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Choices4Wellness
The Eyes have it!
Tuesday, August 1, 2006
Yes, as we get older we have a tendency to slow down and along with slowing down, our body tends to take longer to recover from everything from exercise to surgery . And, yes, for some our hearing goes, just selective for some and for others, it is our eyes.The Focus (no pun intended) are the eyes and keeping them and/or getting them healthy!
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness in people over the age of 55, affecting more than 10 million Americans. It is a condition in which the central portion of the retina (the macula) deteriorates. It is equally common in men and women and more common in whites than blacks. The cause is unknown as they say but I believe it is a nutritional deficiency and if we feed our body the proper nutrition with foods and supplementation we can reverse much of the problems we are seeing in society today.
There has been a lot of interest in the role of nutrition and nutritional supplements and their effect on vision. The main focus has been on how vitamins and minerals might effect age-related eye condition such as age-related macular-degeneration and cataracts.
For starters good nutrition is very important for both your general and eye health. Good nutrition helps our body to grow, repair wear and tear, protect against infection and to function properly. An eye condition called "xerophthalmia", which is a common cause of childhood blindness in 3rd world countries, is a good example of how nutrition and eye health go hand in hand . This condition is caused by a lack of vitamin A in a person's diet.
The two big supporters in eye health are Bilberry and Lutein
#1 Bilberry
Bilberries are a common traditional food and medicine of many Native American Indians. Some tribes still harvest them as a winter food source. Bilberry jam has been popular in Britain for hundreds of years, and during World War II British pilots took it because they believed it improved night vision and reduced visual fatigue.
Scientific research has found that bilberry contains biologically powerful substances vessels, reduce inflammation, and generally stabilize all tissues containing collagen. Collagen is the main protein in the fluid matrix of the eye, and if it breaks down disease often follows. The eye muscles, which keep the eye in its correct shape, also require healthy collagen. Bilberry's anthocyanosides in particular have been found to interact with the eye.
#2 Lutein
Lutein is an HYPERLINK "http://www.healthcastle.com/antioxidant.shtml" antioxidant, belonging to the carotenoid family. Lutein can be found in dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach, collards, kale and broccoli, various fruits and egg yolks.
Lutein is highly concentrated in the macula, a small area of the retina responsible for central vision, and high visual acuity. It is also thought that lutein filters blue wavelengths of light from the visible-light spectrum. Blue light, in both indoor lighting and sunlight, is believed to induce oxidative stress and possible free-radical damage in human organs exposed to light such as the eyes.
A few large studies revealed that when people consumed a high quantity of lutein have a 20 - 50% lower risk of getting a cataract than people who consumed the least lutein. Another study also showed that men who ate broccoli or raw spinach more than 2 times a week were 25% less likely to have cataract surgery than men who ate them less than once a month.
In addition, new evidence from a study completed last year showed that lutein may help protect against clogging of the carotid arteries in the neck, an indication of atherosclerosis, the disease that leads to most heart attacks. The study, at the University of Southern California, found that participants with the highest levels of lutein in the blood at the outset had no increase in plaque in the arteries throughout the 18 months of the study.
The best thing you can do to prevent eye disorders is to make sure that your diet contains lots of the lutein-rich fruits and vegetables and bilberries. For optimal health try a supplement with your diet containing quality rich proponents for your eyes.
FloraVision from Flora HYPERLINK "http://www.florahealth.com/Flora/Home/internati...46_More.asp" Health International
or Vision Essentials from DR.Julian Whitaker
With proper eating and supplementation Choices you can make all the difference in the world make the healthy choice visit our website HYPERLINK "http://www.choices4wellness.ca" www.choices4wellness.ca
Thanks for reading.......Greg Foster
Inspiration of the week: Through the road of life, there are obstacles. Many people will simply go around them, but the great will overcome them.
Greg Foster, owner of Choices4Wellness has a long history in the Natural Health industry. Since 1987 Greg's goal has been to own and operate his own store. While working toward his goal, he was a sales associate for Prolab a sports nutrition company. Greg also worked as a personal trainer and helped people achieve their fat loss and fitness goals, while also teaching them that these goals were about a "whole" lifestyle approach and the benefits of supplements and healthy food choices . Always teaching that it's about FAT LOSS not weight loss, Greg is now able to live out his dream of owning a health food store so that he can better meet the needs of his clients. Greg has a personal training room at the store where he has one on one time with his clients. They range from teenagers to couples that want personalized time and attention to achieve fitness goals without the busy atmosphere of a gym, where sometimes your precious work-out time is gobbled up by socializing and waiting your turn on the equipment.. It is during this time that Greg is able to recommend lifestyle choices to enhance your work-out routine & a positive mental attitude. Being a father of 3 boys, ages Trevor 18, Chad 10,and Shane 9 , Greg is sympathetic to living a busy life, and helps to make fitness goals realistic as well. At 41, Greg Foster , has embarked on a journey of entrepreneurial spirit, meshed with a passion to see people lead healthier ,happier lives. Truly, a business combination for success. Kim Iles, the manager of Choices4Wellness, is no stranger to the Natural Health Industry. She formerly founded and owned Alternative Choices from 1993 until its closing in 2004. During those 11years, Kim achieved many levels of business experience. She was on the board of directors for the CHFA (Canadian Health Food Association) as well as developing and franchising her Alternative choices concept. Kim's real passion however is with teaching, providing lectures, and spreading her knowledge of natural health through out Chatham-Kent and beyond. Kim is a mother of a 22 year old daughter , Nicole and a 17 year old son, Jordon . To Choices4Wellness, Kim also brings her knowledge of the water purification side of the business. Kim is a former owner and co-founder of Pure Choice Water Centers. The new store located inside of Choices4Wellness is appropriately named Choices4Water with a slogan "water you can believe in", offering state of the art purification better tasting and at better prices than the old business she left behind. Kim has always been a familiar voice on the radio, as well as in the newspaper, as she believes education and creating awareness is vital to getting people use and accept natural health products to create wellness and a lifestyle that enhances their lives.
