From
the January
2002 Idaho Observer:
Dr.
Banker's Basics Of Eye Care
It
is of perpetual wonder that we can live in an
age so technologically advanced that we can
have computers and telephones but cannot convince
organized medicine's health practitioners that
our bodies have tremendous capacities for healing
the damage we do to them if we will simply supply
them with the tools to do so. The following
story shows that diet and exercise can reverse
degenerative eye disorders that organized opthamology
recognizes as chronic. This is just one more
example of how no damage is so great that it
cannot be reversed -- that is if we are willing
to make the lifestyle changes necessary for
healing ourselves.
By
Amy Worthington
After
enjoying 20/20 vision for most of my life, I
was naturally distressed when my eyesight gradually
became so fuzzy I could no longer clearly see
the food on my plate, let alone read a line
of small text.
My
eye doctor pronounced me a victim of presbyopia,
advancing nearsightedness that afflicts almost
everyone by age 40. He told me to plop a pair
of glasses on my nose, but didn't mention that
glasses weaken the eyes and eventually exacerbate
the problems they are intended to correct. I
asked him if exercises or vitamins would reverse
the fuzz. He glowered at me through his extra-thick
glasses and said “Not a chance.”
Neither
of us knew then about Dr. Deborah Banker, a
rather brilliant and innovative ophthalmologist
of Malibu, California. Having spent over a million
dollars on her education, Dr. Banker has developed
a multi-faceted program for the correction of
a variety of vision problems without invasive
surgery.
Pulling
together an amazing regime of eye and body exercises,
diet improvement, eastern holistic techniques
plus electro-magnetic therapies, she has created
an amazing and successful program to improve
-- and in some cases cure -- a broad range of
ophthamological disorders.
Dr.
Banker uses glasses to strengthen the eyes of
her patients by under-prescribing lens corrections
so that the eyes will be challenged to focus
on their own without weakening vision.
By
some stroke of good fortune, I heard Dr. Banker
speaking on a radio show, then decided to try
her self-help program. After receiving her vision
care kit, which includes both audio and video
aids, I went to work. What I learned about my
condition was encouraging and empowering. Sharpness
of vision gradually deteriorates because of
weak muscles, both external and internal to
the eye. Eye muscles atrophy from neglect until
they actually change the shape of the body of
the eye, affecting both focusing ability and
field of vision.
The
ciliary muscle, which controls the lens of the
eye, needs to be exercised regularly, lest it
stiffen and leave us with a very dim view. Also
important is the vitreous body, the gel-like
substance made of water and protein which fills
the back 4/5ths of the eye. This is where vision-disrupting
floaters form when the gel dehydrates as we
age. Plenty of fluids, certain herbs and regular
eye exercises can even mitigate the effects
of this condition.
When
I began using Dr. Banker's wonderful eye yoga
techniques, my eye muscles felt old and tired
-- petrified actually. My ciliary muscle complained
painfully about having to adjust focus as I
made it watch my thumbs moving from way out
there to right up close. But practice makes
perfect and soon my rusty old eyes were rolling
around painlessly and adjusting to focus changes
rather smoothly. I also worked faithfully with
Dr. Banker's breathing exercises, the various
eye charts and other exercise tools in the kit.
I was amazed at how quickly my vision improved.
Finally one day, I could actually clearly see
my pancakes -- sans glasses.
What
I discovered however, is that no improvement
is permanent if you neglect your exercises.
Keeping eye muscles in tone has to be a lifelong
commitment. Improving eyesight also take patience.
Most people improve by ¼ diopter per month if
they are committed and consistent.
Dr.
Banker's in-depth material is a valuable glossary
on the structure and function of the eye, modern
medicine's understanding of visual optics and
refraction plus the fundamentals of eye disorders
and medications. She offers amazing information
on how stress and dietary deficiencies affect
the eyesight. She teaches that we cannot understand
the intricacies of vision until we understand
circulation, relaxation, oxygenation, body meridians,
massage and acupressure. Dr. Banker's basic
tips on how to avoid eye strain include using
low-intensity, full spectrum lighting, sitting
so as not to compress the lungs, allowing your
eyes to wander around the room at intervals
and periodic stretching.
Dr.
Banker's eye kit is a gift to those who derive
great joy from seeing clearly the immense beauty
of this world. She reveals fascinating Chinese
secrets for good vision, which she says keeps
the majority of Chinese from needing glasses.
Her advice on how to use mental techniques to
keep vision sharp is especially interesting.
Who would think that soothing eye masks, a hot
bath full of mineral salts and essential oils
(which open the lungs and relax the extraocular
muscles) could exponentially improve eyesight?
Keeping the diet full of high-water content
fruits and veggies plus critical antioxidants
is another key to safeguarding vision.
How
wonderful if we taught our children these things
so that they would appreciate their eyesight
and learn how to prevent damage and deterioration
of their eyes. It is certainly never too early
to learn Dr. Banker's important steps for preventing
cataracts and other manifestations of eye damage
and abuse.