BETTER VISION - WITHOUT GLASSES?



It's an all too-familiar picture, says vision care specialist, Martin Sussman - a group of middle-aged people huddled in a restaurant struggling to read the menu. Some feeling their arms are too short; others squinting, moving their arms in and out in what's been coined the "trombone syndrome."

Still others, rifling through purses or pockets for reading glasses.What's going on? They've hit their mid-40s or early 50s. That's when the eyes start to lose the ability to see clearly up close. Commonly known as middle-aged sight, the medical term for the condition is called presbyopia, from the Greek word for "aging eye," or "old eye."

Presbyopia affects over 100 million adults in the U.S. This year, according to presbyopia.org, over nine million more Americans will start holding their books and newspapers a little farther away from their faces in order to see them clearly."

Reduced vision," it turns out, is women's third top health concern after heart disease and aging, a Varilux Boomer Watch survey reported. Another survey, by the U.S. National Eye Institute, showed vision "the most highly valued of the senses," but concluded most people take better care of their cars than their eyes.Most eye doctors will tell you that there is no remedy for presbyopia except surgery or corrective lenses.

Julie-Ann Zilavy, a New York businesswoman, found herself struggling to see print clearly about six months ago. Her gut feeling was that once she started using glasses, her eyes would get more and more dependent on them. And she wasn’t interested in the risk of surgery.Surgical remedies for presbyopia include conductive keratoplasty (CK), which costs up to $2,500 and is not covered by health insurance.

Performed on one eye only, an FDA panel warned that CK "may affect [a patient's] depth perception" and thus could present a driving hazard. For 99% of CK patients, results only last between three and five years, then wear off, and the procedure needs to be repeated, up to a maximum of three times. Behavioral optometrist Dr. Carl F. Gruning, of Southport, Connecticut, a full clinical professor at SUNY College of Optometry and one of the world's leading practitioners in the field of vision therapy, is not recommending CK surgery yet. He tells his patients, "it's relatively new, and not to rush in."

Ms. Zilavy sought a natural alternative. She found The Read Without Glasses Method.Originated by Dr. Ray Gottlieb, O.D., Ph.D., F.C.O.V.D., a Rochester, New York, vision therapy optometrist, The Read Without Glasses Method challenges conventional thinking about aging eyes.“I’ve seen my patients improve their near vision, avoid reading glasses, get free of them or need weaker ones,” says Dr. Gottlieb, who is also Dean of the College of Syntonic Optometry.

Dr. Gottlieb discovered the genesis of what would become The Read Without Glasses Method almost 30 years ago when he was seeking to help a 52-year-old patient recover his ability to read without bifocals."The mechanism that causes the eyes to focus clearly at near is called accommodation," he says. "In young people, when an image becomes blurred, the eyes sharpen focus easily and automatically. But with age,

It occurred to Dr. Gottlieb that another ocular action – convergence – also stimulates accommodation. "In order to see up close, we turn, or converge, both eyes inward, so that together they point at what we are trying to see," he says. "Turning our eyes inward also stimulates their ability to focus clearly at near, which happens through a different mechanism known as convergence-accommodation."So, Dr. Gottlieb designed a carefully made chart which caused his patient's eyes to converge strongly and found that this allowed his patient to see clearly at near. With practice, in just a few weeks, his patient returned to announce that his problem had been solved, and he no longer needed glasses to see clearly at near.

"The improvement lasted for years," he says.The Read Without Glasses Method was co-developed by Martin Sussman, president of the Cambridge Institute for Better Vision. Sussman, an internationally respected expert in the field of holistic vision care and author of The Program for Better Vision, helped Dr. Gottlieb take a practice that was only applicable in a one-to-one doctor-patient setting and develop it into a method that can be learned at home by watching an instructional video, and then be used anywhere – even on the go – at almost any time.“Now it is much easier to see,” Ms. Zilavy says, “I can read a lot more of the smaller print. The method is simple to learn.

"Practice is easy. I spend about four minutes a day with it, usually when I’m eating breakfast. I am getting good results with a minimum of time.”Just as we stretch, flex and exercise our bodies to fend off aging, Ms. Zilavy found that her eyes – like the rest of her body – can benefit from exercise, re-training and relaxation.And just as convergence is a key element, so is its opposite – divergence, which allows the eye muscles to relax so the eyes straighten for distance viewing. “Conscious relaxation of your body, including your neck and shoulders, and your breathing are important elements of The Read Without Glasses Method,” Sussman says.

The method will not work for the small percentage of people who have only one functioning eye, lazy eye, eye-turning problems or severe low vision.Dr. Jacob Liberman, author of Take Off Your Glasses and See and Light: Medicine of the Future, who has used it, says "The Read Without Glasses Method combines the best of optometric vision therapy and natural vision exercises to create a simple and effective way to sharpen your vision.

"We want to counter the prevailing belief," Sussman says, "that the only solution to this problem is stronger and stronger reading glasses, bifocals or surgery." Dr. Gottlieb, 63, who has never needed reading glasses, says,“I guess you could say I’m a testimonial myself."


Martin Sussman, founder of the Cambridge Institute for Better Vision, is an internationally respected expert in natural vision care. He is the author of 5 books and audio courses, including The Program for Better Vision, which contains eye exercises and a total mind/body approach to reducing the need for glasses and contacts and to gaining clarity on all levels of vision and the Read Without Glasses Method, which reverses presbyopia (aging vision). More can be found at http://www.bettervision.com

What Has Antiaging Research Taught Us So Far?

Antiaging research has come a long way. And if we have still to find the source to stop ageing altogether, we can single out from the bad practices those that are a major factor in preventing premature aging. As the great comedian George Burns said, we can’t stop getting older but we don’t have to be old.

So let’s go though a brief summary of what antiaging research has taught us.

Balanced Diet and Exercise Regularly

Probably the most important factor to keep us young and in good health is to have a balanced diet along with regular exercise routine. Fruits and vegetables along with white meats are recommended at least with eight glasses of water daily. There is absolutely no need for strict diets, unless you have a special condition and your doctor recommends you one. You can eat anything you choose if it is done moderately and using your common sense.

Antiaging research shows that, with age, the body looses its sharp immune system and fast metabolism due to which we must do all we can to help it by taking supplements such as antioxidants, which combat free radicals and boost our immune system. Vitamins are also indicated by antiaging research as part of our daily intake in order to improve our immune system and metabolism.

External Use of Antiaging Creams

Antiaging research taught us the extremely important use of antiaging creams such as those that carry sun protection. The sun is the number one enemy of your skin and can cause premature antiaging when we expose yourself to direct sunlight for more than couple of hours a day without protection.

Other antiaging creams are those that fight wrinkles, provide moisture and remove damaged cells from the surface. There are also serums and vitamins, which can be applied directly to the skin providing instant boost and glow.

Other Important Antiaging Agents

Laughter is the best remedy to stay healthy and young, research proved that as well. Try and relax, enjoy life and laugh as much as possible you will have less wrinkles in the process.

Stress has always an important factor that ages people overnight, fighting with it can create health problems and/or premature antiaging. Stay positive and focus on the good things life has to offer and you will enjoy the benefits of being healthy as well as look young.

Age is only a number, which no one needs to know but you.








Foods To Help In The Anti Aging Process

For thousands of years, individuals have been in search for the elusive fountain of youth. One such famous search was conducted by Ponce de Leon in the early 1500’s


The mythical legend spoke of miraculous waters and those that drank from this fountain would never age but would maintain the beauty of youth. The water was never found and so the fountain of youth remained just a legend.

Despite the fact that this miraculous water was never located, the quest for a miraculous anti aging elixir that would maintain our youthfulness has not been quenched. Today, many products and procedures claim to reverse or slow down the aging process. These products and procedures include natural remedies, creams, injections and plastic surgery.

However, the most natural of all substances may be found in the foods that we eat. These foods may be the natural solution to help in the anti aging process. These foods can be broken down into two basic categories. Those categories include fruits and vegetables.

Fruits

Certain fruits have shown promising results in the anti aging process. Those fruits include apples, strawberries, grapes and raspberries. Researchers have discovered that these particular fruit products contain ellagic acid. Ellagic acid is a nature’s natural insect repellent found in various plants

Through the benefits of a daily diet of these fruits, this specific acid has demonstrated the capacity to hinder the growth of tumors within the body. This hindrance of tumor growth is accomplished by the ability of the acid to minimize the enzymes, within the body, that are utilized by mutated cancer cells.

Other fruits that contain valuable anti aging ingredients are cantaloupe, peaches and apricots. These fruits contain antioxidant properties known as lycopene. These antioxidants guard the body's cells from damage caused by free radicals. Additionally these fruits have demonstrated their effectiveness in protecting certain organs of the body. These organs include the heart, bladder and skin.

Additionally, a fruit that can aid in the anti aging process of the skin is the apple. Initial testing has indicated that apples stimulate the production of collagen. The production of collagen is necessary for the skin to maintain its elasticity which can minimize the wrinkling of the skin.

Vegetables

Some vegetables have also demonstrated their ability to fight the anti aging process. Vegetables such as carrots, spinach and sweet potatoes have also demonstrated antioxidant capabilities.

One other group of vegetables, when eaten, that has demonstrated their effectiveness in blocking the production of particular enzymes. These anti aging vegetables include soybeans and alfalfa sprouts. The substance found in these vegetables is known as genistein. Genistein inhibits the production of enzymes that have been identified as stimulants that activate the cancer genes.