Top 8 tips to improve eye vision

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/health-news/Top-8-tips-to-improve-eye-vision/articleshow/20954296.cms

Nearly half of our days are spent in reading text, working on the computer or staring at lavish LCDs.

All these leads to eye fatigue and eye related problems, which further causes diminished vision. Follow these simple tips by Ophthalmologist Dr. Vijay Bhatt, to sharpen your vision so you can see your way to a future of longevity.

Tip to Improve Eye Vision # 1: Practice relaxation exercise
One of the simplest relaxation exercise you can do to your eyes is - place your hands together palm to palm and rub them together briskly creating heat. Place them over your eyes and allow your eyes to relax. Do not let light in. Do this whenever you have time during the day.

Tip to Improve Eye Vision # 2: Blink your eyes regularly
Constantly blinking your eyes is a very simple way to keep your eyes fresh and avoid eyestrain. Computer users tend to blink their eyes very less, thus it is recommended that they should follow the exercise of blinking their eyes every three-four seconds.

Tip to Improve Eye Vision # 3: Stare at a distance
Most of the computer victims are a victim of far-sightedness (have trouble seeing things, which are at a distance). To correct this or avoid this problem, make an effort to stare something at a distance every 30-45 minutes, for 5 seconds. This technique will help to improve your focus of distant objects.
Tip to Improve Eye Vision # 4: Splash water
If you feel that your eyes are strained, go to the washroom and wash your eyes thoroughly. Make this a daily habit. Splashing your eyes with water will help to relieve your eyes from excessive stress and make them fresh.

Tip to Improve Eye Vision # 5: Do '8' exercise
Practicing '8'exercise will help to increase your eye flexibility. Start it by imagining a giant figure of eight in front of you about 10 feet in front of you. Now trace the figure of eight with your eyes, slowly. Practicing tracing it on either side.

Tip to Improve Eye Vision # 6: Practice zooming exercise
Start this muscle straitening exercise by sitting in a comfortable position. Stretch out your arm with your thumb in the hitchhike position Focus on your thumb as your arm is outstretched. Now bring your thumb closer to you, focussing all the time, until your thumb is about 3 inches in front of your face. Now move your thumb away again until your arm is fully outstretched. Keep practicing this exercise for few seconds.

Tip to Improve Eye Vision # 7: Take an early walk
Get up early and go for a walk. This technique will make your eyes fresh and relaxed. Besides, it will also get sufficient sunlight.

Tip to Improve Eye Vision # 8: Don't make your eyes depended on glasses
Spectacles are just a great fix for your deteriorating vision power. It does not improve or fixes your eyesight. Thus, don't depend on your glasses too much.

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5 postures to read books perfectly

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/books/5-postures-to-read-books-perfectly/articleshow/46887933.cms

For us, who love books, can start, read and finish one just anytime and anywhere without realizing that the experience could have been enhanced by the correct posture of sitting. Yes, a correct posture of sitting while reading a book can actually enhance your concentration leading to an active mind. This will in turn make the book read more interesting. Here is a list of 'easy-to-follow' postures that should be kept in mind while reading that exciting and intriguing book:

1. Sitting with the right leg height
When you are sitting on a chair to read that intriguing chapter of your book, make sure that your legs are placed correctly or else you can have a painful end! It is important that the blood circulation to your legs continues, thus make sure that the edge of your chair does not stop the blood supply in to your legs. Your thighs should be parallel to the floor when your lower legs are perpendicular to the floor.

2. Support your feet
If you want to be seated in a relaxing posture, give your feet a platform to lift up. The more cushion you provide to your feet, more relaxed you will feel. And probably your mind will read better those intrinsic details of a scene.

3. Back your back
While you are sitting, a proper back support is a must. Hunching forward can surely lead to neck and back pain leading to reducing your focus, concentration and the amount of time you can read. So, if you want to continue that awesome book you are reading, please take care of your back.

4. Spine chilling
You should always keep your spine in a neutral position. This can be easily done by sitting straight up in your chair with your tailbone snug against the chair's back and keeping your feet flat on the floor. slouching your shoulders orlowering your face to read should be avoided as the head weighs quite a bit and can cause some pain in the spine.

5. Eye Contact
It is advisable to bring the book up to meet the level of your eyes, which will help in keeping your back straight. You can support your elbows with few pillows.

6. Breaks
We need breaks from everything. Even while reading, try to give yourself a little break. Try to take a small walk, prepare some coffee or eatries or shake a leg, just anything that gives your body a break from sitting in one posture for a long period. This will also enhance your concentration as well as the curiosity to back to the story will be intact - making the read a more pleasurable one.

Top positions to sleep right

Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com

The way you sleep can affect your shut-eye time. Here's why stretching out like a log or curling up like a foetus, can give you sound sleep.

Insomnia, the problem of falling asleep and staying asleep through the night one of the most common problems people face. Extended nights of sleeplessness can have a very adverse effect, with sufferers feeling highly anxious or even depressed, and go through the risk of having diabetes and heart failure. While folks do a variety of things to battle the syndrome - from taking prescriptions for it, to making dietary changes and trying different exercise regimes - the answer may also lie doing something really simple - like sleeping right! Read on to find out how...

Top positions to sleep in
Experts have come up with the best positions to increase shut-eye. They are:

Foetus
One of the best sleeping positions is the 'fetal position', in which you lie on your side (either side) with the knees drawn up. This is said to aid sleep as it allows air to pass freely through the body and can stop stomach reflux. Downside? It can bring about premature facial wrinkles, say experts.

Log
This one's quite straightforward. It means sleeping on the side with the back and legs straight and cheek against the pillow - like a log. Make sure the mattress and pillows are firm enough. This is said to be a great all-round position that maintains a neutral spine.

Soldier
The position where you lie on your back, legs straight out and arms by the side is quite comfortable, but experts say it can also lead to snoring. It's found that those who sleep in this position are quiet and reserved.

Yearner
The Yearner position is where one sleeps with his or her head a little off the center of the pillow, with the arms outstretched alongside the pillow and legs slightly bent. It is said to help the back muscles and adopt an optimal position, thus it is highly recommended.

Starfish
The Starfish position is where one sleeps on his back and spreads both his/her arms and legs out in a five-pointed way. Experts say this is one of the best ways to attain a state of relaxation, as the more the body is outstretched the more it feels loosened up. The yoga position of shavasana comes close to this. The flipside, is this position can encourage snoring.

Other tips for a great night's sleep:

1. Making a regular sleep time: If you sleep at one am for a few nights and try and rest and 11 pm after that, it won't work so try and stick to a bedtime schedule.

2. Avoiding stressful activity: Try and avoid all stressful tasks before bedtime, which includes cleaning up the house or even arguing or major discussions with someone. TV can also cause the mind to stay active so it's best avoided before you retire for the night.

3. Taking a techno break: Don't log onto the net or chat on social networking sites or platforms. Try reading a book instead.

4. No day napping: Research shows that taking a snap in the day can affect the sleep at night. If you have to rest, just take a 15-minute powernap before three pm.

5. No alcohol: Stop the intake of alcohol and caffeinated beverages at night as they adversely affect a person's sleep quality. It's also unwise to smoke at night as nicotine acts as a stimulant.

6 foods for healthy skin

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/diet/6-foods-for-healthy-skin/articleshow/21758130.cms


What you eat not only makes a difference to your health but also your skin. And with the festive season just round the corner, it's time to start eating healthy so that you can flaunt gorgeous skin. Here are some foods that are healthy for your skin...

Blueberries
Blueberries are high in antioxidants, which are known to target free radicals that cause premature aging and disease. They also prevent damage of skin cells and are high in fibre and vitamins C and E.

Walnuts
Walnuts are rich with Omega-3 fatty acids, which are excellent for your hair and skin. They make hair shinier and make your skin smoother.

Tomatoes
Tomatoes are a high-carotenoid fruit with nutrients that help slow down cellular damage from free radicals.

Pomegranate
This wonder fruit is rich with antioxidant that help your skin create more collagen so that it repairs itself faster.

Green tea
Green tea is rich in antioxidants, helps reduce sun damage and has polyphenols, which helps regenerate skin cells. It is also high in vitamins C, D and K, zinc, calcium, magnesium and iron.

Legumes
Legumes have high protein content, which helps repair cells that have suffered free radical damage.