Happy Friday, everyone! This week, we’ve been focusing on the importance of eye health using the Kings VSP Vision Tips with our friends from the Sacramento Kings. We posted a Facebook poll on Tuesday asking fans when their last eye exam was, and we were very happy to see that 65% of poll participants have received an eye exam in the past year!

Receiving regular eye exams is a critical component of your health care routine. Learn more fun facts about eyecare by watching these silly Kings VSP Vision Tips today!

February is National Heart Month.

Friday, February 3rd is National Wear Red Day in observance of American Heart Month. People across the country will wear red to support women’s heart health. It’s an effort to remind women to consider their heart health and inspire them and others to take action. So, break out your RED on Friday, February 3! And not just women—men show your support by wearing red, too!  Want to know more about heart attack warning signs? Check out this video, produced by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. Join the conversation at Go Red for Women – Wear Red Day on Facebook. For more information about heart health, visit the American Heart Association’s website.

Like to shop? Love to save (lives and money)? As part of the Wear Red Sale and in honor of American Heart Month and National Wear Red Day, Macy’s customers wearing anything red–from an entire ensemble, to lipstick, to the signature Red Dress pin–will receive a special 20 percent or 10 percent discount on a wide assortment of merchandise at Macy’s stores nationwide. However, even without wearing red, customers who still want to support Go Red For Women, as well as receive the special discount, can purchase the official Go Red For Women red dress lapel pin for $2 at any Macy’s store. All pin sales will directly benefit the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women movement. The Wear Red Sale is underway and runs  through Sunday, February 5.

But, we could be gluttons (of other things) all year and be better off for it. There’s much research boasting of the health benefits of eating lots of green leafy veggies, brightly colored fruits, and lean fresh proteins. All of these not only help us stay lean, they also help our eye health.

Just like the rest of our body, our eyes need certain vitamins and nutrients to stay healthy. Keeping it all straight isn’t easy—we’re bombarded with supplements and short cuts all the time. If we absorbed all the nutrients we need for good eye health by eating them rather than taking supplements, there’d be no room in our stomach for all the junk food surrounding us everyday.

Here are some eye healthy vitamins and where to find them in our food.

Vitamin A and zinc

Vitamin A helps prevent night blindness, and helps us to maintain a healthy, clear cornea. On the other hand, a deficiency of vitamin A can lead to glaucoma, dry eye, and other degeneration.

Lutein and zeaxanthin

Lutein and zeaxanthin are carotenoids that function as an antioxidents in the lens and retina. They increase pigment density in the macula, and filter out high-energy blue light. This helps protect your retina, and lowers your risk of macular degeneration.

Vitamin C and bioflavonoid

Given the wide variety of benefits of vitamin C, hopefully it has already cemented a place in your diet. That said, with regard to eyesight, vitamin C has been linked to the prevention of cataracts and the delay of macular degeneration. It can also help prevent and alleviate glaucoma.

Sometimes called vitamin P (though they’re not vitamins), bioflavonoid work as antioxidants and help your body to absorb vitamin C. Bilberry is an often-named source of bioflavonoid, but it can be difficult to find. Most foods that contain vitamin C also contain bioflavonoid, however, so you’re covered pretty well.

Vitamin E and selenium

Studies have shown vitamin E may help prevent cataracts, as well as contribute to preventing macular degeneration. Selenium helps the body absorb vitamin E, as well as to produce its own antioxidants.

Fatty acids

Fatty acids are important for visual development in infants. In adults, deficiencies can lead to impaired vision, and increase risk of damage to the retina.

So what’s your top resolution this year? Share it with us on our Facebook page.

While carrots are great, they are not the only thing to support healthy eyes.  As part of an overall healthy diet, several key nutrients seem to be particularly important to preserving sight.

• Vitamin C: found in peppers, dark leafy green vegetables, strawberries and oranges
• Vitamin E: found in dark leafy greens, peppers, nuts and vegetable oils
• Zinc: found in peanuts, pumpkin seeds, oysters and dark chocolate
• Lutein and Zeaxanthin: found in spinach, broccoli and other dark green vegetables
• Omega-3 Fatty Acid: found in flaxseed, walnuts and salmon

Cigarette smoking increases risks for cataracts and age-related macular degeneration. Tobacco smoke is an irritant to the eyes that worsens dry eye syndrome, even when exposure is from second-hand smoke. It even increases the risk of serious vision loss in people who have other eye diseases.

The 36th annual Great American Smokeout is November 17. Sponsored by the American Cancer Society, it is a day for smokers to give up cigarettes for a day and make a plan to quit permanently.

Yesterday, I was surrounded by temptation from heaping mounds upon mounds of the sweet and sticky goodness known as Halloween candy. Now, the biggest feast of the year is in less than a month, followed by more holiday season get-togethers with food … and calories! How can I say no?

I try to live a fairly healthy lifestyle year-round, but now is the time when I start thinking about stepping up my workout routine to shed the extra pounds that comes with consuming all those goodies we enjoy around the holidays. However, after reading an interesting article in Healthday, I learned about an additional benefit of exercising … related to your eyes.

Did you know that living a physically active lifestyle may help protect your eyes from glaucoma? Check out the article here. It’s just another great example of how important it is to maintain your overall health in order to maintain your eye health. Don’t you want to ensure you can see all those great holiday treats in front of you?!

What’s up with carrots, Doc? Many of us grew up hearing that if we ate lots of carrots, our vision would improve. My own dad dangled the prospect of better vision through carrot consumption in front of me like the proverbial “carrot on a stick” but he used actual cooked carrots. And I hated cooked carrots, but I ate them hoping that one miraculous morning, I would wake up and find I no longer needed my glasses. Unfortunately, this didn’t happen.

Yes, I am still wearing my glasses, but I haven’t turned my back on the noble Daucus carota, sativus just yet. Carrots may not have the ability to repair poor vision for most of us, but they are an excellent source of antioxidants, fiber, minerals, and vitamin A. Lack of vitamin A can cause poor vision, which is restorable by adding it back into the diet. It is one of the few vegetables that is more nutritious cooked than raw (thanks, Dad) and is used medicinally in many cultures. For more carrot trivia, check out the World Carrot Museum.

Over time, I learned to appreciate the taste of cooked carrots, especially when served with roast beef. But my favorite way to have them is uncooked and shredded in carrot raisin salad.  Enjoy!

• Spreading the importance of eye exams for the early detection of diabetes
• Offering continuing education courses to eyecare professionals about diabetes care
• Reaching out to optometry students to educate them about their role in health care
• Providing tools to eyecare professionals to educate patients about diabetes and their eyes
• VSP’s reach through membership and charity work including Mobile Clinics and Sight for Students

For more information about diabetes and your eyes, visit VSP’s Diabetes Discovery Center.

See the signs.

I was surprised to learn what an eye doctor can discover during an annual eye exam. It can go way beyond simply making sure your prescription is still correct! Your eye doc can catch the early warning signs of overall health problems before they become serious. Did you know your comprehensive eye exam can detect glaucoma, diabetes, and even conditions like a brain tumor?

Shop safely.

For contact lens wearers, by far the safest place to order your annual supply is from your eye doc. But if you typically order your contacts online, make sure your eye doc gives you the thumbs up on your eye health and prescription first. You’ve only got one set of eyes! And make sure the site you order from is one you can trust.

Details matter.

At eyeconic.com, you can order contact lenses with confidence. Eyeconic goes above and beyond for you. We work with your doctor to make sure the prescription we fill for you is right, and we guarantee your satisfaction.

Besides the great service, Eyeconic has over a hundred of the most popular contact lenses to choose from—I bet you’ll find your brand. You’re not tech savvy? No problem. You don’t have to be a geek like me to order from Eyeconic; the site is super easy to navigate. I love all the handy tips, too, like how to figure out which lens type is best for you, and ways to keep your eyes healthy. There’s even a discount for Air Optix^® Aqua wearers right now. And I know you’ll love the free shipping!

Most of all, it’s important to know there’s an online store you can trust with your eyes.

Here’s to your eye health!