As a sort of self-help followup of a previous article I wrote, Yoga for Your Eyes, I thought I’d compile a quick-and-dirty set of rules for keeping your eyes healthy.

The below are courtesy of Drs. Michael Rozen and Mehmet Oz, in “You: The Owner’s Manual”

1. Drink 8 glasses of water daily, more if you also drink coffee.
2. Minimum of 5 hours of sleep per night (though 7 or 8 are better for most people’s better health)
3. Take ten minute breaks for every two hours in front of a computer (though personally, I’d prefer to take 2 hour breaks for every ten minutes in front of the computer)
4. Computer screen always below eye level to keep opening between lids small and prevent dry eye
5. Eat lutein, which can be obtained from spinach and dark leafy vegetables. (A good reason for a salad a day.)
6. Take vitamin c and bioflavonoids through food sources: oats, onions, broccoli, tomatoes, apples, cranberries, strawberries, green tea, and juices – tomato, grape, cranberry
7. Take fish oil / omega 3 oils. DHA is the ultimate form of omega 3s on humans. 500mg a day has been found  to prevent macular degeneration.
8. If you are on the brink of macular degeneration, patients have responded well to  this cocktail of supplements : daily 500mg of vitamin C; 400 IU vitamin E; 15mg of beta carotene; 80 mg. of zinc; 2 mg of coppe — all of these spaced out in various doses during the day.

All of this might seem a lot to do, but it reminds me of the poster my English teacher used to have in his class, back when I was in tenth grade:

“Think education is expensive? Try ignorance.”

So, likewise…

“Think doing all these things daily for your eyes is a drag? Try blindness.”

Actually, I hope none of us ever tries blindness.

Photo credit: Ibrahim Iujaz