Protect Your Eyes With These Key Foods

The ability to see the world around you is one of God's greatest gifts. However, not every day of sight and clear vision is promised. Some of the more common types of refractive errors include nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism and presbyopia, causing haziness and glare in vision, ultimately leading to squinting, headache and eye strain without proper eyewear. Additionally, the National Eye Institute reported that 1.3 million Americans are blind and an estimated 2.2 million people are expected to completely lose their vision by 2030. Over 2 million Americans have advabced age-related macular degeneration, 2.7 million have glaucoma, 7.7 million live with diabetic retinopathy and 24 million are impacted by cataracts. With such alarming statistics, it's important that you take steps to reduce your risk for developing an eye-related disease through smarter lifestyle choices. Read on to learn some of the practical ways to protect your vision, plus some of the best foods and supplements for eye health: How to protect your eyes With millions of Americans living with some sort of vision loss, it's important to make moves that can reduce your risk and help your eyes remain healthy for as long as possible. With a few small adjustments to your lifestyle, you can help protect your vision and ensure the health of your eye over time. Wear protective eyewear. No matter how much time you spend outdoors, you should always wear protective sunglasses. Even if the sun isn't shining, overcast skies still expose you to harmful UV rays that could cause retinal damage and cancerous growths on and around the eye. Let your eyes rest. If you work at a computer all day long, you should follow the 20-20-20 rule, as suggested by the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Every 20 minutes, look up from your work and gaze at an object that's 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds. Don't smoke. This unhealthy habit doesn't only lead to stroke, lung cancer and heart disease - it also impacts your vision, increasing your risk of developing cataracts, age-related macular degeneration and other conditions that harm the eye's retina. Drop smoking altogether to improve your overall wellness. Eat well. You've heard that carrots are great for healthy eyes, but an abundance of fresh vegetables, fruits and other plant-based foods are loaded with eye-enhancing vitamins. Stop eating processed junk and replace bad foods with the organic sustenance God blessed you with. Best vitamins for eye health Whether you're looking for more nutritious eye-boosting foods to add to your diet, or want to add a supplement to your plant-based eating regimen, the American Optometric Association reported the following vitamins to be the best for reducing your risk for developing eye-related diseases later in life: Vitamin A is what beta-carotene converts to when it's digested. This vitamin helps boost the immune system, improve skin and strengthen vision. Essential fatty acids help strengthen immunity, but they also improve retinal function and ensure visual development over time. Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant that protects the cells in the eyes from free radicals that can break down tissue and cause cancer. Vitamin C is an essential antioxidant that can reduce your risk for developing cataracts, lost visual acuity and age-related macular degeneration. Lutein and zeaxanthin are two essential nutrients for reducing the risk of age-related macular degeneration and cataracts. Best foods for eye health Your diet has a major impact on your body's ability to function properly, vision included. With the right blend of plant-based whole foods implemented into your diet, you can protect your vision and reduce your risk of developing a harmful eye-related disease or condition. Consider adding the following foods to your everyday eating habits, suggested by Medical News Today: Nuts are rich in omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin E, two essential nutrients that contribute to total eye health. Add more walnuts, Brazil nuts and cashews to your diet. Also great sources of omega-3s and vitamin E, seeds like chia, flax and hemp are optimal for your vision. Rich in vitamin C, citrus fruits like lemon, orange and grapefruit are essential for eye health. Carrots and sweet potatoes are rich in vitamin A and E and beta-carotene, which plays a huge role in enhancing your visual health. Leafy greens are beneficial to all systems of the body - eyes included. Foods like spinach, kale and collard greens are all rich in lutein, zeaxanthin and vitamin C. Try Hallelujah Diet Total Eye Health Beyond following a primarily raw, plant-based diet that's loaded with the vitamins previously listed, you may consider a supplemental approach for an extra layer of protection. Our Total Eye Health supplement is designed to provide the eyes with the essential building material to improve structure and function. It contains lutein, zeaxanthin, astaxanthin, alpha-carotene, beta-carotene and black currant to ensure the best blend of eye-enhancing vitamins and minerals all in one supplement. With Total Eye Health, you can support your central vision and color perception, combat free radical damage, better adapt to darkness and nighttime, minimize eye strain and fatigue and maximize stability and absorption. Don't let aging and poor lifestyle habits get in the way of seeing the world the way God intended for you. Learn more about our Total Eye Health supplement today.