Important Tips to Improve Your Vision

Through many years of wearing Contact Lenses and Bifocals, I discovered a number of ways to take care of my vision.  Read through for the ultimate answer,  for me,  to not need glasses or contact lenses anymore.

1.  Get regular eye exams.  Regular eye exams are important for detecting any eye problems and correcting your vision with the appropriate prescription glasses or contact lenses.

2.  Eat a healthy diet.  Include fruits and vegetables, especially those that are rich in vitamins A, C and E, to help improve your vision.  To be assured of the full array of vitamins and nutrients that your body needs, add USANA's Nutitrional supplements for all ages.

3.  Practice good eye hygiene.  Wash your hands frequently.  Avoid rubbing your eyes.  Remove makeup before going to bed. 

4.  Exercise regularly.  This can improve blood flow to your eyes, reducing the risk of eye diseases.

5.  Wear protective eyewear to prevent eye injuries.  This is especially important if you are in a job with hazardous materials and wear small objects that can be flying.

6.  Take breaks when using screens.  Staring at a computer or phone screen for long periods can cause eye strain and dry eyes.  Look away from the screen every 20 minutes.  I find it is even better to get up and walk away from the screens.

7.  Get enough sleep, which is important for overall health, including the eyes.  Lack of sleep can cause eye fatigue and dry eyes.  Don't force your eyes to read regular print just as you wake up.  Give them time to adjust.

8.  Wear sunglasses.  Whether you’re hiking, biking, or hitting the pool, your outdoor lifestyle is likely affecting your retinas, but a good pair of sunglasses can only go so far.

9.  Add Visionex every day.   Give the delicate tissues of your eyes the protection they deserve with USANA’s advanced antioxidant eye-health supplement, designed to support long-term vision, with increased levels of Lutein.  This made a difference in my vision.  Remember that it takes time for the cells to regenerate.  Everyone is different, so give this
product time to make a difference to your vision.

Health Benefits

• Protects the delicate tissues of the eye from photo-oxidation with an antioxidant formula
• Supports eye health in conditions associated with sunlight damage, such as cataracts and age-related macular degeneration
• Protects the retina with lutein, zeaxanthin, and bilberry extract
• Helps with connective tissue formation and in the maintenance of bones, cartilage, teeth, and gums
• Click here to order Visionex.

Are You Getting the Essential Nutrients for Your Brain's Health?

Thanks to:  www.askthescientists.com

Your brain is powerful. You can even use it to think about how the brain itself works. Crazy, right? But this power doesn’t make your brain immune to factors that impact the rest of your body. Lifestyle and environment can affect your brain health. Luckily, there are nutrients for brain health shown to support cognitive function.

Lipids

For a long time, dietary fats (lipids) have been connected to brain health. Originally, lipids’ effect on the cardiovascular system was thought to facilitate that connection. But more recent research shows dietary fats have more direct actions on the brain.

Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (like DHA from fish oil) normally make up cell membranes throughout your body. And like other saturated fat, they’re fundamental building blocks for your brain cells. That’s part of the reason fish is often called a brain food.

Flavonoids

The antioxidant effects of flavonoids are well-established in a test-tube setting. But these plant compounds—like cocoa, ginkgo, and grape-seed extracts—have more complex actions in the body that is continually being researched.

Some flavonoids show promising results in maintaining healthy brain function. Quercetin—a flavonoid that’s a major component of ginkgo biloba extracts—has been shown to maintain memory and learning abilities in some studies. Further research on the subject is needed.

B Vitamins

Adequate levels of the B vitamin folate are essential for brain function. The proof? Folate deficiency can lead to neurological disorders, like depression and cognitive impairment.

Clinical trial results have deepened the connection between folate and cognitive function. These studies have shown folate supplementation—by itself or in conjunction with other B vitamins (B6 and B12)—to be effective at maintaining healthy cognitive function during aging.

Other Nutrients

There are more nutrients for brain health. Here’s a short list of the other nutrients with researched roles in brain health:

• Alpha lipoic acid has been shown to maintain memory and cognitive function.
• Vitamin E, or α-tocopherol, has also been implicated in cognitive performance. Decreasing serum levels of vitamin E were associated with poor memory performance in older individuals.
• Curcumin is a strong antioxidant that seems to protect the brain from lipid peroxidation and nitric-oxide-based radicals.
• Several gut hormones or peptides—like leptin, ghrelin, glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP1) and insulin—have been found to support healthy emotional response and cognitive processes.

Energy Production

The brain runs your body. And it takes a lot of energy to literally be the brain of the operation. Healthy macronutrients are necessary to fuel your brain and provide the energy it needs.
The mechanisms involved in the transfer of energy from foods to neurons are likely to be fundamental to the control of brain function. Processes that are associated with the management of energy in neurons can affect brain plasticity.

Far-Reaching Impacts

Lifestyle and diet have long-term effects on your health. That means they are likely underestimated for their importance to public health—especially when it comes to healthy aging. But they’re important to your brain. The gradual and sometimes imperceptible cognitive decline that characterizes normal aging can be influenced by the nutrients you feed your brain through a healthy diet.

These impacts go beyond your life, too. Through epigenetics, you pass on traits to your children and their children. Newer studies back this up. They indicate that these nutritional effects on your brain might even be transmitted over generations by influencing epigenetic events.
Gómez-Pinilla, Fernando. Brain foods: the effects of nutrients on brain function. Nat Rev Neurosci. 2008 Jul; 9(7): 568–578.

From Deanna: As the years go by, I am especially aware of how important it is to nutrient my brain!  I don't want to get overly forgetful or fall to Dementia or Alzheimer's.   That's why I have trusted the Usana products for over 23 years.  In addition to a healthy diet (as much as possible) I appreciate the optimal nutrition provided by the Usana supplements and nutritional shakes.   

You’re Never Too Old (or Too Young) for Vitamin D http://bit.ly/2zbjZpq

From:  www.askthescientists.com  http://bit.ly/2zbjZpq


Vitamin D’s role in bone health is widely known. But the essential vitamin also plays a role in muscle and skeletal function. This connection to physical performance was expanded in a study of people over 65.  (If you are younger than
this, then plan ahead!)

The physical performance was analyzed using a short physical performance battery (SPPB) and handgrip strength. The SPPB tests included walking speed, standing from a seated position, and maintaining balance in progressively more challenging positions.

A majority of participants were low in vitamin D. Over 28 percent of the women and 13 percent of the men were vitamin D deficient. Nearly three-fourths of the women and over half of the men had insufficient vitamin D levels.

Those with low vitamin D levels had significantly lower physical performance and grip strength than participants with adequate levels. The finding remained valid after taking into consideration other factors. They included the season of the year and physical activity levels.

With the high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in older populations, more studies about vitamin D status and physical function are needed. Current vitamin D recommendations are based on its role in bone health. But emerging research indicates vitamin D may also play important roles in preserving muscle strength, physical function, and other aspects of health.

The Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences 62:440-446 (2007)

From Deanna: In addition to the Usana CellSentials, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, which include 800 IU's of Vitamin D, taken as directed.... I also take extra tablets of the company's Vitamin D    
BiOmega and MagneCal D also include vitamin D, so important as part of the perfect nutrient combination of those products. 
Body Rox for teens and the Usanimals for children both include Vitamin D