Seven eye exercises of Dr. William Bates

 

It was about 30 years ago that I first tested my eyes as I started to experience difficulty to read. The result was that I received prescription reading glasses as my one eye muscle was stronger than the other. But in addition to the reading glasses the optometrist suggested an eye exercise that would strengthen the eye-muscles and with time, doing the exercises regularly, my eye muscles would adjust.

He suggested that I had to hold a match in each hand in front of my eyes – the one about 6 inches away and the other one about 18 inches away. Then I had to focus on the one in front for a while and then shift the focus to the one at the back, repeating this shifting from one distance to the other for about 10 minutes each day.

Over the years my eye muscles adjusted indeed and there was no deterioration of my eyesight, although I still have to use glasses – but now due to the age factor.

Recently I stumbled upon an article (1) about a doctor Bates (1860 – 1931) who invented a series of eye exercises to strengthen or keep the quality of the eyes in check. It was only then that I realized that over a period of more than 30 years I was a follower of one of his exercises.

Here is the story of Dr. William Bates who was the father of the Bates eye exercises. He was a New York ophthalmologist and specialist in children’s’ eye problems. In 1900, at the end of a very tiresome day he was aware how much his own eyes ached. It reminded him of how often his patients complained of eyestrain and headaches after prolonged reading or writing. In his darkened office, he rested his elbows on his desk and cupped his palms over his eyes. After ten minutes his eyes stopped aching and he felt mentally refreshed.

With his eyes back in focus, he found that objects in his room seemed much clearer and brighter. This lead to his invention of eyesight training, which is described in a book he wrote back in 1919 – ‘Better eyesight Without Glasses’.

His revolutionary eye-sight exercises took the world by storm and he gained many followers who tested these theories of him and swore by it.

Later on it became the ‘Seven Bates eye exercises’ and here it is:

1. Remembering

Place the palm of your hands over your eyes and try without straining to recall an object or experience in great detail and bright colors. According to Dr. Bates at least one patient found his eyesight was improved by visualizing a beautiful yellow buttercup. The principle he applied with this exercise was that remembering things in the mind’s eye helps people to see them more clearly in reality.

2. Shifting the eyes

Over many years of practice, he observed that people wearing glasses have the notion to stare fixedly at an object. This exercise is in the form of advice – never stare fixedly at an object. Instead, move your gaze constantly from one point of interest to another. As your eyes become more relaxed, so the movement becomes smaller, helping your sight to become clearer.

3. Blinking the eyes

Get into the habit of blinking your eyes regularly, once or twice every ten seconds, to clean and lubricate the eyes; especially if you wear glasses or contact lenses.

4. Palming the eyes

Sit comfortably and relaxed at a table. Close your eyes and rest your elbows on a cushion on the table – your back and neck should be kept straight and your head level. Then cover your eyes-without touching them with your palms. Think of something pleasant, such as a favorite holiday spot, or listen to a radio talk show or story. Do this exercise for about ten minutes, at the very least twice each day or whenever your eyes feel tired. (This may seem as the same exercise as the first one but there is a difference.)

5. Near and far focusing of the eyes

Hold two pencils in front of your face - one about 75 mm away, the other at arm’s length. Focus on one with both eyes, then blink and focus on the other. Repeat several times whenever an opportunity arises. (This is the exercise a good doctor gave me 30 years ago and it helped me!)

6. Splashing the eyes

First thing every morning, splash your closed eyes 20 times with warm water and then 20 times with cold water to stimulate circulation. Reverse the process last thing at night.

7. Swinging your body

Stand with your feet apart and sway gently from side to side, letting your eyes swing along with your body’s movement. Be aware of the visual movement as this relaxes your eyes and helps them to become more flexible. Repeat whenever an opportunity arises.

Since I stumbled upon this article on Dr. Bates I started with the other 6 exercises too and I must admit my eyes feel better and healthier. It is especially the ‘splashing’ exercise that is very good. But, please take note; the purpose of the eye exercises was never to replace regular eye check-ups as these exercises were never intended to cure eye diseases or ailments. I still go for an eye test and check-up every two years. Expert medical check-ups and advice are still a necessity.

(1) Natural Medicine: Reader’s Digest: 1992

 

The Health Benefits of Prunes

 A study has found that consuming prunes every day helps to preserve the hip’s bone mineral density and protect against a greater risk of fracture in postmenopausal women.

Bone mineral density is known to rapidly decrease following menopause and women older than 50 have a greater risk of experiencing fractures of the hip, which commonly results in hospitalization, loss of independence, a diminished quality of life, and a shortened life span.

This study shows that prune consumption has a favorable effect on the hip’s bone mineral density and suggests prune consumption as a therapeutic option for protecting the health of bones. This large randomized controlled trial involving postmenopausal women revealed that the consumption of 5 – 6 prunes every day protected from bone loss at the hip.

The study results support the consumption of prunes for protecting against post-menopause bone loss of the hips. The results may be particularly valuable for postmenopausal women who can’t make use of pharmaceuticals for bone loss and who require an alternative approach.

Previous studies have demonstrated the beneficial effects that consuming prunes every day can have on bone loss prevention in postmenopausal women. This current study was a large clinical trial that included 235 postmenopausal women.

The results revealed that women consuming 50 grams of prunes every day for 1 year maintained hip bone mineral density in comparison to those not consuming prunes who lost significant bone mass at the hip. Also, the risk of hip fractures increased in the control group in comparison to the group consuming prunes who were protected from any increase in the risk of hip fractures.

Just a few prunes every day can be easily included in anyone’s lifestyle. Prunes pair with so many textures and flavors and can be adapted to individualized nutrition plans. The sweet flavor of prunes makes them a versatile ingredient as well as a convenient snack and can be mixed into smoothies, trail mixes, savory dishes, salads, etc.

Image via: AHealthBlog

Acknowledgement: www.ahealthblog.com

High Blood Pressure and Foods to Eat

 

High blood pressure is a common problem in today’s societies, especially where people are living a fast life, eating fast food and are always on the go. High blood pressure can be prevented with regular exercising and healthy eating, but if you already have a little bit higher level, it’s important to pay attention to your everyday habits and keep your health from declining.

1. Yoghurt

A box of yoghurt contains the suggested daily amount of calcium and also a lot of magnesium. It’s a good idea to start your day with a yoghurt, maybe eat some fruits with it.

 

2. Spinach

 

Green leafy vegetables, for example spinach has a high amount of kalium, which is essential for keeping the balance of blood pressure.

 

3. Salmon

 

Salmon is rich in omega-3-fatty acids, which helps to normalize blood pressure and also has a role in controlling the normal heart rate.

 

4. Honey

 

Paying attention to your blood pressure is hard if you also have problems with your blood sugar. Try eating honey instead of sugar, but be careful, it’s better, but still sugary and leads to obesity if you eat too much.

 

5. White Beans

 

A plate of white beans contains enough magnesium, calcium and kalium for a day for an adult person. You can eat them in a soup, as a side dish or in salads also.

 

6. Blueberries

 

Almost every kind of berries are good for your blood pressure because of the flavonoids they contain. Flavonoids can reduce high blood pressure, so don’t be afraid to eat them as snacks also.

 

7. Raspberries

 

Almost the same as blueberries but it’s also good for blood vessels because of the antioxidants it contains. Researchers have proved that eating red berries regularly can reduce high blood pressure.

 

8. Potatoes

 

It might be surprising but potato is also good to reduce high blood pressure. We have discussed how important is the magnesium and kalium to keep a balanced blood pressure, and this vegetable happens to contain both.

 

9. Kale

 

Kale, just like spinach is a green leafy vegetable, therefore contains a lot of kalium, which is essential for our body to keep itself balanced.

 

10. Kiwi Fruit

 

Speaking about kalium, magnesium and calcium may became boring now but they are still the best things to eat if you want to keep your blood pressure in balance.

 

11. Bananas

 

Banana contains the biggest amount of kalium, therefore it’s really good to reduce high blood pressure. Perfect for a quick breakfast if you don’t have time to prepare complicated meals.

 

12. Dark Chocolate

 

You are sweet-toothed? No problem. Have you ever thought that dark chocolate is healthy? Of course, don’t eat too much because it will cause constipation, but it can reduce high blood pressure and it’s great against cardiovascular diseases.

 

13. Beetroot

Beetroot is quite divisive amongst everyone. You love it or you hate it. It contains nitrate which becomes nitrite and then nitrogen-oxid and it widens the blood vessels, therefore reduces blood pressure. Try eating it with some roasted meat, or as a side dish.

14. Garlic

Garlic is good for a lot of things, since it has antibacterial effect but it also contains allicin which can prevent high blood pressure. It doesn’t matter how you eat it; raw or prepared. Either way it’s healthy.

 

15. Avocado

Avocado is the ultimate superfood nowadays, and not only because it’s popular. It contains a lot of good kind of fatty acids and a lot of vitamins also, and the best thing: magnesium, kalium and antioxidants. Perfect for your blood pressure.

 

Very Important: Please note, in spite of the fact that the 15 foods mentioned above definitely assist you to control your high blood pressure, you still have to use any prescribed high blood pressure medications as prescribed by your medical practitioner.

Source: Beauty and Body Care

A Study Has Found a Plant Based Diet Helps Relieve Arthritis Pain

 According to a study, a low-fat vegan diet with no restriction on calorie intake improves joint pain in individuals who are suffering from rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis is a common autoimmune disease that usually causes swelling and joint pain, and ultimately permanent damage to the joints. Cholesterol levels also improved for the individuals participating in the study and they experienced weight loss.1

According to the researchers, a plant-based diet may help reduce joint pain for countless rheumatoid arthritis sufferers with only beneficial side effects, which include reduced cholesterol and weight loss.

Individuals were instructed to make use of a visual analog scale at the start of the study to rate joint pain severity in the 2 preceding weeks, from “no pain” to “extreme pain.” The Disease Activity Score-28 of each participant was also calculated according to C-reactive protein values, swollen joints, and tender joints, which are all inflammation indicators. Disease Activity Score-28 increases with the severity of rheumatoid arthritis.

For the study, 44 individuals with a rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis were allocated to 1 of 2 groups for 16 weeks. The 1st group adhered to a 4-week vegan diet, and 3 weeks of eliminating additional foods, followed by individually reintroducing the eliminated foods over 9 weeks. Meals were not provided, and with assistance from the researchers individuals handled their own food purchases and preparation. The 2nd group adhered to an unrestricted diet but was required to take a placebo capsule every day. The groups then changed diets for 16 weeks.

Disease Activity Score-28 decreased by 2 points on average in the study's vegan phase,  which indicated a greater joint pain reduction, in comparison to a 0.3 point reduction in the placebo phase. In the vegan phase, the amount of swollen joints was reduced from 7.0 to 3.3 on average with that amount actually increasing in the placebo phase from 4.7 to 5. Visual analog scale ratings also significantly improved in the vegan phase for individuals who completed the study, in comparison to the placebo phase.

The vegan diet also resulted in greater reductions in Disease Activity Score-28 in a sub-analysis that excluded those who increased medication use while participating in the study and another sub-analysis limited to individuals who made no changes to medication use.

Apart from reductions in swelling and pain, body weight was reduced by approximately 14 lbs on average on the vegan diet, in comparison to a gain of about 2 lbs on the placebo diet. The vegan phase also produced greater total LDL cholesterol and HDL cholesterol reductions.

Image via: AHealthBlog

Quotations about beauty and being beautiful

 

Beauty is but skin deep, ugly lies the bone;
Beauty dies and fades away, but ugly holds its own.
- - - Anonymous

Beauty is only skin deep, and the world is full of thin skinned people.
- - - Richard Armour

There are no ugly women; there are only women who do not know how to look pretty.
- - - Antoine P. Berryer

Beauty is a very handy thing to have, especially for a woman who ain't handsome.
- - - Josh Billings

Character contributes to beauty. It fortifies a woman as her youth fades. A mode of conduct, a standard of courage, discipline, fortitude and integrity can do a great deal to make a woman beautiful.
- - - Jacqueline Bisset

Beautiful young people are accidents of nature. But beautiful old people are works of art.
- - - Marjorie Barstow Breenbie

She walks in beauty, like the night
Of cloudless climes and starry skies;
And all that's best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes:
Thus mellow'd to that tender light
Which heaven to gaudy day denies.
- - - George Gordon, Lord Byron "She Walks in Beauty"

That which is striking and beautiful is not always good, but that which is good is always beautiful.
- - - Ninon de L'Enclos

Beauty is not caused, It is.
- - - Emily Dickinson

There's beauty in the silver singing river
There's beauty in the sunrise in the sky
But none of these and nothing else can match the beauty
That I remember in my true love's eyes
- - - Bob Dylan "Tomorrow is a Long Time"

Wisdom is the abstract of the past, but beauty is the promise of the future.
- - - Oliver Wendell Holmes

Looks are so deceptive that people should be done up like food packages with the ingredients clearly labeled.
- - - Helen Hudson

Anyone who keeps the ability to see beauty never grows old.
- - - Franz Kafka

A thing of beauty is a joy for ever;
Its loveliness increases; it will never
Pass into nothingness.
- - - John Keats "Endymion"

"Beauty is truth, truth beauty,"- that is all
Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.
- - - John Keats "Ode on a Grecian Urn"

I'm tired of all this nonsense about beauty being only skin-deep. That's deep enough. What do you want, an adorable pancreas?
- - - Jean Kerr "The Snake Has All the Lines"

You've got to get up every morning with a smile on your face
And show the world all the love in your heart
Then people gonna treat you better
You're gonna find, yes you will
That you're beautiful as you feel.
- - - Carole King "Beautiful"

Any girl can be glamorous. All you have to do is stand still and look stupid.
- - - Hedy Lamarr

Beauty is a mystery. You can neither eat it nor make flannel out of it.
- - - David Herbert Lawrence

Beauty can pierce one like a pain.
- - - Thomas Mann

The reason the all-American boy prefers beauty over brains is that the all-American boy can see better than he can think.
- - - Farrah Fawcett Majors

Oh, thou art fairer than the evening air
Clad in the beauty of a thousand stars.
- - - Christopher Marlowe "Dr. Faustus"

Beauty is something wonderful and strange that the artist fashions out of the chaos of the world in the torment of his soul.
- - - William Somerset Maugham

Beauty is the first present nature gives to women and the first it takes away.
- - - Mere

Beauty never slumbers;
All is in her name;
But the rose remembers
The dust from which it came.
- - - Edna St. Vincent Millay

In every man's heart there is a secret nerve that answers to the vibrations of beauty.
- - - Christopher Morley

Beauty is only sin deep.
- - - H. H. Munro (''Saki'')

Beauty is but a flower
Which wrinkles will devour;
Brightness falls from the air;
Queens have died young and fair;
Dust hath closed Helen's eye.
- - - Thomas Nashe

With beauty before me, I walk
With beauty behind me, I walk
With beauty above and about me, I walk,
It is finished in beauty,
It is finished in beauty.
- - - Navajo chant

Cosmetics is a boon to every woman, but a girl's best beauty aid is still a near-sighted man.
- - - Yoko Ono

It's easy to be beautiful - just be born that way.
- - - Suzy Parker

Rarely do great beauty and great virtue dwell together.
- - - Petrarch [Francesco Petrarca]

The flowers anew, returning seasons bring,
But faded beauty has no second spring.
- - - Ambrose Phillips "Pastoral"

Beauty is power; a smile is its sword.
- - -C. Reade

Beauty in art is often nothing but ugliness subdued.
- - - Jean Rostand

Remember that the most beautiful things in the world are the most useless: peacocks and lilies, for instance.
- - - John Ruskin "The Stones of Venice"

Beauty's a doubtful good, a glass, a flower,
Lost, faded, broken, dead within an hour;
And beauty, blemish'd once, for ever's lost,
In spite of physic, painting, pain, and cost.
- - - William Shakespeare

Beauty is momentary in the mind
the fitful tracing of a portal;
But in the flesh it is immortal.
- - - Wallace Stevens

Death is the mother of Beauty; hence from her,
Alone, shall come fulfillment to our dreams
And our desires.
- - - Wallace Stevens "Sunday Morning" (1923)

To a toad, what is beauty? A female with two pop-eyes, a wide mouth, yellow belly and spotted back.
- - - Voltaire

It is better to be beautiful than to be good. But it is better to be good than to be ugly.
- - - Oscar Wilde "The Picture of Dorian Gray"

The beauty of the world which is soon to perish, has two edges, one of laughter, one of anguish, cutting the heart asunder.
- - - Virginia Woolf

Acknowledgement: www.corsinet.com - Brain Candy

Recipe: Apple Cider Chicken Marinade

 

Ingredients:

 2/3 cup white wine

 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

 2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

 1/2 teaspoon salt

 Method:

 1. Whisk together the white wine, olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, basil, parsley, rosemary, thyme, garlic, pepper, and salt in a bowl.

 2.  Marinate chicken in mixture 8 hours or overnight

Apple Cider Vinegar Part 2: WHAT IS SO GOOD ABOUT APPLE CIDER VINEGAR?

 

Acetic acid is the main component of apple cider vinegar, as in all vinegars. It composes roughly 5 percent of the vinegar’s content, although this number can vary between 3 and 9 percent. Many of the therapeutic claims stem from the antibacterial and antifungal properties of acetic acid, which protect the body from invasion and infection by a multitude of microbes. The phenolic acids in apple cider vinegar contain these properties, too, and are also known antivirals, antioxidants, antihistamines, and astringents. Some, like Gallic acid, have even been shown to be cytotoxic and destroy cancer cells. Malic acid has many uses in enhancing the skin’s natural beauty, and it—like the other acids present in apple cider vinegar— protects against pathogens.

 The healing properties of apple cider vinegar do not come from its abundant nutrients, as many claims argue. Minerals like potassium, calcium, and the soluble fibre pectin are touted as the source of many of apple cider vinegar’s therapeutic benefits. A few nutritional labels report between 11 milligrams and 15 milligrams of potassium in 1 tablespoon (the recommended dietary allowance of potassium is 4700 milligrams per day for adults), but most brands do not report any measurable levels. One study analyzed the mineral content of raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar and found trace amounts of some minerals but absolutely no potassium. The minerals present were in such small amounts that they were practically negligible in terms of nutritional or therapeutic value. The study also detected small amounts of carbohydrates, which could conceivably be pectin, but again, the amounts range from 0.022 grams to 0.103 grams per tablespoon. Doses in the range of 6 grams (7/10 tablespoon) to 30 grams (3 3/5 tablespoons) of powdered pectin a day are recommended to see the benefits on digestion and blood cholesterol. The standard nutritional analysis of organic, unfiltered, unpasteurized apple cider vinegar with naturally occurring Mother of vinegar shows that it has only 5 calories per tablespoon, making it wonderful as a low-calorie substitute for flavour. However, there are no measurable minerals, vitamins, or protein.

 This does not support claims that the Mother is rich in enzymes and amino acids, which are proteins. Even in 100 grams of apple cider vinegar, no measurable amounts of minerals, vitamins, or protein were detected.

 Another theory about the effectiveness of apple cider vinegar is that it works by changing the pH of the body. When apple cider vinegar is ingested, it creates an alkaline ash in the stomach as it is digested. Some believe that this alkaline ash shifts the pH of the body into a more alkaline state. This is desirable because an acidic state makes the body more open to infection and disease. It is interesting to note that there is also an opposing notion that apple cider vinegar shifts the body into a more acidic state. Foods can change the pH level of the urine; however, the pH level of the blood is strictly controlled by the kidneys and is always maintained at 7.385. Any variations can only happen with certain diseases and can be life threatening if not restored to pH 7.385. Foods cannot change the acidity or alkalinity of the body.

Acknowledgement: Susan Branson