by Inside The Chrysalis

Created on: April 25, 2009

Imagine driving with the top down, sunshine and wind swirling around your face, and not a care about dried out contacts, or gnat-smudged eyeglasses. As people look for alternatives to high copay costs and expensive eye accoutrements, natural methods to improving vision are becoming popular.

According to the Tulsa World, one natural and inexpensive way to get your vision back on track is to take a trip to your local grocery store. Fruits and vegetables with deep pigments contain helpful nutrients that can repair and protect vision. Bilberry, zeaxanthan and lutein, and beta carotein are among these helpful pigments.

Bilberry is the pigment that creates the rich, blue hue in blueberries. A handful of blueberries a few times a day can help prevent glaucoma, improve night vision and reduce cataracts. Blueberries also contain anthocyanosides, which act as a binder for free radicals, effectively sweeping them away.

Zeaxanthan and lutein can be found in the deep orange of a bell pepper, or vibrant red of an heirloom tomato. These pigments are called carotenoids and can lower risk of macular degeneration. Taken together, these pigments can improve overall visionary health.

Beta carotein is a popular and more familiar pigment. Carrots contain this bright orange color and is a favorite among mothers. We can all remember our moms telling us that carrots will help us to see better. It seems she was right after all. This pigment is most helpful in protecting the retina and helping us see more clearly.

Another natural remedy to improving eyesight is the Bates Method. This method holds that your vision is a result of how effectively your eye muscles are used. Once we realize our vision has deteriorated, we make a hasty trip to the opthamologist to get a prescription for glasses or contacts. These new visionary aids allow our eye muscles to get lazy, further aiding degeneration.

The Bates Method outlines different eye-relaxing exercises that decrease the strain on eyes. One such exercise is "palming." Sitting in a relaxed position, palms are cupped over the eyes to provide complete darkness. Doing this for ten minutes relaxes the eyes, allowing them time to readjust.

By using these methods for a few weeks, you will be able to enjoy life without the hindrances of visionary aids. With longer use, you won't have to fret because your contact fell out in a swimming pool. You'll be able to go on that romantic weekend getaway, without having to remember your eyeglass case. So get shopping and start relaxing your way to better visionary health.

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