Posts Tagged ‘eye health’

Fore Healthy Sight!

Jill N. is a member of VSP's Corporate Public Relations team

Jill N. is a member of VSP's Corporate Public Relations team

 

“Golf is an ineffectual attempt to put an elusive ball into an obscure hole with implements ill-adapted to the purpose.”  ~Woodrow Wilson

 
For the second year in a row VSP has the opportunity to participate with Transitions Optical at the 2010 Transitions Championship for Healthy Sight as part of the “Live Your Vision Pavillion” and “Healthy Sight Village.” VSP will be one of a few optical industry partners on hand providing information, education, and hands-on experiences that will include sports-vision demonstrations, golf clinics, eyewear fashion shows and health and wellness screenings.

 VSP will be included in a new “Competitive Advantage” area developed by Transitions, VSP and Nike Golf, where attendees will have the opportunity to learn how vision impacts athletic performance (I don’t know about you, but I definitely blame my eyesight, among other things, for my golf performance…), how general fitness impacts their golf swing (so you’re NOT supposed to match the number of beers to the number of strokes?), and how the latest technological innovations like performance eyewear and golf apparel can help them golf and look their best (who cares how good you are if you don’t LOOK good doing it?).

Prior to the tournament, VSP will also partner with Transitions and Prevent Blindness Florida to provide three days of charitable outreach to local Tampa children and  adults in need. After the outreach, the VSP mobile clinic will be showcased during the tournament to help educate attendees on the importance of eye health and giving back to your community.

As part of the fun leading up to the tournament, VSP conducted a sweepstakes and one lucky winner was selected to attend the tournament with three friends. Stay tuned to see the tournament through his eyes as he creates and posts a video diary of his experience.

Check out a video from last year’s event with SeeZar! YouTube Preview Image

Keeping kids’ eyes safe using digital devices

kid cvs

VSP provider Dr. Jeffrey Anshel wrote an article for education.com regarding keeping our kids eyes safe while using digital devices and avoiding Computer Vision Syndrome and tired eyes. Good advice for adults too. Read article.

So how much time do you estimate you or your kids spend per day looking at digital devices (smart phones, video games, tv, computers, etc.)?  Leave us a comment.

Photo via education.com

VSP Supports the 2010 Sacramento Black Expo

 

Gail J. and her grand-daughter.

Gail J. and her grand-daughter.

Gail J. works in VSP’s Human Resources department. She shares her experience as an employee volunteer at the recent 2010 Sacramento Black Expo, of which VSP was a major sponsor.

VSP made quite the impression at Black Expo 2010. We’ve participated in the past by having the standard booth and VSP volunteers on hand to share information about our company, more so from a job opportunity perspective. But this year, it felt different. With our VSP Mobile Clinic, SeeLia, as the backdrop of our booth, it was a thrill seeing the eyes of both children and adults as they approached us. Lots of “Wow! Look how big that thing is!” People were definitely drawn to VSP; and whether they wanted information about vision care, job opportunities, or simply to spin the prize wheel, they walked away with a true sense of the VSP experience.

While VSP made quite the impression to others, my volunteer experience left quite the impression on me. A lot of times, events such as these are basically an opportunity for people to walk by and grab the free giveaways. I didn’t get that sense this time at all. I may have chatted with at least a hundred people during my few hours of staffing the booth, but one person in particular stood out for me. I met an elderly gentleman who didn’t know anything about VSP and when I shared what we were doing at Black Expo (e.g. sharing eye health information, the Mobile Eyes program, job opportunities), he said he knew it was important to go to the doctor every year for a check-up, but he just didn’t have the money and he didn’t think the government was going to fix healthcare with all of their partisanship. I told him about our voucher program and to step inside the mobile clinic to learn more about the program. He emerged a few minutes later with a voucher and list of local VSP providers in hand. He had the biggest grin on his face and thanked me for making his day. I honestly believe the reverse was true … he made my day.

Read more »

Help Save Your Eyes

Blog 4 pictureDid you know that carrots are not the only vegetable that can protect your eyes? Dr. Jennifer Ashton recently discussed some other eye-healthy foods on, “The Early Show.” According to Dr. Ashton, lutein and zeaxanthin are the most beneficial cartenoids for eye health. In fact, there are foods that are good for our eyes and taste delicious, too, that most of us are not even aware of. Below is a list of some of these foods, which promote eye health.

  • Spinach
  • Kale
  • PeasBlog 4 picture_2
  • Zucchini
  • Broccoli
  • Other leafy greens
  • Orange peppers
  • Corn
  • Oranges
  • Honeydew melon
  • Egg yolks

Why is it so important to protect our eyes, you may ask? Dr. Ashton states it in simple logic:

“The thinking is that our eyes age just like other parts of our body, and things like these substances can really make a big difference in preventing things like macular degeneration and cataracts.” Read more »

Studies show nearsightedness is rising as America’s vision gets blurrier

Appearing this morning on Good Morning America, a new study shows that nearsightedness is up 66 percent since the 1970s.

View GMA segment

Screen shot 2009-12-16 at 11.17.15 AM

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Bionic Eye – Testing Phase with Video!

Looks like someone (me) has an addition to a previous post about the bionic eye… CNN created a video package about this new technology, complete with an interview with test patient Barbara Campbell, 56. Take the video for a spin and see the promising results for yourself.

Via CNN

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If Santa Can Make Time for an Eye Exam, You Can Too!

Sara P. is an Account Executive at Altair Eyewear

Sara P. is an Account Executive at Altair Eyewear

It is Christmastime, so much of the conversation in my home lately has revolved around Santa Claus. My son is 5 so he is fascinated by Santa, and that’s primarily because Santa’s going to bring him presents-”Lots and lots of toys” to be exact.

A few days ago I was asked why Santa wears his funny hat. My response was that Santa needs his funny hat because it gets very cold at the North Pole. I pulled out one of our books so we could look at a picture and while we were talking about the hat, I noticed Santa’s glasses and started thinking about how important those glasses are.

First of all, I have seen pictures of Santa without glasses but let’s face it, Santa just isn’t the same without his eyewear. Read more »

Gobble Your Way to Eye Health

Did you know that parts of your Thanksgiving feast help your eyes? Diets high in antioxidants like vitamin A and lutein (which your body converts into an antioxidant) have been connected with lowered rates of macular degeneration and cataracts.sprouts

Here are some harvest favorites that are high in nutrients that support the health of your peepers—and taste great!

  • Sweet potatoes: An excellent source of beta-carotene, which your body converts into the essential anti-oxidant vitamin A. For a refreshingly basic take on these oft over-sweetened veggies, try tossing chunks in olive oil, salt, and pepper and roasting in a hot oven.
  • Pumpkin: With lots of vitamin A and a powerful wallop of beta-carotene and lutein, who needs to feel guilty about a second serving of pumpkin pie?
  • Green beans, brussels sprouts, and broccoli: Each is a good source of lutein and zeaxanthin, which help protect the retina from light damage. To let the flavor of these veggies shine, try them lightly steamed or roasted in the oven.

And don’t forget your leafy greens! The deeper the color, the healthier they are for you and your eyes.

VSP wishes you and yours a happy, healthy, Thanksgiving!

Mahalo from VSP & the Hawaii Optometric Association

Rob T. is a member of VSP's Sales Team

Rob T. is a member of VSP's Sales Team

Rob T. in  VSP’s Hawaii Sales Office shares some recent events VSP participated in with the Hawaii Optometric Association.

If you were out in Hawaii recently, the Children’s Discovery Center in Honolulu was the place to be as VSP partnered with the Hawaii Optometric Association (HOA) to take part in two great community events that brought the importance of vision awareness and fun together.

On September 27, 2009, VSP and HOA hosted “Be Wise To Your Eyes” day. In its second year, the event emphasized the importance of an annual eye exam which parents took to heart after their children participated in free vision screenings by our volunteering doctors. Read more »

STOP Diabetes because …

Picture 34VSP is proud to share personal statements of people who have been impacted by diabetes and are uniting to support the American Diabetes Association’s STOP DIABETES Campaign.

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