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Did you know that a healthy diet, rich in certain kinds of nutrients, also play an important role in improving our eye health and preventing disease?

Incorporate the following 6 eye-friendly foods into your meals and see the difference for yourself!

ALMONDS

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Almonds – and indeed, many different types of nuts – are rich in vitamin E, which, as we have seen, has been proven to slow macular degeneration and protect your eyes against the formation of cataracts.

Simply indulge in a handful of almonds a day to obtain roughly half of your daily recommended dose, and supplement with berries and other vitamin E rich foods for good, all round health.

CARROTS

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While carrots and other orange-pigmented produce such as pumpkin, sweet potato and mango aren’t miracle workers and won’t reverse bad eyesight, they can certainly help improve general eye health.

Indeed, these fruits and vegetables contain lutein, the nutritional powerhouse contained amongst others in egg yolks and leafy greens, and beta-carotene, a substance that is converted into vitamin A by the body once it is absorbed. As we’ve seen, vitamin A is extremely beneficial to eye health, so be sure to include various different sources of it in your diet for optimal effect.

BERRIES

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Berries  – especially blueberries – are considered one of the healthiest foods for your eyes, owing to their high quantities of vitamins A, C and E, and zinc.

Let’s break it down: vitamin A is a powerful antioxidant that prevents inflammation in the eyes while combating free radicals; vitamin C acts against intraocular pressure (the pressure within your eye), which if left unchecked can increase the potential for the development of glaucoma, the second most common cause of blindness in the United States; vitamin E may help prevent the formation of cataracts, while zinc is a powerful mineral that helps protect against night blindness and – you guessed it – macular degeneration.

All in all, the humble blueberry is a nutritional powerhouse that does your eyes a world of good!Citrus fruit are another ally in your fight against eye disease, as they also contain a high concentration of vitamin C. Be sure to include different kinds of berries and citrus fruits in your regular rotation in order to reap all the benefits.

SALMON/FATTY FISH

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Salmon, mackerel, tuna and anchovies are not only delicious; they are also rich in the omega-3 fatty acid DHA, which is found in our retinas and is instrumental in preventing dry eye syndrome, as well as dramatically decreasing the risk of age-related macular degeneration.

Two to four servings of these incredible fatty fish should be enough to ensure all round eye health; however, if you don’t eat seafood, you can get a good supply of DHA either through fish oil supplements, or by taking taking vegetarian supplements containing flaxseed oil or blackcurrant seed oil.

SPINACH/LEAFY GREENS

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Whatever you do, don’t forget to eat your greens! Dark, leafy greens such as cooked spinach and kale, collards and turnip greens all contain extremely high amounts of lutein and zeaxanthin, which have been proven to reduce the risk of chronic eye diseases such as macular degeneration and cataracts.

Although the compounds found in mixed greens aren’t as easily absorbed as those found in egg yolks, these vegetables are a great option for getting the antioxidants your eyes need for better health.

Don’t forget to cook the greens in good quality olive oil or coconut oil to reap the full benefits!

EGG YOLKS

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If you regularly discard egg yolks because you believe they have an adverse effect on your cholesterol levels, think again: according to Paul Dougherty, medical director of Dougherty Laser Vision in Los Angeles, the yolk is in fact a prime source of lutein, a yellow-pigmented antioxidant that acts as a blue-light filter and combats free radicals in tandem with its sister compound, zeaxanthin.

Combined with the zinc also present in egg yolks, these two compounds can help slow down age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of vision loss for people over 65 years old.

The best way to eat them? Raw! If you don’t have the stomach for it, don’t worry: while it’s true that uncooked egg yolks contain more lutein than cooked yolks, our bodies are perfectly able to absorb the antioxidant from other sources, such as leafy greens, too. Simply combine these lutein-rich ingredients with olive or coconut oil for better absorption.

This remarkable breakthrough helps slow aging of the eye and maintain your freedom and independence as you get older.

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In fact, on a per gram fresh weight basis, herbs rank even higher in antioxidant activity than fruits and vegetables, which are known to be high in antioxidants. Many studies have also shown that most spices tend to have unique medicinal qualities.

In the featured study, researchers from three Universities devised an experiment to evaluate the “true world” benefits of herbs and spices, by feeding them to people in quantities that are typically consumed simply by spicing up your meals. As noted by Dr. Michael Greger MD, who produced the video above:

“The researchers could have taken the easy route and just measured the change in antioxidant level in one’s bloodstream before and after consumption, but the assumption that the appearance of antioxidant activity in the blood is an indication of bioavailability has a weakness.

Maybe more gets absorbed than we think but doesn’t show up on antioxidant tests because it gets bound up to proteins or cells. So the researchers attempted to measure physiological changes in the blood.

They were interested in whether absorbed compounds would be able to protect white blood cells from an oxidative or inflammatory injury—whether herb and spice consumption would protect the strands of our DNA from breaking when attacked by free radicals.”

Four Spices That Pack a Powerful Anti-Inflammatory Punch

For one week, 10 to 12 subjects in each of 13 groups consumed a small amount of a particular spice each day. For example, those in the oregano group ate just half a teaspoon of oregano daily for seven days. Blood samples were drawn one hour prior to consumption, and at the very end of the experiment.

The participants’ blood was then analyzed for antioxidant capacity. The researchers also analyzed how well the blood could dampen an induced inflammatory response in white blood cells.

This was done by placing the participants’ blood onto white blood cells that had been damaged by oxidized cholesterol (commonly found in fried foods). Even at the “everyday” dosage amounts given, four spices were found to be significantly effective at quelling the inflammatory response:

1. Cloves

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2. Ginger

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3. Rosemary

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4. Turmeric

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As noted in the featured article: “[T]he results represents what might happen when cells in our body are exposed to the levels of spices that circulate in our bloodstream after normal daily consumption—not megadoses in some pill. Just the amount that makes our spaghetti sauce, pumpkin pie, or curry sauce taste good.”

Other Potent Anti-Inflammatory Spices

An earlier study published in the Journal of Medicinal Foods³ found a direct correlation between the antioxidant phenol content of spice and herb extracts and their ability to inhibit glycation and block the formation of AGE compounds (advanced glycation end products), making them potent preventers of heart disease and premature aging.

Here, cloves were ranked as the most potent of 24 common herbs and spices found in your spice rack. In all, the following were found to be the top 10 most potent anti-inflammatory herbs and spices:

1. Cloves

2. Cinnamon

3. Jamaican allspice

4. Apple pie spice mixture

5. Oregano

6. Pumpkin pie spice mixture

7. Marjoram

8. Sage

9. Thyme

10. Gourmet Italian spice

Inflammation Is at the Heart of Most Chronic Diseases

It’s important to realize that chronic inflammation is the source of many if not most diseases, including cancer, obesity, and heart disease, which essentially makes it the leading cause of death in the US.

While inflammation is a perfectly normal and beneficial process that occurs when your body’s white blood cells and chemicals protect you from foreign invaders like bacteria and viruses, it leads to trouble when the inflammatory response gets out of hand. Your diet has a lot to do with this chain of events.

While among the most potent, ounce for ounce, herbs and spices are certainly not the only anti-inflammatory ingredients available. A number of foods are well-known for their anti-inflammatory properties, and making sure you’re eating a wide variety of them on a regular basis can go a long way toward preventing chronic illness.

Top Seven Anti-Inflammatory Foods

The following foods and nutrients deserve special mention for their ability to quell inflammatory responses in your body:

You are 90% bacteria.

Let that sink in for a second… Just think: for every cell in your body, you have 9 cells of bacteria living in and on your body. It can be a little creepy if you think about it too much.

Most of your bacteria is living inside your intestinal tract, otherwise known as your “gut.” The health of this organism is paramount to the health of your body. Why, you ask?

80% of your immune system spends most of its time around your gut. The health of your gut bacteria and the health of your immune system are vitally linked. When your gut bacteria is balanced, your immune system is also balanced. But when it’s out of balance, so is your immune system.

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Signs that your immune system is out of balance are: food and seasonal allergies, chronic inflammation, chronic sinusitis, and colds and flus that linger for weeks.

Food sensitivities are a major sign and cause of an immune system imbalance. Food, specifically undigested protein, looks just like a virus or bacteria and our immune system creates an antibody to it. We see this in life-threatening reactions like anaphylactic shock to nuts or shellfish.

We can also have a much quieter, non-life threatening reaction to a food (undigested protein), which can over-stimulate our immune system and lead to seasonal allergies, eczema, and many inflammatory conditions.

These are usually referred to as food sensitivities. What I’ve seen over and over again in my practice is that once we discover the foods that you aren’t digesting properly you can gain control over allergies, eczema, and many inflammatory conditions.

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Undigested protein gets into our blood stream through a “leaky gut.” This is when our intestinal tract is damaged and it allows undigested particles to be absorbed into the blood stream. These proteins can stimulate our immune system for up to 5 days.

This is why it’s so difficult to figure out our food sensitivities. Even a small amount of gluten, dairy, corn, or soy (our culture’s main food triggers) each week can cause our immune system to remain over-stimulated and we will feel our symptoms continuously… even if we’ve tried our best to reduce these possible triggers. 

The best way to balance our immune system is by having a healthy and strong digestive system, and this means our gut bacteria needs to be in balance. Our North American way of eating hasn’t helped to keep our gut bacteria balanced.

Most traditional cultures regularly consume fermented foods like natural yogurt, sauerkraut, and kimchi, which feed the beneficial bacteria in our gut. In North America, however, we tend to do the opposite. Processed food, refined sugar, chlorine, and antibiotics are major causes of a gut bacteria imbalance.

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When your gut is hosting 75% beneficial bacteria, your body (digestion, immunity, brain) is able to create balance. But when the prevalent bacteria in your gut is “bad” bacteria (bacteria that doesn’t assist us), they allow for an overgrowth of yeast, molds, and fungus – as well as many digestive symptoms, like bloating, foul-smelling gas, distention, pain, constipation, diarrhea, and a “leaky gut.”

How to Keep Your Gut Bacteria Balanced:

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Eat whole, unrefined foods. Remove all refined sugars and grains which feed the “bad” bacteria.

Eat naturally fermented foods daily, and take a probiotic supplement. 

Probiotic supplements contain high amounts of beneficial bacteria and “seed” the gut – an important part of finding balance.

 Understand the causes of your digestive symptoms, and re-balance them. All digestive symptoms are signs that food isn’t being properly broken down and can feed the “bad” bacteria.

Keep your digestive system and immune system working optimally by keeping your gut bacteria healthy and happy!

You can start with this FREE BOTTLE OFFER: new probiotic has 9 Superior Strains and a Patented Delivery Method…THIS Gives You Maximum Digestive Relief All Day.

These days coconut water is used all around the world, and you can find it in many markets easily and its detoxification power and other health benefits are unquestionable.

What happens when you drink this water?

The coconut water strengthens your immune system and removes bacteria that cause urinary tract infections, gonorrhea, gum diseases and viruses which cause cold, infection diseases and typhus.

Your energy will be boosted and the thyroid gland hormones production will be enhanced. The water acts as a natural diuretic and it is very helpful for people who have kidney diseases. It will assist in cleansing the urinary tract and the bladder channels. The toxins will be eliminated and the kidney stones will be braked down.

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The coconut water includes a high amount of fiber, which makes it very good for our digestive system. With regularly consummation the gastric acid will be eliminated.

Because of its low-level of fat, you can drink it in large amount. The coconut water will reduce your appetite and will keep you sated, which can lead to losing weight.

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Macerate a cotton ball in the coconut water and place it on the skin if you are having acne, oily or dry skin The water will make the skin cleaner and fresher, and the pores will be opened Mix this water with olive oil in order to cleans your organism and to eliminate bowel parasites.

The experts are saying that by drinking coconut water on a regular basis, you will be able to solve few health issues during pregnancy. With only one cup of coconut water, your electrolytes in your body will get balanced, imbalance of this can cause hypertension or also known as high blood pressure.

When people are over-drink through the night they often have a headache in the morning. So when you will drink more than you should, in the morning you may remember this magical drink. It will make the headache go away and will also expiate the lost fluids and help you to overcome the sickness caused from hangover.

If you like your skin to be ablaze and hydrated during the day, drink one cup of the coconut water. If you’ve lost too much energy with some exhausting physical activities, you can recover your energy with coconut water. This water will leave positive effects on every single body part.

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The coconut water will provide you stronger immune system, boost of energy, safety from bacteria and infections, weight loss and many other health benefits.