Getting routine eye checkups is just one of various ways you can enhance your eyesight and prevent injuries or infections that could harm your eye vision. Keep reading to learn various ways you can improve your eyesight.

Get enough key vitamins and minerals

Vitamins A, C, and E, as well as the minerals like zinc, contain antioxidants that can be beneficial in macular degeneration. It is a condition in which the macula (the part of the eye that controls central vision) starts to deteriorate.

Food sources for these important nutrients include a variety of colorful and seasonal vegetables, and fruits, such as:

• Carrots
• Red bell peppers
• Citrus fruits
• Broccoli
• Spinach
• Bathua
• Strawberries
• Sweet potato
• Other green vegetables

Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as flax seeds, and salmon fish are also recommended for overall eye health.

 Enough intake of the carotenoids

• A few other nutrients are also crucial to improve eyesight. Among them are Zeaxanthin and leutin, which are carotenoids found in the retina of the eye. 
• You can get them from green leafy vegetables such as broccoli, spinach, fenugreek, zucchini, and eggs as well.
• Lutein and zeaxanthin can also be consumed in supplement form. 
• These carotenoids help in protecting the macula by improving pigment density in that particular part of the eye, and absorbing UV rays (ultraviolent) and blue light.

Consumption of Fennel seeds

• Ancient people called fennel, ‘the herb of sight (vision)’ for a good reason. Nutrients and antioxidants present in this herb slow down the progression of diseases like cataracts and support healthier eyes.
• A bigger variety of fennel seeds should be used for this practice. Take one cup of almonds, fennel seeds, and sugar to a grinder mixer jar and grind this to a fine powder. 
• Consume one tablespoon of this herbal powder with one glass of warm cow’s milk before going to sleep. 
• Consume this for 40 days and see for the improvement in your eyesight.

Wear protective eyewear

• Whether you are playing racquetball, working in your motor garage, or doing a science experiment in the classroom, you must protect your eyes with appropriate protective eyewear.
• Tough, appropriate eyewear is required if there is a risk of strong chemicals, sharp or blunt objects, or materials such as wood shavings, metal shards, or even a stray elbow playing during a basketball game, entering your eye.
• Many protective spectacles are made with a kind of polycarbonate, which is around ten times tougher than other types of plastic.

Quit smoking

• You already know smoking is very bad for your respiratory system and your heart, not to mention your hair, skin, teeth, and just about every other body part. 
• That includes your eyes, as well. Smoking dramatically increases your risk of developing age-related macular degeneration and cataract. 
• Fortunately, within the first hours of quitting, your eyes, lungs, heart, and other body parts can start to rejuvenate from years of tobacco-induced harm. 
• And the longer you can restrict cigarette smoking, the more of your blood vessels will get advantage and inflammation will ease off throughout your eyes and the rest of you.

Keep your hands and lenses clean

• Especially your eyes are more vulnerable to germs and infections. Even things that just irritate your eyes can affect your vision. 
• To avoid such things, you should always wash your hands before touching your eyes or wearing your contact lenses.
• It is also super important to disinfect your contact lenses and wash your hands as instructed.
• You should also replace your contact lenses from time to time as advised by the provider or your doctor.
•  Germs present in your contact lenses can result in bacterial infections of the eyes.

Exercise

Some eye exercises may help in making your eyes more flexible and healthy. These will maintain optimal vision and will improve blood circulation to the eyes. These exercises will reduce too much strain on your eyes and also improve your power of concentration.

Rotation of eyes

 For an instance, you can try rotating your eyes in both anticlockwise and clockwise directions for ten seconds each. Blink in between the sets of an exercise to give your eyes some rest. You can also try fluttering as well. Blink your eyes quickly for ten to thirty seconds repeatedly. Practice this two times a day.

Focus change

This exercise works on concentration power and challenging your focus. It should be done in a sitting position.

• Hold your index finger a few inches away from your eye.
• Focus on the top of your finger.
• Slowly move your index finger away from your face, holding your focus
• Look away for a few seconds, into the distance.
• Focus on your outstretched index finger and slowly bring it back toward your eye at starting position. 
• Look away from your finger and focus on something in the distance.
• Repeat this two to three times.

Follow the 20-20-20 rule

• Your eyes work hard throughout the day and need a break in between hours now and then. The strain on the eyes can be especially intense if you work at a computer or laptop for a long duration at a time. To reduce this strain, follow the 20-20-20 rule.
• That means every 20 minutes, you should stop staring at your computer and look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds.

Bharmari pranayama:

• Sit in a sukhasana (crossed leg).
• Close your eyes and ears by slightly pressing the thumbs on them.
• Place your index fingers in between your eyebrows, little and ring fingers near nostrils.
• Focus your attention in the middle of your eyebrows.
• Inhale deeply through the nose, hold the breath for two to three seconds then slowly exhale through the nose while producing a humming sound like a bee. Your mouth must be closed.
• Repeat this five times.

Trataka

• Sit down comfortably in sukhasana, or Padmasana. 
• Place a candle around two feet far from where you are sitting.
•  Light the candle and start gazing at the flame without blinking. 
• You can count numbers in your head to keep a time record and for your mind to not interrupt. 
• Gaze as long as you can. The longer you do, the better.
• Doing trataka improves your concentration power and vision. This eye exercise reduces high myopic eye powers. 
• A patient who are diagnosed with migraine, and epilepsy should not practice Trataka

ARE YOU FORGETFULL?

ALWAYS WORRIED ABOUT PAST, FUTURE AND PRESENT?

WHAT IS MEMORY?

It is the Capability of the brain by which information or the data is encoded, stored, and retrieved in needed.

The information is retained in our brain over a period of time may be lifetime for the purpose of influencing future action.

MEMORY LOSS- If the person is not able to remember the past events, it would be impossible for language, relationships or personal identity to develop.

 It is usually described as forgetfulness or Amnesia.

CAUSES-

• Medications- Use of medications or a combination that causes forgetfulness or confusion. For Ex.- Medication of Hypertension, Chronic diseases, long term use of antibiotics
• Excessive thinking 
• Minor head trauma or injury- A head injury from a fall or accident even if you don’t lose consciousness can cause memory problems.
• Emotional disorders- Stress, anxiety or depression can cause forgetfulness, confusion, difficulty concentrating and other problems that disrupt daily activities.
• Alcoholism- Chronic intake of alcohol can seriously impair mental abilities. By interacting with medications alcohol can also cause forgetfullness or memory loss.
• Vitamin B-12 deficiency- Vitamin B-12 helps to maintain healthy nerve cells and red blood cells. Vitamin B-12 deficiency is more common in older adults and also further leading to memory problems.
• Hypothyroidism- An underactive thyroid gland may lead to forgetfulness and other thinking problems.
• Brain diseases- A growth or tumor or infection present in the brain can cause memory problems or other Forgetfulness as in Dementia.

Ayurveda Aspect-

There are three Dosha’s in Ayurveda- The Vata, Pitta and Kapha

Vata is “Gamansheela” or responsible for movements taking place in our body.

• This Vata Dosha Along with the Kapha Dosha is responsible for memory Loss.
• Memory loss is termed as “Smriti Bransha” in Ayurveda.

It is a Vata Vyadhi or Vatik Disorder i.e. imbalance of Vata dosha.

SINGLE HERBS USEFUL IN MEMORY LOSS

Variety of Herbs is useful in memory loss like-

• JATAMANSI
• TAGAR
• VACHA
• SHATAVARI
• SHANKHPUSHPI
• BRAHMI
• HARIDRA
• GINKGO BILOBA
• ASHWAGANDA
• AMALAKI

Detailed description of some of the Herbs is described below-

• JATAMANSI-

It is known as “Tapaswani” in Ayurveda

• According to Ayurveda, It acts as a brain tonic and also helps to improve memory and brain functions by preventing cell damage due to its antioxidant property. 
• It helps to calm down the brain and manages anxiety as well as insomnia., 
• It helps in preventing wrinkles due to its Snigdha (oily) nature.
• It also promotes wound healing due to its Ropan (healing) property. 
• USAGE- take Jatamansi powder along with honey once or twice a day helps to improve memory functions. 
• You can also take Jatamansi tablets or capsules which are also readily available in the market.
• Jatamansi oil application on the skin helps manage in skin infections and prevents aging due to its antifungal and antioxidant activities. 
• Good for hair growth as it helps to increase the follicular size and elongate the growth phase of hair. 
• Root paste of this plant can also be applied on hair to improve hair strength and growth

• TAGAR- 

• It is a hairy herb that growing in the temperate regions of the Himalayas and Khasia.
• Root of Tagar relaxes the central nervous system due to its sedative and anxiolytic properties thus helpful in reducing anxiety and improving the sleep. 
• It is beneficial in management of Blood pressure.
• It possesses antispasmodic and analgesic properties thus help to relieve muscle pain. 
• Vata balancing properties- Take Powder of Tagar along with milk helps in inducing sound sleep by balancing vata.
  External Application– It inhibits the growth of skin pathogens due to its antibacterial and antimicrobial properties so helps in managing skin diseases 
• Note– It is advisable not to take this along with sedatives or CNS depressants as it might prolong the drowsiness because of its sedative activity. 

• VACHA-

• In Ayurveda, Vacha is known as a rejuvenating herb, the term “Vacha” denotes “speaking clearly”.
• It balances the Vata dosha or it acts on the nervous system and it is having Medhya Properties (Improving the Intelligence). 
• How to Take- In order to manage speech disorders take Vacha powder along with honey on a daily basis.
• Expectorant Property- It also helps in the management of cough by promoting the removal of sputum from the air passages due to its expectorant activity. 
• Antioxidant Property- By fighting against cell damage caused by free radicals it helps to improve memory.
• Beneficial in behavioral changes, memory and mental performance as well.
• In addition due to its diuretic activity, it helps remove kidney stones by increasing the production of urine. 
• A paste of Vacha powder and water can be applied to the skin to help give you a glowing skin and control various skin infections due to its Tikta (bitter) and Tikshna (sharpness) properties.
• Vacha essential oil might be considered useful in reducing pain and inflammation when applied externally due to its anti-inflammatory property.
• Topical application- Vacha powder with Triphala powder reduces fat on the belly and thigh.
  Note- Intake of Vacha in excess should be avoided as it might cause acidity if you have weak digestion.

• SHATAVARI-

• It is also known as female friendly herb and Ayurvedic rasayana.
• It is beneficial in menstrual disorders and acts as a uterine tonic.
• Also, It enhances breast development and increases breast milk production by regulating hormonal imbalance.
• It is also beneficial for men as it improves testosterone levels.
• It manages blood sugar level so beneficial in diabetis
• Due to its antioxidant activity also promote memory functions
• According to Ayurveda, Shatavari helps in weight gain due to its balya property and boosts immunity due to its Rasayana (rejuvenating) property.
• How to take- Take it along with milk or honey 2times a day to get relief from the symptoms of PMS (premenstrual syndrome).
  External Application- Apply Shatavari powder paste along with milk or honey on the skin helps to get rid of wrinkles. It can also help promote wound healing when applied along with coconut oil.
  People with weak digestion are advised to avoid taking Shatavari as it is Guru (heavy) in nature and might take time to get digested

• SHANKHAPUSHPI-

• It helps to manage digestion and relieve from due to its mild laxative property relieve from constipation.
• Due to its antidepressant activity it is good for your mental health and also helps in managing depression.
• In Ayurveda, it balances the Vata doshas and also helps to calm down the brain and thus helps relieve stress or anxiety.
• It act as brain tonic due to its Medhya (improves intelligence) property. 
• How to take- The powder of shankhpushpi along with warm milk or water to help boost memory and concentration. 
• It helps to manage wrinkles and prevent ageing due to its Rasayana (rejuvenating) property.
• Local Application- Powder of shankhpushpi can be applied on skin helps in acne and wound healing due to its Ropan (healing) property. 
• Application of oil on the scalp and hair help control hair fall and also promotes hair growth due to its Rasayana (rejuvenating) property.

• BRAHMI-

• It is derived from the name of Lord Brahma and Goddess Saraswati. It is a perennial herb famous for its memory enhancing property.
• Tea prepared from brewing Brahmi leaves helps to manage cold, chest congestion and bronchitis by clearing out the mucus from the air passages which helps to ease breathing.
• Due to its anti-inflammatory property it helps to reduces pain and inflammation in the throat and respiratory tracts 
• How to take– Powder of along with milk helps improve brain functions by preventing brain cell damage caused by free radicals due to its antioxidant property.
• Due to its property to improve cognition thus used as a memory enhancer and brain tonic for kids.
• Local application- Oil of Brahmi can be applied to the scalp helps to prevent hair loss and it nourishes and provides strength to the hair.
• External application also disinfects the skin and speeds up the healing process.
  Note- Excessive intake of Brahmi may cause nausea and dry mouth and should be avoided.

CAC SPECIAL MEDICATION FOR MEMORY LOSS-

“DON’T IGNORE IT, ADAPT AYURVEDA WHICH CAN HEAL YOUR MIND”

Ayurveda work on the root cause and accordingly CAC designed some medication which is showing amazing effects on your brain by rejuvenating your Brain at the cellular level.

The following medication is beneficial for your Brain health –

• BRODLEY SYRUP
• TAGARADI CHURNA
• DETOX PREMIUM POWDER
• NERVE UP TABLET
• RASAYAN VATI

NOTE- THIS MEDICATION MAY DIFFER FROM PERSON TO PERSON ACCORDING TO THEIR SEVERITY.

Fasting is the willing reduction or abstinence from some amount of or all food, drink, or both, for a particular period of time. Although it’s viewed as unhealthy practice sometimes, or reserved for religious reasons but short-term fasting can offer excellent health benefits. Fasting is becoming more widely accepted as a legitimate means of managing weight and preventing disease. At the same time, it is important that fasting is done by following proper and healthy ways.

TYPES OF FASTING

• TIME RESTRICTED FEEDING

This is the process of limiting your calorie intake to a specific timeframe that aligns with our circadian rhythm. Circadian rhythm is often referred to as our “body clock”, it’s the natural cycle that tells our body when to sleep, rise, eat, etc. Having your meals only during an 8 to 12 hour period each day while you’re fasting, for example between 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., is an example of aligning with your circadian rhythm. Our body systems work better when synchronized with one another, midnight snacking when our body usually sleeps throws our natural repair system out of sync. In addition, giving our bodies more time to heal is beneficial for our health.

• INTERMITTENT CALORIE RESTRICTION

The practice of reducing the number of calories consumed per day. Research has focused on a two-day diet where calories are reduced in half and carbohydrates are limited for two consecutive days in a week. This approach of fasting puts the body through short and intensive therapy. The intermittent calorie restriction approach also tells us that we do not need to keep consuming constantly. But when we do consume, we should choose wisely and continue normal activities and exercise with reduced fuel or food intake.

• PERIODIC FASTING WITH FASTING MIMICKING DIET

In this calorie intake is limited for three to five days, making the cells to deplete glycogen stores and begin ketosis. Though, this can be done without eating food, but it isn’t considered the safest option. So, a specific five-day calorie-limited diet (around 1,000 calories per day) is sufficient to mimic fasting without depleting nutrients. This method is considered superior to the two-day fast, allowing the body to enter ketosis and begin a true cleansing.

BENEFITS OF FASTING

HELPS YOU LOOSE WEIGHT

Individuals looking to lose some weight, fasting is one of the quickest and safest ways to get there. Normally, when we eat, our body burns the food we eat to provide fuel to the body.

Any extra food that is not used up as fuel, is converted into fats and stored within the body for future use. This is what leads to weight gain.

But when we start fasting, there is less food to convert into energy, therefore, our body is forced to start converting the stored fats into energy or fuel. This process is known as lipolysis.

One of the greatest advantages of fasting for losing weight is that it is more effective in burning fat cells as compared to regular dieting.

Fasting burns fat cells without affecting your muscle tissue, that’s why many athletes use fasting as a means to achieve low body fat percentages prior to competitions.

There are several studies on fasting which has found it one of the most effective and most reliable long term solutions for weight loss and weight maintenance.

PROMOTES LONGEVITY

This might seem a little bit farfetched, fasting do help you live longer. There are a lot of reasons how and why fasting can help us live a longer life. 

• The first one has to do with metabolism. With the age our body’s metabolism starts slowing down, which leads to the gradual loss of muscle tissue through a process known as sarcopenia Fortunately, fasting is there to help us, it speed up our metabolism and therefore prevents these degenerative changes and loss of muscle tissue.
• Secondly, with age, our body cells also grow older and their overall performance decreases. There occurs an accumulation of old cellular material within the cell. This decreased performance of old cells and the accumulation of old cellular debris within the cell is the cause which leads to aging.
• The deprivation of nutrients that occurs during fasting activates the process of autophagy. This is the process through which the old cellular material within the cells are identified and broken down. It also allows the cells to recycle themselves and rejuvenates the mitochondria, allowing the cells to perform normally once again. 
• Fasting also stimulates the release of growth hormone, which leads to increased bone strength, increased muscle mass and better protein synthesis.

All the above mentioned effects slow down the process of aging, both internally and in your physical appearance.

PROMOTES DETOXIFICATION

Detoxification of the body is another impressive benefit of fasting.

• The processed foods we eat today contain lots of additives, some of which are toxic to our bodies. As this processed food is digested and absorbed into the body, these additives are also absorbed into the body and stored in fat deposits around the body.
• During fasting, our brain treats the nutritional deprivation as a threat and it activates adaptive stress responses and starts contemplating how to provide the body with energy in the absence of food.
• To ensure our metabolism keeps running, our brain initiates the conversion of glycogen stored within the liver into energy or fuel. But glycogen is not a very good source of energy and after about 12 hours, the glycogen deposits are depleted.
• So, at this point, the body needs to find an alternative source of energy, therefore, it turns to the fat stored within various parts of the body. As the fat deposits are burnt to provide energy, the toxins stored within the fat cells are released.
• After this these toxins are removed from the body by the liver, kidneys and other organs, leaving our body free of accumulated toxins.

PROMOTES METABOLISM

Having a weak digestive system affects your ability to metabolize food and burn fat. But fasting to the rescue, it helps in boosting our metabolism.

• When we fast intermittently, we provide time for our digestive system to get some rest.
• When we eat next after our digestive system has gotten the proper rest, our metabolism receives a boost, which means our body burns calories more efficiently and gets more energy from the food you eat.
• This is one of the reasons why fasting is a contributor in safe weight loss.
• Intermittent fasting also greatly encourages healthy bowel function.

IMPROVES BRAIN FUNCTIONING

It turns out fasting is not only great for your body, it is good for your brain too! 

It improves your brain function in a number of ways.

• First, it boosts the production of a brain hormone known as brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Release of BDNF activates stem cells within the brain and converts them into neurons.
• BDNF also triggers the release of several other chemicals that are good for your brain’s health.
• Increased production of BDNF protect the brain cells from the degenerative changes that are associated with diseases like  Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, and low levels of BDNF have been associated with anxiety, worry, depression and several other brain problems.
• Apart from the production of BDNF, fasting also improves brain function by reducing over-activity in the brain. Because sometimes, the energy from the type of food you have eaten, can result in our brain going into a bit of an overdrive. In this state, there is too much firing off in the brain, which isn’t a good thing generally. It causes difficulty in focusing.
• During fasting, brain goes into survival mode, it leads to increased ability to focus on the tasks at hand.
• Fasting is also associated with reduction in oxidative stress, reduced blood sugar levels, reduced insulin resistance, as well as reduced inflammation, all of these are good for the health of the brain.

BOOSTS IMMUNE SYSTEM

Have you ever noticed that when an animal falls sick, he/she stops eating? Have you ever wondered why they do it?

• It’s their natural instinct through which the animals try to reduce the stress on their internal systems and they focus their energy on battling the infection troubling their body. Therefore, next time when you fall sick, you need to resist the temptation to look for food and instead focus on fasting.
• As we now know, fasting triggers the regeneration of old cells within the body. This also includes cells that are part of our immune system. This rejuvenation of the body cells leads to improved immune function.
• There was this one study which showed a three day fast can lead to the regeneration of the entire immune system and therefore production of totally brand new white blood cells which have a stronger ability to fight against the diseases.
• Breaking the fast with fruits can boost our immune system even further, as it provides you’re the body with a source of essential vitamins and minerals, especially Vitamins A and E which are great antioxidants.

IMPROVES SKIN HEALTH AND PREVENTS ACNE

If you are the type of person who is tired of trying cream after cream to make your skin look better, you might as well try fasting, you’d be surprised to see the results.

How does this happen? 

Fasting has a number of effects that help improve your skin.

• First and foremost, fasting gives our body a break from digestion, allowing it to expend more energy on regulating and improving the function of others organs such as the liver, the kidneys, and the skin.
• Fasting also helps the body to get rid of toxins that might be contributing to skin conditions by the means of autophagy. It happens to all the cells in the body, including our skin cells.
• When we fast, our body regenerates the cells that make up our skin and eliminates the accumulated dead cell debris, thus contributing to a better looking, younger looking healthier skin.
• This regeneration even contributes to faster healing of scars.
• Fasting helps reduce inflammation, which is one of the causative agents behind some skin conditions like acne. In addition to skin, fasting also contributes to healthy and strong hair and nails and whitens our eyes.

So, all in all, we can happily say fasting not only improves how you feel, it also improves how you look.

IMPROVES INSULIN SENSTIVITY

Type 2 diabetes has become increasingly common in last 2 decades.

This condition is characterized by reduced insulin sensitivity, which leads to increased levels of sugar in the bloodstream. 

• When you eat, normally, the food leads to an increase in the levels of sugar in your blood. In response to this the pancreas produces insulin, which initiates the absorption of glucose (sugar in the blood) from the blood by fat and muscle cells of the body, this glucose is used for energy then. This is how insulin keeps blood sugar levels in check.
• However, in some cases, the body’s sensitivity to insulin may reduce and body needs more and more insulin to help regulate blood sugar levels.
• The cells of the pancreas which responsible for insulin production become overworked and they start wearing out. Therefore, eventually, it becomes impossible for our body to produce enough insulin to keep the sugar levels in check, leading to spike in blood sugar levels and development of type 2 DM.
• But through intermittent fasting, people with insulin resistance can increase their sensitivity to insulin.
• When we fast, the body uses up the glucose in the blood and the liver since it has no other source of energy, therefore, helps to lower the blood sugar levels.

In addition to this, insulin becomes more effective at triggering the absorption of glucose by the muscle and fat cells after we break our fast, as some of the excess glucose stored in your body is already used up.

PREVENTS THE RISK OF CANCER

I know, I know this might sound too good to be true but, fasting actually can help reduce the growth of tumors and the spread of cancer in the body. It can stop the unwanted, uncontrolled growth of cells. 

We earlier saw that fasting helps the body to eliminate some toxins from the cells. The absence of toxic substances within the cells reduces the risk of formation of cancer within the cells.

Fasting is also quite helpful for people undergoing chemotherapy. It helps to suppress the many side effects associated with chemotherapy as it boosts immunity.

HELPS PREVENT HEART DISEASES

Now as we already know that fasting can help in lowering the risk of developing type 2 DM, So, this is important to know because people who suffer from diabetes have an increased risk of suffering from cardiovascular diseases.

During fasting, the body also burns up some of the LSD cholesterol in the body to provide fuel.

This is good thing because LSD cholesterol is a major contributor to decreased insulin sensitivity and diabetes, and it also contributes to increase in blood pressure, both of these are risk factors for developing heart disease.

Fasting also reduces several other risk factors which can lead to heart diseases, such as blood sugar levels, inflammatory markers and blood triglycerides.