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Healthy Body, Healthy Eyes
How exercise, fruits and veggies can protect your
vision.
Courtesy The Canadian Health Network
Spring is in the air, and that means it's time to
lace up your trainers, tune up the wheelchair, pump
up the bike tires and get back into the great
outdoors!
Not
only will regular exercise help you to look great in
that new swimsuit, but it could benefit your eyes in
the long run as well.
The
longer, warmer days of summer mean it's easier and
much more enjoyable to get out and get active. But
don't worry about not measuring up for the next Iron
Man event. By introducing even a moderate amount of
exercise into your routine each day—a brisk walk or
wheel to work, taking the stairs instead of the
elevator, or a bike ride with the kids—you can
significantly improve your overall health, your
sense of well-being and your quality of life.
Cardio for eye fitness
First of all, exercise helps to strengthen your
cardiovascular and respiratory systems, meaning the
circulation of blood through your heart and blood
vessels. Exercising lowers the buildup of fatty
deposits, or plaque, in your arteries, helping the
blood to flow more smoothly and efficiently through
them. Your eyes are full of tiny blood vessels that
supply oxygen and nutrients to the tissues, and
exercise may help unclog the pipes to deliver the
goods more effectively and keep the eyes healthier.
Blood pressure: bring it on down
Regular exercise also helps reduce blood pressure,
which is not only good for your overall health, but
since high blood pressure has been linked to certain
types of glaucoma (a disease caused by increased
pressure within the eye) and damage to the retina
(the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the
eyeball), a regular aerobic workout could ultimately
help to protect your vision.
A
note of caution here, however: weightlifting in
particular has been linked to a rise in intraocular
pressure (the pressure inside your eyeball). If you
are at risk for glaucoma, consult with your eye care
professional before beginning a weightlifting
program.
Taming the sugar monster
And
it's certainly no secret that exercise and a healthy
diet can help reduce your weight—and with it, your
risk of Type 2 diabetes.
"Diabetes can have a huge effect on the eyes," says
Tanya Dawe, a Low Vision Specialist with CNIB. "Diabetic
retinopathy is a serious complication of that
disease, and can lead to vision loss and blindness.
"Diabetes risks can be lowered significantly through
a healthy diet and exercise," she says.
Food
for thought—and sight.
A
healthy diet, particularly a diet rich in
antioxidants and vitamins A, C and E, can also be
beneficial for your eyes. In 2001, the National Eye
Institute released the results of its
AREDS (Age-Related Eye Disease Study) which
showed that high-dose antioxidant vitamins such as
A, C and E, plus the minerals copper and zinc,
reduced the risk of progression to advanced
age-related macular degeneration (AMD) by 25%, and
the risk of moderate vision loss by 19%. Vitamins C
and E may also help reduce the risk of developing
cataracts.
These three vitamins can be found naturally in
brightly-coloured fruits and vegetables such as
broccoli, peas, oranges, kiwis, dried apricots,
tomatoes and leafy greens, as well as in nuts,
seeds, dairy products and eggs.
As
summer approaches and these foods are more abundant,
why not tickle your taste buds with a crunchy summer
salad, pair up that grilled steak with some
barbecued peppers, or try starting your day with a
refreshing breakfast smoothie made with frozen
yogurt and fresh mango chunks?
Add
new foods one by one, and let finicky kids help
choose and prepare them, and soon better nutrition
will be second nature to you and your family.
It's
important to note here that it would be almost
impossible to eat enough fruits and vegetables to
deliver the amount recommended in the AREDS study.
In addition, some over-the-counter
vitamins—especially vitamin A—can be toxic in large
doses. If you have AMD and are interested in vitamin
supplements, consult your eye care professional to
determine the dosage that is appropriate for you.
Don't go overboard
Similarly, add exercise to your routine a bit at a
time: you don't have to run 20k your first time out
(in fact, please don't!), or be the new star of the
wheelchair basketball team. And be sure to consult
with your health care professional before
undertaking any new or strenuous exercises, to make
sure there aren't any underlying health concerns.
Do
what you love, and love what you do
Most
of all, enjoy yourself: pick an activity you like,
do it regularly, and walk, run, ride, swim, wheel or
dance your way to a sleeker body, improved
self-confidence and better overall health and
well-being. Your vision will thank you, too!
©
Canadian Health Network. All rights reserved.
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"Diabetes risks can be lowered significantly
through a healthy diet and exercise" |
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