Screens Straining Your Vision? 11 Foods & Practices to Keep Your Eyes Healthy

We spend more time looking at a screen than anything else. This is especially true of professionals working a desk job. And you don’t need a doctor to know that . . . well, your eyes are under threat. We have more people wearing glasses today than ever before. Children, teens are more susceptible to it due to the constant exposure to either a laptop, a smartphone or a TV. While glasses and lenses are quite convenient, it is upon us to take precautions to avoid further damage to our eyes.

Watch out for the signs that point to eye problems

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Dry eyes, acute pain in the eyes, and headaches are all signs of weakened or at least tired eyes. Every time your eyes give these signals, say “eye eye captain” and attend to the issues immediately.

Take a day off of work, keep your phone away and utilise the day to start an eye-friendly regime instead.

Here are some natural ways a person, especially working professionals whose jobs entail screen work, can take care of their eyes!

Eat right to avoid any eye problems:

Since our exercise time and outdoor time has been taken over by the screens, it is important to include food in our diets that help our eyesight. Don’t have a myopic vision (get it?) toward your diet. Include food that will let your eyes stay healthy.

Care for a carrot?

• Carrots are a no-brainer for good eyesight. They contain beta carotene which our bodies use to make vitamin A and lutein (antioxidants that prevent damage to the eyesight) While the best way to have beta carotene is to munch on carrots as a snack. But if you are not too fond of Bugs Bunny’s favourite (and only) food, here are some other tasty options.
• You can replace your coffee doses with this mango, orange and carrot juice mix. All-natural and without added preservatives, the mix just needs some water, a bit of stirring and your eye-friendly juice is ready! Click here to get it now!
• This veggie pasta has not just carrots but also beetroots and spinach, two other veggies that maintain eye-health. Follow this link to get it now!

Popeye’s favourite spinach:

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• Green leafy vegetables, in general, are a must in your diet. And for working professionals trying to avoid eye problems, spinach and kale are excellent eye-friendly foods.
• Try growing spinach at your home and it will be easier to include it in your diet. Follow this link to get a grow-it-yourself kit that includes cocopeat, fertiliser and organic soil mix for a simplified spinach growing process.

As you sow, so shall you see:

• Organic, healthy seeds are a must in your food for a well-balanced diet. Chia seeds, flax seeds and pumpkin seeds are great sources of Omega 3 as well as Vitamin E.
• Include them in your salads, trail mixes, cereals or curries to keep eye problems at bay. You can get organic chia seeds, flax seeds and pumpkin seeds by clicking on this link.

Go nuts over nuts:

• Yet another important source of Omega 3 fatty acids and Vitamin E are dry fruits and nuts like cashews, almonds, peanuts and pistachios. It’s easy to have them regularly. Just have a granola mix ready for breakfast! Click here to browse through a range of eye-friendly cereals and breakfast options.

Be Pro-proteins!

• Apart from the above vegan options, try to include protein-rich foods like eggs and fish as well as citrus fruits like oranges, lemons and grapefruits in your diet.
• Drink adequate water and see to it that you don’t have a dry-eye problem. We’ll also discuss simple practices that you can follow for the well-being of your eyes.

All work and no rest can give Jack eye trouble:

Let’s talk of those mini-breaks that you deserve while you shuttle between deadlines, new projects and heavy responsibilities.

• Every 30-40 mins, turn off your screen, take a short walk or just simply close your eyes for 30 seconds. Out attention span doesn’t last much longer than this time anyway and you can take the opportunity to refresh your focus and give your eyes a break for a few seconds.
• Make sure you blink regularly. It may sound amusing, but when we keep looking at a screen for a long time, we forget to blink. Blinking restores the moisture in your eyes and if you are blinking for less than 15-20 times in a minute, you might end up with dry eyes. Dry eyes also make you vulnerable to infections.
• A good night’s sleep is crucial to eye health. Refrain from using your phone or laptop for at least 15 minutes before you fall asleep.
• Although we all love to watch a movie at bed time, making this a habit will prove too dangerous for your eyes.
• Maintain a good sitting posture because an awkward posture also leads to eye problems. Sitting upright, with your feet flat on the floor, your knees either aligned to or slightly lower than your hips and your ankles placed in front of the knees is a good sitting posture for an office chair.
• Avoid crossing knees or ankles or slouching to get closer to the screen. Your eyes should be at least 50 cm and at most 100 cms from the computer screen.
• An anti-glare screen, anti-glare glasses (with or without power) also helps in keeping your eyes relaxed and stress-free.
• Exercise regularly, go for eye-check ups at least twice a year and adjust screen brightness properly for different light settings.

Also Read: Egg Shell Powder: An Unlikely Hero for Those Calcium Boosts You Need

(Edited by Saiqua Sultan)

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