods and cones, which have specific nutritional
requirements. You can help prevent eye diseases and promote healthy, clear
vision by making wise lifestyle choices such as eating well,
reducing stress, exercising regularly, and not smoking.
What are the nutrition basics for keeping healthy vision?
- Eat a diet based on whole, raw, fresh, organic foods. Fruits and vegetables, beans and
grains, nuts and seeds should be the foundation.
- Supplement your diet with a good multi-vitamin to get the minerals and vitamins you may not get from your food. Our
soil is greatly depleted of the minerals it once held. Therefore supplementation is more important than it was years ago. Sea
vegetables are also an excellent source of minerals.
- Incorporate anti-oxidants into your diet. Research shows that antioxidants can be very
helpful in keeping healthy eyes and vision.
- If you are diagnosed with an eye disease, research the nutritional aspects of the disease and adjust your diet
accordingly. Consult with a nutritionist or doctor who specializes in healing with nutrition and detoxification.
- Remember that natural sunlight is a nutrient that we all need. Ideally, spend an hour outside in natural light each
day. Take a walk in the morning or evening; and enjoy the added benefit of exercise, too!
- Healthy nutritional habits lay the foundation for healthy eyes and vision all your life. Enjoy those carrots and their
healthy cousins from the garden and healthy food store!
Glutathione Concentration in Lens of the Eye
Aging individuals encounter higher rates of cataract, glaucoma, and macular
degeneration. Diabetics are at particularly high risk for cataract. The high
blood sugar levels found in diabetics have a direct effect on lens health and elevating
oxidative stress. One the most feared concerns in the elderly is
going blind or having a major loss of vision. Scientific studies conclusively show that degenerative eye disease is not inevitable.
The concentration of Glutathione in the lens of the eye is
higher than in most other tissues. Glutathione
protects the structural proteins and enzymes necessary for the maintenance of lens flexibility and clarity against free radical
assault. Aging lenses of the eye lose Glutathione, and this reduction of Glutathione has been
found to lead directly to reactions that cause
deterioration of the lens.
Dr. Mercola - "It is very clear that omega-3 oils are a
major player in reducing the level of many eye disorders.
Clearly that is the case for Aging Related Macular Degeneration. DHA, one of the major fats in
fish oil is a large part of the retina and the brain.
Omega-3 fats are also particularly important for preventing the complications of diabetes
and its effect on the retina."
Dr. Mercola recommends the following: "You should then take fish oil
capsules. The standard fish oil capsule is 180 mg
of EPA and 120 mg of DHA. You should take approximately one capsule for every ten pounds of body
weight, preferably in two divided doses. So if
you weigh 160 pounds you would take 8 capsules twice a day. If you have problems with belching
them up, you will want to consider taking them on an
empty stomach. Cod liver oil has the benefit of providing you with vitamin A and D. A reasonable dose for
cod liver oil is one teaspoon for every 30-40 pounds of body weight. If you use cod liver oil during your summer you will need
to be careful of vitamin D toxicity and I suggest you review the information on vitamin D testing.
When you take fish oil supplements or cod liver oil in the doses I
recommend please be sure and take an one vitamin E 400 unit supplement per day as this will
help serve to protect the fat from oxidation. This is
less of an issue with the cod liver oil as the vitamin D itself is a very potent anti-oxidant.
Supplements May Prevent Age-Related Vision Loss
From the Archives of Ophthalmology October 2001;119: 1417-1436, 1439-1452, 1533-1534
A dietary supplement containing high levels of certain vitamins and minerals appears to lower the risk of blindness in
some elderly individuals. However, the same supplements did not reduce the risk of developing
cataracts,
a clouding of the lens of the eye that can occur with age. Individuals at high risk of age-related macular degeneration
who took a high-dose combination of vitamins C and E, beta-carotene and the mineral zinc
lowered their risk of the disease by 25%. The supplements
had no apparent effect on those who were not at risk. AMD is the leading cause of blindness in
elderly Americans. AMD occurs
when abnormal blood vessels leak fluid and blood into the tissue at the back of the eye, leading
to blistering and scarring of the retina. The disease
affects central vision needed for reading, driving and recognizing faces, but
patients are often able to detect colors and see with their peripheral vision. There is no cure
for AMD. While the supplements did not restore
vision that had already been lost, they slowed the progression of vision loss in some individuals
with intermediate or advanced AMD. These individuals
"should consider taking a supplement of antioxidants plus zinc," according to the researchers
from the Age-Related Eye Disease Study Research Group.
In the study, more than 3,600 people aged 55 to 80 years at risk for AMD received a
daily dietary supplement. The supplement consisted of either
500 milligrams (mg) of vitamin C, 400 international units of vitamin E and 15 mg of beta-carotene;
80 mg of zinc and 2 mg of copper; antioxidants
and zinc; or an inactive pill (placebo). Study participants at high risk of developing vision
loss associated with AMD who took antioxidants and
zinc were less likely than those who took only antioxidants or only zinc
to lose their vision over the 6-year study. Individuals who took a placebo were the most likely
to develop advanced AMD and vision loss.
Even among those who took a daily multivitamin in addition to the assigned supplement,
the high-dose supplement was associated
with a decreased risk of vision loss. Although the nutrients found in the supplements occur
naturally in many foods, sufficient levels may be difficult to
obtain through diet alone. In a related study, the supplements did not reduce the risk of
cataractsin the same group of patients over 7 years.
Archives of Ophthalmology October 2001;119:1417-1436, 1439-1452, 1533-1534
Fish or
EPA/DHA Supplements May Help Protect Vision - Chalk up another possible
health benefit of eating fish: prevention of
age-relatedmacular degeneration, the leading cause of irreversible blindness in the US.
The macula is the central portion of the retina in the eye and when it is damaged,
visual problems -- including blindness -- are the unfortunate
result. Australian researchers found that more frequent consumption of fish appeared
to protect against late age-related macular degeneration.
Only a moderate intake of fish was necessary for the protective effect. Those who ate fish
one to three times a month had about half the risk of
late-stage disease than those who ate fish less than once a month. And more fish was not
necessarily better. The greatest amount of protection
was seen in those who ate one serving of fish a week, and there was no additional benefit
of consuming more. The investigators note that eating
too much fish may interfere with the absorption of vitamin E in the elderly, which could
explain the threshold protective effect from dietary fish.
Archives of Ophthalmology March, 2000;118:401-404.
Take off Your Glasses and See: A Mind/Body Approach to Expanding Your Eyesight and Insight; by Dr. Jacob Liberman
Dr Jacob Liberman was a practicing Optometrist in the mid-1970s, when he realized that conventional beliefs were keeping
millions of people locked into limited eyesight and limited self-awareness. He began
to realize that the conventional vision care that he had been taught
was designed not to treat or heal vision problems, but simply to mask their symptoms.
He realized that these symptoms were not just random.
They were urgent signals that something in the body/mind
was out of balance and required attention. In 1976, he experienced a dramatic
improvement in his own vision, which laid the foundation for him
to assist thousands of others.
Jacob Liberman is considered a pioneer in the therapeutic use of light and color and their relationship to human
consciousness and personal transformation. After healing his own vision from a lens-dependent 20/200 to normal, he
realized that the eyes are merely a holographic focal point within an infinitely large receptive field.
After thirty years of experience with thousands
of people, he has demonstrated that eyesight improvement is within the reach of virtually everyone.
Take Off Your Glasses and See shares an expanded view of vision and guides the reader
on a journey towards discovering what it truly means
to see. Have you ever wondered why so many people wear glasses? Have you been told you have to
wear glasses forever and that
there is no natural way to improve your vision?
Dr LibermDr Liberman's book addresses the most important issues about vision and seeing.
Questions like: What is vision? How do we
see? What is the relationship between sunlight, the eyes and the brain? What is the energy from the
sun that we call light and how does it relate to our life force.
Conditions: Diabetic Retinopathy, Cataract, Glaucoma, Dry Eyes, Floaters
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of blindness and vision
impairment, affecting mostly people over
age 60. The disease, which has no known cause, tends to run in families and
affect women and whites more. There is also evidence that smoking and
high-fat, high-cholesterol diets increase AMD risk, Sieving noted. Ninety percent of those with the
condition have dry AMD, in which there is a gradual
breakdown of light-sensing cells. Only 10% have the wet form, but it is the leading cause of blindness.
Leaky blood vessels lead to rapid damage, causing
total vision loss. Lasers can destroy those vessels and help slow impairment, but there is no treatment
for dry AMD. A study published by the National Eye Institute last fall showed that
taking a combination of zinc, vitamins C and E and beta-carotene
may slow AMD progression. Cataracts run in families also, and increase with age.
About 20 million Americans have cataracts,
which can be successfully treated. Clouded, diseased lenses are surgically removed and replaced with artificial lenses.
Because elderly people generally have low glutathione GSH levels, they are predis-posed to oxidative damage.
Researchers have shown that low GSH levels go along with poor eye health in ARMD patients compared to normal control groups.
Experiments have been conducted to test glutathione's antioxidant function in the
whole body and in the eyes of patients suffering from macular
degeneration. S.M. Cohen and his team at the University of California (Davis) found
significantly altered GSH activity in blood samples of macular
degeneration patients. It appears that high GSH levels correspond to healthy eyes and
suggests a possible role for GSH in the protection against or
delay of this disease.
Myths:
Everyone with macular degeneration is going to
continue losing vision, and there is no effective treatment to avoid this.
Facts:
You do noYou do not have to lose your vision with
macular degeneration. There are steps you can take to stabilize and even possibly
improve your vision.
Diabetic Retinopathy
Diabetic retinopathy is a potentially blinding complication of diabetes that damages the eye's retina. It affects half of all
Americans diagnosed with diabetes. At first, you may notice no change in your vision.
But don't let diabetic retinopathy fool you. It could get worse
over the years and threaten your good vision. With timely treatment, 90 percent of those
with advanced diabetic retinopathy can be saved from going blind.
Myths:
Blindness is a common result of diabetes.
Facts:
Only 6 percent of diabetics lose their vision.
Blindness is largely preventable if patient and the medical team work
together diligently. This includes proper use of medications, daily blood sugar testing,
correct lifestyle habits, diet and supplementation.
Diabetic retinopathy is a potentially blinding complication of diabetes that
damages the eye's retina. It affects half of all Americans diagnosed with diabetes. At first, you may notice no change in your vision.
But don't let diabetic retinopathy fool you. It could get worse
over the years and threaten your good vision. With timely treatment, 90 percent of those
with advanced diabetic retinopathy can be saved from going blind.
Symptoms
Blurred vision;
Excessive urination;
Excessive thirst and hunger;
Fatigue, itching, and skin infections
Causes:
Type I Diabetes (Juvenile Diabetes) develops when the body produces too little
insulin. This condition generally starts in childhood. Type
II Diabetes (Adult-Onset Diabetes) develop over many years, and is caused by the body either not producing enough insulin or not
being able to utilize the insulin produced effectively.
Magnesium's Role in Cataract;
Young women, children and most of all babies have soft body structures
and smooth skin with low calcium and high magnesium levels in their cells and soft tissues.
This is the biochemistry of youth. As we age and most pronounced in old men and
post-menopausal women, we become more and more inflexible. The
arteries harden to cause arteriosclerosis, the skeletal system calcifies to
cause rigidity with fusion of the spine and joints, kidneys and other
organs and glands increasingly calcify and harden with stone formation, calcification
in the eyes causes cataracts and even the skin hardens, becoming tough and
wrinkled. In this way calcium is in the same league as oxygen and free radicals, magnesium
works together with hydrogen and the antioxidants to keep our body structure soft.
Dog with Cataract
"My dog Charlie is 15 year old. In October of 2011 his vet advised me
that Charlie was suffering from cataract in both eyes. I had noticed sort
of a film in my dogs eyes and it seemed to worsen and
Charlie was now using his nose more to sniff his way around. Three
months later in January I started to give him two milligrams a day of a product called Pure. It is a liquid
marine phytoplankton multi-mineral super concentrate extracted from nutrient-rich ocean
water that has the salt removed. It contains 92 ionic minerals and trace elements essential to life.
It helps nourish the body on a cellular level and strengthen his immune
system. Two months after having given Charlie the Pure, we noticed an improvement
in his vision as his cataracts appeared to start to clear up."