Eyes are an integral part of the body. They are also the more delicate parts that require constant attention. Here are 10 tips to be followed for keeping the eyes healthy.

1. Consume Vitamin A, C and D rich foods.
Per the recommended standards, the amount of Vitamin A required for proper eye-growth is 3000 mcg/day. Cod liver oil is an abundant source of Vitamin A. Leafy vegetables, especially Kale, Amaranthus and Spinach also have a good amount of Vitamin A. Vegetables rich in Vitamin A include carrots and sweet potato. Rose hip extracts, guava, tomatoes and citrus fruits are a great source of Vitamin C while cod liver oil and margarine provide the needed Vitamin D. Daily consumption of such foods keeps the eyes in a good state.

2. Have greens.
A daily intake of dark green leafy vegetables is useful for good vision. As the leaves are rich in iron, they ensure good blood supply to the eyes, thereby maintaining the health of the eyes. So, include leafy vegetables as part of your regular diet.

3. Take eye vitamins.
Available as capsules, Eye vitamins, such as Eyevit, are specially formulated to provide the essential nutrition to the eyes. Hence, a regular dosage of eye vitamins, or alternatively, Vitamin A capsules, is good for the eyes. Ensure that each vitamin capsule has a good proportion of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, D, E and minerals Selenium and Zinc.

4. Take Cod liver oil.
Cod liver oil, extracted from the liver of cod fish, is a good source of Vitamin A, and hence proves beneficial to the eyes. One to two teaspoons a day or a capsule taken daily is sufficient to keep the eyes strong and healthy. As it helps in improving vision, it is of much use to people with vision defects.


5. Watch Greenery.
Watching green plants and trees around you, will help in cooling your eyes and lessening eye-fatigue. Hence, just go around for a stroll and try to spend some time daily in parks and gardens, especially at dawn. Also, put potato/cucumber slices over the eyes to make your eyes look healthy.

6. Relax your eyes
Relaxing your eyes after long periods of watching colored or moving pictures on TV is beneficial for the eyes. To relax the eyes, follow proper relaxing technique.
-Rub your hands together for 1-2 seconds.
-Now, close your eyes and slightly press them with the palms of your hands.

Also, blink the eyes every 2-3 minutes when watching the computer screen or TV. If there is too much glare, use screen filters and keep in mind that the ideal distance to watch TV is 6-8 feet( approx. 5 times the size of the TV screen). Do not watch TV or computer in faint light. Applying kajal to the eyes also  has a cooling effect to the eyes.

7. Have nuts.
Whole nuts, especially almonds, are rich in Vitamin E. A regular intake of nuts helps in dealing with any sort of eye-problems, especially those that are age-related, such as cataract.

8. Do eye exercises.
There are a quite a few exercises which can be done in your home for strengthening the nerves around the eyes. One of the simple exercises is as follows:
Step 1: Sit down and keep your thumb raised in front of you in line with your eyes.
Step 2: Rotate it clockwise/anticlockwise, all the time focusing your eyes on the nail of your thumb.
Step 3: Continue for 2-3 minutes.
Step 4:  Relax your eyes.

Another exercise which can be followed daily is as described below:
Step 1: Sit at a place and focus your eyes at a point about 2-3 meters away from your eyes.
Step 2: After a couple of minutes, shift the focus of your eyes to a distant point, about 30 to 40 meters, from your eyes.
Step 3: Keep alternating thus, and continue for about 15-20 minutes.
Step 4: Relax your eyes.

9. Wear sunglasses/goggles.
Puton sunglasses or other eye-protective devices when you go out in the sun. This would prevent the harmful UV rays from the sun from causing eye fatigue or any kind of other damage to your eyes.

10. Follow Ayurveda.
A simple Ayurvedic preparation for maintaining the health of the eyes in a natural way is as follows:

Step 1 Soak Black Myrobolan pieces, [Botanical Name:Terminalia Chebula],(100 gms), Bellary Myrobolan/Vibhitaki [Botanical Name: Therminalia Bellerica] pieces (100 gms) ,gooseberries(100 gms) in 1200 gms of water. Leave it overnight.

Step 2 Boil the mixture till most of the water evaporates. Add 150gms of cow’s milk and 75 gms of ghee.

Step 3 Again boil the mixture till the resultant solution comes to 75 gms in quantity.

Step 4 Store it in a bottle and take ¼ to 1 tsp, two times a day, according to your age.

The above-mentioned tips would help in keeping your eyes strong and giving you long-lasting vision. Apart from these, an annual eye-exam is recommended to ensure that your eyes continue to be in good condition.