eyeClarity Podcast: Recent Episodes
Dr. Sam Berne - Holistic Eye Health
This holistic eye care podcast explores natural ways to prevent and reverse eye diseases like macular degeneration, cataracts, glaucoma, dry-eye syndrome, and more.
What if vision is about far more than seeing clearly?
In this archived talk recorded at Ark Books in Santa Fe, I explore a question that has guided my life’s work: Can our eyes become healthier when we change the way we perceive ourselves and the world?
Listening back, I realized these ideas became the foundation for what I now call Perceptual Ecology—the relationship between vision, the nervous system, movement, awareness, nature, and embodiment.
The ancient story of the blind men and the elephant reminds us that each perspective contains a piece of the truth, but no single viewpoint tells the whole story. The same is true for vision.
Whether you’re interested in holistic eye health, neuroplasticity, cataracts, macular degeneration, children’s vision, posture, movement, or simply living with greater presence, I hope this conversation offers a new way of seeing.
I’d love to hear what resonates with you after you listen.
PerceptualEcology #HolisticVision #VisionHealth #EmbodiedAwareness #Neuroplasticity #MindBodyConnection #NaturalVision #SeeingDifferently #ConsciousLiving #EyeHealth #NervousSystem #Presence #HealingJourney #DrSamBerne #SpotifyPodcast
In this episode, I’m sharing part of a lecture from our practitioner training program on functional anatomy of the eye. Most of what we learn about the eye is structural — naming parts, memorizing terms — but that’s static. Vision is dynamic. It adapts to environmental demands, and it’s deeply integrated with the brain, the vestibular system, and the whole body.
We walk through the eye from the outside in — eyelids, sclera, cornea, iris, pupil, lens, retina, optic nerve, and the eye muscles — but through a functional lens instead of a purely structural one. Along the way I get into:
- Why sclerology (reading the white part of the eye) can reveal liver, gallbladder, and metabolic imbalances
- What pupil dilation patterns tell us about nervous system stress
- How color and light therapy can “wake up” a retina that’s shut down from stress or toxicity
- Strabismus Syndrome — when a child’s eyes tunnel with no medical explanation
- Why eye muscle surgery for strabismus often fails, and what vision therapy offers instead
- The case for short-interval eye patching over long-term patching
- The powerful idea that changing function can change structure — even reversing conditions like cataracts
This is an excerpt from our practitioner training program, so if you’re a parent, OT, or practitioner working with vision, tracking, or learning differences, there’s a lot here to take in.
Can eye exercises improve vision? What causes dry eyes? Is monovision the best solution? And how can nutrition support healthy eyes?
In this episode, Dr. Sam Berne explores practical, holistic approaches to vision improvement, including dry eye relief, monovision, nutritional support, eye exercises, and integrative strategies for maintaining healthy vision.
Whether you’re interested in natural eye care or simply want to better understand how vision works, listen for practical insights that connect the eyes, brain, and body.
Highlights
• Why monovision can increase visual stress
• The real origin of many dry eye symptoms
• Nutritional support for long-term eye health
• Eye exercises for comfort and visual performance
• Alternative perspectives on astigmatism
VisionImprovement #EyeHealth #DryEyes #Astigmatism #EyeExercises #HolisticVision #NaturalVision #VisionTherapy #FunctionalVision #IntegrativeHealth #HealthyEyes #DrSamBerne #PerceptualEcology
I’m sharing a recent interview I did on Ashley Dealye’s podcast because the original release sparked so many thoughtful comments and questions that I wanted to make it available to my own community.
In this wide-ranging conversation, we challenge some of the conventional assumptions about eye care and explore a different way of understanding vision.
We discuss:
• Why eyesight and vision are not the same thing
• The biggest misconceptions about traditional eye care
• My own journey from severe nearsightedness to naturally improving my vision.
And much more!
Can your eyesight actually improve?
In this fascinating conversation, Dr. Sam Berne shares why vision is about far more than reading the eye chart. Drawing on over 45 years of clinical experience, he explains the difference between eyesight and vision, how the brain and body influence perception, and why stress, posture, movement, nutrition, trauma, and the nervous system all play a role in how we see.
Topics include:
• The difference between traditional and holistic eye care
• Dr. Sam’s personal journey from severe nearsightedness to 20/20 vision
• Why glasses may not always address the underlying cause of blurry vision
• Vision therapy and neuroplasticity
• Birth, development, and how vision begins in infancy
• The connection between posture, movement, and eyesight
• Craniosacral therapy and visual function
• Nutrition, inflammation, liver health, and eye wellness
• Cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration, and natural strategies that may support healthy vision*
• Why vision is truly a whole-body process
Whether you’re experiencing blurry vision, eye strain, reading difficulties, or simply want to understand how perception shapes your experience of the world, this conversation offers a refreshing perspective on vision and human potential.
About Dr. Sam Berne
Dr. Sam Berne is a holistic optometrist, filmmaker, storyteller, and creator of Perceptual Ecology™, an approach that explores the relationship between vision, posture, movement, nervous system regulation, and awareness.
This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. Always consult your healthcare provider regarding your individual health needs.
Vision • Holistic Eye Care • Vision Therapy • Natural Vision Improvement • Brain Health • Functional Vision • Eye Exercises • Neuroplasticity • Craniosacral Therapy • Integrative Health • Perceptual Ecology • Wellness • Healthy Aging • Eye Wellness • Nervous System
What if an eyeglass prescription is more than an optical measurement?
In this episode, Dr. Sam Berne explores the deeper meaning behind myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism through the lens of the nervous system. Learn why nearsightedness often reflects patterns of contraction, fear, and hypervigilance, why farsightedness may represent a different adaptive strategy, and how posture, primitive reflexes, trauma, and visual development are woven together.
Rather than seeing vision problems as isolated eye conditions, discover how they can become valuable clues about the body’s relationship to safety, regulation, and perception.
Vision isn’t just about seeing clearly.
It’s about how we experience the world.
Could unresolved trauma be affecting the way you see?
In this episode, Dr. Sam Berne shares a remarkable case of a woman whose headaches, eye strain, and poor night vision weren’t solved by multiple AI-generated eye exams. The missing piece wasn’t sharper eyesight—it was understanding how trauma had changed her visual orientation.
Discover:
Why vision is more than 20/20 eyesight
How trauma can narrow peripheral vision
The surprising role of yoked prisms
Why regulating the nervous system changes perception
Where AI helps—and where it falls short
This conversation explores the intersection of neuroscience, vision, posture, and perception.
Hashtags:
Vision #TraumaHealing #Neuroscience #Perception #BehavioralOptometry #NervousSystem #YokedPrisms #VisionTherapy #EyeHealth #DrSamBerne
Can your vision improve through neuroplasticity?
In this podcast episode, Dr. Sam Berne explores the connection between neuroplasticity, the nervous system, and visual function. Drawing from his recent Vision Sanctuary Retreat, he explains how the brain and visual system stay adaptable throughout life and how certain experiences can stimulate change.
Topics include:
• Neuroplasticity
• The brain, eyes, and nervous system
• Attention, focus, and visual performance
• Fight, flight, freeze, and sensory processing
• Interoception and self-awareness
• Stephen Porges’ Polyvagal Theory and vision
• Clinical experiences with brain injury and special needs patients
• Vision as adaptation and learning
If you’ve ever wondered whether the brain and visual system can change, this episode offers an introduction to neuroplasticity and its practical implications.
Learn more at www.drsamberne.com
Neuroplasticity #VisionHealth #BrainHealth #EyeClarity #DrSamBerne
Can your vision improve as you age?
In this first session of the Vision Reboot Series, Dr. Sam Berne explores a holistic approach to eye health that integrates the eyes, brain, nervous system, movement, nutrition, and awareness.
Topics include:
✅ Macular degeneration (dry and wet AMD)
✅ Geographic atrophy
✅ Cataracts and natural support strategies
✅ Red light therapy and mitochondrial health
✅ Eye nutrition and supplements
✅ Eye-brain differences, stress, trauma, and visual function
✅ Lymphatic drainage, palm humming, and nervous system regulation
✅ Functional and behavioral vision principles
Dr. Berne also guides participants through a simple experiential practice designed to support relaxation, improve visual awareness, and enhance circulation around the eyes.
This episode is ideal for anyone interested in natural vision improvement, holistic eye care, support for macular degeneration, cataract prevention, dry eye relief, and understanding the deeper connection between vision and overall wellness.
Resources:
🌐 Visit: http://www.drsamberne.com
📧 Appointments: appointments@drsamberne.com
Hashtags:
VisionHealth #MacularDegeneration #Cataracts #NaturalVisionImprovement #EyeHealth #HolisticHealth #BehavioralOptometry #RedLightTherapy #PerceptualEcology #DrSamBern
In this episode, Dr. Sam Berne explores the timeless story of The Odyssey as a metaphor for embodiment and the journey back to ourselves. Drawing parallels between Odysseus’ temptations and today’s digital distractions, Sam reflects on why vision, perception, and direct experience matter more than ever in an age of artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and constant stimulation.
The second half of the episode features a live lecture on iridology—an observational practice that examines patterns, colors, and markings in the iris to reveal constitutional tendencies related to metabolism, digestion, stress resilience, personality traits, and overall health. Sam discusses:
The three primary iris constitutions
How the iris reflects inherited strengths and vulnerabilities
Connections between eye patterns, digestion, liver health, lymphatic function, and nervous system regulation
Nutritional and lifestyle strategies to support vitality
Why individualized health approaches matter more than one-size-fits-all recommendations
Whether you’re interested in natural health, embodiment, vision, or understanding yourself more deeply through the eyes, this episode offers a unique perspective on the relationship between perception and well-being.
Links Mentioned:
Clear the Fog (4-week online course) https://www.drsamberne.com/workshop/online-clear-the-fog-a-4-week-course-for-brain-fog-focus-energy-vision/
Beyond the Eyes live workshop https://www.drsamberne.com/workshop/beyond-the-eyes-vision-perception-the-nervous-system/
September Perceptual Ecology Retreat in Northern New Mexico https://www.drsamberne.com/workshop/beyond-the-eyes-vision-perception-the-nervous-system-an-immersive-retreat/
Iridology #Embodiment #PerceptualEcology #VisionHealth #NervousSystem #NaturalHealing #SomaticAwareness #HolisticHealth #DrSamBerne #TheOdyssey
How Perception Can Be Altered Through Orientation and Regulation
Today I am revisiting one of the presentations from the Perceptual Ecology Series.
We will explore the relationship between aromatherapy, the respiratory system, immune resilience, and perception.
When most people think of essential oils, they think of pleasant scents, relaxation, or natural remedies. However, from a Perceptual Ecology perspective, aromatherapy offers something deeper.
The sense of smell is one of the fastest pathways into the nervous system.
Unlike vision, hearing, or touch, smell bypasses many of the brain’s filtering systems and travels directly to areas associated with memory, emotion, survival, and regulation.
This means that aroma has the potential to influence how we orient, how we regulate, and ultimately how we perceive ourselves and the world around us.
Perception is not fixed.
The way we experience ourselves and our environment is influenced by countless factors, including breathing, sensory input, stress levels, movement, and nervous system regulation.
Aromatherapy offers a simple yet powerful way to enhance mental clarity, support emotional balance, and help manage stress by directly engaging our sensory and regulatory systems.
By supporting orientation and regulation, essential oils may help us gain greater clarity, emotional resilience, presence in daily life, and a stronger sense of connection to ourselves and others.
Thank you for joining me for Lecture 3.
Thank you for being here. Enjoy the show
Join Dr. Berne in his upcoming 4 week course:Clear the Fog: A 4-Week Reset for Brain Fog, Focus, Energy & Vision
https://www.drsamberne.com/workshop/online-clear-the-fog-a-4-week-course-for-brain-fog-focus-energy-vision/
Keywords
Iridology, emotional health, eye health, fear, vision therapy, holistic healing, essential oils, health workshops, personal development, natural remedies
Summary
In this conversation, Sam Berne delves into the fascinating world of iridology, exploring how the color and structure of the eyes can reveal insights about physical health, emotional states, and personality traits. He discusses the emotional and energetic language of the eyes, the significance of different eye colors, and the Rayid Method for understanding personality. The conversation also covers practical health recommendations based on eye color, a case study demonstrating iridology in practice, and techniques for addressing fear related to vision loss.
Takeaways
Emotions significantly influence our vision and perception.
Iridology can provide insights into physical and emotional health.
Different eye colors correlate with specific health tendencies.
The Rayid Method connects iris characteristics to personality traits.
Blue-eyed individuals should focus on lymphatic health.
Fear of vision loss can create emotional blockages.
Breath and movement can help release stored fears.
Living foods support lymphatic cleansing and overall health.
Understanding eye health can empower personal healing journeys.
Holistic approaches can enhance both physical and emotional well-being.
Sound bites
“The eyes are the organ of light.”
“Emotional release can improve vision.”
“The eyes hold unspoken stories.”
Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Announcements
02:46 Exploring Iridology
05:21 Emotional and Energetic Language of the Eyes
08:02 Understanding Iridology and Its Applications
11:03 The Rayid Method and Personality Insights
13:44 Constitutional Types in Iridology
17:26 Health Recommendations for Blue-Eyed Individuals
20:03 Health Recommendations for Mixed Iris Individuals
23:20 Health Recommendations for Dark Brown Iris Individuals
27:04 Case Study: Iridology in Practice
33:09 Fear and Vision Reset Exercises
In this episode, Dr. Sam Berne explores the concept of Perceptual Ecology — a framework that views vision as an integrated function of the brain, nervous system, movement, posture, breath, balance, and emotional regulation.
Through patient stories and personal experiences, Dr. Berne explains how symptoms like dizziness, visual overwhelm, headaches, anxiety, and balance problems may arise from disorganization in the nervous system rather than isolated eye dysfunction.
This conversation dives into:
• Functional vision
• Peripheral awareness
• Vestibular regulation
• Somatic movement
• Nervous system safety
• Feldenkrais principles
• Embodied perception
• Orientation and healing
A powerful discussion for anyone interested in holistic vision, nervous system health, neuroplasticity, and embodied healing.
🌐 Learn more at:
www.DrSamBerne.com
PerceptualEcology #FunctionalVision #SomaticHealing #DrSamBerne #Embodiment #VestibularSystem #PeripheralVision #HolisticHealth #Neuroplasticity #MindBodyConnection
Is your vision problem really just about your eyes?
In this episode, Dr. Sam Berne explores how symptoms such as double vision, vertigo, visual overwhelm, brain fog, and difficulty adapting to progressive lenses may reflect nervous system dysregulation.
Through the lens of Perceptual Ecology, Dr. Berne explains the deeper relationship between vision, posture, vestibular function, peripheral awareness, breathing, movement, and sensory regulation.
You’ll discover:
• Why vision is more than eyesight
• How stress impacts perception
• The hidden effects of progressive lenses
• The “Balance Triangle” of orientation and stability
• Why nervous system regulation can influence visual clarity
This episode offers a fresh perspective on functional vision and embodied awareness in today’s overstimulated world.
Our eyes are not broken—they are responding.
In this episode, Dr. Sam Berne answers 10 common vision questions through the lens of Perceptual Ecology, exploring how stress, posture, nervous system patterns, and environment shape how we see.
If you’ve ever wondered why your vision changes, why new glasses feel off, or whether eye exercises really work—this episode will give you a new perspective.
👉 Learn more: https://www.drsamberne.com/workshop/online-clear-the-fog-a-4-week-course-for-brain-fog-focus-energy-vision/
🔖#Vision #EyeHealth #BrainHealth #Wellness #HolisticVision #PerceptualEcology
In this fascinating episode, Dr. Sam Berne explores the powerful world of light and color therapy—how different wavelengths and colors may influence the nervous system, mood, vision, energy, and overall wellbeing.
Drawing from decades of clinical experience and research, Dr. Berne shares historical uses of color healing, modern applications such as red light therapy and migraine relief, the importance of full spectrum light, and how artificial environments may affect health.
He also discusses his experiments using GDV biofield technology and explains practical ways people can begin exploring color therapy in everyday life.
Topics include:
Full spectrum light and vitality
Color frequencies and nervous system regulation
Red light therapy and inflammation
Light, mood, focus, and mental clarity
The pineal gland and circadian health
Vision as more than eyesight
Guided rainbow color healing practices
A thought-provoking conversation on why light may be one of the most overlooked healing tools of our time
In this fascinating episode of The Berne Podcast, Dr. Sam Berne explores a bigger question: Are the eyes separate from the rest of the body—or deeply connected to the brain, nervous system, stress patterns, and overall health?
Dr. Berne shares his perspective on how modern habits, screen use, artificial light, stress, posture, and lifestyle may influence vision. He also discusses natural ways to support visual function and why some people may be able to improve how they see.
Topics include:
• Morning sunlight and eye health
• Screen fatigue and distance focusing breaks
• Red light and mitochondrial support
• Why stress may affect vision clarity
• LASIK, cataract surgery, and adaptation
• Reading glasses and aging eyes
• Peripheral vision and nervous system regulation
• Blue light glasses: hype vs reality
• How the eyes reflect whole-body health
• Dr. Berne’s personal journey reversing myopia
This episode invites you to rethink eyesight—not as an isolated problem, but as part of a living, adaptive system.
To learn more about Dr. Berne’s courses, membership, and educational programs visit:
www.drsamberne.com
VisionHealth #EyeHealth #NaturalVision #HolisticHealth #DrSamBerne #BrainHealth #NervousSystem #BlueLight #ScreenFatigue #RedLightTherapy #Myopia #LASIK #Cataracts #ReadingGlasses #FunctionalVision #MindBodyConnection #PerceptualEcology #HealthPodcast #WellnessPodcast #TheBernePodcast
In this episode, I share a recent presentation from the Real Truth About Health Conference, where I explore a different way of understanding vision.
Most people have been taught that vision lives in the eyes.
But vision is much more than that.
It’s a dynamic process involving your brain, body, and nervous system—and when these systems fall out of sync, your vision begins to change.
In this talk, I cover:
• Why stronger glasses often don’t solve the problem
• The difference between eyesight and true vision
• How stress and the nervous system affect what you see
• Why blur, eye strain, and coordination issues develop
• The connection between vision, movement, and balance
• How trauma and life experiences shape your visual system
• A new framework: Orientation → Regulation → Perception → Clarity
This is not about quick fixes.
It’s about understanding vision at a deeper level—so real change becomes possible.
If you’d like to explore this work more deeply, I’m offering a live 4-week online program:
Beyond the Eyes: Rewiring Vision Through the Body and Brain
📅 Starts April 11
🕙 10:00–11:00 AM MT (recordings included)
There are a few spots remaining.
You can learn more and register here:: https://www.drsamberne.com/workshop/beyond-the-eyes-rewiring-vision-through-the-body-and-brain-online-course/
Why do so many vision improvement programs only work temporarily?
In this episode, Dr. Sam Berne explores the deeper reason most approaches fail—and what’s actually missing.
Vision is not just about the eyes. It’s a dynamic process shaped by the brain, body, and nervous system. When your system is dysregulated, your perception narrows—and your vision follows.
Dr. Berne introduces a new framework for understanding vision through regulation, awareness, and integration.
Learn more and join the live course starting April 11:
Beyond the Eyes: Rewiring Vision Through the Body and Brain
👉 https://www.drsamberne.com/workshop/beyond-the-eyes-rewiring-vision-through-the-body-and-brain-online-course/
Your vision is adapting—not failing.
vision improvement, eye health, nervous system regulation, brain and vision, somatic healing, neuroplasticity, holistic vision, stress and eyesight, functional vision, perception
Your vision is not just in your eyes—it’s shaped by your brain, your body, and your nervous system.
In this episode, Dr. Sam Berne explores the deeper truth of neuroplasticity and how your visual system can change, adapt, and reorganize at any age. Drawing from decades of clinical experience and somatic vision work, he explains why traditional eye care often misses the bigger picture—and what actually creates lasting change.
You’ll discover:
How neuroplasticity influences vision improvement
The role of the nervous system and “fluid body” in seeing clearly
Why stress and survival patterns narrow perception
How shifting from fight-flight-freeze into regulation expands visual awareness
This is not a fix-it model. This is a reorientation of how you see—and how you live.
If you’re ready to go deeper, join Dr. Berne’s upcoming live experience:
👉 Beyond the Eyes: Rewiring Vision Through the Body and Brain
https://www.drsamberne.com/workshop/beyond-the-eyes-rewiring-vision-through-the-body-and-brain-online-course/
4-week live online course Starts April 11th
$297 per person
What if your eyes stop working together unnoticed?
In this episode of The Berne Podcast, Dr. Sam Berne shares a powerful case from a recent Vision Intensive that reveals a hidden, often-overlooked pattern in vision problems—what he calls “split vision.”
This pattern can show up as:
- declining peripheral awareness
- depth perception issues
- imbalance and instability
- frustration with “normal” eye exams that offer no real answers
You’ll hear how one patient—after being told “there’s nothing more we can do”—discovered that her eyes were functioning in completely different ways:
- one eye over-focusing and gripping
• the other disengaging and under-participating
Dr. Berne explains how this binocular imbalance affects not just eyesight but also the entire nervous system, spatial orientation, and a sense of safety in the body.
He also explores why progressive lenses, while commonly prescribed, can sometimes make these patterns worse:
“For some visual systems, progressive lenses can function like a straitjacket.”
You’ll learn about a simple but powerful intervention—the Magic Eye exercise—and how it helped restore cooperation between the eyes and awaken peripheral awareness.
But this episode goes far beyond the eyes.
Dr. Berne shares a whole-body model of vision, highlighting how visual function relates to:
- nutrition and metabolic health
- Liver function and retinal support
- the body’s ability to relax and perceive
🔑 Key TakeawayVision is not just about clarity.
It’s about how your brain organizes space, movement, and perception.
And when the eyes begin working together again, the world doesn’t just look different—
…it feels different.
📩 Call to ActionIf you’re interested in exploring your own vision, email appointments@drsamberne.com with the subject line: Perception. State your interest or questions, and the team will provide the next steps for scheduling or information. (limited availability)
- Vision Intensives
- Beyond The Eyes: Rewiring Vision Through the Body and Brain– April Online Course
- Upcoming Retreats
VisionHealth #HolisticVision #EyeHealth #Neuroplasticity #PeripheralVision #VisionTherapy #DrSamBerne #FunctionalVision #NervousSystem #BrainHealth #Perception #HolisticHealth
I
Why do stronger glasses sometimes make vision worse?
In this episode of The Berne Podcast, Dr. Sam Berne explores a fascinating case that reveals the limits of AI-driven eye exams.
Modern autorefractors and artificial intelligence systems optimize one variable: visual acuity.
But the human visual system prioritizes something far more important: safety and spatial stability.
Through the story of Catherine, Dr. Berne explains how yoked prisms can rebalance the brain’s spatial orientation system and restore nervous system regulation.
Topics discussed in this episode:
• AI refraction and automated eye exams
• Right-eye suppression and trauma patterns
• The neuroscience of the superior colliculus
• Peripheral vision and nervous system regulation
• Why some vision therapies can dysregulate patients
• How yoked prisms shift spatial perception
This episode reveals why vision is not just optical — it is neurological, emotional, and spatial.
If you’d like to explore this work further:
Dr. Berne is currently offering:
• Perceptual Cohort (begins March 18)
• Private Vision Intensives (limited availability)
• New Mexico Retreat – September
For information email:
📩 appointments@drsamberne.com
In this conversation, holistic optometrist Dr. Sam Berne explores the deeper connection between vision, the nervous system, and whole-body health. Drawing from decades of clinical experience, Dr. Berne explains how nutrition, essential oils, trauma patterns, and energetic therapies influence eye function and perception.
The discussion also dives into emerging tools such as biofield analysis, GDV energy imaging, prism therapy, and craniosacral techniques. Dr. Berne shares practical exercises and holistic strategies people can use to support eye health, improve visual clarity, and better understand the mind-body connection involved in healing vision.
—
Keywords
holistic eye health, vision therapy, Dr Sam Berne, essential oils for eyes, GDV camera, biofield therapy, radionics healing, craniosacral therapy, trauma and vision, prism therapy, natural vision improvement
—
Key Topics
• Holistic approaches to improving eye health
• Nutrition and lifestyle factors that support vision
• Essential oils and hydrosols for eye wellness
• Biofield therapy, radionics, and energetic healing
• GDV camera and energy field imaging
• The relationship between trauma, stress, and vision
• Prism therapy and neuroplasticity exercises
—
Guest
Dr. Sam Berne – Holistic Optometrist and Founder of Functional Vision Integrative Body™ (FVIB)
—
Key Frameworks
• Biofield Therapy
• Radionics Healing
• GDV Bioelectrography (Aura Imaging)
• Prism Therapy for Neural Integration
—
Actionable Insights
• Practice daily eye exercises to improve visual coordination
• Support eye health with nutrient-rich foods like blueberries
• Explore aromatherapy oils such as frankincense and carrot seed
• Consider holistic therapies that address the nervous system and energy body
• Use prism exercises to support brain-eye communication and neuroplasticity
—
Sound Bites
• “My latest book is called Vital Vision.”
• “Blueberries are one of the best foods for night vision.”
• “Trauma can freeze your eyes and narrow your visual field.”
—
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Vital Vision and Dr. Berne’s work
02:22 Nutrition strategies for eye health
04:56 Biofield analysis and energy healing
07:16 Dolphin-assisted therapy and healing experiences
10:07 Aromatherapy and essential oils for eye health
15:01 Trauma and its impact on vision
19:40 Glasses, eye exercises, and natural vision improvement
24:54 Prism therapy and neuroplasticity exercises
“Vision does not fail in isolation. It reorganizes based on the ecology it lives in.”–Dr. Sam Berne
In this excerpt from the Vision Reboot Seminar, Dr. Sam Berne explores vision through the lens of Perceptual Ecology — the understanding that seeing is not merely an optical event, but a whole-body, nervous-system mediated process.
Vision changes when its ecology changes.
In this episode, we examine:
• The therapeutic role of red light as biological signaling
• How to select appropriate red light wavelengths and devices
• Why acupuncture influences visual processing through meridian-nervous system pathways
• Craniosacral therapy and its impact on ocular motility and fluid dynamics
• The importance of lymphatic stimulation for retinal and orbital health
• Foundational principles of aromatherapy — scent as neurological regulation
Rather than treating isolated symptoms, Perceptual Ecology asks a different question:
What environment does your vision live in?
Light, touch, breath, scent, circulation, and emotional tone all shape perception. When these elements are supported coherently, vision often reorganizes in unexpected ways.
This episode is an invitation to rethink eye health as a living system — responsive, adaptable, ecological.
Dr. Berne now works as a Perceptual Educator, offering immersive seminars and private intensives that address the root ecology of perception.
Perceptual Ecology
Vision Reboot
Red light therapy
Nervous system regulation
Acupuncture and vision
Craniosacral therapy
Lymphatic drainage
Aromatherapy principles
Holistic vision
Functional vision
Light therapy
Somatic perception
Biofield and vision
Whole body healing
Natural eye health
Join Dr. Berne’s Online Class starting March 18th: https://www.drsamberne.com/workshop/the-perceptual-field/
Join Dr. Berne’s
Retreat: https://www.drsamberne.com/workshop/beyond-the-eyes-vision-perception-the-nervous-system-an-immersive-retreat/
Keywords
vision, perception, essential oils, health, nervous system, aromatherapy, holistic healing, eye care, self-regulation, wellness
Summary
In this conversation, Sam Berne discusses the intricate relationship between vision, perception, and holistic health. He emphasizes the importance of understanding vision problems as not merely eye-related issues but as reflections of broader nervous system imbalances. The discussion also highlights the role of essential oils in promoting eye health and the need for a deeper connection with our sensory experiences.
takeaways
Vision problems are more than just issues with the eye.
The nervous system plays a crucial role in vision health.
Essential oils can support eye health and relaxation.
Self-regulation skills are vital for managing stress and trauma.
Aromatherapy can enhance our sensory experiences.
Horizon vision time is beneficial for eye health.
Understanding the body-eye connection is essential.
Vision care should focus on long-term health, not just symptoms.
The quality of essential oils matters for safety and effectiveness.
Experiencing our vision in relation to our body is key.
Sound bites
“Vision problems are more than in the eye.”
“Horizon vision time can help our eyes.”
“It’s really a long-term process.”
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Vision and Perception
02:41 Understanding Vision Problems
08:56 The Connection Between Eyes and Nervous System
13:24 Essential Oils for Vision Care
Join Dr. Berne’s Next Online Workshop: The Perceptual Field™ Seeing Clearly Under Pressure Vision, Pattern Recognition & the Nervous System A 4-Session Small-Group Immersion with Dr. Sam Berne
Link: https://www.drsamberne.com/workshop/the-perceptual-field/
Join Dr. Berne For His Only In-Person Workshop in 2026, Beyond the Eyes
Vision, Perception & the Nervous System — An Immersive Retreat: A 3.5-Day Small-Group Immersion Exploring Vision as a Whole-Body, Nervous-System-Driven Process. A Perceptual Ecology Immersion at a coastal field experience in embodied seeing
Link: https://www.drsamberne.com/workshop/beyond-the-eyes-vision-perception-the-nervous-system-an-immersive-retreat/
Generation Alpha is the first generation born fully into the digital age.
Screens from infancy. Online learning as normal.
AI as background noise.
But what is this doing to their nervous systems — and their perception?
In this episode, I talk about how Generation Alpha is growing up visually overstimulated yet perceptually underdeveloped —
and why the future of health lies not in more information, but in embodied regulation.
Through the lens of FVIB™ (Functional Vision Integrative Body), I discuss
why breathing, movement, posture, primitive reflex integration, and visual awareness are essential tools for raising regulated humans in a dysregulated world.
This is not about fear of technology. It’s about reclaiming perception.
Welcome to The Berne Podcast.
Today I want to talk about Generation Alpha —
the children born roughly from 2010 onward —
and why I believe they are the most neurologically challenged and potentially the most perceptually gifted generation we’ve ever seen.
BREATH
And I want to connect this to my work as a perceptual educator and the framework of FVIB™ — Functional Vision Integrative Body.
Because what we’re seeing isn’t just an attention issue.
It’s a regulation issue.
Who is Generation Alpha?
Generation Alpha is the first generation born into:
• iPads from infancy
• streaming as normal
• online learning
• algorithm and content
• AI integration
They have never known a world without screens.
And here’s what concerns me — not from a fear perspective — but from a physiological one:
Their nervous systems are developing inside constant visual stimulation.
That changes perception.
The Core Problem: Overstimulation + Under-Regulation
These children are:
• visually hyper-stimulated
• vestibularly under-challenged
• physically less integrated
• breathing more shallowly
• spending less time in horizon-based environments
And when you combine that with reduced nitric oxide production from chronic mouth breathing and indoor living, you begin to see:
• attention instability
• anxiety
• sensory overwhelm
• learning challenges
• sleep dysregulation
This is not pathology.
It is adaptation.
But adaptation comes with cost.
Why This Is a Perceptual Issue
In FVIB™, we look at:
• eye-body coordination
• primitive reflex integration
• breathing patterns
• lymphatic flow
• posture
• light exposure
• nervous system tone
Vision is not just eyesight.
Vision is how the brain organizes experience.
And if a child’s visual system is constantly locked into near-field screen engagement, the brain adapts accordingly.
Peripheral awareness narrows.
Breathing becomes shallow.
Sympathetic tone increases.
The body lives in mild threat mode.
Nitric Oxide + Oxygenation
Let me connect something important here.
When children:
• breathe through the mouth
• live indoors
• have minimal nasal breathing
• experience chronic stress
Nitric oxide levels tend to drop.
Nitric oxide is essential for:
• vasodilation
• oxygen delivery
• cerebral perfusion
• immune regulation
Low nitric oxide doesn’t “cause” disease — but it contributes to poor oxygen delivery to brain tissue.
Over time that stresses cognition.
You see this in sleep apnea patterns,
attention instability,
and even early metabolic changes.
Breathing matters.
Nasal breathing matters.
Movement matters.
What Generation Alpha Actually Needs
Not more content.
Not more apps.
They need:
• horizon-based visual engagement—let me explain
WHAT IS Horizon-Based Vision Engagement (HBVE)
Horizon-based vision engagement simply means letting your eyes rest on far-distance, wide-field views— the natural horizon — instead of locking into close, narrow, screen-based focus.
Think: mountains, ocean, desert, long trails, ski slopes, open fields.
Not staring — soft, panoramic seeing.
Why it matters (in plain physiology)
When you engage the horizon:
🧠 Your brain shifts out of “task mode”
Near vision (screens, books, phones) activates focused attention and sympathetic tone.
Far vision activates global awareness and parasympathetic regulation.
Translation: your system feels safer.
👀 Your visual system rebalances
Horizon viewing:
• relaxes the eye muscles
• restores peripheral awareness
• improves eye–body coordination
• reduces visual fatigue
This is the opposite of tunnel vision.
🌬 Your breathing deepens naturally
Wide visual fields reflexively encourage slower, fuller breaths.
That supports:
• nitric oxide production in the nasal passages
• better oxygen delivery
• calmer heart rhythm
You don’t have to try — the body does it automatically.
🧍 Your posture reorganizes
People subtly stand taller when looking far away.
That improves:
• spinal alignment
• vestibular input
• lymphatic flow
It’s built-in somatic therapy.
Why this is especially important now
Modern life trains:
• constant near focus
• narrow visual fields
• indoor lighting
• seated posture
Over time that creates:
• sensory overload
• shallow breathing
• attention instability
• nervous-system vigilance
Horizon engagement reverses that pattern.
It’s free regulation.
How to practice (2–5 minutes at a time)
You already do this intuitively with skiing, desert walks, and mountains — but here’s a simple version anyone can use:
🌿 The “Soft Horizon” practice
1. Stand or sit upright.
-
Let your gaze travel to the farthest point you can see.
-
Relax your eyes — don’t focus on one object.
-
Let your peripheral vision widen.
- Take 3–5 slow breaths.
That’s it.
Do this:
• outside whenever possible
• between computer sessions
• after emotional conversations
• when you feel overstimulated
Two minutes makes a difference.
MY QUOTE
“Horizon-based vision tells the nervous system there is space. And when the nervous system feels space, it starts to heal.”
That’s the essence.
Children need adults who do this practice already Adults can then help children become better regulated.
Where FVIB™ Fits
Functional Vision Integrative Body is not about diagnosing.
It’s about educating.
Teaching:
• how the eyes relate to posture
• how breathing affects focus
• how reflexes shape behavior
• how light affects mood
• how movement restores coherence
For Generation Alpha, this is foundational.
If we don’t teach perceptual integration, we risk raising children who are brilliant with technology but disconnected from their bodies.
That’s not a moral statement.
That’s a physiological observation.
A Hopeful Note
Here’s the good news.
Generation Alpha is incredibly adaptive.
Their pattern recognition is high.
Their tech fluency is extraordinary.
If we combine that with embodied regulation, we get something powerful.
They could be the most integrated generation yet — if adults guide them properly.
But that requires us to shift from:
“More information”
to
“Better integration.”
Closing
If you are a parent, educator, therapist, or simply someone interested in the future of human perception, this is the work.
We must teach children not just how to consume the world —
but how to regulate within it.
The eyes are the gateway.
Breath is the bridge.
The body is the anchor.
This is why perceptual education matters.
And this is why the future of health is not just medical.
It is neurological, relational, and embodied.
Thanks for TUNING IN, UNTIL NEXT TIME. TAKE CARE,
.
Welcome to The Berne Podcast.
I’m Dr. Sam Berne.
Today I want to talk about something that surprises a lot of people.
Why do some people feel worse when they try to relax?
They meditate.
They lie down.
They do breathwork.
They get massage.
And instead of feeling better, they feel:
• dizzy
• foggy
• emotional
• disconnected
• heavy
• or strangely unsettled
Most people assume that means something is wrong with them.
But very often, it doesn’t.
It means their nervous system doesn’t need relaxation.
It needs regulation.
Those are not the same thing.
⸻
SEGMENT 1 — RELAXATION VS REGULATION
Let’s clarify this first.
Relaxation usually means:
• slowing down
• becoming passive
• reducing effort
• letting go
Regulation is different.
Regulation means:
• organized input
• coherent movement
• balanced sensory information
• a felt sense of safety
• connection between body and brain
Relaxation can sometimes lead to collapse.
Regulation leads to coherence.
And for sensitive nervous systems, collapse feels terrible.
⸻
SEGMENT 2 — WHY SOME PEOPLE FEEL WORSE WHEN THEY “RELAX”
Here’s what I see clinically.
Many people are living in chronic sympathetic activation — always on, always alert, always processing.
So when they suddenly stop:
• lie still
• close their eyes
• slow their breathing
their system doesn’t experience relief.
It experiences loss of orientation.
The brain loses reference points.
The vestibular system gets confused.
The body doesn’t know where it is in space.
That can show up as:
• dizziness
• drifting sensations
• emotional flooding
• fatigue
• or a sense of disappearing
That’s not healing.
That’s nervous-system disorganization.
⸻
SEGMENT 3 — SENSITIVE SYSTEMS NEED ORGANIZED INPUT
This is especially true for people who are:
• intuitive
• perceptually sensitive
• highly empathic
• creative
• or have spent years taking care of others
These nervous systems don’t respond well to passive interventions.
They need:
• gentle rhythmic movement
• bilateral coordination
• distance vision
• light resistance
• agency — meaning you choose the pace
In other words:
They need participation, not collapse.
They need engagement, not shutdown.
⸻
SEGMENT 4 — COMMON EXAMPLES
You might recognize this if you’ve ever:
• felt worse after yoga
• gotten foggy after meditation
• felt disconnected after massage
• crashed after a “relaxing” weekend
• or become emotional when you finally slow down
That doesn’t mean those practices are bad.
It means they weren’t matched to your nervous system at that moment.
Healing is not about forcing calm.
It’s about restoring organization.
⸻
SEGMENT 5 — WHAT REAL REGULATION FEELS LIKE
Real regulation usually feels like:
• warmth returning to your body
• clearer thinking
• easier breathing
• smoother movement
• a sense of being present
• feeling more like yourself
Not floaty.
Not collapsed.
Not spaced out.
More embodied.
More here.
That’s coherence.
⸻
SEGMENT 6 — PRACTICAL GUIDANCE
Here’s something simple you can start noticing:
After something you do — movement, therapy, rest, or even a conversation — ask yourself:
Do I feel more embodied…
or more disconnected?
Do I feel clearer…
or foggier?
Do I feel more myself…
or less?
Your nervous system gives feedback immediately.
That’s your compass.
And here’s an important principle:
If something costs you regulation, it’s not aligned.
No matter how “good” it’s supposed to be.
⸻
SEGMENT 7 — THIS IS NOT ABOUT FIXING YOUR BODY
I don’t believe in fixing bodies.
I believe in restoring relationship.
Relationship between:
• your nervous system
• your movement
• your perception
• your environment
Healing happens when the system feels safe enough to reorganize itself.
Not when we impose calm from the outside.
⸻
CLOSING + INVITATION
If you’ve been feeling confused by your symptoms…
If relaxation hasn’t been helping…
If you sense that your nervous system needs something different…
This is exactly the kind of work I do privately.
In Vision Intensives, I help people restore nervous-system coherence, perceptual clarity, and embodied regulation.
Not through quick fixes.
Through listening to how your system actually works.
And remember:
Your body isn’t failing you.
It’s communicating.
Trust that.
To learn more about Dr. Berne’s Vision Intensives send us an e-mail: appointments@drsamberne.com
To join Dr. Berne’s March Online Workshop go to: https://www.drsamberne.com/workshop/the-perceptual-field/
To sign up for Dr. Berne’s In-Person Retreat go to: https://www.drsamberne.com/workshop/beyond-the-eyes-vision-perception-the-nervous-system-an-immersive-retreat/
In this episode, Dr. Sam Berne explores why some people feel dizzy, foggy, or disconnected when they try to relax — and why this is often not an ear problem or aging issue, but a brainstem prediction response. You’ll learn how vision, motion, and nervous system safety are deeply connected, why relaxation can trigger protective shutdown in sensitive systems, and how gentle, choice-based sensory work can help restore stability. This episode reframes dizziness as a perceptual and neurological pattern — not weakness — and offers a new understanding of how the brain and eyes work together to create a sense of safety.
Keywords vision, dizziness, brainstem, nervous system, relaxation, perception, sensory input, eye health, somatic movement, meditation Summary In this episode, Dr. Sam Berne explores the intricate relationship between vision, the nervous system, and the experience of dizziness. He discusses how relaxation can sometimes lead to feelings of dizziness due to the brainstem’s protective mechanisms. The conversation emphasizes the importance of understanding the brain’s predictions about safety and movement, and how vision plays a crucial role in regulating our nervous system. Dr. Berne offers insights into practical tools for improving vision and overall well-being. Takeaways The vision intensive helps explore your vision and nervous system. Relaxation can sometimes trigger dizziness due to brainstem responses. Dizziness may be a protective mechanism of the nervous system. The brainstem assesses safety and control in movement. Vision is interconnected with bodily sensations and safety. Meditation can lead to feelings of dizziness if not approached correctly. Gentle sensory input can help stabilize vision and movement. Peripheral awareness is crucial for reducing visual overwhelm. Reconnecting the brain and body can improve vision. Understanding the brain’s predictions can enhance relaxation experiences. Sound bites “When relaxation makes you dizzy.” “Are my eyes connected to my body?” “Your system is not broken.” Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Vision and Relaxation 01:56 Understanding Dizziness and the Brainstem Connection 04:40 The Role of Vision in Nervous System Regulation
If you would like to book a Vision and Nervous System Reset Intensive (1 on 1) with Dr. Berne, send us an e-mail: appointments@drsamberne.com
To register for my upcoming online course called the Perceptual Field starting March 18th : https://www.drsamberne.com/workshop/the-perceptual-field/
To register for my in-person retreat in September : https://www.drsamberne.com/workshop/beyond-the-eyes-vision-perception-the-nervous-system-an-immersive-retreat/
Keywords
vision therapy, eye health, neuroplasticity, holistic approaches, red light therapy, blue light dangers, progressive lenses, nutrition, functional vision, Sam Berne
Summary
In this episode, Sam Berne shares his personal journey with vision therapy, discussing the transformative effects of holistic approaches to eye care. He emphasizes the importance of neuroplasticity, nutrition, and the dangers of blue light, while also debunking myths surrounding progressive lenses. The conversation explores various therapies, including red light therapy, and offers practical tips for maintaining eye health.
Takeaways
Sam Berne’s journey from needing glasses to improving his vision through therapy.
The significance of neuroplasticity in vision improvement.
Red light therapy can enhance cellular energy and improve eyesight.
Blue light from screens can damage eye tissue and lead to degeneration.
Progressive lenses may worsen macular degeneration by limiting vision use.
Holistic approaches to eye care include nutrition and lifestyle changes.
Artificial lighting can negatively impact mood and health.
Functional vision assessments are crucial for understanding eye health.
Dietary changes can significantly improve eye conditions like AMD.
Regular exposure to natural sunlight is beneficial for eye health.
Sound bites
“The eyes originate from the brain.”
“Blue light is like a toxin.”
“Artificial light is like artificial food.”
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Vision Therapy and Personal Journey
04:01 Sam’s Personal Story and Transformation
10:03 Holistic Approaches to Eye Care
12:59 Understanding Eye Health and Nutrition
18:04 Neuroplasticity and Vision Improvement
22:02 Red Light Therapy and Its Benefits
26:27 The Dangers of Blue Light
33:07 The Myths of Progressive Lenses
39:56 Functional Vision vs. Structural Eye Care
46:34 Practical Tips for Eye Health
Sam Berne (00:01.486)
Hey everyone, welcome to the podcast today. So the title of this podcast is the perception lineage and why my work is different. I’d like to address a question that keeps coming up. Where does my work sit in relation to David Abram, Ian McIlchrist, Merleau Ponte and indigenous perception traditions? I’m clearly in the same
territory, but I also do something very different. I don’t just describe perception. I restore it. Here’s my main premise. Perception is retrainable. It’s relational and it’s resolvable through our nervous system. Vision isn’t just optical. Vision is the nervous system.
organizing itself around reality and it does so through the body. David Abram is a perceptual poet.
He re-enchants the sensory system. He reminds us that the world is alive, responsive and participatory. But he’s not doing nervous system rehabilitation. He restores meaning. I restore capacity. McGillchrist is the master diagnostician for restoring attention. He shows us
how the culture collapses perception into a narrow focus.
Sam Berne (01:50.05)
And he gives us the map of cultural injury. My work takes the next step when somebody asks, okay, how do I get my depth back? Merleau-Ponty gives us our truth back that perception is embodied. He says it’s not just a mental construct, but he doesn’t give any practices. My work takes the
theory of embodiment and puts it into different practices, your biology, your physiology, your ocular motility, your perception, your memory and your nervous system safety.
Indigenous traditions are relational. They understand the field. They can look at the big picture, the wide vision. Respectfully, I’m not here to take their symbols or rituals. I’m here to restore your biology, which makes perception relational again. Three-dimensional vision, slow nonlinear movement.
Breath.
safety and sensory reciprocity. Here’s the cleanest way to say it. Abram restores the sacredness of perception.
Sam Berne (03:25.666)
McIlchrist emphasizes the importance of attention. Merleau-Ponty emphasizes the importance of embodiment. Indigenous cultures restore relational seeing.
And I restore the perceptual field through the nervous system. And this makes vision alive again. I observed that vision is a lived experience through the body.
If you’re experiencing your vision tense, braced, rushed, defended, tight, narrow, you’re not broken. You’re describing a perceptual field that’s under stress. Just know that your vision can be restored. So that’s our show for today. I want to thank you so much for tuning in. Remember, vision is more than eyesight.
It’s a whole body experience.
🎙️“Welcome to The Berne Podcast.
I’m Dr. Sam Berne, and this is a space where we explore perception, technology, health, and what it really means to be human in a rapidly changing world.
This isn’t about trends for the sake of trends — it’s about understanding how our nervous systems, our vision, and our decision-making are being shaped right now.
In today’s episode, I want to share my 2026 view on Artificial Intelligence — not from hype or fear, but from the lens of perception.
Because the real question isn’t how intelligent AI is becoming.
It’s how well we are perceiving while using it.”
-
Framing the Conversation (2–3 minutes)
“Most conversations about AI focus on power, speed, and intelligence.
But intelligence alone has never guaranteed wisdom.
In my work with vision and nervous systems, I’ve seen something very clear:
When perception is distorted, even highly intelligent systems make poor decisions.
That applies to humans — and it applies to how humans use AI.” -
The Core Shift Coming in 2026 (3–4 minutes)
“By 2026, AI will be everywhere:
• embedded in workflows
• decision-support systems
• creative tools
• diagnostics
• education
• business strategy
t
AI in 2026: Where It’s Actually Showing Up (and Why Perception Matters) -
Embedded in Workflows
“By 2026, AI won’t feel like a separate tool you open.
It’ll be embedded directly into workflows.
Email platforms will suggest responses.
CRMs will predict next actions.
Scheduling systems will optimize time automatically.
Content systems will pre-shape messaging.
The danger here isn’t dependence — it’s unquestioned momentum.
When AI is embedded, decisions happen faster than perception can catch up.
And if your nervous system is already in urgency, you stop asking:
‘Is this actually the right move?’
AI will move the river faster.
Perception determines whether you’re steering or just being carried.” -
Decision-Support Systems
“Decision-support systems sound helpful — and they can be.
AI will analyze patterns, risks, probabilities, and outcomes faster than any human team.
But here’s what I’ve seen over decades:
Under stress, humans outsource judgment too quickly.
If perception is narrowed, AI outputs become authority instead of input.
Good decision-making doesn’t come from more data.
It comes from contextual awareness.
In 2026, the leaders who thrive will use AI as a second nervous system — not a replacement for discernment.” -
Creative Tools
“AI is already reshaping creativity.
Writing, music, video, design — all accelerated.
But creativity doesn’t come from speed.
It comes from signal.
When perception is overstimulated, creativity becomes derivative.
AI makes it easy to generate — but harder to feel what matters.
The future creative edge won’t be who produces the most.
It’ll be who can still sense resonance, timing, and emotional truth.
AI can generate content.
Only humans can perceive meaning.” -
Diagnostics
“In diagnostics — medical, behavioral, business — AI will be astonishingly good at pattern recognition.
But diagnosis without perception becomes mislabeling.
I’ve watched this happen in healthcare for years.
AI can identify correlations.
It cannot feel context, trauma, adaptation, or resilience.
Without perceptual intelligence, diagnostics risk becoming faster ways to miss the point.
The best use of AI in diagnostics will be as a mirror, not a verdict.” -
Education
“Education will be transformed.
AI tutors.
Personalized learning paths.
Instant feedback.
Adaptive testing.
But learning doesn’t happen when the nervous system is overloaded.
Perception narrows under pressure.
Curiosity collapses.
Integration stops.
The real question in 2026 education won’t be:
‘How fast can we teach?’
It’ll be:
‘Can the learner’s nervous system stay open while learning?’
Education that ignores perception will produce information — not wisdom.” -
Business Strategy
“AI will increasingly shape business strategy.
Market predictions.
Customer behavior modeling.
Operational optimization.
But strategy isn’t just analysis.
It’s orientation.
Under stress, organizations mistake speed for clarity.
AI amplifies this.
The most successful businesses won’t be the most automated.
They’ll be the most perceptually literate.
They’ll know when to pause.
When to widen the field.
When to let things dissolve instead of forcing resolution.
AI will reward those who understand timing — not just data.”
Closing Bridge Line (Use Before Your Final Point)
“So across workflows, decisions, creativity, diagnostics, education, and strategy…
AI doesn’t eliminate human responsibility.
It magnifies it.
The question isn’t:
‘What can AI do?’
It’s:
‘Can we perceive clearly enough to use it well?’”
If you want next, I can:
• compress this into a 12-minute solo episode
• create 1–2 minute clip scripts for LinkedIn or Instagram
• or write a second episode: “Why AI Makes Nervous System Regulation a Business Skill”
Just say where you want to take it.
The novelty will be gone.
What will matter is how AI is being used, not whether it’s being used.
And here’s the key insight:
👉 AI amplifies perception — accurate or distorted.
If your perception is narrow, rushed, or stress-driven, AI will accelerate bad assumptions.
If your perception is grounded, regulated, and contextual, AI becomes an extraordinary ally.”
-
The Nervous System Problem No One Is Talking About (4–5 minutes)
“One of the biggest blind spots in AI conversations is the human nervous system.
We’re introducing faster tools into systems that are already overstimulated.
Stress narrows perception.
Urgency collapses context.
Trauma conditions interpretation.
This is why smart people — and smart companies — misread situations while using powerful tools.
AI doesn’t slow you down.
It speeds you up.
And speed without perceptual accuracy creates distortion.” -
VR, Glasses & the Visual Frontier (3–4 minutes)
“We also need to talk about VR and visual technology.
VR glasses and immersive environments are advancing rapidly — and they’re not neutral.
Vision is a regulator of the nervous system.
What you see changes how you feel, orient, and decide.
In 2026, the conversation won’t just be about screen time — it will be about:
• visual load
• perceptual narrowing
• dissociation vs embodiment
• loss of peripheral awareness
Technology that collapses the visual field too much, too fast, without regulation, will increase anxiety and cognitive fatigue — even if the content is ‘useful.’” -
The New Metric: Perceptual Intelligence (3–4 minutes)
“The future won’t be divided between people who use AI and people who don’t.
It will be divided between:
• those who can perceive clearly under pressure
• and those who can’t
Perceptual intelligence — the ability to sense context, regulate timing, and widen awareness — will matter more than raw IQ, credentials, or tools.
AI will not replace human intuition.
But it will expose whether intuition is grounded… or reactive.”
“So here’s my 2026 view:
The real risk of AI is not that it becomes too intelligent.
It’s that humans don’t slow down enough to perceive accurately while using it.
The future belongs to people who can:
• regulate their nervous systems
• widen perception
• tolerate uncertainty
• and let clarity emerge instead of forcing resolution
AI doesn’t create wisdom.
Perception does.”
Join our upcoming events:
Aromatherapy Certification Online Course: January 28th
The Perceptual Field Online Course: March 18th
Beyond the Eyes, Vision, Perception and the Nervous System–an -in-person retreat: September 10th
Link: https://www.drsamberne.com/workshop/
Sam Berne (00:00.078)
Hey everyone, welcome to the program today. So I want to talk about slowing down is not what you think it is and I’m referring to your pace, your nervous system, your stress and your perceptual fields.
talking to people over the years, people think slowing down is collapsing at night watching TV scrolling on your Instagram or maybe taking some high-powered aerobic class at a fitness center, which could blow off some temporary stress or even doing some cathartic therapies, which in the moment you have a release, but it becomes very addictive.
And there isn’t really a long-term nervous system reset or regulation. And what I’m talking about is long-term self-regulation of the nervous system. It’s not about effort. It’s about pace. You know, technology is so much part of our culture and we’re always going to the speed of our email of social media.
And when we do this, we disconnect from our biological rhythms.
Our nervous system has evolved from cycles, pauses and variations. And even though we’re rewarded for speed efficiency and productivity, it’s having a major toll in all walks of life, whether it’s health business or relationships. True self-regulation is not about collapsing withdrawing. It’s not passive.
Sam Berne (01:48.32)
It’s an intentional shift in our orientation.
When pace exceeds our biological rhythms, our perception narrows. When we narrow our perceptual fields, our decision-making becomes more difficult. Our relationships become unmanageable and our health tends to spiral down. Technology increases our speed and we lose context timing.
and we see less alternative options. In my work, what I observe is that when our peripheral vision and our perception opens,
patterns become visible and our decisions become better. Our vision isn’t just about our eyes, but it’s driven by our whole body, which influences our nervous system. When we slow down, there’s better communication in the eye brain body chain. Slowing down isn’t doing less. It’s connecting more to your rhythms. When you release the imposed have tos,
Perception changes and everything else follows. If this way of working with perception and the nervous system resonates with you, consider joining my online cohort in March or coming to my retreat in California in September. These aren’t about fixing or pushing change. These are about creating conditions. So clarity emerges.
Sam Berne (03:36.994)
So that’s my podcast for today. Thank you so much for tuning in until next time. Take care.
Sam Berne (00:00.088)
I’d like to welcome you to Facebook live tonight. We’re going to go about 25 minutes, maybe a little longer. We’ll see how the questions are going. So I’d like to welcome everybody. I’ve been off for a few weeks, but it’s great to be back on. So if you’ve got questions, you feel free to type them in. Hopefully I’ll get to see them and I want to start off with a couple of announcements. First of all, I’m going to be teaching.
A two hour class on April 30th. It’s a Saturday and it will be from 10 AM to 12 noon Mountain Time. It’s one of my classes that people love because it’s going to be on. Well, a lot of different ways to improve your vision through color therapy, aroma therapy. We’re going to.
do some eye exercises and I’m going to teach you how to negotiate a healthy prescription of contact lenses or glasses with your eye doctor. That’s always a challenge, especially if you want to improve your vision. There are ways that you can talk to your doctor so that you can get what you need.
I’m going to take a couple of questions that people have emailed me and then if we get any questions from from the audience, I’m happy to answer those as well. So the first question that I’m getting tonight is one that I get a lot. It’s on mono vision. And what do I think of mono vision? This is with contact lenses and you know, what are the alternatives if I don’t?
like mono vision. So for those of you who don’t know what mono vision is, this is a prescription where the doctor is correcting one eye for distance and one eye for near. If you look at my hands right now, this is kind of the setup. So my right eye is the distance. I my left eye is the near eye. You can see that there is a
Sam Berne (02:24.297)
a change in the focal distance between your eyes. This actually sets up a couple of scenarios. One scenario is double vision because your focal lengths are different between your two eyes. Let’s say your right eye is corrected for distance and your left eye is corrected for near. What this means is that when you’re driving
Your left eye because it’s corrected for near is not engaging with the right eye. So a lot of times the brain shuts off the the eye that you’re not using and this is very disturbing because you’re now you’re now eliminating or at the very least reducing the
the integration between your two eyes. So the brain suppresses or shuts off the left eye because it’s the right eye. That’s the driving eye and that the same token if you’re using the computer or reading it’s your left eye that’s carrying the load and the right eye is focused somewhere out at 20 feet, but it can’t come into a near focus. So again, the brain is suppressing
the right eye so it reduces or in fact even eliminates the potential of binocular vision. This is disturbing because over time each eye is carrying more of the load than it should be and this can lead to eye strain eye fatigue and eventually it can change the structure the anatomy the tissue of the eye in a way where it can actually even lead
To a disease process, maybe things like glaucoma cataracts macular degeneration. So based on this description, it’s obvious that we’re not meant to correct our eyes in different focal distances, even though the doctor may think it’s convenient. It really sets up a situation where you’re going to be experiencing a lot of visual stress.
Sam Berne (04:47.63)
So it’s always better to correct both eyes for distance. And if you’re near sighted, one of the techniques that you can do is actually ask your doctor to under correct you slightly when you read the distance eye chart. instead of seeing 2015, you could see 2020 or even 2025. But the advantage of that is that your
Your eyes are going to be matching in the distance and because you’re under correcting.
You’ll be able to read and I have so many patients in their 50s and 60s 70s who are nearsighted by under correcting them a little bit in the distance. They’re able to keep their near vision. The the scenario is is when the eye doctor wants to over correct you for distance and you’ll feel it in your eyes and you can tell him or her. Whoa, this is too strong for me. Then you can.
get a slightly reduced prescription in the contacts and you’ll still be able to read without reading glasses. Now in the farsighted side of things, it’s a little trickier. But again, you know, if you do my eye exercises, you can regain your distance vision as a farsighted person and the magnification power that you need up close could be minimal. This is where again, you could use things like pinhole glasses or
Do my exercise the minus lens to blur. That’s the opposite lens prescription that a farsighted person would use. You can also do my convergence and divergence exercises to build more flexibility and versatility in the eye muscles. And this would be a way for you to continue to hold on to your vision based on, you know,
Sam Berne (06:50.598)
not wearing such a strong prescription, but the bottom line in mono vision is you don’t want to do it. You definitely don’t want to do it with a surgical intervention like Lasik surgery or cataract surgery. That’s going to be a disaster. know that’s not a popular thing in the room that some people love mono vision and they love Lasik surgery and more power to you. You know, I did a post recently on Tik Tok by the way.
I would get on my tick-tock feed because I do a lot of great 20 second videos on tick-tock. did this one on Lasik surgery and got about 350,000 views. Most of them were against what I was saying, which is that they think that Lasik surgery is a great surgical procedure. And you know, for some people it is, I was just putting a different perspective on it and
So it created a lot of controversy a lot of lot of talk back and forth, which I love. So anyways, that’s the that’s the situation on mono vision. All right. I want to take a question from Zizo. He’s asking about or she is asking about dry eyes. So dry eyes actually start in the eyelids. You know, I was giving a session today to somebody actually was my class. That’s what it was my intensive and somebody was
really surprised when I said dry eyes actually start in the eyelids when the eyelids become irritated when there’s inflammation. This is what creates a dryness in your eyes because it’s the eyelids that house the tears that produce the glands that produce the tears and so it starts with getting rid of
inflammation in the eyelids. Now, how do you do that? Well, it’s a combination of using natural eye drops during the day, blue blocking glasses if you’re using screens because blue light is going to dry out the eyelids even more, dry out the eyes. And then the evening, one of the techniques I like to use is a castor oil eye massage. You just take a little bit of organic castor oil.
Sam Berne (09:13.964)
and you massage it into the eyelids in the evening and you do the homeopathic eye drops and or the MSM eye drops during the day. Make sure to increase your fats and oils in your diet, reduce your visual stress, get natural sunlight. These are some of the techniques that I recommend in terms of healing the eyelids and hydrating the eyes with natural eye drops during the day.
Let’s take a question from Gabriella. was told by a doctor. Lasik is done only on one eye for older people cannot be done for both eyes. Well, I don’t know what your prescription is, but you definitely want to Gabriel. You want to match both eyes for distance. If you’re going to do lasik surgery now, maybe in your case, one eye is a lot more nearsighted than the other eye.
So by getting the lasik surgery in one eye, it will match the distance prescription so that your two eyes are tracking together. But the bottom line is that if you’re going to get lasik surgery, you want to have both eyes matching in the distance. So you’re seeing as similarly as you can. That’s really the bottom line. Now with lasik surgery, you may be more susceptible to dry eyes.
You may be more susceptible to floaters. You also may have a situation where the lasik surgery works for a while, but then your prescription starts coming back. And the reason why that happens is we want to blame the prescription just on the eyeball, but it’s not the eyeball that’s necessarily causing the prescription. It’s what our programming is mentally.
that causes the eyeball to change its shape that creates the prescription. Now, I know that’s a an advanced idea that we would think what what I think is going to affect my eye prescription, but precisely, you know, any prescription you wear is only a reinforcement of the programming on what you’re doing to your eyes. And if you’re nearsighted, what you’re doing is you’re tensing your muscles up and you’re pulling the world in.
Sam Berne (11:38.394)
as a way to adapt to whatever the environmental stress is. And so when you do the Lasik surgery, you’re only changing the eyeball. You’re not changing the programming, which is actually much stronger than the Lasik surgery in terms of influencing the prescription. So it’ll work for a while, but then it won’t. So I would be very careful about Lasik surgery. If you’re going to do it.
I would recommend doing my eye exercises afterwards. All right. Let’s take a question from Linda. it okay to take both resveratrol and grape seed extract? Both of those are really awesome supports for eye health. And the answer to that is yes, you can start with a low dose to begin with and see how your eyes and body respond.
But both resveratrol and grape seed extract are super great for eye health, eye circulation. And I don’t see why not you could take both of them. Let’s go to Bob. I have a eye distortion in one eye. The other eye seems really good, but the bad eye sees faces slightly stretched on the TV screen. It makes me completely mad. Nothing is sharp as is in focus as it should be.
Yes, I do wear glasses. was diagnosed with macular pucker a year and a half ago and had surgery to fix it. Whenever I go to the red when I go to the theater, it isn’t the same watching movies. It’s like covering the bad eye. Everything looks sharp and great. Okay, so I get the the the idea Bob. So first off you might want to take a look at my videos on macular pucker.
Basically the macula is the center part of the retina where we see detail and the vitreous which is the gel sac that sits in front of the retina begins to pull away from the macula area which creates a wrinkling in the macula. Now when you get surgery you’re apt to be getting scar tissue. So here
Sam Berne (14:01.344)
is a prescription for you. can’t guarantee it, but certainly this is something that I would suggest. You want to really load up on your carotenoids, meaning lutein, 16 milligrams a day, zeaxanthin, six milligrams a day, astaxanthin, 12 milligrams a day. These are essential ingredients for the macula. I would consider a saffron supplement.
a curcumin supplement. These also help in the micro capillary circulation of the retina. Saffron really helps feed the macula. I would also can consider a type of vitamin E called anato, A-N-N-A-T-T-O. Now, Bob, keep track of my content because I’m going to be releasing these three supplements. I’ve been testing them for over five years.
with my patients and they really help the retina, the macula and eye circulation. So I would add those three when they come on my web store. Make sure you’re wearing blue blocking glasses. I would consider a an ant digestive enzyme called serrapeptase. Sarah, Sarah pep tastes has been shown to help remove scar tissue in the eye.
I would use my 15 % MSM eye drops four to six times a day. I would also consider doing a castor oil massage in the evening, evening on the eyelids. These things are going to help heal the vitreous, which could reduce the pulling on the macula. And then finally, I would do my eye exercises, Bob.
One is called the animal eye chart. The other is the yin-yang peripheral vision exercise. You need to do some physical eye exercises to increase your peripheral vision between your two eyes, which will stop distracting you on the difference. two maculas are showing you. So you’ve got to do a combination of eye exercises with all of these nutrients.
Sam Berne (16:22.466)
And if it still is not happening, contact me at appointments at drsamburn.com and we could do a telemedicine session and I could maybe give you some more pointers. But there are things that you can do from a macular pucker standpoint. And I know it’s a bummer, but these are some of the things that you can do to reverse some of the symptoms you’re having.
Can I use coconut or olive oil instead of castor oil? Well, you can, but castor oil has a specific function that it really is a wound healer, reduces inflammation and it absorbs really well into the eyes. So if you don’t want to use castor oil, another approach would be to use iBright Tea.
You can brew it up, let it cool, put it in a mason jar in the refrigerator, dip a washcloth in the iBright tea and place it over your eyelids with your eyes closed. If you don’t want to do iBright, you could do chamomile tea. That would be another one that you could actually put the tea bags over the eyes. But doing some kind of a compress on the eyelids is really helpful.
for reducing some of the inflammation. So you can use herbs if you don’t want to use castor oil, but you need something. You need something. So anyways, I hope that that’s helpful. Thanks for the question. Carol is asking if I’ve had laser surgery on a tear in the retinal wall. Is it okay to take seropeptates? Yes, it is. Will it affect the surgery seal? No, it won’t.
I would also add the 5 % MSM eye drops. I would also hydrate your retina quite a bit. And again, the same protocol where you’re using lutein, zeaxanthin, astaxanthin, curcumin, saffron, and vitamin E, the annatto vitamin E, these are all really great for improving retinal, the retinal structure.
Sam Berne (18:45.794)
And I also would consider doing my end palm hum exercise. This is a relaxation exercise. I would make sure you’re wearing blue blocking glasses for all your screen time because you see when you’re exposing yourself to blue light, it’s drying the eyes out. It’s like going to a tanning salon and it’s really drying things out in a way where your retina needs hydration.
It needs nutrients and hydration and in adding all of these things, you can start to heal the integrity of the retinal wall, the retinal cells and that that would be the the protocol I would suggest. All right, let’s go to Margaret. She’s got a stye. So with a stye, I would definitely consider doing some natural eye drops like okay.
Optique or similiacin along with the 5 % MSM. I would do some kind of a evening compress. Maybe with Ibrite tea. You could also drink the tea. You need to massage the eyelids. Maybe with castor oil now with the sty. It can be very contagious. Whenever you’re touching your hands on your eyelids, make sure you’re washing your hands completely. So you’re not giving yourself a bacterial.
Infection drinking the eye bright tea along with using it as a compress and doing those hydrating eye drops during the day. Eventually the style will will move off maybe in five to seven days again, boosting your eye nutrients using blue blockers taking a rest from all of your screen time. Now another thing to consider with the style.
Is your digestive health? you getting enough probiotic support microbiome support? Is there any stomach issue? What is your digestion like because the eyelids mirror on an acupuncture level our stomach our spleen our gallbladder our liver sometimes actually going to get some acupuncture. Now you won’t get the needles around the eyes, but even doing it away from the eyes. Remember the meridians.
Sam Berne (21:12.512)
run from the bottom of the feet to the top of the head, getting some acupuncture can move out lid congestion. I’ve seen this quite a bit. So there’s a lot of natural things you can do to reduce the stye, support it by hydrating your eyes, using natural remedies on the eyelids to make sure there’s good circulation and good tear production and stay the course.
Sam Berne (21:42.284)
Okay, Sandy, I’m not sure prokara ridges on your eyes. Is it affecting your eyesight or your vision? Is there any, you know, is there deterioration in how you’re seeing? What’s your inflammation like in the eyes? What’s your eye pressure like? I would need more information before I can make a comment. But here’s the here’s the situation. If you’re not having any symptoms.
If you’re seeing things really well, then you do the proactive things like hydrating your eyes during the day, making sure you’re getting enough eye nutrients and I am all in on using, you know, using food as medicine to heal your eyes again, mostly plant-based rainbow diet antioxidants supporting your microbiome on a gut level.
These are things that are super important thyroid health, adrenal health, making sure you’re getting enough fats and oils, blue blocker protection. mean, these are things by being proactive. You are reducing the risk of eventually developing something that will explode into an eye disease. And then there’s the surprise. Oh my word of this come from well, a lot of times these disease processes
have been brewing for quite a while. And it’s just that now you’re you know, you’re going to the eye doctor and he or she discovers it or even you’re having some symptoms like cloudiness or haziness or eye pain or eye inflammation or high eye pressure. These things usually have been brewing for quite a while. So this is where if you follow my content
And you do the things I suggest and recommend and this even goes for the type of optical system. look through glasses contacts. You want to be careful that you don’t go into optical systems like progressive lenses or mono vision or just even an over correction in your prescription because these things over time are going to cause your eyes to go south.
Sam Berne (24:05.664)
All right, so Paula is asking, you’re making a comment, you’re asking your eye doctor to make glasses without a stigmatism correction. What would be something I can say to him as why I want a pair of glasses like this? I plan on saying I just want to experiment at home only. Well, sure, and you could say that you want a prescription without a stigmatism because you want to try to reverse the stigmatism and you’ve learned.
that by wearing a prescription that doesn’t have astigmatism, you’re reducing the reinforcement on what your astigmatism glasses are doing. And you have to assure your doctor that you’re going to only use these in non demanding and non threatening situations. And if you do that, you have a chance, you have a chance to get a pair of, you know, glasses.
without the astigmatism and you know, it’s going to feel weird when you put it on because what astigmatism glasses do is it warps your vision. It gives you a warp at distortion that you get used to and so when you get a non astigmatism prescription, you’re now looking through a lens that’s not warping the world but because you’ve been so used to the warp you’re going to go. This is weird, but it’s actually the way it’s supposed to be so.
As you continue to wear the non astigmatism glasses perceptually, you’re going to start to get used to the the the unwarping that the astigmatism is causing. Remember astigmatism is a twist in the eye. It also could be in a twist in the body. So getting some body work craniosacral roughing, you know, something that will unwind your body’s twist or asymmetry is a really good thing to do.
If you’re going to embark on the astigmatism journey of reduction. Now, another thing, and this came up today in our, in our class, there is an eye exercise that reduces astigmatism. And this is called the animal eye chart. You can Google it. It’s on my website and download the eye chart, print it out, follow the directions. It’s a stretching exercise, just like stretching your eye in a clock.
Sam Berne (26:30.348)
This will help release the muscles so that they they start working in a more balanced way. Remember, we’ve got six muscles that attached to the eyeball and in astigmatism those eye muscles are not working equally. Some of them are working more than the other which creates a misshape in the in the eye. This is what creates astigmatism. So by getting some body work and then not wearing the astigmatism glasses.
You release the twist in the body. You release the twist in the eyes. It can happen pretty quickly and you’ll start noticing that you see things very clearly with the non astigmatism glasses. So good for you. It definitely works and you know, I appreciate the question. Alright ladies and gentlemen, I’m going to call it a night. It’s been a pleasure to be with you and I will see you next week. Thanks again for your questions if.
I didn’t answer your question. Send it to hello at drsamburn.com and I’ll be very happy to answer your questions. All right. Have a great week everybody. Take care.
Sam Berne (00:00.162)
Hey everyone, welcome to the podcast. So the title of this episode is why smart people misread situations when they’re under stress. We’re going to focus on perceptual narrowing urgency versus clarity. Why intelligence fails under pressure. One of the most common misconceptions that I see especially among intelligent and capable people is the idea that clarity improves.
When we’re under more pressure, if you’re smart enough, experienced enough, trained enough, you’ll make better decisions under stress. In reality, the opposite is true. Stress doesn’t just affect how you feel. It also affects how you see. In fact, stress alters how you see and when perception changes, interpretation changes. When interpretation changes.
Decisions change and that’s where the misread happens quietly confidently and often with serious consequences. Here’s the core observation. I’ve spent decades watching people make decisions in clinical settings and leadership roles in moments where something really matters. What I’ve learned is this intelligence does not protect you from perceptual distortion. In fact, it can make it worse.
When the nervous system is under stress, perception narrows, vision narrows, context collapses. The brain shifts from sensing to protecting. This isn’t a failure of character. It’s your biology. Perceptual narrowing explained under stress. The system prioritizes speed over accuracy, certainty over curiosity.
action over awareness. That’s efficient. If you’re avoiding threat, it’s disastrous. If you’re navigating complexity, this is why smart people can become rigid when they’re under pressure. Leaders double down instead of stepping back. Urgency gets mistaken for clarity. The system isn’t asking what’s true. It’s asking what’s the fastest way to get rid of discomfort and the answers to those two questions are rarely the same.
Sam Berne (02:24.876)
Why intelligence fails under pressure? Here’s the uncomfortable part. High intelligence increases confidence, but it also increases distortion. When someone is used to being right, they’re less likely to question what they’re seeing. Even when their nervous system is compromised, the mind becomes a justification machine. It explains the feeling instead of examining the field.
That’s how misreads become entrenched not because someone is incapable, but because they’re too inside their perception to notice it is shifted. Here’s a reframe. Clarity is not a function of effort. It’s a function of regulation. When the nervous system is settled, the perception widens more information becomes available. Settle cues reenter your awareness. This is why slowing down.
Often refills what urgency obscures not because you’re thinking harder, but because you’re seeing more if there’s one thing I want to leave you with today. It’s this most leadership errors aren’t strategic. They’re perceptual perception is not a fixed trait. It’s a state dependent experience. We understand that we stop asking people to perform better when they’re under pressure.
and start creating conditions where clarity can actually emerge. That’s the work not more speed, not more certainty, better seeing in future episodes. I’ll continue naming patterns like this not to fix them, but to make them visible because once something is seen clearly it no longer controls us in the same way.
Join Dr. Berne’s Aromatherapy Certification Course which starts January 28, 2026. Link to register: https://www.drsamberne.com/workshop/online-aromatherapy-foundations-certification/ In this Q&A episode, Dr. Sam Berne breaks down how gas permeable (GP) lenses can be used strategically—not just to see clearly, but to support healthier visual function over time. You’ll learn why overcorrecting myopia can backfire, how slightly reducing a prescription can help preserve reading ability without glasses, and why GP lenses often provide superior clarity for astigmatism compared to soft lenses. This episode is especially helpful for anyone wearing contact lenses who wants clearer vision without overstraining their eyes, as well as practitioners curious about a more functional approach to refractive correction. KEY TALKING POINTS / Q&A BULLETS Why gas permeable lenses provide clearer optics than soft lenses The hidden downside of overcorrecting myopia How intentional under-correction can support near vision and reduce strain Why GP lenses are often a better choice for astigmatism Who should not wear GP lenses Practical tips for adapting comfortably to GP lenses For even more from Dr. Sam, check out his new exclusive membership where you get access to my content and resources, new information, articles, videos, webinars: https://drsambernesmembership.com/ Keep Up with Dr. Sam Website: https://www.drsamberne.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SamBerneOD/?fref=ts Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samberneod/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/drsamberne LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drsamberne/
Sam Berne (00:01.219)
Hey folks, it’s Dr. Sam and I’m on my morning walk. I received a question from Brent on Instagram about gas permeable contact lenses.
So if you’ve been diagnosed with astigmatism gas permeable lenses are the best choice because it’s going to give you the most stable clear eyesight. know, those of you that have astigmatism and you tried soft contact lenses. You will know that your visual acuity is less stable and that’s very very frustrating. In addition gas permeable lenses are made of a material which allows your cornea to breathe the oxygen in.
This is so important to reduce things like dry eye syndrome, eye infections and improve your ocular microbiome. You know, that’s the good bacteria in your eyes. So it’s going to give you a healthier eye lymph and immune system by allowing the oxygen to come into your eyes, especially the cornea.
Sam Berne (01:05.302)
Now from a more holistic perspective, it’s important to take your gas permeable lenses off and allow your eyes to breathe and have a different perspective with the eye brain connection. You know, we can get very unconscious with our contacts and wear them all the time and we think our eyes are doing well. So I always say take your contacts off in the evening in non demanding non threatening situations.
And it gives your eye brain a different perspective. Okay, one last point and this is very important. You know, when you go for a regular eye exam and the doctor is correcting you for distance using gas permeable contact lenses, that prescription is going to be too strong for you when you’re doing your digital time and it’s actually going to induce your eyes to get worse. Now there is the conversation that gas permeable lenses
does slow down the deterioration of your refractive error. But if you’re using a distance prescription for your digital time, it is definitely going to induce your eyes getting worse. So this is why I would recommend wearing something reduced over the contact lenses in a blue block or filter, especially for your digital time and this actually will prevent your eyes from getting worse. You know, another technique that I use is sometimes
I will under correct somebody just slightly in the distance with their gas permeable lenses. But what that does is it slows down the deterioration in the over 40 syndrome. We call this presbyopia and I’ve had hundreds of patients over the years come back and say, know, I don’t need to use reading glasses, especially people in their 40s 50s and even 60s because I’ve cut back on the distance prescription a little bit.
and that gives their visual system and focus a little more versatility instead of giving them the super strong lens for distance. So overall two thumbs up for gas permeable lenses use them in moderation like anything else. Thank you so much for the question Brent. Take care and have a great day. Everybody.
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🌿 Trauma-informed aromatherapy
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Your vision can change — your life can change.
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Keywords
vision improvement, eye health, nutrition, eye exercises, screen time, prescription glasses, eye relaxation, lifestyle changes
Summary
This conversation focuses on improving vision through various methods, including understanding prescription changes, the impact of screen time, the importance of nutrition, and incorporating eye exercises. The speaker emphasizes the need for a holistic approach to eye health, including lifestyle changes and relaxation techniques to enhance vision clarity.
Takeaways
The goal is to improve vision without relying on glasses.
Screen time can negatively impact eye health if not managed properly.
Nutrition plays a crucial role in maintaining eye health.
Incorporating eye exercises can help improve vision over time.
Relaxation techniques can enhance clarity and reduce eye strain.
Challenging the eyes with blurry glasses can promote better vision.
Morning sunlight exposure is beneficial for eye health.
Regular follow-ups are important to track vision improvement.
A balanced diet with adequate nutrients supports eye function.
Determination and commitment are key to reversing vision issues.
Sound bites
“I think bone broth is excellent”
“If I can do it, you can do it”
“There’s no doubt you’ll see improvement”
Chapters
00:00 Understanding Vision Goals
02:17 Exploring Prescription History
04:47 Screen Time and Eye Health
07:05 Nutrition’s Role in Vision
11:45 Eye Exercises for Improvement
19:14 Radical Approaches to Vision Correction
28:48 Lifestyle Changes for Better Eye Health
For even more from Dr. Sam, check out his new exclusive membership where you get access to my content and resources, new information, articles, videos, webinars. Are you interesting in a liver cleanse? Here is a liver cleanse video on the membership just for you: https://drsambernesmembership.com/get/7-day-liver-cleanse-members-852bfb
ONLINE; Clear the Fog: A 4-Week Reset for Brain Fog, Focus, Energy & Vision Starts June 10th. Recordings available if you can’t make it live. This is Dr. Berne’s next online series using the eyes as the portal to balance ther nervous system and overall wellness. To register go to: https://www.drsamberne.com/workshop/online-clear-the-fog-a-4-week-course-for-brain-fog-focus-energy-vision/
In this episode, Dr. Sam Berne explores how light, color, and vibrational frequency shape our physical, emotional, and energetic health. You’ll learn how different wavelengths influence the brain, the pineal gland, and the nervous system — and how full-spectrum light activates deeper states of clarity and well-being. Dr. Berne also shares groundbreaking research, ancient healing wisdom, and a guided experiential color meditation to help you dissolve emotional triggers and elevate your vibrational frequency.
Keywords
light therapy, color therapy, energy healing, full spectrum light, emotional health, vibrational frequency, holistic health, wellness, meditation, chakras
Summary
In this conversation, Sam Berne explores the profound impact of light and color therapy on our physical and emotional well-being. He discusses the science behind how different colors influence our nervous system and consciousness, the historical context of color therapy, and shares research findings that highlight its effectiveness. The session culminates in a guided color therapy experience, emphasizing the therapeutic potential of light and color in enhancing health and wellness.
Takeaways
Color is an energetic frequency that influences our emotions and body.
Full spectrum light promotes a full spectrum life.
Artificial light can negatively impact our well-being.
Color therapy has been used historically for healing.
Light is both energy and information, essential for health.
The pineal gland requires light for optimal function.
Research shows green light can alleviate migraines.
Color therapy can enhance energy fields and chakra alignment.
Engaging with color can help dissolve emotional triggers.
Color therapy is a powerful tool for holistic health.
Sound bites
“Artificial light is not life-affirming.”
“Light is energy and information.”
“We are made of photonic energy.”
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Light and Color Therapy
00:34 The Science Behind Color and Light
03:19 Historical Perspectives on Color Therapy
07:05 Research and Practical Applications
10:37 Experiential Color Therapy Session
In this episode, Dr. Sam Berne explores the foundations of aromatherapy and how essential oils support vision, calm the nervous system, and restore whole-body balance. This talk is adapted from the first part of his professional Aromatherapy Master Class.
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Sam Berne (00:00.078)
And this is being recorded and thank you for the ping in terms of emails. If you didn’t get the link for today’s class and there were a couple of last-minute signups and my team and I tried diligently to get everybody the zoom link. My suggestion would be when you do get the recording link and the handout today.
that you download it to your computer. We just never know between zoom and the Dropbox how long the recordings will be on there. If I think I’m going to download this to them to my Dropbox and my Dropbox tends to last longer than zoom, but this is yours forever. And there’s a lot of great information.
We will have time for Q &A at the end and also we’re probably going to do a little meditation as well.
So I think I’m going to share my screen and we’ll start in on.
my presentation. Feel free to make any comments in the chat box. I’ll be monitoring those throughout our presentation today. So the title of this workshop is called see clearly now essential oils and natural protocols for vision renewal and a little backstory on how I actually got involved in aromatherapy.
Sam Berne (01:49.835)
Two things happened. One was that I was working with a lot of people. I was doing a test called the tissue mineral analysis hair analysis. Many of you maybe have had that done and I was working with a group of doctors with working with different detoxification systems to get rid of heavy metals out of the body.
And hair mineral analysis is one of many ways to do that. So in the in the process, I happen to be at a health fair and I met this woman who had a small boutique aromatherapy company and I told her what I was doing. And so she donated some essential oils to me to use on these kids. We worked with the children in the study.
Who had heavy metal toxicity and the essential oils. We actually used were black cumin, which we put six drops in a glass of water and they drank in the morning. Black cumin is a is a really great essential oil for immune health. We used it a lot. We used it a lot during covid. The second oil that I used was in a world called patchouli and patchouli works very well at
getting heavy metals out of the body and it’s a good detoxifier. We had the protocol was two drops on the soles of the feet in the morning. We also used a another essential oil for adrenal health cedarwood Atlas, which is a tree Atlas a tree essential oil and we had parents put two
essential oil, two drops of that Cedarwood Atlas on the back around the kidneys and adrenal area. And then the last essential oil we use, which we’re going to talk about today was spike lavender. And we had parents put two drops of spike lavender on the soles of the feet and we had them do it for three months.
Sam Berne (04:15.004)
We tested the the kids there were 20 kids in the study and we measured their hair mineral analysis at the beginning and then at the end of three months and at the end of three months doing that essential oils protocol. What we found was that the heavy metals had left the body completely hundred percent.
I was I was really actually pretty surprised and so that really caught my attention on the power of medicinal essential oils. And not all essential oils have that level of therapeutic value, but the ones we were using from the small boutique company and I’ll talk about, you know how to choose a company to use and anyways, it was a really it was really great experience.
So then I began studying aroma therapy. became certified in it. I worked for a company and I taught classes and certification and did that for a few years and then kind of went off on my own. And so aroma therapy and essential oils or something that are near and dear to me. I feel they’re really really great support medicinally and so
That’s that’s one way that I got into it. Another way was personally I had some digestive issues that I was dealing with during the time I was doing a lot of traveling and teaching. So I began using cardamom essential oil and basil essential oil and I would put those in water and sip them after I ate and within two weeks the
Digestive inside the digestive situation cleared up and never came back and every now and then if I you know eat something that’s a little hard for my digestive system. Basil is my go-to and pull a basil essential oil and a glass of water and that tends to take away the the digestive distress. So.
Sam Berne (06:37.678)
We’re not going to go into, know, all the different essential oils, respiratory digestion and and so on, but I am doing a certification course in aromatherapy starting the end of January 2026 and I’ll talk more about that certification. It’ll be online six court six weeks and you’ll need to buy 15 foundational essential oils that will go through.
And we’ll talk about all the different systems. But today we’re going to focus a little more on the vision brain part of my clinical work. So my resume is that I’ve been involved in holistic optometry for 40 years. And to me, vision has always been a doorway to my nervous system health, my fluid body health.
Learning all different kinds of modalities from your ideology to craniocic role energy healing the eyes are an amazing doorway into the body and coupling that with the central oils is a very intelligent plant medicine and I’ll talk more about why I think that is but I have consulted and counseled thousands of people.
to use essential oils and it’s made a really big difference in their life. So I hope to be able to do that for you.
So, as you know, in my brand, I have a new direction in vision. Carry my vision. Care is holistic. It’s mind body and the process is called functional vision, integrative body. And so that means that the eyes are related to the body. They were related to the brain. They’re related to our metabolic and systemic health. There’s just so many possibilities.
Sam Berne (08:39.986)
in terms of, you know, applying different aspects of vision to my to my work. So let me just see if everybody is. Okay. Yes, I will hold off on some of these until the end, but I’m tracking your questions and we’ll we’ll keep going. Appreciate the comments, by the way.
So I have a strong lineage of teachers and at every workshop and seminar that I teach, I honor my mentors. I wouldn’t be here without them. This is a picture of me back in 2016 when I was leading retreats at the Esalen Institute in Big Sur, California did that for seven years. We used to run month-long retreats at Esalen and it was tremendous loved it. Anyways, I want to just
briefly touch and give gratitude to my teachers. Am Skeffington. I never met him, but his writings were incredible and he was one of the fathers of holistic optometry. Dr. Albert A. Shankman was my optometrist and helped me completely reverse my myopia. You’ve probably heard that story and I went to him early on in my career and optometry and by completely reducing my myopia.
It inspired me to focus on a more holistic approach. Dr. Albert Sutton was a great friend and mentor of mine who helped me understand child development and how our vision really starts in utero and our in utero experience our birth and our bonding experiences have strong imprints on
how we develop our eyes and vision and dr. Sutton was a major influencer in that dr. John streff and dick a pal. They were my teachers and professors when I attended the gazelle Institute and gazelle was a institution affiliated with Yale study center at Yale in New Haven, Connecticut, and I spent a year there learning how to evaluate and treat special needs kids.
Sam Berne (11:03.902)
It was an amazing time early in my career to get that training under my belt. I’d like to thank Emily Conrad. Emily is a somatic pioneer. passed away in 2014. She started the practice continuum movement. I was an authorized continuing movement teacher trained by Emily since left continuum, but still use many of her somatic principles.
If you want to read a good book, her book that came out life on land, is today. That book is if you read it, you go, my goodness, that’s what’s happening today. And she wrote that book 10 15 years ago. So pretty amazing. Shout out to Dr. Kordkoff, who taught me about biofield analysis and the GDV camera. My research with assisted dolphin swims.
using the biofield analysis and measuring people’s energy fields before and after dolphin swims color therapy central oils really wonderful. Dr. Hazel Parcells. She was one of my early teachers here in Santa Fe. I met her when she was 103 years old. She was just starting a retreat center in Sapio, New Mexico and she lived to 106 and I became
A student of hers for three years and she taught me a lot about nutritional therapies, energy healing and many other things. She has a book that came out written by one of her associates called live better longer. It’s a great book. If you’re interested in having longevity in your life, I would check out dr. Parcell’s and her writings number eight. Dr. Ellen Jensen. Ellen was my teacher in urology. certified.
In iridology and the iris is a genetic map of the body and her father-in-law was the founder of iridology in the United States. Bernard Jensen. You’ve probably heard of him great naturopath had a wonderful clinic in Escondido, California outside of San Diego. And when he passed away, Ellen took over. She’s a wonderful teacher and I’ve learned so much from her not just analyzing the iris, but also
Sam Berne (13:30.073)
naturopathic techniques and helping bring people back into balance and number nine my clients and patients shout out to them because they’ve taught me a lot about aromatherapy and herbal. Now our focus today is not on herbs, but I might do another webinar on herbal remedies lots of great compresses and things that you can use around the eyes terms of the herbs and sometimes you can just
Pick the herbs in your backyard or, you know, in, you know, close by. And so anyways, herbs are amazing. And I’m actually going to quote an herbalist who I studied with later today in this lecture. So I want to just touch base on some foundational truths about our eyes. And number one, the eyes originate from the brain tissue originally. And the eyes are are one of the most ancient.
Early tissues prenatally, you know, the eyes start developing from the brain very soon after conception. So it’s a very old part. It takes us back to the primordial part. When we start, you know, working with our eyes in a more somatic way, we can actually start accessing things in our prenatal experience. And, you know, it’s very potent when you start opening your eyes to that.
that connection to the brain. The eyes are also interrelated and interconnected to our body. This includes cranial rhythm, our liver health, our digestion and on and on. So the eyes have a very strong connection to our body. The eyes carry 60 to 80 % of body tension, especially with all the digital time we’re on. If you’re on screens more than an hour a day.
It’s very important that you do eye relaxation techniques to discharge the absorbed tension that you might get in your eyes from looking at screens. Myopia and nearsightedness is increasing by epidemic proportions and part of that is just so much tension that we have. Next, the way to heal your vision and increase your wellness is to realize that it’s a process.
Sam Berne (15:54.36)
process that could be psycho emotional, energetic, spiritual and physical so that we have to go beyond the physicality of the eyes and the numbers. You know, one of my sayings is I don’t look at the numbers, but I look at the person behind the numbers and every individual that I evaluate gets a personalized program. Even in our workshops.
We we give out personalized programs. Not everybody gets the same thing because our vision develops based on our perceptions based on our movement posture diet stress lifestyle. So all of these things affect how we see and how we develop our seeing wearing the proper lens. Is very important most
glasses and contact lens prescriptions that eye doctors prescribed are way too strong and it’s amazing in, you know, the eye exams that I used to do. I would say ninety-first five percent of the people that I would evaluate. I would reduce their prescription during the first visit. This was even before any physical therapy exercises. Oxygenation and hydration are the keys to healthy eyesight.
And that plays right into the essential oils that we’re going to talk about.
So here’s a picture of a retina that I wanted to show the see. This is what I doctor see when they look in the eye and this over here where the vessels come out is called the optic nerve and these vessels are going into the optic nerve back to the brain over here. This is the macula area these thicker vessels arteries and veins. So we look at the crossings.
Sam Berne (17:56.191)
high concentration of micro capillaries micro capillaries of the tiny blood vessels in the eye tremendous amount and the macula which is right here that has the highest metabolic need of the retina. So the eyes need a lot of nutrient support to stay healthy and if they don’t get that that oxidative stress and inflammation starts to creep in.
And then you go to your doctor and there’s a surprise. You’ve got cataracts. You’ve got glaucoma. You’ve got macular degeneration just to name a few and it’s a surprise to you. But probably the the depletion has been going on for a long time, but now it’s getting to the point where it’s creating physical changes. Well, guess what? You don’t have to live out your doctor’s diagnosis and you can improve and change your vision.
Today, we’re going to use essential oils to help you with that.
So essential oils, what they tend to do is a couple of things. Number one, they can improve your circulation. Number two, they can improve your lymph flow and number three, they can increase your relaxation. Now there needs to be certain rules guardrails structures around application and I’m going to go into in great depth how to safely apply the essential oils.
to your body so that you get the best result without any burning or side effects or or things like that. Essential oils can also calm your nervous system, which can affect your vision, all your sensory systems, your brain, your memory and so on. Also essential oils. They can give you ocular comfort. They can ease tension.
Sam Berne (19:54.938)
And they can reduce oxidative stress. I would add another one where they could actually improve your visual clarity and your peripheral vision. I’ve seen that many, many times, especially with the eye protocol that I’m going to be sharing with you today.
Sam Berne (20:13.007)
So I want to talk for a minute about the nervous system and in the nervous system. have basically two tributaries. have the sympathetic nervous system and we have the parasympathetic nervous system. The sympathetic nervous system is the part of our nervous system. That’s active. That’s the state we’re in when we’re walking, we’re running, we’re, you know, we’re activate activating.
mentally, we’re working and then we have the parasympathetic nervous system, which is our relaxation state. That’s the state where we go into rest and settle and sleep digestion meditation. And so in both of these sympathetic parasympathetic, I would say in our society today, we are spending way too much time in our sympathetic nervous system.
And basically no time in our parasympathetic nervous system. That’s why so many people have sleep disorders that we have digestive problems. We have anxiety. And so the idea is that harmony and balance occur when we have this this symbiotic state of sympathetic parasympathetic and when we do that it creates more resiliency in our organism.
And essential oils can help you with that depending on what oils you use and how you apply them. Now, one rule that I want to get clear about at the very beginning is that we never put essential oils in the eyes. We can put them around the eyes maybe, but we have to be very careful of even handling the oils on our hands and fingers and then touching our eyes.
Because if you’re handling the oils and you handle them directly, you want to keep them away from your sensitive areas and the eyes are one of those sensitive areas. So you need to be mindful. If you’re going to put them on your hands, you don’t want to put them inside the eyes. Very, very important. All right. I want to take a moment and I’m going to talk about the limbic brain. So the limbic brain is associated with
Sam Berne (22:39.242)
Emotions memory and motivation many other things as well. But the olfactory sense the smell the sense of smell is one of the initiating processes that I recommend when people start using essential oils. In fact in my certification classes, we do two things to be able to get certified. The first is that
We show the essential oils in an unmarked bottle and you have to look at the color of the essential oil in the bottle and tell what essential oil it is. The second thing is we blindfold you and we put out six essential oils and you have to identify the essential oils through your sense of smell. that the essential oils are a multi sensory experience. We smell them. We feel them. We can taste them.
You know, so there’s there’s lots of different ways to get the oils into your body. You know, I have an elder elderly couple and what they love to do. They work together every day. They’re in their 80s, but they they work in their their home and their writers and they diffuse very calming essential oils every day. And so it gets into the air their dogs love it. And basically the right now.
They’re using lavender as a way to create relaxation and harmony as they’re working. So diffusing the essential oil is one way to do it. We can talk about that. But I think the oils can definitely help us with self-regulation and sympathetic parasympathetic. I’ve seen this with kids a lot. Another thing that the essential oils do which really isn’t talked about very much is cellular and mitochondria.
Now, many of you have heard me talk about mitochondria support through the photobiomodulation process of red light therapy. But the the idea is is that the essential oils can also work in supporting mitochondria function mitochondria are the energy batteries of the cell and they produce something called ATP and ATP is an important ingredient that
Sam Berne (25:03.625)
gives the cell more energy reduces oxidative stress reactive oxygen species and those kinds of things. So I’m not going to go too deep into mitochondria. But what I will say is that the longevity movement today is really looking at mitochondria support as a way to slow down the aging process.
Sam Berne (25:27.656)
All right. So when we talk about essential oils, we talk about how often we use them and we can also talk about the synergistic relationship. If we use more than one essential oil, you know, I remember when I was researching what are the best essential oils for the eyes and I’m going to give you that answer today. There was a chemical reaction that I used in measuring people with my GDV camera.
doing subjective questionnaires with people and really coming up with a great combination that works synergistically because the essential oils have a very complicated chemical makeup. I mean, they’re naturally made, but it’s a it’s a really interesting situation. And then last is vision and brain pathways connection. So
Knowing that the eyes originate from the brain and understanding that we’re not just working with the eyes here. We’re working with the brain. We’re working with development and there it is. This is how we we go for it. So I’m going to stop here because I want to tell a little a little story and in this story. It has a lot of significance because it really relates quite a bit.
to our focus today. So there was a group of pharmaceutical scientists. They worked for a big pharmaceutical company and they have been observing these Amazon shamans.
And they decided that they wanted to make a trip to the Amazon and they wanted to talk to these shamans about why their plant medicines were working so well in healing all these chronic conditions. So they were able to arrange a trip. They went down to the Amazon and they had a three-day meeting with these Amazon healers.
Sam Berne (27:46.765)
And during the three days, you know, the scientists asked a lot of questions about, know, the chemical makeup, the, you know, how they created the the potions and so on and so forth. And the the Amazon shamans took them out into the forest showed him the plants and you know, a good time was had by all. So the pharmaceutical
Scientists were instructed by the CEO to pay these Amazon shamans $1 million for the formula. And so the Amazon shamans got together. had a council and they said, okay, you pay us a million dollars and we’ll give you the formulation. And so they had the transaction and they went back up to, you know, their laboratory in New Jersey where they
where they lived and worked and researched and this was one of the top three pharmaceutical companies in the in the United States billions of dollars. And so they thought they got this, you know, for a steal because they what they were going to do is they were going to take the formulation and they were going to make up all these, you know, drugs around it. And then they were going to distribute and disseminate to the consumer.
So took them about six months. They went through their research and development and they released the the drugs. And of course, there was a lot of marketing behind this and you know, they basically were promising the same things that they had heard from the Amazon shamans in terms of healing all these different conditions and they were charging so much money for these drugs. So big marketing.
People bought them and guess what? Nothing happened. There was a total flop total flop with the pharmaceutical companies and the Amazon shamans never revealed this. But what they what they said was that it wasn’t the formulation that created the healing. It was the relationship that the Amazon shamans had with the plants that created the healing.
Sam Berne (30:16.043)
And this is a very important teaching right here that you know, I can recommend the fanciest protocol in plant medicine. But if you have no relationship or communication with nature with the plants themselves, then probably not much is going to happen. And I’ve seen this over and over again. And what’s really interesting about drugs and I’m going to talk a little bit about
pharmaceutical drugs as we get back into the.
presentation is that those are synthetically made. They’re chemically and synthetically made. They are not natural and anything that you take synthetically is going to have potentially side effects that the body is going to reject. And when we talk about the field, we talk about the energy field and in the energy field when we start taking a lot of drugs that energy field vibrates at a much lower
Frequency when we work directly with plants, whether it’s herbs, essential oils, flower essences, you name it doesn’t matter. They’re all accurate and valid. Homeopathy is another one that I’m a strong believer in when we work with those plant-based medicines. We are working at a much higher vibratory rate and those vibrations meet our vibrations.
And that’s what what heals the disharmony because pharmaceuticals treat symptoms plant plant medicine creates more balance and harmony. And one of the things that I’m working really hard at with my students and my patients right now is to get them out of the fix it model and that’s very hard for people and I’m turning people away. I’m not working with certain types of people anymore because I’m not doing fix it work.
Sam Berne (32:18.325)
You know, I’ve got this give me that it’s an you know, it’s very a very linear way of doing it and my my focus and my teaching is about saying what we want to do is give you something that creates more balance and harmony and there’s a word we use called adaptogenic and if I give lavender oil to 10 people, they might have to 10 different responses to it.
Based on their body chemistry, their lifestyle, their nutrition, their genetic makeup and on and on. So it’s very important that if you start really using these deeply that you even if you take a walk in nature, even if you acknowledge nature, you know, and some of my more advanced in-person retreats, we actually do some journaling around relating to the plants.
Whether it’s a flower or a tree, you know, a grass doesn’t matter because in terms of essential oils, we can get we can get essential oils from all the different plant parts. So that’s a that’s a little bit about
In today’s Q&A episode, I answer a heartfelt question from a mom whose son is struggling to adjust to his reduced nearsighted prescription. We talk about why reduced lenses can initially feel uncomfortable, how the visual brain adapts, and what you can do to support a smoother transition. If you’ve wondered whether a weaker prescription is right for your child—or why adaptation sometimes takes longer—this episode will give you clarity and confidence.
Transcript:
Sam Berne (00:00.961)
Hey everybody, it’s Dr. Sam and I’d like to welcome you to the podcast. So I received a question from a mom who I’m working with her son who’s got nearsightedness. This is a very interesting question. So I gave him a prescription that reduces his myopia and she said that he’s having a hard time adjusting to the prescription that is creating eye strain and his eye muscles hurt and she wants to know
What she can do to tell him to get used to the prescription. Well, it’s interesting because when you’re presented with a reduced prescription, Your eyes should relax. Basically, any reduced prescription is saying, can I let go with my muscles and can I release and relax?
Now in this particular case, there’s two possible scenarios going on. The first is that and this is very common with people that start wearing reduced prescriptions. They start feeling their eye muscles more and they start feeling this area. Whereas before it was very a very unrealized area meaning they had no awareness of it. And so when you wear something that’s less tight,
Guess what happens all of that tightness that you’ve absorbed over years of the strong prescription. You feel that so it’s showing you what’s already there. It’s not causing it, but the relaxation potential is showing you the tension that you’ve been carrying for a long time. The second part of this is
It’s not the prescription that’s causing the eye tension. It’s the attitude and habits that we bring to the prescription that creates the eye tension. So this means that we’re so used to having it clear that when we’re given a softer prescription and it’s a little on the soft blurry side, we immediately want to get rid of it by squinting and straining.
Sam Berne (02:23.638)
So we’re back to our old habits again.
Yeah, exactly. So the reduced prescription is going to confront the habit of you wanting to squint and strain and muscle it. So what I told the mother is just invite the child to wear this reduced prescription at near at the 14 inches, maybe maybe 20 inches at the most. But don’t try to wear it in the distance for now.
I mean the prescription was prescribed for near vision to begin with and it can be a big jump and kind of disorienting. If you get this reduced prescription and you have the expectation that it should be clear in the distance. Now what will happen over time is that if you get used to the reduced prescription, you’ll notice that your distance acuity improves.
And you know, you’re there when you then put on the strong prescription and you start getting a headache. You start feeling the eye ache and you go, wow, this is what I used to wear all the time. And now I’m aware that it’s too tight for me. It’s too strong for me. And you know, I have to say that in my years of practice,
I would reduce so many prescriptions during the exam and people actually saw more clearly because the way the eye exam is done, you’re going to overcorrect people. You’re going to make the lens too strong.
Sam Berne (04:05.985)
And you know, this really speaks to some of the adults that have chronic things like flashing lights or posterior vitreous detachment or even some, you know, retinal lattice degeneration, all those retina problems. If you are nearsighted, your prescription is too strong for you. And if you start wearing something less, the retina heals the flashing lights start to reduce and eventually go away.
So you don’t have that traction. So it’s very interesting to know that, you know, any prescription that you wear is like a drug. The prescription eyeglasses and contacts have been approved by the FDA and their side effects. And for near sightedness, especially if you’re wearing something too strong, you’re going to pay the price and that price is going to be tension compression.
muscle pain, eye strain, eye fatigue, and on and on. So I really appreciate the question and I hope that’s helpful. So that’s it for today. That’s my show. I want to thank you for tuning in until next time. Take care.
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“Your eyes are more than visual organs. They are emotional and neurological pathways that reflect your life history, your nervous system, your relationships, and the ways you’ve learned to protect yourself.
In this presentation, Dr. Sam Berne shares his personal journey of healing his own vision, and what he discovered about the connection between trauma, grief, stress, and visual function. You’ll learn how the eyes adapt to emotional overwhelm, how vision changes during loss and transition, and why restoring visual clarity often begins with restoring safety in the body and nervous system.
We will also explore the rapidly emerging world of virtual and augmented reality, how these technologies influence the visual brain, and how you can stay grounded in your natural vision system as digital environments become more immersive.
This is a conversation about healing, self-connection, and reclaiming your innate ability to see clearly—inside and out.
Opening Remarks
“Welcome everyone. I’m really grateful that you’re here today.
The theme of this retreat is The Eyes Never Lie, and that comes directly from my own experience healing my own vision. When I was younger, I had significant myopia and astigmatism. I was told that my eyes were defective—that I was simply born this way, and there was nothing I could do except wear stronger glasses over time.
But that didn’t feel true. Something in me sensed that my eyes were responding to my life—to stress, to pressure, to trying to see more than I felt safe to see, or sometimes, not wanting to see what was in front of me.
As I began to study the eyes—not just anatomically, but emotionally—I learned that vision is not just optical. It’s neurological. It’s systemic. It’s somatic. And it’s deeply connected to our lived experience.
Trauma, grief, chronic stress, early attachment patterns—these don’t just affect our posture or our mood. They reorganize how the visual system functions. The eyes tighten. The focus narrows. The world becomes harder to take in.
And when we soften the eyes, when we reconnect them to breath, to safety, to the body—our perception expands again. Light returns. Color returns. Presence returns.
Today we are living in a world where our vision is being challenged in new ways. Virtual and augmented reality are asking the brain to process space, depth, and meaning in environments that don’t exist physically. And while these technologies are powerful, they can also disconnect the eyes from the body—and the body from the world.
So today, we’re going to explore:
- How your emotional life shows up in your vision
- How I personally reversed my own prescription by working with the nervous system, not just the eyeball
- How to gently unwind the visual patterns that come from grief, stress, or past trauma
- And how to stay centered and embodied in a world increasingly mediated by screens and simulation.
Your eyes are not broken.
They are communicating.
They are telling your story.
And today, we begin to listen.”
Keep Up with Dr. Sam
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Dr. Sam Berne has been in private practice in New Mexico for over 25 years and where he works with patients to improve their vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. He holds a Bachelor of Science from Pennsylvania State University, Doctor of Optometry from Pennsylvania College, and did his postdoctoral work at the Gesell Institute in collaboration with Yale University. He has been awarded The Special Awards for Service from the Behavioral Optometrists in Mexico for his innovative and holistic work with children.
His protocols take a proactive, rather than reactive, approach to health and wellness. He understands and treats the body as one integrated system rather than a collection of independent organs in order to identify and address the root causes of disease. His whole health protocols improve vision and wellness by healing the mind-body-spirit through nutritional protocols, vision therapy, and self-care techniques. This views each person as genetically and biochemically unique and enables the individual to make lifelong improvements to their well-being.
Sam Berne (00:00.335)
When I was eight years old, I was diagnosed with a learning disability. I couldn’t read. And my mom took me to a lot of different places. And I ended up at an eye doctor’s office. And I did get a pair of glasses that didn’t really help. But it made me nearsighted. And as I progressed through school, the way I got through school was by memorizing. That’s how I got through. But my eyes got progressively worse and worse. And I left the eye chart in here.
I couldn’t see the big E on the eye chart. I was really disabled. And I got through optometry school and I met a, what do they call it, optometrist, holistic optometrist. I grew up on the East Coast. And his name was Dr. Schenkman. And I went to him and he said two things. He said, first of all, your left eye wanders out and that’s why you always have double vision. And then second of all, he said, your nearsightedness is due basically because of tension.
that you put into your eyes to get through school. So I went through his program and within six months my learning disability went away and I didn’t need my glasses and I haven’t worn lenses in 40 years. So it was a really huge epiphany and then I went back to my optometry school and I told my professors what happened and they respected me but they said, you know, we can’t invest into what you changed. You’re basically on your own.
And so I knew that I wasn’t going to get support from the allopathic people. So I decided to devote my career to helping people improve their vision because I was able to do it. And one of the things I would say is that, you know, from a genetic standpoint, the medical community really says it’s all genetics, like your nephew.
And there is a field called epigenetics, which I know you all know of. Bruce Lipton is one of those people. And basically with that, it’s saying that we’re more than our genes and that we can actually…
Sam Berne (02:15.874)
We can actually change our genetics if we do that. I’ve made some notes. you ever come across the Bates method or eye exercises, put it out of your head because it’s just quackery. And my friend and I were in the back going, that’s what we want to go into because I was a radical back then. And so, you know, this whole thing around
You can’t improve your vision. And it’s like, I think more people would come to see me if they could penetrate the intense obstacle that’s been created in eye care saying you can’t improve your eyes. Basically, eye care is about symptom management. You you’ve got a certain condition, needles, drugs and surgery, you know, pays for their Mercedes, you know, everything is a new, you know, a new procedure and
You know, in this state now, it’s laser surgery and optometry laser surgery. They want to have us do that and Botox injections because that’s where the money is. And you know, I would I go to the meetings. I got I don’t want any of that. What about the functional parts of a vision? Because most eye exams are pretty incomplete, you know, we’re going to do a test in a minute to see why you’re not focusing and why you’re getting blur. I’ve done this test on.
everybody else, but anyway. So I want to start and I want to speak about trauma and you know, everybody that comes into the body in this lifetime is going to be dealing with trauma, whether it’s birth trauma, whether it’s prenatal, whether it’s postnatal, we’re all dealing with trauma and what trauma does to our brain is it sets up a certain track, like a certain programming.
And since the eyes originate from the brain, the eyes are the only part of the brain that sit outside the cranial vault. So the eyes are really brain tissue. And so when we start absorbing trauma in our body at whatever age, it really impacts our nervous system. And there’s a wonderful theory that was created by a neuroscientist named Stephen Porges, and it’s called the Polyvagal Theory. Have you ever heard of it?
Sam Berne (04:42.862)
You could certainly Google it. Dr. Porges now lives in Florida. He went he’s from Chicago. Actually, that’s where he taught and he has a a whole theory on trauma and the evolution of trauma and the idea that we start off in the reptilian phase.
But we’re mammals. we’re meant to be empathic. We’re meant to have eye contact. But the vagus nerve, which connects that, you know, the head area with the, you know, the body that there’s a interference in our evolution moving from reptilian to mammalian and it has to do with trauma and he calls it the fight-flight-freeze response and vision.
Because we’ve got so many nerves in our eyes and around our eyes, cranial nerve three, four, and six from the craniosacral, Melinda is a craniosacral therapist too, that that impacts our visual system. And what happens is that we start blurring things out into the distance as a way to pull our world in and protect us. That’s what myopia is. But what we do is we create this hard shell and
We go to the doctor because we can’t see in the distance. He or she is reinforcing the trauma when we get a pair of nearsighted glasses. That’s kind of the kind of the setup. And so then you just start hardening more and more and more. And this is where the traumatic experiences come in. And the higher the number of the myopia, the earlier the trauma happens.
And that’s just in the myopia part. But we we sometimes equate eyesight and glasses and 2020 as everything but that’s not vision. Vision is how the eyes and the brain and the body work together and the 2020 reading is one aspect of vision. It’s not the entire aspect of vision and what
Sam Berne (07:05.334)
What I find is that there’s certain emotional kind of patterns like in farsightedness. It’s more about liver and anger and pushing the world away and astigmatism. It’s about confusion and twisting the world and creating a warping and in myopia. It’s fear. I’m being caught in the past and I have the perfect.
prescription for Ava that we’re going to do in a few minutes. So each of you is going to kind of be interacting with the programming that your eyes are dealing with right now and a lot of it is kind of unconscious. But the thing I can say about trauma is there’s hypervigilance. There’s freeze. So I’m freezing. become paralyzed. There can be social withdrawal.
And there’s difficulty trusting oneself in the environment. Those are kind of the four things in the eye muscles respond by tightening and it isn’t just the six eye muscles that hold the eye in the eye socket, but it’s the tiny ligament muscles that are in the lens of the eye. And so there are targeted exercises that can work on releasing the tension in both of those. Now cataracts.
Is a hardening of the lens when we develop a cataract. We’re saying to ourselves unconsciously. I don’t want to look out and I don’t want people to look in so I’m going to harden up and create enough of pacification to stop that. Now. There are also some, you know, antioxidants that that can help reverse cataracts, but that’s basically the thing. So
Not only is the trauma piece psychological, but it’s also neurological and it’s physical. So you have to work on all these different levels. You know, when I work with kids and I work with a lot of special needs kids, a lot of them are caught in that fight, flight, freeze response. So doing something called the primitive survival reflex exercises.
Sam Berne (09:27.669)
helps release the nervous system from that hypervigilant state, which can turn into myopia. It really can. And, you know, like, for example, myopia, and I’m speaking firsthand, I wanted to stay small. I wanted to be invisible. I didn’t want to be seen. That was my near sighted programming that created that. Taking my glasses off was a very scary thing for me.
I didn’t feel safe in the world. I didn’t understand what was going on. So my coping strategy was I’ll just become nearsighted. so can you heal it? Yes. And the deal is introducing in small steps the support of saying, okay, I don’t need to be as fearful. I don’t have to stay in paralysis. I can.
really open up my peripheral vision and be empowered about it because again, for all the trauma, we want to tunnel our peripheral. But when we tunnel our peripheral, our proprioception shuts off and our vestibular, our balance mechanism goes away. That’s why when all we do is stay at our phone, we actually are inducing this peripheral tunneling and our balance and orientation gets thrown off.
And our proprioceptive relationships to our body tend to change. So what I’m going to be introducing today is ways that you can feel safe to practice coming out with your vision. So that’s kind of the trauma piece. I think breathing comes into it. So doing this somatic work with sound is a way to penetrate the
paralysis in the tissues. That’s why I use sound and you know, one of my trainings was in a practice called continual movement. Emily Conrad was the founder of it and in that particular modality, which I still, you know, reference is using different sounds into the body and especially into the eyes and that can create a real release.
Sam Berne (11:52.925)
because sound penetrates the defense strategies in a way where certain things like color and light vibration also penetrates the defense strategies. so it’s, you know, I remember reading is it Vander Kolk Vander Kolk’s book on the body doesn’t lie. Yeah, cat body keeps the score and I remember
We were in a Continuum Movement Retreat and all of us as teachers, we were going through this traumatic release around, wow, the body is really telling us, it’s informing us. And my part was being able to translate what the eyes are saying, because the eyes are a way that I can interpret the scroll of energy and history.
That’s kind of, you know, my take on trauma. Now, the thing with mast cell, is it called mast cell degeneration? That’s what it is. This came up a lot with people who either got the vaccine for COVID or got COVID. So, that’s where I saw it more. But it’s a dysregulation on a cellular level. It’s like you’re not…
completely unified in cellular communication. And of course the eyes, since they require such a high degree of nutrient support, you know, one of my teachers used to say the eyes in the brain make up 2 % of the body weight and use 25 % of the food intake. So 25 % of what we eat goes to this, you know, very intensive area. So when you have mast cell degeneration, there’s a dysregulation on cellular communication.
And you know, it could be. Yeah, it could be. Yeah, it could be either over activation or activation or degeneration, you know, and a lot of these are labels that quite honestly, I don’t think the doctors really know because it comes in where you could be exposed to mold. It could be environmental overwhelm. could be toxicities. So when we do aerodology, I’m going to look closely.
Sam Berne (14:18.893)
at your iris patterns, the pigments and that’s going to tell me about a genetic blueprint where you might have some weaknesses and what we would say is that these are nurture points like a liver cleanse or you need to watch your pancreas or you need to, you know, support your kidneys more or thyroid. So when we get to that, we’ll talk about, you know, a lot of times what I see with with your situation.
Is there’s a gut dysbiosis something is going on in the gut area. And again, I can see a lot of things in your digestive system through the iridology. So hang in there with that. The other thing I want to talk about is grief because that’s another thing that we’re all dealing with grief and loss and what we tend to do with that in our vision is again, it’s another narrowing of our peripheral. It’s about overusing the macula.
So the macula makes up less than 1 % of the real estate of our eyes, but it’s the most fundamental part of our being able to see detail. Without the macula, everything is going to be distorted or blurred. Now, the macula is the left brain because that’s the rational detail oriented and everything else the peripheral is the right brain. What’s happened in our society over the last?
hundred years at least due to the industrial revolution and you know the fact that we’re on digital screens is that the maculas tend to get overused. So myopia is a place where there’s overuse of macula. You know we think about more information coming to us. You know we can go to chat GPT now the AI has come in. The new thing that’s coming is virtual reality glasses and I’m involved in some research.
around the negative effects of VR because we’re going to stop using our phone. We’re just going to wear the glasses. We’re going to be able to scroll through our emails and we’re going to be able to I mean, it’s just getting so insane and the the split in our vision by having these VR glasses and having a whole other alternate reality is kind of hard for the brain. It’s hard for our nervous system. It’s hard for our systemic and metabolic health.
Sam Berne (16:46.032)
So, you know, VR is coming and the other thing I want to say about grief is that cataracts one of the words where it comes from is waterfall. So it’s a frozen waterfall like the water is out of balance in a cataract and whether our eyes are dry or we have overacting tears. could be either of those things. So that’s that’s kind of the grief.
situation and again, I’ll talk about ways through your ideology that maybe you can work through the grief. All right, let’s see. I want to talk just a bit about the spiritual part of vision. So the eyes have been called the organ of light. We need light in order to see and light is a food and it affects our endocrine system, our nervous system and our eyes 25%.
of the pathways in the eyes go to non-visual pathways like our hypothalamus, the pineal gland, and there’s been talk about something called the calcification of the pineal gland. So fluoride in the water, EMF exposure, these are hardening the pineal, but the pineal is the part of our body partly that helps us connect to the Schumann resonance, which is that slow wave in nature.
And what I’m seeing is that more and more people have no idea about the Schumann resonance. And we’re going to connect to that today. So there’s the physical eyes using them together, but there’s the third eye and how well that part of our chakra system is allowing light in like if our hypersensitive if we’re afraid of the light and then there’s the red light the photo biomodulation.
which helps us improve our mitochondria function. And there was a study done in 2021 at the University College of London, which said that if you use red light every day, it can actually reduce macular degeneration. It improved the visual acuity by almost 17 % over a 12 week period. Some people are now even including something called methylene blue, which is a…
Sam Berne (19:09.32)
an enhancer of being able to absorb the red light. And so if you’re really into the mitochondria conversation, using the red light is kind of essential. You want to do it in the morning, but I have some IT people who work on a computer all day. They’re doing a morning red light session and doing an end of the day red light session, which helps release
The oxidative stress and inflammation that that comes from using computers. Let’s see if there’s anything else. want to say. Yeah, I think that the other thing I would say about the spiritual part is that this morning or in a little bit we’re going to work with this the yoke prisms. These are special prism glasses. Some of you maybe Melinda used them. I’m not sure Ava used them.
And these change how the light enters the eyes. Like I had a lady the other day with myopia and I gave her one of the yolk prisms and she said, my God, I’m feeling happy. It was amazing. It had nothing to do with her sight. It just changed how the energy was coming into the eyes and she had like minus 10. She was even
people and so I gave her the base up since she’s emailing me every day and she’s saying this is like, you know a way that I can be like an antidepressant because it changes the light into the eyes. So the lenses are powerful, especially if you use a lens that is challenging to you, you know, when you use a lens that you get from the 2020 eye chart, all that does is weaken your eyes.
It doesn’t strengthen it, but there are vision exercise glasses and lenses and patches and things that you know, I can introduce to you today, especially in the setting that that might create a switch a flick of like, habitually. I was seeing this way. You’ve given me a whole new perspective and that creates a cascading effect of you know, improving not only the eyesight but the vision.
Sam Berne (21:29.357)
So that’s a lot of words. I’m going to end my rant and just see if this has triggered anything either in a comment or a question before we move more to the practical exercises.
Well, I guess the digest…
Sam Berne (21:54.222)
Yeah. So the the gut is directly related to the eyes. You know, when I was studying functional medicine, they would talk about the brain, but then I would go, what about the eyes and they go, yeah, yeah, the eyes. Yeah, it’s the similar thing. So, you know, inflammation, oxidative stress, toxicities, all of those things will create deteriorating eyesight for sure.
Sam Berne (22:28.719)
big time in Chinese medicine. There is that and then also the liver and the gallbladder are the organs that help us absorb our eye nutrients better because they’re fat soluble. So like I’ve had hundreds of people come to me with dry eye syndrome and they go, I’m taking all these supplements and I’m doing this and that and the other and I look at their liver through the iridology and they go,
You’ve got some liver signs that you’re eating it, but your liver is not helping you absorb the healthy fats. So this is where then a liver cleanse comes in or doing some, you know, beet juice kind of a cleanse to help the liver be able to absorb those fat soluble vitamins like vitamin A or lutein and zeaxanthin which are essential for the macula and once the liver starts absorbing better
the eye problems go away. So they’re eating everything well, but they’re not absorbing it. So the liver cleanse is the key, the secret that allows them. Now in your case, what I’m curious about is the functional part, like how your brain and eyes are wired up. And there’s a very simple test that we’re going to do in a minute that will help you.
Anybody else have anything that’s of resonance? Otherwise we’ll move more into the practical side. Okay. Yeah, go ahead. Fire away.
Sam Berne (24:14.725)
Well, let’s just see. Let’s just see if a handout is going to do it or maybe your personal experience.
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Keywords
children, patching, trauma, stress, mechanical symptom management, eye coordination
Summary
The conversation delves into the psychological and emotional effects of patching on children, highlighting how it can be perceived as punishment and the limitations of traditional mechanical approaches to symptom management.
Takeaways
Children have no context on why they’re being patched.
Patching can feel like a punishment to children.
Long periods of patching may not be effective.
Patching can add trauma and stress to children.
Mechanical symptom management does not address underlying issues.
Understanding eye coordination is crucial for effective treatment.
Emotional support is essential during treatment.
Parents should be educated about the process.
Alternative approaches may be more beneficial.
The focus should be on holistic treatment rather than just symptoms.
Sound bites
“Patching becomes like a punishment.”
“It adds more trauma and stress.”
“It has nothing to do with how to use your eyes together.”
Chapters
00:00 Understanding the Impact of Patching on Children
00:17 The Limitations of Mechanical Symptom Management
Sam Berne (00:03.732)
Okay, well, my first question is, how did you find me? Online, honestly, yes. Looking at lot of alternative methods for my daughter, and I found you. And what was it that resonated with you, with me?
Sam Berne (00:29.454)
Um, mostly, but I mean, there was a few things. First, I noticed you didn’t wear glasses. So I thought that was, or at least most of your videos. So I thought that was already something that was different.
Sam Berne (00:45.454)
Yeah, you just had alternatives. And even the way you talk about some people like trying to I think you’d mentioned that prescriptions can, you know, be like a drug, and you can lean off of it. Yes. And I really like that idea. Because I think sometimes we jump a little bit too quick to to glasses. And sometimes, yeah, they just need more and more. Okay. Yeah. So
What I read about your history is that in your daughter, you first noticed the eye turning at about 10 months. Is that right? And when did you actually either go to your pediatrician or ophthalmologist to have it checked out? Yeah. So I think it was like her one year appointment that the doctor, I had mentioned it and then he had said to go to an ophthalmologist. went there.
It was so interesting. She had said that she didn’t notice any eye turn, which is fine because it doesn’t happen that often. So she didn’t notice it in the appointment. she said that she’s like, I don’t know. She just said there’s nothing to do with it. But then she said that my daughter was farsighted and then she just wanted to put glasses on. For me at 10 months old, I was just like, or a year, guess at that point, it just felt like,
a one year old, like she can’t tell me if it’s too much if she can’t see it. You know, if we put glasses on her, just felt like it just didn’t feel right for me. Sure. Sure. Didn’t land. We’ve been doing a lot of just waiting. I’ve been. Yeah, it’s interesting when it’s summertime and we’re outside, it hardly ever happens.
and now is, yeah, it’s getting to fall. It’s getting darker earlier. We notice it more in the darkness. It is a lot worse. If the room isn’t well lit and it’s quite dark, it’ll be a lot worse. But if we’re outside, we’ll go camping for like a week in the summer and it will not happen while we’re camping. So did you get the glasses prescription filled or did you just say, no, we’re not doing the glasses?
Sam Berne (03:08.75)
No, yeah, we just we didn’t I didn’t get it filled or anything. I was just yeah, a bit taken aback, guess. Was there any pressure to do on muscle surgery? No, no. I know when I Google a lot, a lot of times people are saying that that is something to do with it also kind of freaked me out a bit. Yeah, the the ophthalmologist ended up going to actually was one that she did.
seem to do more vision therapy and stuff like that, but.
Yeah. So she, didn’t jump on them. Good. That was a good choice. And what city are you in? I’m in Edmonton, Alberta. Okay. All right. I used to teach a lot of workshops in Vancouver. Okay. A lot of to the osteopaths and occupational therapists. this was pre COVID. I haven’t really been back since, but I do have a good, good connection.
Okay. So what you’re looking for is what, what would be your ideal goals and objectives today? well, it’s actually that you speak on occupational therapy. worked as an occupational and physical therapy assistant. So I kind of have a background a bit and it, guess I just felt like there was something we could do exercise wise.
alternatively to just jumping on glasses. And I know there’s a lot of people who doing patches in the surgery. So I just felt like there was some sort of alternative, whether it be exercises or food or supplementing or something like that. Yeah. Okay. So I’ll just speak for a minute about kind of the philosophy that I, uh, I learned a long time ago, over 40 years ago, which is number one,
Sam Berne (05:10.542)
There is a big difference between eyesight reading the eye chart. That’s your eyeballs and vision is how the eye and the brain and the body work together. Vision is a learned skill. It’s how we we track focus and coordinate our eyes together. That’s kind of the input side of vision. And then we have the processing in the brain and then we have output and
There certain developmental experiences that children go through in developing their sensory motor systems. And one of the first experiences is going through the learning curve of something called the primitive survival reflexes. Have you heard of the primitive survival reflexes?
I have heard a little bit of, don’t know much. never did anything in occupational therapy. So the primitive survival reflexes are very early in utero movement patterns that the fetus makes. And the purpose of these primitive reflexes, one of the functions is it helps the newborn when they come out of the birth canal.
or their birthed to adjust to the new kind of environment being out of the womb, the safety of that. And there’s several primitive reflexes that are controlled by the brain stem, the reptilian brain, which is our survival brain. And these primitive reflexes are important for infants and toddlers to go through in their movement explorations.
because they are the foundational movement patterns that once they’re integrated, then the infant can then move more to the higher centers of the brain, the upstairs brain, so to speak, like the cerebellum. And then eventually as they get into school, the prefrontal cortex, they call that executive function. So I just have to move. just have to.
Sam Berne (07:35.342)
My daughter’s just playing and she has a close party so I’m just gonna bring her there. Okay. Sorry. Let me know when you’re ready.
Sam Berne (07:48.334)
Okay, Amy, I’m going I’m on the treadmill. Let’s go gym, please.
Sam Berne (07:58.03)
I’m constantly there and see nice.
Sam Berne (08:06.572)
Okay. Okay. All right. So the primitive reflexes help us develop our gross motor and fine motor skills. Yeah. Part of that fine. The other part of the, the movement piece is the vestibular connection to the eyes. There’s actually something called the vestibular ocular reflex.
which has to do with integrating the inner ear, which is our proprioceptive orientation and our vision, our peripheral vision. Okay. So what does all this have to do with the eye turn when the eye is turning? The brain is shutting off the eye. That’s kind of the mechanism.
And the other, the other choice would be double vision. Like it’d be interesting to ask her in a stress-free moment. Do you ever see two things? have asked her that. Um, I don’t know if she can comprehend that she has said no. Okay. Well, that’s okay. know, uh, like mommy, I, it’s more than one item. I’m seeing more things, but anyway,
Doesn’t matter. Yeah. So when you see the left eye turning in, that means that she’s suppressing that eye. The brain is kind of, goes offline, so to speak, and there can be an alternating or can be on one side. yeah. Sorry. I noticed with her for the most part, like when it happens, it’s the left eye every once in a while, the right one will turn.
And that’s why another reason why I’m like, I feel like patches wouldn’t be a good idea because it’s just not making it work together. Well, so with patching, first of all, children have no context on why they’re being patched. It becomes like a punishment. And the patch for long periods of time doesn’t work. It actually creates more trauma and stress to do that. It’s a very
Sam Berne (10:33.516)
mechanical symptom management approach that it has nothing to do with learning how to use your eyes together because you have to do it in the context of your brain and body, especially as a child. It means nothing to try to isolate the eye or force the eye or whatever you’re doing. So strabismus, which is what the I turn is means
that there’s a lack of integration, a lack of connection and coordination, not only in the eyes, but in the entire person’s brain and body. So we see it in the eyes, but it’s a symptom or a signal that there’s a lack of overall global integration. It also was a signal that somewhere along the line
the primitive reflexes did not get fully integrated into the brain. So where you start in the reeducation process is reintroducing the primitive reflexes as a movement exploration, a movement exercise.
We couple that with doing one primitive reflex and then working with helping the child learn how to use both sides of the body and the eyes in an integrated fashion. Like we actually introduce opportunities to do that and over time because children especially have a level of neuroplasticity.
You can retrain reprogram create new pathways in the brain that will influence the eyes to be more integrated. So prescribed playful type activities that you would introduce to encourage and nurture the opportunity of using the eyes, the brain and the body in a more unified integrated way.
Sam Berne (12:54.19)
And so what I want to give you today is the first step in some exercises that will get both eyes working together. do you have any questions about what I’ve said up to now? Or do you need me to? No, think. No, I think I get it. I think I do notice that with her, just the lack of coordination, you said, even in her running.
Yeah. Is we call her floppy and hoppy. Like it’s very, doesn’t seem well coordinated. Okay. Yeah. So I know that sounds good. I, I work with a lot of occupational therapists, physical therapists. and here’s what my takeaway is. I take away that the exercises and activities I’m going to introduce to you will help.
Get the eyes back online to work with the body. So in other words, we’re leading with the vision to move the body through space, spatial processing, spatial IQ, depth perception, because our eyes are really our GPS system. And we make decisions based on how we see and move our body through the world.
Based on that, especially as a, as a child. Okay. This is kind of like a school for vision. And we’ve talked about the distinction between eyeballs and eyesight and vision. If we nurture the vision, the eyes will straighten organically and you’re there. Now there are a couple of caveats. Number one.
The eyes are a signaling system to you. If somebody is stressed or tired or getting sick, you will see the eye turning. It’s just a signal. And that is a timeout. It means there’s depletion. You might need to support the nervous system more. In other words, there needs to be some harvesting.
Sam Berne (15:22.656)
of energy to replenish the depletion. That’s all it means. Okay. It’s a signal, sick, tired, you know, stressed. It’s like, okay, too much. We’ve got to get some rest. Cause I do notice it comes in waves. Like they’ll sometimes be a few weeks where I see almost nothing and it’s great. And then we’ll have a week of it seems really bad.
I always try to wonder what the correlation is. Sometimes when she is sick. There’s a nutritional level, which we’ll get to. There’s an energetic level. You know, there’s a physical level. So many different factors. We as human beings are impacted by the world and others, and we get overwhelmed. And so then we have to shut down. have to.
You know, withdraw. And when the eye turns in, there’s a shutdown. It’s a suppression. It’s like, I’m overwhelmed. I can’t, I can’t do it all. Okay. So, what I’m going to speak about, I’m also going to send you some handouts. And since you’ve worked in some degree in occupational therapy, the, there’s some key elements here. The first element is.
You want to be able to do something every day as a, as a stimulation for learning and developing. And the more time you put into it, the faster the results. Now you can break up the periods of when you introduce these experiences, you don’t have to do them all at once. And you’re probably going to be met with some resistance. That’s
the deal and so it’s an art to either introducing it in another way or bypass it for now. think I’m pretty, I feel like that’s something I’ve dealt with a lot working with. worked a lot with seniors, a little bit with children, but I think I’m good at that because I know there’s always some, yeah, you know, there’s resistance. So whenever I created, whenever I do a session with a child,
Sam Berne (17:52.098)
And they come to the session. I’m reading them to see, okay, where, where are we starting? Where, where are they going to buy in? What, what I have several avenues here, but if I’m too demonstrative, you know, invitation, sometimes they shut off until they know me or the other side of it is as a parent.
there’s that dynamic as well. So that’s just all part of the mix. And the thing is, is that the exercises or activities, the goal is not to do them perfect. The goal is to just introduce them in a re-patterning way. there are many different ways
to offer it, but there is not like an exact, I’ve got to do like the gym and the trainers, like, hold, you got to do it exactly. Or you don’t get the benefits. This isn’t like that. This is we’re introducing experiences in the development so that the brain can go, I haven’t really done that before. Let me explore it as a discovery.
So we start off with the first primitive reflex called the Moro reflex and this is startle reflex and the integration of the Moro reflex is called the starfish. And what you’re going to learn about this reflex is that it is the global movement.
that eventually is going to cue and signal the eyes because the way it’s done is the person is basically lying on their back. Their head is on a pillow and their arms are spread out and their legs are spread out and they come into the midline or middle with their arms and their legs where they’re right.
Sam Berne (20:16.582)
arm is over their left arm and their right leg is over their left leg and they’re coming in the midline. So there’s a, there’s a meeting in the middle across and we uncross and then we do it again. But now the left is over the right. And so it’s kind of like an out in from peripheral to central. And one of the things that’s missing in the visual coordination right now,
is being able to have both eyes go into a divergence. The left eye wants to come into convergence by itself. And this is saying, can I converge with both sides of my body into my middle? And can I diverge with my limbs? And the third part of it is moving my head while I’m doing it. Because in the moral reflex,
Basically the infant is going like this. They’re sitting or that’s the moro starfish. Okay. So that that trips the, or stimulates the vestibular system. When the eye turns in the vestibular system is under working. And so, in this moral reflex integration, the starfish is moving out, moving in right over left. Then
it out, left over right. We do five on each side. Now might be that you demo it for her. You say, Hey, let’s do it together. Another way to do it would be her back is to your front and you’re, moving her arms and her head forward and backward, like you’re cupping her. that would, that’s another way it’s the startle reflex. It’s tied in with something called the fear paralysis reflex. And it is fundamentally
when it’s not integrated can be one of the causes of strabismus and visual tracking. I have a question with that. I know that swaddles like is that a do would you do you recommend swaddling children or do you think that affects the more reflex? Well, have you done swaddling? I did. Yeah, I did do swaddling with her.
Sam Berne (22:43.022)
And I wonder if that, yeah, I don’t know. I don’t know if that’s helpful or not. Usually the more reflex, the lack of integration happens somewhere either in utero or.
Sam Berne (23:02.446)
But, you know, snuggly and wrapping a baby. That, know, that I think that’s fine. I, know, it would be more more about. I didn’t quite get this. Was there anything happening? In the pregnancy or the birth process that was out of the norm?
Yes. So when I was pregnant with her, I struggled with insomnia. Okay. And I sometimes wonder like, is that something that really because it was a very it was lasted almost the entire pregnancy. I ended up getting completely healed of it, which was absolutely amazing. But that was a long time in her in the pregnancy. And you know, there was a lot of
Obviously, there’s a lot of stress when I’m laying in bed and can’t sleep. Like I would get very anxious. And so I wonder if that caused a lot of strain on her in utero. Well, you know, some of the researchers I’ve worked with have said that, you know, when there’s a direct disruption in sleep and utero that sometimes can affect sensory motor pattern and
It it it help what it does is it confuses visual spatial learning. so kind of depends on the neurotransmitters that you know, we’ve got dopamine acetylcholine serotonin GABA and so sometimes you know, it can affect the sensory motor development. I would say the other thing
is how much activity and movement you did during pregnancy. And also what was the actual birth process? How long you in labor? Was it a normal birth? Was there any distress? Did you have to do, know, pitocin or anything like that? You know, what happened at that juncture?
Sam Berne (25:26.102)
With hers, actually, she had it was an absolutely amazing birth. It was I didn’t even actually know I was in labor. I just felt my stomach tightening. And then I was like, I should probably let my midwife know. And then I got to the birth center. I was eight centimeters. So she was very quick to which I wonder maybe. Well, better that way than having a super long labor and having steps and all that. you had.
midwife, is really great. So what that says, what that says to me is that probably just doing some of these exercises. Like I have another family that I’ve been working with literally within two weeks, they came for their second appointment and the mom is already saying, wow, her handwriting is better. She’s better emotionally. She’s calmer. So, I mean, it’s a pretty,
You know, and I don’t want to make guarantees or say this is going to happen, but I’ve seen over and over again. is something in the maybe it was postnatally around the primitive reflexes. So like another thing would be first of all, we’re all we’re vaccinations administered. How many did you get it once?
Was that? didn’t have any. The only thing we did have was she did get vitamin K. Okay. That’s fine. Other than that, there was nothing else. What was her, how long was, did she stay in her crawling stage? so she crawled at 10 months and crawled for about four or five months. So she was about 14, 15 months. good. So, you know, there’s a lot of, there’s a lot of really positive things here. There is a lot of obstacles.
and could be one of the reasons why it’s not a constant full time I turn it just, we just may need to nurture. So we’ll do the moral reflex. And then the second thing would be to work with her balance. And there’s a couple of ways to work with balance. You can do a static balance where you guys play a yoga game and could she, can she balance on one foot?
Sam Berne (27:52.206)
And we usually have them looking at like a doorknob or a target and can they balance on each foot, say for 20 to 30 seconds and then balance with their eyes closed. that is the vestibular system. So on that one, maybe it’s a heel to toe balance with eyes closed, like both feet are involved. But yeah,
Working with the static balance and then the active balance would be say either walking on a two by four forwards and backwards or a piece of tape or curb like having her work with her balance on some kind of a balance beam or something like that to really get the visual vestibular integrated into her movement and her body.
So working either with static balance or dynamic balance would be the next phase. Now you could also do some vestibular stimulating things. If you have like either a physio ball and put her belly ball and just roll her from, you know, side to side. We’ll do this sometimes with the kids as the beginning of the session to calm their nervous system.
But sometimes stimulating the vestibular is a way to just immediately straighten the eyes because it reconnects that vestibular visual kind of interplay. That’s necessary. Sometimes when it turns in the vestibular system may not be connecting. She may not be getting information there. So the mic on her back on her side, in other words, some kind of spinning or
There’s actually an occupational therapy. There’s something called the astronaut training and then that you sitting in a chair and you’re very slowly while she’s in the chair. You’re rotating the chair around in a circle like a clockwise or counterclockwise with eyes open and eyes closed. So just thinking about primitive reflex balance and vestibular and then
Sam Berne (30:16.77)
The third piece to this is having her do some bilateral movements with an obstacle course in place. Now, the reason why we put the obstacle course in is that we want to force her into visually guiding her body through the world. I don’t want her just to move. I want her to have to look
and move. Now, when you say an obstacle course could be in your living room or your, your den, you put a couple of chairs or chairs and pillows or, you know, and the prescribed movement would be either bear walk and across patterning.
Walking, hopping, galloping. And the most critical point to this is wherever she’s motoring forwards. You have her do the optical course moving backwards. Okay, so when kids have a crossed eye going in, they have no concept of back body. Everything is thrusting forward. And when you start
saying, okay, I’ve got to look behind me and you have an obstacle course. And I’ve also got to have a bilateral component to it. You’re going to find over a few weeks that she’s going to open up a 360 part of her vision instead of right now when the left eye turns in there’s very little access beyond like 30 degrees ahead.
So using the body and the movement going backwards and developing backspace to help her open her eyes into a more divergent experience just by just by working with movement. It helps tell the eyes. I can actually spread my my vision out so that I’m aiming in a divergent way. So any kind of
Sam Berne (32:33.932)
bilateral movement and a obstacle course forwards and backwards hopping skipping maybe a little premature but hopping bear walk galloping walking, but you want to really emphasize right arm left leg left arm right leg because when you start developing bilateral
movements that tells the brain to work in an infinity sign. That’s like, both sides integrated simultaneously. That’s going to tell the eyes to say, my eyes need without doing eye exercises and I push ups or whatever, you know, we’re not there yet. So that’s way too, too advanced. Okay. Now you could do it with a bike, an obstacle.
But we want the biking slow. We don’t want to one speed. You could do with a soccer ball. You could do with a basketball. Okay. So now this brings us to more specific eye movements. Eye movement exercises. So the first one that’s very non demanding and threatening is you both get a flashlight. Do this in bed.
You’re both looking up at the ceiling. You move your flashlight. So let’s say your daughter sitting laying down to your left. I’d be working a lot with flashlight tag having her move that flight way out. So her left eye has got to look to the left the peripheral up down. So again, my light is on the ceiling. I’m on my back, but I’m opening up.
Can I, can you touch my light? You know what I’m saying out to the left, up to the left, to the left. Now you can go to a pharmacy. You can play the pirate game where you patch an eye. Maybe you both get a patch and you just do the flashlight tag with one eye, but here’s the thing. You’re not just going to work with patching the right eye. You’re going to equal opportunity.
Sam Berne (35:02.242)
You do a minute with patching the right eye. You do a minute patching the left eye in this flashlight game. Yeah, because it’s about what happens is when you do short-term patching and then act in an active way, you take the patch off the brains like, I’ve got two eyes. Now. Let me see if I can urge them or fuse them. So a lot of kids that I’ve worked with.
we’ll do that kind of short patching and then I’ll put them on a machine and they immediately get 3D vision just by Wow. Because we’re just waking up. We’re just yes. And that makes that makes sense to me to do it in that sort of way. That’s the call to them being patched both of them working. Yes. And so that’s one tracking exercise. Another tracking exercise would be
Something called a Marsden ball. I’m going to be sending you some directions but visualize this you get a rubber ball and you get a metal hanger hook or you get some kind of hook that you can screw into the rubber ball. Okay, so now you got a hook in the ball. You tie a string to the hook and you hang it on the ceiling could be in your garage. It could be even outside by a tree. In other words, you want to swinging rubber ball.
The size of like a baseball. She stands in front of the ball and you have and I have the ball lower than her face. Maybe like by her solar plexus and I just say, can you hit it with your right hand five times straight out? Can you hit it with your left hand? Can you do an alternating? Can you play Simon Says so she’s hitting the ball and you go, okay, Ivy right hand touch your head once go back to the ball.
Left hand touch your right knee. She’s going to learn different parts of her body. Right hand touch your left hip. So while she’s hitting the ball, you’re giving her some visual thinking something. you can also swing the ball side to side with the eye patch and have her put the flashlight on the swinging ball.
Sam Berne (37:28.748)
Now you’re working with eye hand. She can do this standing sitting. can even have her lie under the ball. All up and see if she can put the light on the ball while swinging from left to right and right to left. However, use her left hand or right hand equal opportunity on the patch. So that’s going to help her get comfortable with eye hand. Eye aiming eye tracking.
Because in Christmas, what’s happened is the brain is disconnected from directing the eye muscles where they should be directed. It’s just I haven’t learned to aim yet. I do not aim my left eye. So I just move it in. That’s my default. So once you start working with tracking and light ball ball flashlight, eye patch, that’s a good one.
Mm-hmm. She is. I was she’s really good at if we tell her to make sure she’s using both her eyes. She can fix it. Okay. Is that something that is okay to continue doing as long as it’s done with no shame and know like there’s something wrong with her? Yeah. Yeah. Okay. So you need to keep those energies out of it. It’s done with love and just say, hey.
in a game, can you move your eyes around? Yeah, it’s a discovery. It’s an inquiry, but there’s nothing on it around shame or something wrong or like your your punishment or like, know, goodness, your eye is turning in again. Can you yeah, you got to keep all that out. This is a very sensitive time.
Because there’s a difference here in her versus say somebody else who’s her age, that’s not dealing with the I turn. Yeah. Right. And it is sensitive. Yes, for sure. And I think that’s another reason why we are really wanting to get on it is exactly you want to notice I’ve noticed just other kids to. Yeah.
Sam Berne (39:54.446)
making notices. And then I’m just like, I don’t want that. Right. That’s hard. That’s stigmatizing. And, you know, then you get involved in a school nurse and you get into the school and their parents and there’s the pressure and you know, everything like that. we’re homeschooling. it’s a, you know, you incorporate this, this vision curriculum into homeschooling. It’s going to be fantastic. I mean, it’s, it’s really,
It’s a perfect world. Amen. You couldn’t ask for a better environment than what you’re doing. Like I said, this is a school for vision. Yes, exactly. And I am already prepared of how to do it. How we’re going to work it into our day and make it a fun exercise and fun break from schooling. Now, I’d like you to do the primitive reflex, the moro.
for at least two weeks. Two weeks. So that’s an, a, that’s an everyday thing that you’re doing the morose. And then you’re going to substitute that. You’re going to stop that one and you’re going to do the second reflex called the tonic labyrinth reflex. Okay. So I’ll describe it, but I’ll send you a handout. Okay. She lies on her belly. Her legs are straight.
She takes her thumbs and puts them on her nose.
Like this. You do that. right. Well, let’s let’s let’s not do this now. Let’s go. Okay. What’s happening? She’s going to lift her upper body off the ground. So her elbows her upper torso and she turns her head to the right. She pushes the right thumb out. She’s looking at the right thumb and she brings back in. She turns her head to the left.
Sam Berne (41:59.31)
Pushes the left thumb out, but she’s looking at the thumb brings it back and then she can put her body down on the ground. Okay, like the part then she does it two more times two more cycles. One of the things to watch for is the tendency to bend the legs. He bends the legs. Then we want to say, can you push your legs into the ground? The second thing is it might be hard for her.
to lift her head neck and upper torso off the body off the ground. If she do that, she can do it on the ground. It’s better if she lifts up that reflex is going to really help midline. I hand coordination. It’s like the baby you give her a rattle. She’s out here with it. And then she brings it into her mouth. You know, there’s there’s that that kind of in and out and again.
What we want to what we want to include is can I go out with my eye as well as come in right now? I go in that’s my default, but I want you to be able to that I out to your ear and then back in so that I’ve got both range but in the range of it. So you substitute the morrow for the tonic labyrinth reflex and you can continue with these other exercises.
and I’m going to give you one cognitive exercise. That’s really fun. And so you get it from this website. I don’t know about in Canada, but you’ll, you can at least look at it. Maybe Amazon. I don’t know. It’s called learning resources.com.
And you’re going to look for a set of puzzles called parketry. P R Q U E T R Y. It’s a set puzzle with triangles, squares and rectangles, squares and diamonds. It’s going to be a set of cards that are going to come with that, which are designs.
Sam Berne (44:20.622)
Okay, so.
Every day while she’s doing her motor work at the end or at the beginning, have her do some block designs. Okay. That’s a copying from vertical to horizontal. If that’s too hard, she can make it right on top, but the park is going to help her spatial reasoning using the blocks. So it’s using more of the frontal brain prefrontal cortex, and it’ll be a nice,
kind of balancing with all the motor stuff she’s doing. So that would be one add-on. And again, you can just mix and match the exercises. And I would say my recommendation would be in four to six to eight weeks, we should have a second session during that session. There’ll be a recap of
What’s work? What hasn’t how she doing? And then we can move on to some of the more advanced primitive reflexes gross motor fine motor perceptual stuff. And then she would be ready for that at next level at next layer. But you you will see some behavioral things some tendencies of
Preferences because you’re adding some new stimulation to the brain. Eye body that’s going to interfere with the default of the left eye turning in, which actually is very positive. Okay. It takes a lot of energy to suppress the eye. Yeah. turn away, basically turning away from life.
Sam Berne (46:30.104)
Questions? Not really. That sounds great. Yeah, sounds doable. It’s been proven many, many, times. two other things before we go. Number one, if you know a pediatric craniosacral therapist, that
can be helpful in reducing strabismus. I know for a stand, because many years ago I went to, went as an eye doctor, I went back to massage school, I had a craniosacral therapist and I do craniosacral on these kids. And sometimes it really releases the strabismus. So what worth to pursue. I have heard some other moms talk about that that had worked.
Well, it works. Yeah. So that gives you another idea. All right. Last. What is the color of Ivy’s eyes? They’re a blue, more of a darker grayish blue. What I saw. Okay. So there’s a couple of things here from an iridology standpoint. The eye recaps the body.
And with that color of eyes, there’s a couple of things you want to pay attention to. call them nurture point. Good lymph movement. Possible tendency towards inflammation. Okay. So watching the gluten, dairy, sugar formula. Not good. And liver health.
Liver rules. What was that? Liver health. The liver. Liver rules the eyes in Chinese medicine. OK. Now in that one, we’re not going to do a liver cleanse right now, but lemon water, bitter vegetables, bitters, liver likes bitters, lymph. So walking, jumping.
Sam Berne (48:56.062)
Lymphatic stimulation helps reduce inflammatory tendency. Okay. To blue light people can have.
Sam Berne (49:12.302)
And that’s very interesting. I have very similar color eyes to her. And I feel like I’ve been trying to do more liver stuff for myself because I feel like I have some thumbs ups. So I’ve been doing like beet kvass and stuff like that. Beets are great. don’t really like it. Wow, that’s a tough one. Milk thistle, four dock root, yellow dock, those are good herbs for liver. Beets are wonderful for liver. You know, for you,
doing like a lemon, celery, beet, cabbage smoothie will probably be awesome. Sounds delicious. So use a hot tea as a base. Sinus can be an issue. Achey joints can be an issue sometimes with the blue eye people. Lymph is very important. We can go into more detail on the iridology the next time.
Probably taking an omega three would be good. Children’s omega complex. So you said a B complex, a B complex, that’s good for stress. with some good minerals and maybe you get a vitamin mineral supplement. Be complex.
and magnesium in the evening. actually directly affects the muscles.
Is it it be good for her to have? I have like a magnesium spray. It’s an oil. Is that okay to do or is it better orally? Well, you could you do that to me. best magnesium is a magnesium glycanate. I don’t know what this is. If it’s not, that’s okay. It depends on, you know, her her ability to tolerate the taste and texture texture. So that would be the
Sam Berne (51:24.334)
So that would be the thing right now.
Sam Berne (51:35.186)
I think you’re wise to stay off the glasses. I don’t think they’re going to help. Yeah, we can talk about the possibility of doing a maybe like what we call learning lens or a development lens, which is a very tiny magnification. Maybe that. Yeah, like I feel I’m not 100 % against them if it’s necessary. But again, I like your approach.
Yeah, a lot less. Yeah. Well, you know, I can point you in some directions to do that.
Sam Berne (52:19.502)
We just want to nipple up. OK, so we’re winding down to the end. I will send you.
Sam Berne (52:32.898)
Okay, yong yong.
I’ll send you the send outs and the recording and you can go to it. Okay. Thank you. I had one question about have you heard at all about Castor oil on the eyes? Well, in this particular case, I’m not sure it’s the direct like number one thing you need to do. Castor oil is good for
Moisturizing. Again, because of the sensitivity, I don’t think I’d be applying things right now. It’s more of a functional learning. I need to know how to use these guys than applying something like that. mean, for yourself, if you want to experiment with it, you can do castor oil.
I think what you want to do is create an environment of um nurturing and loving the eyes through exercises. Yeah. I think that’s the that’s the strategy for for Ivy. Don’t go start putting lots of stuff on the eyes. We don’t want to create more stress and trauma and like what the heck is this? Yeah. Just because you read it somewhere. Yeah yeah. What I’m giving you
is directly will give you a direct result of what you’re looking for. Perfect. That’s what, that’s what we’re after later on. Do more of that esoteric stuff and that’s right. not now. Okay. All right. Yeah, I think that is everything.
Sam Berne (54:30.862)
Okay. All my questions. will. Uh, once I get the recording set up, I’ll email it to you. would download it to your computer and then, you have it. I’ll send you the handouts. Just go for it. And then maybe let’s see about talking in 48 weeks and what the progress is. Sounds good. Thank you very much. I appreciate your time. Thank you. Bye bye.
Bio:
Dr. Sam Berne, OD, BF (Behavioral Optometry)** brings over 40 years of pioneering work at the intersection of vision science, neuroplasticity, and whole-person wellness. Based in Santa Fe, New Mexico, he is both a clinician and thought-leader in holistic and integrative eye care.
Qualifications & Training
- B.S., Pennsylvania State University
- Doctor of Optometry, Pennsylvania College of Optometry
- Post-doctoral fellowship at the Gesell Institute, affiliated with Yale University, focusing on infant/child development. ([Dr. Sam Berne][1])
*Certified in Iridology by Dr. Ellen Jensen - Licensure in multiple states (including New Mexico and Hawaiʻi), with advanced training in behavioral/neuro-developmental optometry. ([Dr. Sam Berne
Professional Focus
Dr. Berne’s approach goes beyond traditional eye exams. He treats vision as a dynamic system of eye-brain-body interaction, using modalities such as vision therapy, color/light therapy, somatic movement, craniosacral work, and nutritional support.
Career Highlights
- Founded a private practice in Santa Fe that has served children and adults with vision difficulties, learning disorders, traumatic brain injury, and neuro-sensory challenges for over three decades.
- Authored multiple books and educational resources, including Creating Your Personal Vision and Vital Vision, bridging clinical practice with holistic perspective.
- International presenter and retreat leader in holistic vision, teaching in locations such as Hawaiʻi, Mexico, Europe and Russia.
- Faculty member of the Esalen Institute (Big Sur, CA), leading retreats in whole-health, vision, color therapy and subtle energy.
Signature Programs & Innovations
- Functional Vision Integrative Body™ Certification: a practitioner training program integrating functional vision, somatic movement and holistic eye-brain protocols.
- Holistic retreat offerings (e.g., multi-day vision & transformation retreats) grounded in his belief that vision healing is as much about the nervous system, body processes and energy as it is about lenses.
- A dedicated focus on conditions often underserved in conventional optometry such as cataracts, macular degeneration, post-viral vision dysfunction, and neuro-plastic enhancement of vision.
Mission & Philosophy
Dr. Berne’s mission is to empower people to see clearer, feel better and live brighter. He challenges the default model of “prescribe-and-manage” by addressing root causes, leveraging neuroplasticity and designing personalized pathways for vision improvement. He states: “Vision is not only about the eyes—it is the organ of light, tied to how the brain, body and spirit work together.”
Why People Seek Him Out
Individuals come to Dr. Berne when they are ready to:
- Explore alternatives to surgery or stronger prescriptions
- Reconnect vision with systemic health, brain function and lifestyle
- Navigate complex cases (learning-related vision issues, brain injury, progressive ocular conditions) with integrative and functional tools
- Participate in immersive experiences (retreats/workshops) that shift not just their vision but their entire visual system and life patterns
Contact & Offerings
- Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico
- Clinic: Holistic Eye Care & Vision Therapy
- Online: Tele-medicine, practitioner training, membership portals and global reach
- Workshops: In-person retreats and online deep-dives in vision, neuroplasticity and whole-system health
Dr. Sam Berne stands at the nexus of vision science, holistic health and transformational coaching, offering a unique pathway for those who refuse to live by limits in their eyesight—or in their lives.
Join Dr. Sam Berne for These Upcoming Events:
🌀 In-Person Workshop – November 8
A full-day immersion in holistic vision and neuroplastic healing.
💻 5-Week Online Workshop – Begins November 12
Experience Dr. Berne’s Functional Vision methods from anywhere in the world.
🌿 Essential Oil Master Class – November 22
Learn powerful natural protocols for vision and whole-body wellness.
🌺 Kauai Vision Retreat – February 19–24, 2026
A transformational week blending somatic movement, color therapy, and Functional Vision Integrative Body™ practices in paradise.
https://www.drsamberne.com/workshop/
Practitioners:
Dr. Berne also offers a Functional Vision Integrative Body™ Practitioner Training.
To learn more or schedule a discovery call, contact:
📧 appointments@drsamberne.com
🎬 Stream Dr. Berne’s New Documentary:
Beyond Sight: A Journey into Holistic Vision Healing
👉 https://drsambernesmembership.com/pages/documentary
📚 Explore His Books:
Including his latest release,
Beyond the Lens: The AI Visionary Playbook for Entrepreneurs and Business Leaders, available now on Amazon.
Link: https://amzn.to/45kptwt
Show Notes Neuroplasticity
Keywords
neuroplasticity, vision, polyvagal theory, trauma, therapy, eye health, brain function, social engagement, interoception, empathy
Summary
In this episode, Dr. Sam Berne explores the fascinating relationship between neuroplasticity and vision. He discusses how the brain’s ability to adapt and change can impact our visual health, emphasizing the importance of social engagement and interoception. The conversation also delves into the polyvagal theory and its implications for understanding trauma and therapy, highlighting the potential for improving vision through targeted exercises and therapies.
Takeaways
Neuroplasticity is the brain’s ability to change and adapt.
The health of our nervous system reflects our overall well-being.
Eye contact plays a crucial role in social engagement.
Interoception is key to understanding our internal states.
Trauma can impact vision and overall health.
Therapeutic exercises can improve focus and concentration.
The adult brain can change under certain conditions.
Neuroplasticity can enhance both structure and function of the brain.
Empathy is linked to our nervous system’s evolution.
Vision improvement is possible through targeted therapies.
Sound bites
“You can actually change the eyes.”
“You can improve your vision.”
“I help people get rid of double vision.”
Chapters
00:00 Understanding Neuroplasticity
02:21 The Role of Polyvagal Theory
05:15 Trauma and Vision Improvement
Sam Berne (00:00.814)
Hey everybody, it’s Dr. Sam and I want to welcome you to another eye clarity podcast. This is a show where I’m going to be talking about neuroplasticity. You know, I recently led a retreat called the vision sanctuary retreat and I’m giving you about nine minutes of really interesting information on the relationship between neuroplasticity.
and your vision. So I hope you enjoy the show. Thanks for tuning in. I want to start with a topic called neuroplasticity.
And this is an important subject because in the world of neuroscience, there’s a lot of research on the plasticity in our body, our brain and our vision. Another term for this could be brain plasticity or neural plasticity. And it’s the ability of the neural networks in the brain and the nervous system to change through
growth and reorganization.
Another way to say it is that the neuroplasticity that neuroplasticity is the eye brains ability to modify change and adapt both structure and function throughout life and in response to experience. And if you give the eyes a different kind of food, whether it’s nutrient based or energetically based you can actually
Sam Berne (01:44.877)
create changes.
Sam Berne (01:49.09)
So neuroplasticity can affect or it reflects the health of our nervous system and fluid body. So the more responsiveness we have
the better our health if we’re kind of numbed out or we’re not responding then it reflects some level of stagnating energy.
Sam Berne (02:21.39)
There’s a lot of research on neuroplasticity. could go on YouTube or you know, just look into the literature. One of the PhDs that I’ve followed is a guy named Greg Rekenzone. He’s a PhD associate Dean at Berkeley, UC Davis, sorry, UC Davis and he and his team in research found that
You can actually change the eyes. The adult brain can change provided you get certain conditions and those conditions will be what I discuss. So I want to bring in Stephen Porges and the polyvagal theory. This is a very groundbreaking
body of research and writings that dr. Porges is done over the years. And what he’s discovered is an explanation on how the nervous system develops and evolves and gives us that neuroplasticity potential. And one of the things that dr. Porges highlights there are many aspects to the polyvagal theory, but the fight-flight freeze response.
and the reptilian to mammalian evolution that we as humans go through and the one of the keys is developing social engagement, which stimulates this development and one of the keys in social engagement is eye contact.
So we start off with a mammalian. I’m sorry with a reptilian response fight-flight freeze and then through the Vegas nerve, which connects our head with our body. We start moving more into this empathic capability, but we have to go through certain experiences.
Sam Berne (04:33.901)
To be able to make that leap for many people. They either stay stuck in the survival reptilian response. And when they do it affects their sensory motor system, their nervous system, their biochemistry, their endocrine health. And one of the things that I talk about is called interoception. That means how well we’re able to
go inside and be aware and the better we’re able to have interoception. This allows us to begin to soften the defense strategies that are hardwired in us. And then we can move to a higher cognitive and brain sensory motor level and we move more into this
empathic or mammalian response. We actually experienced that this morning when we did the palm hum exercise. You all moved out of some thread of fight flight freeze and into more of a mammalian response and we’re going to build on that in a little bit. So here’s a picture of me just a few years out of school. No gray hair.
And I published an article on trauma. Trauma from either the brain or the eyes and early in my career. I was starting a practice in the Philadelphia area and I difficulty getting patients because the area that I was practicing in was very allopathically medically oriented.
And there were a lot of traditional ophthalmologists in that area. And so people were not ready to necessarily hear the message from me, which is you can improve your vision. So I went to one of the local hospitals and I talked to the physiatrist there who ran the outpatient clinic for trauma patients and I volunteered to
Sam Berne (07:00.927)
help his patients by doing this type of physical therapy that I had learned and over a period of three months. I help people get rid of double vision. help them improve their balance their memory their vestibular health and He saw the value in it because the traditional eye doctors
Didn’t want to address this. So I ended up getting a contract at a few hospitals in the area and started working for a company called remed and this led to then working with special needs kids who had cerebral palsy and Down syndrome. And so I did a research study and I found that
This type of physical therapy I was doing actually access to certain neuroplasticity and part of the the change occurred in the brain because I offered exercises that we’re going to do tomorrow that help improve our focus that focus was an important part in improving your concentration.
And that was one of the stimulating factors in neuroplasticity. So I have much more to say about neuroplasticity and through my blogs, both written and video, I’ll be talking about those. Now, if you want to ask me questions, you can always send me an email. Hello at Dr. Sam burn.com. But now you can text me your questions and that number is one eight four four.
9 3 2 1 2 9 1. So text me your question and I’ll do my best to answer it. Well, that’s our show for today. I want to thank you so much for tuning in until next time. Take care.
For even more from Dr. Sam, check out his new exclusive membership where you get access to my content and resources, new information, articles, videos, webinars: https://drsambernesmembership.com/
Check out his new documentary here: https://www.drsamberne.com/dr-bernes-documentary/
And his upcoming November 8th workshop at the Geodome His 5 week online course starting November 12th Or his Kauai Retreat February 19th-24th, 2026 https://www.drsamberne.com/workshop/
Keywords macula bleed, eye health, nutrition, functional medicine, angiogenesis, retinal health, dietary absorption, blue light, antioxidants, vision improvement Summary In this episode of the iClarity podcast, Dr. Sam Berne discusses a listener’s question about macula bleed, a serious eye condition. He explains the importance of the macula, the implications of bleeding, and the role of nutrition in maintaining eye health. Dr. Berne emphasizes the need for a holistic approach, including dietary changes and potential treatments, to improve retinal health and manage conditions like macular degeneration. Takeaways The macula is crucial for detail and color vision. Macula bleed can lead to serious complications if untreated. Angiogenesis occurs when the macula is starved for nutrients. Nutrition plays a significant role in eye health. Omega-3 fatty acids are essential for retinal health. Monitoring glucose levels is important for eye conditions. A ketogenic diet may benefit those with macular issues. Antioxidants like saffron and curcumin support eye health. Blue light exposure can harm the retina. Avoiding progressive lenses can help with macular problems. Sound bites “The macula is bleeding.” “Check your glucose levels.” “I wish you the very best.” Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Setting the Scene 00:29 Understanding Macula Bleed and Its Implications 02:51 The Importance of Nutrition for Eye Health 04:30 Systemic and Metabolic Factors Affecting Macular Health 06:55 Practical Tips for Managing Macular Health Keep Up with Dr. Sam Website: https://www.drsamberne.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SamBerneOD/?fref=ts Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samberneod/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/drsamberne LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drsamberne/ Dr. Sam Berne has been in private practice in New Mexico for over 25 years and where he works with patients to improve their vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. He holds a Bachelor of Science from Pennsylvania State University, Doctor of Optometry from Pennsylvania College, and did his postdoctoral work at the Gesell Institute in collaboration with Yale University. He has been awarded The Special Awards for Service from the Behavioral Optometrists in Mexico for his innovative and holistic work with children. His protocols take a proactive, rather than reactive, approach to health and wellness. He understands and treats the body as one integrated system rather than a collection of independent organs in order to identify and address the root causes of disease. His whole health protocols improve vision and wellness by healing the mind-body-spirit through nutritional protocols, vision therapy, and self-care techniques. This views each person as genetically and biochemically unique and enables the individual to make lifelong improvements to their well-being.
Step inside a rare live recording with Dr. Sam Berne, internationally recognized holistic optometrist, as he works one-on-one with participants in an intimate masterclass setting. In this special session, you’ll witness insightful techniques and personalized prescriptions, hear practical guidance for dry eye relief, and discover powerful exercises to improve visual coordination and whole-body integration.
More than a lecture, this podcast captures the energy of real-time healing and transformation—showing how vision connects to brain, body, and nervous system. Whether you’re looking for fresh solutions to eye challenges or inspiration for your own journey to clear, vibrant sight, this masterclass offers both education and empowerment.
🎬 New Documentary: Beyond Sight – A Journey into Holistic Vision HealingExperience Dr. Berne’s groundbreaking film that blends science, healing, and patient stories into a powerful exploration of how holistic vision care transforms lives. Beyond Sight takes you inside his unique Functional Vision Integrative Body™ method, featuring live workshops, case studies, and inspiring journeys of people reclaiming their eyesight and health.
👉 https://www.drsamberne.com/dr-bernes-documentary/
💻 Online Workshop – November 12th“The Eyes Never Lie: What Your Vision Reveals About Your Health”
Join Dr. Berne for a 5-week online immersion beginning November 12th. This interactive course explores functional eye anatomy, iridology, dry eye solutions, light and color therapy, functional nutrition, and somatic practices to reset the nervous system. Each week includes practical tools you can use immediately to improve your vision and overall vitality.
https://www.drsamberne.com/workshop/from-diagnosis-to-direction-5-weeks-of-eye-health-guidance/
🌴 Holistic Vision Retreat – Kauai, HawaiiFebruary 2026 | 8-Day Immersion
Imagine learning holistic vision care surrounded by the beauty of Kauai. This exclusive retreat combines Dr. Berne’s hands-on training in functional vision therapy with somatic movement, vagus nerve reset practices, advanced color therapy, and practical techniques to reduce eye strain and improve clarity. Participants will also enjoy rejuvenating nature excursions and deep relaxation on the Garden Island. Spaces are limited to ensure personal attention.
👉 Apply for the Kauai Retreat
✨ Whether you join from home through the November 12th online course, immerse yourself in the documentary, or experience the transformational retreat in Kauai, Dr. Berne invites you to go beyond the lens and discover what your vision truly reveals about your health and potential.
And to access Dr. Berne’s deeper information, join his membership: https://drsambernesmembership.com
Sam Berne (00:00.182)
recorded. Okay, great. All right. So Roberta, I’ve read over your history form. also have your prescription. I want to give you some advice on that. But what would be in your words, maybe a sentence or two, what your the things that are bothering you the most and what would be your goals and objectives?
One thing about that prescription, was very recent. was not the prescription that I’m not using the lenses that that optometrist gave me. Because I asked him to make the same type of glasses that you had given me 20 years ago that I still use at night to drive with. But he added a stigmatism correction without my permission.
see. I see that. Yeah, and a lot of a stigma, a lot of astigmatism. And well, you know, you get that prescription, it’s gonna really, you know, lock down your eyes. I got it. And I put them on. I had them on for like, less than a minute. And I was dizzy, disassociated, nauseous, I had to actually go get bodywork to try to fix what those glasses to me. It was amazing.
Anyway, we won’t go into that. Yeah, that’s why I’m here at the vision therapy. Okay, I was very excited to see it. Real quick. Say more, say more. Well, I just in October, I hit my head really hard. So I detached my retina. And I got three tears and they had eye surgery. And then in December, there were aspects of it detaching again. So I had an in office procedure with a laser.
And it just, my eye feels dry all the time and it’s really blurry. The vision feels like it’s relaxing a little bit with the animal chart and the lens to blur glasses again. but yeah, it’s like the whole eye socket is dry.
Sam Berne (02:24.658)
And are you using any natural eye drops or castor oil or anything like that? I don’t know. I would love some advice on I’ve been taking liposomal vitamin C. Okay. Okay. So first of all, first of all, what I would say is you want to start lubricating your eyes during the day with some natural eye drops and there you can use different ones.
like you could do the five percent, my five percent MSM. You could also do the homeopathic eye drops. I think the best one on the market is, is the Optique eye drops. And I would probably be bathing the eye, you know, every hour or two, because in the retina, if there’s any dryness in the retina, because it’s such a sensitive layer, sensitive tissue, it, there is more tendency for it to maybe
disintegrate or pull away from the eyeball. And then in the evening, I would get yourself some hexane free organic castor oil. Make sure your hands are washed and then a couple of drops on your fingers and then just very lightly massaging all around the castor oil actually helps as a wound healer on the skin and I call the retina kind of the inner skin of the eye.
So you’re doing it on the eyelids now the eyelids are the area where the dryness can occur if there’s you know Some impediment in the tear production So by putting the castor oil on there, you’re going to have a really good Moisturization situation and you know, maybe you redo it in the morning If you get a little bit in your eyes, no big deal, but you want to start with it on the eyelids
And that would be, you know, that would be a safe place. So you’re doing the eye drops during the day. You’re doing the the Matt Castro in the evening. If you’re at all attracted to herbal herbal compresses, you’ve got a whole list of them. You could do that will lubricate your eyes either. I write tea chamomile tea. Those would be good ones. You could do like Rose petals. I had an herbalist who gave a
Sam Berne (04:49.72)
presentation at one of my health summits and those are the big three that she recommended now with the rose petals. She was actually doing an eye cup. So you make the tea and then you have a cup that you can buy and you just do it this way. This is and roses one of the best things you could use if you’re into essential oils, you could get a helicrism hydrosol. That’s a mist and a company I use is still point aromatics. So you get the helicrism
Hydrosol and then you use that during the day as a spray as well and helicrism is an essential oil that heals the skin and it again hydrates and moisturizes. Some other things to consider about this dryness, which I’m sure you’ve checked would be your thyroid health, your adrenal health, maybe even boosting the fats and oils even more. You 50 % of the retina is the omega-3s.
I see you’re taking some good stuff down the vitamin vitamin. Which why I added the Omega is the E and the a yeah. So and you’re doing, you know, your probiotics and things like that. So there’s that going on and then I want to wonder on a functional level if your two eyes are working together. So I’d like to do a technique right now if I could.
So what I’d like you to do is cover your left eye and everybody in the audience. can do this as well. Cover your left and what’s the first thing that you see or feel when you cover your left eye? What’s the first thing that that comes to your surface? For me, a little bit of apprehension. Okay. And where do you feel that apprehension in your body? Kind of in the upper chest throat.
Okay. So what I want you to do is just breathe into that area amplify that area and keep breathing into it and just allow the the energetic there to get bigger and by going into it. It can release and see where it takes you next. Take maybe a few breaths. Track it and see where you go.
Sam Berne (07:17.998)
So is it still in the throat? Is it moving anywhere? I wouldn’t say necessarily physically it has moved but emotionally it has moved. So where is it moved emotionally? It’s more of a like a breathless panic. Okay. All right. And so in that breathless panic, how old are you feeling? What’s the first age that comes up for you?
I actually think I might be still in utero. Yeah. huh. Yeah, exactly. So once you just breathe into that, yep, just breathe into it and you can either close your eye or keep it open, whatever feels better and just, just be with it. Just, just meet it and see where it takes you.
Sam Berne (08:16.504)
breath and feeling the body are ways for you to stay anchored here, but allow that energetic to kind of move.
Sam Berne (08:35.95)
So now what’s happening?
Interesting.
I feel like I see some light. I feel like I’m calming down, but I feel like I’m all tangled up. You’re all tangled up. Your body is tangled up. What’s tangled up? It’s like
Sam Berne (09:02.956)
like I’m, I’m wrapped in something. You’re wrapped in something.
And how old are you now? Interesting. I’m here too. You’re too. Okay, so now you’re you’ve been born, you’re out, you’re too. And
What do you, what’s naturally, what’s a way that you would want to move either your body or your eye right now as the two year old wrapped up? Is there any movement or any? There’s a desire to, to move forward into a Do it, do it. Just a little ball. just do it. There we go. Yes. And when you do that, what do you feel?
Sam Berne (10:01.998)
I feel safer. Okay, good. Just stay there. Just stay there.
Sam Berne (10:13.068)
And go ahead and take your hand away from your left eye and close your eyes.
And.
When you’re ready, just check in how you’re feeling now.
Sam Berne (10:33.806)
sweating quite a bit sweating quite a bit. There’s a lot of releasing going on here as you can see. So just keep breathing into it. This is all great release.
Sam Berne (10:50.446)
And wonderful.
And when you feel like you’ve come to kind of maybe a neutral place a little bit or a, you know, place where
Sam Berne (11:07.352)
Things have calmed down a little.
You can open your eye. You can come back to posture. Come back and…
I can feel a lot of releasing along my back. Yes. Yes. Yes. And I can feel the kind of internal shaking. Okay. So what I’m presenting today is an exercise for you and the entire group. And so everybody listen up. We’re getting this recorded. What I want each person to do is
in a quiet space like I was doing here with Roberta is that you’re going to occlude one eye the left eye either through a patch. You can do it through a scarf. And then I want you to ask yourself the question like I asked Roberta. What do you see and what do you feel and just be aware of what comes to the surface. So we’re using the eye as the entry point into the body.
to release what you’re holding in the eye. And it may be I feel nothing. It may be I feel some tension in my throat like what you were saying. And then the exercise becomes can I go into it? Can I breathe into it? Can I just go into it? Can I meet it and then see where I go see where it takes me. So it’s going to take some listening and I want you to bring an age to it.
Sam Berne (12:43.554)
Well, how old are you feeling when you’re feeling say this fear in my heart or you know, in my head or wherever it is just just allow and listen and just notice at that age. because a lot of eye problems actually started conception or in utero. That’s where the imprint start. The eyes are one of the oldest tissues of the body. I mean, they’re one of the first to develop. So it’s our scroll of history. Now we fast forward to your an adult.
You have this retina thing. The retina is part of that very early embryonic spiral and it’s very primal. It’s very, it’s very deep and old if we are open enough to access that level of the root. So you just keep going for a few minutes with that right eye, maybe move in a certain position. Maybe you want to lie on the floor. Maybe you want to get into a ball.
You do it to a place where you become neutral. Okay, you might sweat who knows what’s going to come up for you because each person is different and then you uncover the eye and you look with both eyes and you’re going to notice that things are going to be a lot clearer and brighter and you’re going to feel more relaxed and then you repeat this on the other side where you cover that sit in a chair again. What do I see? What do I feel and just follow it?
This is a somatic form a body centered form of the eye dialogue. It’s the it’s the advanced version the the the the basic version is where you ask the age of each eye and are they married and I’m going to send you those directions as well. So if this is too out there for you and you have no idea where to go with this and just do the basic form of the eye dialogue.
This is the advanced form, which is very mind body centered and Roberta a couple of things. I would definitely not get this use this prescription and if you do have the old numbers send them to me. Okay. So do you have the glasses? do have the glasses. Okay, then you got it. So you go to an optical place and you say I want to make an appointment with my optometrist. They don’t need to know.
Sam Berne (15:08.64)
And he needs to know what’s in those glasses. Can you write it down for me so I can send it to or give it to him? Okay, so they will give you what’s in those lenses and then email it to me and I’ll be happy to write you that prescription because I remember I don’t remember the exact numbers, but I do remember that you got a non astigmatism prescription and you were super happy about it. And that would be the way to go. Now some other things to do.
Screen time, blue blockers would be good. And, you know, continually maybe if it resonates with you getting some cranial work that we did some craniosacral there. That’s what we were doing except it was long distance and you were you were doing it and I was just guiding you and make sure you get out outside. Somebody asked a question today. Why live in a area where we don’t see the sun?
Well, doesn’t matter as long as you get outside that counts even if it’s cloudy and you’re probably doing all that as well. I think the big thing that I would do if I were you is just really keep your eyes hydrated and lubricated with natural plant-based and non-preservative types of eye drops until that eye stops being so dry because if you keep it lubricated and wet
Then you’re reducing oxidative stress inflammation and the tissue have a chance to absorb the nutrients that you’re giving yourself better. Some other things that you want to consider in your retina health diet would be things like alpha lipoic acid coenzyme q10 ginkgo tarine bilberry
curcumin. These are things you can get through foods or you can get through, know, however, however that works for you. Those are kind of the next level and layer of the retina nutrients. And we know the basic ones like vitamin A and by the way, zinc is needed to absorb vitamin A healthy fats and oils, which you’re Billberry and lutein and zeaxanthin and astaxanthin. So if you do those things,
Sam Berne (17:34.696)
And you do the blue blockers and you do all of these things keep in touch with me and let me know what’s going on. There’s also an end a digestive enzyme that dissolves.
scar tissue in the eye and it’s called seropeptase. And it’s an enzyme seropeptase. I’ll put it in the chat. I’ll put it in the chat.
Sam Berne (18:04.462)
And this enzyme is sometimes I’ll use it as a way for to help people get rid of floaters. And also if they’ve had a lot of eye surgeries because it dissolves scar tissue, the MSMI drops also help dissolve scar tissue also the castor oil. So you want to move away from the side effects of the surgery and all the chemicals and anesthesia they used on you.
So that would be one thing and then I’m to bring something else in which is part of today, which is the color therapy. And so if you I know I was kind of, know, with Ron, like how do you take it in? I’m going to look but if you’re able to do the color therapy, I would work with the green color, the blue green color and the blue color and maybe the violet color. You could spend two to five minutes.
bringing the color in. Now you could do that with color therapy glasses, color therapy gels. You could even just visualize the color. And what I’m going to do with everybody is I’m going to send them one of my PowerPoints, which is just color slides. So I’ll send that to everybody. You can put that on the computer and you can look at the color and then close your eyes and try to visualize it. Try to imagine it.
And pick the color that most resonates with relaxation and calmness. This would be for everybody. may be the blue color, maybe the green color, just, just as in the side, more of the red end of the spectrum, red, orange, yellow is more stimulating. Green blue indigo violet is more relaxing. When I was in the hospitals working in developing methods for traumatic brain injury.
We were using the blue end of the spectrum and getting great results with that.
Sam Berne (20:06.166)
And so that with any trauma and we all have had trauma, whether it’s physical, emotional, energetic, the blue end of the spectrum works really well at releasing trauma from the tissue. Again, studying trauma release and trauma work for many, many years, when we are traumatized, it creates a paralysis in that area of the body where we absorb the trauma.
And so color therapy is a way to release the trauma from the tissue. So we we increase the energy flow and the food that the retina needs the most is light and color. So you’re bathing the the retina in these colors. So anybody with retinal detachment or retina problems, the color therapy is really good. So I will send you the color gels and you’re going to find out your prescription. You’re going to send it to me.
So I can get you a reduced prescription. That’s not going to pull on the retina and then get going on hydrating your eyes with these these agents that I recommend and then let me know how you’re doing in a week or two. If I am any other questions or comments, go ahead. do actually I’m going to I’m out of the country. And so if there were a priority of the things that I could look for to really assist my eyes right now.
Because I won’t be back in the US for another couple of weeks. What would it be? Probably the castor oil massage. If you could get that that you probably can get that out of country and maybe not and some natural homeopathic even if it’s similison. So those would be the two. Okay. And then when I get back maybe the MSM and then you then you can get the MSM. It’s a little tricky to send them in. We can do it internationally.
No, know it’s supplements of any kind actually internationalist. So just just wait on that and just eat a rainbow diet, reduce your stress, get plenty of light into your eyes and do the color therapy. So those that would that would be the broad brush of what I would suggest. Okay, perfect. Thank you. All right. Awesome. Great to see you. And yeah, you as well. Okay. Let’s go back.
Sam Berne (22:31.246)
to gallery. All right, who else wants to talk to me today? No, I don’t want to do that.
Okay, Elizabeth. Okay, well, we’ll do Elizabeth and then we will do Stefan. Remove the pin. So let me give you a pin here. So it’ll be us. Wow, it’s so good to see you. My God. It’s been way too long. So yeah, yeah. Can you turn your volume up a little bit? Sure. Oh, there you are. Now I gotcha. Okay.
Okay, so we’ve done tons of vision therapy with each other. What is it that’s drawing you right now that I can help you with Elizabeth? Well, remember we did the two sticks where you put them together and I had glasses on you said put the two sticks together and they weren’t at all together. Right. They weren’t all together. Yes. That’s depth perception, right? That’s kind of messed up. Yes, it’s depth perception. Exactly. More in my life when I walk.
and the surface I’m walking on is uneven. almost like I have to bend over to see how far away it is. I’m definitely being challenged with depth procession. My car is a little too big on the sides. don’t dent it, I scratch it. so I’m definitely having spatial orientation. Okay. All right. I have the answer. I have the answer for you. So first of all, I would like you to spend a few days.
using some kind of an occlusion over each eye like the patch or you know again you can use a scarf or something. don’t even know if you still have the patch. I do. You do. Okay. And what I want you to do with the patch. So this is going to be for everybody now is I want you to wear the patch for there’s two ways to do this. One is to do it where you’ve got a time space.
Sam Berne (24:39.694)
where you can spend say 10 minutes total where you’re spending five minutes covering the left eye and walking around where you live exploring also spending a little bit of time going internal maybe doing the basic eye dialogue or the more advanced somatically driven that might actually might be great for you because I know you’ve done a lot of you know somatic exploration kind of like continuum and
So that and if you’re going to do that Elizabeth, I’d even do it on the floor where you’re patching the left eye and just allow your body to move through the right eye to explore through the right eye. And then after a few minutes take the patch off get a check-in with both eyes and then patch the right eye and do the same exploration with the left eye. So again for anybody
that wants to get on the floor to start maybe on your back or, you know, this would be an earlier age appropriate experience where it may bring up an earlier age in your life and then do the same kind of somatic exploration with the left eye and really don’t mute yourself. Don’t suppress yourself in making sound making movement.
looking around sitting up lying down. So in other words really give your body full permission to go into that space of what do I really want to do when I patch my left eye and when my patch my right eye. So you’ve got that and then you’ve got the the exploration. Then the second thing after you’ve done that for a few days. I’m going to send each person
A paper that’s got a set of jelly beans on it. And you probably remember this one Elizabeth. This is the the magic eye the 3D picture. And so what you’re going to do is you’re going to get the jelly bean picture downloaded and I want you to print it out. You can either be on a color printer or a black and white it that the picture works for both. You’ve printed it out and now this is my jelly bean picture.
Sam Berne (27:00.256)
I put it up to my nose like this and I imagine myself looking through the paper. start pushing it out and I keep imagining looking through the paper and then I’m looking at the spaces between the jelly beans and what’s going to happen is the jelly beans are going to pop. There’s going to be a three-dimensional shift. So then at that point you’re introducing to the mind brain eyes, the three-dimensional depth perception.
And so we know in neuroplasticity that if we introduce the way we’re supposed to see the pathways, the tracks, even if there’s been trauma or toxicity that we do this for a few minutes and we do it where I’m moving it out. moving it up. So I got the 3d. I could even do it standing up balancing walking. So
The idea is I’m introducing this three dimensional pattern to my brain and my eyes. But I’m cleaning things out with the eye dialogue or the eye patch first and then spend a few minutes a couple times a day. I would do it where the where you’re looking down because that’s been an issue for you. The 3D. Wherever wherever you’re getting the 3D, you know issue.
move that jelly bean in that that area of gaze over time. I can’t predict but over time it’s going to turn on both eyes again and because we’ve worked together that track has been stimulated and then report to me next week and see if things are a little more stable in your so I will send everybody including you the jelly beans picture with a set of directions.
And then those would be the two things I would I would work on to regain your stability and your orientation around your vision. I know you can get it back actually if you if you kind of plug back into it. Okay. Good. So do you have any questions or comments about that? Not about that. have other questions. Okay. Okay. Fire away. We talked about verse trauma last time and I just I was yes, I’m on premature and my lungs.
Sam Berne (29:25.326)
and nobody saw it, I ended up in an incubator for two weeks. So just for the birth trauma part of it. I love the MSM drops so much that when I went on a trip and forgot them, I just almost went hysterical because I love them. And I promise to never not take them again. I went on to the 15%. I’m just getting them soon. Does that make a difference? The five or 15? Well, the 15 % is a little more therapeutically driven.
in opening up your circulation. Okay. The thing you have to manage is it’s going to sting or burn for a few seconds. That’s actually a good thing. Yeah. So it’s you know, if you have any residual floaters, if you have any, you know, blurriness, fatigue, redness, the MSM is by far has a Paxa stronger, you know, influence than the 5%.
If you still get the stinging and again, this goes for anybody just put a drop in the corners with your eyes closed and then just, you know, massage it in that way. If the stinging is even more, you can put a couple of drops on a wet cloth and use it as a compress to get you used to it. But it’s definitely the gold standard around circulation and getting rid of floaters building collagen. So you should be fine with it.
any floaters anymore. used to and they’re gone. yeah. That’s great. Yeah, exactly. I wanted the the birth trauma. want to the secret word and this is for anybody is oxytocin. O-x-y-t-o-c-i-n and one of my colleagues her name is Sue Carter PhD. She has published a lot of research on oxytocin. We actually were together
at a seminar where I was presenting. She’s in Florida now, but when you’re taken away from mom and you’re put in an incubator, you don’t get that oxytocin rush. And so it’s the pleasure hormone. It’s the love hormone. It would be good for you to study Elizabeth as a way to bridge and heal that birth trauma. Another way to do that would be how can I bring oxytocin into my life?
Sam Berne (31:49.558)
What are, what is it? How do I, you know, access it? That would be a good next step for you in the, in the birth situation.
That sounds.
Sam Berne (32:06.836)
Anything else?
Red of kind of on a regular basis and I’m not sure maybe the 15%. Yeah, I think so. You could also do the evening castor oil. You could also consider maybe doing a two-week stint of say milk thistle as a liver cleanse or you know, doing even a deeper cleanse if you want, know, we’re coming into springtime. So doing a intermittent fast or
You know, something like that, depending on what what’s comfortable because the the eyelids represent the stomach and the spleen acupuncture wise. So when there’s redness, there’s usually some stomach digestive issue, whether it’s a hortiola, mychalazion conjunctivitis. So that’s why sometimes, you know, doing a cleanse or, know, working with the stomach.
Meridian working with the gallbladder of the liver that actually clears up all the eyelid issues. So that’s the connection. Okay, and I’d to get you my prescription and I think we’ve got some glasses before but I’m not sure I can find them anymore. So just email it to me and what you want and I’ll be happy to do it for you. Okay. Thank you. Okay, great. All right. Thank you.
All right, we’re going to bring Stefan up.
Sam Berne (33:48.8)
Yeah, can you hear me? Come on up? Yeah. Yeah. How are you? I’m doing good. I’m doing well. Thank you. Great. Great. right now. I would rather go next week. So we actually have time because you have eight minutes. That feels a little well, that’s okay. We can go over because I started late. So I’m very generous here around that. So since we have you on, however long it takes, so don’t worry about it. Okay, great.
Well, I just emailed you my question. I can actually, we worked together, that was, I guess, three years ago. And then I did send you two frames and then you sent me back blurry glasses and the prescription. I had the numbers from the eye doctor and then you gave me, you called it homeopathic glasses? Yes, I did. I did. The number word. Okay.
I have your email right here. Yeah. And then I did like those glasses. I lost them. got lost in the shuffle homeopathic. Yeah. They okay. So, so I can send you a prescription for them. Let me, let me just forever bring everybody up to speed. What a homeopathic prescription is, is that it’s a very, very tiny, minuscule magnification lens and
It’s not something that you can readily get from a an eye doctor because they don’t know about it. It’s not based on reading the eye chart. It’s not based on an optical defect. Now to qualify to get the homeopathic glasses, you basically have to start out with no prescription in your eyes. So if you’re near sighted or you’re far sighted, then the homeopathic glasses don’t work for you.
The other way we do that is maybe reducing your prescriptions, whether you’re farsighted or nearsighted. So if you’ve got a prescription that you’ve been wearing, then this doesn’t apply to you. But in this prescription, it’s very soft. It’s very minimal, but it opens up the peripheral vision and it brings the light into the eyes in a very equal distribution.
Sam Berne (36:13.376)
And in doing that, it’s so relaxing. And so it’s really a great vision improvement technique. So I can definitely send you that say more. That’s the question. Like what I because that so because what you said is you gave me a lower number in the prescription is that then different than the home. I see. Well,
So what is what is your do you wear a prescription for distance? I know I don’t like what I what I I reading is blurry my my right our side is good. So is that yes, this is homeopathic. Yeah, that’s what it is. Yeah It’s only if you wear a prescription for distance I then the homeopathic. Yeah, then the homeopathic might be different but But yeah, it’s it’s a very small
magnification lens. Now, I wouldn’t have the expectation that you’re going to be able to read as well, say with a stronger magnifier. It’s more of changing how the light is coming into your eyes and it creates a relaxation in your nervous system. Okay, but it’s lower prescription number or the homoeopathic glasses. The prescription would be like a plus point five. that’s that’s kind of the usually what we
Suggest to recommend but if you’ve got you know, if you’ve got any paperwork or anything, yeah Send it to me and and we can double check it. Okay. Yeah one The right eye is more blurry than the left eye. So then Numbers we’re balancing. Yeah, so if it’s a homeopathic I make the prescription the same in each eye to encourage both eyes to work together and it’s a it’s an exercise lens so
It’s not a lens that you get that it’s going to make things clear necessarily. It’s more of a exercise. It’s a stimulation that’s bringing you back into balance. So if you’ve got the numbers or you’ve got some record of it, then we can confirm. What do I do for reading and for my woodworking? So that’s a good question. What I recommend at that point
Sam Berne (38:38.35)
Is take whatever you need to read with to the drugstore. Yeah. And start looking through magnification and find the least amount of magnification without straining and squinting that you’re allowed to see things comfortably. Okay. And that would be what you’re what you want to start out with in terms of using. Okay. And then go ahead. Send you a frame.
And you would make me no, no, you would you could just buy it. You would just buy it there. Well, how about I write on my left eye is different. So again, if you correct the eyes for different, then you’re going to reinforce the difference. Okay. So what I find works better is to find something that with both eyes open. So you’re not just testing each eye by itself with both eyes open with the same lenses.
Yeah, what’s going to give you the most comfortable clarity and that will therapeutically be the best thing for you to encourage your right eye to start matching the left eye. So it’s moving you in a direction of integration. That’s the the technique that works really well because if we correct one eye differently than the other then you’re going to be stuck in that you’re never going to bring your right eye forward. Okay, then
Why did I send a frame three years ago to you and you made me one? I don’t know. So if you’ve got the records, that’s what I’m going to need to help you with it. don’t know that answer. Right eye is slightly irritated and water is in the end of the day.
So what I think is happening is your right eye is doing more of the work than the left eye. That’s why it’s blurrier and it’s more irritated. So you would qualify to do some of the eye patch work. Okay. That I suggest. Yeah. And just explore it. And you’re going to notice over time that when you take the patch off, say the right eye after you’ve patched it, it’s going to be really balancing.
Sam Berne (40:59.586)
like giving the left eye more, you know, more juice, but I would do both eyes because it’s also the left eye is receding and the best way, the two best ways to do that would be using the eye patch. Like I’ve laid out with these, with the other two people and then the jelly bean exercise. That’s going to educate your two eyes to work together. So I’ll be sending you that chart with some directions, but that’s a physical therapy exercise.
that encourages your two eyes to work together. What about the color therapy for me? So I’m going to send you the slides and I think intuitively pick the color that brings you the most peace and calming. Okay. And work with that one first. Yeah. And then you can start doing, you know, some of the other colors. So I think you choose it based on what’s going to feel the best to you. Okay.
What about any eye drops for me? that helpful? Well, you know, homeopathic eye drops would be fine to use. know, you can might be able to get something like the similiacin drops where you live or the Optique and maybe doing the castor oil massage in the evening or if you’re in herbs, do an herbal compress over the eyes. So any of that would be
you know, open for you and might really help the irritation recede in the right eye by by doing that. Okay. So when I, when I, what I hear is, so the main thing would be glasses that there are the same prescription in the lowest number. And so I can, I can actually read and don’t strain my eye because that’s what it looks like. The right eye is actually working. That’s correct. That’s correct. Okay. Okay. Cool. So yeah.
So that is going to be really positive for you to get that because it’s going to reduce the strain. Yeah, but it’s going to encourage your two eyes to work together by giving you the same lens. It works really well. You did send me three years ago. Like so I sent you two friends and the other one were blurry. Shall I use them? If you have them, you could certainly use them. Sure. And
Sam Berne (43:28.532)
Again, I think that was in our last recording. But basically what I would do is in a place where you’re not having any demand sit in the chair, look out with your vision and then put the blurry glasses on for a minute and go into the blur. You could even do each eye separately. And then when you take them off, it’s going to give you more clarity. Yeah. I mean, since you’re in this process with me now, the more you can put into your eyes therapeutically.
The faster you’re going to see results. Is that the minute to five minutes for the blur glasses? I would say one minute on and off and do it three times. So it’s a short Interval a minute on take it off for 10 15 seconds and then do it again So do it two or three times. So it allows your eye to go more deeply into the blur
You’ll get more out of it. And that’s a lot of exercises. Is that all these exercises every day? Well, it depends on your lifestyle and what you can put into it. Basically, you want to interrupt your current habit that’s creating the deterioration. Yeah. So all of these exercises are set up to create an obstacle for you to get out of the status quo.
So do what you can, you know, do maybe a little bit in the morning, a little bit in the evening. Anything you do is going to create improvement. Okay, great. You know that because when we worked together three years ago, what I gave you helped you. Yeah. Yes. So now it did. So now you’re going to get another round of it and be able to go more deeply into holding the results. Okay. So whatever you can do is good. Thank you. Okay.
All right, well send me any more questions. I’ll look at your email and we’ll go from there. All right. So I’ve got some homework that I’m going to be sending you the color gels, the slides, the jelly beans exercise and the directions and there may be some other videos and things I’ll see based on what I talked about today.
Sam Berne (45:53.654)
If you’re going to enter the color therapy again, do it in a way that you want to receive and internalize. Can I digest it? Can I imagine it? Can I feel it? And you know, again, for some people that’s really hard to do and I get that. So just look at the color softly and see see what that does for you on a regular basis. What I can say what the color therapy does is it stimulates the retina.
to engage more when you have different colors coming into the photoreceptors and that’s valuable because stress and habits tend to start to shut down the photoreceptors in the retina and that’s why when we go to the eye doctor things are blurry. What they’re doing is they’re giving a prescription that’s reinforcing what we’re doing to ourselves.
And I know that sounds kind of crazy, but that’s the symptom based approach. So that’s why people’s eyes get worse and worse and their prescriptions get stronger. And then they start developing, you know, other eye pathologies, cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration, dry eye, know, blepharitis on and on all these eye diseases are based on the fact that we’re not oxygenating and hydrating our eyes properly.
And so if we can learn to oxygenate and hydrate by the way, the color therapy is another way that oxygenates and hydrates what we did this morning with Roberta that created a lot more oxygenation and hydration what I recommended for Elizabeth. So I think that’s the state of affairs for today. So what I would suggest
Is get the recording if you need to watch it again again, keep going with these exercises. I’m open into your questions and comments. So please do that. I’ll either answer them during our our session time or on my social media feed all of them Facebook Instagram podcasts and whatever. So So I guess that’s it.
Sam Berne (48:25.752)
All right, everybody, I wish you well. Have a great week, and I’ll see you next week, same time.
Check out my upcoming workshops: https://www.drsamberne.com
And my new documentary: https://www.drsamberne.com/dr-bernes-documentary/
For even more from Dr. Sam, check out his new exclusive membership where you get access to my content and resources, new information, articles, videos, webinars: https://drsambernesmembership.com/
Keywords
vision, farsightedness, child development, alternative therapies, eye exercises, motor skills, visual development, prescription glasses, pediatric eye care, holistic approach
Summary
In this conversation, the speaker discusses a child’s vision issues, specifically focusing on high farsightedness and its implications for development. The conversation explores the connection between visual development and motor skills, emphasizing the importance of movement in early childhood. The speaker suggests alternative therapies and exercises to help improve the child’s vision and overall development, while also addressing the potential downsides of strong prescriptions. The discussion concludes with recommendations for exercises and a plan for reducing the child’s prescription glasses.
Takeaways
The child has a high prescription of plus seven for farsightedness.
Farsightedness can be linked to developmental delays in motor skills.
Movement is crucial for visual and motor development in children.
Strong prescriptions can interfere with a child’s visual development.
Alternative therapies and exercises can help improve vision and motor skills.
The connection between the eyes, brain, and body is significant.
Primitive reflexes play a role in visual and motor development.
Regular eye exercises can aid in reducing prescription strength.
Children may experience reversals in letters as a normal part of development.
Holistic approaches to eye care consider the whole child, not just their eyesight.
Sound bites
“That’s a really high prescription.”
“I want to give you some exercises.”
“I think we can come down 50%.”
Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Background on Vision Issues
14:23 Understanding Farsightedness and Its Implications
23:32 Exploring Alternative Therapies and Exercises
40:00 Implementing Exercises and Next Steps
Keep Up with Dr. Sam
Website: https://www.drsamberne.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SamBerneOD/?fref=ts
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samberneod/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/drsamberne
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drsamberne/
Dr. Sam Berne has been in private practice in New Mexico for over 25 years and where he works with patients to improve their vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. He holds a Bachelor of Science from Pennsylvania State University, Doctor of Optometry from Pennsylvania College, and did his postdoctoral work at the Gesell Institute in collaboration with Yale University. He has been awarded The Special Awards for Service from the Behavioral Optometrists in Mexico for his innovative and holistic work with children.
His protocols take a proactive, rather than reactive, approach to health and wellness. He understands and treats the body as one integrated system rather than a collection of independent organs in order to identify and address the root causes of disease. His whole health protocols improve vision and wellness by healing the mind-body-spirit through nutritional protocols, vision therapy, and self-care techniques. This views each person as genetically and biochemically unique and enables the individual to make lifelong improvements to their well-being.
Step into a groundbreaking journey that reveals how vision is more than just seeing — it’s healing. Beyond Sight: A Journey into Holistic Visual Healing uncovers stories of transformation, blending science, spirit, and somatic intelligence to revolutionize how we think about the eyes.
🎥 Watch the trailer now and experience the shift.
🌐 Stream it here:
https://www.drsamberne.com/dr-bernes-documentary/
Join Dr. Berne’s Pracitioner’s training: https://www.drsamberne.com/practitioners-training/
And his upcoming workshops:
https://www.drsamberne.com/workshop/from-diagnosis-to-direction-5-weeks-of-eye-health-guidance/
For even more from Dr. Sam, check out his new exclusive membership where you get access to my content and resources, new information, articles, videos, webinars: https://drsambernesmembership.com/
Keywords
vision therapy, visual habits, prescription glasses, eye health, presbyopia, visual clarity, optometry, personal insights, emotional perception, intuitive insights
Summary
In this conversation, Sam Berne discusses the importance of visual habits and therapy, sharing personal experiences with vision issues and the impact of different prescriptions on perception and emotional well-being. The dialogue explores how adjustments in lenses can influence not only visual clarity but also personal relationships and intuitive insights in professional practice.
Takeaways
I started wearing glasses when I was in fifth grade.
I learned about good visual habits in optometry school.
I’m feeling like I’m getting early presbyopic symptoms.
Definitely more clarity with the new prescription.
I would cut that by half and try.
It feels shaky almost like my ground is so shaky.
I feel like I identify more with my type A side.
This is more of my relaxed side of it.
You might get more intuitive insights with different lenses.
I love the way I was trained in optometry.
Sound bites
“Definitely more clarity.”
“I would cut that by half and try.”
“I love the way I was trained.”
Chapters
00:00 Vision and Personal History
02:48 Exploring Visual Habits and Therapy
04:50 Understanding Prescription Adjustments
07:05 The Impact of Lenses on Perception and Relationships
Sam Berne (00:00.463)
And Justine, you’re the last one. tell me a little bit about your vision and how you became Nearsighted and what’s your history? Yeah, so I started wearing glasses when I was in fifth grade and my optometrist prescribed me very strong minus lenses.
and didn’t tell me anything about visual habits. So I used to color and write really close to the page and I used to watch TV, you know, from the distance of this computer screen. And so my prescription just continued to climb and climb and climb throughout school. And it wasn’t until optometry school that I learned about good visual habits, about, you know, relaxing your vision, going outside.
you know, not being so glued to the screens, but you know, with COVID and technology nowadays, we’re always on our screens. And so I do vision therapy with patients. And so I’m actively doing the exercises with them, especially the diverging activities. And what I’m finding is I’m approaching 36 now, and I’m feeling like I’m getting early presbyopic kind of symptoms where
long-term near work, it’s starting to give me strain and headaches and I even put a little bit of basin prism in my glasses just to help with that. But I’m still finding that my eyes get really tired by the end of the day. Okay, well one thing I can say right off the bat that could really help you is have you ever thought about one of these prescriptions? Yes, and that is what I
I would love to strive to do that. So the way we should do this is if you’ve got some flippers and you can get them, then what will happen is I’m going to have you wear them over this. Yeah.
Sam Berne (02:08.429)
Okay, I’ve got it. I’ve done so this is a plus 50 I just want you to wear it over. Are you minus six like oh you are you so I’m actually I’m not minus six So this one here minus 375 minus 175 cell, okay, so spherical equivalent is about a five ish and then left eye is a minus five So a lot of still here zero. So, okay, so
All right, we’re going to try a things. So put the plus 50s over for glasses. Okay, so what do you feel? Comfortable. Comfortable. What’s the difference between with and without? So definitely more clarity. Okay. But I also feel more center, not as peripheral. All right. And then when I put these on, blurrier, but I feel more open and peripheral. Things are a little bit bigger too. All right. Now with your right hand.
Try that one. I think the plus is at the bottom. Okay. Over or? No.
This might be minus. Blurrier. And how does it feel mentally, emotionally? I feel almost like a tingling right here, my nose bridge. Maybe a little bit of nausea. Okay. So the nausea is now we’re activated much more peripheral. So that’s a good thing. So now compare the right with the left hand.
Sam Berne (03:44.996)
And also you can look at your prints through.
Sam Berne (03:57.517)
The plus 50 is a lot easier to adjust to. Okay. Do think you can work in this? Mm-hmm. I think so. And what about the print? it compared to? Crispy clear. Without? Yeah, with and without. Much more relaxing and bigger with this on. So I think number one, I would cut that by half and try. Mm-hmm. That’s too much. Mm-hmm. Okay.
So I would have a prescription made up and just reduce it a half in each eye and use it indoors. Definitely use it for water, use it for reading, use it for your computers. The only time you need those would be for long distance, like driving or something like that. And I think that could be a game changer. And that will definitely move you out of this unnecessary.
using that word, unnecessary cosmetography. Like as as a myo, I don’t think you should be in any kind of conspiracy. I think you can always under-correct yourself and you can always have a second prescription if you need freeway driving, but I think you’re at a minus too, and so that would be the number one plan now.
That’s first. All right, so now this makes it a minus, at the bottom makes it a minus 350. Just for the hell of it. Take the glasses off. So now we’re balancing you with this cylinder in the right. What do feel?
Sam Berne (05:48.94)
That’s going to be blurry on the right. And it’s going to be blurry on the left for a different reason. What’s it like to have symmetrical lenses with no cylinder in the right? It almost feels like, you know, when you go to a fair and you go to that room where all the mirrors are and, you know, it distorts the way that your body looks. It looks distorted. want you to get up, carefully get up. I want you to just walk.
a space. Be careful. A walking space. And so what? How is this for you? It feels shaky almost like my ground is shaking. And so shaky, say more about. I also feel a little bit.
you know, hesitant and insecure with my vision. Okay, no problem. So how can you bring more proprioception into it?
Maybe feel more grounded and… stabular cork receptively can that help you or is it just like… It helps breathing and paying more attention to my feet on the ground. helps. All right. Now just stand there and take those away and put your glasses on and tell me who you…
Sam Berne (07:24.886)
Who do you become? Who do you become identified with the part of yourself? I feel like I identify more with my type a side. Exactly. Definitely detail and control. So just think about the love in your life, your relationship relating to that.
person to that lens and then taking it off and putting on that the minus 350. Softer. You can do more receptive. Definitely more understanding.
Sam Berne (08:20.913)
Who you are.
This is more of my relaxed side of it. Yeah, not that type of. So how would it serve you to do more like this? I would definitely feel less anxious and get in less arguments with my husband. And then put on the glasses again.
So now you’re right. You’re right. There’s no arguing with you. You have the right answer. This is a very cool exercise. I rest my case. Okay. You know, it would be really interesting for you to get a pair of minus 250s with no cylinder and start learning.
How often? I would wear it maybe just at home when you want to chill out and relate to your husband’s mood. And because what’s going to happen is your energy is very different than those minus 350s. He’s energy is going to change. And you guys are going to have a much more loving connection.
Yeah, exactly. know, this prescription is, it really puts you into a space of, okay, I’m going to get things done. Like you say, type A. And so if you go plus 50 on these and then the minus three fifties, I don’t care if it’s distorting or you’re what it’s doing is it’s showing you what
Sam Berne (10:20.042)
what the world is like without the warp. And the warp is just in your right side that is stigmatizing. So it’s gonna move you in a direction of more integration. It doesn’t matter that you don’t see things as clear. That’s irrelevant because you’re gonna use them in spaces where you don’t need that requirement. And I don’t want, if you start feeling
nervous or frustrated, can’t see, then just put on your
that’s gonna be your signal. But who knows, like in six months, you could be in like a minus 350 in each eye. I mean, it could be. But just look at how different you are energetically and relationally when you don’t have these eyes. It could change how you relate to patients. You might get more intuitive insights.
because it’s hard to get the intuitive insights through those. I’m not saying you can’t, but I know I was in that world. You’re very structured and organized. And that’s optometry. mean, you know, that education, it’s very detailed. mean, you’ve gone through it. But I think in vision therapy, there’s an intuitive side to things, right? That you kind of feel, okay, this is what this person, especially since you guys are doing the therapy.
I love that. That’s the way I was trained too.
Keep Up with Dr. Sam
Website: https://www.drsamberne.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SamBerneOD/?fref=ts
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samberneod/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/drsamberne
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drsamberne/
Dr. Sam Berne has been in private practice in New Mexico for over 25 years and where he works with patients to improve their vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. He holds a Bachelor of Science from Pennsylvania State University, Doctor of Optometry from Pennsylvania College, and did his postdoctoral work at the Gesell Institute in collaboration with Yale University. He has been awarded The Special Awards for Service from the Behavioral Optometrists in Mexico for his innovative and holistic work with children.
His protocols take a proactive, rather than reactive, approach to health and wellness. He understands and treats the body as one integrated system rather than a collection of independent organs in order to identify and address the root causes of disease. His whole health protocols improve vision and wellness by healing the mind-body-spirit through nutritional protocols, vision therapy, and self-care techniques. This views each person as genetically and biochemically unique and enables the individual to make lifelong improvements to their well-being.
In this episode, Dr. Sam Berne explores astigmatism—what it really is, how it develops, and why simply prescribing glasses to children may reinforce the problem instead of resolving it. Drawing from decades of experience in holistic optometry, Dr. Berne shares his philosophy of treating the root causes of astigmatism with integrative methods that support healthier vision development.
Step into a groundbreaking journey that reveals how vision is more than just seeing — it’s healing. Beyond Sight: A Journey into Holistic Visual Healing uncovers stories of transformation, blending science, spirit, and somatic intelligence to revolutionize how we think about the eyes. 🎥 Watch the trailer now and experience the shift. 🌐 Stream it here: https://www.drsamberne.com/dr-bernes-documentary/
Check out my upcoming workshops Next up: My November 8th Workshop at the Geodome
Link: https://www.drsamberne.com/workshop.
My Kauai Retreat: https://www.drsamberne.com/workshop/
My new book Beyond the Lens: The AI Visionary Playbook for Entrepreneurs and Business Leaders. This isn’t just another tech manual. It’s a guide to reclaiming your purpose in the age of AI. To using automation without losing your intuition. To scaling your business without sacrificing your soul. Whether you’re a creative, a coach, or a CEO—this playbook will show you how to partner with AI in a way that’s ethical, embodied, and visionary. ⚡️The future isn’t coming. It’s here. And it’s human-led. Link to Buy: https://amzn.to/45kptwt
Thinking about LASIK? In this episode, Dr. Sam Berne explores the truth behind laser eye surgery—what it promises, what it delivers, and what potential drawbacks you need to know. We’ll dive into the pros and cons of LASIK, including how the procedure works, who may be a good candidate, and the long-term factors to consider before making a decision.
Dr. Berne also discusses possible side effects such as dry eye, glare, halos, and regression of vision, and why not everyone achieves perfect results. You’ll gain insight into the key factors that determine whether LASIK is right for you, from corneal thickness to lifestyle habits and overall eye health.
If you’ve ever wondered whether LASIK is a safe, effective solution for vision correction—or if the risks outweigh the benefits—this episode offers clarity, context, and a holistic perspective to help you make an informed choice.
Join our practitioner’s program: https://www.drsamberne.com/practitioners-training/
Step into a groundbreaking journey that reveals how vision is more than just seeing — it’s healing. Beyond Sight: A Journey into Holistic Visual Healing uncovers stories of transformation, blending science, spirit, and somatic intelligence to revolutionize how we think about the eyes.
🎥 Watch the trailer now and experience the shift.
🌐 Stream it here:
https://www.drsamberne.com/dr-bernes-documentary/
Frankincense Master Class
September 20th
Link: https://www.drsamberne.com/workshop/the-frankincense-mini-course-safe-effective-use-for-eye-body-spirit/
Check out my upcoming workshops
Next up: My Practitioner’s training retreat October 23rd-26th, at Dr. Berne’s Geodome
Link: https://www.drsamberne.com/workshop/
My Frankincense master class and Kauai Retreat: https://www.drsamberne.com/workshop/
And my new book Beyond the Lens: The AI Visionary Playbook for Entrepreneurs and Business Leaders.
This isn’t just another tech manual.
It’s a guide to reclaiming your purpose in the age of AI.
To using automation without losing your intuition.
To scaling your business without sacrificing your soul.
Whether you’re a creative, a coach, or a CEO—this playbook will show you how to partner with AI in a way that’s ethical, embodied, and visionary.
⚡️The future isn’t coming.
It’s here. And it’s human-led.
Link to Buy: https://amzn.to/45kptwt
Keywords
red light therapy, acupuncture, lymphatic health, craniosacral therapy, medicinal aromatherapy, essential oils, health practices, holistic healing, eye health, wellness
Summary
In this podcast episode, Dr. Sam Berne discusses various holistic health practices, focusing on red light therapy, acupuncture, lymphatic health, and medicinal aromatherapy. He shares insights on the benefits of red light therapy for eye health, practical applications, and a unique practice called the ‘tongue clock’ that integrates sound and movement for overall well-being. Additionally, he delves into the healing properties of essential oils, their applications, and specific protocols for enhancing eye health.
Takeaways
Red light therapy can improve eye health and reduce inflammation.
Morning sunlight is beneficial for balancing circadian rhythms.
The tongue can be used in practices to enhance health and circulation.
Essential oils have high vibrational frequencies that can aid healing.
Aromatherapy can be used for various health issues, including respiratory problems.
Essential oils should be tested for skin sensitivity before use.
Combining essential oils can amplify their effectiveness.
Hydrosols are a gentler alternative to essential oils for application.
Essential oils can have nutritive values and support overall health.
Regular practice of holistic techniques can lead to improved well-being.
Sound bites
“This is a very potent practice.”
“This is called the tongue clock.”
“Essential oils have nutritive values.”
Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Announcements
02:44 Exploring Red Light Therapy
05:24 The Science Behind Red Light and Eye Health
08:06 Practical Applications of Red Light Therapy
11:00 Integrating Sound and Movement for Health
13:45 Tongue and Sound: A Healing Practice
16:36 Activating Acupuncture Meridians with Sound
19:13 Guided Practice: Humming and Awareness
22:22 Mindful Practices for Vitality
26:21 The Healing Power of Essential Oils
30:13 Natural Protocols for Respiratory Health
34:14 The Process of Making Essential Oils
35:22 The Nutritional and Healing Properties of Oils
36:25 Adaptogenic Properties of Essential Oils
37:55 Essential Oils for Pain Relief and Cellular Health
39:04 Antiviral and Antifungal Essential Oils
39:59 Understanding Plant Parts and Their Uses
41:11 Application Techniques for Essential Oils
43:00 Exploring Hydrosols and Their Benefits
45:06 Final Thoughts on Essential Oils and Their Uses
Sam Berne (00:00.239)
Hey everyone, welcome to the podcast. So before we get started, I wanted to announce my upcoming workshop on frankincense. It’s a mini workshop, an hour and a half, starts at 9 a.m. Mountain Time, at 10 30 a.m. Mountain Time. If you can’t make it live, we’ll send you the recording to register $27. Go to my website, drsamburn.com.
I also wanted to announce that I have one opening for a one-on-one mentorship for my practitioner training. So if you’re interested in that, if you’re a practitioner and you want to work with me one-on-one, we can do that. We’ll set up a discovery call and see if it’s right for you. Contact me at appointments at drsamburn.com. And finally, my kawaii retreat is happening February 19th to the 24th, 2026.
I still have a few spots left, but it’s going fast. So if you’re interested, again, you can email me appointments at drsandburton.com. It’s also on my website. You can register. So on the show today, we’re going to be talking about a practice that I’ve been doing to help people improve not only their lymphatic health, but also in Chinese medicine, improving their acupuncture meridians and also craniosacral therapy.
So you get three things in that. Then I’m going to talk about red light therapy and how to do red light. If you’re curious how to apply red light to the eyes, you can email me appointments at dr. Sam burn.com and I’ll give you those details. And then finally on the podcast, I’m going to talk about aroma therapy. This is a general lecture that I did a while back and you don’t want to miss it. Okay, I’d like to welcome you to
Session five, vision reboot. We’ve got some new things we’re gonna talk about tonight. Three things on the schedule. The first is I’m gonna talk a little bit about red light. I’ve been getting a lot of questions about that. Just spend a few minutes on that. And then I’m gonna show you a new process that combines acupuncture, craniosacral, and lymphatic stimulation. So it’s gonna be really, really good.
Sam Berne (02:24.29)
The way you sign up for the frankincense workshop, the way, $27. You can either send me an email appointments at drsamburn.com or you can go on the website. you look under workshops on the homepage, you’ll click on that and then that’ll take you to the frankincense workshop and you can sign up there. So let me know.
If you want to come and do that, if you can’t make it live, that’s okay. It’ll be recorded and you can download the recording and have it forever. Again, make sure it’s it’s if you go to the homepage, they’ll see a category workshops. If you click on workshops, it’ll take you to all my workshops. So and if you have trouble finding that.
just send me an email appointments at drsamburn.com and I’ll help you sign up. $27, it’s a good deal and we’re gonna do a lot of great stuff about frankincense. Okay, so red light, people have been asking me a lot about red light, how does it work? What’s the science behind it? How do you do it? So I was…
I was really pondering light therapy one day because I’d been doing color and light therapy since the mid 1980s. And when this came on my radar in 2021, there was some writings in some of the journals around mitochondria, the mitochondria health and eye health.
And there really wasn’t much mentioned before that. Really mitochondria is something that over the last four five years has really taken off. You we’ve got methylene blue, which is a support for mitochondria therapy. We have red light boxes. We have red masks that help our skin health. And I’ve talked to several manufacturers and companies about
Sam Berne (04:47.341)
red light and the eyes and they don’t really know about it. They in fact tell you to cover your eyes. So when this study came out with Glenn Jeffries back in 2021, was groundbreaking and I started to see some writings coming out of Stanford and Harvard on red light therapy and eye health.
especially in the area of macular degeneration, dry eye, eye inflammation. Because one of the tenants about red light is that it seems to reduce oxidative stress and inflammation. And this was showing up in systemically where chiropractors who I talked to were using
Sam Berne (05:47.606)
red light boxes to help their patients with arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, even some of the autoimmune diseases. And I don’t think anybody in this class has ever been diagnosed with a condition called uveitis, but that’s a very serious autoimmune disease that attacks the lining of the inside part of the eye.
and it creates very high level inflammation. And really the only standard treatment is long-term steroids. Now there is an autoimmune component to uveitis, but one of my first cases was applying red light therapy to this person. And within six weeks they were off the steroids, because know, steroid eye drops can cause cataracts.
and glaucoma bring the pressure up, push the pressure up. So after that six week, Mark, she was off steroids. I sent her back to her ophthalmologist and he couldn’t believe he was dumbfounded that the inflammation had receded so aggressively. He was really surprised by that. And so I started on this quest of, how can I do this? How can I…
apply red light and we had our red light machines that we used in our color therapy red light plastic gels that you could put over your eyes and eventually I had red exercise glasses some of you have those. So in the study one of the things that was discussed was when do you apply red light and the best time to do that is between sunrise and noon. You want to do it in the morning
and know morning sunlight is so good for you. Every one of you should be getting morning sunlight even if it’s cloudy. You don’t have to look at the sun. You know you can have a hat on take a walk, but everything is pointing to that morning sunlight. It’s got the healthy blue light. It’s got the natural full spectrum lighting.
Sam Berne (08:03.892)
and it helps balance your circadian rhythms. Really good for you. So in the red light studies that have been done, it’s been applied in the morning time. And so that’s when you want to do it. You can do it anywhere between three and 10 minutes. You can do it every day. You can do it three days a week.
But that zone of somewhere between 3 and 10 minutes seems to be the sweet spot. And with that application, you can use it as a meditation. You can add like 528 Hertz, which is a sound healing that we’re using now. And you know, that’s the Byrono beats or you can just do the red light. You can go outside and garden.
not sure you should be out walking with it, but certainly or driving with it, but get that natural light. Now, here’s the second part of it is in the machines that that, you know, emit red lights way too bright, way too bright. And a lot of my patients have what we call photosensitivity. They’re sensitive to light and
When we are sensitive to light, what happens is we get what we call the blink reflex. You may have experienced this if you’re driving into the sun and there’s a lot of glare or you’re over at the beach or you’re up in the mountains or just generally speaking, if it’s a really bright sunny day, it can be too overwhelming for your eyes.
So in the red light application, the key is having the red lens right on your eyes and any light called ambient light, which is light from the side, dim light, can be enough that activates the red frequency that’s gonna be directed into your eyes. You don’t need to have a projected light in there. You just have to be around some light while the red lens is on your eyes. And you get to dictate how bright you wanna go with it.
Sam Berne (10:10.763)
You know, I took a poll of about a thousand patients and I would say 85 % of them couldn’t handle the bright light that was coming off these light boxes. And so what we recommended was having them regulate the light. It could be a lamp in a room. It could be sitting by a window. It could be sitting on your porch. I have a couple people that sit outside in the morning and they have a portal.
and they’re in the light but the sun is not directly shining on them and that works really well. So you get to regulate the brightness of the light. You just need to have the lenses on between three and ten minutes. And the last thing I want to say is, you know, repairing mitochondria function, especially when our mitochondria begins to shut down after about age 40, takes some time. Patience is really important. It’s not like a drug that
Today you take the drug and tomorrow the symptom is less. You need to do it over a period of at least 12 weeks as a minimum. Now once you reach that 12 week period
It’s your choice now to say do I want to continue with this just as a maintenance? Some people do. I mean, I have people in their 80s that use that light every day and they’ve been using it for the last five years, but they see really well and they’re knitting. They see really well, you know for reading for their phone and you know, it’s just another kind of eye vitamin, but it’s just in the form of light. So.
I find that when people use their intuition in the things that I give them tuning in yes or no, should I use this?
Sam Berne (11:59.402)
that seems to be the most effective way. Now, if you don’t know, you can always ask me, but generally speaking, you can continue to use the red light even after the 12 week study period. That was the study that was done that showed improvement in the visual acuity by 20%. You might find your glasses get too strong or they’re not the right prescription anymore because your eyes are now more alive. They’re more vital.
and your eyesight and your eye clarity is better. Your visual coordination is better. It’s going to help the brain because the eyes connect to the brain. 25 % of the…
pathways in the eyes go to non-visual pathways like your hypothalamus pituitary pineal and then the blood supply. have a very concentrated blood supply in the eye when you apply light to the eyes. It takes about 40 minutes for the light to circulate throughout the entire body. So you’re getting red light systemically and metabolically just by using the portal of the eyes. So that’s my my update on red light therapy.
All right now what we’re going to do is we’re going to shift gears and I’m going to teach you a practice that’s going to help both your acupuncture meridians, it’s going to help your craniosacral rhythm, and it’s going to help your lymphatic health. Get three in one. It’s a very efficient practice. All right so in order to do that I’m going to give you a little context here and
The first thing I want to say is that you may know this. I’ve said this many times is whenever you make sound, whenever you make a sound, it vibrates the tissue in the body. And if you use your hands as tuning forks, it directs the sound. We’ve done this with palm hum. We’ve done it on the heart. We’ve done it on the belly button. Tonight, we’re going to work on the vagus nerve and we’re going to work on
Sam Berne (14:05.086)
our lymph system here. This is the major vagus nerve, thyroid area. So that’s where our hands are going to be. And we’re going to use our tongue tonight. So I want to talk about the tongue for a minute. The tongue is the highest harmonic, the highest harmonic of our spinal cord.
Now the thing about the tongue is that it’s soft tissue and undulates. Okay, and whenever we access undulation in our tissue, it creates an undulation and a wave in our body. And one of the things that happens both as we age and we get exposed to the wireless electromagnetic pollution that’s out there is that our wave
begins to become flat and are something called stasis where we don’t have that waveform anymore because the electromagnetic influence shuts it down. Repetitive movements shut it down. Fear shuts it down. Paralysis just are…
You know, get we get in trauma. Our trauma comes up. So this waveform.
and the spine has a wave and the tongue is part of the top part of the spine. So we’re going to use our tongue and whenever we use our tongue with sound and we direct the sound in certain ways, it recreates this undulation in our body. And when we create more undulation, we get better circulation, better oxygenation and the fluid part of our body
Sam Berne (16:00.027)
enlivens because as we age what happens we dry out our eyes dry out our brain dries out our respiratory system and our heart and our arteries and our veins everything dries out as we get older and so one of the ways to reverse that is to think about undulating movement wave motion and when we go back into wave pulsation
then this creates more circulation. So we’re combining sound, we’re combining the tongue, we’re combining touch. And one last thing, I’m gonna talk a bit about where you’re gonna put your tongue, okay? So there’s two places here that you’re gonna place your tongue. The first is, if you can visualize this, on the outside part.
of the upper teeth and the inside part of the upper lip. So I’m pointing to this with my finger right here. This is actually a point called the governing vessel. The governing vessel is a meridian that runs.
through our third eye, above our head, down our spine, around our perineum, and it comes into the belly button. Now the governing vessel in acupuncture is our yang meridium, yang, activity, masculine. Okay, that’s what it is. So when we make a humming sound and we press on the inside part of the upper lip,
We’re activating that entire meridian. Okay, which is really amazing. Now the second thing. that’s the acupuncture part. The second part of what we’re activating is in the back part of our head is something called the cervical spine. We have cervical bones here and the cervical bones sit below the back of the head, which is our visual cortex.
Sam Berne (18:14.376)
That’s our vision center. Now, the cervical spine, when it starts to get compressed, if you see my neck here or doing this or you’ve had an injury, what happens is the bones collapse. And when they collapse, it affects the neck muscles and it goes right into the eye muscles. So it creates an eye tension.
based on the compression of the cervical spine. So when you press on the inside part of the upper lip, you are spreading the cervical spine behind you. In fact, we have C1 to C4 is activated by pressing on the governing vessel. So you’re getting acupuncture, you’re getting craniosacral,
and you’re getting the vagus nerve and the lymph when you’re humming. Okay, so that’s the first part. The second position is taking that tongue again and putting it on the lower part, the inside part of the lower lip. Guess what that’s called? The conception vessel. And that’s the feminine, that’s the yin, and that runs down into
your the front of your body and it meets up with the governing vessel. So we have the conception vessel lower the governing vessel upper. Now when you activate the conception vessel C4 to C7 spread out. So you’re getting C1 to C4 on the top C4 to C7 on the bottom. You’re getting this whole action going and you’re getting the vagus nerve.
Now we’re going add one more thing, which is when you’re humming. I want you to rock because that stimulates the ear the vestibular system, which is very connected to our balance and our orientation and it’s very connected to the eyes in something called the vestibular ocular reflex. So when we rock and you can rock side to side, you can walk forward to backwards.
Sam Berne (20:39.067)
can go in a circle clockwise. You get to choose how you want to do that. While you’re humming while you’re applying the tongue either to the inside part of the upper lip or the inside part of the lower lip. We’re going to have a big treatment here. So the way this is going to work is that we’re going to do three homes on on an exhale. So you breathe in on the exhale.
I’m putting my tongue here.
Sam Berne (21:35.543)
and then I’m doing the lower.
Sam Berne (21:49.894)
Now after I’m done with that, I close my eyes and I go into that open awareness, that open attention. That’s where I’m listening. Okay, so I’m listening and I notice right away I’m getting a lot of pulsation in my jaw.
So my body is responding to the…
Sam Berne (22:16.581)
The body is responding to the stimulation of the sound. Now, I want you to be in that open attention for at least a minute, maybe two minutes, and I’ll guide you in this. And I’m gonna kind of guide you through the whole thing. Then you’re gonna go back and you’re gonna do the upper lip again, three, bottom lip, three.
and then open attention again, and then you’re gonna do one more time. Okay, so we’re gonna do three, the power of three. Three hums on the top, three hums on the bottom. Open attention. Three hums on the top, three hums on the bottom. Open attention. Three hums on the top, three hums on the bottom. Open attention. And then we’ll have a closing of it. So that’s the situation.
So get yourself in a seated position. You can, yes, I would say with open attention, close your eyes so you can go more internal. That would be really good. So let’s get in position. And I want you to place your hands on your vagus nerve on either side. Okay, your eyes can be open on this. It doesn’t matter exactly where you put your tongue. So if you can’t get up really high,
just you want it on the outside part of the upper teeth, inside part of the upper lip. And then what I’d like you to do is rocking, and I want you to do three hums, one on each exhale, go slow. So let’s do that right now.
Sam Berne (24:13.839)
Okay, now three on the lower.
Sam Berne (24:26.244)
Hmm.
Sam Berne (24:31.012)
Alright now I’d like you to go into open attention. Close your eyes. We call this the art of listening. Listen to your body’s response. Sensations could be…
thoughts. It could be you want to move. Just listen for a minute.
Sam Berne (25:11.51)
about another 30 seconds.
Sam Berne (25:30.689)
Okay, you can begin to open your eyes and we’re gonna do this again. We’re gonna layer it. When we layer it, we get to go deeper in our tissue. Hands around your neck so that you’ve got your vagus nerve activated, tongue on the upper lip, inside, three hums on the exhale, humming.
Sam Berne (26:00.932)
you
Sam Berne (26:14.765)
Lower lip.
Sam Berne (26:20.227)
Hmm
Sam Berne (26:27.541)
Okay you can close your eyes go into open attention see what’s showing up now.
What’s your body’s response?
Sam Berne (26:46.936)
really good regulating yourself, calming down, opening up the circulation, getting more oxygen in the bloodstream.
Sam Berne (27:06.517)
Another 20 seconds.
Sam Berne (27:18.476)
Okay, one last time, hands around the neck, tongue.
on the inside part of the upper lip rocking. Do another different kind of rock this time. Three hums.
Sam Berne (27:54.019)
you
Make the rocking micro movement.
Sam Berne (28:13.411)
Okay, go ahead and close your eyes one more time.
Sam Berne (28:20.355)
Hope and attention, listening, feeling, sensing.
Sam Berne (28:47.96)
This is a practice that I would like you to do next week, this week to next week and try it once a day. You can do before bed. You can do it in the morning. Do it if you, know, in between your computer time. This is a very potent practice and
You’re doing a lot of things at once. You’re getting that craniosacral treatment with the cervical cervical spine spreads again. You’re getting the acupuncture stimulation and you’re getting yeah, it’s called the tongue clock tongue clock. Now this is the tongue clock basic next week. We’re going to do the tongue clock advanced, but this is called the tongue clock.
Also, when you’re moving your tongue again, you’re getting that undulating tongue movement. It’s it’s informing the body to have a subtle wave as well and having that that wave motion is really a key to vitality and health as opposed to just like that very very straight. So well done.
So what I’d like to move to now is this will be, let me just share my screen here. Okay.
Sam Berne (30:25.76)
All right, so tonight I’m gonna introduce you to medicinal aromatherapy. My experience with essential oils goes way back when I had my own health problem. I had a very serious digestive issue that nobody could figure out. And I met somebody who did aromatherapy and gave me some
essential oils, basil, fennel, peppermint. I began using those in water, sipping them before, during, and after meals. And within a few months, all my nausea and
irritation in my digestive tract went away. So then what I began to do is because I do something called a hair mineral analysis and I worked with a lot of children, I found that the hair mineral analysis showed heavy metal toxicity. That was a big big issue for them. And so I developed a essential oil protocol to detox the heavy metals out of the body.
and there were three essential oils I used. The first was black cumin, and that was an essential oil that boosts the immune system, and I had them do six drops in a glass of water and drink that in the morning. Then what I had them do is use two other essential oils. One is called patchouli, and I had them put…
three drops on the soles of their feet twice a day morning and evening and then the other one was a central oil called cedarwood atlas it’s the tree atlas three drops of that on the feet in the morning and the evening and in the study the parents did that twice a day for three months and that was the protocol that got rid of the heavy metal toxicity
Sam Berne (32:40.372)
And so once I saw those things, I dove in and studied aromatherapy and became an aromatherapist and taught aromatherapy in my geodome, you know, maybe like four times a year was really really great. So I’ve been using aromatherapy for many many years. I use it when I travel. I use it for respiratory issues, dental issues.
immune system health, eye health. I mean, there’s lots of different applications. so that’s kind of my beginning of aromatherapy. This is a lavender plant.
And one of the other things that I did was I actually did some of my own making of essential oils. I had a glass distiller and I used to go to different far lavender farms and other places and make my own essential oils, which was really amazing. And so I really got into the process of it also. So in this lecture tonight,
I’m going to talk a little bit about the wisdom that comes from plants and trees because it isn’t just the physical, but it’s also the emotional, psychological and spiritual aspects of plant medicine, whether it’s herbs, flower essences, essential oils, you know, in our property.
We have a lot of plants that my wife has cultivated that are very medicinal. make Mollon tea. She’s got, you know, lots of different things growing that we can actually make into, you know, medicinal plant-based medicines. So it’s pretty amazing that our, you know, our land and our nature supports us really well if we allow it.
Sam Berne (34:43.168)
to and we know about it. So I want to talk a little bit about plant systems and human systems. So humans measure, this is done with an oscilloscope, the normal health vibration is 63 megahertz. Flu is about 55 megahertz, COVID is about 19 to 45 megahertz, and cancer is about 39 megahertz.
Now when we talk about essential oils, rose vibrates at 300 megahertz. Lang Lang, 120 megahertz. Laurel leaf, 118 megahertz. Lavender and frankincense around 117 and 115 megahertz. So that’s a lot more than even normal health. But if you’re sick or your energy is low,
starting to apply essential oils either on your body or or diffusing it in the air or taking a bath with it can be very beneficial in raising your vibration and energy and quoting by teacher dr. Hazel Parcells who lived to 106 and I met her in 103 she taught me a lot about energy healing she said if you want to get rid of disease raise your vibration
All right, I want to bring in one of my own mentors and teachers, Steven Buhner. He’s written a number of books. Y’all look him up. He’s an herbalist. He’s not alive anymore. But this is what he says and quote I’m quoting him by declaring war on bacteria. are declaring war on all living structures on Earth. Antibiotics have one single compound essential oils have
such a complexity that when the bacteria actually morphs, the essential oil can handle the change. And the key in using essential oils or any plant-based medicines is keeping things in balance and harmony. So this militaristic languaging that we see in the media, you know, and what we saw about COVID, you know, the war on COVID, the war on
Sam Berne (37:08.778)
this, the war on that. When we work with plant-based things, it’s about keeping them in balance and harmony. And when bacteria morphs, which it does, the essential oil is so complex that it doesn’t matter. It can still do the things that it’s supposed to do. So it’s really, really an interesting idea. Now, in terms of COVID, and we’re kind of over,
COVID right now, but essential oils, one of the many natural protocols that can be used to neutralize viruses, fungal infections, antiviral, antifungal, respiratory issues. Some of my go-to for respiratory health are simply eucalyptus and tea tree oil. One of the ways that we recommend either one of these is
taking a drop or two and putting it in a neti pot and cleaning out your sinuses. It’s a really great thing to do. If you’re flying on an airplane, if you’re, you know, in an indoor environment and you feel like, you know, you’ve gotten, you know, some things there, either it’s antiviral or antifungal, eucalyptus and or tea tree oil can work really well at reducing those.
problems. Now another thing that I talk about in my Aromatherapy trainings is the power of anointing and if you have a loved one, you know a parent, a child, a partner, a friend, giving, asking for permission and then applying the essential oil to either their body or
you know, there’s lots of different ways that you can do it. I’ll talk about applications. Creates a certain sacredness and anointing goes all the way back to, you know, early biblical times. It’s a very potent way to amplify the effectiveness of plant-based medicine.
Sam Berne (39:28.061)
Now, when you use aromatherapy, one of the things that you can do is either apply one essential oil at a time. You can apply an essential oil and then apply another one on top of it. And you can either apply it on the skin, you can dilute it and use a carrier oil. You can drink it, you can diffuse it, and you can even apply it internally.
but it depends on your own constitution and it also depends on the temperature of the essential oil. So as an example, oregano is a very hot essential oil. You wouldn’t want to apply that directly to your skin.
However, lavender, which is more of a cooling oil, you might be able to apply it to the skin. It just kind of depends on your skin constitution and whether you wanna do that. Now, when you look for companies, and I’m gonna talk more about this at the frankincense course.
You want to look for practices that the companies are doing which are called wildcrafting or biodynamic farming because when the farmer takes into account the rhythms of nature, it actually increases the vibration of the essential oil. And if you use these big companies, multi-level marketing and machine harvesting, it
interferes with the vibrational integrity of the essential oil. You know, we talk about pouring through with a machine or doing hand pouring. It’s better if you can find a company that does hand pouring.
Sam Berne (41:26.846)
and looking for companies where they’re not doing corporate things like multi-level marketing, that they’re getting the essential oils from small family farms, if you can. And you wanna stay away from aromatherapy that is using just a trace of the essential oil to create a flavoring or perfumery. Again,
You need to be careful about the integrity of the essential oil and how it’s being produced and sold. Essential oils are a healing force of nature. They’re highly concentrated. They’re volatile. They’re very strong. They’re organic and
There are different ways to produce essential oil. When I was making my own essential oils, I was doing something called steam distillation. Now in some essential oils, they have to do kind of an extraction where they’re putting in something like hexane to get enough of the essential oil and then they take the hexane out. And so a lot of it is dependent on what part of the plant they’re using, where they’re harvesting it.
and what they’re trying to achieve. But make no mistake about it, the essential oils have very complicated chemotypes. And when I studied essential oils, I really came to respect nature’s intelligence compared to pharmaceuticals, which are synthetically made and they’re very one dimensional.
So when we start using essential oils, our body takes that in and it creates a energy supplementation which can really change our energy fields. And so like peppermint, for example.
Sam Berne (43:38.512)
You can brush your teeth with it. You can do what I did where you can put a drop or two in some water and sip it. It’ll help your digestive health. It’s a cooling essential oil. So one of the things that I like to do is when I’m on a hot day, I’ll take my my handkerchief bandana, I’ll wet it.
put a drop or two of peppermint oil on that bandana and put it around my neck and it keeps me really cool. So peppermint is a cooling essential oil. Probably people can use it directly on the skin and you can also drink it. Now another factor I want to bring in is this term called adaptogenic and adaptogenic.
means that the essential oil is going to work based on your body’s energy. And so unlike treating a symptom where everybody gets the same result, I could give 10 people a spike lavender essential oil and based on where you are with your body, it’s going to respond in that particular way.
The other term I want to bring in is called lipophilic, meaning that it’s more fat-based or hydrophilic. And what’s really interesting about essential oils, and I talk about laurel leaf, bay laurel, which is wonderful for your lymphatic health. And by the way, if you get…
you know, your mammograms, what I recommend is massaging laurel leaf on your breasts before you go in. And that’s going to be like a protection from the radiation.
Sam Berne (45:28.603)
But one of the techniques we use with laurel leaf and some of the others is if you put it on your body and you take a bath or a shower, the water is going to push the essential further in. I have a lady who’s got hip pain. So I had her using birch and birch is a wonderful essential. It’s warm. It’s really good for the joints. So I had her massage it into her hips, get into a hot bath, and it was like magic.
took the pain away. So you can use essential oils along with baths and showers to push the essential oil more deeply into the body.
Now, I just talked about birch. Wintergreen is very similar to birch in that way. Basically that because essential oils are so complicated in their chemotypes, they can actually be not only antibacterial, but they also have antioxidants in them and they can even support cellular health.
Also, essential oils have nutritive values. Some of them have vitamins and minerals. If we look at the essential oils like ginger, great for your digestion. The cedarwoods, really great for adrenal health. The furs, grounding and good for adrenal health. The citruses, great for boosting your mood. Eucalyptuses, good for respiratory. So these essential oils bring more light and energy
to your body on a physical, emotional, and spiritual level. Now I want to be clear here, not all essential oils are antiviral and antifungal or breaking the blood-brain barrier. Now I’m going to list here some antiviral essences, lemon, thyme, naoles, the sages, rosemary, cinnamon bark, mountain savory, oregano,
Sam Berne (47:37.02)
eucalyptuses and cedar leaf. Those are great antiviral. Some great antifungal if you’re dealing with mold can be spikonar, tea tree, laurel leaf, cinnamon bark, patchouli. I talked about that as a heavy metal.
getting rid of heavy metals, manuka, canuka. So some essential oils do break the blood brain barrier. And we’re going to talk more about that at the frankincense class. As you see there, frankincense is number one breaking the blood brain barrier. Sandalwood is one of my go-to’s if you’ve got UTI infections. Artemisia, myrrh, great for dental health. Alimi, which is a sister to frankincense. Helichrysum, which is great for the skin. And amaranth.
Yes.
Now we want to look at what part of the plant is volunteering its essential oil to us. And the flower essences like neroli and rose and tuberose and jasmine, langlang, those open the heart. They’re very high vibrational. Sometimes we use different plant parts like the leaves or the needles. This would be eucalyptus and pettigrains.
And then the furs like myrtles, fruits, black pepper, clove bud. By the way, clove blood is great for dental health. And then the fruits, the peel of the fruits like orange, mandarin, lemon, and lime, very uplifting. If we continue the seeds like sweet fennel, anise seed.
Sam Berne (49:19.867)
cumin seed, use black cumin, or the wood of the plant like sandalwood, rosewood, or the bark, birch, red spruce, cinnamon bark, ravencera, and then the root or the grass like vetiver. One of my favorites is angelica root, great to meditate with because you have both the cosmic and you’ve got the root. it’s, angelica root is a great one.
Ginger, ginger lily, and then we’ve got the resins. This would be like frankincense and myrrh, galbanum, and the flower tops. Lavender, oregano, thyme, and hyssop. Now don’t expect you to absorb all this right now, but I’m just giving you the variety and the broadband that these essential oils, where they come from based on the plant part.
All right, so in terms of applications, one way to do it is undiluted directly on the skin. However, one of the things I recommend doing is a skin patch, doing a test where you take a little bit of the essential oil and you put it on the inside part of your arm by your wrist. So you take a drop and you put it there and you feel it and you watch it for a few minutes.
And if you get a sensitivity, a redness, a burning, first of all, if any essential oil is burning, you just need to put some coconut oil on it, olive oil, almond oil, and that will take the burning away. But doing a test patch at the beginning will tell you whether you can do undiluted or not.
Again, in the frankincense class, I’m going to go into carrier oils, how to dilute the oils, what’s the ratio and things like that. But
Sam Berne (51:14.617)
When we apply we have to kind of take into account your age, your weight, your health, your toxic load. And as I say, you want to do a test patch, watch for reactions. If it’s all clear, then you probably can apply it to the affected area or near the affected area. Obviously you want to keep it away from the sensitive areas of your body, like your eyes and your mouth and your genital areas. But generally speaking,
if you pass the test patch then you probably can use it. The other way to do it is just to dilute the oil. You still get the energetic benefit and it’s more safe to do. All right I want to talk a little bit about the mist part of essential oils. We call this hydrosols. A lot of people don’t know what this is. So when we distill in essential oil basically what we do is we harvest a plant
And let’s say for example when I used to make sage oil I would do a ceremony around the sage plant. I would do drumming. I would ask the plant.
Is it okay to take some of you, you know, and so we would harvest it, bring it home, and then we put it in this distiller. We heat it with water and it would create a steam. It created a steam effect after a while and in that steam was the essential oil and there’d be two places where the steam would go. One would be direct essential oil, the oil, and you need a big amount of plant part to get a
small a pound of essential oil. That’s why it’s so expensive, but that the other part had water poly particles in it, but also the essential oil that became the mist the hydrosol and hydrosols are a fraction of the price of the concentrated oil. And if you’ve got dry eye or dry skin.
Sam Berne (53:17.348)
getting a helichrysum hydrosol and spraying it around your eyes or your face with your eyes closed is really amazing. And you do this three or four times a day. It’s incredible. Rose geranium is another hydrosol I recommend. And…
You can do a neroli, a jasmine. So it kind of just depends on the company and what they what they offer. But I go for hyper soles a lot because it’s much less cost and I’m still getting that energetic and I can receive it much better because it’s in a mist. All right, in terms of some of the essential oils, I really like black spruce is a natural corticosteroid.
Lang Lang is great for your heart, opening up the heart. And Clary Sage is great as a hormone balancer. So again, you can apply any of these under the armpits or in the lymph channels. And frankincense has been shown to have anti-cancer properties. I’m going to talk more about that at the class. And I’ve used it
to open up the eyes, to open up our vision. So you can put it on your third eye as an example, or the top of the head. And again, I’m gonna talk more about frankincense at the class because there’s a lot of different applications for it. So with essential oils, I think what I wanna leave you with is a couple of things. Number one,
Find a company that you resonate with. I’m not against multi-level marketing companies. They actually have some really consistent essential oils.
Sam Berne (55:17.379)
But if you can find a boutique company and you like them, that’s the key. know, sometimes you have to experiment and try different companies and see, yeah, I resonate with this oil or I don’t resonate with it. Let me try another company.
I always say start with the oils you have and use those pick one or two and start applying it to the soles of your feet or you do a test patch and you see, okay, I really like this. Maybe let me try it on the lymph system or on my tummy or my low back. Okay, you can put it in the area where maybe you know, you’re feeling some pain or inflammation. I’m going to give you the eye protocol.
right now and this is really good for your eyes but the caveat is is that your skin can handle it. All right so there’s three essential oils you use for the eye protocol. The first is called sweet fennel or fennel and you apply it at the hairline. Hopefully you can see this in the temples and the cheeks okay. Right on top of that
Carrot seed. Okay, those three positions. Now that carrot seed is going to be warm. So you might have your coconut oil nearby. If it gets too hot or you start getting something, you know, like a rash or something, immediately apply the coconut oil. And then the third one is frankincense. So you’re layering the essential oils.
My experience both myself and with thousands of people that I’ve used this on is it starts to open up the peripheral vision and you’ll start energetically feeling this. This is pretty incredible. And if you do this once a day, it’s going to help your night vision, your focus, your eye clarity. It’s really good 30 day challenge once a day or every other day. Yeah. So the positions again, you’ll get this recording. So I encourage you.
Sam Berne (57:27.862)
Right here, right here, and below here in the cheek area, okay? Sweet fennel’s number one, carrot seed is number two, frankincense is number three. So the world of essential oils is vast. There are several companies out there that you can choose from. Do your due diligence and go easy on them, learn about them.
I would say probably for most people learning about using a carrier oil with the essential oil so you’re diluting it and not putting it directly on your skin would be a good way to start. And sign up for my frankincense course and you’ll learn how to do that. All right, that’s our show for today. Thank you so much. Until next time, take care.
For even more from Dr. Sam, check out his new exclusive membership where you get access to my content and resources, new information, articles, videos, webinars: https://drsambernesmembership.com/
Keep Up with Dr. Sam
Website: https://www.drsamberne.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SamBerneOD/?fref=ts
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samberneod/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/drsamberne
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drsamberne/
– #SomaticHealing #Neuroplasticity #HolisticHealth
–
Step into a groundbreaking journey that reveals how vision is more than just seeing — it’s healing. Beyond Sight: A Journey into Holistic Visual Healing uncovers stories of transformation, blending science, spirit, and somatic intelligence to revolutionize how we think about the eyes.
🎥 Watch the trailer now and experience the shift.
🌐 Stream it here:
https://www.drsamberne.com/dr-bernes-documentary/
Check out my upcoming workshops
Next up: MyvPractitioner’s training retreat October 23rd-26th, at Dr. Berne’s Geodome
Link: https://www.drsamberne.com/workshop/
My Frankincense master class and Kauai Retreat: https://www.drsamberne.com/workshop/
And my new book Beyond the Lens: The AI Visionary Playbook for Entrepreneurs and Business Leaders.
This isn’t just another tech manual.
It’s a guide to reclaiming your purpose in the age of AI.
To using automation without losing your intuition.
To scaling your business without sacrificing your soul.
Whether you’re a creative, a coach, or a CEO—this playbook will show you how to partner with AI in a way that’s ethical, embodied, and visionary.
⚡️The future isn’t coming.
It’s here. And it’s human-led.
Link to Buy: https://amzn.to/45kptwt
Keywords
Iridology, emotional health, eye health, fear, vision therapy, holistic healing, essential oils, health workshops, personal development, natural remedies
Summary
In this conversation, Sam Berne delves into the fascinating world of iridology, exploring how the color and structure of the eyes can reveal insights about physical health, emotional states, and personality traits. He discusses the emotional and energetic language of the eyes, the significance of different eye colors, and the Rayid Method for understanding personality. The conversation also covers practical health recommendations based on eye color, a case study demonstrating iridology in practice, and techniques for addressing fear related to vision loss.
Takeaways
Emotions significantly influence our vision and perception.
Iridology can provide insights into physical and emotional health.
Different eye colors correlate with specific health tendencies.
The Rayid Method connects iris characteristics to personality traits.
Blue-eyed individuals should focus on lymphatic health.
Fear of vision loss can create emotional blockages.
Breath and movement can help release stored fears.
Living foods support lymphatic cleansing and overall health.
Understanding eye health can empower personal healing journeys.
Holistic approaches can enhance both physical and emotional well-being.
Sound bites
“The eyes are the organ of light.”
“Emotional release can improve vision.”
“The eyes hold unspoken stories.”
Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Announcements
02:46 Exploring Iridology
05:21 Emotional and Energetic Language of the Eyes
08:02 Understanding Iridology and Its Applications
11:03 The Rayid Method and Personality Insights
13:44 Constitutional Types in Iridology
17:26 Health Recommendations for Blue-Eyed Individuals
20:03 Health Recommendations for Mixed Iris Individuals
23:20 Health Recommendations for Dark Brown Iris Individuals
27:04 Case Study: Iridology in Practice
33:09 Fear and Vision Reset Exercises
For even more from Dr. Sam, check out his new exclusive membership where you get access to my content and resources, new information, articles, videos, webinars: https://drsambernesmembership.com/
eep Up with Dr. Sam
Website: https://www.drsamberne.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SamBerneOD/?fref=ts
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samberneod/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/drsamberne
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drsamberne/
Dr. Sam Berne has been in private practice in New Mexico for over 25 years and where he works with patients to improve their vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. He holds a Bachelor of Science from Pennsylvania State University, Doctor of Optometry from Pennsylvania College, and did his postdoctoral work at the Gesell Institute in collaboration with Yale University. He has been awarded The Special Awards for Service from the Behavioral Optometrists in Mexico for his innovative and holistic work with children.
His protocols take a proactive, rather than reactive, approach to health and wellness. He understands and treats the body as one integrated system rather than a collection of independent organs in order to identify and address the root causes of disease. His whole health protocols improve vision and wellness by healing the mind-body-spirit through nutritional protocols, vision therapy, and self-care techniques. This views each person as genetically and biochemically unique and enables the individual to make lifelong improvements to their well-being.
SomaticHealing #Neuroplasticity #HolisticHealth
SomaticHealing #Neuroplasticity #VisionHealing
–
Step into a groundbreaking journey that reveals how vision is more than just seeing — it’s healing. Beyond Sight: A Journey into Holistic Visual Healing uncovers stories of transformation, blending science, spirit, and somatic intelligence to revolutionize how we think about the eyes.
🎥 Watch the trailer now and experience the shift.
🌐 Stream it here:
https://www.drsamberne.com/dr-bernes-…
BeyondSight #HolisticVision #FunctionalVision #VisionHealing #EyeHealth #SomaticHealing #Neuroplasticity #NaturalVisionTherapy #HolisticHealth #HealingJourney #DocumentaryFilm #DrSamBerne #SeeDifferently #visionrestoration
Check out my upcoming workshops
Next up: MyvPractitioner’s training retreat October 23-26th at Dr. Berne’s Geodome
Link: https://www.drsamberne.com/workshop/
My Kauai workshop: https://www.drsamberne.com/workshop/a…
And my new book Beyond the Lens: The AI Visionary Playbook for Entrepreneurs and Business Leaders.
This isn’t just another tech manual.
It’s a guide to reclaiming your purpose in the age of AI.
To using automation without losing your intuition.
To scaling your business without sacrificing your soul.
Whether you’re a creative, a coach, or a CEO—this playbook will show you how to partner with AI in a way that’s ethical, embodied, and visionary.
⚡️The future isn’t coming.
It’s here. And it’s human-led.
Link to Buy: https://amzn.to/45kptwt
For even more from Dr. Sam, check out his new exclusive membership where you get access to my content and resources, new information, articles, videos, webinars: https://drsambernesmembership.com/
Keep Up with Dr. Sam
Website: https://www.drsamberne.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SamBerneOD/?…
Keywords
holistic eye care, vision improvement, eye health tips, behavioral optometry, Sam Berne, eye exercises, nutrition for eyes, blue light protection, workshops, private sessions
summary
In this engaging conversation, Dr. Sam Berne shares his insights on holistic eye care, emphasizing the importance of daily habits for maintaining eye health. He discusses the impact of nutrition, sunlight, and eye exercises, while also highlighting his workshops and private sessions aimed at personalized care. The discussion also touches on the effects of screen time on vision and the significance of blue light protection.
takeaways
• Dr. Sam Berne is a behavioral optometrist with a holistic approach.
• Morning sunlight is crucial for resetting circadian rhythms.
• A diet rich in colorful vegetables supports eye health.
• Eye exercises can enhance circulation and oxygenation in the eyes.
• Light is essential for overall health and energy fields.
• Social media has expanded Dr. Berne’s reach to a global audience.
• Workshops are tailored to individual goals and health needs.
• Private sessions focus on treating the root causes of vision problems.
• Blue light from screens can negatively affect eye health.
• The Palm Hum exercise is beneficial for relaxation and eye care
Sound Bites
• “Get some morning sunlight.”
• “Light is a food, don’t be afraid of it.”
• “Blue light can dry your eyes out.”
• “It’s the Palm Hum by Dr. Sam.”
Chapters
00:00Introduction and Welcome Back to Kauai
01:59Understanding Holistic Eye Care
04:59Daily Habits for Eye Health
08:57Exploring Sam’s Books and Workshops
11:55Private Sessions and Personalized Care
16:00The Impact of Screens on Eye Health
SomaticHealing #Neuroplasticity #VisionHealing
–
Step into a groundbreaking journey that reveals how vision is more than just seeing — it’s healing. Beyond Sight: A Journey into Holistic Visual Healing uncovers stories of transformation, blending science, spirit, and somatic intelligence to revolutionize how we think about the eyes.
🎥 Watch the trailer now and experience the shift.
🌐 Stream it here:
https://www.drsamberne.com/dr-bernes-…
BeyondSight #HolisticVision #FunctionalVision #VisionHealing #EyeHealth #SomaticHealing #Neuroplasticity #NaturalVisionTherapy #HolisticHealth #HealingJourney #DocumentaryFilm #DrSamBerne #SeeDifferently #visionrestoration
Check out my upcoming workshops
Next up: MyvPractitioner’s training retreat October 16-19th at Dr. Berne’s Geodome
Link: https://www.drsamberne.com/workshop/
My Kauai workshop: https://www.drsamberne.com/workshop/a…
And my new book Beyond the Lens: The AI Visionary Playbook for Entrepreneurs and Business Leaders.
This isn’t just another tech manual.
It’s a guide to reclaiming your purpose in the age of AI.
To using automation without losing your intuition.
To scaling your business without sacrificing your soul.
Whether you’re a creative, a coach, or a CEO—this playbook will show you how to partner with AI in a way that’s ethical, embodied, and visionary.
⚡️The future isn’t coming.
It’s here. And it’s human-led.
Link to Buy: https://amzn.to/45kptwt
For even more from Dr. Sam, check out his new exclusive membership where you get access to my content and resources, new information, articles, videos, webinars: https://drsambernesmembership.com/
Keep Up with Dr. Sam
Website: https://www.drsamberne.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SamBerneOD/?…
Instagram: / samberneod
Twitter: / drsamberne
LinkedIn: / drsamberne
Shop: https://shop.drsamberne.com/
Dr. Sam Berne has been in private practice in New Mexico for over 35 years and where he works with patients to improve their vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. He holds a Bachelor of Science from Pennsylvania State University, Doctor of Optometry from Pennsylvania College, and did his postdoctoral work at the Gesell Institute in collaboration with Yale University. He has been awarded The Special Awards for Service from the Behavioral Optometrists in Mexico for his innovative and holistic work with children.
His protocols take a proactive, rather than reactive, approach to health and wellness. He understands and treats the body as one integrated system rather than a collection of independent organs in order to identify and address the root causes of disease. His whole health protocols improve vision and wellness by healing the mind-body-spirit through nutritional protocols, vision therapy, and self-care techniques. This views each person as genetically and biochemically unique and enables the individual to make lifelong improvements to their well-being.
Keywords
eye health, lymphatic system, vision, detox, relaxation, vagus nerve, eye exercises, digital strain, inflammation, self-care
Summary
In this podcast, Dr. Sam Berne discusses the importance of the eye-limb connection and offers practical exercises to improve eye health. He emphasizes the role of hydration, movement, and the vagus nerve in maintaining clear eyesight and reducing symptoms like puffiness and strain. Techniques such as humming and eye massage are highlighted as effective methods for enhancing relaxation and lymphatic flow, ultimately leading to better vision and overall well-being.
Takeaways
For most of us, digital devices cause eye strain.
The eyes rely on movement and hydration for health.
Systemic inflammation can lead to eye brain inflammation.
Eye massage can stimulate the vagus nerve.
Humming is a powerful technique for relaxation.
Palming helps in reducing stress and enhancing vision.
Regular practice can lead to clearer eyesight.
The ocular cardiac reflex slows the heart rate.
Humming sends vibrations that activate the vagus nerve.
Consistency in these techniques yields better eye health.
Takeaways
For most of us, digital devices cause eye strain.
The eyes rely on movement and hydration for health.
Systemic inflammation can lead to eye brain inflammation.
Eye massage can stimulate the vagus nerve.
Humming is a powerful technique for relaxation.
Palming helps in reducing stress and enhancing vision.
Regular practice can lead to clearer eyesight.
The ocular cardiac reflex slows the heart rate.
Humming sends vibrations that activate the vagus nerve.
Consistency in these techniques yields better eye health.
Sound Bites
“Humming calms the nervous system.”
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Eye-Limb Connection
01:28 Understanding Eye Health and Lymphatic Function
02:57 Techniques for Eye Relaxation and Vagus Nerve Stimulation
06:19 Benefits of Humming and Eye Massage
Sam Berne (00:01.634)
Hey everybody. Welcome to the podcast today. It’s great to be here. So we’re going to talk a bit about the eye-limb connection how to drain and detox clear eyesight and vision. So the one thing I want to say to start off with is that you know, for most of us we spend our day on digital devices and I don’t know how many listeners out there followers.
have things like puffy eyes strain redness and you’re concerned because you’re staring at a screen all day. Well in this podcast, what I want to do is I want to give you some exercises. Just a very simple approach on how to boost your eye lymph body connection because you see the eyes don’t have a direct lymphatic system and so they rely on movement.
The eyes rely on movement hydration and proper circulation to get rid of inflammation and oxidative stress. So if you have any of those things like blurry vision puffy eyes, then stay tuned. So let’s talk a little bit about the lymph and since the eyes have no direct lymphatic connection.
They do rely on hydration and movement and the eyelids are key player in this because they house the glands that produce the tears that keep our eyes from getting dry. So it’s very easy to get inflammation. In fact, a lot of systemic inflammation can lead to eye brain inflammation. Obviously what we eat gluten, dairy and sugar.
our big factors, but also how we stare at our screen actually locks down our lymphatic function and this can cause these symptoms that I’ve spoken about. So the role of eye massage and I’ll talk a little bit of what I mean by eye massage. I’m also going to bring in what we call the Vegas nerve because the Vegas nerve is very important.
Sam Berne (02:27.438)
in our connection to our parasympathetic nervous system and the vagus nerve runs from the brainstem to the face throat chest and into the gut. Now, one of the best ways to stimulate and balance your vagus nerve is by doing a simple process called humming and the power of humming and I palming
is so critical for balancing the nervous system, increasing the lymph, increasing our vagus nerve and reducing our stress. So while we’re massaging and placing our hands on different parts of the body, this is a very powerful self-regulating technique that stimulates the vagus nerve. It calms the nervous system.
It enhances lymphatic flow and it reduces our stress. So the way we do this is that you’re going to place first of all, you’re going to wash your hands. Hopefully your hands are clean. You’re going to place your fingertips over the eyelids. See how I’m doing the eyes are closed and I’m just making some circles. See how I’m doing this very lightly and I’m humming. So we’re going to do about 10 homes.
Sam Berne (04:09.633)
Also add the temples.
Sam Berne (04:24.568)
Now let’s move down to the jaws.
Sam Berne (04:38.808)
forward to go. Now we’re going to work on our vagus nerve which runs along the side of our neck and we’re going to be going down like this two hums.
Sam Berne (05:01.974)
In the last two, remain closed. You’re going to do the palming and the humming.
Sam Berne (05:23.04)
You can drop your hands and just connect in with your body. There should be some tingling brightness lightness, and then you can open your eyes and look around and I know for me when I hum like this, it actually relaxes me. It can actually reduce cortisol, increase oxytocin and serotonin those natural calming biochemicals.
In the brain also humming can slow the heart rate lower the blood pressure and increase digestion and relaxation. The other thing that when you cup your eyes over the palms over your eyes, you’re you’re gently stimulating something called the ocular ocular cardiac reflex and this naturally slows the heart rate.
I’ve done studies on heart rate variability doing this technique and I actually see the heart rate come down. Also, the other thing that the humming does is it sends vibrations through the skull and the sinuses and this further activates the vagus nerve, which which again is going to just create more relaxation. So this is a great technique for being able to reset
your eye brain body connection. It’s definitely going to relax your nervous system and it’s going to rejuvenate your eyes. So give it a try. I’d love to hear your comments. Let me know how you’re doing. My suggestion would be to do these 10 homes like we did three times a day do it for a week and you will start to see more.
resiliency in your eyes, less redness, less puffiness, less strain, more clarity. So let me know what you think about that. That’s our show for today. I want to thank you so much for tuning in. Take care.
–
Step into a groundbreaking journey that reveals how vision is more than just seeing — it’s healing. Beyond Sight: A Journey into Holistic Visual Healing uncovers stories of transformation, blending science, spirit, and somatic intelligence to revolutionize how we think about the eyes.
🎥 Watch the trailer now and experience the shift.
🌐 Stream it here:
https://www.drsamberne.com/dr-bernes-documentary/
BeyondSight #HolisticVision #FunctionalVision #VisionHealing #EyeHealth #SomaticHealing #Neuroplasticity #NaturalVisionTherapy #HolisticHealth #HealingJourney #DocumentaryFilm #DrSamBerne #SeeDifferently #visionrestoration
Check out my upcoming workshops
Next up: MyvPractitioner’s training retreat October 16-19th at Dr. Berne’s Geodome
Link: https://www.drsamberne.com/workshop/
My Kauai workshop: https://www.drsamberne.com/workshop/awaken-your-vision-a-functional-vision-integrative-body-retreat-in-kauai/
And my new book Beyond the Lens: The AI Visionary Playbook for Entrepreneurs and Business Leaders.
This isn’t just another tech manual.
It’s a guide to reclaiming your purpose in the age of AI.
To using automation without losing your intuition.
To scaling your business without sacrificing your soul.
Whether you’re a creative, a coach, or a CEO—this playbook will show you how to partner with AI in a way that’s ethical, embodied, and visionary.
⚡️The future isn’t coming.
It’s here. And it’s human-led.
Link to Buy: https://amzn.to/45kptwt
For even more from Dr. Sam, check out his new exclusive membership where you get access to my content and resources, new information, articles, videos, webinars: https://drsambernesmembership.com/
Keep Up with Dr. Sam
Website: https://www.drsamberne.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SamBerneOD/?fref=ts
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samberneod/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/drsamberne
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drsamberne/
Shop: https://shop.drsamberne.com/
Dr. Sam Berne has been in private practice in New Mexico for over 35 years and where he works with patients to improve their vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. He holds a Bachelor of Science from Pennsylvania State University, Doctor of Optometry from Pennsylvania College, and did his postdoctoral work at the Gesell Institute in collaboration with Yale University. He has been awarded The Special Awards for Service from the Behavioral Optometrists in Mexico for his innovative and holistic work with children.
His protocols take a proactive, rather than reactive, approach to health and wellness. He understands and treats the body as one integrated system rather than a collection of independent organs in order to identify and address the root causes of disease. His whole health protocols improve vision and wellness by healing the mind-body-spirit through nutritional protocols, vision therapy, and self-care techniques. This views each person as genetically and biochemically unique and enables the individual to make lifelong improvements to their well-being.
Keywords
holistic vision, eye care, neuroplasticity, psycho-emotional health, eye anatomy, vision therapy, alternative medicine, eye health, myopia, eye exercises
Summary
In this podcast episode, Sam Berne discusses holistic approaches to vision care, emphasizing the connection between the eyes, brain, and overall health. He shares insights from his mentors and experiences in the field, highlighting the importance of understanding the psycho-emotional aspects of vision and the limitations of standard eye exams. The conversation also covers the functional anatomy of the eye and how various therapies can improve vision and well-being.
Takeaways
Holistic vision care can reverse myopia and improve eyesight.
The eyes are interconnected to our behavior and learning.
Standard eye exams focus on disease rather than holistic health.
Neuroplasticity plays a crucial role in vision improvement.
Psycho-emotional factors significantly affect eye health.
The sun is beneficial for eye health when managed properly.
Proper lens prescriptions are essential for maintaining eye strength.
Mitochondria in the eyes are vital for vision health.
Understanding eye anatomy is key to addressing vision issues.
Floaters can be a common concern as we age.
Sound bites
“I completely reversed my myopia.”
“The sun is what heals us.”
“How do we get rid of floaters?”
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Holistic Optometry
06:18 Understanding Standard Eye Exams
15:01 The Connection Between Eyes and Overall Health
Step into a groundbreaking journey that reveals how vision is more than just seeing — it’s healing. Beyond Sight: A Journey into Holistic Visual Healing uncovers stories of transformation, blending science, spirit, and somatic intelligence to revolutionize how we think about the eyes.
🎥 Watch the trailer now and experience the shift.
🌐 Stream it here:
https://www.drsamberne.com/dr-bernes-…
BeyondSight #HolisticVision #FunctionalVision #VisionHealing #EyeHealth #SomaticHealing #Neuroplasticity #NaturalVisionTherapy #HolisticHealth #HealingJourney #DocumentaryFilm #DrSamBerne #SeeDifferently #visionrestoration
Check out my 3 upcoming workshops
Online Vision Reboot, Starting August 13th
Online Vision Workshop for Parents Starting August 28th
Practitioner’s training retreat October 16-19th at Dr. Berne’s Geodome
Link: https://www.drsamberne.com/workshop/
And my new book Beyond the Lens: The AI Visionary Playbook for Entrepreneurs and Business Leaders.
This isn’t just another tech manual.
It’s a guide to reclaiming your purpose in the age of AI.
To using automation without losing your intuition.
To scaling your business without sacrificing your soul.
Whether you’re a creative, a coach, or a CEO—this playbook will show you how to partner with AI in a way that’s ethical, embodied, and visionary.
⚡️The future isn’t coming.
It’s here. And it’s human-led.
Link to Buy: https://amzn.to/45kptwt
or even more from Dr. Sam, check out his new exclusive membership where you get access to my content and resources, new information, articles, videos, webinars: https://drsambernesmembership.com/
Keep Up with Dr. Sam
Website: https://www.drsamberne.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SamBerneOD/?…
Instagram: / samberneod
Twitter: / drsamberne
LinkedIn: / drsamberne
Dr. Sam Berne has been in private practice in New Mexico for over 40 years and where he works with patients to improve their vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. He holds a Bachelor of Science from Pennsylvania State University, Doctor of Optometry from Pennsylvania College, and did his postdoctoral work at the Gesell Institute in collaboration with Yale University. He has been awarded The Special Awards for Service from the Behavioral Optometrists in Mexico for his innovative and holistic work with children.
His protocols take a proactive, rather than reactive, approach to health and wellness. He understands and treats the body as one integrated system rather than a collection of independent organs in order to identify and address the root causes of disease. His whole health protocols improve vision and wellness by healing the mind-body-spirit through nutritional protocols, vision therapy, and self-care techniques. This views each person as genetically and biochemically unique and enables the individual to make lifelong improvements to their well-being.
Sam Berne (00:01.454)
Hey everyone, welcome to my walk today. So we’re going to post this on my podcast. This is a question I got from a mom recently. She has a 15 year old son who’s been diagnosed with astigmatism and he was getting some occupational therapy and the therapist noticed that he had a body twist and when he had his lenses off there was less twist in the body. So she’s asking
What should they do in terms of a lens prescription? And how do we work with this situation? Well, astigmatism can be either in the cornea. It’s an irregular shape of the front of the eye or it can also be muscular where the six extraocular muscles are changing the shape of the eye and it creates kind of an asymmetry or a warping in the eye. Now in my own body work that I’ve developed
I have found that I measure somebody’s astigmatism at the beginning of my exam and then I do my body work to unwind the the body’s twist my functional vision integrative body method and then I measure the astigmatism after the body work and in a high percentage of cases. It’s much much less which tells me that
Any prescription in the eye is also in the body and that when we wear prescription in the eye, it can lock down the body. So in this particular case, my suggestion would be to perhaps work with the eye doctor to say, hey, look, can we either get a prescription with no astigmatism that will wear during the occupational therapy program or get a reduced astigmatism because clearly
If you get full correction on astigmatism, it only reinforces the twists not only in the eye, but in the body.
Sam Berne (02:07.79)
So there are many exercises physical therapy exercises that can be done to also reduce the twist in the eye. One of my favorite ones is doing the animal eye chart. This is a exercise I developed from my first book creating your personal vision. So it’s basically an eye tracking exercise, but you’re doing each eye separately and you’re tracing the diagram.
of the animal eye chart and you’re stretching your eye in all areas of gaze.
Another exercise I love to reduce astigmatism is the palm hum exercise. That’s the one where you rub your hands together. Once you cut them over your eyes with your eyes closed and you take about eight hums on the exhale. This will improve the muscular circulation. It relaxes the tissue around the eyes and it’s a wonderful way to reset the visual system.
And again, if you can get your eye doctor to prescribe either reduce the stigmatism or no astigmatism, then you’re not reinforcing what was measured during the exam because during the exam, it’s usually a pretty stressful moment. You have to choose a lens, which is clear one or two and you get that lens and it basically locks you down. It’s usually too strong for you.
So in this particular case, what I’ve told the occupational therapist to do is at least during the therapy time, take the lenses off, do the unwinding and then see if you can get a reduced prescription or Noah stigmatism. And this is one of the ways that you can begin to reduce the warping or twisting in the eyes and the body.
Sam Berne (04:10.711)
So that’s my show for today. I want to thank you so much for tuning in until next time. Take care.
Step into a groundbreaking journey that reveals how vision is more than just seeing — it’s healing. Beyond Sight: A Journey into Holistic Visual Healing uncovers stories of transformation, blending science, spirit, and somatic intelligence to revolutionize how we think about the eyes.
🎥 Watch the trailer now and experience the shift.
🌐 Stream it here:
https://www.drsamberne.com/dr-bernes-documentary/
BeyondSight #HolisticVision #FunctionalVision #VisionHealing #EyeHealth #SomaticHealing #Neuroplasticity #NaturalVisionTherapy #HolisticHealth #HealingJourney #DocumentaryFilm #DrSamBerne #SeeDifferently #visionrestoration
Check out my 3 upcoming workshops
Online Vision Reboot, Starting August 13th
Online Vision Workshop for Parents Starting August 28th
Practitioner’s training retreat October 16-19th at Dr. Berne’s Geodome
Link: https://www.drsamberne.com/workshop/
And my new book Beyond the Lens: The AI Visionary Playbook for Entrepreneurs and Business Leaders.
This isn’t just another tech manual.
It’s a guide to reclaiming your purpose in the age of AI.
To using automation without losing your intuition.
To scaling your business without sacrificing your soul.
Whether you’re a creative, a coach, or a CEO—this playbook will show you how to partner with AI in a way that’s ethical, embodied, and visionary.
⚡️The future isn’t coming.
It’s here. And it’s human-led.
Link to Buy: https://amzn.to/45kptwt
Show notes:
Keywords
Ocular calcification, vision therapy, holistic health, eye health, calcium deposits, Dr. Sam Berne, vision improvement, eye conditions, nutrition for eyes, alternative therapies
Summary
In this episode, Dr. Sam Berne discusses ocular calcification, its symptoms, causes, and holistic approaches to eye health. He emphasizes the importance of understanding calcium deposits in the eyes and offers practical advice on nutrition and therapies to improve vision and overall eye health.
Takeaways
• The documentary ‘Beyond Sight’ explores visual healing.
• Ocular calcification can lead to various eye symptoms.
• Chronic inflammation is a significant cause of calcium deposits.
• Holistic protocols can help manage ocular calcification.
• Magnesium is essential for directing calcium back to bones.
• Red light therapy improves mitochondrial function in the eyes.
• Nutrition plays a vital role in eye health.
• Hydration is crucial for detoxifying the body.
• Stress management is important for preventing eye issues.
• Regular check-ups with an eye doctor are necessary for monitoring eye health.
Sound Bites
• “This powerful film shares patient stories.”
• “Symptoms include dry eye and blurred vision.”
• “Stress reduction is crucial for eye health.”
Chapters
00:00Introduction and Announcements
01:58Understanding Ocular Calcification
05:49Holistic Approaches to Eye Health
For even more from Dr. Sam, check out his new exclusive membership where you get access to my content and resources, new information, articles, videos, webinars: https://drsambernesmembership.com/
Sam Berne (00:00.078)
Hey everybody, welcome to the podcast today. So before we get started, I have a few announcements to make my documentary beyond sight a journey into visual healing is available for streaming this very powerful film shares patient stories therapist testimonials the science behind vision therapy. If you want to explore vision through a holistic lens, I highly recommend streaming this you can do so on my website.
Dr. Sam burn.com also on my membership site and my new book beyond the lens. The AI visionary playbook for entrepreneurs and business leaders is on Amazon. Whether you’re in health wellness or innovation. This is your practical guide to becoming an AI powered visionary. I have two online seminars starting in August. The first is called vision reboot.
And this starts August 13th. It runs for six weeks. You’ll learn about some of my most favorite and effective vision therapy exercises healing techniques all with the upgrade of improving your vision and a bonus. If you’re one of the first 10 signing up will include a 30-minute free consultation included in the tuition with me and on August 28th. I’m starting a parent’s online workshop. This is four weeks.
So parents if you’ve got a child that’s struggling in school with a vision related learning problem kids on the spectrum disorder kids with strabismus and leopia.
This course is for you. I’m going to be sharing physical therapy exercises, nutritional tips, and you’ll learn some of the things that I shared in the documentary, but we’ll be taking a deeper dive, especially in the area of the postural reflexes, primitive reflexes, vestibular therapies and more. So to sign up, you can go to my website, dr. Sam burn.com.
Sam Berne (01:58.591)
Okay, let’s move to the show today. So I’ve received a number of questions from patients about having calcium deposits in their eyes. This is actually called ocular opacification of calcium.
I’m calling this ocular calcification and here are the symptoms. If we find moderate to high levels of calcium in the cornea, the diagnosis is called band keratopathy. Remember the cornea is the clear window of the eye made up of mostly collagen and water symptoms include dry eye feeling like something’s in your eye like we call sand in the eye or a foreign body sensation blurred vision halos around lights glare
and a white or gray line that’s running through the cornea causes can be chronic inflammation. If you have the eye condition called uveitis, that’s one of the diseases that can occur with calcium deposits, but can also be systemic inflammation too much calcium in the blood kidney disease. Another cause is long-term use of eye drops with preservatives and a hyperparathyroid.
Now more in the back of the eye. We can find calcium both in the retina and the choroid which surrounds the retina. It’s more of the protective part of the eye and we can see things like benign tumors in the choroid or drusen which are fatty deposits that are found in the retina. We can see things like wavy vision visual field defects loss of central vision.
So conditions like age-related macular degeneration, discovering tumors in the choroid and metabolic disorders are part of the things that happen when there’s calcium deposits in the choroid or the retina. Sometimes we can find calcium plaques in the sclera, which is the white part of the eye and some of the systemic clues in terms of symptoms would be a dry mouth, dry eyes, possible autoimmune disease.
Sam Berne (03:59.404)
There’s a condition called show grins. I’ve done a podcast on that chronic muscle cramps and kidney disease. So how do you diagnose this condition? Well through eye exams, blood work, fluorescein analysis, imaging, and even a hair mineral analysis. So in a hair mineral analysis, we cut some hair from the nape of the neck and we send it off to the lab and we get many trace mineral ratios. One of the ones we get is
calcium magnesium that ratio and if there’s a lot of calcium that shows up in the hair, we call this a calcium shell and what’s happening is the calcium that’s supposed to be absorbed into the bones gets pushed out into the soft tissue area of the body. That’s why we call it a calcium shell and one of the places that it will deposit is in the skin and also the eyes.
I often will see a correlation if we get that calcium shell that the adrenals are overworking. We’re under a lot of stress. Our sympathetic nervous system is overworking and this is what creates the calcium shell. Now there’s several ways that eye doctors can diagnose this condition. One is using the microscope called a slit lamp where we can magnify and look at the tissues to see if there’s any calcium deposits.
We can also take retinal photography and do a test called an optical coherence topography. Some doctors will use an ultrasound B scan and an orbital CAT scan. If you’re going to do a blood test, I would recommend a serum calcium test, a test that analyzes the parathyroid, check phosphate and vitamin D levels and check ACE levels and sarcoid markers. Before I give a holistic protocol, I want to do a disclaimer that this is just educational only.
And I would recommend working with your doctor. Okay, here we go. The first thing I would recommend in a holistic protocol magnesium helps direct calcium back to the bones and it moves it away from the soft tissue accumulation that I referred to a few minutes ago. I would start with 200 milligrams twice a day. I would take a vitamin D 3 K 2 combination K 2 can help prevent arterial accumulation of calcium.
Sam Berne (06:21.056)
And K2 also helps reduce the soft tissue buildup and D3 helps in the absorption of calcium. I would recommend one to 2,000 milligrams a day of the D3 K2 and I would do it while you’re eating some healthy fats. This will help you absorb the supplement better. Phase two would be to take a supplement that combines Boswellia with turmeric curcumin.
And I’d make a formulation either using I bright chamomile red raspberry leaf tea as a compress on the eyes use one teaspoon of one of those herbs in an 8 ounce glass of water make it into a tea. Let it cool strain it into a liquid put it into an eye cup and then you can put it on the eyes do not use if you’ve had recent eye surgery or if you have a bacterial infection in the eye and hydrate
Drink six to eight glasses a day of water. It could be hydrogen water, Kagan water, structured water. This helps detoxify and cleanses the cells. It also add high quality electrolyte drink. This will help you absorb your trace minerals better. Stimulate your lymphatic system either through craniosacral therapy doing my palm hum exercise. Consider castor oil packs over the liver for one to two weeks.
Remember the liver rules the eyes in Chinese medicine and it helps detox the eye, especially if the liver is working better nutrition wise. You want to have your kale parsley and nettles which are high in magnesium organic dehydrated nuts and seeds. This includes pumpkin seeds sunflower seeds and chia seeds and make sure to eat some fatty fish. This could be sardines mackerel.
Again, the DHA in these omega-3s help repair the retina and you could do a zeolite cilantro or chlorella which helps boost your detoxification pathways. I also recommend red light therapy. Dr. Jeffrey’s study on red light showed that it can actually reduce drusen in the eye. Obviously red light improves the mitochondria function in the eye and this is most important stress reduction.
Sam Berne (08:42.589)
So doing things like my palm hum or my somatic exercises are really important to help you move away from that sympathetic overdrive, which is one of the biggest contributing factors to this calcium shell calcium being absorbed in the soft tissue and I would give it about three to six months. You can get retested keep going to your eye doctor to have them look at the eye. But these are the things that you can do.
to help reduce the calcification that can occur in your eyes. So if you’ve got more questions, feel free to send me an email. Hello at dr. Sam burn.com. That’s our show for today. Thank you so much for tuning in until next time. Take care.
Keywords
holistic eye care, vision improvement, eye health tips, behavioral optometry, Sam Berne, eye exercises, nutrition for eyes, blue light protection, workshops, private sessions
summary
In this engaging conversation, Dr. Sam Berne shares his insights on holistic eye care, emphasizing the importance of daily habits for maintaining eye health. He discusses the impact of nutrition, sunlight, and eye exercises, while also highlighting his workshops and private sessions aimed at personalized care. The discussion also touches on the effects of screen time on vision and the significance of blue light protection.
takeaways
- Dr. Sam Berne is a behavioral optometrist with a holistic approach.
- Morning sunlight is crucial for resetting circadian rhythms.
- A diet rich in colorful vegetables supports eye health.
- Eye exercises can enhance circulation and oxygenation in the eyes.
- Light is essential for overall health and energy fields.
- Social media has expanded Dr. Berne’s reach to a global audience.
- Workshops are tailored to individual goals and health needs.
- Private sessions focus on treating the root causes of vision problems.
- Blue light from screens can negatively affect eye health.
- The Palm Hum exercise is beneficial for relaxation and eye care
Sound Bites
- “Get some morning sunlight.”
- “Light is a food, don’t be afraid of it.”
- “Blue light can dry your eyes out.”
- “It’s the Palm Hum by Dr. Sam.”
Chapters
00:00Introduction and Welcome Back to Kauai
01:59Understanding Holistic Eye Care
04:59Daily Habits for Eye Health
08:57Exploring Sam’s Books and Workshops
11:55Private Sessions and Personalized Care
16:00The Impact of Screens on Eye Health
Sam Berne (00:00.29)
Here for my interview on KKCR, Public Radio Kauai. I was here about a year and a half ago and back again with my friend Tracy Chavarone, who’s gonna have me on and interview me. So stay tuned.
to Dr. Sam Byrne. Aloha Sam. Aloha. So nice to see you in person. I know we’re face to face. We’re face to face. Eye to eye. Welcome back to Kauai. Yeah, feels great to be here. We just had 15 inches of snow in Santa Fe so nice to be in the tropics. Isn’t that kind of unusual to have that much snow this early? Well it used to be with climate change you know we’re
getting that much snow but back in the 90s yeah we used to get that kind of snow end of October beginning in November what a blessing you know it lowers the fire risk and
Anyway, it’s great to be here in the humidity. was mentioning I was in New Mexico in October and it was very, very dry. I definitely had to put lotion on my skin. It is a high desert environment. I have to warn people about that. It was so beautiful. Mexico is just spectacular.
It really is the land of enchantment. really is and so much space there, open land, great hiking, nature, Chaco Canyon and all those magical places.
Sam Berne (01:34.765)
Well, and of course, kawaii has its own magic, which brings you back. I know it’s like a magnet that keeps bringing me back. So for those of you who have never met Dr. Sam Byrne, I’m going to have him like introduce himself. But he’s the author of many books and he is a holistic, I would say a holistic eye doctor. I don’t know if that’s what you would consider yourself, but.
Yes, well I’m a behavioral optometrist, doctor of optometry, but I have studied many different healing modalities and my mission is to help people regain their eyesight if it’s deteriorating, improve their vision as they get older, work with kids with learning problems and the spectrum disorders, autism, the ADD, there’s a very big vision component.
to it, traumatic brain injury, people that want to reduce their prescriptions. So I’ve devoted my career, you know, it’s four decades, and still going strong, helping people with their health and their vision.
But you do use it well, except your holistic approaches. Yeah, well, know, when listeners, you go to the eye doctor and they give you a stronger prescription and they tell you how you have a disease and you’re going to lose your sight or drug surgery and needles. That’s the,
the standard care. So just learning things like functional medicine, what do you eat to preserve your eyes? How does the sun affect your eyes? What about being on computers? You know, so there’s a lot of things that you can do to take better care of this major modality that we relate to the world with. And usually I get people where they’ve gone to the doctor and it’s, my goodness, I’m going to lose my sight or I have to get surgery. And that’s where I come in and I can…
Sam Berne (03:34.797)
do some interventions to help them. for people listening right now, what are some of the daily habits people can incorporate to keep their eyes as healthy as possible or even improve their eye health? Well, to keep it simple, there three main things. Number one, get some morning sunlight. The research backs that up, that when you get morning sunlight, it actually resets your
circadian rhythm and it puts you into a better mood and it’s great for your eyesight and vision. Number two, eat a diet that involves the rainbow of vegetables and if we think about the red, orange, yellow, green vegetables, those feed the retina, the macula and the cornea.
And so if you eat a healthy diet, low processed or no processed foods, and reduce or eliminate sugar, you have a great chance to preserve your eyesight. And number three, eye exercises work really well to improve the circulation and oxygenation in the eyes. One of my famous ones is called the palm hum exercise. That’s where you rub your hands together for a few seconds
you cup your hands over your eyes and you breathe in through your nose and on the exhale you make a humming sound and you do about six or eight of those after a day on the computer and that will improve your circulation, oxygenation, lubricate your eyes and balance your nervous system. So those are three simple things that you can do to preserve your vision.
And those are all totally doable. And I love the rainbow vegetables because for me I like to have a lot of colors in my food because I feel like I’m also nourishing my chakras when I eat all those colors on that more esoteric level. Yeah, well, there’s a camera that I use called a GDV camera. This measures energy fields, chakras, and acupuncture meridians. And we did research on how the chakras were impacted when we fed people
Sam Berne (05:54.761)
color therapy through their eyes. And we found that when they looked at different colors, overall their chakras got more balanced and more lined up and larger. So the eyes are the organ of light that transports that light throughout the entire body. Light is a food, don’t be afraid of it. And yeah, it affects our energy fields and our…
our meridians and so yeah very much so. If you just tuned in I’ll speak with Dr. Sam Byrne and so Sam I’d love for you to give out your website and like any other information if you want to give out your phone number how long will you be here on Kauai? I’ll be here through next Wednesday and we have a workshop scheduled this Saturday. The registration closes tomorrow morning.
So you can call me 505-9200-317. I’m also doing some private sessions. So if you want some one-on-one time, give me a call. My website is drsamberne.com. I’m also very active on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube. So you can type my name in and I have thousands of free videos.
a membership so if you want to go deeper with me you can do that. Lots of ways to learn about what I’m doing. you mentioned like I think every social media out there so I’m just curious what how has social media changed your ability to assist people in their lives?
Well, it helps me connect to people that probably would have never heard from me or about me. And I have a international following. So people say in Germany or Australia, you know, they get to see my content and it gives them another opportunity to, you know, to help themselves. My mission is to educate and I give away my content for free. I also have a podcast.
Sam Berne (08:06.933)
the burn podcast and so with all of those different channels I’m able to reach people video, audio, written and it’s really been a great service to be able to connect with people on so many levels from many different locations.
So once again, if you just tuned in, I’m speaking with Dr. Sam Byrne. And now I know you have authored quite a few books, and do you want to just mention some of those? Because I know you were here, was it last year, or was it this year when you were here for your latest book? It was last April, and it was a book called Vital Vision, and that’s my newest book that’s been out about a year. You can get that on Amazon, both ebook and also written. I’ve written, my first book was called Creating Your
personal vision. I wrote that in 1994. I did a new edition about two, three years ago that has eye exercises in it. I also wrote a book about nutrition called Taking It In and how foods affect our vision and our brain. And then I wrote a book called I Sense, How to Play in the Field of Healing, where I talk about energy, medicine, and my research swimming with the wild dolphins on the Big Island and how that impacted
people’s energy fields and chakras and did that. Our last trip was 2020 before COVID. So there’s books on my website. You just go to DrSamBurn.com and you can order them if you want. So now the workshop, the workshop on Saturday, we want to talk a little bit about what that format will be.
Well, you know, people bring their individual situations to the table. And so we’re going to figure out what each person’s goals and objectives are. And then we’ll tailor the workshop to how it’s going to help people. And it could be through somatic movement. It could be through color therapy, vision, physical therapy, exercises. I also do something called iridology that’s being able to read the iris. You take a picture of the iris.
Sam Berne (10:19.735)
the colored part of the eye and that maps to the body so you can see what your liver health is, gallbladder, pancreas, thyroid, get to see genetic tendencies, things that maybe were in your family and nurture points. What are things that you can do to nurture your systemic health that not only improves your vision but can improve your health and wellness also.
And once again, how can someone register for that? Just give me a call 505-920-0317 and we can do the registration process on the phone. Also, if you want to do a session, we can book one. I am licensed to practice optometry in Hawaii, which is an advantage. So if you need prescriptions or anything like that, I can certainly address those needs for you. And your website again?
www.drsamburn.com. B-E-R-N-E. Check it out, there’s a lot of great stuff on there.
Yeah, if you want to interact, just send me an email and we can talk. So you’re offering private sessions. now, I mean, know, of course, you customize those to what the people’s issues are. But is there anything in particular, things that you are always sort of working with with people? What does the private session entail? mean, do you do it, do you take an iridology picture? mean, what does that entail? Well, you know, people have
problems. so listening is very important and meeting people where they are around, know, what are their symptoms? And of course we want to treat the cause, not the symptoms. So it could be anything from, for example, somebody’s prescription is too strong that they’re wearing and it gives them a headache. So how to reduce it but still allow them to see clearly, maybe giving them some eye relaxation exercises if they work on screens a lot.
Sam Berne (12:25.465)
or let’s say you’ve been diagnosed with cataracts or glaucoma or macular degeneration or dry eye, something that you’re tired of using pharmaceuticals or you’re facing surgery, then there could be some nutritional, herbal, aromatherapy, functional medicine things that could turn things around. One of the new research studies that’s coming out is on something called photobiomodulation. This is using red light on
the eyes to increase the mitochondria function. And when you increase the mitochondria function, you reduce inflammation and oxidative stress. So there’s a way that I’ve developed red light therapy for the eyes that’s not too bright, and it allows a reversal of certain eye conditions. So Glenn Jeffries was an ophthalmologist in the UK who did a study on red light therapy and macular degeneration. You could Google that.
So there’s lots of different techniques with the overall intention is to help people move out of the danger zone if things are deteriorating.
Sam Berne (13:48.813)
private sessions with individuals if you’re interested. He can be reached at 505-920-0317. Once again, that’s 505-920-0317 and he will be here through next Wednesday, or? Yes, that’s correct.
And is there any particular area of the island where you are seeing patients just so people know? In the Princeville area. But if you contact me, I can give you directions. And it’s a nice, comfortable house. So it’s great. Just want to let people know, you’re visiting from the west side, it’s on the North Shore. Sure. We’re on the North Shore. Yeah, exactly.
again your website? DrSamBurn.com. And do you have your own YouTube channel? I do DrSamBurn you can go on that we post our video podcasts we do YouTube shorts long long material so we have tons of free videos on YouTube if you want to go there just type in my name and
Watch away. Watch away. So now you said you also have a podcast. where is that? Well, I do both an audio through Apple iTunes and Spotify and all the major sites. So that’s audio. Some people like to walk their dog and listen or they’re commuting in the city. And then we do a video version which we post on YouTube. So yeah, there’s a lot of different ways to reach that podcast. It’s called the burn podcast. And I’ve done hundreds of shows on a variety
of different subjects.
Sam Berne (16:00.783)
from Port Allen tomorrow and interact. Hopefully maybe we’ll see some whales and turtles and dolphins. And then actually I brought my golf clubs so I’m going to be playing some golf and get a little morning sunlight and then probably do some hiking. it’s already been great so far.
So let’s get back to eyes though. So you mentioned something about the screens, we’re on screens a lot. I know for my glasses I have one of those, what is it, that like blue thing that supposedly helps your eyes when you’re using screens, I forget what it’s called. Yeah, it’s called a blue protection lens or a blue filter or something, you know, depends on the company. So basically what’s coming off screens these days is chaotic blue light. And over time,
this blue light can dry your eyes out, can create inflammation and eye strain, dryness. So the blue light is definitely, in some circles they’ll say it’s actually even like a neurotoxin. So by doing blue protection on the lenses, you can actually get a screen protector as well on your phone or your tablet or your computer.
It’s really important to take frequent breaks on the computer and after 6 p.m. when you’re on the screens, the blue light tricks the pineal gland to reduce melatonin, which is our sleep hormone. So it’s a little more difficult to go to sleep if you’re on your screens before bed. I would stop using your digital one hour before you go to sleep, allow yourself to get away from all that chaotic screen time.
do those things and then get out in the natural sunlight, look out into the distance, you know, then you have a good chance to reduce eye strain and dryness. so there three main things just to keep it simple. Number one, get morning natural sunlight about 30 minutes a day, studies of
Sam Berne (18:22.707)
that when you get that morning sunlight it resets your circadian rhythm and puts you in a better mood so your serotonin dopamine levels in the brain start start firing and it also improves your eyesight. Number two
Eliminate processed foods, eat a rainbow diet of vegetables. I’d probably add berries. That’s a really great food for night vision. So the red, orange, yellow, green vegetables are really, really important and that feeds the macula and the retina. And then number three, my exercise called the palm hum. You could Google it and you can watch a demo. Basically you rub your hands together for a few seconds, palm your eyes. You’re breathing in through the nose on the exhale.
you do a hum and you do about six humps and that’s going to bring more oxygenation, circulation and relaxation to your eyes and your nervous system. If do those things, you’re going to preserve your eyesight. Well, I love all three of those and they’re so doable. And just thinking about that, know, palming your eyes and humming, because I know, you know, there’s, of course, there’s all, you know, sound therapy and stuff, but when I think of humming, it’s sort of like your whole body kind of vibrates. it seems like, you know,
would just help with your parasympathetic nervous system. You know, in so many ways it could be beneficial. Parasympathetic nervous system, nitric oxide, which is an ingredient as a natural vasodilator. And your hands are like tuning forks. So when you’re humming and you get that vibration, that sound is going into the compressed tissue of the eyes. Sound is one of the best ways to release compressed tissue, whether you’re basically doing your own sound bath. I like that.
I love sound baths too. they’re great. loved by other people as well. So this is more of a self-produced sound bath that you can direct and regulate which is wonderful. And it’s the Palm Hum by Dr. Sam It’s the Palm Hum, yes. So Dr. Sam Byrne, thank you so much. Once again I’d love for you to give out your website and your phone number. Sure, website drsambyrne.com and my number is 505-920-0317.
Sam Berne (20:39.56)
Dr. Byrne is on island through next Wednesday. He is seeing private clients, having private sessions as well as offering a one-day workshop this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and all that information is on
website? Is that on your Facebook page too? yeah, so it’s a lot of different places, but you can just give me a call and we can talk about it. So Tracy, thank you so much for having me on and best wishes to you. Well thank you Sam, it’s so good to see you again and I know I’ll see you in the course of the week. So, Aloha!
Set up a free discovery call with Dr. Berne to learn more about his practitioenr’s training: appointments@drsamberne.com
Practitioner’s Program Link: https://www.drsamberne.com/practition…
For even more from Dr. Sam, check out his new exclusive membership where you get access to my content and resources, new information, articles, videos, webinars: https://drsambernesmembership.com/ Then the show notes, then the transcript then Website: https://www.drsamberne.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SamBerneOD/?…
Instagram: / samberneod
Twitter: / drsamberne
LinkedIn: / drsamberne
Dr. Sam Berne has been in private practice in New Mexico for over 35 years and where he works with patients to improve their vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. He holds a Bachelor of Science from Pennsylvania State University, Doctor of Optometry from Pennsylvania College, and did his postdoctoral work at the Gesell Institute in collaboration with Yale University. He has been awarded The Special Awards for Service from the Behavioral Optometrists in Mexico for his innovative and holistic work with children.
His protocols take a proactive, rather than reactive, approach to health and wellness. He understands and treats the body as one integrated system rather than a collection of independent organs in order to identify and address the root causes of disease. His whole health protocols improve vision and wellness by healing the mind-body-spirit through nutritional protocols, vision therapy, and self-care techniques. This views each person as genetically and biochemically unique and enables the individual to make lifelong improvements to their well-being.
Keywords
podcasting, community building, content creation, social media, email marketing, online criticism, business funding, personal branding, authenticity, audience engagement
Summary
In this conversation, Sam Berne shares insights on starting and growing a podcast, emphasizing the importance of community engagement, time management, and authenticity. He discusses various strategies for content creation, including leveraging social media and email marketing, while also addressing common concerns about costs and equipment. Sam provides practical advice on handling online criticism and navigating business partnerships, ultimately encouraging listeners to be patient and authentic in their branding efforts.
Takeaways
You don’t need fancy audio equipment to start a podcast.
Building a community through podcasting can enhance your reach.
Posting excerpts on social media can increase podcast downloads.
Time management is crucial for consistent content creation.
Utilizing platforms like Upwork can help find freelance talent.
Artificial intelligence can assist in content generation.
Diversifying content across platforms can attract more followers.
Starting a podcast can be done with free services.
Quality is less important than authenticity in podcasting.
Being authentic helps in building a strong personal brand.
Titles
The Art of Podcasting: Building Community
Maximizing Engagement Through Social Media
Sound bites
“You can find great talent on Upwork.”
“You can start a podcast for free.”
“Be authentic to build your brand.”
Chapters
00:00 Starting a Podcast: The Basics
02:53 Building Your Audience Through Collaboration
05:28 Time Management for Content Creation
08:43 Utilizing Social Media for Engagement
11:28 Navigating Podcasting Costs and Equipment
14:15 Leveraging Email Marketing for Sales
17:04 Handling Online Criticism and Feedback
19:54 Exploring Funding Options for Technology
22:54 Creating Content Without Video
25:37 Authenticity in Personal Branding
28:25 Final Thoughts on Building a Brand
Sam Berne (00:00.822)
One of the things I was interested in was having a podcast and my content was created by asking the community to send me their questions. Now, there are a lot of apps available where you can record right on your phone and upload to your podcast page. That’s what I did at the very beginning. You don’t need fancy audio equipment. You don’t need, you know, the the high-end things. I wouldn’t recommend that.
But by starting a podcast, there’s so many different ways that you can go. You could have say in Santa Fe, your business was restaurants rest your restaurant owner. What you could do is you could actually invite other people in the industry to come on your show and that would help you cross-pollinate. They get to know about you. You’d get to know about them again. It’s part of that giving where you’re not asking the guests for anything, but you let them
talk about themselves and so they have their audience. have your audience and this is how you start building the podcast and at this point I’ve got a very large download monthly download. You can get analytics from it and a very high retention rate where people want to listen to the entire podcast. So I’ve had some interest interesting guests on I’ve done a lot of Q &A podcasts and then you can also
look to be on other people’s podcasts as well. So there’s a lot of different advantages to being to having a podcast because it’s that audio channel and it’s another funnel for you to start to get followers. One of the things I do with my podcasts is I sometimes they’re very short. They’re five minutes or they’re three minutes and I say, hey everybody is doctor Sam and I clarity podcast.
And you know, I have this great idea blah blah blah, and I’ll talk about it for a few minutes. Well, that’s our show for today. Thanks for tuning in until next time. So I’m posting maybe four to six podcasts a week. And also another thing that you can do is you can take excerpts from the entire podcast and you can post those on your social media site. So I do that all the time. I just did a interview with a doctor and we took the
Sam Berne (02:29.144)
the podcast and we split it up into maybe 30 second sound bites and we posted those on Facebook and Instagram and LinkedIn and it doubled the amount of people who actually ended up downloading the entire podcast. So there are different techniques that you can use. You can even record a pre-recorded intro and an outtake at the very end, you know, something like if you have questions, you can text me.
Or you can send me an email or here’s my upcoming online workshop. So there are ways again that you can use the podcast the audio channel as a simple free way to start building your community. Another thing you can do is you can go on Facebook or Instagram or tick-tock or YouTube and you can do a live show Q &A and this is amazing.
When you start doing this on a regular basis, you will get you will get interactions with other people and they will get to know you and this is another great way to develop your brand. Looks like there’s Q &A. We’ve got a few questions. So let me let me start with this one. I’m intrigued by the idea of four to eight content pieces per day, but can’t imagine how to do that and still have time.
To do my other work. How do you budget time for that? Well, I would start off with maybe pick one of the social media sites that you know, you’re most attracted to you maybe can look at where you think most of your customers are and
Maybe post one a day or two a day. I think it’s going to take some time management organization. You know, I always say if you’re really passionate in what you’re doing, you will find the time to post maybe again, you can get one of these scheduling content programs and you can take all of your pieces and put it in the
Sam Berne (04:45.761)
the scheduling program and you can do it that way but pick one of the social media sites that you like and just maybe post one a day or if you can do two a day and see how that goes for a while and then you know, you might then at that point if you’ve got the the the budget, maybe you hire somebody to help you in the posting. I mean at this point I do have employees that are doing
my editing and posting, but I’m making enough money now that I can do that when I started out. I was doing everything and I was full-time in my practice, but I knew that this was the ticket for me to be able to create a brand and it would create a legacy for me that I could then maybe let go of some of the other things that I didn’t like doing because I so enjoyed the creative process. So start slow.
and just see what happens. All right. Can you recommend who to find someone to help with Google and updating a blog or blog? Okay, so there are two sources that I use that I tap to great get great talent. The first is Craigslist. The second is a platform called Upwork and Upwork is a platform
that where there are a lot of freelance people and you can actually create a post on Upwork. It won’t cost you anything and I have gotten some of my best talent. got my bookkeeper. got my website. People that are that are managing my website my web store manager my person who organizes my posts so Upwork.com would be a great place for you to look.
If you can’t find anybody on Craigslist, but my goodness, there’s so many writers out there. Maybe you can find somebody at one of the at the community college and that way you won’t have to pay as much maybe a student somebody who’s a good writer. So there are ways that you can figure this out writing is is hard for me. And one of the things I’ve started to use now is an artificial intelligence platform.
Sam Berne (07:14.442)
or actually tell the artificial intelligence. This is what I’m interested in. Tell me about this process in my, you know, in my industry and they will they will come back with some outline and you know, it’s pretty good. And so then I just fill in the pieces and make it more personal artificial intelligence is definitely increasing in impinging on our lives whether we like it or not.
But that’s a way that sometimes if I need to do a quick blog, I’ll do it that way. But there are lot of avenues there. Try those and that should help you. Okay, next question. My business is focused on city management and municipal government. I have been writing monthly newsletters on LinkedIn and in one year have 315 subscribers. Some mayors and city managers are on LinkedIn. However,
City Councilors tend to be on Twitter and I’m hesitant to join. What’s your experience with Twitter? Can I direct people on Twitter to my website where I can repost my 25 articles from LinkedIn? Well, you know, Elon Musk is really wreaking havoc with Twitter right now and there there’s all kinds of things going on with Twitter that
I can really understand where a lot of people have mixed feelings about it. I post every day on Twitter. I probably do five to seven posts on Twitter. You can interact with people. It’s a great way to have conversations with people in your industry. You know, you could actually spend time looking up say in your situation, mayors and city councilor city managers who are on Twitter and you could engage with them.
And then maybe at that point, once you engage with them, if there’s some communication back and forth, you can definitely direct them away from Twitter towards your website. But I I would say this that the more you diversify your content. The more followers you’re going to get and you know, the same goes with LinkedIn where if you can interact.
Sam Berne (09:40.767)
with people by having conversations with them communications with them. This is another way that I’ve I have developed my LinkedIn LinkedIn following. It takes time, but I wouldn’t give up on Twitter. I think that again, you can use it for the highest good for yourself and you can direct people away from it so that you then put them into an environment where you’re more in control.
and they’re going to be more interested in what you’re writing about. All right. Next question. Don’t podcasts require paying for service and editing ability? Well, the answer to that is it depends on the service. It depends on how many podcasts you are posting. But if you start at the very beginning, you can get the free part of the service. Now, in my case,
because I’m posting so much at this point. I pay about $40 a month. Okay, it’s not a lot, but that’s what I pay and editing again. You could get on GarageBand and you could have that audio file on GarageBand. I actually hired somebody to help me learn how to cut, know where I said or or you know, if there was, you know space in there that I didn’t like and within five minutes I could
edit on GarageBand. I uploaded it to Dropbox. I now had a link that I could then send it off to my my podcast service. So there are ways to do it. Maybe you find somebody that you hire just maybe one or two times to show you how to do it. But it’s so easy to do off your phone. If you look at apps where you can do the podcast and you know
Again, you don’t have to over overproduce or over edit it. Okay, don’t worry about that. I know somebody who’s an actress who she spent $1,000 on one video and I said, what are you doing? She says, well, it has to be perfect. I need to get the script. You know, I need direction. I need production. That’s the wrong way to go in my view in my
Sam Berne (12:05.086)
my posting the more rod is actually the more views I get because I’m authentic. I’m not making some stuff up where I’m, you know, creating something that that’s not who I am. So in your audio podcast, we just want to hear what you have to say and you can figure out a way to use a service at the beginning where you don’t have to pay for it or it’s a minimal fee. All right, next question.
Do you take videos with your phone without a microphone wondering whether the quality is acceptable for Instagram and YouTube most definitely. So this video that went viral on Tik Tok 300,000 views. I had no microphone. My microphone was my phone. I basically press play. I put the camera in front of my face. I had a great background of the snow and the microphone I used was the phone’s microphone.
I put it up on TikTok and there you go. So the quality will be acceptable. You know, again, if it’s really windy or it’s really loud, you might consider again, okay, I don’t want a lot of sirens going on in the background. Now. I will say at this point in my sophistication. I do have wireless microphones right now. I’m simulcasting this and I’m recording this on my phone and I have a wireless microphone that I use.
That’s excellent and I have other microphones also as well, but I’ve been at this six years. I’m making money. I can do it. I want to invest back into my business. But the short answer is just start recording. Don’t worry about it. You can play it back. If you can hear it, it’s going to work fine for your social media posting. Okay, how do you set up a podcast page? Do you have to pay a service? What are the podcast?
page options. Well again, depending on how many podcasts you do the answer to that is you could actually have the podcast set up in a way where you don’t have to pay for service. That kind of just depends on how many podcasts you’re going to do again. If you don’t know how to do this, you can go to Google and Google will show you how to set up a podcast page.
Sam Berne (14:30.526)
And you could just do Apple or Spotify or Amazon. It’s so easy. And once you have, know, the podcast name and you have maybe a picture of yourself, it’s really easy to upload. There’s nothing to it. So I would go on Google and figure out, okay, how do I set up a podcast page? And then you can look at the different options again, start slow. You don’t have to do what I’m doing, but just start
putting the podcast out and then you could put the link say on Facebook and say, hey, here’s my podcast or on Instagram or LinkedIn or whatever. And that’s a way you can start getting traffic to people to listen to your podcast. Okay, I have an Android phone. Does the Apple podcast site work for Android phones? I don’t know that answer, but I’m sure the doctor Google could help you with that again.
My feeling is because so many people have Android phones. I think that the podcast services will work based on the app you’re using to record the podcast. If you have a son of kind of like a voice memo or some kind of an audio recording app. I think it’s very universal at this point because so many people are doing podcasts.
Do you use your email list to make product offerings or is that only social media itself? No, I actually use my email list to make my product offerings and the way I do it is I create a newsletter where part of it is education. Part of it is I’m, you know, uploading like my blogs or my latest videos maybe that relate to the product and then I send that out as an email blast.
and digest watch the sales come in. It’s amazing. It works so well. Now you have to be careful that you don’t send too many emails out and sometimes I’ll send a newsletter out where I’m not selling any products or I’m just educating people and I use two newsletter services. One is MailChimp and the other is one called Clavio. You might not have heard of it.
Sam Berne (16:52.394)
Clavio is a little more sophisticated. It’s allowing me to receive text messages for Q &A. It also gives me a little more analytics and it’s expensive, you know, both of those probably run about $500 a month for each, but the return on investment on that is probably 50x. So when I do an email, I know that I’m going to make several thousands of dollars during a weekend sale and I’ll you know, give a discount.
But even with the discount because of the volume, I’m making really good money from that. How do you handle hostile responses online? I rarely get this on my business page, but that is a contained group so far. I do encounter it in bigger groups. Okay, I get this a lot. So there are always people, know, they what they do is I think about their life must be really miserable for them to take the time to be judgmental.
of me. Okay. And so I, I definitely have compassion for them and either I might engage them and give them an answer if they’re, you know, asking a legitimate question. Otherwise, I just delete and block them and the social media sites. Now at this point are very, very protective of people and it’s very easy for you to delete and block those people.
Now, if you’re in a group situation, you need to talk to the facilitator and let them know what’s going on because I know in my groups, usually the people that are in my groups, they love me. They’re not going to badmouth me. I’ve never had that happen. But if you’re in say a mixed group, if that’s going on, sometimes I just say, I don’t want to be part of the group, but you as the influencer have the ability to block anybody
And you should not take any grief from anybody. You just delete them block them don’t engage them and move on. That’s the best thing to do. I in my experience. Okay. Another question using your method when product is a technology license licensing opportunity. For example, we are finalizing a technology and are in need of funding. So
Sam Berne (19:22.954)
This is an interesting thing because in 2018, I actually got a financial partner. needed some capital because we were going to do some products and it was a nightmare for me because I lost leverage in the brand and so we ended up dissolving our partnership, but it’s it’s a very interesting thing to start to want to get funding and then what is the
relationship and you need to be very careful that you’re keeping control of the brand because you don’t want to lose leverage like what are the strings attached because if you get involved in a partnership and somebody is giving you money, they’re going to want results. They’re going to want, know, probably some of the profit and so you have to be very clear if you’re going to go that route. Now in
Technology, you do need a lot of money. There’s no question about it. And this is where perhaps your score mentors can direct you in places where you might be able to get funding, but you can get it in a way where you don’t lose control or leverage of the brand of what the product you’re trying to put out. It’s not an easy road, but you can do it. And sometimes the upside is really amazing.
So that’s how I would answer that. If I’m not comfortable with video content, what are some of the options beyond blogging that utilize written word content? Well, one of the things that you could do is you could either speak into your phone or or talk into your phone and you can get a transcript of what you have said and you can edit it.
And you can use that as your written blog. And I really get it. A lot of people that I work with, they don’t want to do video. It’s hard and they even don’t want to do audio. They’re shy. So there are ways that you can get these programs where you can actually get a transcript and then you can post it that way. One of them that I use is called Otter.ai. That’s a good one for
Sam Berne (21:49.231)
transcription and so that way you can stay away from the video and the audio and you can just do your blogs that way. If you want to dive into artificial intelligence, you can actually go on some free artificial artificial intelligence websites and you can say, okay, tell me how to bake a cake and the AI will come up with a written narrative.
which then if that’s your interest or that’s your brand you could take that AI information and then you could make it your own. So that would be another way that you could get ideas for your blogs. Another question you mentioned programs for scheduling your social media postings. What would I recommend? Will they allow you to post across multiple platforms? So second question first definitely they will allow you
to post across multiple platforms. I haven’t used them in about three years. So the one that I used, I’m not sure I would recommend for you. Again, that’s something that I would Google and then they have great customer service. So you could, you know, inquire what would be the best social media scheduling program for you based on what platforms you’re using when you want to post.
What are the duration of the of the of the post and things like that. So that’s readily available on Google and the support system the support team there will be able to help you figure out what’s the best way to go. You’re very welcome. Your audience is 55 plus. What platforms do you recommend all of them Facebook Instagram LinkedIn?
TikTok now some people will say TikTok is just for kids. I got to tell you I am so surprised with the TikTok response that I’m getting there are people that are 55 and over that are now on TikTok.
Sam Berne (23:59.877)
Twitter is another one as well. So I would do all of them all of them and I would create a podcast as well and target those 55 plus is it mostly women is it mostly men what what a geographical location are they living in? You know, do you want to start reaching people in an international level? I would say yes. So learn your audience learn who’s interested.
You know, in my audience is about 70 % women 30 % men and again, some of my biggest followers are in Australia, Germany, India, the UK and so it you know, it’s very surprising to me, but you can get analytics from that and then you can target your advertising based on those locations and the socioeconomics.
and the type of person listening and watching. Next question. Does your wireless microphone connect to your cell phone? Yes. And the type of wireless is called the Rode Rode. I love it. I actually did an interview in a restaurant that was super loud and it was amazing how that microphone worked on my phone. The person was videoing me and the other thing is
I’ll hike in the in the mountains and I’ll put my tripod out and I’ll be say, you know 75 feet away and I’ll be walking towards my phone and that microphone is great. So it’s called the road wireless microphone. I highly recommend it. It’s maybe three or $400. It’s great from your experience. What should you not do in social media marketing or via podcasts?
Talk about yourself and brag and make everything about you. I wouldn’t do any of that stuff. I would make it about how can I serve and create value for my audience? How can I educate? How can I document and create stories that will inspire them to want to come back for more and I wouldn’t ask them for anything at the very beginning, you know, you’re dating them.
Sam Berne (26:25.337)
You’re just getting to know them and they may be shy. So you have to prove yourself and the way to do that is by offering really good value and that kept my community coming back coming back coming back. They tell other people. Wow. This guy is like he’s giving us really good information. That’s how you do it.
Okay, next question. I’m concerned about mixing my personal and professional life. If I did a video my feeling is that I would need to be dressed in formal attire that does not fit with sharing a daily story during my real life. Well look as long as you’re authentic and you do what feels comfortable to you. One of the things that when I do personal posting I
Get to control what I am talking about. So for example, my family is off-limits. There is no social media that includes my family. That’s private. Some other things that I’m doing are also private, but there’s some things that I’m really excited about might be activities. It might be interest you get to choose and I got to tell you when you mix the personal with the professional.
You’re going to get a wider audience of people who are then maybe interested in your professional life, but you get to choose that and in terms of dressing formally. Well, look, I’m a doctor and all of my posts. I’m not wearing a white coat. Okay, because that’s not who I am. I gave up that white coat many years ago. In fact, I did I found a
a picture of myself in my white coat when I was doing my internships and I’m actually giving a lecture to some of the residents and I have these very funny glasses on and I have a beard and it was kind of funny. You know, people love that. So I don’t use a white coat. I don’t wear a tie. I’m out there and when I’m hiking Dr. Sam and you know, I’m on my morning walk. I’m wearing a sweatshirt. I’m wearing a baseball hat. So
Sam Berne (28:51.769)
The thing is is that you decide what you’re comfortable with and just be authentic with yourself. The more authentic you can be the better your brand is going to go. That’s how I would say it. All right next question. Do you have an easy video editing tool recommendation? Well, if you’re going to do it on your computer, I would probably do iMovie and if you’re going to do it on your phone, if you have an iPhone, you can do iMovie right on your phone.
So a lot of times when I’m doing a video, if I’m in a rush, I’ll just take the video on my iPhone and I’ll just do the iMovie editing on it and ready to go. So you don’t have to get fancy software. mean iMovie is going to come or if you’re you know on a PC, you’d have to figure out what is the editing software, but I don’t do a lot of editing. I do some for example with TikTok.
A lot of times the rhythm of Tik Tok, I’ll share an idea. I’ll stop the camera. I’ll share another idea. Stop the camera. I’ll share another idea and stop the camera and then I’ll weave those three separate videos together in a very fast way. So again, if you go on my Tik Tok site and you can look at one of my last videos again, this one that went viral, you can see that the ideas that I give boom.
Boom, boom. that’s tik-tok on my podcast. It’s a lot slower. know people need time to digest. So I’m speaking more slowly. So again, you’ll know based on the social media site. What part of you you’re going to bring but don’t worry about that. It’s got to look perfect or a sound perfect. Just start posting. Okay, my last
thing I think I’m going to say is that you can do what I’m doing that because of the internet today. This is a great time to start developing brand. Remember, it’s a marathon, not a sprint and be patient financially be patient emotionally. And if you can do those things
Sam Berne (31:20.789)
and you give give give you will then have the leverage to be able to present your services or products in a way where you now have a relationship with your community. They’re going to go for it. All right, everybody. I think that’s it. I’m going to sign off.
Set up a free discovery call with Dr. Berne to learn more about his practitioenr’s training: appointments@drsamberne.com
Practitioner’s Program Link: https://www.drsamberne.com/practition…
For even more from Dr. Sam, check out his new exclusive membership where you get access to my content and resources, new information, articles, videos, webinars: https://drsambernesmembership.com/ Then the show notes, then the transcript then Website: https://www.drsamberne.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SamBerneOD/?…
Instagram: / samberneod
Twitter: / drsamberne
LinkedIn: / drsamberne
Dr. Sam Berne has been in private practice in New Mexico for over 35 years and where he works with patients to improve their vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. He holds a Bachelor of Science from Pennsylvania State University, Doctor of Optometry from Pennsylvania College, and did his postdoctoral work at the Gesell Institute in collaboration with Yale University. He has been awarded The Special Awards for Service from the Behavioral Optometrists in Mexico for his innovative and holistic work with children.
His protocols take a proactive, rather than reactive, approach to health and wellness. He understands and treats the body as one integrated system rather than a collection of independent organs in order to identify and address the root causes of disease. His whole health protocols improve vision and wellness by healing the mind-body-spirit through nutritional protocols, vision therapy, and self-care techniques. This views each person as genetically and biochemically unique and enables the individual to make lifelong improvements to their well-being.
🎧 New podcast is live!
“Trust First, Sales Second” — Dr. Sam’s guide to social media that actually works.
🔗 Listen now at www.bernemediagroup.com
📖 Grab the new book Beyond The Lens: https://amzn.to/45kptwt
AIForEntrepreneurs #Leadership #BusinessEthics #VisionaryLeadership #EthicalAI
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Keywords
social media, community building, e-commerce, content creation, branding, patience, persistence, time management, online workshops, marketing strategies
Summary
In this conversation, Dr. Sam Berne shares his journey from being a doctor to becoming an entrepreneur and building a successful e-commerce business. He emphasizes the importance of creating value through social media, building a community before launching products, and the significance of patience and persistence in achieving long-term success. Dr. Berne also discusses effective time management strategies for social media and the difference between branding and transactional selling.
Takeaways
Sam Berne emphasizes the importance of creating value for your audience.
Building a community is essential before launching products.
Patience and persistence are key to long-term success.
Social media offers underpriced attention for entrepreneurs.
Storytelling is a powerful tool for content creation.
Time management is crucial for social media success.
Branding provides insulation from competition.
Course corrections are necessary for growth and learning.
Engaging with your audience builds trust and loyalty.
Utilizing various social media platforms can expand your reach.
Titles
Building a Brand in the Digital Age
The Power of Community in Business
Sound bites
“Create value for your audience.”
“Social media is underpriced attention.”
“Patience is crucial in business.”
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Dr. Sam Berne’s Journey
02:37 Building a Brand Through Social Media
05:36 The Power of Giving Value
08:22 Creating Content and Engaging Your Audience
11:19 Integrating Sales with Community Building
14:07 Patience and Persistence in Business
16:55 Time Management for Social Media Success
20:09 Branding vs. Selling: The Long Game
22:51 Expanding Your Social Media Presence
25:35 Utilizing Email and Text Marketing
28:04 Conclusion and Next Steps
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Sam Berne (00:00.558)
So everybody, I’m really excited to be here just a little bit about myself. You know, I grew up in a middle-class family and we emphasized education. So I ended up becoming a doctor. I was always interested in natural healing. So I combined the two and I started two private practices. One I sold the other I still have. So I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit in me. And in 2016, I started my
brand on the internet and I’ll talk about that and actually in 2020 is when I launched my e-commerce right around covid. So I’ll go into more details about that and I’ve been a client of score for the past three years. So here we go.
So when I started I began to think of myself as a media channel and the key thing in if you’re going to do social media in my opinion is to create value for your audience. And what I did early on is I gave away my best information like everything for free and it’s kind of like this idea of give give
give and then you can ask. Okay. This is a really important aspect in building a brand and it’s very different than say being transactional and I’ll kind of go into more detail on that in a minute. But if you are going to do social media, my advice would be start with your strengths. Are you better at writing? Are you better at talking for me? I loved videos. So I loved
doing video. also love doing audio and I actually started this this process called morning walks with Dr. Sam and so I would I love to hike so I be hiking in the National Forest and somebody would ask me a question and so I would stop and go. All right. Let me give you the answer here and it became a huge way to build my following. Another thing that I did was I created
Sam Berne (02:17.496)
four to eight content pieces a day and I posted them across all the social media platforms Facebook Instagram LinkedIn YouTube tick-tock and Twitter. If you’re independent interest, you could do that. You could also do snapchat, but I was very disciplined about creating content and Posting them and people ask. Well, what do you do for content? What’s the best thing and I would say storytelling?
I would also say documenting. like for an example in my own case, you know, how did I get to the place of developing my products? How did I get to the place of you know, I might share a story about a client or a patient who had a success story in terms of documentation. Recently. I did I love whitewater rafting. It’s one of my passions and I did a trip in central and South Southern, Utah.
And I documented the whole trip video audio and then I posted that and so this is another piece. Your content doesn’t just have to relate to your business. People might want to get to know you like for example, you know, let’s say people aren’t interested in my health and Wellness brand, but they’re interested in whitewater rafting. So I ended up getting some people who were now following me.
but it had nothing to do with my professional brand. It had to do with my, you know, personal interests. So you could put your children on if you’ve got animals. I mean, you you could just think about not just posting about your business, but doing some personal things as well. So I feel that we are living in a golden age and what I mean by that is that, you know, if you think about
say 20 years ago, the Kingmakers were the celebrities that we saw on TV, you know, the actors, the sports celebrities or the people who wrote best-selling books. But now the internet is the Kingmaker and what this means is that we can use the internet as entrepreneurs to build our business.
Sam Berne (04:41.254)
And the other thing is you don’t need to spend a lot of money in creating content. In fact, when I first started I was the only one in my company. I did the videos. did the editing. I did the posting. I did the same thing when I would write a blog. So I learned how to do all of those things. And if you’re starting out and you don’t have a lot of money, you don’t need
to spend a lot and especially the way the economy is right now. It’s kind of soft. We may be in heading towards a pretty deep recession. You don’t want to go into debt, but you can do all of this on your own and as the internet using the internet and social media you can start to build your community.
Sam Berne (05:31.498)
So as I said social media reduces or eliminates spending money on ads and you know hiring social media agencies. I don’t recommend any of that. But the thing that you want to consider is whatever product and or service you would like to sell using organic reach is easy and possible for all of us.
And this next point social media is underpriced attention. So what do I mean by that? Well, when I started my philosophy was I am going to give give give I’m not going to ask for anything in return. I’m going to create value for people. I’m going to answer their questions. I’m going to I’m just going to give away the information and start cultivating a relationship.
And as I did that people started to follow me. This was the underpriced attention. I wasn’t paying anything except my sweat equity and in doing that over time what ended up happening is I started to grow my social media. I remember when I started my Facebook live shows. I would do those every Wednesday night and for the first three months nobody tuned in. It was very humbling to me.
And so I would write out questions and I would say, hey, Johnny asked this question. Let me answer it. And so that’s how I started. And then after a few months, a few people started trickling in and one of the aspects of give give give is that number one, you’re going to have more retention of your customers as opposed to hitting them up and you know, asking them to buy something right away.
And the other thing that happened is word of mouth on on social media. This is really amazing. In fact, I just did a post. This is very interesting because I was up in the mountains on Saturday and I was hiking in the deep snow and I had this idea. wow. Let me do this video. I pulled out my phone 20 seconds. I shared my idea. I posted it on tik-tok Saturday night.
Sam Berne (07:54.743)
And I just looked on tik-tok and I have 300,000 views of this 22nd video that I had. I didn’t prepare for it. There was no script. It was just something that came to me. That’s the underpriced attention. It can happen. You can go viral in a nanosecond and that’s what’s exciting about this for all of you. Okay, in this webinar, I want to share the following.
Number one, how to build a social media community. Number two, how to integrate selling products and services using social media. You know, in my case, I spent about three years just cultivating my community. I didn’t sell anything and it was actually at a mentor meeting a score meeting that I had in March of 2020 and one of my mentors said, well, what do you think about
Starting your e-commerce business and I went. that’s a great idea. So I actually launched it June of 2020 and it exploded and of course it is so robust now just I’m in like a year and half two years in but I have the community first and then I launched my products and this is also another key point.
People will come to me and say, I wrote the best book. I’ve got the best product and I’ll ask them. Well, how many followers do you have and they go, why don’t really have any followers? I said, you know, it’s kind of in reverse where why don’t you spend the time building the community first and then you can launch your product or service. So it’s just a another way to think about it. All right. Number three is in this webinar. I’m going to share what it takes to obtain results.
And number four, what are the time management things that you may need to do in order to make this work for yourself?
Sam Berne (09:58.539)
Okay, so in building a social media community, I get these questions. What are the tactics? You know, how do I use YouTube or Facebook and you can go on Google or YouTube and you can Google how do I post on Facebook or how do I start a podcast? It’s all there for you. It’s free. You know, you spend 10 to 15 hours doing that.
and you’ll find that you become an expert like me and you’ll be able to do these things quite easily. Now in creating ideas for content. I talked about storytelling. I talked about documentation. Another thing that I like to do is depending on the social media platform. I make content based on who’s the customer who’s following. So let me give you an example on LinkedIn, which I think that
for some people that are doing B2B business to business type of things. LinkedIn is the place where you want to be posting. If you’re more business to consumer B2C, then you want to be focused on say Facebook or Instagram. And so I’m creating different content based on the social media platform. So in LinkedIn, I like to talk about well here are the new
industry discoveries or you know, I might get in a conversation with another business owner somebody in a health and wellness brand. I might even invite them on my podcast and have them talk about themselves and then we cross-pollinate. So there’s a lot of ways that you can create ideas for content in the end. I’m going to leave my my links for all my social media. Just as an example, you can look at some of the content pieces.
created and by the way, our Q &A will be at the end. So hang in there. You can put your chat in the chat box and I will get to your question. Okay. Now when you create ideas create a schedule or a calendar for creating and posting so you’re organized about what you’re doing every day. There are scheduling programs that you can get which can automatically post your content so you can actually schedule
Sam Berne (12:25.867)
for an entire week and then finally study the different social media platforms and create appropriate content based on their platform. That’s kind of what I was talking about. And then finally just get yourself a phone a good phone with a camera and a microphone start there. You don’t need to go out and spend a lot of money on fancy microphones or you know other things like that.
Get started and save your money. You know in my social media content, it’s so interesting because a lot of my videos are raw. You know, it’s just like I’m in a car. I’m in a public space and I have a great idea and you know, I shoot the video and it goes viral. That’s kind of what happened for me with Tik Tok last weekend.
So don’t over don’t worry about over producing or doing post-production that can come later. But for the beginning people will love it that you’re more authentic. You just come on and either if you don’t want to do video then just do audio or write but you don’t need to spend a lot of money initially getting started. Okay, this is a big one. How does integrate selling products or services?
One of the things that really worked for me and continues to work is in this community where I’m giving and giving and giving I’ve established trust with people. And so now when I launch a new product and I’ve launched a lot of new products in the last three months, what has happened is because people trust me. They actually will buy my products or services because
What they’re actually really buying is my expertise and my experience, but we have developed a relationship with each other. So they trust me and I’m not hucking them. I’m not, you know, selling them on a transactional way. What’s happening is I’m developing the community and then I can start, you know, talking about my my workshops. And by the way, if you want some help on how to do
Sam Berne (14:54.961)
Online workshops. They are so lucrative because in the online workshops, there’s no overhead and with covid I did a ton of online workshops and they were really well attended and I made a lot of money from them. They were really a great way for me to sustain my process. So it’s all about brand and that takes time.
Okay, I want to give you an example. So I’ve written books five books. I just wrote a new book. It was an interesting idea because what I decided to do was take the transcripts of a lot of my Q &A on my podcast and Facebook live and I had them so I had the transcripts written out and then I had a ghostwriter work with me to write the book. And so basically the book is based on what people are asking what they want.
And so I had an idea. Well, maybe I should do a book tour. So I hired a publicist and nothing was happening. First of all, the bookstores are in big trouble for a lot of different reasons. And so for a self-published published author, they’re not really, you know, interested in taking the risk of maybe doing a book tour or hosting a book tour. So I dropped that idea.
And instead I emphasize my brand and I put out some workshops and bang everything went the other way. So I had some amazing sales from it. And so I shifted out of my transit transactional ID of selling the book and I brought in my brand and I attached the book to that and all of a sudden things really took off in another example. I look at a lot of research and
You know the love of the my customers and patients their eyesight is deteriorating. They’re in the 50 to 75 age range and so I’m always looking for things to help them regenerate their eyes and there was a study that came out of the University College of London. The scientists discovered that if you look through red glasses for so many minutes a day for so many weeks, there was a 22 % increase in a person’s ability to see clearly.
Sam Berne (17:22.667)
It was amazing. So I was looking for a way to to, you know, refer people so where they could buy the product and the only place you could buy the product was in the UK and the people that were promoting it. They were a little flaky. And so I went back to the drawing board. I talked to my manufacturers and I developed my own red tinted glasses. And the thing is is I made a couple of posts on Instagram and the whole thing went viral.
And my fulfillment team, my web store manager. mean, they were really upset. They called me and said, what are you doing? You know, give us some advanced notice if you’re going to do this. And I said, I have no idea. I had no idea that this was going to go viral like this. Fortunately, my manufacturer got right on it and we were able to fulfill our orders within a week. And so another example, it was because of my brand.
that people trust me. They looked at the research. They went, I want to buy these. It’s going to really help. And I want to make another point that’s not on this slide. And this is really important for small businesses. And I learned this the hard way, you know, in small businesses. One of the things that we’re always battling is cash flow. And if you have products that you are going to be selling, one of the best techniques to use is something called a pre-sale
campaign. So I’ll give you my example. Recently, what we started to do is bundle our products together and each each eye condition was based on the bundle. Okay, and it was going to be a ton of inventory that I was going to have to buy and I didn’t want to tie up all that cash. So what I did was I said to my customers and my community. I’m going to do pre-sale here. You’re going to get 15 % off all my products.
If you take advantage of the pre-sale price. So I did that for about two weeks and I got the number of orders and we got the money up front and then I called my manufacturer and I said, okay, this is the amount of inventory I need. So it saved my cash flow. I actually made money by doing the pre-sale and I would recommend this for any small business who has to pay payroll who’s got personal expenses.
Sam Berne (19:46.409)
by doing pre-sale, you’re not tying up your money on inventory, especially if you don’t know what the sales are going to be. Okay, let’s talk about results because results were very important for me very important for you know, my colleagues and people that who are interested. So the number one thing I’m going to say here. This is probably the most important thing. I’m going to say today is patience. If you can be patient.
financially and emotionally you are going to make better decisions not only in your business, but also it’s going to help you have a better work-life balance, you know without having that pressure of you know, whatever, you know, I need to have it now if you can have patience. Look, this is a marathon. It is not a sprint and so
As I shared my story in 2016, I just started posting. I didn’t have products to sell. I was like, well, let me see what happens here before I, you know, start investing hundreds and thousands of dollars into products and I actually built my community for almost four years before I launched my products and that’s why I’m doing so well. Now, the other thing is persistence, you know,
This can sound kind of glamorous, you know, I’m saying well, I went from this zero to 120,000 followers, but it was a lot of hard work. It was a lot of daily just following through and you know, continually doing the consistent posting answering questions from customers that they would write me questions based on the post I would do so patience and process.
persistence, stay the course. Another thing I want to say and you know, I’m guilty of this too, is that the focus should not be on how many views you have, how many followers you get, whether you go viral or not. Create daily content that gives people value that you’re helping them. This is not about
Sam Berne (22:11.325)
you or me. This isn’t about my well, I make this amount of money and I drive this kind of a car and I buy this kind of a watch, you know, that’s a real turn off and I see that a lot on Instagram, especially my whole thing is how can I serve my community and this is also with my employees as well. You know, one of the things I think about with the people that work for me is I’m actually working for them.
And I listen to them listen to their what are their needs? What do they want? We have regular communication because they’re part of the fabric of whether this is going to go or not for me. And so the whole idea is creating value and once you create the value and you give give give then you have the leverage to begin to ask people
Hey, I’ve got this seminar. I’ve got this book. I’ve got this product. You have leveraged yourself where you’re going to have a greater success. Last but not least, I am going to say this very humbly be willing to make course Corrections. If something doesn’t work, try new things. You learn from it and you keep going and even if there’s money involved and you’ve lost money and believe me I’ve made
many mistakes financially. I’ve made many errors in judgment, but I just do a course correction and I learned so much from it and that’s going to be part of the the process for you. Okay, another thing that the people ask me is about time management because a lot of people maybe are working full jobs full-time jobs already and this may be a side hustle to start off with.
But the thing is is that if you organize your time you can do this and so you have to take a look at maybe the morning time is when you post or maybe it’s on a Saturday. You create your content. So you have to figure out when you’re going to do this and there are also some interesting things to note about optimal times to post where you can get the most attention.
Sam Berne (24:32.781)
And I’ve created this this chart here, which talks about the different social media platforms. So one of the things that I did early on when I started to do workshops is I created a private Facebook group and this is a group with your fans that you might give them premium information or content and I post on my private groups all the time.
Now the duration of how long it is. we’ve talked about duration and posting times probably the best times the post would be either in the morning or in the evening where you’re going to get the most traction. But the thing about social media is it’s a 24-7 cycle and I have a very big international following. So people in Australia and New Zealand people in India. So that even doesn’t matter as much but you can notice
that these are the times when it’s best to post and then these are the duration times. So let me go through this a little bit. Facebook private group, you know, that could be just your premium content. Something that’s come out of Facebook right now is something called Facebook Reels, which are small, short, kind of like TikTok, where you can post something
for 18 to 30 seconds, maybe an idea and it can go viral. This is happening on Facebook reels. It’s also happening on YouTube reels. So, you know, the attention is still there on Facebook and YouTube, but it’s a little harder to get that kind of virality that you can still get on TikTok and LinkedIn. So the reels are the short videos and on YouTube you can post any time on Facebook again.
morning and evening are great. TikTok. This is ever-changing. TikTok is is kind of amazing in what’s going on with it because even though I write here durations 18 to 30 seconds, my best videos are about 22 seconds because I’ve done enough of them. If I do a little longer, sometimes I start losing people. I have to really hook them to keep them engaged and TikTok. The attention span is not not so good.
Sam Berne (26:55.695)
However, what’s happening with TikTok is now some of the longer videos are getting traction. Again, these are the times when you can post LinkedIn. Again, this is more of the B2B. If you’re talking to professionals or you’re marketing to other, you know, businesses. Again, I do a lot of LinkedIn posting even though my brand is mostly B2C.
Every now and again, it surprises me when I get a business owner or somebody that contacts me who found me on LinkedIn and so under seven minutes is is what you do with LinkedIn. Again, I do maybe a one to two minute video or audio or even post one of my written blogs. So these are some of the things that you can start to do in when you start, you know, posting. Okay, brand.
versus selling. Selling is transactional with no long-term growth. There’s also a very low or no retention time and there’s probably not going to be a lot of word of mouth referrals. Whereas in building a brand it insulates you from competition and the ups and downs in the economics. Again, it is like playing the long game. Be patient.
So my talk about building brand through social media is the key. Now, when you create your brand, you want to be able to define your brand in about two sentences. So I put my mission statement up here and my brand so you can take a moment and read that.
Sam Berne (28:54.191)
So I’m to go back to this one creating a website that expresses your mission statement and your brand. if you go to my website, drsamburn.com, you will see that my brand and message are lined up with the website and you don’t need to spend a lot of money on a website. You can get somebody to help you. You can even do it on your own. Just get maybe a landing page or two up again. I’m very concerned.
about you spending money that you don’t have or going into debt in starting this. You don’t need to do that. So start small and get yourself a nice website. You can see what I’ve done. There’s other people as well. And that’s a way that you can really support your brand and message.
So as I said building brand takes patience and persistence when you’re starting avoid debt keep your expenses low go slow and steady your mentors of score can really help you looking at the finances. They’re amazing. These are such successful business people that they can help you in these areas so that you have the time to start building your brand on social media. So
One of the things that you could think about is which social media plan platforms do you frequent? And the second question is what is the best way you like to receive content audio video or written? I know for me, I love podcast. So when I’m driving, I’ll download a podcast. I love that.
In the evening. Sometimes if I’m on YouTube, I’ll look at some videos or tick-tock. I get some great information from that and I also love to read. So sometimes if there’s a written blog that I really like that’s also really helpful to me and I could go back and refer to it. So for you, what is the best way you like to receive content? And then when you’re posting
Sam Berne (31:08.343)
Learn about the different platforms. Again, you can go to Dr. Coot Google and that will kind of guide you on the duration when to post how you know what kind of content works the best. And then the other thing you could do is you can get a podcast going and I’ll talk a little bit about that in a minute, but I think each and every one of you at least in phase two should start a podcast and then you can put it up.
on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, and once you start rolling, you will begin to see engagement. So working with score, I have found every business is different when discussing social media and this depends on the following key elements. Your current use of social media, which social media platforms you are comfortable posting
content how much time do you have available to create content and update and upload your social media platforms?
and
Sam Berne (32:22.553)
You know, you can base that on first of all, are you on social media now? And if you are which social media sites do you frequent and if you don’t why now there’s all kinds of political reasons and people have, you know, personal things against Facebook or tik-tok or whatever. And so I appreciate that. But basically what I’m doing is I’m using the internet to promote
my business and I’m using them. I’m in control of what I’m posting what I’m doing and it’s a way that creates a kind of a balanced playing field because it used to be I could never do something like this. So that’s why if you’ve got some feelings about social media like I’m not sure see if you can figure it out so that you use the social media platforms.
to further your passion your dreams and your business. Now, one of the things that I emphasize when I talk to people is podcasts and I love podcasts because you can multitask you can listen while you’re walking your dog or while you’re driving and I would encourage each of you to see if you could start a podcast and again, I’ll talk about that in a
in a minute or two, but for now take a look at how you digest content and then you can start creating content based on what you’re digesting.
Now the following table will help you determine your skill and comfort zone level and time to invest when you’re building your social media community. So for example on the website and by the way, I learned how to use WordPress so I could actually upload my podcast my blogs my videos and that saved me a lot of money at the beginning. So I used to do that.
Sam Berne (34:36.023)
one hour a week and then with Facebook. Well, I would spend about three hours a week now sometimes with podcasts, you know, again, you can grade yourself and then how many how much time you think you need to be able to get on these different platforms.
Now based on your responses, you’re going to get a questionnaire that Lou Sprecher and I came up with and you can work with your mentors to help you focus on how to get started because it can be kind of overwhelming. You know, I’ve given you a lot of information today and you go, well, where do I start? Well, maybe I would start with your website and maybe start with Facebook.
Okay, you kind of have to look at your customers and your community the age of your customers. I know for me on Facebook, my age range is between 50 and 75 and there’s a lot of those folks on Facebook. So that’s why I chose Facebook live because I was going to get the most engagement. Now another thing that I also did when I was doing Q &A on Facebook and also posting sometimes I would do some
paid advertising so you can do both the organic and then later on you can learn about how to do advertising on Facebook or Instagram and now with my products when I’m doing a sale like a Christmas sale or Thanksgiving Day sale. I am running both organic content. I’m doing advertising and then I have my newsletter.
So the next thing that you can consider is can you collect emails by collecting emails? You have somebody you have somebody who’s really interested in what you’re doing and then either through MailChimp or Clavio or any one of those you can then send out a weekly newsletter. I do that all the time and that’s one of my best selling my return on investment on my newsletter when I’m doing a sale for products.
Sam Berne (36:49.389)
is through the roof. It’s amazing. Another thing that I’ve started is texting that you can actually have people send you texting with questions. And that’s another way that I am now getting a collection of email addresses phone numbers. And so you could look into that later on. So not only am I you know getting questions from my web my email, but I’m now getting questions from texting.
And texting is one of the things that you can receive and it’s a great way to start to build your community.
Okay. Now in stage two, you might expand your platform. You might bring in LinkedIn. You might start talking about Instagram and your personal interests. And again, I want to emphasize, you know, the things that you’re passionate about the things that you’re interested in that may be beyond the regular business. That’s going to help you draw a wider audience who then may discover your products or your services, but they never would if all of your
Posts were just based on your business and Instagram is a great platform to do that. You’ve got Instagram stories Instagram reels
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Practitioner’s Program Link: https://www.drsamberne.com/practition…
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Dr. Sam Berne has been in private practice in New Mexico for over 35 years and where he works with patients to improve their vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. He holds a Bachelor of Science from Pennsylvania State University, Doctor of Optometry from Pennsylvania College, and did his postdoctoral work at the Gesell Institute in collaboration with Yale University. He has been awarded The Special Awards for Service from the Behavioral Optometrists in Mexico for his innovative and holistic work with children.
His protocols take a proactive, rather than reactive, approach to health and wellness. He understands and treats the body as one integrated system rather than a collection of independent organs in order to identify and address the root causes of disease. His whole health protocols improve vision and wellness by healing the mind-body-spirit through nutritional protocols, vision therapy, and self-care techniques. This views each person as genetically and biochemically unique and enables the individual to make lifelong improvements to their well-being.
Keywords
Iridology, eye health, vision, holistic practices, eye anatomy, workshops, natural remedies, eye exams, lymphatic system, nutrition
Summary
In this conversation, Sam Berne discusses the principles of iridology and its significance in understanding eye health. He explains how different eye colors and shapes can indicate various health issues and emphasizes the importance of the lymphatic system in maintaining good eyesight. The discussion also covers the anatomy of the eye, common vision problems, and how to navigate eye exams effectively. Additionally, Berne shares information about upcoming workshops and learning opportunities for those interested in holistic eye care.
Takeaways
Iridology maps the body through the eyes.
Eye color can indicate specific health issues.
The lymphatic system plays a crucial role in eye health.
Hydration is essential for maintaining healthy eyes.
Functional anatomy focuses on how we use our eyes.
Cataracts can be influenced by sugar intake.
Healthy blood vessels are vital for eyesight.
Myopia is often linked to fear-based vision.
Progressive lenses may not always be necessary.
Workshops offer opportunities for deeper learning in eye health.
Titles
Unlocking the Secrets of Iridology
The Eye-Body Connection: Understanding Iridology
Sound bites
“The eyes carry 60 to 80 % of body tension.”
“Cataracts can be caused a lot by sugar.”
“It’s a lymphatic stimulation, but it’s amazing.”
Chapters
00:00 Understanding Iridology and Eye Health
03:59 The Connection Between Eye Health and Body Systems
08:21 Navigating Eye Exams and Vision Issues
11:37 Workshops and Future Learning Opportunities
Set up a free discovery call with Dr. Berne to learn more about his practitioenr’s training: appointments@drsamberne.com
Practitioner’s Program Link: https://www.drsamberne.com/practition…
For even more from Dr. Sam, check out his new exclusive membership where you get access to my content and resources, new information, articles, videos, webinars: https://drsambernesmembership.com/ Then the show notes, then the transcript then Website: https://www.drsamberne.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SamBerneOD/?…
Instagram: / samberneod
Twitter: / drsamberne
LinkedIn: / drsamberne
Dr. Sam Berne has been in private practice in New Mexico for over 35 years and where he works with patients to improve their vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. He holds a Bachelor of Science from Pennsylvania State University, Doctor of Optometry from Pennsylvania College, and did his postdoctoral work at the Gesell Institute in collaboration with Yale University. He has been awarded The Special Awards for Service from the Behavioral Optometrists in Mexico for his innovative and holistic work with children.
His protocols take a proactive, rather than reactive, approach to health and wellness. He understands and treats the body as one integrated system rather than a collection of independent organs in order to identify and address the root causes of disease. His whole health protocols improve vision and wellness by healing the mind-body-spirit through nutritional protocols, vision therapy, and self-care techniques. This views each person as genetically and biochemically unique and enables the individual to make lifelong improvements to their well-being.
Keywords
holistic health, vision, empowerment, children’s vision, integrative medicine, natural healing, systemic health, eye care, wellness, future of health
Summary
In this podcast, Dr. Sam Berne discusses the evolving landscape of holistic health as we approach 2025. He addresses the growing demand for natural healing methods, the integration of vision into holistic practices, and the importance of empowering patients in their health decisions. Dr. Berne emphasizes the need for a comprehensive approach to health that includes vision, especially in children, and expresses hope for the future of holistic health amidst current challenges.
Takeaways
People are tired of band-aid solutions. There is a Renaissance in whole body therapy. Vision reflects systemic and metabolic health. Children’s vision development is crucial for learning. Patients want equal partnership in health decisions. Holistic methods can support eye health. The current medical model is symptom-focused. Empowerment is key in holistic medical care. Community involvement is essential for change. Integrating ancient principles with modern practices is vital.
Chapters
00:00 The State of Holistic Health in 2025
02:48 Integrating Vision into Holistic Health
06:09 The Role of Vision in Child Development
09:06 Empowerment in Holistic Medical Care
12:01 Rethinking Eye Care Practices
14:52 Hope for the Future of Holistic Health
Sam Berne (00:00)
to welcome you to my latest podcast. Today is a very interesting show. What I’ve done is I’ve pulled my functional vision integrative method practitioners. So these are doctors who wanted to ask me some questions and the theme is about what is the state of the Union of holistic health globally in 2025?
So I’m going to take their questions one at a time and I hope you enjoy the show. Thanks for tuning in. The first question is from a naturopath who practices in Denmark and he’s asking what is the state of holistic medicine and vision not only in the US but globally and the way I see it in 2025. We’re in a really big power shift right now.
People are tired of band-aid solutions. You know, a day doesn’t go by when I get an email from somebody that says, you know, I’m really tired of symptom management care. People want to know what is the root cause of their condition and what can they do to heal their condition naturally?
I would say the biggest aspect is people want to take responsibility for their health. know in the US we do call it health insurance, but I think we should call it disease insurance because all it’s good for is things like if we have to go to the emergency room, if we, you know, get into a car accident, if there’s some big traumatic event in our body, medical care works really well.
But in terms of being proactive, it just isn’t there. And in fact, so many people will share with me how invalidated they feel when they even bring up things like nutrition, supplements, herbs, essential oils. It’s getting really tough out there for people to find a like-minded holistic doctor if they are themselves holistically minded.
Question 2 is from a craniosacral therapist who lives in California and she’s asking how do I fit into this holistic model of health not only in the US but globally? Well, I think there’s a Renaissance and people looking for whole body therapy. I mean, if you look at just the holistic health industry, one of the things that I’ve observed
Is that when practitioners now want to teach internationally, they really can’t do it unless they either get a work permit or they have the country that is hosting them do some legal things to be able to invite them so that the government’s now are on to holistic health and people who want to teach it internationally. And if you want to do that,
You have to jump through a lot of hoops. remember 25, 30 years ago when I used to teach internationally. We didn’t have any of these restrictions or requirements. So people are hungry for holistic medicine, holistic health. And in terms of the eyes, I mean, it’s off the charts. People are wanting holistic methods to support their eyesight and vision.
All right, question three is from an Ayurvedic practitioner. He’s also a Chinese medicine doctor. He’s from New York and he’s asking how do I integrate the eyes and vision into my message to mainstream medical health? Well, I’ve been at this for a long time and what I’m here to say is that vision is more than in the eye, know, in so many of my
video blogs and written blogs. I’ve talked about how vision is more than in the eye and our eyes really reflect our systemic and metabolic health. we look for example, at iridology, iridology has been around for hundreds of years. The iris is the colored part of the eye and it maps the body doctors have mapped it for over 200 years. And so when we look at the iris, we can actually see
What’s the health of our thyroid our pancreas our heart health we can look at genetic tendencies and we can also look at in our current health. What are some nurture points that we need to do whether we tend more towards inflammation or you know, we need to stay off of gluten dairy and sugar. So your ideology is one way that the eyes reflect our systemic and metabolic health another.
model that I’ve studied is Chinese medicine and acupuncture. Many of the glands and organs the meridians run throughout the entire body to our eyes and I’ve talked a lot about the relationship between our liver and gallbladder and our eye health. You know, as an example, people who suffer things like chronic eyelid inflammation or dry eye syndrome.
They’re probably not absorbing their healthy fat soluble nutrients like vitamin A lutein and zeaxanthin. are fat soluble and although they might be eating a lot of really good rainbow vegetables and taking their omega-3s. They’re not absorbing their fat soluble vitamins. And when they do a liver cleanse or liver gallbladder cleanse, what happens is is there
their fat-soluble vitamins now are getting absorbed into the eyes. And so the chronic eyelid inflammation problems or dry eye, these are just two examples. They start to recede and we regain our eye health. Number three, I think I’d like to talk a little bit about children’s vision and we know that, you know, the the eyes originate from the brain that the
The eyes have a neuroplasticity capability and the way I evaluate kids in it is in a developmental model meaning that not only am I looking at their chronological age in the way they use their eyes and vision, but I’m looking at their performance age and we look at things like brain and body processing. You know, I bring in things called the primitive survival reflexes.
which are infant reflexes that need to be integrated or it becomes difficult for the child to really develop their sensory motor processing skills and the physical vision therapy the functional vision therapy that that I’m training practitioners on and I’ve done on thousands and thousands of kids really impacts their ability to read to learn to problem solve to make decisions because we’re not just talking about reading the eye chart.
That’s not even vision. That’s our eyesight. But vision is how the eyes and the brain and the body process information and that’s a learned and developed skill and based on our gestation birth and bonding experiences that has a strong influence on our sensory motor development and which includes visual processing auditory processing motor processing. So we got to get past doing an exam on a child just by having them.
read the distance acuity chart. I mean, that is just not cutting it. We have to do tests in the area of visual focusing, visual coordination, some of the visual perceptual skills. And then can we even do some tests in the area of our vestibular processing? And of course back to those early motor patterns like our primitive reflexes until we start bringing those into the standard eye exam room. We’re going to be missing
all the problems that kids have in terms of their vision learning and development. Okay. This next question is from a German naturopath who’s taking my course and she’s asking what are lay people wanting in terms of their holistic medical care? Well, number one, I think people want empowerment. They want equal partnership in the decision-making.
of their health needs. They want a doctor who’s open-minded around herbal medicines, aromatherapy, functional nutrition, energy healing and until they find somebody like that, it becomes a very invalidating experience for them. I have a vision coach right now that’s in our program and she’s wanting to help kids. She wants to help seniors.
And she wants to help the middle-aged people around their glasses and contact lens prescriptions. so through the physical therapy exercises that I teach, she is very inspired to be able to meet people where they are. And instead of having to deal with drugs needles and surgery, there could be some nutritional recommendations that she makes.
and really cleaning up a person’s inner environment so that nutrient wise, they’re absorbing more the physical exercises change their brain neuroplasticity offering things like light therapy and morning sunlight just by itself helps balance our circadian rhythms red light therapy, which supports better mitochondria function. This is all the things that are really really important around
offering things except, you know, in the mainstream, it’s still surgery and pharmaceuticals. This next question is from an osteopath who practices in Vancouver, British Columbia, and she’s asking me if I had 60 seconds to talk to a medical Dean, what could I say to them? Well, you can’t talk about brain health, trauma recovery, stress and nutrition without including vision into the picture.
In fact, we know that vision is more than in the eyeball. can use the eyes as an entryway into the body to help create more balance. This next question is from a physical therapist who’s studying with me and she lives in Santa Fe and she is asking why is vision overlooked in Optometry and Ophthalmology schools? Well, the reason is is because the model of eye care and eyesight.
is based on a number and we get a lot of numbers when we do eye exams. Well, we’re so much more than a number, know, one of the sayings that I like to use is that instead of looking at the numbers, let’s look at the person behind the numbers and until I care starts to look at the person behind the number and start recognizing
that things like our digestion, our nutrition, our stress, our trauma, all of those things influence how we see. mean, if you just look at the eye exam, it’s a very stressful experience. And once you get your lens prescription, you’re getting it under duress. It’s not going to be right. It’s going to be way too strong for you. It’s going to be imbalanced and you’re told to just live with it. Get used to it.
And so what that does to your nervous system is you have to operate around a sympathetic nervous system model, which creates more cortisol, your mitochondria function, and the retina goes down. You have more oxidative stress. You get more inflammation. It’s no wonder that people are developing macular degeneration, cataracts, and glaucoma at such high rates because the way the eye doctors are treating the patients is very much in symptom management and
It’s very much like a conveyor belt and there’s no questions about asking, you know about the person’s lifestyle. It’s all about what is the number? Let’s give you the number get used to the number next person. Okay, the last question is from a Chinese medicine doctor who’s studying with me. She lives in Hawaii and she’s asking what gives me hope. Well, I think what is really giving me hope is that our current models aren’t working.
And they’re breaking down and we can recognize that in our evolution that we will always go in a dissolution state and then we resolve the dissolution and this is actually creates more versatility and flexibility in our health and wellness and yes technology is taken over, you know with the
artificial intelligence and other things. But one of things that I teach as I integrate artificial intelligence into our daily living is something called somatic intelligence our interoception. What are we feeling? What’s our intuition saying? What’s our creativity about? So we need to have both. It’s kind of like the the left brain is AI and the right brain is Si and
As we’re in this chaotic phase right now, things will shift and will become more resolved in the next phase of the wave that’s kind of looking at it in that in that perspective. So I don’t look at the the small details as everything but in the big picture we go through phases and we go through cycles and we’re now in a cycle.
where we’re reorganizing to a whole new level and it’s going to take a mass of people who are questioning who are inquiring who are creative who are looking for new answers and as we grow the mass the community will take over. So I am actually very hopeful even though we’re kind of in the midst of it and certainly in healthcare.
You can always find holistic health practitioners to help you. You know, I’m doing my part where I’m really focusing on helping practitioners use the philosophies that I have developed and they can take it into any practice whether it’s massage, rolfing, craniosacral, functional medicine, acupuncture, you name it.
⁓ These particular principles that I’m talking about are age-old. It’s not something that I made up but in studying a lot of different disciplines. This is how I’ve integrated it. So if you’ve got more questions, feel free to send them along to me. Hello at dr. Sam burn.com. Check out my website. We’ve got some seminars coming up in July August September October.
I’m also going to be doing a six-week online program starting in November. This will be on zoom so you don’t have to travel and yeah, stay tuned for more good stuff. All right, everybody. That’s our show. It’s a wrap. Take good care.
Set up a free discovery call with Dr. Berne to learn more about his practitioenr’s training: appointments@drsamberne.com
Practitioner’s Program Link: https://www.drsamberne.com/practition…
For even more from Dr. Sam, check out his new exclusive membership where you get access to my content and resources, new information, articles, videos, webinars: https://drsambernesmembership.com/ Then the show notes, then the transcript then Website: https://www.drsamberne.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SamBerneOD/?…
Instagram: / samberneod
Twitter: / drsamberne
LinkedIn: / drsamberne
Dr. Sam Berne has been in private practice in New Mexico for over 35 years and where he works with patients to improve their vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. He holds a Bachelor of Science from Pennsylvania State University, Doctor of Optometry from Pennsylvania College, and did his postdoctoral work at the Gesell Institute in collaboration with Yale University. He has been awarded The Special Awards for Service from the Behavioral Optometrists in Mexico for his innovative and holistic work with children.
His protocols take a proactive, rather than reactive, approach to health and wellness. He understands and treats the body as one integrated system rather than a collection of independent organs in order to identify and address the root causes of disease. His whole health protocols improve vision and wellness by healing the mind-body-spirit through nutritional protocols, vision therapy, and self-care techniques. This views each person as genetically and biochemically unique and enables the individual to make lifelong improvements to their well-being.
Artificial Intelligence is reshaping how we think, work, and create. But what if the missing link isn’t more tech — it’s more embodiment?
Welcome to Beyond the Lens, the podcast where AI meets Somatic Intelligence. Hosted by Dr. Sam Berne — a visionary eye doctor turned AI strategist and somatic educator — this show explores how the convergence of cutting-edge tech and ancient body wisdom can awaken human potential, revolutionize leadership, and transform our lives. Each episode dives deep into AI trends, somatic practices, nervous system regulation, and future-of-work insights — with thought-provoking interviews, practical tools, and reflections on Dr. Berne’s new book:
Beyond the Lens: The AI Visionary Playbook for Entrepreneurs and Business Leaders.
Link; https://amzn.to/45kptwt
It’s time to upgrade not just your tech — but your awareness.
—
Keywords
neuroscience, vision, aromatherapy, artificial intelligence, somatic intelligence, entrepreneurship, body intelligence, meditation, decision making, holistic approach
Summary
In this conversation, Sam Berne discusses his upcoming documentary and book, focusing on the intersection of artificial intelligence and somatic intelligence. He emphasizes the importance of integrating body awareness with AI to enhance decision-making and creativity in entrepreneurship. Berne shares insights on how to develop somatic intelligence through practices like meditation and bodywork, advocating for a holistic approach to using AI as a partner in strategy.
Takeaways
Sam Berne is launching a documentary called Beyond Sight.
The documentary includes trends in neuroscience and aromatherapy.
His new book, Beyond the Lens, focuses on AI for entrepreneurs.
AI is defined as algorithms that mimic human mind patterns.
Somatic intelligence is our body’s inner compass.
AI operates in the head, while somatic intelligence operates in the body.
Combining AI with body cues leads to better decision-making.
Practices like meditation and bodywork enhance somatic intelligence.
AI should be viewed as a partner, not a threat.
Integrating whole brain thinking maximizes potential in entrepreneurship.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to New Projects
02:54 Artificial Intelligence and Somatic Intelligence
05:45 Integrating AI with Body Intelligence
Transcript
Sam Berne (00:00)
Hey everyone, welcome to the program today. A few announcements. So July 17th is the big day. I will be launching my new documentary called Beyond Sight. And this is something that I’ve been working on for many years. It’s a heartfelt story following a few of my patients. There’s going to be some really ⁓ moving testimonials and
Not only that I’m going to be talking about latest trends in neuroscience as it relates to vision. I’m also going to put in a few things about aromatherapy and frankincense. We’re getting a lot of ⁓ interest in aromatherapy. I’m an aromatherapist and Facebook, especially people are really into some of the content that I presented. So I’m going to put a little bit of that in the documentary. Anyway, you don’t want to miss it. You’ll be able to stream it.
from drsamburn.com. We’ll put it out through our social media channels, my newsletter and other avenues as well. You can stream it. You can buy it and it’s really worth it. It’s such a great ⁓ compilation of things that I’ve done over the last 40 years around July 14th. I’m going to launch my new book on artificial intelligence.
This is called Beyond the Lens and it’s a playbook about artificial intelligence, especially for entrepreneurs and business leaders. You probably wonder why in the heck would I want to write a book about AI. Well back in 2017, I started my social media brand went through many different lifetimes working with products working with different people in
a variety of different ways and became quite an international success. So I was asked by a nonprofit to do some coaching for entrepreneurs, especially in the area of social media marketing and other things and I began to research artificial intelligence back then and ⁓ so I wrote a book about it and I since then I’ve left the nonprofit and I’m doing some coaching for
young entrepreneurs, people who want to get started have their own voice, their own creativity. And so this book on artificial intelligence is really good. In fact, what I’ve done is I’m combining artificial intelligence with something called somatic intelligence. And I’m going to talk a little bit about that. That’s going to be the the basis of our podcast today. And so it brings in vision, but it brings in the body and
our body intelligence and how you blend that with artificial intelligence. So anyway, this book is out. It’s on Amazon. It’s an ebook right now. I’m probably going to do a paperback as well. You can get it on Amazon and we’d love to get your feedback on it. Now I was talking to a friend of mine the other day who’s a body worker and she’s like, well, what’s the difference between artificial intelligence and somatic intelligence?
And where do they meet in the middle? I thought was a great question. And so when I began thinking about artificial intelligence, let me give you that definition better known as AI. This is a group of algorithms and data that comes together to work a little bit like the human mind. AI recognizes patterns from data that has been imported into it making predictive
Suggestions the way I think about AI as a partner in strategy. I might have a dialogue or ask questions. I’m always checking in with myself to see well, how does that feel in my gut? Is that really true? Or is it something that you know, AI is really off and we know that AI automates many things workflows statistics graphs and tables found that it actually helps increase performance.
You can make decisions better and faster by collecting more data. But the one thing AI can’t do is it can’t sense or feel like us. I define somatic intelligence is our body’s inner compass, our inner GPS system. If you will, it’s real-time information that flows through our nervous system, our body tissues, our fluid body, our organs, our glands, and we start getting physical cues like
my chest is getting tight or I’m getting butterflies in my stomach or I’m feeling a bit nauseous or it might be something like I’m feeling a lot of bliss. My intuition is really connected. I’m in a flow state. I’m attracting the things that I need to or want to as I move forward in my soul development. Now, here’s where the magic happens. What happens when AI and our body intelligence?
intersect. Well, first of all, AI really operates in our head. Whereas our somatic intelligence operates in our whole body. Let’s say we’re in adrenal burnout. Well, we’re probably not going to be in alignment with what we’re supposed to be doing. But when you combine AI with visual and body cues and we are lined up, we feel really good. Then this is where we can combine using the data.
the information we get from AI, we put it into our body intelligence. How does it feel? What do we see? What do we feel? How is this going to work? Then you’ve got the answer. You now have an embodied answer. A lot of people I meet in business, the entrepreneurs, they’re just data-driven left brain, but somatic intelligence requires the right brain are intuitive creative receptive. So when you come together in a whole brain, I think of AI is the left brain.
and body intelligence somatic intelligence as the right brain. Now you are whole brain. So I think the first step in this is to really invite AI into your life. So many people I talked to are very negative about AI. Hey, it’s here. It’s already in our fabric. So we need to learn to use it as a partner. So the question becomes how do we develop better body?
Intelligence somatic intelligence. Well, I’ve been doing that work for 40 years and it can start with things like a morning meditation doing some journaling some spiritual practices like yoga or Qi Gong or Tai Chi obviously spending part of your day out in nature. We get a reset getting regular body work like craniosacral or other kinds of body treatments to get you in touch with your body’s awareness.
And then it becomes practice where you play with AI with certain situations. You read it. You think about it. Then you put that into your body and you go. Well, how’s this feel? What am I noticing? What is coming up for me? Am I feeling some resistance? Am I getting tight in my solar plexus? You know, there’s cues body cues that you can start to see as you are using AI. So
I know we’re just talking but in our workshops what we do is we actually do a lot of somatic intelligence creation and then we start adding the AI and it’s beautiful. It really is amazing how people can use the AI data, but then they bring that information into their body and then they make the decision. So it’s getting the left brain and the right brain working together. If you want more information, I recommend my new book.
Beyond the lens. Also, you can contact me. have a website burn media group.com. You can send me an email if you want to do a session that would be really really powerful. It’s the way I work and it’s the way I’ve had my entrepreneurial clients work and it’s amazing when your whole body and whole brain it really allows you to get the most out of things. So that’s our show for today. I want to thank you so much for tuning in until next time. Take care.
Set up a free discovery call with Dr. Berne to learn more about his practitioenr’s training: appointments@drsamberne.com
Practitioner’s Program Link: https://www.drsamberne.com/practition…
For even more from Dr. Sam, check out his new exclusive membership where you get access to my content and resources, new information, articles, videos, webinars: https://drsambernesmembership.com/ Then the show notes, then the transcript then Website: https://www.drsamberne.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SamBerneOD/?…
Instagram: / samberneod
Twitter: / drsamberne
LinkedIn: / drsamberne
Dr. Sam Berne has been in private practice in New Mexico for over 35 years and where he works with patients to improve their vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. He holds a Bachelor of Science from Pennsylvania State University, Doctor of Optometry from Pennsylvania College, and did his postdoctoral work at the Gesell Institute in collaboration with Yale University. He has been awarded The Special Awards for Service from the Behavioral Optometrists in Mexico for his innovative and holistic work with children.
His protocols take a proactive, rather than reactive, approach to health and wellness. He understands and treats the body as one integrated system rather than a collection of independent organs in order to identify and address the root causes of disease. His whole health protocols improve vision and wellness by healing the mind-body-spirit through nutritional protocols, vision therapy, and self-care techniques. This views each person as genetically and biochemically unique and enables the individual to make lifelong improvements to their well-being.
Set up a free discovery call with Dr. Berne to learn more about his practitioner’s training: appointments@drsamberne.com
Practitioner’s Program Link: https://www.drsamberne.com/practition…
For even more from Dr. Sam, check out his new exclusive membership where you get access to my content and resources, new information, articles, videos, webinars: https://drsambernesmembership.com/
—
Keywords
holistic optometry, vision therapy, macular degeneration, cataracts, glaucoma, nutrition, quantum healing, eye health, children’s vision, alternative medicine, vision development, children’s eye health, emotional health, Graves’ disease, macular degeneration, UV protection, eye surgery, holistic eye care
Takeaways
Dr. Sam Berne emphasizes the importance of holistic approaches in optometry.
Behavioral optometry focuses on the connection between vision and brain function.
Nutrition plays a crucial role in maintaining eye health and preventing diseases.
Cataracts can be managed through lifestyle changes and nutritional support.
Natural remedies exist for glaucoma, emphasizing the need for awareness and education.
Children’s vision is affected by screen time; outdoor activities are essential for eye health.
Self-regulation and personalized care are key in managing eye health. An eye exam should explore how children move through space.
Vision development in children is crucial and can be nurtured.
Emotional health significantly impacts eye functionality.
Holistic approaches can enhance eye health post-surgery.
UV protection is essential for maintaining eye health.
Macular degeneration requires a multifaceted approach to treatment.
Personalized care is vital in addressing individual eye health needs.
Summary
Dr. Sam Berne, a holistic optometrist, shares his journey from personal vision challenges to becoming a leader in vision therapy. He emphasizes the importance of integrating nutrition, quantum healing, and innovative therapies in eye care. Throughout the conversation, he discusses common eye diseases such as macular degeneration, cataracts, and glaucoma, offering insights into prevention and management through holistic approaches. He also highlights the significance of children’s vision health in the context of modern screen time and the need for outdoor activities. In this conversation, Sam Berne discusses the intricate connections between vision, emotional health, and overall well-being. He emphasizes the importance of understanding children’s vision development, the relationship between vision and hearing, and the impact of emotional experiences on eye health. Berne also addresses specific conditions such as Graves’ disease and macular degeneration, offering insights into holistic approaches for managing these issues. The conversation highlights the significance of sunlight exposure, the role of sound healing, and the necessity of personalized care in eye health.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Holistic Optometry
02:54 Personal Journey and Early Challenges
06:13 Innovative Approaches in Vision Therapy
10:33 Integrating Quantum Healing and Nutrition
16:15 Understanding Macular Degeneration
25:30 Cataracts: Prevention and Management
30:57 Glaucoma: Natural Remedies and Awareness
36:47 The Importance of Eye Health in Children
37:09 Understanding Children’s Vision Development
41:17 The Connection Between Vision and Hearing
45:59 Emotional Health and Eye Functionality
50:40 Exploring Eye Health Post-Surgery
53:15 Addressing Graves’ Disease and Eye Health
57:03 The Role of Sunlight and UV Protection
01:01:00 Navigating Macular Degeneration
01:07:42 Common Eye Conditions and Their Management
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Keep Up with Dr. Sam
Website: https://www.drsamberne.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SamBerneOD/?…
Instagram: / samberneod
Twitter: / drsamberne
LinkedIn: / drsamberne
Dr. Sam Berne has been in private practice in New Mexico for over 35 years and where he works with patients to improve their vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. He holds a Bachelor of Science from Pennsylvania State University, Doctor of Optometry from Pennsylvania College, and did his postdoctoral work at the Gesell Institute in collaboration with Yale University. He has been awarded The Special Awards for Service from the Behavioral Optometrists in Mexico for his innovative and holistic work with children.
His protocols take a proactive, rather than reactive, approach to health and wellness. He understands and treats the body as one integrated system rather than a collection of independent organs in order to identify and address the root causes of disease. His whole health protocols improve vision and wellness by healing the mind-body-spirit through nutritional protocols, vision therapy, and self-care techniques. This views each person as genetically and biochemically unique and enables the individual to make lifelong improvements to their well-being.
Transcript of today’s show:
Sam Berne (00:01.642)
Good evening everybody. Thank you all for coming here. It’s really nice to have events back at the yard. I don’t know you’ve been coming to them recently, but it’s very lovely and we’re very proud to have them. And we’re very excited to have Dr. Sam Byrne with us this evening. Being a holistic opometrist and vision therapist for over 30 years.
immense following of people who believe in him. I took a look through his book and it’s very, very wonderful, fascinating things that I always follow, even though I see pretty well. I’m a little bit disappointed that not everyone’s wearing glasses though, because that seems like a missed opportunity. I hope you enjoy what he has to say, and I think it would be very beneficial for everybody. We do have the book available if you need it to be signed.
and please enjoy yourselves and I hope you learn all you can. Well, before I begin, I have a couple of thank yous. First of all, I’d like to thank the Art for hosting me tonight. And also I would like to thank my partner and wife, Charlie. She has really supported me over the years.
And there people in this audience that I would like to thank that have both helped me with the book and just been great supporters. I’m going to keep it anonymous, but I’m deeply grateful for their support. And so let’s begin. I want to see a show of hands of people who have either worked with me, taken one of my workshops or
So, okay, a few of you, that’s great. So, you know, in my story, one of my North stars is when I was about eight years old. I grew up in a middle-class family. My parents really emphasized education. My mom was a school teacher. My dad was in business. And my grandparents and my aunts and uncles, they always stressed going to school, reading. I remember my uncle.
Sam Berne (02:24.461)
I would go see him and he had this library, kind of like this room, and I would go in and pick one of his books. The problem was that I was labeled as learning disabled, and I was a really poor reader. And my mom took me everywhere. In fact, I don’t know if you remember Evelyn Woods’ speed reading. That was like one of many things we did. mean, was the biggest waste of money.
We ended up at an eye doctor’s office and of course the doctor gave me pair of glasses. He says, hey kid, you can use these. And so I started down the road of being nearsighted. And the way I got through school was memorizing. So I became this brainy kid and I worked really hard, but I was not a good reader. I didn’t enjoy reading. So fast forward, I got through college, got through professional school. By this time, my glasses were pretty thick.
And I couldn’t see the big knee on the eye chart. So I was like, perfect optometrist. I just couldn’t see. But I met this doctor, and he was called a behavioral optometrist. So if you think of the two words together, it’s kind of a juxtaposition. It’s kind of an oxymoron. Behavior and vision, what is that? But anyway, his name is Dr. Al Shankman, and he practiced in Connecticut. I lived in Philly.
And I started to go to him as a patient and he said two things to me. said, you know, your left eye wanders out and that’s why you see double vision. And I thought double vision was normal. I thought everybody saw double. And then the second thing he said was, you know, you really carry a lot of tension in your eyes. I said, I’m totally unaware. So we started in with his physical eye therapy and I just want to make a distinction.
between that and when you hear of the Bates Method in eye exercises, this was not eye exercises, this was brain therapy. over period of six months, my left eye and right eye started to work together, and so my reading got much easier. I was amazed how much easier it got. And then my ear sightiness went away. I mean, my tension in my eyes completely cleared up.
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And I was like, my God, this is not what I learned in school. So at the same time, I was enrolled in a place called the Gazelle Institute. And I don’t know if anybody has ever heard of this position. Gazelle, I’ll spell it G-E-S-E-L-L. And it was started in 1948 by Arnold Gazelle, MD, who was a child development specialist and
It was affiliated with the Yale Study Center in New Haven. And it was a really cool place because it was a place where there was a lot of different professionals, psychologists, nutritionists, occupational therapists, obviously eye doctors. And I spent a year there learning how to evaluate and treat special needs kids. So after that was over, I moved back to Philadelphia and
I associated with one of the graduates of that program, Dr. Ellis Edelman, and he practiced on the main line in Philadelphia. So I was an apprentice of his. He also gave me the opportunity to start my practice in his office. But the problem with that was that I couldn’t get any patients because we practiced in an area that was surrounded by like five ophthalmology practices.
Although people were really well-off, really well-educated, they got what they needed from the regular doctors. They didn’t need somebody alternative. So at that point, I needed to make some money, and I thought about, where are there populations that are underserved? And so I went to one of the local hospitals, and I volunteered my services to the Traumatic Brain Injury Unit. So this was an outpatient hospital.
And these people were high functioning, but they had been in car accidents or sports injuries. They had strokes. So they had like double vision like I had. They also had brain fog and memory issues. And the regular eye doctors just wrote them off. There was really, it was kind of sad because these people were like struggling. So I applied my physical therapy program to them and
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everybody improved greatly. And so the hospital administrator said, okay, we’ll give you a contract for three hospitals. And so some other outside patients started to trickle in because my reputation was I was a problem solver. I worked with people where they had been other places and they couldn’t have their problems solved. So come to me. The other underserved population that I contacted was the special needs children.
So these were kids that had brain injury, they were Down syndrome, they were in a wheelchair. Obviously there was the autistic to ADD population. And I did so well with those kids. mean, they were amazing. The parents were amazing. And so over time, my reputation got bigger and I built up a very successful practice. And then one day I woke up and I said, you know, I think I want to move back out west.
Now back out west, when I was in school, one of my internships was actually here at the Indian Health Hospital in Santa Fe. So I worked for IHS and you know, I said, I think Santa Fe could be a good town for me. So I sold my interests in Philadelphia and I moved out here, got my license and I opened a practice and I got really busy, which was great. So I met this woman and I’m going to bring her up because you’re all
New Mexicans, you probably maybe have heard of this person. Her name was Dr. Hazel Parcells. Has anybody ever heard of Dr. Parcells? Yes. So Dr. Parcells, when I met her, she was 103 years old and she was starting a retreat center. She had been practicing in Albuquerque for many years. She was a naturopath and a chiropractor. And she knew a lot about nutrition.
And I was writing my first book, Creating Your Personal Vision, and I wanted to interview an expert. So I called her up and she was starting this center, if know where Las Vegas, New Mexico is, it was north of that in this beautiful valley called Sappio, New Mexico. And so I went to visit her and I ended up becoming a student of hers, studying nutrition. And then one day she took me into this laboratory, another building.
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And there all these black boxes. said, doctor, what is this? And she said, well, I’m working with people. I’m broadcasting frequencies to them, homeopathy, color therapy. she’s like, what? They’re not here? They’re not physically in this building? No, they’re other places, but they’re all getting well because I’m changing their frequency, their vibration. So this was my introduction to quantum healing.
And so she taught me how to do this and a couple years later, a very famous cardiologist who lives in Santa Fe, he was in Dallas, I know you’ve heard of him, Larry Dossie. Larry is best seller in New York Times, wonderful person and his wife Barbara. So he wrote a book called The Power of Prayer. You may remember that book and he actually researched people who are in different locations and you send positive energy and they would feel it or they would get better.
It kind of opened that door of the non-local field. And I could go into more of that, but I’ll put that aside because we’re talking about the eyes tonight. So in my practice, what began happening here is that I started to study Chinese medicine. And for those of you, acupuncture is so well known here in Santa Fe that I started to develop
this idea of the relationship of the meridians to our eye health. You probably all know this, you know, the liver meridian profoundly affects the eyes, gallbladder, stomach, spleen. We can look at eyelid issues, spleen is the upper eyelid, stomach is the lower eyelid. So instead of using antibiotic eye drops, you could get some acupuncture. It would clear up your stye or conjunctivitis. So, you know, those were all the things that I made those connections. And then…
I was working with an occupational therapist and we working with autistic kids. A lot of these kids had birth trauma. So you know the birth industrial industry and what it’s like. Children are now born, infants are now born based on the schedule of the doctor. It’s really challenging when a child comes out and there’s C-section or there’s a breach or there’s forceps delivery or some…
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distress, it has an impact on their sensory motor development. And so I went back to massage school here based on this O.T.’ recommendation and spent two years learning crania sacral. And then what was interesting is in my exam when I had a regular office, next to my exam equipment I had a massage table. So somebody would come in for, you know, glasses and I would do a
Exam on them. I’d measure their eyes and then I would do an hour of craniosacral on them And then I would give them that prescription and that prescription used to would be like 30 % less than what they came in with because if you think about going to regular eye doctor isn’t a stressful experience which is clear one or two and You get the lens and it makes you dizzy and the doctor says just get used to it You know, I’m busy, you know, just get used to it. So you get used to it
and your body starts twisting or torquing. So the cranial work was very interesting. And then there’s this condition called astigmatism. Anybody have astigmatism? What’s it called? Astigmatism. Astigmatism, yeah. Not stigmatism, astigmatism. They think astigma, I don’t know. So astigmatism means the eye is misshapen, okay? And like it’s like an egg, that’s how it’s shaped. But it also reflects some echo in the body where there’s some asymmetry.
some twist. if you start unwinding the body and then you give a non-estigmatism correction, the astigmatism goes away. As opposed to when you get an astigmatism correction, it reinforces the twist. And we have some craniosacral therapists here, very fine craniosacral therapists here, they’re nodding their head because they know what’s going on.
When you get a regular lens prescription in an exam, it’s reinforcing some adaptation that you’ve made somewhere in your vision. And so your eyes are going to get worse. mean, who hasn’t had the experience where they’ve gone back to their eye doctor after they got a prescription the next year or two, it’s now stronger. Or they were just wearing them part time and now they’re in progressive biphones. So, I mean, it’s interesting the way
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an eye doctor calculates a prescription like you’re a specimen, like you’re a problem to solve. And one of the things that I think about is instead of looking at the numbers, I look at the person behind the numbers. So even though I might get some data, it’s like, what’s your stress like? What’s your lifestyle like? What do you eat? All those kinds of things. And then based on the whole person, then maybe a prescription
might be beneficial that actually supports your vision getting better. And I’ll never forget people coming in to see me every year and they would come in and say, know, my contacts aren’t working anymore. My glasses aren’t working anymore. And what happened was they thought their eyes got worse when in fact, when they measured them, their eyes got better. So we didn’t even think, we don’t even think that our eyes can get better, right? We think, only think they get worse.
So I would say to them, are you doing? Well, I’m doing Vipassana meditation, I’m taking a yoga class, I’m doing rafting, whatever it is. So your eyes reflect your consciousness. They reflect what’s going on energetically in your body. Again, back to acupuncture, if you start measuring the pulses, you’ll find that the meridians, if there’s a stagnating energy, that could lead to something like floaters or cataracts.
or even macular degeneration. I’m going to talk about those things in a little bit. And by the way, what I want to do here, I think of this as like a fireside chat. I want to speak for a little bit and then I want to open it up for Q &A because I find that, you know, I can talk about a million things, but something drew you here tonight, some interest. And I would love to be able to answer your questions.
and we learn from each other. I’m going to speak a little bit more and then we’ll open it up for Q &A. So who here knows somebody who’s dealing with macular degeneration? Anybody? Okay. So definitely it’s the number one disease for blindness and it’s growing by epidemic proportions. And part of it is we’re living longer, but
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One key principle to note is that our eyes have one of the highest metabolic needs of the body. So what we eat is going to really affect our retinas, our corneas, our eyelids, and by the way, every tissue of the eye comes from the brain. The eyes are the only part of the brain that are outside the cranium. But they are part of the brain, and this is why the eyes qualify for neuroplasticity.
And as long as the retina cells aren’t dead, then there is the possibility of regeneration. And there’s more more research coming out, and I could stand up here for an hour and give you all the research. My book has got a lot of good research in there. But in looking at neuroscientists, they’re the ones on the cutting edge doing the research that says you can regenerate your eyes. And not the eye doctors, because…
And I’ll say we because I was trained that way. We are here to look for disease. And then when we find the disease, what we have in our toolbox, pharmaceuticals and surgery. And I’m sure somebody in here has had a conversation with their eye doctor. Well, what about physical eye therapy? What about nutrition? I have this beginning cataract. Is there anything I can do about it? No, no, no. Exactly, right?
So the point of the story is is that there are things you can do and because my own eyes got better and my double vision went away when I was a kid. That’s my North Star. just kind of keep coming back back to that. How can I problem solve if you’ve got something going on and it hasn’t been solved somewhere else? Maybe I can help you. Maybe I can point to certain directions, whether it’s functional medicine, whether it’s color therapy, whether it’s craniocicrel.
could be aromatherapy, be herbs, you all of these things do come into play around healing your vision. So back to macular degeneration, the macula has the highest metabolic need in the retina. It’s made up of what we call cones, color vision and detail. And when we are exposed to things like artificial blue light or we’re developing oxidative stress or inflammation,
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it seems to magnetize itself at the macular area. And so when we get that diagnosis, it’s like, my goodness, you know, it’s the death sentence. I’m going to lose my independence. I’m not going to be able to drive. I’m not going to be able to read. And what’s really cool is that back in 2001, a very long time ago, NIH did a landmark study on macular degeneration.
and using different nutritional ingredients to prevent or reduce the risk of macular degeneration. They redid the study in 2006 and what they found was pretty obvious. Eat a lot of colorful vegetables, your rainbow diet, eat some berries, make sure you’re getting things like your omega-3s, beta-carotene.
Zinc is another one that’s really helpful for the macula. So this is back in 2006. And then of course with macular degeneration, we have the dry kind and we also have what we call the wet macular degeneration. That’s a little harder to work with, but there are things that you can do, even things like ginkgo and wormwood. These are herbal remedies.
you can reduce the diabetic or pre-diabetic possibility. if you’ve got glucose issues, wet macular degeneration, you can stave that off. And there’s one other thing that’s coming, that’s come into play right now, which is hot, hot, hot, at least through my funnel, and that is red light therapy. Has anybody heard about red light? Yeah, probably. And so there was an ophthalmologist,
at the University College of London and he did a study with people between the ages of 40 and 75 who had macular degeneration and another condition called drusen. I know if anybody here has drusen, it’s fatty deposits that start to grow on the retina. If it comes onto the macula, it can be a problem. So Dr. Jeffries and his team did this study where he gave his subjects red light every morning
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few minutes, and over 12 weeks, their visual acuity improved by 22%. 22%. That never happens in eye research. You know, the most improvement you’ll see is maybe 3%. So, he said in his paper that the red light stimulates something called mitochondria. Heard of mitochondria? It’s a buzzword now. So, it’s the organelles that are in our cells that produce energy.
specifically ATP, and when we start hitting 40, the mitochondria start receding in our eyes. And so then what happens is oxidative stress goes up, inflammation goes up, and then if we’re eating a diet maybe that’s more inflammatory based or we’ve got Candida or IBS or some digestive issue or we’ve been exposed to some toxicity or our dental work is not very good.
There’s a lot of reasons why. So then over time, our maculas and our retinas develop this oxidative stress and then one day we wake up and we go, oh my, it’s blurry. Even though this has been going on in the background for quite a while. So what Dr. Jeffries found is this red light can actually reverse certain types of macular degeneration in drusen. He also wrote in his paper, it might help dry eye,
It might help glaucoma and it might help other eye diseases as well. And it worked the best when you did it early in the morning. That is an important point because that was when our circadian rhythms are kicking in. And by the way, there’s another study I want to bring in about being out in the sun because in the mainstream they tell us to be afraid of the sun. Right? So there’s a pretty big study now that’s come out.
about morning sunlight giving us better moods so our dopamine levels get increased. Also more energy, better focus, and better vision. So the morning sun is very important to get. It also has the blue light that we need. So not all blue light is bad for you. You you read about blue light from screens and yes, you don’t want to get too much of that, but the sun’s blue light is something that we do need.
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In addition, in this study they wrote about children, the way to reduce nearsightedness, because I don’t know whether you know this, but all these kids are on their screens. I read a study that 94 % of the public schools in the US, they’re using computers and they’re off in their school room. So the point of it is these screens are really hard on our eyes and they’re developing this myopia kind of thing. So in the research,
What they said was, these kids need to get outside 30 minutes a day, they need to look at long distances, and in the study they saw that the myopia started to recede when they went outside, when they got off their screens. And so just another support for getting out in nature, be in the green, because it’s very important for us. So with this macular degeneration, you’ve got glutein and zeaxanthin and astaxanthin.
Those are the carotenoids that protect the macula. And then you’ve got things like glutathione, which is a master antioxidant. You’ve got your omega-3s, got, know, vitamin A, you’ve got a lot of things that you can take. Even berries are good for you as well as we move into the summer months. Very good for the retina. So there’s a lot of things that you can do. And this is not a cookbook, you know, it’s like everybody’s biochemistry is different. Everybody’s stress level is different.
But these are some general guidelines for macular health. Now let’s move to cataracts. Do you know anybody who has cataracts? Cataract surgery. So cataracts. From statistic I read that 90 % of all people over the age of 65 will be getting cataracts. So you you go to your doctor and says, got a cataract. You got a cataract.
And let’s take it out. And you know, there are certain things that you want to do if you’re going to have that surgery, like match both eyes for distance. You don’t want to have one eye distance, one eye near called mono vision. I hope nobody has that here because it’s very confusing for the brain to have to deal with two images at once. It’s like, you you’re, you’re going to be confused. Number two.
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These bifocal contact lenses that they’re now putting in the eyes is also very, very confusing for the brain. I don’t recommend it. And then number three, torque lenses for the astigmatism. So you walk out of there and you’ve got all this, you know, distortion and because the lens is kind of warped to try to match your stigmatism, you’re much better off just getting the simple lenses for distance and then getting reading glasses.
And if you’re nearsighted before the surgery, try to be nearsighted after the surgery. It’s really interesting when a nearsighted person has surgery and becomes farsighted because their behaviors and personalities are very different. know, a nearsighted person is really good up close. That’s their strength. That’s why they become nearsighted. A farsighted person is out there. Focus is hard to come into. So spatially, the nearsighted person pulls in.
the farsighted pushes out. So if you’re nearsighted before the surgery and farsighted after, it’s going to be confusing mentally for you to figure out, wait a minute, I used to have really good near vision, now I need these strong magnifiers or vice versa. So there are things that you can do proactively to take care of your lens because it’s a part of the tissue of the eye that is vulnerable for oxidative stress. So what are some things that you can do?
Well again, the master antioxidant glutathione is really important. Now one place you can get that is cruciferous vegetables. Leeks, onions, garlic. You can also supplement with glutathione as well. Studies have shown that people that develop cataracts tend to have low levels of glutathione. There was a study done in the UK about vitamin C in cataracts.
So it was with women and in the early stages when women started to eat more foods that contained vitamin C they had a 20 % reduction in developing cataracts and over a 10 year period they had a 33 % reduction in developing cataracts. Vitamin C is very important for a lot of different things usually somewhere between a thousand to fifteen hundred milligrams a day if you’re going to go that route. Number three, sugar.
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So what happens in the bloodstream is the glucose molecule attaches itself to the protein molecule in the lens of the eye. The lens is made of mostly protein, amino acids, and water. So if your glucose levels are high and these glucose molecules start to attach to the protein in the lens, this is called glycation. Glycation. And it’s a special kind of cataract that forms.
which is around the edge of the eye, looks like spokes on a bicycle. It’s called a cortical cataract. And the way you know you have it is because you’re driving at night and the headlights are just overwhelming you with so much sunburst, starbursts and glare. That’s a cortical cataract. So you’ve got to eliminate sugar, process foods, clean up your diet. That’s another thing that you you need to do.
And then start looking at some really concentrated antioxidants, N-acetylcysteine, alpha-lipoic acid. So in other words, start looking at how can I boost my antioxidants. Very important. And I have people here in this room that have reversed their cataracts completely. And they are amazing because they’ve done the work. So you all can do it if you want.
Find out what you’ve got and then you can do the same thing. Alright, let’s move to glaucoma because this is called the silent thief, meaning that you don’t know you have
and you start to lose your peripheral vision. So it’s a vascular disease. Basically it’s a circulation issue in the eyes. Well guess what? There are some great herbs that can bring your eye pressure down. One is called coleus. Coleus forskella. I don’t know if you’ve ever heard of it. C-O-L-E-U-S. Studies have shown that it can bring your eye pressure down two to five points. Amazing. They want to give you the eye drops, but there are things that you can do
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to bring your eye pressure down that are natural. You know another one that’s very interesting? Jump on a rebounder. So when you improve your lymphatic health, you bring your eye pressure down. A third one, and I know this, this was amazing because I went to a glaucoma meeting a few months ago. was all, you know, allopathic medical. For three days I sat in this meeting for glaucoma. Well, I needed to keep my license.
So, you know, that I’m legal so I can keep working with everybody. So I’m good with that. But at the very end of the seminar, the last day, the last five minutes, one of the instructors said, you know, by the way, there’s this study that came out that said if you meditate, you can lower your eye pressure. And I looked it up. I couldn’t believe it. Why don’t they recommend meditation? I do.
But anyway, that can bring your eye pressure down. Amazing. Okay. So you’re starting to get the connection. I mean, you already have the connection. Let’s see if there’s anything else. Dry eye. That’s another one. So, you know, we’re all on screens. Our eyes are drying out. We’re using these drops. I don’t know if you’ve seen the news, but there have been deaths. I just put together this video that I’m going to release on social media, maybe tomorrow or Monday.
So the deal is there’s this bacteria called Pseudomonas aeruginosa. And it turns out that this bacteria is in our water, it’s in the soil, and it’s in human waste. And it’s all over the place. So somebody, somewhere in this particular company, it’s an artificial tear, and they must have somehow that bacteria got in the eye drop
But what we’re dealing with also is our own inflammatory environment that we deal with for a variety of different reasons and a lowered immune system. A few years ago, I wrote an article that is published in MindBody Green called the Ocular Microbiome. So you know the microbiome, a good bacteria in our body, while our eyes have an ocular microbiome. So when we…
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take steroid eye drops or Visine eye drops or we’re staring at a computer through our progressive lenses, which is a prescription that’s going to really trash our eyes or we’re eating, you know, fried foods and we’re not taking care of ourselves. Our ocular microbiome goes down. So we’re susceptible to whatever is out there. And I’m really glad that the FDA stepped in. I’m glad they took this off the market.
I know my eye drops are made in the US and I vigorously test them all the time. And I am very close with my manufacturer and in fact I got right on the phone with her when I saw this news item and we’re good. You know, we are very fastidious about our eye drops and all my products are really, really clean. But the thing is, is the media…
turns this into something that we have to be selective about, okay, what are we going to do here? And I would say use common sense. I do have my MSMI drops that burn and people will write me and say, these are really burning, I’m freaking out. So there are other ways that you can use them. You can put them on a soft cloth or wet cloth and you can place them on the outside part of your eyes. So you have to learn about self-regulating.
You know, what is going to work for my body? And I think that’s in anything, whether you take an herbal formula, a supplement, a mushroom, what foods you eat. You know, it’s really up to us at this point to regulate ourselves because Big Pharma and the FDA are not going to do that. They have a certain prescription and dose based on your weight and height and sex and all that. not one size does not fit all. It just doesn’t happen now.
So back to dry eye, there was a study that came out about the eyelids that because they get inflamed, they’re not producing enough of the tears that cover the cornea. And there was a study that ophthalmologists did where they used castor oil on the eyelids. And wouldn’t you know it, the dry eye went away. Now this is some hidden, obscured,
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study like over there in the corner as opposed to say well what about steroid drops, about rastasis, what about all these other things which are much more mainline and mainstream. So my manufacturer and I got together and we made an organic castor oil eye drop and we use it like an ointment so you put it on the outside of the eyes before bed and it’s very moisturizing and it works without having to use the drugs that create the side effects.
You know, it’s interesting about back to this this artificial eye drop that’s causes blurriness and redness and and so on. have so many patients that take the glaucoma medications and my goodness it blurs your vision out. It makes your eyes so red and burning people stop using them because it’s it’s so negative for their body. So, you know, again, we have to kind of be educated as why I’m doing what I’m doing.
because to offer other people an alternative like you. And there are a lot of people out there like that and it’s growing. And I think it’s us that’s gonna change the grassroots that will change the profession eventually. Okay, I think the last thing I’m gonna talk about is kids.
So who’s had kids, grandkids, knows kids, we all do, right? They’re all around. They’re multiplying. Well, when I was at the Gazelle Institute, back to that institution, I learned that an eye exam was about getting on the floor with the child and exploring how they move through space. And one of my mentors, dear,
mentor is not alive anymore, Dr. Albert A. Sutton, another great developmental optometrist, he taught me how to treat the whole child through the eyes. And it’s actually quite genius in what he came up with. So I’m kind of taking his stuff and many of my other mentors, I wouldn’t be here without any of them and I bow to them every day.
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But in working with kids, one needs to be very careful about prescribing glasses, doing surgery, you know, if there’s a crossed eye, or labeling them to the point where you’re dyslexic or you’re, you know, like me, learning disabled or you can’t read or whatever. And I do work with a lot of special needs kids. There’s a place that I work in Albuquerque called Kid Power, and this is a facility that’s full of
occupational therapists and these folks are with it. They are progressive. That’s why I work with them. And my job is to come in and reconnect the child’s eyes to their brain. Because when I do an evaluation with them, their eyes and their brain and their body are not connected. And it has nothing to do with reading the eye chart. In fact, that’s how they’re treated. They can’t read the eye chart.
or they can barely read the eye chart so they get these crazy thick glasses and they’re lost. And so the point of the story is that vision can be learned and developed and as kids there’s so much plasticity that you can do it. I’ll point you to a podcast that I was just on. The woman’s name is Katie Wells and the
podcast is called wellness mom and very popular podcast and if you want to learn about my methods she did a great job interviewing me about how I explore children and help them and yes are all the kids that you see down in Albuquerque do they all wear glasses or some of them wear glasses but all of them have developmental problems you know so
What happens is if they go to the conventional doctor, the only thing that doctor can do is put drops in the eyes, where you’re going to paralyze the focusing muscles, and then they’re going to give the maximum prescription. Now, if you were to put that maximum prescription on, you’d throw up. And what’s interesting with those kids is they read as well with those glasses as without those glasses. It’s kind of obvious, right? To us, anyway.
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So they may be wearing glasses, but I take them off and we’ll do something maybe 10 or 20 percent the power part time. Because once kids start wearing a full prescription, their visual development stops.
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And if you really knew that, if you really thought about that, you wouldn’t do it. But again, we’re trained, we and the profession, that somebody comes in, they’ve got an optical distortion, we’re going to fix that optical distortion. And that’s it. And we know that there’s something else going on. So that’s the kid angle.
So I think right now I’d like to open it up to Q &A and see if there’s…
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Any questions? Does the nerve for the eyes also affect hearing? Sure, sure. to one or the improvement of one as you improve the other as well as the entire brain I’m assuming? So there’s a part of the vestibular system which is our balance mechanism that’s very married, married to the eyes.
that we call the vestibular ocular reflex. And there’s no question because we’re talking about the brain here, the ears are here, the eyes are here, but in prenatal development, and when we see the fetus start growing, they’re all coming out of the same area. So the hearing affects the vision, the vision affects the hearing. And the vision and the hearing affect the movement. And then they affect the cognitive.
And they go back and forth. It’s a feedback loop. So the key is where do you enter to flip the switch? I talked about this at Kid Power. I did a lecture down there. And one of the key points that I make when I work with those kids or any kid is where can I enter so it turns them on?
Because if I go in with a preconceived idea of, they get this testing, this testing, this testing, and I go into that, they’re going to shut down. I have to go in in a way that allows them to feel safe, and then something can happen.
Yeah, I wanted to talk about the nerve. had like some hearing damage and the little hairies died and my boyfriend does healing and he didn’t know the hairs died so he made them grow back and he had almost normal hearing whereas everything I couldn’t hear is real distorted like wah wah wah wah, you know when someone would talk wah wah wah, it would just be that kind of a wah wah. And is there something, I know it’s not quite the eye but it’s all connected, there?
Sam Berne (43:48.964)
Anything about the hearing and the eye and things coming back that shouldn’t? Where the eye and the ears like the hairs and the ears? I said a while ago if the cells are not dead then they can come back. Now it seems like vibrational healing works really well. You know I talked about this red light therapy. There also may be a type of sound frequency.
There’s something called the tamadas method. you ever heard of it? anybody heard of tamadas? So tamadas was a French physician and he was able to determine where certain frequencies were not getting into the eyes, to the ears, and he would give them those frequencies. I was at a conference and you can actually now speak into a software program and your voice will tell you what frequencies you’re not.
So the voice is also very connected to the ears as well. You people that speak in a monotone.
There was a study that was done that, monotone speaking, it can create more osteoarthritis and osteoporosis. So, you know, makes sense. Sound and the bones. Obviously, there’s other things like, you know, weight bearing and stuff like that, but sound healing can have a positive effect on your bones. You know, the astronauts, when they went up into space, they lost some of their bone density.
So gravity is another thing. So there’s a lot of different ways to go up the mountain. And if you’re not getting the answer like you weren’t, you find another avenue. And there you go. We’re able to heal it. Fantastic. That’s a very inspiring story. Well done. Any other questions? Yes, go ahead.
Sam Berne (45:59.293)
about fear and the connection between your emotional life and your eyes and if you had a lot of fear in childhood and then can you speak more to that I want to read more about so I would know a better question but I was very interested in the connection with your emotions and your eye health. Well our eyes are like a videotape library and as children we see our parents we see
authorities, we absorb and we internalize what we see. And we don’t always have the opportunity to then express. We just take it in. And there’s a saying that I use is, it’s not a problem with the eyes, it’s the programming behind the eyes that causes the eye problem. So what do I mean by the programming? Well, our mind, our brain, our posture, our
movement, our diet, our emotional health, our psychological health, it of depends on where you are. There’s an exercise, and it’s in the book, it’s called eye dialogue. And what it is, is you patch your left eye and you tune in like I’m now my right eye. And then you start asking your right eye some questions and you just use stream of consciousness. So how old is my right eye? And you might be surprised, it’s very old. Or it’s very young.
Or I have no idea. It would be great for you because now you’re doing an inner vision exam. What’s my inner vision in that right eye? Then the second question is, right eye, do know you’re married to the left eye? And a lot of people will say, I didn’t know they were.
Can you imagine? You went to a marital counselor and the husband and wife are sitting there. The therapist asks the husband, you know you’re married to your wife? He says, had no idea. So you’ve got that internal programming going on somewhere. You’re projecting that out there. And in Chinese medicine, the right eye is the masculine. It’s the father. The left eye is the feminine, the mother. The right eye.
Sam Berne (48:15.9)
80 % of the nerve fibers go to the left brain. What’s our left brain? Our analytical, our linear. Get it done. And our left eye is our feminine, right brain, intuitive, creative Gestalt. So you can check out the marriage. What is the right eye need? And then you just do the same on the left eye. And a lot of times the right eye and the left eye are very different. And so you start doing that dialogue. You can journal. You can do
movement with it. mean there’s a lot of things you can do with the eye patch. And so you start awakening the internal awareness of what are your eyes saying? What are they feeling? Am I talking to them? And most people are not connected to their eyes. And part of it is because of that eye exam you go to. It’s so fast. Flip, flip, flip. You got the lens. I’ll see you in a year. And your eye health is good.
And that’s it. There’s no exploration of the deeper functional relationship that you have. You know, I learned that from something called voice dialogue. You’re in a voice dialogue, very famous and the therapist. So I asked him, I said, can I talk to my eyes? I said, sure. Yeah, I mean, we never thought about that. So the eye dialogue would be a way for you to explore. Maybe today is fear. Maybe tomorrow it’s grief. Who knows?
But it’d be great for you to develop more awareness about what’s inside and become free of that and work on the marriage, heal the marriage. And the better married you are internally, the better functionally your two eyes are going to work together. So that’s the progression. First have the conversation and then see where it takes you. And everybody is different. I I bet if we did eye dialogue and all of you.
We have as many people here as many answers. And it’d be really fun and interesting. And you would get a psychological insight that, hmm, this may be what my parents were. Maybe that was their relationship. And I just sat there taking it in. So thank you. That’s a good question. Yes. OK, so I’m.
Sam Berne (50:40.06)
was talking being farsighted and now I have… That’s a point. And now I have distant… Cataracts. You’ve had cataracts or yes? Yes. Cataract surgery. Yes. So, and I have progressive lenses for the computer so I can see the computer and then I can look down and read stuff. So, you said that that is not good for the eyes, but I don’t know, since I have the cataract surgery, is there anything I can do?
to improve any of my vision? Well, the first thing I would say is one size does not fit all. And so when I make that statement about progressive lenses, where that’s the gradient bifocal, where you’ve got the split lenses, if you wore that 12 to 14 hours a day, that’s where it’s going to really start affecting your eyes. But one of the things that I promote is use the optical system
that you need to perform at the highest level. And as long as you just use it in that circumstance, and then maybe outside of that time, you do some eye exercises, some eye calisthenics, almost anything you could do to stimulate your eyes out of that pattern, you’re fine. There’s no problem. And it sounds like that’s a good setup for you because you have the computer, you have the reading.
Sounds like the lenses they put in for distance, I mean, it’s probably about the best you’re gonna do. Unless you’re gonna like really dive into like 30 to 50 minutes of eye exercises every day, and I’m not sure you need to be that. So I think what you’re doing is working well. And as long as you’re not having headaches or red eyes or double vision or whatever, I know you said that there’s a little bit
you’ve lost a little bit of your clarity from the cataract surgery compared to when you first got it, the exercises will bring that.
Sam Berne (52:46.812)
So well done where you are. think that’s about as good as you’re gonna get it. Okay. For where you’re at. Yeah, I tend to forget to take them off when I’m walking around the house. Well, you want to remember that so that you’re not getting sucked into it all the time. Just when you need them. Thank you. Yes. Can you talk about Graves’ disease? Sure. So Graves’ disease is a thyroid condition and
It affects the eyes where the eyes can kind of bulge out called exophthalmos and there can be dryness associated with that. so, are you? post. You’re post, right. So what did you do to move out of it? I had my thyroid. You had your thyroid proven. Okay. So at this point, any residual symptoms, dry eye or? A little bit. A little bit.
So I mean it could be as simple as you know take a little more Omega 3 fats and oils. It could be using eye drops a little bit more could be trying the castor oil eye drops. You know make sure you’re you know not staring at your screen for hours and hours that you’re taking breaks. Get plenty of sunlight. Check your adrenal health see what’s going on there. Sometimes dry eye is related to
or hormonal health. Studies have shown low estrogen, high estrogen, both of those can create a dry eye scenario. So I think it’s, again, a holistic picture of how can I find a deeper balance. And within that, maybe I need a little support with some natural eye drops or something like that. But it sounds like you’re doing pretty well. Well, I guess what I’m curious about is
When I’ve had my eye exam, they’ve talked about like that the pushing outward is happening again. And so that’s peculiar to me. So I guess ultimately my question is, is it typical that if I’m taking the Synthroid or whatever, that the eye won’t move forward anymore? It can happen both ways. So one of the things I would look at is if you haven’t already, I would get a little craniocicletherapy.
Sam Berne (55:10.628)
and see if the relationship of the bones around the orbit of the eye could help you have more resiliency, flexibility, and muscular relaxation, craniosacral can really do that well with the eyes. And this is another thing that came up at that glaucoma meeting. And I bring it here just because of the craniosacral. And that is they said…
that if you can control the cerebral spinal fluid, if you can reduce it, you can bring the eye pressure down. Like the eyes will get better. Now, they stopped right there. What do you do for that? People ask. And I was in the back going, well, you could, you know, do… I was there. I was one of four hundred, so it wasn’t my meeting. But I think the cranial work can help and see where that takes you because…
There’s a lot of malleability in the orbits of the bony orbit and the jaw and the bones that breathe in the skull and the cerebral spinal fluid that could give you more, say, I don’t know, regulation with it. Wouldn’t that work chiropractor be in that too? Could be, sure. You know, again, it could be, it’s less about the modality I find and more about the practitioner’s energy and how intuitive they are.
Yeah, so it’s a good question though because graves is a big issue and the fact that you’ve kind of moved forward but now the exophthalmosis coming back a little bit I would try something in the more structural manual world that could really open things up for you. In the back. I was curious about living in Santa Fe for a long time and being so close to the sun.
with the UVs, are they beneficial or are they detrimental if you’re not wearing sunglasses or should you be wearing them or not be wearing them? So there was a book that was written a few years ago called Sunlight by a guy named Zane Kine, MD, and he talked about the benefits of ultraviolet light. Like it boosts the immune system. Again, it’s part of that resetting of the circadian rhythm.
Sam Berne (57:32.366)
And so we do need trace amounts of UV. We do need morning sunlight and and to be moderate about if you are feeling there’s too much brightness or glare. It’s okay for you to wear sunglasses. You should or wear a hat and especially in this altitude. If you’re feeling it protect yourself. So that’s
the sensible, rounded, moderate way. Yes. Can you speak about what kind of lenses are best to wear if you’re trying to protect yourself from UV? Sure. So all lenses now have UV protection. That’s part of the FDA. So they all have UV protection. If you’re going to do a sun lens, I like to do a lens that doesn’t create a discolored like, you know,
neutral brown or neutral gray seems to be the best type of sun lens to wear. And again, it depends on how much tint you want. you want a little bit? Do you want moderate? Do you want, do you need it really dark? And if you’re suffering some type of glare, you can also get a glare coating on it as well. But try to find something that when you put it on, your eyes feel pretty relaxed.
and it’s not creating some weird distorted color.
And I would encourage you to wear the sunglasses when you need them. And at the same time, sunrise, sunset, good time to go without them. And you don’t need to look directly at the sun. You put your back to the sun. You know, there’s this practice called sun gazing. people, you know, they stare at the sun. You know, when we used to go to Hawaii and we used to do that at sunset.
Sam Berne (59:31.424)
And a lot of times people couldn’t look at the sun. So if the sun was setting there, they’d be here. Or their eyes would be closed and they might be doing some swinging, which is a Bates method. Some people were so sensitive, they’d have to be this way, the sun there. So that indirect light can work very well and you don’t have to stare at the sun. In fact, I don’t recommend staring at the sun. So does that help to give you kind of a…
balance, protect yourself, and also get a little natural vitamin D. Yes sir. Tears are the antifreeze of the healthy heart. Tears are the antifreeze. Now I learn today that it’s also for your eyes as well. Yes, I’m going to make a t-shirt. I’m thinking about making a t-shirt.
Short words. maybe we need to talk. So, and I love me, I’ve come to me. There you go. I love me, I’ve come to me. It is hard at this particular time in history, so we need humor. We need humor, yes we need humor. than you know. How? You neek up on them of course. Thank you.
Yes? Just recently I’ve started getting treatment for macular, wet macular in one eye, in the mother eye, which is very disturbing to hear tonight about that, what is. Yeah, I’m going, God, really, again? And I’m just, I realize as a, a body worker and a naturopath and I’ve just sort of surrendered to standard medicine.
because they say, God, you’ve gotta do this and you’ve gotta do this now and you’ve gotta keep doing this and everything. I can’t believe that I have let that happen. So I think I probably need to come and see you and find out about alternatives if there are any and is there a way to work with these horrible injections or not or I just don’t know anything about it. So how long have you been getting them? Since August, I think. Okay, do you get them once a month? Yes.
Sam Berne (01:01:59.356)
And do they help? Do they give you more clarity? Well, we’re to find out in a couple of weeks about the second medicine that they’re using, the really expensive one. Yes. Because the first one apparently didn’t do much. Although immediately after the first shot, the wiggly lines became straight again, which was very exciting for me. Yes. But they said, oh no, you need to… So I just don’t know what’s happening anymore. Yeah, it’s difficult.
So definitely a couple things to check off your list. And you could do that before we even talk. And they may be completely irrelevant, but let’s just have the list. So number one, it would be if you’ve been exposed to mold. Oh, M-O-L-D. mold. Yes, yes. So if you’ve got a level of dampness,
in your body, a lot of times it will coalesce behind the macula. Wow. So they’re not going to tell you that. No, they’re But that is one correlation. Number two, I would probably consider maybe finding a really good acupuncturist and seeing what’s going on in your liver and your gallbladder. I would be willing to bet there’s a lot of stagnating energy.
And acupuncture could do the same thing as that injection just by putting needles in the meridians. That’d be amazing, huh? It’d be really cool. Yeah, without the side effects of that drug. Number three, and I want to be careful about this because this is not for everybody, people that ingest a lot of dairy tend to have more wet macular degeneration.
So you can take a look at that. Number four, wet macular degeneration is a precursor for possibly a pre-diabetic or diabetic condition.
Sam Berne (01:04:14.076)
So what’s happening is that again the sugar is doing a very similar thing that happens in diabetic retinopathy, which is the blood vessels become weakened and they’re starving. The macula is starving. And so it’s creating these new blood vessels that are fragile. And it’s that bleeding behind the macula that’s creating
this waviness. So, really taking a look at from a functional medicine point of view, what’s going on with the gut, what’s going on with your glucose levels, and if you do work with a functional medicine person, one of the blood markers I look at is something called homocysteine. So when our homocysteine levels are high, we’re into
the danger zone and inflammation and wet macular degeneration loves living in inflammation. the last thing that I would do before you come to see me is start doing some red therapy, red light stuff. That could be really helpful. And this is a commercial. I’ve made red glasses that you can put on that are fantastic and you can treat yourself with the red.
Last thing is make sure you’re getting 16 milligrams a day of lutein, 6 milligrams a day of zeaxanthin, those are the plant carotenoids. What is it? Zeaxanthin, X-A-N-T-H-I-N, and astaxanthin, astaxanthin, So about 6 milligrams of that. That’s good. And I’ll give one more, which is something that
I learned in my functional medicine training is that
Sam Berne (01:06:16.071)
In our liver health, our liver produces bile and the gallbladder stores it. And if we are not absorbing vitamin A, which is a fat soluble vitamin, and lutein and zeaxanthin, it’s because there’s a congestion in the gallbladder. So if we supplement with bile salts, and it also could be related to pancreatic enzymes, if we supplement with that, then we’re absorbing our eye vitamins better.
because they’re fat-soluble.
So it just so happens I have products now that are gallbladder and pancreatic enzymes. So if you think that your liver gallbladder are congested, then you can check that out as well. So there you’ve got seven or eight things. I would go for it and get off those injections as fast as you can. How wonderful. I mean, the way they talk, it’s like, okay, kid.
You’re doing this for the rest of you. The way they talk, right? Yeah. The way they talk. Right. Yes. Fear, fear, fear. Talk about fear. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It’s a lot of fear. OK. We’re coming down to the end. I’ll take a couple more questions. This is kind of to everyone also. I recently developed, it’s almost like a bubble on the white of my eye.
I suddenly noticed within a week there was another one on the inside. Okay. So it doesn’t affect my vision. Okay. The eye doctor recently, I just thought, oh, maybe they’ll give me drops. Like this is just some temporary thing. And she said, 90 % of the people we see in Santa Fe get these. they bothering you? And I said, not really. I don’t remember the word she used, but it’s a
Sam Berne (01:08:11.349)
It’s probably what they call a pinguecula. So it’s a collagen imbalance. I would get into my MSM jobs. They’re great for collagen balancing in the castor oil and hydrate, more hydration both on the eyes and maybe hydrating in your body and think collagen, like systemic collagen. So it could be bone broth. It could be, you know, collagen supplement.
So that part of the eye is all about collagen. to sing these go away because it was very interesting. She did not say that. Her immediate reaction was when people live in high winds, high altitude, strong sun. Well exacerbates it, yes. Yeah, and then she said it’s permanent. It’s related a lot to dryness, so you need a lot more hydration. Okay. And let’s see what happens. you have a website or anything? DrSamBurn.com. It’ll be on my book.
DrSanBurn.com. Yes, hello at DrSanBurn.com. So you can always email me. and I’ve signed a bunch of books, so they’re all at the front of the desk. So I think I’m gonna end here.
Thanks for
Thank you very much.
Sam Berne (01:10:48.204)
They’re in so much denial about they cannot allow anything.
Sam Berne (01:10:58.389)
doesn’t really matter, but it’s nice. Charlie? Are you Charlie? Thank you. Do you know who I am? Thank you. This was great, too. I’m somebody very close to you. I talk to you all the time. We just saved my friend Doug’s life. He sees Spring Again, but it’s gone on his website. OK, just order it on the website. Yeah, we have a Gallup living in San Antonio. We’ll show you how we get it to you. Because I desperately it. That’s what I want.
God, that’s me, right? I wish I had to come in. I was like, I’m gonna, you know, I gotta, I gotta let you know. And I get to walk here, so.
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Keywords
red light therapy, eye health, photobiomodulation, light sensitivity, health benefits, mitochondria, oxidative stress, color therapy, wellness, alternative medicine
Summary
In this conversation, Sam Berne discusses the benefits of red light therapy, particularly its positive impact on eye health. He emphasizes the importance of understanding light sensitivity and how it affects individuals, especially those with certain eye conditions. The discussion also covers the concept of photobiomodulation, its applications, and the potential for red light therapy to reduce oxidative stress and inflammation. Berne shares insights on the use of color therapy and the importance of timing in treatment for optimal results.
Takeaways
Red light therapy has a positive impact on health.
There is limited research on red light for eyes.
Light sensitivity can trigger trauma in the eyes.
Custom glasses can help control light exposure.
Morning treatment is optimal for red light therapy.
Red light therapy can reduce oxidative stress.
Photobiomodulation is synonymous with red light therapy.
Patients with eye conditions benefit from red light.
Methylene blue can enhance red light therapy effects.
Results from red light therapy take time.
Chapters
00:00 The Benefits of Red Light Therapy
02:49 Understanding Light Sensitivity and Eye Health
06:05 Exploring Photobiomodulation and Its Applications
Sam Berne (00:00.174)
There’s no question that red light is having a very positive impact on our health. And there’s an author who was actually on his podcast a couple years ago. It’s called that podcast is called the energy blueprint and the the practitioners name is Ari. ARI Witten w h i t t e n Ari somebody you’ve heard
Sam Berne (00:28.158)
And Ari, if you go on Amazon, he wrote a really nice book on red light therapy, not on the eyes, but just in general. And I think that if you’re skeptical about it or you want to learn more about it, I would do some Google search. would, you know, I might I’ve done a couple of podcasts on it and you know, there are a couple of people out there that
Sam Berne (00:56.983)
They devote their whole podcasts to red light and research. Now with the eyes, there isn’t much out there on red light because the machines, the devices that they sell are too bright for the eyes. So this is an important point.
Sam Berne (01:18.899)
One of the trauma effects that we go into is if we’re light sensitive and in our light sensitivity, we shut down. We have a very strong blink reflex and so you’re triggering trauma in the eyes trying to look at a bright light box. You can’t do it. In fact, the manufacturers will say don’t look at the light. Let’s cover the eyes.
Sam Berne (01:51.019)
With these glasses, the reason why I made them is because the man who did the study, sells glasses in red light glasses. It’s in London. Difficult to get them shipped here. You can try. It’s called iPower UK, E-Y-E-P-O-W-E-R UK. And maybe they will, and if they do, great. But.
Sam Berne (02:19.956)
I decided because I had been working with color and light therapy and this segues into our color therapy where we work with all the colors. But what I did was I went to my laboratory and I began experimenting with the with the color and getting the tint exactly right. And then I was doing research based on the camera that I have and some other
Dr. Sam Berne has been in private practice in New Mexico for over 35 years and where he works with patients to improve their vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. He holds a Bachelor of Science from Pennsylvania State University, Doctor of Optometry from Pennsylvania College, and did his postdoctoral work at the Gesell Institute in collaboration with Yale University. He has been awarded The Special Awards for Service from the Behavioral Optometrists in Mexico for his innovative and holistic work with children.
His protocols take a proactive, rather than reactive, approach to health and wellness. He understands and treats the body as one integrated system rather than a collection of independent organs in order to identify and address the root causes of disease. His whole health protocols improve vision and wellness by healing the mind-body-spirit through nutritional protocols, vision therapy, and self-care techniques. This views each person as genetically and biochemically unique and enables the individual to make lifelong improvements to their well-being.
For even more from Dr. Sam, get his free Frankincense video (has had had 1.8 Million Views)–what carrier oils to use?, how to best utilize Frankincense?, and much more. Link: https://drsambernesmembership.com/get/long-uscreen-2033cd
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Sam Berne (00:00.076)
A reduced prescription for the computer. So when they calculate a near sighted prescription of 20 feet that prescription is too strong for you for 20 inches. And in fact, if you try to use your distance glasses for the computer, it’s going to make your eyes worse at distance and to two different one for distance and one for computer and then just don’t use anything for reading.
and get rid of the progressive lenses. That’s only inducing more myopia because it’s tunneling you. You’ll find that you’ll get like a distance prescription and you’re driving. You have the whole window now that you’re using right now. You’re only using the top fourth of the lens for driving. So your peripheral is very disabled in some ways.
all in the spirit of convenience, you know, but it’s making your eyes worse in doing that. Can prism lenses be the same as your your sighted lenses that are maybe folded into one? yeah, of course. Yeah. And so, you know, for some of you that had a really positive experience for the prism, we might incorporate it.
For others, we might just do it for home, like a home exercise. So it just depends. know, sometimes you incorporate the prism into the prescription glasses. You can do that or you just get the prism and you work with it as an exercise. When I work with the kids at Kid Power, it’s a really good question. Do I want to put the prisms in their prescription or
I want to just have them work with the physical therapist and that’s that’s kind of a question that we ask a lot if they’re really embedded and I see a huge improvement with the prism like their posture and their movement and their affect then I’ll put it in their prescription glasses and the school will say what’s going on here this this child is completely different
Sam Berne (02:17.324)
because they’re now connecting their vision to their brain and body where they weren’t before. And when you go for the exam and they put the drops in your eyes, what they’re doing is they’re paralyzing the muscles we were just working with. So then they prescribe based on the muscles being paralyzed.
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Dr. Sam Berne has been in private practice in New Mexico for over 35 years and where he works with patients to improve their vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. He holds a Bachelor of Science from Pennsylvania State University, Doctor of Optometry from Pennsylvania College, and did his postdoctoral work at the Gesell Institute in collaboration with Yale University. He has been awarded The Special Awards for Service from the Behavioral Optometrists in Mexico for his innovative and holistic work with children.
His protocols take a proactive, rather than reactive, approach to health and wellness. He understands and treats the body as one integrated system rather than a collection of independent organs in order to identify and address the root causes of disease. His whole health protocols improve vision and wellness by healing the mind-body-spirit through nutritional protocols, vision therapy, and self-care techniques. This views each person as genetically and biochemically unique and enables the individual to make lifelong improvements to their well-being.
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Keywords
Iridology, iris colors, health insights, eye health, holistic health, genetic blueprint, reflexology, endocrine health, digestive health, personalized health
Summary
In this conversation, Dr. Sam Berne introduces the concept of iridology, explaining how the color and markings of the iris can provide insights into an individual’s health. He discusses the significance of different iris colors, the genetic blueprint they represent, and how they relate to various health concerns. Berne emphasizes that iridology is not a diagnostic tool but rather a way to understand tendencies and health patterns, guiding individuals towards better health practices.
Takeaways
• Iridology examines the color and markings of the iris.
• There are three main iris colors: brown, mixed, and blue-gray.
• The left eye reflects maternal ancestry, while the right reflects paternal.
• Iridology is not for diagnosing diseases.
• The iris can indicate health concerns related to endocrine and digestive systems.
• The pupil’s shape can reveal spinal health issues.
• Specific iris markings can suggest liver and thyroid health.
• Personalized health recommendations can be made based on iris analysis.
• Iridology emphasizes food choices over supplements for health.
• Training in iridology often lacks input from traditional eye doctors.
Chapters
00:00Introduction to Iridology
02:57Understanding Iris Colors and Their Significance
05:52Health Insights from the Iris
Sam Berne (00:00)
I want to bring in something called iridology. Iridology is the color of your eyes. Let’s go around the room and say the color. Hazel. Green, brown, brown, then they turn green when I get emotional. Blue, Hazel. Hazel. Hazel. Okay. So we have a lot of mixed in here.
There are three main colors in the iris. There’s brown where it’s like really dark brown. Then we have the mixed, which most of you said you were, and we have one that’s like blue-gray, blue, it’s called blue. So there are three, those are three different constitutions that we look at in iridology. So the iris is this part, so we’ve got the pupil, which is controlling the light.
So we’ve got the pupil and then we’ve got the iris which are nerve fibers and those three colors. And there’s a genetic blueprint that we inherit based on our ancestors, our mother, father. So the left eye is more of the feminine mother, grandmother side and the right is more of our father, grandfather side, okay?
So I’m going to go through just generally since you know what the color of your eyes are, what are your tendencies? Okay. And there’s a lot of different ways to read the iris. So first of all, when we do iridology, we’re not diagnosing. I can’t tell whether you’re pregnant. I can’t tell whether you have cancer. I can’t tell whether you have a disease. Okay. So there, this is not a diagnostic tool. Also,
The goal is not to change the color or the pigments by taking supplements. If you’ve ever known of anybody who’s done iridology or ⁓ had a reading and the iridologist says, the goal is to change your color, so buy these supplements, you don’t want to do that. Because the people that are really doing iridology
and I got trained very intensively in it. I had to take all kinds of tests to get certified and the people that trained me, where I learned it, basically ⁓ that’s not the goal of changing the color of your iris. So there’s two main things in what we’re looking at. Number one, the color of the iris and number two, if you have any pigments in the eyes. So I could
kind of go around with my magnifier and I could look to see if you have any pigments. Okay. Now the iris is a map of the body. How many here have heard of reflexology? Okay. So you see a map of the bottom of the foot and this part of the foot is the liver. That part of the foot is the gallbladder and so on.
Over hundreds of years of doctors making diagrams of the iris based on health conditions, we can pretty much tell based on the markings of your iris what your genetics are saying. And number two, what are your own health concerns that you should be nurturing?
Now more specifically, what are we talking about health concerns? Okay, we’re talking about endocrine health. We’re talking about connective tissue in the body. We’re talking about your mental focus, your emotional patterns, your personality. So there’s a lot of different levels to reading into a person’s iris. In fact, the pupil
If the pupil isn’t completely round, like let’s say part of the pupil is cut off or it’s flat. The pupil maps perfectly to our spinal health and we can actually see based on where the pupil is not completely round. What part of the spinal cord is having a problem and chiropractors then can use I use it when I do cranial work.
The pupil can tell us about the spine and then the inside part here tells us about our digestive health. So that’s another thing. Do we have inflammation? Do we have a tendency towards autoimmune conditions? What’s our digestive health like? What kind of foods should we be eating? Not so much supplements, but foods. Also in the markings, we can see liver health.
We can see thyroid health. We can see heart health. We can see pancreas health. So by looking at the markings, we can really assess individually, like making it very individualized, this is what you should be doing. This is why you go on the internet and you go, for eye health, I should be eating carrots. Okay, that’s a nice general thing. But what’s going on?
in your specific liver. If you’ve got a brown pigment, that’s a liver sign. So that means that you’ve got to nurture your liver. So probably doing a liver cleanse once or twice a year would be a really good thing, not only for your eyes, but for your body. You know, I was trained by naturopaths. There was not one eye doctor in my iridology class, not one. You go to eye doctors, right? They’re looking at the iris. They have no
idea on the mapping of the iris as it relates to your health. That’s why the eyes don’t lie.
Keep Up with Dr. Sam
Website: https://www.drsamberne.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SamBerneOD/?…
Instagram: / samberneod
Twitter: / drsamberne
LinkedIn: / drsamberne
Dr. Sam Berne has been in private practice in New Mexico for over 25 years and where he works with patients to improve their vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. He holds a Bachelor of Science from Pennsylvania State University, Doctor of Optometry from Pennsylvania College, and did his postdoctoral work at the Gesell Institute in collaboration with Yale University. He has been awarded The Special Awards for Service from the Behavioral Optometrists in Mexico for his innovative and holistic work with children.
His protocols take a proactive, rather than reactive, approach to health and wellness. He understands and treats the body as one integrated system rather than a collection of independent organs in order to identify and address the root causes of disease. His whole health protocols improve vision and wellness by healing the mind-body-spirit through nutritional protocols, vision therapy, and self-care techniques. This views each person as genetically and biochemically unique and enables the individual to make lifelong improvements to their well-being.
Set up a free discovery call with Dr. Berne to learn more about his practitioenr’s training: appointments@drsamberne.com
Practitioner’s Program Link: https://www.drsamberne.com/practition…
For even more from Dr. Sam, check out his new exclusive membership where you get access to my content and resources, new information, articles, videos, webinars: https://drsambernesmembership.com/
Keywords
macular pucker, holistic eye health, peripheral vision, vision therapy, liver health, eye nutrition, nearsightedness, eye exercises, vision programming, eye care
Summary
In this podcast, Sam Berne discusses macular pucker, a condition affecting vision, and explores holistic approaches to eye health. He emphasizes the importance of understanding the root causes of vision problems, the role of peripheral vision, and the influence of genetics on eye health. Additionally, he highlights the significance of liver health and nutrition in maintaining optimal vision, providing practical advice and exercises for listeners.
Takeaways
• Macular pucker is a condition where scar-like tissue forms on the macula.
• Holistic approaches focus on root causes rather than just symptoms.
• Nutritional support is vital for retinal health.
• Peripheral vision exercises can alleviate stress on the macula.
• Genetic predispositions can influence vision problems.
• Lasik surgery may not address underlying vision programming.
• Binasal occlusion can help shift focus away from the macula.
• Liver health is crucial for eye function and nutrient absorption.
• Regular detoxification can support overall eye health.
• Maintaining a balanced diet and hydration is essential for vision.
Sound Bites
• “We want to get to the root cause.”
• “It’s a very high concentration of cones.”
• “Reducing inflammation is key.”
• “Methylene blue helps mitochondria function.”
• “Nearsightedness starts in the mind.”
• “Support your pancreas and thyroid health.”
Chapters
00:00Understanding Macular Pucker
07:20Holistic Approaches to Eye Health
14:39The Role of Peripheral Vision
20:52Genetic Influences on Vision
27:08Liver Health and Eye Function
Transcript:
Sam Berne (00:01.326)
Hey everyone. wanted to invite you to this podcast today where I gave somebody a session who was diagnosed with a condition called macular pucker. So I’ve done a lot of video blogs on this subject and this particular person was diagnosed with macular pucker in the right eye. And here are some of the things that I recommended for her. So if you know somebody who’s got a macular pucker
This may be worth watching listening again, anything you can do to improve your macular health is really important, especially if you work on screens. So I hope you enjoy the show. Thanks for tuning in. Wow. And my perspective on vision is more whole body. Love me. Just say that holistic. And so whenever I see an eye problem,
I try to look at the root cause or root causes and so some of the things I’m going to be saying to you are going to be a little different in the sense that we’re not here to necessarily treat symptoms. We want to get to the root cause, you know, what has caused this macular shift and it just seems like it’s it’s in the right eye, not the left eye. At least that’s what
Your report says so to define a macular pucker. Sometimes it’s called an epiretinal membrane problem or a cellophane maculopathy. So this is a condition where a thin layer like a scar like tissue forms on the macula and the macula is the center part of the retina, which is responsible for your detailed sharp eyesight.
And the fovea is a little bit bigger and then the macula sits in that. It’s a very high concentration of cones. It’s also where we get our color vision, but it makes up less than 1 % of the real estate of our retina. But it’s very important because it helps us with identification and details. So when you have a macular pucker,
Sam Berne (02:26.918)
Usually the vitreous can be involved and there’s something called a posterior vitreous detachment. The gel sac sits in front of the retina and one of the reasons why the relationship between the vitreous and the and the retina changes is because the vitreous dries out it shrinks and it starts to microscopically damage the macula or it leaves
some of the cells that grow into the membrane. It contracts and this causes this wrinkle or pucker and it causes distorted again, acuity and blurriness. Now, it’s a little different than macular degeneration. Whenever I see a macular problem, I’m looking at the OCT scan which you had done and that
kind of gives a determination on the the health of the macula. But what are the what the symptoms really show would be the straight lines become kind of curved. There can be a gray or cloudy area in the central seeing sometimes you have to move your eyes around to be able to see the print and so the conventional treatment. That’s why I asked you about vitrectomies because what they do is they remove the vitreous gel sack.
or they do a membrane peel to remove the pucker which can smooth out the retina. But the success rate that of that is is limited and that’s why I asked you so I’m glad that you’re not doing that now some of the holistic therapies to support the macula you’re already doing the keys would be reducing inflammation supporting retinal metabolism mitochondria function.
And then you want to start developing more peripheral vision in your seeing and we’ll talk a little more about that in a minute. And then there’s the nutritional protocols, which you’re already doing, you know, beta-carotene E zinc lutein zeaxanthin. I probably would add astaxanthin if you want to get a little even more esoteric saffron.
Sam Berne (04:53.996)
has been shown to help the macula curcumin resveratrol. You know, these are all neuroprotective agents that help the retina and the macula glutathione and NAC is also great for detoxification and retinal cell repair. Some people will use methylene blue, which is another mitochondria amplification where you you do meth methylene blue.
a drop or two in a glass of water and then 20 or 30 minutes later you apply your red light therapy. And so it’s a synergistic way to really target the macula and get the the mitochondria working better. Methylene blue wait 30 minutes do the red light therapy. The other thing we’re finding that’s very helpful is hydrogen water and hydrogen water helps you absorb
The water molecule better. So it’s hydrating which again one of the reasons why the vitreous changes its composition is because there’s a dehydration element and if you’ve had Lasik surgery there can be a tendency towards dryness blue light can lead towards dryness. So with the hydrogen water, you can actually get a canister that you pour the water into which makes it hydrogen water.
And it’s something that I’m just putting on your radar screen. I mean, again, it reduces inflammation. It oxygenates and hydrates and you know, if you want to go that extra yard, you could certainly do that. So those are some of the, you know, some of the basic things I would say, you know, like adding you could do a saffron. You can get saffron capsules.
Or you can cook with saffron. There have been some good studies on saffron improving macular health. Curcumin is another one. So if you cook Ayurvedic leave to your discussion around myopia and Lasik surgery, so you may have seen in some of my content or not that why do we become nearsighted? Okay, one of the reasons why we become near sighted is how we are using our eyes.
Sam Berne (07:20.555)
Which means if we gravitate towards, you know, seeing up close reading a lot learning a lot up close our muscles get tense and we have a hard time relaxing. So it creates a blur in the distance and we go to the doctor and he gives you a near-sighted lens. Now what happens over time is that you just start reinforcing the the stress response up close.
And the higher the number of your prescription, the earlier you began developing myopia. And the other thing is the higher the number could suggest some perceptual. And again, this could have just been some perceptual thing that like, wow, there’s a lot of energy coming at me. I don’t know what to do with it. Maybe it feels invasive. Maybe it doesn’t.
So we develop nearsightedness as a defense strategy and nearsightedness starts in the mind and in the brain. We want to blame the faulty vision on the eyeball, but it’s really the programming behind the eyes that creates the prescription. Now, the reason why I’m emphasizing this is that when a person becomes nearsighted, they become macula centric.
In other words, the main part of their eye that they’re relying on is their macula because the whole thing about being nearsighted is I’ve got to keep it clear. If I don’t keep it clear, I could get hurt. There’s some hyper vigilance at least deeply buried mentally. Okay. Now when you get Lasik surgery, you’re changing the prescription in the eye.
but you’re not changing the programming that created the prescription. And this is an important point because okay, the Lasik surgery is going to work for a while, but the programming is much more powerful than the Lasik surgery, which is why some people start reverting back to their myopia because the programming is just stronger.
Sam Berne (09:45.843)
And one of the main attitudes is hypervigilance. I need to keep it clear to feel safe. So you’ve got this program running in the background and whether whatever your prescription was so then you had the lasik so you have this thing over this programming now. Okay, I’m less near sighted, but the programming is still running. But what it’s doing is it’s really stressing.
the macula like gripping the world through the macula. Now, I’m being a bit dramatic here and it’s not something that you may at all be aware of but there are three things here that on a functional level. I want you to at least know about one of the best ways to start reducing the macula stress.
is really engaging more peripheral vision stimulation and we think that with contact lenses that we’re doing that but we’re actually not what contact lenses do is give us kind of a denial attitude like yeah, I got a lot more peripheral and I would say you have more peripheral in context than glasses. But here’s the rub when you go for an eye exam.
You’re sitting 20 feet away in a dark room with a machine usually behind your face or they’re doing some kind of a computerized calculation whatever they’re doing. It’s very mechanical that prescription that the doctor gives you is designed for you to use only at 20 feet. And if you start using that anything closer than 20 feet, it’s going to be too strong of a lens.
And it’s really again stressing the macula. So the distance prescription needs to be reduced in some form or fashion. If you’re in contacts, what I recommend is with your blue blockers, you can get a very small farsighted prescription put in there and it reduces the prescription. So let’s just do a little math here. Let’s say you’re
Sam Berne (12:12.613)
in context, your right eye is a minus four and we’ll say your left eye is a minus 350. The astigmatism. We’re not going to talk about it in this moment. All right. So if that prescription was actually calculated for distance, what I would recommend and I can do this for you is to get a you’re wearing your blue blocking glasses. Anyway is to get a plus 0.5 in the glasses.
which reduces the prescription and that prescription then becomes your computer prescription. Now one of the great things that that plus 50 is doing over the contacts is it’s spreading the light away from the macula and it’s softening your vision and opening up your peripheral, which is a really good thing. It also with your nervous system very subtly starts activating the parasympathetic nervous system.
That’s the part of the nervous system. That’s our relaxation response and I can tell you that with all the things that you’ve shared with me right now is that you tend to like to live or you’re familiar with living in the sympathetic nervous system state, which is our fight-flight freeze and what the glasses will do immediately is it will soften
your visual focus. It’s not going to blur it. In fact, it may even make it clearer, but you’re going to feel more relaxed. Your parasympathetic nervous system is going to be more activated and we’re moving you away from being exclusively macular centric. So any stress that’s on the macula we’re moving it away, but you’re not going to lose
visual acuity or clarity. If anything, you get more clarity, but you’re going to get relaxation and you’re going to get more rejuvenation. Now, there’s a couple of other things that sometimes I do and you and I can kind of negotiate this because some of them are a little harder to do and some of them are a little easier to do. So the second thing that sometimes what we’ll do is on the
Sam Berne (14:39.324)
the computer glasses, I’ll actually have you put a piece of scotch tape on the inside part of the lens, meaning the the medial side just maybe about a half an inch. Well, what does that do that by nasal? It’s called a binasal occlusion. It’s going to shift your fixation away from the pucker and more towards the periphery. And it’s a really great technique that we use for
anybody that kind of over focuses. So by nasal occlusion is another possibility. Another possibility is putting something in the lens besides the plus 50 which is called a yoked yoke Ed prism. Now when you hear the word prism most conventional doctors are forcing them. They put a prism over one eye to force the muscles to work which doesn’t really
help but because of my experience now on my hat the hat that I’m wearing is I am now a physical therapy optometrist. I’m speaking to you as a physical therapist eye doctor and because of that I’ve worked in the hospitals for many years for people with very unusual eye problems and the yolk prisms what they do especially for the macular pucker
is they take your peripheral vision and they give you about 30 % more. So it spreads the light out much more into your peripheral. So it’s going to give you an improvement in your spatial awareness and your light distribution in the retina. And so, you know, step one would be at the very least get the plus 50s. That’s a no brainer with the blue blockers.
If you want to get a little more confrontational and go, okay, I really want to move out of this. Then you do the binasal occlusion with the scotch tape. And then if you really wanted to, you know, go for it, then you do the yolk prisms with the plus 50 and that’s going to give you more peripheral vision. Now a couple other things with that. There is an exercise.
Sam Berne (16:59.879)
that a physical therapy exercise that would also be really good for you, which is you looking at a picture of jelly beans and the way you focus on the jelly beans is you take the picture. I would email it to you and you print it out and you hold it up to your nose and you’re mentally now looking through the picture and you’re pushing the picture out looking through it looking at the spaces between the jelly beans and all of a sudden the jelly beans pop.
And you get three-dimensional vision. So what this is doing is this is giving you more peripheral, but it’s integrating the two eyes in the brain because you’re getting depth perception. So this would be an exercise that you might do three times a day. Keep the chart by your computer. You do it 30 seconds to a minute and then you put that down and you do my palm hum exercise. So the palming humming exercise.
cupping it over your eyes and your humming on the exhale is one of the best ways to dilate the blood vessels in the eye. It creates something called nitric oxide. You’ve probably heard of it’s an ingredient that dilates the blood vessels. So humming has been shown to do that. And when you apply the hands over the eyes and you’re humming for maybe six or eight humps on the exhale
The hands are like tuning forks and you’re putting that sound into the eyes and you’re you’re getting that that nitric oxide push which is going to dilate the blood vessels and create some better relaxation and better breathing. So I will I will send you the jelly beans picture with a set of directions and I’ll send you the palm hum exercise. That would be great.
a combination to do as a physical therapy either without any lenses in or with your contacts in and then the plus 50 and so, you know, it’s like you’re you’re in a physical therapy setting using some support system, which is going to give you more peripheral and then you’re doing this active exercise which can which is going to give you even more peripheral.
Sam Berne (19:24.571)
These are really good for you to move you out of that over focalizing on the macula because we’re going to go to your ideology in a minute. Your genetic tendency is to want to over focus. That’s kind of in your genetic blueprint and it really where it shows is around your eyes and your brain.
And the way it shows up in the iris is they’re like these. I don’t know. I would call them like ditches or channels that it’s like you you’ve kind of rubbed these these these they’re called contraction furrows and they’re right. They go right through your eye and your brain area, which says you’re the kind of person where you’re growing edge is doing things like
soft open focus Chi gung be instead of do you know like you your tendency is to want to do do do until you drop that’s kind of until until there is a an obstacle put up that forces you into it, which was kind of this macular pucker situation among other things. So knowing this
Your tendency is being that so doing focus and it’s it’s your gift, but it’s too much. You’ve got to balance it out with doing some of these other softer things which may not be always comfortable for you, but it’s a life’s a lifestyle decision that will actually give you longevity better vision better health and
You know, again, it’s your growing edge. It’s a nurturing that you’re being asked to do. Okay, and we all have it. So your eye is showing a couple things. First of all, it’s showing your brown. Okay, you’ve got what’s called a brown eye. There are three main types of colors. There’s the blue eyes, there’s the hazel and there’s the brown. You are definitely proud.
Sam Berne (21:49.638)
And so when you when you’re brown, there’s a couple things that tend to run in the cycle. The first is blood stuff. So it’s not surprising to me that blood thinners like, okay, you had a blood clot. So circulation and oxygenation and hydration and lymph movement is super important for you because the brown eyed person
They’re always it’s either anemia. It’s a blood clot. It’s some blood kind of thing that’s that’s going on and then beside that around the edge of the the brown of the eye. You have something that shows the I would say the nurturing that you need to do around your liver health your liver health and your gallbladder.
Now, there’s a lot of levels and layers to this. First of all, the liver in Chinese medicine rules the eyes. The meridian is and the gallbladder and the liver work together. The second thing that’s important about the liver gallbladder is it helps you digest and absorb the eye fat soluble nutrients and here are the three main ones.
vitamin A, it’s fat soluble, lutein and zeaxanthin, those carotenoids that protect the macula. So you’ve got some liver signs here that say, hmm, it might be supportive for you to do either a liver cleanse or some liver support because there’s also the toxicity part of it as well. And of liver,
governs our cholesterol levels also and you’ve got several signals that would say hmm the liver gallbladder need to be attended to and so I can give you some ideas. There’s some really basic things with the liver that you can do number one. You just use warm water in the morning with some with lemon in it. That’s a great way to
Sam Berne (24:14.565)
If you’re going to do a salad include some bitter greens arugula Kale dandelion, know, you could look up what are bitter greens bitters are really good for the liver Castor oil is another one. That’s very good One technique is to take a couple of drops and actually rub it on your liver and then take a hot
cloth, a hot washcloth and put that over the liver and we call that a castor oil pack. And I do. I do regularly and so yeah, good. Good. So now if you want to get a little more dialed into it, there are three herbs that are really great for the liver. The first is milk thistle. The second is yellow dock.
And the third is burdock root and you can get these either separately. You can get them in a formula. There’s a company in California called Young Jevity and they make a liver gallbladder formula. And what you do is you take a dropper full and you put it say you get your hydrogen water.
Put it in a glass of hydrogen water and you sip it before you eat at that time. Take your omega-3s. Take your dietary enzymes. You’re doing it before you eat and that’s going to create your liver enzymes to work better and just do it once a day. Maybe just do a month of it. It’s a very gentle but direct cleanse of your liver gallbladder. Those three herbs.
Are really good. think burdock root also helps the blood which you could use and the yellow dock is is great for the liver. And so it’s milk this like your liver definitely needs some ongoing support and this is not a an indictment against you or something is wrong. It just this is this is what you need for your
Sam Berne (26:39.15)
You know, optimal health and wellness. I mean, you’re already doing some some great things. So I’m I’m you know, this is just more and you know, you want to move away from having to go back to these ophthalmologists and and you know, have them telling you this that or the other now, I want to go through a list.
of other things that I think based on your iridology reading. I want to make you aware of the first thing is there is a tendency for you to get drained from your essential minerals because of your stress. I also think you’re going to get drained on your B vitamins. I also think that you are going to need some more glandular support.
especially thyroid adrenals. I have a question mark around your pancreas, your liver gallbladder and spleen. Okay, that’s again based on those contraction furrows that you’re showing. You know, your minerals, you’re not holding your minerals and your B vitamins and that was kind of showed in the Dutch test around the bees.
Do you know about B3? So niacin is fantastic for your circulation. my God. It will dilate your blood vessels really, really nicely. But I think the point here is looking for maybe you’re taking this already a really good B complex and you’ve got to take more than the
the regular level building blood your berries blackberries cabbage grapes.
Sam Berne (28:46.743)
You might consider getting a Vitamix and doing a raw vegetable juice, which includes things like carrots and beets and greens and wheatgrass. What I tend to do is I find a I do a hot tea as my base. A really good tea for you would be something called oat straw tea.
Probably never heard of it. Oat straw tea is good for your bones. It’s got silicon in it. It’s good for your hair, but it’s a calming tea. And so as an example, you could brew that up, which is hot. You could add a little ginger and turmeric and lemon into your Vitamix. Beets are really good for the liver.
And then you can add like celery and cucumber. Cabbage would probably be good for you. So you’re getting a lot of really good plant enzymes, which is going to help your absorption and reduce your inflammation. know, probably cleansing your lymph would be helpful.
Well, we dry brushing walking. You could do a slant board where your head is below your feet or like a supported shoulder stand. Obviously things like, you know, massage or craniocic roll jumping on a rebounder, you know, whatever your exercise is.
You know, probably a combination of manual things and too much sitting is really bad for you. Like in your job. That’s again, your your edge is you got to keep your lymph moving because if you don’t it’s going to create this puddle in your body, which is all inflammation, you know, and that’s a killer, you know, so
Sam Berne (31:12.748)
plant enzymes, the lymph like you might take either chlorella or chlorophyll before you eat. It’s good for the liver as well. Detox. That might be one of your supplements. Okay. So just to recap, you know, if you’ve got a macular pucker or you’re suffering macular degeneration, it’s really important that you support your liver gallbladder health, not eat too much sugar. So support your pancreas thyroid, the glandular health.
is critically important. Also the lenses that you wear, you know, if you are wearing a distance prescription and you’re near sighted, you definitely need to wear something less when you’re working on screens and you know, so there’s a lot to this. So I hope you enjoyed the show. Thanks for tuning in. Take care everybody.
Keep Up with Dr. Sam
Website: https://www.drsamberne.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SamBerneOD/?…
Instagram: / samberneod
Twitter: / drsamberne
LinkedIn: / drsamberne
Dr. Sam Berne has been in private practice in New Mexico for over 25 years and where he works with patients to improve their vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. He holds a Bachelor of Science from Pennsylvania State University, Doctor of Optometry from Pennsylvania College, and did his postdoctoral work at the Gesell Institute in collaboration with Yale University. He has been awarded The Special Awards for Service from the Behavioral Optometrists in Mexico for his innovative and holistic work with children.
His protocols take a proactive, rather than reactive, approach to health and wellness. He understands and treats the body as one integrated system rather than a collection of independent organs in order to identify and address the root causes of disease. His whole health protocols improve vision and wellness by healing the mind-body-spirit through nutritional protocols, vision therapy, and self-care techniques. This views each person as genetically and biochemically unique and enables the individual to make lifelong improvements to their well-being.
For even more from Dr. Sam, check out his new exclusive membership where you get access to my content and resources, new information, articles, videos, webinars: https://drsambernesmembership.com/
Schedule your free discover call with Dr. Berne to learn about his practitioner’s training. appointments@drsamberne.com
Keep Up with Dr. Sam
Website: https://www.drsamberne.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SamBerneOD/?fref=ts
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samberneod/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/drsamberne
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drsamberne/
Keywords
holistic vision care, eye health, functional medicine, nutrition, antioxidants, blue light, eye strain, vision improvement, myths about eye health, grounding
Summary
In this conversation, Dr. Sam Berne discusses the importance of holistic vision care, emphasizing the role of nutrition, antioxidants, and lifestyle changes in maintaining and improving eye health. He challenges common misconceptions about aging and vision deterioration, advocating for a proactive approach to eye care. The discussion also covers the impact of blue light from digital devices, the significance of grounding, and practical strategies to mitigate eye strain.
Takeaways
• Holistic vision care integrates nutrition and lifestyle practices.
• Functional medicine looks at the connection between diet and eye health.
• Antioxidants like glutathione are crucial for eye health.
• Carotenoids protect the macula and lens from damage.
• Blue light can cause eye strain and fatigue.
• You can improve your vision at any age with the right approach.
• Grounding can help reduce the effects of EMFs on the eyes.
• Regular eye breaks are essential for digital device users.
• Hydration is key for maintaining eye health.
• Dietary changes can reverse certain eye conditions.
Sound Bites
• “We’d rather be proactive than reactive.”
• “Glutathione is a powerhouse antioxidant.”
• “Blue light definitely has an ill effect.”
• “You can improve your vision at any age.”
• “You can actually get better as you age.”
• “Grounding helps mitigate EMF effects.”
• “Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!”
Chapters
00:00Introduction to Holistic Vision Care
01:50Functional Medicine Approach to Vision
06:09Nutritional Strategies for Eye Health
11:47The Role of Antioxidants in Eye Health
17:59Impact of Blue Light on Vision
24:05Myths and Misconceptions about Eye Health
30:12Improving Vision: Possibilities and Strategies
36:06Grounding and Eye Health
38:05Mitigating Eye Strain from Digital Screens
Sam Berne (00:00.12)
Pennsylvania College of Optometry and a postdoctoral advanced degree from the Gissell Institute in Child Development. Aside from having a private practice, he’s done clinical research, been a faculty member at the Estelon Institute and authored five books. He’s a member of both the New Mexico Optometric Association and the American Optometric Association. He’s licensed to practice optometry in New Mexico and Hawaii.
Welcome, Dr. Byrne. Thank you. Great to be here. So as I mentioned, you know, we’ve had so many speakers speak about whole food plant based nutrition. We speak about it all the time and we’ve kind of ignored eye health, kind of just taken it for granted. I guess I started this when I was in my 40s and my eyes were pretty good. we didn’t really think about it, but for anyone that’s having challenges with their eyes,
That’s really a huge concern. we certainly would rather be proactive than reactive on this subject. If you could just take a minute maybe just to introduce yourself and tell us what you’ve been doing with your career for the last, you know, 10 years 20 years and then I’ll start asking you questions. Okay, thanks. So for the last 20 years, I’ve been doing patient care research and teaching.
And my mission is to bring holistic vision care to the mainstream. I have a pretty active social media following also have a podcast and I’m just inspired to help people take back their vision.
Great. Okay. I’d like to try if it’s okay with you to ask you quite a number of questions. So instead of feeling like you have to cover everything on every question, I’ll ask you a lot of questions. You can answer just that and then we’ll go on to the next question. So you have a chance to talk about a lot of things. Does that sound good? Yeah, fire away, Steve. Here we go. So could you elaborate?
Sam Berne (02:19.992)
what the functional medicine approach to vision entails beyond traditional optometry. Well, there two parts to it. The first is functional nutrition and that relates to how the the gut and how our diet
affects the micro capillary circulation and the mitochondria function in the eyes because after about age 40, we start developing oxidative stress and inflammation and then we go to a traditional eye doctor and he starts diagnosing with a variety of conditions or you know, if you wear glasses or contacts your eyes get progressively worse. So in functional nutrition, I’m looking at
What are the best foods we should eat the best best lifestyle practices? And so that’s the first category. The second category is, you know, when you get your exam where most eye doctors just have you read the distance chart and that’s really your eyesight. It’s not vision. Vision is how the eyes in the brain and the body integrate and work together. So it’s a brain experience.
So how you use your eyes functionally affects the structure anatomy of the eyes eventually. So if you’re in a repetitive state of movement with your eyes and vision or you’re wearing glasses or contacts that perpetuate or reinforce a weakness, then it just gets worse and worse. So in functional vision therapy.
What I’ve developed is a way to help re-educate the habits and bring people to a better space around their vision functionally and this reverses the structural deterioration.
Sam Berne (04:21.549)
Thank you. You’ve seen improvements in cataracts and macular degeneration with nutritional changes. are the foundational dietary recommendations you typically make? Well, number one is eliminating moderate to high glycemic index sugars. Number two is reducing inflammatory foods and you know, the bad fats.
And then number three is to protect yourself from the damaging blue light emitted from our screens and using iridology, you know, analyzing the patterns of the iris. We can look at your constitutional type to see whether or not, you know, what
What specific health practice you can do to mitigate any deterioration and then in addition to the Constitution, we can look at the different patterns genetic tendencies and nurture points and our glands organs and digestive areas and then we can really fine-tune and pinpoint what foods you should eat what lifestyle changes you should make and in all of
the cases, I recommend boosting mitochondria function in the eye either through red light therapy. could also do methylene blue, which is kind of an it kind of amplifies the red light therapy or you can do certain foods that stimulate mitochondria function. So if you do all those things, you are being proactive in interrupting and in many cases reversing the deterioration in these eyes.
diseases. Say one more thing with cataracts. If you catch it early, if you increase your glutathione and vitamin C, those two ingredients have been found to be really potent for slowing down the aging process in cataracts or macular degeneration.
Sam Berne (06:31.809)
Thank you. Could you explain the importance of carotenoids like lutein and zeaxanthin for maintaining macular and lens health? Sure. So the carotenoids help protect the macula by creating kind of like a similar metaphor would be like wearing sunglasses. So it deflects the damaging blue light. Now, if you’ve had cataract surgery,
The intraocular lenses don’t even have any blue protection in them. So this is where lutein and zeaxanthin become even more important. Now dosage on a daily basis. You should be doing about 16 milligrams of lutein and about four to six milligrams of zeaxanthin daily.
Couple things though. These are fat soluble vitamins. So you want to make sure your liver gallbladder are working well because you can be either taking the supplements or eating the you know, the rainbow vegetables. But if you’re not absorbing the fat soluble vitamins because the liver gallbladders is not working are not working well, then what’s the point? So you’ve got to make sure your liver gallbladder are
working properly so you can.
Absorb them. There’s one other one that you haven’t mentioned, but I think I should mention it. It’s called astaxanthin. So astaxanthin is a third carotenoid. It’s actually a marine carotenoid. You can get that from wild-caught salmon, you know, the pink seafood. You can also if you’re vegan or vegetarian, you can get it from algae. So you want to get four to six milligrams a day of the astaxanthin. The astaxanthin along with the lutein and the
Sam Berne (08:19.439)
Chorizanthin works synergistically that will protect your macula and if you’ve been diagnosed with either dry or wet macular degeneration, you should start taking those carotenoids immediately. Thank you. Why is glutathione?
considered a crucial antioxidant for eye health and what dietary sources or supplements might you recommend? So glutathione is a powerhouse antioxidant. It’s produced in the liver and some of the best foods that you could get glutathione from would be either the cruciferous vegetables or garlic onion.
those things or I would recommend a liposomal glutathione. So that means that it’s kind of fat molecule and it’s sublingual and so I’m not recommending any companies but you can do your research, but you want to get a liposomal
glutathione because it’s going to be protected in a fat molecule. So when you swallow it, it’s not going to get, you know, eaten up by digestive enzymes. So either or another thing you could do is get IV glutathione, although it doesn’t stay in the body that long. But certainly I’ve had many patients going for IV glutathione and they will say immediately their eyesight is much clearer. So
glutathione is one of those really power houses of antioxidants and it’s in a high concentration in the lens of the eye as is vitamin C. So if you’re developing cataracts, you’re probably low in those two antioxidants. I would start boosting them either through supplementation and or foods. Okay, you might have just answered this but how do omega-3 fatty acids and DHA
Sam Berne (10:18.745)
specifically benefit the health of the optic nerve and retina? Well, the retina is made up of about 50 % essential fatty acids and you know, in in the neuroscience literature, they’re always talking about how omega-3 is really good for the brain, know, the brain and maybe 50 % fat and so the omega-3 is first of all for glaucoma.
It is a requirement that if you’ve been diagnosed with glaucoma, you should start taking at least two to 3000 milligrams a day of a really high potency DHA EPA primarily DHA and then with any kind of retinal disease. Again, omega-3 is critically important as an anti-inflammatory agent, but also just feeding the retina. Also omega-3 has been shown to
help mitigate some of the dry eye symptoms. Now dry eyes a complicated condition. We can talk more about that because there many levels and layers on why we develop dry eye. But you know, I think that everybody should be on a good omega-3 because we don’t produce it in the body and you know, you need to do your due diligence on companies that do their third-party testing, but it’s certainly it’s essential.
For high health. Thank you. What are the primary metabolic factors contributing to cataract development and how can these be addressed holistically? Well, one of the main ones and I’ve heard some of your speakers talk about it is the process called glycation. So in the lens what happens is the glucose molecule binds itself to the protein molecule of the lens and this creates cloudiness.
And you know, in all the patients I’ve seen over the years, and this is also in the literature, if you have a difficult time with glucose metabolism, you’re probably going to develop cataracts and possibly even, you know, diabetic retinopathy or wet macular degeneration. So the key here is that you need to really take care of your pancreas health.
Sam Berne (12:46.029)
and you know, be aware of what you’re doing around your sugars, even carbohydrates. You know, a lot of my patients will say, well, I do a fruit smoothie bananas and you know, all these sugary fruits. So we try to move them off of that. I would say berries are probably okay. Citrus fruits are probably okay, but you need to really monitor this glycation situation and also it can be a cause of eye floaters.
because that glycation molecule will attach itself to the protein molecule of the vitreous the gel sack and this also is a creation of floaters. So glycation wreaks havoc on the eyes as it does on the body and it really accelerates the aging process. So we’ve had a lot of speakers talk about diet and we’ve asked them a lot of questions. And when it comes to supposedly healthy fats meaning raw seeds.
nuts, raw organic seeds, nuts, avocados, olives. Those four things, that’s question one. And then question two would be olive oil, hemp oil, flax oil. So question one, seeds, nuts, olives, avocados. Question two, supposedly healthy oils such as hemp, flax, olive. How do these affect eye health?
Well, it’s obvious big time, know, when we do seeds and nuts again, you know, I like to do dehydrated and organic if possible chia seeds are a great source of omega-3 and of course walnuts. You know, we’ll recommend something like a smoothie where we’ll use a few seeds and nuts and cacahuas 70 % and that’s a nice way to get
your fats and all the great stuff that’s in cacaua avocados. You’ve got lutein in in avocados, which is great. And you know, when I travel, I always bring an avocado on the plane and that’s one of my snacks. And in terms of the fats, you know, three six and nine again, I’ve heard some of your speakers talk about how we get too much six or nine and not enough three. I think it’s a balancing act.
Sam Berne (15:09.863)
act, but I, you know, I love things like, you know, organic olive oil, hemp seed oil. mean, it’s all moderation and high quality. So I don’t think we get enough fats and oils in our diet. I think it’s one of the areas that we forget about or we’re eating fats that aren’t really high quality, which are going to accelerate oxidative stress and inflammation.
So I, you know, I’m with most of your speakers around. need more healthy fats three, six and nine and you know, you’ve working with a functional medicine doctor that can help fine tune, you know, exactly what you need. But you know, it’s essential for your eye health. You challenge, thank you. You challenge the idea that the vision must deteriorate with age.
What are some fundamental strategies to maintain or even improve vision in older adults? Number one only wear your glasses when you need them take them off and go without your glasses and non demanding and non threatening situations. Number two get morning sunlight at least 30 minutes every morning number three limit your screen time.
Take frequent breaks. If you’re on screens phone tablet or computer number four, your lifestyle is such where you want to get out into nature and get away from the EMFs because that actually affects your eyes and number six heal your emotional health because emotions definitely have an effect on the eyes and number seven.
cultivate your liver gallbladder thyroid and pancreas health and we see this again in our iridology readings and we can tell if there’s you know, genetic tendencies or nurture points, but you know doing a liver cleanse once or twice a year is awesome for for clearing up your eyesight and reversing the aging in your eyes.
Sam Berne (17:24.301)
What just 30 second what what what’s your version of a liver cleanse? Well, a simple one is get some warm lemon water in the morning. Add bitter green vegetables to your salads, you know for lunch and before bed put a drop or two of castor oil on your liver and put a heating pad or a hot cloth over it for 10 or 15 minutes, which is like a castor oil pack.
Those are really simple practices for supporting liver health.
Sam Berne (17:59.772)
So the next question, I guess, is the question is what are the specific mechanisms by which blue light from digital devices can be damaging to the retina and contribute to macular issues? But let’s just, the term blue light was not a term we were using 10 years ago. It wasn’t a term that most people even heard about five years ago. And now all of a sudden, not all of a sudden, but we’re hearing people say.
That blue light is an issue when you need special blue light blocker glasses. What is blue light? Why is it a concern? What should we do? Not all blue light is bad. But if you look at the nanometers between 405 and 455, that is a chaotic blue wavelength. And when that blue wavelength touches your eyes, it creates dryness. also can over time.
create eye strain or eye fatigue. And so on the in the short answer is that when you expose yourself to the 405 to 455, you’re setting yourself up to have this I call it a neurotoxin that’s coming into your eyes. And the French government did 400 page paper on the ill effects of blue light.
from children to adults in the US and I just attended a conference. It was a mainstream allopathic eye conference. They did not really think blue light has some issues. However, blue light definitely is going to affect your pineal gland. It tricks the melatonin and it can create sleep problems.
The thing with blue blocking glasses is that it’s in the marketplace. So there’s a lot of predatory products out there that say, you know, they do this and they do that even the best blue blocking glasses only only cut out about 30 % of the blue light. So it’s not a hundred percent. That’s where you have to take your carotenoids. You have to you know, get out in the natural sunlight. I do think that blue protecting lenses.
Sam Berne (20:17.227)
Are certainly worth it. You can also get things on your screens. You can also get software that will deflect some of the blue light, but there isn’t any one thing that’s going to completely block you from the blue light. So you’ve got to have good visual resiliency, good visual skills. I wouldn’t wear progressive lenses. Those are the invisible bifocals when you’re working on the computer because that’s going to stress your eyes.
So there’s some things that you can do functionally. There’s some functional vision therapy exercises that you can do obviously nutrition and diet and it’s just like anything else. You don’t want to be running marathons with your eyes and that’s what people do on their screens. So it’s all moderate, but I would say that blue light definitely has an ill effect. And if you’ve had cataract surgery, you want to definitely protect yourself from blue light.
because the IOL they’re putting in doesn’t correct you or protect you and you’re not told that in in the surgery. So those would be some of the things I would spotlight and blue light. It’s definitely an issue. the way, how many eye doctors in the country have your knowledge base? Is this there a lot of people that know this or is this unusual because I haven’t heard
I wasn’t I’m not aware of that many that speak with the wealth of knowledge on this that you have. Well, I you know, I can’t speak for for others. I am doing a practitioner training now. So I know that the people that I’m training they’re going to they’re going to get my knowledge. There is an organization called covd.org and there are a group of behavioral optometrists who do some form of vision therapy to what
A degree. I don’t know. There’s also a group called the College of Syntonic Optometry and they do light therapy. Again, I don’t know what their database is. I know for me, I had some really great mentors who aren’t alive anymore who really, know, I was 28 years old and I had five 70 year old behavioral optometrist developmental optometrist.
Sam Berne (22:39.833)
You know, so I got a big transmission there. And the other thing is I do have a broad perspective. So I’ve studied acupuncture, craniosacral, aromatherapy, functional medicine, energy medicine, and many other things. So I look at myself as a physical therapy optometrist and a naturopathic optometrist. I don’t know too many people who wear those hats, but
You know, that’s that’s what I do and I’ve been doing it 40 years. So I’ve got a big base of patients and you know, that’s why I keep doing it because it’s great and on social media, you know, we have over 280,000 followers. So something is getting struck there on the cord of you know, the information I’m conveying. Thank you. What are some common myths about eye health that you frequently encounter and would like to dispel?
Number one, you don’t have to live out your doctor’s diagnosis doctors allopathic diagnosis number two, your eyes don’t have to get worse as you get older. They can actually get better and number three, you can improve your vision at any age. I have patients between 85 and 90 that are improving their vision. They’re either reducing their prescription their
getting their driver’s license renewed, even if it’s just daylight. They’ve had pretty severe diagnoses that we’ve been able to reverse in terms of diseases. So, you know, when you go to the regular doctor again, if they don’t see it in their mind that you can improve it, then of course they’re going to stay in their indoctrinated ways. I’ve had the good fortune to see a lot of healing with people’s eyes and vision.
So I can recognize if somebody is open to do it and their body intelligence says, hey, I want to do this. I’m doing it in other areas. We find this all the time that even giving somebody a reduced prescription can actually improve their eyesight and vision and this happens all the time. And then if they want to go deeper, you know, the longer they work with me the more benefits they get.
Sam Berne (25:01.465)
Thank you. Beyond diet, what are your top five nutritional supplement recommendations for overall eye health and why?
Okay, so a disclaimer. I do not distribute any products because the product markets that I see do not meet my criteria for safety and protection of the consumer. So that being said, I’m just going to speak generally here. And what I would say is that you know number one
And I’m to go in a little different direction here. I think the thyroid health is really important. A lot of people have low thyroid. So seaweed, dulse and kelp are really important in terms of liver health. The three herbs that I love. So I’m going more herbal than just, you know, vitamins and minerals. Burdock root, yellow dock and milk thistle that combination. If you want to do a really good liver cleanse, that’s a great
combination. I think that if you can, you know, do like eye compresses things like dandelion, rude or golden seal, chamomile, eye bright, although that’s hard to get even colloidal silver. If it’s a really high quality that can be really good at, you know, as an antibacterial agent. I also do a lot with essential oils and my number one
essential oil is frankincense and I’ll put it on the temples massage it on the back of the neck and on the third eye. We did a we did a post on Facebook on frankincense that very thing and we got over 1 million views. So something is is resonating with people using frankincense as a way to improve the vision. Obviously, we talked about Omega 3’s those are really good.
Sam Berne (27:09.775)
for glaucoma adding things like ginkgo, bilberry, taurine for macular degeneration, saffron and turmeric are really good. Bilberry is great for night vision and improving peripheral vision. So, I mean, there’s a lot of different avenues around the supplementation. But you know, if you press me, I’m still saying no processed foods.
and rainbow diet. I love doing smoothies like vegetable smoothies like using ginger root, turmeric root, beets, celery.
cabbage, wheatgrass, you know, and use a hot tea. So if you’ve got, you know, say issues with your bones, I would do something like oat straw tea. You’ve got respiratory issues, Mullen tea, and that’s a hot tea that you would put in the blender or the Vitamix. Getting those plant enzymes is really, really important in the morning. I find that people aren’t getting enough really good enzymes and you know, you can take supplemental enzymes, but
It’s not the same as you know, getting into your Vitamix and working that way. So I don’t know if I answered your question, but those are that’s my that’s my perspective on on what you asked. Thank you. What are your thoughts on wearing contact lenses full-time versus allowing the eyes periods of rest without them? Well, I definitely think contacts are great part-time sports and social.
You don’t want to for near-sightedness. You don’t want to get over corrected for distance with contacts because then you’re going to need reading glasses over the contacts. So tell your doctor you want to be a little bit under corrected for distance and near-sightedness in far-sightedness. If you were contacts again, you don’t want to wear something so highly magnified because then you’re going to lose your distance.
Sam Berne (29:16.229)
And you don’t want to do monovision where you’re correcting one eye for distance and one eye for near and then wearing the contacts part-time is a good strategy because you know what happens is when we work contacts full-time we get a false sense that our eyes are really good and that’s the farthest thing from the truth. That’s what’s great about the glasses because you can take them off in certain instances.
You get to allow your system to relax and your point is well taken around the contacts because it can create a dryness. It can affect the ocular microbiome. That’s right. We do have a microbiome and so taking the lenses off allowing your eyes to breathe and just being moderate when you wear the contacts. I think they’re a great, you know, a great optical system to use.
Just as a general answer, not best case scenarios, how likely is it that we can improve our eyesight? I know a lot of what we’re talking about is how to prevent our eyesight from getting worse, but in your experience, not the couple of cases where everything went great, the average person who’s using glasses and contacts, are you saying that we can maintain our eyesight or are you saying you could actually have better vision? What are we, what is the, end?
New York Spurgeon. So who who’s the population? it in this conference or is it more in the general mainstream where they’re not in this conference? Who who are you targeting here? A motivated person that was saying I would be very interested in. Okay, if they’re motivated and they have some, you know, background in holistic health.
Then I would say it’s probably a 95 % chance that there can be some improvement. And what I see with people when they when they take that on the release around them actually experiencing the improvement reduces their stress by about 250 % and I see it all the time like people come in. I don’t know exactly what you do. I’ve heard good things.
Sam Berne (31:38.637)
I’m interested in my mindset as I want to improve it. Great. Then I can at least give them three things that they will experience some level of improvement and the stress release that they get from that is profound.
Thank you. Tell me or tell us about LASIK or the equivalent of LASIK. What you know what it is how well it works if there are side effects and also for someone who’s already undergone LASIK and is experiencing returning vision issues. What holistic strategies you might recommend. So LASIK is a refractive store refractive surgery and a long line of refractive surgeries that used to be called PRK back in the day.
Basically, what the surgeon does is he’s changing the shape of the eyeball, the front of the eyeball to reduce the prescription in the eye. And one of the sayings we have in our practice is it’s not the eye that causes the prescription. It’s the programming behind the eyes that causes the prescription and that’s an important point because if you do believe that it’s the
Programming that causes the prescription. Well, what you’re changing is just the end result symptom, which is the prescription in the eye. That’s what you’re doing with lasik, but you’re not going back to the operating system and reprogramming that so now you have the lasik surgery and the operating system is still operating in the old model, which is I’m going to still
have the same programming and then you’ve got this new hardware. That’s like it’s not fitting. So what you have to do is you either have to ignore the programming and then you’ll probably stay more in a success space. You know that sweet spot where you go. Hey Lasix great. There’s no problems, but you’ll see it in other areas either in the body intention that you carry or other weird.
Sam Berne (33:53.612)
Things that may show up in the eyes side effects. Yes, there are many in lasik surgery like dry eyes starburst and a revert back to again, the operating system is much stronger than the lasik procedures. So that you you move back into the the prescription that you had before you had the surgery. Now there are physical therapy exercises that I’ve developed.
that can help people post surgically integrate what the lasik surgery has done to the eye. You know, we have eye surgery, but we never do physical therapy after it. In fact, it’s invalidated. It’s taboo. If you bring it up with your surgeon, they always say, that doesn’t work. It’s, you know, mumbo jumbo, but you go have a knee operated on or a shoulder and you go to physical therapy.
Remember, I said about 10 minutes ago, I’m a physical therapy optometrist. So when somebody is at surgery, we need to do surgery. We need to do physical therapy afterwards so that they can integrate the programming the operating system with the new information that’s in the eye. If you do that, you can mitigate a lot of the deterioration that comes in the last point. I want to make and I mentioned this at
class is that in 2018, the New York Times did an expose on the FDA FDA and Lasik surgery and actually the person who helped approve the Lasik surgery worked for the FDA was quoted in the article saying that he probably wouldn’t approve of the surgical procedure today because he’s seen so many horror stories and that article really reveals the shadow side of Lasik surgery.
Even though you know on the mainstream media, it’s really, you know, very popular and celebrities and athletes that do it and it really can create confusion between the eyes and the brain.
Sam Berne (36:06.869)
Thank you. What is grounding or earthing and how might it contribute to overall wellness and potentially impact eye health in our modern
Well, grounding and earthing is an opportunity for you to get into the energy fields of the earth and all our shoes are rubber. We don’t walk barefoot anymore and we’re spending all of our time either in cars or cement. We’re not in nature. And so the emf’s build up and
One of the places that I see emf’s really cause problems is if you wear metal glasses. Sorry Steve. It conducts emf’s into the ice. So you want to go more with a plastic frame and taking your lenses off. We use grounding. We have mats that you can, you know, actually put your feet on when you’re working on the computer. We also have it on our massage table.
When I’m doing crania sacral, you can even put a grounding mat on your bed if you want to so kind of depends on your environment. I mean if you live in a city where there’s a lot of wireless and you can’t get yourself into a barefoot place in nature that I would definitely get grounding and earthing in your apartment or your house definitely helps. Now if you can get out into nature and you can get into the Schumann wave, which is a very slow
Frequency that comes into our body and resets us if you can do that and you can meditate and you can walk in bare feet and then, you know, you don’t need the grounding map. But I think it’s really important. A lot of holistic health practitioners talk about it. It’s the real deal.
Sam Berne (38:05.547)
What are your recommendations for individuals who spend many hours working on digital screens to mitigate potential eye strain and damage? Well, first of all, I would recommend having their optometrist prescribe or at least test their eyes that what is the best prescription at the computer? One of the things that happens that I see a lot is that people get a distance prescription.
But that prescriptions for 20 feet and so when they use it at the computer, it’s going to create eye strain. It’s too strong for them. That’s on the near-sighted side on the far-sighted side. If you’re wearing reading glasses, like when you look at your phone, that magnification is going to be too strong for you at the computer so that you want to get a weaker magnification lens at the screen distance. I think it’s important to at the very least take
frequent frequent blade breaks set up things where you can deflect the EMFs whether it’s crystals or you can get these EMF protectors. Very important. I think getting out in the morning natural sunlight is also critically important. Of course, blue protection is part of it and hydrate hydrate hydrate hydrate. I don’t know if anybody at your conference has talked about
the benefits of hydrogen water. We’re using it now to be part of the support of macular problems and cataracts. So hydrogen water, structured water, I’d be drinking really high potency water, really, really good. And, you know, I use essential oils. We might distill those in the environment. So you’re oxygenating and hydrating.
Dr. Sam Berne has been in private practice in New Mexico for over 25 years and where he works with patients to improve their vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. He holds a Bachelor of Science from Pennsylvania State University, Doctor of Optometry from Pennsylvania College, and did his postdoctoral work at the Gesell Institute in collaboration with Yale University. He has been awarded The Special Awards for Service from the Behavioral Optometrists in Mexico for his innovative and holistic work with children.
His protocols take a proactive, rather than reactive, approach to health and wellness. He understands and treats the body as one integrated system rather than a collection of independent organs in order to identify and address the root causes of disease. His whole health protocols improve vision and wellness by healing the mind-body-spirit through nutritional protocols, vision therapy, and self-care techniques. This views each person as genetically and biochemically unique and enables the individual to make lifelong improvements to their well-being.
Schedule a free discovery call with Dr. Berne for his practitioner’s training:
appointments@drsamberne.com
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Keywords
eye health, vision therapy, sunlight exposure, full spectrum lighting, color therapy, iridology, holistic health, eye strain, light therapy, wellness
Summary
In this conversation, Dr. Sam Berne discusses various aspects of eye health, including the importance of eye coordination, the benefits of sunlight exposure, and the role of full spectrum lighting. He also explores light therapy and color therapy, emphasizing their impact on overall wellness. Additionally, Dr. Berne explains iridology and how it can provide insights into a person’s health. He concludes with practical advice for maintaining eye health and resources for further learning.
Takeaways
• Eye strain can be alleviated through specific exercises.
• Natural sunlight is essential for eye health.
• Full spectrum lighting can improve mood and reduce stress.
• Color therapy can help balance energy and emotions.
• Iridology offers insights into genetic health tendencies.
• Eye health is interconnected with overall wellness.
• Regular check-ups with an eye doctor are important.
• Mind-body connection plays a role in vision issues.
• Light therapy can aid in healing and relaxation.
• Practitioners can benefit from training in holistic eye health.
Sound Bites
• “My left eye is shutting off.”
• “Light is basically a food.”
• “Color therapy is so amazing.”
• “We attract what we need to heal.”
• “The eyes never lie.”
•
Chapters
00:00Understanding Eye Strain and Coordination
02:58The Importance of Sunlight for Eye Health
05:54Full Spectrum Lighting and Its Benefits
08:58Exploring Light Therapy and Color Therapy
15:51The Connection Between Eye Health and Overall Wellness
19:54Iridology: Mapping Health Through the Eyes
23:06Final Thoughts on Eye Health and Resources
Sam Berne (00:00.238)
Can you provide an example of how this works for a specific condition? All right. So let’s say somebody comes in and they’re having eye strain and their eyes are getting worse. So there’s a test that I can do which measures how well their two eyes are working together. So this is vision. They read the eye chart a distance very well. So there’s no problem with eyesight and 20 feet.
But what I’m finding is that when they look at the certain picture their brain is suppressing the left eye. So the right-handed the right eye dominant. Okay, so we we are able to identify that the left eye is suppressing and the right eye is doing more of the work unless you do a test like that. You’re never going to discover that issue, but it means that the right eye is carrying the load. Okay, so there’s a great exercise that I recommend called
This the brock string. This is a string if you can visualize it. It’s got three beads and a string and you tie one end of the doorknob and you spread the three beads. So the first speed is about 12 inches from the eyes. The second bead is 24 inches. The third bead is say 36 inches. So one end of the string is on the doorknob. The other end is at the nose and the first bead say is here the second bead the third bead.
This is a great way to have them focus both eyes at the first bead and they might say something like, my goodness, the left string is fading out on me. When I look at that close bead. now understand that my left eye is shutting off. So we ask them to go into their breathing to blink to feel their body to relax into it. now the left string is coming in with the right string. I see if I relax now, my two eyes are working together.
Now I look at the second bead. my this left string is shutting off again. If I relax and blink and breathe and maybe I have to touch the bead now that left string is coming back and then I do the third bead and then the second bead in the first speed. So I’m going to do this exercise for one minute three times a day and what will happen over a few days that left eye starts to turn on and when it turns on it will start to work with the right eye.
Sam Berne (02:22.402)
So after about a week, the person says, you know, I’m working on the computer. Now. I’m not getting that eye strain or red eyes. It’s going away two weeks. It’s going away more three weeks. Wow. I’m actually able to work for a whole hour. My eyes feel really good. So that is a very simple way to discover on my left eye is suppressing. Let me bring it back in after three weeks. Now my two eyes are working together. I’ve got vitality back into my eyes. So that’s
one example of a physical therapy exercise.
a general thought if someone was again highly motivated, what should our relation with the Sun be? Is this something where you’re saying get sun in the early morning? Are you saying get 20 minutes an hour six hours 12 hours? What would be perfect if someone was motivated regarding our relation with sunlight? Well, just the general mainstream person what I would say is that getting third 30 minutes of natural sunlight in the morning as long as it’s not
triggering a blink reflex. So you don’t have to look directly in the sun. Even if it’s cloudy outside, you’re still getting the sun. You can wear a hat. You can you know, you don’t want to look directly at the sun go walk. You know, that’s a good time to do it. The more advanced people I would say end of day is also great. We get color therapy at that time because usually around sunset. Sometimes we get the different colors and our eyes need different colors.
Red is more stimulating. Violet purple blue green is more relaxing. So that would be a way to get color therapy, but I think we’ve been taught to be afraid of the sun. I think there’s a lot of fear out there and I think it’s really overblown. Yes, UV and high amounts can change the lens health, but we actually need trace amounts of UV. One of the people that I love mention this book.
Sam Berne (04:25.249)
John Ott, it’s called health and light and one of the things I talked about was something called malillumination just like malnutrition and what he would say is that we’re not getting the proper light diet. You know, I remember an example of this in my office. I had a very busy office and I had seven people working up front. know, they were processing all the insurance claims and there was always a lot of conflict and fighting and you know, just
bad vibes. So one weekend I went in and I changed the the light bulbs to full spectrum fluorescent lights and I didn’t tell the staff so about a week later, you know, we had a meeting and they said, geez, you know, did what did you change? We’re feeling so much better in the front office and I told them and they said, that makes sense. Now we’re now in natural full spectrum lighting and our bodies are less stress. We’re more open to it. So
Full spectrum lighting is like full spectrum living and we need to get away from artificial light. We need to get away from the digital and we need to go into a space where we’re getting the natural sunlight. Is it bad if you’re a gardener and you spend all day outside? Is that a good thing or a bad thing to your eyes? Well, if I was a gardener, a forest ranger or a lifeguard, I would certainly be investing in a good pair of sunglasses.
And a lot of it depends on my, you know, my skin health, how sensitive I am to the sun. I think using sunglasses is actually a really good thing. I think you want to get a good neutral brown or neutral gray, pay a little bit more and get a high quality sun lens. But again, we’re talking moderation. You get that natural light in the morning 30 minutes.
You know, I know for me, I like to hike. sometimes today was hiking with my dog and for part of the time I was wearing sunglasses because I was right in the sun and then we were up at a stream playing up there and the sun was indirect. So I took my sunglasses off. I do a lot of skiing. I ski up in Taos and I wear sunglasses, you know, I go out in the ocean and I wear sunglasses. There’s nothing wrong with that.
Sam Berne (06:51.146)
I think what it is is you need to feel your body and give your eyes and your body what it wants talk to your eyes. If it’s too bright, it’s perfectly fine to wear sunglasses. If you’re driving into the sun wear sunglasses. Now where you are the sun isn’t quite as extreme as where we are in the desert Southwest. So I might wear sunglasses a little more than say where you are. But if you’re sensitive protect yourself. There’s nothing wrong with that.
But the fear part of it changes the neurochemicals in the brain and that’s where the issue comes in. You know, I want to have good levels of serotonin dopamine and oxytocin. I want to embrace the sun and I also want to be sensible about it. As soon as I go into my fear, what happens? My cortisol levels go up my dopamine and serotonin go down. So be aware of what your mind is doing and understand that
Basically, we’re heliocentric. We go towards the sun just like the plants and then we just have to moderate how much and how long.
And if we every day want to take a three or four hour walk outside, we seem to like the sun. We don’t really want to wear sunglasses. Are you comfortable or are we doing damage to our No, we’re comfortable with that. We’re comfortable with that. And you know what? You can always check in with your eye doctor and eye health see what’s going on with your, you know, your macular health and your lens. I’d recommend routine exams so you can monitor that. So if you start developing a cataract, you can go, okay, why is that? it because of the sun?
Is because of my sugar. So, you know, I think it’s really important to check in and go to your doctor, whoever that is and just get get a baseline on what is going on in your health. I know a lot about health. I know a lot about nutrition, but I do not prescribe for myself. I go to doctors and they tell me what I need. So I am not, you know, an ego about that saying why no.
Sam Berne (08:58.124)
I go to people because I don’t know what I need.
Well, I think you know, we’ve got the LED conversation and that’s the blue light. I would say in as many cases as you can get full spectrum lighting, you know, kind of depends again. Like if you’re in an apartment and you don’t get a lot of natural light, I would probably focus in on getting more full spectrum lighting. That would be my intention. You know, if you live in a place where you’re getting
natural light in the windows then it’s it’s less of an issue. I think that you know again a lot of it depends on the toxicity of where you live and you know go from there. That’s how I would navigate that. Well what it what it means is my primary would probably be incandescent and getting full spectrum.
You know, there’s things called the aught lights. You can go online and now they’ve got a lot of different full spectrum lights. I would probably move away from LEDs if I could. Another thing you got to consider is winter and again, if you’re sensitive sad, I would get yourself a full spectrum light box where you’re treating yourself with that. That’s another piece to the puzzle but full spectrum incandescent and
See what you can do.
Sam Berne (10:46.252)
Okay, one more time, full spectrum, what does that mean?
Say full spectrum on them or not? Yeah, you can you can you can again go online type in full spectrum light bulbs and see what comes up. Sometimes they’re compact fluorescence. Sometimes they’re incandescent. They come in different ways. But the reason why it’s full spectrum is that you’ve got again, you can eat food artificial food or fast food. That’s like the the light that is artificial light.
Or you can eat a full spectrum food diet and light is basically a food. It’s just in a different form. So you want to look for the term full spectrum indoor lighting. That would be what you want to look for and see what see what comes up. You know, I think that’s a really good thing to think about.
Thank you. In terms of light therapy, have you…
Sam Berne (11:57.929)
No, we haven’t really discussed it. So there’s two ways we can talk about it. One is photo biomodulation, which I know some of your, you know, your folks have talked about the benefits of red light therapy, not so much for the eyes because it’s too bright. One of the things that I have developed are actually I call them red exercise glasses. So they have the 670 nanometers in the lens.
That’s a pair of glasses and you can control the brightness of the light source that works really well. So that’s one form of the red light therapy. There’s also another form of light therapy where you’re using all the colors of the spectrum and you know, we want to put down blue light. But once you get up to like 475 nanometers, that blue light actually is really good to re release trauma and also it stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system. There’s a
color therapy treatment protocol, which I’ll share with you. We actually did it the other day. You can either get this do this by getting all the main colors of the spectrum Roy G Biv in glasses and the way it works is you’re going to treat yourself with the rainbow of colors. So you start off with the red glasses. You put them on you ask yourself. What do I see and how does it make me feel and that particular red?
May stimulate the root chakra. It may bring up some memories again color and light trigger the hidden energies behind the eyes. That’s one of the things that that’s why color therapy is so amazing. You wear that for two minutes. Take that off. Then you put the orange on same thing. What do I see? What do I feel and the feeling the emotion is very important to connect to it again two minutes move to yellow and the green then the blue green then the blue.
Then the violet. So if you do that spectrum of rainbow colors, I did research on it using a special energy field camera and chakras when I was at the Esalen Institute and we did a study where we measured people doing that very treatment before we measured their energy and then after and we found their chakras were much more lined up. Their energy fields were much bigger and their acupuncture meridians were much more balanced. This was
Sam Berne (14:25.523)
getting light into the eyes. This is how we did the study. So doing this energy color therapy every day and then you could combine it by using aromatherapy. We in my trainings, we use seven different aromatherapy oils that match the colors and we can also add sound to it. So you can add sound healing. So by doing that, it’s working on the energy of the body, the energy field and it’s a way to really kind of clear out
all the disharmony if there’s a color or colors. You don’t like you probably have a color allergy. So that color you want to treat yourself a little more so that you would release whatever the the disharmony was and then you’d be more full spectrum yourself because whatever wherever you’re not receiving that color, you’re probably attracting that life experience into your life.
That’s kind of what we do. We attract what we need to heal. So the color therapy in that way works really really well. And again, you can get these glasses on Amazon or you you can look for a rainbow color machine. It’s wonderful. You can also do with each eye separately. You can also intuitively say, I think I need green today. So you could do 10 minutes of that if you’re in eye pain or you’re dealing with traumatic brain injury. I would do a blue or blue green.
That helps reduce trauma. If you’re low energy or you want to cleanse your liver, I would do a yellow or yellow green or an orange. So, you know, you can work with it intuitively. You can do all the colors. You can start with the indigo violet and work your way back to the red if you want 30 day challenge do it for 30 days and you will see differences in your vision, your awareness, your consciousness and it’s a it’s a really cool way.
to balance your health. Thank you. Your lecture title, The Eyes Never Lie, suggests a strong link between vision and overall health. In your experience, what is one of the most surprising systemic conditions you’ve identified through an eye examination?
Sam Berne (16:44.424)
Depletion in the body, depletion of minerals and B vitamins. There are certain visual coordination tests which require pretty heavy-duty eye muscle focusing, eye muscle sustaining. And when people start going into double vision in these tests and their resiliency is low,
And I look at their iris readings depending on what the markings say. I can pretty much tell they’re probably going to get osteoporosis or osteopenia. They’ve got a lot of inflammation in the digestive tract. Their pancreas is not working very well. Their liver and gallbladder are not working well. Their connective tissue may be weak in certain areas, which leads to things like hernias and
You know, hiatal hernias and hemorrhoids and things like that. So there’s so many levels and layers that you can look into the eyes and you can see all the mapping systemically, metabolically, even spiritually. And from that you can start asking questions and fill in the blanks and then come up with a protocol to help the person. That’s why I call it whole health. It’s not just the eyes.
Yes, the eyes are going to benefit but the whole health is involved. Again, that’s part of my naturopathic optometry hat that I wear. What is iridology and is that something that you believe in with?
Give a full breakdown on your health. that something you believe in or support? Well, I got trained in it certified in it. So yes, so the iris, you know, if we think of reflexology the feet, know, you there’s a map on the feet. So the iris over, you know, hundreds of years of different doctors categorizing. have a picture right here. This is
Sam Berne (18:55.537)
This is a map of the iris and this was invented by in this country, Bernard Jensen, who was a naturopath. And so I’ve studied with his, you know, his family and you know, it’s kind of obvious that the iris because of all the nerves and all the, you know, the connections that has been mapped out way before me, iridology.
And by the way, we don’t diagnose and we don’t treat with iridology and the goal is not to change the color of your eye or the pigment that anybody that says that that’s not really iridology. Herodology is analyzing the colored part of the eye. take very detailed pictures put it up on a big monitor and from that we can be proactive in talking about different health patterns and you know, we ask history so
Maybe it’s not affecting them, but there’s a genetic tendency. So the right eye is the father lineage and the left eye is the mother lineage. And so we can tell was there diabetes on the father’s side was there thyroid issues on the mother’s side. So based on you know, the genetic tendencies and what I call nurture points. So nothing is wrong here. We’re not diagnosing cancer or whether somebody is pregnant or anything like that.
We’re just looking at nurture points. and then based on that using herbs using functional nutrition using color therapy and many different my in my toolbox. It’s another tool that can help us really individualize a person’s treatment.
Could you if someone was on a computer, could you look at their eyes through the computer and understand their health? Sure, sure. I mean I could both on how the eyes look and also how they’re using their eyes and also the responses they’re giving based on certain prompts and probes. So for example, if somebody is near sighted, I’ll have them put on a far sighted prescription prescription.
Sam Berne (21:11.333)
And I’ll ask them what’s your belief system on blur and nine times out of ten. They’ll be in a hypervigilant state attitude wise and I’ll say that’s the reason why you’ve become nearsighted because of your hypervigilant attitude. So when did you start wearing your glasses? And so the the healing part of that is can I give them an exercise? So in a non demanding situation?
They’re spending a few minutes relaxing into the blur and when they do that their hypervigilant attitude relaxes and then their eyesight clears and it becomes like wow, I see that I’ve been doing this to myself. It’s that programming behind the eyes that creates the eye problem.
Thank you. How far should we be from our TV and just TV damage?
Sam Berne (22:09.127)
Yes, the the size of the screen matters and how close we are. I think you need to be at least six to eight feet away. You don’t want to be squinting. If you have a higher risk of eye problems, then I would probably get a blue protection lens for the TV. This means like cataract surgery or macular degeneration or you’re just concerned about the blue light and frequent breaks.
So as long as you’re far enough away from the TV, you’re fine. And then whether you want to wear blue protection, that’s kind of individual based on what your your health situation is like. What if we have these new large 75 85 inch TVs? Is that concerning you? It depends on how close we are to the TV. But yeah, I mean, you’ve got EMFs. You’ve got blue light.
So you need to protect yourself by sitting farther away from it. So you’re not as bombarded by the energy that comes off those. I mean the way you could check it is get yourself an EMF measure and just see what’s coming off the screens and that’ll tell you.
Sam Berne (23:28.761)
Okay, so Dr. Byrne, why don’t you share your overall final summarizing thoughts of what you want to share with us or leave with us regarding eye health and then also how we could stay in touch with you to have a website book. Do do consultations? What’s the best way to follow up? Okay. So the first thing is is that if an eye problem comes up and you go to your family eye doctor.
Definitely take somebody with you as a witness so they can take notes because it’s going to be a scary situation whenever we have some health issue come up and whatever they say you want to make sure that the overall goal would be okay. My mindset is I believe in mind body medicine. I believe in holistic health. So can my doctor give me something?
in that genre to help me with that. Now, if they cannot do that, then the best case scenario is you get the information and you go, okay, I’m going to start working on this. on my website, drsamburn.com, I have over I would say 400 free videos. Okay. And if you go to learn
the drop down menu and you click on podcasts, for example.
You see the categories you can scroll on that and click on anything that you would like and that will take you to video blogs written blogs podcasts and that’s all free. There’s no charge for that. Now if you want more exclusive content, what you can do is you can go to my membership site. So I guess if you click on Dr. Burn again.
Sam Berne (25:35.011)
Okay, see where says join membership. So that I set up for people where that’s exclusive content. It’s not on social media. I’m creating new stuff every day and you know, join our community. I have a practitioner side and I also have a you know, just a layperson side. You can get seven days free before you have to commit. You can quit at any time.
My customer service is really good, so if you have any problems, we’re very honest, we’ll whatever you need, we’ll help you with. So that would be another way you could connect with me. And the third way is that if you want to do a private session, even if it’s on Zoom, you can. Usually what I recommend is sending some iRecords to me and then I can look at those and then we can do a Zoom appointment.
And of course, if you’re local and you want to travel here, we can do that as well. Last thing, if you’re any kind of a practitioner, I’m doing practitioner trainings now and you don’t need to be an optometrist or ophthalmologist. You’re just going to be more of a coach and we gear it towards what your professional background is. Massage therapy, occupational therapy, naturopathy, acupuncture, whatever.
I need to share this information. I’m on the shady side of the mountain. I’m not going to be here forever. I need to pass this information on to health practitioners. The eye doctors aren’t interested. So this is why I’m going this route. So you got lots of ways. I’m also on Facebook Instagram, Tik Tok and YouTube. I put out a podcast once a week. I’ve been doing that a long time. So lots of ways to to get a hold of me.
There you go. Fantastic. Dr. Burn really really appreciate you sharing this. really like we’ve stumbled on some great information. So yeah. Well, thank you. Thanks for what you’re doing. Good luck and wish you a great spring and summer. Okay. If we could unmute everyone so everyone could thank Dr. Burn themselves.
Sam Berne (27:58.549)
Awesome. Thank you so much. Okay. Thank you again. Doctor. I really appreciate it. You got it. Bye bye. Thank you.
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Keywords
holistic vision care, eye health, functional medicine, nutrition, antioxidants, blue light, eye strain, vision improvement, myths about eye health, grounding
Summary
In this conversation, Dr. Sam Berne discusses the importance of holistic vision care, emphasizing the role of nutrition, antioxidants, and lifestyle changes in maintaining and improving eye health. He challenges common misconceptions about aging and vision deterioration, advocating for a proactive approach to eye care. The discussion also covers the impact of blue light from digital devices, the significance of grounding, and practical strategies to mitigate eye strain.
takeaways
• Holistic vision care integrates nutrition and lifestyle practices.
• Functional medicine looks at the connection between diet and eye health.
• Antioxidants like glutathione are crucial for eye health.
• Carotenoids protect the macula and lens from damage.
• Blue light can cause eye strain and fatigue.
• You can improve your vision at any age with the right approach.
• Grounding can help reduce the effects of EMFs on the eyes.
• Regular eye breaks are essential for digital device users.
• Hydration is key for maintaining eye health.
• Dietary changes can reverse certain eye conditions.
Sound Bites
• “We’d rather be proactive than reactive.”
• “Glutathione is a powerhouse antioxidant.”
• “Blue light definitely has an ill effect.”
• “You can improve your vision at any age.”
• “You can actually get better as you age.”
• “Grounding helps mitigate EMF effects.”
• “Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!”
Chapters
00:00Introduction to Holistic Vision Care
01:50Functional Medicine Approach to Vision
06:09Nutritional Strategies for Eye Health
11:47The Role of Antioxidants in Eye Health
17:59Impact of Blue Light on Vision
24:05Myths and Misconceptions about Eye Health
30:12Improving Vision: Possibilities and Strategies
36:06Grounding and Eye Health
38:05Mitigating Eye Strain from Digital Screens
Sam Berne (00:00.12)
Pennsylvania College of Optometry and a postdoctoral advanced degree from the Gissell Institute in Child Development. Aside from having a private practice, he’s done clinical research, been a faculty member at the Estelon Institute and authored five books. He’s a member of both the New Mexico Optometric Association and the American Optometric Association. He’s licensed to practice optometry in New Mexico and Hawaii.
Welcome, Dr. Byrne. Thank you. Great to be here. So as I mentioned, you know, we’ve had so many speakers speak about whole food plant based nutrition. We speak about it all the time and we’ve kind of ignored eye health, kind of just taken it for granted. I guess I started this when I was in my 40s and my eyes were pretty good. we didn’t really think about it, but for anyone that’s having challenges with their eyes,
That’s really a huge concern. we certainly would rather be proactive than reactive on this subject. If you could just take a minute maybe just to introduce yourself and tell us what you’ve been doing with your career for the last, you know, 10 years 20 years and then I’ll start asking you questions. Okay, thanks. So for the last 20 years, I’ve been doing patient care research and teaching.
And my mission is to bring holistic vision care to the mainstream. I have a pretty active social media following also have a podcast and I’m just inspired to help people take back their vision.
Great. Okay. I’d like to try if it’s okay with you to ask you quite a number of questions. So instead of feeling like you have to cover everything on every question, I’ll ask you a lot of questions. You can answer just that and then we’ll go on to the next question. So you have a chance to talk about a lot of things. Does that sound good? Yeah, fire away, Steve. Here we go. So could you elaborate?
Sam Berne (02:19.992)
what the functional medicine approach to vision entails beyond traditional optometry. Well, there two parts to it. The first is functional nutrition and that relates to how the the gut and how our diet
affects the micro capillary circulation and the mitochondria function in the eyes because after about age 40, we start developing oxidative stress and inflammation and then we go to a traditional eye doctor and he starts diagnosing with a variety of conditions or you know, if you wear glasses or contacts your eyes get progressively worse. So in functional nutrition, I’m looking at
What are the best foods we should eat the best best lifestyle practices? And so that’s the first category. The second category is, you know, when you get your exam where most eye doctors just have you read the distance chart and that’s really your eyesight. It’s not vision. Vision is how the eyes in the brain and the body integrate and work together. So it’s a brain experience.
So how you use your eyes functionally affects the structure anatomy of the eyes eventually. So if you’re in a repetitive state of movement with your eyes and vision or you’re wearing glasses or contacts that perpetuate or reinforce a weakness, then it just gets worse and worse. So in functional vision therapy.
What I’ve developed is a way to help re-educate the habits and bring people to a better space around their vision functionally and this reverses the structural deterioration.
Sam Berne (04:21.549)
Thank you. You’ve seen improvements in cataracts and macular degeneration with nutritional changes. are the foundational dietary recommendations you typically make? Well, number one is eliminating moderate to high glycemic index sugars. Number two is reducing inflammatory foods and you know, the bad fats.
And then number three is to protect yourself from the damaging blue light emitted from our screens and using iridology, you know, analyzing the patterns of the iris. We can look at your constitutional type to see whether or not, you know, what
What specific health practice you can do to mitigate any deterioration and then in addition to the Constitution, we can look at the different patterns genetic tendencies and nurture points and our glands organs and digestive areas and then we can really fine-tune and pinpoint what foods you should eat what lifestyle changes you should make and in all of
the cases, I recommend boosting mitochondria function in the eye either through red light therapy. could also do methylene blue, which is kind of an it kind of amplifies the red light therapy or you can do certain foods that stimulate mitochondria function. So if you do all those things, you are being proactive in interrupting and in many cases reversing the deterioration in these eyes.
diseases. Say one more thing with cataracts. If you catch it early, if you increase your glutathione and vitamin C, those two ingredients have been found to be really potent for slowing down the aging process in cataracts or macular degeneration.
Sam Berne (06:31.809)
Thank you. Could you explain the importance of carotenoids like lutein and zeaxanthin for maintaining macular and lens health? Sure. So the carotenoids help protect the macula by creating kind of like a similar metaphor would be like wearing sunglasses. So it deflects the damaging blue light. Now, if you’ve had cataract surgery,
The intraocular lenses don’t even have any blue protection in them. So this is where lutein and zeaxanthin become even more important. Now dosage on a daily basis. You should be doing about 16 milligrams of lutein and about four to six milligrams of zeaxanthin daily.
Couple things though. These are fat soluble vitamins. So you want to make sure your liver gallbladder are working well because you can be either taking the supplements or eating the you know, the rainbow vegetables. But if you’re not absorbing the fat soluble vitamins because the liver gallbladders is not working are not working well, then what’s the point? So you’ve got to make sure your liver gallbladder are
working properly so you can.
Absorb them. There’s one other one that you haven’t mentioned, but I think I should mention it. It’s called astaxanthin. So astaxanthin is a third carotenoid. It’s actually a marine carotenoid. You can get that from wild-caught salmon, you know, the pink seafood. You can also if you’re vegan or vegetarian, you can get it from algae. So you want to get four to six milligrams a day of the astaxanthin. The astaxanthin along with the lutein and the
Sam Berne (08:19.439)
Chorizanthin works synergistically that will protect your macula and if you’ve been diagnosed with either dry or wet macular degeneration, you should start taking those carotenoids immediately. Thank you. Why is glutathione?
considered a crucial antioxidant for eye health and what dietary sources or supplements might you recommend? So glutathione is a powerhouse antioxidant. It’s produced in the liver and some of the best foods that you could get glutathione from would be either the cruciferous vegetables or garlic onion.
those things or I would recommend a liposomal glutathione. So that means that it’s kind of fat molecule and it’s sublingual and so I’m not recommending any companies but you can do your research, but you want to get a liposomal
glutathione because it’s going to be protected in a fat molecule. So when you swallow it, it’s not going to get, you know, eaten up by digestive enzymes. So either or another thing you could do is get IV glutathione, although it doesn’t stay in the body that long. But certainly I’ve had many patients going for IV glutathione and they will say immediately their eyesight is much clearer. So
glutathione is one of those really power houses of antioxidants and it’s in a high concentration in the lens of the eye as is vitamin C. So if you’re developing cataracts, you’re probably low in those two antioxidants. I would start boosting them either through supplementation and or foods. Okay, you might have just answered this but how do omega-3 fatty acids and DHA
Sam Berne (10:18.745)
specifically benefit the health of the optic nerve and retina? Well, the retina is made up of about 50 % essential fatty acids and you know, in in the neuroscience literature, they’re always talking about how omega-3 is really good for the brain, know, the brain and maybe 50 % fat and so the omega-3 is first of all for glaucoma.
It is a requirement that if you’ve been diagnosed with glaucoma, you should start taking at least two to 3000 milligrams a day of a really high potency DHA EPA primarily DHA and then with any kind of retinal disease. Again, omega-3 is critically important as an anti-inflammatory agent, but also just feeding the retina. Also omega-3 has been shown to
help mitigate some of the dry eye symptoms. Now dry eyes a complicated condition. We can talk more about that because there many levels and layers on why we develop dry eye. But you know, I think that everybody should be on a good omega-3 because we don’t produce it in the body and you know, you need to do your due diligence on companies that do their third-party testing, but it’s certainly it’s essential.
For high health. Thank you. What are the primary metabolic factors contributing to cataract development and how can these be addressed holistically? Well, one of the main ones and I’ve heard some of your speakers talk about it is the process called glycation. So in the lens what happens is the glucose molecule binds itself to the protein molecule of the lens and this creates cloudiness.
And you know, in all the patients I’ve seen over the years, and this is also in the literature, if you have a difficult time with glucose metabolism, you’re probably going to develop cataracts and possibly even, you know, diabetic retinopathy or wet macular degeneration. So the key here is that you need to really take care of your pancreas health.
Sam Berne (12:46.029)
and you know, be aware of what you’re doing around your sugars, even carbohydrates. You know, a lot of my patients will say, well, I do a fruit smoothie bananas and you know, all these sugary fruits. So we try to move them off of that. I would say berries are probably okay. Citrus fruits are probably okay, but you need to really monitor this glycation situation and also it can be a cause of eye floaters.
because that glycation molecule will attach itself to the protein molecule of the vitreous the gel sack and this also is a creation of floaters. So glycation wreaks havoc on the eyes as it does on the body and it really accelerates the aging process. So we’ve had a lot of speakers talk about diet and we’ve asked them a lot of questions. And when it comes to supposedly healthy fats meaning raw seeds.
nuts, raw organic seeds, nuts, avocados, olives. Those four things, that’s question one. And then question two would be olive oil, hemp oil, flax oil. So question one, seeds, nuts, olives, avocados. Question two, supposedly healthy oils such as hemp, flax, olive. How do these affect eye health?
Well, it’s obvious big time, know, when we do seeds and nuts again, you know, I like to do dehydrated and organic if possible chia seeds are a great source of omega-3 and of course walnuts. You know, we’ll recommend something like a smoothie where we’ll use a few seeds and nuts and cacahuas 70 % and that’s a nice way to get
your fats and all the great stuff that’s in cacaua avocados. You’ve got lutein in in avocados, which is great. And you know, when I travel, I always bring an avocado on the plane and that’s one of my snacks. And in terms of the fats, you know, three six and nine again, I’ve heard some of your speakers talk about how we get too much six or nine and not enough three. I think it’s a balancing act.
Sam Berne (15:09.863)
act, but I, you know, I love things like, you know, organic olive oil, hemp seed oil. mean, it’s all moderation and high quality. So I don’t think we get enough fats and oils in our diet. I think it’s one of the areas that we forget about or we’re eating fats that aren’t really high quality, which are going to accelerate oxidative stress and inflammation.
So I, you know, I’m with most of your speakers around. need more healthy fats three, six and nine and you know, you’ve working with a functional medicine doctor that can help fine tune, you know, exactly what you need. But you know, it’s essential for your eye health. You challenge, thank you. You challenge the idea that the vision must deteriorate with age.
What are some fundamental strategies to maintain or even improve vision in older adults? Number one only wear your glasses when you need them take them off and go without your glasses and non demanding and non threatening situations. Number two get morning sunlight at least 30 minutes every morning number three limit your screen time.
Take frequent breaks. If you’re on screens phone tablet or computer number four, your lifestyle is such where you want to get out into nature and get away from the EMFs because that actually affects your eyes and number six heal your emotional health because emotions definitely have an effect on the eyes and number seven.
cultivate your liver gallbladder thyroid and pancreas health and we see this again in our iridology readings and we can tell if there’s you know, genetic tendencies or nurture points, but you know doing a liver cleanse once or twice a year is awesome for for clearing up your eyesight and reversing the aging in your eyes.
Sam Berne (17:24.301)
What just 30 second what what what’s your version of a liver cleanse? Well, a simple one is get some warm lemon water in the morning. Add bitter green vegetables to your salads, you know for lunch and before bed put a drop or two of castor oil on your liver and put a heating pad or a hot cloth over it for 10 or 15 minutes, which is like a castor oil pack.
Those are really simple practices for supporting liver health.
Sam Berne (17:59.772)
So the next question, I guess, is the question is what are the specific mechanisms by which blue light from digital devices can be damaging to the retina and contribute to macular issues? But let’s just, the term blue light was not a term we were using 10 years ago. It wasn’t a term that most people even heard about five years ago. And now all of a sudden, not all of a sudden, but we’re hearing people say.
That blue light is an issue when you need special blue light blocker glasses. What is blue light? Why is it a concern? What should we do? Not all blue light is bad. But if you look at the nanometers between 405 and 455, that is a chaotic blue wavelength. And when that blue wavelength touches your eyes, it creates dryness. also can over time.
create eye strain or eye fatigue. And so on the in the short answer is that when you expose yourself to the 405 to 455, you’re setting yourself up to have this I call it a neurotoxin that’s coming into your eyes. And the French government did 400 page paper on the ill effects of blue light.
from children to adults in the US and I just attended a conference. It was a mainstream allopathic eye conference. They did not really think blue light has some issues. However, blue light definitely is going to affect your pineal gland. It tricks the melatonin and it can create sleep problems.
The thing with blue blocking glasses is that it’s in the marketplace. So there’s a lot of predatory products out there that say, you know, they do this and they do that even the best blue blocking glasses only only cut out about 30 % of the blue light. So it’s not a hundred percent. That’s where you have to take your carotenoids. You have to you know, get out in the natural sunlight. I do think that blue protecting lenses.
Sam Berne (20:17.227)
Are certainly worth it. You can also get things on your screens. You can also get software that will deflect some of the blue light, but there isn’t any one thing that’s going to completely block you from the blue light. So you’ve got to have good visual resiliency, good visual skills. I wouldn’t wear progressive lenses. Those are the invisible bifocals when you’re working on the computer because that’s going to stress your eyes.
So there’s some things that you can do functionally. There’s some functional vision therapy exercises that you can do obviously nutrition and diet and it’s just like anything else. You don’t want to be running marathons with your eyes and that’s what people do on their screens. So it’s all moderate, but I would say that blue light definitely has an ill effect. And if you’ve had cataract surgery, you want to definitely protect yourself from blue light.
because the IOL they’re putting in doesn’t correct you or protect you and you’re not told that in in the surgery. So those would be some of the things I would spotlight and blue light. It’s definitely an issue. the way, how many eye doctors in the country have your knowledge base? Is this there a lot of people that know this or is this unusual because I haven’t heard
I wasn’t I’m not aware of that many that speak with the wealth of knowledge on this that you have. Well, I you know, I can’t speak for for others. I am doing a practitioner training now. So I know that the people that I’m training they’re going to they’re going to get my knowledge. There is an organization called covd.org and there are a group of behavioral optometrists who do some form of vision therapy to what
A degree. I don’t know. There’s also a group called the College of Syntonic Optometry and they do light therapy. Again, I don’t know what their database is. I know for me, I had some really great mentors who aren’t alive anymore who really, know, I was 28 years old and I had five 70 year old behavioral optometrist developmental optometrist.
Sam Berne (22:39.833)
You know, so I got a big transmission there. And the other thing is I do have a broad perspective. So I’ve studied acupuncture, craniosacral, aromatherapy, functional medicine, energy medicine, and many other things. So I look at myself as a physical therapy optometrist and a naturopathic optometrist. I don’t know too many people who wear those hats, but
You know, that’s that’s what I do and I’ve been doing it 40 years. So I’ve got a big base of patients and you know, that’s why I keep doing it because it’s great and on social media, you know, we have over 280,000 followers. So something is getting struck there on the cord of you know, the information I’m conveying. Thank you. What are some common myths about eye health that you frequently encounter and would like to dispel?
Number one, you don’t have to live out your doctor’s diagnosis doctors allopathic diagnosis number two, your eyes don’t have to get worse as you get older. They can actually get better and number three, you can improve your vision at any age. I have patients between 85 and 90 that are improving their vision. They’re either reducing their prescription their
getting their driver’s license renewed, even if it’s just daylight. They’ve had pretty severe diagnoses that we’ve been able to reverse in terms of diseases. So, you know, when you go to the regular doctor again, if they don’t see it in their mind that you can improve it, then of course they’re going to stay in their indoctrinated ways. I’ve had the good fortune to see a lot of healing with people’s eyes and vision.
So I can recognize if somebody is open to do it and their body intelligence says, hey, I want to do this. I’m doing it in other areas. We find this all the time that even giving somebody a reduced prescription can actually improve their eyesight and vision and this happens all the time. And then if they want to go deeper, you know, the longer they work with me the more benefits they get.
Sam Berne (25:01.465)
Thank you. Beyond diet, what are your top five nutritional supplement recommendations for overall eye health and why?
Okay, so a disclaimer. I do not distribute any products because the product markets that I see do not meet my criteria for safety and protection of the consumer. So that being said, I’m just going to speak generally here. And what I would say is that you know number one
And I’m to go in a little different direction here. I think the thyroid health is really important. A lot of people have low thyroid. So seaweed, dulse and kelp are really important in terms of liver health. The three herbs that I love. So I’m going more herbal than just, you know, vitamins and minerals. Burdock root, yellow dock and milk thistle that combination. If you want to do a really good liver cleanse, that’s a great
combination. I think that if you can, you know, do like eye compresses things like dandelion, rude or golden seal, chamomile, eye bright, although that’s hard to get even colloidal silver. If it’s a really high quality that can be really good at, you know, as an antibacterial agent. I also do a lot with essential oils and my number one
essential oil is frankincense and I’ll put it on the temples massage it on the back of the neck and on the third eye. We did a we did a post on Facebook on frankincense that very thing and we got over 1 million views. So something is is resonating with people using frankincense as a way to improve the vision. Obviously, we talked about Omega 3’s those are really good.
Sam Berne (27:09.775)
for glaucoma adding things like ginkgo, bilberry, taurine for macular degeneration, saffron and turmeric are really good. Bilberry is great for night vision and improving peripheral vision. So, I mean, there’s a lot of different avenues around the supplementation. But you know, if you press me, I’m still saying no processed foods.
and rainbow diet. I love doing smoothies like vegetable smoothies like using ginger root, turmeric root, beets, celery.
cabbage, wheatgrass, you know, and use a hot tea. So if you’ve got, you know, say issues with your bones, I would do something like oat straw tea. You’ve got respiratory issues, Mullen tea, and that’s a hot tea that you would put in the blender or the Vitamix. Getting those plant enzymes is really, really important in the morning. I find that people aren’t getting enough really good enzymes and you know, you can take supplemental enzymes, but
It’s not the same as you know, getting into your Vitamix and working that way. So I don’t know if I answered your question, but those are that’s my that’s my perspective on on what you asked. Thank you. What are your thoughts on wearing contact lenses full-time versus allowing the eyes periods of rest without them? Well, I definitely think contacts are great part-time sports and social.
You don’t want to for near-sightedness. You don’t want to get over corrected for distance with contacts because then you’re going to need reading glasses over the contacts. So tell your doctor you want to be a little bit under corrected for distance and near-sightedness in far-sightedness. If you were contacts again, you don’t want to wear something so highly magnified because then you’re going to lose your distance.
Sam Berne (29:16.229)
And you don’t want to do monovision where you’re correcting one eye for distance and one eye for near and then wearing the contacts part-time is a good strategy because you know what happens is when we work contacts full-time we get a false sense that our eyes are really good and that’s the farthest thing from the truth. That’s what’s great about the glasses because you can take them off in certain instances.
You get to allow your system to relax and your point is well taken around the contacts because it can create a dryness. It can affect the ocular microbiome. That’s right. We do have a microbiome and so taking the lenses off allowing your eyes to breathe and just being moderate when you wear the contacts. I think they’re a great, you know, a great optical system to use.
Just as a general answer, not best case scenarios, how likely is it that we can improve our eyesight? I know a lot of what we’re talking about is how to prevent our eyesight from getting worse, but in your experience, not the couple of cases where everything went great, the average person who’s using glasses and contacts, are you saying that we can maintain our eyesight or are you saying you could actually have better vision? What are we, what is the, end?
New York Spurgeon. So who who’s the population? it in this conference or is it more in the general mainstream where they’re not in this conference? Who who are you targeting here? A motivated person that was saying I would be very interested in. Okay, if they’re motivated and they have some, you know, background in holistic health.
Then I would say it’s probably a 95 % chance that there can be some improvement. And what I see with people when they when they take that on the release around them actually experiencing the improvement reduces their stress by about 250 % and I see it all the time like people come in. I don’t know exactly what you do. I’ve heard good things.
Sam Berne (31:38.637)
I’m interested in my mindset as I want to improve it. Great. Then I can at least give them three things that they will experience some level of improvement and the stress release that they get from that is profound.
Thank you. Tell me or tell us about LASIK or the equivalent of LASIK. What you know what it is how well it works if there are side effects and also for someone who’s already undergone LASIK and is experiencing returning vision issues. What holistic strategies you might recommend. So LASIK is a refractive store refractive surgery and a long line of refractive surgeries that used to be called PRK back in the day.
Basically, what the surgeon does is he’s changing the shape of the eyeball, the front of the eyeball to reduce the prescription in the eye. And one of the sayings we have in our practice is it’s not the eye that causes the prescription. It’s the programming behind the eyes that causes the prescription and that’s an important point because if you do believe that it’s the
Programming that causes the prescription. Well, what you’re changing is just the end result symptom, which is the prescription in the eye. That’s what you’re doing with lasik, but you’re not going back to the operating system and reprogramming that so now you have the lasik surgery and the operating system is still operating in the old model, which is I’m going to still
have the same programming and then you’ve got this new hardware. That’s like it’s not fitting. So what you have to do is you either have to ignore the programming and then you’ll probably stay more in a success space. You know that sweet spot where you go. Hey Lasix great. There’s no problems, but you’ll see it in other areas either in the body intention that you carry or other weird.
Sam Berne (33:53.612)
Things that may show up in the eyes side effects. Yes, there are many in lasik surgery like dry eyes starburst and a revert back to again, the operating system is much stronger than the lasik procedures. So that you you move back into the the prescription that you had before you had the surgery. Now there are physical therapy exercises that I’ve developed.
that can help people post surgically integrate what the lasik surgery has done to the eye. You know, we have eye surgery, but we never do physical therapy after it. In fact, it’s invalidated. It’s taboo. If you bring it up with your surgeon, they always say, that doesn’t work. It’s, you know, mumbo jumbo, but you go have a knee operated on or a shoulder and you go to physical therapy.
Remember, I said about 10 minutes ago, I’m a physical therapy optometrist. So when somebody is at surgery, we need to do surgery. We need to do physical therapy afterwards so that they can integrate the programming the operating system with the new information that’s in the eye. If you do that, you can mitigate a lot of the deterioration that comes in the last point. I want to make and I mentioned this at
class is that in 2018, the New York Times did an expose on the FDA FDA and Lasik surgery and actually the person who helped approve the Lasik surgery worked for the FDA was quoted in the article saying that he probably wouldn’t approve of the surgical procedure today because he’s seen so many horror stories and that article really reveals the shadow side of Lasik surgery.
Even though you know on the mainstream media, it’s really, you know, very popular and celebrities and athletes that do it and it really can create confusion between the eyes and the brain.
Sam Berne (36:06.869)
Thank you. What is grounding or earthing and how might it contribute to overall wellness and potentially impact eye health in our modern
Well, grounding and earthing is an opportunity for you to get into the energy fields of the earth and all our shoes are rubber. We don’t walk barefoot anymore and we’re spending all of our time either in cars or cement. We’re not in nature. And so the emf’s build up and
One of the places that I see emf’s really cause problems is if you wear metal glasses. Sorry Steve. It conducts emf’s into the ice. So you want to go more with a plastic frame and taking your lenses off. We use grounding. We have mats that you can, you know, actually put your feet on when you’re working on the computer. We also have it on our massage table.
When I’m doing crania sacral, you can even put a grounding mat on your bed if you want to so kind of depends on your environment. I mean if you live in a city where there’s a lot of wireless and you can’t get yourself into a barefoot place in nature that I would definitely get grounding and earthing in your apartment or your house definitely helps. Now if you can get out into nature and you can get into the Schumann wave, which is a very slow
Frequency that comes into our body and resets us if you can do that and you can meditate and you can walk in bare feet and then, you know, you don’t need the grounding map. But I think it’s really important. A lot of holistic health practitioners talk about it. It’s the real deal.
Sam Berne (38:05.547)
What are your recommendations for individuals who spend many hours working on digital screens to mitigate potential eye strain and damage? Well, first of all, I would recommend having their optometrist prescribe or at least test their eyes that what is the best prescription at the computer? One of the things that happens that I see a lot is that people get a distance prescription.
But that prescriptions for 20 feet and so when they use it at the computer, it’s going to create eye strain. It’s too strong for them. That’s on the near-sighted side on the far-sighted side. If you’re wearing reading glasses, like when you look at your phone, that magnification is going to be too strong for you at the computer so that you want to get a weaker magnification lens at the screen distance. I think it’s important to at the very least take
frequent frequent blade breaks set up things where you can deflect the EMFs whether it’s crystals or you can get these EMF protectors. Very important. I think getting out in the morning natural sunlight is also critically important. Of course, blue protection is part of it and hydrate hydrate hydrate hydrate. I don’t know if anybody at your conference has talked about
the benefits of hydrogen water. We’re using it now to be part of the support of macular problems and cataracts. So hydrogen water, structured water, I’d be drinking really high potency water, really, really good. And, you know, I use essential oils. We might distill those in the environment. So you’re oxygenating and hydrating.
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Keywords
holistic optometry, vision health, eye care, Sam Berne, trauma, stress management, visual processing, integrative health, eye conditions, functional vision
Summary
In this enlightening presentation, Dr. Sam Berne discusses the profound connection between vision and overall health through the lens of holistic optometry. He shares his personal journey of overcoming vision challenges and emphasizes the importance of understanding how our eyes reflect our physical and emotional well-being. Dr. Berne explores various aspects of holistic eye care, including the impact of stress, trauma, and nutrition on vision, and offers insights into common eye conditions and their integrative solutions.
Takeaways
• Holistic optometry focuses on the whole person, not just symptoms.
• Vision is deeply connected to emotional and physical health.
• Stress management is crucial for maintaining good vision.
• Nutrition significantly impacts eye health and function.
• Trauma can lead to disorganized visual processing.
• The gut-eye connection is essential for overall health.
• Functional vision is about how we use our visual system.
• Understanding the root causes of eye conditions is vital.
• Vision therapy can help improve learning and processing in children.
• Integrative approaches can reverse common eye conditions.
Sound Bites
• “The eyes never lie about your health.”
• “We see things as we are, not as they are.”
• “Your vision reveals your health.”
• “I reversed my progressive myopia.”
• “Emotions impact how we see the world.”
• “Stress affects our vision significantly.”
• “The gut and the eye are very connected.”
Chapters
00:00Introduction to Holistic Optometry
08:01The Journey of Sam Berne
15:10Understanding Holistic Optometry
21:50The Connection Between Vision and Health
30:05Trauma, Stress, and Vision
38:50Common Eye Conditions and Their Solutions
Sam Berne (00:00.106)
On the final lecture of the day, which will be followed by a couple of panels. We’re privileged to you our next speaker, Sam Byrne, OD. He’ll be talking on the Eyes Never Lie, what your vision reveals about your health. Dr. Byrne.
few words about him dr burn received a bachelor of from penn state university a doctorate from the pennsylvania college of optometry and a post-doctoral advanced degree from the gazzal institute in child development aside from having a private practice he’s done clinical research been a faculty member at the es salon institute and authored five books he’s a member of both the new mexico optometric assuming optometric
Association and the American Optometric Association. is licensed to practice optometry in New Mexico and Hawaii. Did I say that right? You were very close. You got a gold star. was that was was. There you go. All right. Well, welcome. Thank you. Very excited to have you here today. OK. For everything I have to say, you go ahead and begin your presentation.
Well, thank you so much for inviting me and I’ve been looking forward to this. And so we’re going to start off with a quote and I want to give you my interpretation of it. You probably can have your own. We don’t see things as they are. We see them as we are and one of my intentions about this presentation today is to help you see through your eyes.
And we’ll get more into that. But I want you to have ownership of your eyes and vision. Now in this next quote that I put up the eye is the window to the soul, but it’s also the mirror of the body. And today I’m going to connect the dots on how our eyes affect our metabolic and endocrine health and I’ll get into that in a few minutes.
Sam Berne (02:13.303)
The title of my presentation is called the eyes never lie what your vision reveals about your health and then the upper left corner is something called functional vision integrative body and that’s the method that I’m using now to teach practitioners all the things I’ve learned. I’m going to this for about 40 years and we started a practitioners training last year. That’s actually open to
non-eye doctors. There’s a way that people can use this method and they don’t have to be eye doctors and they can really help their clients. And then the lower right corner is me reading one of my books, my latest book vital vision and I’ll talk about my books at the end of the lecture today. But I thought I would start off about the question that I get a lot and that is how did I get into this?
How did I get into this optometry specialty? Well, it started when I was about eight years old. I was diagnosed with a learning disability and my parents took me to a lot of different professionals. You know, I grew up in a family that really stressed reading and intellectual thinking and I couldn’t read. I didn’t know how to read. So we ended up after
visiting several different professionals at an ophthalmologist office and I got a pair of nearsighted glasses and I became a memorizer in school. That’s how I got through school. I got really good grades. I worked really hard and every couple of years my myopia got worse. I had progressive myopia and I got to the point where I couldn’t see the biggie on the eye chart and I was really
Dependent on my lenses. Well, after I graduated optometry school, I met a developmental optometrist. name was Dr. Albert a shankman and he practiced in Connecticut. I was living in Philadelphia at the time. So I started to go to him as a patient and he said two things to me. He said number one, I think your myopia your progressive myopia is due to tension that you’ve been carrying in your eyes since you’ve been a child.
Sam Berne (04:37.899)
I never heard that before even in Optometry school. And then the second thing he said is that your left eye wanders out and you’re not using your two eyes together. That’s why you see double and that’s why you have poor reading comprehension. So I began working with Dr. Shankman in a process called physical therapy for vision and about six months later, I woke up. I was rushing to my office in Philadelphia and I’m driving on the freeway.
And I’m going, my God, I forgot to put my contact lenses in and I can see the road signs. I couldn’t believe it. It was really a shocking moment, but it was amazing. It was an amazing healing and I had been reducing my prescription, but this was amazing to be able to see clearly without my lenses and we fast forward 40 years later and I don’t wear any lenses for distance or reading. So I experienced
a shift in being able to completely reverse my progressive myopia. The second thing that happened to me was that I began to use my two eyes together and I stopped seeing double vision and I became a voracious reader. So with those two things impacting me in my practice that I opened up and I actually affiliated with a another developmental optometrist. His name is Dr. Ellis Edelman in Philadelphia.
I started a practice where I was very inspired to help people improve their vision. But the problem was I was in an area that was very allopathically centered a lot of ophthalmology hospitals and clinics around our office and I couldn’t get any patients. It was very frustrating. So one day I went to one of the hospitals nearby and I met with the physiatrist and the physical therapist and I said, you know,
I know how to do this rehabilitative optometry physical therapy on your patients. Could I come and try for three months and see if I can make any, you know, improvements. So, of course, after a month, these people who were suffering double vision vertigo and balance issues focus and concentration issues. These are people with traumatic brain injury stroke, you know, brain insults all kinds of things.
Sam Berne (07:03.648)
They were going back to their life in a normal manner. So I began then working at another couple of hospitals around Philadelphia and that’s how I built up my practice. The second thing I did at that time is I began to work with special needs kids. These were kids in the spectrum disorders down syndrome, minimal brain dysfunction, and I had a very strong impact on them and I really helped them.
So going after those two population groups, I built up a successful practice which I sold about five years later and I moved to my present home Santa Fe, New Mexico and I opened up a holistic integrative practice and you know, never looked back very successful at it. So that’s my beginning and now I want to bring you into what is exactly that I do.
So before we get to that, I want to give a disclaimer that the information I’m sharing today is only educational that this is not a substitute for medical care. It’s not a substitute for your eye physician. This is just education. Okay, and so I am not diagnosing or treating in this. I’m only sharing information.
I want to give a shout out to my mentors and my teachers. I have several of them in optometry and also in the world of body centered healing also in nutrition, craniosacral therapy, aroma therapy and iridology. So really grateful that I had these people really touch me and I wouldn’t be here today without them.
Sam Berne (08:58.795)
So I’m sure all of you have been to the eye doctor and this is an optometrist and he has a machine in front of the patient’s eyes. It’s called a foropter and you probably have been in this situation where your optometrist will put you in front of this and say, okay, which lens is clear one or two and you go, can you show me that again? And he says one or two and you go
I number two, no, number one, number one. think number one, they’re so close. So the optometrist will probably say, well, let me show you three and four. This is number three. This is number four, four, I think four. The optometrist may say, well, you’re, you’re pretty definitive there. He says, well, you know, I think I really screwed up because I still messed up because of number one. And so this goes back and forth.
And let’s say you’re having a stressful day and you choose a lens. And then the next thing is you you get the prescription and you go back to the doctor and you say hey doc, you know, I’m I’m kind of seeing out of a fishbowl and he says, that’s that’s normal. You know, that’s you know, you’ll just get used to it. And actually in six months, you’ll come back and we’ll make the prescription stronger and no problem or the other thing is you get the glasses or the contacts and go.
Why is the world slanted and the optometrist will say, well, that’s just your stigmatism. You know, just tilt your head a little bit. You’ll get used to it and you know, six months, you’re going to get a cataract anyway. No worries. Well, no, we don’t want to adjust and get used to something that’s creating some kind of disharmony in us. And this is how the eye exams regularly go. So in mainstream eye care,
It is dominated by reactive symptom-based experiences. I’m sure many of you have had that you have going with the symptom and you leave and you know, maybe the symptoms a little better, but you’re not really getting to the root cause and usually, you know, whether it’s, know, farsightedness or nearsightedness myopia hyperopia astigmatism cataracts.
Sam Berne (11:22.952)
macular degeneration dry eye. We’re going to get into all those today. Eye care is very reactive and they’re going for the first line of defense. Okay, how do we control the symptom? They may manage the symptoms through prescription lenses, which by the way, when you do get a prescription lens and you see 2020 out of it invariably, it’s probably going to weaken your eyes. And you know, in my practice, what we do is we figure out perhaps
giving you a full prescription, but then we might give you a vision improvement prescription that you can work with in a non demanding and non threatening situation. And over time your eyes can flex into the weaker prescription happens all the time for us. Also in mainstream eye care, basically it’s pharmaceuticals needles surgery and you know, one of the big moneymakers today. If you have wet macular degeneration as an example.
is the the shots of Avastin the anti-VEGF and we’ll go into some of those things. What are alternatives to getting the injections month after month? You know, I’ve had a lot of patients over the years that have been doing those injections for a long time and they’ll come to see me and within three to six months using my method. They’re able to completely get off the need for injections and their eyes get better. They return to health.
Obviously surgical invention interventions are very common and sometimes you do need surgery. I’m not against cataract surgery. It’s actually, you know, one of the safest surgeries out there, but there might be alternatives that you can you can do that instead of doing surgery. So we’ll go into that.
The other thing that mainstream eye care does is it treats the eye as a mechanical structure and it often ignores the deeper connections to the brain to our systemic health our trauma lifestyle and stress. You know, one of the things that I did after I had my experience working in the hospitals is I published an article on research on the relationship between traumatic brain injury and vision. And by the way, if you
Sam Berne (13:41.937)
want any of the citations that I shared today. I’d be happy to send you the article. My hair is a little less gray, but otherwise it is me and the the I would say the case histories that I shared were really compelling and it made a big difference in terms of bringing traumatic brain injury into the conversation around vision.
So what is the science of holistic optometry? Well, there is definitely peer review literature in vision science. The journal behavioral optometry, optometry and vision development have published many articles on case histories and outcome-based reports on things like visual processing problems, convergence insufficiency, which is an issue with
coordinating your eyes together, it’s what I have.
Sam Berne (14:41.864)
So what is holistic optometry? Well, it considers the whole person, you know, in this conference and I’ve been listening and watching some of the other practitioners. They’re all talking about, you know, we’re treating the whole person, you know, we’re reminding patients that we’re already whole and instead of treating fragments, we’re treating the whole person. So in vision science in our holistic optometry approach.
I’m looking at things like behavioral neuroscience. We’re going to do an exercise a little later in this presentation on how to increase our neuroplasticity. And because the eyes originate from the brain, the eyes are the only part of the brain that sit outside the cranial vault. But the eyes do come from the brain very early on in utero. So when we start applying new
Stimulations to the eyes. We can make changes and some of those changes can really affect our behavior. That’s why there’s a term that sometimes used in holistic optometry called behavioral optometry. And that means that if we change the way we’re seeing we might change the way we respond to ourselves in the world and we’ll talk a little more about that.
Another thing that I do in holistic optometry is something called somatic movement body movement. Well, you know, we don’t just see with our eyes. Our eyes are actually our GPS system that guide our body through space and our peripheral vision our depth perception all of those skills that interface with the brain gets stimulated through movement and so movement and vision work hand-in-hand with each other.
I don’t know. I don’t think I have to say much about nutrition. mean in this conference, everybody’s talking about eating, you know, in a healthier way. And certainly if we change our diet, if we eat more antioxidants, you know, the eyes have one of the highest metabolic needs of the body. And so if we give it healthy clean food, non-gmo organic, you know, we prepare it. Well, that’s going to improve our eyesight.
Sam Berne (17:04.667)
No question about it. Stress management is another thing. So how many people here spend more than one hour a day on a computer that in itself being on digital devices creates a lot of stress in our eyes and in our body. So what can we do to reduce the stress to de-stress our vision so that we’re not behind the eight ball in terms of oxidative stress inflammation and
This creates the deterioration. You’re in for a treat today because we’re going to talk about light and color therapy and I’ve set it up. So we’re actually going to all get a light and color therapy treatment. So that’s going to come towards the end of my presentation. So stay tuned for that. And then finally visual processing and integration therapies. I do this a lot with children. I’m in the process of producing directing and producing a new documentary that’s going to be coming out this summer.
And it’s my work with the spectrum disorder kids that I’ve been, you know, helping for over 40 years. And so, you know, get on my email list because this this documentary is really fabulous and I’ve been working on it a long time. We’re kind of in the final stages of it, but I want to bring awareness to the general public that vision and learning and the brain.
are very interrelated and it can really affect our learning and processing of information.
Alright, some other things that affect our vision. I referred at the beginning of my presentation astigmatism and astigmatism means there’s a twist in the body a twist in the eyes and this creates an imbalance in our posture.
Sam Berne (18:57.735)
It’s interesting with the stigmatism. I’m a craniosacral therapist and when I used to have my main office, I used to have my eye exam equipment and right next to that I’d have my massage table. So I would measure somebody’s prescription and then I would ask them to go on the massage table and I would do an hour of craniosacral therapy on them. Then I’d put them back in the eye exam and I would redo the exam and invariably their eye prescription was
at least 30 to 40 % less after doing an hour of craniosacral therapy and that’s what I would prescribe and people were thrilled. They love that prescription. So the point of it is is that what prescriptions we have in our eyes can really impact our neck our head our body our spine our sacrum and if we give a lens that’s too strong. I’m telling you that the cervical spine
the thoracic, the sacrum, the pelvis is all going to feel it. And I’ve had a number of cranial osteopaths that refer patients to me because they say, you know, this guy’s prescription is way too strong. I can feel it in his cranial rhythm. This happens over and over again. So posture the body how we hold ourselves.
Based on what prescription we’re worrying in our eyes. It’s going to affect our posture. What about emotions? Is there any relationship between emotions and how we see well with 40 years of patients telling me this so this is coming from patients. They’ll say something like my nearsightedness my myopia is related to fear and I’ll then talk to farsighted people.
hyperopia and they’ll say my main emotion is anger. So if we relate that the Chinese medicine what is fear is in the kidneys and anger is in the liver. I’m going to talk about the liver kidney relationship in a little bit. So our emotional body definitely has effect on our physical vision. And once you start uncovering what’s behind your eyes.
Sam Berne (21:21.486)
what’s been internalized. Those things are going to start to come out and you can have emotional psychological even spiritual insights that can actually clear up your physical seeing. I talked a little bit about learning. So we know that, you know, when you go to the regular eye doctor and he or she has you read the distance eye chart. That’s actually not vision. That’s your eyesight. It’s eyeballs. It’s glasses.
Vision is how the eyes and the brain and the body work together. So the more seamless you have that eye brain body connection that’s going to improve your learning. mean, I experienced it firsthand. I was a terrible reader for 20 years and when I met Dr. Shankman and I went through his vision therapy program and I healed my visual coordination problem. No problem in reading. I can read and write and
So it was a real epiphany in me and again over the years helping thousands of kids regain their vision which really impacts their learning and then finally the nervous system regulation. So our eyes reflect our sympathetic nervous system and our parasympathetic nervous system. So how does that work? So we have something in our eyes called our pupil and the pupil is I call it the the light.
gatekeeper like for example, you go outside and your pupils should get small. They should constrict because you want to protect yourself from the light. You don’t want to have light sensitivity like you come inside and you come inside and the pupils dilate because you need more light. Okay, so that’s a nervous system autonomic nervous system response. When you have too much sympathetic nervous system.
in your vision. Guess what happens your poop. Your pupils are dilated all the time. So you’ve got light sensitivity, your sensitive to glare. You get eye strain, eye fatigue. Another thing you do is you tunnel your vision. This is the start of myopia. So your nervous system is a reflection of how your visual system is working and how you’re working. You can’t really separate it out.
Sam Berne (23:50.051)
All right, little more on research because people like that. And again, I can send you citations on the science of holistic optometry. The Journal of Behavioral Optometry has reported, you know, improvements in convergence insufficiency by doing something called the convergence insufficiency symptom survey. They also do something else called developmental eye movement test.
And eye movements are very important in terms of our reading our tracking. And so there are physical kind of standardized tests that you can do to measure the effects of the physical therapy. And not only are you seeing subjective changes, but you’re also seeing objective changes. Now, what about vision mirroring stress? I talked a bit about stress and stress management.
There are scientific findings out there that the sympathetic nervous system is in overdrive and just like I talked about we go in our fight-flight-freeze response. This increases pupil size. If we’re in chronic stress, it’s going to affect our accommodation, which is our focusing muscles, our vergence is our coordination. And the other thing that we measure is the relationship between visual stress and cortisol levels. We’re not surprised by that.
So we go into adrenal fatigue and I’ll kind of bring those things together a little later. How does vision mirror trauma? Well, in some of the scientific reports early trauma can lead to disorganized visual processing. So this would be birth trauma and any kind of c-section or breach or forceps delivery will affect something called
primitive reflex retention. So now we’re kind of in the world of occupational therapy and physical therapy and I had the good fortune with one of my mentors. Dr. Albert a Sutton who was a world-renowned developmental optometrist. He brought a group of optometrists from Scandinavia and they taught us the primitive reflex integration therapy. So the primitive reflexes are early movement patterns that start in utero.
Sam Berne (26:12.932)
And they kind of set the stage for the infant toddler child to move through these primitive patterns movement patterns. And then the brain gets freed up where they learn how to hop and skip and jump rope and then eventually they’re tracking their eyes. They have visual coordination. And then finally they move into executive functioning processing where they make decisions and they plan ahead stuff they do in school.
But what we learned was these school-aged children that have learning problems. It was because they didn’t integrate their primitive reflexes. This is what these optometrists from Scandinavia taught us. So what we found was is that if there was early trauma could have been in utero could have been at birth could have been at the bonding period. These primitive reflexes got stuck and they’re controlled by the reptilian brain our survival brain.
So our survival response and so by doing this primitive reflex therapy on them, it released the brainstem. They integrated the primitive reflexes. Then they could then move to the higher brain centers and this actually had an effect on their processing. So it’s a long answer to it’s one way that you can heal trauma. Probably another way you can heal trauma that I use in my practice, especially with the kids.
Is craniosacral therapy. I feel that craniosacral combined with primitive reflexes is a really great foundation for helping children heal trauma. And I would say craniosacral works on the fluid body and primitive reflexes work on the nervous system. Now the fluid body comes way before the nervous system. So, you know, in a lot of rehab, they’re talking about just primitive reflexes.
They just stay in the nervous system. So in my practitioner training as an example, we go all the way back to the fluid body, the cerebral spinal fluid, the fascia, the connective tissue, the lymph because if we can go all the way back, then we can reprogram the fluid body and then we can do the primitive reflexes on the nervous system. And there you go. You’re covering all the bases. This also can be with adults. This is what I saw in the hospitals.
Sam Berne (28:36.804)
PTSD and trauma survivors, you know, I’ve worked with a lot of veterans and in veterans as you probably know, there’s a lot of PTSD and the thing about our vision is because it’s soft tissue. We absorb the traumas, but we can’t see them on the MRIs. We can’t see them on the scans, but where I do see them is functionally symptomatically. And so by doing again, physical vision therapy.
This is a way that you can start healing the PTSD and the trauma. Some other things that happen in trauma around vision is we tend to tunnel our peripheral vision. We have trouble with eye contact. We have trouble with convergence. That’s where our eyes aiming in towards each other and focusing issues. And also the last thing is we’re sensitive to light and there’s a problem with our balance our orientation. We might have vertigo. That’s that vestibular visual mismatch.
What about vision and inflammation? I’ll tell you a lot of the eye diseases. I see are really related to inflammation gone amok. And if you look at conditions like dry eye uveitis macular degeneration, just to name a few, there’s a connection between those and cytokine cascades. Also oxidative stress and pairing.
the lens health. So that’s why we develop cataracts or retinal problems, either macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy or other very weird retinopathy conditions. There is a very strong gut-eye axis. I know that can be hard for some of my colleagues to understand, but the gut and the eye are very, very related and connected.
Sam Berne (30:38.604)
So in my functional integrative body, my functional vision integrative body method. What I’m here to say is that functional means how we are using our visual system as opposed to just looking at it from a structural point of view. You know, when I was in school, I learned the structure of all the anatomy and actually in a few minutes, I’m going to give you a functional anatomy session just
Just to teach you a little bit about function as opposed to just structure. There’s also in my experience a neuro emotional and a somatic approach when we start adding those things to our vision. It allows us to open the door to create to create and treat the root causes not the symptoms and I would say most I care is really interested in symptom suppression. They’re not really
Looking at the root causes. So I think of it as education prevention and restoration empowering people to take agency in their healing and this is what our practitioners training is about. Okay, so I’m going to bring you in to structural anatomy versus functional anatomy and structural anatomy focuses on form and shape. This is the lens. This is the eyelids. This is the optic nerve.
Okay, so there’s an identification of here’s the anatomical parts and maybe this is where the disease is. This is where the disease begins. It could be in the optic nerve. It’s glaucoma. It could be in the macular. It’s macular degeneration. In functional anatomy, what we’re interested in is how the anatomy moves, how it works. It’s more of a dynamic situation. In this particular saying that I use function
affects structure. So how we use something is going to eventually affect the anatomy. As an example, a lot of people out there go into what we call invisible bifocals or progressive lenses. And when you wear a progressive lens, what happens is basically the edges of the lens are not usable and the only part of the lens that you can see through is the middle part and it’s
Sam Berne (33:06.12)
Split up. It’s a gradient where the very top fourth of the lens is for distance. The middle part of the compartment is for computer and the bottom part is for reading. And let’s say you now have been diagnosed with macular degeneration. This happens a lot in our practice. So they come to see me. They’ve got macular degeneration and they’re wearing the progressive lenses. They don’t like them.
but they were prescribed for them and what the progressive progressive lenses are doing functionally is they’re making the person focus and use primarily their macula exclusively. So they’re making them use the weak part of their retina, but they’re not even thinking that the practitioners that are prescribing these aren’t even thinking of the functional ramifications.
They’re thinking of it as this is cosmetically great. Nobody’s going to see the line, you know, it’s everything’s in one lens and you know, so they’re they’re not really looking at the root cause they’re just trying to treat, you know, the the symptom again. So we take them out of the progressive lenses. We might give them a single vision lens for driving and a single vision lens for the computer and maybe we give them a reading lens as well. Okay, they can still use their
progressive lenses if they’re really shifting back and forth. But the key thing on function affecting structure, the bigger the window you look through the more of the eye you’re using the smaller the window you’re using the less of the eye you’re using and you’re putting stress maximum stress on the stress point. It’s the weakest part of the person’s retina, which is the macula macular degeneration. So you have to look at what are you giving the patient?
as it relates to their functional vision experience. Okay, so here’s the anatomy of the eye and if we go over here, see my arrow. This is the front part of the eye. We have the the front part, which is the eyelids which protect the eyes and they house the glands. So people that have things like blepharitis or you know, my bone me and gland dysfunction.
Sam Berne (35:30.708)
Their eyelids are swollen. There’s inflammation going on. And so, you know, that’s going to impede their ability to produce the proper tears that then cover the clear window of the eye, which is the cornea. And so the cornea has a lot of nerve endings on it. And if it’s not getting lubricated every time you blink, it feels like you’ve got sand in your eyes. Well, the standard approach would be to use, you know, an immune suppressant eye drop called
Restasis, which is very expensive. It suppresses your immune system. It gives you some temporary relief, but it’s certainly not dealing with the the cause of why the person is getting dry eye just as an example. And then we go behind that and we see the iris, which is the colored part of the eye. And then here’s a healthy lens. So I read a statistic recently that by the age of 70.
95 % of people are going to get cataracts. Okay. Why is that? Why do we get cataracts? Well, partly it’s because the lens of the eye has no blood vessels that run through it. You don’t see any blood vessels here. It’s what we call an avascular structure and it’s very susceptible to oxidative stress accumulation protein accumulation.
something called the glycation process where glucose molecules attach to the protein molecules and this creates the cloudiness in the lens. So what can you do to reverse cataracts or slow down cataracts? Well, two of the main ingredients are glutathione and vitamin C just to start with we’ll get into some other things. But basically if you’re developing cataracts, you’re low in glutathione, you’re low in vitamin C.
And the third thing is you need to really monitor your pancreas health and your glucose levels because if your glucose levels are moderate to high, if you eat a lot of carbs and a lot of you know, white foods or sugars or you know, bad fats, you’re going to start getting oxidative stress in the lens of the eye. So there are things that you can do nutritionally to start to reverse that and we’ll talk a little more about that.
Sam Berne (37:54.346)
We look back here. This is called the posterior chamber. This is where we get those bothersome floaters. I floaters. I probably get a question a day on social media. How do I fix my floaters? And we think that floaters is just an eye problem, but actually there’s a systemic and metabolic cause to floaters anything from inflammation in the eye liver congestion.
poor dentistry head trauma just to name a few and so there’s some things that you can do to mitigate some of the floaters. I think improving the lymphatic system is another way getting better circulation in the eye. Sometimes is a way to get rid of the floaters and then finally we’re back at the retina and the retina is made up of photoreceptors. We have the macula we have the
which is right here the fovea and then we have the the retina itself and then we have the optic nerve here and this is the connector back to the brain. So the eye in general needs a lot of nutrients and after about age 35 or 40 of we get less and less of those nutrients into that eye area unless we have really good digestion and
coupled with stress poor lifestyle lots of digital use not getting enough morning sunlight. I mean, there’s a lot of reasons why our eyes let us down and there is a genetic component to it as well. So we’ll kind of go into that maybe in about five minutes. We’ll go into that. All right, so common eye conditions. I had progressive myopia and I was able to reverse it. Certainly myopia is running an epidemic.
portions because of all the screen time we’re doing. I call it visual confinement time.
Hi Friends,
I want to let you know that I will be speaking along with 80 other speakers at The Real Truth About Health Free 17-Day Live Online Conference April 5 – April 21, 2024. I will be speaking at the following times and taking live questions. I look forward to speaking with you.
Individual Lecture (live online presentation) – Sam Berne O.D. – The Eyes Never Lie: What Your Vision Reveals About Your Health
Wednesday, Apr 09, 2025, 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM EDT
Panel 63 – Natural Vision: Unveiling Holistic Strategies for Lifelong Eye Health – Saturday, Apr 12, 2025, 8:15 PM – 9:30 PM EDT
Sam Berne O.D. – Vital Vision: Clear Vision Naturally
Please sign up to watch these free lectures.
therealtruthabouthealth.com
Strategies For Chronic Eye Symptoms: Demodex
Step 1: Rule Out and Reassess
Ask:
– Unilateral or bilateral? (One eye vs. both)
– Morning vs. all-day redness?
– Discharge? Itching? Burning?
– Contact lens wearer?
– Recent meds (antihistamines, SSRIs, sleep aids)?
– Screen use, blue light exposure, or recent stress spikes?
—
Step 2: Consider Root Causes
1. Meibomian Gland Dysfunction / Evaporative Dry Eye
– Redness + inflammation + lack of response to silver = possibly oil glands clogged.
– Use:
– Warm compresses (5–10 min, twice daily)
– Lid massage with hypochlorous acid spray (e.g., Avenova or Heyedrate)
– Omega-3 supplementation (2–3g/day of EPA/DHA from Nordic Naturals or similar)
- Demodex Mite Overgrowth (esp. if itching or worse in the morning)
– Classic in chronic blepharitis and redness.
– Use:
– Tea tree oil wipes (like Cliradex 1–2x/day)
– Castor oil on lids at night (anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial)
🌬️ 3. Allergy or Environmental Irritant
– Wind, smoke, mold, and pollen can all cause long-term inflammation.
– Try:
– Homeopathic eye drops (Similasan Allergy Relief)
– Cold compresses during flare-ups*
– Consider nettle leaf or quercetin supplements for systemic histamine balance.
-
Autoimmune or Inflammatory Response
– Consider the gut-immune-eye connection if this is part of broader inflammatory issues.
– Explore:
– Low-histamine diet trial for 7–10 days
– Support with **turmeric/curcumin or Boswellia
– If gluten-sensitive, remove gluten as it can trigger ocular inflammation. -
Topical Support
If redness is not due to infection but inflammation:
– Use preservative-free lubricating drops like Refresh Mega-3or Systane Complete 4x/day
– Avoid Visine or “get-the-red-out” drops—they rebound.
—
Functional Vision Add-ons (Your Toolbox)
– Red-light therapy near-infrared (650–850 nm), 2–3 min per eye daily.
– Essential oil lymph drainage protocol (frankincense, helichrysum, copaiba around eyes—not in).
– Vagus nerve reset with somatic vision exercises to drop inflammation systemically.
—
Referral Warning Signs (If Any Present)
– Severe light sensitivity
– Reduced vision
– Eye pain
– Clouding or corneal haze
Chronic Inflammatory Blepharoconjunctivitis, likely from:
1. Meibomian gland dysfunction + Demodex overgrowth
2. Environmental irritation or low-grade allergy
3. Possibly gut-liver overload (systemic inflammation contributing)
—
🌿 Refined 7-Day Protocol to Calm, Clear, and Reset
Step 1: Cleanse the Lids + Calm the Microbiome
– Morning & Night:
– Wipe lids with a hypochlorous acid spray* (Avenova, Heyedrate, or Biotech).
– Follow with Cliradex wipes (or dilute tea tree oil in jojoba 5:1 if cost is a factor) to target Demodex.
– After 3 mins, apply castor oil or organic manuka honey salve on lids (not in eyes).
Step 2: Reduce Local Inflammation
– Apply a cold compress for 5–7 minutes mid-day (or chilled chamomile tea bags).
– Use preservative-free lubricating drops 3–4x/day: Refresh Mega-3 or Systane Complete*
– Optional: Apply diluted frankincense or copaiba around eyes (temples, cheekbone, brow bone).
Step 3: Internal Anti-inflammatory + Eye-Lipid Support
– Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): 2–3g/day from fish oil (Nordic Naturals, Carlson Labs).
– Turmeric/Curcumin*: 500–1000mg/day (Meriva or BCM-95 form).
– Quercetin/Nettle Leaf capsules If mild seasonal allergy is suspected.
Step 4: Environmental Clean-Up
– Check for bedroom irritants (dust, mold, old pillowcases, down comforters).
– Sleep with a humidifier if in a dry climate (Tesuque qualifies).
– Try changing pillowcase daily for 3 days, see if symptom intensity drops.
—
Bonus: Functional Eye Reset
– Begin or resume your **Vagus nerve reset/lymph eye drainage protocol daily.
– Short craniosacral eye holds or temporal lifts can also reduce fluid stagnation.
—
Optional Soothing Eye Rinse (Daily or PRN)
– Mix:
– ½ tsp organic calendula tincture
– ½ tsp salt
– 1 cup sterile warm water
– Use an eyecup to gently flush or soak for 2 minutes (beneficial after outdoor exposure).
—
Re-Evaluate After 7 Days:
If there’s a 50–70% improvement, stay on protocol for another week, then taper.
If there is no change, escalate to MD/OD referral to rule out rare forms of conjunctivitis, episcleritis, or ocular rosacea.
—
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Show Notes
Keywords: Iridology, eye health, iris analysis, health insights, holistic health, dietary recommendations, preventive health, Sam Berne
Summary: In this conversation, Sam Berne discusses the practice of iridology, explaining how the iris serves as a map to the body’s health. He elaborates on the significance of eye color and pigments in diagnosing potential health issues, emphasizing the importance of dietary and lifestyle changes for prevention and overall well-being. Berne highlights the educational aspect of iridology, advocating for a proactive approach to health rather than merely treating symptoms.
Takeaways
• Iridology analyzes the iris to reflect organ health.
• Eye color can indicate specific health tendencies.
• Blue eyes may suggest lymphatic and respiratory issues.
• Mixed eye colors often relate to liver and digestive health.
• Brown eyes can indicate blood toxicity and sluggish elimination.
• Iridology helps identify genetic health patterns.
• The shape of the pupil can reveal spinal health.
• Pigments in the iris indicate metabolic inefficiencies.
• Dietary changes can support eye and overall health.
• Iridology is a preventative tool for health education.
Sound Bites
• “The iris is a map to the body.”
• “Iridology can be used as a tool.”
• “Brown eyes struggle with blood toxicity.”
• “Iridology can show inflammation signs.”
Chapters
00:00Understanding Iridology: The Eye as a Health Map
13:06The Colors of the Iris: Insights into Health
19:51Pigments in the Iris: Indicators of Metabolic Health
Sam Berne (00:00.414)
One of the methods that I use to analyze and help people is by doing a investigation into the colored part of the eye called the iris and the iris is a map to the body and iridology is the study of the color the pigmentation and the structure of the iris and we also look
at the pupil which is inside the iris and through lots of clinical research over the years. There have been certain say patterns that show up based on the color of your eyes. So just generally speaking, if you’re blue-eyed like I am, there’s a tendency toward lymphatic weakness, sinus congestion.
lung congestion and arthritic symptoms, arthritic symptoms. If you’re dark brown, that’s a person that tends to be more towards having blood issues and glandular disturbances. And then the third type is the kind of the mixed where that’s a person that’s inherited both the brown and the blue eyes.
And they tend to suffer liver and digestive issues. So when we look at the colored part of the eye and we’re looking at the color the pigmentation and the structure. This is going to reflect several things our organ health our glandular health. It’s also going to show us genetic tendencies that perhaps our parents or grandparents were dealing with, you know, where could be things like
blood sugar issues or heart issues thyroid issues just as some examples, but iridology can be used as a tool. It’s the way I use it to measure different strengths and deficiencies that are located within the body and especially when you use it with kids like I do at kid power where I’m working with a lot of special needs kids. I mean just the other day I was
Sam Berne (02:28.673)
doing some, you know, vision analysis of several kids and I did a little iridology on them and parents couldn’t believe how spot-on I was about what their nurture points were in terms of their digestive health, their glandular health, toxicities that they might have to deal with. So when we look at the iris, we’re looking at all these different
pigments and patterns and colors that can be proactive and preventative, you know, like for example, sometimes I’ll pick up say a cardiac issue in the iris. I’ll see say a certain way the the heart. You know the heart pattern is and so that can tell us that herbally we might be able to do some things like Hawthorne.
as a way to support the heart better. Or if we have lymphatic congestion, it might be advised to avoid foods with gluten and dairy because those are definitely going to set off the respiratory issues and it’s also going to affect the lymphatic health which is going to cause inflammation.
So I want to give a shout out before I go any further to the father of iridology in the US, Dr. Bernard Jensen and Dr. Jensen. I actually studied with his daughter-in-law Ellen, Dr. Ellen Jensen. She was my teacher and that’s how I became certified in iridology. But Bernard Jensen was such a pioneer in the field of iridology. mean, he, I think he taught.
iridology in like 55 different countries amazing and he had the wherewithal to develop the maps and you know collaborated with a lot of different doctors around the world to create a mapping system today that is really great in terms of pinpointing different patterns in the iris and you know we talk about
Sam Berne (04:48.013)
How you know the eye is very connected systemically and metabolically to the body through Chinese medicine and acupuncture. Well, it’s also very connected to our glands our organs are inflammatory issues possibly cholesterol problems thyroid issues and to be able to have that validation proactively and especially in kids it’s
really really a great tool to help kids get what they need because if they have the proper energy on a cellular level, they’re going to learn faster and develop quicker, especially through the functional vision therapy programs that we’re talking about. All right. So I started off by talking about the three different colors of the eye.
blue eyes mixed and brown. I want to go into a little more detail on each one and it’s very simple. If you’ve got blue eyes, they can be light blue, gray, green, blue. There tends to be a sluggishness in the lymphatic system, mucus and sinus congestion. Inflammation is a big issue for the blue-eyed person, especially in the upper respiratory tract.
where you get, you know, conditions like croup and bronchitis and you know, colds and things like that that create a lot of mucus. So it really comes down to number one eliminating gluten, dairy and sugar and this includes, you know, wheat and making sure you’re getting enough of an anti-inflammatory diet things like celery. That’s probably my number one celery cucumber.
sprouts and lemon water. Okay, you can also do apple cider vinegar sipping it is a is a way in a glass of water. Again, you want to get the raw you can put apple cider vinegar is vinegar on your salad dressing berries apples. Pears are great for the blue-eyed people herbal teas like nettle dandelion clover. One of my favorites is oat straw tea.
Sam Berne (07:10.001)
Or you can do Mullen teas very good for the respiratory health. Omega-3 things like flax chia wild-caught salmon. These are things that are really helpful and foods that you want to avoid. If you’ve got blue eyes would be dairy products for fine sugar and heavy starches like the white foods white bread and pastries. All right, the second color Constitution is the mix the hazel.
These are like a pure green light brown. There’s a blend of blue and brown. I mean you can ask the person or ask the mom, you know, do you think your child has blue eyes or hazel eyes, you know, get their feedback. So with this particular set of colors, the mixed colors, there tends to be a problem with the liver and digestive health. There’s more inflammation in the digestive tract. They might not be digesting their food well.
This could be leading to things like candida or irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn’s disease. And of course, liver is very important for our eyes, but it’s important as a detoxification organ. Another thing the the mixed Constitution will show is blood sugar fluctuation. So we might see markings on the pancreas as an example, bile insufficiency, sluggish gallbladder.
Remember that it’s very important for us to absorb our eye nutrients vitamin A, is fat soluble lutein and zeaxanthin. So if we have a problem with our gallbladder or we don’t have a gallbladder or we’re dealing with a lot of toxins in our body, then we’re not absorbing those fat soluble foods that are really feeding the eyes. That’s why we get night vision issues, dry eye retina issues, cataracts.
You know macular degeneration all of these things show up later. what is the recommended food for the mixed color? I would say number one liver supporting foods. This would be carrots beets artichokes turmeric and lemon high fiber vegetables really good the cruciferous vegetables would be like broccoli or cauliflower kale radishes and then the low glycemic
Sam Berne (09:35.157)
fruits and I think this goes for everybody is if you’re going to do some kind of fruit or carbohydrates pastries sugars, you want to go more towards low glycemic index foods. So this could be berries cherries grapefruit and bitters. So this would be something you put on your salad in the middle of the day could be dandelion greens arugula the bitter bitter type.
vegetables for your salads go a long way for cleansing the liver. Obviously foods you want to avoid fried greasy fast foods, alcohol, processed sugars and food additives and dyes. I mean that goes across the board. And then the third type I call the hematogenic type or the brown eyes. These are the dark brown black brown may look velvety.
or uniform. So these people tend to have a really strong constitution, but they struggle struggle sometimes with blood toxicity things like anemia or you know blood imbalances. They also can lean more towards sluggish elimination. So you have a tendency toward liver and bowel sluggishness and there’s a risk of
Mineral imbalances like not absorbing the minerals. These are really people that are on the go a lot. So they need B vitamins and minerals that they’re absorbing and the B vitamins help them. They’re going to do mineral rich foods and this would support the thyroid really well seaweed dolls. And then of course the dark greens lentils work really well quinoa.
clean proteins. So if they’re going to do, you know, more animal products, I would say cage free eggs, wild caught salmon, grass-fed beef, organic chicken, and then chlorophyll rich foods like chlorella, spirulina, wheatgrass works well. They tend to do better if the foods are cooked. So things like Kitchery, that’s an Ayurvedic formula.
Sam Berne (11:58.955)
rice and beans and vegetables that’s very healing for the body and you can use different Ayurvedic herbs like cumin, coriander, turmeric.
Sam Berne (12:12.403)
Those things help with the digestifier and Kitchery is a really great great thing for the brownite folks. You want to avoid excess red meat, white sugar, refined grains and synthetic binders and fillers. So that’s kind of the scenario with the with the colored part of the eyes.
The next thing I want to do is I want to go into the pigments of the eyes before I go into the pigments. I want to reveal I want to share what are the inherent strengths of what iridology can do and what it can’t do. So first of all, iridology can improve the organs the glands and the tissues. It tells us what
is weak what we need to nurture on what nutrients they need to utilize what what are the the problems with toxicity? they discharge the toxins? Sometimes the pigments and the markings can tell us what special nurturing is needed in terms of toxicity. Iridology can also show inflammation signs.
in an organ or a gland and that tells us how we might react to illness autoimmune disease. It’s also going to show us genetic patterns. So even though we may not be dealing with it, there might be tendencies based on our mother and father and by the way, the right eye is the father and the left eye is the mother in terms of our, you know, genetic connections. Another thing that we can look at in iridology is the
The shape of the pupil that regulates how much light gets in and it tells us the pupil shape tells us about the health of the spine. It can also tell us about what part of the spine is traumatized or is injured based on the shape. And so chiropractors use this quite a bit as a diagnostic tool. I certainly use it in my practice in craniosacral therapy.
Sam Berne (14:32.347)
looking at the shape of the pupil. If it’s not completely round, if part of it is kind of flat or it’s elliptical. This tells us that there’s definitely some problems with our spinal health. Everything from the cervical spine all the way down to the sacrum. Now, another thing the iris will show us is problems, weaknesses in our connective tissue.
Tendency towards tend we might have a tendency towards hernias hemorrhoids, varicose veins and even scoliosis. Iridology can show us glandular deficiencies, high cholesterol levels and lymphatic congestion. But now here are some things that iridology can’t do. We can’t diagnose disease and treat based on that. It doesn’t diagnose things like parasites.
our Candida. cannot confirm bacteria viral or fungal infections. We can’t tell whether a woman is pregnant. We can’t diagnose tumors cancer or whether a person has kidney issues in iridology. We talked about the three different constitutional types. And now what I want to do is I want to move towards the pigments. So
What are the pigments mean in iridology pigments are the colored spots. There are the the flex there the specs that we see in the iris and they can be there. Usually we see them really quite prominently where they’re kind of deposits of byproducts of inefficiencies in our metabolism.
Sometimes they’re inherited. Sometimes they show up later. So they offer insights into different glandular and organs of the body. So for example, one of the most common pigments that we see is orange and this is often related to pancreatic stress or blood sugar metabolism issues and it can be a predisposition to things like hypoglycemia.
Sam Berne (16:56.679)
insulin resistance diabetes. It’s also something I look for in cataract development because sometimes cataracts develop based on blood sugar imbalances. And if you can repair those sometimes the cataracts can slow down their progression and even in reverse and early stage cataracts. Brown either the rust or the reddish brown suggest
that there’s stress in the liver in the gallbladder in the digestive tract and there might be a history of poor detoxification or exposure to environmental toxins. The third pigment that I see is yellow and this is related to lymphatic congestion. It also can be related to kidney stress. Usually you’ll see a diffused ring maybe around the
the edge of the the iris and this also can affect the skin health. This can tell us about skin. Another pigment will see is dark blue or black and this often relates to stagnation or degeneration in a certain organ zone. So this can relate to long-standing toxicities or poor circulation that area. One of the things I look at is dental health and
If you’ve had mercury amalgams or mercury removed, have you done enough toxicity release of the mercury or is it still, you know, part of your systemic and metabolic health? And then there’s the white pigment around the edge of the iris and this can relate to cholesterol imbalances, fatty deposits, circulatory congestions, drusen in the retina.
and inflammation and acute stages. Whenever I see cholesterol rings, one of the things I’m really looking at is liver health because if we can prove improve liver health that can really affect a lot of different aspects of the health and the body. So I think it comes down to a couple things. First of all, I think we need to take a look at our genetic tendencies. Number two, I think we need to take a look at
Sam Berne (19:21.695)
What are the actual nurture points of our glands and organs in our current health and can we be proactive in educating ourselves in dietary changes possibly supplements and obviously reducing things like sugar dairy gluten wheat and then the third is lifestyle our stress response to life and you know how we deal with family dynamics with
You know relationships, I think the lifestyle is also part of this whole situation. So in summary, what I would say is that iridology is an educational and preventative tool where we can work on proactively our health and restore balance and vitality from the inside out. So we’re not treating symptoms. We’re not treating disease, but we’re trying to restore balance and harmony.
For even more from Dr. Sam, check out his new exclusive membership where you get access to my content and resources, new information, articles, videos, webinars: https://drsambernesmembership.com/
Check out his upcoming practitioner’s program starting May 13th!
https://www.drsamberne.com/practitioners-training/
Keywords
nutrition, brain health, children, vision therapy, developmental delays, biochemical imbalances, essential nutrients, meal planning, healthy eating, cognitive function
Summary
This presentation by Sam Berne explores the critical role of nutrition in enhancing brain health and functional vision therapy for children aged 3 to 16. It emphasizes the importance of addressing biochemical imbalances, essential nutrients, and effective meal planning to support cognitive function and overall development.
takeaways
• Nutrition is a building block for children’s learning and development.
• Biochemical imbalances can hinder nutrient absorption in children.
• The digestive system’s health is closely linked to brain function.
• Sugar addiction in children can complicate dietary changes.
• Essential nutrients like Omega-3 and zinc are vital for brain and eye health.
• Hydration is crucial for maintaining cognitive and digestive health.
• Meal planning should focus on whole foods and nutrient-dense options.
• Early discussions about nutrition can improve therapy outcomes.
• Healthy eating strategies can be adapted for busy families.
• Food choices directly impact children’s behavior and learning capabilities.
Sound Bites
• “Sugar addiction is hard to break.”
• “Zinc is important for retinal health.”
• “Food is the fuel for vision.”
Chapters
00:00Introduction to Nutrition and Brain Health
02:47The Importance of Nutrition in Developmental Delays
06:11Biochemical Imbalances and Nutritional Testing
08:59Essential Nutrients for Vision and Brain Health
11:55Meal Planning and Healthy Eating Strategies
14:48Conclusion: Fueling Vision and Learning
Sam Berne (00:00)
Hey everyone, welcome to the program today. So this is a lecture that I gave recently to my students on the aspects of nutrition and high brain health and this is working with kids between the ages of 3 and 16. So I hope you enjoy the presentation. Thanks for tuning in. Hey everyone, welcome to the presentation today. So it’s
It’s great to be here. I enjoyed your Q &A at the beginning. So I want to jump in and talk about the nourishing vision and this has to do with what are the best foods in nutritional practices to enhance functional vision therapy in children. So I’ll start off by telling a story.
I was practicing in the East Coast at the time and I was giving a presentation down in Florida and it was a very well received professional lecture on vision therapy, nutrition, naturopathic medicine. And at the end of the lecture, there was this man that was sitting in the front row.
and everybody had left and he said I want to introduce myself. My name is Dr. Sutton. I’m a professor at Berry College here in Fort Lauderdale. I’m also a developmental optometrist. I’ve been in practice over 45 years and I really enjoyed your lecture, but there were some holes in it and I was kind of taken aback by it because
You know, I was a hot shot. had already published a couple of books. I was very well known. I was lecturing all over the place. And here was this gentleman saying, you know, dude, you got some holes in your thinking. So it caught my attention and we went out to dinner and he told me a little bit about his background and all the things he had done working with special needs kids.
And so we struck up a friendship and I actually became a student of his. And over a course of many years, he and I did a lot of collaborations together. And he was in practice in Miami Beach, Florida. And he was a professor at Berry College where he taught special ed teachers and teachers who worked with learning disabilities.
So I definitely had a lot to learn and got some humility over it. And there are many things I learned from Dr. Sutton, but one of the main things that I did learn and this had to do with nutrition is that when we would consult on a lot of different cases and these were complicated cases where there were multiple developmental delays sensory motor integration issues birth trauma.
Obviously there was biochemistry issues. One of the things that he taught me was that the nutrition is an essential piece the building block sometimes the secret in the puzzle and really stimulating a child’s learning and development because what he said was that when a child has got
developmental delays, possibly traumas, other issues that usually there’s a biochemical imbalance going on on a cellular level, meaning that there is an interference in the child’s ability to absorb nutrients. Now, of course, there can be things like inflammation, oxidative stress, poor digestion.
And you know, many other things that are obstacles which inhibit the ability of us to absorb our foods. mean, plenty of us as adults have had these kinds of dysbiosis imbalances in the digestive system. And we know the digestive system has been called the second brain and it mirrors a lot of the things that go on in our upstairs brain in our head.
And because our eyes originate from the brain, we have to include the eyes in the brain discussion. And so the eyes are distant relative to our gut health and especially working with kids where we’re trying to have them make big changes in their development and getting them to learn. They have to have the energy to do that. And if they have
biochemical imbalances on a cellular level. They probably don’t have the energy to do the learning and the changing and the transformation that we as therapists are asking them to do. So in the sequence of when we might introduce the conversation of biochemical imbalances, especially with parents. It’s important to have that discussion early on. Now, one of the ways that I open the door with that is
That in my history, and it’s a very extensive history over 12 pages, lifestyle, birth, motor skills, auditory skills, many other things that we have the parent write out. What does a child eat? What do they eat for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks? What are their drinks? Because a lot of times if there is a biochemical imbalance, we start to see where kids
gravitate certain to certain types of foods and one of my favorite games. I like to play with the kids is I’ll say, okay, Johnny, we’re going to leave your mom and dad out of this discussion. You and I we’re going to go down to the local grocery store. Just you and I and I want you to take me to your favorite aisle. What would you go for? What would you eat? What are you thinking about and 99 % of the time it’s either cookies candy.
carbohydrates, sodas, you know, all the things that are going to interfere with having that long-range energy that we need to have proper brain chemistry, mood and also the ability to learn because we need the energy to do that. So once we have the diet, once we know, you know, what we’re dealing with another thing that we have to
Take into account in the equation is that if a child is going for sugary things, carbohydrate things that this has almost become an addiction and it’s very difficult to just go cold turkey on any kind of addiction, especially sugar. So one of the things we have to look at and there are many tests that we can use. I have a book that I wrote about 10 years ago called taking it in and in that book I talk about
different biochemistry tests that I do that give us a baseline on what’s going on. Now we can obviously do a 24-hour blood test. could certainly order, you know, other things like what are your D3 levels? What’s your, know,
protein inflammation, homocysteine levels will tell us about inflammation. A lot of things that we can we can ask for but usually in a blood test things are missed because unless there’s a gross imbalance, everything’s going to look pretty normal. So then we start looking at more subtle tests like a 24-hour urinalysis test urine test, which can give us information on heavy metal toxicity.
or saliva test, which gives us information on endocrine health or hair mineral analysis, which tells us about what are the minerals that work. We’re excreting into the hair and these minerals are the spark plugs which make ourselves work and based on mineral ratios. We can see if we’re either sensitive to carbohydrates, not absorbing carbohydrates, whether we have inflammation, adrenal thyroid imbalances.
heavy metals, other toxicities. So there’s a lot of things that you can get from all of these kinds of tests. Not one test gives you everything. I also like stool tests. If we’re thinking about parasites and you can even do bio resonant testing, which is more of an energetic way of measuring the body’s compatibility, especially with foods and supplements and so on. Another way we can test it is by going through certain
guidelines, which I’m going to talk about and you can do something called kinesiology muscle testing and for those of you that aren’t doctors certainly doing kinesiology, which is where you read the body based on the body strength while they’re holding the supplement or the food or the or the whatever and if it’s strong, then the body could use it. There’s a good chance. There’s a compatibility going on.
So the role of nutrition is so important in our functional vision therapy program because if we can improve dietary absorption and get the right foods in the body, it is going to have a very high impact on things like visual processing, visual coordination, visual tracking and cognitive function as we call it our prefrontal cortex. So
The the issue around not having the proper nutrients in the body affects us from everything when we start the primitive reflex therapy vestibular stimulation gross and fine motor skill sets that we’re working on and common nutritional deficiencies that we can say pretty much are in most of these kids would be number one Omega-3 fatty acids.
Number two would be the trace mineral zinc. Number three would be the fat soluble vitamin A or beta carotene and then B vitamins magnesium and perhaps other minerals trace minerals depending on the stress level. Most kids are under stress. So they’re going to need B complex and minerals. A lot of times they’re not holding their minerals. We can look at iridology.
And we can tell say on a blue-eyed person their constitution is saying they need to have a strong lymph system and the very sensitive to gluten-dairy and sugar. We can look at the mixed hazel color, which has to do with the possibility of maybe liver gallbladder issues. And then we can look at the brown colored eyes, which can reflect certain things blood disorders and certain issues with
Most of the glands and organs could be pancreas liver gallbladder and so on. So we can use a variety of different ways to figure out what are the possible nutritional deficiencies. So going through this in more detail number one, I think omega-3 is so essential not only for our eye health retinal health, but also our brain health and some of the sources that we can get omega-3 would be wild-caught salmon.
grass-fed eggs. Obviously everything we do is related to organic non-gmo very important. So omega-3 wild-caught salmon sardines walnuts flax seeds chia seeds. These are all possibilities vitamin A, is related to retinol or beta-carotene. This affects our night vision. It affects our focusing muscles.
It affects our retina health. So these would be foods that contain eggs, carrots, sweet potatoes and dark leafy vegetables. Then there’s the fat soluble plant carotenoids called lutein and zeaxanthin which protect us against blue light and they also can help with visual acuity. Lutein and zeaxanthin can be found in spinach, kale and eggs and bell peppers.
I find that zinc and copper are notoriously low in kids and zinc is very important for retinal health and it’s also a neurotransmitter. So it’s copper. And so where can you get these pumpkin seeds chickpeas cashews and shellfish and then we look at the B vitamins and I would recommend getting folate not folic acid. Make sure you’re getting an end niacin B3
It’s really good for circulation, but you want to get a full spectrum B complex. This is so good for nerve function and stress. So where do we get B vitamins grass-fed meats eggs legumes dark leafy greens and then finally magnesium magnesium is such an essential trace mineral and most of us are really deficient in it.
Magnesium helps in so many different chemical reactions on a cellular level. It’s really great for the muscles, especially the eye muscles and visual stress. We can find magnesium things like avocados, nutseed and cacao dark chocolate. Obviously the foods you want to avoid would be processed foods, sugar, artificial dyes and preservatives, omega-6 overloads. So too much
Omega-6 creates more inflammation and then of course gluten-dairy considerations. I find with most of these kids if we take them off gluten-dairy and sugar immediately their behavior gets better and their cognitive health improves. Something that’s not talked about is hydration. Make sure you’re getting six to eight to ten glasses of healthy water daily.
We’re now recommending hydrogen water or and or structured water. Those can be very helpful in terms of giving the cell more energy and being able to absorb the water better because when we’re dehydrated this affects our brain health and our digestive health and it creates more inflammation. So you have to be really really careful. All right. So in terms of meal planning some things we talk about would be
getting those Omega-3 rich smoothies in the morning. If you can get a smoothie in there that works really well. Again, we use things like celery and beets and kale. Maybe a little ginger turmeric. You could add a date if you wanted to. Cabbage also. Again, it’s kind of you have to see what kids with their texture.
their ability to handle different textures. I should say especially orally some kids just can’t do smoothies try to get more protein in the morning whether you do almond butter eggs avocados and try to do more whole grains as opposed to white food again when we when we get into the white food. This is really going to be low calories.
lots of carbs, a boosting or a spike of the blood sugar levels, which are going to throw us off in our behavior and our focus. So lunch and dinner could be things like wild caught salmon, grass-fed meats, root vegetables. If you’re going to do snacks again, organic nuts, cacaua, fruit with almond butter, hummus.
with carrots and easy food swaps. So healthier, healthier alternatives for busy parents. How do you figure this out? Because you can’t keep going to McDonald’s or Wendy’s and you know, expect to get the proper nutrients that you need. So food is the fuel for vision. That’s what I’m going to leave you with and you want to
have this discussion about nutrition. Either in the first or second sessions are very early on in your physical vision therapy program. And the reason is is the earlier you can Institute the food conversation the supplement conversation the better chance you have of getting success in the physical therapy. Remember if you’ve got the energy you’re going to absorb what you’re trying to learn better.
than if your energy is inconsistent because of poor diet. So this is round one of nourishing your body and nourishing your vision. And these are some of the best practices and foods that enhance function in children.
Keep Up with Dr. Sam
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To make a one on one time with Dr. Berne for an Iridology session and/comprehensive functional vision assessment, contact him: appointments@drsamberne.com
To learn more about his practitioner’s program go to: https://www.drsamberne.com/practitioners-training/
Keywords
color therapy, light therapy, vision improvement, holistic healing, emotional health, energy fields, chakras, adaptogenic therapy, natural light, functional vision therapy
Summary
In this podcast episode, Sam Berne discusses the principles and applications of color and light therapy, emphasizing its benefits for vision improvement and overall health. He shares personal experiences and case studies, explaining how light therapy can enhance emotional well-being, energy fields, and even physical health. The conversation covers the historical context of color therapy, practical techniques for implementation, and the adaptogenic nature of light therapy, encouraging listeners to explore the natural light around them.
Takeaways
Light therapy can improve vision and emotional health.
Color therapy has historical roots in ancient civilizations.
Different colors can stimulate or relax the body.
Light affects our biological systems and energy fields.
Color therapy can be adapted for children with spectrum disorders.
The eyes are a key entry point for light therapy.
Light therapy can be used to balance the nervous system.
Natural light exposure is beneficial for health.
Color preferences can reveal emotional connections.
Light therapy should be approached with respect and care.
Titles
Sound Bites
“Light therapy can do a lot of great things.”
“Light is energy and it’s also information.”
“We need light as well.”
“We can actually fill up our body with light.”
“Color is a language. They understand.”
“Light therapy is like that as well.”
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Color and Light Therapy
02:57 Applications of Light Therapy in Vision Improvement
05:52 Understanding Light and Its Biological Impact
08:45 The Role of Color in Therapy
11:56 Exploring the Color Spectrum and Its Effects
14:46 Practical Techniques for Color Therapy
18:13 Color Therapy for Children and Spectrum Disorders
21:07 The Connection Between Eyes and Emotions
23:58 Adaptogenic Nature of Light Therapy
26:52 Conclusion and Practical Advice on Light Therapy
Join our practitioner’s training! For more information: https://www.drsamberne.com/practitioners-training/
For even more from Dr. Sam, check out his new exclusive membership where you get access to my content and resources, new information, articles, videos, webinars: https://drsambernesmembership.com/
Keywords
vision therapy, behavioral optometry, eye health, personal development, holistic healing, functional vision, primitive reflexes, meditation, emotional health, professional coaching
Summary
In this conversation, Sam Berne discusses his journey in the field of vision therapy, highlighting the influence of his mentors, Dr. Albert A. Shankman and Dr. Albert A. Sutton. He shares insights on the importance of holistic approaches to eye health, the role of emotional and physical well-being in vision improvement, and the significance of primitive reflexes in developmental optometry. Berne emphasizes the need for surrendering to the process of healing and the value of continuous learning in his practice.
Takeaways
Functional vision integrates physical, emotional, and spiritual health.
Vision therapy can significantly improve reading comprehension.
Surrendering to the process is essential for healing.
Primitive reflexes are crucial for children’s vision development.
Holistic approaches are often overlooked in mainstream optometry.
Continuous learning from mentors shapes professional growth.
Emotional tension can manifest as vision problems.
Building connections in the professional community is vital.
Vision improvement requires commitment and consistency.
Dr. Sutton’s techniques are applicable in special needs education.
Sound Bites
“Primitive reflexes start in utero.”
“He was way ahead of his time.”
“Take good care of your vision.”
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Functional Vision Integrative Body
04:12 The Influence of Dr. Albert A. Shankman
12:16 Learning from Dr. Albert A. Sutton
Sam Berne (00:00.078)
Hey everyone. Welcome to the program. Before we start. I have a few announcements. First of all, many of you know that I’ve started a practitioners training and it’s called functional vision integrative body. And this has come after 40 years of distilling
A lot of information, not only about improving your eyes and vision, but things like brain health, body health, working on a physical, emotional and spiritual level, using things like color therapy, iridology, craniosacral, somatic movement and many other things.
So I’ve written up this course for non eye doctor. So it’s a coaching program and it works for any practitioner. let’s say you’re a chiropractor and somebody comes in and they’re complaining about their eyes while they’re exercises and strategies and educational things that you can teach your clients or patients to get better.
I’ve been working with a few body workers like massage therapists, craniosecral therapists, somatic experiencing therapists, and they’re just loving the program. So if you’re interested, contact me appointments at drsamburn.com and we can have a conversation, see if it’s a good fit for you.
Sam Berne (01:39.842)
The other thing I want to mention is my membership program. We’re going on year number three and what I’ve done is I’ve taken a lot of my creative energies that I used to put towards social media and I’ve created content that is exclusively for the membership.
It’s about 20 bucks a month. It’s really worth it. If you’re interested in some of the deeper issues that might be going on not only about your eyes, but about health spirituality meditation energy medicine things like that. So if you’re interested in the membership, I highly recommend it.
You can go to my website, drsamburn.com and right below the word vision. You’ll see membership and you can click on that and there’s a free seven-day period where you can join and you can peruse the content.
What I’ve started to do over the last few weeks is post my written blogs. I’ve written a lot of written blogs over the years and I’m starting to post those in the membership. know some people like like to read and so we’re going to offer you things whether you listen watch or read.
reduce the resistance in your quest of the information. The last thing I’m going to be offering which I’ve actually started is some professional coaching in the area of marketing, social media, brand building.
Sam Berne (03:24.174)
I’ve been very successful at doing those things. In fact, I was recognized by a nonprofit organization here in Santa Fe to offer seminars and do some private coaching. And of course, this is all volunteer, but I want to widen the net. So if you’re a health practitioner, if you’re a young entrepreneur,
Contact me, you can go to my business website, iClarityBusinessSolutions.com and you can read some of my blogs and some of my offerings. And if you want some help in the area of growing your business, I love working with young entrepreneurs, that’s what I’ve done with this nonprofit. Contact me and we can see if we’re a good fit.
Okay, let’s go on to the show today. My number two mentor is an optometrist Albert A. Shankman. Dr. Shankman. You want to know about this guy?
So Dr. Shankman was an optometrist. He was a behavioral optometrist who practiced in the Connecticut area. And after I moved back to the East Coast after my internships were over and I was moonlighting in a lot of different primary care offices, you know, looking for the place where I could start in and open my own office or affiliate with somebody.
I remember getting a flyer in the mail and it was an invitation from Dr. Shankman and he was saying that he is doing a year-long program for any optometrist who’s interested in learning his method of vision therapy and he called it psycho behavioral vision enhancement. In fact, he wrote a book about it. Vision enhancement training, psycho behavioral vision and enhancement. you’re interested.
Sam Berne (05:17.997)
And so I enrolled in the course. Now I was living in Philadelphia at the time and I just started a practice there. And in my own vision, I had a couple things going on for, so I was very nearsighted. And the second thing was, is that reading was not something I was very interested in. Even though I was an A student, I did well in school, I was in the National Honor Society. I was never really good at taking, you know, the, the SATs and you know, those, those kinds of tests.
And comprehension was not easy for me reading comprehension. So when I contacted Dr. Shankman and I went up and I had an evaluation from him, I decided I was going to be a patient of his. So I would go up once a month. It was about four hour drive.
and I would do vision therapy with him over the weekend. Now at that time, he was in his mid 70s, so he had sold his practice and he was living in a retirement community, had a great condo and his wife, Shankman, she also worked in his office as a vision therapist and we became quite close like family.
And every month I would go up there and I would, you know, get an update in my vision therapy program. And then in between I was doing 20 to 40 minutes every day, seven days a week of vision therapy practices that were very different than what I learned in school. They were very involved in movement and balance and working with the eye patch and
looking at psycho-emotional and spiritual and energetic reasons around, you know, my own vision problems. And I remember Dr. Shankman said two things to me at my first visit. He said my myopia was a result of the tension that I carried in my eyes as a way to muscle my way to the answer. And that was pretty accurate. Second thing he said is the reason why I wasn’t a good reader is that my left eye wandered out. I had very poor convergence.
Sam Berne (07:23.631)
with my eyes, especially when I read and this either leads to confusion, double vision, suppression in the eye. When our two eyes don’t work together, the brain gets confused and it tends to suppress, you know, the non-dominant eye. And so I started in an Invisvision therapy practice and within a couple of months, I noticed that my nearsighted prescription reduced and it kept reducing and as I kept reducing,
Consciousness opened up insights opened up things changed for me and you know myopia is related a lot to the kidneys and fear.
and tension. And I noticed that a lot of that stuff was kind of just evaporating. And at the same time, I also noticed that I was reading better, that my comprehension got better, that I understood what I read. I could read more. I could read faster. And I got to a point six months in the program and he made you commit to a year. And that is a actually very important point because
You know, people think, I can go to a behavioral optometrist once and get the changes and that’s not true.
because the habits and the conditioning and the belief systems around our visual system get ingrained very early on. In fact, our eyes are like, you know, videotape library where we as children internalize our parents’ experiences. And Dr. Shankman pointed that out to me and he was right. And then about six months in, I got kind of frustrated because I want my, I was very goal oriented and I wanted to get to a place where,
Sam Berne (09:10.873)
want to get rid of my nearsightedness completely. And it wasn’t happening. In fact, the more I stressed into it, the worse my eyes got, even though it hadn’t been making a lot of progress. So he said to me two things. He said, first of all, you have to give up the goal. I said, I can’t do that. And second thing he said to me was you’re too attached to the results and you have to really dive into the process.
like, man, I love results. I want results. That’s what I live for. So I wrestled with that. I remember talking to my brother and my brother said to me, very smart, he said…
I said, well, you you paid this guy a lot of money. You’ve invested all this time. Why don’t you just do what he says, you know, give it up, man. And so sometimes brothers have the wisdom. So I ended up surrendering. Surrendering is a big thing and letting go as we all know, you know, because change is is constant, right? And we’re always changing. Things are always changing. Sometimes it’s very uncomfortable. But how can we surrender into and
with the change. So after I changed my mindset with him, with Dr. Shankman, some magical things started to happen. My eyesight really started to improve. In fact, one day I woke up and I was late to the office. I lived in Center City, Philadelphia. My office was out on the main line and
I was like halfway to the office. I went, my goodness. I forgot to put my contacts in and I can read the road signs. So that was kind of like a come to Jesus moment where I was like, wow, I don’t really need these lenses anymore.
Sam Berne (11:00.077)
And so we continued on. One of the things that Dr. Shankman recommended that I do is take up meditation, which I did and I still meditate. so doing a lot of different modalities along with vision therapy, I completely dissolved my near sighted prescription and I was 28 years old at the time. So it inspired me to move into a direction where I was going to exclusively work in a practice
where I was helping people improve their vision. Road less traveled because if I’d gone mainstream, sold glasses, gotten into disease-based care, I probably would have made a lot more money. I would probably, in some ways, in terms of the profession, been more acknowledged. But I took the road less traveled, kind of like my modus operandi. I tend to do that a lot.
And it set me off in a career where I’m still doing it today, 40 years later, and probably will continue to do it until I physically can’t anymore. So Dr. Shankman, kudos to you for giving me so many gifts, and you’re right up there in Mount Rushmore with Dr. Sanit.
Okay. The third eye doctor I want to talk about is a developmental optometrist who practiced in Florida. met him when he was in his seventies and it’s an interesting story. His name is Dr. Albert A. Sutton, Dr. Sutton. And when I moved to New Mexico, I had a hard time getting a license to practice because New Mexico is a good old boys state.
and it’s a poor state, 48th poorest state in the union. And so they kind of limit the number of outsiders that come in to get a license. And I was having trouble, even though I thought I passed all the tests and I had to retake the national boards, which is a standardized written test.
Sam Berne (13:04.043)
I had to take pathology slides, you know, things like that. So I was at a conference and I met Dr. Sutton and I told him my dilemma. He said, why used to be on the state board in Colorado? And here’s the strategy. This is what you need to do. You need to call up the president of the board, tell him you’re doing vision therapy, behavioral optometry, and you know, let him get to know you. Don’t try to sue him or, you know, get mad at him. Be friends, make connections.
network. And so I did that for about six months and magically and miraculously. I got my license after the third try. So New Mexico license is very valuable not only for New Mexico, but then I recognize that there was a reciprocity deal with New Mexico and Hawaii. So I also have a Hawaii license and in my next show. I’m going to talk about my relationship with Hawaii and talk a little bit about travel there.
I tend to like to go outside of just talking about eyes. So stay tuned for that show. Anyways, Dr. Sutton and I became friends and I became a student of his and Dr. Sutton was really a pioneer in the field of development in children learning and his testing was very whole body.
He had a test called mind body testing where he tested vestibular visual fixation body movement bilateral integration many different things. And then he brought two of my now close colleagues from Scandinavia Lena and Thorkeld Rasmussen who were
doctors of optometry and they practiced in Denmark and Sweden and he brought them to the United States and they taught us the primitive survival reflexes and the primitive reflexes is such an essential part of vision therapy, especially with kids.
Sam Berne (15:14.925)
OTs, some of them do primitive reflexes. There are a few people out there that are teaching it, but primitive reflexes, those movement patterns start in utero and the purpose of those movement patterns is to help the newborn adjust to being outside the birth canal in the womb. And many, many kids who have vision problems that are school-aged still have the primitive reflexes. And Dr. Sutton recognized that because he worked with Arnold Gazelle at the Gazelle
Institute. It’s place that I attended in the mid 1980s and the gazelle Institute was at that time a beacon of light for vision development. Now again, I’ve talked about the difference between eyesight and vision. Eye sight is eyeballs and glasses and reading the distance chart, but vision is how the eye brain and body work together and there’s a developmental process on when kids develop their vision as it relates to learning and
academic performance. And Dr. Sutton was an expert at this. He had studied it and he developed many different protocols. He also got me involved in biochemistry testing, hair mineral analysis, and the importance of
the energy in the cell having to be really high cellular health to be able to make the developmental changes that are needed, especially in the sensory motor system. He taught at Berry College in Miami and he was a world renowned expert in developmental optometry. In my view, he was not recognized enough by optometry. That was, and I remember towards the end of his life, he said to me, you know, take it to the math.
because the optometrists, they’re just not ready for this. I mean, they had a hard time understanding. You get on the floor with your patient and you do things like primitive reflexes and you do craniosacral and you do, you know, vestibular training. Now, I think it’s a little more accepted in the behavioral optometry world, but back then it wasn’t and he was way ahead of his time in those things. Now, I remember I was giving a seminar at a
Sam Berne (17:32.463)
workshop in Florida and he attended it and people loved it. You know, they thought I was a rock star and at the end it was just him and me. The room was pretty dark and he said, you know, you’ve got some holes in your thinking. I was like what?
He said, yeah, you you’re not really addressing and understanding the sequence of development in a child’s learning. And of course, you know, my ego was bruised by that, but he was a hundred percent right. And so I started to study with him and learned a lot about testing and diagnosing and treating and managing, especially in that developmental model. And to this day, I use many, many of the things that
that he taught me. One of the places I work is a place called Kid Power, which is in Albuquerque. And it’s a place where kids have a lot of special needs, Down syndrome, minimal brain dysfunction, autism, you know, they’re in the autistic spectrum.
and I apply many of Dr. Sutton’s techniques there to this day and learning those primitive reflexes back then has been such an essential part in being able to help kids reach their potential. So I put Dr. Sutton up on the Mount Rushmore with Dr. Sanit and Dr. Shankman. I’ve got a few others that I’ll talk about in another show, but I think that’s a
That’s a mouthful right now. So I think I’m going to end it here. I want to thank you so much for tuning in today. Share this podcast. If you found it helpful again, you can go to my social media me social media feeds and also my website dr. Sam burn.com and until next time everyone take good care.
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Keywords
Kid Power, child development, vision therapy, learning disabilities, trauma, craniosacral therapy, nutrition, primitive reflexes, holistic approach, ADHD, nutrition, child development, strabismus, amblyopia, screen time, vision therapy, mitochondria, eye health, functional medicine, holistic approach
Summary
In this conversation, Sam Berne discusses the multifaceted approach to understanding and supporting children’s development, particularly in relation to vision and learning. He shares his personal experiences with learning disabilities and emphasizes the importance of a holistic view that includes trauma, nutrition, and primitive reflexes. The discussion highlights the need for individualized care and the integration of various therapeutic modalities to help children thrive. In this conversation, Dr. Sam Berne discusses the critical role of nutrition in child development, the complexities of vision issues such as strabismus and amblyopia, and the detrimental effects of excessive screen time on children’s eyesight. He emphasizes the importance of a holistic approach to therapy that includes understanding the child’s unique needs and the role of mitochondria in eye health. Dr. Berne also provides practical advice for parents and practitioners on how to support children’s visual development and overall well-being.
Takeaways
Understanding each child’s unique needs is crucial.
Personal experiences can shape professional insights.
Vision therapy goes beyond traditional eye care.
Trauma can significantly impact a child’s development.
Nutrition plays a vital role in cognitive function.
Primitive reflexes are essential for motor and cognitive skills.
Holistic approaches can unlock a child’s potential.
Collaboration among specialists is necessary for effective care.
Children’s development is influenced by their early experiences.
Individualized treatment plans are more effective than one-size-fits-all solutions. Nutrition is a linchpin for child development.
Understanding where to start with a child is crucial.
Biochemistry analysis can help identify nutritional deficiencies.
Physical vision therapy is essential for addressing vision problems.
Screen time is contributing to an epidemic of nearsightedness.
Natural sunlight exposure is vital for children’s health.
Mitochondria play a key role in eye health and energy production.
Red light therapy can improve visual acuity.
Parents should not let diagnoses define their children.
Building trust with children is essential for effective therapy.
Sound Bites
“Cracking the code with each child.”
“I was diagnosed with a learning disability.”
“Vision is how the eyes and the brain work together.”
“The eyes are brain tissue and fall under neuroplasticity.”
“We need to understand the global situation with these kids.”
“Trauma creates a paralysis in our system.”
“Nutrition affects our brain, our emotions, our cells.”
“Nutrition is more important than you think.”
“Treat the whole child, not just the symptoms.”
“Our eyes are not made to look at screens long term.”
“Sunlight is very important for these kids.”
“You don’t have to live out of diagnosis.”
Sam Berne (00:00)
you know, really trying to hear it towards the kids and. Yeah, it’ll be there. Is there any specific like seeing that you’re thinking about that you wanted to come here about or just general, just general interest, general interest? OK, sounds good. of our grandkids. Are you the director? Yeah, yes. Used to be. I don’t even know. Dr. Did you know that I sold the YouTube guarantee? Yeah, so I.
30 years but there’s two younger therapists that just took over. I didn’t know that. Well but yours has his parents if you know. yes. Yeah we’re yeah that’s why we’re here is because we have all the grandchildren and so we thought this would be good information for all of them in case they don’t zoom in. Right. And so we wanted to get what we could for them for us for everybody.
Wow, well welcome. It’s so nice to meet you. Hi Deb and Dave and I just met her husband a couple weeks ago. So that’s so sweet because I knew the whole story but I hadn’t met him yet. So you know one of our therapists is married a gentleman and they both together combined have seven children all under the age of 15 is the oldest 15 and younger. Yeah. Yeah.
15 down to. my god, it’s quite the Brady Bunch. Yes. And then we have our other four-year-old, so we take care of four years old up to. So yeah, yeah. Yeah, three-year-old is well not quite right. The two-year-old is in Denver. we don’t see him as often, but the information is something that I know they’d be interested in. So I had Cassie send the family group Zoom.
text so that she could let them know up in Denver so that they could watch. That’s terrific. I wish I thought of it sooner and she wishes she had thought of it sooner but she’s a little busy. I think most parents are. Yeah they don’t have time for this. yeah it’s great that they’ll be able to do it and stop it and start it and watch that night when the kids go to bed or whatever. It’s just I think it was a great idea that you
Hey everyone, I want to welcome you to my talk today here at Kid Power in Albuquerque. Kid Power is near and dear to my heart because it’s a place I’ve been coming for, I don’t know, over 20 years and I help the kids with their vision. So I’m going to talk about that today. And to begin with, what I want to do is I want to talk about a core issue
that has been coming up in the context of working with kids. And that core issue has to do with cracking the code, cracking the code with each child. What is it going to take to turn the switch on so that they are thriving? And when I see a child here in Kemp Power or in my practice,
That’s my biggest curiosity because usually, you know, parents are coming in and we know as parents, we’re really struggling with what’s going on with my child and why are they struggling in school? And how come they’re not reading? And we just went to an IEP, you we did the testing and now they may end up in a special education class.
So I have to say I have some personal experience because I was one of those kids. I grew up in the Northeast and I came from a family that really stressed education. And my parents, my grandparents, my aunts and uncles, a bunch of intellectuals. And so I remember my uncle going to his house and he had like all these books on foreign language he actually spoke.
five different languages. And my mom and dad, I mean, they just stressed college and grad school. But the thing was, is I was eight years old and I was diagnosed with a learning disability. And as I think about it now, it’s kind of a painful time because I didn’t want to read. I didn’t like reading. I wasn’t a good reader. School was really challenging for me. And so my…
My mom took me to a lot of places and we actually ended up like a lot of the kids here at Kid Power, I ended up at an eye doctor’s office. And he said to me, well, you’re nearsighted and let’s give you some glasses. And so I got these lenses and I started to memorize. That’s how I got through school. And I never was a good test taker and I just worked really hard.
And I was able to do pretty well in high school, college, and got into professional school, graduated. And I met a, what we call a developmental optometrist. This was an eye doctor who looked at vision in a more holistic way. And I was 28 years old and he had a course that he was offering. And he also was offering his services.
as a doctor and as me as a patient. So I started going with him and he diagnosed me with a condition called convergence insufficiency, meaning my left eye used to wander out. would see double vision. I couldn’t focus. I had a little bit of impulsivity, a little bit of hyperactivity and sounds like ADHD, right? And that’s kind of what I had. And so through his physical therapy exercises, I was able to
heal that condition and because of my pretty extreme nearsightedness that completely dissolved. So I didn’t need my lenses anymore. so today I’m on my fifth book that I’ve written and I read voraciously and my learning is incredible. But when I see kids, I have a lot of empathy for them and their parents because I was the puzzle. I didn’t…
you know, the first thing that my mom didn’t know at that point that there were other resources like this. And so when I meet a child and meet a family, I’m not just looking at the eyeballs, you know, and in traditional eye care, you know, we’ve all been gone to an eye for an eye exam. And what happens, you sit in a dark room and the doctor is flipping lenses. You’re looking behind the machine and
you know, especially in children and then they use eye drops and it’s a pretty traumatic experience, right? And, and I just, I just kind of go, look, there’s more to this than trying to figure out a lens prescription and use eye drops to figure out, you know, something that’s going on that maybe is a learning issue, a developmental issue that’s much more than in the eye.
And one of the places that I studied was a place called the Gazelle Institute. So, Gazelle, Arnold Gazelle was a physician who in 1948 started this institute. At that point, it was affiliated with Yale University. And being a developmental specialist, he brought in a multidisciplinary group of professionals who would evaluate children. It reminds me a little bit of kid power in the sense that
This is a multidisciplinary clinic where the therapists and the professionals are studying a variety of different things. Well, I went there in the mid 80s, I spent a year there and I learned how to evaluate a whole, the whole child, the whole person, not just the eyeballs. And so we looked at speech and language. We looked at actually primitive reflexes. We looked at nutrition. We looked at
the stipular health, we looked at trauma. There were many things that we did at that Institute, which helped me understand about seeing the whole picture, seeing, okay, what is the time we should be introducing this activity or this modality? And it was really a profound training. And it launched me, along with my personal healing, into my, you know, my current
professional state and of course I’ve had many lifetimes in it studying many different things but the point is is that with a child that is struggling and you know by the way you know the diagnosis of ADD, HD, ADHD and the whole spectrum disorders is off the charts you know back in 2016 there was an article that was published in one of the medical journals
that said about 15 % of all kids who are diagnosed with ADHD have vision problems. And maybe right here I should make a distinction between what is a vision problem? Can you define that? So when you go to the eye doctor and they have you read the eye chart, that’s called 2020. That’s your eyesight.
Vision is how the eyes and the brain and the body work together. It’s a developmental skill set that we actually start learning. I say we, because all of us started learning while our mother was carrying us in gestation. That’s when we start to develop our peripheral vision, living in the amniotic fluid. Or the birth experience coming out of the birth canal. There’s signals, cues and signals that the infant needs to have.
in order to have their sensory motor systems turned on. And then the bonding period is also critical in, remember, establishing eye contact with your mom and dad, breastfeeding, exploring your environment on the floor, creeping and crawling, doing tummy time. See, all of those fundamental experiences affect our sensory motor development, our brain function.
And I just want to say that the eyes are the only part of the brain that sit outside the cranial vault. But the eyes are brain tissue. And because they are brain tissue, they fall under the category of something called neuroplasticity. And all of these kids, one of the main things they have going for them is they have a plasticity in their
nervous system, their fluid body, their movement, their emotional body, and so on that can be repaired, can be stimulated, it can be improved upon. And the problem that I see in traditional medical care is that number one, all the medical practitioners are staying in their little world.
And so if you go to a certain doctor, they’re going to diagnose you with that particular thing that they’re specializing in. And so then parents go to three or four of these specialists and they walk away and they’re totally confused with, what do I do with my child? Where do I plug in? How do I do this? And I remember when I first met Carla and we talked about, you know, children and learning. We were so
in resonance about with these families understanding that there’s more to it than treating the symptoms, instead getting to the root cause and understanding the global situation with how to unlock the blocks that these kids maybe have come in with and it’s part of their process.
So in the exploration in my part of it, in vision, I’m gonna talk a little bit more about the difference between visual acuity and visual processing. So if you think about this particular contrast, seeing things clearly is a static experience. I see it clear at 20 feet, I see it clear up close, and that’s…
static. But in vision, it’s so related to our movement, our balance, our orientation, our ability to see the parts and make a whole. Perception through your ground, when I see the detail and make a relationship with the whole picture. Visual memory, recognizing shapes and forms.
You know, I know in my case when I was back to that eight-year-old, one of the things that I knew is I was able to see patterns. And I see some kids here that, okay, they may have some confusion going on, but if you can set up the environment in a way that’s supportive, then you start to see some of the view this time through. And each one of them has an individual walk.
and see that we have to put together some vision of the public health. This is another issue I’ve seen in some of the big medical practices is one size fits all. And this is certainly coming from the school system, especially in the public schools, and understandably so because they’re overwhelmed with the public schools, they’re starting to have the staff, running out of money. And then these schools get put in in special education classes.
and they get lost. And that’s why I’ve always said to parents you have to do the school’s deal, you have to ask for more services, you may have to step outside your normal, your everyday public school experience to get some help. So that being said, when I am evaluating a child, one of the things that I’m looking at is
in their visual system, how connected are their eyes to their body and their movement? And I would say the fundamental theme that I see over and over again, whether it’s here at Kid Power or in the bigger stage with kids along the spectrum disorders, is that their eyes and their vision are developmentally
behind some of their other sensory motor skills. And when you think about any person, we think about their nervous systems, right? We call that the fight, flight, breeze response. One of the people that’s really done a lot of great research and writing on it is a man named Stephen Porges. And he came up with a theory called the polyvagal theory. I would recommend looking at that. It’s a very complex
theory, then I want to give Dr. Porges full kind of honoring in what his writings are and his teachings are. But one of the aspects that I really take away when I study Dr. Porges is trauma. And so I want to take a moment and I want to talk a bit about trauma. Gabor Mate has written a lot about trauma. I highly recommend him. He’s a very well-known psychiatrist.
He’s written a number of books. wrote a great book on ADHD many years ago. And he’s talked a lot about trauma. I have personal experience with trauma in that when I started my first practice in the Philadelphia area, I associated with another developmental optometrist. His name was Dr. Ellis Edelman. And for five years, I apprenticed in his office. And it was probably one of the most…
deepest experiences I had in learning how to work with kids. Dr. Elman was amazing. He was in his 60s when I was in my 20s. And I was so grateful that he took me in and we actually ended up becoming partners that built up a very big practice in Philadelphia, which I sold and moved out to New Mexico about 25 years ago. But the point that I’m trying to make is that in
this trauma situation, one of the things that I had to do to build my practice in Philadelphia, because I couldn’t get any patients, because we were in a very conservative area, is I went to some of the hospitals and I volunteered to help their traumatic brain injury patients. And over a period of about three months, I was able to help hundreds of people heal their double vision, their blurred vision, their
brain fog, their memory issues through the physical eye therapy techniques that I learned at the Gazelle Institute. And it launched me into a position where I became very well known in Philadelphia because of my traumatic brain injury work. And the regular eye doctors, they had no interest in working with these kinds of patients.
but the physical therapy was the thing that brought them back. Now in that process, I also recognized there was a whole population of kids in the Philadelphia area that were special needs. And these were Down syndrome, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia, obviously the spectrum disorders. So I focused on that community and I said, I can really help this community. And between working with those kids,
and working with the traumatic brain injury, they kind of came together and it’s how I built a very successful practice. And I got my name out there and it was very well known and I did some research and writings on traumatic brain injury. And so I really understood how trauma affects our nervous system and even more deeply our brain, our cerebral spinal fluid, our
connective tissue, or fascia. And with the visual system, when we are exposed to trauma, because the eyes are kind of a soft tissue, doesn’t show up on the MRI scan. So it’s soft symptoms like, as I say, double vision, blurred vision, focusing issues, memory problems, issues with vestibular imbalance and orientation. And so…
through the physical therapy, I was able to help people heal and release the trauma. And it kind of catapulted me into this next phase is when I moved out to New Mexico and I started working with birth trauma. I started working with kids who were along the spectrum disorders. And I remember working with an OT up in Santa Fe where I practice and live.
And she said, you know, I think you ought to go back to massage school and learn craniosacral therapy. And this was a major breakthrough for me because I spent about two years studying craniosacral and I started to apply it with these kids who had birth trauma and it unlocked the developmental delays that they were going through. It not only did it improve the visual system, but it seemed to balance out their nervous system. And it also
helped their ability to sleep better, to function better, to learn better. And so I recognize this is a great modality in releasing trauma. So one of the things to note in this whole population is what was the birthmark? And this is such a pivotal question to be asking. And it’s kind of weird.
When I go to conferences and I might start talking to other doctors about birth and the importance of birth, deer in the headlights. They have no concept, relationship or interest in how our birth imprint affects us. But if you think about things like forceps delivery, you think about the suction or breech birth.
or cesarean. When I did my cranial training, we worked with pregnant moms. We worked with women giving birth, doing craniosacral right after birth. It was mind blowing to see how those kids launched differently by removing those early impediments. So that’s why the birth is so important.
in this conversation. And then the next conversation to have is bonding. So many of these kids are taken away from their mom at the most essential time when they need to bond, which is right after birth. You’ve heard of the hormone oxytocin. Oxytocin is one of those love, I love you hormones.
that mom and her newborn get to have that experience. Now, sometimes in premature babies, we have to put them in the incubator or again, they’re taken away or mom is completely knocked out because of pitocin or other drugs. These are the issues that later on start to affect our eye brain connection.
more than that, speech language auditory or motor and and so on, even our biochemistry which I’ll get to in a minute. So the point of the story is trauma. Trauma creates a paralysis in our system. It also reduces those good brain hormones that we need like dopamine and serotonin which are critically important in our circadian rhythms and our moods and those kinds of
So when I studied craniosacral, I started to understand how much trauma impacted a child’s sensory motor developmental arc. And then I got introduced to something called the primitive survival reflexes. And here at Kid Power, they have…
They have dove deeply into how critical the primitive reflexes are. You know, when I’m on social media and I’ll mention primitive reflexes, most people have not even heard of them. And sometimes moms have heard of the moral reflex. But these primitive reflexes are motor patterns that start occurring in utero and they help set the stage for a child’s
visual thinking, motor, speech, language, auditory integration with the brain. It’s really a reflection of their nervous system. And when you combine the craniosacral treatment, which is more of the fluid health with the nervous system health, so you’re doing craniosacral and you’re doing primitive reflexes, what you’re doing is you’re releasing so many of those restrictions and obstacles that then catapult the child
into a developmental space that then they can reach their full potential. I learned my primitive reflex therapy from a group of optometrists in Denmark and Sweden, and they’ve been doing primitive reflex therapy since 1975. And when I brought that back to the US with my mentor, Dr. Al Sutton, we started to teach seminars to eye doctors and they didn’t want it. thought getting on the
was absurd with kids. What does that have to do with the eyeball? So today, fast forward, I see more and more behavioral optometrists at least knowing about primitive reflexes. So things have changed. But in the OT world, and then what KidPower has done is they’ve studied a variety of different teachers in primitive reflexes. And when I come here and evaluate,
I’m looking at the visual component of the primitive reflexes. And it’s amazing that when we work together, there’s this synergy where we then come up with a plan that helps these kids integrate those primitive reflexes, which then allows them to start to understand their inner ear, their vestibular system more. And the visual system and the vestibular system are married. They’re parallel to each other.
vision stimulates vestibular, the vestibular stimulates vision, and the primitive reflexes are a component that influence both. And if you saw one of the exams that I do, we actually use these special gilked prisms, these special prisms that we have the child wear, and we have them walk the plank. We have them walk
And you can see in their posture and their movements where those primitive reflexes occur, which ones are there. And it gives us a roadmap that unlocking of what it’s going to take to help this child thrive. And talk about an eye exam that tests the whole child. This is to me the future of what we need to do.
to help these kids and realize that it’s an individual by individual situation that we can’t give the child the same thing. Every child gets the same thing. It just doesn’t work that way. So the next topic I want to move to is our nutrition. And this is a hot topic. In my process,
One of the specialties that I really admired and I started to study was functional medicine. And I’m thrilled that there’s so many naturopaths, chiropractors, physicians that are now embracing functional medicine, functional nutrition, that people are becoming awakened to the importance of what we eat and how it affects
our brain, our emotions, our cells, our aging, and in kids, they’re learning in concentration. So I remember one of my mentors, I want to give him credit for helping me understand this principle that I’m going to share with you. His name is Dr. Al Sutton, and he was another one of these just world-renowned developmental optometrists, and he was practicing in Miami Beach.
When I met him, he was also a professor at Berry College and he was teaching teachers and educators and psychologists this form of developmental optometry. And one day I was at his clinic in Miami and he pulled out a lab test and it was a pair mineral analysis. And he said, you know, this particular test is a reflection of a person’s ability
to deal with their stress. So that makes sense, right, okay. So we were looking at mineral ratios and the minerals in our body, they kind of get ignored, but they’re so important because they’re the spark plugs. They keep our pH levels as they are, they help us with dietary absorption, they help us with detoxification, they balance our pH levels, they influence our inflammation. So there’s a lot of things that happen
when we start analyzing the body. And one of the things he taught me, which I still think about today, is that when a child is diagnosed with a developmental delay, whatever it is, it could be speech language, could be visual, it could be whatever, the thing is, is that on a cellular level, they are probably in a depleted state at some level.
And the reason they’re into the plebiscite is because somewhere along the line, and this is if they’ve had a normal development, they weren’t given lots of antibiotics for ear infections or they had colic or they were in the hospital or whatever it was, these are the normal kids that if they’re not getting enough energy into the cell,
then they’re not gonna have the energy to absorb the therapies that we are giving them. And it’s why over and over and over again, and I get communications from many parents around the world, again, because of my social media presence, where they go, you know, I’ve done the DOT, I’ve done the counseling, I’ve done the tutoring, and my child is in exactly the same place.
So my next question is, well, have you ever done a biochemistry analysis? What’s their diet like? If you took them into a grocery store, what foods would they be attracted to? And every time there’s a disconnect. I never thought about nutrition and diet in this equation. And that’s the place I feel we need to start. So with these kids, if you can give them more energy, then they’re going to absorb
the therapy much better and they’re going to grow, they’re going to develop in a much greater accelerated way. And that’s the linchpin. That’s the starting point. And where you start sometimes is really important. Where are you going to plug in with this child? And you really have to be adept as a practitioner, as a therapist to understand that concept and not just think, well, hey, I learned this
technique, let me give this kid my technique and I’ll give every kid the same technique. You’re not going to get anywhere. I mean, you might make a lot of money. You might have, you know, whatever, whatever it is, but you’re not really dialing into, where is the place that I can start in with this child to help them flower? And so with the nutrition part, and I know you’re all the time here with Kid Power.
When I asked the parents, have you looked at the nutrition? Not really. You know, we go to McDonald’s, we, it’s a lot of fast food. We don’t have a lot of time. I said, okay, so what we need to do right now is we need to do some kind of a biochemistry analysis to get a baseline. And then based on that baseline, then we can start giving your child the nutrients that they’re missing. And what you’re going to see is this expansion.
in their energy, which then when they start doing whatever the therapies they need, they’re going to really take off. And parents kind of buy into that. And so the point of what I’m making about nutrition is that it’s more important than you think. And it can be your kind of health care, especially if you eat foods that are non GMO that are pesticide.
free, that are organic as best as you can. And I know they cost more, but in the long run, when you eat in a more conscious, mindful way, where think colorful vegetables, you know, think low sugar, think good fats and oils, good protein, think about ways to support the digestive tract. You know, these are all strategies.
in functional medicine that we talk about, that we think about. And I think it’s an essential component just as important as physical vision therapy, pre-esacral therapy, primitive reflexes, auditory therapies, and so on. So I really want to implore parents to take stock in
what is their nutrition and what is their nutrition with their child and what are some things they can do to up the bar so that they can give their child a better opportunity to develop their learning and their skill set so that just like I did, they flower in a way so then they can have the expression on what they’re supposed to be doing in this life. Instead of…
maybe withdrawing or having some mental or emotional challenges, addiction issues, you know, it just goes on and on and on. And there isn’t a simple formula, but this is a roadmap that I’m talking about in our process. So there’s a couple of other things I wanna speak about today. The first is more vision related.
And this has to do with a condition called strabismus. So strabismus is a condition where we see a child and their eye is either turning in or it’s turning out and it may be an alternating situation or it may just be on one side. And it’s interesting, I want to give a plug here. I was just on a podcast that’s very well
attended and received Katie Wells and Wellness Mom. And I just did a podcast, she interviewed me about how to do a proper vision exam with a child. And since that podcast, I’m getting so many parents calling me saying, well, I went for this exam, they did the drops, they gave us a really thick, strong prescription, my child doesn’t want to wear it, I’m concerned because the eye is turning in and turning out, what should we do?
So it’s perfect for me because I will share with you what we’re going to do. Now, another thing about this is that in the strabismus world, the tendency is for the doctor to want to possibly get really strong glasses or do eye muscle surgery. And both of those are very
symptom based. Let’s fix the symptom. And again, it’s back to Gazelle, which is Gazelle would say, treat the whole child. When there’s a vision problem, it’s not just in the eyeball, it’s in the whole child. So the strabismus pattern is in their movement, their posture, probably their emotional reactions. Why in the world would you want to give strong glasses? That’s only going to stunt
the visual development and reinforce the eye crossing. Or if you do the surgery, you’re going to change the length of the muscle, but the brain is going to get very confused because it’s the brain that directs the eye muscles to begin with. And so what you do is you cut the muscle and so the eye will look straight for a little while, but then it’s going to revert back. So the success in that, in that
surgery is very, very low. And it’s also very traumatic. So we talk about trauma, we don’t want to create more trauma than these kids. This is where the physical vision therapy works so beautifully as an organic method to help the child understand integration. How to get
both sides to talk to each other because when an eye is turning in what the child is saying is
It’s too stressful for me. I’m scared. I’m vulnerable. Or it may be if the eye is turning out, they’re saying, I can’t focus on all this. I got to space out. Now the thing is, is that that is a symptom of my middle. Where is the midline in myself? And how can I learn how to use both sides together? So they’re going to be in the school of vision, which is
How do I learn to use these two eyes with my brain and with my body? And this is where radio sacral therapy can be beneficial, the primitive reflex therapy, the gross and fine motor things that relate to vestibular stimulation. All of these things give the child the power for them to start to explore, okay, what is it like for me to be simultaneous, to use both sides together?
And there’s a learning curve. doesn’t happen overnight. And one of my big counseling points to parents is some days are going to be better than others. Some moments are going to be better than others. Keep the big picture. And if you see the eye turning, it’s just a signal your child may be getting sick, may be fatigued, may be stressed. Time out is necessary, but don’t get hooked into, my goodness.
there’s a problem because as long as you kind of access this plasticity that I talked about at the beginning these kids can change right away and when you put strong glasses on them you are stunting their potential being able to make the changes they need to make and that’s really for any glasses prescription which I’ll talk about in minute.
So in strabismus, we want to create more integration. Now, the other side of that is what we lazy eye or amblyopia. And what this means is that one of the eyes is seeing much more blurry than the other eye. And it could be because of many reasons. Birth trauma, some kind of injury. It could be that that eye is just developmentally behind the other.
to be how they were in utero, how they came out of the birth canal. There’s many reasons why we develop this lazy eye where we’re not stimulating. So the last thing you want to do, classic approach is, well, let’s patch the good eye for eight hours a day. You never want to do that because that is going to create more trauma. The child is going to be more confused. And it really doesn’t solve anything in creating an environment
which is the environment is how can I set up some conditions so that this child can learn and problem solve in being able to use their visual system in a better way? And that’s really what I learned in physical vision therapy is setting up the conditions that’s a problem for them to solve. And the way they solve it is they have to use that eye more. We have to stimulate both eyes together. And in our visual system,
There are certain skills like visual tracking, visual focusing, visual coordination, hand-eye coordination. They’re probably all familiar to you. Innately, you adults, we know how to use those skills. But this is what’s missing with these kids is their visual skills have not come online to their brain. And so this is where stimulating their physical vision.
in different experiences through movement and balance and catching a ball and jumping on a trampoline and many, many things like that, the child then begins to have the experience of what am I supposed to do with these two eyes and how am I supposed to use them? And this is the baseline of men organically then learning how to use their vision through their brain and through their
And doing this a long time, I have seen so many success stories with kids who have gone through this and then what they’ve done with their lives. It’s been pretty profound for me and that’s why I keep doing it. So that’s Strabismus and Amblyopia. But let’s talk about the conditions like nearsightedness, barsightedness, and astigmatism. So my latest book, it’s one of the reasons why I’m doing this,
this recording is called vital vision, clear-eyed solutions for the life and beyond. But in the book, even though I’m talking more about adults and eye disease and how to improve eye disease through more functional medicine methods, the fundamental things that happen when we go to the eye doctor because our eyes are blurry in near-sightedness, which is the inability to see far away,
We are reaching an epidemic. And the reason we’re reaching an epidemic is that, and I just read this statistic, 94 % of all public schools are now using a computer in the classroom. digital devices and our eyes. Do you know how many questions I get a week from parents? How is this impacting my children’s lives?
And obviously COVID was a real game changer because that’s when the schools went online and these five and six and seven year olds were being asked to stare at a screen for much of the day to learn the curriculum. But the bottom line is that our eyes are not made to look at the screen for long term. This is not what we’re made to do.
Now we’re adapting and one of the adaptations we’re making is that we’re giving up our distance acuity. We’re becoming nearsighted. So our vision is now all in our phone, our tablet, our screen, our computer. And not only are dealing with the, you know, the pulsing of the screen, but we’re dealing with the blue light, the artificial blue light. And this is a whole other topic because
Artificial blue light is a very chaotic frequency that does some very damaging things to our body. Number one, and this happens especially after 6 p.m., it begins to fool the pineal gland, it tricks it, so that it’s not producing the melatonin that’s needed to help us with sleep. So it’s affecting our sleep profoundly. Now sleep is so important in our regenerative.
capability. If we don’t sleep well, we’re not going to heal. Sleeping is so important. So with the blue light situation, we’re not sleeping as well. There’s more disturbed sleep. Next, because we’re in this visual confinement, our eye muscles are not able to move beyond that 14 to 16 inch range. Number three, because of the blue light, this flies our eyes out more.
creates more inflammation, it’s affecting the brain. And overall, whether you’re learning or you’re gaming, there’s a lot of the kids that I see on TikTok and I’m talking to them, they’re doing video gaming. And hours upon hours a day with their vision, well, how is that affecting them? They’re all people in their sight. Another piece of this is astigmatism.
where the eye begins to change its shape. So it becomes more egg-shaped. And this is stigmatism. It is another factor with the nearsightedness that’s creating all this blurriness. And so instead of dealing with the problem here up close, the eye doctors have decided to say, let’s just correct the distance, which is treating a symptom. But what it’s doing is it’s reinforcing the problem. And this is why
kids get stronger and stronger and once this is what happened to me, I became nearsighted. I began reading and my eyes just getting progressively worse. So I know the drill. I know what happens. So we’ve got that side of the aisle and then we’ve got the far side of kids. And these are kids that maybe they tend to want to be more out into the bigger picture. Nearsighted they look good here.
far sighted, the more distance based and focus is hard for them. It’s hard for them to come into the computer to focus. So they get a magnifying lens, which makes things artificially as bigger, but it shuts off their focusing, responsive, and muscle. And so they start wearing that magnification lens and guess what happens? It gets stronger and stronger and stronger. And then they’re wearing this big magnification lens and it’s very distorting.
but it’s shutting down their accommodating ability, their ability to focus. And one of the things we do in our vestibular therapy is we actually have people balancing, changing their focusing. So focus here, focus there, focus there. This is one of the best ways to integrate the visual vestibular system. But if you’re farsighted and you’re wearing this magnification lens,
you have lost your ability to change your focus because you’re now dependent on the fact that the lens is making things artificially large. So you go, I don’t have to do it because the lens is doing it for me. And so this in both scenarios, near sighted, far sighted, what’s going on is these descriptions are now becoming the fabric of the visual system. And that’s okay, know, glasses are fine.
But the thing is there are other ways that you can work with the vision so they don’t have to have this disability, this weakness. And the way we’re going with screens, I don’t see it changing. I see the trend continuing along that we’re going to have more and more and more vision problems. So beware with the screen time. There’s some great research I want to share with you.
about this particular topic. And what it is is this. Researchers say that if you can take a 30 to 60 minute break from your screen time, go outside, go outside into the sunlight, especially in the morning, what it does is it creates a rebalancing in your circadian rhythm. It increases your mental
capability or mental focus, and it also ups your dopamine levels, your mood. So you need to spend time outside every day, preferably more in the morning. And when you get that natural sunlight, it can offset some of these negative things that you get exposed to in these artificial environments, whether it’s fluorescent lighting, whether it’s screen time.
And all of these things come together, which is now creating another downward spiral and the kids are paying the price for it. So sunlight is very important for these kids to get out there. 30, 60, 90 minutes a day is really what the researchers are saying. And since we’re on the topic of light, I want to talk about one more thing. And this has to do with
something in the body, very high concentration in the eyes, called mitochondria. Mitochondria is a buzzword right now. And I think it’s partly because mitochondria are organelles that live in almost every cell in the body, and they are responsible for energy production that helps us absorb better nutrients.
get rid of toxins, reduce inflammation, reduce oxidative stress. Now, one of the conversations that is really going on is the mitochondria that exist and live in the eye. So let me explain. You know, in neuroscience, there has been some incredible research on the regenerative capability of our eyes.
But if you go to an eye doctor’s office down the street, that concept of neuroplasticity is non-existent. It’s not there. And in fact, and I was trained this way as well, so I’m guilty of it as well, is that looking for disease is the goal for the eye doctor. You walk in, they immediately are looking at two eyeballs and they’re looking for the disease.
And they’re really looking forward to kids as well, even though the percentage is pretty low. So there’s no talk that you can regenerate your eyes, that you can improve your vision. In fact, if you actually met some of these folks, these professionals, they would probably either laugh at you or invalidate it or just say it doesn’t work. And it’s too bad because
In the body of research that’s in Harvard, Stanford, some other very well-respected journals, neuroplasticity is something that’s talked about a lot. And especially with conditions like Alzheimer’s and dementia and aging, the fact that there’s this kick of anti-aging. So whatever it is, the mitochondria is the key.
Well, it just so happens there was a study done by an ophthalmologist at the University College of London, where he took a group of adults between the ages of 40 and 70 who had degenerative retina diseases like macular degeneration, drusen, other retinopathies, maybe due to diabetic retinopathy or hypertensive retinopathy. So he took these subjects and he applied
red light to their eyes every day. So only a few minutes in the morning, we did this for 12 weeks. And in his published report, he said, these people increase their ability to read the eye chart by 22%. Now, that is an astounding number, because if you look at eye research, whether it’s stem cell, whether it’s, you know, whatever the nutritional therapy,
The most, the best code that we can have is maybe a two to 5 % increase. 22%, that’s huge. Just by looking at red light, what’s the story? So the story is, is that there’s some reason the mitochondria like the red light. And after about age 40, we begin to lose
our resiliency in the retina with our eyes. They start to age.
When they age, we start seeing oxidative stress, we start seeing inflammation. This leads to conditions like cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration, whatever it is. And so what the Jeffries lab, the guy’s name is Dr. Jeffries, what he wrote in his paper is that this red light stimulates the mitochondrial and it reduces
the negative things that get produced when the mitochondria stop producing their energy. And so as the mitochondria get better and it produces more energy, all of these conditions fade away, or I would say most of them. So we’re back to light therapy. And the eyes are one of the main portal, portals into our body and our skin is as well. Here, kid power.
What I’ve taught the therapist to do is something called color therapy. So we use all the colors of this vector because it’s a language that the kids understand. You want them to fixate, you start shining a red or a blue or a purple and you keep tracking with them. You’re going to start to see some things around their visual engagement. So with the red light now, this is highly therapeutic.
in being able to increase the mitochondria function. And increasing the mitochondria function, the cells are going to work better. There’s more vitality. There’s more resiliency. In fact, in some of the research I’m looking at right now, if you use like a red box, a big red LED lights, they’re saying that it can reverse conditions like arthritis, fibromyalgia, can include the immune system. This is systemically.
And more and more functional medicine doctors, more and more naturopaths are using red light as a way to create more vitality and resiliency in the body. And remember, this is done without pharmaceutical drugs. This is done without surgery. And I bring this into the circle here today because I want you to understand the therapeutic value
of natural sunlight, using different types of color therapy, and understanding what we call photobiomodulation, which is the red light.
So there’s a lot to unpack here and I think we’re gonna end here. Maybe if there’s a question or two, you can take that. But this is a lot of information for you to digest. And I wanna leave you with three things. The first is number one, and this is for the children. You don’t have to live out of diagnosis.
So even if you are diagnosed with ADD or autism or Asperger’s or whatever it is, that that is a diagnosis. can be advantageous in terms of an insurance reimbursement, but we don’t want you to live out that labor. You don’t have to do that. Number two, that understanding the
importance of nutrition as the building block that if you can create more energy in a person they are going to absorb the therapy much better much faster and You’re gonna get much fun Okay, and number three Understand find a practitioner that can help you unlock the code of
Where can we start with this child? Where is the opening? And it’s so interesting with Yi, when I first meet a child, when they get on the forum with them, and I chat with them, and I’m scanning and tuning intuitively, where is there an opening? What is their hot button? What is it that where I can create some kind
commonality and within that it’s going to start to create a trust and a relationship where then they’re going to feel safe in their vulnerability and then they’re going to start to buy in. And I think that’s so important to establish that bond of trust and not come with such an agenda or
a prejudice or a preconceived idea. I mean, obviously there’s a certain direction we want to go. But I know in my case, what these kids have taught me is the places where I have let all that go. And can I just meet them, meet them as a human being? And when we do that and we create a resonance, the magic happens. And
That’s really important and it’s less about the technique and it’s more about how we’re showing up.
to that child in a way that creates safety. Because I can tell you when I have observed my colleagues and they go to these very sterile offices, they’ve lost the child before they come in. And it’s interesting when they come and see me for the first few minutes, we have to kind of get rid of the trauma of what’s happened with these other offices. Because they think, my goodness, this is the same thing.
So we start our eye exam getting a ball or playing with some blogs or whatever it is just to take that trauma piece off so that then they can follow. So any questions here is not taking the end or we’ll be open a lot of questions. If you want to, can always email me hello at DrSanBurn.com and
My team and I will definitely answer your questions. can also follow me on Facebook and Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, pretty active on those. yeah, so thank you very much for your attention. It’s been a while to be able to speak to you today.
That’s a meatball sandwich, huh?
Keep Up with Dr. Sam
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Dr. Sam Berne has been in private practice in New Mexico for over 25 years and where he works with patients to improve their vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. He holds a Bachelor of Science from Pennsylvania State University, Doctor of Optometry from Pennsylvania College, and did his postdoctoral work at the Gesell Institute in collaboration with Yale University. He has been awarded The Special Awards for Service from the Behavioral Optometrists in Mexico for his innovative and holistic work with children.
His protocols take a proactive, rather than reactive, approach to health and wellness. He understands and treats the body as one integrated system rather than a collection of independent organs in order to identify and address the root causes of disease. His whole health protocols improve vision and wellness by healing the mind-body-spirit through nutritional protocols, vision therapy, and self-care techniques. This views each person as genetically and biochemically unique and enables the individual to make lifelong improvements to their well-being.
For even more from Dr. Sam, check out his new exclusive membership where you get access to my content and resources, new information, articles, videos, webinars: https://drsambernesmembership.com/
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Keywords
astronaut training, sensory integration, visual skills, functional vision, visual tracking, binocular vision, cognitive skills, visual memory
Summary
In this conversation, Sam Berne discusses various techniques and methods used in occupational therapy, particularly focusing on astronaut training and its components, including vestibular activation, ocular motor skills, and auditory processing. He emphasizes the importance of visual skills in functional vision, including visual tracking, accommodation, and binocular vision, and how these skills are essential for reading and spatial awareness. The conversation also covers cognitive skills such as visual memory, form perception, and spatial orientation, highlighting their significance in learning and everyday activities.
Takeaways
Astronaut training incorporates sensory motor integration techniques.
Vestibular activation is crucial for spatial awareness.
Visual tracking is essential for reading and learning.
Binocular vision enhances depth perception and spatial IQ.
Visual accommodation is important in sports and daily activities.
The cover test helps assess visual coordination.
Visual memory plays a key role in learning processes.
Form perception is vital for recognizing objects in different contexts.
Spatial orientation aids in understanding relationships in space.
Visual closure is important for problem-solving and comprehension.
Sound Bites
“It’s a wonderful sensory motor integration.”
“Visual tracking is so important with reading.”
“Binocular vision is super important.”
“The cover test is a way to do this.”
“Visual memory is essential for learning.”
Chapters
00:00 Understanding Astronaut Training Techniques
05:53 Exploring Visual Skills and Functional Vision
11:49 Enhancing Visual Tracking and Accommodation
18:10 The Importance of Binocular Vision
24:06 Cognitive Skills and Visual Memory
Sam Berne (00:00.236)
All right. So in the astronaut training, this is an occupational therapy technique where they’re working with sensory motor integration and there’s three components. There’s the vestibular activation. So that’s where when you rotate them around you’re stimulating that inner ear number two, it’s ocular motor meaning it’s visual. So it’s eye tracking and gaze stabilization.
So getting me to be able to focus and hold my gaze that improves my visual motor integration like hand-eye coordination or copying from the board stuff like that. And then the third component and the astronaut training is auditory processing integration. So you can use sound and rhythm to help the brain process spatial awareness. So
I find I like to do this with every kid, but especially with autism, developmental delays, autism spectrum, Asperger’s, brain injury, people with dizziness, vertigo, balance. So what you’re doing is either using a rotating board or you can use a chair, something you can spin and you’re monitoring the direction speed and duration.
To over stimulate. some of these kids if you try to do too much of the astronaut training it over stimulates them. Now you can use a pen light or moving objects or visual tracking tools and then also they’re listening something sometimes you can pair it with you know, by by urinal beats or you know some like in here.
We use the so cord. Now, the reason why we call it astronaut training is because in NASA and astronaut training protocols, they would work a lot with the vestibular system, especially in different gravity environments. So just as astronauts have to adapt to movements in space individuals and people with sensory challenges.
Sam Berne (02:23.085)
They they have challenges with gravity and moving their body as it relates to Spatial awareness now the actual go ahead Okay, let me let me give you the actual directions There
There’s different kinds of movements you can make. You can go forwards and backwards with the chair. You can go side to side with the chair and you can even go up and down. Okay, so each one of those is helping them with gravity awareness, postural control and muscle tone. So you’re working with what we call the postural reflexes.
They come after the primitive reflexes. So if you’re going to do the spinning, can do I like to do clockwise first then counterclockwise and
Sam Berne (03:40.383)
I also can do diagonal movement as well.
Sam Berne (03:53.525)
now the the sequence of this is that
When you do this standard rotation, I like to do between three and five in one direction and then I pause for a few seconds. To let the person process it and then I’ll do three to five rotations in the other direction and I’m really monitoring the over stimulation. Like if they start saying,
I’m dizzy. I’m nauseous. I’m disoriented. I will do less on the next round. I do it slow. So it needs to be smooth. So you don’t want to jerk it. And what I also will have them do is focus on a target a visual target as they’re moving around.
I might have multiple targets in my room. Okay, look here and then they move now. Look at this target over here and then look at this over here. So you can add that but if again, if they start getting dizzy, sometimes I’ll just have them stop will stop and just do breathing because you’re going to find like with this child probably he’s going to get overstimulated pretty quickly.
so you may only get going around once or twice in each, you know, in each, direction and then you stop and that’s it. Now I tend to do the astronaut training for about a month and we just incorporated into our, you know, primitive reflex work, our gross and fine motor therapies, those kinds of things. So.
Sam Berne (05:53.245)
It’s a wonderful sensory motor integration that really takes in the vestibular the visual and the auditory especially if you’re adding kind of a an auditory processing stimulant as well as the visual to you. We’re going to talk today about visual skills and we’re going to talk about fine motor cognitive vision connection. So this is part of our
Functional vision, but we’re really talking about the visual skills. So what are What what does this mean? So developing functional vision in in it means enhancing visual skills and perceptual abilities. So we’re working more with advanced things. Okay, as opposed to say staying with you know, balance and primitive reflexes.
We’re now working with specific eye muscle skills and how those eye muscles are helping the person process information. Okay. Now as an example, one of the primary visual skills is visual tracking the ability to smoothly and accurately follow a moving object with one’s eyes. This visual tracking is so important with reading. So some of the behaviors will see
If there’s a visual tracking problem, if you’re, you know, tracking their their eyes, do they have to move their head or their body to track their eyes? That tells you something that tells you that reading is probably going to be difficult. And I when I’m testing, I don’t tend to correct or suppress the person. I’m just watching to see hey, follow this target.
Do I need to move my body? Do I need to move my head or can I just do it with my eyes? Ultimately, we’d want you to do it with the eyes and we have the pursuit movement. That’s the smooth movement and the saccadic movement jumping from one object back and forth. So both of them are important in the visual tracking. Now there are different ways to assess visual tracking. There’s a there’s a test.
Sam Berne (08:19.223)
That’s very
paper and pencil oriented that gives you a lot of results based on age and it’s called the King Devic test. Kin G is the first word. D E V I C K and sometimes if I need to do kind of a test where we’ve got norms for certain ages because you’re basically reading digits on this.
cardboard book in this book and At first there’s lines that connect the numbers Okay, and then the next page there’s no lines and then the last page the numbers are really spread out Eradically and that’s harder to do so you can measure how many times they miss reading the numbers You know based on their age and so on
So you could do the King Devic test if you’re if you’re looking for that that level of accuracy. What I like to do is I actually just have to move an object. So I move the object I’m moving so it could be a pan light. It could be a ball with a metal rod with a metal ball on it called a wolf ball could be a kind of a tongue depressor with a
a sticker on it. And so you can use one or two of them if you’re doing saccades or pursuits. We do them in all the directions, you know, circular and you know, diagonal. And we’re looking for the accuracy of being able to hold on to the ball or hold on to the target while they’re fixating on the target. You’ll see kids sometimes do this will the overshoot
Sam Berne (10:21.953)
So they’re looking at something in their eyes actually go beyond the target. call that overshooting or they might be under shooting. let’s say they’re following the target this way and the eyes kind of are moving in that direction. So you’re going to see a lot of weird movements and the eye tracking is a fundamental skill that’s connected with especially in the horizontal movements.
with the primitive reflex called the asymmetrical tonic neck reflex. So if I see an ocular motor tracking problem, I’m going to go back and test the asymmetrical tonic neck reflex because a lot of times that reflex is inhibiting the tracking to work well. visual tracking is really essential in terms of reading. Now, one of the fun exercises I like to do
physical vision therapy functional vision exercises called the alphabet ball exercise. So what I do is I write letters on a ball or even a balloon. That’s even more fun and I toss it to the individual and I have them call out the last letter they see before catching it. So again, you could do this with a Marsden ball. We have a Marsden ball with different letters and numbers on it. So while they’re hitting the ball
I might have them spell a word or I might have them, you know, just call out the letters or the numbers. Again, if you’re doing balloon volleyball, you can put letters on the balloon and they can call out the first or last letter. So there’s different ways you can also work with the visual tracking using a heart chart, which I think you know about with an eye patch and a metronome. I like doing auditory.
processing along with that as well.
Sam Berne (12:22.741)
So they have to say the leg leg. I’ll put the letters in different triangle points on the dome and I’ll also have them do like a vestibular thing as well like jumping on the physio ball or doing the rotation board or the balance board. These are more high level kids or we’ll do prisms, you know, while there I was doing that with the last client. So yeah, in any way in any way you’re really boosting the tracking either where you do it with each eye separately or you
do with both eyes together. kind of just mix it up and that’s what we do. All right. Now the second skill that we talk about is called visual accommodation. This means that the eye, the lens of the eye is able to change its focus between near and far distance objects.
And so one of the tests I use in that is have the individual switch their focus from an object like a 10 inches away, like a small chart of letters to one that’s 20, 10 to 20 feet away and noting any delay or difficulty in the adjustment of.
the visual accommodation. You know, there’s less of that today because kids are on the tablet a lot and they’re not using their desk and looking at the board. They’re just kind of at their tablet but visual accommodation comes into play a lot in sports.
It comes into play a lot with bike riding, you things where you have to kind of shift your focus. Now we’re in ski season. So with the borders, can they board and kind of do that near far focusing while they’re keeping their balance. So in terms of vision therapy, the fun, my functional vision exercise, you can do it with a thumb.
Sam Berne (14:14.675)
shifting it from, you know, thumb up close and then looking out in the distance. I can do it with each eye separately.
I like to repeat it for about five times to improve the accommodative flexibility. Sometimes I’ll use two heart charts on closer one farther away different sizes different setups of the heart chart with the letters. I also like to use the vestibular system as a challenge. So we might again be on some kind of a rotation or balance board. And then the other thing is the
The metronome I like the metronome at a slow speed like 40 beats a minute and we’re just you know, shifting our focus back and forth. All right. Now the third visual skill that I like to work with is what we call binocular vision. This has to do with both eyes working together and
I am really interested in the coordination between the two eyes. I’m going to stop here for a second. The coordination between the two eyes is critically important as it relates to depth perception judging things in space. You know, it’s such an important skill in terms of the
the spatial IQ, the spatial IQ of the person. And there were, there was some work done by some optometrists, developmental optometrists, where they actually measured IQ and then they did vision therapy on them and their, there’s their depth perception improved.
Sam Berne (16:16.085)
And their IQ went up because they could see in the problems more they could see into Solutions better. So binocular vision is super important. Now we haven’t gone over this test. This is called the cover test. And so the way you set this up is you sit across from the person about a foot away. Okay, so they’re looking at you. You’re looking at them.
And what you’re doing is you’re having them look at a target, maybe about 14 inches from their face. So they’re focusing on the target and you’re covering an eye. Now, when you, as soon as you cover an eye, you want to watch the movement of the eye that’s uncovered. Does it move away from the target? Does it drift away out or away in? That’s going to tell you whether or not there’s strabismus.
and if there’s a lack of visual coordination. Now, the other thing you want to look at is when you take the cover away, what happens to the eye that was covered? Does it come back to look at the target? Does it drift away from the target? So we do both eyes. We have you cover the right eye. We say look at the left and then we go in the other direction and then we say cover the other eye. So we’re covering the right eye.
And we’re covering the left and we’re looking at the movement of the eye behind the cover. If the eye goes in then we know we’re in an exo response. If the eye goes out under the cover when you take the cover away, then that’s an ESO response up and down. Also, you might see an eye like you take the cover away. Whoop the eye is going up or the eye is going down. So the
The cover test is a way to do this. Another way to do it is with the red green test. We have them look at the red green bars and this test is going to show more general binocular vision possibilities or suppression. Because when there’s a binocular vision problem, two things can happen, double vision or suppression. So on the red green test,
Sam Berne (18:34.765)
You’re going to be able to ascertain are they suppressing or are they using both eyes together? Now you could even get a 3d picture book with Polaroid glasses. The Brunel Corporation sells this and so basically it’s a it’s a 3d book. The picture on it you wear the 3d glasses and you go. Oh my God, I can see depth in the picture. I can pinch the insects wings as an example.
Or the person might say, geez, the picture looks really flat to me. I can’t really see it. So that’s where I might do the red green test to see if they’re suppressing one eye or another. Now, one of the best exercises to develop binocular vision is the Brock string, which you are doing. You folks are doing these. And again, you attach one end.
of the string to a stationary object. And then the other end you hold it up to your nose and you spread the beads out equidistantly and you focus on each bead and you’re just converging at each bead and that’s a way for you to develop the binocular vision situation. So it’s such an important skill. Okay, we got it. We got a few more things. We want to talk about hand-eye coordination.
So this is how the eyes follow the hand reaching and grasping. There’s a primitive reflex called the grasp reflex. You probably know it. And so we want to observe the person’s ability to reach and grab grass grasp objects of various sizes distances and textures. And again, we’re doing the alphabet ball exercise.
to improve eye-hand coordination, keeping the ball, hitting it up at the balloon, for example, is a good eye-hand coordination. Catching a ball, Marsden ball, know, those kinds of things. Juggling with scarves, throwing the scarf over here on the right and then throwing it here on the left. So anything you can develop that eye-to-hand coordination is really helpful.
Sam Berne (20:56.919)
So now we’re going to move into some of the cognitive skills like visual memory. There’s a test called the Monroe visual three, which is a good memory test, but it’s paper and pencil visual integration visual motor integration. So another way to do it is to do the test is to show the individual series of images or patterns and for them to then recall or reproduce from memory. That’s another way to
Test the memory and then their memory games matching card games. Concentration is a game. all use anything. You can locate specific images in a pair enhances visual memory. There’s also a whole body of work. I learned from a doctor wax Harry wax who was a developmental optometrist. He has a whole program working with parketry blocks.
and visual memory.
All right, the next is form perception, recognizing objects despite changes in size, position or context.
So how do you assess form constancy you present objects in various orientations and ask the individual to identify them? No noting any difficulties in the identification. I like doing tangram puzzles as a way to enhance form perception or form constancy where you engage the individual and assembling the tangram pieces to match specific shapes.
Sam Berne (22:38.317)
Improving their ability to recognize forms in different configurations. This is going to come into play in high level mathematics calculus differential equations even geometry So this is very supported in math All right. The next skill is called figure ground being able to see the forest from the trees to see the the details from the whole picture one of the
Techniques we use is utilizing puzzles where the individual must find objects hidden within a busy scene or enhancing visual figure ground discrimination by doing parts to whole relationship type parketry designs. And then the last one is visual closure and spatial orientation. This is important because spatial orientation tells us about being able to
understand where we are in space and where we’re going and understanding relationships is a key point. Now, this could be in sports. It could be just socially, but the key in spatial orientation is that what we want to do is we want to utilize different puzzles and worksheets where you must find hidden objects in a busy scene.
Okay. Now, we also talk about something called visual closure. This would be like doing dot to dot drawings. It could be doing something like we call the incomplete man test where we have a diagram of a man with like one arm, his face, maybe one leg. And so we give it to the child and it’s a
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Keywords
eye health, lymphatic system, vision, detox, relaxation, vagus nerve, eye exercises, digital strain, inflammation, self-care
Summary
In this podcast, Sam Berne discusses the importance of the eye-limb connection and offers practical exercises to improve eye health. He emphasizes the role of hydration, movement, and the vagus nerve in maintaining clear eyesight and reducing symptoms like puffiness and strain. Techniques such as humming and eye massage are highlighted as effective methods for enhancing relaxation and lymphatic flow, ultimately leading to better vision and overall well-being.
Takeaways
For most of us, digital devices cause eye strain.
The eyes rely on movement and hydration for health.
Systemic inflammation can lead to eye brain inflammation.
Eye massage can stimulate the vagus nerve.
Humming is a powerful technique for relaxation.
Palming helps in reducing stress and enhancing vision.
Regular practice can lead to clearer eyesight.
The ocular cardiac reflex slows the heart rate.
Humming sends vibrations that activate the vagus nerve.
Consistency in these techniques yields better eye health.
Takeaways
For most of us, digital devices cause eye strain.
The eyes rely on movement and hydration for health.
Systemic inflammation can lead to eye brain inflammation.
Eye massage can stimulate the vagus nerve.
Humming is a powerful technique for relaxation.
Palming helps in reducing stress and enhancing vision.
Regular practice can lead to clearer eyesight.
The ocular cardiac reflex slows the heart rate.
Humming sends vibrations that activate the vagus nerve.
Consistency in these techniques yields better eye health.
Sound Bites
“Humming calms the nervous system.”
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Eye-Limb Connection
01:28 Understanding Eye Health and Lymphatic Function
02:57 Techniques for Eye Relaxation and Vagus Nerve Stimulation
06:19 Benefits of Humming and Eye Massage
Sam Berne (00:01.634)
Hey everybody. Welcome to the podcast today. It’s great to be here. So we’re going to talk a bit about the eye-limb connection how to drain and detox clear eyesight and vision. So the one thing I want to say to start off with is that you know, for most of us we spend our day on digital devices and I don’t know how many listeners out there followers.
have things like puffy eyes strain redness and you’re concerned because you’re staring at a screen all day. Well in this podcast, what I want to do is I want to give you some exercises. Just a very simple approach on how to boost your eye lymph body connection because you see the eyes don’t have a direct lymphatic system and so they rely on movement.
The eyes rely on movement hydration and proper circulation to get rid of inflammation and oxidative stress. So if you have any of those things like blurry vision puffy eyes, then stay tuned. So let’s talk a little bit about the lymph and since the eyes have no direct lymphatic connection.
They do rely on hydration and movement and the eyelids are key player in this because they house the glands that produce the tears that keep our eyes from getting dry. So it’s very easy to get inflammation. In fact, a lot of systemic inflammation can lead to eye brain inflammation. Obviously what we eat gluten, dairy and sugar.
our big factors, but also how we stare at our screen actually locks down our lymphatic function and this can cause these symptoms that I’ve spoken about. So the role of eye massage and I’ll talk a little bit of what I mean by eye massage. I’m also going to bring in what we call the Vegas nerve because the Vegas nerve is very important.
Sam Berne (02:27.438)
in our connection to our parasympathetic nervous system and the vagus nerve runs from the brainstem to the face throat chest and into the gut. Now, one of the best ways to stimulate and balance your vagus nerve is by doing a simple process called humming and the power of humming and I palming
is so critical for balancing the nervous system, increasing the lymph, increasing our vagus nerve and reducing our stress. So while we’re massaging and placing our hands on different parts of the body, this is a very powerful self-regulating technique that stimulates the vagus nerve. It calms the nervous system.
It enhances lymphatic flow and it reduces our stress. So the way we do this is that you’re going to place first of all, you’re going to wash your hands. Hopefully your hands are clean. You’re going to place your fingertips over the eyelids. See how I’m doing the eyes are closed and I’m just making some circles. See how I’m doing this very lightly and I’m humming. So we’re going to do about 10 homes.
Sam Berne (04:09.633)
Also add the temples.
Sam Berne (04:24.568)
Now let’s move down to the jaws.
Sam Berne (04:38.808)
forward to go. Now we’re going to work on our vagus nerve which runs along the side of our neck and we’re going to be going down like this two hums.
Sam Berne (05:01.974)
In the last two, remain closed. You’re going to do the palming and the humming.
Sam Berne (05:23.04)
You can drop your hands and just connect in with your body. There should be some tingling brightness lightness, and then you can open your eyes and look around and I know for me when I hum like this, it actually relaxes me. It can actually reduce cortisol, increase oxytocin and serotonin those natural calming biochemicals.
In the brain also humming can slow the heart rate lower the blood pressure and increase digestion and relaxation. The other thing that when you cup your eyes over the palms over your eyes, you’re you’re gently stimulating something called the ocular ocular cardiac reflex and this naturally slows the heart rate.
I’ve done studies on heart rate variability doing this technique and I actually see the heart rate come down. Also, the other thing that the humming does is it sends vibrations through the skull and the sinuses and this further activates the vagus nerve, which which again is going to just create more relaxation. So this is a great technique for being able to reset
your eye brain body connection. It’s definitely going to relax your nervous system and it’s going to rejuvenate your eyes. So give it a try. I’d love to hear your comments. Let me know how you’re doing. My suggestion would be to do these 10 homes like we did three times a day do it for a week and you will start to see more.
resiliency in your eyes, less redness, less puffiness, less strain, more clarity. So let me know what you think about that. That’s our show for today. I want to thank you so much for tuning in. Take care.
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Keywords to the podcast today:
myopia, eye health, computer use, prescription lenses, vision improvement, blue light protection, eye fatigue, relaxation, peripheral vision, eye doctor
Summary
In this episode, Dr. Sam Berne discusses the implications of myopia, particularly in relation to computer use. He emphasizes the importance of having the correct prescription for computer work to avoid worsening eye conditions. Dr. Berne suggests that individuals should request a second prescription tailored for computer use, which can help reduce eye strain and improve comfort. He also highlights the benefits of using blue light protection lenses and the importance of taking breaks from lenses to promote eye health.
Takeaways
• Myopia means seeing well up close but struggling with distance.
• Using a distance prescription for computer work can worsen myopia.
• Request a second prescription specifically for computer use.
• Comfort and clarity are both crucial when choosing lenses.
• A reduced prescription can help relax the eyes and improve peripheral vision.
• Wearing a lower power lens can enhance eye health and circulation.
• Taking breaks from lenses can reduce their reinforcing influence.
• Blue light protection is essential for screen use.
• Over time, a reduced prescription can become the new distance prescription.
• Regular eye exams are important for maintaining eye health.
Sound Bites
• “This is a recipe for disaster.”
• “You have to know how far away your laptop is.”
• “Clarity is important, but comfort is just as important.”
Chapters
00:00Understanding Myopia and Its Implications
02:57The Importance of Correct Prescription for Computer Use
Sam Berne (00:00.568)
Hey everyone, welcome to the program today. I’m going to be giving some advice on how to reduce myopia. People ask me questions whether or not you can actually improve myopia. Well, of course you can. In fact, you can improve your vision at any age. Hope you enjoy the show. Here we go. You could do to be proactive is you can download.
A Snellen acuity chart. It’s free and print it out and put it somewhere 20 feet away. And that could be a measuring stick for you to see, you know, how close you are to passing the driver, the vision part of the driver’s test. In most states, you need 2040 and so you don’t need 2020.
And 2020 means seeing a 1 third inch letter at 20 feet. So you’re you’re looking at a fairly sizable letter and as long as you can pass it with both eyes somewhere with a correction. There’s no problem. And now I’m going to deconstruct this a little bit for you and it may or may not make sense. It may not resonate.
But here’s the pattern I see in you. Here’s the pattern.
Growing up, you began to tense your eyes. And when you tense your eyes, you give up the distance to keep your world close to you. That’s the successful part of your seeing up close. Now what goes along with that tension sometimes is you feel
Sam Berne (02:02.978)
Like you have to defend yourself. Like you’re on a constant alert. Yeah, yeah, looking for threats looking for threats. Now that mental energy, whether it’s conscious or unconscious that you’re putting into your eyes because your eyes are the bodyguards for you.
They’re like the advanced sentry, you know, that sits outside where you live and is watching. When’s the next fire? Do I smell smoke? What’s that siren? So your prescription in your eye is everywhere in your body. It’s not just in the eye. So the cataracts, you’re allegedly
forming and I can give you what symptoms are. What a cataract is on a kind of a very deep level is I’m blocking what is coming at me and I’m blocking looking out. So it’s kind of like a boundary that you’re creating. It’s a hardening. You’re getting more fixed.
And then with a floater, that’s like shocking, shocking transformation. Like there’s always this it’s like a pinball machine, a pinball that’s going all over the back of your eye and it’s got some congestion. It’s got the tissue is partly consolidated. It’s it’s very hard to predict. And again, it’s it’s related.
To being really fixed and tight and locked in and You know, there are I exercises. I want to show you but the psychology of this is that You are mentally operating in a way where you’re on high alert all the time
Sam Berne (04:20.746)
And you’re you’re putting that through your sensory systems, especially your eyes and your ears. And what it’s doing is it’s beginning to affect the healthy tissue and the structures of the anatomy. Like it can’t even absorb the good nutrients that you’re feeding it. Thank God you’re, you know, conscious to do that because if you weren’t game over, you know.
So, you know.
I want to revisit for a second the that blurry vision exercise. I’m not going to make you go back and do that necessarily. But my point in that was to take away your habit of being used to having things a certain way, which is clear. Well, when you put them on, there’s no way for you to get
clarity. You cannot focus through it and get the same level of resolution as you can with your glasses. And so what that what that lens is doing is an it’s an energy transformer. So think of your eye as a doorway of light that comes in and projects out.
So the eye is one of the is one of the windows where light can get in. And when you wear a lens like from the optometrist, it’s a very specific window that concentrates and tunnels and tightens you up. It reinforces
Sam Berne (06:23.35)
your mental habit of protecting yourself hypervigilance stress. Yeah on high alert and what the blurry glasses do is it invites you to go into the other part of your nervous system, which is the parasympathetic nervous system.
And you know, there’s a saying that what you don’t like or what you’re not really attracted to is probably the very thing you need to bring you into more balance.
And that’s a tricky thing because you know, I don’t like spinach. So do I have to eat spinach to get into balance? No, there might be another way for me to do that. But your eyes have been eating a certain diet and the diet is a certain experience that you have been reinforcing when you wear those
corrective lenses. It’s a whole body consciousness mind body emotional psychological even spiritual change.
Sam Berne (07:48.502)
Now, when you take the lenses off, the light pattern changes into the eyes and it’s more equally distributed. And then when you wear the blurry glasses, what it’s doing is it’s spreading the light into the dark areas of your retina that you cannot get to because it’s been lost. You know, you you spend this time tunneling and narrowing and tightening and making it
resolved so you can see clearly because you can feel safer that way. There is a connection somewhere between safety and security and clarity. Again, you may not be aware. Those are the issues that I would suggest you explore and that’s why
Like when you put on the plus lens, it’s like going to a whole new country. It’s very weird. And one of the things you could do with that is forget the patch for now. Put them on and see if you can walk around for a few minutes. Now, I wouldn’t walk up and down stairs. I wouldn’t walk out on the street, but
Here’s the game that I’m inviting you to play. This is a game and the game is how many different experiences can you give your eyeballs?
Sam Berne (09:35.694)
You just want to make it more broadband. know, be like if you were in high school and I was your teacher and I said, you know, You look like you got some artistic abilities. Let’s send you to Paris. Go study for six months. And you don’t know French, you know, you’re like, well, I don’t know anybody there. This is like a big thing for me, but you go and you do it.
And it gives you something that broadens you gives you more access to resource so that maybe 20 years later you’re applying for an advertising job or something and that creativity that you tapped into in Paris you can you that’s imprinted in you and you can use it. So the parallel is that when you wear the blurry glasses it
forces you out of your habitual way of seeing and it’s really easy. When we do our workshops, it’s amazing. It’s it’s it’s incredible. So we’ll do a workshop, right? And we’ll do a process and I’ll ask people. Okay, what’s changed? Nothing. No, no, you got to come up with one thing that’s changed by doing the process.
I’m telling you nothing is changed. I don’t like it. don’t know. So what what we talk about is when you see no change or there’s you you’re not like I’m not really into this. You’re probably going to stay in the same track. The track and for you to reverse cataracts.
and floaters, you must come out of the track that you’re in. I mean, I like the idea of you going outside without your glasses being in the sunshine grounding yourself. I probably do that long swing exercise.
Sam Berne (11:54.774)
Yeah, I would do that and I would be super mindful of what are what are differences for you when you’re without your lenses and I’d write them down like I’ve started keeping a journal notebook. Okay, when I did dr. Burns blurry vision exercise today, what were three things that I noticed it could be?
You know, I felt a lot more dizzy through those blurry glasses when I was moving. Well, that would make sense because it’s stimulating a lot more of your peripheral vision than you’re normally used to. It could make you very angry. It could make you very frustrated. It could give you a sense of relief like, I don’t have to worry about details.
Sam Berne (12:54.188)
I don’t know, but there is a deep, deep well of information that you’ve internalized into your eyeballs.
It goes all the way back when you weren’t treated right. And I was done. Now I’m going to speak as a clinician. Got some data here. The higher the number in the prescription. The more well trauma. Yes, the more because of your sensitivity. You’re highly sensitive.
You have this trauma that is energy in your eyes that’s now beginning to turn into floaters and cataracts.
So how do you get out of this? Well, I’m creating an awakening like, okay. These could be and I’m sure this isn’t really new information. But the cause of your myopia is the incredible defense strategy and hypervigilance that you are still operating on.
That was back then, but you’re still in that news cycle.
Sam Berne (14:22.424)
So.
connecting your psychological and emotional perceptions to doing different things with your eyes is a way for you to begin to release it.
Sam Berne (14:43.362)
Like I’ve had people who’ve had emotional releases, right? I’ll have an emotional release, happens and we’re doing a process and it’s like, whoa. And after that emotional release, they can see the eye chart better.
So energy that’s been internalized.
blocks the function.
Sam Berne (15:10.402)
And it’s like we have a lid on the eyes. We open the lid. We open up the cap. There’s a lot of internalized energy that you’ve swallowed over the years. Especially when you were young.
Sam Berne (15:32.13)
So.
There’s the blurry vision experience with just do both eyes, but I want you moving when you do it. Okay, walking, but I don’t want you to give up and if you’re so the the question the two questions you want to ask yourself. What do I see and how does it feel?
Sam Berne (16:02.582)
If I said to you off the top of your head, what does blurry vision mean to you? Okay, blur is danger. Love it. Blur is danger. Okay, so you’re going to do everything in your power to avoid experiencing blur. You’re going to avoid it. But do know what it’s going to give you clear eyesight?
Sam Berne (16:28.994)
And you’ve got a lot on the line here because now it’s starting to affect your independence, your driving. It’s like, I got his attention now.
Sam Berne (16:41.996)
We talk about embracing your blur.
Going into the blur is the way you get clear eyesight. So what’s supposed to happen is if you wear those blurry glasses for a few minutes and you process through yeah, blur is danger blur is scary blur is fear blur is whatever it is and just say can I can I go into it a little more? I learn about my reaction to it?
Can I be with it?
Sam Berne (17:23.522)
When you take those glasses off, what should happen is that your eyesight should now be clearer.
Sam Berne (17:38.892)
That’s what’s supposed to happen.
Sam Berne (17:43.406)
But the more resistance you have to that idea, again, you’re in a track, you’re fixed, right? It’s comfortable. But even I’m losing control of that because now my distance glasses aren’t working as well. So damn, my strategy isn’t working very well.
Sam Berne (18:09.838)
Does that make sense? Your eyes are five years old. There’s a saying that when you wear less prescription your eyes get to be a little older.
When you wear more prescription that reverts you back to earlier time.
That’s why in my view, you should be celebrating being able to wear the computer glasses because it’s taking you a little bit out of the danger zone mentality. But then one of the rules is if I’m not feeling safe in the circumstance, I’m in I’m always able to put my stronger glasses on.
You always have that default because what I want you to do is make choices about what you want to look through so that you can see more clearly when you need to. I mean, it could be very simple. I don’t want to necessarily do this right now, but probably we could increase the distance prescription enough for you to be able to go take the test and pass it.
They would be glasses you would never wear, but I’m sure that we could increase the prescription to the point where you’d have no problem walking in there and taking the test. The floater is the floater and the cataracts are symptoms. They’re not the problem. And I mean, I could give you the answer for the floater tomorrow. Doctors in Beverly Hills. He’s
Sam Berne (19:58.574)
a floater doctor that zaps floaters with a laser. If you don’t want to go to him, I know another guy in Dallas who does it. It’s called the floater’s doctor. So you play like a video game and he zaps your floaters.
So that’s always there for you. One needs to be careful about laser on the eye because I had one case where it made the eye unseeable just created a cloud afterwards with another guy. It helped him. So he was, know, the he tried all the detox things and nothing worked and he was frustrated. So there you go. So you have those options available to you at any time.
I know it’s not really where you want to go. And I think that what needs to really happen here is you need to do a bit of a reprogramming and then updating in your eye experience instead of being back at that five-year-old situation. So your homework
will be a couple things if you choose to accept it. The first is even if you did it two or three days a week.
Even one day a week put on those blurry vision glasses. And let your psyche come up around. Well, how’s this making me feel? What am I thinking and look how strong that safety response is in you that hypervigilant response and see if you can.
Sam Berne (21:54.686)
Embrace or surrender into the blur. What the blur is asking you to do is relax. Let go.
It doesn’t have to be your way.
So you’re doing that in a therapeutic circumstance, right? And you do some kind of a before and after measurement. Look out a window. Look look across the room. Look at that clock and even if it’s clear for a millisecond after you do the exercise that begins to prove to the mind that you can actually
get clarity by going into the blur because right now I get it. You why would you want to trust that go into the blur? I want to try to get away from the blur. I got this these cataracts and floaters that you know, they’re strangling me.
Sam Berne (23:01.432)
So that would be the first one to do.
The second one to do if this at all appeals to you, I’m not sure we did it. It’s called the eye dialogue.
So in eye dialogue, let’s rewind a little in Chinese medicine. The right eye is the father and the left eye is the mother. It’s the same same in urology. So what you do is you cover you could use a bandana or a patch whatever, you know, you cover the left without glasses on and by the way when you when your glasses are off.
You’re going to be more vulnerable, more internal and more real. When you put your glasses on, first of all, your eyes are way ahead of your body. And second of all, you are now in a persona.
You are not authentic. You’re in something else be more critical. You’re going to be more judgmental because your vision is such where you’ve got that acute artificially created but that acuteness. So you’re going to pick up stuff. But it’s it’s a drug you’re on.
Sam Berne (24:31.352)
Glasses are a drug and they’re side effects. They make you hyper. They make you tighter. They make it’s like Ritalin.
So you patch the left eye and I’ll send you some questions that you can ask your right eye wonder what the left eyes experience. Let’s ask the left eye. So cover the right eye that’s working on your inner vision. That’s part of the internalized energy that you
swallowed because you couldn’t really do anything with
Now, I don’t know whether this is true in your case, so I can’t say, but when I evaluate a child, I can tell exactly what the parent’s marriage is. The eyes are really just a mirror of what we see, what we’re taking in.
Sam Berne (25:29.464)
You know, I’m digesting what I’m seeing with my parents on a daily basis. I don’t know how to process this. I mean, I have clinical experience with evidence because I’ve seen so many kids. The problem is the parents, not the kid. You know, the father is over on one corner and the mother’s over in the other corner. I recently had
an autistic kid. The father is a cardiologist. The mother is an artist. She says I want my kid to be treated by you. And I met with a cardiologist in my office and he railed me out left and right and he said that they would never stand for for this for me that I’m a quack and all that. So what ended up happening is she divorced him.
I mean, they had a bad marriage and they were married and the guy was a jerk had no connection to anything except his rational science mind, which was very narrow. It was really hurting his kid. So, I mean, this is like this is our eyes are our our scroll of history at least for me. I can read somebody’s eyes and I can tell a lot about their life, you know.
because I learned the patterns. And so what I’m saying about your pattern is your cataracts and floater you manifested it as a way to block things more and create more congestion and being fixed in. So what I want you to do is have different net have now have different experiences with your eyes. It’ll give you a new lease on life. It’ll it’ll allow you whatever happens.
It will allow you to have a broader range of what’s possible. And so the blurry vision is the invitation. Can I relax into this blur? What can I learn about myself? What are my reactions to the blur? Write it down every day when you do it. Like you said blur danger. Everybody’s got that that’s nearsighted. I hate the blur. I’m out of control.
Sam Berne (27:57.266)
I hate the blur. could be shamed. I hate the blur because I could get it wrong. My teacher shamed me when I was in school. I mean the stories go on and on. had a lady. She’s an artist now. She said first grade. got a D in art. How do you get a D in art in first grade? She became myopic.
So.
The blurry vision glasses, the eye dialogue, and the third exercise is I’m going to send you a picture of some jelly beans.
Okay, you’re to print it out. It can be black and white or color. If you got a color printer, you do that. All right. So this picture of jelly beans is what we call a soft focus 3D exercise. And you’re going to wear your computer glasses for this. This is the only time you wear the glasses. Wear the computer glasses. You take the jelly beans and you hold it up to your nose. So it’s touching your nose. Okay, touching your nose.
You mentally look through it. So pretend you’re at Venice Beach and you’re looking out at the ocean. All right, but the jelly beans is here, but I’m seeing out in the ocean. You start pushing it away from your face and you start to look at the spaces between the jelly beans. You keep pushing it out pushing it out. The picture pops and you see 3d meaning that your two eyes are now synchronizing.
Sam Berne (29:34.92)
So some of the floaters look close. Some of the jelly beans look closer. Some of them look farther away that opens up the circulation in the lens of the eye and the vitreous where the floater is. I’d like you to do that exercise three times a day for like a minute or two. I you go on that computer all day. I’d love to see you. That’s a break from your you’re focusing. So that’s more of a physical therapy.
exercise the other two the blurry vision glasses and the the eye dialogue are more of the internal vision and your your habits and conditioning and patterns.
Sam Berne (30:22.53)
Yeah, it’s it’s huge. I mean, I can’t underestimate it because if we don’t at least interface with that a little bit, you’re not going to make the changes just doing the physical exercises. Booming when you go to psychotherapy, you take your lenses off. If you don’t you should.
You know, I guess, you know, it depends if you need to see the person but here’s the thing that I can say to you. When you take your lenses off, you don’t have the same obstacles and blocks. In defense. Remember your energy is going to be more equally distributed. Like I have a lot of massage therapists over the years. I’ve worked with.
And I’ve said to them take your lenses off when you’re doing your treatments. And they’ll all come back and say to me, you know, when I have my lenses off, I’m much more intuitive. I’m much more connected.
Sam Berne (31:25.847)
And I want you to make that that crossover so that you get that.
Sam Berne (31:34.066)
I mean, I’m not saying do this right now. This would be your vision quest. Take a Sunday when you have no demands. Maybe Sunday isn’t the day Saturday or whatever day go on a vision retreat meaning don’t wear any of your glasses for four hours and notice what comes up for you.
There’s going to be a detox. And energetic detox.
Sam Berne (32:10.494)
because we’re taking away the drug that you’ve been made dependent upon.
Sam Berne (32:19.812)
Exactly. It numbs you. Thank you. Yes, it does. It sure does numb you out. It disassociates you. That’s what it’s really doing. Part of you is out there your eyes. Maybe most of you is out there. You’re not in your body. When you take your lenses off, you are going to be more in your body because it’s so blurry out there.
your fixation and your attention comes in.
You develop the habit of being outside of yourself because of the danger.
Sam Berne (33:02.804)
You don’t have to do that anymore, but it’s going to take time for you to get your eyesight clear and wear less prescription. There’s because it’s split again. It’s a dissociated pattern, right? Yeah. So, you know, keep taking the supplements that feel good to you.
that you feel like, okay, this is I like this and the ones you don’t put off to the side you to be much more mindful energetically what you’re putting into your body. What you’re seeing the difference when you take your your your lenses off.
I want you to get more mindful. Mindfulness will heal you.
Sam Berne (34:03.9)
It will make you more connected to yourself and you’ll know what’s working in what’s not right now. I’m helping you, but I want you to get that and the floaters in the cataracts are symptoms. want you to start thinking of them as symptoms and not the diagnosis. The diagnosis is hypermental vigilance. That’s the diagnosis. So
wear the blurry glasses and soften your attitude. Embrace the blur and do it in a circumstance where you feel a hundred percent safe be in the safest environment you can and nurture yourself. And this is a this is a loving act what you’re doing. You’re taking back your vision under the deepest healing things in your life.
You know, that’s why you were able to meet me and do that. Everybody going in there. They’re not thinking like you. They’re not. They just say, give me the contacts. Give me the glasses. Give me the lasik surgery, you know, so very few escape the insanity.
But you did.
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Keywords
holistic eye care, traditional eye care, vision therapy, eyesight improvement, eye health, diet and vision, glaucoma reversal, brain-eye connection, vision exercises, iridology
Summary
In this enlightening conversation, Dr. Sam Berne discusses the differences between holistic and traditional eye care, emphasizing the importance of treating the root causes of vision problems rather than just the symptoms. He shares his personal journey of overcoming severe nearsightedness through holistic methods and explains how vision therapy can benefit individuals of all ages. The discussion also covers the critical stages of visual development in infants, the distinction between eyesight and vision, and the impact of diet and lifestyle on eye health. Dr. Berne highlights the potential to reverse conditions like glaucoma and cataracts through holistic practices and emphasizes the deep connection between eye health and overall brain
function.
Takeaways
Holistic eye care focuses on treating the cause, not just symptoms.
Vision therapy can improve eyesight at any age.
Early development stages significantly impact visual health.
Eyesight is a static measurement; vision is dynamic.
Diet and lifestyle choices directly affect eye health.
Cataracts and glaucoma can potentially be reversed.
The liver plays a crucial role in eye health.
Craniosacral therapy can improve vision by enhancing circulation.
Emotional and psychological factors influence vision.
The eyes are an extension of the brain, reflecting overall health.
Sound Bites
“We treat the cause instead of the symptom.”
“We can improve our eyesight anytime.”
“I was seeing 2400 on the eye chart.”
“Vision is how the eyes and brain work together.”
“Eyesight is a static measurement.”
“Cataracts can be slowed down or reversed.”
“The liver is critical for absorbing nutrients.”
“The eyes are the brain.”
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Holistic Eye Care
02:03 Understanding Holistic vs Traditional Eye Care
03:58 Personal Journey to Improved Vision
12:17 The Importance of Early Development in Vision
18:19 Distinguishing Eyesight from Vision
22:32 The Role of Diet and Lifestyle in Eye Health
28:20 Reversing Glaucoma and Liver Health
33:05 The Connection Between Eyes and Brain Health
Sam Berne (00:01)
Hey everybody, welcome to the podcast today. So I’m being interviewed by Ashley Dealey and she is a wellness practitioner. She’s got a big following on Instagram. So I’ve agreed to be on her show and I thought I would do a recording and share it with you. So enjoy this it’s new information and here we go.
Why don’t you call me Dr. Sam? Okay, Dr. Sam. then this is also when I remind my guests this is not a live podcast. Okay, so if something’s on the tip of your tongue or maybe your alarm goes off, don’t worry. I’ll edit it out. Okay. And then this is usually when I ask my guests to make sure to put their phone on do not disturb or airplane mode. Yep. That’s good too.
We’re good to go. I would say, well, let’s just see how it goes. I don’t have a hard stop. yeah, we’re good.
Yes. So I am just so excited that you’re here. If at any point you need to take a break, just let me know. Okay. edit this. So I’m going to go ahead and get started. Like I always do. Okay. Dr. Sam. Welcome to the show. It’s great to be here. Thank you, Ashley, for having me so excited. I feel like
matches mine and I’m just thrilled to have someone so open-minded here.
is to get a good understanding of what’s the difference between holistic eye care and traditional eye care. It’s pretty simple because in holistic eye care, what I’m doing is looking for the cause instead of treating the symptom. Also, I would say number two that I’m looking at the eyes as it relates to our metabolic systemic
and psychological, emotional, spiritual health. And number three, the eyes are interrelated and interconnected to our awareness, our diet, our lifestyle, our stress. So it’s not just genetics. Yes, there’s epigenetics, but there are many factors that influence how we see and it actually starts very early in our life. And so when I
figure out, okay, what are the causes? We treat those. Lots of times the symptoms actually just go away.
So are you saying we could improve our eyesight anytime? Yes, we can from infants to elders. That’s the scope of my population, my community. I did it on myself very early on in my career. I was very nearsighted and I met a holistic eye doctor and I went through his physical vision therapy program.
And in a period about six months, my eyesight improved to 2020 and I didn’t need my lenses anymore. And so I am firsthand experience of people being able to improve their vision at any age. Yes.
That’s a fascinating story that I really want to dive into because I feel like in a regular optometrist office, you’re going to read an eye chart, be fitted for glasses or contacts, and then buy your prescription for glasses or contacts. So can you please tell me, how did you find this doctor and how did you change your vision?
Hmm. Well, I was in a study group in the Northeast. That’s where I went to school. That’s where I grew up and I had heard about this doctor. He was in the 70s. His name was Dr. Albert A. Shankman and he wrote a book called Vision Enhancement Training. So he was a physical therapy type optometrist who practiced in Connecticut and he was, you know, on the shady side of the mountain of his career.
And he was inviting certain young optometrists to year-long training on teaching us his methods of holistic vision care. And so I resonated with it because I had always been really open-minded. You know, even as a child growing up, there was a there was an openness that I had and a curiosity. So even though I went to a very conventional
Optometry School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania College of Optometry, which I’m really grateful I graduated there because it was a very disease focused, eye disease focused type practice school. And I had done some experiences in internships where I worked in holistic optometry practices. One was in California, one was in the East Coast. And I also had just finished a
program learning how to treat children on the spectrum disorders. And this was called the Gazelle Institute in New Haven, Connecticut. So I was already primed to practice this way. And then when Dr. Shankman set that invitation, I jumped on it and I started to become a student of his. And then I went to him as a patient and started doing physical vision therapy. And that’s how I transformed
the habits and patterns in my eyes. So that’s the short story.
Well, I feel like I’m on the edge of my seat because now I want the long story. What was the physical vision therapy that you did to change your eyes and a two-part question? What was your eyesight before you saw him? So before I saw him, I was seeing 2400 on the eye chart. So that’s the biggie. I needed a really strong nearsighted prescription in order to function. And what?
What he offered was a mind body approach. So he was a yoga teacher and he also taught meditation. you know, there there are I exercise programs out there that are very mechanical. So if you do certain amount of exercises every day, your eyesight gets better. But as soon as you stop doing the exercises, your eyes get worse.
What he did was he really focused on what our belief systems were around our vision our attitudes and he worked a lot with our movements our body movement and different lens prescriptions that we would use as exercise prescriptions. He worked a lot with each eye separately and we delved into what were some of the psycho-emotional patterns around why we developed our vision.
I was nearsighted. That was my diagnosis. Nearsighted is I pull the world in, I tighten up, I get very defensive and you know, I was a memorizer. I always had a hard time learning to read. My mom took me to a lot of different educational tutors and we could never figure out why I wasn’t a good reader. And so I became a memorizer and I went to an eye doctor and he gave me nearsighted glasses when I was about eight years old. at 10.
up my eyes, but it didn’t really treat the problem, which was Dr. Shankman diagnosed me as having
my two eyes not working together and my left eye wandering out. And that’s why I saw double vision and I had poor attention. So through his vision therapy techniques, I was able to learn to coordinate both eyes together. So my double vision went away and my reading took off. And so then I didn’t need the tension in my eye muscles to do the work, the schoolwork that I was asked to do. And so since I didn’t need that tension anymore, I methodically started to reduce
my prescription and with each prescription reduction I
I felt more relaxation in my nervous system and more openness. remember I had started a practice in Philadelphia and one day my staff said to me, know, you’re really different. What what’s happening? You seem more relaxed and I said, well, I’m going through vision therapy and my my eyes are more relaxed. Therefore, I’m more relaxed and they said, yeah, you don’t have your edge. You’re not as intense. So that’s that was a real breakthrough moment for me to really
I
how strongly my vision affected my affect my behavior my reactions and when I got to the point where I didn’t need my prescription anymore. was able to see possibilities in a different way and that’s what inspired me to move out to New Mexico because I didn’t have the fear anymore. I could see possibilities and so I sold my Pennsylvania interests and moved to Santa Fe. This was in 1990 and
up a holistic practice there. But that moment of wow, I could actually do it and you know that that permission, know, most eye doctors you go to their offices and you know, bless their heart. Their whole thing is let’s measure and give you the strongest prescription. But what they’re actually doing is perpetuating the same problem. They’re not really treating the problem. They’re treating the symptom and that’s why people get strong.
stronger and stronger glasses like you referenced. Yeah, you get new glasses every year because the doctor keeps increasing your prescription and that’s a formula for making your eyes even worse by wearing that super strong prescription that he or she is giving you. And of course, there’s the the feedback that you get this strong prescription to go. Wow, I’m dizzy. I’m nauseous. I don’t like it. It’s making me sick and you go back and the doctor says well, don’t worry. You’ll you’ll get used to it.
And you don’t want to get used to something that’s making you dizzy or nauseous, but that’s what we do. We internalize a lot of our visual experiences through our eyes, but we have no place to express it except, know, swallow it. Just, you know, this is how it is kid.
So I’ve really over the years have helped thousands and thousands of people get free of just the programming that has been put into them by going to the eye doctor’s offices.
with that story, especially about being a bad.
reader because I have a cousin who has a nine year old and he doesn’t like to read. And so now I’m wondering, does he need to see a holistic eye doctor? And I also really like what you say about treating the whole person because I feel like in the mainstream conventional medical structure that we have, it’s a sick care system and the eyes are separate. Why would anybody look at anything else when you could just look at the eyes? So I would love
to hear how you help treat infants all the way to elderly people. So with infants, first of all, one of the most there are three really important stages. One is in utero.
That’s when our sensory systems really start developing. We’re floating in our mom’s waters. And so that’s developing our peripheral vision, our vestibular system. And then the second…
milestone is when we actually are born and that imprint of when we come out of the birth canal or if it’s a c-section or There’s the forceps delivery or there’s been some stress birth trauma really impacts our sensory motor systems And then number three is the bonding period, know what we go through like initially when you’re born and you’re laying on your mom and there’s this oxytocin flowing through and all this love, you know kids that are put in incubators or
or, know, preemie babies or, you know, all kinds of weird things that happen that affects our sensory motor development as well. I’m including the eyes in that because our eyes originate from the brain very early on after conception. So every structure of the eyeball is brain. In fact, the eyes are the only part of the brain that sit out of what we call the cranial vault, the skull, but the eyes are such a an intimate part of our brain.
And that’s why we can improve our vision because there’s a neuroplasticity capability in our vision if we’re shown the way and so in infants a lot of times they may be diagnosed with crossed eyes or lazy eyes. Well, the last thing you want to do is put glasses on a child or do eye muscle surgery at that age. There are stimulating activities that can help improve an infant’s vision very early on and we call it visual stimuli.
because their world is mostly
you know here and so there are definitely prescribed activities that you can do to help an infant then we go into a toddler and then you know we go into a you know a child the the the things of learning how to hop and skip and swing on a swing and go down a slide and you know spin these are all things that help develop our vision and our sensory motor program.
So I want to make a distinction here between eyesight and vision. Eyesight is reading the eye chart at 20 feet. That’s a static measurement and that’s eyeballs and glasses. Vision is how the eyes and the brain and the body work together. So it’s very much brain centered. Most eye exams are eyesight based and then they check for disease. They’re not testing for vision.
And vision is a skill that you start developing in utero. These three experiences that I’ve named have a strong influence on our visual coordination, our visual tracking, our visual focus, even though it’s very early in the nonverbal time.
And then as a child develops and they’re learning to read, they need to have those visual skills to be able to read. I I certainly didn’t have those skills and sounds like the nine-year-old you referenced maybe has a deficit in the visual skills. So it affects our visual processing, our visual thinking, our visual moving. All of those things can be repaired through vision therapy, which is a reeducation.
process of relearning of how the eyes, brain, and body work together. Now if we fast forward to adults, when we hit age 40 we start needing reading glasses, our arms aren’t long enough.
Well, when you start wearing magnifying glasses that actually weakens the eye muscles and so then you get addicted to these magnifiers and they only make your eyes worse. So there are exercises that you can use to repattern the eye muscles in the brain. So you don’t need those magnifying glasses. All right. Now let’s move to age 60 870. This is when people start developing conditions like cataracts like over 90 % of the population.
is going to develop cataracts. Well, cataract is really oxidative stress that accumulates in the protein of the lens and in early stage cataracts and or if you’re proactive, you can actually slow down the progression of cataracts and even reverse cataracts.
Macular degeneration is the number one leading cause of blindness today. Why is that? Well, it’s related related somewhat to our diet, our stress, our screen time. And so there are protocols that you can do to slow down or even reverse macular degeneration. And the third big died disease is glaucoma, which is a problem with eye pressure and it affects our peripheral vision. Well, there are things that you can do to slow
that degradation down and in some cases even reverse glaucoma. So now you’ve seen the spectrum from infants to elders that you know, these are the people that I work with.
my goodness, you just gave me so much information. I’m going to, excuse me, I’m going to unpack some of what you said bit by bit. And where I wanted to start was.
You said that eyesight isn’t the same as vision and there’s exercises that we can do to strengthen our eyes. So Dr. Sam, can you walk me through the shape of the eye, the muscles and what we can do to strengthen our eyes? Okay, so the eyes sit in an eye socket.
This bony orbit and there’s six eye muscles two on the top two on the bottom one on the outside one on the inside. Those are called extraocular muscles. So they help us track and move and rotate our eyes very important for eye movement. So the brain has got to be really connected to controlling those six muscles and then inside the eye. There’s a tiny little lens like maybe a third of the way back from the front.
of the eye and that lens has little ligaments or ciliary muscles we call them to change the shape of the lens. know, and based on that, that helps us with our focus, our ability to see clearly. Now what happens is when we start develop blurry vision, we go to the eye doctor and there’s a deficit. We don’t see the eye chart as well. And then there’s the whole question of which lens is clear number one or number two and let’s
Let’s say you’re having a bad day. Let’s say you’re a mom and your your child is sick and you’re worried about her and you’re going to this exam and it’s a high-pressured situation to begin with and he’s flipping the lenses, which is clear one or two one or two. Come on. You got to pick one. So you pick number two and you’re you’re stressed out to begin with that lens fixes your vision in that particular position based on that bad day that you were having. So then for the next year.
to you’re looking through this lens this reality based on a decision you made and most likely it’s going to be too strong for you. And again, we’re just treating the symptoms here. There are
relaxation exercises, their eye movement exercises. There are awareness exercises that can help release the tension which then gets rid of the blur. So that’s one thing. Then the other aspect is what do you eat? You know, what’s your diet like?
And one of the modalities that I use is I analyze the colored part of the eye. The colored part of the eye is called the iris and the
process is called uredology and the iris is a map to the entire body. And so I take really good pictures of the irises and I look for patterns and those patterns can tell me genetic tendencies like what has been passed down through the genes. The right eye is the father eye. The left eye is the mother eye or the grandfather grandmother.
And then you could look at things like your liver health liver gallbladder health because the liver is rules the eyes in Chinese medicine.
We can look at the pancreas and what your blood sugar levels is. So sugar is really poisonous for your eyes. We can look at your thyroid health. We can look at, your respiratory health, your heart health. So iridology and it’s been around for a long time. It was actually really fathered in by a doctor named Bernard Jensen. You could Google him and I became certified in iridology. I’ve taken all the tests and studied it. And so it’s well part of my
If somebody is having an unusual vision problem, I will do an iridology analysis and that tells me a lot about what they should be eating, what supplements, what herbs, what essential oils, flower essences, lots of things. And based on that, it’s a roadmap to bring people’s vision back to health. So it’s that two-pronged. One is more functional and the second is more on the biochemical.
said about the liver. I’ve heard you mention that before, but I also want to go back to where we were going to unpack that first lot of information. So I was also curious to learn.
little bit more about, let’s say you put on those glasses and you say they weaken your muscles around around your eyes. So what can we do then, and maybe this is a bit redundant from what you already said, but what can we do to wean ourselves off of wearing glasses?
Well, I think finding a doctor who does physical therapy, vision therapy because it’s going to be a combination of what habits created the blurry vision that that’s kind of what happened in my case. What were the habits that created?
The prescription so in nearsightedness my habit was I pulled the world in and farsightedness people tend to push the world away in astigmatism. They twist the world. So when the doctor is testing the eyesight the doctor also needs to test. Well, what are the visual habits? What are the visual skills that have created the blurry eyesight?
And then based on that, maybe giving 60 or 70 % of the prescription so that you can function, so you can pass the driver’s test and you can drive and you can read, but then starting to do physical vision therapy and it’s very individualized based on what your deficits are.
And then you can start wearing a reduced prescription. That’s what I did. That was what I shared when I was in my office. I had a prescription for driving and I had a reduced prescription that I wore indoors. And the more I wore that reduced prescription, my eyes flexed into that reduced prescription. And then eventually it became my distance prescription. So I incrementally started to reduce that first prescription that the doctor gave me.
You know, another thing that works really well is in non demanding and non threatening situations start taking your glasses or contacts off. There’s a practice I recommend called going on a vision retreat. It’s called a vision quest and if you wear lenses, you take four hours on a weekend like a Saturday or a Sunday and you don’t put your lenses in at all and you
function without the lenses and you use the experience to learn about your reactions without having the lenses in what is your relationship with blur? Are you totally dependent on your lenses or can you function what comes up for you emotionally spiritually energetically when you don’t go without these lenses? It’s kind of like a vision detox.
I saw you do detox stuff. Well, this is a vision detox where you take the lenses off and you don’t wear them. Remember the lenses are approved by the FDA. They’re a drug and they have side effects. And so when you start
Weaning yourself off a drug, you’re going to have side effects and the toxicities that have been created from this prescription are going to start to show up. And so in this vision quest or vision retreat where you sequester yourself in an environment where there’s no demands on you and you can start to really notice what your patterns are. So this is a question for all your listeners who wear glasses or
Context take them off and give me three belief systems that you feel around blurry vision.
And just to kind of cue people a little bit give them a context most people in blurry vision a feel out of control be are afraid they’re going to get hurt and see they’re afraid they may get criticized. So all of those things creates a fear and a hypervigilance in their attitude. So when I have a hypervigilant attitude, I got to be on, you know, fight or flight all the time. I’m going to put that that
fear through my eyeballs. That’s one of the main causes of why people need glasses because of that, that early programming in the hypervigilance that they’re having to deal with. So it’s a, it’s a very interesting way of healing from the inside out, looking at your thoughts and belief systems and attitudes of what created the blur to begin with.
It reminds me of a book that I read about 10 years ago that I found completely fascinating where this person had multiple personality disorder. And in one of her personalities, she needed reading glasses. And in the other personality, she had perfect vision. And that was the first time that I think the light had kind of…
peeked open for me or at least peeked my interest and I couldn’t believe someone could change their eyesight. I found it so fascinating. So I really resonate with what you’re saying about people’s habits and lifestyles and what are their environments like. I also wanted to go back to where you said you could potentially reverse glaucoma and talking about the liver in Chinese medicine. So can you walk me through how can we possibly reverse glaucoma?
Okay. Well, I’m to start off with when I first moved to Santa Fe and Santa Fe is a pretty alternative community, even though an eye doctor’s there. There was no alternative eye doctors, but there were, I think at the time to acupuncture schools. And so I enrolled in one of them because I wanted to learn the relationship between the eyes and acupuncture. And I remember one of the very early lectures.
And the professor knew I was a practicing licensed eye doctor. He looked at me and he said, did you know that the liver and the gallbladder are critical for our ability to absorb fat soluble nutrients? And did you also know that some of the most famous fat soluble nutrients are really important for the eyes like vitamin A lutein?
and zeaxanthin and moat and he said most people have a congested liver and gallbladder because of the toxicities we’re living in and we could go into you know variety of reasons it could be dental health mercury amalgams it could be trauma in the head it could be being exposed to
mold or you know those kinds of toxins parasites yeast infections in any case the liver the meridians go right to the eyes and that if you clean up the liver and the gallbladder your eyesight is going to get better and I remember studying herbs and milk thistle and burdock root and yellow dock. I would give those to people that had you know eye diseases for example, like you mentioned glaucoma.
And lo and behold, their eye pressure would come back to normal or their cataracts would would reduce or their macular degeneration would get better. I call macular degeneration by the way, macular regeneration so that you know that that mindset is like, you know, we hear that diagnosis and it’s just like game over not really. So in any case the
That the liver gallbladder is so important in doing some kind of cleansing or supporting and I’ve seen it thousands of times where people’s eyesight gets better. The glasses reduce their their eye disease goes away and in doing acupuncture you’re redistributing the energy. let’s say you have a puffy or you have swollen this around the eyes. If you start doing acupuncture either around the eyes, but you can also
do it, know, distally in other places. It actually redistributes the energy and by redistributing the energy those symptoms go away. So the liver and the gallbladder and I’m going to also add our digestive health, our spleen, our
pancreas our thyroid, you know, all those endocrine glands have a very strong influence on our visual system and part of it is because this is such a blood vessel rich area, you know, and we require a lot of oxygenation and hydration to keep those oxidative stress molecules away. And one of the issues that I see with most people is they have a lot of oxidative stress. They have low
and the killer is inflammation. And so when they’ve got that inflammation and their lymph system isn’t working well.
You know, for example, in iridology, if you’ve got blue eyes, you’re what we call lymphatic. You need to take really good care of your lymph system or you’re going to have all kinds of health issues and eye issues. And the other thing is you need you need to stay away from gluten, dairy, sugar, because as a blue-eyed person, the lymphatic system, it’s very easy for you to get inflammation and that’s going to be a killer for you. So, you know, there’s all these connections. I think you want to
say something so I’m gonna turn it over to you what you
Eye health is so important and it seems like one of those things that isn’t quite moving in the medical field. Everyone takes their kids to the eye doctor. Everyone has the same vision test. And I’ve heard you say, I’ve done a lot of research on you before and I’ve heard you say the eyes are an extension of the brain all the way from in utero. So knowing that.
and what you mentioned about taking care of ourselves, no sugar, no gluten. What can you tell me about the relationship with the eyes and the brain?
Well, the eyes are the brain. They’re, you know, an outer representation. Some of the latest research is showing that we can actually see amyloid plaques in the retina or the optic nerve. And that could be the early stages of Alzheimer’s or dementia by looking at the eyes.
Another thing that we can say is that if you can improve the cerebral spinal fluid from the brain to the eyes and the eyes to the brain, you can lower eye pressure, which is the glaucoma situation.
So another modality that I studied when I moved to Santa Fe was I was working with kids with birth trauma. I work a lot with occupational therapists and physical therapists and teachers and all these kids had birth trauma and some of them had strabismus, the eyes were crossing, they had learning issues and it was mentioned to me, I think you need to learn craniosacral therapy. So I enrolled in the massage school. Well, first I went to the upledger.
Institute and I took a lot of their courses, which I really liked and that was more muscular skeletal level and then at the massage school I learned the biodynamic craniosacral so that was more of the fluid part of the body and I began doing craniosacral on my patients and this is a really interesting story. So people would come in and I’d measure their eyesight at distance and I’d measure their prescription and then my massage table was right next to my eye exam equipment. So I’d say lay down and I’ll
do an hour of craniosacral and then after the craniosacral session, I put them back in the exam chair and invariably their prescription was 30 to 50 % less and that’s what I would give them and they would love those prescriptions because their system was relaxed. It was the nervous system was balanced. They weren’t in that, you know, one or two or in that machine the foropter. So it taught me that craniosacral has a very strong effect.
on the cranial nerves and the muscles and the fascia and the connective tissue around the eyes. And as I got more into traumatic brain injury patients, that was another thing that I researched and that was back in Philadelphia.
It’s funny because when I first opened, I opened a practice up with a holistic eye doctor whose name is Dr. Ellis Edelman and he was like one of my great mentors and we became partners and he passed away about 10 years ago, but.
One of the things that happened was I couldn’t get any patients to come see me. It was really difficult because Philadelphia at that time was very medically oriented. So I went to the local hospitals and I volunteered with the physiatrist there that hey, I can work with your brain injury patients. They all have double vision. They can’t walk there, you know, they can’t read their memory is off. And so I began applying a lot of these physical therapy.
exercises and color therapy and you know some of the other techniques I learned and they all got better and so from that experience I began to start to get patients word-of-mouth because I was doing this great work and with the TBI population. The other thing I did in Philadelphia and I still do this today I work with special needs kids. So these are kids that have been written off Down syndrome, minimal brain dysfunction, severe developmental delays, severe autism. So I started
working with these kids and they got better. And so that was another way that I word of mouth. was like, hey, this guy’s working with special needs. He’s working with TBIs. The regular eye doctors don’t have the time or interest to work with these populations. fast forward when I moved to Santa Fe, I affiliated with a clinic in Albuquerque called Kid Power. You could look it up, Kid Power Associates. And I began consulting there and I still do to
This day I go down a couple times a year from Santa Fe.
This population is amazing because these kids are been written off and they’re doing primitive reflex therapy and vision therapy and sound therapy and craniosacral and nutrition stuff and I’ve kind of helped them in certain areas. And so it’s a great match to do that. But the craniosacral is so important around the brain health because it just improving the circulation. You think about a newborn that there’s a forceps delivery. Well, what they
want to do is put a helmet on a kid and try to force the skull to go back into alignment. I mean, it’s Neanderthal stuff. But if you do craniosacral, then this starts to breathe more the cranial rhythm and this is going to affect not only the eyes, but the ears and the body and the whole situation. It’s pretty obvious how interrelated the eyes and the brain are. So here’s a statistic. The eyes in the brain make up 2 % of the body weight.
and use 25 % of the food intake. So 25 % of what we eat is needed in this metabolically needed area. And that’s why what we eat has such a strong effect.
on our eyesight and vision. And when I started to study functional medicine, I could see the relationship in this eye brain health and then the gut, you know how the gut and the eyes and the brain come together. I’ll say one more thing because this is another really nice story. So when I was writing my first book in Santa Fe, it’s called creating your personal vision. I wrote that book in 1994. You can still get it in their new editions out now. I think you can get it on Amazon.
but
I was interviewing a woman who was a master nutritionist and her name was Dr. Hazel Parcells and Dr. Parcells was 103 when I met her and she was just starting a retreat center in northern New Mexico. And so I became a student of hers for three years. She died at 106 and taught me a lot about energy healing and other things that are a little more esoteric that we could get into if you want to. But
Dr. amazing around nutrition. knew food combining, what to cook with, and we had a good run together. There’s a book about her called Live Better Longer. The author’s name is Dispensas. So your listeners out there, they want to learn about Dr. Parcells. What an amazing woman.
But she was really focused on the brain, the eyes, the nutrition, and it kind of all came together for me when I moved to Santa Fe. I met some extraordinary people that kind of pushed me in different directions.
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Keywords
functional vision, dynamic vision, static vision, visual regard, pupil testing, eye alignment, tracking skills, convergence, divergence, primitive reflexes, near-far fixation, suppression, visual midline, vestibular ocular reflex, Harmon distance
Summary
In this podcast episode, Dr. Sam Berne discusses the concept of functional vision screening, emphasizing the difference between dynamic and static vision. He explores various assessments and exercises that can help improve visual skills, coordination, and overall learning abilities in children. Key topics include the importance of visual regard, pupil testing, tracking skills, convergence and divergence, primitive reflexes, and the significance of the Harmon distance in reading. The episode provides valuable insights for parents, educators, and therapists working with children who may have visual processing challenges.
Takeaways
Functional vision is dynamic and involves the brain and body.
Head posture can significantly influence visual problems.
Visual regard is essential for effective motor planning.
Pupil response can indicate stress and visual issues.
Convergence is crucial for reading and visual tracking.
Primitive reflexes play a key role in visual development.
Near-far fixation exercises enhance copying and reading skills.
Suppression of one eye can indicate underlying vision problems.
Visual midline assessments help understand spatial awareness.
The Harmon distance is critical for optimal reading posture.
Sound Bites
“Functional vision is dynamic, not just eyesight.”
“Head posture can influence vision problems.”
“Pupil response can indicate stress levels.”
“Convergence is crucial for reading skills.”
“Primitive reflexes affect visual skills.”
“Near-far fixation improves copying skills.”
“Suppression can indicate a vision problem.”
“Visual midline affects spatial awareness.”
“The Harmon distance is vital for reading.”
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Functional Vision Screening
03:07 Understanding Dynamic vs Static Vision
05:56 Assessing Coordination and Posture
09:13 The Importance of Visual Regard
11:59 Pupil Testing and Eye Alignment
15:11 Tracking Skills: Pursuits and Saccades
18:11 Convergence and Divergence in Vision
21:14 The Role of Primitive Reflexes
23:47 Near-Far Fixation Exercises
26:54 Understanding Suppression in Vision
30:12 Visual Midline and Balance
33:12 Vestibular Ocular Reflex (VOR) Testing
35:49 The Harmon Distance and Its Importance
38:51 Conclusion and Future Considerations
Sam Berne (00:00.066)
Hey everyone, welcome to the podcast today. So I’m doing a little more teaching in what we call functional vision screening. So the difference between functional vision, which is dynamic and static vision, which is eyesight is huge. And when we start talking about how to use these two eyes in relationship to the brain and body.
We can do a number of tests that can help us determine what’s the best course of action and being able to help a person improve their vision. So again, I’m going to invite you in and part of the lecture today that we did with our class. I think you’ll find it to be very interesting. Again, if you have any questions, you can send me an email appointments at dr. Sam burn.com. Enjoy the show everyone. So this is called assessing functional vision.
And this is a this is a an assessment that I have developed over the years and I’ve given it to many occupational therapists physical therapists teachers people like yourself. And so I will give you a worksheet that you can use to actually take the notes when you actually do the testing but for today today.
We’re just going to start in on the ideas of it. So here we have a person who’s on a Boza ball and we’re working with the inner ear, the vestibular system, which is very tight into vision. And I’ll talk more about that in a few minutes.
Sam Berne (01:53.174)
So what I did here is I made a list of things that relate to each other. Like for example, if you have a child who tilts their head.
They usually have what we call a stigmatism, which means that the eye is shaped more like an egg instead of being round like a ball. And a stigmatism effect is influenced by our posture head posture neck posture. So there’s that relationship head tail a stigmatism now double vision meaning I see two of something that could be related to
something called stimming coordination problems. So that could either be body coordination problems or visual coordination. So it could either be gross motor or fine motor or both a lot of times there is a gross motor coordination problem and they can even relate to some of the primitive reflex primitive reflexes that aren’t integrated and we’ll save the primitive reflexes for another lecture, but
You know, you can ask your your client. Do you ever see two of things and a lot of times they’ll say, yeah, I do and the parents are like, I never heard that. So if you don’t ask the question then you know, the child just thinks double vision is normal. Another behavior that you might see in the double vision is they like to cover or close an eye, especially when they read.
Or you can look at their eyes and their eyelids and the eyelid droops. gets heavy. Another thing you can notice is that the pupils which is the control of the light. It’s the black circle is always dilated. And if you see a child that’s always got dilated pupils, they’re under a lot of stress. There’s a there’s a big stress response in their system. So
Sam Berne (04:01.354)
In general head position and posture. One of the things that I like to do is really observe how the child is writing and reading watch the child while he or she is hopping skipping or galloping and one clinic that I work in. We actually observe the child walking on a
either a two by four or a piece of tape that was like a masking tape that we put along the floor and they have to walk on that forwards and backwards and we observe the arms the hands the legs the feet and then there’s an exercise called the duck walk pigeon walk and this is where you ask the child to turn their feet out like a duck and start walking.
And with most of the kids that I’ve worked with when they do the duck walk or the pigeon walk is when the feet are turned in like a pigeon. You will see the upper part of the body kind of turning in or turning out as a way to try to help the feet stay in the position. You’re asking them to stay on.
You can also look at their arms and their hands while they’re walking and it’s going to clue you in that they’ve got some kind of motor developmental delay and many times it’s related to again, the primitive reflexes not being integrated if they’re in a therapy situation and I see this behavior on the pigeon walk or the duck walk.
I’ll do something called Socratic guidance, meaning that I’ll start asking them questions. Hey, Johnny, is there another way you can hold your arm or hold your hand?
Sam Berne (05:56.801)
And so that they are in a discovery mode of going. well, my hand was turned in. What if I turn my hand out as just as an example? So Socratic guidance is a technique where instead of saying, you’re doing it wrong or correcting them, which really is a missed opportunity for them to become better at problem solving because that’s this whole this whole process is teaching them to be
experts of problem solving first with their body coordination and then thinking and then eventually they can transfer that to school. So when you’re doing the Socratic guidance, you’re artfully you’re skillfully asking them questions and guiding them to a place where they try something else and they’ve got the confidence because they’re not afraid that you’re going to correct them.
They’re going to be in an open space of just well, can I explore it a different way? And then when they come to the right answer you go. Well, what do you think of that? And they might go. Yeah, that makes sense. So then you’re validating their experience in solving the problem. And I see this a lot with parents where especially the mom she’s always like trying to correct her son and I have to say, okay.
Please be quiet, step back because we don’t want you to correct your son because he’s going to get this complex where he’s going to be afraid to try things. And so we teach the parents ask questions to guide the child so that they have the discovery of the answer.
Okay, another thing that you can look at while they’re walking is their eye fixation. Are they walking with their eyes pointing downward like at the ground or upward like at the sky or off to the one side or the other? It’s going to give you information perhaps on what side of the the body they they
Sam Berne (08:03.691)
have a preference towards and ultimately we want them to have a wider peripheral vision so that they can go down. can look up. They can look to the side, but they also have a centering point because the next thing this is a not talked about very much. It’s called visual regard and the definition of visual regard is
It refers to the act of using your vision to locate focus on and attend to an object in the environment. It is a foundational skill in motor planning.
Okay, so I see where I need to go first and then I move my body based on the decision where I’m looking. This is so important in sports. For example, kicking a soccer ball playing basketball playing baseball tennis golf any of these when you look ahead and you know where you’re looking then you’re planning your body to move through that and there are there are exercises that you can do to improve motor plan.
Using visual regard because it’s going to affect coordination. It’s going to affect how the person is relating to themselves and objects out there and it also visually guides the hands and body. We call this
proprioception. I know where my arms and my legs are as I’m using my vision. This gets a little more interesting when we start putting them in gravity situations where they’re jumping say on a rebounder while they’re reading a heart chart as an example so that there is a visually guided movement and their body follows that particular movement.
Sam Berne (09:56.553)
So visual regard is something not a lot of therapists talk about, but it’s really really important. So what are some functional examples of that eye hand coordination or visual regard? Well, one is reaching for a cup.
You know, one of questions I ask moms a lot is does your child spill their milk? Do they spill their juice? And that tells me that their visual visual regard is not accurate. So they have difficulty judging location guiding their hands towards an object because their eye is tracking it or not tracking it. Another place will see it is in reading. So skipping words being able to follow
letters words on a page and then finally playing sports, which I talked about tracking a ball in motion calculating its
trajectory and preparing to catch it involves visual regard. And when you get really good with visual regard, you’re great at anticipating where the teammate is where the ball is and this is where the the athletes really take off when they start being able to plan ahead and they can almost tell where things are going to be before they get there.
Kids they bend over when they’re bouncing the ball, especially if I’m adding a metronome and they think by bending over they can be faster with catching the ball and throwing the ball. And so we’re always in this correcting mode of asking them the question. Well, hey Johnny, what would it be like bouncing the ball? If you just stood up straight up? What would that be like? And then he goes, wow, it’s actually easier on my muscles, but it’s the vision that’s leading the body here. It’s not the
Sam Berne (11:50.007)
muscles leading the vision. It’s vision leading the body and in the physical therapy that you and I are talking about.
I feel that the more we can get the vision into the body and the more we can get the body into the vision that really solves the issue for the kids around their learning disabilities and their reading problems because it’s not just the eyeball experience as one of my teachers used to say a vision problem is more than in the eye. It’s in the whole child and
going on to this next slide. When you look at the pupil and when you come here, we’re going to do some pupil testing. You have a pen light and you shine the light towards the eye and the the pupil should actually get smaller when the light comes to the eye with a lot of these kids. What happens is the pupil
doesn’t constrict it stays really big really dilated and then there’s the issue where one pupil is big.
With one eye say the right eye and the left eye, the pupil is small and that’s called anisocoria and that could be a neurological problem. It could be a stress problem. It could be a trauma or toxicity issue. But the pupils are there to kind of show us what’s happening on the nervous system level. And also when a child is reading a book and starts to bring it close, the pupil should get smaller as the person brings the book closer to their face.
Sam Berne (13:29.761)
Just as like when they move the book farther away or at this point is probably the tablet. The pupils should get slightly larger. So we will do some testing in the area of having a pen light and being able to test the pupils so you can see the movement again when it’s light when there’s a lot of light the pupil should get smaller when there’s dim light the pupil should get bigger or more dilated.
And one of the tests I’m going to teach you is something called the Hirschberg test. And this is a test where you have a pen light and we’re going to talk about the Harmon distance in a little bit. That’s the distance that is about 12 to 14 inches from a person’s face. And what you do is you shine the light towards the the the person’s eyes and you look at where the pupils
The light is reflecting off the pupils. So it’s a way for you to see alignment. So you probably have worked with kids where when you look at them one of their eyes might be wandering in.
One of their eyes might be wandering out. One of their eyes might be going up. One of their eyes might be going down. So in this Hirschberg test, they’re looking at the pen light. You’re right in front of them and you want to make sure they have alignment. If they have misalignment, two things could be going on. One is double vision and two is suppression, meaning the brain is shutting off the eye to avoid double. So we have in this slide, the technical term, esotropia.
is when the eye is crossing exotropia is mean one eye is looking outward. So you’ll see the reflection of the light on the inside part of the pupil and then you’ve got the hypertropia where one eye is up and hypotropia where one eye is deviated down. So you can have a vertical split. You can have a horizontal split. I’m going to tell you this most of these kids have one of these four issues.
Sam Berne (15:39.453)
esotropia, exotropia, hypertropia or hypotropia and for you to know that before you start the pursuit eye movements, which is the smooth movement. This is being able to smoothly move your eyes from horizontal left to right or up and down pursuits is one of those
visual tracking skills that’s really important for reading. The other one is called Cicade movements and this is the jumping from one.
Position to another like like focusing from near to far focusing from the left side to the right side. So when you’re testing you can test both the pursuits and the saccades and one of the things you’re looking for is is the child able to move the eye muscles smoothly or is there jerkiness in the movement or are they having to move their head and or their body to move their eyes?
I’ve done so many, you know, kindergarten eye screenings where we we test the saccades and the pursuits and we go. Wow, they’ve got to move their head to move the tiny eye muscles. So can you imagine trying to teach them how to read? It’s going to be really stressful for them because they don’t have accurate eye movements at this point. And then we talk about something called convergence.
This is what you’re working with right now with the Brock string. Basically, it’s three beads on the string and the first bead is about 12 inches from your face and the child is holding the string on the tip of their nose.
Sam Berne (17:24.105)
in the middle of the eye level and we spread the beads out equally 12 inches 24 inches 36 inches and we have them look at each bead and they should see an X at whatever bead they’re looking at. This is a skill called convergence. Convergence is a very important skill at aiming the eyes, especially when you read.
When you watch the child’s eyes to see if both eyes are tracking the target or you can actually start to see one of the eyes moving out and you can ask them is this a double vision? Do you see two? We call this near point of convergence where how closely can you move the target where they’re able to keep converging and hopefully they’re able to converge.
well within the range of where they’re holding their their books when they read because if the convergence breaks down right at their reading, then they’re going to get the diagnosis convergence insufficiency. And then we’ve got divergence, which is more like the magic eye you’re doing like the jelly beans where the eyes are looking parallel. And in this particular way, this is more of a distance type coordination pattern.
So divergence is more distance and convergence is more near and you want to be able to again watch the clients child’s eyes as you’re moving the target towards their nose and away from their nose and you can start to see. Okay, what is their convergence divergence abilities build a house you start by building the basement and you build the you know, the foundation and the basement and the foundation would be the primitive reflex.
It would be working with their balance. It’d be working with their gross motor coordination.
Sam Berne (19:18.741)
You probably wouldn’t want to introduce the convergence divergence or tracking exercises. That metaphor would be like the bedrooms upstairs. So absolutely because they don’t have them. They don’t have the gross motor connections. They’re in a developmental delay. So you couldn’t really introduce the, you know, ocular motor exercises like this divergence convergence until their primitive reflexes their
balance the bilateral coordination skills are foundationally more solid. It’s absolutely that’s why there’s a certain sequence in when you introduce these certain activities. This is a mistake that most behavioral optometry and vision therapy practices make. I’m sorry to say this, but I see the mistakes. I’ll have people come to see me.
I say I’ve worked in vision therapy for two years and I have not seen any improvement. And within four to six sessions of working with me in this particular method, the child’s reading they’re playing sports their problem is solved. So one of the issues is that the the vision therapy exercises they start too high up in the
motor development and the child is not ready. So they learn a splinter skill, you know, they can cross their eyes or move their eyes, but they’re not really working with, you know, fixing the developmental delay which started way back more in the preverbal period. So you are right and not introducing convergence divergence until you think they can have some success at it. You need to stay more
with the basic things and actually you’ll get a lot more benefits by doing that than trying to force them into
Sam Berne (21:24.971)
doing some things before they’re ready. So in the divergence going back to that, there’s something called, you know, blur break and recovery. So when there’s a target and you bring it in you ask him go, where do you see double and hopefully they see it like three to four inches from their face. Some kids will say, I see double at 12 inches or 14 inches. Well, that’s a red flag right there because they’re probably in double vision when they’re reading or writing. So you need to note that.
The other thing is the recovery of the double vision because you want them to be able to recover from the double vision pretty quickly with a lot of kids. Their recovery is very low. In other words, you have to push away or push away away from them.
or pull it way away from them before the two goes back to single and what that tells you is they’re depleted. They don’t have enough in their energy reserves to be able to turn the two into single and this is where then you can start doing some muscle testing educational kinesiology, which will come later and maybe testing the child where they need either change in their diet or supplements.
And again, in one of the clinics I work with the occupational therapist does educational kinesiology to find out what are the targeted supplements that will give that child more energy. So their recovery is better. Their developmental growth is going to be faster because they have more energy on the cellular level to make the changes that we’re asking them to make.
Now, another thing we like to look at is something called near far fixations. This would be like sitting at your desk, looking at the board and being able to copy what you see at the board. Now, the way we simulate that is through a small printed heart chart, which is at 12 inches and a large printed heart chart.
Sam Berne (23:34.293)
which is say three to six feet away. And so the exercise is done where they look at one letter on the small printed chart up close and then one letter.
at the distance chart and they’d be able to go back and forth with it. When they get good at it, you can bounce a ball and do it. You can even do it with the eye patch. But this near far fixation exercise is really great for getting them to improve their copying. Now, just as an aside, and I didn’t write this in one of the primitive reflexes that most effects
The near far fixation is the symmetrical tonic neck reflex and we’ve done studies where we kids have difficulty copying. So instead of doing the near far fixation exercise, we do the symmetrical tonic neck reflex and that reflex.
Allows the brain to move more into the frontal part of the brain. And so the near far fixations automatically get better without having to do any exercises in the near far fixations. That’s how potent the primitive reflexes are and being able to change the visual skills and
In this near far fixation procedure, we’re asking the child to shift their focus from the near chart to the far chart. And sometimes you can add a metronome. Sometimes you can put them on one of those Boza balls or a trampoline or so you can bring in a vestibular component to it while they have to jump their eyes back and forth. It’s a form of what we call saccades. Cicades. Remember we talked about eye movements that are jumping from one
Sam Berne (25:22.381)
Position to another and as the child gets older the saccadic movement is more important for them, especially sports processing information faster being able to you know motor in the world faster making decisions better. So that’s a catech near far fixation probably would be great for like a normal 12 13 14 15 year old, you know for the young ones like 5
six, we probably wouldn’t do a lot of near far fixations except maybe the Marsden ball, which is the swinging ball and they’re just hitting it and they’re tracking it. That would be a gentle way to start the near far fixations. But once you get into the heart charts, that’s where they’re already in a language based situation. And so they’re ready for that.
Sam Berne (26:18.217)
Okay, suppression and I know you know about suppression because when you were here and you got tested what what suppression does is it test the person to see whether or not either they’ve got number one double vision because there’s a misalignment of the eyes or instead of double vision the brain says, I’m just going to shut off the weaker. I it’s going to go dark.
and then the right eye has to do all the work.
So in the bottom of the slide is something that I know you’re very aware of and that is the red green charts and the red green glass for sure because in the special needs world, if you go to a conventional doctor, they’re just going to say, well, you’ve got this condition live with it and there’s no there’s no help whatsoever. There’s no understanding that the person has some level of neuroplasticity to learn and
know, even in this suppression, if we go to the next slide where you have the child wear the red green glasses and just look around the room.
Just the awareness of then being able to see the different colors, the red, the green. This is a really great way to start. But what I like to do is just to put the red green glasses on and just see what their response is. Number of kids will say, I just see the red or I just see the green and that tells me right away that there’s probably a very good deal of suppression and as they progress.
Sam Berne (28:02.197)
In fact, you could try this to wear the red green glasses while you’re doing the Brock string. It’s a very interesting thing when you are doing the Brock string and you’ve got a red string and a green string. What’s more dominant? Does the green string shut off? Sometimes it’s a way we do add-ons where we add like the red green glasses to the exercise and it kind of gives them more information on this binocular vision.
Another way that you can do this the red greens is by using heart charts with strips.
vertically alternating red and green and red and green and again, they’re at that Harmon distance, which is about 12 to 14 inches and you ask them to read across the row and I know you’ve done that because we’ve done it with you and it’s a really great I think even we did with your kids and so this is another great way, especially when they get into reading and language. Can they have that alternating situation?
And then we move to something called visual midline. I was working with this today with a client and the purpose of this is to see if the child is actually. Balanced between the right eye and their left eye because in a lot of cases if a child is right-handed.
On a visual midline, if we think of that as our steering wheel, our GPS system, a lot of times the steering wheel will start sliding more towards the left.
Sam Berne (29:42.281)
left eye would meaning that the right eye is now coming over and it’s it’s now taking over where the left eye is. So it’s pushing the left eye out of the way. So the way you do this is this is a screening where they can either track visually track a target and you bring it into their midline. You can have them touch it and where they report
now.
That’s going to tell you where their visual midline or visual midline shift is. Now, there’s a vertical right to left where you’re standing on the right side of the child’s peripheral vision and you hold the pencil or the pen oriented vertically and move the target slowly through the midline from the child’s right side towards the left side and ask the child to say now when the target is in front of their nose. So a lot of times they will
miscalculate you’ll see it as my goodness the pencils way over on their left side, but they’ll interpret it as yeah, the pencils in the middle of my face. Well, it’s actually not so the
The vertical right to left is good to do the vertical left to right is good to do where you stand on their left side and you move that vertical pencil from left to right to where they think it’s a in front of their nose. can also do horizontal vertical.
Sam Berne (31:21.993)
So sometimes what we have found is that when a person is looking their horizon line. when you look out at the horizon, okay, a lot of times kids will think that the horizon is lower than it really is. This happens a lot like in Down syndrome. That’s where I mostly see it. And when that happens, there are always their visual spatial world is actually pushed downward.
And so I’ll give them a prism that lifts their vision up and there have been life changes when they they start to have that horizon line match where the true horizon is and at a later session. We’ll talk about prisms and and those kinds of things. But for now.
The midline whether it’s horizontal or vertical is something that you could start to play around with and cognitive ability and you know on the testing side of it is you certainly could try it and if you’re not getting an accurate response, then you just say this. This isn’t the right test to do now, but with some of your kids.
something called the vestibular ocular reflex VOR and the VOR is a test to see how much is the vestibular system meaning the inner ears helping a person with their balance. So we’ve got two sensory systems that help us with balance really three we have the eyes.
For balance. have the ears for balance and we have the feet for balance. It’s like a triangle and what happens with most people is that if they have an under sensitivity of the vestibular system, meaning the ears are not helping the eyes in balancing.
Sam Berne (33:33.301)
The subjective behaviors that you will see the child may be clumsy bumping into things. If there’s an oversensitivity in the reflex the child might get dizzy easily or report motion sickness. So an under acting vestibular system is bumping into things and over reacting vestibular system is getting dizzy or seasickness.
So in terms of testing the vor because that will give you an indicator on whether the the ears and the eyes are balanced or one system is overworking the other. So you have the child sitting in a comfortable. They’re in a comfortable standing position and you’re in front of them. And what you do is you hold up a target vertically at midline in front of the child and you instruct
the child to focus both eyes on the target and slowly turn the head to one side as far so they’re turning their head while they’re tracking the target and they go as far as they can with their head on one side and on the other side and you have them do that total of 10 times five on each side. So you count one one two two.
all the time. They’re maintaining the focus on the target. And so you do this five on each side and then you can also do it vertically. Okay, up and down same thing where they’re moving their head up moving their head down five five in each each direction. So now once once you do that.
What you’re looking for is a movement called nystagmus. That’s where the eyes oscillate back and forth. And if you see no oscillation, okay, no oscillation or the oscillation is less than five seconds, then they have an under acting vestibular system. Okay.
Sam Berne (35:49.425)
If that oscillation goes beyond 10 seconds, then they have an overacting vestibular system. So somewhere between the five and 10 seconds, that’s a normal response. Like you should see a little bit of ocular nystagmus for five to 10 seconds. That’s normal. So at that point and in most cases, most cases
The vestibular system is under acting. So you need to do some vestibular stimulating things. We’ll get into this in a later session, but it could be something as simple where you’re you’re having them swing. They’re swinging. They’re rolling. Sometimes we’ll do
jumping like on a rebounder. Sometimes we’ll roll them on a physio ball. So we get a big physio ball and we’ll roll them. We’ll use a Boza ball and they can either sit on it or stand on it. So in other words, what we start doing in the therapy is we bring in vestibular stimulating things while they have to do visual focusing things. So it teaches them to bring in the ears to the eyes with the feet. That’s the proprioception.
And it’s a very important connection, especially when a child learns to read.
Because in reading when they’re tracking there is a little bit of vestibular connection. There is a little bit of proprioceptive connection and it’s also very tied in to the moro reflex. So if somebody has not integrated the moro reflex a lot of times their vor the vestibular ocular reflex will show a very underacting vestibular system and this can be related to birth trauma. So either
Sam Berne (37:47.279)
serine section forceps suction or just you know, the cord is wrapped around the neck. There’s some birth trauma that’s happened. It’s triggered the more reflex which they can’t get out of and this starts to shut down the vestibular system because they’re getting overwhelmed in this fight or flight freeze response. It’s a trauma response. So they have to start shutting down their sensory systems and it’s very easy for them to shut down their
deceptive and their inner ears. And so then the visual is overworking and this creates situations where then they might need some glasses like they need a prescription because their eyes get so fatigued from over focusing so they might become farsighted. may become nearsighted. So that’s the kind of the the progression of why kids start to need glasses, especially early on or another reason why they start developing
developing an I turn crossing in or crossing out.
So again, the way I’m teaching this is you’re noting these signals and symptoms and putting it together in the history, but you’re trying to treat the cause and not the symptoms and what I doctors do is they want to fix the symptoms. Well, guess what you fix the symptom and you drive the cause further in this is why when you start doing the physical therapy and you treat the cause the symptom goes away and it never comes back.
but it also creates a better processing of information and learning and it’s just a very exciting transformation. So I’ll have more to say about the vor but this is basically just getting, know, your feet wet with it. Then the last thing I want to talk about today is something called the Harmon distance. So
Sam Berne (39:46.507)
Back in I would say the the 40s 1940s 1950s. There was a a scientist his name was Darrell Boyd Harmon and he was working with some of the more well-respected developmental optometrists about posture and working distance.
and Harmon did a series of studies. I believe in Ohio State where they took a look at what is the optimal distance you should be holding your books.
Now your tablets when you read and what kind of angle should it be at? So how far away should it be from your face? And what’s the angle and what he found in this diagram shows it is that if you are propping up the reading material at about 22 degrees in a slant board, what that does is it creates a
90 degree angle in a way where the child or the adult has the optimum potential to learn and read better. And so this 22 degree incline, it could be just propping their, you know, their tablet up on a some books so that they’re at a 22 degree angle. Approximately what this does is this is going to
take the stress off their posture and allow them to learn better. Now, there’s a little picture up here, which is a picture of this arm. Okay, there’s a fist. There’s an arm and it’s like an L and what Harmon proposed is you take that fist and you put it under the chin and that measurement from the end of the the knuckle to the elbow, which is now under the chin.
Sam Berne (41:42.693)
Is your specific Harman distance measurement. So for example, a four-year-old has a Harman distance that might be 10 inches because they have a smaller forearm. You could take a 22 year old person. Their Harman distance is going to be farther away.
And that’s based on how long the knuckle to the elbow is and it’s placed under the chin and then you kind of look at okay, that’s my Harman distance. One of the problems that happens with kids and you’ve probably observed this is you give them something to read and you watch where they habitually like to hold it and when kids hold their reading material closer than the Harman distance.
You can bet there’s going to be a vision problem. Again, vision is tracking focusing visual coordination. It’s the brain. Eye brain body connection. It’s not eyesight. It’s vision. When they bring that in closer than the Harmon distance, that is a great screening device. That’s going to tell you right away. they have a vision problem focusing problem coordination problem. And so you want to instruct them.
to have that 22 degree angle and get into the Harmon distance. And this is something I tell every parent that they have to do this. Okay. Now sometimes they might need some low plus learning lenses to help them stay at that Harmon distance or if they’re wearing a distance prescription, we might have to reduce the prescription or increase the prescription to allow them to have the clarity that they need at the Harmon distance. But
With all your clients, you should be talking to them about the importance of the Harmon distance. You could actually Google Harmon distance, Darrell Boyd Harmon, and you get a whole page of different things that Harmon did about as a pioneer to create this this idea and it’s you know, even today because we’re talking it’s you know, almost 80 years 90 years.
Sam Berne (43:58.365)
It still really holds water and I still see it. I still work with the Harmon distance today and especially with electronics phones tablets computers. The Harmon distance is more important than ever.
So focusing closer than your Harmon distance, I guarantee you in six months, you’re going to become near sighted because you’re in a visually constricted spatial situation and it’s the worst thing the kids can do. They start pulling it in because they think, you know, if I pull it in, I’m stressed. I can learn better. I can focus better. But what it’s doing is it’s tensing the eye muscles and it creates that visual confinement which creates myopia.
And so and then you got the kids that are farsighted and they’re pushing the world away and you know, that’s a whole other thing. So functional vision screening.
You know, I wish more school nurses and different institutions included functional vision in their eyesight screenings because most eyesight screenings only measure the optics of the eye at distance. And this is an uphill, you know, battle because very few professionals even think about vision, which is the brain.
Okay. Well, that’s our show for today. I want to thank you so much for tuning in until next time. Take care.
To contact our guest directly, go to: www.earthwalks.org or e-mail Doug: earthwalks1@yahoo.com
Keywords
Earthwalks, Geomancy, Ecotourism, Indigenous Cultures, Chaco Canyon, Land Acknowledgment, Nature Connection, Community Engagement, Spiritual Wisdom, Environmental Education
Summary
In this engaging conversation, Doug Conwell, founder of Earthwalks, shares his journey to Santa Fe, his connection to the earth, and the principles of geomancy. He discusses the importance of ecotourism, the mysteries of Chaco Canyon, and the significance of land acknowledgment in addressing social injustices. Doug also highlights upcoming workshops and the essence of giving back to the community through service and respect for indigenous cultures.
Takeaways
Doug Conwell emphasizes the importance of connecting with the earth.
Geomancy involves understanding earth energies and their impact on our lives.
Ecotourism should focus on reciprocal relationships with nature and communities.
Chaco Canyon is a site of astronomical significance and ancient wisdom.
Land acknowledgment is crucial for recognizing historical injustices.
Listening to nature can enhance our awareness and connection to the environment.
Service projects are a way to give back to indigenous communities.
Earthwalks promotes a journey of personal and communal growth.
Understanding indigenous education can inform modern environmental education.
The essence of Earthwalks is about our life’s journey and connection to the earth.
Sound Bites
“You have to desire.”
“Thank you for coming.”
“There is a star map.”
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Earthwalks and Community Engagement
03:01 The Journey to Santa Fe and Connection to the Earth
05:50 Understanding Geomancy and Earth Energies
09:01 The Principles of Ecotourism and Respect for Nature
11:54 Exploring Chaco Canyon and Its Mysteries
15:02 Land Acknowledgment and Social Justice
17:49 Upcoming Workshops and Closing Thoughts
Sam Berne (00:00.248)
Hey everyone, welcome to the podcast today. So we have a very special guest, my good friend, Doug Conwell. And Doug does amazing things here in the community. He’s also founder of Earthwalks, which he will talk about. So Doug, I would love for you to introduce yourself, tell us who you are, and we want to know about you. Thank you, Sam. Thanks for inviting me to be here. I really appreciate that.
And I really want to give thanks to the Tehuah people and Carah’s people on whose land that we are living and where we’re working right now, which is called Santa Fe, New Mexico now. And I want to read the acknowledgement that I make on my website for that. Acknowledging the deep connections of indigenous peoples to the land and their significant contributions of past, present, and future.
In acknowledging these connections, we express our gratitude for the opportunity to live, work, and learn on this land. And I have to say that Earthwalks is committed to helping reconcile the injustices, restoring voices, and realizing the well-being of all members of our community, and especially those whose land this really was, the first peoples who were here. So yes.
Where do we go from here? Well, tell us a little bit about how you came to Santa Fe, where you came from and what inspired you to move here. Well, guess I was it was almost 50 years ago. It’s hard to believe, but in 1979, I kind of heard a calling. I was living in Colorado, my home state, Sam, and I was feeling disconnection from the earth, from myself. I didn’t feel like I had any real
connection to my own family or history. And I used to live on the border in El Paso when I would come through Santa Fe and back and forth from Colorado and always loved this area, this part of the world, New Mexico. And I thought, well, I’m going to try this out. I’m going to, I’m going to live in Santa Fe and see. I was hearing in my head and also reading and finding out more about indigenous traditional cultures and their spiritual wisdom.
Sam Berne (02:27.6)
and how they are connected so much to the land, to the earth, to the ecology, and how that’s a part of the essential part of our well-being. So I wanted to know more about that if I could, and that was my main reason initially for moving here. And I know we’ve talked about this a lot, but the subject of geomancy. How did you get into that? And that’s kind of a precursor before your Earthwalks. I would think so, yeah. Well, along the way,
I learned something about…
globally in cultures around the world called geomancy which deals with earth energies and has to do with how do you listen? How do you understand what those energies are that we are all a part of and how does that kind of inform you in terms of who you are and your own individual personality and maybe goals and values but it’s values that are in sync with in harmony with earth energies.
there’s a whole field of geomancy that includes ley lines and divining with earth energies and labyrinths and standing stones in Europe and other places. But they have their relationship too, I found, in native cultures in this country very much so. And then I discovered, my goodness, my own Celtic background. I am Scottish and Irish and guess what? Those similar traditions and you might say it’s a
Earth science and it’s a science of the soul really exists in my own culture as well as in Native America. So I started learning more about that and then as I learned more I started offering some group gatherings and sharing what I was learning. I ultimately ended up teaching out at Ghost Ranch New Mexico which is a retreat center northwest of Santa Fe out in the Georgia O’Keeffe area for quite a few years and part of that
Sam Berne (04:30.848)
teaching had to do with geomancy itself. One of the things we’ve talked about and I’ve experienced it and you know when I
on your Earthwalks is listening, feeling and seeing the Earth energies. could you elaborate? I know one of the quotes you have is you have to desire. You said that to me. So people want to know about that. What’s all that about? Yeah, I guess that would be probably the most important first step. know, you you.
You think that, this is possible. So maybe I want to understand, I want to experience. And I think a lot of us, most of us probably have.
Maybe it was more when we were children, younger, playing outside or even in the parking lot, wherever it might be, that we were, you know, looking at things more closely as little kids, right? We were looking at the earth, you know, the small things that were maybe the bugs, the insects, maybe it was how the sand was blowing across our yard or wherever we were, if we were in an urban environment or a rural environment. So, yeah, that’s the first step is kind of in a way
Sam Berne (05:50.017)
being open to that fresh way of looking at things with innocence like you did when you were a child most likely. So it’s being aware, having that consciousness. And then I remember one class I was teaching in Albuquerque and you know, in the middle of a city and we had a break for lunch and I gave them an assignment which was to wherever they were to go for lunch was to find some aspect of nature that was calling them that they could absorb.
of whether it was popping out of the asphalt or where it was. And yes, you can find that no matter where you are. You don’t have to be in pristine environment like Chaco Canyon, where you and I have been before several times.
Yeah, I think that listening, looking, you know, that inner that inner sense of knowing is an essential part of it. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. And, know, I know in my own case, we’ve talked about this. My power spot is Hawaii. And I’ve led a lot of retreats there. And of course, the energies there are very different in some ways than New Mexico. But it is that listening, feeling and seeing and all the elements coming together. And
I love how you orchestrate that on your workshops here. So which brings me to the next question. Can you talk about ecotourism? Absolutely. In fact, not only talk about I’d like to read something from Dr. Greg Kehete, who is a Pueblo, a Native American Pueblo from the southwest here in the Santa Fe area scholar. And this is what he says about related to ecotourism. Traditional systems of Indian
education represent ways of learning and doing through a nature-centered philosophy. This gets back to geomancy. They are among the oldest continuing expressions of quote, environmental education in the world. Taken as a whole, they represent an environmental education process with profound meaning for modern education as it faces the challenges of living in the 21st century. So he has a book,
Sam Berne (08:05.771)
which is called Look to the Mountain, an ecology of indigenous education that I would really recommend to your viewers, Sam. But related to that are principles of ecotourism. I think more important now than at any time in our life. But a lot of people, I think, approach tours and tourism as something that you extract.
you go somewhere and you’re going to get something as opposed to giving something. And ecotourism really is a reciprocal relationship between you and the place and the people that you are visiting. But there are some basic principles Sam that I think are real important to talk about. One is if you’re going to be, you know, visiting somewhere, try and minimize your impact. And that has a lot to do with environmental impact, but also your
presence, how big of a presence do you want to make as a tourist, as a visitor, and then building environmental and cultural awareness and respect.
So what does that mean? Well, it means you’re not just going to take pictures and then run away and then put that on your Instagram and share it with everybody else. You’re going to spend time listening like we were talking about with Geomancy, listening to people and really respecting the traditions and the people who you’re visiting and the place that you’re visiting. So that provides positive experiences for not only you, but the people who are you are visiting. In fact, with Earthwalks, what we’ve experienced
lots of times the indigenous folks who are really our leaders have said thank you for coming.
Sam Berne (09:50.091)
because we were listening to them. We were participating in whether it was arts and crafts or whether it was a sweat lodge or whatever it might have been. But we were there to learn, to respect, and to really gain an understanding that we could give back in some way, whatever that might mean. That might mean direct financial contributions if you’re visiting an area that is in need of that. It’s just basically raising your own sensitivity
to the issues that are there before you go. One thing I wanted to say Sam is that if any of your viewers want me to send them a list of my bibliography that includes videos and websites and books that relate to everything we’re talking about, just get in touch. I’ll send that out to you as right away. So we’re here with Doug Conwell. He’s founder of Earthwalks and just a wonderful person who
loves New Mexico and has a very deep connection with the indigenous cultures here and
So I guess my curiosity is what should people know about Chaco Canyon? Wow, that’s such an amazing place, isn’t it? It is. Wow. Well, Chaco is from Santa Fe. It’s about four and a half hours away from here by car. But it’s located in a really wide open empty space. In a lot of ways, people would say empty. Like why here? This huge World Heritage site with enormous
ancient buildings that were in astronomical alignment, sun, stars, moon, it’s a pretty amazing place where you visit and we say, why there? And there are questions about that. Why? Because there’s not any water that really runs, that sustains the people. But there’s something there that really called the people and they created this huge center which reached out to the vast
Sam Berne (11:54.625)
region with straight roads that they built up and down the cliffs and there was trading with South America going on and there’s no real, I’ve heard anyway, real reason for establishing this huge community and then these network of outlying communities. So we may not know about that. I sort of think in my own mind that there is a star map.
You’re the star man, Sam. He’s an amazing astronomer, folks. You ought to be with him in Chaco Canyon when he pulls out these gigantic telescopes and then takes us to the stars. Well, I think the Chaco people did that. know, without the aid of a telescope, somehow they went out there because they aligned their buildings, amazing sites, with such precision, mathematical and astronomical and mathematical precision,
But beyond that, I’ve always found Chaco to have a certain powerful beneficial energy. Now I know there’s a history that may not be so benevolent in Chaco’s history like there is in every culture around the world, but overall that’s been my experience, a real healing environment.
Talk about land acknowledgement. Well, I said something about that earlier on, but I think why it’s so important maybe is what you’re asking. it so important? Even in major cities, large cities, let’s take New York City as an example, where I just was this last summer.
people may not have the history and understanding of who were the first peoples on this land, what the history of that place was. And of course, we look at the social injustices that have occurred in our country, colonialism, settler mentality, the westward expansion, the coming of the railroad. This was after the Spanish invasion, colonial invasion in our part of the world
Sam Berne (14:12.047)
here and what happened to people who were living on the land for centuries peacefully. I mean, they had their own personal conflicts, but they were basically peacefully here. In the Pueblo world, it was farming, more than any kind of nomadic relationship. But those lands were invaded, taken over, and people pushed back and oftentimes mistreated, starved, whatever it might be.
And here we sit on those lands now, and most of us without an awareness of the history of that social injustice and colonialism. I think it’s important wherever you are to be able to have that awareness, not to just feel guilty about it all.
or anger or resentment, but to say, yes, this is the way it was, and I am here as a result of that, and how can I give back? Here’s a good way that we can do it here. They’ve done it in Oakland. It’s a pretty urban area, Oakland. The indigenous people of Oakland reached out to the community and said, you’re living on native land, Oakland. We would like you to voluntarily, if you would, consider don’t
donating, based on maybe the value of the land that you’re on right now, certain amount of money, and we’re going to build an indigenous center for our community, which includes social services and medical services and clinics and that kind of thing. They did it. People voluntarily from their hearts donated and said, I am here because of you. And there’s an effort in Santa Fe to do the very same thing. So that’s just one way to give back. And be aware.
Well, we’re coming down to the end of our show today. how can people get in touch with you where they can see your offerings this year? can share about what you’re going to be doing if you want to in terms of workshops and so give us your contact info, your website and maybe what you’re doing this year. Sure. Well, thank you, Sam. Well, the best way to reach me is through earth walks dot org earth walks dot org and you’ll find a way to contact me.
Sam Berne (16:26.747)
find a real archive of all the things that we’ve been doing over the years with pictures and description and people’s reactions to them and then that way if you want more information I can certainly you know provide that. This year we’re planning to go to Canyon de Chey in the latter part of May. Canyon de Chey is this beautiful amazing deep canyon in the middle of Diné or Navajo country which is across the border between
of New Mexico and Arizona. We’ll be there about for three or four days, participating in Sweat Lodge right on the edge of the canyon, and doing service work. This is an element of Earthwalks I didn’t mention, but it’s important to know that one of the ways we give back as participants is to do service projects helping people. In Canyon de Chey in the past, we’ve been out there in the field pulling weeds, whatever it might be, feeding the sheep with the weeds, that kind
of a thing and then sharing a meal together whatever it might be with folks from that area. Excellent. And then how about your Chaco trip? Chaco will be in the fall. I don’t have a date for that. But Chaco Canyon in the fall, that is a camping trip. The Canyon de Shea one is a lodging, indoor lodging based but that’s the difference between the two.
But yeah, and there is walking involved, but Earthwalks, the name refers to our own life’s journey, our Earthwalk in this life. Well, I will make sure to put all the contact information on the podcast notes, and we’re going to end the show with Doug playing a little bit of flute. And thank you so much for sharing today and.
more fun. Thank you Sam. Looking forward to more of the Starman in our lives here too. Stay tuned. This is a Native American flute that a friend of mine gave me many years ago.
Sam Berne (18:31.017)
offering this our blessings and thanks and gratitude to all the directions.
To join our membership, go to: https://drsambernesmembership.com/
To enroll in our practitioner’s training go go: https://www.drsamberne.com/practitioners-training/
Keywords
functional anatomy, vision therapy, eye health, structural anatomy, color therapy, optic nerve, retina, eye muscles, visual pathways, accommodation
Summary
This conversation delves into the intricacies of functional anatomy, particularly focusing on the eye. Sam Berne emphasizes the importance of understanding both structural and functional aspects of anatomy to enhance vision therapy practices. The discussion covers various components of the eye, including the cornea, iris, lens, retina, and optic nerve, while also exploring the impact of color therapy and the role of eye muscles. Berne highlights the significance of dynamic processes in vision, such as accommodation and tracking, and addresses common issues like eye floaters and strabismus. The conversation concludes with a powerful message about the interconnection between function and structure in the eye, advocating for a holistic approach to vision therapy.
Takeaways
Understanding functional anatomy is crucial for vision therapy.
The eye’s anatomy includes both structural and functional components.
Color therapy can rejuvenate the retina and improve vision.
Stress and toxicity can significantly impact visual health.
The optic nerve is essential for transmitting visual information to the brain.
Accommodation is a dynamic process that can be improved through therapy.
Eye floaters are often a result of fluid stagnation in the eye.
Tracking exercises can enhance reading and writing skills in children.
Vision therapy can address issues like strabismus without surgery.
Function can influence structure, leading to improvements in eye health.
Titles
Unlocking the Secrets of Functional Anatomy
The Dynamic Nature of Vision
Exploring the Eye: Anatomy and Function
Color Therapy: A New Approach to Vision
Sound Bites
“Vision is dynamic, not static.”
“Functional anatomy opens the door for vision therapy.”
“Color therapy can help the retina get stronger.”
“Stress affects the eyes significantly.”
“The optic nerve connects the eye to the brain.”
“Accommodation is a dynamic process.”
“Eye floaters are a common concern.”
“Tracking exercises improve reading and writing.”
“Function can change structure in the eye.”
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Functional Anatomy
03:05 Understanding Structural vs. Functional Anatomy
05:48 The Eye’s Anatomy: Cornea, Iris, and Sclera
09:04 The Lens and Its Role in Vision
12:04 The Retina: Function and Importance
15:02 Color Therapy and Its Impact on Vision
17:48 The Optic Nerve and Visual Pathways
20:57 Accommodation and Focusing Mechanisms
24:02 The Vitreous Body and Eye Health
26:58 Eye Muscles and Their Functions
29:48 Tracking and Eye Movement Exercises
33:06 Primitive Reflexes and Vision Therapy
36:04 The Role of Cranial Nerves in Eye Function
38:56 Strabismus and Vision Therapy Solutions
41:51 Conclusion: The Interconnection of Eye Function and Therapy
Sam Berne (00:00.098)
Hey everybody. Welcome to the podcast. So today I’m going to bring you into a lecture I gave on functional anatomy and this is something we use in our practitioner training. So I thought I would include part of it in the podcast. So I hope you enjoy the show. Here we go. Why do we want to learn anatomy?
Well, if you’re going to be an expert in vision knowing the foundations of the major structures of the eye is very important.
And one of the things I want to make a distinction about is structural anatomy. That means knowing the terms, you know, like this is the arm. This is the leg and you know, you can get into the more technical things that’s called structural anatomy, but that is static and that’s physical. What I have found is that when you look at the function of the eye, like how does it work?
then that is a what we call dynamic aspect and vision is dynamic. It’s not static. And when you just focus on the structural aspects of anatomy and in this case the eyes, the only thing that you can offer is surgery needles and drugs.
and that the eye is separate from the body. But in functional anatomy, what we know is that our eyes dynamically produce vision and adapt to environmental demands. And in functional anatomy, we emphasize how vision integrates with the brain, the vestibular system, and our body systems.
Sam Berne (01:46.314)
So understanding those roles, like when you work with kids, visual tracking, visual focus, visual coordination, visual perception, cognitive abilities, some of the gross motor skills like primitive reflexes or balance orientation, the functional aspects of vision and functional aspects of
Anatomy opens the door for you to say, okay, I’m doing vision therapy today. I can offer you some nutritional counseling. I can take a look at the colored part of your eye, the iris, and I can tell certain constitutional things like certain foods you might want to eat or certain lifestyle things you want to do craniosacral therapy color therapy. So the functional anatomy is really an important
part of this. our objectives today is I’m going to introduce just the basic and anatomy of the eye but looking at it from a more functional point of view and we start from the outside and work our way inside. So the outside eyelids the white part of the eye called the sclera, the cornea, which is the clear window.
The iris, is the colored part of the eye, the pupil, is our gatekeeper allowing light into the eyes, our lens and our focusing system. And then the retina photoreceptors, the optic nerve.
And then we’re going to just briefly touch on the liquid part of the eye, the aqueous, the front part of the eye and the back part, the vitreous, the eye muscles and their eye movements and how that affects conditions like lazy eye or crossed eyes. And then finally the integration of visual pathways in the brain.
Sam Berne (03:42.89)
So we’re going to start off with the cornea and the iris. So the cornea is the clear window that we look out and people can look in.
And on the left side here of the slide, this is the white part of the eye. It’s called the sclera and you can see these blood vessels and in the future. I’m going to teach you how these blood vessels affect our health.
There’s a whole body of study called sclerology where we look at the white part of the eye and we can actually tell what’s the health of the liver. What’s the health of the gallbladder? Do we have Candida? We can actually look at this white part of the eye and we can tell if a person has got systemic or metabolic imbalances. But for today, we just say that the white part of the eye is the sclera.
We obviously have the eyelids which help us produce the tears that cover the cornea and the eyelids are very important around producing the tears that keep our eyes moist. So it’s very common for people to have inflammation in the eyelids and this causes all kinds of problems with dryness and eye pain and that affects the cornea, is the transparent
of the eye. So just to repeat the white part of the eye is the sclera, the eyelids house the glands and the cornea is the clear window of the eye with a lot of nerve endings and you need to keep that cornea covered with tears and that’s what the eyelids produce.
Sam Berne (05:34.54)
And then if we go back a little bit, we see the colored part of the eye and there three main colors. There’s the blue eyes. There’s the mixed color, which like their hazel and then there’s the deep brown color.
And the color of the the color of the eyes shows us a couple things genetic tendencies like things that have been passed down from your mom and dad your grandma and your granddad, you know conditions like perhaps diabetes or heart disease or connective tissue issues or liver problems. So we can see patterns in the color part of the eye that you know, we can say ask the question. Well, did your mom
and dad or grandma and granddad, anybody have diabetes and
For example, if we identify a pattern there, we can we can counsel the person and say, you know, it’s probably better that you don’t have high glycemic index sugar foods because if you do you’re going to have a tendency toward diabetes. And of course, we know sugar for the eyes is deadly. It causes a lot of eye problems. So we can look at the colored part of the eye and we can determine. Okay, what is the systemic health?
What’s the glandular health?
Sam Berne (06:55.702)
What’s the digestive and metabolic health? So in a later module, we’ll talk a little more about the specifics. This is just an overview today. So sclera white part eyelids cornea colored part of the eye is the iris and then finally the pupil and the pupil tells us the state of our nervous system. So for example, when our pupils are always dilated even in
dim light because the pupil should get smaller when we go into bright light, but it should dilate when we go into dim light. But if it’s always dilated that suggests that the person is under a lot of visual stress and their peripheral vision is very tunneled. It’s just a very simple thing. And in our next lecture when we meet I’m going to give you a functional vision screening.
process and it’s a very detailed way to analyze the eyes.
looking at the pupils, looking at the eye alignment, looking at tracking. It’s going to be perfect for you. We’ve used it at Kid Power in Albuquerque with the occupational therapists for years. It’s basically called a functional vision screening. And I know you already have a screening that you’re doing, but this will just be a great add-on for you to really give you a very specific analysis on what is happening in terms of the visual
system and part of that is the pupil health and when a person’s pupils are really dilated all the time that suggests that they’re under a lot of stress and we can take note of that. That’s why it’s a question I asked quite a bit. Are you light sensitive? As an example.
Sam Berne (08:53.868)
All right, so as we move back in the eye, the next thing we look at is you can see here, this is a person that has a cataract and this is called the lens of the eye.
Now, basically what the lens is is it’s the part of the eye that allows light to come through it that bends eventually to the retina. And again, when you work with your kiddies, what happens is is that the lens of the eye, the muscles that attached to the lens are not working properly and that that process is called accommodation.
And we have conditions like accommodation excess too much focusing spasm in the muscles or accommodative insufficiency where a person can’t move the muscles very well. So like shifting from near to far back to near is difficult. So this is where vision therapy working on improving the muscular flexibility of the lens is very helpful in improving the the brain processing.
the reading, the learning, the copying from the board. So this is the functional aspect of the lens. Most eye doctors just look at the structure of the lens. Oh, you’ve got a cataract. Let’s cut it out. But what we’re talking about is how does that lens work and how do those muscles make the lens bend in a way so that a person can shift their focus from near to far?
When the light is focusing on the the through the lens, it actually focuses on the retina and the retina is the back part of the eye. It’s actually made of brain tissue. So every part of the eye is brain. Basically, what happens is is when
Sam Berne (10:44.15)
The light strikes the retina changes it into an electrical impulse and then it converts it and it moves it back to the brain. This is how we see and we have different parts of the retina. have the rods, which is our peripheral vision night vision our cones, which is our specific.
fine detail vision and then the macula which this is where the cones are. This is the central part of the retina where we get very sharp central seeing and the fovea is even inside the macula, but it’s all about visual acuity. So the significance of this is that again, when you’re working with people with learning disabilities or
you know, visual developmental delays. A lot of times there’s a confusion in the peripheral vision, central vision, and this is where color therapy can work really well at re stimulating different parts of the retina that become desensitized to light and in color therapy. It’s a great tool that can help the retina get stronger.
by having a person look at different colors on a daily basis this begins to bring the retina back to life. remember when I was doing
a lot of very specific color and light therapy. What we would use to do is we used to measure a person’s peripheral vision and most of the time when they had learning problems, they had very small peripheral vision like it was tunneled vision and we would give them color therapy and over a period of two to three weeks just by doing the color therapy. We would see the peripheral vision open up again. Once the peripheral visions opened up the memory got better. The balance got better.
Sam Berne (12:45.378)
The depth perception got better just by doing the color therapy the color therapy. I’m referring to we use combinations of colors like red purple in a gel like a mask, which I will make available to you or yellow green combination or a blue green combination or therapy. I’m referring to is very targeted towards waking up the retina that has gone to
sleep because of stress or toxicity. The color therapy you just showed me is more subtle and it works more in the area of visual coordination. So it doesn’t encompass the whole thing like the the color therapy. I’m referring to they’re wearing it, you know for say 10 minutes a day and you do it every day and then it becomes a cumulative effect of your two eyes really
getting more peripheral engagement. And when your peripheral gets more engagement, so many things change immediately like depth, reception, memory, balance, and so on. Even when the eyes are open, the retina is not working. It’s like the retina is a dead zone. Yeah, it’s not the light is not being absorbed with the eyes open.
Yeah, exactly. You would say that’s like how could that be but that’s what stress does. That’s what toxicity does when I measured people’s peripheral vision. We would measure it with the eyes open. They had no awareness on the sides. Everything was like right in here. It was very very tunneled and yet they didn’t have a glasses prescription. I couldn’t give them a glasses prescription to correct the tunneling.
I would have to give them color therapy to open it up. That’s how strongly stress affects the eyes. mean, I have had thousands and thousands of patients who have come to see me where their visual deterioration has not been able to be explained going to a regular doctor.
Sam Berne (15:02.382)
The regular doctor says, oh, it’s all in your head. You know, it’s a mental problem. You’re just making it up. And what we used to see is that in
first grade period. So October November, I would see so many kids coming into my office who had this narrow tunneling syndrome. In fact, one of my teachers his name was dr. John Streff s t-r-e-f-f you could Google the Streff syndrome because he he developed it and what the Streff syndrome is is that there’s no medical or physical reason
Why are eyes tunnel? There’s no physical disease. There’s no prescription that we can give and he would call that the streft syndrome and became very famous. You can Google it and basically what it is is kids who are under a great deal of stress, but they can’t see but there’s nothing physically wrong. It’s emotional and
psychological because their eyes are so overwhelmed that they shut down. Now, this is with their eyes open. It’s not with eyes closed. It’s with the eyes open. So when I teach you color therapy and that bright light color therapy, that’s going to be a great tool for you to be able to work with those kids to get them out of the stress.
The streft syndrome we’re going to spend a whole module on the science of color and light therapy and you’re going to you’re going to be very very expert at being able to understand it. It’s one of my most asked questions on social media how to do color therapy because it’s not really, you know taught.
Sam Berne (16:58.702)
And I’ll go into the history of color therapy and so on and another module, but this is very stimulating. You’re getting stimulated here. Like hmm, this is another tool that you’re going to be able to use. It’s like a vision therapy exercise, but you’re going to be able to use it to turn these kids around another thing.
All right. I want to move on because we want to get to the optic nerve. So this little yellow disk here, this is called the optic nerve. And basically again, it’s it’s connecting to the brain. I’m going to send this hand out to you. So you’ll see it and you can see these vessels from the retina going into this nerve and then it goes right back to the brain. So the optic nerve is the kind of the place
Where the information goes through the retina through the eye back to the brain and there’s what we call pathway called the visual pathway and there are there’s circuitry. There’s basically axons neurons. This is part of the the nerve transmission the wires so to speak so the electricity can go through the wires back to the brain. Now when you came for your exam and we had you look at the dog and the pig
And you were saying something like, part of the pig is disappearing. What’s happening is on the optic nerve visual pathway. The nerves are not working. They’re not passing the information back to the brain. That’s why the pig disappears. Now, some will say it’s an eye problem. Some will say it’s the brain problem. I think it’s both but
People are shocked when they look at that dog and pig and they try to touch the pig, which is the left eye and they go my goodness, the pig is disappearing and you go why why is the pig disappearing? Well, because this visual pathway is so overwhelmed that it shuts down. It’s like it’s like a circuit that breaks.
Sam Berne (19:07.564)
Like, you know, have you ever had your electricity go out in your house? Probably you’ve had that it’s just like that. It’s like it’s it’s an overload. There’s a circuit that breaks and so again, vision therapy is a great way to help fix that breakdown in the visual pathway. Again, eye doctors what they do is they measure vision through the eye chart.
Okay, and it’s not really vision. It’s eyesight. It’s glasses. It’s eyeballs. And so they miss every time they miss
The the suppression and vision again, I can’t tell you thousands and thousands of patients that have come to see me who’ve had very weird vision problems. And when we do that test the dog and the pig they fall out of their chair. Why is the pig disappearing? Why aren’t why aren’t professionals testing this because it explains why they’re having a problem. Okay, so
That’s this backstory behind why that pig disappears. It’s happening in the optic nerve in the visual pathway, which can be fixed.
All right, another very common situation. I would substitute accommodation for focus the focus mechanism overview. So focus or accommodation is a dynamic process where the lens changes its shape through coordinated action of the tiny muscles called the ciliary muscles and when we are able to make that change our
Sam Berne (20:50.926)
I is able to see objects clearly at a variety of distances.
So it’s a great example when we start doing vision therapy how to fine-tune those muscles so kiddos can focus on their screen or you know at their desk and then they can focus on the the whiteboard or the chalkboard and being able to have that versatility is something that vision therapy addresses. But again, the regular eye doctor is not looking at the dynamic process of vision. He or she is looking
at the static measurement of reading the eye chart at distance. So this is another way for you to really contribute to these kids. So the ciliary muscles are right here. These little muscles right in here. This is the lens, this little purple spherical shaped. So these muscles need to work.
in order to allow the near vision and the far vision to work together. And again, I’m going to show you very specific vision therapy exercises that target the ciliary muscle and accommodation. It’s going to be great. But for now, all we’re doing is letting you know that this is why a child is having a focusing problem because they can’t change the muscles very well.
Now another thing to note the eye is mostly fluid. Okay, we have a front part which is called the aqueous humor and we have the back part which is called the vitreous the gel the gel sack. So these need to be clear fluid.
Sam Berne (22:40.046)
But a lot of times because of inflammation because of stagnation in the channels there gets to be congestion. One of the most famous congested descriptions of the vitreous are something called eye floaters. It’s my most asked question in in my social media. What can I do to get rid of eye floaters?
Or in the anterior chamber, the aqueous aqueous anterior P posterior posterior vitreous interior posterior. There are ways that you can do vision therapy exercises to clear up the fluid to reduce the inflammation and I will be teaching those to you at a later time. Another thing that happens is if the fluid begins to solidify.
What happens is a pressure can build up in the eye and that’s called glaucoma. It’s a very scary disease because it can lead the blindness and you don’t even know it. So there are again vision therapy exercises. There’s nutritional things that you can feed the eyes to help bring the eye pressure down because otherwise you’re just dealing with needles drugs and surgery. That’s all that’s
available in the allopathic world which work but there you pay the price because they’re side effects. All right. I want to
Your mom’s yeah, I mean you could you know somebody exactly. Well, the thing is is that more and more people are having these problems for a variety of reasons and I want to focus in on this this big orange part of the eye. This is the back part of the eye called the vitreous and it’s a gel sack. It’s made of a jelly like material of water and amino acids.
Sam Berne (24:43.296)
And what happens is is that over time as we age this compartment begins to shrink.
And it pulls away from the retina. call it posterior vitreous detachment over 60 % of people over the age of I think 50 or 55 get this posterior vitreous detachment. So you get flashing lights. You get sparkles. You get a lot of eye floaters and part of it is because the integrity of this compartment begins to shrink it dries out. So again,
hydration, oxygenation are so important, especially in this area to avoid the posterior vitriol detachment and or floaters because once you get the floaters, then it becomes a little harder to get rid of them. You can get rid of them, but it’s it’s definitely a tall order and
Yeah, of course you you are you the glasses are really helping you. I can imagine we reduce the prescription and you saw the immediately like this feels more relaxing. I remember you were wearing the glasses down on your nose because the prescription was way too strong for you. And so anyway the role of the vitreous body in eye stability. So that we want to keep our vitreous
We don’t want it to shrink because if we can keep it at a the same level of size, then our vision stays clear. Our retina is in place and we can focus on images. So again, you’re going to learn a variety of different ways to feed and bathe the vitreous. Okay, so now we’re going to move to eye muscles and the
Sam Berne (26:43.854)
The thing about the eye is that it has six muscles that attach to the outside part of the eye and
What I would say about the so on your test, one of the questions is going to be how many muscles are on the outside part of the eye?
So you already got that question. Another question you’re going to get is what part of the eye has floaters? Well, we already talked about the vitreous. Another question is the optic nerve carries visual impulses to the brain’s vision centers for interpretation. That’s a cool question. I’m going to ask you what part of the eye carries the impulses back to the brain. So you’re getting the questions here. Let’s go to the anatomy. So we have
The six muscles one, sorry, one, this is the one at the bottom of the eye called inferior. This is at the top. This is called superior, inferior, superior. And then this is the right eye. So this would be the outside part or the lateral.
And this would be the inside part, the medial. So inferior, superior, lateral, medial. Those muscles move the eye up and down and horizontally. Okay. So when we when we start talking about tracking exercises, those eye muscles are really important. Now, it doesn’t mean that we have to strengthen them. What it means is the brain has to have better control of them.
Sam Berne (28:29.782)
So there’s always this thing when people have problems with tracking. The parents will say, we got to strengthen the muscles. No, don’t have to. Their muscles are very strong. We just have to learn to control them and aim them better. And that’s what vision therapy does really, really well.
So I’ve labeled the four muscles superior rectus, inferior rectus, lateral rectus, medial rectus. So those are the four muscles that attach to the eyeball. And then we have two more called the inferior oblique. So this little curve here, inferior, which is below or underneath and superior on top. And this is superior oblique. So the obliques
Rotate the eye. Okay, the rectus muscles move the eyes up and down and left and right. That’s going to be on your test. And so basically what happens is that a child doesn’t understand how to track their eyes. So when we do tracking exercises, we’re working on the rectus muscles or the oblique muscles. Now, one of the issues that happens
If you see this picture of this young girl, she’s got right eye turning in. Esotropia right eye esotropia. Now when we see an eye turning in like that, the child is seeing two things possibly two choices. She’s got the first is double vision. So I see two of things or the optic nerve and the visual pathway have shut down that right eye. That’s called visual suppression. So those are the two
options that the brain and the child are going to to manifest. So in this particular case, it could be the lateral rectus muscle. The muscle on the outside is overworking and the medial rectus muscle. The inner muscle there is under working. Okay. Now sometimes with these muscle movements and actions.
Sam Berne (30:44.812)
What we need to do is we need to work on two different types of movements. The pursuits are the smooth movement. So if you use my fingers, that’s smooth. That’s pursuits. That’s like for reading. And then the second part are called saccades where we’re jumping. I’m jumping my two eyes to different places. So we need to be able to have both of those coordinated movements and our eye muscles have to be working that way.
In the functional vision screening that I’m going to teach you next time, we’re going to go over the different kinds of eye movements and how to measure them and how to grade them. And it’s a it’s a really excellent way to begin to see changes in not only a child’s eye movements, but their performance because if you improve their tracking skills, their reading is going to get better. Their writing is going to get better. Their sports is going to get better.
And you’re going to look like a rock star like wow. How did the parents are going to love you because you are doing something to teach that skill so that they can track both eyes together. So we’ve got that kind of situation the pursuits in the sink saccades and then the second kind of movement is similar to what we’re doing with the Brock string, which I know you’re using which is both eyes are moving either
close, which is convergence or they’re moving parallel or even slightly apart. That’s called divergence. So we’ve got two sets of movements here. We’ve got the tracking and then we’ve got the virgins convergence divergence. They’re different movements and different skills that we have to teach. So when we teach them
And we do it through vision therapy and the child goes through the exercises on a daily basis. We start to see improvements not only in the eye movements, but the virgins movements. And then a lot of things change around their processing of information, their engagement, their movement, their mood, their confidence, they’re getting along with their siblings or others.
Sam Berne (33:06.06)
their ability to do many, many things and problem solve. So it’s a huge influence on learning as you work with these eye movements and virgins movements. Now, we’re not going to get into this and in this lecture, but one of the best ways to initially work with eye movements and virgins movements is working on the primitive reflexes. Maybe you’ve seen this. don’t know.
I know whenever I start the primitive reflex movements, what I’ll notice in a few weeks is the eye movements get better and I’m not doing any vision therapy in the tracking. There’s something about working with the primitive reflexes. You’re shaking your head. Yes, that has an effect on these specific muscles. It’s magic. It’s amazing. I know you’ve experienced it and I’m going to teach it more.
Sam Berne (34:05.87)
You said don’t do it for extended period of time. Well, it’s easier doing that way. I mean, is that helping it more than just or is it the reflex itself? I think it’s probably a combination but the reflex itself because where it originates in the brain the survival brain you are you are calming that part of the brain down so that they can have better body control on a specific muscle level. So I’m not against eye patching. I just think that
What I have found is short-term patching. It makes much more sense to the child than long-term patching. So I’m going to come to this slide. See this child here. This was one of my patients that came to see me and they were patching this child eight hours a day. And what was happening was the eye that which was the strong eye, the left eye, which is patched.
that began to develop laziness. That was the strong eye. But because it was patched for so long that I became weak and it really didn’t have an impact on this. I also this was a very strong farsighted prescription. So we took the lenses off the child and we stopped the patching and what we noticed was that the visual engagement was so much better the
The balancing the hopping the motor skills got better. The auditory processing got so much better. In fact, the occupational therapist tried an experiment by taking the glasses off in the eye patch off and she was doing specific auditory processing therapy with the child and she found that with the glasses off in the eye patch off the auditory processing was so much better and that was a signal that she had to refer
The child to me because the prescription that the child was in was much too strong and the eye patching wasn’t working. So when you’re doing eye patching, it needs to be done in my opinion equally and for short intervals. And so whatever you’re doing do it equally because what will happen like in this case and this has happened thousands of times the so-called good eye starts to become the bad eye.
Sam Berne (36:32.91)
starts to become the lazy eye and that’s the last thing you want to create. Also this child emotionally and energetically was really shut down. We had to do a lot of craniosacral therapy and color therapy because she was traumatized from why do I have to wear this patch? You know, it was a fight with the parents. There was no reason why she should wear that eye patch. Now again, when
We can do the saccadic movements of the pursuit movements with each eye separately, which we did do some of that, but the full-time patching eight hours a day. We stopped that because it just wasn’t working. I don’t want to talk just for a moment about eye muscles and nerves because there are nerves that go to the muscles that stimulate them. We call these cranial nerves and there are three main cranial nerves that
affect the eye muscles. There’s cranial nerve 3 which affects the rectus muscles. There’s cranial nerve 4 which affects the oblique muscles and there’s cranial nerve 6 which affects the lateral and the medial rectus muscles. What I put here is some of the muscles that what they do. So the levator is the main muscle that
that pulls the eyelid up. Sometimes we have people with a with what we call a ptosis or the lid is kind of just lagging down. And so by improving this muscle here, we can stop that eyelid blocking the eye. The superior rectus moves the muscle up. Medial rectus moves it towards the nose. We talk about functional dynamic anatomy. It involves
these different components and I talk about the cornea the tears I talk about dynamic function adjusting the lens. So it’s just another thing that you can read and again, you’ll have it in your when you get the PDF of
Sam Berne (38:56.216)
There we go. And so I’ve put a couple of articles in here, a couple of articles one on strabismus. So when you work with crossed eyes or uncrossed eyes, you see, you probably know this, but when a doctor sees a child with an eye that’s crossing or uncrossing like wandering out, the first thing they think of is doing eye muscle surgery.
Sam Berne (39:27.246)
Okay, they they want to do eye muscle surgery. And when you do eye muscle surgery for the rest of that person’s life, they are going to be insecure and they’re not going to trust their vision. Because when you change the length of the muscle in the eye, you know, I showed you those six muscles. You haven’t told the brain anything. So the brain
is like, okay, you’ve done something here. I don’t really know what you’ve done. The brain is now talking. So I don’t know what to do. I’m going to go back to the way it was before the surgery. And this is why the success rate of eye muscle surgery is so low because they have to do multiple surgeries. The more surgeries, the more confusion, the more scar tissue. Now, what I can say is in your
geographical area. I’m not going to name it but in your geographical area, they probably do a lot of eye muscle surgeries. And so if you get a child and you get a family like that, I’m going to counsel you on how to talk to the parents. So they’re not freaking out. So they’re not scared into doing some invasive surgery like this and vision therapy works in
incredibly well to teach a person how to keep their eyes straight and it’s an organic Learning like I’ve learned how to use my two eyes together. I don’t need that surgery that surgery is treating a symptom because the eyes may look straight for a while, but they’re not going to function any differently. So strabismus when you’re doing vision therapy for strabismus, it’s a long lasting
result. Okay. Now, I also wrote an article about the optic nerve and we talked about, you know, suppression visual suppression. It’s like when you do those red green charts and reds over the right eye and green is over the left eye and you’re doing the red green and you go to you. I can’t see the green very well. I think this was with your kids even that’s the brain and the optic nerve shutting on off and so
Sam Berne (41:51.502)
There are vision therapy exercises that stimulate that so that you stop the suppression. And then the last thing is on how to keep the eyelids healthy. Probably down the road. You’re going to get a question on, know, I’ve got inflammation here. I’ve been using steroids or other nasty pharmaceuticals. What can be done like herbal compresses or eye massage to keep the eyelids healthy?
fact, today I did a class on our membership on how to keep the eyelids healthy and it was all about putting sound into the eyelids to open up the circulation and it works very very well. So you’ll have those articles and I didn’t put any videos in it. I may send you some but I think it’s enough. So wrapping up.
This has been an introduction to the anatomy of the eye, especially the functional aspect of the eye and how that eye brain body connection and the structure and the function. We’re looking at all these different layers the structure and function of the cornea the retina the lens the pupil the iris the optic nerve. Remember function if we know the function we can apply vision therapy.
to change the performance and that’s that’s really the basis here. Iris and pupil lens and accommodation retina and photoreceptors optic nerve and transmission the fluid of the eye the aqueous and the vitreous body the eye movements and there you go. So in terms of the questions that I’m going to ask you on the test. What is functional dynamic and anatomy?
Can you describe what it is? What is the iris control? Well, controls the size of the pupil which regulates the amount of light entering. The iris also shows us genetic tendencies and nurture points. What is the white part of the eye called? It’s called the sclera. What’s the function? It’s responsible for I’m sorry.
Sam Berne (44:09.166)
So now we talk about the lens of the eye. The function of the lens is responsible for focusing light on the retina and also for a combination the retina the structure. It’s a multi-layered sensory tissue lining the back of the eye. What’s it made of rods and cones? What does the optic nerve do? It carries visual impulses to the brain’s vision centers. So you have the questions.
When we do the written exam and there might be a little essay, but you’ll have those what what I want to emphasize in the anatomy is that you don’t have to memorize every little thing, but just to know that we’re working on functional anatomy so we can change the performance and in some cases the function when we change the function the structure gets better. I’ll give you an example.
somebody that has a cataract. If we start improving the circulation in the eye through exercises, sometimes the cataract will reverse or go away. So the function, if we change the function, the structure changes. So that’s a very powerful idea that function can change structure, but it can not only in the eye, but in the whole body. If we change the way we use something in the body, it’s going to change the anatomy.
And so that’s why just doing repetitive movements. That’s all we do. Eventually, there’s going to break be a breakdown in the structure. That’s why we have to do a versatility of a variety of movements outside the box. That’s what vision therapy is so good for because whatever you’re doing in vision therapy is out of the box. It’s something that the person is not normally doing. So you’re going to get results. You’re going to get improvements.
Because just giving them a little bit is going to make a huge change in how they see how they process how they move how they balance how they think how they problem solve even if there’s a developmental delay or you know brain injury or even you know kids like with Down syndrome and autism when you apply vision therapy you are contributing something new to the brain and the eyes and this is going to change everything. It’s kind of like a ripple effect.
Keywords
Hawaii, travel, Maui, Molokai, adventure, nature, functional vision, wellness, retreats, exploration
Summary
In this episode, Sam Berne introduces his practitioners training program and membership offerings before transitioning into a personal narrative about his travels to Hawaii. He shares his experiences exploring the islands, particularly Maui and Molokai, highlighting the natural beauty, cultural significance, and personal connections he made during his adventures. The conversation emphasizes the importance of travel and exploration in personal growth and wellness.
Takeaways
The practitioners training program is open to non-eye doctors.
Traveling can provide a sense of spiritual home.
Hawaii offers diverse experiences from ocean to lava.
Maui is known for its breathtaking landscapes and waterfalls.
Molokai has a rich history and is less commercialized.
Camping and hiking in Hawaii can be transformative experiences.
Exploring different cultures enhances personal growth.
Traveling allows for a deeper connection with nature.
The importance of sharing personal stories and experiences.
Creating a library of knowledge can benefit others.
Sound Bites
“I want to talk a little bit about travel.”
“Hawaii felt like home to me.”
“Molokai is a very interesting Island.”
Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Program Announcements
02:23 Exploring the Beauty of Hawaii
03:12 Adventures in Maui and Molokai
Sam Berne (00:00)
Hey everyone, welcome to the program today. So before we get into the main part, I want to make a few announcements. First of all, I am offering a practitioners training program and these are for non eye doctors. This is a program which is called functional vision integrative body and it’s a one-year program where I teach you the methods that I have developed.
in physical therapy, educating your clients on how to improve their vision, their brain health, their body health from a physical, emotional and spiritual perspective. So if you’re interested in this program, and by the way, you don’t need to be an eye doctor. The way I’ve set up this program is you could be a massage therapist, a teacher, an occupational therapist, a psychologist, whatever. And
program is geared as an educational coaching program so you won’t get in any trouble from any licensing boards but the information will be very effective in working with your clients. So if you’re interested you can go to my website DrSanBurn.com you can email me appointments at DrSanBurn.com and we can have a conversation and see if it’s right for you.
The other thing is is I want to tell you about my membership program. We’re on year number three. I have got so much exclusive content in there. I’ve got different courses that I’ve taught and different ideas that I don’t want to put on social media a little too controversial but in the membership program or protected with confidentiality. Also, I’m now putting up some of my written blogs that I’ve done over the years. It’s really good stuff.
stuff and I post three or four times a week just on the membership. So it’s 20 bucks a month. You have a seven-day free trial period. If you want to sign up, you can go to my homepage, dr. Sanburn.com under the word vision. You’ll see join membership and you can join for free and check it out and see if it’s for you. All right. So in today’s show, I’m not going to talk about eyes.
In fact, you know what was interesting? I was having breakfast with a friend the other day and at the end of our conversation, she said, you know, I have a friend who’s got this condition called macular pucker. Have you ever heard of it? And I said, well, yes, I’ve worked with it a lot.
And if you go to my YouTube channel and you type in macular pucker, Dr. Byrne, you’re probably going to get several free video blogs on macular pucker. He’s like, my goodness, you are the best, you know, that you have created this library, this archive.
of eye conditions and you know I can’t say that I’ve created a video for every single eye condition but over the last seven years I have put together so many
content pieces both in podcast form audio video written that it’s time for me to Broaden out a little bit and talk about some of my other interests and this may or may not be interesting to you but I want to talk a little bit about travel because I love travel and Some of the other things that I also am into I may do a podcast on it. So today I want to talk about Traveling to Hawaii. I don’t know how many people out there it
in my community have been to Hawaii. know many of you have come to my dolphin swim retreats, my other retreats in Hawaii. So I want to talk a little bit about why I like Hawaii, some of the tips you can do if you travel there. My first entree in going to Hawaii was back in January of 1990, a few years ago. And I’d sold my Pennsylvania practice. I put all my stuff in my car, which wasn’t very much. I had an old Toyota Corolla
barely could get across the country. I have a lot of money. And so I dropped my stuff off at this apartment that I rented in Santa Fe and I had signed up to meet a group out in Hawaii. I’d never been to Hawaii. In fact, I had hardly ever been to the West Coast and it was a month long.
backpacking trip. I had never done backpacking throughout all the islands of Hawaii. Now, this is back in 1990 before there’s been this tourist explosion where it’s kind of become Disneyland in a lot of ways these big resorts and you know, these big groups and so on. So I landed I remember landing in Maui and my tour leader who’s a woman very nice lady.
She picked me up and I had all my, you know, my camping stuff and my backpack and I met up with the group and we drove up to Holly Ocola. Holly Ocola is this big crater in Maui and you can actually, you can camp up at the top and you can watch the sunrise. So you’re actually above the clouds and it was such an amazing experience. I mean, coming from
Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, the East Coast and Hawaii felt like home to me. I mean, so did Santa Fe, but Hawaii in a different way felt home. It’s kind of like a spiritual home. Well, anyways, the next day we we packed up our stuff and they had a van and they took our van like 14 miles away. We walked through the crater of Haleakala, which I highly recommend even if you just walk down in it in Maui. It’s kind of an otherworldly type of place.
But we did this 14 mile hike and we went through these lava tubes and which is another amazing thing like like caves. I mean, there’s just so many different ways to experience Hawaii from the ocean to the lava to the Hawaiian culture and so many other things. So in Maui, we we spent time at Haleakala. Then we went to a small town where we took this winding
road to a place called Hana. And Hana is a small town. I don’t know if it is anymore. And there’s a wonderful hike there that you can do and go to waterfalls. So synonymous with Hawaii is waterfalls, know, just so many of them. And so we spent about 10 days in Maui and we had a great time. And then we took a plane and we went to Molokai.
Molokai is a very interesting Island again at the time. It was very uninhabited. Now. I understand there’s a lot of eco tourism there and we went to the Father Damien Church. was a settlement in Molokai where people suffered leprosy and so they were all in this community and I remember we were
top of this Vista and we had to do this really long switchback hike down into the settlement area and there are still people living there who had had leprosy and we took up this school bus through the lava fields and we got to the church that Father Damien led for these people.
So in visiting Father Damien’s church in the backyard, the backside of the church outside, you could look out to the ocean. Then there was this big stone rock in the middle of the ocean and there were white caps out there and it was so serene and peaceful to be there. Now, Malachi is, you know, it’s it’s a fairly uninhabited Island again today. It has definitely been discovered, but it’s still worth going to because
is it’s pretty old Hawaiian in a lot of ways and we just had the greatest time camping and hiking in Malachi because it was pretty rough and tumble.
Well, that’s our show for today. I want to thank you so much for tuning in and until next time everyone take good care.
From Visionary Products to Empowering Knowledge: My Next Chapter
My journey has always been about innovation, education, and integrity. While the chapter of selling products has come to a close, my mission to empower others is stronger than ever.
Now, I am dedicated to sharing his intellectual property and leveraging decades of experience to educate entrepreneurs and professionals on navigating product liability, social media marketing, and brand development with clarity and confidence. Through engaging blogs, lectures, and podcasts, I offer actionable insights to help business owners protect themselves, build resilient brands, and make informed decisions in a complex marketplace.
Whether you’re an aspiring entrepreneur, seasoned professional, or advocate of holistic health, my story and expertise can illuminate your path forward.
Join me on this exciting new journey where knowledge becomes the most powerful product of all.
Visit my business website: www.eyeclaritybusinesssolutions.com
Contact me for a consultation; appointments@drsamberne.com
Keywords
marketing, branding, social media, audience targeting, content creation, influencer marketing, data analysis, legal considerations, brand story, pain points
Summary
In this conversation, Dr. Sam Berne shares valuable insights on improving marketing strategies and building a strong brand identity for businesses. He emphasizes the importance of utilizing social media effectively, understanding target audiences, and creating engaging content. Dr. Berne also discusses the significance of influencer marketing, data analysis, and legal considerations in business. Throughout the discussion, he highlights the need for businesses to stay agile and responsive to market demands while crafting a unique brand story that resonates with their audience.
Takeaways
Social media is a free way to build your brand.
Brand identity is crucial for long-term success.
Narrowing your target audience enhances engagement.
TikTok can help your content go viral.
You should think of yourself as a media company.
Repurposing content can maximize reach.
Email lists are a valuable asset for businesses.
Influencer marketing can expand your audience.
Analyzing data helps refine your marketing strategy.
Identifying pain points can lead to business opportunities.
Sound Bites:
“Building a stronger brand identity is crucial.”
“The customer is coming to you with branding.”
“Narrowing your target audience is key.”
“TikTok is one of the hottest platforms.”
“You are now a media company.”
“Your email list is gold.”
“Stay agile and be able to pivot.”
“Identifying pain points is striking gold.”
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Marketing and Branding Strategies
02:52 Building a Strong Brand Identity
05:53 Target Audience and Social Media Segmentation
08:58 Leveraging Social Media Platforms
12:11 Content Creation and Repurposing Strategies
15:03 Utilizing Podcasts and Newsletters
17:50 Influencer Marketing and Partnerships
20:46 Analyzing Data and Staying Agile
23:55 Legal Considerations in Business
26:50 Crafting Your Unique Brand Story
30:12 Identifying Pain Points in Your Market
Keywords
vision therapy, behavioral optometry, eye health, personal development, holistic healing, functional vision, primitive reflexes, meditation, emotional health, professional coaching
Summary
In this conversation, Sam Berne discusses his journey in the field of vision therapy, highlighting the influence of his mentors, Dr. Albert A. Shankman and Dr. Albert A. Sutton. He shares insights on the importance of holistic approaches to eye health, the role of emotional and physical well-being in vision improvement, and the significance of primitive reflexes in developmental optometry. Berne emphasizes the need for surrendering to the process of healing and the value of continuous learning in his practice.
Takeaways
Functional vision integrates physical, emotional, and spiritual health.
Vision therapy can significantly improve reading comprehension.
Surrendering to the process is essential for healing.
Primitive reflexes are crucial for children’s vision development.
Holistic approaches are often overlooked in mainstream optometry.
Continuous learning from mentors shapes professional growth.
Emotional tension can manifest as vision problems.
Building connections in the professional community is vital.
Vision improvement requires commitment and consistency.
Dr. Sutton’s techniques are applicable in special needs education.
Sound Bites
“Primitive reflexes start in utero.”
“He was way ahead of his time.”
“Take good care of your vision.”
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Functional Vision Integrative Body
04:12 The Influence of Dr. Albert A. Shankman
12:16 Learning from Dr. Albert A. Sutton
Sam Berne (00:00.078)
Hey everyone. Welcome to the program. Before we start. I have a few announcements. First of all, many of you know that I’ve started a practitioners training and it’s called functional vision integrative body. And this has come after 40 years of distilling
A lot of information, not only about improving your eyes and vision, but things like brain health, body health, working on a physical, emotional and spiritual level, using things like color therapy, iridology, craniosacral, somatic movement and many other things.
So I’ve written up this course for non eye doctor. So it’s a coaching program and it works for any practitioner. let’s say you’re a chiropractor and somebody comes in and they’re complaining about their eyes while they’re exercises and strategies and educational things that you can teach your clients or patients to get better.
I’ve been working with a few body workers like massage therapists, craniosecral therapists, somatic experiencing therapists, and they’re just loving the program. So if you’re interested, contact me appointments at drsamburn.com and we can have a conversation, see if it’s a good fit for you.
Sam Berne (01:39.842)
The other thing I want to mention is my membership program. We’re going on year number three and what I’ve done is I’ve taken a lot of my creative energies that I used to put towards social media and I’ve created content that is exclusively for the membership.
It’s about 20 bucks a month. It’s really worth it. If you’re interested in some of the deeper issues that might be going on not only about your eyes, but about health spirituality meditation energy medicine things like that. So if you’re interested in the membership, I highly recommend it.
You can go to my website, drsamburn.com and right below the word vision. You’ll see membership and you can click on that and there’s a free seven-day period where you can join and you can peruse the content.
What I’ve started to do over the last few weeks is post my written blogs. I’ve written a lot of written blogs over the years and I’m starting to post those in the membership. know some people like like to read and so we’re going to offer you things whether you listen watch or read.
reduce the resistance in your quest of the information. The last thing I’m going to be offering which I’ve actually started is some professional coaching in the area of marketing, social media, brand building.
Sam Berne (03:24.174)
I’ve been very successful at doing those things. In fact, I was recognized by a nonprofit organization here in Santa Fe to offer seminars and do some private coaching. And of course, this is all volunteer, but I want to widen the net. So if you’re a health practitioner, if you’re a young entrepreneur,
Contact me, you can go to my business website, iClarityBusinessSolutions.com and you can read some of my blogs and some of my offerings. And if you want some help in the area of growing your business, I love working with young entrepreneurs, that’s what I’ve done with this nonprofit. Contact me and we can see if we’re a good fit.
Okay, let’s go on to the show today. My number two mentor is an optometrist Albert A. Shankman. Dr. Shankman. You want to know about this guy?
So Dr. Shankman was an optometrist. He was a behavioral optometrist who practiced in the Connecticut area. And after I moved back to the East Coast after my internships were over and I was moonlighting in a lot of different primary care offices, you know, looking for the place where I could start in and open my own office or affiliate with somebody.
I remember getting a flyer in the mail and it was an invitation from Dr. Shankman and he was saying that he is doing a year-long program for any optometrist who’s interested in learning his method of vision therapy and he called it psycho behavioral vision enhancement. In fact, he wrote a book about it. Vision enhancement training, psycho behavioral vision and enhancement. you’re interested.
Sam Berne (05:17.997)
And so I enrolled in the course. Now I was living in Philadelphia at the time and I just started a practice there. And in my own vision, I had a couple things going on for, so I was very nearsighted. And the second thing was, is that reading was not something I was very interested in. Even though I was an A student, I did well in school, I was in the National Honor Society. I was never really good at taking, you know, the, the SATs and you know, those, those kinds of tests.
And comprehension was not easy for me reading comprehension. So when I contacted Dr. Shankman and I went up and I had an evaluation from him, I decided I was going to be a patient of his. So I would go up once a month. It was about four hour drive.
and I would do vision therapy with him over the weekend. Now at that time, he was in his mid 70s, so he had sold his practice and he was living in a retirement community, had a great condo and his wife, Shankman, she also worked in his office as a vision therapist and we became quite close like family.
And every month I would go up there and I would, you know, get an update in my vision therapy program. And then in between I was doing 20 to 40 minutes every day, seven days a week of vision therapy practices that were very different than what I learned in school. They were very involved in movement and balance and working with the eye patch and
looking at psycho-emotional and spiritual and energetic reasons around, you know, my own vision problems. And I remember Dr. Shankman said two things to me at my first visit. He said my myopia was a result of the tension that I carried in my eyes as a way to muscle my way to the answer. And that was pretty accurate. Second thing he said is the reason why I wasn’t a good reader is that my left eye wandered out. I had very poor convergence.
Sam Berne (07:23.631)
with my eyes, especially when I read and this either leads to confusion, double vision, suppression in the eye. When our two eyes don’t work together, the brain gets confused and it tends to suppress, you know, the non-dominant eye. And so I started in an Invisvision therapy practice and within a couple of months, I noticed that my nearsighted prescription reduced and it kept reducing and as I kept reducing,
Consciousness opened up insights opened up things changed for me and you know myopia is related a lot to the kidneys and fear.
and tension. And I noticed that a lot of that stuff was kind of just evaporating. And at the same time, I also noticed that I was reading better, that my comprehension got better, that I understood what I read. I could read more. I could read faster. And I got to a point six months in the program and he made you commit to a year. And that is a actually very important point because
You know, people think, I can go to a behavioral optometrist once and get the changes and that’s not true.
because the habits and the conditioning and the belief systems around our visual system get ingrained very early on. In fact, our eyes are like, you know, videotape library where we as children internalize our parents’ experiences. And Dr. Shankman pointed that out to me and he was right. And then about six months in, I got kind of frustrated because I want my, I was very goal oriented and I wanted to get to a place where,
Sam Berne (09:10.873)
want to get rid of my nearsightedness completely. And it wasn’t happening. In fact, the more I stressed into it, the worse my eyes got, even though it hadn’t been making a lot of progress. So he said to me two things. He said, first of all, you have to give up the goal. I said, I can’t do that. And second thing he said to me was you’re too attached to the results and you have to really dive into the process.
like, man, I love results. I want results. That’s what I live for. So I wrestled with that. I remember talking to my brother and my brother said to me, very smart, he said…
I said, well, you you paid this guy a lot of money. You’ve invested all this time. Why don’t you just do what he says, you know, give it up, man. And so sometimes brothers have the wisdom. So I ended up surrendering. Surrendering is a big thing and letting go as we all know, you know, because change is is constant, right? And we’re always changing. Things are always changing. Sometimes it’s very uncomfortable. But how can we surrender into and
with the change. So after I changed my mindset with him, with Dr. Shankman, some magical things started to happen. My eyesight really started to improve. In fact, one day I woke up and I was late to the office. I lived in Center City, Philadelphia. My office was out on the main line and
I was like halfway to the office. I went, my goodness. I forgot to put my contacts in and I can read the road signs. So that was kind of like a come to Jesus moment where I was like, wow, I don’t really need these lenses anymore.
Sam Berne (11:00.077)
And so we continued on. One of the things that Dr. Shankman recommended that I do is take up meditation, which I did and I still meditate. so doing a lot of different modalities along with vision therapy, I completely dissolved my near sighted prescription and I was 28 years old at the time. So it inspired me to move into a direction where I was going to exclusively work in a practice
where I was helping people improve their vision. Road less traveled because if I’d gone mainstream, sold glasses, gotten into disease-based care, I probably would have made a lot more money. I would probably, in some ways, in terms of the profession, been more acknowledged. But I took the road less traveled, kind of like my modus operandi. I tend to do that a lot.
And it set me off in a career where I’m still doing it today, 40 years later, and probably will continue to do it until I physically can’t anymore. So Dr. Shankman, kudos to you for giving me so many gifts, and you’re right up there in Mount Rushmore with Dr. Sanit.
Okay. The third eye doctor I want to talk about is a developmental optometrist who practiced in Florida. met him when he was in his seventies and it’s an interesting story. His name is Dr. Albert A. Sutton, Dr. Sutton. And when I moved to New Mexico, I had a hard time getting a license to practice because New Mexico is a good old boys state.
and it’s a poor state, 48th poorest state in the union. And so they kind of limit the number of outsiders that come in to get a license. And I was having trouble, even though I thought I passed all the tests and I had to retake the national boards, which is a standardized written test.
Sam Berne (13:04.043)
I had to take pathology slides, you know, things like that. So I was at a conference and I met Dr. Sutton and I told him my dilemma. He said, why used to be on the state board in Colorado? And here’s the strategy. This is what you need to do. You need to call up the president of the board, tell him you’re doing vision therapy, behavioral optometry, and you know, let him get to know you. Don’t try to sue him or, you know, get mad at him. Be friends, make connections.
network. And so I did that for about six months and magically and miraculously. I got my license after the third try. So New Mexico license is very valuable not only for New Mexico, but then I recognize that there was a reciprocity deal with New Mexico and Hawaii. So I also have a Hawaii license and in my next show. I’m going to talk about my relationship with Hawaii and talk a little bit about travel there.
I tend to like to go outside of just talking about eyes. So stay tuned for that show. Anyways, Dr. Sutton and I became friends and I became a student of his and Dr. Sutton was really a pioneer in the field of development in children learning and his testing was very whole body.
He had a test called mind body testing where he tested vestibular visual fixation body movement bilateral integration many different things. And then he brought two of my now close colleagues from Scandinavia Lena and Thorkeld Rasmussen who were
doctors of optometry and they practiced in Denmark and Sweden and he brought them to the United States and they taught us the primitive survival reflexes and the primitive reflexes is such an essential part of vision therapy, especially with kids.
Sam Berne (15:14.925)
OTs, some of them do primitive reflexes. There are a few people out there that are teaching it, but primitive reflexes, those movement patterns start in utero and the purpose of those movement patterns is to help the newborn adjust to being outside the birth canal in the womb. And many, many kids who have vision problems that are school-aged still have the primitive reflexes. And Dr. Sutton recognized that because he worked with Arnold Gazelle at the Gazelle
Institute. It’s place that I attended in the mid 1980s and the gazelle Institute was at that time a beacon of light for vision development. Now again, I’ve talked about the difference between eyesight and vision. Eye sight is eyeballs and glasses and reading the distance chart, but vision is how the eye brain and body work together and there’s a developmental process on when kids develop their vision as it relates to learning and
academic performance. And Dr. Sutton was an expert at this. He had studied it and he developed many different protocols. He also got me involved in biochemistry testing, hair mineral analysis, and the importance of
the energy in the cell having to be really high cellular health to be able to make the developmental changes that are needed, especially in the sensory motor system. He taught at Berry College in Miami and he was a world renowned expert in developmental optometry. In my view, he was not recognized enough by optometry. That was, and I remember towards the end of his life, he said to me, you know, take it to the math.
because the optometrists, they’re just not ready for this. I mean, they had a hard time understanding. You get on the floor with your patient and you do things like primitive reflexes and you do craniosacral and you do, you know, vestibular training. Now, I think it’s a little more accepted in the behavioral optometry world, but back then it wasn’t and he was way ahead of his time in those things. Now, I remember I was giving a seminar at a
Sam Berne (17:32.463)
workshop in Florida and he attended it and people loved it. You know, they thought I was a rock star and at the end it was just him and me. The room was pretty dark and he said, you know, you’ve got some holes in your thinking. I was like what?
He said, yeah, you you’re not really addressing and understanding the sequence of development in a child’s learning. And of course, you know, my ego was bruised by that, but he was a hundred percent right. And so I started to study with him and learned a lot about testing and diagnosing and treating and managing, especially in that developmental model. And to this day, I use many, many of the things that
that he taught me. One of the places I work is a place called Kid Power, which is in Albuquerque. And it’s a place where kids have a lot of special needs, Down syndrome, minimal brain dysfunction, autism, you know, they’re in the autistic spectrum.
and I apply many of Dr. Sutton’s techniques there to this day and learning those primitive reflexes back then has been such an essential part in being able to help kids reach their potential. So I put Dr. Sutton up on the Mount Rushmore with Dr. Sanit and Dr. Shankman. I’ve got a few others that I’ll talk about in another show, but I think that’s a
That’s a mouthful right now. So I think I’m going to end it here. I want to thank you so much for tuning in today. Share this podcast. If you found it helpful again, you can go to my social media me social media feeds and also my website dr. Sam burn.com and until next time everyone take good care.
In this episode, I interview Doug Conwell, founder of Earthwalks, Which Explores the ancient cultural and earth wisdom traditions of the American Southwest and Mexico through guided journeys and service activities.
For more information, contact Doug: www.earthwalks.org. E-mail: earthwalks1@yahoo.com
For even more from Dr. Sam, check out his new exclusive membership where you get access to my content and resources, new information, articles, videos, webinars: https://drsambernesmembership.com/
Keywords
Earthwalks, Doug Conwell, geomancy, listening to the earth, indigenous cultures, Celtic traditions, Chaco Canyon, personal transformation, retreats, community service
Summary
In this enlightening conversation, Dr. Sam Berne interviews Doug Conwell, the founder of Earthwalks, exploring themes of geomancy, indigenous cultures, and personal transformation through nature. Doug shares his journey from urban life to discovering the wisdom of the earth, emphasizing the importance of listening to nature and the experiences that shape our understanding of the world. The discussion also highlights the significance of Chaco Canyon and the retreats Doug leads, fostering community and connection with the earth.
Takeaways
• Doug Conwell founded Earthwalks to connect people with nature.
• Geomancy involves listening to the earth’s energies.
• Listening to the earth can be practiced anywhere, even in urban settings.
• Indigenous cultures offer profound insights into nature and spirituality.
• Personal initiations are essential for growth and transformation.
• Chaco Canyon is a vital site for understanding earth energies.
• Retreats provide a space for deep connection and healing.
• Community engagement is a key aspect of Doug’s work.
• The blending of indigenous and Celtic traditions enriches spiritual practices.
• Nature holds immense wisdom that can guide our lives.
Sound Bites
• “There’s so much wisdom in the earth.”
Chapters
00:00Introduction to Earthwalks and Doug Conwell
02:55Exploring Geomancy and Listening to the Earth
05:59Indigenous and Celtic Traditions: A Juxtaposition
09:04Personal Initiations and Transformative Experiences
11:32The Significance of Chaco Canyon
14:52Leading Retreats and Community Engagement
Sam Berne (00:02)
Hey everyone, it’s Dr. Sam and I’d like to welcome you to another podcast. So we have a great show today. I’ve invited a really special guest. He’s been a longtime friend Doug Conwell and you guys need to know about Doug. He’s an amazing person. He does a lot of different things service in the community, but he started this.
guess he started this process many years ago called Earthwalks and I went on one of his retreats in Chaco Canyon last September and it was life-changing for me. And so I wanted to bring him on and I wanted to introduce him to the community. So Doug, welcome to the program. Give us a little bio so that people can get to know who you are.
Doug Conwell (01:03)
Sure, happy to do that. Originally from Colorado, Sam, from Denver. Born in Denver. My family moved from there to Texas and I lived on the border in El Paso for sixth grade through college and got a really good dose of the Mexican culture, which I just adore. And was in the military in the army for a couple years and came back to Colorado thinking it was home.
And it was for a while, but this huge, relentless urban development that John Denver used to sing about, and he was promoting it while he was decrying it, sort of got to me and I realized that I was hearing a call elsewhere. And that call actually got into a book called The Spirit That Wants Me. It’s an anthology of different writers, and I’m one of them that’s in it.
The you know, is the spirit of this region where we’re living here in Santa Fe, the Four Corners region. But I moved to Santa Fe almost 50 years ago, about 47, 47 years ago, to actually go to massage school while I was getting my master’s degree in criminal justice and public administration. I was on a track to be wearing the American noose, which is called a necktie, and go up the ladder and…
Little did I know I had a lot of changes in store for me. So that’s what happened. I started hearing that call and you know, earth energies, earth mysteries, all of those things were kind of new to me. Finding out about this word called geomancy, divining with earth energies. We were in massage school and we were dealing with our earth bodies and the energies within our…
our earth bodies, which you talk about so much, Sam, and you deal with your clients. That’s so important, I know, vital. And I found out, I think it was probably while I was in massage school, about this thing called geomancy. And ended up exploring that whole area of lay lines, sacred geometry, sacred architecture, sacred sites. Definitely Chaco was one of those.
And with a friend of mine, we started leading small groups of people, just kind of exploring the area. And then I went on to develop Earthwalks as it is today. Lots of other things along the way, but that’s sort of brief aspect.
Sam Berne (03:36)
Yes.
Well, you know, it’s something we share in common and I don’t talk about this that much but you know, the divining with the earth energies, you know, going to a nature spot and really listening and I know when you facilitated the group that was a really big part of developing people’s awareness on listening and listening to the earth because there’s so much wisdom in it and
Can you speak a little bit more about geomancy? What it is and you know that process that you facilitate around listening to the earth?
Doug Conwell (04:21)
Certainly, you know, it really is more of a, like you said, a listening meditative experience. But I remember years ago here in Santa Fe, an Australian Aboriginal woman was in town as a guest of somebody and she said what their people do is to go out on the land and lay down and feel the earth, you know, from the top of their head to the bottom of their feet. And when they need to kind of release whatever anxiety or stress that they’ve got, they breathe in to
head, let that breath travel down through their whole body and through their spine and down into the earth, giving thanks to the earth for taking those, you know, that stress and transforming it, neutralizing it. So there’s so much written on this. People can certainly access all of that. But the goal that I think Earthwalks and I have for this kind of experience is really a listening goal.
but it’s one that you can use when you’re in the parking lot at McDonald’s. Okay? Yes, it’s important. You absolutely need to go on retreats to amazing places like Chaco Canyon, a World Heritage site where it’s free of cell phones and asphalt and traffic and all of that kind of a thing. But once you have begun to listen, you can go back into a place like McDonald’s, you know, in the parking lot.
and you start looking at things much more carefully. It’s a process of looking to at the details around you, not just taking things for granted. you know, there are a lot of…
Sam Berne (05:59)
Yeah, I, you know, I’ve I’ve experienced that a lot in both in New Mexico and in Hawaii and you know, the indigenous culture is such a big part of well, what you spotlight and I was wondering if you could talk about the relationship between the indigenous the Celtic because I know that’s part of your background.
and some of the shamanic traditions. That would be a great juxtaposition. So what do you have to say about?
Doug Conwell (06:35)
Well, I didn’t know much about that before I moved to Santa Fe, moved to New Mexico. I think that’s why I moved here, was to learn from the continuing indigenous cultures here in this region. And then I found out, yes, there are similar ways of accessing that information inside ourselves and in nature in my own background, as you said.
Sam Berne (08:35)
Mm-hmm. Yeah, it’s really critical. Another thing that I’m taking about is this idea of initiation and we all go through initiations all the time and you had an experience. You shared with me about being at Bear Mountain. Where is Bear Mountain and what happened to you? Yeah.
Go ahead.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Wow.
Wow.
Sure. So we’re here with Doug Conwell. He’s founder of Earthwalks and he’s involved in a lot of different healing processes. He runs retreats and he’s just a spectacular human being. I hope you guys check out his website. I’ll certainly put all that in the notes and contact him if you’re interested.
So we’re coming down to the end, but I wanted to ask you about Chaco Canyon and why people should know about Chaco.
So how can people learn more about it? What are some resources, you know about that you could, you know, point people to?
Okay.
That’s great. And you also take people to Chaco. Tell us a little bit about… Say again? Sure.
Mm-hmm. So I know you lead groups there. Tell us a little bit about, you know, the process in terms of taking people and what you do and things like that. Yuri.
Yes. Yes. Yeah, what what are some of the things that you you spotlight when you take people on on a trip like what I know you do it like once a year and you know, you have phenomenal people that are attracted. I mean, it’s such a great dynamic group.
Can you talk a little bit about the, yeah.
Very good.
Yes. Yeah, that is. So how do people get in touch with you, Doug?
And I will put your website and that email address on the show notes at the beginning so that people can refer to that and we will be putting this out on a video on YouTube and my website and then it will go through Apple and Spotify. So we’ll we’ll get the word out for you and I want to thank you for your
generosity of spirit coming on today and I look forward to celebrating with you in the future. So take good care and thanks for being on.
Please check out my membership. Access to my video: The 7 Day Liver Cleanse. Click link to watch: https://drsambernesmembership.com/zen/7-day-liver-cleanse-members-852bfb
Practitioners! Consider my practitioners’ course. Link: https://www.drsamberne.com/practitioners-training/
Show Notes:
Keywords
vision therapy, mentorship, eye health, functional vision, holistic health, Sam Berne, optometry, brain health, emotional health, spiritual health
Summary
In this conversation, Sam Berne discusses his journey in the field of optometry, focusing on the development of his Functional Vision Integrative Body program. He reflects on the importance of mentorship in his career, highlighting key figures who influenced his approach to vision therapy and holistic health. Berne emphasizes the integration of various therapeutic modalities and the impact of vision therapy on cognitive and emotional well-being.
Takeaways
Sam Berne has developed a program called Functional Vision Integrative Body.
The program integrates various therapeutic modalities for holistic health.
Mentorship played a crucial role in Berne’s professional development.
Dr. Bob Sanit was a significant mentor in vision therapy.
Vision therapy can lead to neuroplasticity and cognitive improvements.
Berne emphasizes the importance of emotional and spiritual health.
He offers professional coaching for health practitioners and entrepreneurs.
The membership program provides exclusive content on health and spirituality.
Berne’s experiences in San Diego shaped his approach to optometry.
He values the relationships built with mentors throughout his career.
Sound Bites
“I highly recommend it.”
“I know you East Coast people.”
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Functional Vision Integrative Body
03:05 The Impact of Mentorship in Optometry
10:05 Reflections on Influential Figures in Vision Therapy
Sam Berne (00:00)
Hey everyone, welcome to the program. Before we start. I have a few announcements. First of all, many of you know that I’ve started a practitioners training and it’s called functional vision integrative body.
And this has come after 40 years of distilling a lot of information, not only about improving your eyes and vision, but things like brain health, body health, working on a physical, emotional and spiritual level, using things like color therapy, iridology, craniosacral, somatic movement and many other things.
So I’ve written up this course for non eye doctor. So it’s a coaching program and it works for any practitioner. let’s say you’re a chiropractor and somebody comes in and they’re complaining about their eyes while they’re exercises and strategies and educational things that you can teach your clients or patients to get better.
I’ve been working with a few body workers like massage therapists, craniosecral therapists, somatic experiencing therapists, and they’re just loving the program. So if you’re interested, contact me appointments at drsamburn.com and we can have a conversation. See if it’s a good fit for you. The other thing I want to mention is my membership program. We’re going on
year number three and what I’ve done is I’ve taken a lot of my creative energies that I used to put towards social media and I’ve created content that is exclusively for the membership.
about 20 bucks a month. It’s really worth it. If you’re interested in some of the deeper issues that might be going on not only about your eyes, but about health, spirituality, meditation, energy, medicine, things like that.
So if you’re interested in the membership, I highly recommend it. You can go to my website, drsamburn.com and right below the word vision, you’ll see membership and you can click on that and there’s a free day of free seven day period where you can join and you can peruse the content.
What I’ve started to do over the last few weeks is post my written blogs. I’ve written a lot of written blogs over the years and I’m starting to post those in the membership. know some people like like to read and so we’re going to offer you things whether you listen watch or read.
reduce the resistance in your quest of the information. The last thing I’m going to be offering which I’ve actually started is some professional coaching in the area of marketing, social media, brand building.
I’ve been very successful at doing those things. In fact, I was recognized by a nonprofit organization here in Santa Fe to offer seminars and do some private coaching. And of course, this is all volunteer, but I want to widen the net. So if you’re a health practitioner, if you’re a young entrepreneur,
Contact me, you can go to my business website, eyeclaritybusinesssolutions.com and you can read some of my blogs and some of my offerings. And if you want some help in the area of growing your business, I love working with young entrepreneurs, that’s what I’ve done with this nonprofit, contact me and we can see if we’re a good fit.
Okay, let’s go on to the show today. The things that I think about a lot and my philosophies that I’ve developed is the relationship that I had with many older eye doctors and educators when I was just starting out and they were mentoring me.
And today I would like to talk about three mentors who had a huge influence on me. And every time I start a session with somebody or I’m giving a workshop, I take a few minutes before I start and I am so grateful for all of my mentors, teachers, people who have helped me develop my
philosophy and how I help people. And one of the first people that I met, I was actually still in optometry school and I went to the Pennsylvania College of Optometry in Philadelphia and that was a very medically oriented school. You know, it’s from the East Coast and very intellectual that school really focused on eye disease and pathology as it still does now and
I had the opportunity to go out West and do an internship in a doctor’s office who was practicing vision therapy and behavioral optometry and his name was dr. Bob Sanet. This point. Dr. Sanet is probably yeah in his mid 70s. I think he’s retired. I haven’t spoken to him in a long time.
But I’m so fond of him because I remember landing in San Diego. That’s where his practice was. And the first thing he said to me was well, I know you East Coast people. All you like to do is go to the beach when you come out to California. And I said no, Dr. Sanet actually I’m here to learn your method.
And what was amazing about his practice is that he would see like 60 patients a week who were just doing the physical vision therapy and he and his wife Linda. She was also, you know, one of my teachers and just amazing person and one of the vision therapist Margie Thompson Margie ended up because of her.
Well, what happened with her own kids and getting so much benefit in vision therapy and seeing so many kids flower and be able to go back and learn to read and read to learn and just, you know, just take off after vision therapy. She started an organization called Parents Active for Vision Education, PAVE.
And so the three of them really helped me and I just just going to the office every day and you know, I started to work with some of his patients after he trained me and really saw the transformation.
and the neuroplasticity that our visual system has as it relates to our brain learning, cognition, memory, and so many other things. And his vision therapy program,
was so successful that he had the largest vision therapy practice in San Diego. San Diego is there is kind of a cloud over San Diego in the sense of this big military. There’s also a big military. I’m sorry big medical model up in La Jolla.
with the Scripps Institute and ophthalmology and so on. So there was definitely a little bit of resistance, but Dr. Sanet, because he had so much success with both kids and adults, really developed a great practice. And he had this internship program where I’m sure hundreds of young optometrists came to him and he influenced them.
And I know in my time there, you know, I just learned so many things about how to evaluate, how to diagnose, how to treat, how to set up a treatment plan. And one of the most interesting treatment modalities that I still use today is something called parketry blocks. And these are special blocks. They come in a kit.
And it’s a way to develop visual perception, visual memory, form perception, figure ground. These are some of the kind of more cognitive executive function visual skills. And one of their influences was a optometrist from the Pittsburgh area is actually originally from Washington DC and moved to Pittsburgh and his name is Harry Wachs and Dr. Wachs worked a lot with Piaget.
So he had this whole method of helping kids develop better cognitive skills. He wrote a book called thinking goes to school. you ever want to look it up with Harry Wachs and Hans Furth. Anyways, Bob Sanet and Linda really
really took Dr. Wax’s stuff, especially in the parketry area and developed their own method of helping kids really problem solve learn. And it was, it was a great, adjunct to, you he worked with strabismus crossed eyes, lazy eye. He was just really, really adept at that. And I remember at the end of the training, he actually, there was an opening in his practice and he offered me a job. And I was so flattered by that.
by that offer and it was a really hard decision for me. But I knew it wasn’t the right thing for me to do even though my mantra is go West young man. I ended up moving to New Mexico about five years later. I needed to do some things back in the East Coast and I just wasn’t ready to move to Southern California and go into his practice. But we remained friends and I so appreciate him and think about him every day.
Both he and his wife. So that’s my number one mentor. I think I’m going to end it here. I want to thank you so much for tuning in today. Share this podcast. If you found it helpful again, you can go to my social media feeds and also my website: www.drsamberne.com and until next time everyone take good care.
Are you a practitioner? Learn about Dr. Berne’s practitioner’s program here:
https://www.drsamberne.com/practitioners-training/
For even more from Dr. Sam, check out his new exclusive membership where you get access to my content and resources, new information, articles, videos, webinars: https://drsambernesmembership.com/
Keywords
liver health, gallbladder, eye health, detoxification, herbal remedies, nutrition, holistic health, acupuncture, wellness, vision
Summary
In this episode, Dr. Sam Berne explores the intricate connection between liver and gallbladder health and its impact on vision. He discusses the liver’s multifaceted functions, the role of the gallbladder, and how liver health directly influences eye health. Dr. Berne shares various detoxification strategies, herbal remedies, and a comprehensive seven-day detox program to enhance liver and gallbladder function, ultimately supporting better vision and overall wellness.
Takeaways
The liver is a detoxification organ with over 500 functions.
Liver health is crucial for eye health and vision.
Bile production and fat absorption are essential for nutrient uptake.
Herbs like milk thistle and dandelion root support liver health.
Hydration and bitter greens stimulate bile flow.
Emotional health can be affected by liver congestion.
A liver gallbladder cleanse can improve vitamin absorption.
A balanced diet is key for liver and gallbladder health.
Spending time in nature can enhance overall well-being.
Regular detoxification can lead to better eyesight and energy levels.
Sound Bites
“Milk thistle helps in liver regeneration.”
“Bitter greens help stimulate bile flow.”
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Liver and Gallbladder Health
01:51 Understanding Liver Functions
03:15 The Role of the Gallbladder
06:04 Connection Between Liver Health and Eye Health
07:56 Detoxification Strategies for Liver and Gallbladder
12:12 Seven-Day Detox Program Overview
Hey everybody, it’s Dr. Sam and I’d like to welcome you to the burn podcast today. We’re to be talking about the liver gallbladder connection as it relates to vision. Before we get to that. I want to remind people about my membership. Dr. Sam burn membership. This has exclusive content things you won’t see on social media my online courses and other very interesting opinions.
That I don’t put on social media. So if you want to join you can go to my website, dr. Sam burn.com and in the home page, you’ll see join membership to today’s show. So I don’t know whether you know this, but I discovered it when I first moved to Santa Fe. It’s been over 30 years and I met an acupuncturist who was
working a lot with liver gallbladder health as it relates to eye health. Now in optometry school, I never knew anything around the connection between the liver gallbladder and the eyes. And when I took some courses in acupuncture, I couldn’t believe as we studied the meridians of the body, how much the liver gallbladder has on our
not only our eye health, but our digestive health, our brain health. And yet it’s something in allopathic medicine that’s pretty overlooked. So I want to talk about that relationship today. What you can do to support better liver gallbladder health. What’s the function of the liver gallbladder? What are some detoxes you can do? So that’s going to be our show for today. So let’s start with the basics. What is the function of the liver?
Well, it’s a detoxification organ. has over 500 functions in the body as a detoxification organ. It helps filter things like toxins in the environment drugs that you might be taking and it also removes metabolic waste from the blood. The liver also produces bile which aids our digestion and helps in the absorption of fat soluble.
Sam Berne (02:20.558)
foods and vitamins. Probably the main ones are vitamin A, which is great for our retina cornea eyelids and lutein and zeaxanthin which help prevent macular degeneration. The liver also helps in the metabolism of our fats proteins and carbohydrates. The liver also stores our glycogen. Here are a list of vitamins that store the liver vitamin A D
E and K also stores vitamin B12. Now, if you’re a vegan or a vegetarian, you want to make sure you’re getting some type of vitamin B12 supplement. The liver also synthesizes blood clotting factors. Liver also boosts the immune system. It has something called cup for cells and these cells destroy pathogens.
and old blood cells. The gallbladder is very interesting because it actually stores the bile that the liver produces. So the gallbladder holds the fats until digestion is needed. Bile goes into the small intestine to emulsify fats for absorption. It also assists in the breakdown of cholesterol. What are the signs we see in the eye if a person has difficulty breaking down and excreting the cholesterol?
is an Archesinellus, a white ring that’s around the edge of the iris. When we see this, we know that there could be a problem either in the liver production of the bile or the storage of it in the gallbladder. So there’s some liver signs that I see in the iris. And if there is a congestion in the liver and or the gallbladder, I like to use herbal remedies.
to flush the liver and increase the liver function. So some of those herbs are number one, milk thistle, which protects against toxins and milk thistle helps in liver regeneration. Another herb I like is dandelion root. This stimulates bile production and it supports detoxification. Also like the Indian spice turmeric, it’s anti-inflammatory, it supports bile flow and it protects the liver.
Sam Berne (04:42.21)
I recommend burdock root. This root cleans the blood and aids in detoxification. And my last one is yellow dock, which also supports detoxification and liver health. So here are some of my favorite strategies that support liver gallbladder health. Number one is hydration. Drinking high quality filtered water, structured water, high pH water like Kagan water.
is great for detoxifying the cells. Number two is bitter greens. This would be things like arugula, kale and dandelion greens, which help stimulate bile flow. Start your day with a squeeze of lemon and some warm water. This also stimulates liver cleansing. four is eating high fiber foods, things like chia seeds, flax seeds.
And of course, don’t forget your vegetables and sprouted raw seeds and nuts avocados. This also helps increase bile flow and then of course avoid alcohol processed foods and sugar. I recommend lifestyle practices like putting castor oil packs on the liver gallbladder area. It’s some acupuncture that targets the liver gallbladder meridians get regular exercise which stimulates the lymphatic health.
And then if you have one use an infrared sauna daily traditional Chinese medicine. The liver is connected to our eye health and the gallbladder is connected to our mental clarity and decision-making liver stores the blood which nourishes our eyes. This is a key point. If your liver is congested some of the eye symptoms you might experience would be blurry vision dry eyes and floaters.
If your liver and gallbladder are overburdened, you might experience things like inflammation in the eyes. This is where you get conditions like blepharitis, dry eye syndrome, and even more serious inflammatory diseases like uveitis, which has an autoimmune effect to our body. When the energy of the liver meridian to the eyes is congested, we call this Qi stagnation. It can lead to emotional outbursts.
Sam Berne (07:01.238)
like anger and you experience eye stress, eye tension and dryness. And if you’re working on a digital device all day, it’s only going to make matters worse for the gallbladder, which stores the bile. It’s very important that you have good fat absorption. If you don’t, you’re not absorbing your vitamin A D E or K. This is going to affect your eye health directly.
And even if you take supplements that have lutein and zeaxanthin in it, or you eat foods that contain lutein and zeaxanthin, if you’re not absorbing your fats, you’re not absorbing these ingredients. And this can lead to conditions like macular degeneration, dry eye, glaucoma, and retina issues. So doing a liver gallbladder cleanse can help you absorb those fat soluble vitamins, which are crucial.
for your eye and vision health. So here’s my seven day liver gallbladder detoxification program. Day one, start the day by squeezing half a lemon in some warm water and drink it before you have any coffee tea or breakfast. The benefits of this lemon water stimulate bio production help alkalinize the body and I would get some either herbal formulas or teas.
that contain the following herbs number one dandelion root number two milk thistle number three yellow dock number four burdock root and drink this tea before you have breakfast consider doing a morning smoothie. So my base tea is something called oat straw tea. So it’s a hot drink and I put in a stock of celery a little bit of beet some lemon
maybe a half an apple and a teaspoon of flaxseed. What I like to do to create flaxseed powder is I take some flaxseeds and I put them in a coffee grinder and then I just grind them up and I store them in the refrigerator. That way you can put them on your salads. You can put it in the smoothies. It’s a great way to absorb flaxseeds. Peets are great for the liver. And by taking this smoothie before you eat,
Sam Berne (09:20.142)
It helps your digestion. get live plant enzymes and loads of antioxidants that are easy to absorb mid morning. I would take a milk thistle capsule 250 to 300 milligrams mid morning. Also, you could have some ginger tea, some peppermint tea, something again to support your digestive system for lunch. I need a healthy salad that contains kale avocado dandelion root arugula cilantro include in the salad beets.
carrots and I would add some pumpkin seeds. This contains zinc, which is a very important trace mineral that helps in the absorption of fat soluble foods and vitamins for the salad dressing. I would make my own olive oil and apple cider vinegar. Apple cider vinegar is one of my favorite things to use as a way to alkalinize the body and it’s high in potassium for snacks in the mid afternoon. I would use cucumber celery and maybe a handful of walnuts.
For dinner, I would recommend a soup that contains broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, these cruciferous vegetables. They are sulfur rich that help in detoxification. Make sure to add garlic and onions and a base of bone broth, which will help in your mineral absorption. I would have some turmeric tea with a pinch of black pepper and some coconut oil. And then before bed, I would do a liver.
detox drink which contains one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar. Make sure it’s raw and unfiltered in an 8 ounce glass of warm water. I would also add a dash of manuka honey. If you have it, this will support a gentle detox while you sleep. I would learn a breathing practice things like pranayama or other yogic breathing could be very helpful in terms of stimulating relaxation. I also like to do skin brushing.
before any shower or bath and of course avoid things like caffeine, alcohol, processed foods and sugar. Some other strategies to detoxify and flush your liver would be number one, get some bitters, put them in an eight ounce glass of water, sip it before a meal, take your omega-3s during this time before you eat and also some dietary enzymes. This will help flush the liver
Sam Berne (11:43.806)
and stimulate your digestion before you eat. I also recommend a magnesium formula and if you’re going to do any sweetening things, I would do 70 % cacao. You can make that into a drink or you can have it as a little snack, but keep the sugars and the chocolates in a low glycemic form. Some of the signs of progress could be better eyesight, better sleep, healthier skin, more balanced energy.
Also, one last thing. I think it’s very important to spend some time every day in nature. That’s a way where you can slow down. You get into the rhythm of nature, enjoy the sunshine, especially in the morning. If you do these things, I think you can support better liver gallbladder health. So if you’ve got any questions, send me an email appointments at dr. Sam burn.com. I’m happy to consult with you.
That’s our show for today. I want to thank you so much for tuning in until next time. Take care.
Keywords
myopia, eye strain, reduced prescription, vision correction, eye health, nearsightedness, eye muscles, prescription glasses, vision therapy, eye fatigue
Summary
In this episode, Dr. Sam Berne addresses a common concern regarding myopia and the adjustment to reduced prescriptions. He explains the physiological and psychological factors contributing to eye strain and muscle tension when transitioning to a less strong prescription. Dr. Berne emphasizes the importance of understanding the habits that lead to eye strain and offers practical advice for easing into new prescriptions, ultimately highlighting the potential benefits of reduced prescriptions for improving overall eye health.
Takeaways
Reduced prescriptions can reveal underlying eye muscle tension.
Eye strain is often a result of habitual squinting and straining.
Adjusting to a reduced prescription requires patience and practice.
Wearing a less strong prescription can improve distance vision over time.
Overcorrection in eye exams can lead to unnecessary strain.
Prescription glasses can have side effects similar to medication.
Understanding your prescription is key to managing eye health.
Children may need guidance to adapt to new prescriptions.
Chronic eye issues may improve with reduced prescriptions.
Awareness of eye habits is crucial for better vision.
Sound Bites
“Any prescription that you wear is like a drug.”
Chapters
00:00 Understanding Myopia and Reduced Prescriptions
02:56 The Impact of Eye Strain and Muscle Tension
04:54 Adjusting to New Prescriptions and Habits
Hey everybody, it’s Dr. Sam and I’d like to welcome you to the podcast. So I received a question from a mom who I’m working with her son who’s got nearsightedness. This is a very interesting question. So I gave him a prescription that reduces his myopia and she said that he’s having a hard time adjusting to the prescription that is creating eye strain and his eye muscles hurt and she wants to know
Sam Berne (00:30.71)
what she can do to tell him to get used to the prescription. Well, it’s interesting because when you’re presented with a reduced prescription, your eyes should relax. Basically, any reduced prescription is saying, can I let go with my muscles and can I release and relax?
Sam Berne (00:56.694)
Now in this particular case, there’s two possible scenarios going on. The first is that and this is very common with people that start wearing reduced prescriptions. They start feeling their eye muscles more and they start feeling this area. Whereas before it was very a very unrealized area, meaning they had no awareness of it. And so when you wear something that’s less tight,
Sam Berne (01:26.402)
Guess what happens all of that tightness that you’ve absorbed over years of the strong prescription. You feel that so it’s showing you what’s already there. It’s not causing it, but the relaxation potential is showing you the tension that you’ve been carrying for a long time. The second part of this is
Sam Berne (01:54.921)
It’s not the prescription that’s causing the eye tension. It’s the attitude and habits that we bring to the prescription that creates the eye tension. So this means that we’re so used to having it clear that when we’re given a softer prescription and it’s a little on the soft blurry side, we immediately want to get rid of it by squinting and straining.
Sam Berne (02:23.595)
So we’re back to our old habits again.
Sam Berne (02:28.321)
Yeah, exactly. So the reduced prescription is going to confront the habit of you wanting to squint and strain and muscle it. So what I told the mother is just invite the child to wear this reduced prescription at near at the 14 inches, maybe maybe 20 inches at the most. But don’t try to wear it in the distance for now.
Sam Berne (02:56.171)
I mean the prescription was prescribed for near vision to begin with and it can be a big jump and kind of disorienting if you get this reduced prescription and you have the expectation that it should be clear in the distance. Now what will happen over time is that if you get used to the reduced prescription you’ll notice that your distance acuity improves and you know, you’re there when
Sam Berne (03:25.633)
You then put on the strong prescription and you start getting a headache. You start feeling the eye ache and you go, wow, this is what I used to wear all the time. And now I’m aware that it’s too tight for me. It’s too strong for me. And you know, I have to say that in my years of practice, I would reduce so many prescriptions during the exam.
Sam Berne (03:54.741)
And people actually saw more clearly because the way the eye exam is done.
Sam Berne (04:01.015)
You’re going to overcorrect people. You’re going to make the lens too strong. And you know, this really speaks to some of the adults that have chronic things like flashing lights or posterior vitreous detachment or even some, you know, retinal lattice degeneration all those retina problems. If you are nearsighted your prescription is too strong for you. And if you start wearing something less the retina
Sam Berne (04:30.959)
the flashing lights start to reduce and eventually go away so you don’t have that traction. So it’s very interesting to note that you know any prescription that you wear is like a drug. The prescription, eyeglasses and contacts have been approved by the FDA and they’re side effects.
Sam Berne (04:54.329)
And for nearsightedness, especially if you’re wearing something too strong, you’re going to pay the price and that price is going to be tension, compression, muscle pain, eye strain, eye fatigue and on and on. So I really appreciate the question and I hope that’s helpful. So that’s it for today. That’s my show. I want to thank you for tuning in until next time. Take care.
Keywords
holistic eye care, vision improvement, eye health tips, behavioral optometry, Sam Berne, eye exercises, nutrition for eyes, blue light protection, workshops, private sessions
summary
In this engaging conversation, Dr. Sam Berne shares his insights on holistic eye care, emphasizing the importance of daily habits for maintaining eye health. He discusses the impact of nutrition, sunlight, and eye exercises, while also highlighting his workshops and private sessions aimed at personalized care. The discussion also touches on the effects of screen time on vision and the significance of blue light protection.
takeaways
• Dr. Sam Berne is a behavioral optometrist with a holistic approach.
• Morning sunlight is crucial for resetting circadian rhythms.
• A diet rich in colorful vegetables supports eye health.
• Eye exercises can enhance circulation and oxygenation in the eyes.
• Light is essential for overall health and energy fields.
• Social media has expanded Dr. Berne’s reach to a global audience.
• Workshops are tailored to individual goals and health needs.
• Private sessions focus on treating the root causes of vision problems.
• Blue light from screens can negatively affect eye health.
• The Palm Hum exercise is beneficial for relaxation and eye care
Sound Bites
• “Get some morning sunlight.”
• “Light is a food, don’t be afraid of it.”
• “Blue light can dry your eyes out.”
• “It’s the Palm Hum by Dr. Sam.”
Chapters
00:00Introduction and Welcome Back to Kauai
01:59Understanding Holistic Eye Care
04:59Daily Habits for Eye Health
08:57Exploring Sam’s Books and Workshops
11:55Private Sessions and Personalized Care
16:00The Impact of Screens on Eye Health
Here for my interview on KKCR, Public Radio Kauai. I was here about a year and a half ago and back again with my friend Tracy Shavarone, who’s gonna have me on and interview me. So stay tuned.
to Dr. Sam Berne. Aloha Sam. Aloha. So nice to see you in person. I know we’re face to face. We’re face to face. Eye to eye. Welcome back to Kauai. Yeah, feels great to be here. We just had 15 inches of snow in Santa Fe so nice to be in the tropics. Isn’t that kind of unusual to have that much snow this early? Well it used to be with climate change you know we’re
getting that much snow but back in the 90s yeah we used to get that kind of snow end of October beginning in November what a blessing you know it lowers the fire risk and
Anyway, it’s great to be here in the humidity. was mentioning I was in New Mexico in October and it was very, very dry. I definitely had to put lotion on my skin. It is a high desert environment. I have to warn people about that. It was so beautiful. Mexico is just spectacular.
It really is the land of enchantment. really is and so much space there, open land, great hiking, nature, Chaco Canyon and all those magical places.
Sam Berne (01:34.765)
Well, and of course, kawaii has its own magic, which brings you back. I know it’s like a magnet that keeps bringing me back. So for those of you who have never met Dr. Sam Byrne, I’m going to have him like introduce himself. But he’s the author of many books and he is a holistic, I would say a holistic eye doctor. I don’t know if that’s what you would consider yourself, but.
Yes, well I’m a behavioral optometrist, doctor of optometry, but I have studied many different healing modalities and my mission is to help people regain their eyesight if it’s deteriorating, improve their vision as they get older, work with kids with learning problems and the spectrum disorders, autism, the ADD, there’s a very big vision component.
to it, traumatic brain injury, people that want to reduce their prescriptions. So I’ve devoted my career, you know, it’s four decades, and still going strong, helping people with their health and their vision.
But you do use it well, except your holistic approaches. Yeah, well, know, when listeners, you go to the eye doctor and they give you a stronger prescription and they tell you how you have a disease and you’re going to lose your sight or drug surgery and needles. That’s the,
the standard care. So just learning things like functional medicine, what do you eat to preserve your eyes? How does the sun affect your eyes? What about being on computers? You know, so there’s a lot of things that you can do to take better care of this major modality that we relate to the world with. And usually I get people where they’ve gone to the doctor and it’s, my goodness, I’m going to lose my sight or I have to get surgery. And that’s where I come in and I can…
Sam Berne (03:34.797)
do some interventions to help them. for people listening right now, what are some of the daily habits people can incorporate to keep their eyes as healthy as possible or even improve their eye health? Well, to keep it simple, there three main things. Number one, get some morning sunlight. The research backs that up, that when you get morning sunlight, it actually resets your
circadian rhythm and it puts you into a better mood and it’s great for your eyesight and vision. Number two, eat a diet that involves the rainbow of vegetables and if we think about the red, orange, yellow, green vegetables, those feed the retina, the macula and the cornea.
And so if you eat a healthy diet, low processed or no processed foods, and reduce or eliminate sugar, you have a great chance to preserve your eyesight. And number three, eye exercises work really well to improve the circulation and oxygenation in the eyes. One of my famous ones is called the palm hum exercise. That’s where you rub your hands together for a few seconds
you cup your hands over your eyes and you breathe in through your nose and on the exhale you make a humming sound and you do about six or eight of those after a day on the computer and that will improve your circulation, oxygenation, lubricate your eyes and balance your nervous system. So those are three simple things that you can do to preserve your vision.
And those are all totally doable. And I love the rainbow vegetables because for me I like to have a lot of colors in my food because I feel like I’m also nourishing my chakras when I eat all those colors on that more esoteric level. Yeah, well, there’s a camera that I use called a GDV camera. This measures energy fields, chakras, and acupuncture meridians. And we did research on how the chakras were impacted when we fed people
Sam Berne (05:54.761)
color therapy through their eyes. And we found that when they looked at different colors, overall their chakras got more balanced and more lined up and larger. So the eyes are the organ of light that transports that light throughout the entire body. Light is a food, don’t be afraid of it. And yeah, it affects our energy fields and our…
our meridians and so yeah very much so. If you just tuned in I’ll speak with Dr. Sam Byrne and so Sam I’d love for you to give out your website and like any other information if you want to give out your phone number how long will you be here on Kauai? I’ll be here through next Wednesday and we have a workshop scheduled this Saturday. The registration closes tomorrow morning.
So you can call me 505-9200-317. I’m also doing some private sessions. So if you want some one-on-one time, give me a call. My website is drsamberne.com. I’m also very active on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube. So you can type my name in and I have thousands of free videos.
a membership so if you want to go deeper with me you can do that. Lots of ways to learn about what I’m doing. you mentioned like I think every social media out there so I’m just curious what how has social media changed your ability to assist people in their lives?
Well, it helps me connect to people that probably would have never heard from me or about me. And I have a international following. So people say in Germany or Australia, you know, they get to see my content and it gives them another opportunity to, you know, to help themselves. My mission is to educate and I give away my content for free. I also have a podcast.
Sam Berne (08:06.933)
the burn podcast and so with all of those different channels I’m able to reach people video, audio, written and it’s really been a great service to be able to connect with people on so many levels from many different locations.
So once again, if you just tuned in, I’m speaking with Dr. Sam Byrne. And now I know you have authored quite a few books, and do you want to just mention some of those? Because I know you were here, was it last year, or was it this year when you were here for your latest book? It was last April, and it was a book called Vital Vision, and that’s my newest book that’s been out about a year. You can get that on Amazon, both ebook and also written. I’ve written, my first book was called Creating Your
personal vision. I wrote that in 1994. I did a new edition about two, three years ago that has eye exercises in it. I also wrote a book about nutrition called Taking It In and how foods affect our vision and our brain. And then I wrote a book called I Sense, How to Play in the Field of Healing, where I talk about energy, medicine, and my research swimming with the wild dolphins on the Big Island and how that impacted
people’s energy fields and chakras and did that. Our last trip was 2020 before COVID. So there’s books on my website. You just go to DrSamBurn.com and you can order them if you want. So now the workshop, the workshop on Saturday, we want to talk a little bit about what that format will be.
Well, you know, people bring their individual situations to the table. And so we’re going to figure out what each person’s goals and objectives are. And then we’ll tailor the workshop to how it’s going to help people. And it could be through somatic movement. It could be through color therapy, vision, physical therapy, exercises. I also do something called iridology that’s being able to read the iris. You take a picture of the iris.
Sam Berne (10:19.735)
the colored part of the eye and that maps to the body so you can see what your liver health is, gallbladder, pancreas, thyroid, get to see genetic tendencies, things that maybe were in your family and nurture points. What are things that you can do to nurture your systemic health that not only improves your vision but can improve your health and wellness also.
And once again, how can someone register for that? Just give me a call 505-920-0317 and we can do the registration process on the phone. Also, if you want to do a session, we can book one. I am licensed to practice optometry in Hawaii, which is an advantage. So if you need prescriptions or anything like that, I can certainly address those needs for you. And your website again?
www.drsamburn.com. B-E-R-N-E. Check it out, there’s a lot of great stuff on there.
Yeah, if you want to interact, just send me an email and we can talk. So you’re offering private sessions. now, I mean, know, of course, you customize those to what the people’s issues are. But is there anything in particular, things that you are always sort of working with with people? What does the private session entail? mean, do you do it, do you take an iridology picture? mean, what does that entail? Well, you know, people have
problems. so listening is very important and meeting people where they are around, know, what are their symptoms? And of course we want to treat the cause, not the symptoms. So it could be anything from, for example, somebody’s prescription is too strong that they’re wearing and it gives them a headache. So how to reduce it but still allow them to see clearly, maybe giving them some eye relaxation exercises if they work on screens a lot.
Sam Berne (12:25.465)
or let’s say you’ve been diagnosed with cataracts or glaucoma or macular degeneration or dry eye, something that you’re tired of using pharmaceuticals or you’re facing surgery, then there could be some nutritional, herbal, aromatherapy, functional medicine things that could turn things around. One of the new research studies that’s coming out is on something called photobiomodulation. This is using red light on
the eyes to increase the mitochondria function. And when you increase the mitochondria function, you reduce inflammation and oxidative stress. So there’s a way that I’ve developed red light therapy for the eyes that’s not too bright, and it allows a reversal of certain eye conditions. So Glenn Jeffries was an ophthalmologist in the UK who did a study on red light therapy and macular degeneration. You could Google that.
So there’s lots of different techniques with the overall intention is to help people move out of the danger zone if things are deteriorating.
Sam Berne (13:48.813)
private sessions with individuals if you’re interested. He can be reached at 505-920-0317. Once again, that’s 505-920-0317 and he will be here through next Wednesday, or? Yes, that’s correct.
And is there any particular area of the island where you are seeing patients just so people know? In the Princeville area. But if you contact me, I can give you directions. And it’s a nice, comfortable house. So it’s great. Just want to let people know, you’re visiting from the west side, it’s on the North Shore. Sure. We’re on the North Shore. Yeah, exactly.
again your website? DrSamBurn.com. And do you have your own YouTube channel? I do DrSamBurn you can go on that we post our video podcasts we do YouTube shorts long long material so we have tons of free videos on YouTube if you want to go there just type in my name and
Watch away. Watch away. So now you said you also have a podcast. where is that? Well, I do both an audio through Apple iTunes and Spotify and all the major sites. So that’s audio. Some people like to walk their dog and listen or they’re commuting in the city. And then we do a video version which we post on YouTube. So yeah, there’s a lot of different ways to reach that podcast. It’s called the burn podcast. And I’ve done hundreds of shows on a variety
of different subjects.
Sam Berne (16:00.783)
from Port Allen tomorrow and interact. Hopefully maybe we’ll see some whales and turtles and dolphins. And then actually I brought my golf clubs so I’m going to be playing some golf and get a little morning sunlight and then probably do some hiking. it’s already been great so far.
So let’s get back to eyes though. So you mentioned something about the screens, we’re on screens a lot. I know for my glasses I have one of those, what is it, that like blue thing that supposedly helps your eyes when you’re using screens, I forget what it’s called. Yeah, it’s called a blue protection lens or a blue filter or something, you know, depends on the company. So basically what’s coming off screens these days is chaotic blue light. And over time,
this blue light can dry your eyes out, can create inflammation and eye strain, dryness. So the blue light is definitely, in some circles they’ll say it’s actually even like a neurotoxin. So by doing blue protection on the lenses, you can actually get a screen protector as well on your phone or your tablet or your computer.
It’s really important to take frequent breaks on the computer and after 6 p.m. when you’re on the screens, the blue light tricks the pineal gland to reduce melatonin, which is our sleep hormone. So it’s a little more difficult to go to sleep if you’re on your screens before bed. I would stop using your digital one hour before you go to sleep, allow yourself to get away from all that chaotic screen time.
do those things and then get out in the natural sunlight, look out into the distance, you know, then you have a good chance to reduce eye strain and dryness. so there three main things just to keep it simple. Number one, get morning natural sunlight about 30 minutes a day, studies of
Sam Berne (18:22.707)
that when you get that morning sunlight it resets your circadian rhythm and puts you in a better mood so your serotonin dopamine levels in the brain start start firing and it also improves your eyesight. Number two
Eliminate processed foods, eat a rainbow diet of vegetables. I’d probably add berries. That’s a really great food for night vision. So the red, orange, yellow, green vegetables are really, really important and that feeds the macula and the retina. And then number three, my exercise called the palm hum. You could Google it and you can watch a demo. Basically you rub your hands together for a few seconds, palm your eyes. You’re breathing in through the nose on the exhale.
you do a hum and you do about six humps and that’s going to bring more oxygenation, circulation and relaxation to your eyes and your nervous system. If do those things, you’re going to preserve your eyesight. Well, I love all three of those and they’re so doable. And just thinking about that, know, palming your eyes and humming, because I know, you know, there’s, of course, there’s all, you know, sound therapy and stuff, but when I think of humming, it’s sort of like your whole body kind of vibrates. it seems like, you know,
would just help with your parasympathetic nervous system. You know, in so many ways it could be beneficial. Parasympathetic nervous system, nitric oxide, which is an ingredient as a natural vasodilator. And your hands are like tuning forks. So when you’re humming and you get that vibration, that sound is going into the compressed tissue of the eyes. Sound is one of the best ways to release compressed tissue, whether you’re basically doing your own sound bath. I like that.
I love sound baths too. they’re great. loved by other people as well. So this is more of a self-produced sound bath that you can direct and regulate which is wonderful. And it’s the Palm Hum by Dr. Sam It’s the Palm Hum, yes. So Dr. Sam Byrne, thank you so much. Once again I’d love for you to give out your website and your phone number. Sure, website drsambyrne.com and my number is 505-920-0317.
Sam Berne (20:39.56)
Dr. Byrne is on island through next Wednesday. He is seeing private clients, having private sessions as well as offering a one-day workshop this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and all that information is on
website? Is that on your Facebook page too? yeah, so it’s a lot of different places, but you can just give me a call and we can talk about it. So Tracy, thank you so much for having me on and best wishes to you. Well thank you Sam, it’s so good to see you again and I know I’ll see you in the course of the week. So, Aloha!
Keywords
binasal tapes, vision therapy, eye health, neuroplasticity, peripheral vision, double vision, lazy eye, visual coordination, stress relief, alternative therapies
Summary
In this conversation, Dr. Sam Berne discusses the concept and application of binasal tapes, a technique used in vision therapy. He shares his experiences and the origins of this method, highlighting its benefits for various visual issues such as double vision and lazy eye. The discussion emphasizes the importance of peripheral vision and how binaural tapes can help in enhancing visual coordination and relaxation, especially under stress.
Takeaways
• Binasal tapes are used to enhance peripheral vision.
• The technique was taught to Dr. Sam by Dr. Ellis Edelman.
• Binasal tapes can help with double vision and lazy eye.
• The eyes are connected to the brain’s mapping through visual input.
• Using these tapes can lead to profound visual relaxation.
• Stress affects vision and can lead to tunneling of sight.
• Binasal tapes provide a reference point for better vision.
• The technique is beneficial for patients with TBI.
• Neuroplasticity plays a role in how we perceive vision.
• The method is a gentle nudge to engage peripheral vision.
Sound Bites
• “These tapes help you in that process.”
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Binasal Tapes
02:48 The Technique and Its Origins
06:12 Applications and Benefits of Binasal Tapes
Sam Berne (00:02.222)
Hey everybody, welcome to the program today. I’m on my morning walk here in the forest and I thought I’d bring you along. I received a question from a listener on what are binasal tapes and how do they work?
So think about a pair of glasses and on the inside part of the glasses like on the we call it the nasal part or the nose part. We actually apply about one inch of tape on either side of the lenses. So you’ve got it on your right and the left and you have this tape in the middle.
So it’s by the nose, it’s by the nasal, it’s by the sinus. We call these bi-nasal tapes.
What are these and how do they work? Well, I have to rewind and I want to give many of my mentors kudos for sharing this with me. One of my former partners, Dr. Ellis Edelman. I was in practice with him for five years in Newtown square, Pennsylvania near Philadelphia. And when I started working with Dr. Edelman, I had just graduated the gazelle Institute and
Dr. Edelman was a graduate of the Gazelle Institute, except he had graduated about 40 years before I did. So he had a lot of experience and I thought this would be a good place to apprentice. so I began my practice in his office. I started renting space from him and it’s kind of hard to get patients. took a while. We were in a very conservative area of the main line of Philadelphia.
Sam Berne (01:51.598)
And people were not open at that time to alternative therapies. This was in the mid 1980s, but I hung out, hung in there with it and slowly and surely I began to attract my practice, my patients, and I built it up quite successfully, which I sold at the end of 1989 and moved out here to New Mexico.
in 1990 and started a practice in 1992. Just to give you some orientation. One of the techniques that dr. Edelman taught me was how to work with people either who over focused or tunneled their vision. And you know, when you tunnel your vision, you exclude your peripheral vision. One of that has to do with myopia.
where you just tighten up your vision and you you narrow it. So that would be one place where you might want to say, okay, how can we enhance your peripheral vision? Another application that we would see is double vision. So with the two eyes weren’t working together how to work with this and then of course the third situation would be if somebody had a crossed eye or a
even a wandering eye or they had lazy eye. So one I saw more clearly than the other. So he showed me this technique where you put black tape on the inside part of both lenses. And what it did immediately for most people is that gave them a reference point on where they needed to look and where they needed to look is where they weren’t looking.
Meaning that when you put something right in front of your eyes like this, you start opening up your peripheral vision. And if you want to reduce double vision, the way to do that is to enhance your peripheral vision on both sides. You know, the bigger the visual field, the more chance you have for the two eyes to overlap, especially if they’re separating.
Sam Berne (04:13.9)
And so these binasal tapes would get in the way of people’s habits of either tunneling crossing wandering double vision and it also would help wake up the eye that maybe wasn’t seeing as well. we do testing in the area of what we call visual coordination how well the two eyes work together and by putting these tapes on the inside part of the glasses.
First of all, you would feel a lot of eye relaxation and relief and second of all, it would get your two eyes to start to work together with the brain. So by wearing it over time because of the neuroplasticity capability in the visual system. Remember the eyes are the only part of the brain that sit outside the cranial vault. And what you’re doing is you’re creating a new mapping in the brain by changing
how the eyes are inputting the information. So these binasal tapes became a tool in my toolbox. And to this day, if somebody has double vision or a lazy eye or you know, they’re just tunneling their vision and they’re under a lot of stress. We use scotch tape. Now. We don’t use the the black electrical tape. So it kind of gives them the idea that okay, I need to use my peripheral a little more.
And it’s it’s quite a winner of an effective treatment that over a few weeks you can remove the tapes and your vision goes back to homeostasis. It goes back to normal where the double vision reduces in some cases even goes away and you have this really profound visual relaxation because the name of the game is opening up your peripheral vision.
And when you’re under stress, we say the sympathetic nervous system is overworking. You’re either traumatized. You’re in a fight flight freeze response. The eyes reflect what’s going on in your nervous system and your emotions your psychological reactions. And so the binaural tapes give you a gentle nudge to say, a minute. 90 % of my vision is in the periphery, which I’m not using.
Sam Berne (06:41.866)
What if what if I start engaging that so these tapes help you in that process. So I want to give a special thank you to Dr. Edelman. He’s not alive anymore. lot of the older behavioral developmental optometrists use that technique. I also used it in the hospitals with people with TBI who had double vision instead of trying to correct them with prisms. We use the binasal tapes and that kind of helped give them
the necessary stability to start to use their vision with their brain in a better way.
Book Mark this subject. All right. That’s our show for today. I want to thank you so much for coming along on this trip until next time everyone. See ya.
Keywords
visual system, nervous system, neuroplasticity, vision therapy, stress and vision, eye health, cranial nerves, emotional vision, visual processing, brain function
Summary:
In this episode, Dr. Sam Berne explores the intricate relationship between the visual system and the nervous system. He discusses how stress impacts vision, the role of neuroplasticity in vision rehabilitation, and the importance of understanding the visual pathway and processing in the brain. The conversation highlights the significance of the vagus nerve, emotional states, and various therapies that can enhance visual health and overall well-being.
Takeaways:
• The nervous system is crucial for resilience against stress.
• Vision is not just about the eyes; it’s a brain-body connection.
• The visual pathway includes the retina, optic nerve, and brain regions.
• Stress can lead to visual issues like myopia and eye strain.
• The vagus nerve plays a key role in relaxation and vision.
• Neuroplasticity allows for improvement in visual processing.
• Visual therapy can help rewire the brain for better vision.
• Emotions significantly influence our visual perception.
• Craniosacral therapy can aid in visual and nervous system balance.
• Understanding the connection between stress and vision is vital.
Sound Bites
• “The nervous system reflects our ability to become resilient.”
• “The eyes are a sensory organ connected to the brain.”
• “Visual processing occurs in the occipital lobe of the brain.”
Chapters
00:00Understanding the Visual System and Nervous System Connection
02:59The Visual Pathway and Brain Processing
05:57The Role of the Nervous System in Vision
08:52Neuroplasticity and Vision Rehabilitation
11:03Stress, Vision, and Neurological Disorders
Hey everybody. Welcome to the Berne podcast. It’s great to be in today. And today I want to talk about understanding your visual system as it relates to the nervous system. This is one of the topics we talk about in our practitioner training, but I also talked to many of my patients about it because they’re so stressed out and our nervous system reflects our ability.
to become resilient with stress. So there is a very strong relationship between the nervous system and our vision. In fact, it is so deeply interconnected because it’s not just about our eyes, but it’s about the process between our eyes, our brain and our body. And since the eyes are a sensory organ.
We can see the nerves that are connecting into the eyes like our pupil responses as one example. Another example is eye movements. In fact, there are three cranial nerves that innervate the eye muscles cranial nerve 3 cranial nerve 4 and cranial nerve 6. So if we’ve got visual coordination problems strabismus amblyopia, sometimes it’s related to an imbalance in the nerves as it relates to the eyes.
So the first thing I want to bring up in our visual system is something called our visual pathway. And so the eyes convert light when the light strikes the retina. These electrical signals are stimulating the photoreceptors the rods and codes in the retina and sending these signals. They’re transmitting them basically through I call the fiber optic pathway the optic nerve and this visual pathway includes the retina.
which is the photoreceptors the optic nerve, which is that fiber optic pathway that connects the retina to the brain something called the optic chiasm the point where the nerves cross in the brain and then this visual information we then reaches the hemispheres of the brain. have the right brain and the left brain. So we talk about the
visual information processing and another part of the brain. We talk about is something called the lateral geniculate nucleus, which is located in the thalamus and this is related to our visual information to the visual cortex the back part of the brain. This is the occipital lobe of the brain where the majority of our visual processing occurs. This is where we get things like depth perception color processing motion detection.
And so we’ve had say cervical spine compression or if that traumatic brain injury many times the visual cortex that occipital part of the lobe of the brain is not able to handle the visual information processing. This is why we get issues with brain fog visual memory visual confusion. If the visual cortex is not capturing the vision that were
taking in through the eyes. The output is going to be impeded. So we have input we have processing in the brain and then we have output. Now the nervous system plays a critical role in interpreting these signals and they turn them into coherent visual perception our ability to see motion our spatial awareness our spatial IQ and decision-making our shape recognition all of these things.
are in influenced by our nervous system. So when we talk about our autonomic nervous system, we’re talking about some of the involuntary physiological processes. So I need to bring in the gatekeeper of light into the eyes, which is our pupil. So we have the dilation where our pupil gets larger and we have contraction where our pupil gets smaller. So when we’re in a fight-or-flight situation, I call it the fight-flight freeze.
Our sympathetic sympathetic nervous system, is our active state is overworking and we start to see that the pupil remains dilated even when we’re in bright light when it should constrict. And so this is saying that the adrenals are overworking the thyroid may be overworking our depth perception on our peripheral vision is going to be tunneled and our sympathetic nervous system is overworking. This is most of us when we’re under stress.
Now the parasympathetic nervous system causes the pupil to constrict or something we call meiosis. So in bright light, normally it should constrict. So when we talk about the dilation and the constriction, another aspect that we need to bring in is something called accommodation. And this is the ciliary muscles in the lens of the eye, which change the curvature of the eye. So when we have an imbalance
In our sympathetic parasympathetic nervous system. One of the issues that it affects is our accommodation our ciliary muscles and this is one of the reasons why we develop nearsightedness or myopia. It’s also another reason why we might be developing presbyopia. That’s at age 40 you need magnification. All right. Now I have to talk about something which is related to vision and the vagus nerve because the the vagus nerve
Is the major component of our parasympathetic nervous system and it’s related to our relaxation our stress levels our ability to handle trauma and stress. And so when our Vegas nerve is out of balance, we’re going to get things like light sensitivity blurred vision increased eye strain even things like dry eyes. That’s why in many of my techniques my somatic techniques.
We are targeting relaxation techniques that engage the nervous system, specifically the vagus nerve my end palm hum exercise, for example, some of the other somatic movement exercises that we do to help calm down the vagus nerve so that we can come back into a self-regulating balance. And then I want to talk about our visual perceptions in a higher brain function. So our visual cortex.
is related to our initial stages of visual processing, but there are also other parts of the brain that are involved in visual processing. Number one, our parietal lobe. This integrates visual information on a spatial level, our depth perception, our peripheral vision. That’s the parietal lobe. Our temporal lobe processes details, object recognition, facial recognition, enabling us to identify
people places and things and then the prefrontal cortex. This is the higher order cognitive processing. Sometimes it’s called the executive function decision-making a lot of the kids that I work with. They’re unable to get into the prefrontal cortex because there’s an imbalance in their visual processing. And then I want to talk about vision and emotions. We talk about the limbic brain.
The limbic brain which regulates our emotions is highly connected to our vision. That’s why myopia that’s our mate. The major emotion is fear. It’s our kidney connection hyperopia. That’s farsightedness. That’s our anger emotion liver. So the amygdala plays a role in processing the emotional significance of what we see and this relates to our eye contact our facial expressions.
our threats. The hippocampus part of the brain is involved in our memory and our recall experiences. So emotional states have a very strong effect on our eyesight and our vision and our decision-making. All right. The last thing I want to talk about and I talk about this a lot is neuroplasticity and vision. I doctors do not like to talk about neuroplasticity and vision, but
The neuroscientists have recognized that the nervous system, specifically the brain has an incredible capacity for rewiring itself. And when you rewire you refire the axons and the neurons so you can improve not only your vision, but your problem solving your processing of information and many other things. So the physical vision therapy is really a great way
As I call it neuroplasticity training where you’re improving your retraining the brain and the eyes and the body to work more effectively. So conditions like amblyopia lazy eye strabismus crossed or uncrossed eyes where there’s part of the brain that’s suppressing there’s certain visual therapy exercises that can actually create new pathways in the brain and the eyes and restore binocular vision and depth perception.
Okay, before I leave, I want to talk about the neurological disorders. We’re seeing more and more of these like multiple sclerosis Parkinson’s disease people with strokes. This these these conditions create things like blurred vision double vision visual field loss and even complete blindness. Remember damage to the optic nerve creates a problem in our visual field. So if you’ve got conditions like multiple sclerosis.
or papillodema or optic neuritis. This disrupts the nervous system’s ability to process visual information and bring it back to the brain.
Okay, there’s one more bonus. I’m going to talk about and this has to do with stress and vision. I’m going to talk about one of my mentors. Dr. Elliott forest who is a professor of optometry at SUNY. He wrote a book many years ago called stress and vision and he talked about how the sympathetic nervous system if it was overworking it created a dilation in the pupils more myopia blurred vision.
eye strain, headaches, difficulty with visual processing and overall visual performance. So our stress affects our eyes. There’s no question about it. And this relationship between our nervous system and our vision is intricate and both systems work off each other. They kind of work in concert and the brain not only processes what we see, but it also controls the muscles to direct the eyes and the focus in certain
positions. That’s why if our eyes are misaligned, we either get double vision or one of the eyes shuts off. So things like craniosacral therapy, light therapy, vision therapy, some of my somatic practices can help rebalance the nervous system and give you better vision. So if you’ve got questions, feel free to email me appointments at dr. Sam burn.com.
That’s our show for today. I want to thank you so much for tuning in until next time. Take care.
Keywords
pinhole glasses, vision improvement, myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism, eye strain, depth of field, eye health, visual habits, retraining vision
Summary
In this episode of the Berne Podcast, Sam Berne discusses the concept of pinhole glasses, exploring their functionality, benefits, and limitations. Pinhole glasses are designed to improve vision by reducing light scatter and enhancing depth of field. While they can provide temporary relief from eye strain and improve clarity for certain vision conditions, they are not a permanent solution and require retraining of visual habits for long-term effectiveness.
takeaways
• Pinhole glasses reduce scatter of light and improve clarity.
• They can help with conditions like myopia and astigmatism.
• Wearing them can reduce eye strain, especially at the computer.
• They enhance depth of field, allowing clearer vision at different distances.
• Pinhole glasses can help retrain the eyes to focus without magnification.
• They are a temporary solution and not a cure for vision problems.
• Using them requires practice and adjustment to new visual habits.
• Bright light is essential for effective use of pinhole glasses.
• They may not be effective in dim lighting conditions.
• Long-term vision improvement requires deeper retraining beyond just using pinhole glasses.
Titles
• Can Pinhole Glasses Improve Your Eyesight?
• Pinhole Glasses: A New Approach to Eye Health
Sound Bites
• “Are they good for you? Do they work?”
• “Pinhole glasses actually reduce the scatter of light.”
• “They enhance something called depth of field.”
Chapters
00:00Introduction to Pinhole Glasses
00:45How Pinhole Glasses Work
02:12Benefits of Pinhole Glasses
03:35Limitations and Considerations
Hey everyone, welcome to the Berne Podcast. In today’s show, I’m gonna talk about pinhole glasses. Are they good for you? Do they work? What in the heck do they actually do? Stay tuned.
So these are pinhole glasses. It’s a type of eyewear that has tiny holes in the glasses. There’s no prescription. Do they work? How do they work? That’s what I want to discuss today. Pinhole glasses are a type of eyewear that contain a lot of little holes. Unlike traditional glasses, pinhole glasses actually reduce the scatter of light.
and they block the indirect light into the eyes. Pinhole glasses are marketed as a vision improvement technique to help conditions like myopia, hyperopia astigmatism and presbyopia. A description I use for pinhole glasses is limited light entry into the eyes. The holes in the glasses focus the light rays onto the retina.
Light enters the eye from the multiple directions. This leads to blurry eyesight. So in the pinhole glasses, the only light that gets through is parallel and is focused directly onto the retina. The pinhole glasses enhance something called depth of field. This means that it allows you to see objects at different distances very clearly since the pinhole glasses block peripheral vision. It limits the amount of aberrations that we might see normally.
which again creates some blurry distorted eyesight conditions like double vision presbyopia or astigmatism might be helped by using the pinhole glasses. If you put the pinhole glasses on you’ll probably be able to read the distance eye chart more clearly. You see the eye chart more clearly using the pinhole glasses. You start to prove to the brain and the mind that you can actually have clear eyesight.
Sam Berne (02:12.172)
without your regular lenses. Pinhole glasses may reduce eye strain, especially if you use them at the computer. One of the things I have found with pinhole glasses is they work really well for people who are dependent on magnifying glasses. So whether you’ve got hyperopia in the distance and or presbyopia up close when you put on the pinhole glasses, you will be able to see the world very clearly.
without the magnification effects of the regular lenses. One of the side effects of magnification lenses is it makes your eye muscles unresponsive to focusing. This is where the pinhole glasses can reprogram your eyes and your brain to learn how to focus again. It’s miraculous when you put the pinhole glasses on because the print is very clear and this is very unusual.
without the pinhole glasses and without the magnifiers. Usually the print is too blurry to be able to see. So by wearing the pinhole glasses about 10 minutes a day, you start reading through the holes. It begins to change the habit that the farsighted magnifying glasses have done to your eyes. This is one benefit of using the pinhole glasses as a substitute for your magnification lenses.
For myopia, it’s a little different situation because minus lenses that you wear are matching the over focusing that you’re doing. And although the pinhole glasses may make the world a little clearer, it’s not really helping you change the soft focusing that you need to learn to be able to reduce your dependency on the minus lenses. Now for a stigmatism, it’s
a individual by individual case in some people wearing the pinhole glasses. If you have astigmatism can begin to change the astigmatism in the eye. Also, if you wear pinhole glasses in dim light, it could be difficult to read. It’s much better for you to have bright light. If you’re going to try to read using the pinhole glasses see pinhole glasses as a temporary
Sam Berne (04:31.212)
vision improvement technique that creates a change in your mental and visual habit patterns. So in the short term, it’s great to have them because you have to make some changes in order to use them unless you can internalize the changes that the pinhole glasses are asking you to make then it’s just a temporary solution a band-aid and it’s not really treating the causative factors changing your vision permanently.
requires a reprogramming or retraining on a very deep internal level. This requires a lot of practice and daily activities. And although the pinhole glasses can help in the short term by itself. I don’t think it’s the answer. That’s our show for today. I want to thank you so much for tuning in until next time. Take care.
Keywords
vision, eyesight, holistic eye care, diet, concussions, protective eyewear, eye exercises, brain plasticity, sports vision, eye health
Summary
In this conversation, Dr. Sam Berne discusses the holistic approach to eye care, emphasizing the distinction between eyesight and vision. He highlights the importance of diet, the impact of screen time on eye health, and the connection between concussions and vision. Dr. Berne advocates for protective eyewear in sports and shares insights on the plasticity of the eyes and brain, suggesting that vision training can enhance athletic performance.
Takeaways
Vision is a holistic process involving the eyes, brain, and body.
Diet plays a crucial role in maintaining eye health.
Screen time has detrimental effects on children’s vision.
Artificial blue light disrupts sleep patterns and eye health.
Concussions can lead to significant visual system issues.
Protective eyewear is vital for athletes in contact sports.
Eye exercises can improve vision and brain function.
The eyes and brain can adapt and improve with training.
Nutrition and functional medicine are gaining attention in eye care.
Sports vision training can enhance performance in athletes.
Sound Bites
“Eyesight is only one part of vision.”
“People get older and their eyes get better.”
“The eyes have one of the highest metabolic needs.”
Chapters
00:00 Understanding Vision vs. Eyesight
03:08 The Impact of Diet on Eye Health
06:09 The Connection Between Concussions and Vision
09:02 The Importance of Protective Eyewear
12:09 The Plasticity of the Eyes and Brain
15:00 Enhancing Performance Through Vision Training
Dr. Sam Berne, welcome to the fourth doctor. Thanks, Dr. Bob. Great to be here.
Sounds good. So when you go for an eye exam, you know, the doctor has you read the eye chart and you get the reading 2020. That’s a measurement of your eyesight. But vision is how the eyes in the brain and the body work together. So eyesight is only one part of vision. So as a holistic eye doctor, I look at the eyes as an interrelated interconnected part of the body and there are things that you can do to improve your vision even as you get older.
And that’s kind of the difference between the regular eye care. They just say your eyes get worse as you get older. my practice, people get older and their eyes get better.
Well, exactly because the eyes have one of the highest metabolic needs of the body highly concentrated with those tiny blood vessels. So it’s one of the entryways into the body like the foot and you can pick up disease very early. And of course in diabetes, this is a real vulnerable area. I’m talking about the retina. So, you know, if you have glucose levels that are off the charts or your pre-diabetic
You’re going to see it in the eyes. It’s going to be one of the first places and then you can treat it by doing some holistic things if you want to.
big emphasis on prevention.
You know, it’s being proactive, you know, just with diet alone, the eyes and the brain make up about 2 % of the body weight and use 25 % of the food intake. So if you cut out processed foods and sugar and mostly gluten and you eat, you know, the colorful vegetables and berries get enough healthy fats in your diet that in itself.
can keep your eyesight healthy and well as you get older.
Well, when you get glasses as a child, what it’s doing is it’s reinforcing the problem that’s causing the need for glasses to begin with. So, you know, again, back to the holistic perspective, I find the cause and treat that and we know that the eyes originate from the brain. And so if you do eye exercises, not only are you changing the brain, but you’re also changing the eyes. And of course, the other thing that’s going on with kids is screen time.
So the more screen time they have, this is really wreaking havoc. And then with COVID, where schools were just online, I got so many complaints from parents and kids about eye strain, eye fatigue, red eyes, blurred vision, dry eye, and so on. So I think the screens are another factor that we have to look at in terms of helping kids improve their vision.
Well, more more research is coming out about the damaging effects of the artificial blue light. It’s a chaotic frequency. And first of all, it messes with our circadian rhythm. If we’re staring at a screen after 6 p.m. suppresses the melatonin, as you know, but it also can dry the eye tissue out. And, you know, in severe cases, it can start to cause things like macular degeneration and cataracts. So we need to protect our eyes.
Mm-hmm.
magazine. A lot of excitement.
get from Twitter and LinkedIn over the years. We’re speaking with Dr. Sam Bernie, the holistic
Again, behavioral eye health. I wanted to ask you Sam again about your thoughts with the world of concussions and the whole eye connection. So I’ve done research and published on traumatic brain injury and vision. I’ve also worked in hospitals, written articles. It’s a huge problem today in sports. I mean, it’s not just the NFL, but
What happens is when we get hit in the head, it reverberates into the nerves and muscles in the eyes. Now, the problem is we don’t pick these up on an MRI. So you’ve got these soft symptoms like blurred vision, double vision, memory issues, balance issues. You know, something’s wrong, but the traditional eye exam misses it. So when you go to somebody like me, we’re testing things like visual tracking, visual focusing.
visual reaction time, peripheral vision, depth perception. And we’re looking at how the visual system has been impacted. And then once we get the diagnosis, we can do physical therapy on the eyes to repair the damage that’s occurs from these traumas, concussions, so on.
at and again this idea of the whole eye effect.
on UU.
DrSamByrne.com I have thousands of videos that are free on there also written blogs. You can also find me on Facebook and Tik Tok, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube. I do tons of…
You
I totally agree. mean, I think when you get hit in the eye, it really causes a lot of problems, know, circulation issues and double vision, blurred vision. You’ve got to use protective eyewear, especially with kids and they’re playing in contact sports. It’s a no brainer. You know, we recommend it all the time for people.
I think a little bit, you know, especially in sports like lacrosse and squash and racquetball, but you know, in basketball or football or baseball. No, I don’t think we’re making enough inroads there. You’re right. It takes education and being proactive and you know, we need to do a better job of PR getting that stuff out there.
safe to go back and come along.
You know, this starts another protocol. We already have the concussion protocol. Now we need to bring the vision piece into it. And that could actually be part of the baseline and whether or not, you know, when an athlete can actually go back into competition.
Ahem.
You know, we don’t we don’t really emphasize it in school. But you know, in my own vision, I had very bad vision when I was a child. I was very myopic and I met a doctor who did this physical therapy and I completely reversed my myopia. I don’t wear any glasses 30 years later. So I’m a living example that you can do it and the eyes and brain have a plasticity. That’s the thing. And if you offer them new experiences, new pathways,
you can improve your vision. And I think it’s coming more into things like occupational therapy, physical therapy, in some of the private schools, in sports. But I think in regular eye care, we’re so geared towards looking for disease and using pharmaceuticals and drugs and surgery that there’s no place for exercises. God bless America.
Well, I think it’s slowly changing because in the grassroots the patients are asking for it and because there’s so much emerging in the area of nutrition functional medicine acupuncture as you say by the way many of the meridians in the body go to the eyes and so liver gallbladder, you know those affect the eyes quite profoundly. Yes emotional tapping that.
Yes?
that.
And again, in the area of high performance, I think again, this is something that seems to be paid more more attention. You know, thinking about that guy in the batting box or whoever’s hitting a ball or moving in different directions. The whole eye acuity, these are things that can really be improved, can’t they? my God. I’ve worked with baseball players, golfers, volleyball players, wide receivers. You know, it’s all about reaction time, keeping your balance.
tracking the ball while you’re up in the air. So there’s no question that sports vision is a huge, it’s a huge support for athletes that wanna play at a higher level.
Keywords
eye health, nutrition, worst foods, vision, cataracts, diabetes, inflammation, antioxidants, omega-3, vitamins
summary
In this podcast episode, Dr. Sam Berne discusses the worst foods for eye health, emphasizing how certain dietary choices can negatively impact vision and contribute to various eye conditions. He outlines ten specific food categories that should be avoided, including sugary foods, refined carbohydrates, trans fats, high sodium foods, processed meats, fried foods, artificial sweeteners, excessive alcohol, red meat, and high sugar breakfast cereals. Dr. Berne concludes with recommendations for a diet that supports eye health, highlighting the importance of omega-3s, vitamins, and colorful vegetables.
takeaways
Sugary foods and drinks are detrimental to eye health.
Refined carbohydrates can increase the risk of cataracts.
Trans fats contribute to inflammation affecting the eyes.
High sodium diets can lead to hypertensive retinopathy.
Processed meats are linked to poor eye health.
Fried foods create oxidative stress and inflammation.
Artificial sweeteners can cause eye inflammation.
Excessive alcohol consumption can lead to dry eye syndrome.
High consumption of red meat is linked to macular degeneration.
A diet rich in omega-3s and vitamins is essential for eye health.
titles
Foods That Harm Your Eyes
Eye Health: What Not to Eat
Sound Bites
“These sugars are a death spiral for our eyes.”
“Refined carbs increase your risk for cataracts.”
“Trans fats contribute to inflammation in the eyes.”
Chapters
00:00
Introduction to Eye Health and Nutrition
01:00
The Worst Foods for Eye Health
08:03
Conclusion and Recommendations for Eye Health
Hey everybody, it’s Dr. Sam. I’d like to welcome you to the podcast today. So I want to talk about the worst foods for your eyes. know, usually we talk about what are the best foods, know, like avocados and goji berries and wild-caught salmon, but I want to talk about the worst foods today. So nutrition for eye health. There’s certain foods that so
negatively affect your eyes, you know, when people come for eye exams and they’ve got like hypertensive, hypertensive retinopathy or diabetic retinopathy or they are developing cataracts and I asked them what they’re eating and you know, I have to scratch my head because well, these are some of the reasons why your eyes are letting you down. you know conditions like macular degeneration cataracts dry eye even general vision.
deterioration. Here are some of the worst foods for your eye health.
Number one, sugary foods and sugary drinks. So when we have things like Diet Coke or Pepsi or we’re eating, you know, things like sweetened coffee, tea, desserts, sugary cereals, candy, pastries, all of these sugars.
really are a death spiral for our eyes. I mean, if you want to really trash your eyesight, then just eat things like candy pastries, sugary cereals, soda, sweetened coffee, tea and desserts and you will get there. Number two, what’s also really bad for your eyes are the refined carbohydrates because these spike your blood sugar levels.
Sam Berne (02:01.853)
And when you eat foods that are say high glycemic index, this increases your risk for things like cataracts. We talk about something called the glycation process. So if you have moderate to high levels of glucose in your blood, those glucose molecules will attach to the protein molecules in the lens. And this is what creates cataracts. Same thing for diabetes. If you’ve got again.
These refined carbohydrates, then you have a higher risk of number one getting inflammation number two getting oxidative stress and number three over time. You are going to have
what we call reactive oxygen species, which contributes to these eye conditions. So what are some examples of refined carbs white bread white rice anything that’s white pasta processed snacks crackers chips again really bad for your eyes. Okay. Number three trans fats and hydrogenated oils. Why is this so bad because trans fats contribute?
to inflammation which can increase the risk of things like blepharitis my bone and gland dysfunction. Those are when the eyelids get inflamed and creates dry eye macular degeneration whether it’s wet or dry again, these unhealthy fats interfere with the absorption of the essential nutrients like omega-3s which are crucial for eye health. So what are some examples fried foods margarine packaged?
baked goods and processed snacks. All right, let’s go to number four high sodium foods. Well diets high in sodium lead to high blood pressure. had a guy yesterday came to my office. He’s got really high blood pressure. I asked him what he’s eating. He says well canned soups processed meats frozen dinners fast food all of these things are going to affect the delicate blood vessels. call them the micro capillaries of the retina.
Sam Berne (04:12.172)
This creates hypertensive retinopathy. Also sodium contributes to fluid retention. So this may cause puffiness or irritation on the outside part of the eyes and could be one of the causes of factors of wet macular degeneration, which is the edema that is accumulating behind the macula. All right, my number five worst foods that you can eat processed meats. Why because again, these are high end.
both saturated fats and sodium and can negatively affect your eye health. Remember high fat diets increase the risk of AMD. Now, this is the bad fats. creates plaque in the blood vessels, which affects the blood flow into the eyes. These would be things like bacon sausage hot dogs deli meats and smoked meats. Now, let’s go to number six fried foods.
Fried foods are rich in the trans fats. I’ve talked about the trans fats before unhealthy oils, which creates oxidative stress and inflammation. Examples would be fried fried chicken, french fries, donuts, onion rings. This also creates a cholesterol buildup in the eye. We see something in the iris called Archesanilus and that can tell us number one that we’re in high cholesterol. Number two, our liver is probably not working well very well. Your gallbladder too.
And you’re not absorbing the good fats and the fat soluble vitamins like vitamin A lutein and zeaxanthin number seven on my list artificial sweeteners and additives certain artificial sweeteners and preservatives contribute to eye inflammation. This can lead to dry eye allergic reactions red eyes. What would be some examples diet sodas? I know a lot of people they just love the diet Cokes.
Those are so negative for you for your vision. So we look at packaged low calorie snacks. That’s another thing that you want to be careful about in terms of having additives artificial sweeteners. Number eight on my list is alcohol again, excessive alcohol consumption dehydrates the body which includes causing dry eye syndrome. It also reduces the absorption absorption.
Sam Berne (06:35.281)
Of essential vitamins like vitamin A, B complex, which are very important for eye health. So chronic alcohol increases the risk of something called optic neuropathy, which damages the optic nerve. We see this in glaucoma as an example. So of course examples would be excessive beer, wine, liquor, and cocktails. Number nine on my list is red meat in excess. Why is it bad? Because red meat provides well red meat.
does provide zinc, is an essential trace mineral for eye health excessive consumption of fatty red meat has been linked to increase conditions like macular degeneration. We need to be very careful of our cholesterol buildup if our liver is not working properly. So this would be things like steak hamburgers and other fatty cuts or beef or pork and number 10 on my list high sugar breakfast cereals these cereals
are not only high and refined sugars, but they also lack essential nutrients. High sugar intake can lead to things like inflammation, the risk of cataracts macular degeneration. What would be some examples sugary breakfast cereals granola bars instant oatmeal. These are added sugars. So my argument is in conclusion is if you want to have optimal eye health you have to avoid these 10 types of foods because what you do need
for healthy eyes Omega 3 vitamins, especially vitamin a bc and e zinc glutathione. Where do you get these leafy green vegetables wild-caught salmon nuts and seeds preferably soaked and dehydrated also the colorful vegetables. love berries and think rainbow diet reduce your intake of sugar processed foods and unhealthy fats.
And that will help you protect your vision. So that’s our show for today. I want to thank you so much for tuning in until next time. Take care.
Keywords
light adjustable lenses, cataract surgery, vision correction, depth perception, blue light protection
Summary
In this podcast episode, Dr. Sam Berne discusses light adjustable lenses (LAL) used in cataract surgery, explaining their benefits, drawbacks, and potential impact on depth perception. He emphasizes the importance of understanding how these lenses work, the necessity of UV protection during the adjustment period, and the need for blue light protection to prevent potential eye issues. Dr. Berne also shares his personal recommendations regarding vision correction options. See his BONUS podcast on his membership site: https://drsambernesmembership.com
Takeaways
Light adjustable lenses (LAL) are a new option for cataract surgery.
LAL allows for customization of vision correction post-surgery.
Patients must wear UV protective glasses during the adjustment period.
Depth perception can be affected by blended vision from LAL.
Monovision and blended vision can create confusion for some patients.
Surgeons can adjust the non-dominant eye after surgery for better results.
Blue light protection is important to prevent eye damage.
Not all interocular lenses have blue light blocking capabilities.
It’s advisable to try monovision contacts before surgery.
LAL may be worth considering if blended vision is acceptable.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Light Adjustable Lenses
02:20 Benefits and Drawbacks of Light Adjustable Lenses
05:42 Depth Perception and Vision Challenges
07:36 Blue Light Protection and Final Thoughts
“Hey everybody, welcome to the podcast today. So I’m to take a question that I’ve been getting a lot of something called light adjustable lenses. These are new lenses that cataract surgeons are putting in your eyes. And so what are the pros and cons? Do I recommend it? What do you have to watch out for? That’s what we’re going to talk about today. So light adjustable lenses are new intraocular lens that cataract surgeons are putting in your eyes.
So just like regular cataract surgery, they take out the clouded lens and they’re putting in this new interocular lens. I call it the LAL light adjustable lens. So after the surgery, there’s a two to three week healing period and once your eyes have healed, then the adjustable process can occur with this new interocular lens. So during this time you get a pair of ultraviolet glasses that protect you from UV light.
because it’s the UV light that actually creates the changes in the light adjustable lenses. So after the eye heals, you’ll go back to the doctor and he will start making some adjustments in the lens using a special UV laser and this UV light causes a retargeting of the shape of the lens.
So the refractive errors myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism can be fine-tuned by reshaping the lens in the eye. Typically, you’ll need two to three light treatments to complete the reshaping and come up with a prescription that you can see clearly out of. So once you get to the end result of having clear eyesight, then there’s a final lock in where the lens will be permanent.
in terms of the prescription that you’re getting. In some of the studies I’ve seen, there’s been a 92 % success rate in having clear eyesight from the light adjustable lens. So you get this great customization of your prescription and it works really well. If you’ve had things like PRK or Lasik surgery because it can really find to the final result of having clear eyesight.
Sam Berne (02:20.652)
So three initial drawbacks. I see is number one. You have to use UV protecting glasses during the period of measuring. What is the final LAL prescription number two? You have to do somewhere between two and four extra office visits to fine-tune the reshaping and get the prescription that you want and number three is the cost. So usually these lenses are not covered by insurance. So you’re going to have to pay out of pocket.
If you want these, okay, so now my personal opinion when you look at the light adjustable lenses as it relates to depth perception, I see some potential problems. So like the mono vision correction where one eye is corrected for distance usually the dominant eye and the non-dominant eye is corrected for near the light adjustable lens has a similar concept.
But instead of calling it mono vision, they call it blended vision. But still you’re dealing with one eye is corrected for distance and the other eye is corrected for intermediate and near. Well, this sets up a problem with the brain being able to decipher and process vision is when you are in this blended vision very similar to mono vision. It can either create double vision.
other kinds of blur or the brain just suppresses or shuts off the eye that’s not using so like for example, if you’re driving the right eye is really the only eye that’s your dominant eye. That’s the eye that’s only going to be used for driving and then if you’re at the computer or reading the left eye, which is the non-dominant eye in most people is going to be used exclusively for that. So it’s going to put more stress and pressure
on each eye to work at those particular distances and this reduces and in some cases even eliminates depth perception. So you remember how I talked about the difference between eyesight, which is seeing the eye chart clearly in vision is the eye brain body connection. And so in terms of this LAL technology, it can be very helpful in terms of eyesight correction. However, you need to be careful
Sam Berne (04:48.213)
that because the eyes are going to be corrected at different distances. This could create confusion and difficulty in terms of using both eyes together. So one of the things that you could do is you could try a mono vision or a type of blended different contacts and that would be before the surgery to see how your brain in your eyes respond.
You know, for some people I’ve worked with with monovision with Lasik surgery and cataract surgery. They do just fine with it. Others. However, have difficulties adjusting because the eyes are focusing at different distances and this creates confusion. I strain I fatigue double vision irregular blurred vision. So to know before you do the surgery to have that monovision in contacts. See if it works now.
Another thing the surgeon can do after the surgery is he can make adjustments in the non-dominant eye with the new interocular lens and he can back off the difference between the distance intermediate near so we can make the blended vision they closer together and in doing that that might be a way where you can actually be able to read use the computer and see in the distance but make no mistake about it.
that either blended vision or mono vision from this light adjustable lens technology does create an obstacle in your depth perception. It’s one of the reasons why I still recommend the monofocal for distance. In other words, both eyes are corrected for distance with the cataract surgery. So you’ve got really good depth perception at distance and then you get a pair of glasses for your intermediate or near vision and one last point.
I haven’t been able to determine whether these lenses have the blue blocker in them. I can say that most interocular lenses don’t have blue blocking protection or original hardware. know, our original lenses do have the pigment to block some of the blue light. Now with blue light, what we’re dealing with here is it dries the eyes out faster and in extreme cases.
Sam Berne (07:07.549)
It can lead to things like macular degeneration. It’s why a lot of my post-operative patients who’ve had cataract surgery if they haven’t had the blue protection put in the interocular lens and they weren’t told that they have a higher risk of developing things like macular degeneration and other retinal problems. So you want to ask your surgeon if there’s blue protection in the lenses. If there is not then you’re probably going to need to get some blue protection.
in some type of glasses if you’re on screens after 6 p.m. So those are the pros and cons. I would give it a mild. Yes, I think it’s worth checking out. But if you can try the blended vision mono vision before the surgery and you can accept it, then the light adjustable lens could work really well for you. So that’s our show for today. I want to thank you so much for tuning in.
Remember my membership. You can always get on that and I have some exclusive content on that. So check it out and until next time everyone take good care.”
Internationally known celebrity nutritionist, and New York Times bestselling author of more than 35 books, Ann Louise Gittleman, PhD, CNS, is known as the “First Lady of Nutrition”. She is a leading innovator in the field of integrative medicine, dietary, environmental, and women’s health issues and a trailblazer whose impeccable, groundbreaking research and knowledge paved the path for nutritionists today. Visit her website: www.annlouise.com
Dr. Berne discusses his relationship with his mentor Dr. Hazel Parcells, who lived to 106. He describes what behavioral optometry is. He talks about how his prism therapy can improve the brain, the vestibular system, and the visual system. He discusses the relationship between trauma and vision.
For more, join his membership: https://drsambernesmembership.com/join_us/
Join me for an illuminating episode of the EyeClarity podcast, where we unravel the secrets of holistic eye care. From finding the right eye doctor to making informed choices about surgery, this episode is a comprehensive guide to maintaining and enhancing your eye health. Let’s journey through the realm of eye care together and empower ourselves with knowledge and insights that pave the way to better vision. Enjoy the show!
If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com. If you have any questions, submit them to hello@drsamberne.com.
For even more from Dr. Sam, check out his new exclusive membership where you get access to my content and resources, new information, articles, videos, webinars: drsambernesmembership.com
Hey, everybody, it’s Dr. Sam. I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. If you want to get in touch with me, you can send me your questions at hello@drsamberne.com. Before we start the show, I’d like to talk to you about my new membership platform. When you join, you get access to exclusive content that you won’t see on social media. You’ll be able to attend my live Q and A and ask me questions, and you’ll have the opportunity to join my advanced workshops. To sign up, go to drsamburnmembership.com now to today’s show.
Hey, everybody, it’s Dr. Sam, and I want to welcome you to another EyeClarity podcast. So today, I want to help you navigate the eye care system. So I’m going to take a few minutes. I’m going to talk about ways that, first of all, you can find an eye doctor that you can maybe be compatible with. Number two, how you can help your eye doctor, help you in the best possible way. And number three, if in fact, you do need surgery, what’s the best way to navigate?
All right, so let’s go to number one, how to find an eye doctor. Well, you know, the best way to do that, I think, is first of all, go on Google and type in holistic eye doctor. Now, you may or may not get somebody in your area. You may not even get a holistic eye doctor. You may get a holistic naturopath or functional medicine doctor or a biological dentist. And so at this point, I would contact whatever comes up on the Google, and I would contact that office and ask them for a referral. Is there anybody they know? And maybe it isn’t quite a holistic eye doctor, but somebody maybe who’s a little older, maybe who’s a little more gentle, a little more middle of the road. It’s kind of hard to find holistic eye doctors because in school, we’re not really trained to look at vision holistically only allopathically but many times there are doctors that at least they’re more reasonable in their attitude. And if you can find somebody like that, another way to do it is through your friends, through your community, to ask around who’s somebody that I have a holistic philosophy in my health. Is there somebody that at least isn’t totally extreme? Name that’s going to really just recommend surgery as soon as I walk in the door. And there are doctors, eye doctors out there like that, and that may be the best you can do in your area. So that would be number one.
The number two. When you go for your eye exam, I recommend taking a friend, a family member, and have a certain intention or focus on what you want to achieve. It could be, I want you to check my eye health. I want you to give me a prescription for my glasses, if that’s what you need. But I don’t want you to overcorrect me. And the way you do that is when he starts flipping the lenses. Feel it in your body, feel it in your eyes, and you’re wanting to stay as close to the current prescription as you can. And you need to stand up for yourself here and you need to say, I don’t want a super strong prescription. And most of the time, even if they don’t believe in you or believe what you’re saying, if you’re committed, because the stronger the prescription you get, the faster it is going to weaken your eyes. So you want to stay in the area of something that’s more in the middle, so you don’t have something that’s so strong that it’s going to make you dizzy, nauseous, or give you headaches.
All right, now, in addition to that, I would be very careful about going into things like progressive lenses or bifocals, especially if you haven’t done it before, you’re much better off getting two pairs of glasses. Something for distance, something for near. You want to stay away from things like monovision where they’re correcting one eye for distance, one eye for near. And you want to be conservative in what you’re wearing. These newfangled things that these guys and gals want to prescribe, they end up in disaster. I mean, people come to me and they go, I should have never gone down this road. I just had a guy yesterday and he said, you know, this is the busiest fanciest eye center in Santa Fe. And every time I come out of there, I get these glasses. I cannot see out of them. And I keep going back and they just say, Get used to it. And I’ve gone to them three years in a row. I am fed up. And so for the exam, what I did is I reduced his prescription by about 70% and he tried it on and he goes, my goodness, this feels great. I love this. This so it takes an empowerment. In your world to be able to say, I don’t want something too strong, and don’t give me all these bells and whistles. I’d even be careful about staying away from a lot of tints, a lot of coatings, because it ends up smudging the lens. It’s cloudy, and the lenses just don’t last as long, and they’re expensive. So stay with, again, middle of the road.
All right, number three surgery. So, first of all, if a doctor is recommending eye surgery, I would consider getting a second opinion. I would definitely do some research, consult with me or somebody like me. And before you enter into any surgery, you want to know what the side effects are. You want to know what the success rate is. You want to know, what can I expect from this? And in some of the side effects, you want to know things like, well, is this going to create dry eye? Is it going to create floaters? Am I going to have a retina issue? What are some of this? And really, if you can’t get those answers from your doctor, then you find a doctor who can tell you these things. And I would enter any surgical procedure very cautiously because there are side effects, especially to laser procedures and procedures that are invasive.
So that being said, as long as the condition is not sight threatening, and you’ve got even if you have four to six weeks, what I would say is start doing some of my protocols, and many times you can stave off the pattern and eventually turn the tide. So this is something, again, where you go with a friend, with an advocate, and you don’t let them bully you into something or scare you into something until you are completely informed on what’s going on. And this even includes pharmaceutical eyedrops, things like eyedrops for restasis, steroid eyedrops, antibiotic eyedrops. A lot of times, there may be alternatives that you can use, and this is where you get the information. And then you find somebody like me, and then there are ways that you can go. I mean, acupuncture can be really helpful. Craniosacral therapy, lymphatic drainage, herbal remedies, any plant based medicines, natural eyedrops eye exercises. There’s so many things that you can do.
And another aspect that we don’t discuss extensively is changing your diet. Reflect on the foods you consume. Shift towards a more plant-based, rainbow-colored vegetable-rich diet. Vegetables are highly beneficial for your retina, vitreous, cornea, and eyelids. Adopt an anti-inflammatory eating pattern. Explore intermittent fasting. Consider doing a cleanse. Seek guidance from a functional medicine doctor. Often, eye issues stem from either functional eye problems, incorrect prescriptions, eye coordination disparities, or biochemical/endocrine imbalances. A skilled naturopath or functional medicine doctor can assist you in replenishing essential nutrients and facilitating the healing of your eye tissues. For queries, reach out via email: Hello@drsamberne.com, appointments@drsamburn.com. Connect with me on social media platforms: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, TikTok, Twitter, and Clubhouse. I’m here to support you. That concludes our episode. Take care, everyone.
Thank you for tuning in to the EyeClarity podcast show. If you found value in this episode, be sure to subscribe on iTunes or Spotify and share your feedback with a review. Looking forward to having you back next time.
I invite you to join me on a captivating journey through the realm of aromatherapy in this podcast episode. Together, we'll delve into the multi-faceted world of lemon essential oil, explore the art of intuitive aromatherapy, and uncover the remarkable benefits of harnessing the power of natural plant remedies. From sensory experiences to practical tips, I'm thrilled to share my insights and knowledge to help you navigate the intricacies of this enchanting practice. Tune in and let's discover the transformative magic of aromatherapy! Enjoy the show!
If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com. If you have any questions, submit them to hello@drsamberne.com.
For even more from Dr. Sam, check out his new exclusive membership where you get access to my content and resources, new information, articles, videos, webinars: drsambernesmembership.com.
Hello, everyone. This is Dr. Sam. I'd like to extend a warm welcome to my EyeClarity podcast. If you wish to connect with me, feel free to send your questions to hello@drsamburn.com. Prior to delving into the show, I'd like to discuss my fresh membership platform. By becoming a member, you'll gain access to exclusive content that remains unseen on social media. You'll also have the opportunity to participate in my live Q&A sessions, where you can ask me questions directly, and you'll be eligible to join my advanced workshops. To enroll, please visit drsamburnmembership.com. Now, on to today's episode.
Hello, everyone, it's Dr. Sam. I'm pleased to welcome you to today's EyeClarity podcast. Today, I'll be addressing a single question, and I'm thrilled to delve into the topic of aromatherapy. Aromatherapy is a profound interest of mine, one that I've been deeply immersed in for numerous years. In particular, I'd like to spotlight lemon essential oil. Lemon is an incredibly versatile essential oil, but cautious application is necessary. When using any essential oil for the first time, it's crucial to introduce it to your system gently and with care. This is a practice I emphasize in my classes. Begin by experiencing the aroma of the oil, allowing it to engage with your olfactory and limbic systems. This will provide an immediate inclination towards acceptance or rejection.
For example, if I were to present rose oil, its scent is often associated with the rose flower and evokes a sense of heart-opening. On the other hand, an essential oil like spikenard, with its shamanic essence, might carry a scent reminiscent of dirty socks. Despite this, it holds value in the dream world, inducing relaxation. The key is to discern whether the initial response is positive or negative. Turning to lemon, a citrus aroma that's generally favored, you'd similarly smell it initially and evaluate your reaction. Next, I recommend conducting a patch test on a less sensitive area of the skin, such as the inner part of the wrist. This minimizes any discomfort that might arise, as opposed to applying it directly to more sensitive regions like the face or private areas, which can lead to temporary discomfort. If you ever experience a burning sensation from an essential oil on your skin, applying coconut oil can promptly alleviate it.
So, having completed test number one for lemon—smelling and patch testing—the next step is determining suitable areas of application. Almost any essential oil can be applied to the soles of the feet. For adults, two to three drops of oil on each sole, twice daily, is advisable. With children, the dose varies. For instance, one drop for younger kids and up to four drops for older ones. Lemon essential oil boasts several benefits. It possesses antibacterial and antifungal properties while supporting the liver, spleen, and kidneys, functioning as a detoxifying agent. Thus, it's a valuable addition to any gentle detox regimen, consistently applied to the soles of the feet. Moreover, lemon oil has a positive impact on mood,
Today I want to address the pressing issue of managing children's digital device use and offer valuable advice to parents seeking to establish effective boundaries. We'll shed light on the potential pitfalls of excessive screen time – from eye strain to fatigue – and underscore the heightened vulnerability of children due to their less-developed protective eye pigments against blue light. I advocate for a thoughtful approach rooted in negotiation when discussing digital device limits with kids. Enjoy the show!
Today we'll explore alternatives to these medications, focusing on primary open-angle glaucoma. We'll delve into the drawbacks of common eye drop medications like Latanoprost and Timolol, which can trigger issues like headaches, blurred vision, and dizziness. I propose a range of alternative strategies, collaborating closely with a doctor. These include employing coleus, safeguarding the optic nerve with omega-3 fatty acids, ginkgo, taurine, bilberry, lutein, zeaxanthin, and vitamin A. Enjoy the show!
In this episode I recount my personal struggle with vision issues and how I found solace in the holistic method. Vision encompasses more than just the eyes; it encompasses the brain, emotions, posture, and balance. I lay out crucial strategies for bolstering vision, especially for those aged 70 and above grappling with conditions like cataracts or macular degeneration. Enjoy the show!
Discover expert insights on maintaining optimal eye health through holistic methods in this EyeClarity podcast episode. Learn quick and practical tips for caring for your cornea, lens, vitreous, and retina. From reducing eyelid inflammation to managing cataract risks, floaters, and enhancing retina health, we will cover actionable advice. Enjoy the show!
Discover valuable insights for maintaining healthy eyes and overall wellness in this episode of the EyeClarity podcast with Dr. Sam. Explore the significance of lutein, a powerful carotenoid that offers protection against blue light and ultraviolet rays, reducing the risk of macular degeneration and related conditions. Learn about essential foods rich in lutein, such as green leafy vegetables, eggs, avocados, and colorful fruits. Dr. Sam also emphasizes the importance of fat optimization for absorbing these nutrients efficiently. Tune in for expert advice on optimizing eye health through nutrition and supplementation. Enjoy the show!
If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com. If you have any questions, submit them to hello@drsamberne.com.
For even more from Dr. Sam, check out his new exclusive membership where you get access to my content and resources, new information, articles, videos, webinars: drsambernesmembership.com
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Hello, everyone. It's Dr. Sam. I'd like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting-edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberne.com.
Now to the latest EyeClarity episode.
Hey, everybody. Welcome to the program. So today I'm going to talk about two essential nutrients not only for your eye health, but your overall wellness. So my first one is kind of famous. It was discovered and developed and talked about way back in 2001 during the Arid Study. That's the age-related macular degeneration study, and it was also repeated in 2006.
And in this particular study, the National Eye Institute decided it wanted to know what ingredients could help reduce the risk of macular degeneration. And the number one nutrient that I want to talk about today is lutein. L-U-T-E-I-N. So lutein is a carotenoid. This means that it has a pigment attached to it that has a high level of phytochemicals and antioxidants that are great for your retina and macula, specifically the macula. Highest levels of lutein in the eye are in the macula area and the lens of the eye. In fact, lutein can be used as a biomarker to determine what's the state of your eye health.
Now, one of the characteristics of lutein is that it actually is like a yellow pigment. And when we see it on the macula, it's actually like a protection against the damaging blue light that's emitted from all our screens. It also helps protect if you have an overexposure of ultraviolet light. So lutein is a built-in pigment that is very protective, especially against. Things like macular degeneration, macular pucker, macular holes, macular edema. And so lutein is that number one ingredient that I always recommend. If you are either wanting to be proactive in your eye health or let's say you've been diagnosed with one of these macular conditions lutein should be something you want to keep your eye on.
So before I get to the supplementation aspect of lutein, I want to give you ten foods that you can check off your list to make sure if you're wanting to get more lutein in your diet, include these. So number one is green leafy vegetables. Number two are the cruciferous vegetables, specifically broccoli, but I would include all the cruciferous vegetables. Number three would be eggs, specifically the egg yolk. This has a lot of lutein in it. Obviously, you want to get the cage-free organic eggs, but eggs are a great food source for lutein and your overall eye health.
Alright, next are avocados. I talk about avocados all the time. Again, if you think about that yellow pigment when you cut into an avocado, that yellow fat is made up of a lot of lutein, and it's really great for your retina. And macula. The red, yellow, and orange peppers are really great. Have a lot of lutein in them. Also raspberries. So we get to the colorful fruits,
Today, I want to discuss how to get rid of eye floaters, and I've found an effective protocol based on a 2020 research study using three proteolytic enzymes: Ficin, Papain, and Bromelain. The study showed that those who took these enzymes had significantly fewer floaters, and some even experienced improvements in collagen structures in the vitreous. These enzymes help break down proteins and improve collagen health. You can find them in certain fruits and fermented foods. I suggest adding these enzymes to your diet if you have floaters, and following my protocol for better eye health. So let's jump in. Enjoy the show!
If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com. If you have any questions, submit them to hello@drsamberne.com or you can now text me! Text ‘Join’ to 1-844-932-1291 to sign-up and ask your questions!
For even more from Dr. Sam, check out his new exclusive membership where you get access to my content and resources, new information, articles, videos, webinars: drsambernesmembership.com
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
vitreous, proteolytic enzymes, floaters, bromelain, collagen, enzymes, access, digestive enzyme, reduce, sam, therapy, papayas, eyedrops, exclusive membership, showed, sets, vision, pineapples, podcast, itunes
00:05
Hey everybody, its Dr. Sam and I'd like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. So before we get to today's show, I'm going to give you some ways to contact me, you can send me your questions at hello@drsamberne.com. Or you can text them to me at 1-844-932-1291. I want to let you know about my new membership program. This is an exclusive membership where you get access to my content and resources, new information, articles, videos, webinars, even a live Q&A, where I will answer your questions. So you'll be able to access valuable information to empower you to make informed decisions about your vision and your health.
I'll be offering personalized support and coaching, giving you recommendations, helping you with goal setting accountability, so you can achieve your goals. This is a convenient way for you to access me 24/7 Without paying for appointments, or going to your doctor every week. So I'm so excited about this, I hope you can join me and by the way, if you do join, you'll get access to my advanced workshops in aromatherapy, color and light therapy, nutrition and physical vision therapy. So the sign up, go to my website drsambernesmembership.com. Now to today's show.
01:54
Hey, everyone, welcome to the program. Today, I want to take on a subject that I've talked about in the past, and that is how to get rid of eye floaters. Now I have a really effective protocol. But I'm gonna add to that today based on a 2020 research study that was published in Applied Science. Three different proteolytic enzymes were used Ficin, Bromelain, and Papain . Now these enzymes are found in the fruit family. I'm going to talk more specifically where you can get them and how the study came about. So in this particular study, it was done between April and December of 2017.
In Taiwan, there were 280 subjects that were broken down into two groups, one received placebo, the other received three sets of proteolytic enzymes, the enzymes were Ficin, Papain , and Bromelain. So the results clearly showed that those that received the proteolytic enzymes had a significantly lower amount of vitreous opacities, better known as floaters. The researchers wrote that some of the subjects who took these proteolytic enzymes actually had an improvement in their collagen structures in the vitreous.
So just to remind you, the vitreous is in the posterior part of the eye, the back part of the eye, and it's made up of over 98% of water, but it also is comprised of collagen bundles. So when the collagen either solidifies or it breaks down, this is one of the main causes of floaters. Now sometimes there's inflammation sometimes there can be hemorrhaging.
In today's program, I discussed the latest information on blue light and its effects on our eyes and overall health. A research study showed that blue light exposure without protection can damage cornea cells, making it essential to shield our eyes, especially for high-risk populations. While blue light from the sun is healthy, the artificial blue light from digital devices can disrupt sleep cycles if exposed after 6 pm. Blue light can cause eye strain, fatigue, and reduced productivity, as well as impact our retina, leading to conditions like macular degeneration. It also affects sleep and cognitive processing. My recommendations include taking screen breaks every 20 minutes, hydrating your eyes with MSM drops, essential oils, and hydrosols, and staying hydrated with enough water. So let's explore more about blue light and your health. Enjoy the show!
If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com. If you have any questions, submit them to hello@drsamberne.com or you can now text me! Text ‘Join’ to 1-844-932-1291 to sign-up and ask your questions!
For even more from Dr. Sam, check out his new exclusive membership where you get access to my content and resources, new information, articles, videos, webinars: drsambernesmembership.com
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
light, eyes, blue, cornea, cells, corneas, podcast, studies, digital devices, exposure, today, screen, cognitive processing, affect, reduces, information, inflammation, talk, msm, itunes
00:06
Hey everybody, it's Dr. Sam, I'd like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. If you want to get in touch with me with questions, you can email me at hello@drsamberne.com. And you can always text me your questions at 1-844-932-1291. I would like to let you know about my new membership program. This is going to offer members new information on how to improve their vision and wellness. So you will get access to articles, video, blogs, podcasts, and webinars. Also a live Q&A with me. And all of this information will empower you to make informed decisions about your vision, and your health. So to sign up to go to my website, drsambernesmembership.com. And you can see the details there. All right now on to the show.
01:38
Hey, everybody, welcome to the program today. So I want to revisit a subject that I've spoken a lot about, and that is the latest information on blue light. Is it a problem is it made up? You know, what's the latest research on how blue light not only affects our eyes, but our overall health. So looking at some of the archives of research that's being done on blue light, I saw an article that was published in the British Journal of ophthalmology, where blue light was studied, as it was being exposed to cornea cells. So as you probably know, the cornea is the front window of the eye. It's one of the first places we meet the world. And of course, light is a big part of this, whether it's sunlight, or in this case blue light, artificial blue light that's emitted from our digital devices, the cornea is one of the first places that's going to be affected by blue light.
So in this particular study, researchers exposed the corneas to this blue light, the frequency used was 405 nanometers, which is right in the sweet spot of what is emitted from all our digital devices. So there was the three minute exposure to the cornea cells, and then the cells were in an incubation for 24 hours. At the same time, the blue light was exposed to corneal cells, but there was a blue blocker shield that was placed on top of the corneas. And so they could compare the difference between the blue light exposure between the two sets of cornea cells. So the results showed that the cornea cells that were exposed to the blue light without the blue protection had more blue light damage than the cells that received the blue blocking shade.
The researchers concluded that, especially in high risk populations, people with dry eye syndrome contact lens wearers ...
Let's talk about how to approach the conversation around eye care with someone you're close to, whether it's a family member, friend, or your child. This can be a very delicate conversation. When someone you know is diagnosed with a problem like glaucoma, cataracts, or macular degeneration, I suggest taking a holistic and integrative approach, but it's important to respect their choices and ask permission before offering advice. So let's jump into today's episode. Enjoy the show.
If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com. If you have any questions, submit them to hello@drsamberne.com or you can now text me! Text ‘Join’ to 1-844-932-1291 to sign-up and ask your questions!
For even more from Dr. Sam, check out his new exclusive membership where you get access to my content and resources, new information, articles, videos, webinars: drsambernesmembership.com
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
eye, vision, health, cataracts, conditions, macula, inflammation, myopia, retina, reduced, floaters, red light, talk, body, ai, open, treating, child, diagnosed, podcast
Hey everybody, it's Dr. Sam, I'd like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. If you want to get in touch with me with questions, you can email me at hello@drsamberne.com. And you can always text me your questions at 1-844-932-1291. I would like to let you know about my new membership program. This is going to offer members new information on how to improve their vision and wellness. So you will get access to articles, video, blogs, podcasts, and webinars. Also a live q&a with me. And all of this information will empower you to make informed decisions about your vision, and your health. So to sign up to go to my website, drsambernesmembership.com. And you can see the details there. All right now on to the show.
1:37 Everybody, welcome to the program today. So I want to talk about what happens when either your family member or friend gets the eye diagnosis. So let's say you have a parent, and he or she has been diagnosed with glaucoma, or cataracts or macular degeneration. And the doctor will say something like, well, let's just watch it. Or let's schedule you for a procedure. And you being a holistically minded person says maybe there's something else. So how can you help.
Or let's say you have a child who's maybe struggling a little bit in school, or you notice that there's an eye turn, or he or she covers one of her eyes, and you go to the doctor and he says, Well, you've got esotropia or amblyopia. And we need to either patch full time, or you need to do i muscle surgery right away, let's get this scheduled. Or even if it's just a friend, a friend who maybe has had a botched cataract surgery, or is facing glaucoma surgery, and you know that there might be a better way, how do you navigate the waters, the day doesn't go by when somebody will write me and say, you know, I have a family member or a friend who's got this eye condition. I know there's a better way. And so you know, I offer certain suggestions and so on.
But this is educational only. So I'm not diagnosing or treating. But how do you handle the dynamics of this? So first of all, I think it's important to note that everybody is on their own path. And as much as we want to help others, I think it's important that if you're going to offer advice that you want to ask permission, you want to make sure that it's okay. Because some people just aren't open to a more holistic integrative approach, especially with the eyes. For some reason, we don't think we can improve our vision. It's the one part of our body that isn't going to heal at least that's what maybe your eye doctor has said, even though people have had healings in so many other areas of their body, why not the eyes? So if you have that conversation, and the person says, Yeah, I'm open to it, what do you have? I think the first thing to do is maybe show some research based on the condition if that's possible.
Today's episode is all about the misconception of solely focusing on reducing prescriptions to improve vision. I share a powerful story of a nearsighted patient who demanded a reduced prescription without doing the necessary reprogramming work. It resulted in frustration and discomfort. I emphasize the importance of vision therapy to reprogram habits and beliefs before pursuing reduced prescriptions. Whether dealing with myopia, astigmatism, or farsightedness, the key is self-awareness, discipline, and adaptability. Vision is a flexible process, and with proper physical therapy, reduced prescriptions can be more effective. Don't rush the process. Do the work first for lasting results. Enjoy the show.
If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com. If you have any questions, submit them to hello@drsamberne.com or you can now text me! Text ‘Join’ to 1-844-932-1291 to sign-up and ask your questions!
For even more from Dr. Sam, check out his new exclusive membership where you get access to my content and resources, new information, articles, videos, webinars, https://drsambernesmembership.com/pages/drsamberne
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
prescription, nearsighted, reduced, nearsightedness, vision, reduce, shankman, people, work, therapy, program, habits, podcast, fixated, astigmatism, self awareness, eyes, plasticity, private facebook community, goal
00:05
Hey everybody, its Dr. Sam and I'd like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. So if you want to get in touch with me, you can send me an email at Hello@drsamberne.com. Or you can text me now 1-844-932-1291 Send me your questions. Before we get to today's show, I want to announce my membership program. This is an opportunity for you to get exposed to my exclusive content and resources, things you won't see on my social media or website. The reason why I'm offering this membership program is to give you valuable information to empower you to make informed decisions about your vision and your wellness. You'll receive personalized support and coaching, goal setting, and I'm going to make you accountable so that you achieve your goals. Also, with the membership, you'll have the convenience of 24/7 access without having to pay for weekly appointments. We'll be offering a private Facebook community so we'll be able to share with each other. And you'll be able to come to my live q&a and ask me questions. So if you're interested, you can go to my website, drsamberne.com and sign up now. Okay, now to the show.
02:10
Hey, everyone, welcome to the program. So the title of today's podcast is don't just live to reduce your prescription. So many people that I've worked with over the years, who wants to reduce their prescription who want to improve their vision gets so fixated on the prescription, that they're missing out on what is really needed to make the deep level changes. I'll tell you a story. One time that happened when somebody came to see me she was very nearsighted. And she asked me to reduce her prescription. And I said, you know, without doing the physical therapy to reprogram your eyes and brain, it's not going to work. And she said, Oh, no, I can handle it. Give me a reduced prescription. So I'll give you the numbers. Not that it means anything, but she was a minus 3.25 in each eye. So she had a moderate amount of nearsightedness. So I reduced her prescription to a minus three.
So I reduced it by a quarter of a diopter. So she got the prescription. And she called our office. And she was irate. She was so angry. She said, Dr. Byrne has blinded me, I can't see anything. Wow. Okay, so my secretary, and I talked about this. And we made an appointment she came in. And I had her put on the glasses, and she was going off how things were so blurry, and how I really how could I do this to her and, you know, stuff like that. So I put her into the exam lane with the minus threes. And I said, I read the chart,
Today, we're delving into the fascinating world of eye health and how it can reflect systemic issues in our bodies. Our eyes are windows to various aspects of our well-being, from endocrine and nervous systems to brain health. By understanding the connections between our eyes and our body, we can find holistic approaches to remedy eye conditions without relying solely on drugs or surgery. Enjoy the show.
If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com. If you have any questions, submit them to hello@drsamberne.com or you can now text me! Text ‘Join’ to 1-844-932-1291 to sign-up and ask your questions!
For even more from Dr. Sam, check out his new exclusive membership where you get access to my content and resources, new information, articles, videos, webinars, https://drsambernesmembership.com/pages/drsamberne SUMMARY KEYWORDS eye, myopia, lens, exercise, working, eyedrops, msm, peripheral, vision, creates, astigmatism, cataracts, vision, glasses, vertigo, glutathione, dry, retina, reduce, good, health 0:06eye Hey everybody, its Dr. Sam, and I'd like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. If you want to get in touch with me with questions, you can email me at hello@drsamberne.com. And you can always text me your questions at 1-844-932-1291. I would like to let you know about my new membership program. This is going to offer members new information on how to improve their vision and wellness. So you will get access to articles, video, blogs, podcasts, and webinars. Also a live q&a with me. And all of this information will empower you to make informed decisions about your vision, and your health. So to sign up, go to my website, drsamberne.com. And you can see the details there. All right now on to the show.
1:38 Morning, everybody, welcome to our class today, you can always message me in the chat, this will be recorded, so you can get a copy of it. And that copy will be available for you until the 17th of 17th of July. Good. So please let me know if you can't hear me. And we think our auto audio system is working? Well, we've tested it out. So here we go. I want to welcome you to my class today. I'm very excited to be here and offer this to you. I feel a great sense of gratitude to my community. We started this project back in 2016. And we've grown it thanks to you and will continue to offer new and innovative things I always love hearing from you. If there's something that you would like to see or know about, we have an offer that I will talk to you about at the end of our workshop. But I wanted to jump in and get going because we have a limited time today. And I want to stay on track. So one of the easiest ways that we can actually monitor our health is through our vision for our eyes. And
3:26 the eyes reflects so many things in our body. For example, one of the things our eyes reflect
3:39 our systemic health. And when we go for an eye exam, which we all have done, including me.
3:53 We go
3:54 to the exam and there may be something that the doctor picks up.
3:57 And immediately, we're just talking about the eyeball. We're not talking about how the eyes are affecting the body.
4:11 And I remember when I was studying Chinese medicine, acupuncture, which many of you and most of you have experienced. We know the connections on the meridian level, liver gallbladder, spleen, colon, small intestine, large intestine.
4:31 So the the key thing here
4:35 is that when we have an eye problem, if we can start looking at the systemic reasons why the eyes are changing, this could help us in being able to how can we say remedy the situation without drugs and surgery? You know what One of the things that I've learned over the years is that our pupil response our sensitivity to light can be an indicator on the stress level that we experience not only on an eye level, but also a body level. And if we are light sensitive, our pupils remain dilated.
Welcome to the EyeClarity podcast! In today's episode, I share a powerful story about a patient diagnosed with glaucoma and the shocking way the news was delivered. This incident highlighted the importance of going beyond the routine eye exam and considering the patient's unique needs. Glaucoma diagnosis can be challenging, but incorporating functional vision tests can lead to major breakthroughs. Don't miss these valuable insights into comprehensive eye care. Enjoy the show!
If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com. If you have any questions, submit them to hello@drsamberne.com or you can now text me! Text ‘Join’ to 1-844-932-1291 to sign-up and ask your questions!
For even more from Dr. Sam, check out his new exclusive membership where you get access to my content and resources, new information, articles, videos, webinars, https://drsambernesmembership.com/pages/drsamberne
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
glaucoma, eye, eye exam, vision, optic nerve, open angle glaucoma, doctor, diagnose, prescription, visual, test, major breakthrough, important, health, give, access, pressure, prescribed, missed, delivered
00:05
Hey everybody, its Dr. Sam and I'd like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. So before we get to today's show, I'm going to give you some ways to contact me, you can send me your questions at Hello@drsamberne.com. Or you can text them to me at 1-844-932-1291. I want to let you know about my new membership program. This is an exclusive membership where you get access to my content and resources, new information, articles, videos, webinars, even a live q&a, where I will answer your questions. So you'll be able to access valuable information to empower you to make informed decisions about your vision and your health. I'll be offering personalized support and coaching, giving you recommendations, helping you with goal setting accountability, so you can achieve your goals. This is a convenient way for you to access me 24/7 Without paying for appointments, or going to your doctor every week. So I'm so excited about this, I hope you can join me. And by the way, if you do join, you'll get access to my advanced workshops in aromatherapy, color and light therapy, nutrition and physical vision therapy. So the sign up go to my website www.drsamberne.com. Now to today's show.
02:09
Everyone, welcome to the program. So today's episode is titled, The advice that goes beyond the eye exam. Recently, I saw a patient who was diagnosed with glaucoma. And that's serious enough, but the way the doctor delivered, the message was even more mind blowing to me. So the story goes like this. Somebody called us and said, You know, I want a second opinion. And we had some space. So she came into the office here. And I asked her, you know why she came and she said that she had had a conversation at the end of her last eye exam where the doctor said, and oh, by the way, you're diagnosed with glaucoma. And it's early stages, but you know, you're probably going to go blind. And I'm gonna go on to my next patient. So she sat there, she was very upset, she was devastated.
And there was absolutely no emotional support, or anything beyond here's the diagnosis and goodbye. And this happens more frequently than not and you know, speaking from somebody who used to be in a busy private practice, and you start seeing lots of people, you get kind of dumbed down, you know, where everybody looks like they're the same and that, you know, you've delivered the message 1000s of times in, you've got this diagnosis, and you're gonna go blind. So, we sat there for a few minutes, and she processed a little bit. Definitely she was traumatized. And as we went through the records, it became clear to me that she was more of a glaucoma suspect, than she had full blown glaucoma. And there are three main ways that you diagnose glaucoma.
The first is obviously the eye pressure, and that's an important test.
Hey everyone, welcome to today's show. I want to talk about some exciting research in regenerative eye care. First, there's stem cell therapy, both using embryonic and adult stem cells, which are introduced into the retina to treat conditions like macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa. Early studies show promising results. Gene therapy is also being explored, particularly for inherited retinal disorders. A recent study demonstrated positive outcomes. Enjoy the show!
If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com. If you have any questions, submit them to hello@drsamberne.com or you can now text me! Text ‘Join’ to 1-844-932-1291 to join the community and ask your questions!
The Latest Eye Research on Reg...nerating Your Eyes Final Audio
Thu, Jul 20, 2023 9:14AM • 6:06
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
retina, podcast, diseases, eye, research, embryonic stem cells, retinal, stimulate, scaffold, sam, promising, live q&a, retinal disease, showing, gene therapy, areas, degenerative conditions, signaling pathways, improve, regenerative therapies
00:06
Hey everybody, its Dr. Sam, I'd like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. If you want to get in touch with me with questions, you can email me at hello@drsamberne.com. And you can always text me your questions at 1-844-932-1291. I would like to let you know about my new membership program. This is going to offer members new information on how to improve their vision and wellness. So you will get access to articles, video, blogs, podcasts, and webinars. Also a live q&a with me. And all of this information will empower you to make informed decisions about your vision and your health. So to sign up to go to my website, drsamberne.com. And you can see the details there. All right now on to the show.
01:34
Everybody, welcome to the show today. So I'm gonna do a little different spin, I'm going to talk about some of the latest research on regenerative eye care. So this is a little different than some of the clinical things they talk about. So here we go. So the first form of therapy that's getting a lot of press today is called stem cell research. You've probably heard of it. It's pretty popular in mainstream culture, especially if you have diseases like macular degeneration. Retina is picking pigmentosa or other eye degenerative conditions, that the regular medical care is not really helping you. So there's embryonic stem cells, there's also adult stem cells and these are introduced into areas of the retina where there's a disease process going on, and there's a degeneration.
There was an article published this year in PubMed on ocular regenerative therapies. four main areas in the eye were studied optic nerve damage, cornea damage, retinitis pigmentosa and age related macular degeneration, embryonic stem cells were introduced into these areas of the eye. early phase clinical studies show promising results with this stem cell therapy. The second form of research that's going on is looking at gene therapy, especially for inherited retinal disorders, better known as IRDs for the years in the pediatrics world, I've seen a number of IR DS and this gene therapy is also showing promising possibility possibilities. There was a study that was published recently through PubMed, again, showing promising results. Okay, this third type of research may not be on your radar.
I've been looking at it and it's called nanofiber scaffold, tissue engineered retinal pigment epithelium, so better known as RPE. In this layer of the retina, no fiber scaffolding is used to help regenerate certain retina deterioration diseases, and the results are early, but they're showing some possibilities of tissue regrowth in the retina. And the last form of research that I'm going to talk about today is something called optogenetics. This is a field that combines genetics, with optics, stimulating neuron growth through light sensitivity, right?
Hey everyone, it's Dr. Sam, and I want to talk about my daily wellness practices. First and foremost, I prioritize getting into nature every day, whether it's a park, hiking trail, or my own yard. I emphasize mindful eating, stress reduction through activities like walking in nature and spending time with friends, and the importance of quality sleep for recharging and deep rest. These are just a few of my wellness practices that I dig into in today's episode. Enjoy the show!
If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com. If you have any questions, submit them to hello@drsamberne.com or you can now text me! Text ‘Join’ to 1-844-932-1291 to join the community and ask your questions!
Today's podcast is a bit different as I recently gave a presentation to entrepreneurs through an organization called SCORE. I shared my experiences and expertise in marketing, especially in the holistic eyecare industry. I emphasized the importance of finding underpriced attention and getting the word out about your business. Building a brand and developing relationships with your community is crucial. I'm excited to launch a membership program where people can pay to join my community and receive value from my brand. Enjoy the show.
If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com. If you have any questions, submit them to hello@drsamberne.com or you can now text me! Text ‘Join’ to 1-844-932-1291 to join the community and ask your questions!
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
underpriced, business, access, sam, posts, membership, develop, vision, entrepreneurs, talk, involved, exclusive membership, paying, farmers, create, brand, words, giving, wellness
00:05
Hey everybody, its Dr. Sam and I'd like to welcome you to my I clarity podcast. So before we get to today's show, I want to give you some ways to contact me, you can send me your questions at hello@drsamberne.com. Or you can text them to me at 1-844-932-1291. I want to let you know about my new membership program. This is an exclusive membership where you get access to my content and resources, new information, articles, videos, webinars, even a live q&a, where I will answer your questions. So you'll be able to access valuable information to empower you to make informed decisions about your vision and your health.
I'll be offering personalized support and coaching, giving you recommendations, helping you with goal setting accountability, so you can achieve your goals. This is a convenient way for you to access me 24/7 Without paying for appointments, or going to your doctor every week. So I'm so excited about this, I hope you can join me. And by the way, if you do join, you'll get access to my advanced workshops in aromatherapy, color and light therapy, nutrition and physical vision therapy. So to sign up, go to my website www.drsamberne.com. Now to today's show.
02:09
Hey, everybody, welcome to the program. This is a little different podcast today, I gave a short presentation to a group of entrepreneurs recently, the organization I'm involved with is called score and they help entrepreneurs figure out how to develop a business plan. And I come in and I help them with their marketing. So I say a few words, share my own experience with what I'm doing right now those of you that are following me in a really into the holistic eyecare movement. We're having a great time. Anyways, I talk a little bit about the new membership launch, how to work with young people, I'm seeing more and more young entrepreneurs, artists, and musicians and people who want to realize their dream.
And I talk about how you may not be able to find this method of marketing in college that you have to go outside of your schooling to figure it out. And so I hope you enjoy the show. It's a little different. But anyways, thanks for tuning in. Well, I'm Sam Berne. And I have a health and wellness brand that I started in 2016 doing really well. And I would say my expertise is finding underpriced attention and getting the word out.
Because you can have the best idea in the world. But if you don't let anybody know about it, then you're gonna fail. And so in my own business, I've been able to figure out how to tap into underpriced attention. And for me, I think the diversity of having a lot of different businesses in one space is actually really great. Because you can apply the same principles based on whatever your business is because the name of the game is, okay, what am I good at? And am I willing to commit in the long term to create a brand versus making it a sales or transactional situation?
So the way I built my brand was developing my community relationship ...
Hey everyone, welcome to the program. Today, I want to talk about essential oils and share my experiences with them. I first discovered essential oils when I had a digestive problem and tried cardamom essential oil, which provided great relief. Intrigued, I studied aromatherapy and became an aroma therapist. In fact, I may soon be releasing my own line of essential oils.
Essential oils are derived from various plant parts, such as grasses, roots, tree bark, and flower petals. They can be steam distilled or cold pressed and are highly concentrated and aromatic. While some people use essential oils for their pleasant fragrance, they also have medicinal properties. The most common way to experience essential oils is through inhalation, either by smelling them directly or using a diffuser. Inhalation can be beneficial for relaxation, reducing anxiety, and promoting better sleep.
Enjoy the show.
If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com. If you have any questions, submit them to hello@drsamberne.com or you can now text me! Text ‘Join’ to 1-844-932-1291 to join the community and ask your questions!
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
essential oils, vetiver, oil, great, aromatherapy, carrier oil, drops, number, skin, cooling, lavender, peppermint, farmers, plant, teach, hot, questions, couple, bottle, area
00:05
Hey everybody, its Dr. Sam and I'd like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. So if you want to get in touch with me, you can send me an email at Hello at Dr. Sam berne.com. Or you can text me now 1-844-932-1291 Send me your questions. Before we get to today's show, I want to announce my membership program. This is an opportunity for you to get exposed to my exclusive content and resources, things you won't see on my social media or website. The reason why I'm offering this membership program is to give you valuable information to empower you to make informed decisions about your vision and your wellness. You'll receive personalized support and coaching, goal setting, and I'm going to make you accountable so that you achieve your goals. Also, with the membership, you'll have the convenience of 24/7 access without having to pay for weekly appointments. We'll be offering a private Facebook community so we'll be able to share with each other. And you'll be able to come to my live q&a and ask me questions. So if you're interested, you can go to my website, drsamberne.com. And sign up now. Okay, now to the show.
02:09
Hey, everybody, welcome to the program. Today, I want to talk about essential oils. So in this podcast, I want to give a little bit of advice on how to use essential oils where they come from. And so let's just jump right in. I got exposed to essential oils many years ago actually had a digestive problem. And I was at a health fair. And there was an aroma therapist there and she said Why don't you try this cardamom essential oil. And I said okay, so I put a couple of drops in some water.
And I said, Wow, this feels great on my stomach. I love this. So I bought a bottle, and I was using it after my meals and within a few weeks, my acid reflux and all my digestive discomfort discomforts went away. So I started to dive a little more deeply into aromatherapy actually studied it, I became an aroma therapist. I've taught aromatherapy I've sold essential oils. By the way, there's a little secret out there that I am now talking directly do some farmers. And I may be releasing a line of my own essential oils and the next few months.
So just watch for that. And if I do that, I'm going to start teaching as well. So that's kind of on the down low, but it's probably going to happen fairly soon. So the essential oils can come from many different plant parts, grasses, roots, tree bark, flower petals, just to name a few of the plant parts. You can do steam distilled or cold pressed this is how you can access the essential oils, they're highly aromatic,
Today I want to address a parent's concerns about their four-year-old daughter, Julie, who has been diagnosed with farsightedness and lazy eye. The parent has been advised by an eye doctor to have Julie wear glasses full time and consider eye muscle surgery. I want to offer an alternative perspective that emphasizes the malleability of a child's visual system and the potential for improvement through non-invasive treatments. Enjoy the show.
If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com. If you have any questions, submit them to hello@drsamberne.com or you can now text me! Text ‘Join’ to 1-844-932-1291 to join the community and ask your questions!
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
eyes, lazy eye, glasses, visual, system, learning, exercises, vision, podcast, prescription, muscle, surgery, eyedrops, bilateral, brain, focusing, today, cranial vault, child, body
00:06
Hey everybody, it's Dr. Sam, I'd like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. If you want to get in touch with me with questions, you can email me at hello@drsamberne.com. And you can always text me your questions at 1-844-932-1291. I would like to let you know about my new membership program. This is going to offer members new information on how to improve their vision and wellness. So you will get access to articles, video, blogs, podcasts, and webinars. Also a live q&a with me. And all of this information will empower you to make informed decisions about your vision, and your health. So to sign up to go to my website, drsamberne.com. And you can see the details there. All right now on to the show.
01:36
Hey, everybody, welcome to the program, doing a little urban broadcasting today. So I'm in downtown Santa Fe, actually, my old office is just over there. I closed that office in 2010. But this is a very sweet part of Santa Fe, it's on the west side, pretty quiet and easy going. So I thought I would stop and take a question from a parent is very concerned about a four year old daughter Julie. So Julie has been diagnosed with farsightedness and lazy eye and she's got an eye turning in. And her eye doctor said that she needs to wear these glasses full time, mom sent me the prescriptions about a plus six. And he also said that she only has about three more years to be able to improve the lazy eye. And he wants to schedule her for eye muscle surgery. Because the only way to fix this I turn is with eye muscle surgery. Well, of course, she is appalled by this. She wants other opinions.
And so she's known me a long time. And so I wanted to give my point of view. So first thing I want to say is that with kids, their visual system is very malleable, very plastic in the sense that it's versatile, it's changeable. And when you start putting glasses on children are doing things like surgery. There's even a technique where you can use eyedrops that can actually reduce a lazy eye. When you do all these invasive treatments, what ends up happening is it basically reinforces the problem. You know, the eyes are the only part of the brain that are outside the cranial vault. And since the eyes are brain tissue, especially in children, it's a great opportunity to improve one's vision by doing physical therapy exercises, because what you're doing there is you're creating new pathways, new ways for the child to use their visual system in the midst of using both eyes together.
So with the glasses prescription, you know the way glasses are prescribed is that the doctor is going to put in eyedrops that paralyze the focusing muscles. We call this dilating eyedrops. And once you do that, you have lost the opportunity to be able to measure the organic focusing flexibility of the visual system. And the reason is, is because those muscles are paralyzed because of the eyedrops. And so the prescription that the doctor is going to give is always way too strong. So in this particular case, one of the things we have to look at is First of all,
In this coaching session, I'm helping an entrepreneur move forward with his business with social media. This entrepreneur wants to create small snippets of information to engage their audience and keep them interested in their farm. We discuss using email blasts, social media sites, and podcasts to deliver the content. Also the importance of consistency and using platforms like TikTok for viral reach. Enjoy the show!
If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com. If you have any questions, submit them to hello@drsamberne.com or you can now text me! Text ‘Join’ to 1-844-932-1291 to join the community and ask your questions!
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
podcast, people, reels, snippet, information, aromatherapy, videos, farm, create, imovie, put, 32nd, instagram, tick tock, social media sites, phone, microphone, audio, post, headliner
00:06
Hey everybody, its Dr. Sam, and I'd like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. If you want to get in touch with me with questions, you can email me at hello@drsamberne.com. And you can always text me your questions at 1-844-932-1291.
00:31
I would like to let you know about my new membership program.
00:36
This is going to offer members new information on how to improve their vision and wellness. So you will get access to articles, video, blogs, podcasts, and webinars. Also a live q&a with me. And all of this information will empower you to make informed decisions about your vision, and your health. So to sign up to go to my website, drsamberne.com. And you can see the details there. All right now on to the show.
01:35
Hey, everybody, it's Dr. Sam, and I'd like to welcome you to my podcast today. So this is a coaching session I gave helping a brand, develop their products through my marketing techniques. And so you'll get a snippet of some q&a and also my advice on how to navigate podcasts and videos, especially when you're just starting out. So I hope you enjoy the show. Thanks for tuning in, give me a little background on your project, and what you're trying to achieve.
02:19
Basically, what I'm trying to do is we're trying to create kind of, like you had said, you had mentioned about creating small clips information for content to pique people's interest, or not wanting to Record interview with other people or creating long clips, but basically to create interest by giving snippets of information for people who are fans of Lazar during keeping them kind of little bits and pieces of nuggets about what's happening on the farm, just to keep them interested in the goings on and either either give it to them embedded, this is my questions either embedded in the email blasts, we're sitting out using MailChimp.
03:03
And I've gotten some pretty good response on on our email list. So I'm wanting to continue to use that not just in emails, but possibly also included up updates to the social media sites for the podcast, just try to figure out if that's possible and how you do that.
03:24
So in this project that Jason you're doing, are these podcasts that you're wanting to,
03:33
you know, splice up and, and put in the newsletter or what's the video content?
03:41
Well, basically, I remember what you had said before was I said you could use your your iPhone to create basically a podcast where then you they would use some sort of editor to break it up into segments and issue out different pieces of that to
04:02
to create interest from the people that are following you just so they can fit so they They basically come on, listen to a 32nd to a minute update in products, new products that are coming out happenings at the farm different types of things. And we release those every so often. I just wasn't sure if that's something that you would put in on your web. Would you put that in your social media like Facebook and Instagram? Maybe it possibly is real?
Today we are talking about the state of eye care and challenges the traditional approach to eye exams. I will highlight various vision problems that are often missed during regular eye exams, emphasizing that these issues are actually brain problems that can be addressed through physical vision therapy. We'll explore three life situations related to children's learning, adults with diagnosed conditions, and individuals with concussions or traumatic brain injuries.
I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Dr. Jen Pfleghaar, DO, ABOIM @integrativedrmom on her podcast recently. Dr. Jen is very passionate about health. She completed a fellowship in Integrative Medicine. Healthcare is often symptom-focused and reactive, rather than prevention-focused and proactive. Patients and physicians rarely discuss nutrition, exercise, and lifestyle change, and instead focus mainly on diagnosis and treatment of disease. Many clinicians feel unprepared to discuss the safe and effective use of dietary supplements or herbal medicines, or how to help patients incorporate relaxation or mind-body practices into their lives. She believes it is important to take the time with each patient and develop a strong relationship. Enjoy the show.
-Emergency Medicine Physician -Integrative Medicine Physician -Owner of Healthology Integrative Med Spa -Owner Healthology by Dr. Jen
Find her here:
www.healthologymedspa.com www.healthologybydrjen.com www.integrativedrmom.com
If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com. If you have any questions, submit them to hello@drsamberne.com or you can now text me! Text ‘Join’ to 1-844-932-1291 to join the community and ask your questions!
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
eyes, people, pfa, prescription, nearsightedness, retina, light, lens, lasik surgery, vision, health, nearsighted, study, contacts, cataracts, sam, improve, reduce, developed, red light
00:06
Hey everybody, its Dr. Sam, I'd like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. If you want to get in touch with me with questions, you can email me at hello@drsamberne.com. And you can always text me your questions at 1-844-932-1291.
00:31
I would like to let you know about my new membership program.
00:36
This is going to offer members new information on how to improve their vision and wellness. So you will get access to articles, video, blogs, podcasts, and webinars. Also a live Q&A with me. And all of this information will empower you to make informed decisions about your vision and your health. So to sign up to go to my website, drsamberne.com. And you can see the details there. All right now on to the show.
01:38
Hi, it's Dr. Jen. So we're gonna have a great podcast today. And actually, you all asked for this podcast and someone said you got to check out Dr. Sam Berne Instagram page and he is where to go for this information. And we are talking about the eyes today. So everything holistic Dr. Sam Berne, his mission is to be your trusted source of information and provide the necessary tools to help solve Ira related problems using science based methods. Instead of living out your diagnosis and immediately turning to surgery or pharmaceuticals, Dr. Berne offers a roadmap to help you deepen the connection to your eyes and increase your health. So welcome Dr. Sam, holistic optometrist. Tell us a little bit about yourself. Well, thanks so much for having me today. So I'm a Doctor of optometry and I also have had advanced studies in child development. I've also studied naturopathic medicine, acupuncture, cranial sacral therapy, aromatherapy, and functional medicine. And so over the years, I've been inspired to help people improve their vision, I call it the wellness model instead of the disease based model that most eye doctors represent. And so I'm super excited to talk to you today about my work.
02:58
I am so excited. So tell us a little bit about how you went from traditional medicine basically right to what you do now. And are you like the black sheep? Because I know you are because there's not a lot of you out there. Yeah, I'm certainly a pioneer probably like you. And it all started when I was about eight years old and I was diagnosed with a learning disability. And my mom bless her heart took me everywhere. And we ended up at an ophthalmologists office and he diagnosed me with nearsightedness.
Today we are discussing dry eye syndrome, its causes, diagnostic tests, and treatment options. Dry eye syndrome is characterized by symptoms such as stinging, burning, redness, and sandiness in the eyes. !t's a complex condition with various symptoms and causes. Dr. Sam shares valuable information and treatment options beyond traditional approaches. Enjoy the show!
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
dry eye syndrome, eyes, glands, dry, eyelids, eyedrops, tears, inflammation, screens, gland dysfunction, test, oily, doctor, vision, prescription, produce, symptom, find, stress, osmolarity
00:05
Hey everybody, its Dr. Sam and I'd like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. So before we get to today's show, I'm going to give you some ways to contact me, you can send me your questions at Hello@drsamberne.com. Or you can text them to me at 1-844-932-1291.
00:32
I want to let you know about my new membership program. This is an exclusive membership where you get access to my content and resources, new information, articles, videos, webinars, even a live Q&A, where I will answer your questions. So you'll be able to access valuable information to empower you to make informed decisions about your vision and your health. I'll be offering personalized support and coaching, giving you recommendations, helping you with goal setting accountability, so you can achieve your goals.
01:18
This is a convenient way for you to access me 24/7 Without paying for appointments, or going to your doctor every week. So I'm so excited about this, I hope you can join me. And by the way, if you do join, you'll get access to my advanced workshops in aromatherapy, color and light therapy, nutrition and physical vision therapy. So the sign up, go to my website www.drsamberne.com Now to today's show.
02:14
Hey, everybody, its Dr. Sam and I'm on my morning walk I thought I would check in with you about my podcast today. So I want to talk about dry eye syndrome, my latest information on dry eye. So did you know that over 16 million people in the United States suffer dry I actually think that number is higher.
02:45
And today I want to talk about some of the causes of dry eye and what can you do about it besides just the regular pharmaceutical or surgical approach. So let's begin by talking about what is dry eye. It is a condition where you experience things like stinging, burning, redness, sand in your eyes, you can wake up and it's hard for you to open your eyes. So there's a lot of variations to the symptoms of dry. One of the things I've learned by treating a lot of people with dry eye, it is definitely a puzzle. And everybody needs to be treated individually. So we can start with the meibomian glands. Those are the glands that are along the eyelids, and they're called the oily glands. When you have dry eye syndrome, you're probably not producing enough of the oil in the glands. And this is why the tears evaporate so quickly. And we have to include auto immune disease in this things like Sjogren's or lupus. By the way, I've done a great video blog on Sjogren's You can find that on my YouTube channel. But in any event, if you have any autoimmune disease, it can affect your eyes. Sjogren's tends to affect the meibomian glands and also the salivary glands. So that's number one. Now, in addition to the oily gland dysfunction, you can have inflammation in the eyelids as well. So you've got a double whammy, where the glands could be clogged, but also because of the inflammation in the eyelids. This also can cause an inability to produce the right kind of tears. And so when you don't have the oily tears, you're gonna get evaporation. So let's talk about some of the tests that you can use to diagnose dry eye syndrome. The first test is called Shermer.
05:00
tear strip. This is where you take a little paper filter, and you put it on the inside part of the lower eyelid. You keep it there about five minutes.
In this episode, I am going to talk about Vision Motion Sickness. This is actually a pretty common condition that gets triggered when you are moving quickly or if you move your head quickly and you start to feel nauseas, dizzy or lightheaded. So let's jump in. Enjoy the show!
If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com. If you have any questions, submit them to hello@drsamberne.com or you can now text me! Text ‘Join’ to 1-844-932-1291 to join the community and ask your questions!
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
vision, visual, sensitivity, eye, podcast, vestibular, motion sickness, triggered, works, talk, prisms, vertigo, peripheral vision, traumatic brain injury, occurs, vestibular system, trauma, concussion, brain, cerebral spinal fluid
00:06
Hey everybody, its Dr. Sam, I'd like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. If you want to get in touch with me with questions, you can email me at hello@drsamberne.com. And you can always text me your questions at 1-844-932-1291.
I would like to let you know about my new membership program. This is going to offer members new information on how to improve their vision and wellness. So you will get access to articles, video, blogs, podcasts, and webinars. Also a live Q&A with me. And all of this information will empower you to make informed decisions about your vision, and your health. So to sign up to go to my website, drsamberne.com. And you can see the details there. All right now on to the show.
01:36
Morning, everybody, it's Dr. Sam, and I'd like to welcome you to my podcast today. So I'm going to talk about a condition called Vision motion sickness.
01:48
Now I'm going to preface this by saying that in this condition, it falls under the umbrella of vertigo. And I would check out on my website, my three videos I did on vertigo, which will give you some insight and basis as I talk about vision motion sickness. So this is actually a pretty common condition. And it occurs it gets triggered when you are moving quickly, either in a car, or if you move your head quickly, you start to feel nauseas or dizzy, lightheaded. So I want to talk about this condition. Because most eye doctors and neurologists, in my opinion,
02:40
could do a better job in diagnosing it. And of course, in my field, the rehabilitation of it is pretty awesome.
02:51
So if you suffer this set of symptoms,
2:56
what I have found over the years is that there's some connection to either some concussion
03:04
trauma could be a head trauma could be emotional trauma. So those are the things that kind of trigger the initial hypersensitivity. And today, so many people are suffering, either concussion experiences car accidents, or just plain trauma that this creates a hypersensitivity in the relationship between our eyes and our inner ear.
03:36
And in other podcasts and video blogs, I talked about the relationship between our eyeballs and our inner ears, the visual vestibular system. And both of them are important in helping us deal with orientation and balance. And in this vote mode of vision motion sickness there is either an overacting visual component overacting vestibular component. And if this is a chronic issue, it can actually turn into
04:14
a chronic situation where you have low responsiveness.
04:20
Now another symptom that I'll bring into this is the light sensitivity. And this occurs quite frequently, you know, when you go into one of the big box stores like Walmart, or target
04:37
and you're dealing with those really troublesome fluorescent lights that are blinking and so you have an over sensitivity to this flickering.
04:49
Another factor in this is that your energetic resources and reserves are usually pretty low and
05:00
We can test this visually, by seeing how well you can sustain your visual focus, or how flexible you are in making changes in your focus. This is part of the vision exam that goes beyond r...
PFAS, also known as "forever chemicals," is a large, complex group of synthetic chemicals used in consumer products worldwide since the 1950s, according to the National Institutes of Health. They are ingredients in various everyday products, can last years without breaking down, and have been linked to cancer and other serious health issues.
Today, I am covering my top 3 tips to improve your vision. These are easy things you can do that can make a big difference. Enjoy the show!
If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com. If you have any questions, submit them to hello@drsamberne.com or you can now text me! Text ‘Join’ to 1-844-932-1291 to join the community and ask your questions!
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
eye, prescriptions, exercise, cellular level, vision, sam, relaxation, yin yang, access, peripheral vision, question, palm, informed decisions, spotify, goal, disease, hum, reason, podcast, adding
Hey everybody, its Dr. Sam and I'd like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. So before we get to today's show, I'm going to give you some ways to contact me, you can send me your questions at hello@drsamberne.com. Or you can text them to me at 1-844-932-1291. I want to let you know about my new membership program. This is an exclusive membership where you get access to my content and resources, new information, articles, videos, webinars, even a live Q&A, where I will answer your questions. So you'll be able to access valuable information to empower you to make informed decisions about your vision and your health. I'll be offering personalized support and coaching, giving you recommendations, helping you with goal setting accountability, so you can achieve your goals. This is a convenient way for you to access me 24/7 Without paying for appointments, or going to your doctor every week. So I'm so excited about this, I hope you can join me. And by the way, if you do join, you'll get access to my advanced workshops in aromatherapy, color and light therapy, nutrition and physical vision therapy. So the sign up, go to my website www.drsamberne.com. Now to today's show.
02:09
Hey everybody, good morning. It's Dr. Sam, like to welcome you to my podcast today. So I received a question from a listener, I get this question a lot. What are the secrets in actually being able to improve your vision. So I'm gonna give you three quick points here. The first is get the diagnosis, figure out what you're dealing with, you know, if you get pictures if you can get this will be more in the eye disease world. Or if you have a prescription that keeps increasing or you've got, you know, symptoms of headaches or eyestrain from glasses, you want to know what you're dealing with.
Number two, to do a combination of just a few eye exercises, I'd like to pick about three of them, one of them would would be doing some kind of an eye movement exercise, the second one would be a visual coordination exercise. And the third would be an eye relaxation exercise. So these would be done every day, I usually do them three times a day. So my three ones that I think about right now are the animal eye chart, the Yin Yang peripheral vision chart, and the N Palm Hum. Those are on my website, they're all over the internet, you can just Google it. The reason why I like those three is that the eye movement is going to stretch the eye muscles in all the areas of gaze. And that's going to bring more blood flow and more I relaxation, you do each eye separately.
And then doing an exercise where you're using both eyes together. Like the Yin Yang, peripheral vision, that's a soft focus, exercise visual relaxation, but you get the feedback that both eyes are working together, you need that feedback because this is a tendency. And this occurs both in the eye disease world and also in the refractive error world where the two eyes are not balancing. If you're right handed, usually the right eye is doing much more of the work and the left eye is the brain is suppressing that left eye. So if you do the Yin Yang peripheral vision exercise, that's going to get your two eyes to work together with the brain. And then after you've done both of those, and I do maybe two or three minutes of each, then I do the palm hum the end palm home exercise.
This maximizes I relaxation,
Today, I want to take a question today from a listener who has high eye pressure, but no Glaucoma. I want to go into the causes and what you can do to bring your eye pressure down. Enjoy the show.
If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com. If you have any questions, submit them to hello@drsamberne.com or you can now text me! Text ‘Join’ to 1-844-932-1291 to join the community and ask your questions!
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
eye, hypertension, glaucoma, ocular, pressure, aqueous, podcast, coleus, blogs, improve, optic nerve, xanthan, eyedrops, histamines, soft cloth, information, integrative medicine
00:06
Hey everybody, its Dr. Sam, I'd like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. If you want to get in touch with me with questions, you can email me at hello@drsamberne.com. And you can always text me your questions at 1-844-932-1291. I would like to let you know about my new membership program. This is going to offer members new information on how to improve their vision and wellness. So you will get access to articles, video, blogs, podcasts, and webinars. Also a live Q&A with me. And all of this information will empower you to make informed decisions about your vision and your health. So to sign up to go to my website, drsamberne.com. And you can see the details there. All right now on to the show.
01:37
Hey everybody, it's Dr. Sam and I want to take a question today from a listener. She's got high eye pressure, but she doesn't have glaucoma. So I want to go into the causes and what you can do to bring your eye pressure down. So in ocular hypertension, there's a consistently high eye pressure reading that the doctor measures, but there's no optic nerve damage or visual field loss. Usually it's a problem with either the aqueous production or the drainage in the eye.
And this is what causes the high eye pressure. So even though I am a believer in the epigenetics model, which says that the genes are expressed, based on our environment, our diet lifestyle, there is a link genetically if your parents or grandparents have had glaucoma, you do have a higher risk of having either glaucoma or in this case, ocular hypertension. I've also seen that as you get older, and you have more free radical damage or inflammation in the eye, there's a higher risk of ocular hypertension and or glaucoma. And in ethnicity, African Americans tend to have more glaucoma or ocular hypertension.
And so these are things to note if you fall into any of those categories. So I've done many video blogs and podcasts on primary open angle glaucoma, narrow angle glaucoma, you can find those on my website or YouTube or Facebook. But today because the question is about ocular hypertension, I want to talk about some other causes. One of the causes could be taking either oral or topical corticosteroids. So when you take steroids, this can artificially raise the eye pressure. And so you have ocular hypertension, if you're taking any kind of corticosteroids. I've also found that eye trauma or eye injury can cause ocular hypertension. And this trauma can change the fluid dynamics and flow in the aqueous. And this is another reason why I've seen ocular hypertension.
I've also seen that certain eye inflammatory diseases like iritis and Uveitis can drive the eye pressure up. And even secondary glaucoma like pseudo exfoliation, glaucoma, which has these flakes that can deposit in the drainage areas of the eye, which also cause ocular hypertension. You know, another thing that I asked a lot about is what kind of medications you're taking, because certain medications can actually cause your eye pressure to go up. So let's go through the list. We have things like decongestants anti depressants, any histamines so in treating this condition and I want to talk more holistically are using integrative medicine. One of the herbs I like is something called Coleus and you can get This is a tincture,
Today, I want to take a look at the research on using deep learning and artificial intelligence to make early diagnoses of eye conditions by analyzing images of the retina. This technology can identify diseases like macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy, and may even indicate risks of cardiovascular issues and early-stage dementia. Enjoy the show!
If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com. If you have any questions, submit them to hello@drsamberne.com or you can now text me! Text ‘Join’ to 1-844-932-1291 to join the community and ask your questions!
Referenced Article: Prediction of cardiovascular risk factors from retinal fundus photographs via deep learning
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
retina, deep learning, researchers, disease, deep learning model, eye, podcast, diagnosis, macular degeneration, eye exam, degeneration, capillaries, early, artificial intelligence, biological, level, macula, micro, early diagnosis, clarity
00:06
Hey everybody, its Dr. Sam and I'd like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. If you want to get in touch with me with questions, you can email me at hello@drsamberne.com. And you can always text me your questions at 1-844-932-1291. I would like to let you know about my new membership program. This is going to offer members new information on how to improve their vision and wellness. So you will get access to articles, video, blogs, podcasts, and webinars. Also a live Q&A with me. And all of this information will empower you to make informed decisions about your vision, and your health. So to sign up to go to my website, drsamberne.com. And you can see the details there. All right now on to the show.
01:36
Hey, everybody, its Dr. Sam, I'd like to welcome you to our EyeClarity podcast today. So I want to bring in some interesting research. And it has to do with being able to make an early diagnosis of eye conditions. And once you have that diagnosis, you can then use proactive or preventative ways to either slow down the progression, and in some cases, even reverse the disease process. So there's a new type of research out there called deep learning this is done through artificial intelligence. And researchers are using pictures of the retina cells. It's the micro capillaries, the optic nerve, the macula. And when you go for an eye exam, either the eye doctor looks with a some kind of a scope at your retina back of your eye. Or he or she now can use a photography instrument to take a measurement of the status of your retina cells, your macula, your optic nerve, and so on. So in this next level of diagnosis, what researchers are doing is they are calculating your biological age, using what we call deep learning models. And this is an artificial intelligence process. Whereby what happens is the researchers have hooked into a very large database of pictures of the eye. And these images show different stages of the diagnosis, diseases, especially in the areas of macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy. And you know, in other podcasts, I've talked about how eye doctors can look at the retina, because it's such a great window into the body. And they can even pick up the brain health. So early stages of dementia, and even cardio vascular disease because when you look at the retina, you're looking at the health of the tiniest blood vessels that are in the body, which we call the micro capillaries. And I've talked about them a lot because the micro capillaries are key in your ability to oxygenate and hydrate the tissue in the back of the eye. And when there's a starvation when there's oxidative stress when there's inflammation in these micro capillaries, this is when disease starts to occur. So in this biological age that the researchers are looking at, if they can tell early on that there might be some deterioration and this is detected through through this deep learning artificial intelligence, because with the database that the researchers have colle...
Join us today as we delve into the exciting world of branding and social media growth. In this episode, I'll be sharing a captivating presentation I recently gave on scoring big in these areas. Get ready to embark on a journey as I recount my personal experiences and offer valuable insights on discovering your target audience and cultivating a thriving social media presence. Don't miss out on this engaging discussion packed with practical tips and strategies for building your brand and expanding your online influence. Enjoy the Show!
If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com. If you have any questions, submit them to hello@drsamberne.com or you can now text me! Text ‘Join’ to 1-844-932-1291 to join the community and ask your questions!
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
started, post, people, podcast, put, talk, question, business, social media, video, great, create, facebook, build, brand, product, tiktok, instagram, youtube, content
I want to talk about adjusting to a reduced prescription for nearsightedness. I received a question from a mother whose son is struggling to adjust to the reduced prescription, experiencing eye strain and muscle pain. When presented with a reduced prescription, the eyes should relax, but some individuals may feel the tension that was previously unnoticed due to a stronger prescription. So we are going to talk about why this might happen and what you can do to relax those muscles. Enjoy the show.
The gallbladder is key to your overall health, so today I am addressing my top tips for gallbladder health. Enjoy the show.
If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com. If you have any questions, submit them to hello@drsamberne.com or you can now text me! Text ‘Join’ to 1-844-932-1291 to join the community and ask your questions!
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
gallbladder, eat, podcast, sam, eyes, exclusive content, foods, formula, produce, membership, absorb, enzyme, bile, health, offering, questions, white flour products, talk, floaters, milk
00:05
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberne.com. Now to the latest EyeClarity episode.
00:30
Before we get to today's show, I want to announce my membership program. This is an opportunity for you to get exposed to my exclusive content and resources, things you won't see on my social media or website. The reason why I'm offering this membership program is to give you valuable information to empower you to make informed decisions about your vision and your wellness. You'll receive personalized support and coaching, goal setting, and I'm going to make you accountable so that you achieve your goals.
01:16
Also, with the membership, you'll have the convenience of 24/7 access without having to pay for weekly appointments. We'll be offering a private Facebook community so we'll be able to share with each other. And you'll be able to come to my live q&a and ask me questions.
01:43
So if you're interested, you can go to my website, Dr. Sam berne.com. And sign up now. Okay, now to the show.
02:14
Hey, everybody, welcome to the podcast today. So I want to take a few questions. The first question I want to talk about is a woman on TikTok has asked me, What can she do if she's had her gallbladder taken out? Well, in some of my content, I talk about the importance of gallbladder health. And I help. Remember, it's the liver that produces the bile. And it's the gallbladder that stores the bile. And it's the bile that helps us absorb those very important fat soluble vitamins that we need for our eye health. Things like vitamin A,
03:04
lutein z is Anthon.
03:08
And when we do not either produce enough Bile
03:13
or store the bile properly, which is the gallbladder, then we may not be absorbing our fat soluble nutrients as well as we could.
03:27
So whether you have your gallbladder or not.
03:30
I want to give you some information that can help you either support a healthier gallbladder or if the gallbladder has been taken out. What can you do? So let's talk first, if you've had your gallbladder taken out, it's very important that you know that you can eat a lot of fatty foods. So this would be things like steak, or home ground beef, bacon, pork,
03:59
things like lamb or sausage, and even dairy products, like whole milk or cheese, butter, lard, and even highly processed foods. Things with sugar in them, you know the white flour products, pies, cinnamon rolls,
04:21
and you want to steer yourself towards more high fiber type of foods, things that contain calcium and the B vitamins, the trace minerals, some of these high fiber foods would be things like beans or lentils. I even would go for things like
04:43
whole grain foods, nuts and seeds, things like chia seeds, flax seeds, and the foods that contain loads of antioxidants. These would be things like kale and spinach, citrus fruits, the berry family and of course your
05:00
cruciferous vegetables, like broccoli and cauliflower, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts,
Here is a fireside chat I had recently with a private group of interested consumers in vision improvement. We cover all the hot topics in holistic eye care including Glaucoma, eye exercises, dry eye, floaters, and more. Enjoy the Show.
If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com. If you have any questions, submit them to hello@drsamberne.com or you can now text me! Text ‘Join’ to 1-844-932-1291 to join the community and ask your questions!
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
eye, myopia, glaucoma, astigmatism, lens, nearsighted, cataracts, farsightedness, part, work, retina, floaters, macula, vision, eyedrops, give, reduce, prescription, body, related
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberne.com. Now to the latest EyeClarity episode.
I am a optometrist and might be called a behavioral optometrist, holistic optometrist. And I’ve been in practice for over 30 years, and have developed a lot of modalities to help people improve their eyesight and vision. I am a firm believer in the Bates method. And you still utilize a lot of the things I learned from Dr. Bates and also from the vision educators. So today, I want to give you my perspective, and I want to do a disclaimer and say that this is all educational information. So it’s not a substitute for your doctor. And also, this is my opinion. So it’s, you know, it’s, it’s what I have developed and experienced. But check it out for yourself before you embark on anything. So, you know, when you go for the eye exam, which we all have done, it’s a very mechanical and usually pretty quick experience. And I’m going to be focusing on people who are nearsighted or farsighted, or have a astigmatism at least to start off with, we can get into some of the eye conditions also.
But when you go for that perfunctory exam and you get a lens for nearsightedness, we’ll start there. Basically, the prescription that you’re getting is a computer readout of your score of history. In other words, the adaptations that you have made in your life, to adapt your vision into nearsightedness. And, you know, on a classical definition, nearsightedness is about pulling the world in, it’s about tightening up, it’s about, you know, walking down at a close distance, and you give up your distance, clarity. And so the doctor gives you a minus lens, minus lens negative lens, you might take on more negativity, it’s also a lens that tends to tighten you up and compress you.
And yet, you get that instant gratification that I can see clearly, at 20 feet. But you give up a lot in that transaction, because now you are going down a road of perpetual reinforcement. And for any of you on the, on the call today, if you’re nearsighted. Usually that’s not the first prescription or the last prescription, but you ended up going back subsequently, year after year to get a stronger lens, because it’s a symptom based model. And so you keep getting this nearsighted prescription and then, you know, eventually you get sucked into having to use them all the time. And so one of the things that I talk about in myopia, and this comes from working with 1000s of patients, you know, I have, I’ve done my own clinical research. And so this is what patients have told me about myopia. And this is based more on a behavioral, like, how does it affect you behaviorally, emotionally, energetically? How does it affect your decisions? So what patients have told me about myopia is that first of all, it’s being caught in the past past perceptions. And it’s kind of a historical perspective that nearsighted people get into because in nearsightedness, what happens is at the moment where we start losing our distance acuity, many times there are some circumstance that’s going on, that we don’t understand now could be just something as simple as, you know, being called on in a school in school and feeling embarrassed because you don’t know the answer. There’s definitely a shame connection around the being nearsighted or an invisibility. I don’t want to be seen or maybe numbing out your feelings because you know, you’re afraid so the the primary emotion related to nearsightedness is fear. And, you know, if we kind of look at Chinese medicine, we know that the kidneys represent the fear emotions, so sometimes
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kidneys get involved later on. But the bottom line is is that myopia is, is first of all, it’s growing by epidemic proportions. And when people become nearsighted, they’re fixing their vision up close. And they’re giving up the flexibility, versatility, fluidity of being able to recognize flow. There’s also a hypervigilance in their mental perspective. You know, if you’re nearsighted and you take your lenses off, the first thing to pay attention to is what are you? What are you thinking? What is the mental response when you go into blur, and for most people, when they take the nearsighted glasses off, and they go into blur, they go, Holy cow, I don’t like this, there’s a control issue around like, I want to feel like I’m in control, and I’m out of control. Or I can’t see the details. So I’m, you know, addicted to information, I need to see more detail. I had a lady about three months ago, who came to see me and she was minus five. And at the first session, I gave her the opposite lens prescription, which is called plus lens, the blur, you can find that on my website. And it’s an exercise where I give people the opposite lens to what they normally wear. And as soon as she put that plus lens on now gives you a real deep level of blur that goes way beyond no prescription. So she puts it on and I asked her well, what are you thinking about? She said, Well, the first thing that comes up for me is invasion that I had an uncle and his energy was really invasive to me. And I became nearsighted as a way to keep him out. Because I used to see him every Sunday for dinner, he would come over for dinner to my mom and dad’s house. And it was kind of creepy, because this energy that he would put in to me was really, it made me really scared. And I was only about nine years old when this happened. And I couldn’t really tell my parents. And this is the moment that I started to develop myopia.
So I said, well, let’s just stay with this energy, we don’t need to go into the whole story. It’s more about you know, first order experience, what are you feeling in your body? Where do you feel it, track it. And within about, I would say five minutes, she released that memory, that energy. And she said, Oh, you know, this blur actually feels relaxing. To my eyes, it’s kind of a relief. And so we did this process over a week. And by the end of the week, I remeasured her eyes, and she’d gone from a minus five to a minus 350, just in one week. And so she recognized that her mental attitude was was putting this energy into her into her eyes, saying I need to be on high alert, I need to be hyper vigilant because I need to defend myself against this family member. So anyways, to fast forward, we kept doing some things where we go into the blur, we also did some high dialogue with each eye. And I just saw her the other day. And now she’s only wearing a minus one and a quarter. She’s gone from minus five to minus one and a quarter, and a very short period of time. And she’s only using those for driving. And she recognized that the amount of myopia that she created was really an artificial
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representation of what she needed as that nine year old to have some sense of safety. So that’s another issue with people. Now the other thing that happened to her is that she was in a job that she didn’t really like and now going from minus five to minus one and a quarter she quit. And she’s now going to do what she really wants to do is photography.
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So that’s a really cool case history over a very short period of time, where she was ready to really confront the mental part of her myopia. Now, there have been a number of people that I’ve helped over the years. I’ve another case where there was a gentleman who came to see me he was in his 40s and he was developing
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What we call presbyopia. Now he’s nearsighted. But he was now in progressive bifocals. And if you’ve ever seen my content on social, you know that I don’t really like progressive lenses because they split your vision into different compartments. And for a nearsighted person to start going into presbyopia, it’s, it’s really unnecessary. So again, his prescription was about minus six. And during the exam, what I decided to do with him, because he was also into bodywork is I did about a half hour of cranial sacral therapy, I’m a cranial sacral therapist. So I helped him unwind some of his myopia that was in his head and neck. And then I re measured his prescription. And I couldn’t believe it, he measured like minus four, and he was able to see 2020 on the eye chart. That’s the relationship between tension in our eyes and our body and myopia. That’s another connector anyways. So I said, Let’s do minus four for distance. And then I gave him a minus three for his computer in his reading. And now, it just so happens, he’s using a minus 250, for everything. So he’s completely out of the presbyopia. He’s reduced his prescription quite a bit. And he recognized that a lot of his myopia was related to tension. And some of my somatic body colleagues have said to me that 60 to 80% of body tension is carried in the eyeballs.
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That’s a lot. I don’t know if it is 60 to 80%. But certainly, with all the screen time we’re doing, I think that we do carry a lot of tension, because we’re so high centric, and we’re so detail centric. Okay, I could spend hours on myopia, but let’s move to the second condition, farsightedness, or hyperopia. So this is a very interesting condition. Because what happens in farsightedness or hyperopia is that you wear what we call a plus lens, a magnifying lens. Now, you know, if you just think about it, well, that doesn’t sound so bad, I’m wearing a plus lens. But what happens in a plus lens is that it reduces your eye muscle responsiveness. So we have six muscles that attach to the other part of the eye. And we also have these little tiny ciliary muscles, they’re called Little ligaments that attach to the lens of the eye inside the eye. And in both sets of muscles, they do different things to help us with visual coordination with visual focus bringing things into a resolution. But when once we start wearing a magnifying lens, that all goes out the window because the magnifying lens makes things artificially bigger. And so you don’t contribute or interact with your eye muscles in the same way. And they eventually become very flaccid or unresponsive.
And this is why when you wear a magnification lens, even for a short period of time, you take them off and you can’t focus. So the key thing about farsighted this is I’m not really great at focusing or focusing up close, I’m losing my detail. It’s the opposite of nearsightedness, which is I do have really good detail, but I give up the distance. The initial steps and farsightedness is I see pretty well in the distance, but I can’t see up close. So a lot of times people will get that magnification, you know, the readers, and you know, it usually starts to to affect you at around age 40 Because you starting to lose your focusing flexibility. When you get the readers, you were in for a while, and all of a sudden your distance vision is starting to go. So you go back to the doctor and he says well now let’s put you into bifocals. So now you’ve got a less prescription in the magnification for distance and then now you have even more magnification for reading. So this is kind of like a death spiral with your vision. If you’re farsightedness and anybody who’s farsighted out there probably knows what I’m talking about. Because eventually the lenses just get thicker and thicker. And by the way, the thicker the lens, the more disconnected you become from your eyes. Another thing about as the lens gets stronger, the power gets more. A lot of times not only are you you losing your distance vision, but you’re also using losing
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you’re intermediate, and then eventually your close vision. And if you wear bifocals or trifocals, or progressive lenses, and you’re trying to figure it out on the screen, now you’re focusing your eyes through a tiny part of the lens. This is training your brain to ignore peripheral vision, the most important part of your seeing, because peripheral vision is about developing depth perception. It’s important for visual memory. It’s important, very important for orientation, and depth perception. Let me give you a case history. This is a great one. So this was an 81 year old who came to see me and she was scheduled for cataract surgery. And she was very farsighted. She was I would say, plus four for distance, and then she was probably about plus three for her bifocal, and the doctor was pressuring her into the cataract surgery. And she wanted no part of that. So she came to she was in a wheelchair, and she her husband pushed her in to the office, wheeled her in, and she said, Dr. Byrne, I need for you to help me because I don’t want to get cataract surgery. So I put her on a protocol which
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dissolved the cataract like within six months. And so now she was at six, I think 650 For her bifocal plus for now, after working with me for a few years, she’s only wearing reading glasses, and I think the prescription is about a plus 350 She’s not wearing anything for distance, her balance, and her orientation and her walking has improved. But the big thing that she’s excited about is that she’s out of those progressive lenses, and she is seeing the world. So well she knits that’s her passion. She’s a master knitter and she says I’ve never seen the yarn. So clearly. So you know this is one case after another that I’m sharing with you, but you can definitely improve your farsightedness. Some other things about foresight and this to know is they tend to be more
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projecting into the future. It’s more of a future oriented way of seeing but coming into the present, not not quite as easy for them. They’re always looking ahead. Another thing about it the primary emotion that people tell me about farsightedness is anger. So again, in Chinese medicine, the organ that dealing with anger is the liver meridian. And so you know if you’re gonna get some acupuncture, you know, working on that liver meridian and your anger sometimes that can also help bring down the farsightedness. I also see with farsightedness it’s a little challenging to make decisions, especially when you when you have to break down the problem in a way where you look at the individual parts. In nearsightedness, you can see the parts but you don’t see the whole picture.
And in farsightedness, you see the whole picture, but you have a hard time breaking it down into the different parts to maybe seeing the sequence or the things that you may need to do. And so, you know, in both cases, as you begin to dissolve your prescription, it definitely changes the way you problem solve and see situations, see relationships and so on. Okay, I don’t want to run out of time here I want to talk about a astigmatism. So a astigmatism is a really interesting, refractive error. Because what happens initially in the astigmatism is the eye begins to change its shape towards like an egg shape instead of being completely round. It’s more like a football or an egg. And part of the reason that occurs is because of those six eye muscles that are attaching to the eyeball that’s held in the socket of the eye. They’re not working equally, maybe you know, certain pairs of muscles are working more than another pair. And this creates the shape to change. It can also occur in the lens of the eye with those ciliary ligaments as well so you can get a stigmatism in the eye, you can get it in the lens. But here’s the rub.
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When you have a an eye that’s now shaped, you know, like an egg or a football. This creates a kind of warping consciousness warp, so there’s a curve and in this warp, what happens is mentally in perception
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Li, you start seeing these different kinds of blur. Another way that I might describe a stigmatism in that warping is a twist. So the eye becomes twisted in a way. And sometimes this occurs because of posture, you can take a look at your, you know, cervical spine in your neck, or you know, just the way you are presenting yourself to the world. On a postural level, this begins to initiate a twist, and sometimes the twist occurs more in the body, and then that shows up in the eye. Sometimes it shows up in the eye, and then that influences the twist in the body. And so you have this twist, and you go to the eye doctor, and what does he or she do, fits you with the warp fits you with the twist. And all that’s going to do on a mind body level. And a mind eye body level is reinforce the twist to reinforce the work. And so you think then at that point, ah, everything is corrected. But what’s really going on is that you are now looking through this warped perception.
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This is very disconcerting. And as you continue to wear the astigmatism prescription, it induces more embeddedness in the twist either in the body or in the eyes, in your consciousness. And sometimes the astigmatism is the same in each eye, but then sometimes it’s different. And so this creates even more of a split, more of a warp. I’ve seen sometimes with the stigmatism, when we work with each eye separately, is that the eye splits in creates this warp because of trauma or and when I say trauma, it could be emotional trauma or psychological trauma, or just confusion that we kind of split our eye into a couple of different fragmentations. And that’s the way we survive. So there’s a real connection to survival, trauma, confusion. And so there you go. Now, in my practice, because I’ve studied body work and things like Feldenkrais and Alexander and something called continuing movement and cranial sacral and yoga, I’m a body person. And so I look at a person’s body, the way they walk the way they hold themselves. I remember I was working. This happened about a year ago, I was working with this college golfer he was he was a really good scratch golfer. And he came in because his doctor had prescribed Goddess’s astigmatism.
So if you know about golf, and you know, you take a swing and you’re twisting a lot, right, so I had him stand and walk and twist and turn. And I said, you know, I think a lot of this astigmatism is due to the fact of how much twisting you’re doing in the golfing, and the doctor has fixed you in that eye twist to match the twisting in the body. And he said, You know, I started wearing a stigmatism glasses when I started playing golf said, okay, so anyways, we went through a process where I actually made him up a pair of glasses that were not a stigma to no astigmatism in it. And when he put them on, the first thing he said is, wow, things look really warped. And I said, Well, yes, maybe they looked really warped, or maybe this is the way things should look. And he was kind of tuned into that.
He said, you know, that makes more sense to me. And the other thing he said about the non astigmatism glasses, he said, my body feels so much freer without the astigmatism on my eyes, even though it’s a little blurry. I said, okay, so start using the glasses in non demanding situations, and you can take walks with them, but you know, go easy, start slowly with them. So he did this for about a month. And then he came back in, and I measured his eyes and I said, Well, your astigmatism is now half as strong as it was. When you first came in. He says, Yeah, you know, I’m feeling that way as well. And so we reduced the astigmatism correction, we gave him half so when he was golfing, you know, he could see the golf ball and see the pin and we want them to be able to see the ball when he hits it. But then he kept wearing the non astigmatism glasses. And then I started to do some cranial sacral on on my head and get some other kind of body work took three months.
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US and a stigmatism gone eyesight 2020. And he said to me that the way he now sees and moves through the world is in a much more fluid, letting it come to him, letting it happen being in a flow state, whereas before, he was always grabbing, and tensing and wheeling it making it happen. And he also said that his reading improved, and even his golf game improved. So that was a really cool relationship between that that body movement from the from the golf, and how that went into his astigmatism into his eyes in his body. So I would leave you with this, that with any of these conditions, whether you’re nearsighted, farsighted, or you have astigmatism, or you’re going into the presbyopia where you need reading glasses, I think the, the bottom line is, is that if you can find and they’re out there have a holistic developmental optometrist or behavioral optometrist who can work with you through maybe some of the base exercises or some of the other exercises, and then giving you reduced prescriptions, or prescriptions that support the expansion that you go through, you can also improve your vision and reduce your dependency on the lenses. So that’s part one, I see I have a little more time. So I want to go into eye circulation and eye health a little bit, because that is another area that really is exploding in our culture. Because if we look at the big three diseases, macular degeneration, cataracts, and glaucoma, and I probably add a fourth one dry eye, it’s off the charts with people complaining about these or suffering these conditions. And yet, the standard medical care is pretty limited. And if you don’t want to do pharmaceutical drugs, which are symptom based, or some type of invasive surgery, then what I’m about to say, is going to give you another option to think about just yesterday, I had a woman who flew out from New York, she was diagnosed with cataracts.
And she said, you know, she went to three surgeons, and they were pressuring her to get the cataract surgery. And of course, because their income depends on doing these cataract surgeries. She wanted an independent opinion on what I would recommend. So one of the things about cataracts is to know what kind of cataract you have. So there’s the nuclear cataracts, which are the age related that’s the cataract that’s more in the front of the lens in the center part of the lens. There’s the posterior subcapsular cataract which is also in the center, but it’s in the back part of the lens. And those are more age related. Although the posterior capsule sub capsule airy can also be related to if you’ve taken steroid drugs or you know, you have to look at if, if in your life, you’ve taken pharmaceutical drugs or you’re going to take some some of these drugs cause cataracts and glaucoma so you need to be very, very careful about what you’re taking. You can’t depend on your doctor to do the homework, you have to do the homework to say Wow, is this really something I want to take? Anyway, the third type of cataract is called cortical, and that’s what she had. So cortical is like spokes on a wheel. It’s along the edges of the the lens. And it’s related sometimes to glucose molecules attaching to the protein or collagen particles molecules in the lens of the eye. And the process is called glycation.
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So anyways, we came up with a plan that combined using eyedrops and also some supplements and also the big thing for her was a low carb diet doing some intimate intermittent fasting.
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And, you know, making sure she was getting enough of healthy fats and oils and the four essential ingredients for a healthy lens glutathione vitamin C, lutein and zeaxanthin. I’m sure you’ve heard of these before. Anyways, she’s super excited and you know her eyesight is still very good. So she doesn’t need cataract surgery. And so she went away from the session like okay, now I’ve got a plan and I feel
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She’s probably going to dissolve the cataracts. So the thing with cataracts is that most people do get them. I’ve read statistics, anywhere between 70 and 90% of the population are going to develop cataracts in their life, but you don’t have to. Again, you know, diet and nutrition are really important in this, in this equation, I think the sugar that’s in our foods is something that you need to track. And if you’re going to do sweeteners, you want to make sure you’re doing low glycemic index foods. You know, consider intermittent fasting, you know, again, work with your functional medicine doctor or your functional naturopath. You can also even look at things like a low carb diet or a Mediterranean diet. You know, I’m not a cookbook person. So I don’t have one diet for everybody. Some people do really well on the ketogenic diet, some people do really well as vegans. And I think that, you know, you have to know your body, you might get some lab tests to figure out, okay, what is my body? Do? What does it need? What’s my dietary absorption? What’s my inflammatory situation? And then you go from there. So
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I’m not able to give kind of one answer for everybody, because it’s all dependent on lifestyle, stress, genetics, and diet. And so those things are really part of what you have to do in your self examination. But if we move to macular degeneration, so the macula is the center part of the retina, where we see detail, it’s a part of the retina that’s very vulnerable, because it doesn’t have direct blood supply through it. So relies on its nutrients indirectly. And so when we think about the retina, the retina has one of the highest metabolic nutritional needs in the entire body. And the macula has the highest nutritional need in the retina. So in this particular scenario, it’s not uncommon where that Macula starts to get starved for a variety of reasons, inflammation, or just poor dietary absorption, or whatever. And what happens is oxidative stress starts to accumulate, we can either get dry, which is not a serious or we can get the wet kind where the fluid starts to accumulate behind the macula. And again, you know, in the mainstream, although it’s changing, there are kind of glimpses that yes, there are some things you can do to help improve your macular health. I’ll throw in another condition called macular pucker, or epiretinal membrane disorder.
I see a lot of those cases and that brings in the vitreous, which is the gel sack that sits in front of the retina. And sometimes the vitreous shrinks and it starts to pull on the macula, the macula wrinkles, and there’s your macular pucker, also, inflammation or other eye surgeries can lead to macular pucker as well. So the bottom line is, if it were me number one, I would really amp up my vitamin A lutein, Xia Xanthan and asked his Anthon for macular health. Now, in addition to the vitamin A situation, things like zinc are very important also having a healthy liver and gallbladder. So if you know we are taking these nutrients and we’re not seeing any improvement, the next step is to see if we are actually absorbing our fat soluble vitamins. Vitamin A is fat soluble, lutein and zeaxanthin are fat soluble. So we have to look at the health of our liver that produces the bile, and the gallbladder stores the bile. So if you have a congested liver or gallbladder either get some you can get some acupuncture, or you can take some bile salts after a meal. I have a really great gallbladder formula that I that I’ve started providing to my patients, because a lot of them were in fact, getting the nutrients that they need, but they were still having some some symptoms and some some problems there. So that would be first and foremost. The second thing I want to clue you in on is the therapeutic value of red light. 670 nanometers. Dr. Glen Jeffery did a study University College of London, where he found that giving people red light into the eyes. Over a period of about 12 weeks. This was a morning exposure to red light, improved people’s macular health, reduce their drusen
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Improve their visual acuity by about 22%. So using red light on the eyes can also be very helpful if you suffer any kind of macular conditions. Retina conditions, retinopathy, hypertensive retinopathy, diabetic retinopathy, if you’ve had a retinal detachment, or your risk for retinal detachment or lattice degeneration or retinal holes, anything related to the retina, macula, I do think that the red light is something you ought to take a look at. I think it’s very helpful in increasing the mitochondria health in the retina and the macula. And this particular mitochondria increase reverses the aging in the eye, which tends to happen in all of us after about age 45. So if you can boost your mitochondria health, by all means, go for it. And there’s more and more research coming out in the medical journals, supporting red light, not only to help our eyes, but our body as well. So I think red light would be another thing to say. And then last thing is that, you know, the retina is made up of about 50% fatty acids, so your omega threes, or at least the good fats and oils, whether you get them through nuts and seeds, or supplementation, I think that you want to take a look at your healthy fats and oils. That’s really, really important.
And now I’m going to segue to dry eye I’ll come back to glaucoma. So in dry eye, one of the keys is eyelid health. And one of the problems with dry eye is the meibomian glands which are by the eyelashes, they don’t work properly, they may be inflamed, they may be damaged, because they produce the oily part of the tears, which reduces the evaporation of the tear. So when you have something like blepharitis meibomian gland dysfunction, you’re probably going to suffer dry and part of the reason is you’re not getting that oily component of the tears. So the key here is reducing the inflammation in the eyelids and in the body. So you can do that either diet with diet for sure. You can also do it with a castor oil massage. And I know Claudia probably has talked to you about castor oil.
I know we’ve talked about it, and we’re both very positive. We’re very high about castor oil as a way to help reduce the inflammation in the eyelids. In fact, there was a study that ophthalmologists did where they took people who had meibomian gland dysfunction and they gave him an A Castro eyedrop and there was a significant reduction in the dry from just using the castor oil treatment. So that would be something that I would suggest. If you’re going to be using eyedrops I would definitely steer towards natural eyedrops or eye drops that don’t have all the chemicals and preservatives in it whether you do homeopathic eyedrops natural tear eyedrops or MSM, eyedrops, but whatever you’re going to do, I think that the bottom line is you don’t want to be using eyedrops that you get from the drugstore because things like vi zine and you know some of the sustain and some of these other eyedrops are really going to dry your eyes out even more. And they’re going to also
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create more redness and more irritation. Just some other quick things about dry eye that I have found to be really important is estrogen levels. So if your estrogen levels are really low or really high, this can lead to dry eye also thyroid issues as well. I also think you know how well your two eyes are working together we call this
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I call this the functional aspects of your vision. So Visual coordination, visual focusing if your two eyes are not functioning well, this can also lead to a dryness because of stress and, you know, blue light and I think that blue light that comes off the screens can be very drying. So consider maybe some kind of protection. On the screen. One of the companies I really like and I have no financial interest with them is a company called acha shield. And they have nice screens that you can put on your tablets or phones or your computers. So or you can go with blue blockers as well but perhaps even after 6pm using something to protect your eyes from the blue light cannot
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also reduce some of the dryness. The thing about dry is that it’s a puzzle. And again, one size does not fit all. So you may have to try different things to help you in being able to both get relief and also begin to move you away from the dry eye syndrome. Okay, I wanted to talk about two more situations and then we’ll open it up for questions. The first is glaucoma. So with glaucoma, this is a vascular disease that affects the eyes. One of the things I’ve observed is that it can also affect the circulation in the brain, or the circulation in the brain can affect the eyes, or the circulation in the eyes can affect the brain. There have been studies that show there can be a correlation between Alzheimer’s dementia and glaucoma. So, bottom line, we’re talking about circulation and the retina, the optic nerve, specially the optic nerve needs to be protected in glaucoma. It’s also a disease that’s very difficult to diagnose. And it’s very quick for high doctors to say oh, you may be a glaucoma suspect, let’s immediately put you on the glaucoma medications. So you need to check three things. The first is your peripheral vision, testing your visual fields, your optic nerve health and your eye pressure. You can’t just diagnose glaucoma, just because of your eye pressure and high pressure fluctuates. Also, some people have higher eye pressure and don’t have glaucoma. And some people have normal eye pressure and they have a risk of glaucoma. There are many different kinds of glaucoma. But again, if you can work on a couple of things number one, your lymphatic health. Number two your inflammation levels, especially in your eyes. And number three, making sure you’re getting enough fats and oils. Little gingko little taurine, bilberry vitamin A for optic nerve health. That goes a long way because if you can protect your optic nerve, then you get to neutralize the effects of of glaucoma. I’ve also found glop, glop with glaucoma, acupuncture and cranial sacral therapy to be very helpful in being able to neutralize the ill effects of of glaucoma and be very, very cautious about going into doing things like a vitrectomy procedure because it creates scar tissue, and it may only be a temporary solution in improving the circulation in the eyes.
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All right, let’s talk a minute about floaters. So most people in their life are going to get floaters and floaters represent
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a part of the eye which we call the vitreous, which is a collagen sac. And it’s a gel sac. And if it begins to change its integrity, either by drying out or becoming too wet. Then what happens is we start to get these this floating debris in the vitreous. Thus, we’re calling them floaters. And you go to your eye doctor and probably they’ll say we could laser them out which you definitely don’t want to do, or you know, just live with it and we’ll watch it. So here are some tips on being able to reduce your floaters. Number one, there’s an enzyme called bromelain. This is in pineapple. Some studies have shown this can be very helpful in reducing some types of floaters. Number two, improving your lymphatic health. This is where I like to do things like the long swings or sunning In other words, I want to move my eyes in my body and improve my lymphatic health. That’s really very helpful. Number three, consider doing some kind of a detoxification process, maybe a liver cleanse, gallbladder cleanse. Sometimes the floaters are related to toxicities. Number four, check in about your dentistry. So if you’ve had root canals, or you know you’ve had mercury amalgams or you’ve had difficulties with your teeth, sometimes this will trigger floaters in the eye. Being exposed to blue light doing a lot of screen time, being under a lot of visual stress. These things can cause a floater so reducing high stress using blue blockers. Just doing some of the eye exercises. The palming exercise on a regular basis can be helpful.
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And then the last one is MSM eyedrops. So my 15% MSM eyedrops, have helped some people reduce floaters, but it’s not a guarantee, and I don’t want to sell you on it, because it doesn’t work for everybody. But certainly a lot of my patients have had some benefits using the 15% MSM. The one thing I’ll caution you about the MSM 15% is they sting and they burn when you put them in, but that’s actually a good thing. My community uses the word feel the I burn as a positive, but it can be kind of startling. So if you’re going to try MSM, I might start with the 5% First get used to it before you move into the 15%. But you can definitely reduce floaters. There can be an ebb and flow where sometimes they get better sometimes they get worse. Track your body what you’re eating, what your sleep is like what your toxicity is like, and that might give you a clue on what you need to do to reduce your floaters.
Thank you for listening. I hope you learned something from the EyeClarity podcast show today. If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to subscribe on iTunes or Spotify and leave a review. See you here next time.
I want to cover a topic I get a lot of questions about. EMF Exposure and our health. EMF exposure from our digital devices and its potential impact on our health. EMF pollution can affect various aspects of our well-being, including heart rate, blood pressure, brainwaves, circulation, and even our eyes. While some research suggests no health effects, many individuals experience issues like insomnia, inflammation, memory and concentration problems, mood changes, and even DNA alterations due to EMF exposure. So let’s dig in. Enjoy the Show.
If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com. If you have any questions, submit them to hello@drsamberne.com or you can now text me! Text ‘Join’ to 1-844-932-1291 to join the community and ask your questions!
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
emf, emf exposure, digital devices, microwave, earthing, affect, waves, head, bluetooth, sandia mountains, eyes, exposure, emfs, brainwaves, electricity, ridge, neutralize, exposed, pollution, magnetic waves
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberne.com. Now to the latest EyeClarity episode.
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Hey everybody, its Dr. Sam and I’d like to welcome you to my I clarity podcast today. I’m on a great hike up to this area. I’m heading up to this ridge over here, it’s probably going to take me a couple hours. But I wanted to address this question that I get probably once a week. And it has to do with EMF exposure from all our digital devices. So in today’s show, I’m going to talk a bit about EMFs and how they may affect our health.
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EMF pollution can do things like increase your heart rate, your blood pressure, affect your brainwaves, your heart circulation, and your heart waves, and of course, your eyes. So my first comment about EMFs. And how it may affect your health is that in some of the research, scientists feel that EMF pollution does not affect our health at all.
I’ve also gotten complaints from people who use electronic devices have more insomnia, higher levels of inflammation, memory and concentration issues. The EMF exposure affects their moods, so it could affect their dopamine levels. And some of the studies I’ve seen actually show that it can affect your DNA. In another study I looked at the EMF waves affect our calcium in the cells. Now, calcium is important, because it helps in the communication on a cellular level.
So this gets scrambled as we get exposed to EMF pollution. You know, one report I read is that the average person spends up to 10 hours a day on their digital devices. So one of the things I recommend is getting an EMF tester. And this way you can test both the EMF waves and the magnetic waves, and you can see what you’re exposed to. One surprising thing that I saw in some of the research is how damaging the microwaves are to our body. And I know a lot of people cook with microwaves. When I was studying with my teacher, Dr. Hazel Parcells, some of you know that I’ve referred to her when I met her. She was 103 years old, and she was starting a retreat center in sapio, New Mexico.
And Dr. Parr cells was adamant that putting your food or water in a microwave basically killed the food. And I certainly have some aunts and uncles and my grandparents who used microwaves. And no matter what I would say to them, when I would go visit them, they were addicted to using the microwave. So my suggestion would be if you have a microwave, just get rid of it.
Another trend that I’m looking at right now is how glasses are glasses companies are putting Bluetooth in the frame so that you can actually listen to audio. And you can use Siri and artificial intelligence to program the glasses so that you can listen to your favorite podcast. So I’m kind of against that because I feel that the closer these digital devices are to your head, the more it’s going to affect your brainwaves and also your eyes.
Another trend that I’ve seen is that more and more people are developing flashing lights and they go to their eye doctor and the eye doctor says your retina is fine. Your vitreous is fine. You don’t have any posterior vitreous detachment. And what I have found is that people that are on digital devices all day they absorb all those damaging waves. And this leads to flashing lights and eventually floaters. So here are three things that you You can do to mitigate EMF exposure.
Number one, keep those digital devices away from your head and your eyes and refrain from using Bluetooth. I know a lot of headphones have Bluetooth but I would not recommend putting Bluetooth around your head.
Number two, I would either walk barefoot in grass for part of the day the grounding. And earthing is a necessary practice, you know, our shoes are mostly rubber. So we’re not grounding that electricity into the earth. And it may be that if you can’t do those things, I would look at a company called earthing. And they sell things like earthing mats, you can actually put your feet on it while you’re working at your computer. They even have it for your bed. So that that will help discharge some of the electricity.
And then number three, I think you need to really boost your antioxidant levels. This is a way to neutralize all the exposure that you may be getting from all the electromagnetic waves, whether it’s wireless, or also just being around your digital device. So the jury is still out. But in my view, I think that you need to take care of yourself and your family by reducing the exposure to EMFs especially after 6pm and turn your wireless off at night. If you can use an Ethernet I would do that as well. And you know we are immersed in EMF, so I don’t think we can get away from them. But these are some simple ways that you can at least neutralize some of the ill effects. Well, that’s our show for today.
I want to thank you so much for coming on this great hike. I have about another two hours up to the top of the ridge. We’re here in the Sandia Mountains on the lose trail. Beautiful 60 to 60 degree day and until next time, everybody. Take good care.
Thank you for listening. I hope you learned something from the EyeClarity podcast show today. If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to subscribe on iTunes or Spotify and leave a review. See you here next time.
Here is a great presentation I gave recently that I wanted to share with you. I talk about my history and how, as an eye doctor, I came to work with children struggling with their development and how that lead to KidPower. Enjoy the show.
If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com. If you have any questions, submit them to hello@drsamberne.com or you can now text me! Text ‘Join’ to 1-844-932-1291 to join the community and ask your questions!
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
child, primitive reflexes, eye, vision, kids, trauma, nearsighted, visual, important, therapy, understand, create, doctor, called, parents, conditions, birth, developmental, nutrition, problem
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberne.com. Now to the latest EyeClarity episode.
Hey everyone, I want to welcome you to my talk today, here at Kidpower. And Albuquerque. Kidpower is near and dear to my heart, because it’s a place I’ve been coming for, I don’t know, over 20 years, and I help the kids with their vision. So I’m going to talk about that today. And to begin with, what I want to do is I want to talk about a core issue that has been coming up in the context of working with kids. And that core issue has to do with cracking the code, cracking the code, with each child, what is it going to take to turn the switch on so that they’re thriving? And when I see a child here at Kidpower, or in my practice, that’s my biggest curiosity, because usually, you know, parents are coming in and we know as parents were really struggling with what’s going on with my child, and why are they struggling in school? And how come they’re not reading and we just went to an IEP, you know, we did the testing, and now they may end up in a special education class.
So I have to say, I have some personal experience, because I was one of those kids. I grew up in the Northeast, and I came from a family that really stressed education. And my parents, my grandparents, my aunts, and uncles, a bunch of intellectuals. And so I remember my uncle going to his house, and he had like, all these books on foreign language, he actually spoke five different languages. And my, my mom and dad, I mean, they just stressed college and grad school. But the thing was, is I was eight years old, and I was diagnosed with a learning disability. And, as I, as I think about it, now, it’s kind of a painful time because I didn’t want to read I didn’t like reading. I wasn’t a good reader. School was really challenging for me. And so my, my mom took me to a lot of places. And we actually ended up like a lot of the kids here at Kidpower. I ended up at an eye doctors office. And he said to me, Well, you’re nearsighted. And let’s give you some glasses. And so I got these lenses. And I started to memorize, that’s how I got through school. And I never was a good test taker. And I just worked really hard. And I was able to do pretty well in high school and college and got into professional school, graduated and I met a, what we call it developmental optometrists. This was a, an eye doctor who looked at vision in a more holistic way. And I was 20 years old. And he had a course that he was offering. And he also was offering his services as a doctor and as me as a patient. So I started going with him, and he diagnosed me with a condition called convergence insufficiency.
Meaning my left eye used to wander out, I would see double vision, I couldn’t focus. I had a little bit of impulsivity, a little bit of hyperactivity, and sounds like ADHD, right. And that’s kind of what I had. And so through his physical therapy exercises, I was able to heal that condition. And because of my pretty extreme nearsightedness that completely dissolved, so I didn’t need my lenses anymore. And so today, I, you know, I’m on my fifth book that I’ve written, and I read voraciously, and my learning is incredible. But when I see kids, I have a lot of empathy for them and their parents, because I was the puzzle I didn’t, you know, know, the first thing and my mom didn’t know at that point, that there were other resources like this. And so, when I meet a child and meet a family, I’m not just looking at the eyeballs, you know, and in traditional eye care, you know, we’ve all been gone to an eye for an eye exam. And what happens you sit in a dark room, and the doctor is flipping lenses. You’re looking behind a machine, and, you know, especially in children and then they use eye drops and it’s a pretty traumatic experience for Right.
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And, and I just, I just kind of go, Look, there’s more to this than trying to figure out the lens prescription and use eyedrops to figure out, you know, something that’s going on that maybe is a learning issue and developmental issue that’s much more than in the eye. And one of the, one of the places that I studied was a place called the gazelle Institute. So Gazelle arnoff, Gazelle was a physician, who in 1948, started this institute, it was, at that point, it was affiliated with Yale University. And being a developmental specialist, he brought in a multidisciplinary group of professionals, who would evaluate children, it reminds me a little bit of Kidpower, in the sense that this is a multidisciplinary clinic, where the therapists and the professionals are studying a variety of different things. Well, I went there in the mid 80s, I spent a year there, and I learned how to evaluate a whole the whole child, the whole person, not just the eyeballs. And so we looked at speech and language, we looked at actually primitive reflexes, we looked at nutrition, we looked at the stimulator health, we looked at trauma, there were many things that we did that at that Institute, which helped me understand about seeing the whole picture seeing, okay, what is the time we should be introducing this activity or this modality. And it was really a profound training, and it launched me, along with my personal healing into my, you know, my current professional state.
And of course, I’ve had many lifetimes in it, studying many different things. But the point is, is that with a child that is struggling, and you know, by the way, you know, the diagnosis of ADHD, ADHD, and the whole spectrum disorders, is off the charts. You know, back in 2016, there was an article that was published in one of the medical journals that said, about 15% of all kids who are diagnosed with ADHD have vision problems. And maybe right here, I should make a distinction between what is a vision problem, can you define that. So when you go to the eye doctor, and they have you read the eye chart, that’s called 2020. That’s your eyesight. Vision is how the eyes and the brain and the body work together, it’s a developmental skill set, that we actually start learning. I say we because all of us started learning. While our mother was carrying us in gestation, that’s when we start to develop our peripheral vision floating in the amniotic fluid, or the birth experience coming out of the birth canal, there are certain signals, cues and signals that the infant needs to have in order to have their sensory motor systems turned on.
And then the bonding period is also critical. And remember, establishing eye contact with your mom and dad, breastfeeding, exploring your environment on the floor, creeping and crawling, doing tummy time, see, all of those fundamental experiences affect our sensory motor development, our brain function. And I just want to say that the eyes are the only part of the brain that sit outside the cranial vault, but the eyes are brain tissue. And because they are brain tissue, they fall under the category of something called neuro plasticity. And all of these kids, one of the main things they have going for them is they have a plasticity in their nervous system, their fluid body, their movement, their emotional body, and so on, that can be repaired, it can be stimulated, they can be improved upon.
And the problem that I see in traditional medical care, is that number one, all the medical practitioners are staying in their little world. And so if you go to a certain doctor, they’re going to diagnose you with that particular thing that they’re specializing in. And so then parents go to three or four of these specialists, and they walk away and they’re totally confused with, what do I do with my child? Where do I plug in? How do I do this? And I remember when I first met Carla, and And we talked about, you know, children and learning, we were so in resonance about with these families understanding that there’s more to it than treating the symptoms, instead getting to the root cause and understanding the global situation with how to unlock the blocks that these kids maybe have come in with. And it’s part of their process. So, in the exploration, in my part of it envision, I want to talk a little bit more about the difference between visual acuity and visual processing.
So if you think about this particular contrast, eyesight, seeing things clearly is a static experience, you know, I see it clear at 20 feet, I see it clear up close. And that’s static. But in vision, it’s so related to our movement, our balance, our orientation, our ability to see the parts, and make a whole perception figure ground, can I see the detail and make a relationship with the whole picture? visual memory, recognizing shapes and forms. And, you know, I know, in my case, when I was back to that eight year old, one of the things that I knew is I was able to see patterns. And I see this in kids here, that, okay, they may have some confusion going on. But if you can set up the environment in a way that’s supportive, then you start to see some of their genius come through.
And each one of them has an individual lock, and key that you have to put together. So it isn’t a cookbook approach. This is another issue I see in some of these big medical practices, is one size fits all. And this is certainly true in the school system, especially in the public schools. And understandably so because they’re overwhelmed. The public schools just don’t have the staff, they don’t have the money. And then these kids get put into these special education classes, and they get lost. And that’s why I’ve always said to parents, you have to be the squeaky wheel, you have to ask for more services, you may have to step outside your normal, you know, every day public school experience to get some help. So that being said, when I am evaluating a child, one of the things that I’m looking at, is in their visual system, how connected are their eyes, to their body and their movement. And I would say the fundamental theme that I see over and over again, whether it’s here at Kidpower, or in the bigger stage with kids along the spectrum disorders, is that their eyes and their vision are developmentally behind some of their other sensory motor skills. And when we think about any person, we think about their nervous system, right? We call that the fight flight freeze response.
One of the people that’s really done a lot of great research and writing on it is a man named Steven Porges. And he came up with a theory called the poly vagal theory, I would recommend looking at that it’s a very complex theory. And I I want to give Dr. Porges, full kind of honoring and what his writings are and his teachings are, but one of the aspects that I really take away when I study Dr. Porges is trauma. And so I want to take a moment and I want to talk a bit about trauma. Gabor, Ma Tei has written a lot about trauma, I highly recommend him he’s a very well known psychiatrist. He’s written a number of books. He wrote a great book on ADHD many years ago, and he’s talked a lot about trauma. I have personal experience with trauma in that when I started my first practice in the Philadelphia area i i associated with another developmental optometrist. His name was Dr. Ellis Adelman and for five years I apprenticed in his office, and it was probably one of the most
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the deepest experiences I had in learning how to work with kids. Dr. Elman was amazing. He was in his 60s when I was in my 20s. And I was so grateful that he took me in. And we actually ended up becoming partners. I built up a very big practice in Philadelphia, which I sold and moved out to New Mexico about 25 years ago. But the point that I’m trying to make is that in this trauma situation, one of the things that I had to do to build my practice in Philadelphia, because I couldn’t get any patients, because we were in a very conservative area, is I went to some of the hospitals, and I volunteered to help their traumatic brain injury patients. And over a period of about three months, I was able to help hundreds of people heal their double vision, their blurred vision, their brain fog, their memory issues, through the physical light therapy techniques that I learned at the gazelle Institute. And it launched me into a position where I became very well known in Philadelphia, because of my traumatic brain injury work and the regular eye doctors, they had no interest in working with these kinds of patients. But the physical therapy was the thing that brought them back. Now, in that process, I also recognized there was a whole population of kids in the Philadelphia area that were special needs. And these were Down syndrome, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia, obviously, the spectrum disorders. So I focused on that community. And I said, I can really help this community. And between working with those kids and working with a traumatic brain injury, they kind of came together.
And it’s how I built a very successful practice. And I got my name out there. And I was very well known. And I did some research and writings on traumatic brain injury. And so I really understood how trauma affects our nervous system. And even more deeply our brain, our cerebral spinal fluid, are connected tissue or fascia. And with the visual system, when we are exposed to trauma, because the eyes are kind of a soft tissue doesn’t show up on the MRI scan. So it’s soft symptoms, like you know, as I say, double vision, blurred vision, focusing issues, memory problems, issues with vestibular and balance and orientation. And so through the physical therapy, I was able to help people heal and release the trauma.
And it kind of catapulted me into this next phase is when I moved out to New Mexico, and I started working with birth trauma, I started working with kids who were along the spectrum disorders, and I remember working with an OT up in Santa Fe where I practice and live. And she said, You know, I think you want to go back to massage school and learn cranial sacral therapy. And this was a major breakthrough for me, because I spent about two years studying cranial sacral. And I started to apply it with these kids who had had birth trauma. And it unlocked the developmental delays that they were going through it not only did it improve the visual system, but it seemed to balance out their nervous system. And it also helped their ability to sleep better, to function better to learn better. And so I recognize this as a great modality in releasing trauma. So one of the things to note in this whole population is what was the birth boy. And this is such a pivotal question to be asking. And it’s kind of weird when I go to conferences, and I might start talking to other doctors about birth and the importance of birth. deer in the headlights.
They have no concept relationship or interest in how our birth imprint affects us. But if you think about things like forceps delivery, if you think about the suction, or breech birth or Susteren when I did my cranial training, we worked with pregnant moms we worked with women giving birth, doing cranial sets didn’t grow right after birth. It was mind blowing to see how those kids launched differently by removing those early impediments. So that’s why the birth is so important in this conversation, and then the next conversation to have is bonding. So many of these kids are taken away from their mom, at the most essential time when they need to bond which is right after birth. You’ve heard of the hormone, oxytocin. Oxytocin is one of those love, I love you, hormones that mom and her newborn get to have that experience. Now, sometimes in premature babies, we have to put them in the incubator, or again, they’re taken away or mom was completely knocked out, because of Pitocin, or other drugs.
These are the issues that later on start to affect our eye brain connection, I mean, much more than that speech, language, auditory, or motor, and so on even our biochemistry, which I’ll get to in a minute. So the point of the story is, trauma, trauma creates a paralysis in our system. It also reduces those good brain hormones that we need like dopamine, and serotonin, which are critically important in our circadian rhythms and our moods, and those kinds of things. So when I studied cranial sacral, I started to understand how much trauma impacted a child’s sensory motor developmental arc. And then I got introduced to something called the primitive survival reflexes. And here it Kidpower they have
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they have dove deeply into how critical the primitive reflexes are, you know, when I’m on social media, and I’ll mention primitive reflexes. Most people have not even heard of them that sometimes moms have heard of the Moro reflex. But these primitive reflexes are motor patterns that start occurring in utero. And they help set the stage for a child’s visual thinking motor speech, language, auditory integration with the brain, it’s really a reflection of their nervous system. And when you combine the cranial sacral treatment, which is more of the fluid health, with the nervous system health, so you’re doing cranial sacral, and you’re doing primitive reflexes, what you’re doing is you’re releasing so many of those restrictions and obstacles that then catapult the child into a developmental space, that then they can reach their full potential. I learned my primitive reflex therapy from a group of optometrists in dense Denmark and squeak in Sweden. And they had been doing primitive reflex therapy since 1975.
And when I brought that back to the US with my mentor, Dr. Al Sutton, we started to teach seminars to eye doctors, and they didn’t want it they didn’t like they thought getting on the floor was absurd. With kids, what does that have to do with the eyeball? So today, fast forward, I see more and more behavioral optometrists, at least knowing about primitive reflexes. So things have changed, but in the OT world, and then what Kidpower has done is they’ve studied a variety of different teachers in primitive reflexes. And when I come here and evaluate, I’m looking at the visual component of the primitive reflexes. And it’s amazing that when we work together, there’s the synergy, where we then come up with a plan that helps these kids integrate those primitive reflexes, which then allows them to start to understand their inner ear, their vestibular system more. And the visual system and the vestibular system are married. They’re parallel to each other.
The Vision stimulates vestibular, the vestibular speech stimulates vision. And the primitive reflexes are a component that influence both. And if you saw one of the exams that I do, we actually use the special yoked prisons, the special prisons that we have If the child were and we have them walk the plank, we have them walk, and you we can see in their posture and their movements, where those primitive reflexes occur, which ones are there. And it gives us a roadmap, that that unlocking of what is going to take to help this child thrive. And talk about an eye exam that tests the whole child.
This is, to me the future of what we need to do to help these kids and realize that it’s an individual by individual situation that we can’t give the child the same thing. Oh, you know, every child gets the same thing. It just doesn’t work that way. So the next topic I want to move to, is our nutrition. And this is a hot topic. In my in my process, one of the specialties that I really admired and I started to study was functional medicine. And I’m thrilled that there are so many naturopaths, chiropractors, physicians that are now embracing functional, functional medicine, functional nutrition, that people are becoming awakened to the importance of what we eat, and how it affects our brain, our emotions, our cells are aging. And in kids, they’re learning in concentration.
So I remember one of my mentors, I want to give him credit for helping me understand this principle that I’m going to share with you his name was Dr. House Sutton. And he was another one of these just world renowned developmental optometrists. And he was practicing in Miami Beach. When I met him. He was also a professor at Berry College, and he was teaching teacher, teachers and educators and psychologists, this form of developmental Optometry. And one day I was at his clinic in Miami, and he pulled out a lab test. And it was a hair mineral analysis. And he said, you know, this particular test is a reflection of a person’s ability to deal with their stress. Say, Well, that makes sense, right? Okay. So we were looking at mineral ratios and the minerals in our body, they kind of get ignored, but they’re so important, because they’re the spark plugs, you know, they keep our pH levels as they are, they help us with dietary absorption, they help us with detoxification, they balance our pH levels, they influence our inflammation. So there’s a lot of things that happen when we start analyzing the body. And one of the things he taught me, which I still think about today is that when a child is diagnosed with the developmental delay, whatever it is, what could be speech language, it could be visual, it could be whatever.
The thing is, is that on a cellular level, they are probably in a depleted state, at some level, and the reason they’re in a depleted state is because somewhere along the line, and this is if they’ve had a normal development, they weren’t given lots of antibiotics for ear infections, or they had colic or, you know, they were in the hospital or or whatever it was, these are the normal kids, that if they’re not getting enough energy into the cell, then they’re not going to have the energy to absorb the therapies that we are giving them. And it’s why over and over and over again, and I get communications from many parents around the world, again, because of my social media presence, where they go, you know, I’ve done that the OT I’ve done that.
The counseling, I’ve done the tutoring, and my child is in exactly the same place. So my next question is, well, have you ever done a biochemistry analysis? What’s their diet? Like, if you took them into a grocery store, what foods would they be attracted to? And every time there’s a disconnect, I never thought about nutrition and diet in this equation. And that’s the place I feel we need to start. So with these kids, if you can give them more energy, then they’re going to absorb the therapy much better and they’re going to grow they’re going to develop in a much greater accelerated way.
And that’s the linchpin, that’s the starting point. And where you start, sometimes is really important. Where are you going to plug in with his child. And you really have to be adept as a practitioner, as a therapist, to understand that concept. And not just think what way I learned this technique, let me give this kid my technique, and I’ll give every kid the same technique, you’re not going to get anywhere. I mean, you might make a lot of money you might have, you know, whatever, whatever it is, but you’re not really dialing into, okay, where’s the place that I can start in with his child to help them flower? And so with the nutrition part, and I, you know, do
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it all the time here with Kidpower? When I asked the parents, you know, have you looked at the nutrition? Not really, you know, we go to McDonald’s, we, it’s a lot of fast food, we don’t have a lot of time, I say, okay, so what we need to do right now is we need to do some kind of a biochemistry analysis to get a baseline, and then based on that baseline, then we can start giving your child the nutrients that they’re missing. And what you’re going to see is this expansion in their energy, which then when they start doing, whatever the therapies they need, they’re going to really take off. And parents kind of buy into that. And so the point of what I’m making about nutrition is that it’s more important than you think. And it can be your kind of health care, especially if you eat foods that are non GMO, that are pesticide free, that organic, as best as you can. And I know they cost more. But in the long run, when you eat in a more conscious mindful way, where think colorful vegetables, you know, think low sugar, think good fats and oils, good protein, think about ways to support the digestive tract. You know, these are all strategies in functional medicine that we talk about that we think about. And I think it’s an essential component just as important as physical vision therapy, cranial sacral, therapy, primitive reflexes, auditory therapies, and so on. So I really want to implore parents to take stock, and what is their nutrition?
And what is their nutrition with their child? And what are some things they can do to up the bar, so that they can give their child a better opportunity to develop their learning and their skill set. So that just like I did, they flower in a way so that they can have the expression on what they’re supposed to be doing in this life, instead of maybe withdrawing or having some mental or emotional challenges, addiction issues, you know, it just goes on and on and on, and that there isn’t a simple formula. But this is a roadmap that I’m talking about in our in our process. So there’s a couple other things I want to speak them up to speak about today. The first is more vision related, and this has to do with a condition called strabismus. strabismus is a condition where we see a child and their eye is either turning in or it’s turning out. And it may be an alternating situation, or it may just be on one side. And it’s interesting. I wanted to give a plug here. I was just on a podcast that’s very well attended and receive Katie wells and wellness mama and I just did a podcast she interviewed me about how to do a proper vision exam with a child. And since that podcast, I’m getting so many parents calling me saying, Well, I went for this exam, they did the drops. They gave us a really thick strong prescription.
My child doesn’t want to wear it. I’m concerned because the eye is turning and are turning out. What should we do? So it’s perfect for me, because I will share with you what what we’re going to do. Now another thing about this is that in this strabismus world, the tendency is for or the doctor to want to possibly give really strong glasses, or do eye muscle surgery. And both of those are very symptom based. Let’s fix the symptom. And again, it’s back to gazelle, which is Gizelle would say, treat the whole child, when there’s a vision problem. It’s not just in the eyeball, it’s in the whole child. So the strabismus pattern is in their movement, their posture, probably their emotional reactions, why in the world would you want to give strong glasses, that’s only going to stunt the visual development and reinforced the eye crossing. Or if you do the surgery, you’re going to change the length of the muscle, but the brain is going to get very confused, because it’s the brain that directs the eye muscles to begin with. And so what you do is you cut the muscle, and so the eye will look straight for a little while, but then it’s going to revert back. So the success in that fit in that surgery is is very, very low.
And it’s also very traumatic. So we’ve talked about trauma, we don’t want to create more trauma in these kids. This is where the physical vision therapy works so beautifully as an organic method to help the child understand integration, how to get both sides to talk to each other. Because when an AI is turning in, what the child is saying is I’m turning away from life. It’s too stressful for me, I’m scared, I’m vulnerable. Or it may be if the eye is turning out, they’re saying, I can’t focus on all this, I got to space out. Now the thing is, is that that is a symptom of my middle, where’s the midline and myself? And how can I learn how to use both sides together? So they’re going to be in the School of vision, which is, how do I learn to use these two eyes with my brain and with my body.
And this is where cranial sacral therapy can be beneficial. The primitive reflex therapy, the gross and fine motor things that relate to the stapler, stimulation, all of these things, give the child the palette for them to start to explore. Okay, what is it like for me to be simultaneous to use both sides together, and there’s a learning curve, it doesn’t happen overnight. And one of my big counseling points to parents is some days are going to be better than than others, some moments are going to be better than others keep the big picture. And if you see the eye turning, it’s just a signal. Your child may be getting sick, maybe fatigue may be stressed, timeout is necessary. But don’t get hooked into, oh my goodness, there’s a problem. Because as long as you kind of access this plasticity that I talked about at the beginning, these kids can change right away. And when you put strong glasses on them, you are stunting their potential of being able to make the changes they need to make. And that’s really for any glasses prescription, which I’ll talk about in a minute. So in strabismus, we want to create more integration. Now the other side of that is what we call lazy eye, or amblyopia.
And what this means is that one of the eyes is seeing much more blurry than the other eye. And it could be because of many reasons, birth trauma, some kind of injury, it could be that that is just developmentally really behind the other it could go back to being how they were in utero how they came out of the birth canal. You know, there’s many reasons why we develop this lazy eye where we’re not stimulating. So the last thing you want to do another kind of classic approach is, well, let’s patch the good guy for eight hours a day. You never want to do that. Because that is going to create more trauma, the child is going to be more confused. And it really doesn’t solve anything in creating an environment, which is the environment is how can I set up some conditions so that this child can learn and problem solve in being able to use their visual system in a better way. And that’s really what I learned in physical vision therapy is setting up the conditions That’s a problem from them to solve. And the way they solve it, is they have to use that IMR, they have to stimulate both eyes together. And in our visual system, there are certain skills like visual tracking, visual focusing, visual coordination, hand eye coordination, they’re probably all familiar to you, innately. You, adults,
40:23
we know how to use those skills. But this is what’s missing with these kids is their visual skills have not come online to their brain. And so this is where stimulating their physical vision in different experiences through movement and balance in catching a ball and jumping on a trampoline and many, many things like that. The child then begins to have the experience of what am I supposed to do with these two eyes? And how am I supposed to use them. And this is the baseline of then, organically them learning how to use their vision, through their brain and through their body. And doing this a long time. I have seen so many success stories with kids who have gone through this, and then what they’ve done with their lives. It’s been pretty profound for me, and it’s why I keep doing it. So that’s strabismus and amblyopia. But let’s talk about the conditions like nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. So my latest book, it’s one of the reasons why I’m doing this. This recording is called Vital vision clear eyed solutions for midlife and beyond. But in the book, even though I’m talking more about adults and eye disease, and how to, you know, improve eye disease through more functional medicine methods, the fundamental things that happen when we go to the eye doctor, because our eyes are blurry, in near sightedness, which is the inability to see far away, we are reaching an epidemic. And the reason we’re reaching an epidemic is that and I just read this statistic 94% of all public schools are now using a computer in the classroom. Ah, digital devices and our eyes.
Do you know how many questions I get a week from parents? how is this impacting my children’s eyes. And, obviously, COVID was a real game changer because that’s when in the schools went online. And these five and six and seven year olds are being asked to stare at a screen for much of the day to learn the curriculum. But the bottom line is that our eyes are not made to look at a screen. For long term ancient, we just this is not what we’re made to do. Now we’re adapting. And one of the adaptations we’re making is that we’re giving up our distance acuity, we’re becoming nearsighted. So our vision is now all in our phone or tablet, our screen, or computer. And not only are we doing dealing with the, you know, the pulsing of the screen, but we’re dealing with the blue light, the artificial blue light. And this is a whole other topic, because artificial blue light is a very chaotic frequency that does some very damaging things to our body number one, and this is happens especially after 6pm it begins to fool the pineal gland it tricks it so that it’s not producing the melatonin that’s needed to help us with sleep. So it’s affecting our sleep profoundly. No, sleep is so important in our regenerative capability. If we don’t sleep, well, we’re not going to heal we’re sleeping is so important. So with the blue lights situation, or not sleeping as well, there’s more disturbed sleep.
Next, because we’re in this visual confinement, our eye muscles are not able to move beyond that 14 to 16 inch range. Number three, because of the blue light, this dries our eyes out more, it creates more inflammation, it’s affecting the brain. And overall, whether you’re learning or you’re gaming, because a lot of the kids that I see on Tik Tok, and I’m talking to them, they’re doing video gaming, and hours upon hours a day with their vision. Well, what how is that affecting them? They’re all becoming nearsighted. Another piece of this is this astigmatism, where the eye begins to change its shape, so it becomes more egg shaped. And this astigmatism is another factor with the nearsighted. This that’s creating all this blurriness. And so instead of dealing with the problem here, up close, the eye doctors have decided to say, let’s just correct the distance, which is treating a symptom. But what it’s doing is it’s reinforcing the problem. And this is why kids get stronger and stronger lenses. It’s what happened to me. I became nearsighted. I began reading, and my eyes just kept getting progressively worse.
So I know the drill, I know what happens. So we’ve got that side of the aisle. And then we’ve got the farsighted kids. And these are kids that maybe they tend to want to be more out into, you know, the bigger picture, nearsighted, they look good here, farsighted, they’re more distance based. And focus is hard for that. They it’s hard for them to come into the computer to focus. So they get a magnifying lens, which makes things artificially bigger, but it shuts off. They’re focusing responsiveness in the muscles. And so they start wearing that magnification lens, guess what happens, it gets stronger and stronger and stronger. And then they’re wearing this big magnification lens, and it’s very distorting, but it’s shutting down their accommodation, cook accommodative ability, their ability to focus. And one of the things we do in our vestibular therapy is we actually have people balancing, changing their focusing. So focus here focus their focus there.
This is one of the best ways to integrate the visual vestibular system. But if you’re farsighted, and you’re wearing this magnification lens, you have lost your ability to change your focus, because you’re now dependent on the fact that the lens is making things artificially large. So you go up, I don’t have to do it, because the lens is doing it for me. And so this in both scenarios, nearsighted, farsighted, what’s going on is these prescriptions are now becoming the fabric of the visual system. And that’s okay, you know, glasses are fine. But the thing is there other ways that you can work with the vision, so they don’t have to have this disability, this weakness, and the way we’re going with screens, I don’t see it changing, I see the trend. Continuing along that we’re going to have more and more and more vision problems. So beware, with the screen time, there’s some great research I want to share with you about this particular topic. And what it is, is this, researchers say that if you can take a 30 to 60 minute break, from your screen time, go outside, go outside into the sunlight, especially in the morning. What it does is it creates a rebalancing in your circadian rhythm, it increases your mental capability or mental focus. And it also ups your dopamine levels your mood.
So you need to spend time outside every day, preferably more in the morning. And when you get that natural sunlight, it can offset some of these negative things that you get exposed to in these artificial environments, whether it’s fluorescent lighting, whether it’s screen time, and all of these things come together, which is now creating another downward spiral, and the kids are paying the price for it. So sunlight is very important for these kids to get out there. 3060 90 minutes a day, is really what the researchers are saying. And since we’re on the topic of light, I want to talk about one more thing. And this has to do with something in the body. Very high concentration in the eyes. Call me mitochondria. Mitochondria is a buzzword right now. And I think it’s partly because mitochondria are organelles that live in almost every cell in the body and they are responsible for energy production. That helps us absorb better nutrients, get rid of toxins, reduce inflammation, reduce oxidative stress. Now one of the conversations that is really going on is the mitochondria that exist and live in the eye. So let me explain.
50:14
You know, in neuroscience, there has been some incredible research on the regenerative capability of our eyes. But if you go to an eye doctors office down the street, that concept of neuroplasticity is non existent. It’s not there. And in fact, and I was trained this way as well. So I’m guilty of it as well, is that looking for disease is the goal for the eye doctor you walk in, they immediately are looking at two eyeballs, and they’re looking for the disease. And they’re really looking forward and kids you know, as well, even though the percentage is pretty, pretty low. So there’s no talk, that you can regenerate your eyes that you can improve your vision. In fact, if you actually met some of these folks, these professionals, they would probably either laugh at you or invalidate it or, you know, just say it doesn’t work. And it’s too bad because in the body of research that’s in Harvard, Stanford, some other very well respected journals. Neuroplasticity is something that’s talked about a lot, and especially with conditions like Alzheimer’s and dementia, and aging, the fact that now there’s this kick of anti aging, so whatever it is, the mitochondria is the key. While just so happens, there was a study done by an ophthalmologist at the University College of London, where he took a group of adults between the ages of 40 and 70, who had degenerative retinal diseases, like macular degeneration drusen other retinopathy is maybe due to diabetic retinopathy or hypertensive retinopathy. So he took these subjects, and he applied red light to their eyes every day. So only a few minutes in the morning, and he did this for 12 weeks.
And in his published report, he said, These people increase their ability to read the eye chart by 22%. Now, that is an astounding number, because if you look at AI research, whether it’s stem cell, whether it’s, you know, whatever their nutritional therapy, the most, the best hope that we can have is maybe a two to 5% increase 22%. That’s huge, just by looking at red light. What’s the story? So the story is, is that for some reason, the mitochondria like the red light, and after about age 40, we begin to lose our resiliency in the retina. With our eyes, they start to age. When they age, we start seeing oxidative stress, we start seeing inflammation. This leads to conditions like cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration, whatever it is. And so what the Jeffrey’s lab the guy’s name is Dr. Jeffries. What he wrote in his paper is that this red light stimulates the mitochondria. And it reduces the negative things that get produced when the mitochondria stop producing their energy. And so as the mitochondria get better, and it produces more energy, all of these conditions fade away. Or I would say most of them. So we’re back to light therapy. And the eyes are one of the main portal portals into our body. I mean, our skin is as well, here at Kidpower.
What I’ve taught the therapists to do is something called color therapy. So we use all the colors in this spectrum because it’s a language that the kids understand. If you want them to fixate, you start shining a red or a blue or a purple you do a tracking with them, you’re going to start to see some things around their visual engagement. So with the red light now, this is highly therapeutic in being able to increase the mitochondria function. And in increasing the mitochondria function, the cells are going to work better There’s more vitality, there’s more resiliency. In fact, in some of the research I’m looking at right now, if you use like a red box, a big red, you know, LED lights, they’re saying that it can reverse conditions like arthritis, fibromyalgia, it can improve the immune system.
This is systemically. And more and more functional medicine, doctors, more and more naturopaths are using red light, as a way to create more vitality, and resiliency in the body. Now, remember, this is done without pharmaceutical drugs, this is done without surgery. And I bring this into the circle here today, because I want you to understand the therapeutic value of natural sunlight, using different types of color therapy, and understanding what we call photo bio modulation, which is the red light therapy. So there’s a lot to unpack here. And I think I’m going to end here, maybe if there’s a question or two, we can take that. But this is a lot of information for you to digest. And I want to leave you with three things. The first is number one, and this is for the children, you don’t have to live out your diagnosis. So even if you are diagnosed with ADHD, or autism, or Asperger’s, or whatever it is, that that is a diagnosis, it can be advantageous in terms of an insurance, reimbursement.
But we don’t want you to live out that label, you don’t have to do that. Number two, that understanding the importance of nutrition, as the building block, that if you can create more energy in a person, they’re going to absorb the therapy much better, much faster, and you’re going to get much farther. Okay, and number three, understand, find a practitioner that can help you unlock the code of where can we start with this child? Where is the opening? And it’s so interesting with me, when I first meet a child, I may get on the floor with them, I might chat with them. And I’m scanning and tuning intuitively. Where is there an opening here? What what is their hot button? What is it that where I can create some commonality. And within that, it’s going to start to create a trust and a relationship where then they’re going to feel safe in their vulnerability. And then they’re going to start to buy in. And I think that’s so important to establish that bond of trust, and not come with such an agenda, or a prejudice, or a preconceived idea. I mean, obviously, there’s a certain direction we want to go. But I know in my case, what these kids have taught me is the places where I have let all that go. And can I just meet them, meet them as a human being. And when we do that, and we create a resonance, the magic happens.
And that’s really important. And it’s less about the technique. And it’s more about how we’re showing up to that child in a way that creates safety. Because I can tell you when I have observed my colleagues and they go to these very sterile offices, they’ve lost the child before they’ve come in. And it’s interesting when they come and see me for the first few minutes, we have to kind of get rid of the trauma of what’s happened with these other offices. Because they they think oh my goodness, this is the same thing. So we start our eye exam hitting a ball or you know, playing with some blocks or whatever it is just to take that trauma piece off so that then they can flower. So any questions here? If not, we’re going to end probably open a lot of questions. If you want to you can always email me hello at Dr. Sam Berne, calm and Uh, my team and I will definitely answer your questions. You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok YouTube,
1:00:09
pretty active on those. And yeah, so, thank you very much for your attention. It’s been an honor to be able to speak to you today.
Thank you for listening. I hope you learned something from the EyeClarity podcast show today. If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to subscribe on iTunes or Spotify and leave a review. See you here next time.
Here is a session I had with a patient who was suffering from double vision. In the first session, I recommended some physical therapy exercises and yoked prisms, but she was struggling with the program. So, we had another session where I laid out some important principles for her and anyone else suffering from double vision on the road to recovery. Enjoy the show.
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SUMMARY KEYWORDS
prisms, eye, vision, bead, double, left, awareness, exercises, glasses, feel, notice, touch, suppression, parasympathetic, moving, closer, internal, questions, string, suppressing
00:05
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberne.com. Now to the latest EyeClarity episode.
00:29
Now to the latest I clarity Episode
00:44
Hey, everybody, welcome to the show today. So you’re gonna get a peek into a session I did recently with a patient who’s suffering double vision. And in session one, I gave her some physical therapy exercises, I also recommended some prism glasses, my famous yoked prisms, and she was struggling with the program. So she sent me some emails and had some questions. They said, Hey, let’s just do another session. So in the second session, I start off by asking her to check in with me. And then I lay out some principles that I feel are very important only for her but also anybody who’s suffering double vision, what the road is to recovery. So I hope you enjoy the show. Thanks for tuning in. So
01:39
let’s let’s get a check in on sounds like you’re having some struggles and your formula on gets getting some positive spin here. So
01:54
lay it all out for me.
01:57
So I noticed, first, let’s start with like the brach string. I noticed with that, that my right eye is stable, but my left eye is like moving when I moved the string in and out. Like it’s moving back and forth. But my right eye seems to be staying still. Or maybe my right eye is just more linear. And my left eye is doing like a curve around sort of thing. I think, from the exercises that I’ve been doing, it seems like my left dies the problem.
02:35
When I now that my I think I’ve been suppressing the left eye for a long time. And so now that I’ve been doing the exercise, it seems to be coming back, which is making the double worse. But that’s like you said it’s an intermediary step. And I agree with you completely, I have to have that one to see for them to work together.
02:54
And so now,
02:57
since the left is showing up, I’ve been trying to like, look at what the left eye sees, instead of what the right eye sees. Does that make sense.
03:06
And when I look at what the left eye sees, it moves closer to the right eye, so it’s getting more in line with my right eye.
03:16
But I can only see what the left is, I always see double. But if I focus on a single thing that left I will show up, then I can see both pictures very clearly if I if I focus on one thing
03:35
the dot chart when I was trying to do that I was getting them kind of to line up but then I noticed I have two pen points.
03:44
And I’m not I think what is supposed to happen is they’re supposed to be a convergence in the middle of those two dots, isn’t it?
03:53
That’s one way you can do it. There are there are a variety of ways you can
03:58
Okay, what was happening to me is I was creating a.to, the left and the other like my right dot was moving on top of one of the dots that was already there. I don’t know if that’s crazy, or if it’s trying to do what it’s supposed to do.
04:21
And then I kind of now that my left eye is showing up and I can see what it’s doing. I did kind of a evaluation of what my eyes doing. So
04:35
if I’m looking straight forward, I have
04:39
I guess it’s called vertical diplopia. My right eye seems to be on top, the left is on the bottom. But if I lift my chin up, the left dips down and then it goes
04:54
it goes to the left and then it goes kind of back right up. So it’s doing
05:00
sort of like that. When I move my chin down, the left moves up, and it kind of meets the right and like I told you before, that’s kind of when I see my best. It’s not perfect, but it’s as close as it gets.
05:18
When I turn my head to the right, the left goes flat, the left eye goes left and up.
05:27
Yeah. And when I turn my head to the left, it goes left and down. Okay, so it’s like the right ice doing what it’s supposed to do in the left eye is just kind of go in wherever it wants to go. So I really think that’s, that’s the eye that has the biggest problem.
05:46
I don’t know, though.
05:48
Okay.
05:50
And so what are you noticing about the prisms?
05:54
The prisoners, when I put them on, I’m still seeing double, it’s just a little bit different double, I don’t know that it’s better.
06:07
There’s, it’s still a vertical diplopia up ones higher ones lower, is just a little bit different.
06:18
It seemed like I was doing the brach string with the
06:22
prisms. And, you know, I was doing those exercises and doing the bug walk. And then when I took them off,
06:31
my eyes did better without them than with them. They were getting the dots closer, or the beads closer without them after I took them off.
06:44
So I don’t know. If I hear you correctly, you You did it with the prisms and then use when you took the prisms off, you’re able to do a little better with the brach string, is that correct? Yeah, with the prisms. I couldn’t get the beads as close as I could get the beads close when I took them off, because I just kind of wanted to see what the difference was what they were doing.
07:14
They didn’t
07:16
try to try this concept on
07:19
the prisons are making you work differently.
07:25
And harder maybe.
07:29
And the purpose of the prisms in that is to make you work differently and harder. So that when you take them off, now your eyes have a chance to maybe work better together. I agree. Yes. I was kind of thinking the same thing. There’s nothing wrong
07:53
with that picture. That’s actually a very positive thing.
08:00
I agree. Yes, it’s making them do something different. Yes.
08:06
Okay. So I just want to make sure we’re on the same page on that.
08:12
So my first statement is
08:16
that
08:18
in order for you to get rid of double vision,
08:23
this is not going to be
08:29
direct.
08:31
Okay, in other words, you may do something.
08:35
And the expectation is, it’s going to make it better. Or it’s going to get rid of the double.
08:42
And
08:45
this process a year you’re in
08:50
is not going to do that for you.
08:54
Okay, if a person wants direct, then they go get eye muscle surgery or they just go get a prism over the left eye.
09:06
Gaze. That’s it.
09:09
And so, your mindset
09:14
has to be that you are in a laboratory right now.
09:20
Exploring
09:25
a reeducation.
09:31
And part of that reeducation is learning a new way
09:39
to align both eyes at the same time
09:46
by you’re going to go through lots of
09:51
different scenarios.
09:54
And there’s nothing wrong there’s nothing
09:59
bad
10:00
about it.
10:01
It’s just gonna be a little chaotic.
10:06
Okay, that’s what you signed up for. Yeah. I mean, I’m not looking for a quick fix. And I knew this wasn’t a quick fix. I understand completely if I want a quick fix, go get surgery. And then that quick fixes, hopefully works, you know, or like you said, the glasses. But yeah, I’m not looking for a quick fix. I, the reason I wanted to email you about what was happening is because I just needed feedback to let me know if I’m on the right track, or if I need to do something different or that sort of thing. Yeah, good. Yeah. I appreciate the feedback. But it was hard to convey all of this in an email. I agree. It’s kind of impossible.
10:53
So
10:55
I want to do a couple things right now. And then maybe kind of refined some of the stuff you’re doing with the intention and the hope to get you the result that you’re looking for. But I can’t guarantee it. Okay, so let’s start here.
11:20
The prism glasses. Do you have them nearby? Yes, I can grab them. Please.
11:33
Okay, I want you to stand up. I want you to stand up.
11:38
And I want you to take a look across the room or somewhere out there somewhere. Okay, and I want you to pick something that’s horizontal.
11:51
I can there’s a baseline and I want you to put the glasses on and I want you to tell me what happens to that horizontal line. Okay, the other vignette, does it go up or to go down?
12:07
Let me put the glasses on. Yeah, it goes down. It goes down. Okay. So these are called these are called base up prisms. And so what it’s doing is it’s bringing your horizon line down. Now hold on, I were gonna be more surprised stand.
12:25
All right. Now, this is a hard question I’m going to ask you. So
12:31
do your best to, to answer it for yourself.
12:37
What’s one thing that you notice in your awareness?
12:42
Either in your body posture,
12:46
your energy, your muscles, something you have to come up with something?
12:54
Taking the glasses off and putting them on? What? What do those glasses change?
13:05
You have to come up with something.
13:08
Could be posture could be movement, it could be
13:13
emotions, it could be you got a million things you can focus on
13:30
it brings everything down, but I don’t.
13:33
So I’m interested in your body awareness. Okay.
13:39
Your body awareness. If you’re still not sure, then I want you to take a walk without the glasses and then put the glasses on and take another walk. Okay
13:52
Okay.
14:27
It seems like everything is more reachable are manageable.
14:33
closer to my
14:36
ability to deal with maybe
14:40
closer to my height. I don’t I don’t know.
14:44
I’m really out of touch with my body. So some more some more manageable closer. Are you saying with the prisms on? Yes, it’s
14:58
closer to my level. So
15:00
are smaller. So I guess it’s bringing stuff down to my level.
15:04
To your level. So when you take the glasses off, where’s the world? It’s up, I feel short and down. And I felt like, oh, and how was that a disadvantage?
15:24
I guess is more effort? Is it less effort of is more effort using more effort effort? Yes. Where do you? Where do you feel the effort? Where are you efforting to do this?
15:39
In your eyes and your nervous system and your hands? In other words, both
15:47
my eyes are having to look up more, my body’s having to do things higher, yes. Higher, and so then put the prisms on.
15:58
And I feel like there’s more above the world.
16:03
Does does this bring any more relaxation or ease to you?
16:08
It does a little bit. Yeah.
16:12
Wow. Do you think positive thing? Or do you want to be in effort all the time? No, I think that’s a positive thing. Yes. And doing the exercises and having your comments about body awareness and stuff. I’ve noticed how tight My shoulders are. They’re always like this. And I’m always like, tightening my muscles I have I’m always in like, sympathetic fight or flight.
16:41
Yeah.
16:43
So I don’t know if you’ll remember this. But the way you get rid of double vision is by being more in your parasympathetic, the more you’re in your sympathetic, the more the double is going to hang around.
16:57
And if nothing else, when you wear these prisms, I want you to get in touch with the relaxation.
17:08
And the less effort because these prisms are beginning to awaken your parasympathetic nervous system.
17:22
I should really say that in our last session, because that’s a like what? Yeah, I had to have you have a direct experience with the prisms. And even then I had to really prompt you to force you into Come on. Yeah.
17:43
That’s, that’s what you’re looking for. That’s it’s all if this is a game of awareness,
17:53
slowing down
17:56
and going more into the parasympathetic receiving state.
18:03
That is like, so important for you.
18:08
That’s like essential. If you don’t get that, then the double vision has no chance to go away.
18:16
You get what I’m saying? Yeah.
18:21
Absolutely. Yeah. And I had some great news psychotherapy work. And I had a chiropractor. So I have two craniosacral therapists that I’m working with once a chiropractor and cranial sacral and then once a cranial sacral. And then
18:38
yeah, I’ve also just been kind of noticing that
18:43
my right brain is kind of turned off. And that’s what controls that left eye. That’s my parasympathetic and I have been in fight or flight for a very, very long time. So it’s all it’s a lot of internal stuff. I agree with you completely.
19:01
Yep. And so when you made the call,
19:05
yeah, that’s what you’re fixing in this office. And
19:11
then we needed to talk in person because the emails not going to cut it. Okay, good. Good, very good. So what I want you to do, is I want you to say take 10 or 15 minutes a day. And I want you to get in touch with that level of awareness on the value of those prisms and forget about it, trying to fix the double vision. Forget it. It’s not going to do that. That’s not the point of the prisons.
19:47
We can do some other things. But this is really important that it’s opening up for you. That’s why the what this prism is doing is it’s grounding you it’s bringing more
20:00
underground and in
20:07
double vision occurs when you’re up and out.
20:11
And yes, it’s going to be emotional. That’s, that’s part of the energetic release around this. I mean, I’ve had people that have had emotional releases and their double vision is gone, you basically are in double vision you’ve shattered, there’s a shattering that you’ve had, where you fragged, you’ve had to fragment yourself into two things.
20:37
And then the suppression is a deeper fragmentation, because now you’ve just ignored it. So you’ve got to regulate
20:49
how quickly you want to come out of that suppression.
20:54
Because the intermediary step is going to be Oh, now I’ve got double.
21:02
It’s worse. What? No, it’s not worse. It’s just you’re aware of how deeply you’ve suppressed?
21:12
Yes, it’s beautiful when you’re owning that creative feminine side of you.
21:19
Like, if it were me, you know, in your situation, I would say how do I get in touch with my divine feminine?
21:30
How do I get in touch with the mother in me, the creativity in me the receptivity.
21:38
And suppression takes an incredible amount of energy to suppress yourself. So you want you want the left eye to come in. And so a way to explore that, and you’re doing this quite well is
21:57
like I would, I would get like
22:00
a ball or an object, it could be a your phone, it could be something. And I would put it on the table, maybe four feet or three feet, two feet away from me. And I would get the double vision.
22:14
And I would play with the head posture like you’re doing, which is very good. And I would also play with looking more out of the left eye
22:27
and noticing what happens to the right.
22:31
Guy that sees the right object. That’s all really good stuff to do. That’s what we do. In vision therapy. When people start seeing the double, we have them look more out of that eye that’s been suppressing.
22:48
And
22:50
go into the double more.
22:52
Like don’t judge it, like oh, no, or am I getting better and that you have to put aside
23:04
because here’s what’s going to happen.
23:07
The results are going to occur through the back door, like one day, you’re going to wake up and both of your eyes are going to be working together.
23:20
You can’t chase it.
23:23
Yeah, Tracy say that because because that’s what I’ve been telling myself. I believe that’s what’s gonna happen,
23:31
I believe.
23:37
So the prisms are there to ground you in and really parasympathetic. So 15 minutes a day, if you want to wear it a little longer, that’s fine.
23:51
For the string and the beads, there’s a couple things I’d like you to do. Okay, I want you to do a variety of stuff. One is do the exercise with the prisms and then do the exercise without the prisms. And notice how much easier it is for you notice that things are better. Think of it this way. Like let’s say you were going to run a running run marathon race, and you had to get your legs stronger. So there’s a hill behind your house. And we gave you ankle weights so we say you got to run up that hill five times.
24:30
And then on the sixth time you take the ankle weights off. Now you’re going to run up the hill twice as fast. That’s what those prisms are doing to your eyes. They’re like the ankle weights. They’re making you do something different and work in a different way. And then when you take them off,
24:52
I want you to embrace the improvement. And maybe what you need to do is just work with one bead
25:01
Okay, and start with the place where you get the x. So maybe you do lower, get one bead, put it at the distance where you get by an ocular vision.
25:19
Okay. And then
25:23
two things, you can either push the bead, maybe an inch or two away from you and see if you can continue to see the axe. If so, push it a little further away, and play with the edge of where you get by an ocular vision with the angle of your head, that’s good for your brain to see that. And then you’ve got to play with the edge of, okay, can I lift my head, or whatever it is lower my head, an inch, two inches, like Where’s the place where it falls apart?
25:59
Well, the too far, let me come back
26:02
and work with one bead. And just
26:07
get into the situation where you do get by an ocular vision and play with the edge.
26:18
Okay, that might be that might give you a little better morale around like I can actually get some getting what I’m supposed to see in this position. Okay, that’s a start. It’s the same with those two cert black circles. Find the place where you do the best at it, and just hanging out in that.
26:47
And don’t try to go too far too fast.
26:52
The other thing with the string in the beads is I’d like you to patch your right eye. Spread the beads out. And I want you just to practice focusing your left eye at each bead, you’re another see one string. Let’s see if you can develop better aiming skill
27:14
just with the left eye.
27:18
And then the other thing to do with the left eye is this exercise called the thumb gain. Were you Well no, no, this is a different one because you’re just
27:30
you’re just using the left eye. So right now I’m looking at my thumb. Okay, I’ve got one thumb, this is what you’re going to do. And then there’s a window sill out there. And I’m going to trace the thumb around the windows cell. But I’m going to look at my thumb. So I’m going to work with the eye movements.
27:54
But I’m focusing on my thumb, and my thumb is tracing something out in the distance.
28:01
I can do a circle. So in other words, I want you to practice getting better with aiming and controlling your left eye.
28:10
We’re going to take the right eye out of the equation, because that’s messing you up. And I beg to differ. I don’t think it’s the problem with the left eye. I think it’s a relationship problem. I think the right eye is involved in this too. Yeah. Never. Yeah, it’s never just one person.
28:33
You know, oh, it’s my wife. She’s there. Yeah, well, what’s your where’s your accountability, buddy? It’s both. Yeah. Okay. So we want to have you develop better accountability. So maybe you do that with the right eye.
28:50
And in everything you’re doing, I want you to ask yourself, what do I feel? What am I noticing?
29:00
In other words, bring it internal, so that you’re just not mechanically doing it.
29:08
That’s going to help you make the lasting change you need to make by asking that question, what do I feel
29:17
if I gave you an ice cream cone right now, they said I want you to eat the ice cream cone. Can you describe your experience? You’d say well, the ice cream is cold. It’s mushy, it’s sweet. You’re internalizing?
29:33
That’s what I want you to do with your vision that’s hard to do.
29:38
Like you say you’re not in touch. Well, I’ll tell you what you have given birth, have you not? Twice you have natural
29:48
your your view of have much more internal awareness
29:54
when you go through that, so I beg to differ. I think you’ve got good
30:00
awareness, maybe you’re not acknowledging it. But find something you’re not allowed to say. There’s no change. And I don’t feel any I know notice, you’re not allowed to say you’ve got. I mean, you can say it. But you’re going to be spinning your wheels like a hamster, and you’re not going to make any changes.
30:21
Maybe this cranial work, or whatever, I don’t know about the chiropractor, but the cranial can sometimes help you get in touch internally. I mean, you’ve got the DNA to do it. It’s harder for the male, because we don’t give birth. We don’t know what that’s like. We don’t know what members like.
30:46
My wife didn’t tell me what that I’m just standing there. You know? I don’t know. Yeah. So I want you to bring that awareness into this vision. And if the double is really bothering you, that just patch an eye
31:04
and bring mindful awareness
31:09
to what comes up for you, when you just use one eye.
31:15
Mindful mindfulness,
31:19
what am I feeling? What am I seeing? What am I noticing?
31:25
Like, that was a great awareness you had about the prisms, oh, and of the reaches far, I’m taller. That was so great. And, you know, I threw you into the deep end of the poll, because I, you know, I knew that intuitively, those prisons were the right thing for you. But, you know, you get these glasses, it’s like, whoa, what’s going on here? You know, now, I think you’re starting to understand these prisms are therapeutically really helpful on an energetic level, on a physiological level. And the last thing that’s going to change is the double, you need to do some other work first, to allow the alignment to occur.
32:14
So I’d like your feedback. I’d love your questions.
32:19
No.
32:21
Yeah.
32:24
First, I asked you about the exercises that I was doing. So you said about the brach string, you want me to just work on one bead, work on trying to get that fine ocular vision hanging out there and just move it easily, gently until I can get by an ocular with closer up. So I’ll do that.
32:46
And put your head in the posture where you get it and then start playing edge? What do you mean out in in close up and far up? Or far away, we’re pushing the pushing the bead farther away, got it, oh, I can get out to heat and then start bringing it in. Because you need to develop both of those skills in the alignment of being able to coordinate at different distances. Okay.
33:13
Okay, so I’ll do that with the Brock string. And then do you still want me to try to do the bug walk? Or no,
33:23
no, I don’t want you to do the bug walk, you’re not you’re not ready for that.
33:30
I think you’d be better served to spend your time just on the one bead. And you’re doing kind of up above walk by you to get the beads, slide it out a little bit. And then see if you can get it again, slide it out. But you’re, you’re you’re kind of
33:51
you know, getting taking smaller bites. Okay. And then the other thing that was on the list here was eye patch and look at the one bead focusing, we just want me to do that with just the left eye.
34:06
Just the left eye.
34:08
You can use your intuition here. Okay, and if you wouldn’t really,
34:15
you want to do the right I do the right eye. I think I need to spend some time with each eye separately in doing these activities. And, you know, when I when I do my workshops, and at the end, the people that have made the most improvements are the ones that are most intuitive with the exercises. Okay.
34:37
How’s your intuition?
34:42
Okay, I wouldn’t say so. No.
34:45
But I’m working on it. I I have become a different person over the past month even.
34:53
Because all this is coming up from inside and you’re absolutely right. It’s all inner work. And so I’m seeing
35:00
did all that come up? And like you said last time, it’s it’s a huge opportunity to find that and become that better person to know myself more. And I agree with that completely. So I’m seeing that, that I think I agree with you completely that it’s going that’s where this is going to come from because it’s the brain
35:21
freeze. Yeah.
35:23
So, you know, with intuition, it’s a tricky thing, because, you know, it can be your impulse, like, Oh,
35:33
what, what’s the what’s the thing in your life? Where it’s like working the best that you made a choice? And it’s like, oh, wow, this worked out. What’s one thing? Is it you’re like deciding to have kids? Is it your partner? Is it your job? Is it where you live? What What’s one thing? What’s one decision you made? That you go? Wow, that that’s turned out? Well, do you have an answer for that? Nico? I don’t, that’s a tough one. Because I can always find fault and everything.
36:12
Well, just just as a first hit, I mean, usually with kids, that’s like,
36:19
their wonder you made a decision? Somewhere like, I want kids. Yep. That’s the kind of impulse you’re looking for. Yeah, you can always find things does these kids
36:36
deserve? And you know, yeah, I’d have a lot of money.
36:41
Right, having kids, like, I’ve like in our situation, my wife says, I want to get a dog. All right. So we get a we get this. We didn’t want to get a dog that was highly vaccinated. So we’re looking we find this puppy in Amarillo, Texas four hours away.
37:02
All right. So we drive there, we get this. And it’s a it’s a very active dog. Very, very active, very smart. We got to hike this dog every day.
37:14
And I mean, like, that’s, that’s my anyway. So intuitively, even I said, this is right, even though it’s kind of hard sometimes. Right? At our stage, we need a puppy, really. But anyway, that’s, that’s kind of, for me, that’s kind of what I’m saying is like, with your kids, it’s like they’re incredible. And they’re probably really challenging, right? Yes. But that’s that’s the, that’s the intuitive. And yeah, so you know, you’re you’re cultivating that it’s sometimes it’s cloudy. And the intuition is not there. But
37:55
in any event, what I’m my point I’m trying to make is that in the I work, if you get a hit like, well, let me try my right eye. Oh, let me wear my prisms when I’m gardening. Let’s see what that’s like. You know, you have licensed to do that. Okay, you don’t have to stay in the, in the box with it. Okay, we’ll
38:20
go ahead.
38:23
Thought about wearing the eyepatch while I’m running. So I could focus because I run outside and wearing on my right eye so that I could use my left eye to focus on the different things outside and the different distances. I haven’t done it yet, but or even desert skiing. Here’s what I would say. Take the patch with you. Okay, make sure it’s an even
38:51
area. So I know you’re
38:54
doing a lot of like rocks and whatever.
38:59
And walk and spend part of the time with both eyes, and part of the time walking just with patching your right eye.
39:10
And notice, how do I feel differently? In other words, I want you to bring internal awareness like you did with the prisms
39:21
and alternated. I don’t think I would do it running. I think I would I would rather you I need you to be more internally
39:30
focused.
39:32
And
39:34
so that’s, I would pare it down a little bit. I learned about you running just with your lifestyle left eye because you’re not going to have depth.
39:47
And so So I think those explorations are good but don’t make the outer activity too strenuous. Okay, something
40:00
gentle calm.
40:02
Yeah, you want to, you want to be in a situation where you can go internally. Okay, like I have people that say, Oh, I was driving on the expressway without my glasses.
40:16
That’s not really, you don’t want to, you need to be in a safe environment where you don’t have some big external demand on you. So you can go internal and go, what’s that like, without my, you know, my regular thing, you’ll get much more out of it. And
40:37
so, anyway, that’s, that’s what I was.
40:41
Like, you can even take a walk with the prisms, okay, but do move it on some of it off. Because I want the comparison. That’s the most important.
40:53
Because that’s that, oh, awaken your awareness in your system to change. Otherwise, you’ve just flatlined and go, Well, it’s mechanical. Like I had a father come recently said, My son is not changing, blah, blah, blah, we’re doing all these exercises. So then I said, Look, you’ve got to make him internalize it. And you too, have to, and then all of a sudden, he’s reading now.
41:21
So at first it was external, mechanical. Now it’s internal. Okay, I get it.
41:29
And slowing down. And being mindful inside is, is the left eye is the right brain to
41:40
slow down and receive.
41:44
And if nothing comes, just wait
41:47
and see what happened.
41:49
Like the uncertainty is okay.
41:52
Okay.
41:54
Let it let it come to you.
42:00
So what else? Yeah, I’ve been, I’ve been taking that I’ve been surrendering and letting that happen, which is what brought that suppression back to. So that’s been huge. So I will continue with that and try to push even further.
42:19
The balance work to I’ll continue with that, because she wanted me to balance on both legs and do both eyes and then one eye at a time and then fine. Are both eyes closed? Right? Yep. So question on that? Are you getting any data? Are you getting any, like, awareness or information from that? Oh, yeah, when I first started it, I was like, falling all over the place, like way off, especially with the eyes closed. And then I was able to breathe slower and try to relax. And it was like, easy. It was amazing. So I can definitely tell that it’s a, it when I relax and calm down, I am much more balanced. And so
43:08
yeah, yeah, that’s the kind of stuff you’re looking for, that’s going to feed your brain to eventually,
43:17
you see, with with a double vision, like you have, the best way to work with us, in my opinion, is to do some of the experience visually with each eye separately.
43:33
And if the double is really bothering you, because the suppression is now less than just alternate the patch
43:44
and do some things or just take a break with it. That’s okay, you know, because it is disconcerting to have this double and play with moving it. Like go into the double as a playful exploration. Yeah, I have been I have been I’ve been looking at her the left ICs and then tried to move it kind of and
44:08
so yes, but it is actually less exhausting to see the double than it was when I was suppressing and squinting and tilting my head. So
44:21
yes, the tub was worse, but it’s actually my brain is less tired.
44:28
Do you want me to continue with my reading glasses, going back into the
44:35
what was it? Blurry blurriness, going back to what I was like before Lasix, continue doing that for five to 10 minutes a day with the reading glasses. If you’re getting in, you’re getting some
44:48
Yeah, if you’re getting, it’s helping me relax. Yeah. It’s helping me. Let go. Anyway, anyway, you can get in touch with relaxation.
45:00
Throw your vision.
45:02
Go for it. Okay
45:14
I’m still buddy. Yep, for just a couple more minutes.
45:21
When I blink, my left eye, like moves the picture, I guess that’s probably normal, since it’s not really working like it’s supposed to
45:34
say that say that again. I’ll repeat that for me. So if I’m looking at something and I’m seeing double, and I blink, the left eye picture moves up and then goes back down. When I blink, the right eye stays in the same spot. Okay, so again, there probably needs to be more muscular control that you need to attain with the left eye. That’s why we’re going to have you do the thumb with the tracing. And you know, play with up and down, play with diagonal. And then again, just using the left eye with the bead, and you can do it on your nose, your chin, and your forehead. So just focusing on each bead. You need more we call it visual tracking. With that left eye, left eye.
46:27
Okay. Probably because of all that suppression, don’t you think? For all that time that I was depressing it No, I mean, MORRIS Yes, the suppression is, you know, that’s a big deal as I say, the suppression
46:44
you know, it takes three times the energy. Okay.
46:53
I think the only last thing that I had
46:57
was
46:59
what do you think about neurofeedback?
47:04
Well,
47:06
and in what context? Are you wanting feedback on? Well, I’m thinking it’ll help bring my right brains back online and kind of stabilize the right and left because of some trauma and stuff that I’ve been through which may be causing that left. I’m not to work, right. I don’t know.
47:29
I mean, I think it depends on the practitioner. And can they actually really, you know, pinpoint
47:40
where to put help you put your awareness.
47:46
So I don’t know. I mean, I actually think the neuro biofeedback is what you’re doing. Okay.
47:56
And to kind of throw something else on top of that.
48:03
I mean, I guess if they could get you to
48:09
activate your right brain more
48:22
maybe you could do that. I
48:30
think that’s all I had
48:36
about the cranial sacral Do you feel value in that?
48:42
I do. Um, this past time that I went. So I’ve been twice I saw a lady named Megan Scott.
48:56
For an hour, a week and a half ago. I see her this Friday again.
49:02
It was I cried in the first 10 minutes.
49:07
felt a lot of internal stuff coming up.
49:12
I can feel things moving like she would press on things and I would feel like movement like open space opening up I guess. And then I saw
49:24
the other lady this Monday, so two days ago. And she did she wasn’t as gentle but I I liked it better. I felt
49:36
I do feel value in it. I feel like it’s bringing up some internal stuff. And I feel
49:44
like I need that nurturing I guess it’s a time for me to get away from here and just relax even.
49:57
So,
49:58
good. Good day.
50:00
You know, I think you know, where you get value is where you need to put your energy. Okay? And if you’re not getting value from it, then
50:12
then don’t do it. And it’s better. Again, it’s better for you to
50:19
do
50:23
underwhelmed there’s wisdom versus overwhelm your system
50:28
and have space so that you can metabolize and integrate and digest.
50:38
Now would be the strategy.
50:42
And I think this this vision piece is huge for you.
50:46
I think it’s,
50:48
and so you just need to attend to it every day. And then maybe let’s, let’s talk in a you know, in a few weeks, again, when you’re feeling you’ve got questions, and you’re not sure, that might be the signal to say, Okay, time to talk again. Okay.
51:08
So like, do you feel confident and, like, Now I know my direction, I understand my responses. I know what to do. I know what the next steps are. Is there any place where you’re still feeling like uncertain, or you need more clarification? Now’s the time.
51:30
Yeah, no, I think it’s just a slow moving target. And from what I got from you, is mostly just go internal, and feel my body. And notice when I’m feeling internalized at all, figure out when I’m feeling when I’m doing the exercises, so yeah, no, I think that’s a better I have a better understanding now that I’ve gone through the exercises, and I kind of stressed myself out trying to do them every, you know, every couple hours, and I have to do this and leave me alone. And it was I made it a stressful thing. Of course.
52:10
You have no don’t want to make it. That’s yeah.
52:20
So yeah.
52:26
Think I think I got a path now.
52:31
Yeah. Okay. Again, if the double gets overwhelming, just work each eye separately. And find the places where you are able to get the string in the beads, work the eyes with the prism and then without and notice how the prism is impacting you.
52:53
And,
52:55
yeah, just just keep doing that. And then when you start feeling like okay, I need more, I need input. I need feedback. That’s the signal. We’ll talk again. Okay, that sounds good. How’s that sound? Okay, so and I’ll send you a copy of the
53:14
of the recording, and say, you’ve got a record of it. And you can do it you wake up one day and you go, Oh, my God, I got 3d vision. Yeah, I just feel like that’s what’s gonna happen. I really do. I believe it
53:32
would be such a major healing of unification. You know, we’re, we’re unified anyway, we just forget. And then we start fragmenting because of stress, trauma, you know, and all that. So, yeah.
53:49
All right. Well, keep in touch and feel free to email me if you feel the Okay. And I’ll do my best
53:57
to help clarify stuff. He was so many questions at once. I’m sorry.
54:06
That’s fine. If it gets to be too many questions, then it’s better off we just talk. Yeah. Okay.
54:14
Because then, because there are things that we can convey face to face it in an email, it’s, you know, yeah. Impersonal just Yeah. And I just think like, even that, that example of the prism, and wearing it and kind of prompting you to look at it a different way. I think that was a great breakthrough for you. Yeah, hard to do.
54:39
Yes, it is. Right. Yeah.
54:43
Okay, I wish you the best keep in touch. Good luck. Thank you.
54:49
Means you need me. Okay. Thank you. Bye.
55:00
Thank you for listening. I hope you learned something from the EyeClarity podcast show today. If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to subscribe on iTunes or Spotify and leave a review. See you here next time.
I wanted to share this live I did while consulting and teaching in Hawaii. I had some great follower questions! Enjoy the show.
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SUMMARY KEYWORDS
eye, question, prescription, people, reduce, improve, astigmatism, lens, vision, exercises, eyedrops, glaucoma, called, castor oil, macula, zeaxanthin, acupuncture, floaters, important, retina
00:05
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberne.com. Now to the latest EyeClarity episode.
00:46
everyone, its Dr. Sam and I’m here in Hawaii. We are live and book signing here for a little bit and had some great folks coming by. And so I’ve been getting a lot of questions and part of my trip has been teaching Consulting and a little bit of fun. But I thought I would take a few questions as well. I had a minute. So I received a question from Lisa and she’s got a condition called macular degeneration. And in this scenario, she wants to know what can she do to help her macular see better so she’s got the dry kind.
01:30
So of course it always comes down to a couple of things very simple. First of all, the ingredients lutein and zeaxanthin as are such important karate noids that they feed the macula. And so if you’ve got any kind of Macula issues, you want to make sure you’re getting lutein, zeaxanthin and the third one which is a marine prod Noid, asked to Xanten and you can get those through foods. Think about the colorful vegetables, the red, the green, the yellow, the orange, those plant pigments contain the necessary ingredients that feed the macula. And of course, that’s the sad thing is the Marine Corps annoyed where you get that through wild caught salmon or shrimp or things like that. But you can also get it through a micro algae supplement. Also,
02:26
I would also protect yourself from the damaging blue light, especially after 6pm. So wearing blue blockers is another proactive practice that will help
02:38
protect your maquilas. And the third aspect that I would consider in especially in the dry form is making sure you’re getting enough vitamin A and the trace minerals zinc helps in the absorption of vitamin A. And those fat soluble vitamins like vitamin A lutein and zeaxanthin. We know in Chinese medicine and acupuncture, the liver rules the eyes. So if you’re having difficulty with liver function, either getting some acupuncture or you can also supplement by supporting your gallbladder and pancreatic enzymes. That’ll help you absorb your fat soluble vitamins better, I would cut down on your sugars and make sure you’re eating only natural natural foods not processed. And of course the last thing which is hot, hot hot right now is my read exercise glasses. And I’ve done a ton of
03:45
posts on the research on red light and how it affects the mitochondria both in the macula and in the retina. So treating yourself with a red light every morning is very, very important.
04:01
So as we move along here that they see about taking another question, this is from Robert. He’s got myopia, and he’s thinking about LASIK surgery. So I just did a podcast pros and cons of lasik surgery. And so I would point you to a couple of my blogs that I’ve done and podcasts on the pros and cons of lasik surgery. Remember, when you have a prescription in your eye, there is the eye prescription and there’s also the mind body brain prescription. I know that may be foreign for a lot of people but we want to blame faulty vision on our eyeballs, but it’s not our eyes. It’s really the programming behind our eyes that causes myopia. And when we start wearing a lens prescription, it reinforces the
05:00
Programming we’re doing so when you fast forward and you have a very strong nearsighted prescription, if you just change the prescription and the eyeball, but you don’t change the programming, what tends to happen is the eye prescription has to come back. And so
05:20
I would say, doing the physical vision therapy is much better than doing the LASIK surgery. If you’re going to go down that route, I would definitely do my near sighted physical therapy exercises after the surgery, and I feel that
05:38
that way you can integrate the mind brain prescription with the with the LASIK effects.
05:46
You also may be more susceptible to dryness, so making sure you’re using natural eyedrops is really, really important. And so that’s, that’s my hot take on LASIK surgery, I would definitely enter it carefully and make sure if you’re going to do the LASIK surgery, correct both eyes for distance. Don’t do monovision or we have the balance educator online.
06:18
Felicia, she’s saying I was in your vision retreat. My floaters are still going. I’m seeing so well. Still gone? I mean, so your floaters have reduced. That is such great news. Okay, hi. Well, come on over. What’s your name? My name is Brent. Okay, Ren. So what’s going on? What’s your name? Sam, doctor, co author. Very cool.
06:42
What can I do for you? I was just curious on what your book is about. So basically, you know, when you go to a regular eye doctor, he or she might say, Oh, your eyes are getting worse because of age or genetics. And what I do is I teach people physical exercises that reverse their vision problems. I’ll say Be proactive. Also foods you can eat that conserve in your eyes. Carrots. Carrots. Well, carrots is one thing you know, too many carrots. It’s got a high glucose effect. So I would probably add things like kale spinach. Think of the like the red orange vegetables, then you can add your carrots. And of course the time the year. I mean, where are you from here? California. Oh, California. So you know, in the wintertime reading more root vegetables like beets and
07:33
sweet potatoes. California got great berries. So that’s, that’s always good for your. So do you have any eye issues going on? Oh, my eyes are absolutely terrible. What’s going on? I just have
07:48
whichever the one is where you can see a poster or away. See up close. So you’re near sight? Yeah. Okay. Yes, yeah. And my up post, I mean, like, two inches away. And then everything else is not that. Well, I have a chapter on nearsightedness and how to improve your vision, through exercises. I was very nearsighted as a child. And through the exercises, I was able to completely dissolve my prescription.
08:15
So I see 2020 I haven’t got gray hair, but I still see 2020 up gross. Wow, far away. So I experienced the healing in it. You know, it starts with take part of a day and go without your lenses. And notice what comes up for you mentally and emotionally? Yeah, it would be, it’d be prepared.
08:37
Once you get through to her much more freedom. I just mean like I wouldn’t be able to drive for well, we would do it as a safe.
08:48
Do it in a place
08:51
where there’s no demand. Yeah, just explore what starts to percolate. Because those are probably the things that came up for you when you got your first prescription. Oh, I’ve had I’ve had contexts since the third grade. Sure. So you know, could have been stressed it could have died and you didn’t understand what was going on in school.
09:16
It’s a lot of things. So when you get the lens it reinforces what the problem is. It’s only treating a symptom.
09:24
So the ideas, another thing you could do is I don’t know whether your eye doctor would go for this, but ask him or her for reduce prescription
09:36
force, well, you’re forcing that it would give you an awareness that you can actually relax, okay, clearly. So whatever your prescription is, ask him for like a 20% reduction. And then based on that reduction, then you start wearing it and within a month or two you might actually be able to drive it.
09:57
But the thing is, is that prescription is going to feel more relaxing.
10:00
Your nervous system muscles around your eyes. So it’s
10:06
it’s a pretty cool process if you’re open open.
10:10
Yeah. Do you have a card or just go to Dr. Sam berne.com all over social media?
10:19
You tons of videos for free, so you can learn about me?
10:26
Yeah, go to Dr. Sam Berne calm. And that will open the door for you to maybe learn more. Very cool, do you? How did you get here? How did I get here? Well, becoming a kawaii since the early 90s. I’ve done a lot of workshops here. I’m actually licensed to practice in Hawaii. Okay. But I live in New Mexico some plans and I know the kind of a beach town
10:55
art festival going on here, get some food. So I thought this would be a good place to meet people. That is very cool. I actually work at a small independent bookstore. Oh.
11:09
And so I was just very curious. And I love it. When we do
11:15
get a lot of interesting people coming through.
11:20
reading so many books.
11:23
It’s fun.
11:25
Anyway, thank you for your time and the information. Yeah. Enjoy your time here on my website.
11:33
If you have any questions, you can email me. I’d be happy to answer. It was nice to meet you.
11:42
So anyways, we’re back here and I wanted to go back to Felicia because I really believe I didn’t really get to address you. Yes, you were on my vision retreat. And you were able to reverse your floaters. This is a great testimonial because people get floaters and
12:00
it’s the death sentence we get so frustrated with floaters in our eyes are the specs and flex and thoughts and the one thing you want to be careful about is if you get flashing lights,
12:12
no could be something like a posterior vitreous detachment or even a retinal detachment, which is very serious. But floaters actually you can shift them through the you know that there’s research now that eating a pineapple, eating some pineapple or here in Hawaii, we could do that has been shown to reverse certain types of floaters and purse my MSM hydrops also are great for victories help. And yeah, so you can improve your vitreous health and reduce floaters using my methods. So it’s, it’s all part of the process. You can you know, look at some of my videos on Tik Tok, and here on Instagram. And I talk a lot about reversing eye floaters. So the key thing is you don’t have to live out your doctor’s diagnosis. Or let’s take another question. Somebody’s asking about pinhole glasses. How do they work and what do you use them for? So pinhole glasses are great if you’re farsighted. And you don’t want to wear magnification glasses. Where are your pinhole glasses, and these actually can help you see without the magnification. So it’s a great tool to wean yourself off the magnification because when you wear magnification glasses, it’s going to make your eyes and you’re gonna get more and more dependent on the magnification.
And that’s why people go from eating reading glasses to bifocals, and trifocals and so on. So the pinhole glasses work incredibly well for being able to read without the magnifiers and actually strengthens your hands. So that’s, that’s a great tool. If you want to go in that direction. They don’t work quite as well for nearsighted people, or astigmatism, but they’re great for the far sighted community. Alright, let’s take another question. This is let’s see, this is from Ray. And Hey Ray, and he’s riding in from New York. And he has a condition called cataracts. And he doesn’t want to do the surgery. He says the early stage cataracts in both eyes, what can he do? So lens health, it’s very important that you up your glutathione levels, your vitamin C levels, reduce or eliminate sugar from your diet. Those are three essential practices. If you want to have a chance to reverse cataracts. You have a bet
15:00
Are chants in the early stages. But the key thing is that, you know, foods that are carbohydrate based and
15:11
have a lot of sugar in them. The glucose molecule attaches itself to the,
15:18
to the molecule of the lens, the protein of the lens, and this is called glycation. And this is the start of cataracts. Also, if you have low levels of glutathione, there’s more free radicals that build up glutathione is the master antioxidant in the body? And so it’s, it’s an important
15:41
it’s an important ingredient that has been shown to when you have it at moderate to high levels, you’re gonna have a healthier lens, where do you get glutathione? Well, think about your cruciferous vegetables, sulfur based foods, things like Selenium help you in the absorption of glutathione. It’s also related to your liver health. And of course, vitamin C, even getting 1000 to 1500 milligrams a day of vitamin C can be beneficial, reducing your risk of cataracts. So that’s a good start. And
16:15
I have again done a lot of videos on cataracts and how to improve your lens out. So check them out. So somebody’s asking about no glasses, not great for nearsightedness. The the key with nearsightedness is you already are over focusing to begin with, and the pinhole glasses are asking you to be more focal focus through the whole focus through the holes. So you want to do other things like wear an opposite lens prescription like A plus lens. And we call that plus lens to blur that would be better for you if you’re nearsighted. The panel glasses again work for farsightedness because it’s teaching you to focus again and come into a focal position. When you were a plus lens, it makes your focusing way too diffused. And when it’s diffused, that’s when you start needing that magnification, which creates an artificially larger perception. That’s what a plus lens does. And so you get used to the lens doing all the work and you stop working. And that’s when you go down that slippery slope.
17:27
All right, how do you reduce blue and topic phenomenon? Well, you know, that’s a very interesting question, I would definitely take a look at your nutrition and diet and how that works.
17:43
And you know, when you do
17:47
when you clean up your diet, and you eat a lot of antioxidants, that feeds your retinas. And that can be really, really helpful. Hi there. How are you?
17:57
i My books about vision, how to improve your vision.
18:02
So you can use eye exercises and nutrition. Yeah. So
18:08
if you have any questions, I’m here. You’re welcome.
18:13
Anyways, back to the
18:18
sea, we were talking about the topic phenomenon. Some other things that you can do, which I think are really helpful is natural eyedrops. Sometimes you hydrate and lubricate your eyes better. That can be another reason why you might develop this type of phenomenon. I mean, it is a benign condition condition. The other aspect I would say about in Topic phenomenon is how much screen time you’re doing. Because I gotta tell you, when you do screen time, especially after 6pm and you’re not wearing some kind of blue protect lens.
18:55
That blue, chaotic frequency really goes into the eyes deeply. And this can create
19:04
all kinds of things like dryness, and, you know, other symptoms. So I would be careful about you know, your nighttime use of screen time and make sure that you’re getting enough
19:18
breaks and stop using your screens, at least one hour before you go to bed. I know that’s kind of hard to do, but blue light at night tricks the pineal gland and so you’re suppressing melatonin, and this can affect your sleep cycle.
19:36
All right, I’m going to take a question. This is from Julie from Florida. And she’s asking me about the importance of fats and oils in your diet as it relates to your eye health.
19:51
So Julie, it’s very important that you get your omega threes is going to help hydrate your eyes. One of the
20:00
The treatment modalities for dry eye syndrome is up in your omega threes. Another interesting statistic is the retina is made up of about 50% fatty acids. So a lot of retina problems can start to occur if you’re not getting the healthy fats and oils.
20:19
puddingstone gone well.
20:22
And so
20:25
the Omega threes are preventative. They’re also very important for brain health, especially the DHA part of the Omega three, that’s very, very important for Eye Health. And so as a proactivity meant practice, I would highly recommend both getting your omega threes because we don’t produce them in our body. From you know, wild cod salmon very good, you have to be very careful about the seafood you’re eating. And also you can
20:58
also
21:01
get it through a very good supplements, we sell a good one. But you’re looking for a company that does a lot of third party testing, because we want to make sure there’s no heavy metal toxicity. But omega threes also last thing I’ll say very good for optic nerve health, people that suffer glaucoma, and optic nerve disease.
21:22
It can
21:24
look, Omega three can be very helpful for replenishing your optic nerve. Hi, how are you?
21:34
Okay, let’s take another question. This is from
21:43
gentleman he’s writing in I’m 48 years old and have lazy eye left eye vision is hazy. And the right eye we see through the right eye doctor say nothing can be done lots of floaters. Well, we had somebody on, which was my vision retreat, who was able to reduce the floaters. So you know, again, vitreous Healthlink, MSM thing bromelain, which is in the in the pineapples think limp health. So lymphatic stimulation can reduce floaters. So there are definitely some things there you can do. And in terms of lazy eye, I have actually a 90 day eye clarity program on my website for lazy eye and you start doing the daily exercises will start to clear up the haziness because really, it’s just a reconnection of that eye to the brain and getting out it to connect with the other eye. And you know, the old school would say after age seven, you can improve lazy eye. But at this point, I’ve helped 1000s of people with lazy AI who are adults. Also the research done by neuro scientists has shown that there is a plasticity even as an adult in your high brain connection. So that if you start doing some visual stimulation, eye exercises, color therapy, you can actually improve the visual acuity in that I have learned to use it with the other eye.
So don’t give up. Keep following me you can definitely improve. Alright, let’s take a question from Stacy. She’s writing in from Pittsburgh, it’s my hometown where I was born. And she’s asking about essential oils because she knows I do a lot of podcasts and posts on essential oils. I am an aroma therapist. And her question is she wants to know what is the best essential oil for vision? Well, it’s an interesting answer because it’s simple. It’s frankincense. Frankincense is a very potent essential oil, obviously, it’s very ancient, and it helps absorb through the blood brain barrier. And so in that blood brain barrier when you massage it into your scalp and actually comes into the brain, and so it’s going to oxygenate and hydrate you only need one or two drops. It’s also part of my eye protocol where I put frankincense around this part of the face, and it will actually expand your peripheral vision. So it’s, it’s really great for opening up recovery and improving the eye circulation.
24:32
Hey, things things are visiting. Yes. So that would be my one that I would suggest. You can always use a carrier oil you can do a test patch. I like to do it kind of on my wrist here. Make sure it doesn’t burn. You can always use a hobo oil or coconut oil. If you start getting a little burning on it, use a very high quality essential oil so I like to use
25:00
is an essential oil that comes from a
25:04
from a company that say is more boutique company, they test their oils and they work with farmers who harvest organic essential oils, but you can get those. And that could be really, really good. Hi.
25:21
Okay, good. How are you? So?
25:26
So let’s take another question. Let’s see This is from
25:35
this is from Teresa. She’s writing in from Colorado, and she wants to know about how to reduce a astigmatism. I get this question at least five times a week. And so a astigmatism means the eye is shaped more like an egg instead of being spherical around. And it also can relate to a twist in the body. I know that might sound a little far fetched, but whatever prescription is the eye and the eye can show up partially in the body. And when we do a, an eye exam, like I do an eye exam, and I measure a stigmatism, I’m asking people is there a twist or a turn in the body? And so before I prescribe it, I want to know what’s going on in the body if there been any traumas or injuries or things like that. So the thing is, is that with a stigmatism doing cranial sacral therapy, doing vision exercises, if you are wearing an astigmatism correction, you can reduce.
26:46
And you could ask your eye doctor either for an honest astigmatism correction, or
26:55
a reduced astigmatism. And in getting those, what happens is your twist in the warping that’s in the eye starts to go away, and then you can get body work along with that, then you’re not going to be putting that strong astigmatism back on the eye, which is going to negate or neutralize the body work that you’re doing. And so you start on widening the astigmatism in the eyes, and then the body and you work together. With your eye doctor and body worker, you can get away from the astigmatism. So when you were to astigmatism, it’s warping the world and you’re basically living in some kind of a fishbowl, but you don’t know it. And when you wear the astigmatism correction, it’s just reinforcing the curve. So you can definitely improve the astigmatism. It’s, it’s definitely doable. And, you know, you can look on my, again, look on my content. I’ve done a lot of videos on how to reverse a astigmatism. So great question. Thank you so much. All right. Let’s take another question. This is from Barry. Hey, Barry, how you doing? Barry lives in Maryland. And he’s got a question about glaucoma. So he has been diagnosed with open angle glaucoma, he takes two sets of eyedrops and his eye pressures have stabilized but now his doctor is talking about wanting to do a vitrectomy and he doesn’t want to do that. So what can he do to neutralize the glaucoma? Well, the number one thing in glaucoma is protecting your optic nerve. And the way you do that is by upping your Omega three adding a little bit of gingko bilberry, taurine as to Xanten, lutein, zeaxanthin, all of those I nutrients feed the optic nerve, and then also do some cranial sacral therapy as you’re improving the circulation of the cerebral spinal fluid. And so that would be another technique. Also acupuncture could be very helpful lymphatic stimulation, there’s actually a study that came out or if you jump on a rebounder 10 minutes a day, it can actually
29:20
it can actually bring down your eye pressure.
29:23
So there are many things that you can do and you need to work with your regular eye doctor. You don’t want to just stop using the eyedrops. But if you start doing these proactive things like upping these nutrients, give them some acupuncture and cranial work. And also
29:44
I would say
29:47
increasing your lymphatic health
29:51
you have a good chance to neutralize the glaucoma because it’s a scary disease and it’s
29:58
it’s called a silent fee.
30:00
because you don’t know you have glaucoma, because you started losing your peripheral vision. And some people with glaucoma have eye some high pressure. Some of them actually don’t have normal eye pressure. And they
30:15
you know, they still have the the damage, because it’s a vascular disease. And so how can you improve your retina circulation? That’s really the question that you sit with. And if you can improve your retina circulation, improve your vascular health, then you’ve neutralize the negative effects of the the
30:39
high pressure. So very, I wish you the best of luck. Thank you for the question. All right, let’s continue on.
30:49
I’m going to take a question from
30:53
Marie. This is looks like another question on pressure. So my question is pressure in one eye that they want to keep an eye on? Okay, thank you, no pun intended. So far, they just want to watch it, what can I do to make it better? Well, as I said, with Barry, I would get some cranial sacral, I would get some acupuncture. You know, another thing I haven’t talked about with glaucoma is getting tested for things like heavy metal toxicity and mold. Heavy metals, I have seen over the years can actually give you a false positive reading, because it affects the vasculature in not only the the eye and the retina, but also throughout the entire body. And this also can affect your inflammatory levels. So one of the blood markers I use is this homocysteine. So when the homocysteine level is high, this will signal that there’s going to be an eye problem. So inflammation is a big issue with
31:57
and with glaucoma specifically. And then the last thing I would say that I didn’t talk about before with glaucoma is the red light. And when you look at a red light, 670 nanometers, basically what you’re doing is you’re stimulating the mitochondria.
32:19
And mitochondria as part of the highest concentration of the entire body. So what the web does, is it actually high.
32:30
The Read actually stimulates the mitochondria, which reduces oxidative stress and reduces inflammation. Usually at about age 40. We start digressing in our mitochondria how, and this is where the reactive oxygen species starts to, to grow. And this creates oxidative stress, and
32:54
leads to many of the eye problems that we see whether it’s
32:59
cataracts and macular degeneration,
33:03
and many other conditions. So I would look into the red light, I actually saw the right exercise glasses and use them in the morning, three to four minutes a day. And the research has shown that you can actually improve your visual acuity by 22%. This is what the study showed, you can look up Dr. Glen Jeffries, Jeffries lab, University College of London, and their study is pretty bulletproof. If you look at it, you go, wow, there’s something to this red light and eye health. So, Marie, I wish you the very best. Thank you so much for the question. All right, Cynthia is asking a question, best place to start to get your eyes teaming together for improving nearsightedness, especially letters, street signs. So one of the concepts, Cynthia is that the stronger the nearsighted prescription that you wear, the more it splits your eyes, because it’s tunneling your eyes. So I would start with either wearing a reduced prescription, I would balance both eyes. So the same prescription. You know, I learned this from my mentors, where when you prescribe symmetrical lenses, it encourages the eyes in the brain to move into a direction of more integration. When you separate the eyes and you wear a different lens prescription between the right eye and left eye, that’s also going to split your eyes. So symmetry, and reduce. The other thing that you can do with getting your eyes to team together is use my plus lens to blur. So the more you maximize your peripheral vision, the more chance you’re going to have for both eyes to inter interact with each other, and they’re going to come together better when you bring in more periphery so you’re less fun
35:00
Goal and you’re more peripheral. And by stimulating your inner ear, your vestibular system, you actually open up your periphery. So the stimulus stimulation is another way to access better it may. One of the best ways that I like to work with people is to help them be more aware of their body while they’re doing their vision exercises. And you mentioned an exercise called the Brock strand. I think everybody knows that. This was designed by Fred Brock who was a optometrist who practiced in New York. And we basically you get a string with three beads on it, and you separate them equidistantly and you start focusing both of your eyes on each bead. And you want to get two strings focusing on the bead you’re attending to, and you want to watch to see if one of the strings fades out. That’s called Visual suppression. It tends to happen in most people. And so when you see that suppression, this is when you feel your body more, you relax into it, or reduce prescription or no prescription.
36:13
And you start re educating your brain to tell your two eyes two A’s together. And so accessing neuroplasticity, you can actually improve your visual coordination by doing this frog string.
36:32
Hi, there. How are you? Hi. Good to see it tonight.
36:37
That’s a great show. Thank you so much. Thank you find that I found it in Boulder, Colorado. Oh, yes. I was gonna say that’s an amazing on last year, isn’t it? That’s why I bought it because I knew I was coming. Yeah, thank you very much. That’s why I’m worried. I’m gonna tell my wife that because she picked it up. It is really perfect for a while. I feel very. Okay. I have like 500
37:04
Yeah, man, love your ice opened my own allowance or you put your shirt right next door.
37:12
Anyway, okay. So back to the brach string. I think that for you getting the reduce prescription, and also doing my plus Lens Blur and tracking your
37:27
your visual suppression. This would be a way for you to start improving your visual coordination. And you can do it. So thanks for bringing that to the group tonight. I think
37:40
the proc string, I’ve done a lot of videos on it. You can you can google Brock string and it’s a great way to coordinate your eyes. All right, let’s take a few more questions. This is from Laurie Laurie’s writing in from Socorro, New Mexico. Wow. Okay. Great to have you in. I just live up the road from you in Santa Fe. So your question is about you are getting flashing lights, and
38:16
you’re getting flashing lights and hi high.
38:25
You went to your ophthalmologist and he basically said
38:30
you have any questions come and see me.
38:35
And he did a retinal exam on you. And he couldn’t find any retinal detachment, but you’re still getting the flashes. What can you do? Well, this is a very interesting question, I would say and you are nearsighted. So what happens when you’re near sighted, the first thing to check out is you want to make sure that the prescription you’re using for your computer and reading is less than what you’re using for distance because if you were using your distance correction for your computer, it’s going to be too tight on your eyes, and it’s going to create visual stress. So we want to create more relaxation here. So reducing your Saturday description is a must. Number two, I would do my exercise called the end pom pom. It’s a relaxation exercise. You can find it
39:27
on my website. And I would do that that palm hung at least five times a day, just maybe a minute or two. And that will open up the circulation and reduce the stress in your eyes. Number three and this may sound a little weird, but you know what? Because we’re on digital devices and we were exposed to all kinds of wireless and everything. We absorb a lot of electricity. We absorb a lot of electricity through our eyes. And I’m a firm believer in something called grounding earthing so
40:00
Going for a walk barefoot. If you can do that, it would be very helpful. Now you can also get like a grounding earthing mat. But you may have too much electricity that you’ve absorbed in the eyes from all the exposure to EMFs and all the things like that.
40:19
So that would be the next thing that I would consider. And then the last thing I would consider is hydrate your eyes more. I suggest using my 5% MSM eyedrops, and also my Castro eyedrops in the evening. I just got another question about castor oil. So I’ll talk about that. So by hydrating your eyes more, that’s another way for you to reduce the
40:45
the flashing lights especially if your retinas are intact.
40:51
So thank you so much for the question. All right, let’s go to Ginni, she’s writing where are you ready?
41:04
Okay, you’re writing from Santa Barbara. Great. Thank you so much for tuning in.
41:12
So what is your question you’re asking about
41:15
castor oil
41:20
and castor oil for the eyes. You’ve never heard of that before, but you’ve seen some of my videos. Well, castor oil is a wonderful modality that can help moisturize your eyes. In fact, I reported on a study that was done in ophthalmology It was published in one of the ophthalmology journals, and they studied people who had a condition called meibomian gland dysfunction. This is where the eyelids have a lot of inflammation and the meibomian glands produce the oily, oily part of the tears. And when we don’t produce enough oily part of the tears are tears evaporate very quickly and we suffer dry eye syndrome. So in this study, instead of using drugs and steroids and other things that are more conventional, the ophthalmologist actually used castor oil eyedrops, and they found that there was a significant reduction in the My Bundler gland dysfunction by using the castor oil and I’ve known this over the years, but it’s great to see it in the literature. So I created an organic castor oil eyedrops, and you can actually massage it on the outside part of the eyelids. I like to do that before bedtime. And
42:40
the thing is, is that when you do and you just need a little bit, if you do get it in the eyes, it’s just going to be a little blurry and sticky. But if you do that on a nightly basis, it will hydrate your eyes more. And people love it. They just love the effects of castor oil on on the eyes as a as an agent that’s hydrating.
43:04
Hi, how are you? Doing? Well? Enjoying it? Enjoying it?
43:11
Enjoying? Excellent. We’re surviving. Cool. Well, maybe you’ll thrive, maybe stress survive to thrive? That’s right. That’s a good.
43:23
Well enjoy. So castor oil is one of my go to.
43:29
Now somebody’s asking a question streetwise about glaucoma. And can you restore your vision? Well, as long as the death high? As long as the cells aren’t dead? You can you have a chance to restore your vision, I would point you to my red light therapy. I’ve done a couple of blogs on red light mitochondria, I would look at those. Because in those studies, they actually found that you can regenerate the rent. Hi, everybody.
44:02
Having a good time today. Good for you. Yeah, it is. I don’t know if we’re gonna get to see the sunset. But it’s a little cloudy out there right now, but certainly
44:15
couldn’t see. Let’s do that
44:26
all right, I’m gonna take a few more
44:29
guys to be here to take a few more questions here and got some people lining up to talk to me. So I
44:38
I want to give my Instagram community. Kudos for joining me tonight. Right now. It’s about 6:15pm.
44:48
And if we’ll Hawaii time, so I know it’s late on the East Coast. And in Europe, it’s probably even the next day. So Okay. All right. I’m gonna take one more
45:00
Question. Hi, how are you guys? Nice to see you. Good to see you. Yeah.
45:10
So, this Let’s take one more question. This is from Larry, who’s writing in from Boston was laid out there. So Larry, I’m sorry. Yeah, Larry, let’s, you want me to talk about
45:31
macular pucker, you have been just diagnosed with a macular pucker, and you’re kind of upset about it. So let’s talk about it. So the macula is where the most concentrated part of the cones are. And so when you have a macular pucker is usually associated with some type of inflammation. It also can be associated with
45:55
a poor connection between the vitreous gel and the macula. So number one, I would definitely help her lutein, zeaxanthin and acid Xanthine. Those carotenoids feed the macula, I would get about 16 milligrams of lutein about four to six milligrams of xantham. And about four to six milligrams of acid Xanthine every day.
46:19
Protect your eyes from the damaging blue light on the urine screens.
46:24
That is to say you and I would also consider my red light therapy, I think that’d be really good for restoring the macula, consider getting some acupuncture that might be helpful as well. And you’re also reading me that you’re on progressive lenses. Okay, I’ll look for your look for your store.
46:48
And get out of those progressive lenses because they’re putting a lot of pressure on your maquilas get a single vision lens for screen time and a single vision lens for reading. I think that could be very helpful.
47:01
So I’ve done a lot of videos on macular pucker. It’s also called epiretinal membrane disorder, I would not do any surgery on it and see if you can have these particular nutrients to your macula and it should help you
47:15
Alright ladies and gentlemen, I know the hours getting laid for you. I’ve got some people I’ve got to sign some books for and so thanks for joining me tonight being part of my book signing here and in kawaii we send you a lot of aloha and until next time everyone, take care
47:43
Thank you for listening. I hope you learned something from the EyeClarity podcast show today. If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to subscribe on iTunes or Spotify and leave a review. See you here next time.
I had a session with a concerned mother whose child was diagnosed with Strabismus. We work through what that means and steps she can take to help the child. Enjoy the show.
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SUMMARY KEYWORDS
eye, primitive reflexes, vision, called, crawling, moving, brain, turning, muscles, husband, alternating, walking, birth, movement, other words, stimulate, learn, development, experience, holistic
00:05
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberne.com.
00:29
Now to the latest EyeClarity episode
00:48
All right, so what would be your goals and objectives today? With our with our session?
00:56
Okay, what what do you what are you thinking about? I would like to focus on my my son Alexander is 18 months old. I think you could see him right there. Can you see him say hi? Yes, I can.
01:08
He’s 18 months old. And I noticed since birth one of you I don’t know if it’s one or both or depending is looks like it’s slightly off. I don’t know if you receive the pictures I sent.
01:21
Just okay. And I attempted a golden I like an ophthalmologist but I kind of walked out politely because they just wanted to do too much dilate. I just didn’t want to do that just yet. And I’m wondering if you could help assess what the problem might be. And if there’s something natural or exercise or something holistic that could maybe be treated or
01:43
want to make sure it’s not an issue and it’s not going to get worse and you know, something I have to be ahead of.
01:50
Absolutely. So Alexandre is 18 months old. Is that Is that correct? Yes. Okay, and tell me a little bit about your gestation period, the birth process. Anything unusual there? I went through IVF for about eight years. I had him when I was 51. I actually carried him through to 37 weeks. And we were supposed to go to 40 i My pregnancy was fine. No issues. No you no nausea, no cravings, nothing. It’s just up to 37 weeks. i My blood pressure was starting to elevate so my OB wanted to to take him out and we did a C section. He was born four pounds along the weight 15 ounces. And they said he was just under five pounds. So they had to put him in a NICU and they said it’s because he had a little low blood sugar and low body temperature. We were both in the hospital for about five days. Me to regulate my blood pressure and then my son to regulate his body temp and his sugar. And then we released and since then he’s you know, he’s seeing a holistic pediatrician and he’s taking vitamin D probiotic, and DHA and NACA what? He’s been healthy hasn’t been sick.
03:05
Great. Okay.
03:08
So, after the birth, brought him home, what is his? What is his mobility? Does he move around a lot? Is he on his tummy at all? Do you know what’s kind of active mobile activities? Are you engaging with him when he was when he came home from the hospital or in general? Well, you know, after so he’s 18 months. So we’ve got you know, a little bit of track record here. Obviously, you know, is there any mobility on the floor? Is he scooting, calling? Tell me about his his mobility experience? Yes, he’s right now he’s walking. He loves to activity walks, almost runs around the house. He’s very active.
04:01
Let’s see, we take him outside and I just stay focused. But this is his baby nurse. This is MISA. She’s known him since birth.
04:09
She could chime in. He loves to be outdoors. He goes he climbs the stairs here outdoors and a little slide he has in the backyard. You know with our assistance. She taught him to walk up and down the stairs with with assistance.
04:25
Yeah, like he wrote just like seems like a healthy boy. Yeah. All right. Cool. Tell me about his, his crawling
04:36
it the the crawling stage much or? Yes, he did go through the crawling stage. Yes, very fast. People say it’s the fastest call they’ve ever seen. And he’s progressed to walking so he really he crawls from time to time. But he very fast prefers to walk.
04:55
So when you say fast, meaning he kind of went
05:00
from say, sitting to standing walking, and he was in the crawling stage, but it was kind of a quick stage. Is that? Is that what you’re saying? I’m sorry, if I missed if I heard him, he’s, he’s, he likes to call. It’s funny cuz sometimes he calls really quickly. Know he, um, he started crawling rightly so I think it was a little late, but not I think it was maybe nine or nine months between six and nine months. Right me so he started crawling. And um, yeah, he did tell me time before then he crawled I can’t for about I should have written this down. I should have had this prepared. But he crawled.
05:40
You started walking maybe 14 months? 13. Okay. Yeah. Okay. Excellent, excellent. And anything else you want to say about his developmental arc?
05:55
You know, anything. Food wise, he’s eating well, and How’s his sleep, and, you know, those kinds of things. He is eating well, um, yeah, we’re just a little challenges asleep, he’s sleeping through the night, more or less, like, I would say, five out of seven days of the week, that’s been a little bit of a challenge. But um, he wakes up very early, and, you know, subsequently put them to sleep pretty early, he wakes up around four, or five. And then we put them down around five or six. So we’re trying to stretch things out, he takes one nap a day for about two and a half hours.
06:32
And my goal is, you know, I’m an early riser, too, so I don’t mind. But my goal is maybe to push out a little like six to six. And I’m okay. And yeah, and because of his, he wakes up early, he naps early. So it kind of, we’re not able to really take them out for any activity, you know, meaning like, I wanted to bring them to like a church for a mommy and me or library. But we certainly fill his day with activities at home.
07:02
Excellent.
07:04
Okay, so let me give you a little context on where I’m coming from. And it is going to be different than say ophthalmology or regular eye care. So some of the things I’m going to share with you,
07:18
you know, we can we can talk about, and I can go into a little more elaboration. But the first thing I would say is that the eyes are the outer part of the brain, the eyes are an extension of the brain, every part of the eye tissue is brain. And we start developing our eyes, very early in utero, some say two weeks after. But in any event, we start to see the calm optical vesicles. And they start growing out from the brain, prenatally. So every tissue of the eye is brain tissue. Now, when we start developing vision, and I want to make a distinction here between vision and eye sight, seeing things clearly, seeing things clearly, like if you went for an eye exam, that would the test would be you’d look at the distance eye chart, maybe the near eye chart, and then somebody would calculate some prescription for you.
That is only one aspect of vision. So let’s define what vision is. It’s how the eyes and the brain and the body work together. And vision starts developing actually very early in utero, one of the places as examples where we start developing our peripheral vision when we’re floating in the amniotic fluid. So when Mom is, you know, moving around and walking in different positions, the the fetus is going, Wow, I’m floating. So my vestibular system, which is the inner ear is starting to get activated. And even though I’m in a dark chamber, because of the movement, that’s also stimulating my peripheral vision. And then when we come out of the birth canal, or however we’re born, that’s another very important time for sensory motor development, sensory motor beginnings. And so we’re talking about the brain in the eyes here. And one of the parts of the brain that’s very involved in vision development, is something called the brainstem. This is, we call it the reptilian brain. It’s our survival brain. We all have it. It’s a it’s a part of our brain that helps us with new experiences survival, and there are certain movement patterns that are accompany accompanying this survival response. And you may have heard of some of these it’s very big and
10:00
Occupational Therapy. It’s called the primitive reflexes, primitive survival reflexes. And one of the most famous reflex is called the Moro reflex. And another term for that would be called the startle reflex. So the primitive reflexes, and there’s several of them. And the purpose of these primitive reflexes is in part to help the newborn enter the world.
10:31
I’m sorry.
10:33
This is my this is my husband, south. He might he’s actually
10:38
even neurosurgeons. So he’s like listening on. He was. Thank you. Okay. Thank you.
10:44
Sure.
10:48
So anyway,
10:50
these primitive reflexes are important because they help in the newborns, ability to adjust to being in new situations. And so you might say, well, what are these? What are these early movement patterns have to do with straight eyes or crossed eyes?
11:10
Well, there’s a whole group of optometrists in Denmark and Sweden, who have researched this relationship between the primitive reflexes and vision visual coordination.
11:30
And I studied with them for a few years,
11:35
and learned that these primitive reflexes if they’re not fully integrated, they start to affect visual aiming visual coordination. So the hierarchy is that we start with brainstem and the primitive reflexes, and then as the infant toddler starts moving around, being mobile, these primitive reflexes begin to go away, they integrate into the brain. And so then the next set of movement patterns would be things like what you’re talking about tummy time, crawling, walking, and then eventually hopping, skipping, I mean, that’s gonna come later. And so that’s controlled by the cerebellum that’s kind of a higher center of the brain, but it’s more of the gross motor
12:30
control. And then finally, once the gross motor is foundational, then we move to the specific muscles, like the eye muscles, we call it fine motor control. oral motor would be another like speaking, having good tongue control. So there’s a hierarchy in vision development that I learned about as it relates to children’s vision. So again, when you go for traditional exam, what they’re doing is they’re they’re looking more mechanically at the eyeball as a separate entity from the brain and the body. And so when you use things like eyedrops, what you’re testing is the focusing facility, the eye muscles, and you’re also looking for eye disease, both valid and important. But when you start using eyedrops, they paralyze the focusing muscles.
13:29
And then the doctor is going to calculate a very strong farsighted prescription. And he’s going to say, where this farsighted prescription, and it will force the eyes to straighten?
13:40
Well, when you do something like that, you’re actually stunting the visual development, evolution. So but that’s what the classical eye doctor says. Either we use strong glasses to force the eyes to straighten or in some cases, we’ll let’s cut the eye muscle. So we can cosmetically make it look straight. And those are basically very mechanical, externally, kind of treat treatment modalities. And the child is going well, what what what is this about? Why are you giving me this, and they usually shut down, they usually withdraw. And when you get eye muscle surgery, it creates a lot of confusion in the brain. Because this is a key point here. It’s the brain that directs the eye muscles. And so if you change the length of the eye muscle, then the brain says, well, now what because I wasn’t in on this, you know, this decision. So what I think I’m going to end up doing is I’m just gonna revert back to what happened before the surgery. And so then the surgeon says, Well, let me do it again. And I’ll do it again. And the success rate
15:00
is very low, and it’s creating more and more scar tissue in the eye muscles. And it’s also creating more confusion in the brain. And so I’ve worked with a lot of adults who’ve had, you know, children’s eye muscle surgery. And they always second guess themselves, they’re, they’re very, they’re uncertain about
15:21
their vision because the overlay of you know, shortening the muscle has been put on them at a very young age. And it’s not an organic answer of learning how to use the eyes, and the brain and the body together. So, you know, for some people, that’s what they want. Cool, it’s in my approach isn’t for everybody, because what I’m going to suggest for you is stimulation, maybe some experiences that kind of encourage, encourage and the key word here is integration, integration between the two eyes and the body.
16:01
So in this strabismus, which is what the medical term is, when I looked at the pictures, it actually looked to me like there could be an alternating strabismus that the right eye is preferred to turn in. But I did notice in one of the pictures that the
16:22
left eye turned in, and the right eye was straight, why?
16:27
There’s so there was an alternating. And one of the advantages of the alternation is that you are reducing the risk of something called lazy eye, or amblyopia. So let me explain. If one is turned in all the time, it’s turning away from the world, it’s turning away from life. It’s either the child is either going to say I see double, because the eyes are misaligned. Now at 18 months, you know, Alexandra is not going to say that. But the other option is the brain just suppresses the eye, it just ignores the eye. So then the left eye is doing the work. So if it was just the right eye turning in over time, because that eye is in and it’s not being used, it starts to become lazy. We call it amblyopia. And so fast forward to when he’s able to read an eye chart, you’re going to notice a big discrepancy in the clarity between his left eye and right eye, because he’s using his left eye mostly in the right eyes turned in. Now when it’s an alternating situation, the good news about that is that sometimes the left eye is turning in and the right eye is working. So that’s getting the exercise that’s getting the stimulation. So the visual acuity being able to read the eye chart is more balanced. So it still comes down to there is kind of a lag here in Alexander learning how to use his two eyes together. That’s what you’re seeing. And the way I would interpret that is developmentally, his vision is younger than 18 months. Yeah, right. Because when we evaluate children, we look at their chronological age, and then we look at their performance age.
18:26
Now, this is a whole other level of evaluating vision than just putting eyedrops in and looking at eye health, prescribing strong glasses. And I can appreciate your sentiments sentiments on walking out. Because it sounds like if you’re seeking me out, you’re looking for a more holistic, integrated approach. And I’m assuming Yes, again, yes. Correct. Yep. I’m assuming in your philosophy and your lifestyle, you know, where are places that you put your holistic ideas? A medically you’re the traditionally I’ve been taking supplements at night supplements. Organic? Yes. Okay. You organic? What about what about any? Do you ever do any treatment modalities like acupuncture, massage or did acupuncture throughout my pregnancy? Yes. And prior to my pregnancy?
19:29
did acupuncture. Okay. So.
19:33
So obviously, the things I’m going to say to you resonate, and, you know, I’m hoping in some cases, you know, with your husband also, that, you know, you’re going to have to take a more global approach and a more patient approach in this because basically what Alex what I’m going to teach you is Alexander is going to now be in the School of vision.
19:58
School of vision
20:00
which is going to stimulate the potential and give him the opportunity for him to discover and learn how to use his two eyes together. That’s basically what the program is. And it’s a nonlinear
20:19
program in the sense that some days are going to be better, some days may be worse.
20:27
And if you see the eye turning in, it’s a signal that he either may be getting sick, he may be fatigued, he may need a timeout, he may be overwhelmed. So in other words, when children start turning their eyes in there some reason that their system and you know, the nerves and the muscles that go into the eyes, the eyes reflect our nervous system, our endocrine health. You know, I’ve studied acupuncture. And when I learned acupuncture, I couldn’t believe the glands and organs that affect the eyes, the liver, the gallbladder, the spleen, the pancreas, these organs know I’m talking energetically now, I’m not talking, you know, getting a regular blood test, but I’m talking energetically these all affect the eyes. The first second, I’m so sorry. I just want to make sure Oh, is there a chance um, because it kind of it kind of what you said about him. He’s behind and is a chance that since he’s preemie and like you’re saying his visual development may be a bit behind his age, his chronological age because he’s a preemie could he could it possibly get better with time number one number and number two, my quick question was, what was my quick question my husband question. Yes, it because that’s something like a get better with time. It Do you think that’s the reason why he hasn’t? And I’m not so sure my husband can we’re convinced that it actually, it turns in like I do notice it when he’s tired that it does look like it turns up, and I’m not sure my husband agrees with that, let’s let’s address those things because he’s got valid points here. So since I said to you, the, the, the eyes are the only part of the brain that sits outside the cranial vault.
22:19
The eyes have the capability of something called neuroplasticity.
22:25
Me meaning that you can both create new pathways and regenerate. And especially as a child, the level of new brain pathways that are mapping is exponential. Now, when you hit 25, H 25. It’s a little harder to access neuroplasticity, you can. Now I studied this and learn this from a group of neuroscientists. I didn’t learn this from my doctors. I mean, I get frustrated with the high doctors, because they are not open to neuroplasticity. But the neuroscientists are so
23:05
in answer to your question. Yes, yes, yes, yes, you can definitely improve this and add his age. I mean, you’ll start doing some things. And then you’ll notice that Oh, my God, you know, you’ll you’ll notice other changes. But I want to address something that your husband is picking up and let’s see if I can find it.
23:34
Hold on a minute, I’m gonna
23:37
definitely treated like cured, so to speak. Yeah, of course it can, of course. Now, I want to do a disclaimer. And the disclaimer is, this is a nonlinear process. It’s going to take some time. And as I said, there are going to be some days that you’re,
23:59
you know, you’re gonna say, Oh, he’s worse. And then there are other days where you’re gonna say, Oh, he’s better. And, you know, I think that you’re gonna have to trust the process with it. I mean, he’s so young, to be able to,
24:17
you know, to, to,
24:20
to work on this. Alright, let me see if I can get this up on do a screen share with you.
24:28
When we come back to it, it’s always a tricky thing here.
24:33
Because I’m going to show you this picture.
24:39
Yes, you definitely. So you see, my husband just walked up to hold hold on, please. One second south.
24:48
Bow.
24:51
He’s telling us some pictures. Do you mind? Just yeah, sorry. Just. This is also also recorded. So um,
25:01
Alright, you see, you see the bridge of the nose here, this is a pretty wide bridge, and it can look like an eye is turning in. But it’s just because this bridge is so wide. We see this a lot in the Asian culture, right? Oh, and so it can look like the right eye is turning in, when it’s just this bridge is so wide, that actually, you know, the eye may not be turning me it looks in this picture. Now it depends on the distance he’s looking at. So if he’s looking more in the distance, you could take a look at his eyes, maybe take a picture, and his eyes might be more straight. Whereas if you bring him in to see your face, that’s a skill called Convergence, where the eyes actually should turn in a little bit. And it looks as though his right eye is converging a little more than the left. But it also could be this, this bridge being so wide, that makes it look like it’s turned in when you know hey Trish and actually said that he felt like it because I’m doing my husband can explain the flow, like you just said and also like the flap or the skin of his eye? Because he said that when he examined him it looked like both eyes set properly, like aligned. But I don’t I don’t? I don’t think so because I see him every day. And I think you can, based on the picture you’ve seen, I think you do agree there’s an issue? Correct?
26:28
I would say that there might be an issue and it’d be worth it to be proactive and start doing some activities. Again, there was another picture I saw where the left eye was looked like it was turned in and the right eye looked like it’s straight. But a lot of it depends on where he’s looking like, how far away is he looking? Is he looking? What happens if he looks up? What happens when he looks down. So in other words,
26:59
you know, you can observe his coordination or his fixation based on his posture, and his positioning, and where he is looking, those are all things. So another thing to test for would be if that right eye is turning in, what you would want to do is, you know, play a game where you’re feeding him from the right side and see if his peripheral vision on the right side is actually like in other words, what is his response? When you put something way off to the right, does he move his head, because the right eye actually move? That would be something for you to note. Because let’s say you move something off to the right side. And his right, I didn’t move at all, that would be a red flag. But if there was something that he was interested on that right side, and this is going to be part of your your school of vision, where I want you to start stimulating more of his peripheral vision, I want you to get him to have more awareness out here. Now how do you do that? Well, one thing is to change his position of his car seat.
So you know, maybe one day have the seat on the left side, maybe the next day, have it in the middle, and then then the next day on the right side. So in other words, what I want you to start feeding him is different experiences on making him use his vision in places where you might see a deficit, okay. And so when the eye is turned in, or there’s an alternating situation. And this may even be an intermittent situation, maybe if he’s tired. Again, what we do is we do what we call a cover test, where we have an look at something, we cover an eye, he’s looking at the object and then we cover the other eye, and you can start to see the eye moving as you take the cover away. And that would definitively tell you that there’s an alternating situation. If you pressed me on diagnosing this, I would say he’s got an intermittent alternating esotropia that would be the medical diagnosis. But I’m saying intermittent so it doesn’t happen all the time. And it’s alternating. And it’s we’re still in the early stages, where I think his visual development is lagging behind his chronological age. And I think that that is a that’s a I would say that that would be kind of a safe assessment diagnosis, where we’re acknowledging something may be going on, but it’s not like that. Yeah, and you know, I think
30:00
given anything like us are Ganic going on, like something seriously like, you know, anatomical, I think it’s just, I don’t think he got the software update yet. Yeah, right, I
30:12
got hardware, but I don’t think he knows how to use it. And so the best way, the best way to fix this is to start giving him software, so that he’s got to begin to use the hardware in a variety of different situations and conditions. That’s an important point. Because the variety, and also the interaction, where you’re not just doing it to him, but he’s got to have some effect in he’s got to have some skin in the game, because that’s how he’s going to learn it. That’s why I’m potent strong glasses, or surgery is going to make him more disconnected. I mean, it’s, it’s going to take him further away from what you’re trying to achieve. And I’m sorry to say that, but they’re trying to treat a symptom. I agree with that without the underlying, I’m sorry, not my husband started question. He wanted me to ask you if this is normal for his age, and I think it’s because he’s, I think we can and then he said he is not fully myelin myelinated. And it is very infrequent.
31:28
But both of those, this is very normal. And he’s absolutely right, he’s not fully myelinated. And so again,
31:38
if we feed the eyes with stimulation, you’re gonna grow and learn this is this is what infants do, right? I mean, just the changes of so another thing that you can do, if you’re breastfeeding, change the breast. In other words, you’re not okay. So even even if you’re not, even if you’re not, in the way that he’s getting his nutrition, I want you to change the position, and the experience on how he has to engage with it. You know, that’s interesting, because when I do feed him his bottle, it’s always on my he’s on my left arm, and he tends to look in that direction the whole time. That’s interesting. So I want to do it on the other unit. So your, your, as a vision therapist, so I’m training you as a vision therapist now. So this is like physical therapy for the eyes, is you have to be thinking about how can I create more variety
32:45
in his visual processing, sensory motor experience. So the car seat,
32:53
like if he’s on his back, I would, I would do some kind of visual stimulation out into the periphery. Like, I want to see him look up, I want to see him look behind, I want to see him look to his left, but I want you to expand his scope of visual processing, like by 100%. Like no more.
33:19
This is this is going to feed in to the crossing, if you keep me here.
33:26
So his brain is saying give me give me it out here.
33:31
Okay, so another thing that’s related here is something called the vestibular system, we call this the inner ear and the inner ear in the eye are very related in terms of balance, orientation, and fixation. So when we see the eye turned like this, what I interpreted as is we need to create more vestibular stimulation. So rocking, spinning, rolling, so in other words, get him into more of that somatic body movement, circular, up, swinging, rolling, that’s going to help his eyes because when the vestibular gets stimulated, the eyes go from here. If you see my hands, they, they go out. So in other words, this is more.
34:36
He does it to seven, you know, there’s another complaint we had Dr.
34:41
Is that he, especially when he’s tired, he’s very Off Balanced. Like he just
34:47
again, again, he’s, he’s in he’s in a very early stage in his sensory motor development. So we need to get him to work with his balance. How
35:00
Whatever you can do that. And another thing that’s going to help his visual coordination is getting him to do more, I want a lot more of his cross patterning crawling.
35:16
What is like he didn’t do enough that he didn’t do enough of that. So there’s a research research studies out of wreckers, we said the kids that dwelled in their crawling, were better readers than kids who crawled fast, and, you know, didn’t dwell in crawling. So whether he did or he didn’t, or he did enough, and you may think he did enough for you, he didn’t, he didn’t do enough. I’m telling you, he did. So one of the ways to improve the visual coordination, and the near focus is getting getting him to move his right arm with his left leg. I mean, that would be at simultaneously what we want him to do the crawling in the cross patterning and an obstacle course. So in other words, this may this may be he may be too young for this yet.
But with kids that I work with that are a little older, what we have them do is we have them do cross patterning movements, but they have to do it under a chair around pillows. So they bring their eyes as a GPS system, moving their body through space, going forwards, and more importantly, going backwards. So that motoring going backwards, is going to teach him about peripheral, I gotta look behind me. And he’s got to use his eyes to move his body through space. I work with a lot of OTs, I work with special needs kids over the years, the visually guided and visually directed movements are one of the best ways to get them to start using their two eyes together. Okay, and the crawling is the linchpin where they really work on the cross patterning.
Now, another thing you can do with that is have him lie out on his back on on his body. So he’s like a lot and roll him, roll him across the room, when you roll, get it stimulating the right side of the body with the left side of the body. So it’s activating the hemispheres of the brain. Remember, I said the eyes are just the outer part of the brain. So when you stimulate both hemispheres of the brain, it stimulates the two eyes to start integrating together. In other words, the way the out of this is not by trying to force his eyes to straighten is to stimulate his body and his brain. So his eyes now have a pathway on where to go. So rolling like a log. Another one is marine crawl, he got
38:09
off the typing, let’s go with the marine fall, I want him to go backwards, as well as forwards in an obstacle course. Okay, now maybe he does, maybe he’s on your husband’s back, and your husband’s doing marine crawl. And he gets the the vestibular stimulation. And also, he’s doing an obstacle course so that Alexander is experiencing, oh, he’s moving to his left, he’s moving to his right. This can also occur with his hopping. And maybe you hold his hands. He hops on two feet, or he hops on one foot. That would be another one for him to begin to get into forwards and backwards. So in other words, swinging, rolling, moving, in other words, I want you know, a lot more motor stimulation, bilateral peripheral, every which way you can
39:15
hold them upside down, hold them, either the angles, and I want the movement slow. So when you go slow, the brain has more of a chance to digest. I see a lot of kids when riding their bike, I can go fast Dr. Burn, but they can’t go slow because they’re letting their speed be the momentum that tricks them into balancing. So we’re talking about mobility, movement, bilateral integration, changing the positions as much as you can, getting him on his back and doing stimulation getting known as belly swinging. Balancing
40:02
And then I’m going to give you the primitive reflex that’s most interfering with his ability to move forward. Okay? And that reflex is going to be called the starfish. Okay? It’s a movement, okay, and it helps integrate the
40:20
Moro reflex. And so the movement, the movement is his his hands start out like this in his head his back.
40:32
And then he does this.
40:35
And he puts his one arm over the other and he brings his chin in, then he opens up again, and he does the other side. So he’s, he’s moving his head, and he’s moving his arms. And then eventually, I want him to do the same with his his ankles. So his upper body and lower body are both coming out, going out and coming in. Now one of the ways we do this Kidpower, where I work, is we have the child sit with the back there back to the mother’s front. So in other words, like that, and you’re holding his arms, and you’re actually doing it for him, making this move, this would be great for both of you as a bonding. And so you’re helping him do the Moro. But you’re, you’re directing it. So he’s sitting on you, and you’re having his arms and his legs, and you’re just moving back and forth. And you do about four or five of those, that’s a good one to do as a way to integrate that reflex.
41:40
And I think let’s just leave it there, there’s several of them that could affect his eyes. But what I would like to do in the strategy is give you some things to do for maybe six weeks, and then you meet again, and go over what are you observing? What are you seeing? What are you noticing? what’s working, what’s not? What are you concerned about, and then I can give you the next set of things to do, because he’s going to be in a physical therapy program, a school of vision, it’s going to take a little time. And, again, keep the big picture here. He’s in a very plastic state. And there are days when you’re going to say his eyes are really straight. And then they’re going to be days when you’re going to say, his eyes turning in again. And I don’t want you to get locked into that as the results because he’s in a process. We want to stimulate his development. And we want him to organically learn by giving him the software, so that now he knows how to do the hardware that makes that makes lesson and Dr. Will I be just referring to this audio? Or do you do recap? Like do you send notes or recaps of everything you said like this?
43:01
I wrote it down.
43:03
Yeah, here, I’ll send you the Moro starfish. And one of the things about this is that you’re probably going to learn it better by watching the video again and taking notes so that you do a better job at it. But I’ll send you, you know, certain handouts, and then you go for it. Yeah. And it doesn’t need to be perfect. This is not like going to the gym, and you’ve got to do a perfect lap pole. That’s not what this is. This is about giving your son brain food that’s going to help his eyes. And the way you give him the brain food is by creating variety in his sensory motor experience. I’m giving you the combination of my 40 years of working with OTS PTS, Vision therapist, you are actually doing an occupational therapy type physical therapy for the eyes, which is like the best I mean, it’s not even eye exercises. And this is exactly what he needs to grow and forget the ophthalmologists forget going to those people because you’re not lined up with it. All right, we have a few minutes. We have a few minutes left, I have one more thing I want you to consider. And I’m going to share this in the story that that I personally experienced. tell you how I got to this so many years ago, I was working with a lot of autistic kids and they had had a lot of birth trauma. And they had had a lot of I turn I turn in I turn out and the OT said to me, you know, I think you ought to go back to massage school and learn this osteopathic technique called cranial sacral therapy. Have you ever heard I think he’s heard of cranial? Yes.
45:00
And so, by the way, that’s a very
45:04
evolved pediatrician who would even say something like, yes, he’s so stuck. And by the way, because I worried about autism, but he’s done well so far.
45:12
So I don’t think I don’t think you have to worry about that. But anyway, I went back to massage school and I learned the cranial technique. And I started to do it on kids like your son. And I would say in one or two sessions, their eyes would be completely straight. Wow.
45:30
And the reason is, is because these bones in the skull and back here in the jaw, they affect how the eyes sit in the orbit.
45:41
And so when I would create more space and more movement in the skull and the bones, the eyes could sit in the sockets easier. He’s not too old for that. No, is he not too? Well, it’s the perfect age. In my training, we actually worked with moms who were delivering birth, we did cranial sacral, prenatally at birth, right at birth right after birth. You can do it in any age, it doesn’t. Now is the time. If you were in my city, I would be having my hands on his head. Like yesterday.
46:26
There are a lot there are a lot of great cranial people, this is not unique. So some places that you can look, you can ask your pediatrician, word of mouth, you’re looking for kind of more of a. Okay, so that I want you to go. It’s not like if
46:44
sorry, no, my husband just wasn’t convinced. But I’m sorry. Yeah.
46:50
Well, because it changes how the anatomy is affecting the functional positioning in the orbit. And I didn’t believe that either. I mean, yeah, I put my hands on people, and they go, I don’t feel anything. And so it was a really subtle, it’s called the cranial rhythm. It’s like the pulse, you can barely feel it, you have to get trained to do it. And it’s very subtle, but the brain is
47:18
producing or moving the cerebral spinal fluid up and into the eyes. I mean, I went to a med, I went to an ophthalmology meeting in December for glaucoma, which is a disease of vascular health, you can go blind. And they even said, if you can improve the cerebral spinal fluid flow into the eye, you can bring the eye pressure down. Wow. They didn’t know anything about cranial sacral. But that’s exactly what cranial sacral does. It impacts how the cerebral spinal fluid is impacting the sphenoid bone that sits behind the eyes, and the muscles and the orbit of the eyes. And so if you can create more movement in the face and the head, then the eyes are going to sit in a more relaxed way. I mean, hundreds, hundreds of cases. I’ve done pictures before and after it works.
48:18
Now, is it the answer? No, because you’re going to also have to feed his software, so that when he gets under stress, he doesn’t revert to turning one of his eyes in because that’s when it’s going to happen when he’s under stress when he’s overwhelmed when he’s sick. So you’re gonna have to build that software. So he’s got more options than just defaulting into turning the AI in. But it’s a whole body process. It’s not just the eyeball. That’s why I’m having to do all these things. So I want I want you to spend every day during the day, not just 10 minutes, isolated. This is his new lifestyle. I’m Hans Chang. Yeah, let’s do that. Let’s change the car seat. Let’s do some spinning, rolling. Let’s get him into crawling. Let’s get him into going backwards. Let’s do that starfish. Let’s do the hopping. Okay, I love melons better. I mean, it’s all going to work for you. So then what I’d like to do is in about six weeks, let’s set up another conversation. And I know there’s going to be obstacles, roadblocks, skepticism, and there’s also going to be great stuff. So I want you to bring it all because I’ve seen it all at this point.
49:42
More believe now that there’s there’s some hope that you can I know you’re one more question just quickly so far to me. What are your thoughts about like, I haven’t had an eye exam in about eight years, like getting dilation and I can’t believe I poke myself in the eye. That’s nice, but I’m okay. My vision is back
50:00
I just feel a little gritty. And I want to go to the eye doctor to just check to make sure there’s no scratch. Should I? Is there any issue with dilation just to get a full exam? Or should I just kind of, you know, it kind of depends. I mean, you have a history of, you know, any eye diseases, your mom, your dad, I just,
50:21
yeah, I had a little bit of an eating disorder when I was in my 20s. So I start seeing floaters in my vitreous was starting to generate, and I should have been to an eye doctor 10 years ago, but so I see floaters, but overall, my vision is very good. I know this is a lot. By the way, I have great remedies for floaters.
50:41
I’ll send you you probably have seen that. Yeah. Anyway.
50:47
It’s probably good. It’s probably good to do at once. Just know that when you do it, and you’re not going to be able to read for a few hours, bring sunglasses, maybe have a friend, Dr. You
51:02
know, I just meant since maybe, I don’t know, if my corneal is
51:06
to see if you can, you know, you can say call up an eye doctor and say, Oh, I think I you know, I, I scratched my cornea a little can you look at it? And maybe that’s all they’ll look at, sometimes that’s what they’ll do.
51:19
So I think it just depends, you know, the thing about the dilation is, is that if there’s a genetic influence, then yes, you need to get dilated. But if not, you know, then you don’t have to get dilated all the time. But you know, like, any, any physical, it’s good to get some baseline blood work. And, you know, that’s basically what this is. And then you can see after that, if you need to go, but just take those precautions, and then it’ll be fine. Okay? The job, prepare yourself that, you know, it’s going to be bright and sunny and bright.
51:57
Okay, so I’m going to send you a couple of handouts. And I’ll send you this recording, and go to work you got you got the prescriptive. And then
52:09
yeah, and then let’s talk about six weeks, get some cranial work, find a good cranial person.
52:16
It’s wonderful. Great. Sometimes what I’ll do is I’ll even have mom and the child lay on the table, and I’ll do them both at the same time. And that brings you back to in utero time, which is really cool. But you know, different ways. It may be a 15 minute session, you know, may not be that long. But just to get just to get the hands on to see if you can create more movement in here. Could be really amazing. I mean, it could be a game changer. It’s worth it. Oh, this has been awesome. Thank you so much, Doctor, I really I feel
52:51
oh my god so much. I look
52:54
forward to talking to you again. Thank you so much. Okay. Take care.
53:00
Have a nice day.
53:08
Thank you for listening. I hope you learned something from the EyeClarity podcast show today. If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to subscribe on iTunes or Spotify and leave a review. See you here next time.
Here is a talk I gave recently at a book shop called The Ark. I cover topics in my new book and take questions from the audience. It was a great time! Enjoy the show.
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SUMMARY KEYWORDS
eye, called, people, macular degeneration, eyedrops, started, vision, study, cataracts, macula, good, nearsighted, glasses, glaucoma, gallbladder, doctor, prescription, kids, child, sun
00:05
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberne.com.
00:47
Good evening, everybody. Thank you all for coming here. It’s really nice to have a fence back at The Ark. And I’ve been coming to them recently, but it’s very loving. We’re very proud to have them. And we’re very excited to have Dr. Sam Berne with us this evening.
01:09
Being on the holistic optometrist and vision therapist for over 30 years, and immense following of people who believe in Him. And I took a look through his book. And it’s very, very wonderful, fascinating things that I loosely follow, even though I see pretty well. I’m a little bit disappointed that not everyone’s wearing glasses, though, because that seems like a missed opportunity. I hope you enjoy what he has to say. And I think it would be very beneficial for everybody. We do have the book available if you need it to be signed. And Please enjoy yourselves. And I hope you’ll learn all you can.
01:56
Well, before I begin, I have a couple of thank yous. First of all, I’d like to thank the yard for hosting me tonight. And also, I would like to say my partner and wife, Charlie, she has really supported me over the years. And there are people in this audience that I would like to thank that have both helped me with the book, and just been great supporters. I’m gonna keep it anonymous. But I’m deeply grateful for their support. And so let’s begin. I want to see a show of hands of people who have either worked with me take one of my workshops, or so Okay, a few of you.
That’s great. So, you know, in my story, one of my Northstars is when I was about eight years old, I I grew up in a middle class family, my parents really emphasized education. My mom was a schoolteacher, my dad was in business. And my grandparents and my aunts and uncles, they always stressed going to school reading, I remember my uncle, I would go see him. And he had this library kind of like this room. And I would go in and pick one of his books. And the problem was is that I was labeled as learning disabled. And I was a really poor reader. And my mom took me everywhere. In fact, I don’t know if you remember, Evelyn was sure speed reading. That was like one of many things we did biggest waste of money. But we ended up we ended up at an eye doctor’s office. And of course the doctor gave me a pair of glasses. This is a kid he uses these. And so I started down the road of being nearsighted. And the way I got through school was memorizing. So it became this brainy kid, and I worked really hard. But there was not a good reader. I did enjoy reading. So fast forward, I got through college, got to a professional school. By this time, my glasses were pretty thick. And I couldn’t see the big E on the HR. So I was like, my perfect optometrist, just couldn’t see. But I met this doctor.
And he was called a behavioral optometrist. So if you think of the two words together, it’s kind of a juxtaposition. It’s kind of an oxymoron behavior vision. What does that but anyway, this His name is Dr. Al Shankman, and he practicing kinetic and I lived in Philly. And I started to go to him as a patient. And he said two things to me. He said, you know, your left eye wanders out, and that’s why you see double vision. And I thought double vision was normal. I thought everybody thought double. And then the second thing he said was, you know, you really carry a lot of tension in your eyes. I said I’m totally unaware of it. So we started in with his physical ID therapy. And I just wanted to make a distinction between that and like you were here of the Bates method eye exercises.
This was not eye exercises, this was brain therapy. And over a period of six months, my left eye and right eye started to work together. And so my reading got much easier. I was amazed how much easier it got. And then my nearsightedness went away, my tension in my eyes completely cleared up. And I was like, oh my god, this is not what I learned in school. So at the same time, I was enrolled in a place called the gazelle Institute. And I don’t know if anybody has ever heard of this physician, because L speller GSELL. And it was started in 1948, by Arnold Gizelle, MD, who was a child development specialist. And it was affiliated with the Yale study center in New Haven.
And it was a really cool place because it was a place where there was a lot of different professionals, psychologists, nutritionists, occupational therapists, obviously, eye doctors, and I spent a year there learning how to evaluate and treat special needs kids. So after that was over, I moved back to Philadelphia, and I associated with one of the graduates of that program, a Dr. Alice Adelman, and he practiced on the main line in Philadelphia. So I was an apprentice of his, he also gave me the opportunity to start my practice in his office. But the problem with that was that I couldn’t get any patients because we practiced in an area that was surrounded by like five ophthalmology practices. And although people were really well off really well educated, they got what they needed from the regular doctors, they didn’t need somebody alternative. So at that point, I needed to make some money. And I thought about, okay, where are there populations that are underserved.
And so I went to one of the local hospitals, and I volunteered my services to the traumatic brain injury unit. So this was an outpatient hospital. And these people were high functioning, but they had been in car accidents or sports injuries, they had strokes. So they had like, double vision like I had, they also had brain fog and memory issues. And the regular eye doctors just wrote them off. There was really it was kind of sad, because these people were like struggling. So I applied my physical therapy program to them, and everybody improved greatly. And so the hospital administrator said, Okay, we’ll give you a contract for three hospitals. And so some other outside patients started to trickle in, because my reputation was I was a problem solver. I worked with people where they had been other places, and they couldn’t have their problem solved. So come to me. The other underserved population that I contacted was the special needs children. So these were kids that had brain injury, they were down syndrome.
They were, you know, in a wheelchair, obviously, there was the autistic to add population. And I did so well with those kids. I mean, they were amazing. The parents were amazing. And so over time, my reputation got bigger, and I built up a very successful practice. And then one day I woke up and I said, you know, I think I want to move back out west. Back out west. When I was in school, one of my internships was actually here at the Indian Health Hospital in Santa Fe. So I worked for IHS, and, you know, I said, I think Santa Fe could be a good time for me. So I sold my interest in Philadelphia, and I moved out here got my license, and I opened a practice I got really busy, which was great. So I met this woman and I’m gonna bring her up because you’re all New Mexicans, you probably maybe have heard of this person. Her name was Dr. Hazel Parcells. Has anybody ever heard of?
09:31
Yes. So Dr. Parr cells. When I met her, she was 103 years old, and she was starting a retreat center. She had been practicing in Albuquerque for many years. She was a naturopath and a chiropractor. And she knew a lot about nutrition. And I was writing my first book creating your personal vision and I wanted to interview an expert so I called her up and she was starting to center Do you know where Las Vegas New Mexico is? It was north of that in this beautiful valley called sappy Oh, New Mexico. Yeah. And so I went to visit her. And I ended up becoming a student of hers, studying nutrition. And then one day, she turned me into this laboratory in another building. And there were all these black boxes. I said, Dr. What, what is this, and she said, Well, I’m working with people I’m broadcasting frequencies to that homeopathy color therapy. And he’s like I want they’re not here. They’re not physically in this building. Know, they’re there, other places, but they’re all getting well, because I’m changing their frequency, their vibration. So this was my Introduction to Quantum healing. And so she taught me how to do this. And a couple years later, a very famous cardiologist, who lives in Santa Fe, he was in Dallas, I know you’ve heard of him, Larry Dossey.
Larry is bestseller in New York Times, wonderful person in his wife, Barbara. So he wrote a book called the power of prayer, you may remember that book. And he actually researched people who are in different locations, and you send positive energy and they would feel it or they would get better. So it kind of opened that door of the non local field. And I could go into more of that, but I’ll put that aside, because we’re talking about the eyes tonight. So in my practice, what began happening here is that I started to study Chinese medicine. And for those of you acupuncture is so well known here in Santa Fe, that I started to develop this idea of the relationship of the meridians to our IO, you probably all know this, you know, the liver meridian, profoundly affects the eyes, gallbladder, stomach, spleen, and then we can look at eyelid issues. spleen is the upper eyelid stomach is the lower island. So instead of using antibiotic eyedrops, you could get some acupuncture, and would clear up your sky or conjunctivitis.
So, you know, those were all the things that I made those connections. And then I was working with an occupational therapist, and we were working with autistic kids. And a lot of these kids had birth trauma. So you know, the birth industrial industry, and when it’s like, children are now born infants are not born based on the schedule of the doctor, you know, and it’s, it’s really challenging when a child comes out, and their C section or their breech, or there’s forceps delivery, or you know, some distress, it has an impact on their sensory motor development. And so I went back to massage school here based on this OTS recommendation, and spent two years learning with cranial sacral. And then what was interesting is in my exam, when I had a regular office, next to my exam equipment, I had a massage table. So somebody would come in for, you know, glasses, and I would do an exam on them, I’d measure their eyes, and then I would do an hour of craniosacral on them. And then I would give them that prescription. And that prescription used to would be like 30% less than what they came in.
Because if you think about going to regular eye doctors, this stressful experience, which is clear one or two, and you get the lens and it makes you dizzy, and the doctor says just get used to it. You know, I’m busy, you know, just get used to it. So you get used to it, and your body starts twisting or torquing. So the cranial work was very interesting. And then there’s this condition called astigmatism. Anybody ever astigmatism? Astigmatism, which is not astigmatism, astigmatism, they think a stigma, you know, but so a stigmatism means the eye is misshapen, okay, and and like it’s like an egg. That’s how it’s shaped. But it also reflects some echo in the body where there’s some asymmetry, some twist, so if you start unwinding the body and then you give a non astigmatism correction, the stigmatism goes away. As opposed to when you get an astigmatism correction, it reinforces the twist. And we have some cranial sacral therapists are very fine cranial sacral therapists are in there nodding their head, because they know what’s going on. When you get a regular lens prescription and an exam. It’s reinforcing some adaptation that you’ve made somewhere in your vision. And so your eyes are gonna get worse. I mean, who hasn’t had the experience where they’ve gone back to their eye doctor after they got a prescription?
The next year or two, it’s now stronger, or they were just wearing them part time and now they’re in progress. So bifocals. So, I mean, it’s, it’s interesting the way an eye doctor calculates a prescription, like you’re a specimen, you know, like you’re a problem to solve. And one of the things that I think about is, instead of looking at the numbers, I look at the person behind the numbers. So even though I might get some data, it’s like, well, what’s your stress? Like? What’s your lifestyle? Like, you know, what do you eat the all those kinds of things, and then based on the whole person, then maybe a prescription might be beneficial, that actually support your vision getting better. I’ll never forget people coming in to see me every year and they would come in and say, you know, my contacts aren’t working anymore. My glasses aren’t working anymore. And what happened was, they thought their eyes got worse, when in fact, when they measured them, their eyes got better.
15:59
So we didn’t even think we don’t even think that our eyes can get better, right? We think only think they get worse. So I would say to them, what are you doing? Well, I’m, you know, doing Vipassana meditation, taking a yoga class, you know, doing Rolfing, whatever it is. So your eyes reflect your consciousness, they reflect what’s going on energetically in your body, getting back to acupuncture. If you start measuring the pulses, you’ll find that the meridians if there’s a stagnating energy, that could lead to something like floaters or cataracts, or even macular degeneration, I’m gonna talk about those things in a little bit. And by the way, what I’d want to do here, this is I think this is like a fireside chat. I want to speak for a little bit, and then I want to open it up for q&a, because I find that, you know, I can talk about a million things. But something drew you here tonight and some interest. And I would love to be able to answer your questions. And we learn from each other.
So I’m going to speak a little bit more. And then then we’ll open it up for q&a. So who here knows somebody who’s dealing with macular degeneration? Anybody? Okay, so definitely, it’s the number one disease for blindness, and it’s growing by epidemic proportions. And part of it is we’re living longer. But one key principle to note is that our eyes have one of the highest metabolic needs of the body. So what we eat is going to really affect our retinas, our corneas, our eyelids. And by the way, every tissue of the eye comes from the brain. The eyes are the only part of the brain that are outside the cranium. But they are part of the brain. And this is why the eyes qualify for neuroplasticity. And as long as the retina cells aren’t dead, then there is the possibility of regeneration. And there’s more and more research coming out. And I could stand up here for an hour and give you all the research.
My book has got a lot of good research in there. But in looking at neuro scientists, they’re the ones on the cutting edge doing the research that says you can regenerate your eyes and not the eye doctors, because, and I’ll say we because I was trained that way, we are here to look for disease. And then when we find that disease, what we have in our toolbox, pharmaceuticals and surgery. And I’m sure somebody in here has had a conversation with their eye doctor. Well, what about physical therapy? What about nutrition? I have this beginning cataract? Is there anything I can do about it? No, no, no. Exactly. Right. So the point of the story is, is that there are things you can do. And because my own eyes got better, and my double vision went away when I was a kid, that’s my Northstar.
I just kind of keep coming back back to that. How can I problem solve? If you’ve got something going on and it hasn’t been solved somewhere else? Maybe I can help you maybe I can point to certain directions, whether it’s functional medicine, whether it’s color therapy, whether it’s cranial sacral, could be aromatherapy could be herbs, you know, all of these things do come into play around healing your vision. So back to macular degeneration. The macula has the highest metabolic need in the retina that’s made up of what we call cones, color, vision and detail. And when we are exposed to things like artificial blue light, or we’re developing oxidative stress or inflammation, it seems to magnetize itself at the macula area. And so when we get that diagnosis, it’s like, Oh, my goodness, you know, it’s the death sentence, I’m going to lose my independence, I’m not going to be able to drive I’m not going to be able to read.
And what’s really cool is that back in 2001, a very long time ago, NIH did landmark study on macular degeneration and using different nutritional ingredients to prevent or reduce the risk of macular degeneration. They redid the study in 2006. And what they found was pretty obvious, eat a lot of colorful vegetables, your rainbow diet, eat some berries, make sure you’re getting things like your omega threes. Beta carotene. Zinc is another one that’s really helpful for the macula. So this is back in 2006. And then, of course, with macular degeneration, we have the dry Kai. And we also have what we call the wet macular degeneration that’s a little harder to work with. But there are things that you can do. Even things like gingko, and wormwood, these herbal remedies.
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You can reduce the diabetic or pre diabetic possibility. So if you’ve got glucose issues, wet macular degeneration, you can stave that off. And there’s one other thing that’s coming that’s come into play right now, which is hot, hot, hot, at least through my funnel, and that is red light therapy. Has anybody heard about red light? Yeah, probably. And so there was an ophthalmologist at the University College of London. And he did a study with people between the ages of 40 and 75, who had macular degeneration and another condition called drusen.
I don’t know if anybody here has Drew’s and it’s fatty deposits that start to grow on the retina. If it comes on to the macula, it can be a problem. So Dr. Jeffries and his team did this study where he gave his subjects red light every morning, few minutes, and over 12 weeks, their visual acuity improved by 22% 22%. That never happens in AI research, you know, the most improvement you’ll see is maybe 3%. So he said in the in his paper, that the red light stimulates something called mitochondria. Heard of mitochondria, it’s a buzzword now. So it’s the organelles that are in our cells that produce energy, specifically ATP. And when we start hitting 40, the mitochondria start receding in our eyes. And so then what happens is oxidative stress goes up, inflammation goes up. And then if we’re eating a diet, maybe that’s more inflammatory based or we’ve got Candida or IBS or some digestive issue or we’ve been exposed to some toxicity, or our dental work is not very good.
There’s a lot of reasons why. So then over time, our macula is in our retinas develop this oxidative stress. And then one day we wake up and we go, oh, my, it’s blurry, even though this has been going on in the background for quite a while. So with Dr. Jeffrey’s found is this red light can actually reverse certain types of macular degeneration and drusen. He also wrote in his paper, it might help dry eye, it might help glaucoma, and it might help other eye diseases as well. And it worked the best when you did it early in the morning.
That is an important point. Because that was when our circadian rhythms are kicking in. And by the way, there’s another study I want to bring in about being out in the sun, because in the mainstream, they tell us to be afraid of the Sun’s right. So there’s a pretty big study. Now that’s that’s come out about morning sunlight, giving us better mood so our dopamine levels get increased. Also more energy, better focus and better vision. So the morning sun is very important to get it also has the blue light that we need. So not all blue light is bad for you. You know, you read about blue light from screens and yes, you don’t want to get too much of that. But the sun’s blue light is something that we do need. In addition, in this study, they wrote about children that way to reduce nearsightedness because I don’t know where they know this but all these kids are on their screens. I read a study that 94% of the public schools in the US they’re using computers, and they’re off in their in their school room.
So the point of it is the screens are really hard on our eyes, and they’re developing this myopia kind of thing. So in the research, what they said was, these kids need to get outside 30 minutes a day, they need to look at long distances. And in this study, they saw that the myopia started to recede when they went outside when they got off their screens. And so just another support for getting out in nature be in the green because it’s very important for us. So with this macular degeneration, you’ve got lutein and zeaxanthin and acid Xanthine. Those are the carotenoids that protect the macula. And then you’ve got things like glutathione, which is a master antioxidant. You’ve got your omega threes, you got vitamin A, you’ve got a lot of things that you can take, even berries are good for you, as well as we move into the summer months. Very good for the retina. So there’s a lot of things that you can do. And this is not a cookbook you know, it’s everybody’s biochemistry is different. Everybody’s stress level is different. But these are some general guidelines for macular health. Now let’s move to cataracts. Do you know anybody who has cataract? Cataract surgery, okay, so cataracts statistic I read that 90% of all people over the age of 65 will be getting cataracts.
So, you know, you go to your doctors and you got a cataract, you got a cataract. And let’s take it out. And you know, there’s certain things that you want to do if you’re going to have that surgery, like match both eyes for distance, you don’t want to have one eye distance when I’m here called monovision out, nobody has that here, because it’s very confusing for the brain to have to deal with two images at once it’s like you know, you’re, you’re going to be confused. Number two, these bifocal contact lenses that they’re putting in the eyes is also very, very confusing for the brain, I don’t recommend and then number three toric lenses for the astigmatism. So you walk out of there and you’ve got all this you know distortion and because the lens is kind of warped to try to match your astigmatism. You’re much better off just getting the simple lenses for distance and and getting reading glasses. And if you’re nearsighted before the surgery, try to be nearsighted after the surgery. It’s really interesting when a near sighted person has surgery and becomes farsighted. Because their behaviors and personalities are very different you know nearsighted person is really good up close. That’s that’s their strength.
That’s why they become nearsighted or farsighted person is out their focus is hard to come into. So spatially the nearsighted person pulls in, the farsighted pushes out. So if you’re near sighted before the surgery and farsighted after, it’s going to be confusing mentally for you to figure out, wait a minute, I used to have really good near vision, now I need the strong magnifiers or vice versa. So there are things that you can do proactively to take care of your lens, because it’s a part of the tissue of the eye that is vulnerable for oxidative stress. So what are some things that you can do? Well, again, the master antioxidant glutathione is really important. Now one place, you can get that as cruciferous vegetables, leeks, onions, garlic, you can also supplement with glutathione as well. Studies have shown that people that develop cataracts tend to have low levels of glutathione there was a study done in the UK about vitamin C and cataracts. So it was with women and in the early stages. When women started to eat more foods that contain vitamin C, they had a 20% reduction in developing cataracts, and over a 10 year period and a 33% reduction in developing cataracts. Vitamin C is very important for a lot of different things, usually somewhere between 1000 to 1500 milligrams a day, if you’re gonna go that route number three sugar. So what happens in the bloodstream is the glucose molecule attaches itself to the protein molecule in the lens of the eye.
The lens is made of mostly protein, amino acids and water. So if your glucose levels are high, and these glucose molecules start to attach to the protein in the lens, this is called glycation glycation And it’s a special kind of cataract that forms, which is around the edge of the eye looks like spokes on a bicycle. It’s called a cortical cataract. And the way you know you have it is because you’re driving at night, and the headlights are just overwhelming you with so much sunburn Starbursts and glare. That’s a cortical Catterick. So we’ve got to eliminate sugar, processed foods, clean up your diet, that’s another thing that you need to do. And then start looking at some really concentrated antioxidants and acetylcysteine alpha lipoic acid. So in other words, start looking at how can I boost my antioxidants. Very important, and in, I have people here in this room that have reversed their cataracts completely. And they are amazing because they’ve done the work. So you all can do it if you want, you know, find out what you’ve got. And then you can do the same thing. Alright, let’s move to glaucoma because this is called the Sunland thief, meaning that you don’t know you have glaucoma
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and you start to lose your peripheral vision. So it’s a vascular disease. Basically, it’s a circulation issue in the eyes. Well, guess what, there are some great herbs that can bring your eye pressure down one is called Coleus Coleus forskolin. I don’t know if you’ve ever heard of it co L E us. Studies have shown that you can bring your eye pressure down to to five points. Amazing they and they want to give you the eyedrops, but there are things that you can do to bring your eye pressure down that are natural, you know another one that’s very interesting. Jump on a rebounder. So when you improve your lymphatic health, you bring your eye pressure down. A third one and I know this this was amazing because I went to a glaucoma meeting a few months ago was all you know allopathic medical for three days, I sat in this meeting for Well, I needed to keep my license. So you know that I’m legal. So I can keep working with everybody. So I’m good with that. But they at the very end of the very end of the seminar the last day, the last five minutes, one of the instructors said And oh, by the way, there’s a study that came out that said, if you meditate, you can lower your eye pressure.
And I looked it up. I couldn’t believe it. Why don’t they recommend meditation? I do. But anyway, that can bring your eye pressure down. Amazing. Okay, so you’re starting to get the connection. I mean, you already have the connection. Let’s see if there’s anything else dry. That’s another one. So you know, we’re all on screens, our eyes are drying out. We’re using these drops. I don’t know if you’ve seen the news, but there have been deaths. I just put together this video that I’m gonna release on social media, maybe tomorrow or Monday. So the deal is, is there’s this bacteria called Pseudomonas aeruginosa. And it turns out that this bacteria is in our water, it’s in the soil, and it’s in human waste. And it’s all over the place. So somebody somewhere in this particular company, it’s an artificial tear, and they must have somehow that bacteria God in the eye drop.
But what we’re dealing with also is our own inflammatory environment that we deal with, for a variety of different reasons, and a lowered immune system. A few years ago, I wrote an article that is published in mind body green called the ocular micro biome. So you know, the microbiome, the good bacteria in our body. We’re always have an ocular microbiome. So when we take steroid eyedrops, or via zine eyedrops, or we’re staring at a computer through our progressive lenses, which is a prescription that’s going to really trash our eyes, or we’re eating, you know, fried foods and we’re not taking care of ourselves. Our ocular microbiome goes down so we’re susceptible to whatever is out there. And I’m really glad that the FDA stepped in. I’m glad they took this off the market. I know my eyedrops are made in the US and I vigorously test them all the time. And I am very close with my manufacturer. And in fact I got right on the phone with her when I saw this this news item and we’re good. You know we we are very fastidious about our eyedrops and all my products Looks are really, really clean. But the thing is, is the media turns this into something that, you know, we have to be selective about, okay, what are we going to do here? And I would say use common sense. You know, I do have my MSM eyedrops that burn, and people will write me and say, you know, these are really burning, I’m freaking out. So there are other ways that you can use them, you can put them on a soft cloth or wet cloth and you can place them on the outside part of your eyes. So you have to learn about self regulating, you know, what is going to work for my body. And I think that’s in anything, whether you take an herbal formula supplement a mushroom, what foods you eat, you know, it’s really up to us at this point to regulate ourselves because Big Pharma and the FDA are not going to do that they have a certain prescription and dose based on your weight and height, and sex and all that. And not one size does not fit all, it just doesn’t happen that way.
So back to dry I, there was a study that came out about the eyelids that because they get inflamed, they’re not producing enough of the tears that cover the cornea. And there was a study that ophthalmologists did where they use castor oil on the islands. And when you know it, the dry went away. Now this is some hidden, obscure study like over there in the corner, as opposed to say, Well, what about steroid droughts? What about Restasis? What about all these other things which are much more mainline and mainstream.
So my manufacturer and I got together we made an organic castor oil eyedrop and we use it like an ointment so you put it on the outside of the eyes before bed. And it’s very moisturizing and it works without having to use the drugs that create the side effects. You know, it’s interesting about back to this. This artificial eyedrops its causes blurriness and redness, and so on. I have so many patients that take the glaucoma medications, and my goodness, it blurs your vision out it, it makes your eye so red and burning people stop using them because it’s it’s so negative for their body. So, you know, again, we have to kind of be educated as why I’m doing what I’m doing. Because to offer other people an alternative. Like you. And there are a lot of people out there like that. And it’s it’s growing. And I think it’s us that’s going to change the grass roots that will change the profession eventually.
Okay, I think the last thing I’m going to talk about is kids. So who’s has kids grandkids knows kids up? All right, they’re all are out there multiplying? Well, when I was at the Gizelle Institute, back to that that institution, I learned in an eye exam was about getting on the floor with the child and exploring how they move through space. And one of my mentors, dear mentors on live anymore, Dr. Albert a Sutton, another great developmental optometrist, he taught me how to treat the whole child through the eyes. And it’s actually quite genius, in what he came up with.
So I’m kind of taking his stuff. And many of my other mentors, I wouldn’t be here without any of them, and I bow to them every day. But in working with kids, one needs to be very careful about prescribing glasses, doing surgery, you know, if there’s a cross dye, or labeling them to the point where you’re dyslexic, or you’re, you know, like me learning disabled, or you can’t read or whatever. And I do work with a lot of special needs kids. There’s a place that I work in Albuquerque called Kidpower. And this is a facility that’s full of occupational therapists. And these folks are with they are progressive, that’s why I work with them. And my job is to come in and we connect the child’s eyes to their brain. Because when I do an evaluation with them, their eyes and their brain and their body are not connected. And it has nothing to do with reading the eye chart. In fact, that’s how they’re treated. They can’t read the eye chart, or they can barely read the eye chart. So they get these crazy thick glasses. And they’re, they’re lost. And so the point But the story is, is that vision can be learned and developed. And as kids, there’s so much plasticity that, you know, you can, you can do it. I’ll point you to a podcast that I was just on. The woman’s name is Katie wells. And the podcast is called Wellness mom, and very popular podcast. And if you want to learn about my methods, she did a great job interviewing me about how I explored children and help them. And yes,
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all the kids that you see down in Albuquerque, do, they all wear glasses, or
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some of them wore glasses, but all of them have developmental problems. So what happens is, if they go to the conventional doctor, the only thing that doctor can do is put drops in the eyes, which are going to parallels the paralyze the focusing muscles, and then they’re going to give the maximum prescription. Now, if you were to put that maximum prescription on, you throw up. And what’s interesting with those kids is they read as well with those glasses as without those glasses. It’s kind of obvious, right? To us anyway. So they may be wearing glasses, but I take them off. And we’ll do something maybe 10 or 20% the power part time, because once kids start wearing a full prescription, their visual development stops. And, you know, if you really knew that, if you really thought about that, you wouldn’t do it. But again, we’re we’re trained we and the profession that somebody comes in, they’ve got an optical distortion, we’re going to fix that optical distortion. And that’s it. And we know that there’s something else going on. So that’s the that’s the kid angle. So I think right now I’d like to open it up to q&a, and see if there’s
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any questions? Yes.
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Just the generic for the eyes also, thanks. Hear me? Sure. Sure. Damage to one, or improvement of one or the other. This was the entire brain, I would assume. So
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there’s a part of the vestibular system, which is our balance mechanism that’s very married, married to the eyes. We call it the vestibular ocular reflex. And there’s no question because we’re talking about the brain here. The ears are here, the eyes are here, but in prenatal development. And when we see the fetus start growing, they’re all coming out of the same area. So the hearing affects the vision, the vision affects the hearing. And the vision and the hearing affect the movement. And then they affect the cognitive ability. And they go back and forth. It’s a feedback loop. So the key is, where do you enter to flip the switch? I talked about this at Kidpower. I did a lecture down there. And one of the key points that I make when I work with those kids or any kid is where can I enter? So it turns them on. Because if I go in with a preconceived idea of why they get this testing this test in this test, and I go into that, they’re going to shut down I have to go in a way that allows them to feel safe. And then something can happen.
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Yeah, I wanted to talk about the Nerva hit like some hearing damage and the little Harry’s died and like what he does healing and he didn’t know the hairs died, so he may go back and they have almost normal hearing whereas everything I couldn’t hear is real distorted, like wow. You know, and so when we talk one on one, it would just be that kind of a wallop. And is there something I know it’s it’s not quite the eye but there it’s all connected. Is there anything about the hearing and the eye and things coming back that shouldn’t wear the eye in the ears like the the hairs on the ears, the silly
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what I said a while ago is the cells are not dead and they can come back. Now, it seems like vibrational healing works really well. You know, I talked about this red light therapy There also may be a type of sound frequency. There’s something called the tomato sauce method if you’ve ever heard him, say anybody heard of tomatoes, tomato, this was a French physician. And he was able to determine where certain frequencies were not getting into the, to the eyes to the years. And he would give them those frequencies. I was at a conference, and you can actually now speak into a software program, and your voice will tell you what frequencies you’re not hearing. So the voice is also very connected to the years as well.
You know, people that speak in a monotone. There, there was a study that was done that monotone speaking, it can create more osteo arthritis and osteoporosis. So make sense, sound and the bone. Obviously, there’s other things like, you know, weight bearing and stuff like that. But sound healing can have a positive effect on your bones. You know, the astronauts when they went up into space, they lost some of their bone density. Right? Right. So gravity is another thing. So there’s a lot of different ways to go up the mountain. And if you’re not getting the answer, like you weren’t, weren’t, you find another avenue? And there you go, we’re able to heal it. Fantastic. That’s, that’s, it’s a very inspiring story. Well done. Any other questions? Yes. Go ahead.
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Yes, I was just glancing through your quote, and then about fear, and the connection between your emotional life and your eyes? And if you’ve had a lot of fear in childhood, and then can you speak more to that I want to read more about so I would question but I was very interested in the connection with your emotions and your I know.
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Well, our eyes are like a videotape library. And as children, we see our parents, we see authorities, we absorb and we internalize what we see. And we don’t always have the opportunity to then express, we just take it in, and there’s a, there’s a saying that I use is it’s not a problem with the eyes. It’s the programming behind the eyes, that causes the eye problem. So what do I mean by the programming? Well, our mind our brain, or posture, movement, or diet, our emotional health or psychological health kind of depends on where you are. There’s an exercise and it’s in the book, it’s called an eye dialogue. And what it is, is you patch your left eye, and you tune in like I’m now my right eye. And then you start asking your right eye some questions, and you just use stream of consciousness. So how old is my right eye? And you might be surprised it’s very old, or it’s very young, or I have no idea. You know, it’d be great for you because now you’re doing an inner vision exam.
What’s my inner vision in that right eye? Then the second question is right, Id you know, you’re married to the left eye. And a lot of people will say, I didn’t know they were married. Can you imagine? You went to a marital counselor and a husband and wife are sitting there? Therapists asked the husband you know, you’re married dear wife, he says I had no idea. So you’ve got that internal programming going on somewhere, you’re projecting that out there. And to Chinese medicine, the right eyes, the masculine, it’s the father, left eyes, the feminine the mother, the right eye, 80% of the nerve fibers go to the left brain, what’s our left brain, our analytical or linear? Get it done. And our left eye is our feminine right brain, intuitive creative Gestalt. So you can check out the marriage, what is the right eye need. And then you could do the same on the left eye. And a lot of times the right eye and the left eye are very different. And so you start doing that dialogue, you can journal, you can do movement with it. I mean, there’s a lot of things you can do with the eye patch. And so you start awakening the internal awareness of what are your eyes, saying, What are they feeling? Am I talking to them? And most people are not connected to their eyes. And part of it is because of that eye exam you go to. It’s so fast. Yeah, flip, flip, flip. You got the lens I’ll see in the year.
And your eye health is good. And that’s it. There’s no exploration. And the deeper functional relationship that you have, you know, I learned that from something called voice dialogue, your voice is very famous. And the therapist, so I asked him, I said, can I talk to my eyes? I said, sure. Yeah, you know, we didn’t, we never thought about that. So the eye dialogue would be a way for you to explore Maybe today’s fear. Maybe tomorrow, it’s grief. Who knows. But it’d be great for you to develop more awareness about what’s inside and become free of that, and work on the marriage healed a marriage, and the better married you are internally, the better functionally, your two eyes are going to work together. So that’s the progression. First, have the conversation and then see where it takes you. And everybody is different. I mean, I bet if we did, I’d dialogue and all of you. We have, you know, as many people here as many answers, and it’d be really fun and interesting. And you would get a psychological insight that this may be what my parents were. Maybe that was their relationship. And I just sat there taking it in, you know? So, thank you. That’s a good, good question. Yes. Okay. So
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I’ve zulip Being farsighted. Now. That’s important. Now, I just didn’t know
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cataract.
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Cataract surgery? Yes. So and I have progressive lenses for the computer, so I can see the computer and then I can look down and read stuff. So it’s said that that is not good for the guys that I know since I have the cataract surgery, is there anything I can do to improve any of my vision?
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Well, the first thing I would say is one size does not fit all. And so when I make that statement about progressive lenses, where that’s the gradient bifocal, where you’ve got the split lenses, if you wore that, you know, 12 to 14 hours a day. That’s where it’s going to really start affecting your eyes. But one of the things that I promote, is use the optical system that you need to, to perform at the highest level. And as long as you just use it in that circumstance. And then maybe outside of that time, you do some eye exercises, semi calisthenics, almost anything you can do to stimulate your eyes out of that pattern, you’re fine. There’s no problem. And it sounds like that’s a good setup for you. Because you get the computer you have the reading sounds like the the lenses they put in for distance, I mean, it’s probably about the best you’re going to do. Unless you’re going to like really dive into like 30 to 50 minutes of eye exercises every day. And I’m not sure you need to do that. So I think what you’re doing is working well. And as long as you’re not having headaches or red eyes, or double vision or whatever. I know you said that you there’s a little bit you’ve lost a little bit of your clarity from the cataract surgery compared to when you first got it. The exercises will bring that back. So well down where you are. I think that’s, that’s about as good as you’re gonna get it. For what for what you’re for where you’re at.
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Yeah, I tend to forget to take them off when I’m walking around the house. Well, that’s,
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you know, you want to remember that so that you’re not, you know, getting sucked into it all the time, just just when you need them. Thank you. Yes. Can you talk about Graves disease? Sure. So Graves disease is a thyroid condition. And it affects the eyes where the eyes can kind of bulge out called XL thalamus and there can be dryness associated with that. And so, do you are you so post your post right so what did you do to to move out of it?
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I had my thyroid you had your
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thyroid, okay, so at this point, any residual symptoms dry or a little bit? So I mean it could be as simple as you know, take a little more omega three fats and oils. It could be using eyedrops a little bit more could be trying to castor oil eyedrops. You know make sure you’re you know, not staring at your screen for hours and hours that you’re taking breaks. Get plenty of sunlight. Check your adrenal health see what’s going on there. Sometimes dry is related to There are Hormonal Health. Studies have shown low estrogen and high estrogen, both of those can create a dry eye scenario. So I think it’s again a holistic picture of how can I find a deeper balance? And within that maybe I need a little support with some natural eyedrops or something like that. But it sounds like you’re doing pretty well.
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Well, I guess what I’m curious about is, when I’ve had my eye exam, they’ve talked about like that the pushing outward is happening again. And so that’s peculiar to me. So I guess ultimately, my question is, is it typical that if I’m taking the Synthroid or whatever, that the I won’t move forward anymore,
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it can happen both ways. So one of the things I would look at is, if you haven’t already, I would get a little cranial sacral therapy, and see if the relationship of the bones around the orbit of the eye could help you have more resiliency, flexibility, and muscular relaxation. cranial sacral can really do that well with the eyes. And this is another thing that came up at that glaucoma meeting. And I bring it here just because of the cranial sacral. And that is they said that if you can control the cerebral spinal fluid, if you can reduce it, you can bring the eye pressure down, like the eyes won’t get better. Now, they stopped right there. What do you what do you do for that? People ask? And I was in the back going? Well, you could, you know, I was I was 104. So it wasn’t my meeting. But I think the cranial work can help and see where that takes you. Because there’s a lot of malleability in the orbits of the bony orbit, and the jaw and the bones that breathe in the skull and the cerebral spinal fluid that could give you more, say, I don’t know, regulation with
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- Would network chiropractor be I’m not too
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sure. You know, again, it can be it’s less about the modality I find and more about the practitioners energy and how intuitive they are. So it’s good question, though, because grades is a big issue and the fact that you’ve kind of move forward. But now the X up thalamus is coming back a little bit. I would try something in the in the more structural manual world that could really open things up for you. In the back. I
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was curious about living in Santa Fe for a long time and being so close to the sun with the UVs are they beneficial or detrimental if you’re not wearing sunglasses, or should you be wearing them or not be wearing them?
57:58
So there was a book that was written a few years ago called sunlight by a guy named Zane Kine MD. And he talked about the benefits of ultraviolet light. Like it boosts the immune system. Again, it’s part of that resetting of the circadian rhythm. And so we do need trace amounts of UV. We do need morning sunlight and and to be moderate about if you are feeling there’s too much brightness or glare. It’s okay for you to wear sunglasses you should or wear a hat. And especially in this altitude. If you’re feeling it, protect yourself. So that’s the sensible grounded moderate way. Yes, can
58:50
you speak about what kind of lenses are best to wear if you’re trying to protect yourself from you?
58:55
Sure. So all lenses now have UV protection, that’s part of the FDA. So they all have UV protection. If you’re going to do a sun lens, I like to do a lens that doesn’t create a discolored like you know, a neutral brown or neutral gray seems to be the best type of Sun lens to wear. And again, it depends on how much tint you want you want a little bit you want moderate Do you want to do you need a really dark and if you’re suffering some type of glare, you can also get a glare coating on it as well. But try to find something that when you put it on your eyes feel pretty relaxed, and it’s not creating some weird distorted color. And I would encourage you to wear the sunglasses when you need them. And at the same time, sunrise sunset, good time to go without I mean, you don’t need to look directly at the sun, you put your back to the sun. You know, there’s this practice called sun gazing. People, you know, they stare at the sun. And, you know, when we used to go to Hawaii, and we used to do that at sunset, and a lot of times people couldn’t look at the sun. So if the sun was setting there, they’d be here, or their eyes would be closed, and they might be doing some swinging, which is a Bates method. Some people were so sensitive, they, they’d have to be this way, the sun there, so that indirect light can work very well. And you don’t have to stare at the sun. In fact, I don’t recommend staring at the sun. So does that help to give you kind of a balance? Protect yourself and also get a little natural vitamin D? Yes, sir.
1:00:54
Here’s one of the anti freeze of the Healthy Heart
1:00:58
tears or the anti freeze and that I learned today
1:01:02
that it’s also for your eyes as well.
1:01:06
Yes, I wouldn’t make a t shirt. Thinking about making a t shirt. You know,
1:01:13
I have the ability to have short words. Short words. Okay, maybe we need. So yes. And I love me up. Come to me. There you go. I’ve come to the US hard at this particular time in history. Yeah. So we need you. We need you over Yes. How do you go up on them? Of course. Thank you. Yes.
1:01:47
Just recently, I’ve started getting treatment for macular wet macular in one eye in the mother eye, which is very disturbing to hear tonight about that. And that was what is? Yeah. Oh, God really again. And I’ve just, I realized as a I’m a body worker and a naturopath. And I’ve just sort of surrendered to standard medicine. Because they say, Oh, God, you’ve got to do this. And you’ve got to do this now. And you’ve got to keep doing this and everything. And I can’t believe that I have let that happen. So I think I probably need to come and see you and talk and find out about alternatives if there are any. And is there a way to work with these horrible injections or, or not, but I just don’t know anything about? So how long have you been getting them? Since? August? I think or do you get them once a month? Yes. And do they help? Do they give you more lined out in a couple of weeks? Okay, about the second medicine that they using the really expensive one? Yes. Because the first one apparently didn’t do too much. Although immediately after the first shot, the wiggly lines became straight again, which was very exciting for me. Yes. That they said, Oh, no, you need to so I just don’t know what’s happening anymore.
1:03:13
It’s difficult. Yeah. So definitely. Couple things to check off your list. And you could do that before we even talk. And they may be completely irrelevant by let’s just have the list. So number one, it would be if you’ve been exposed to mold. mold, mildew, D Yes. Mold. Yes. Yes. So if you’ve got a level of dampness in your body, a lot of times it will coalesce behind the macula. Wow. So they’re not going to tell you that. But they’re there that isn’t one correlation. Number two, I would probably consider maybe finding a really good acupuncturist and seeing what’s going on in your liver and your gallbladder. I would be willing to bet there’s a lot of stuff gaining energy there. And acupuncture could do the same thing as that injection. Just by putting needles in the meridians. Yeah, that’d be amazing. would be really cool. Yeah. without the side effects of that drop. Number three. And I want to be careful about this because this is not for everybody, but people that ingest a lot of dairy tend to have more wet macular degeneration. So you can take a look at that number for wet macular degeneration is a precursor for possibly a pre diabetic or diabetic condition. So what’s happening is that, again, the sugar is doing a very similar thing that happens in diabetic retinopathy, which is the blood vessels become weakened. And they’re starving, the macula is starving. And so it’s creating these new blood vessels that are fragile. And it’s that bleeding behind the macula. That’s creating this wave Enos. So, really taking a look at from a functional medicine point of view, what’s going on with the gut? What’s going on with your glucose levels. And if you do work with a functional medicine person, one of the blood markers I look at is something called homocysteine. So when our homocysteine levels are high, we’re into the danger zone and inflammation, and what macular degeneration loves living in inflammation. So the last thing that I would do, before you come to see me is start doing some red therapy, red line, stuff that can be really helpful. And this is a commercial, I’ve made red glasses that you can put on that are fantastic. And you could treat yourself with red license. Last thing is make sure you’re getting 16 milligrams a day of lutein. six milligrams a day of Xia xantham. Those are the plan Rondo, Xia, Xanthan, ze AXANTH, i n. And ask the xantham asked it. Yeah, so about six milligrams of that. That’s good. And I’ll give one more, which is something that I learned in my functional medicine training is that in our liver health, our liver produces bile and the gallbladder stores. And if we are not absorbing vitamin A, which is a fat soluble vitamin, and lutein and zeaxanthin, it’s because there’s a congestion in the gallbladder. So if we supplement with a bile salts, and it also could be related to pancreatic enzymes, if we supplement with that, then we’re absorbing our eye vitamins better because they’re fat soluble. So it just so happens, I have products now that are gallbladder and pancreatic enzymes. So if you think that your liver gallbladder are congested, then you could check that out as well. So there you’ve got seven or eight things. I would go for it and get off those injections as fast as you can.
1:07:58
How wonderful I mean, the way they talk. It’s like okay, kid, you’re doing this for the rest of the girls the
1:08:03
way they talk, right? Yeah. Great. Yes. Fear, fear, fear. Fear. Yeah, yeah. Okay, we’re coming down to the end. I’ll take a couple more questions. Yes.
1:08:17
This is kind of everyone also, I recently developed. It’s almost like a bubble on the white of my eye. And then I suddenly noticed within a week, there was another one on the inside. Okay, so it doesn’t affect my vision. Okay, so the eye doctor recently I just thought, oh, maybe they’ll give me drops like this is just some temporary thing and she said 90% of the people we see in Santa Fe get these I did bothering you. And I said Not really. I don’t remember the word she is but it’s especially the PE I believe.
1:08:58
It’s probably what they call a pinguecula. So it’s a collagen imbalance. I would get into my MSM jobs are great for collagen balancing and the castor oil and hydrate more hydration, both on the eyes, and maybe hydrating in your body and think collagen, like systemic collagen. So it could be bone broth, and it could be you know, collagen supplement. So that part of the eye is all about collagen.
1:09:29
So CDs go away because it was very interesting. Surely not say that to me. When people do in high winds high altitude
1:09:39
exacerbates
1:09:40
it Yeah. And then she said it’s permanent. It’s related
1:09:43
a lot to dryness. So you need a lot more hydration. And let’s see what happens. Yeah. Dr. Sam berne.com and don’t be on my book and Dr. Sam berne.com Yes, hello with Dr. Sam berne.com So you can always email me so and I’ve signed a bunch of books so they’re all at the at the front of the desk. So I think I’m gonna end here
1:10:26
thanks for coming everybody
1:10:33
thank you very much
1:10:43
to sunrise
1:11:07
Thank you very much yes
1:11:17
yeah, yeah. See everybody okay. Yes. Transformer medicine
1:11:36
they cannot allow the candidate anything Yes. Does it really matter but it’s Charlie Are you Charlie? No, I am Thank you. This was great. Somebody very close to talk to you all the time. Yes. Say my wife uses print again. Okay, just ordered off. Here
1:12:05
we go living in Santa Monica.
1:12:09
Because I desperately desperately need time to come in. I would like you know
1:12:29
Thank you for listening. I hope you learned something from the EyeClarity podcast show today. If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to subscribe on iTunes or Spotify and leave a review. See you here next time.
I wanted to share this session I help with a patient struggling with nearsightedness. I show her some eye exercises and we work on creating a personalized protocol together. Enjoy the show.
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SUMMARY KEYWORDS
eye, prescription, glasses, exercise, breakfast, vitamin, good, eat, wear, left, day, blur, thumb, distance, screen, home, protein, questions, jelly beans, foods
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberne.com.
Next, recording for you. Okay, so what are your goals and objectives today I
00:12
want to learn about like, how I can improve my vision cuz honestly, I’m really just want to be comfortable not wearing my glasses.
00:23
Okay. All right, that’s fair enough. And when did you get your first prescription? I mean,
00:32
I was in second grade,
00:34
third grade. And you remember what happened? What was going on? Were you having trouble seeing the board? Or?
00:41
Yeah, I think it was because we had those, like vision tests that we did at school. And I think that mine didn’t come back. You know? 2020. So I remember my parents took me to the eye doctor, and I got my prescription.
00:57
Your first prescription? And then did you have any increases?
01:03
Yeah. I mean, it’s been like increasing over the years. Oh, my
01:09
God. Yeah. So I’m looking through the portal. Did you happen to send me that prescription somewhere?
01:24
You can read it to me.
01:26
I’ll read it. Okay. Okay. All right. Oh, D.
01:34
Yeah. Are these right?
01:35
I? Okay. Oh, D it says fear. Negative 4.5. And then cylinder, negative point five. Okay, and then access 175. Okay. And then oh, S series, negative 6.0. And then it says cylinder, d s.
02:00
And then nothing else. Okay, and what’s the date of that prescription?
02:08
The 21st of February this year,
02:13
which is, like fresh one, like for this appointment? Just to give you an idea, like,
02:19
where she’s at right now? Okay, is she wearing that prescription? No, she says one. You’re wearing an older prescription?
02:30
Yeah, from like, three years ago?
02:36
years ago, okay. And it’s not important, but do you have those numbers? I believe.
03:01
So it’d be Oh, do you would be negative 3.75. cylinder and x to stay the same.
03:12
Okay, and then
03:14
negative 4.5. And actually, you didn’t have anything for?
03:21
Yes. Okay, so, this prescription you’re looking through, which is three years old? Or how are you seeing out of it? Or is it blurry for you? Is it clear? What do you
03:38
generally like everything is still clear. I mean, if I’m looking at something small on the board, if I’m sitting like kind of foreign class, like it’s gonna be a bit blurry. For my day to day life, I, I really don’t have any issues at all in this English class. Okay.
03:58
Sounds good. And what about TV or road signs? Any difficulty there?
04:06
Not really. I mean, sometimes when it’s dark, I might have to like squint, but in general, not really. Okay.
04:18
So, how’s your driving?
04:23
Driving is fine. I never had any issues with driving.
04:28
Okay, so this prescription works for driving. Okay. And there’s quite a big difference in this February 21. Prescription, especially in the left eye. So are you are you noticing the left eye has gotten a lot worse since three years ago or more now?
04:53
Yeah, I definitely. I definitely can tell like when I was at the appointment and she just had me I don’t usually, you know, cover one eye on and regular basis going and covering my right eye. I was looking through my left eye had definitely noticed. That’s a lot where I said, I think that’s what’s really intriguing my vision at this point. It’s the left
05:13
like you, you feel like you’re using your right eye a lot more than your left eye or? No,
05:22
I’m not. I don’t really know, I’ve never really been able to tell if I use one. I’m more than the other.
05:27
Okay. And do you ever go without your glasses?
05:31
Yeah, I try to on like walking around or just with my friends. It’s interesting, because I just tend to see, like, I can get around pretty normally, if it’s sunny outside and I without my glasses, I’m usually fine. Okay,
05:49
well, there’s definitely a lot of things I can show you that can help. Change change this, because you don’t want to keep increasing the prescription. And there’s something going on with left eye. For sure. So I would say number one, don’t get this new prescription filled. Now if you want to get new frames, or you know, you want to get updated lenses, I can send you a prescription that will be in this room, this prescription will be updated. If you felt like you wanted that you feel you need that right now, or
06:37
I mean, you probably can use it look, fresh one was, like different members, so we can just get new friends.
06:47
So I can do that. So I’ll when our session is over, I’ll scan and send you a prescription. That’s the three year old prescription. And, you know, that would be that would be something you could use. I guess I have to ask you, how much screen time are you doing?
07:06
I mean, yeah, I was students. So I have to use the computer a lot. I’m reading a lot of material there.
07:14
Okay. Are you are you computer like laptop? Are you phone are you tablet,
07:24
I’m mostly tablet and laptop, I’m trying to limit my phone time work in progress.
07:36
Because definitely the screen time is contributing to the mobile deterioration. And so there’s an interesting trend that that I’ve learned. And that is that the prescription that you use for distance is too strong to be using for your computer or screen time. And so my proposal would be to send you a second prescription, it’s maybe a little bit less. And that would be something that you could use for your screen time. And I would also suggest maybe getting the blue, blue blocker on that as well. So that you know you’re protecting yourself from the damaging blue light, and your eyes are wearing something that’s a little more relaxing for your screen time. And that’s, that’s a, that’s a big point. Because if you’re using your distance prescription for you know, screen time, it is going to make your eyes worse. That’s kind of a no brainer. So, so you would get two pairs, one for your distance and then one for your indoor screen time. And that’s actually a good one to wear, you know as much as you can, because when you wear that your eyes are going to adjust. So the weaker prescription so they’ll start to to improve. This is a technique I use quite a bit with people that are nearsighted is that unless they need the full prescription. If they wear something that’s less that’s another How can we say another technique that will improve their vision so
10:01
So how do you feel about that?
10:04
I think, yeah, I’m really open to that.
10:08
All right. I mean, it’s also good to go without the lenses as well. But this is also another, you know, another idea for you. And if we get a, it’ll be good for your screens to wear something less. So, the next thing let’s, let’s explore would be nutrition. So do you eat breakfast? Lunch? Dinner? What’s your normal food intake? So it’s okay.
10:49
So I normally I don’t eat breakfast normally, I’ll usually just drink hot water in the morning. And then I’ll eat lunch around 1230 On a normal day. thing like, chicken liver, or even salad and then for dinner, I’ll usually eat salad fish or sometimes like sushi.
11:20
Do you? Well, and why is it you don’t eat breakfast? Are you used to like the breakfast or?
11:31
Not? Yeah, I’m not really a breakfast person. But also, I just don’t usually have time in the morning because my classes are kind of early and I have to run out the door.
11:43
And how’s your energy during the day? Do you ever get fatigue in the afternoon
11:53
I would say not really in the afternoon, or just say I’m kind of tired in the morning. And then once I wake up a bit more, I’m good to go.
12:04
Okay, and tell me about your sugar intake. Okay, that
12:14
I would say this year, it’s been on the lower side, because I’m definitely making a conscious effort now to lower it.
12:26
How many times per week, how many times per week I would say like once a week, like I eat something once a week, she lives on campus, she just comes home, like on a weekend.
12:39
Awesome? Well, sugar is going to definitely increase your prescription and weaken your eyes. It also this, this may not be possible. But you know, some of the time, if you could have some breakfast, like a protein, something protein powder, protein shake Smillie that that may not be, you know, in your in your game right now. But you’re setting a precedent where you’re kind of in a depleted state by doing that all the time. And, you know, there’s, there’s a couple of schools of thought, you know, what you’re doing in some ways, is you’re doing what we call an intermittent fasting. And that can be actually really great for your, for your health. But when you do it every day, it’s not. It’s like it’s important that you do you do have breakfast some of the time. And so, in any case, practically, it’s going to take something in you that says okay, I guess I need to have something at least some of the days. You know, it’s, it’s a hard one for sure. You could even if it’s like a breakfast burrito or wanna make you can do that. But anyway, I would take a look at that as a possibility of, you know, maybe having some kind of breakfast some of the time. So, again, I’m gonna leave that up to you. I mean, I would love to see you in a in a maybe, you know, there’s a perfect world to make some kind of See? protein, vitamin powder, mixed drink. Because the other thing about your, your situation is the eyes need a lot of nutrients to stay healthy. They really do. And it’s, it’s like, if you’re, like, we could say, alright, you should start taking some omega three fish oil, you should maybe take an eye vitamin, no. And maybe you should also take a multivitamin and also, maybe even some magnesium. That is, this is all these are the All Things that could really benefit, you know, if, you know, if you decided to go that route. So it’s a big change, I understand that. And, but I do think the nutrients is part of the situation. So I’ll take I would love your feedback.
16:20
No, I mean, I think I can definitely see where that would cause some deficit. So I’m, I’m willing to, you know, incorporate, like, start incorporating breakfast, like, slowly into my, like daily routine.
16:36
And, you know, you kind of want to do foods that are, you know, least whole grain that you know, some level of protein, or capability. And, you know, try to eat a higher quality. I mean, this is a good time for you to practice. You know, better wellness. For sure. And so, anyway, I’m gonna leave that up to you. I also think maybe getting on some supplements might be also helpful. So I wanted to ask you, again,
17:32
would you recommend like some maybe I vitamins because I’ve seen a lot of different combinations. So like, with the Mezcal there should be like certain probably write the trends for the eyes?
17:45
Well, my my vitamins, my vitamins would be great for her. I would do the whole how five vitamin, I can send you the link. Oh, how five vitamin, the Omega three would be good. Let’s see if there’s anything else I would suggest. And maybe the asked is income. So those three would be good. Let me ask you a question. Do you ever your eyes ever get dry? ever suffer dry?
18:19
Not often? I would say it’s more on the rare side. Okay.
18:25
Okay, so then I don’t think we need to do eyedrops or anything like that. But I would say the whole health I vitamin, you would take two of those in the morning to the Asda xantham and maybe two of the Omega three. And at least you’re now getting some, some nutrients support. Because as I said, the eyes need a lot of energy. And you’re putting out a lot of energy on your screens. And plus, you’re eating, you’re not getting the breakfast, I think you wake up because of the breakfast issue. And I think it’s kind of a chronic depletion, like we do a test called a hair mineral analysis. And I bet if that pastime, you would probably find your mineral levels to be low, and your adrenals will be a little stressed, and that you probably aren’t absorbing the foods very well. So not that we have to do that test, but that’s probably playing into this to some degree. And if you just ate better and filled up your tank a little more. I think you would, I think you would do better on it. So if you want more advice, I’ll send you the links to the vitamin so you can get those but I think that that’s something I would move in that direction. Shaving, maybe taking a little more care in your your diet? What do you think?
20:15
Let’s save. She’s like, you know time crime she cannot like just to drink it Vaughn pros, would you want it?
20:22
I think I think I think bone broth is excellent. It’s got a lot of great minerals good for collagen, good for the bones, the joints, the eyes. So I would say yes. No, if you get thrown a little organic chicken, even better. So make a chicken soup. But I think if you do bone broth, I would be good. I would maybe look for some kind of protein type, powder protein. That something that you could mix into drink might also be be good. Know, Like with dairy, some people can do dairy, some people can’t. So it could be whey protein, it could just be regular. I mean, I would look for something, I probably would stay away from soy. But I definitely think you know, the more you can get into your body oriented the day, I think that’ll just give you more sustained power, and then adding the, the adding the where the vitamins would be good. And yeah, the sugar, I mean, the thing with the sugars is you want to do at least lower glycemic index. I mean, like berries would be okay. But you know, things like bananas and, um, lots of lots of sugary stuff, like just eating fruit for breakfast. I wouldn’t, I wouldn’t do that. But, you know, like, I would love to see you do a smoothie that had celery and kale and cucumber and ginger and, you know, coconut water and land something where you’re getting a lot of really good enzymes and vegetables. It’s gonna take you know, Vitamix and, you know, all that kind of stuff. So that’s, that’s hard. Even if you can do bone broth, great. Good. Yeah, I think that would work.
22:54
Because I mean, also, I come home on the weekends. So I do have access to a blender for three days. So I can also do other
23:05
I’ll send you some of my smoothie formulas, you know, like ginger and Tumeric are really good. You know, and then just think of the colorful vegetables. And you know, beets, carrots, red bell peppers, cucumber, celery, kale, or spinach or, you know, and lemon, I would probably add a little lemon or lime or grapefruit in that drink as well. So you can some vitamin C. And, you know, you could probably throw in a date if you wanted to, to give it a little bit of a sweetener. And then you could add your protein powder to it. Now your talk and now you’re you’re filling up your body because with your prescription and what’s going on with it. This certainly how you’re using your eyes is part of this, but also the energy in your body you need to support your energy more nutrition. So, anyway, that’s all I really need to say about that. I will I will send you the links to and also send you some kind of food recommendations, that some foods that that will help the situation as well. So So any questions so
24:46
far? No, no, I’m
24:50
good. Okay. All right. I want to move to some eye exercises that I think can really help you. My secretary is wants to ask me something. I’ll be back in about 30 seconds. Yes. All right. I’m going to get in to bring on liquids
25:19
someone seems to go do hunting, which makes getting attraction looking to buy my name?
25:53
is I have a question for you. If we went down the road of eye exercises, and I want you to be really honest with me first of all, do you feel you could do a little bit of daily exercises? Or? Or? If you could, like, how much could you give? Or is it just that you’ve got too much on your plate now, and you just don’t have time to do it?
26:35
No I can, I can make time to do it.
26:38
Okay, because it’s really going to take some some daily things to do to help you. And so I think the first exercise I would like to show you is an exercise where you’re doing this without your glasses on working with the GI separately. So I’m going to demonstrate the exercise and I’m going to see if you can, if you can follow, you can do it for me. So here’s the exercise. Don’t take your glasses off yet. But you’re going to take the glasses off, and you cover your left eye. So that’s what I’m doing. Now, I’ve covered my left eye, and you can see my thumb, my thumb, and I hold it out at about arm’s length, and I’m looking at my thumb. But you see a door out there that’s like 10 feet away. And so what I’m going to do is I’m going to trace the door with my thumb, or my eye is going to be following the thumb. And then I’m going to take my hand away, and I’m going to look with both eyes. And I noticed a little brighter and clearer. Now I’m going to do the same with my left eye and hold my thumb out at about my arm’s length. When I find an object in distance, and I trace it with my thumb, and I’m looking at my thumb as I do. Okay, I’d like you to try that right now. So take off your glasses, covering your left chest can
28:22
hear Chase,
28:25
our target across the room could be anything in the window, you know, and I want you to hold your thumb out there. We want you to look at your thumb, even if it’s blurry. And then I want you to slowly key is slowly I want you to start following your thumb. And let me know if you’re able to do that soon. And the bigger the movement you can make the better it is for your eyes. So are you able to understand what I’m asking?
29:03
Yeah, so like, I’m just tracing the door. Like slowly and I’m watching my thumb as I’m going right?
29:10
Yes, yes. But you’re so indirectly what you’re doing is you’re stretching your eye while you while you do that. Exactly. Exactly.
29:27
I uncover and I look
29:30
and then uncover and then give me an impression on how you see and how you feel with with your two eyes. How is How’s it different? Is it really blurry? Is it bright? Is it what do you notice?
29:47
It’s brighter and I think it’s it’s
29:51
blurry. It’s blurry, no problem. Again, this is a good place for you to experience the book. All right now let’s try That left eye that it’s a little problematic for you. Same thing, you’re going to you’re going to use your thumb and you’re going to trace something out there
30:33
okay
30:39
when I also want to uncover, it’s a bit clearer than it was when it was just my life.
30:45
Okay, and that can happen. So I’d like you to do this, this tracing exercise as much as you can during the day, because as a break from your, from your daily routine, stretching your eye. And it’s, it’s getting you to track and look into the distance. And that’s a really good thing for you. So that’s number one, it’s the, the tracing. Okay, now the next exercise I’m going to suggest for you is something that looks like this, I’m going to do a screen share with you maybe.
31:47
Okay.
32:10
So what you’re going to see is a picture of some jelly beans to see him. Right. So I’m gonna send this picture to you. Okay. And this is a focusing exercise. And it comes from this book, which is called Magic guy. And when you print out the Jelly Bean picture, instead of doing it this way, you’re going to hold it horizontally. Mmm, you can see that. So that’s what the picture looks like. And I’m going to stop the screenshare. And I’m going to, I’m going to do it so you can see me now. So here’s the book, you get the picture. So what you do is you hold the picture up to your nose, touching your nose. And then you literally say to yourself, I’m going to look through the book. So you’re imagining yourself looking through the book. And as you look through the book, start looking at the spaces between the jelly beans, when we get out to about here, we’re going to start to see the jelly beans floating on the page. Okay, now that’s going to tell you when it’s floating on the page that your left eye is working with your right eye. So we are disrupting that habit where for some reason the left eye and the right eye are not working together. And so this is about a two to three minute exercise you can do a little longer if you want the.
And when I do this extra flies like if I’m at my screen, and I just have the chart there. I’m actually moving the book or the paper as I have a 3d. Now, you can either do this with the reduced prescription that I’m sending you or you can do it with no prescription with no prescription. The book is probably going to be more in here where you’re gonna get the 3d. If you use the reduce prescription, you’ll be able to get out there a little farther. So both are valid. Okay, I wouldn’t use your distance prescription. So that’s a good muscular flexibility, peripheral vision, and it also is making sure your right eye and left eye are working together. And with this whole situation going on, with the left and the right on, we want to stop this progression of the left eye being so much worse than the right. So I’ll send you the Jelly Bean picture with the directions. And that’ll be the second one to do. Alright, the third one I’d like you to do is the pom pom. POM hum is a relaxation exercise. Maybe you just did this one at home. But what it is as you rub your hands together for about 10 seconds, and I’ll send you directions, and then you take the palms, and you put them over your eyes and your eyes are closed. Okay, you can lean on a table if you want, notice, no glasses. And then you breathe in, take a normal breath in through the nose. And on an exhale, you keep your mouth closed, but you make a humming sound like this
36:21
you do about three of those. And then you take hands down. And you’ll look out into the distance and you’re gonna notice you’re gonna feel more relaxed. And you’re going to see more clearly. So I’d like you to try this now. So I’d like you to take your glasses off, rub your hands together. And just for and then I’d like you to do
36:54
out here, let’s good. And so you’re going to breathe in. And on the exhale, you’re going to make a like I did a pretty loud humming sound, but keep the sound contained in your mouth.
37:09
And for how long? Like would this sound? Should I keep it going for
37:13
just just till you’re done with your exhale
37:24
so let’s do three of them
37:56
are you good slowly like your and so what are you seeing? What are you feeling? Yeah,
38:06
I definitely feel more relaxed.
38:08
Yeah. So this is going to help you any stress that builds up in your, in your eyes. So this one again can be done, you know, throughout the day. And so this would be the third one I would suggest. So any questions or comments about this one? No. Okay. All right. So, so far. Just to summarize, we’re going to have you do the I tracing exercise, we’re gonna have you the jelly beans magic I exercise. And we’re gonna have you do the poem home. Now there’s one more which is really radical. And what it is a you will go to the drugstore and you’re going to get the strongest pair of reading glasses that they sell. Okay, the strongest pair of reading glasses. And the number you’re going to look for is like maybe 253 You’re gonna get the highest number you can we get at least 250 And you’re gonna bring it home and while you’re there at the pharmacy, see if you can buy an eyepatch. So you come home and you do this in the comfort of your bedroom or your home,
40:05
and you patch the left eye, you’re not wearing any of your regular glasses. And you get a baseline of how blurry it is. And then you take those blurry glasses, and you put them over the right eye.
40:36
And you’re gonna go, Wow, it’s really blurry, or blurry that your job for one minute is to see if you can just relax into the blur. And that’s all you’re gonna do. You don’t have to see clearly, I’m not asking you to walk, you don’t have to identify anything. But I want you just to wear that for one minute. And then you take it off, and you look through the right eye. And you’re going to notice that things are much clearer. So by going into the blur, that’s going to create more clarity for you. Okay. And then you do it again. So after that minute, you again, we put the lens back on, and you can go into the blur. And you do it for one minute.
41:42
So only one left, I just put the patch on
41:45
or no no. So so she’s patched the left eye. And she’s putting the glasses on her face, but she’s just looking through the right eye. Okay, she’s going to do that three times a minute on, take it off, minute on, take it off, minute on, take it off. And then she’s gonna take so now the glasses are off, she takes the patch off. And you’re gonna go, Oh, my God, it’s really clear. And then you do the same on the other eye. Three times. And so what we’re doing is we’re challenging her, her eyes to stretch into that level of blur. And that’s going to be really good. Oh my god, it’s gonna be great. If you do that for a month, your eyes are going to really start to improve. Okay. So that’s, that’s a very radical exercise because you’re actually using a prescription. That’s completely opposite to what you normally wear. Yeah. And by doing that it’s going to start to reduce the myopia. And you may call me and say, Okay, this reading prescription now has become my distance, give me something even weaker. That’s probably what’s going to happen. So it works well. But you just have to do it every day. And again, when you wear that prescription, you’re not doing anything I don’t want you to be walking or trying to read. It’s really a prescription of getting your eyes to relax, ya know? And so, any questions or comments about that?
44:09
So can I just because I have like a couple of posters in my room, like, would that just be good to kind of be looking at just like the poster,
44:17
for sure. Make sure it’s, you know, at least a couple of feet away. And the goal is not trying to see better through the glasses. Goal is relaxing into the blur, so that you know, you’re you’re stretching your eye in a way that’s going to be really, really good. So it works. I mean, if you start using that prescription in your exercise time, you’ll probably be able to wear the reduced prescription I’m sending you most of the time on a You’ll just be using the stronger glasses, you know, maybe for night driving or something. But, you know, I think if you do these things, I think within a few days, you’re going to start seeing some improvement. And, you know, I’m going to, I’m going to email these prescriptions to you right now. So that you, you have them. And I would, I would just fill them.
45:31
Okay
45:45
so, anything, anything else on your show? I do. I, this is a good time, we’ve got a little time left. So I want to make sure all your questions are already answered. Well,
46:03
what do you think about like, say acupuncture, like cranial sacral therapy, because she’s also she’s studying a lot like her neck is stiff her shoulders, and also read, it’s kind of like, you know, blood circulation, right to her brain to her eyes. So if she feels like, you know, it’s kind of like, blocked, they’re constantly so do you think it will be beneficial to do something like that to help to relax?
46:29
Absolutely 100% You know, the more you can help get rid of the stress, that’s going to improve the eyes. And so, you know, if you lived in my city, I’d be doing cranial sacral on you. And acupuncture. So I think that, you know, sporadically, you don’t need to go every week necessarily. But you know, we’re in a, we’re in a, we’re in a position right now, where, because we’re seeing what’s happening in the eyes, there’s a lot of stress, a lot of stress on and a lot of demands. And so if you’re able to go get those kinds of treatments, I mean, you’re way ahead of the game, because most people your age don’t even know about it. I bought it when I was your age I wish I had. But I think that definitely I would seek those people out, I support and you’re right on about the circulation, the blood flow, the circulation, the womb. I’ll tell you something now. So thing that’s been this has been in the research, getting morning sunlight, 30 minutes of natural sunlight in the morning, is very good for the eyes. And looking out into the distance. They did a study with kids with computer using computers. And they’re finding that that morning, sunlight resets the brain, it’s really good for you. So even if it’s cloudy, get out there without your glasses. So the natural sunlight, stop using your screens 30 to 60 minutes before you go to bed because sleep is another issue. And so this lifestyle is such where if you’re going to be in this really high stress state, we’ve got to be able to you know manage your body and your nervous system so that you’re not depleting yourself. A lot of this is just depletion
49:03
any other questions? Don’t think I have any clue. And just think like, When should we do like follow up with you? You know?
49:17
So just about in about six weeks, about six weeks
49:29
so this works. You know, I was very nearsighted as a child, I was about what you are. I’m in my late 20s I met a doctor like myself and I completely reversed my nearsightedness you see, I’m not wearing any glasses. I don’t wear anything for the reading. I don’t wear anything for distance. And so I dissolve my need for so if I can do it, you can do it. Yeah, I agree.
50:06
Determination. And as I mentioned, I need right I think one right now she reached the point where she is truly ready to commit and reverse. Yes.
50:17
Yeah, I mean, this is an investment you’re making. I mean, even just today, you could have just gotten a new glasses filled. But so you got to put some some of your investment in on the line. And the only way you’re going to improve is by doing these exercises every day and doing these things. If you do, we’ll see improvement. There’s no doubt. There’s no doubt. So keep keep in touch. If you have any questions, you can always email me, and I’ll send you the recording. I’m gonna send you all the links. I’ll send you diet stuff on whatever else I have. I’ll send you the jelly beans. And also the I’ll send you the directions on how to do the PLUS loans exercise. Good for you or your age to be doing this. Thank you. Okay, folks, well, I guess I’ll sign off. Good luck. Thank you so much. We’ll see in about six weeks.
51:37
Thank you so much. So
51:38
shall we schedule it?
51:41
Yes, schedule with with Monica. schedule with him. Okay, have a good weekend.
Thank you for listening. I hope you learned something from the EyeClarity podcast show today. If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to subscribe on iTunes or Spotify and leave a review. See you here next time.
A recent CNN article came out that connected Alzheimer’s disease to your eyes. So I want to take a moment to break this down for you and look into it further. Enjoy the show.
If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com. If you have any questions, submit them to hello@drsamberne.com or you can now text me! Text ‘Join’ to 1-844-932-1291 to join the community and ask your questions!
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
alzheimer, beta amyloid, retina, markers, eyes, podcast, holistic, called, brain, amyloid beta, clarity, tissue, dealing, cell, health, researchers, cognitive decline, disease, episode, today
00:05
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberne.com.
00:29
Now to the latest I clarity Episode
00:46
Hey, everybody, its Dr. Sam, and I’d like to welcome you to another AI clarity podcast. So today I’m going to comment on a recent c and n report, which is connecting Alzheimer’s disease to your eyes.
01:08
So we know that the eye brain connection is really solid. In fact, the eyes originate from the brain prenatally. So every tissue of the eyeball has its roots in the brain.
01:26
And when you start looking into the eyes, you can actually monitor and see disease very early, whether it’s diabetes, hypertension, glaucoma, just to name a few. But you can see systemic disease in the retina
01:51
very early.
01:54
So in this latest research paper that was published,
01:59
the researchers took a look at the relationship between cognitive health and eye health. So let me explain.
02:14
One of the key markers in Alzheimer’s disease is something called beta amyloid. It’s a it’s a key marker, which can tell us what is the state of brain health and predict if there’s going to be cognitive decline.
02:36
Now they’re actually cells called micro glial cells. And these particular cells are responsible for maintaining other cell health in the brain, repairing cell health in the brain, and getting rid of this beta amyloid
03:01
collection that can occur both in the brain and of course, as I doctors, we can actually see it in the retina.
03:09
So one of the key things that we look for is inflammatory disease markers in that, which can
03:21
tell us whether there’s going to be a problem later on. And one of the markers I use is something called homocysteine. I’ve talked about this in other podcasts. If your homocysteine levels are high, you’re probably dealing with a level of inflammation that you want to deal with.
03:41
And in this particular study, what they took a look at is these amyloid beta plaques, were starting to show up in the eyes. And if they do, then you can start Alzheimer’s treatment much earlier.
04:03
To go into the specifics of the study.
04:08
Basically, what happened was that 86 people had died and they donated their retina and brain tissue to science, and they had different degrees of mental decline. So researchers compared the samples from these donors from normal cognitive functioning people or mild cognitive impairments, and they found that this beta amyloid marker was the key factor, especially when we pick it up in the retina. So the moral of the story is, if Alzheimer’s runs in your family, or you are concerned about Alzheimer’s, getting a regular yearly eye exam, where an eye doctor can do a
05:00
A specific analysis of the retina picking up this beta amyloid tissue. You have a chance of actually being able to maybe start a protocol. One of the people that I follow is a guy named Dr. Bredesen, Dr Bredesen is a physician who has developed a more functional medicine, holistic integrative approach to dealing with Alzheimer’s. And I would definitely look him up Dr. Bredesen, I’ll leave his links in the notes. And I I would highly recommend you taking a look at his content. He’s awesome.
05:45
So that’s our show for today. I want to thank you so much for tuning in. Until next time, take care
05:58
Thank you for listening. I hope you learned something from the EyeClarity podcast show today. If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to subscribe on iTunes or Spotify and leave a review. See you here next time.
I am sharing a session I gave to an entrepreneur on social media growth. I share some of my key tips to grow your accounts and reach your audience. Enjoy the show.
If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com. If you have any questions, submit them to hello@drsamberne.com or you can now text me! Text ‘Join’ to 1-844-932-1291 to join the community and ask your questions!
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
posts, repurpose, person, presentation, coaching session, podcast, videoed, depends, skin, hate speech, document, eyedrops, insights, santa fe, people, trip, bookstore, work, videographer, short
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberne.com.
Hey, everybody, it’s Dr. Sam and I want to welcome you to my podcast today a little different take on things I’m going to give a coaching session to person who’s an entrepreneur,
00:13
she’s got a skin line. And this is some of the stuff I do as volunteer through an organization that I work for called score, helping businesses. And so you’ll hear some of my insights on how I’m building my brand, my social media, and I hope you enjoy the show. This past weekend, I did a book signing at the ark, bookstore, and, and I, I basically, now I have a videographer now that I’ve hired but what he did is he had three cameras, we, we videoed the whole talk, which was really good. And now I’m turning that into a podcast. And it was a really great presentation, at least that’s what people said. And it was a live event.
So you know, getting to do those is is really good. And the q&a, what I’ve done with that is each part. So I’d q&a in the group, and then people would come up, and they would have their individual comments and questions. And we told them ahead of time, everything is videoed, so I got some great interactions from people one on one, where you know, everything from, gee, I’m so frustrated with my current doctor, what do you recommend? Or you know, I’ve been using your stuff for six months, it’s really working, what do you think I should do next?
So we take those and then repurpose them for shorter posts. And, again, it’s just I try to repurpose everything I can, your time is more efficient that way also, because, you know, like this, this lady who is one of my competitors asked me to do a presentation for her private group. And I said, Well, I want to be able to video it. She said, No, you can’t. I said, Well, how about this, I’ll video it, just my part.
And I won’t video the q&a at the end or your people, she said, I don’t care, you can do that. So that makes it worth it for me to do it, because I’m not getting paid for it. So I’m always looking at ways like next week, I’m taking a trip, and I’m gonna document the trip, gets a book signing, and there’s some other things I’m doing. So I’m going to document the trip, document, different things I’m doing. And again, repurposing it.
So that gives me that 48 content pieces a day, I’ve got so many at this point that, you know, it just keeps it going every week, I’m I’m doing you know, 100 to 200 posts, and I see the growth from that, because not everybody sees the the same, you know, post depends on their feed, and you know, who they’re following and stuff like that. So, and I had a thing where somebody threatened me around the eyedrops, you know, and so I had a contact Instagram and say, Look, this person is personally attacking me in a way that’s a little threatening, and they came stepped right in, they blocked the person, and I don’t know what they did with them. But, you know, if anybody ever does that to you, I don’t take it, you know, I immediately I just block them and say goodbye.
I mean, I don’t want that kind of hate speech. In my, in my community. And I don’t mind constructive feedback. You know, I don’t mind that. But when it gets personal and they start personal attacks, and it’s fear, I understand that he I would look for a personal assistant, who could do your posts for you, I think that would be well worth it.
You could probably pay somebody anywhere between 20 to $25 an hour. To do that. You can either look on Craigslist, it’s in Santa Fe, or there’s another platform called Upwork. And I have found really good people to do my posts, and my podcast uploads. And so, you know, again, it kind of depends on your cash flow and where you’re at with it. But as soon as you can, I would see if you could find somebody to help you that they could do that for you.
And then you would be more freed up in the creative side. And I think life’s too short to be doing stuff you don’t like doing in the way I want it. And so sometimes you do have to sculpt people in a certain way. But I know they’re out there. And they would first of all, they’re probably really into the skin product. That’s another thing. And you know, so anyway, I really support You need to do that as soon as you can because I think it’ll it’ll just free you up in a way that you’ll enjoy it more.
Thank you for listening. I hope you learned something from the EyeClarity podcast show today. If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to subscribe on iTunes or Spotify and leave a review. See you here next time.
I had a great chat with Sue Choi about her work and her new book.
Sue Choi is a somatic movement teacher and bodyworker with over 2 decades of experience creating body solutions for clients. Her goal has always been making enduring and sustainable changes for people in their bodies that they can carry into their daily lives. Driven to understand how mental and emotional connections show up in the body, she has a particular interest in how the deep currents of trauma distort a body.
Her professional trainings include yoga therapy at the Krishnamacharya Mandiram, Continuum Movement with Emilie Conrad, Rolf Movement with Hubert Godard, neurosensory training in the Masgutova Neurosensorimotor Reflex Integration Method™, manual therapies in craniosacral, visceral manipulation, myofascial release. Perceptual trainings include the Tomatis Method™ sound therapy and natural vision. The work of psychiatrists, neuroscientists, and academics as they apply to the sensory system have also informed how she works with the body in movement. Enjoy the show.
Contact Sue Choi
Website: coherentbody.com
email: info@coherentbody.com
Instagram: @coherent_body
If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com. If you have any questions, submit them to hello@drsamberne.com or you can now text me! Text ‘Join’ to 1-844-932-1291 to join the community and ask your questions!
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
book, people, vision, sue, somatic, body, balance, movement, head, hearing, preserving, feel, wrote, context, posture, brain, system, outcomes, read, parents
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberne.com.
Hey, everybody, its Dr. Sam. And I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast today. So we have a special guest. She’s an author, she’s a somatic educator, she’s a friend from LA, her name is Sue Choi. And she’s written a new book, which I just finished. And it’s called when things stick, untangling your body from old patterns. And I am so excited about the contents of this book. And I just add, I have Sue on So Sue, welcome to the program. And can you give us a background on where you’ve come from and who you are?
00:46
Thank you, Sam. So happy to be here. I have I’m a somatic movement therapist, and educator, I’ve been doing this work for over 20 years, a whole body of work that ranges from somatic movement to hands on body work that I do for private one on one clients in person. So I it’s been a fun journey to bring all these things together. And it was a big kind of effort to put the book together to distill things down. But I’m glad it’s out there.
01:26
Well, you know, when I read the book, you know, what, what jumped out at me is how you have put all these different disciplines together. And so how did you develop this system?
01:41
You know, it was, it was kind of piece by piece, mostly, it was focused on how to improve outcomes for clients. So if there was something that I could kind of see that just wasn’t fitting in place, I would research it, I did a lot of different types of trainings that may be kind of unusual, but I, one of the books that really turned things around for me was Dr. John Radies book on the fourth theatres of the brain and attention, and he, he’s a psychiatrist, and he wrote about the sensory system, and the importance of it. And it really spoke to me, because I was already doing the modest work. I had been exposed to Bates work, back in the early days when I first studied yoga therapy, and was training. So I learned about that in India, and I said, Oh, that’s just yoga for vision. And so the, as every, the threads of these things came together, and I read his book, and he wrote about these case studies where he worked with people and their sensory system and change things for them it was so it really struck me because I could see some of those those tendencies and certain people and I could tell that they’re, that’s what they needed, they didn’t need to do different movement, they needed to have different inputs. So I started to kind of work with the body as a as an information process and said, you know, ask myself how could I get better outcomes by perceiving and working with the body on that level?
03:25
So the people that you help what are some of their symptoms
03:31
um, I don’t know if it’s more symptoms is more their kind of self perception. If they kind of feel like they’re, they they’re not they can’t quite name then they know that there’s something going on with them or they need to they keep kind of hitting the same walls I think it goes down to more behavioral things. I mean, people do come to me in person for your, your typical pain, you know, back pain, shoulder pain, neck pain, that sort of thing. But you know, I have worked with a wide range of people and then and over the course of time, so they may be coming to me for back pain, but then we work on their knee pain or ankle pain or balancing issue, you know, a lot of it does come to balance and bringing the body into organization.
04:29
Sure, so with the people that you work with, I mean, it’s kind of high level because they must have some self awareness they know something is off. And so how do you assess them what what’s your process and guiding them through? So they’re able to say as you say, improve their balance has one thing
04:49
Yeah, always walking. That’s that’s a very Yeah, yeah. I like to see how they walk, how they move how they carry themselves, because everything in The way I teach in the way I described in the book is around those two things. How do you stand on your own two feet, literally and metaphorically? And how do you move forward? So how do you walk? And again, literally and metaphorically, because all those signals underlying signals of what happens on that fundamental physical level translates into your kind of understanding of yourself and your movement for the world?
05:27
Well, since I understand, you know, the eyes and vision is one of our major guidance systems, how does vision play into your system?
05:41
The way I framed it out, is really about the nature of intention, and how using your visual system, the coordination of the two eyes, and also the coordination between peripheral and focal and how you can allow and expand the peripheral capacity, so that the focal vision emerges. Rather than being something that you do, that that whole organization guides you forward, it’s if you set your intention and use your visual system in the way it’s designed to. It’s almost like a parting of the Red Seas, it cuts a path because you’re connecting fully, wholeheartedly with the intention that you put forth. And that takes, it’s not just a thinking process. It’s a whole body process. For the way I kind of frame it. Yeah,
06:35
well, I think we share that because I always talk about vision as a whole body process. And so to introduce you, again, this is Sue Choi. She’s a somatic movement teacher. And she’s also an author of a new book called when things stick, untangling your body from old patterns. And so sue, why did you write this book?
07:00
I wrote it because you know, I would, I always think that when you do something, when you try something out, you feel it, whether you understand it or not just I always went for the change, let me show I’m going to give you a quick change in your body, so that you can change your mind around it. Because if you could get an immediate change, I mean, I have not strengthen the muscle over months, if you get an immediate change from you know, two minutes of doing something. So it, I always like to kind of prove the point first. And what I found, especially when I went online, was people didn’t have a context for it. They didn’t know how to make sense of what was going on. And then they use words like magic, or, you know, their their shots.
But and that’s wonderful, because then you open your mind to new possibilities. But if you don’t have a context to hold that new way of thinking, that experience is just a past experience. So I wrote the book to give people a context and their videos in it to so they do actually get the movement experience, but a context so that they understand that this isn’t magic, this isn’t something that’s mystical, or that they can’t wrap their head around, they actually if we keep going back to standing on your own two feet moving forward, then you you start to really dissolve those old ways of thinking and perceiving and, and have new experiences that, that open you up to possibility and it’s super exciting. You feel that on such a visceral level.
08:41
You know, in the eBook format, I was really inspired by the videos that you put in it just really helped understand, you know, it’s one thing to read it, but it’s another thing to watch the demonstrations like there was one where even just the way you were sitting, I got so much from that. And of course we’re all sitting so much the computer, what are some tips that you can maybe share from the book around sitting,
09:11
while sitting? Yeah, you know, I have this concept called the three keys. And that’s about balancing the three major weight centers in your body. And so if you’re sitting, one of the keys is what I call the head key, and it’s at the occipital base of your head. So there are two, two bony parts at the back of your head. And if you’re sitting and feeling neck pain, an easy thing to do would be to imagine that you are holding your head from those two points in the back of your head. And let’s say if you turn your head to the left, you’re going to use your left arrow key to turn to the left. You turn your head to the right you use your right head key so you manage and move your head from a different position and that can change just the nature of how you, you hold them in big and big heavy weight on your spine. Yeah,
10:09
yeah, I highly recommend this book. So we have Sue Choi. She’s a somatic movement teacher, she’s written a new book, which I just finished called when things stick on tangling your body from old patterns. And so I’m, I need to ask you this one thing, and I’m going to make a couple comments. And then I want to hear your point of view. As you know, everybody a My intention is to help people preserve their vision to be proactive. And it’s not just vision, but it’s hearing it’s, you know, how this is affecting our our brain health. And more and more people are being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, dementia, cognitive issues. And, you know, for me, in my own physical therapy that I offer people, I’m always bringing in things like balance orientation, the vestibular system, hearing and vision. And one of the key points that I observe is our posture. And you do that too. And I was wondering if you wouldn’t mind sharing a little bit of your perspective on that interrelationship?
11:21
Yeah, yeah, for sure. I mean, I think it’s kind of well known that preserving hearing and vision contribute to too healthy brain. And, you know, there have been studies that show that more than stopping smoking, or improving your social connections that the vision and hearing are paramount to, to preserving your brain health. That helps your perception of your environment through those two senses help to manage your head, which manages your spine, it’s kind of like the basis of what a lot what they teach an Alexander technique. But then if you bring it down into an How do you find your support? How do you find your support through your legs, through your pelvis through your sacrum? And when those two things come together? It’s really filling out the fabric of your experience? Like how do you have a whole experience not a fragmented experience? Where you’re just focusing on one aspect of it, but how do you have that whole experience all at once? And to me, those are the three, three big things really impacts posture from information processing perspective.
12:40
I mean, what comes up for me when you talk about this is the experience with children. I don’t know whether you work much with no children. I, I would recommend for parents here to read this book as well. You know, I work with a lot of special needs kids in spectrum disorder, kids, and I’m always bringing all these into it. I may not name them, I’m on the floor with them. And we’re doing, whether it’s reflexes or cranial sacral or, or vision work, whatever. But that that relationship that you speak about? That’s, that’s an audience that I think could really benefit from your work. I don’t know if you’ve thought about that. Obviously, the elders for sure. What do you think about, you know, at least bring this in to the awareness of parents, you know, that children and learning in school?
13:44
Yeah, yeah. I mean, I definitely you know, I’ve studied the developmental process and gained a lot from learning from those communities. For me working with them directly, I there’s a whole nother layer that of working with the parents and their thing that really resonates with me, because I think working with children, the the conversation that you have with them is very different from an adult. So when I was doing the tomato, this method, and having a lot of people from that community come in to see me it was a parents that I worked better with, I mean, the end it was the parents who had to help the children. So to me, it’s working with the Yeah, the adults in the room that that really speaks to me. I used to do yoga for a volunteer program where it was at a residential rehab center so the girls had dual diagnosis. And, and I could see that they were so burnt out, they could barely really pay attention in the way I teach how you pay attention. I eventually changed the program. So it was a part of the school curriculum. But I can teach the staff too. Because that environment that context is, is necessary. And to me that, you know, it’s the context is the matrix of your, that helped his organization, you can’t do it on your own, you know, you you have if you are working so hard to change your inner world, but your outer landscape is still a toll in total chaos. It almost helps to, to heal and work with that outer relationship. You know, to work with them simultaneously, a little bit, rather than to work internally a lot. You know, it’s just a you better outcome, I think. And that’s, you know, the Why do a multi sensory approach, because, you know, you just work with one thing like balance all the time, but your, your vision is kind of pulling you in a twist all the time, then yeah, it really, it serves to do both of them a little bit simultaneously, and then you get results.
16:14
So we’re coming down to the end of our interview, first of all, how can people buy your
16:19
book, I will provide a link that you could put in the show notes, or they could just go to my website coherent body.com. And they scroll halfway down, they’ll see a place where they could click to order the book, and but I will give you a link for a special link that your audience can follow because I have a special bonus offering for them. And, you know, their specific interests around vision.
16:47
And what about your other offerings, private sessions, workshops, what, how can people work with you?
16:56
Well, once they go through the book, if they want more support, they can join a live group coaching program that I have, and I have different kind of tears, where they can have more private help, more kind of specialized classes, you know, that they could sign up to, to determine what might be best for them and their their goals and their, their state where they are right now.
17:24
Okay, and so you work online, you can work with people, you know, in any location.
17:29
I do. Yeah, yeah. I work with people globally. It’s a pretty spectacular thing to be able to do
17:36
- Yes, it’s, it’s great. So, Sue, I wish you the best of luck. I’m going to promote your book through my channels. And thanks for taking the time today for speaking with us and I wish you the best of luck as as you move forward.
17:55
Thanks so much, Sam. Thanks for having me on. Really appreciate it.
Thank you for listening. I hope you learned something from the EyeClarity podcast show today. If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to subscribe on iTunes or Spotify and leave a review. See you here next time.
Here is a session with somebody who recently had cataract surgery and is currently struggling with Glaucoma and dry eye. In this session, I focus on the relationship between her high myopia and Glaucoma. There is a very strong correlation to our refractive error and eye disease. The difficulty comes in when you are nearsighted before the surgery, and you become farsighted after the surgery like this patient and I talk about the influences and also the effects of this discrepancy and how it may be playing into glaucoma dry eye and other things. Enjoy the show.
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SUMMARY KEYWORDS
eye, glaucoma, prescription, glasses, people, optic nerve, prisms, castor oil, called, lens, ophthalmologists, nearsighted, farsighted, vision, wear, myopia, red light, talk, physical therapy, eyedrops
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberne.com.
Great to have you on my EyeClarity podcast today. So I gave a session that somebody recently diagnosed with glaucoma. And she just had cataract surgery as well. She’s also dealing with dry eye. But the point I want you to hear about is the relationship between her high myopia and her glaucoma. There is a very strong correlation to our refractive error and eye disease. I know that’s not talked about very much in the medical literature or even in, you know, clinical practice. But when you develop a certain prescription like myopia, especially at minus 14 in the right eye and minus 11 in the left eye, that’s a high degree of tunneling and pulling in your vision which creates compression in the eye tissue, which is parallel to what Glaucoma is. It’s a tunneling. It’s a tightening. And there are different reasons why we develop glaucoma. Amin is a vascular disease, but function changes structure, how we use our anatomy is going to eventually change the anatomy and physiology.
The other piece I want you to think about is this patient was very nearsighted. And then she had cataract surgery and she became farsighted. And I talked about the ramifications of that in the session, because if you’re near sighted your personality or behavior, your response to life is very different. The mindset is very different than if you’re farsighted. And so those of you that say are thinking about refractive surgery, or cataract surgery, the best way to go is if you’re nearsighted before surgery, you want to be nearsighted after surgery. And if you’re farsighted before surgery, you want to be farsighted after surgery. The difficulty comes in when you are nearsighted before the surgery and you become farsighted after the surgery like this patient and I talk about the influences and also the effects of this discrepancy and how it may be playing into glaucoma dry eye and other things. I hope you enjoy the show. Thanks again for tuning in, leave a comment or review on Spotify, Apple, or my website. I have your history in front of me and your intake form. And it sounds like you want some advice from a functional medicine perspective. With optic nerve glaucoma, and
03:22
fuzzy vision and my dry eye,
03:25
your dry eye of course less. So give me a little context on what you’ve tried. Maybe what the other eye doctors have given you. Your glaucoma meds if you’re on any
03:39
Yes, actually. The glaucoma meds I’m only in my my left eye. I’m on Tima law with dorzolamide. Today in the left eye and then latanoprost at night. I don’t take any, any in my right eye because I have the Tribeca elective knee surgery done. And so my pressures are like eight to 10 and the right and then the left. They’re like between 11 and 13.
04:11
Okay, sounds good. That’s that’s a good place to be. What about the optic nerve? How’s the health?
04:18
Well, the the issue is because I’m so myopic, any of the cameras that they use, they don’t get anything accurate. So what they’re what they rely on is the visual field, which over the last couple years has been a little bit suspect. That’s why he I just recently upped an extra med on the on the left I used to be just the the Tim Hall, but he just recently added the dorzolamide. And I you know obviously I’ve noticed that there has been vision loss I have Two large areas where my you know, blind spots are that are very large. And every time I talk to my glaucoma specialist, he’s out of Mass General, I mean mass pioneer. He doesn’t give me much, you know, help on any other kinds of, you know, supplements or things along those lines that can support what I’m doing. So that makes me very nervous, you know? And he just looks at it is, you know, it is what it is type of thing. And he’s a young gentleman, too.
05:41
Okay, so how much myopia Do you have?
05:45
Well, really significant. There. What I could tell you is I can tell you what my diopters were when I wore contacts, in my right I was a minus 14 and a quarter and my left it was 11 and three quarters.
06:00
Okay, so do you were contacts now
06:03
I know the since I’ve had cataract surgery, I just wear overcorrection
06:10
overcorrection meaning something for reading
06:14
or for distance?
06:17
But what is what? What is that? Do you know what the diopters are?
06:22
I can pull out my prescription for you.
06:31
Ah
06:35
what? I have the sphere, the cylinder the access,
06:41
give it all to me. Right guys? So you can start there?
06:47
Plus 25 point 2025. Yes, cylinder is minus two point 25. Okay, axis is 110.
06:58
Got it left? Do you have an add on that?
07:03
But I also with my distance, they’ve added prism. So I have four in both eyes? We can do. So. Okay. And then the left is also a plus point two, five, a minus 1.25. And the axis is a point three, four.
07:27
Okay, you have a bifocal to that.
07:32
My readers I think are 2.5.
07:35
So do you just use readers from the drugstore or?
07:38
No, they give me a prescription? I do scrub for it. Okay.
07:44
All right. So question When did this glaucoma diagnosis come up for you?
07:51
When I was happy birthday when I was 40.
07:54
Okay, so a long time ago. Yeah. And then the dry eye. When did that emerge?
08:01
I would probably say, in my 50s, late 50s, mid to late 50s. But I’ve also, I’ve also been diagnosed with macular degeneration, but that’s more related to because I’m high myopia. And I’ve had some injections in the eyes, nothing consistent. The last one I think was five years ago.
08:25
Okay. All right. So you must have found me on social media, I guess.
08:34
Yes. Through. You did a talk with I think, either Jeff brand, or Paul matar either one of them?
08:42
Or? Yeah. So. So I guess you have consumed a little bit of my content, what is it about my perspective that inspires you enough to want to talk to you?
08:59
Well, I actually I do see a functional medicine doctor myself for other issues. Yes. So I have been looking at looking for somebody to address the eye and actually, my sister helped me to gear towards you, because she also uses a functional medicine doctor also. So I understand the approach. And, and I, you know, and the funny thing is, I’ve been in medicine for 42 years. So I you know, I understand, you know, some of the drug stuff, but at the same time, I also believe that you have to look at the core and, you know, kind of peel back the onion on things.
09:49
So, what does that mean you’ve been in medicine for?
09:51
Well, I In other words, you know, you have a complaint, a symptom. People go to a doctor and they get a drug where you know, What is, you know, what is the underlying stuff going on?
10:05
So what do you think the underlying stuff is?
10:08
Well, for me, you know, a lot of it is anatomy, you know, because of my myopia. I have a to my eyeballs too long, and it’s just kind of stretching everything out.
10:21
But do you have the cataract surgery? Yes. So do you think that changed anything?
10:29
I have not really thought about it. I mean, I know that after the cataract surgery little, you know, things have cropped up.
10:38
Okay. Like, like, what was
10:41
the you know, the dry I go any further? I’m not really
10:55
well, I certainly have a lot to say, a lot to, you know, propose to you. So it’s kind of a paradigm shift. And so we’re going to be more in the camp of Dr. Koh minor and Dr. Bland in that sense. And let’s talk first about the glaucoma situation. Because the glaucoma situation is really an issue with vascular health. And, of course, the key and preserving your optic nerve is the first and foremost strategy when you develop glaucoma. And so either you can use pharmaceutical drugs you can do you know, you’re addicted Amis to Becky law dummies. That’s kind of the more nuts and bolts mechanical approach. There are some other avenues that one could pursue, and I can propose those and see how that lands in you. If you feel like you know, you’d like to embark on some of those things. So let’s start with the more basic stuff, which you already may be doing. So the optic nerve needs a couple of things for preservation. The first thing it needs is a DHA based EPA based, mostly DHA, though, of Omega three. And again, you may already have these boxes checked off, I’m just gonna go through. I do. Yep. So that’s a that’s a no brainer, Omega three. Another one that seems to have gotten some good results is a small dose of gingko you’re looking at maybe 80 to 100 milligrams a day of ginkgo. Also, there’s another one that’s really coming into into popularity now called nitric oxide. And I actually created an optic nerve formula,
13:20
which I know I saw that the powder Yeah, an
13:23
alpha lipoic acid. So that’s, that’s a good laser dilator. And some preliminary studies have shown that it can help neutralize some of the, the, you know, the vascular impediment affects. Another one is bilberry that’s helps improve not only optic nerve circulation, but also retina and maybe even a little bit Macula
13:51
Are you going to try treatment plan or you know, information onto the patient portal? Or should I be writing all notes down?
14:02
Well, I am recording this with a copy of it. And so I find people learn when they go back and the they you know, they write it down and they kind of take it in also available I can give you these things also. But this is being recorded for you. And so everything that I’m saying is you will get a copy of that. Okay, so sure. And then, you know, there are more, we’ll say new cutting edge things like red light therapy. I don’t know if you’ve seen what’s been talked about with red light, but there was an ophthalmologist in the UK. His name’s Glen Jeffries. And the Jeffrey’s lab has been doing neuro plasticity research on the eyes from Many years oh really kind of misses the ophthalmology radar screen. Because it’s, it’s related more to mitochondria stimulation. And when I talked to my colleagues about mitochondria in the retina or macula, they, you know, it’s like deer in the headlights. They’re just not really into that. But Jeffrey’s took a group of subjects between the ages of 40 and 70, who were losing their eyesight from to a variety of conditions.
And he applied three minutes of red light to the eyes. It wasn’t even a lot. It was like three minutes a day, few days a week, and after the 12 weeks, the subjects increase their visual acuity readings by 22%. That’s unheard of in AI research usually increased visual acuity 2% 5% Maybe. And red light is getting a lot of interest now because what it does is it you see after by age 40, your retinas starts to degenerate, that’s everybody and has one of if not the highest metabolic needs of the body. The macula has the highest metabolic needs of the retina. And so as the mitochondria goes go down, it goes down and producing ATP. Something is starts to grow in they’re called reactive oxygen species, which is bad stuff. It’s like oxidative stress, inflammation. So what Geoffrey’s hypothesis was, is if we give red light, it reawakens that mitochondria to increase ATP and the RLs goes down. And this reduces oxidative stress regenerates the retina. As long as the cells aren’t dead, they’re dead. Nothing you can do. But if they’re just you know, clogged up with oxidative stress or inflammation, then the mitochondria like this red light, and the only stipulation is that you do it in the morning. That’s where you get the best marks. And so I work with him.
And then there’s a guy in at Stanford, who teaches ophthalmologists, he’s a neuroscientist. Huberman is his name. And I talked with him about it, he did a couple of podcasts on red light, and he was really pro red and red light. And he’s pretty standard medical guy. So between the two of them, I did my own research, because I’ve been doing color therapy for 40 years. And I was getting some really good results. So then, how do you apply it? Where do you get and there was a company of affiliated with Jeffrey’s in the UK called iPower. They were in London area. And I said, Send me some of your glasses, they were the special glasses. But they couldn’t deliver that it was just in the shipping was so expensive. So I did my own research and development with my own people. And I came up with a pair of red glasses, which has the exact tint the 670 nanometers, that’s what you need. That’s the red, the red frequency. And so people now are using these red glasses. And I would say for you, you know, coupling it with something around, you know, the nitric oxide and, you know, some of these other other things. I think that it’s definitely the worst case scenarios, nothing’s gonna happen. I kind of doubt that I think some positive things are gonna happen for you, that could help you improve your eyesight, and maybe slow down this this glaucoma progression?
Well, you know, it’s something, I’ve written a couple of blogs on it, there’s science behind it, you can look at some of the research and make your own decision. But so far, preliminary, it’s positive, and you don’t have to use drugs or surgery, which I like. And you know, it’s just I basically would do if I were you, I would do it every day, do it in the morning. You don’t need a bright light source. You can just do it looking out your window or you know, even in a dimmer room, if you’ve got light sensitivity, and you know, five to 15 minutes, it’s up to you. But in the morning, five minutes, and try it for a month and see what happens. I think that it’s definitely worth at least knowing about especially because you’ve got a lot going on. So I’m gonna pause here and see if you’ve got any questions either about the red light about any of these nutrients I’ve talked about, I can go into more depth or we can move on. It’s up to you.
20:02
Now, with the the red light therapy and the glasses. Is that something you have on your website? I mean, I’m going to be in London at the end of next month. I could I get them there?
20:16
I’ll give you the name of the I mean, I think mine are better because it’s a bigger lens, and it’s not the light. So you might have even trouble getting it in London. I don’t know. I mean, the company is called high power. Yeah, I wrote it down. Yeah. So or you can just get it on my website. So
20:36
they are on your website?
20:39
Yeah, my great glasses are on the website. Okay. Yeah, you can just get me more beads chip and D in a couple days. Okay. And you know, you’re done. And it’s a really, I had somebody at a seminar. And they were trying both the eye power glasses, they were able to get them in mind. And they like mine better because the lens is bigger. And, you know, it’s right on the eyes. And basically, you just need to look out. And, you know, the the light that’s coming in will deliver the read into the may even have some effect on the dry eye. You know, I preliminarily? preliminarily, I have seen a little bit of improvement with the dry eye. With that. So yeah, check it out.
21:23
And then your formula for the optic nerve. When I looked at it, it didn’t say how you use it, or how much you use, you know,
21:34
so it’s a scoop, right on the label. So you do a scoop and some water. And it tastes pretty good. It’s like a berry flavor. So there’s a scoop in there, you just do one scoop in the morning. And that’s it, you know, it’s very easy to take and tastes good. And you know that vasodilation is really important for you so and then you could look at something like, you know, I don’t know what you’re doing around I vitamin, my vitamin has taurine. gingko right there in it, you know. So you can kind of see how how that lands in you. There are a lot of good ones. So I would make sure. And mine also has these in it lutein and zeaxanthin because when you’ve had cataract surgery, let’s discuss blue lights. So artificial blue light emitted from this, any of the screens does have a tendency to affect the tissue of the eye dries out. And because the cataract lens probably doesn’t have any blue protect in it. I’ve talked to some of the manufacturers and companies that that manufacture iOS, and they put UV in it, but they’re slow to put the blue blocker in it. So that’s where if you’re doing any extended screen time, I probably would do some kind of blue lens blue protect lens.
23:00
My lenses do have it on I have the coating on it. Yeah,
23:04
I’m glad. And then the other thing is that there’s there’s a couple other things that you know, I went to a glaucoma meeting in December, it was like cutting edge. These are guys that ophthalmologists around the world and three days of glaucoma was all medical. So it wasn’t really functional medicine. But I wanted to see what they were doing, what their thoughts were. And they did say a few things that are appropriate to our conversation. Number one, they said if you can change how the cerebral spinal fluid interacts with the eyes, you will actually bring the eye pressure down. Now they didn’t say how to do that. The way you do that, is by getting a treatment called cranial sacral therapy. You may right. And so
23:52
I was a physical therapist, so I used to do it.
23:55
So I’m a cranial therapist, I went back 30 years ago because I was measuring people’s glaucoma, their pressure, and I’d give them a session and damn the pressure, their numbers would go down four to six millimeters just after one session. So it was great to see these guys actually admit, well, if you can do something to the cerebral spinal fluid flow, you’re gonna bring the eye pressure down. So I think getting some cranial work, I think lymphatic stimulation, I mean there’s been studies that show jumping on a rebounder can bring your eye pressure down.
24:29
Well I do do some lymphatic stuff in the morning. I also do dry brushing, you know so I’m you know, cognizant of that.
24:38
Yep. And then you know, in I also studied acupuncture and in my acupuncture training, I learned that the liver and the spleen, the gallbladder, all the meridians basically almost go to the eyes. And so, sometimes acupuncture can be helpful There’s also the relationship between the liver and the gallbladder. This is not well known. It’s known very well in functional medicine because it’s where I learned it. So here’s the deal. The liver produces bile, and the gallbladder stores it and bile is important for helping you absorb fat soluble vitamins. And those fat soluble and vitamins are very important for the eyes, vitamin A, lutein and xantham. So if there’s any struggle with either producing or absorbing or storing the bile, I have created what we call a gallbladder formula, which helps in the production and absorption of fat soluble vitamins. And there’s another piece to this, that I learned in functional medicine, which is sometimes the pancreatic enzymes are not being produced, and they also will come in and help us in fat soluble absorption.
26:01
Right, that was one of the first things the functional medicine doctor did is check that and I went through a whole regime of doing that. Yeah. Okay.
26:11
Not many people know about it. But I mentioned it to ophthalmologists, they’ve never heard of it. So again, if you study functional medicine, yeah, I think you’re it’s obvious. Because there have been a number of people who have taken been taking a lot of eye supplements, or they eat really well like you. And we add these two things. And that seems to help them reduce the dryness, the dry eye, and also helps their eyesight, but you got that covered. So we’ll we’ll we’ll move on. See if there’s anything else to talk about. So some some other things that, again, this is more in functional medicine, and you may be doing this already. The intermittent fasting has shown to be helpful, sometimes moving more towards a keto diet, the glucose situation, I mean, these are all things you probably handled
27:13
quite well, I do intermittent fasting, anyways. Yeah, so so all that
27:18
all that’s good. Which now brings us to the conversation of your minus 14 minus 11. So I’m gonna say something that’s a little out of school, perhaps for what maybe you’ve been exposed to. But what happens in nearsightedness is there’s a tendency on a functional level. That’s in other words, how we use our eyes to tunnel our vision. And what we do is we become very Macula centric. In myopia, because myopia is a lot about I need to see clearly, and I need a minus lens. And so when you wear a minus lens, it focuses almost all the light into the macula area.
But there’s nothing in the periphery because the lens, even a contact lens, is thick around the edge. So you’re basically tunneling. Right? And so it’s almost like a form of glaucoma, but it’s a functional form that’s driven by your prescription. And, you know, working with a lot of people in myopia, I don’t believe in lasik surgery. But when you start understanding myopia, a lot of my patients will say, Well, what causes the myopia? Is my programming, what my mental setup is, that changes the shape of the eyeball? Well, that’s kind of radical to say that because, you know, in the medical literature, they say, well, it’s mostly genetics and you know, blah, blah, blah. But I certainly have seen enough cases where there is an environmental impact on how we use our eyes, that creates a certain type of prescription. Okay, so now you go and have this cataract surgery, and it changes the refraction in the eyeball. But does it change the refraction in the mind or the brain or the body? Now, that’s a debate that I have all the time with my ophthalmology colleagues because they say, What are you talking about there?
There’s no prescription in the body. There’s no prescription in the mind. But what I see over time is that especially in the LASIK world, that prescriptions tend to creep back in because there actually is a mental programming that is stronger than the prescription. They change in the eyeball. Hmm. And there’s another factor here, which is that nearsighted people operate in visual space very differently than farsighted people. So just to give you contrast, and nearsighted person tends to do really well up close, they don’t need glasses, or if they do, it’s still a minus lens. But their strength is I can see well up close without much of a prescription. They pull the world in, there’s a tightening of the muscles like the muscles become tight. And the minus lens kind of reinforces that that’s kind of the strategy of the nearsighted pattern. And in farsightedness, it’s just the opposite and farsighted. And as you push the world away, you have difficulty with focusing muscles, the muscles become flaccid, you depend on the lens changing the size of the object to help you in your focusing. And that you get dependent on this farsighted lens and then you need stronger and stronger farsightedness.
Now the the the rub here is that if you are nearsighted before the surgery, but your eye is now farsighted, after the surgery, how are you adjusting to that difference? Now? Maybe you’re testing really well I you know, you probably are, you look like you’re pretty self aware. But that’s a lot of astigmatism. Maybe they’re giving you and a lot of magnification up close. When before the surgery. Your your best vision was more, you know, up close. I mean, honestly, with the minus for you 14, you still needed, you know, prescription you couldn’t see without lenses, but so where am I going with this, we know where I’m going with this is that my theory is that part of your glaucoma and dry eye is related to either the pre surgical myopia that’s still affecting your eyes and your anatomy.
And the possible discrepancy that you’re dealing with between your nearsighted pre surgery and your farsighted post surgery. So then it becomes if there’s a way that you could do some kind of vision, physical therapy to integrate the farsighted prescription now, and maybe release some of the pre surgical myopia, which is more mentally driven, if you could release some of that, understand it, get more awareness around it, it would create more circulation and less compression. And so the way you use your eyes functionally, does affect the anatomy, structurally, function affects structure. And, again, it’s a buy in because you might say, well, you know, this is you’re talking Japanese to me, I’m doing great as I am. And this makes no sense to me. And if you say that cool, we’ll just move on. But I need to share with you my body of work of 1000s of people that I’ve helped reverse myopia and hyperopia. And also dealing with surgery, and refractive surgery, cataract surgery, and how it changes the mental, the emotional, the, the postural aspects of, you know, your, your vision, and it has more than do more to do with vision, which is how the eyes and the brain and the body work together than it is about reading an eye chart. So, you know, this is this again, this is a huge new arena, you probably haven’t seen this on my content, but I’d love to hear your opinion. And feel free to be completely frank with me.
34:24
Well, I know I, you know, I I can see your thought process. I’d be interested to know what you know, type of exercises you’re talking about, you know, I’m being as a physical therapist, I’m always open to exercises. So, you know, I’d be interested, you know, to see what that entails.
34:48
Okay, so that’s a fair question. So before I enter that, the University of Rochester did a very interesting study on how much of the brain Pain is involved in vision. And their findings were that 50% of vision takes place in the brain. So it isn’t just an eyeball experience. No,
35:11
I totally understand that, you know, I, you see that you see that with stroke people and, you know, certain portions of the brains that are, you know, affected and you know, they can the anatomy of the eye could be, you know, perfectly fine, but if the brain isn’t functioning, then you have a non functionally eyeball, you know?
35:31
Yes, exactly. So, think of this as physical therapy for your eyes. Really, what, what it is, and, you know, working with OTs and PTs over the years, like with traumatic brain injury, right? There is a neuroplasticity, but I get arguments from my ophthalmology colleagues all the time, there’s no neuroplasticity, the eye is only going to die aging. And I can’t, you know, talk them into anything else. That there is a, an effect, but the eyes are the only part of the brain that are outside the cranial vault. So, if the eyes are brain, why can’t you access neuroplasticity? Well, again, I get nowhere with my ophthalmology colleagues, because they want to just do surgery and all that. So that’s, that’s kind of the deal. Okay, so I got a couple of questions for you, which will help me determine what is the best or maybe a few physical therapy exercises for you? So my first question is, how much of the day do you wear this prescription glasses?
36:46
Oh, my, well, I have to, you know, my distance. And then my, my reading glasses, I am a big reader. So I do, you know, several hours a day of reading. And a lot of times in the house, I may not wear my distance glasses, but I definitely wear them for driving. And when I’m out in public, I definitely wear them because with my glaucoma, I have problems with you know, you know, light in construction of the, you know, my pupils and being able to see, you know, from light to dark or from, you know, dark to light, that type of stuff. So then now, definitely wear them out then. So I would say glasses, I’m probably a good, you know, 80 to 90% of the day I have something on.
37:40
Okay. My next question is, what was the purpose of prescribing the prisms?
37:50
From what I understand as the muscle imbalance that I have,
37:57
I’m talking about subjective symptoms that you’re having not something in your muscle, like what? What was your visual experience where they would even introduce prisms because prisms weaken your eyes, they also weaken the muscles of not all prisms, but the prisms they’re giving you and it’s actually converging your eyes even more, which is you can’t access as much periphery. So it’s not great. It’s not great prescription in terms of wellness. It’s, it’s very symptom driven. I mean, were you having double vision? Are you having fatigue, I
38:37
think I might have been more. I felt one I was working harder than the other.
38:46
I think you’d much be much better served by doing a physical therapy exercise to where you’re in a situation where you have to use both eyes together in an exercise context. Then with glasses, again, it’s Think of it like a splint. They’re kind of keeping you stable, but it’s not a great setup. And then the other thing is, they’re actually special kinds of yoke prisms that I develop. They’re called yoked when I worked in the hospitals, and these are prisms that actually enhance your peripheral vision. In other words, what when you put them on, they take your peripheral, if you see my hands and they move them out here. So I would rather see you in yolk prisms. Now they did pray don’t know what that is. But one of the things that so when I say yoked, here’s my hands.
You’re you’re accessing much more of your vision out in this area. And sometimes it can help you compensate for the blind spot. And what you’ve got is a Um, you know, it’s a symptom, they’re trying to control a symptom and those kinds of prisms are not great. So there’s a couple of couple of ways to go here one way is that you sent me your distance prescription, I would be open to writing a new prescription for you with the yoke prisms in it probably give you 20 to 30% more peripheral vision than with those. And the other thing to consider,
40:35
and where would I find somebody that does your prisms?
40:39
Or they just have to fill it? It doesn’t matter? I mean, I would go to a lab and do it. Wow, the law honey lab would do it because there’s okay. You know, so I’m medically licensed in 50 states. So you can go out and go to an optical store. And you take the prescription and then they’ll they’ll make them for you. Okay, so you get a frame that’s not too small, you know. And the other thing is, and this gets kind of out there, I would do a plastic frame versus a metal frame.
41:07
Oh, yeah, I always do I, you know, most of my I have plastic. Yeah,
41:12
yeah. Okay. So then what what you’ll do with those base down your prisons, so we’re going to do base down in each eye, instead of base out, just start wearing them around the house and wear them and you’re probably going to notice, you’re going to have more vision, less blind spot. And so neuro neuroplasticity wise, it’s stimulating your retina differently because it’s moving the light in a different angle into the retina and the optic nerve. And you can let me how you do let me know how you do with it. But to me, that’s, that’s an easy upgrade. Okay. And then the next thing you could do, there’s a couple of things that I’ll propose to you and you kind of decide how you want to approach it. One thing that happens when you wear a plus lens. And what you’re wearing flip farsighted is, it does in some ways, make your eye muscles less responsive to focus. And one of the ways to counteract that weakness that starts to come in, is getting yourself a pair of what we call pinhole glasses. And you can online anywhere. And you’ll be surprised when you put those on, you’ll actually be able to read without the magnification. And wearing those a few minutes a day, it’s gonna make you move your eyes through the holes. It’s like an exercise, it actually strengthens your eye muscles. So that would be something that you could do, it’ll even help your distance. So I would just do it in the comfort of your home, just to wear something other than a prescription that’s weakening your eyes because that’s what you know your farsighted prescription is doing. So that would certainly be easy.
There’s also an exercise that involves using your two eyes together where they have to focus at the same time. And it’s called it’s on my website, but I’ll send it to you. It’s called the Yin Yang peripheral vision exercise. And the reason why it’s called Yin Yang is you have two yin yang symbols on a piece of paper. And then you’ve got three other pairs of images on that sheet you printed out and what you do with the first set of Yin Yang, you just start there and you hold it right up to your nose, but you mentally look through the paper, you mentally look through it, I’ll send you directions, you push it out. And all of a sudden those two yin yang will become three. And when they become three, it means that both of your eyes are working together. Okay. And so then you spend maybe about, you know, a minute just kind of moving the paper, you want to get out there at arm’s length if you can. So you’re now introducing to your brain and eyes, what’s what it’s like to be simultaneous in your focus will get the feedback. By getting the three images, you’ve got four pairs of images, so you spend about a minute with each pair each pairs is different. And so by getting those three images, then you are now retraining or reprogramming the eye that’s more dominant. Now the other eye has to come in and simultaneously, you’re using them both together.
Do this without any glasses. And you know, do it two or three times a day, a minute or so. And you might find after you’re done you might actually get some clear eyesight from it, because it’s really working the muscles and the visual coordination. So I’ll send you a link on and how to how to do that. Okay. And then after that one, we do a relaxation exercise on the eye muscles called the palm hum. So, in the palm home, you’re rubbing your hands together, you cupping them over your eyes, I’ll send you directions, your eyes are closed, you breathe in through the nose, when you exhale, you keep your mouth closed, but you’re making a humming sound like this.
45:25
Um,
45:31
so you’re gonna get vibration in your jaw in your face. And it’s going to echo into the eye muscles. And also, because your hands are over your eyes, these are going to be kind of like tuning forks. Whenever you put sound into the eyes, it’s going to open up compression, it’s going to bring better circulation. sound healing is, you know, a lot of people use it, anyways, you do six or eight of the hums, you keep the hum contained in your face. After that six hum, you can drop your hands and slowly open your eyes. And people report to me they see things much more clearly. They don’t need their distance glasses for a while. So it’s certainly something that if you could try it and see if it does that for you. But it’s a way to bring more of the parasympathetic nervous system into it, create more relaxation ation, you know, it’s a, it’s an organic way to improve your, you know, your eyesight. So the Yin Yang, and then the do the palm home. After that, he decided to get the panels.
Now, that would be another technique. And then we’ll get to the prison base down to enhance your peripheral vision. Now you’re doing like four things that allow you to access vision improvement, which could indirectly number one, reduce any of this compression, anatomically in the eyes, because you’re changing function. And also, it might even lubricate your eyes a little better. So you can try it for a couple of days. And if you’re getting some benefits, then continue. If you’re not, so be it. I also think it’s a good idea in non demanding situations to go without your glasses. That’s a high percentage of time that you’re wearing them. And so whatever you wear is reinforcing the adaptation you’re you’re making to with yourself, right? So
47:36
I realized that, hey,
47:39
so the relationship that I’d like you to explore mentally, is your relationship to blurry vision. And there’s, there’s actually an exercise we do where you actually wear an opposite lens prescription. And when you wear that, you then mentally go into what do I like about the blur. And you’ll discover that there’s some level of hyper vigilance that you don’t like the blur for some, you made some, some association, well, if it’s blurry, I’m going to miss something, I’m going to get it wrong, I could fall down I, you know, we all have stories. So the thing is, is you wear that opposite lens prescription, and it’s challenging you to relax into the blur. You only do it for like a minute or so. And then you take the glasses off. And you will see things now in your naked vision much more clearly than you did before you put those blurry glasses on. And you do that exercise a few times a day. And over a period of a few weeks, people will say you know, I don’t need my distance glasses anymore, or I’m feeling like now my prescription is too strong. So there’s real value about emotionally and mentally going into the blur. But doing it in a safe environment where you’re locked in your bedroom.
But it gets you to interact with any emotional mental restrictions you have around blur. And I have a pair of glasses on my website, which are called minus lens to blur. And most eye doctors you know, they would never go for this but if you’re farsighted to wear the minus lens. And there’s a whole protocol I do and I’ll send it to you just so you can know about it. You can look at the video. If you want to really you know go deep in this doing that minus lens the blur could be really interesting around you relaxing into blur and then having more clarity without glasses. And so you know it’s it’s it just depends on how how deeply You want to go? I mean, even if you just did the pinholes, pinhole glasses, that would be in that direction? Because I think what you’re wearing is affecting you. You may not be aware of it, but I think it is. And and I don’t want you wearing a lot of progressive lenses, I’m assuming you’re not? No,
50:21
no, actually I try them. And I couldn’t, couldn’t tolerate them. I was so dizzy with them things in the periphery. Were not, like, stable. And it was it was just, I said, I can’t do these.
50:37
So the the response the retort to that is, Mary, just get used to it.
50:45
I said, No.
50:47
Well, you’re one of the few that got out of prison with that, because the doctor will just say, No, you’ll get used to it, you know, it’s something that really weakens your vision, and it actually puts more pressure on your maculatus Because the only part of the the progressive lens you’re using is your maculatus. I have a lot of people in those progressive lenses that I have to wean them off of it. So good for you for you know, knowing that that that wasn’t a good option for you. And that’s probably your physical therapy training. And so these would be some of the things and I am going to write out a little treatment plan for you. And I’ll send it to you spotlighting some stuff. So then you can do your own research. And please do I mean, again, this is not for everybody. And you know, mostly you’re doing well there’s one more thing I want to address is the dry eye. And so, being a chemist I developed some really awesome eyedrops, which you’ve probably seen called MSM, sulfur molecule that helps detox the eye lubricates, it’s anti inflammatory. You could do the 5% MSM eyedrops if you wanted to during the day, and then in the evening, I created organic castor oil, I dropped my sauna ointment, it’s like an oil, I use it as an ointment. So I put it on the outside part of my eyelids before bed and it’s very moisturizing. And with your dryness, I think possibly the castor oil could really help you in the evening. And then you could try the MSM during the day if you wanted to.
52:35
Um any concerns that I I mean, I don’t think I should, I mean because I do in my right I have the blood from the trabecular ectomy that the no problem with the castor oil related to IT
52:48
work has no problem. I would just start with a tiny bit. I mean just a little bit in that right eye and just see how you respond. My experience has been that it’s just going to create some moisture on the eyelids and castor oil is extremely anti inflammatory skin. So I mean I would just what I like to do with these things everybody has is different like even with your glaucoma meds, just wait 15 minutes after you’ve done the glaucoma meds before you do these if you’re going to do these MSM and or castor oil that’s safe. And then with the castor oil, just use a tiny bit on that right side and see how it responds. I mean, I’ve worked with people with corneal transplants with you know, the retinal detachment where they’ve had to put the oil in the retina and they do well with the castor oil, you know, they always go towards that and they go away from the pharmaceutical drugs because that dries you out even more. Those glaucoma meds are going to create more dryness.
54:05
No I and I know that yeah, my the eye that the left eye is always drier than the right eye.
54:12
And so that’s where you need to counteract that with I mean even doing the symbolizing the homeopathic eyedrops, they’re safe. I would start doing some more natural kind eyedrops, like MSM, like homeopathic during the day and hydrate your eyes, four to five times a day and then doing the Castro at night. You know, some some people, they can do a lot of it. Some people they go I just need a little bit of it. They use too much their eyes may get red, they may burn. So just says because there’s a detoxification aspect to these eyedrops it’s going to push the toxins, the drugs, the the surgical things that you absorbed in the eyes out. So you need to start slow, and the application of them. But these are, it’s like eating organic food. You know, it’s like at first, you’ve been eating processed food. Yeah, you’re gonna feel sick and bloated and you know you’re going to detox and stuff may come out of your skin. It’s the same thing here. When a detox on your eyes with these kinds of eyedrops, so start very, very slowly. You can even just say, what a soft cloth and put a drop of the castor oil on the soft cloth, the white cloth and use it as a compress over the eye. That’s even more indirect, and just see how your eye responds and follow that.
Okay, it’s worth a try it boil. There was actually a study that was published ophthalmologists use castor oil to reduce meibomian gland dysfunction and the significant reduction in inflammation in the eyelids by using the castor oil. It’s not well known they don’t like because they want you to use Restasis. When I found that study, I was like, well, that’s interesting. Why isn’t that in the mainstream, and they used homogenized castor oil in the eye to reduce dry eye and in the results significantly, they say nificantly reduced dry eye symptoms. So that’s why I went for it. And now it works well. So So you got a lot of things here. So I’ll send you information, you know, keep digesting my information, see what feels right. The more intuitive you are with it. If you get a yes to it if you get a no don’t, if you’re uncertain and just waiting. But you’re very intuitive. And so use your intuition. Yeah, this makes sense to me, okay. No, I don’t want to do that. And just kind of learn better regulation in your eyes what you’re gonna give it and you know, you can improve your vision. Even if you get older, even with this glaucoma, what happens is the glaucoma fades in the background, and you still have it affecting you nearly as much, right? Especially if you start doing physical therapy, that’s very aggressive. You’re really, you’re really confronting the vascular health level? Yes, very
57:38
well, this time, you know, a lot of really good helpful information, like you said that certain things that I know that I will definitely do, you know,
57:50
like, keep in touch, send me an email, let me know how you’re doing. You know, and at some point, we can circle back and see what’s improved, where you want to go. You know, the less medical interventions you do now, the healthier your eyes are going to be. And that’s mostly in the pharmaceutical?
58:12
Well, yeah, well, that’s my my whole thing to you know, keep just, you know, I know, at one time before we did surgery to my right, I was up to, you know, five different drops before they, you know, did surgery to get the pressure down.
58:30
That’s yeah, that’s the main way to try to control it.
58:34
Right, right.
58:37
There’s many other things. You know, when I learned acupuncture, and we were in the clinic, and we were working with glaucoma patients, we actually saw quite a lot of improvement with acupuncture. And when I when I would do cranial sacral and measure people’s eye pressure, visual fields, I couldn’t believe in one session, how much better they saw just through the spinal fluid in the brain in the eyes. So you know, even meditation, there’s a study out that says if you meditate, it can bring your eye pressure down. That was one of the research papers that came out at that glaucoma meeting. I was I knew that that was great that they, they share that so I mean, meditation, a mind body, all of these
59:24
things. Yes. And I totally agree with that. Yeah. I really thank you for your time. You know,
59:33
welcome. Yes. And good luck to you. And so I’ll send you an email with the recording and I’ll send you a little treatment plan that would be fabulous. And then if you have any questions you know, just email me and I’m here.
59:46
Now where are just one quick question where exactly a new New Mexico I didn’t look geographically where what big city Are you near? near Santa Fe. Okay, because I’m going to be in Santa Fe the SMA Yeah. Oh, yeah, my daughter lives in California and one of her big things is she wants to go to the Georgia O’Keeffe museum. So we’re going to do some time in Santa Fe and then go out to the ranch and stuff like that.
1:00:14
Make a reservation for Ghost ranch because it does fill up.
1:00:18
Now that’s what we just got our tickets or plane tickets. And then that’s what we’re doing next is
1:00:25
gonna be a very nice time of year and the I was just at the Georgia museum. It’s it’s wonderful right now. So great restaurants like to do. But look, if you’re feeling like you know, you want to see me in person, then just contact Monica. Yeah. And you don’t have to I’m not requiring you. No, no, no, no. But if you felt like you wanted to come and see me,
1:00:53
I was just like I said, I was just kind of, you know, curious. Like I said, I didn’t sit down geographically to find out where you were.
1:01:00
We’re right across the street from the opera, just north of Santa Fe, a village called Sookie Native American reservations. So.
1:01:12
Okay. All right. So I’ll wait for your email. And then I have a lot of stuff to work on here. And, you know, write it well, to me it there. There’s things that I can do. I just didn’t like the medical community to just to say to me, it is what it is, you know, so this is encouraging to me to try them and you know, see what happens, you know, so there’s something out there.
1:01:37
Oh, totally. Yes. Yeah. All right. Well, I wish you well, and I will talk to you down the road. Okay, thank you all. Bye.
Thank you for listening. I hope you learned something from the EyeClarity podcast show today. If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to subscribe on iTunes or Spotify and leave a review. See you here next time.
I was a guest on Dr. Robert Wiles radio show. He is a sports podiatrist, they call him the sports doctor, and we had about a 15 minute lively conversation about optometry, concussions, brain injury, and so much more. Enjoy the show.
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SUMMARY KEYWORDS
eyes, sports, doctor, concussions, vision, world, glasses, talking, holistic, baseline, guests, optometry, sam, physical therapy, body, worked, athlete, sorts, visual, problem
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberne.com.
Hey everybody, its Dr. Sam and I’d like to welcome you to another EyeClarity podcast. Well, today I was a guest on Dr. Robert Wiles radio show, and he is a sports podiatrist. They call him the sports doctor. And we had about a 15 minute lively conversation about optometry, concussions, brain injury, and so much more. So everybody, thanks for tuning in, leave a comment on Spotify or my website. And I look forward to seeing you again.
00:38
Dr. Sam Berne. Welcome to The Sport’s Doctor
00:42
Thanks, Dr. Bob, great to be here.
00:45
Give us some background on yourself. And you can throw in a definition of holistic optometry while you’re at it.
00:55
Sounds good. So when you go for an eye exam, you know, the doctor has you read the eye chart, and you get the Reading 2020. That’s a measurement of your eyesight. But vision is how the eyes and the brain and the body work together. So eyesight is only one part of vision. So as a holistic eye doctor, I look at the eyes as an interrelated, interconnected part of the body. And there are things that you can do to improve your vision even as you get older. And that’s kind of the difference between the regular eye care, they just say your eyes get worse as you get older. In my, in my practice, people get older and their eyes get better.
01:39
At you know, we see truth for years on the sports doc, the doctor, hand eye coordination, all sorts of eye exercise for some commentators talking about enhancing performance. Regardless of the sport, there’s a lot of exciting information in that side, you know, besides the run of the mill, I can’t like you said, there’s so much more involved, even as a diagnostic tool, I don’t like podiatry when many times we might see diabetes for the first time because of a foot symptom. You also might see it when you see the eyes, right?
02:16
Exactly, because the eyes have one of the highest metabolic needs of the body, highly concentrated with those tiny blood vessels. So it’s one of the entry ways into the body like the foot. And you can pick up disease very early. And of course, in diabetes, this is a real vulnerable area, I’m talking about the retina. So you know, if you have glucose levels that are off the charts, or you’re pre diabetic, you’re going to see it in the eyes, it’s going to be one of the first places and then you can treat it by doing some holistic things if you want to.
02:56
Well, you talk about embracing your body’s ability to strengthen, healing balanced. And again, we talked so much about holistic medicine, I would have complementary medicine and so many different topics, and the sounds I could fit in Absolutely. With a big emphasis on prevention, as well as awareness and education.
03:19
You know, it’s being proactive, you know, just with diet alone, the eyes in the brain make up about 2% of the body weight, and use 25% of the food intake. So if you’re cut out processed foods and sugar and mostly gluten, and you eat, you know, the colorful vegetables and berries, getting enough healthy fats in your diet that in itself can keep your eyesight healthy. And well as you get older.
03:52
You know, it’s so common to see children younger, younger ages routinely with glasses of glasses. Now it’s styling, you know, some way. But do you feel that? Is the introduction of corrective eyeglasses too early? Or are we really paying big attention to prevention?
04:12
Well, when you get glasses as a child, what it’s doing is it’s reinforcing the problem that’s causing the need for glasses to begin with. So you know, again, back to the holistic perspective, I find the cause and treat that and we know that the eyes originate from the brain. And so if you do eye exercises, not only are you changing the brain, but you’re also changing the eyes. And of course the other thing that’s going on with kids is screen time. So the more screen time they have this is really wreaking havoc then with COVID where schools were just online. I got so many complaints from parents and kids about eyestrain, eye fatigue, red eyes, blurred vision, dry eye and so on. So I think the screens are another factor that we have to look at in terms of helping kids and
05:08
the whole mental health angle in so many different ways. In all ages, the biggest topic, it’s interesting, no matter where my guest is, from, whatever their vocation is, from anywhere in the world, they still everybody’s concerned about mental health. And the social media is, again, it’s such a challenge, to say the least. And then again, the screen effects on the eyes and whatever that’s got to be a whole new world, I would imagine.
05:38
Well, more and more research is coming out about the damaging effects of the artificial blue light, it’s a chaotic frequency. And first of all, it messes with our circadian rhythm if we’re staring into the screen after 6pm suppresses the melatonin as you know, but it also can dry the eye tissue out and you know, in severe cases, it can start to cause things like macular degeneration and cataracts. So we need to protect our eyes.
06:07
To have you want me to pay attention to that, as well. As you know, you talk about the eyes and the brain, the eyes and the brain. We feature so much information on the sports doctor on the world of concussions with experts all around the world. Want to get one of your perspectives. When we come back, everybody’s talking. Everybody sports doctor, go to my website, sports doctor radio.com, if you will, radio shows you for that years, all sorts of topics, local guests, national guests, international guests, endless array of topics working to whatever you would like to go over newspaper articles, magazines, great information, a lot of excitement within VT magazine, a lot of excitement, the upcoming documentary where our children play the whole world of youth sports we have 1000s and 1000s of followers. And you can follow me at sports doc COC radio, on Twitter. I can’t tell you how many guests we get from both Twitter and LinkedIn. Over the years. We’re speaking with Dr. Sam burning the holistic optometrist. Again behavioral I help. I wanted to ask you, Sam, again about your thoughts with the world of concussions and the the whole eye connection.
07:28
So I’ve done researched and published on traumatic brain injury and vision. I’ve also worked in hospitals, written articles. It’s a huge problem today in sports. I mean, it’s not just the NFL, but what happens is when we get hit in the head, it reverberates into the nerves and muscles in the eyes. Now the problem is, we don’t pick these up on an MRI. So you’ve got the soft symptoms, like blurred vision, double vision, memory issues, balance issues, you know something’s wrong, but the traditional eye exam misses it. So when you go to somebody like me, we’re testing things like visual tracking, visual focusing, visual reaction time, peripheral vision, depth perception, and we’re looking at how the visual system has been impacted. And then once we get the diagnosis, we can do physical therapy on the eyes to repair the damage that’s occurs from these traumas, concussions, and so on.
08:33
Yes, just last week, we had Mike Tia, he’s the CEO hit check, which is the whole go for nap a system of having a baseline available for any particular athlete, whatever the sport happens to be. So if there is an incident involving head trauma, they can have something that we look at. And again, this idea of the whole eye effect. What’s the best website for information Sam on you, your writing, and your whole world?
09:06
Dr. Sam berne.com I have 1000s of videos that are free on there also written blogs. You can also find me on Facebook and tick tock Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube. I do tons of
09:23
interesting doctors. Yes, we talked with optometry and AI experts ophthalmologists, again high performance I had a whole group of racecar drivers talking about their hair dye and vision training. But the idea of eye protection in youth sport I would think was not paying nearly enough attention to that. What are your thoughts?
09:48
I totally agree. I mean, I think when you get hit in the eye, it’s it really causes a lot of problems you know, circulation issues and and double vision blurred vision. You’ve got to use protective eyewear, especially with kids in their playing in contact sports, it’s a no brainer. You know, we recommend it all the time for people.
10:10
You know, the three words are stressed all the time on the sports doctor for decades, is awareness was talking about what are we talking about here education, regarding learning about and the topic, whatever it happens to be the positive action. And this fits right smack in the middle of that when you think about zazz. The majority of kids regardless of the sport, where they’re running and jumping, and doing all sorts of things. I just don’t see many goggles, enlisted someone with glasses. They get many prescriptions or whatever. Are we making progress there?
10:48
I think a little bit, you know, especially in sports like lacrosse and squash and racquetball. But you know, in basketball, or football or baseball, no, I don’t think we’re making enough inroads there. You’re right, it takes education and being proactive. And, you know, we need to do a better job of PR getting that stuff out there.
11:14
In the field, like we were talking the term baseline, having a baseline, like you talked about the kind of visual analysis you might be doing to establish these different connections. Again, I bring several different effects, and be able to have that is another one of the baseline. So if there is, again, some sort of trauma, and, again, concussion is a gigantic concern, all sorts of questions, when is it safe to go back, we’ve come a long way baby, but we still have a long way to go. That might be another idea for your world, which is having that baseline available for athletic directors and coaches. Hey, we start
12:00
a whole new thing a lot, you know, this, this starts another protocol, we already have the concussion protocol, now we need to bring the vision piece into it. And that could actually be part of the baseline, and whether or not you know, when an athlete can actually go back into competition.
12:19
You know, getting older, and a lot of the changes in the changes in different different concerns. And the idea that, again, the eye exercises should be a routine part of what we do. And then that’s another real challenge in that it was a different guy sessions. That’s how much I remember seeing in the past. I know, I had anybody talk to me about I exercise.
12:48
You know, we don’t, we don’t really emphasize it in school. But you know, in my own vision, I had very bad vision. When I was a child, I was very myopic. And I met a doctor who did this physical therapy, and I completely reversed my myopia. I don’t wear any glasses and 30 years later, so I’m a living example that you can do it and the eyes and brain have a plasticity. That’s the thing. And if you offer them new experiences, new pathways, you can improve your vision. And I think it’s coming more into things like occupational therapy, physical therapy, in some of the private schools, in sports. But I think in regular eye care, we’re so geared towards looking for disease and using pharmaceuticals and drugs and surgery, that there’s no place for exercises.
13:40
God bless America. One of the challenges in so many different areas, which is you know, you have American medicine, which is a pill surgery, doctor visit and then you have the whole eastern holistic world. And you know us years ago, we would talk about acupuncture, we would talk about mindfulness, Mind Body, medicine didn’t have to spell it. I think they come along how is the general medical world pay attention to your perspective, regarding eye care, or the optometry and ophthalmology world?
14:18
Well, I think it’s slowly changing because in the grass roots, the patients are asking for it. And because there’s so much emerging in the area of nutrition, functional medicine, acupuncture as you say, by the way many of the meridians in the body go to the eyes and so liver gallbladder you know those affect the eyes quite profoundly Yes. Emotional tapping. Yes, we
14:48
feature a lot you know, again, again, those points to make positive changes in the body. It’s funny years ago, they would say alternative men Listen to now we go you and start more arguments. So somebody that, you know, they say, Hey, what about complimentary? And I think, you know, that makes so much more sense. And again, in the area of high performance, I think again, this is something that seems to be paid more and more attention. You know, thinking about the guy in the batter’s box or whether it’s hitting a ball or moving in different directions. The whole life acuity is the things that can really be improved.
15:28
Oh my god, I’ve worked with baseball players, golfers, volleyball players, wide receivers, you know, it’s all about reaction time keeping your balance, tracking the ball while you’re, you know, up in the air. So there’s no question that sports vision is a huge, you know, it’s a huge support for athletes that want to you know, play at a higher level.
Thank you for listening. I hope you learned something from the EyeClarity podcast show today. If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to subscribe on iTunes or Spotify and leave a review. See you here next time.
Here is a peak into my San Diego Master Class where we work with essential oils and red light lenses. Enjoy the show.
If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com. If you have any questions, submit them to hello@drsamberne.com or you can now text me! Text ‘Join’ to 1-844-932-1291 to join the community and ask your questions!
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
fennel, eyes, oils, work, glasses, frankincense, vedic, put, meditation, great, feel, carrot seed, gold miner, tonics, meditate, ophthalmology, smell, copper toxicity, funnel, people
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberne.com.
work on two aspects. One is the copper toxicity. And the other is improving your eyesight. So the way this is going to work is I’m going to run you through a process on how you can use the essential oils in this. So the first oil, we’re going to use his sweet fennel. Fennel works great for digestion, you probably know about it. But the first thing we’re going to have you do is just smell it. That’s the first thing. It’s a now the next thing we’re going to have you do is, if I may have the inside part of your wrist, let’s do a test patch and see how that feels for you.
Any burning any anything on your wrist that problem? Okay, so then the next thing is I like to layer the oils. And either you can use them, like we’re going to use them or you could have some coconut oil nearby, if it starts to get too intense. And so I use a drop of a set of nice, it’s very subtle. Yeah, it’s very subtle. What we’re gonna do is we’re going to put it up here on either side. So it’s kind of in direct line with your eyes, but it’s not near you. Yeah, right about. And then the second place we’re going to do it is by the temple and the hairline, by the way, so yep. Right. And then we’re gonna do the zygomatic bone, or let’s say the cheekbone. So we’re kind of painting around these, these dots here. So we’re doing it here. And here. And here. And here. Here and here. So this is the femoral. That’s the one we’re starting with. So let’s take a moment and see how that how that feels to you. Are you What are you experiencing? From the from the funnel? You can try it.
02:06
I think a sense of calm
02:08
sense of calm. Okay.
02:11
Then, sort of like love then
02:15
we can go into the emotional psychological, because these these can be very spiritual, actually. Yeah, there you go.
02:23
It’s also cooling I think in a bit
02:27
and I would say your your eyes situation, you have more heat coming out of your eyes. So anyway, we can kind of get more Yin into it. As you know. I don’t know what your Vedic Constitution is a more pizza. Yeah. So with pitta, you know, there’s a lot of mental activity.
02:48
Right. Right. Right. And the flex to the liver and the eyes.
02:51
Right. Exactly. Exactly. So the higher Vedic model life study that was you have and that’s another way to interpret.
03:03
I think fennel. My I already talked to India used to give me if you my kids had Boyles or any Oh yeah. eruptions. So 10 Raisins. So overnight with two or one teaspoon of fennel powder, we have completely removed all the data from the eggs. Options,
03:21
right? So that’s why I chose that for you. Yeah, I know you a little bit. So that was working with a beta on that one. All right. Now the second one we’re going to give you is currency. And I want you to smell it. First of all, make sure so all factory goes to the limbic brain. It’s really great as a way to introduce yourself to it. So what’s your experience with the currency? What do you feel? What do you notice?
03:49
It sort of goes to something? Liver,
03:52
yeah, it has, I think very little gold miner. And I see Yeah, that’s why I chosen it’s got some vitamin A and then of course, which is also really great. I let’s do a test patch on your skin. So if I take your wrist and just kind of see how that goes or what you feel, is it burning? It All? made sense? Okay, yeah. All right. So now we’re going to answer smells like name. Yes, it’s a little bit like me. So now we’re layering this right on top of the funnel because the funnel and the carrot see works synergistically. So again, good we can see here, here this is full scope optometry, isn’t it?
04:45
Right Yeah, that’s right. All right. So we’ve added the carrot seed here. Yeah, check that out. Money this physically, emotionally psychologically.
05:06
It’s triggering something like a pain sensation. I can feel some awareness of some Okay. tightness or
05:15
they will bring that up. Yes. lower
05:17
orbit area like like the lower eyeball. Yeah. Great.
05:23
So you may get some pain, it’s released. It’s getting rid of toxicities. You know, that retinal surgery you had. I still think there’s residue going on. I have this car. Yeah, you have the scar. So definitely, definitely. Okay. All right. So the third one we’re going to do is frankincense. So first off, just this is a really good frankincense from Somalia. I love it. It’s now frankincense can be very sticky, like resinous. This one is not quite as much. Let’s do another test patch. There. Just to make sure that because if it burns at all, you can always put up this is for everybody out here. You can put it on the soles of your feet and good. It’s okay. Nice calling. Okay. Yeah, it’s a really nice one of my patients and locals. So again, we’re going to do it right on top of the other two. Sometimes I’ll put this on, and then I meditate. So this is just an idea for you. If you do meditation, frankincense has been known to be anti cancer, anti bacterial. It’s great for opening the third eye vision. So love to hear your
06:49
I think it does. Like influence like a state of trance.
06:55
Yeah, it’s a trance state. Yeah. So you’re going to configure your brainwaves are already going into a little bit of
07:03
influence, I
07:04
will be exactly you go with the
07:06
mind chatter. Yes. So you can
07:09
meditate? For sure. For sure. Now, after you’ve done that, I want you to put these red glasses on and see how see what comes up for you. So these are the red glasses from the UK and they’re nice. I like them to buy with my work with some tonics. Do you guys do some tonics? Okay. I figured out okay, we’ll do 670 In glasses, and I like that people can come up with their own light source. So that doesn’t need to be so bright. And it’s a bigger field. It’s you look out and it comes in. So what do you notice with this?
07:57
What I noticed is that that’s tres. De stresses me.
08:05
Does does Yeah, yeah. I like the combinations. What I do with people now we’re doing the oils and then we do the right glasses. Yeah,
08:13
you feel like you’re in a like a movie theater. You know, sort of like lighting just reduces the visual noise. Exactly.
08:27
Again, I’m going to bring you back to that study. That was in the investigative ophthalmology journal, where they did the red light, after people looked at the screens. The blue light creates more chaos in the eyes. You see what I mean? And you can do it longer than three minutes. And I have people that will do it. You know, I can forget. So you, you can definitely do. Well, three minutes is what Glen Jeffries came up with, but I have people to you just wanted to do more in the morning. So what I have people do is they do the oils and the red glasses, and then some kind of meditation, okay. And I’m actually recording some meditations now that I’m going to put up online around the eyes. So when I have those, I’ll send them to you.
Thank you for listening. I hope you learned something from the EyeClarity podcast show today. If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to subscribe on iTunes or Spotify and leave a review. See you here next time.
Today I am going to talk about intermittent exotropia and what protocols I use to manage it in children, teenagers, and adults. Enjoy the show.
If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com.
If you have any questions, submit them to hello@drsamberne.com or you can now text me! Text ‘Join’ to 1-844-932-1291 to join the community and ask your questions!
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
exercises, spasm, eye, muscles, reflex, integration, working, infants, stress, toddlers, vestibular stimulation, called, muscle spasm, visual, bilateral, brain, vision, overwrought, patching, movement patterns
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberne.com.
Hey everybody, its Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast today. So I’m going to take a question from Dr. Pillai, who’s asking about a condition called intermittent exotropia. For infants, toddlers, teenagers and adults, and how is it different? How do I manage it? What are the protocols? So, let’s break this down. When our two eyes are working together, they’re both aiming at an object in our environment, whether it’s up close or far away. So the goal is both eyes are working together. Now, when one of the eyes tends to wander, this is called strabismus. Now we can have an eye wandering in, which is called esotropia.
Or we can have an eye wandering out which is called exotropia. In any case, what’s going on is there’s an integration problem in the brain, in the eyes and in the body. Now, exotropia means the eye is wandering out. Obviously, if it’s intermittent, it only happens sporadically some of the time. And maybe some of the time it happens when especially we’re talking about, you know, teenagers and adults, it happens when you’re stressed or tired, or fatigued, or you’re not feeling well.
It’s kind of a weak link in the eye brain connection. Now, when one of the eyes wanders out, two things happen. Either you get double vision, or the brain says I’m just gonna shut off onto the eyes. And so take your choice, a lot of times, we start off seeing double, but then over time, the brain just says I’m going to ignore, you know, this double image, and I’ll just use the eye that is lining up. Now when we see this condition in infants and toddlers, it’s a timeframe where there’s a plasticity going on, in that we don’t want to necessarily try to fix it, either through surgery or patching. But what’s a better approach is to work with the whole body through different specific movement patterns. And to encourage bilateral integration with both sides of the body and both hemispheres of the brain, this is going to help you and then tell the eyes, okay, I can have a better opportunity for straightening out.
So it’s something that I counseled parents to watch, and to maybe do some proactive exercises that can help. But you don’t want to do something as invasive as surgery War II patching. Because, first of all, those methods don’t work very well. It creates more trauma in the infant toddler, and it’s really makes no sense to them. Glasses is also another poor option, because that’s not going to do anything as well.
So the bottom line is that by doing some bilateral exercises, doing some vestibular stimulation things with these infants and toddlers, working with something called primitive reflex integration, this is primitive reflexes are the motor patterns that we come out of the birth canal with. And they’re very important in helping us integrate our, our movement patterns with our vision. And if these reflexes are not fully integrated, they begin to have an effect on our visual development. So doing some primitive reflex therapy can be really effective at reducing this strabismic pattern.
Now, another question that the doctor has is the relationship between accommodative spasms and our age group. So when we’re talking about accommodation, we’re talking about the muscles in the eye. And the muscles in the eye are responsible for helping us make our close details resolved so we can see them clearly. And then to be able to release the muscles so that we can then look into the distance. So obviously, a spasm is the fact that either the muscles are overwrought, they’re stuck in one position. There’s too much stress on the person and it’s like a muscle spasm. You know, any kind of muscle spasm overuse, an imbalance.
And the first thing to do is probably to remove the stress, there’s probably too much demand being placed on the person to have this level of spasm. I love my exercise the poem hum exercise, because that is a relaxation that really targets the muscles in the eye. And that works very well. And you may need to do some other physical vision therapy exercises like visual tracking or near far focusing exercises, maybe some vestibular visual exercises, you know, kind of depends on where the person’s at how old they are, and so on. But, you know, a spasm is a spasm and you’ve got to relieve it by moving away from whatever the activity was. So that’s our show for today. I want to thank you so much for tuning in. Until next time, take care.
Thank you for listening. I hope you learned something from the EyeClarity podcast show today. If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to subscribe on iTunes or Spotify and leave a review. See you here next time.
I had the pleasure of sitting down with Tracey Schavone at KKCRW to talk about my book and work with patients. Enjoy the show.
If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com.
If you have any questions, submit them to hello@drsamberne.com or you can now text me! Text ‘Join’ to 1-844-932-1291 to join the community and ask your questions!
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
people, sam, glutathione, eyes, cataracts, workshop, book, question, eat, glasses, vision, optometrist, kawaii, clarity, holistic, midlife, big, blur, spotify, clear eyed
00:05
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberne.com.
00:53
Yeah, so I’m here for my interview today on KKCRW. With my colleague Tracey, I haven’t seen her in years. So we’re gonna have a lively conversation
01:15
Dr. Sam Berne, maybe. Let’s first just talk a little bit about what led you to a little bit more holistic alternative path of eyecare. I mean, you know, you went to the vet school, like other people got the same training as all the other optometrist. And what led you to take a little bit different vantage point?
01:36
Well, it started with my poor eyesight. So I had poor eyesight. Eight years old, I started to wear glasses, and my eyes got pretty bad. And after optometry school, I couldn’t see the big E on the eye chart. So I met a holistic developmental optometrist I was living in the East Coast. And he helped me completely dissolve my need for contacts and glasses. I was very nearsighted with the astigmatism. So after going through that, I realized, well, you know, I can actually help people improve their vision by counseling them about nutrition, stress reduction, lifestyle, and then our physical vision therapy exercises, which reprogram the brain to help the eyes return to their balance.
02:21
So you actually were able to have your eyes healed through making different changes in your life? What what are some of the main things that people can do? I mean, I know you have a workshop, I mean, what are some of the main things that people can do? Or even just one, what do you think is the most important thing for people to do to benefit their eyesight? Is there anyone that may
02:46
limit your screen time, I see that the screens are really trashing our eyes and it isn’t just our adults, but our kids. So limited, make sure you get out into the natural sunlight, especially in the morning, that kind of resets the circadian rhythms. And it gives us that full spectrum light. And diet wise, I think eat a colorful rainbow of vegetables and get those antioxidants into your eyes and body take care of your gut health and lifestyle and stress. So you know, the more stress you have, the more it’s going to negatively affect your eyes. You know, when I studied acupuncture, I realized there was a big connection between our liver and our eyes. So if you’re you no toxic in any way got mold, heavy metals, and you get rid of those things, your livers going to be happier and your eyesight is going to clear up so there’s a lot of connections between our eyes and our systemic and metabolic health.
03:49
So if you just tuned in as the with Dr. Sam Berne is here on kawaii we’ll be doing a book signing his latest release is entitled vital vision clear eyed solution for midlife and beyond. Hopefully, we’re all gonna go way beyond midlife. So because I’m always curious about the process of creating, creating a book. I’m just curious. So from the moment of your conception of this latest book, how, what was the process to have it but I’ve had an
04:21
interesting story. So I’ve written five other books. I didn’t really want to write this book. But I have a pretty large following on social media and I do a Facebook Live show every Wednesday. And so what my team and I did is we took all the questions that people asked me for the last three years, and we transcribed all the shows, and we listed the most popular questions as the first chapter, second chapter, third chapter. So the most popular question that I received is how do you get rid of eye floaters? Yep. And then the second most popular question is how do I reverse my cataract? That there Question is, how do I get rid of my glasses, my nearsightedness and myopia and astigmatism. So that’s how I wrote the book based on what people were asking me. And so it’s been very, very enlightening for people to go. Yeah, that’s my question too.
05:17
And it’s fantastic. I mean, it’s, it’s beautiful, because you basically you created this book coming from response.
05:23
Exactly. Yes. I’m really, really big and watching what my audience is doing and, you know, basing my, my treatments and my information on what people want, what are they interested in? You know, I do a lot of free questions. I mean, you can even text me your question if you want to. And so it’s been great for people to get information.
05:44
If you just tuned in. I’m speaking with Dr. Sam Berne. He is a holistic optometrist, and he’s actually lives in the Santa Fe area in New Mexico but he comes in quite fairly frequently because I know I’ve had I’ve actually interviewed you in the past on your workshop, so I mean, how long has it been you can come into kawaii
06:04
my first time to kawaii was 1990. I was actually backpacking with a whole group and I remember we camped at the YMCA. That’s a little different these days. But I backpacked all the islands and fell in love with them. So I balance my time between New Mexico and Hawaii. For many years, I lead dolphin swims on the Big Island. And so we worked with trauma and traumatic brain injury and swimming with the dolphins and that was great. COVID kind of shut that down. But so but kawaii has always been so special in my heart, and it’s so awesome to be back.
06:41
So, so Dr. Sam Berne will be at the top story bookstore in Havana paypay. This Friday evening to do a book signing, that’s going to be from five to 7pm. He’s also offering a workshop this Saturday, that’s April 8. It’s a two hour workshop from 430 to 6:30pm. At the church of the Pacific in Princeville. And Dr. Sam Burns website is his name, which is www.dr Sam Berne D E. R. N. e.com. You can also email Sam at Sam at Dr. Sam berne.com. So is your Facebook page. What’s your Facebook,
07:17
Sam Berne OD? And same with Instagram? We have a big following on Tik Tok. I also have a podcast I clarity podcast, and where do people find your podcast? It’ll be on my website, or you can find it on Spotify, Spotify or Apple. It’s pretty much all over. But yeah,
07:35
yeah. How long? Have you been doing a podcast?
07:37
About three years and the people love the audio channel? You know, you can you can do two things at once. You know, walk your dog and listen to his show. I’ve had some great guests on and you know, sometimes the shows are really short five minutes, 10 minutes. And yeah, it’s been a really good way to reach people. As you know, yes,
07:57
I know. Yes. So Saturday, April 8, Sam’s gonna Dr. Sam Berne is going to be offering a workshop. And maybe you can talk a little bit about what that is a two hour workshop? What are some of the things you’re going to cover with what people take away?
08:13
Well, the first thing to know is that I’m actually licensed to practice Optometry in Hawaii. And that is really an advantage if people want to get like improvement prescriptions or reduce prescriptions. Hit me up because I will be here. So I’m going to, you know, interview the group, we’ll see what they what their issues are. And then I’ll gear the workshop, whether it’s exercises while teach people about color and light therapy, and nutrition. So it’s going to be very individualized based on what you’re coming in with. So if you suffer macular degeneration or cataracts or glaucoma, or you just want to be proactive with your eyes come to the workshop. It’ll be awesome.
08:54
Right, so you can contact Dr. Sam Berne via his email and that is Sam at Dr. Sam berne.com. That’s B E R N e.com. And the workshop will be happening this Saturday, April 8, and that’s from 430 to 6:30pm at the church at the Pacific in Princeville. So, vital vision and I love just the title of it is it’s flows nice, clear eyed solutions for midlife and beyond. So what what do you mean exactly by clear eyed solutions?
09:28
Well, one of the practices we do is we help people go into their blur go into their blurry vision, and it’s very scary to do that. But really, the way you get clear eyesight is by going into the blur, because blur is about softness, being more receptive being more intuitive, but our world is really about these sharp edges and I can need to see it clearly. I need to be perfect in all those messages we got as children are in school. And so when you relax into the blur you You get a certain clarity, which is physical clarity, but you also get mental clarity. And there’s an expansion that happens where people trust their intuition and their whole brain. And I’ve seen so many people over the years, get free of the belief systems that have really crippled their eyes. And so this clear eyed solutions goes way beyond seeing the eye chart better.
10:28
Okay, I have another question because so many people have after certain age, you know, started, you mentioned the cataracts, right? Started have cataracts, you have anything in particular that you recommend to either like slow down the cataract process, or maybe even do something where it never even starts happening.
10:49
Oh, yes. So first of all, really monitor the sugars you eat because sugar, actually the glucose molecule attaches to the lens molecule, and that creates a cataract. So you’ve got to eliminate high glycemic index sugars. Number two, make sure you eat foods with glutathione. And at the master antioxidant, studies have shown that people who develop cataracts have low levels of glutathione. And number three, the other simple solution is up your vitamin C, because low vitamin C also induces more cataracts. So if you do those things, and you know, you reduce your stress, I also say after 6pm protect your eyes from the damaging blue light, either with blue blockers or getting something on your screen. You have a great chance to reverse cataracts. I have an 85 year old who just reversed her cataracts at five years old. And so if she can do it, your listeners can do it.
11:47
And maybe I can do so glutathione I mean, is that something you get from green leafy vegetables? I mean, cruciferous I mean, I remember reading something about like for kids to kind of combat cataracts to eat a lot of cruciferous vegetables and the green leafy is like kale and things like that. Is that what is that what glutathione comes on? Or is that something different?
12:09
No, that’s that’s where it comes from. But it also comes from things like garlic and onions and leeks. So anything that has the sulfur molecule in it can act as glutathione and selenium the trace mineral helps you absorb the glutathione better and also glutathione is produced in the liver. So getting better liver health, that’s another thing. But you’re absolutely right. Cruciferous vegetables are number one on the list for a variety of reasons. But for glutathione Yes,
12:40
we eat all those wonderful things right here and our farmers.
12:43
Oh, yeah, I can’t wait to go. Oh, yes, it’s Saturday. Yeah,
12:46
it’s there’s so much
12:48
beautiful. There is I can’t wait
12:51
in right now there’s, you know, the cauliflower and broccoli is get fresh cauliflower and broccoli. Yeah, this time of year and of course all the kale, collards and all those green things.
13:05
Oh, yes, that’s it’s really important to eat those red, orange, yellow, green vegetables and berries. That’s also very good for your retinas. So strawberries, blueberries, if you can get them fresh.
13:17
Another question that has to do with you know, as we eat, or sage like my friend says instead of aging, we’re saging seems like even myself is like driving at night is a little more challenging because I’m like headlights coming at me. And I have a friend who bought glasses that are tinted yellow, and now she said those help. What do you know about that? I mean, is that something you think helps
13:41
her? Well, tinted yellow lenses give you more contrast. And so if you’re, you know, trying to see at dusk, that contrast can be really good for you. But when you have difficulty driving at night, the herb that I would recommend is bilberry and you want to take about 160 milligrams a day of bilberry, I see you writing that down. And and bilberry actually in some of the studies has shown that it helps improve your retina circulation. And there’s another thing that happens is that if your gallbladder is not working well and you’re not producing enough bile, the bile helps you absorb the fat soluble vitamins like vitamin A. So if you’ve got a congested gallbladder, I would suggest possibly adding some bile salts after a meal so that your eye vitamins especially vitamin A, lutein and zeaxanthin are better absorbed. So there’s a lot of things that you can do to improve your night vision. As you get older you’re getting those yellow tinted glasses or anti reflective lenses, but also adding these targeted nutrients can help the retina as well.
14:49
Right so bilberry, bile salts,
14:53
lutein, zeaxanthin and vitamin A
15:00
Never imagined all this is in your book?
15:02
Yes, it’s in my book. And it’s also it’s all free. It’s on my website. I mean, we have probably 1500 video blogs and again, podcasts and written blogs. So you know, if you have a problem, just Google it on there and you’ll find your answer.
15:18
So, if you just do not speak with Dr. Sam Berne, he is, is he’s an holistic optometrist. His latest book, which you said is your sixth
15:25
book now? Yeah, my sixth book. Yeah. It’s entitled vital
15:29
vision clear eyed solutions for midlife and beyond. By Dr. Sam Berne. He will be doing a book signing this Friday night, that’s April 7, at the top story bookstore in Hanalei, Bay bay from five to 7pm. So you can actually meet him, get one of his books, have him sign it? And no question. I know, you’re probably doing a little q&a anyway.
15:51
Oh, always q&a, because q&a really helps people so and then it gives me the content that’s needed to, you know, make it worth it for people to come out.
16:00
And then Dr. Sam Berne will also be leading a workshop. It’s a two hour workshop this Saturday, April 8, is from 430 to 6:30pm, at the Church of the Pacific in Princeville. And you can register online for people to register online through your website.
16:18
Yes. So that you just go to classes and click a link and you can sign up you can also email me, you can also just show up, it’s kawaii. So yeah, so
16:27
instead the Church of the Pacific, right. In the
16:32
it’ll be in the main, the main church in the church.
16:36
So that’s this Saturday from 430 to 6:30pm. If you would like to register head to head So Sam knows you’re coming, you can do that on his website, which is Dr. Sam berne.com. And that’s b e r n e.com. You can email him at Sam at Dr. Sam berne.com. And you can also purchase the book online I’m sure if you can’t make it on Friday 200 Pay it’s vital vision clear eyed solutions for midlife and beyond. Where’s the best place for people to purchase that
17:05
you can get that on my website Dr. Sam Berne calm, and it’s also an e book. So if you don’t want the physical copy, and we’re working on the audio version as well, which will come out later this year. Will you be doing the voice? I will be doing the voice? We have a nice voice. Thank you. Thank you.
17:22
Do you have any idea how long of an audio file that’ll be?
17:26
Well, I do have a great studio in Santa Fe that I’ve used and, you know, it’s gonna take a few hours at least. Yeah, so I don’t know. It’ll be it’ll be fun. But people like to hear your voice. You know, I could have hired an actor to do it. But you know, I’ve got to read it. So you have a good voice. I have a good voice and yeah, so it’ll be fun.
17:49
Yeah, I have to say the only audio book I’ve ever listened to and I thoroughly enjoyed it was Trevor Noah is more than a cry.
17:56
Oh, yeah. And heard it yeah. Yes, I have I was so good. Yeah, that was a great quote really
18:02
good. He read it. He read his own book. Yeah, you know, if you haven’t heard it, it’s fantastic. So it soon joy to hear Dr. Sam Berne. voicing his vital vision, clear eyed solutions for midlife and beyond. You can find out more about Dr. Sam Berne at his website, Dr. Sam berne.com. That’s B E R N e.com. You can email him at Sam at Dr. Sam berne.com. That’s B E. r ne.com. And you can meet him in person Friday night at the top story bookstore in Hanalei Bay Bay, from five to 7pm. We’re gonna be doing a book signing and have a q&a, where you can also join him on Saturday, April 8, from 430 to 6:30pm. At the church of the Pacific, for a workshop or as an all hands on interactive workshop.
18:51
Yes, that’s what we do. We do hands on interactive. I’m not just gonna sit and lecture at
18:56
you. I’ve taken your workshops, and I really have always enjoyed them. They’ve been
19:01
fun. I remember. I remember when you came.
19:03
Super fun. So anyway, thank you so much.
19:07
Tracy, thank you. Great to see you again. I wish you well,
19:09
thank you and you too, and maybe someday I’ll come see you in Santa Fe. You’re welcome.
19:21
Thank you for listening. I hope you learned something from the EyeClarity podcast show today. If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to subscribe on iTunes or Spotify and leave a review. See you here next time.
Here is a talk I gave recently at a book shop called The Ark. I cover topics in my new book and take questions from the audience. It was a great time! Enjoy the show.
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If you have any questions, submit them to hello@drsamberne.com or you can now text me! Text ‘Join’ to 1-844-932-1291 to join the community and ask your questions!
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
eye, called, people, macular degeneration, cataract, started, eyedrops, study, vision, good, glasses, nearsighted, gallbladder, doctor, macula, glaucoma, prescription, kids, child, lens
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberne.com.
00:02
Good evening, everybody.
00:05
Thank you all for coming here. Really nice to have a fence back at the Oregon if you’ve been coming to them recently, but it’s very loving. We’re very proud to have them. And we’re very excited to have Dr. Sanford with us this evening
00:24
holistic optometrist and vision therapist for over 30 years, and immense following his people who believe in Him. And I took a look through his book. And it’s very, very wonderful, fascinating things that I always follow, even though I see pretty well. I’m a little bit disappointed that not everyone’s wearing glasses, though, because that seems like a missed opportunity.
00:50
I hope you enjoy what he has to say. And I think it would be very beneficial for everybody. We do have the book available if you need it to be signed. And Please enjoy yourselves. And I hope you’ll learn all you can.
01:10
Well, before I begin, I have a couple of thank yous. First of all, I’d like to thank Dr for hosting me tonight. And also, I would like to say my partner and wife, Charlie, she has really supported me over the years. And there are people in this audience that I would like to thank that have both helped me with the book, and just been great supporters. I’m gonna keep it anonymous. But I’m deeply grateful for their support. And so let’s begin, I want to see a show of hands of people who have either worked with me take one of my workshops, or
01:54
so Okay, a few of you. That’s great. So, you know, in my story, one of my Northstars is, when I was about eight years old, I, I grew up in a middle class family, my parents really emphasized education. My mom was a school teacher, my dad was in business. And my grandparents and my aunts and uncles, they always stressed, going to school reading, I remember my uncle, I would go see him. And he had this library kind of like this room. And I would go in and pick one of his books. And the problem was, is that I was labeled as learning disabled. And I was a really poor reader. And my mom took me everywhere. In fact, I don’t know if you remember, Evelyn was sure speed reading. That was like one of many things we did biggest waste of money. But we ended up we ended up at an eye doctors office. And of course, the doctor gave me a pair of glasses. This is a kid they use these. And so I started down the road of being nearsighted. And the way I got through school was memorizing. So I became this brainy kid. And I worked really hard. But there was not a good reader. I did enjoy reading. So fast forward, I got through college got through professional school. By this time, my glasses were pretty thick. And I couldn’t see the big E on the HR. So I was like, my perfect optometrist, just couldn’t see. But I met this doctor. And he was called a behavioral optometrist. So if you think of the two words together, it’s kind of a juxtaposition. It’s kind of an oxymoron behavior. Vision. What was that? But anyway, this His name is Dr. Al Shankman, any practicing kinetic and I lived in Philly. And I started to go to him as a patient. And he said two things to me. He said, you know, your left eye wanders out. And that’s why you see double vision. And I thought double vision was normal. I thought everybody saw double.
04:05
And then the second thing he said was, you know, you really carry a lot of tension in your eyes.
04:12
I said, I’m totally unaware. So we started in with his physical ID therapy. And I just wanted to make a distinction between that and when you hear of the Bates method eye exercises. This was not eye exercises. This was brain therapy. And over a period of six months, my left eye and right eye started to work together. And so my reading got much easier. I was amazed how much easier it got. And then my nearsightedness went away, my tension in my eyes completely cleared up. And I was like, oh my god, this is not what I learned in school. So at the same time, I was enrolled in a place called the gazelle Institute. And if anybody
05:00
Who’s ever heard of this position because l spell it GSELL.
05:06
And it was started in 1948 by Arnold, Gazelle MD, who was a child development specialist. And it was affiliated with the Yale study center in New Haven. And it was a really cool place because it was a place where there was a lot of different professionals, psychologists, nutritionists, occupational therapists, obviously, eye doctors, and I spent a year there learning how to evaluate and treat special needs kids. So after that was over, I moved back to Philadelphia, and I associated with one of the graduates of that program, a Dr. Ellis Adelman, and he practiced on the main line in Philadelphia. So I was an apprentice of his, he also gave me the opportunity to start my practice in his office. But the problem with that was that I couldn’t get any patients because we practiced in an area that was surrounded by like five ophthalmology practices. And although people were really well off really well educated, they got what they needed from the regular doctors, they didn’t need somebody alternative. So at that point, I needed to make some money. And I thought about, okay, where are there populations that are underserved. And so I went to one of the local hospitals, and I volunteered my services to the traumatic brain injury unit. So this was an outpatient hospital. And these people were high functioning, but they had been in car accidents or sports injuries, they had strokes. So they had like, double vision like I had, they also had brain fog and memory issues. And the regular eye doctors just wrote them off. There was really it was kind of sad, because these people were like struggling. So I applied my physical therapy program to them, and everybody improved greatly. And so the hospital administrator said, Okay, we’ll give you a contract for three hospitals. And so some other outside patients started to trickle in, because my reputation was I was a problem solver. I worked with people where they had been other places, and they couldn’t have their problem solved. So come to me. The other underserved population that I contacted was the special needs children. So these were kids that had brain injury, they were down syndrome. They were in, you know, in a wheelchair, obviously, there was the autistic to add population. And I did so well with those kids. I mean, they were amazing. The parents were amazing. And so over time, my reputation got bigger, and I built up a very successful practice. And then one day I woke up and I said, you know, I think I want to move back out west. Back out west. When I was in school, one of my internships was actually here at the Indian Health Hospital in Santa Fe. So I worked for IHS, and,
08:20
you know, I said, I think Santa Fe could be a good time for me. So I sold my interest in Philadelphia, and I moved out here got my license, and I opened a practice I got really busy, which was great. So I met this woman and I’m gonna bring her up because you’re all New Mexicans, you probably maybe have heard of this person. Her name was Dr. Hazel Parcells. Has anybody ever heard of?
08:46
Yes. So Dr. Parr cells. When I met her, she was 103 years old, and she was starting a retreat center. She had been practicing in Albuquerque for many years. She was a naturopath and a chiropractor.
09:01
And she knew a lot about nutrition. And I was writing my first book, creating your personal vision and I wanted to interview an expert. So I called her up and she was starting to center. If you know where Las Vegas New Mexico is, was north of that in this beautiful valley called sappy Oh, New Mexico. Yeah. And so I went to visit her. And I ended up becoming a student of hers, studying nutrition. And then one day she turned me into this laboratory in another building. And there were all these black boxes. I said, Dr. What, what is this? And she said, Well, I’m working with people I’m broadcasting frequencies to them. Homeopathy color therapy. And like I want they’re not here. They’re not physically in this building. No, they’re there other places, but they’re all getting well because I’m changing their frequency their vibration. So this
10:00
was my Introduction to Quantum healing. And so she taught me how to do this. And a couple years later, a very famous cardiologist, who lives in Santa Fe, he was in Dallas, I know you’ve heard of him, Larry Dossey.
10:15
Larry is bestseller New York Times, wonderful person and his wife, Barbara. So he wrote a book called the power of prayer, you may remember that book. And he actually researched people who are in different locations, and you send positive energy and they would feel it or they would get better. So it kind of opened that door of the non local field. And I could go into more of that, but I’ll put that aside, because we’re talking about the eyes tonight.
10:44
So in my practice, what began happening here is that I started to study Chinese medicine. And for those of you acupuncture is so well known here in Santa Fe, that I started to develop this idea of the relationship of the meridians to our IO, you probably all know this, you know, the liver meridian, profoundly affects the eyes, gallbladder, stomach spleen, when we can look at eyelid issues, spleen as the upper eyelid stomach as the lower eyelid. So instead of using antibiotic eyedrops, you could get some acupuncture, and would clear up your sky, or conjunctivitis. So, you know, those were all the things that I made those connections. And then I was working with an occupational therapist, and we’re working with autistic kids. And a lot of these kids have birth trauma. So you know, the birth industrial industry, and when it’s like,
11:42
children are now born infants are not born based on the schedule of the doctor, you know, and it’s, it’s really challenging when a child comes out, and their C section or their breech, or there’s forceps delivery, or you know, some distress, it has an impact on their sensory motor development. And so I went back to massage school here based on this OTS recommendation, and spent two years learning with cranial sacral. And then what was interesting is in my exam, when I had a regular office, next to my exam equipment, I had a massage table. So somebody would come in for, you know, glasses, and I would do a, an exam on them, I measured their eyes, and then I would do an hour of craniosacral on them. And then I would give them that prescription. And that prescription used would be like 30%, less than what they came in. Because if you think about going to regular eye doctors, this stressful experience, we just clear one or two.
12:44
And you get the lens and it makes you dizzy. And the doctor says just get used to it. You know, I’m busy, you know, just get used to it. So you get used to it, and your body starts twisting or torquing. So the cranial work was very interesting. And then there’s this condition called astigmatism. Anybody ever astigmatism? Astigmatism, which is not astigmatism. Astigmatism is a stigma, you know, but so a astigmatism means the eye is misshapen, okay, and, and, like it’s like an egg. That’s how it’s shaped. But it also reflects some echo in the body where there’s some asymmetry,
13:24
some twist, so if you start unwinding the body, and then you give a non astigmatism correction, the astigmatism goes away.
13:34
As opposed to when you get an astigmatism correction, it reinforces the twist. And we have some cranial sacral therapists are very fine cranial sacral therapist there, and they’re nodding their head, because they know what’s going on. When you get a regular lens prescription and an exam, it’s reinforcing some adaptation that you’ve made somewhere in your vision. And so your eyes are going to get worse. I mean, who hasn’t had the experience, where they’ve gone back to their eye doctor after they got a prescription, the next year or two, it’s now stronger, or they were just wearing them part time, and now they’re in progressive by phones. So I mean, it’s, it’s interesting, the way an eye doctor calculates a prescription, like you’re a specimen, you know, like you’re a problem to solve. And one of the things that I think about is, instead of looking at the numbers, I look at the person behind the numbers. So even though I might get some data, it’s like, well, what’s your stress? Like? What’s your lifestyle like, you know, what do you eat the all those kinds of things, and then based on the whole person,
14:47
then maybe a prescription might be beneficial, that actually support your vision getting better. I’ll never forget people coming in to see me every year and they would come in and say you
15:00
No, my contacts aren’t working anymore. My glasses aren’t working anymore. And what happened was, they thought their eyes got worse when in fact, when they measured them, their eyes got better.
15:13
So we didn’t even think we don’t even think that our eyes can get better, right? We think only think they get worse. So I would say to them, what are you doing? Well, I’m you know, doing Vipassana meditation, taking a yoga class, you know, doing ra thing, whatever it is. So your eyes reflect your consciousness, they reflect what’s going on energetically in your body going back to acupuncture. If you start measuring the pulses, you’ll find that the meridians if there’s a stagnating energy, that could lead to something like floaters or cataracts, or even macular degeneration, I’m going to talk about those things in a little bit. And by the way, what I want to do here, this is I think this is like a fireside chat. I want to speak for a little bit, and then I want to open it up for q&a, because I find that, you know, I can talk about a million things. But something drew you here tonight, some interest, and I would love to be able to answer your questions. And we learn from each other. So I’m going to speak a little bit more. And then then we’ll open it up for q&a.
16:23
So who here knows somebody who’s dealing with macular degeneration? Anybody? Okay, so definitely, it’s the number one disease for blindness, and it’s growing by epidemic proportions. And part of it is we’re living longer. But one key principle to note is that our eyes have one of the highest metabolic needs of the body. So what we eat is going to really affect our retinas, our corneas, our eyelids. And by the way, every tissue of the eye comes from the brain. The eyes are the only part of the brain that are outside the cranium. But they are part of the brain. And this is why the eyes qualify for neuroplasticity. And as long as the retina cells aren’t dead, then there is the possibility of regeneration. And there’s more and more research coming out. And I could stand up here for an hour and give you all the research. My book has got a lot of good research in there. But in looking at neuro scientists, they’re the ones on the cutting edge doing the research that says you can regenerate your eyes and not the eye doctors, because, and I’ll say we because I was trained that way, we are here to look for disease. And then when we find that disease, what we have in our toolbox, pharmaceuticals and surgery. And I’m sure somebody in here has had a conversation with their eye doctor. Well, what about physical therapy? What about nutrition? I have this beginning cataract? Is there anything I can do about it? No, no, no. Exactly. Right. So the point of the story is, is that there are things you can do. And because my own eyes got better, and my double vision went away when I was a kid, that’s my Northstar, I just kind of keep coming back back to that. How can I problem solve? If you’ve got something going on and it hasn’t been solved somewhere else, maybe I can help you maybe I can point to certain directions, whether it’s functional medicine, whether it’s color therapy, whether it’s cranial sacral, could be aromatherapy could be herbs, you know, all of these things do come into play around healing your vision. So back to macular degeneration, the macula has the highest metabolic need in the retina that’s made up of what we call cones, color, vision and detail. And when we are exposed to things like artificial blue light, or we’re developing oxidative stress or inflammation, it seems to magnetize itself at the macular area. And so when we get that diagnosis, it’s like oh my goodness, you know, it’s the death sentence. I’m going to lose my independence. I’m not going to be able to drive I’m not going to be able to read. And what’s really cool is that back in 2001, very long time ago, NIH did a landmark study on
19:36
macular degeneration and using different nutritional ingredients to prevent or reduce the risk of macular degeneration. They redid the study in 2006 And what they found was pretty obvious. Eat a lot of colorful vegetables, your rainbow diet, eat some berries
20:00
To make sure you’re getting things like your omega threes, beta carotene.
20:07
Zinc is another one that’s really helpful for the macula. So this is back in 2006. And then of course, with macular degeneration, we have the dry chi. And we also have what we call the wet macular degeneration that’s a little harder to work with. But there are things that you can do. Even things like gingko, and wormwood, these herbal remedies.
20:36
You can reduce the diabetic or pre diabetic possibility. So if you’ve got glucose issues, wet macular degeneration, you can stave that off. And there’s one other thing that’s coming that’s come into play right now, which is hot, hot, hot, at least through my funnel, and that is red light therapy. Has anybody heard about red light? Yeah, probably. And so there was an ophthalmologist at the University College of London. And he did a study with people between the ages of 40 and 75, who had macular degeneration and another condition called drusen. I don’t know if anybody here has drusen. It’s fatty deposits that start to grow on the retina. If it comes on to the macula, it can be a problem. So Dr. Jeffries and his team did this study where he gave his subjects red light every morning, few minutes, and over 12 weeks, their visual acuity improved by 22% 22%. That never happens in AI research, you know, the most improvement you’ll see is maybe 3%. So he said in his paper, that the red light stimulates something called mitochondria. Heard of mitochondria, it’s a buzzword now. So it’s the organelles that are in our cells that produce energy, specifically ATP. And when we start hitting 40, the mitochondria start receding in our eyes. And so then what happens is oxidative stress goes up, inflammation goes up. And then if we’re eating a diet, maybe that’s more inflammatory based or we’ve got Candida or IBS or some digestive issue, or we’ve been exposed to some toxicity, or our dental work is not very good. There’s a lot of reasons why. So then over time, our maquilas, and our retinas develop this oxidative stress. And then one day we wake up and we go online, it’s blurry, even though this has been going on in the background for quite a while. So with Dr. Jeffreys found is this red light can actually reverse certain types of macular degeneration and drusen. He also wrote this paper, it might help dry eye, it might help glaucoma, and it might help other eye diseases as well. And it worked the best when you did it early in the morning. That is an important point. Because that was when our circadian rhythms are kicking in. And by the way, there’s another study I want to bring in about being out in the sun, because in the mainstream, they tell us to be afraid of the Sun’s right. So there’s a pretty big study. Now that’s that’s come out about morning sunlight, giving us better mood, so our dopamine levels get increased. Also more energy, better focus and better vision. So the morning sun is very important to get, it also has the blue light that we need. So not all blue light is bad for you, you know, you read about blue light from screens. And yes, you don’t want to get too much of that. But the sun’s blue light is something that we do need.
24:03
In addition, in this study, they wrote about children that way to reduce nearsightedness because I don’t know where they know this, but all these kids are on their screens. I read a study that 94% of the public schools in the US they’re using computers, and they’re off in their in their school room. So the point of it is the screens are really hard on our eyes, and they’re developing this myopia kind of thing. So in the research, what they said was these kids need to get outside 30 minutes a day, they need to look at long distances. And in the study, they saw that the myopia started to recede when they went outside when they got off their screens. And so just another support for getting out in nature be in the green because it’s very important for us. So with this macular degeneration, you’ve got Glu teen and Z exam.
25:00
Then and NASA Xanten those are the carotenoids that protect the macula. And then you’ve got things like glutathione, which is a master antioxidant. You’ve got your omega threes, you got you know, vitamin A, you’ve got a lot of things that you can take, even berries are good for you, as well as we move into the summer months. Very good for the retina. So there’s a lot of things that you can do. And this is not a cookbook, you know, it’s everybody’s biochemistry is different. Everybody’s stress level is different. But these are some general guidelines for macular health. Now let’s move to cataract. Do you know anybody who has cataract?
25:41
Cataract surgery? Okay, so cataract firm statistic I read that 90% of all people over the age of 65 will be getting cataracts.
25:54
So, you know, you go to your doctor’s and you got a cataract, you got a cataract.
26:00
And let’s take it out. And you know, there are certain things that you want to do if you’re going to have that surgery, like, match both eyes for distance, you don’t want to have one eye distance when I’m here, called monovision. Out, nobody has that here. Because it’s very confusing for the brain to have to deal with two images at once it’s like you know, you’re, you’re going to be confused. Number two, these bifocal contact lenses that they’re putting in the eyes is also very, very confusing for the brain, I don’t recommend and then number three toric lenses for the astigmatism. So you walk out of there and you’ve got all this you know distortion and because the lens is kind of warped to try to match your astigmatism, you’re much better off just getting the simple lenses for distance and getting reading glasses. And if you’re near sighted before the surgery, try to be nearsighted after the surgery. It’s really interesting when a nearsighted person has surgery and becomes farsighted because their behaviors and personalities are very different you know nearsighted person is really good up close. That’s that’s their strength. That’s why they become nearsighted or farsighted person is out their focus is hard to come into. So spatially the nearsighted person pulls in, the farsighted pushes out. So if you’re nearsighted before the surgery and farsighted after, it’s going to be confusing mentally for you to figure out, wait a minute, I used to have really good near vision, now I need the strong magnifiers or vice versa. So
27:42
there are things that you can do proactively to take care of your lens, because it’s a part of the tissue of the eye that is vulnerable for oxidative stress. So what are some things that you can do? Well, again, the master antioxidant glutathione is really important. Now one place, you can get that as cruciferous vegetables, leeks, onions, garlic, you can also supplement with glutathione as well. Studies have shown that people that develop cataracts tend to have low levels of glutathione. There was a study done in the UK about vitamin C in cataracts. So it was with women. And in the early stages. When women started to eat more foods that contain vitamin C, they had a 20% reduction in developing cataracts, and over a 10 year period and a 33% reduction in developing cataracts. Vitamin C is very important for a lot of different things, usually somewhere between 1000 to 1500 milligrams a day, if you’re going to go that route. Number three sugar. So what happens in the bloodstream is the glucose molecule attaches itself to the protein molecule in the lens of the eye. The lens is made of mostly protein, amino acids and water. So if your glucose levels are high, and these glucose molecules start to attach to the protein in the lens, this is called glycation, glycation and it’s a special kind of cataract that forms, which is around the edge of the eye looks like spokes on a bicycle. It’s called a cortical cataract. And the way you know you have it is because you’re driving at night and the headlights are just overwhelming you with so much sunburned Starbursts and glare. That’s a cortical Catterick. So we’ve got to eliminate sugar, processed foods, clean up your diet. That’s another thing that you need to do. And then start looking at some really concentrated antioxidants and acetylcysteine alpha lipoic acid. So in other words, start looking at how can I boost my antioxidants very important
30:00
And in, I have people here in this room that have reversed their cataracts completely. And they are amazing because they’ve done the work. So you all can do it if you want, you know, find out what you’ve got. And then you can do the same thing.
30:19
Are let’s move to glaucoma because this is called the sondland theef. Meaning that you don’t know you have glaucoma
30:28
and you start to lose your peripheral vision. So it’s a vascular disease. Basically, it’s a circulation issue in the eyes. Well, guess what, there are some great herbs that can bring your eye pressure down when it’s called Coleus Coleus forskolin. I don’t know if you’ve ever heard of it co L E us. Studies have shown that you can bring your eye pressure down to to five points. Amazing they and they want to give you the eyedrops. But there are things that you can do to bring your eye pressure down that are natural, you know another one that’s very interesting. Jump on a rebounder. So when you improve your lymphatic health, you bring your eye pressure down. A third one and I know this this was amazing because I went to a glaucoma meeting a few months ago was all you know allopathic medical for three days, I sat in this meeting for a
31:23
while I needed to keep my license. So you know that I’m legal. So I can keep working with everybody. So I’m good with that. But they at the very end of the very end of the seminar the last day, the last five minutes, one of the instructor said And oh, by the way, there’s the study that came out that said, if you meditate, you can lower your eye pressure. And I looked it up. I couldn’t believe it.
31:51
Why don’t they recommend meditation? I do. But anyway, that can bring your eye pressure down. Amazing. Okay, so you’re starting to get the connection. I mean, you already have the connection.
32:04
Let’s see if there’s anything else dry. That’s another one. So you know, we’re all on screens, our eyes are drying out. We’re using these drops. I don’t know if you’ve seen the news, but there have been deaths. I just put together this video that I’m gonna release on social media, maybe tomorrow or Monday. So the deal is, is there’s this bacteria called Pseudomonas aeruginosa. And it turns out that this bacteria is in our water, it’s in the soil, and it’s in human waste. And it’s all over the place. So somebody somewhere in this particular company, it’s an artificial tear, and they must have somehow that bacteria God in the eye drop. But what we’re dealing with also is our own inflammatory environment that we deal with, for a variety of different reasons, and a lowered immune system. A few years ago, I wrote an article that is published in mind body green called the ocular micro biome. So you know, the microbiome, the good bacteria in our body. We are always have an ocular microbiome. So when we take steroid eyedrops, or via zine eyedrops, or we’re staring at a computer through our progressive lenses, which is a prescription that’s going to really trash our eyes, or we’re eating, you know, fried foods and we’re not taking care of ourselves. Our ocular microbiome goes down so we’re susceptible to whatever is out there. And I’m really glad that the FDA stepped in. I’m glad they took this off the market.
33:51
I know my eyedrops are made in the US, and I vigorously test them all the time. And I am very close with my manufacturer. And in fact, I got right on the phone with her when I saw this, this news item and we’re good. You know we we are very fastidious about our eyedrops, and all my products are really, really clean.
34:17
But the thing is, is the media turns this into something that you know we have to be selective about, okay, what are we going to do here? And I would say use common sense. You know, I do have my MSM eyedrops that burn and people will write me and say, you know, these are really burning, I’m freaking out. So there are other ways that you can use them. You can put them on a soft cloth or wet cloth and you can place them on the outside part of your eyes. So you have to learn about self regulating, you know what is going to work for my body. And I think that’s in anything whether you take an herbal formula supplement a mushroom what
35:00
food’s up. You know, it’s really up to us at this point to regulate ourselves because Big Pharma and the FDA are not going to do that they have a certain prescription and dose based on your weight and height, and sex and all that. And not one size does not fit all. It just doesn’t happen that way. So back to dry eye, there was a study that came out about the eyelids that because they get inflamed, they’re not producing enough the tears that cover the cornea. And there was a study that ophthalmologists did where they use castor oil on the eyelids.
35:42
And when you know it, the dry went away. Now this is some hidden, obscure study, like over there in the corner, as opposed to say, Well, what about steroid drops? What about Restasis? What about all these other things which are much more mainline and mainstream. So my manufacturer and I got together and we made an organic castor oil eyedrop. And we use it like an ointment, so you put it on the outside of the eyes before bed. And it’s very moisturizing. And it works without having to use the drugs that create the side effects. You know, it’s interesting about back to this, this artificial eyedrop that’s causes blurriness and redness. And so on. I have so many patients that take the glaucoma medications, oh, my goodness, it blurs your vision out it, it makes your eye so read and burning people stop using them because it’s, it’s so negative for their body. So, you know, again, we have to kind of be educated as why I’m doing what I’m doing. Because to offer other people an alternative. Like you. And there are a lot of people out there like that. And it’s it’s growing. And I think it’s us that’s going to change the grassroots that will change the profession eventually.
37:04
Okay, I think the last thing I’m going to talk about his kids.
37:09
So who’s has kids grandkids knows kids up? All right. They’re all around. They’re multiplying.
37:18
Well,
37:21
when I was at the gazelle Institute, back to that that institution, I learned in an eye exam was about getting on the floor with the child and exploring how they move through space. And one of my mentors, dear mentor is alive anymore. Dr. Albert a Sutton, another great developmental optometrist, he taught me how to treat the whole child through the eyes. And it’s actually quite genius, in what he came up with. So I’m kind of taking his stuff. And many of my other mentors, I wouldn’t be here without any of them, and I bow to them every day. But in working with kids, one needs to be very careful about prescribing glasses, doing surgery, you know, if there’s a cross dye, or labeling them to the point where you’re dyslexic, or you’re, you know, like me learning disabled, or you can’t read or whatever. And I do work with a lot of special needs kids. There’s a place that I work in Albuquerque called Kidpower. And this is a facility that’s full of occupational therapists. And these folks are with they are progressive, that’s why I work with them. And my job is to come in, and we connect the child’s eyes to their brain. Because when I do an evaluation with them, their eyes and their brain and their body are not connected. And it has nothing to do with reading the eye chart.
39:00
In fact, that’s how they’re treated. They can’t read the eye chart, or they can barely read the eye chart. So they get these crazy, thick glasses. And they’re, they’re lost. And so the point of the story is, is that vision can be learned and develop. And as kids, there’s so much plasticity that. You know, you can you can do it. I’ll point you to a
39:27
podcast that I was just on. The woman’s name is Katie wells, and the podcast is called Wellness mom, and very popular podcast. And if you want to learn about my methods, she did a great job interviewing me about how I explore children and help them and yes, all the kids that you see down in Albuquerque do they all wear glasses or some of them wore glasses but all of them have
40:00
developmental problems.
40:02
So what happens is if they go to the conventional doctor, the only thing that doctor can do is put drops in the eyes where you’re going to paralyze the paralyze the focusing muscles, and then they’re going to give the maximum prescription.
40:18
Now, if you were to put that maximum prescription on, you throw up.
40:23
And what’s interesting with those kids is they read as well with those glasses as without those glasses.
40:30
It’s kind of obvious, right? To us anyway. So they may be wearing glasses, but I take them off. And we’ll do something maybe 10 or 20%, the power part time, because once kids start wearing a full prescription, their visual development stops.
40:50
And, you know, if you really knew that, if you really thought about that, you wouldn’t do it. But again, we’re we’re trained we and the profession that somebody comes in, they’ve got an optical distortion, we’re going to fix that optical distortion. And that’s it.
41:09
And we know that there’s something else going on. So that’s the that’s the kid angle. So I think right now, I’d like to open it up to q&a. And see if there’s
41:29
any questions? Yes, just the generic for the eyes also affect hearing. Short is short damage to one, or
41:41
improvement at one age improves the other, this will also the entire brain, I would assume. So there’s a part of the vestibular system, which is our balance mechanism that’s very married, married to the eyes. We call it the vestibular ocular reflex. And there’s no question because we’re talking about the brain here, the ears are here the eyes or hear, but in prenatal development. And when we see the fetus start growing, they’re all coming out of the same area. So the hearing affects the vision, the vision affects the hearing.
42:20
And the vision and the hearing affect the movement.
42:25
And then they affect the cognitive ability. And they go back and forth. It’s a feedback loop. So the key is, where do you enter to flip the switch?
42:40
I talked about this at Kidpower. I did a lecture down there. And one of the key points that I make when I work with those kids or any kid is where can I enter? So it turns them on. Because if I go in with a preconceived idea of why they get this testing this testing this test, and I go into that, they’re going to shut down, I have to go in in a way that allows them to feel safe. And then something can happen.
43:19
Yeah, I wanted to talk about the nerve, I hit like some hearing damage, and the little Harry’s died and my boyfriend does healing and he didn’t know the hairs died. So he may go back and they have almost normal hearing, whereas everything. I couldn’t hear us real yesterday, like wow. You know, and so when we talk one on one, it would just be that kind of a warm up. And is there something I know it’s it’s not quite the eye but there it’s all connected. Is there anything about the hearing and the eye and things coming back that shouldn’t wear the eye in the ears like the the hairs on the ears? The silly Well, I said a while ago is the cells are not dead.
44:03
And they can come back.
44:06
Now, it seems like vibrational healing works really well. You know, I talked about this red light therapy. There also may be a type of sound frequency.
44:19
There’s something called the tomato sauce method you’ve ever heard him say anybody heard of tomatoes,
44:25
tomato, this was a French physician. And he was able to determine where certain frequencies were not getting into the, to the eyes to the ears, and he would give them those frequencies. I was at a conference and you can actually now speak into a software program and your voice will tell you what frequencies you’re not hearing.
44:50
So the voice is also very connected to the years as well. You know people that speak in a monotone
44:59
voice
45:00
There was a study that was done that monotone speaking, it can create more osteo arthritis and osteoporosis.
45:10
So, you know, make sense, sound and the bone. Yeah, obviously, there’s other things like, you know, weight bearing and stuff like that. But sound healing can have a positive effect on your bones. You know, the astronauts when they went up into space, they lost some of their bone density. Right? Right. So gravity is another thing. So there’s a lot of different ways to go up the mountain. And if you’re not getting the answer, like you weren’t, weren’t, you find another avenue? And there you go, we’re able to heal.
45:46
Fantastic. That’s, that’s, it’s a very inspiring story.
45:52
Well done.
45:54
Any other questions? Yes. Go ahead. Yes, I was just glancing through your quote, and fear, and
46:02
the connection between your emotional life and your eyes? And but if you’ve had a lot of fear in childhood, and then
46:10
can you speak more to that? I want to read more about a silent question. But I was very interested in the connection with your emotions and your eye, oh,
46:20
well, our eyes are like a videotape library. And as children, we see our parents, we see authorities, we absorb and we internalize what we see. And we don’t always have the opportunity to then express, we just take it in and there’s a, there’s a saying that I use is, it’s not a problem with the eyes. It’s the programming behind the eyes, that causes the AI problem.
46:54
So what do I mean by the programming to our mind, our brain, our posture, movement, our diet, our emotional health, our psychological health, kind of depends on where you are. There’s an exercise and it’s in the book, it’s called an eye dialog. And what it is, is you patch your left eye, and you tune in like, I’m now my right eye.
47:16
And then you start asking your right eye some questions, and you just use stream of consciousness. So how old is my right eye? And you might be surprised it’s very old, or it’s very young, or I have no idea. You know, it’d be great for you because now you’re doing an inner vision exam. What’s my inner vision in that right eye?
47:37
Then the second question is right, Id you know, you’re married to the left eye. And a lot of people will say, I didn’t know they were married.
47:47
Can you imagine? You went to a marital counselor and the husband and wife are sitting there.
47:54
Therapists asked the husband, you know, you’re married your wife, he says, I had no idea.
48:01
So you’ve got that internal programming going on somewhere, you’re projecting that out there.
48:08
And to Chinese medicine, the right eyes, the masculine, it’s the father, left eyes, the feminine the mother, the right eye, 80% of the nerve fibers go to the left brain wants our left brain, our analytical or linear, get it done. And our left eye is our feminine, right brain, intuitive, creative Gestalt. So you can check out the marriage, what is the right eye need. And then you should do the same on the left eye. And a lot of times the right eye and the left eye are very different.
48:40
And so you start doing that dialogue, you can journal, you can do movement with it. I mean, there’s a lot of things you can do with the eyepatch. And so you start awakening the internal awareness of what are your eyes? Say? What are they feeling? Oh, my talking to them. And most people are not connected to their eyes. And part of it is because of that eye exam you go to, it’s so fast. Yeah, flip, flip, flip, you got the lens, I’ll see you in a year.
49:10
And your eye health is good. And that’s it. There’s no exploration of the deeper functional relationship that you have. You know, I learned that from something called voice dialogue. Your inner voice is very famous.
49:26
And the therapist. So I asked him, I said, can I talk to my eyes? I said, sure. Yeah, I mean that we never thought about that. So the eye dialogue would be a way for you to explore maybe today is fear. Maybe tomorrow, it’s grief. Who knows? But it’d be great for you to develop more awareness about what’s inside
49:47
and become free of that and work on the marriage heal the marriage, and the better married you are internally, the better functionally your two eyes are going to work together.
50:00
So that’s the progression. First have the conversation and then see where it takes you. And everybody is different. I mean, I bet if we did, I’d dialogue and all of you. We have, you know, as many people here as many answers, and be really fun and interesting, and you would get a psychological insight that this may be what my parents were. Maybe that was their relationship. And I just sat there taking it in,
50:29
you know?
50:31
So, thank you. That’s a good, good question.
50:37
Yes. Okay. So I’m XUA being farsighted. Now I have
50:43
no I have, I have just didn’t. cataracts. You’ve had cataract. Cataract surgery? Yes. So and I have
50:54
progressive lenses for the computer, so I can see the computer and then I can look down and read stuff. So it’s said that that is not good, guys, but I don’t know, since I have the cataract surgery, is there anything I can do to improve any of my vision? Well, the first thing I would say is one size does not fit all. And so when I make that statement about progressive lenses, where that’s the gradient bifocal, where you’ve got the split lenses, if you wore that, you know, 12 to 14 hours a day, that’s where it’s going to really start affecting your eyes. But one of the things that I promote, is use the optical system that you need to, to perform at the highest level.
51:43
And as long as you just use it in that circumstance, and then maybe outside of that time, you do some eye exercises, some eye calisthenics, almost anything you can do to stimulate your eyes out of that pattern, you’re fine. There’s no problem. And it sounds like that’s a good setup for you. Because you give the computer you have the reading sounds like the the lenses they put in for distance, I mean, it’s probably about the best you’re going to do.
52:13
Unless you’re going to like really dive into like 30 to 50 minutes of eye exercises every day. And I’m not sure you need to do that. So I think what you’re doing is working well. And as long as you’re not having headaches or red eyes, or double vision or whatever. I know you said that you there’s a little bit you’ve lost a little bit of your clarity from the cataract surgery compared to when you first got it. The exercises, we’ll bring that back.
52:46
So well down where you are. I think that’s, that’s about as good as you’re gonna get it. For what for what you’re for where you’re at? Yeah, I tend to forget to take them off when I’m walking around the house. Well, that’s, you know, you want to remember that so that you’re not, you know, getting sucked into it all the time, just just when you need them. Thank you.
53:08
Yes. Can you talk about Graves disease? Sure. So Graves disease is a thyroid condition. And it affects the eyes where the eyes can kind of ball gel called excellent thalamus. And there can be dryness associated with that. And so do you, are you so post your post? Right, so what did you do to to move out of it?
53:34
I had my thyroid, you had your thyroid woman. Okay, so at this point, any residual symptoms dry or a little bit a little bit? So I mean, it could be as simple as you know, take a little more omega three fats and oils. It could be using eyedrops a little bit more could be trying to castor oil, eyedrops. You know, make sure you’re, you know, not staring at your screen for hours and hours that you’re taking breaks, get plenty of sunlight.
54:07
Check your adrenal health, see what’s going on there. Sometimes dry eye is related to our Hormonal Health.
54:17
Studies have shown low estrogen and high estrogen. Both of those can create a dry eye scenario. So I think it’s again a holistic picture of how can I find a deeper balance? And within that maybe I need a little support with some natural eyedrops or something like that. But it sounds like you’re doing pretty well. Well, I guess what I’m curious about is, when I’ve had my eye exam, they’ve talked about like that the pushing outward is happening again. And so that’s peculiar to me. So I guess ultimately, my question is, is it typical that if I’m taking the Synthroid or whatever, that the I won’t move forward
55:00
At anymore, it can happen both ways. So one of the things I would look at is, if you haven’t already, I would get a little cranial sacral therapy, and see if the relationship of the bones around the orbit of the eye could help you have more resiliency, flexibility, and muscular relaxation. cranial sacral can really do that well with the eyes. And this is another thing that came up at that glaucoma meeting. And I bring it here just because of the cranial sacral. And that is they said, that if you can control the cerebral spinal fluid, if you can reduce it, you can bring the eye pressure down, like the eyes will get better. Now, they stopped right there. What do you what do you do for that? People ask? And I was in the back going? Well, you could, you know,
55:56
I was I was one of four. So
56:00
it wasn’t my meeting. But I think the cranial work could help and see where that takes you. Because there’s a lot of malleability in the orbits of the bony orbit, and the jaw and the bones that breathe in the skull and the cerebral spinal fluid that could give you more, say, I don’t know, regulation with it. Would network chiropractor be in that too? Could be? You know, again, it could be it’s less about the modality I find and more about the practitioners energy and how intuitive they are. Yeah, so it’s good question, though, because Graves is a big issue and the fact that you’ve kind of moved forward, but now the X up thalamus is coming back a little bit. I would try something in the in the more structural manual world that could really open things up for you. In the back. I was curious about living in Santa Fe for a long time and being so close to the sun with the UVs are they beneficial or detrimental? If you’re not wearing sunglasses, or should you be wearing them or not be wearing. So there was a book that was written a
57:16
few years ago, called sunlight by a guy named Zane kine, MD. And he talked about the benefits of ultraviolet light. Like it boosts the immune system. Again, it’s part of that resetting of the circadian rhythm. And so we do need trace amounts of UV. We do need morning sunlight and, and to be moderate about if you are feeling there’s too much brightness or glare. It’s okay for you to wear sunglasses, you should or wear a hat. And especially in this altitude. If you’re feeling it, protect yourself.
57:59
So that’s the sensible, grounded moderate way.
58:04
Yes, can you speak about what kind of lenses are best to wear if you’re trying to protect yourself from you? Sure. So all lenses now have UV protection, that’s part of the FDA.
58:17
So they all have UV protection. If you’re gonna do a sun lens, I like to do a lens that doesn’t create a discolored, like,
58:27
you know, a neutral brown or neutral gray seems to be the best type of Sun lens to wear. And again, it depends on how much tint you want you want a little bit you want moderate Do you want to do you need a really dark. And if you’re suffering some type of glare, you can also get a glare coating on it as well. But try to find something that when you put it on, your eyes feel pretty relaxed. And it’s not creating some weird distorted color.
59:02
And I would encourage you to wear the sunglasses when you need them.
59:09
And at the same time, sunrise sunset, good time to go without I mean, you don’t need to look directly at the sun. You put your back to the sun. You know there’s this practice called sun gazing.
59:23
People, you know, they stare at the sun and you know when we used to go to Hawaii, and we used to do that at sunset. And a lot of times people couldn’t look at the sunset, if the sun was setting there, they’d be here or their eyes would be closed and they might be doing some swinging, which is a Bates method. Some people were so sensitive they they’d have to be this way somewhere so that indirect light can work very well. And you don’t have to stare at the sun. In fact, I don’t recommend staring at the sun.
59:57
So does that help to give you
1:00:00
kind of a balance, protect yourself and also get a little natural vitamin D.
1:00:08
Yes, sir. Here’s the anti freeze of the Healthy Heart tears or the anti freeze that I learned today that it’s also for your eyes as well. Yes, I wouldn’t make a t shirt.
1:00:25
Thinking about making a t shirt. You know? I have
1:00:31
short words, short words. Okay, maybe we need. So yes. And I love me. Come to me. There you go.
1:00:40
Come see me it is hard at this particular time in history. Yeah. So we need you. We need you over
1:00:52
how do you pick up on them? Of course.
1:00:58
Thank you.
1:01:00
Yes. Just recently, I’ve started getting treatment for macular.
1:01:07
wet macular. And when i Mother i, which is very disturbing to hear tonight. What is?
1:01:15
Yeah, oh, God really again, you know.
1:01:20
And I’ve just, I realized as a, I’m a body worker and a naturopath. And I’ve just sort of surrendered to standard medicine. Because they say, Oh, God, you’ve got to do this. And you’ve got to do this now. And you’ve got to keep doing this and everything. And I can’t believe that I have let that happen. So I think I probably need to come and see you and
1:01:43
talk and find out about alternatives if there are any. And is there a way to work with these horrible injections or, or not, but I just don’t know anything about? So how long have you been getting them? Since? August? I think did you get them once a month? Yes. And do they help?
1:02:01
Do they give you more lined out in a couple of weeks? Okay, about the the second medicine that they using the really expensive one? Yes. Because the first one apparently didn’t do too much. Although immediately after the first shot. The wiggly lines became straight again, which was very exciting for me. Yes. But they said oh, no, you need to so I just don’t know what’s happening anymore. It’s difficult. Yeah. So definitely. Couple things to check off your list. And you could do that before we even talk. And they may be completely irrelevant, but let’s just have the list. So number one, it would be if you’ve been exposed to mold.
1:02:50
Mold. Oh, gee, yes. Mold? Yes. Yes. So if you’ve got a level of dampness in your body, a lot of times it will coalesce behind the macula. Wow. So they’re not going to tell you that? No, but they’re there. That isn’t one correlation. Number two, I would probably consider maybe finding a really good acupuncturist and seeing what’s going on in your liver and your gallbladder.
1:03:23
I would be willing to bet there’s a lot of stuff gaining energy there.
1:03:29
And acupuncture could do the same thing as that injection. Just by putting needles in the meridians. Yeah, that’d be amazing. would be really cool. Yeah, without the side effects of that drug. Number three. And I want to be careful about this because this is not for everybody. But people that ingest a lot of dairy, tend to have more wet macular degeneration. So you can take a look at that number for wet macular degeneration is a precursor for possibly a pre diabetic or diabetic condition.
1:04:13
So what’s happening is that, again, the sugar is doing a very similar thing that happens in diabetic retinopathy, which is the blood vessels become weakened, and they’re starving, the macula is starving. And so it’s creating these new blood vessels that are fragile.
1:04:37
And it’s that bleeding behind the macula. That’s creating this wave Enos.
1:04:45
So,
1:04:47
really taking a look at from a functional medicine point of view, what’s going on with the gut? What’s going on with your glucose levels.
1:04:56
And if you do work with a functional medicine,
1:05:00
Herson one of the blood markers I look at is something called homocysteine.
1:05:05
So when our homocysteine levels are high,
1:05:09
we’re into the danger zone and inflammation, and what macular degeneration loves living in inflammation.
1:05:19
So the last thing that I would do before you come to see me is start doing some red therapy, red light, stuff. That could be really helpful. And this is a commercial, I’ve made red glasses that you can put on that are fantastic. And you could treat yourself a grant license. Last thing is make sure you’re getting 16 milligrams a day of lutein. six milligrams a day that Xia xantham those are the plan Rondo, Xia Xanthine, ze AXANTH, i n,
1:06:01
and asked a xantham. Ask that, yeah, so about six milligrams of that. That’s good. And I’ll give one more, which is something that I learned in my functional medicine training is that
1:06:15
in our liver health, our liver produces bile and the gallbladder stores.
1:06:22
And if we are not absorbing vitamin A, which is a fat soluble vitamin, and lutein and zeaxanthin, it’s because there’s a congestion in the gallbladder.
1:06:33
So if we supplement with a bile salts, and it also could be related to pancreatic enzymes, if we supplement with that, then we’re absorbing our eye vitamins better because they’re fat soluble.
1:06:49
So it just so happens, I have products now that are gallbladder and pancreatic enzymes. So if you think that your liver gallbladder are congested, then
1:07:04
you could check that out as well. So there you’ve got seven or eight things. I would go for it and get off those injections as fast as you can. How wonderful. I mean, the way they talk. It’s like, okay, kid, you’re doing this for the rest of your lives the way they talk, right? Yeah. Great. Yes. Fear, fear, fear. Fear. Yeah. Yeah.
1:07:27
Okay, we’re coming down to the end. I’ll take a couple more questions. Yes.
1:07:32
This is kind of to everyone else. So I recently developed, it’s almost like a bubble on the white on my eye. And then I suddenly noticed within a week, there was another one on the inside.
1:07:48
Okay, so it doesn’t affect my vision. Okay, so the eye doctor recently, I just thought, oh, maybe he’ll give me drops like this is just some temporary thing. And she said 90% of the people we see in Santa Fe get these
1:08:06
I did bothering you. And I said Not really. I don’t remember the word she is but it’s especially the P I believe it’s probably what they call a pinguecula. So it’s a collagen imbalance. I would get into my MSM jobs, they’re great for collagen balancing and the castor oil
1:08:26
and hydrating, more hydration, both on the eyes, and maybe hydrating in your body and think collagen, like systemic collagen. So it could be bone broth. It could be you know, collagen supplement. So that part of the eye is all about collagen. So CDs go away. Because yeah, it was very interesting. Not say that to me. When people do in high winds, high altitude restaurants exacerbates it, yes. And then she said it’s permanent. It’s related a lot to dryness. So you need a lot more hydration.
1:09:02
And let’s see what happens. Yeah.
1:09:06
Dr. Sam berne.com and don’t be on my book and Dr. Sam berne.com Yes, hello at Dr. Sam berne.com. So you can always email me
1:09:17
so
1:09:19
and I’ve signed a bunch of books, so they’re all at the at the front of the desk. So I think I’m gonna end here
1:09:40
thanks for coming, everybody.
Thank you for listening. I hope you learned something from the EyeClarity podcast show today. If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to subscribe on iTunes or Spotify and leave a review. See you here next time.
I am sharing a session I gave to an entrepreneur on social media growth. I share some of my key tips to grow your accounts and reach your audience. Enjoy the show.
If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com.
If you have any questions, submit them to hello@drsamberne.com or you can now text me! Text ‘Join’ to 1-844-932-1291 to join the community and ask your questions!
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
posts, repurpose, person, presentation, coaching session, podcast, videoed, depends, skin, hate speech, document, eyedrops, insights, santa fe, people, trip, bookstore, work, videographer, short
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberne.com.
Hey, everybody, it’s Dr. Sam and I want to welcome you to my podcast today a little different take on things I’m going to give a coaching session to person who’s an entrepreneur, she’s got a skin line. And this is some of the stuff I do as volunteer through an organization that I work for called score, helping businesses. And so you’ll hear some of my insights on how I’m building my brand, my social media, and I hope you enjoy the show.
This past weekend, I did a book signing at the ark, bookstore, and, and I, I basically, now I have a videographer now that I’ve hired but what he did is he had three cameras, we, we videoed the whole talk, which was really good. And now I’m turning that into a podcast. And it was a really great presentation, at least that’s what people said. And it was a live event.
So you know, getting to do those is is really good. And the q&a, what I’ve done with that is each part. So I’d q&a in the group, and then people would come up, and they would have their individual comments and questions. And we told them ahead of time, everything is videoed, so I got some great interactions from people one on one, where you know, everything from, gee, I’m so frustrated with my current doctor, what do you recommend?
Or you know, I’ve been using your stuff for six months, it’s really working, what do you think I should do next? So we take those and then repurpose them for shorter posts. And, again, it’s just I try to repurpose everything I can, your time is more efficient that way also, because, you know, like this, this lady who is one of my competitors asked me to do a presentation for her private group. And I said, Well, I want to be able to video it. She said, No, you can’t. I said, Well, how about this, I’ll video it, just my part. And I won’t video the q&a at the end or your people, she said, I don’t care, you can do that. So that makes it worth it for me to do it, because I’m not getting paid for it. So I’m always looking at ways like next week, I’m taking a trip, and I’m gonna document the trip, gets a book signing, and there’s some other things I’m doing.
So I’m going to document the trip, document, different things I’m doing. And again, repurposing it. So that gives me that 48 content pieces a day, I’ve got so many at this point that, you know, it just keeps it going every week, I’m I’m doing you know, 100 to 200 posts, and I see the growth from that, because not everybody sees the the same, you know, post depends on their feed, and you know, who they’re following and stuff like that. So, and I had a thing where somebody threatened me around the eyedrops, you know, and so I had a contact Instagram and say, Look, this person is personally attacking me in a way that’s a little threatening, and they came stepped right in, they blocked the person, and I don’t know what they did with them.
But, you know, if anybody ever does that to you, I don’t take it, you know, I immediately I just block them and say goodbye. I mean, I don’t want that kind of hate speech. In my, in my community. And I don’t mind constructive feedback. You know, I don’t mind that. But when it gets personal and they start personal attacks, and it’s fear, I understand that he I would look for a personal assistant, who could do your posts for you, I think that would be well worth it. You could probably pay somebody anywhere between 20 to $25 an hour. To do that. You can either look on Craigslist, it’s in Santa Fe, or there’s another platform called Upwork. And I have found really good people to do my posts, and my podcast uploads.
And so, you know, again, it kind of depends on your cash flow and where you’re at with it. But as soon as you can, I would see if you could find somebody to help you that they could do that for you. And then you would be more freed up in the creative side. And I think life’s too short to be doing stuff you don’t like doing in the way I want it. And so sometimes you do have to sculpt people in a certain way. But I know they’re out there. And they would first of all, they’re probably really into the skin product. That’s another thing. And you know, so anyway, I really support You need to do that as soon as you can because I think it’ll it’ll just free you up in a way that you’ll enjoy it more.
Thank you for listening. I hope you learned something from the EyeClarity podcast show today. If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to subscribe on iTunes or Spotify and leave a review. See you here next time.
Today I am going to talk about intermittent exotropia and what protocols I use to manage it in children, teenagers, and adults. Enjoy the show.
If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com.
If you have any questions, submit them to hello@drsamberne.com or you can now text me! Text ‘Join’ to 1-844-932-1291 to join the community and ask your questions!
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
exercises, spasm, eye, muscles, reflex, integration, working, infants, stress, toddlers, vestibular stimulation, called, muscle spasm, visual, bilateral, brain, vision, overwrought, patching, movement patterns
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberne.com.
Hey everybody, its Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast today. So I’m going to take a question from Dr. Pillai, who’s asking about a condition called intermittent exotropia. For infants, toddlers, teenagers and adults, and how is it different? How do I manage it? What are the protocols? So, let’s break this down.
When our two eyes are working together, they’re both aiming at an object in our environment, whether it’s up close or far away. So the goal is both eyes are working together. Now, when one of the eyes tends to wander, this is called strabismus. Now we can have an eye wandering in, which is called esotropia. Or we can have an eye wandering out which is called exotropia. In any case, what’s going on is there’s an integration problem in the brain, in the eyes and in the body. Now, exotropia means the eye is wandering out. Obviously, if it’s intermittent, it only happens sporadically some of the time.
And maybe some of the time it happens when especially we’re talking about, you know, teenagers and adults, it happens when you’re stressed or tired, or fatigued, or you’re not feeling well. It’s kind of a weak link in the eye brain connection. Now, when one of the eyes wanders out, two things happen. Either you get double vision, or the brain says I’m just gonna shut off onto the eyes. And so take your choice, a lot of times, we start off seeing double, but then over time, the brain just says I’m going to ignore, you know, this double image, and I’ll just use the eye that is lining up.
Now when we see this condition in infants and toddlers, it’s a timeframe where there’s a plasticity going on, in that we don’t want to necessarily try to fix it, either through surgery or patching. But what’s a better approach is to work with the whole body through different specific movement patterns. And to encourage bilateral integration with both sides of the body and both hemispheres of the brain, this is going to help you and then tell the eyes, okay, I can have a better opportunity for straightening out. So it’s something that I counseled parents to watch, and to maybe do some proactive exercises that can help.
But you don’t want to do something as invasive as surgery War II patching. Because, first of all, those methods don’t work very well. It creates more trauma in the infant toddler, and it’s really makes no sense to them. Glasses is also another poor option, because that’s not going to do anything as well. So the bottom line is that by doing some bilateral exercises, doing some vestibular stimulation things with these infants and toddlers, working with something called primitive reflex integration, this is primitive reflexes are the motor patterns that we come out of the birth canal with. And they’re very important in helping us integrate our, our movement patterns with our vision.
And if these reflexes are not fully integrated, they begin to have an effect on our visual development. So doing some primitive reflex therapy can be really effective at reducing this strabismic pattern. Now, another question that the doctor has is the relationship between accommodative spasms and our age group. So when we’re talking about accommodation, we’re talking about the muscles in the eye. And the muscles in the eye are responsible for helping us make our close details resolved so we can see them clearly. And then to be able to release the muscles so that we can then look into the distance. So obviously, a spasm is the fact that either the muscles are overwrought, they’re stuck in one position.
There’s too much stress on the person and it’s like a muscle spasm. You know, any kind of muscle spasm overuse, an imbalance. And the first thing to do is probably to remove the stress, there’s probably too much demand being placed on the person to have this level of spasm. I love my exercise the poem hum exercise, because that is a relaxation that really targets the muscles in the eye. And that works very well. And you may need to do some other physical vision therapy exercises like visual tracking or near far focusing exercises, maybe some vestibular visual exercises, you know, kind of depends on where the person’s at how old they are, and so on. But, you know, a spasm is a spasm and you’ve got to relieve it by moving away from whatever the activity was. So that’s our show for today. I want to thank you so much for tuning in. Until next time, take care.
Thank you for listening. I hope you learned something from the EyeClarity podcast show today. If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to subscribe on iTunes or Spotify and leave a review. See you here next time.
Here is a session with somebody who recently had cataract surgery and is currently struggling with Glaucoma and dry eye. In this session, I focus on the relationship between her high myopia and Glaucoma. There is a very strong correlation to our refractive error and eye disease. The difficulty comes in when you are nearsighted before the surgery and you become farsighted after the surgery like this patient and I talk about the influences and also the effects of this discrepancy and how it may be playing into glaucoma dry eye and other things. Enjoy the show.
If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com.
If you have any questions, submit them to hello@drsamberne.com or you can now text me! Text ‘Join’ to 1-844-932-1291 to join the community and ask your questions!
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
eye, glaucoma, prescription, glasses, people, optic nerve, prisms, castor oil, called, lens, ophthalmologists, nearsighted, farsighted, vision, wear, myopia, red light, talk, physical therapy, eyedrops
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberne.com.
Great to have you on my EyeClarity podcast today. So I gave a session that somebody recently diagnosed with glaucoma. And she just had cataract surgery as well. She’s also dealing with dry eye. But the point I want you to hear about is the relationship between her high myopia and her glaucoma. There is a very strong correlation to our refractive error and eye disease. I know that’s not talked about very much in the medical literature or even in, you know, clinical practice.
But when you develop a certain prescription like myopia, especially at minus 14 in the right eye and minus 11 in the left eye, that’s a high degree of tunneling and pulling in your vision which creates compression in the eye tissue, which is parallel to what Glaucoma is. It’s a tunneling. It’s a tightening. And there are different reasons why we develop glaucoma. Amin is a vascular disease, but function changes structure, how we use our anatomy is going to eventually change the anatomy and physiology. The other piece I want you to think about is this patient was very nearsighted. And then she had cataract surgery and she became farsighted. And I talked about the ramifications of that in the session, because if you’re near sighted your personality or behavior, your response to life is very different.
The mindset is very different than if you’re farsighted. And so those of you that say are thinking about refractive surgery, or cataract surgery, the best way to go is if you’re nearsighted before surgery, you want to be nearsighted after surgery. And if you’re farsighted before surgery, you want to be farsighted after surgery. The difficulty comes in when you are nearsighted before the surgery and you become farsighted after the surgery like this patient and I talk about the influences and also the effects of this discrepancy and how it may be playing into glaucoma dry eye and other things. I hope you enjoy the show. Thanks again for tuning in, leave a comment or review on Spotify, Apple, or my website. I have your history in front of me and your intake form. And it sounds like you want some advice from a functional medicine perspective. With optic nerve glaucoma, and
03:22
fuzzy vision and my dry eye,
03:25
your dry eye of course less. So give me a little context on what you’ve tried. Maybe what the other eye doctors have given you. Your glaucoma meds if you’re on any
03:39
Yes, actually. The glaucoma meds I’m only in my my left eye. I’m on Tima law with dorzolamide. Today in the left eye and then latanoprost at night. I don’t take any, any in my right eye because I have the Tribeca elective knee surgery done. And so my pressures are like eight to 10 and the right and then the left. They’re like between 11 and 13.
04:11
Okay, sounds good. That’s that’s a good place to be. What about the optic nerve? How’s the health?
04:18
Well, the the issue is because I’m so myopic, any of the cameras that they use, they don’t get anything accurate. So what they’re what they rely on is the visual field, which over the last couple years has been a little bit suspect. That’s why he I just recently upped an extra med on the on the left I used to be just the the Tim Hall, but he just recently added the dorzolamide. And I you know obviously I’ve noticed that there has been vision loss I have Two large areas where my you know, blind spots are that are very large. And every time I talk to my glaucoma specialist, he’s out of Mass General, I mean mass pioneer. He doesn’t give me much, you know, help on any other kinds of, you know, supplements or things along those lines that can support what I’m doing. So that makes me very nervous, you know? And he just looks at it is, you know, it is what it is type of thing. And he’s a young gentleman, too.
05:41
Okay, so how much myopia Do you have?
05:45
Well, really significant. There. What I could tell you is I can tell you what my diopters were when I wore contacts, in my right I was a minus 14 and a quarter and my left it was 11 and three quarters.
06:00
Okay, so do you were contacts now
06:03
I know the since I’ve had cataract surgery, I just wear overcorrection
06:10
overcorrection meaning something for reading
06:14
or for distance?
06:17
But what is what? What is that? Do you know what the diopters are?
06:22
I can pull out my prescription for you.
06:31
Ah
06:35
what? I have the sphere, the cylinder the access,
06:41
give it all to me. Right guys? So you can start there?
06:47
Plus 25 point 2025. Yes, cylinder is minus two point 25. Okay, axis is 110.
06:58
Got it left? Do you have an add on that?
07:03
But I also with my distance, they’ve added prism. So I have four in both eyes? We can do. So. Okay. And then the left is also a plus point two, five, a minus 1.25. And the axis is a point three, four.
07:27
Okay, you have a bifocal to that.
07:32
My readers I think are 2.5.
07:35
So do you just use readers from the drugstore or?
07:38
No, they give me a prescription? I do scrub for it. Okay.
07:44
All right. So question When did this glaucoma diagnosis come up for you?
07:51
When I was happy birthday when I was 40.
07:54
Okay, so a long time ago. Yeah. And then the dry eye. When did that emerge?
08:01
I would probably say, in my 50s, late 50s, mid to late 50s. But I’ve also, I’ve also been diagnosed with macular degeneration, but that’s more related to because I’m high myopia. And I’ve had some injections in the eyes, nothing consistent. The last one I think was five years ago.
08:25
Okay. All right. So you must have found me on social media, I guess.
08:34
Yes. Through. You did a talk with I think, either Jeff brand, or Paul matar either one of them?
08:42
Or? Yeah. So. So I guess you have consumed a little bit of my content, what is it about my perspective that inspires you enough to want to talk to you?
08:59
Well, I actually I do see a functional medicine doctor myself for other issues. Yes. So I have been looking at looking for somebody to address the eye and actually, my sister helped me to gear towards you, because she also uses a functional medicine doctor also. So I understand the approach. And, and I, you know, and the funny thing is, I’ve been in medicine for 42 years. So I you know, I understand, you know, some of the drug stuff, but at the same time, I also believe that you have to look at the core and, you know, kind of peel back the onion on things.
09:49
So, what does that mean you’ve been in medicine for?
09:51
Well, I In other words, you know, you have a complaint, a symptom. People go to a doctor and they get a drug where you know, What is, you know, what is the underlying stuff going on?
10:05
So what do you think the underlying stuff is?
10:08
Well, for me, you know, a lot of it is anatomy, you know, because of my myopia. I have a to my eyeballs too long, and it’s just kind of stretching everything out.
10:21
But do you have the cataract surgery? Yes. So do you think that changed anything?
10:29
I have not really thought about it. I mean, I know that after the cataract surgery little, you know, things have cropped up.
10:38
Okay. Like, like, what was
10:41
the you know, the dry I go any further? I’m not really
10:55
well, I certainly have a lot to say, a lot to, you know, propose to you. So it’s kind of a paradigm shift. And so we’re going to be more in the camp of Dr. Koh minor and Dr. Bland in that sense. And let’s talk first about the glaucoma situation. Because the glaucoma situation is really an issue with vascular health. And, of course, the key and preserving your optic nerve is the first and foremost strategy when you develop glaucoma. And so either you can use pharmaceutical drugs you can do you know, you’re addicted Amis to Becky law dummies. That’s kind of the more nuts and bolts mechanical approach. There are some other avenues that one could pursue, and I can propose those and see how that lands in you. If you feel like you know, you’d like to embark on some of those things. So let’s start with the more basic stuff, which you already may be doing. So the optic nerve needs a couple of things for preservation. The first thing it needs is a DHA based EPA based, mostly DHA, though, of Omega three. And again, you may already have these boxes checked off, I’m just gonna go through. I do. Yep. So that’s a that’s a no brainer, Omega three. Another one that seems to have gotten some good results is a small dose of gingko you’re looking at maybe 80 to 100 milligrams a day of ginkgo. Also, there’s another one that’s really coming into into popularity now called nitric oxide. And I actually created an optic nerve formula,
13:20
which I know I saw that the powder Yeah, an
13:23
alpha lipoic acid. So that’s, that’s a good laser dilator. And some preliminary studies have shown that it can help neutralize some of the, the, you know, the vascular impediment affects. Another one is bilberry that’s helps improve not only optic nerve circulation, but also retina and maybe even a little bit Macula
13:51
Are you going to try treatment plan or you know, information onto the patient portal? Or should I be writing all notes down?
14:02
Well, I am recording this with a copy of it. And so I find people learn when they go back and the they you know, they write it down and they kind of take it in also available I can give you these things also. But this is being recorded for you. And so everything that I’m saying is you will get a copy of that. Okay, so sure. And then, you know, there are more, we’ll say new cutting edge things like red light therapy. I don’t know if you’ve seen what’s been talked about with red light, but there was an ophthalmologist in the UK. His name’s Glen Jeffries. And the Jeffrey’s lab has been doing neuro plasticity research on the eyes from Many years oh really kind of misses the ophthalmology radar screen. Because it’s, it’s related more to mitochondria stimulation. And when I talked to my colleagues about mitochondria in the retina or macula, they, you know, it’s like deer in the headlights.
They’re just not really into that. But Jeffrey’s took a group of subjects between the ages of 40 and 70, who were losing their eyesight from to a variety of conditions. And he applied three minutes of red light to the eyes. It wasn’t even a lot. It was like three minutes a day, few days a week, and after the 12 weeks, the subjects increase their visual acuity readings by 22%. That’s unheard of in AI research usually increased visual acuity 2% 5% Maybe. And red light is getting a lot of interest now because what it does is it you see after by age 40, your retinas starts to degenerate, that’s everybody and has one of if not the highest metabolic needs of the body. The macula has the highest metabolic needs of the retina. And so as the mitochondria goes go down, it goes down and producing ATP. Something is starts to grow in they’re called reactive oxygen species, which is bad stuff. It’s like oxidative stress, inflammation. So what Geoffrey’s hypothesis was, is if we give red light, it reawakens that mitochondria to increase ATP and the RLs goes down. And this reduces oxidative stress regenerates the retina.
As long as the cells aren’t dead, they’re dead. Nothing you can do. But if they’re just you know, clogged up with oxidative stress or inflammation, then the mitochondria like this red light, and the only stipulation is that you do it in the morning. That’s where you get the best marks. And so I work with him. And then there’s a guy in at Stanford, who teaches ophthalmologists, he’s a neuroscientist. Huberman is his name. And I talked with him about it, he did a couple of podcasts on red light, and he was really pro red and red light. And he’s pretty standard medical guy. So between the two of them, I did my own research, because I’ve been doing color therapy for 40 years. And I was getting some really good results. So then, how do you apply it? Where do you get and there was a company of affiliated with Jeffrey’s in the UK called iPower. They were in London area. And I said, Send me some of your glasses, they were the special glasses. But they couldn’t deliver that it was just in the shipping was so expensive. So I did my own research and development with my own people. And I came up with a pair of red glasses, which has the exact tint the 670 nanometers, that’s what you need. That’s the red, the red frequency. And so people now are using these red glasses.
And I would say for you, you know, coupling it with something around, you know, the nitric oxide and, you know, some of these other other things. I think that it’s definitely the worst case scenarios, nothing’s gonna happen. I kind of doubt that I think some positive things are gonna happen for you, that could help you improve your eyesight, and maybe slow down this this glaucoma progression? Well, you know, it’s something, I’ve written a couple of blogs on it, there’s science behind it, you can look at some of the research and make your own decision. But so far, preliminary, it’s positive, and you don’t have to use drugs or surgery, which I like. And you know, it’s just I basically would do if I were you, I would do it every day, do it in the morning.
You don’t need a bright light source. You can just do it looking out your window or you know, even in a dimmer room, if you’ve got light sensitivity, and you know, five to 15 minutes, it’s up to you. But in the morning, five minutes, and try it for a month and see what happens. I think that it’s definitely worth at least knowing about especially because you’ve got a lot going on. So I’m gonna pause here and see if you’ve got any questions either about the red light about any of these nutrients I’ve talked about, I can go into more depth or we can move on. It’s up to you.
20:02
Now, with the the red light therapy and the glasses. Is that something you have on your website? I mean, I’m going to be in London at the end of next month. I could I get them there?
20:16
I’ll give you the name of the I mean, I think mine are better because it’s a bigger lens, and it’s not the light. So you might have even trouble getting it in London. I don’t know. I mean, the company is called high power. Yeah, I wrote it down. Yeah. So or you can just get it on my website. So
20:36
they are on your website?
20:39
Yeah, my great glasses are on the website. Okay. Yeah, you can just get me more beads chip and D in a couple days. Okay. And you know, you’re done. And it’s a really, I had somebody at a seminar. And they were trying both the eye power glasses, they were able to get them in mind. And they like mine better because the lens is bigger. And, you know, it’s right on the eyes. And basically, you just need to look out. And, you know, the the light that’s coming in will deliver the read into the may even have some effect on the dry eye. You know, I preliminarily? preliminarily, I have seen a little bit of improvement with the dry eye. With that. So yeah, check it out.
21:23
And then your formula for the optic nerve. When I looked at it, it didn’t say how you use it, or how much you use, you know,
21:34
so it’s a scoop, right on the label. So you do a scoop and some water. And it tastes pretty good. It’s like a berry flavor. So there’s a scoop in there, you just do one scoop in the morning. And that’s it, you know, it’s very easy to take and tastes good. And you know that vasodilation is really important for you so and then you could look at something like, you know, I don’t know what you’re doing around I vitamin, my vitamin has taurine. gingko right there in it, you know.
So you can kind of see how how that lands in you. There are a lot of good ones. So I would make sure. And mine also has these in it lutein and zeaxanthin because when you’ve had cataract surgery, let’s discuss blue lights. So artificial blue light emitted from this, any of the screens does have a tendency to affect the tissue of the eye dries out. And because the cataract lens probably doesn’t have any blue protect in it. I’ve talked to some of the manufacturers and companies that that manufacture iOS, and they put UV in it, but they’re slow to put the blue blocker in it. So that’s where if you’re doing any extended screen time, I probably would do some kind of blue lens blue protect lens.
23:00
My lenses do have it on I have the coating on it. Yeah,
23:04
I’m glad. And then the other thing is that there’s there’s a couple other things that you know, I went to a glaucoma meeting in December, it was like cutting edge. These are guys that ophthalmologists around the world and three days of glaucoma was all medical. So it wasn’t really functional medicine. But I wanted to see what they were doing, what their thoughts were. And they did say a few things that are appropriate to our conversation. Number one, they said if you can change how the cerebral spinal fluid interacts with the eyes, you will actually bring the eye pressure down. Now they didn’t say how to do that. The way you do that, is by getting a treatment called cranial sacral therapy. You may right. And so
23:52
I was a physical therapist, so I used to do it.
23:55
So I’m a cranial therapist, I went back 30 years ago because I was measuring people’s glaucoma, their pressure, and I’d give them a session and damn the pressure, their numbers would go down four to six millimeters just after one session. So it was great to see these guys actually admit, well, if you can do something to the cerebral spinal fluid flow, you’re gonna bring the eye pressure down. So I think getting some cranial work, I think lymphatic stimulation, I mean there’s been studies that show jumping on a rebounder can bring your eye pressure down.
24:29
Well I do do some lymphatic stuff in the morning. I also do dry brushing, you know so I’m you know, cognizant of that.
24:38
Yep. And then you know, in I also studied acupuncture and in my acupuncture training, I learned that the liver and the spleen, the gallbladder, all the meridians basically almost go to the eyes. And so, sometimes acupuncture can be helpful There’s also the relationship between the liver and the gallbladder. This is not well known. It’s known very well in functional medicine because it’s where I learned it. So here’s the deal.
The liver produces bile, and the gallbladder stores it and bile is important for helping you absorb fat soluble vitamins. And those fat soluble and vitamins are very important for the eyes, vitamin A, lutein and xantham. So if there’s any struggle with either producing or absorbing or storing the bile, I have created what we call a gallbladder formula, which helps in the production and absorption of fat soluble vitamins. And there’s another piece to this, that I learned in functional medicine, which is sometimes the pancreatic enzymes are not being produced, and they also will come in and help us in fat soluble absorption.
26:01
Right, that was one of the first things the functional medicine doctor did is check that and I went through a whole regime of doing that. Yeah. Okay.
26:11
Not many people know about it. But I mentioned it to ophthalmologists, they’ve never heard of it. So again, if you study functional medicine, yeah, I think you’re it’s obvious. Because there have been a number of people who have taken been taking a lot of eye supplements, or they eat really well like you. And we add these two things. And that seems to help them reduce the dryness, the dry eye, and also helps their eyesight, but you got that covered. So we’ll we’ll we’ll move on. See if there’s anything else to talk about. So some some other things that, again, this is more in functional medicine, and you may be doing this already. The intermittent fasting has shown to be helpful, sometimes moving more towards a keto diet, the glucose situation, I mean, these are all things you probably handled
27:13
quite well, I do intermittent fasting, anyways. Yeah, so so all that
27:18
all that’s good. Which now brings us to the conversation of your minus 14 minus 11. So I’m gonna say something that’s a little out of school, perhaps for what maybe you’ve been exposed to. But what happens in nearsightedness is there’s a tendency on a functional level. That’s in other words, how we use our eyes to tunnel our vision. And what we do is we become very Macula centric. In myopia, because myopia is a lot about I need to see clearly, and I need a minus lens. And so when you wear a minus lens, it focuses almost all the light into the macula area. But there’s nothing in the periphery because the lens, even a contact lens, is thick around the edge. So you’re basically tunneling. Right? And so it’s almost like a form of glaucoma, but it’s a functional form that’s driven by your prescription. And, you know, working with a lot of people in myopia, I don’t believe in lasik surgery.
But when you start understanding myopia, a lot of my patients will say, Well, what causes the myopia? Is my programming, what my mental setup is, that changes the shape of the eyeball? Well, that’s kind of radical to say that because, you know, in the medical literature, they say, well, it’s mostly genetics and you know, blah, blah, blah. But I certainly have seen enough cases where there is an environmental impact on how we use our eyes, that creates a certain type of prescription. Okay, so now you go and have this cataract surgery, and it changes the refraction in the eyeball. But does it change the refraction in the mind or the brain or the body? Now, that’s a debate that I have all the time with my ophthalmology colleagues because they say, What are you talking about there?
There’s no prescription in the body. There’s no prescription in the mind. But what I see over time is that especially in the LASIK world, that prescriptions tend to creep back in because there actually is a mental programming that is stronger than the prescription. They change in the eyeball. Hmm. And there’s another factor here, which is that nearsighted people operate in visual space very differently than farsighted people. So just to give you contrast, and nearsighted person tends to do really well up close, they don’t need glasses, or if they do, it’s still a minus lens. But their strength is I can see well up close without much of a prescription.
They pull the world in, there’s a tightening of the muscles like the muscles become tight. And the minus lens kind of reinforces that that’s kind of the strategy of the nearsighted pattern. And in farsightedness, it’s just the opposite and farsighted. And as you push the world away, you have difficulty with focusing muscles, the muscles become flaccid, you depend on the lens changing the size of the object to help you in your focusing. And that you get dependent on this farsighted lens and then you need stronger and stronger farsightedness. Now the the the rub here is that if you are nearsighted before the surgery, but your eye is now farsighted, after the surgery, how are you adjusting to that difference? Now? Maybe you’re testing really well I you know, you probably are, you look like you’re pretty self aware. But that’s a lot of astigmatism. Maybe they’re giving you and a lot of magnification up close. When before the surgery.
Your your best vision was more, you know, up close. I mean, honestly, with the minus for you 14, you still needed, you know, prescription you couldn’t see without lenses, but so where am I going with this, we know where I’m going with this is that my theory is that part of your glaucoma and dry eye is related to either the pre surgical myopia that’s still affecting your eyes and your anatomy. And the possible discrepancy that you’re dealing with between your nearsighted pre surgery and your farsighted post surgery.
So then it becomes if there’s a way that you could do some kind of vision, physical therapy to integrate the farsighted prescription now, and maybe release some of the pre surgical myopia, which is more mentally driven, if you could release some of that, understand it, get more awareness around it, it would create more circulation and less compression. And so the way you use your eyes functionally, does affect the anatomy, structurally, function affects structure.
And, again, it’s a buy in because you might say, well, you know, this is you’re talking Japanese to me, I’m doing great as I am. And this makes no sense to me. And if you say that cool, we’ll just move on. But I need to share with you my body of work of 1000s of people that I’ve helped reverse myopia and hyperopia. And also dealing with surgery, and refractive surgery, cataract surgery, and how it changes the mental, the emotional, the, the postural aspects of, you know, your, your vision, and it has more than do more to do with vision, which is how the eyes and the brain and the body work together than it is about reading an eye chart. So, you know, this is this again, this is a huge new arena, you probably haven’t seen this on my content, but I’d love to hear your opinion. And feel free to be completely frank with me.
34:24
Well, I know I, you know, I I can see your thought process. I’d be interested to know what you know, type of exercises you’re talking about, you know, I’m being as a physical therapist, I’m always open to exercises. So, you know, I’d be interested, you know, to see what that entails.
34:48
Okay, so that’s a fair question. So before I enter that, the University of Rochester did a very interesting study on how much of the brain Pain is involved in vision. And their findings were that 50% of vision takes place in the brain. So it isn’t just an eyeball experience. No,
35:11
I totally understand that, you know, I, you see that you see that with stroke people and, you know, certain portions of the brains that are, you know, affected and you know, they can the anatomy of the eye could be, you know, perfectly fine, but if the brain isn’t functioning, then you have a non functionally eyeball, you know?
35:31
Yes, exactly. So, think of this as physical therapy for your eyes. Really, what, what it is, and, you know, working with OTs and PTs over the years, like with traumatic brain injury, right? There is a neuroplasticity, but I get arguments from my ophthalmology colleagues all the time, there’s no neuroplasticity, the eye is only going to die aging. And I can’t, you know, talk them into anything else. That there is a, an effect, but the eyes are the only part of the brain that are outside the cranial vault.
So, if the eyes are brain, why can’t you access neuroplasticity? Well, again, I get nowhere with my ophthalmology colleagues, because they want to just do surgery and all that. So that’s, that’s kind of the deal. Okay, so I got a couple of questions for you, which will help me determine what is the best or maybe a few physical therapy exercises for you? So my first question is, how much of the day do you wear this prescription glasses?
36:46
Oh, my, well, I have to, you know, my distance. And then my, my reading glasses, I am a big reader. So I do, you know, several hours a day of reading. And a lot of times in the house, I may not wear my distance glasses, but I definitely wear them for driving. And when I’m out in public, I definitely wear them because with my glaucoma, I have problems with you know, you know, light in construction of the, you know, my pupils and being able to see, you know, from light to dark or from, you know, dark to light, that type of stuff. So then now, definitely wear them out then. So I would say glasses, I’m probably a good, you know, 80 to 90% of the day I have something on.
37:40
Okay. My next question is, what was the purpose of prescribing the prisms?
37:50
From what I understand as the muscle imbalance that I have,
37:57
I’m talking about subjective symptoms that you’re having not something in your muscle, like what? What was your visual experience where they would even introduce prisms because prisms weaken your eyes, they also weaken the muscles of not all prisms, but the prisms they’re giving you and it’s actually converging your eyes even more, which is you can’t access as much periphery. So it’s not great. It’s not great prescription in terms of wellness. It’s, it’s very symptom driven. I mean, were you having double vision? Are you having fatigue, I
38:37
think I might have been more. I felt one I was working harder than the other.
38:46
I think you’d much be much better served by doing a physical therapy exercise to where you’re in a situation where you have to use both eyes together in an exercise context. Then with glasses, again, it’s Think of it like a splint. They’re kind of keeping you stable, but it’s not a great setup. And then the other thing is, they’re actually special kinds of yoke prisms that I develop. They’re called yoked when I worked in the hospitals, and these are prisms that actually enhance your peripheral vision. In other words, what when you put them on, they take your peripheral, if you see my hands and they move them out here.
So I would rather see you in yolk prisms. Now they did pray don’t know what that is. But one of the things that so when I say yoked, here’s my hands. You’re you’re accessing much more of your vision out in this area. And sometimes it can help you compensate for the blind spot. And what you’ve got is a Um, you know, it’s a symptom, they’re trying to control a symptom and those kinds of prisms are not great. So there’s a couple of couple of ways to go here one way is that you sent me your distance prescription, I would be open to writing a new prescription for you with the yoke prisms in it probably give you 20 to 30% more peripheral vision than with those. And the other thing to consider,
40:35
and where would I find somebody that does your prisms?
40:39
Or they just have to fill it? It doesn’t matter? I mean, I would go to a lab and do it. Wow, the law honey lab would do it because there’s okay. You know, so I’m medically licensed in 50 states. So you can go out and go to an optical store. And you take the prescription and then they’ll they’ll make them for you. Okay, so you get a frame that’s not too small, you know. And the other thing is, and this gets kind of out there, I would do a plastic frame versus a metal frame.
41:07
Oh, yeah, I always do I, you know, most of my I have plastic. Yeah,
41:12
yeah. Okay. So then what what you’ll do with those base down your prisons, so we’re going to do base down in each eye, instead of base out, just start wearing them around the house and wear them and you’re probably going to notice, you’re going to have more vision, less blind spot. And so neuro neuroplasticity wise, it’s stimulating your retina differently because it’s moving the light in a different angle into the retina and the optic nerve. And you can let me how you do let me know how you do with it. But to me, that’s, that’s an easy upgrade. Okay. And then the next thing you could do, there’s a couple of things that I’ll propose to you and you kind of decide how you want to approach it. One thing that happens when you wear a plus lens.
And what you’re wearing flip farsighted is, it does in some ways, make your eye muscles less responsive to focus. And one of the ways to counteract that weakness that starts to come in, is getting yourself a pair of what we call pinhole glasses. And you can online anywhere. And you’ll be surprised when you put those on, you’ll actually be able to read without the magnification. And wearing those a few minutes a day, it’s gonna make you move your eyes through the holes.
It’s like an exercise, it actually strengthens your eye muscles. So that would be something that you could do, it’ll even help your distance. So I would just do it in the comfort of your home, just to wear something other than a prescription that’s weakening your eyes because that’s what you know your farsighted prescription is doing. So that would certainly be easy. There’s also an exercise that involves using your two eyes together where they have to focus at the same time. And it’s called it’s on my website, but I’ll send it to you.
It’s called the Yin Yang peripheral vision exercise. And the reason why it’s called Yin Yang is you have two yin yang symbols on a piece of paper. And then you’ve got three other pairs of images on that sheet you printed out and what you do with the first set of Yin Yang, you just start there and you hold it right up to your nose, but you mentally look through the paper, you mentally look through it, I’ll send you directions, you push it out. And all of a sudden those two yin yang will become three.
And when they become three, it means that both of your eyes are working together. Okay. And so then you spend maybe about, you know, a minute just kind of moving the paper, you want to get out there at arm’s length if you can. So you’re now introducing to your brain and eyes, what’s what it’s like to be simultaneous in your focus will get the feedback. By getting the three images, you’ve got four pairs of images, so you spend about a minute with each pair each pairs is different. And so by getting those three images, then you are now retraining or reprogramming the eye that’s more dominant.
Now the other eye has to come in and simultaneously, you’re using them both together. Do this without any glasses. And you know, do it two or three times a day, a minute or so. And you might find after you’re done you might actually get some clear eyesight from it, because it’s really working the muscles and the visual coordination. So I’ll send you a link on and how to how to do that. Okay. And then after that one, we do a relaxation exercise on the eye muscles called the palm hum. So, in the palm home, you’re rubbing your hands together, you cupping them over your eyes, I’ll send you directions, your eyes are closed, you breathe in through the nose, when you exhale, you keep your mouth closed, but you’re making a humming sound like this.
45:25
Um,
45:31
so you’re gonna get vibration in your jaw in your face. And it’s going to echo into the eye muscles. And also, because your hands are over your eyes, these are going to be kind of like tuning forks. Whenever you put sound into the eyes, it’s going to open up compression, it’s going to bring better circulation. sound healing is, you know, a lot of people use it, anyways, you do six or eight of the hums, you keep the hum contained in your face. After that six hum, you can drop your hands and slowly open your eyes. And people report to me they see things much more clearly. They don’t need their distance glasses for a while.
So it’s certainly something that if you could try it and see if it does that for you. But it’s a way to bring more of the parasympathetic nervous system into it, create more relaxation ation, you know, it’s a, it’s an organic way to improve your, you know, your eyesight. So the Yin Yang, and then the do the palm home. After that, he decided to get the panels. Now, that would be another technique. And then we’ll get to the prison base down to enhance your peripheral vision. Now you’re doing like four things that allow you to access vision improvement, which could indirectly number one, reduce any of this compression, anatomically in the eyes, because you’re changing function.
And also, it might even lubricate your eyes a little better. So you can try it for a couple of days. And if you’re getting some benefits, then continue. If you’re not, so be it. I also think it’s a good idea in non demanding situations to go without your glasses. That’s a high percentage of time that you’re wearing them. And so whatever you wear is reinforcing the adaptation you’re you’re making to with yourself, right? So
47:36
I realized that, hey,
47:39
so the relationship that I’d like you to explore mentally, is your relationship to blurry vision. And there’s, there’s actually an exercise we do where you actually wear an opposite lens prescription. And when you wear that, you then mentally go into what do I like about the blur. And you’ll discover that there’s some level of hyper vigilance that you don’t like the blur for some, you made some, some association, well, if it’s blurry, I’m going to miss something, I’m going to get it wrong, I could fall down I, you know, we all have stories. So the thing is, is you wear that opposite lens prescription, and it’s challenging you to relax into the blur.
You only do it for like a minute or so. And then you take the glasses off. And you will see things now in your naked vision much more clearly than you did before you put those blurry glasses on. And you do that exercise a few times a day. And over a period of a few weeks, people will say you know, I don’t need my distance glasses anymore, or I’m feeling like now my prescription is too strong.
So there’s real value about emotionally and mentally going into the blur. But doing it in a safe environment where you’re locked in your bedroom. But it gets you to interact with any emotional mental restrictions you have around blur. And I have a pair of glasses on my website, which are called minus lens to blur. And most eye doctors you know, they would never go for this but if you’re farsighted to wear the minus lens.
And there’s a whole protocol I do and I’ll send it to you just so you can know about it. You can look at the video. If you want to really you know go deep in this doing that minus lens the blur could be really interesting around you relaxing into blur and then having more clarity without glasses. And so you know it’s it’s it just depends on how how deeply You want to go? I mean, even if you just did the pinholes, pinhole glasses, that would be in that direction? Because I think what you’re wearing is affecting you. You may not be aware of it, but I think it is. And and I don’t want you wearing a lot of progressive lenses, I’m assuming you’re not? No,
50:21
no, actually I try them. And I couldn’t, couldn’t tolerate them. I was so dizzy with them things in the periphery. Were not, like, stable. And it was it was just, I said, I can’t do these.
50:37
So the the response the retort to that is, Mary, just get used to it.
50:45
I said, No.
50:47
Well, you’re one of the few that got out of prison with that, because the doctor will just say, No, you’ll get used to it, you know, it’s something that really weakens your vision, and it actually puts more pressure on your maculatus Because the only part of the the progressive lens you’re using is your maculatus. I have a lot of people in those progressive lenses that I have to wean them off of it. So good for you for you know, knowing that that that wasn’t a good option for you. And that’s probably your physical therapy training. And so these would be some of the things and I am going to write out a little treatment plan for you. And I’ll send it to you spotlighting some stuff. So then you can do your own research. And please do I mean, again, this is not for everybody. And you know, mostly you’re doing well there’s one more thing I want to address is the dry eye. And so, being a chemist I developed some really awesome eyedrops, which you’ve probably seen called MSM, sulfur molecule that helps detox the eye lubricates, it’s anti inflammatory. You could do the 5% MSM eyedrops if you wanted to during the day, and then in the evening, I created organic castor oil, I dropped my sauna ointment, it’s like an oil, I use it as an ointment. So I put it on the outside part of my eyelids before bed and it’s very moisturizing. And with your dryness, I think possibly the castor oil could really help you in the evening. And then you could try the MSM during the day if you wanted to.
52:35
Um any concerns that I I mean, I don’t think I should, I mean because I do in my right I have the blood from the trabecular ectomy that the no problem with the castor oil related to IT
52:48
work has no problem. I would just start with a tiny bit. I mean just a little bit in that right eye and just see how you respond. My experience has been that it’s just going to create some moisture on the eyelids and castor oil is extremely anti inflammatory skin. So I mean I would just what I like to do with these things everybody has is different like even with your glaucoma meds, just wait 15 minutes after you’ve done the glaucoma meds before you do these if you’re going to do these MSM and or castor oil that’s safe.
And then with the castor oil, just use a tiny bit on that right side and see how it responds. I mean, I’ve worked with people with corneal transplants with you know, the retinal detachment where they’ve had to put the oil in the retina and they do well with the castor oil, you know, they always go towards that and they go away from the pharmaceutical drugs because that dries you out even more. Those glaucoma meds are going to create more dryness.
54:05
No I and I know that yeah, my the eye that the left eye is always drier than the right eye.
54:12
And so that’s where you need to counteract that with I mean even doing the symbolizing the homeopathic eyedrops, they’re safe. I would start doing some more natural kind eyedrops, like MSM, like homeopathic during the day and hydrate your eyes, four to five times a day and then doing the Castro at night. You know, some some people, they can do a lot of it. Some people they go I just need a little bit of it. They use too much their eyes may get red, they may burn.
So just says because there’s a detoxification aspect to these eyedrops it’s going to push the toxins, the drugs, the the surgical things that you absorbed in the eyes out. So you need to start slow, and the application of them. But these are, it’s like eating organic food. You know, it’s like at first, you’ve been eating processed food. Yeah, you’re gonna feel sick and bloated and you know you’re going to detox and stuff may come out of your skin. It’s the same thing here. When a detox on your eyes with these kinds of eyedrops, so start very, very slowly.
You can even just say, what a soft cloth and put a drop of the castor oil on the soft cloth, the white cloth and use it as a compress over the eye. That’s even more indirect, and just see how your eye responds and follow that. Okay, it’s worth a try it boil. There was actually a study that was published ophthalmologists use castor oil to reduce meibomian gland dysfunction and the significant reduction in inflammation in the eyelids by using the castor oil. It’s not well known they don’t like because they want you to use Restasis. When I found that study, I was like, well, that’s interesting.
Why isn’t that in the mainstream, and they used homogenized castor oil in the eye to reduce dry eye and in the results significantly, they say reduced dry eye symptoms. So that’s why I went for it. And now it works well. So So you got a lot of things here. So I’ll send you information, you know, keep digesting my information, see what feels right. The more intuitive you are with it. If you get a yes to it if you get a no don’t, if you’re uncertain and just waiting. But you’re very intuitive. And so use your intuition. Yeah, this makes sense to me, okay. No, I don’t want to do that.
And just kind of learn better regulation in your eyes what you’re gonna give it and you know, you can improve your vision. Even if you get older, even with this glaucoma, what happens is the glaucoma fades in the background, and you still have it affecting you nearly as much, right? Especially if you start doing physical therapy, that’s very aggressive. You’re really, you’re really confronting the vascular health level? Yes, very
57:38
well, this time, you know, a lot of really good helpful information, like you said that certain things that I know that I will definitely do, you know,
57:50
like, keep in touch, send me an email, let me know how you’re doing. You know, and at some point, we can circle back and see what’s improved, where you want to go. You know, the less medical interventions you do now, the healthier your eyes are going to be. And that’s mostly in the pharmaceutical?
58:12
Well, yeah, well, that’s my my whole thing to you know, keep just, you know, I know, at one time before we did surgery to my right, I was up to, you know, five different drops before they, you know, did surgery to get the pressure down.
58:30
That’s yeah, that’s the main way to try to control it.
58:34
Right, right.
58:37
There’s many other things. You know, when I learned acupuncture, and we were in the clinic, and we were working with glaucoma patients, we actually saw quite a lot of improvement with acupuncture. And when I when I would do cranial sacral and measure people’s eye pressure, visual fields, I couldn’t believe in one session, how much better they saw just through the spinal fluid in the brain in the eyes. So you know, even meditation, there’s a study out that says if you meditate, it can bring your eye pressure down. That was one of the research papers that came out at that glaucoma meeting. I was I knew that that was great that they, they share that so I mean, meditation, a mind body, all of these
59:24
things. Yes. And I totally agree with that. Yeah. I really thank you for your time. You know,
9:33
welcome. Yes. And good luck to you. And so I’ll send you an email with the recording and I’ll send you a little treatment plan that would be fabulous. And then if you have any questions you know, just email me and I’m here.
59:46
Now where are just one quick question where exactly a new New Mexico I didn’t look geographically where what big city Are you near? near Santa Fe. Okay, because I’m going to be in Santa Fe the SMA Yeah. Oh, yeah, my daughter lives in California and one of her big things is she wants to go to the Georgia O’Keeffe museum. So we’re going to do some time in Santa Fe and then go out to the ranch and stuff like that.
1:00:14
Make a reservation for Ghost ranch because it does fill up.
1:00:18
Now that’s what we just got our tickets or plane tickets. And then that’s what we’re doing next is
1:00:25
gonna be a very nice time of year and the I was just at the Georgia museum. It’s it’s wonderful right now. So great restaurants like to do. But look, if you’re feeling like you know, you want to see me in person, then just contact Monica. Yeah. And you don’t have to I’m not requiring you. No, no, no, no. But if you felt like you wanted to come and see me,
1:00:53
I was just like I said, I was just kind of, you know, curious. Like I said, I didn’t sit down geographically to find out where you were.
1:01:00
We’re right across the street from the opera, just north of Santa Fe, a village called Sookie Native American reservations. So.
1:01:12
Okay. All right. So I’ll wait for your email. And then I have a lot of stuff to work on here. And, you know, write it well, to me it there. There’s things that I can do. I just didn’t like the medical community to just to say to me, it is what it is, you know, so this is encouraging to me to try them and you know, see what happens, you know, so there’s something out there.
1:01:37
Oh, totally. Yes. Yeah. All right. Well, I wish you well, and I will talk to you down the road. Okay, thank you all. Bye.
Thank you for listening. I hope you learned something from the EyeClarity podcast show today. If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to subscribe on iTunes or Spotify and leave a review. See you here next time.
I was a guest on Dr. Robert Wiles radio show. He is a sports podiatrist, they call him the sports doctor, and we had about a 15 minute lively conversation about optometry, concussions, brain injury, and so much more. Enjoy the show.
If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com.
If you have any questions, submit them to hello@drsamberne.com or you can now text me! Text ‘Join’ to 1-844-932-1291 to join the community and ask your questions!
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
eyes, sports, doctor, concussions, vision, world, glasses, talking, holistic, baseline, guests, optometry, sam, physical therapy, body, worked, athlete, sorts, visual, problem
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberne.com.
Hey everybody, its Dr. Sam and I’d like to welcome you to another EyeClarity podcast. Well, today I was a guest on Dr. Robert Wiles radio show, and he is a sports podiatrist. They call him the sports doctor. And we had about a 15 minute lively conversation about optometry, concussions, brain injury, and so much more. So everybody, thanks for tuning in, leave a comment on Spotify or my website. And I look forward to seeing you again.
00:38
Dr. Sam Berne. Welcome to the Sports Doctor.
00:42
Thanks, Dr. Bob, great to be here.
00:45
Give us some background on yourself. And you can throw in a definition of holistic optometry while you’re at it.
00:55
Sounds good. So when you go for an eye exam, you know, the doctor has you read the eye chart, and you get the Reading 2020. That’s a measurement of your eyesight. But vision is how the eyes and the brain and the body work together. So eyesight is only one part of vision. So as a holistic eye doctor, I look at the eyes as an interrelated, interconnected part of the body. And there are things that you can do to improve your vision even as you get older. And that’s kind of the difference between the regular eye care, they just say your eyes get worse as you get older. In my, in my practice, people get older and their eyes get better.
01:39
At you know, we see truth for years on the sports doc, the doctor, hand eye coordination, all sorts of eye exercise for some commentators talking about enhancing performance. Regardless of the sport, there’s a lot of exciting information in that side, you know, besides the run of the mill, I can’t like you said, there’s so much more involved, even as a diagnostic tool, I don’t like podiatry when many times we might see diabetes for the first time because of a foot symptom. You also might see it when you see the eyes, right?
02:16
Exactly, because the eyes have one of the highest metabolic needs of the body, highly concentrated with those tiny blood vessels. So it’s one of the entry ways into the body like the foot. And you can pick up disease very early. And of course, in diabetes, this is a real vulnerable area, I’m talking about the retina. So you know, if you have glucose levels that are off the charts, or you’re pre diabetic, you’re going to see it in the eyes, it’s going to be one of the first places and then you can treat it by doing some holistic things if you want to.
02:56
Well, you talk about embracing your body’s ability to strengthen, healing balanced. And again, we talked so much about holistic medicine, I would have complementary medicine and so many different topics, and the sounds I could fit in Absolutely. With a big emphasis on prevention, as well as awareness and education.
03:19
You know, it’s being proactive, you know, just with diet alone, the eyes in the brain make up about 2% of the body weight, and use 25% of the food intake. So if you’re cut out processed foods and sugar and mostly gluten, and you eat, you know, the colorful vegetables and berries, getting enough healthy fats in your diet that in itself can keep your eyesight healthy. And well as you get older.
03:52
You know, it’s so common to see children younger, younger ages routinely with glasses of glasses. Now it’s styling, you know, some way. But do you feel that? Is the introduction of corrective eyeglasses too early? Or are we really paying big attention to prevention?
04:12
Well, when you get glasses as a child, what it’s doing is it’s reinforcing the problem that’s causing the need for glasses to begin with. So you know, again, back to the holistic perspective, I find the cause and treat that and we know that the eyes originate from the brain. And so if you do eye exercises, not only are you changing the brain, but you’re also changing the eyes. And of course the other thing that’s going on with kids is screen time. So the more screen time they have this is really wreaking havoc then with COVID where schools were just online. I got so many complaints from parents and kids about eyestrain, eye fatigue, red eyes, blurred vision, dry eye and so on. So I think the screens are another factor that we have to look at in terms of helping kids and
05:08
the whole mental health angle in so many different ways. In all ages, the biggest topic, it’s interesting, no matter where my guest is, from, whatever their vocation is, from anywhere in the world, they still everybody’s concerned about mental health. And the social media is, again, it’s such a challenge, to say the least. And then again, the screen effects on the eyes and whatever that’s got to be a whole new world, I would imagine.
05:38
Well, more and more research is coming out about the damaging effects of the artificial blue light, it’s a chaotic frequency. And first of all, it messes with our circadian rhythm if we’re staring into the screen after 6pm suppresses the melatonin as you know, but it also can dry the eye tissue out and you know, in severe cases, it can start to cause things like macular degeneration and cataracts. So we need to protect our eyes.
06:07
To have you want me to pay attention to that, as well. As you know, you talk about the eyes and the brain, the eyes and the brain. We feature so much information on the sports doctor on the world of concussions with experts all around the world. Want to get one of your perspectives. When we come back, everybody’s talking. Everybody sports doctor, go to my website, sports doctor radio.com, if you will, radio shows you for that years, all sorts of topics, local guests, national guests, international guests, endless array of topics working to whatever you would like to go over newspaper articles, magazines, great information, a lot of excitement within VT magazine, a lot of excitement, the upcoming documentary where our children play the whole world of youth sports we have 1000s and 1000s of followers. And you can follow me at sports doc COC radio, on Twitter. I can’t tell you how many guests we get from both Twitter and LinkedIn. Over the years. We’re speaking with Dr. Sam burning the holistic optometrist. Again behavioral I help. I wanted to ask you, Sam, again about your thoughts with the world of concussions and the the whole eye connection.
07:28
So I’ve done researched and published on traumatic brain injury and vision. I’ve also worked in hospitals, written articles. It’s a huge problem today in sports. I mean, it’s not just the NFL, but what happens is when we get hit in the head, it reverberates into the nerves and muscles in the eyes. Now the problem is, we don’t pick these up on an MRI. So you’ve got the soft symptoms, like blurred vision, double vision, memory issues, balance issues, you know something’s wrong, but the traditional eye exam misses it. So when you go to somebody like me, we’re testing things like visual tracking, visual focusing, visual reaction time, peripheral vision, depth perception, and we’re looking at how the visual system has been impacted. And then once we get the diagnosis, we can do physical therapy on the eyes to repair the damage that’s occurs from these traumas, concussions, and so on.
08:33
Yes, just last week, we had Mike Tia, he’s the CEO hit check, which is the whole go for nap a system of having a baseline available for any particular athlete, whatever the sport happens to be. So if there is an incident involving head trauma, they can have something that we look at. And again, this idea of the whole eye effect. What’s the best website for information Sam on you, your writing, and your whole world?
09:06
Dr. Sam berne.com I have 1000s of videos that are free on there also written blogs. You can also find me on Facebook and tick tock Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube. I do tons of
09:23
interesting doctors. Yes, we talked with optometry and AI experts ophthalmologists, again high performance I had a whole group of racecar drivers talking about their hair dye and vision training. But the idea of eye protection in youth sport I would think was not paying nearly enough attention to that. What are your thoughts?
09:48
I totally agree. I mean, I think when you get hit in the eye, it’s it really causes a lot of problems you know, circulation issues and and double vision blurred vision. You’ve got to use protective eyewear, especially with kids in their playing in contact sports, it’s a no brainer. You know, we recommend it all the time for people.
10:10
You know, the three words are stressed all the time on the sports doctor for decades, is awareness was talking about what are we talking about here education, regarding learning about and the topic, whatever it happens to be the positive action. And this fits right smack in the middle of that when you think about zazz. The majority of kids regardless of the sport, where they’re running and jumping, and doing all sorts of things. I just don’t see many goggles, enlisted someone with glasses. They get many prescriptions or whatever. Are we making progress there?
10:48
I think a little bit, you know, especially in sports like lacrosse and squash and racquetball. But you know, in basketball, or football or baseball, no, I don’t think we’re making enough inroads there. You’re right, it takes education and being proactive. And, you know, we need to do a better job of PR getting that stuff out there.
11:14
In the field, like we were talking the term baseline, having a baseline, like you talked about the kind of visual analysis you might be doing to establish these different connections. Again, I bring several different effects, and be able to have that is another one of the baseline. So if there is, again, some sort of trauma, and, again, concussion is a gigantic concern, all sorts of questions, when is it safe to go back, we’ve come a long way baby, but we still have a long way to go. That might be another idea for your world, which is having that baseline available for athletic directors and coaches. Hey, we start
12:00
a whole new thing a lot, you know, this, this starts another protocol, we already have the concussion protocol, now we need to bring the vision piece into it. And that could actually be part of the baseline, and whether or not you know, when an athlete can actually go back into competition.
12:19
You know, getting older, and a lot of the changes in the changes in different different concerns. And the idea that, again, the eye exercises should be a routine part of what we do. And then that’s another real challenge in that it was a different guy sessions. That’s how much I remember seeing in the past. I know, I had anybody talk to me about I exercise.
12:48
You know, we don’t, we don’t really emphasize it in school. But you know, in my own vision, I had very bad vision. When I was a child, I was very myopic. And I met a doctor who did this physical therapy, and I completely reversed my myopia. I don’t wear any glasses and 30 years later, so I’m a living example that you can do it and the eyes and brain have a plasticity. That’s the thing. And if you offer them new experiences, new pathways, you can improve your vision. And I think it’s coming more into things like occupational therapy, physical therapy, in some of the private schools, in sports. But I think in regular eye care, we’re so geared towards looking for disease and using pharmaceuticals and drugs and surgery, that there’s no place for exercises.
13:40
God bless America. One of the challenges in so many different areas, which is you know, you have American medicine, which is a pill surgery, doctor visit and then you have the whole eastern holistic world. And you know us years ago, we would talk about acupuncture, we would talk about mindfulness, Mind Body, medicine didn’t have to spell it. I think they come along how is the general medical world pay attention to your perspective, regarding eye care, or the optometry and ophthalmology world?
14:18
Well, I think it’s slowly changing because in the grass roots, the patients are asking for it. And because there’s so much emerging in the area of nutrition, functional medicine, acupuncture as you say, by the way many of the meridians in the body go to the eyes and so liver gallbladder you know those affect the eyes quite profoundly Yes. Emotional tapping. Yes, we
14:48
feature a lot you know, again, again, those points to make positive changes in the body. It’s funny years ago, they would say alternative men Listen to now we go you and start more arguments. So somebody that, you know, they say, Hey, what about complimentary? And I think, you know, that makes so much more sense. And again, in the area of high performance, I think again, this is something that seems to be paid more and more attention. You know, thinking about the guy in the batter’s box or whether it’s hitting a ball or moving in different directions. The whole life acuity is the things that can really be improved.
15:28
Oh my god, I’ve worked with baseball players, golfers, volleyball players, wide receivers, you know, it’s all about reaction time keeping your balance, tracking the ball while you’re, you know, up in the air. So there’s no question that sports vision is a huge, you know, it’s a huge support for athletes that want to you know, play at a higher level.
Thank you for listening. I hope you learned something from the EyeClarity podcast show today. If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to subscribe on iTunes or Spotify and leave a review. See you here next time.
Here is a peak into my San Diego Master Class where we work with essential oils and red light lenses. Enjoy the show.
If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com.
If you have any questions, submit them to hello@drsamberne.com or you can now text me! Text ‘Join’ to 1-844-932-1291 to join the community and ask your questions!
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
fennel, eyes, oils, work, glasses, frankincense, vedic, put, meditation, great, feel, carrot seed, gold miner, tonics, meditate, ophthalmology, smell, copper toxicity, funnel, people
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberne.com.
work on two aspects. One is the copper toxicity. And the other is improving your eyesight. So the way this is going to work is I’m going to run you through a process on how you can use the essential oils in this. So the first oil, we’re going to use his sweet fennel.
Fennel works great for digestion, you probably know about it. But the first thing we’re going to have you do is just smell it. That’s the first thing. It’s a now the next thing we’re going to have you do is, if I may have the inside part of your wrist, let’s do a test patch and see how that feels for you. Any burning any anything on your wrist that problem? Okay, so then the next thing is I like to layer the oils. And either you can use them, like we’re going to use them or you could have some coconut oil nearby, if it starts to get too intense. And so I use a drop of a set of nice, it’s very subtle.
Yeah, it’s very subtle. What we’re gonna do is we’re going to put it up here on either side. So it’s kind of in direct line with your eyes, but it’s not near you. Yeah, right about. And then the second place we’re going to do it is by the temple and the hairline, by the way, so yep. Right. And then we’re gonna do the zygomatic bone, or let’s say the cheekbone. So we’re kind of painting around these, these dots here. So we’re doing it here. And here. And here. And here. Here and here.
So this is the fennel. That’s the one we’re starting with. So let’s take a moment and see how that how that feels to you. Are you What are you experiencing? From the from the fennel? You can try it.
02:06
I think a sense of calm
02:08
sense of calm. Okay.
02:11
Then, sort of like love then
02:15
we can go into the emotional psychological, because these these can be very spiritual, actually. Yeah, there you go.
02:23
It’s also cooling I think in a bit
02:27
and I would say your your eyes situation, you have more heat coming out of your eyes. So anyway, we can kind of get more Yin into it. As you know. I don’t know what your Vedic Constitution is a more pizza. Yeah. So with pitta, you know, there’s a lot of mental activity.
02:48
Right. Right. Right. And the flex to the liver and the eyes.
02:51
Right. Exactly. Exactly. So the higher Vedic model life study that was you have and that’s another way to interpret.
03:03
I think fennel. My I already talked to India used to give me if you my kids had Boyles or any Oh yeah. eruptions. So 10 Raisins. So overnight with two or one teaspoon of fennel powder, we have completely removed all the data from the eggs. Options,
03:21
right? So that’s why I chose that for you. Yeah, I know you a little bit. So that was working with a beta on that one. All right. Now the second one we’re going to give you is currency. And I want you to smell it. First of all, make sure so all factory goes to the limbic brain. It’s really great as a way to introduce yourself to it. So what’s your experience with the currency? What do you feel? What do you notice?
03:49
It sort of goes to something? Liver,
03:52
yeah, it has, I think very little gold miner. And I see Yeah, that’s why I chosen it’s got some vitamin A and then of course, which is also really great. I let’s do a test patch on your skin. So if I take your wrist and just kind of see how that goes or what you feel, is it burning? It All? made sense? Okay, yeah. All right. So now we’re going to answer smells like name. Yes, it’s a little bit like me. So now we’re layering this right on top of the funnel because the funnel and the carrot see works synergistically. So again, good we can see here, here this is full scope optometry, isn’t it?
04:45
Right Yeah, that’s right. All right. So we’ve added the carrot seed here. Yeah, check that out. Money this physically, emotionally psychologically.
05:06
It’s triggering something like a pain sensation. I can feel some awareness of some Okay. tightness or
05:15
they will bring that up. Yes. lower
05:17
orbit area like like the lower eyeball. Yeah. Great.
05:23
So you may get some pain, it’s released. It’s getting rid of toxicities. You know, that retinal surgery you had. I still think there’s residue going on. I have this car. Yeah, you have the scar. So definitely, definitely. Okay. All right. So the third one we’re going to do is frankincense. So first off, just this is a really good frankincense from Somalia. I love it. It’s now frankincense can be very sticky, like resinous.
This one is not quite as much. Let’s do another test patch. There. Just to make sure that because if it burns at all, you can always put up this is for everybody out here. You can put it on the soles of your feet and good. It’s okay. Nice calling. Okay. Yeah, it’s a really nice one of my patients and locals. So again, we’re going to do it right on top of the other two. Sometimes I’ll put this on, and then I meditate. So this is just an idea for you. If you do meditation, frankincense has been known to be anti cancer, anti bacterial. It’s great for opening the third eye vision. So love to hear your
06:49
I think it does. Like influence like a state of trance.
06:55
Yeah, it’s a trance state. Yeah. So you’re going to configure your brainwaves are already going into a little bit of
07:03
influence, I
07:04
will be exactly you go with the
07:06
mind chatter. Yes. So you can
07:09
meditate? For sure. For sure. Now, after you’ve done that, I want you to put these red glasses on and see how see what comes up for you. So these are the red glasses from the UK and they’re nice. I like them to buy with my work with some tonics. Do you guys do some tonics? Okay. I figured out okay, we’ll do 670 In glasses, and I like that people can come up with their own light source. So that doesn’t need to be so bright. And it’s a bigger field. It’s you look out and it comes in. So what do you notice with this?
07:57
What I noticed is that that’s tres. De stresses me.
08:05
Does does Yeah, yeah. I like the combinations. What I do with people now we’re doing the oils and then we do the right glasses. Yeah,
08:13
you feel like you’re in a like a movie theater. You know, sort of like lighting just reduces the visual noise. Exactly.
08:27
Again, I’m going to bring you back to that study. That was in the investigative ophthalmology journal, where they did the red light, after people looked at the screens. The blue light creates more chaos in the eyes. You see what I mean? And you can do it longer than three minutes. And I have people that will do it. You know, I can forget. So you, you can definitely do. Well, three minutes is what Glen Jeffries came up with, but I have people to you just wanted to do more in the morning.
So what I have people do is they do the oils and the red glasses, and then some kind of meditation, okay. And I’m actually recording some meditations now that I’m going to put up online around the eyes. So when I have those, I’ll send them to you.
Thank you for listening. I hope you learned something from the EyeClarity podcast show today. If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to subscribe on iTunes or Spotify and leave a review. See you here next time.
Here is a peak into my San Diego Master Class. You can see how we work together to create a plan for her vision that will help move her forward and allow her to feel comfortable. Enjoy the show.
If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com.
If you have any questions, submit them to hello@drsamberne.com or you can now text me! Text ‘Join’ to 1-844-932-1291 to join the community and ask your questions!
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
prescription, glasses, vision, 350s, blurrier, peripheral, distorts, put, relate, cylinder, therapy, little bit, intuitive insights, feel, space, wear, relaxing, lenses, nearsighted, optometry
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberne.com.
All right, Justine, you’re the last one. So, tell me a little bit about your vision and how you became nearsighted. And now what was your what’s your history?
00:16
Yeah, so I started wearing glasses when I was in fifth grade. And my optometrist prescribed me very strong minus lenses, and didn’t tell me anything about visual habits. So I used to color and write really close to the page. And I used to watch TV, you know, from the distance of this computer screen.
And so my prescription just continued to climb and climb and climb throughout school. And it wasn’t until optometry school that I learned about good visual habits, about you know, relaxing your vision going outside, you know, not being so glued to the screens. But you know, with COVID and technology nowadays, we’re always on our screens.
And so I do vision therapy with patients. And so I’m actively doing the exercises with them, especially the diverging activities. And what I’m finding is I’m approaching 36 now, and I’m feeling like I’m getting early presbyopic kind of symptoms, where long term your work, it’s starting to give me strain and headaches, and I even put a little bit of bass in prison and my glasses just to help with that. But I’m still finding that my eyes get really tired by the end of the day.
01:41
Okay, well, one thing I can say right off the bat, that can really help you is have you ever thought about wanting to reduce prescription?
01:50
Yes, that is what I would love to strive to do.
01:54
Okay. So the way we should do this is, if you’ve got some filters, and you can get them then what will happen is I’m gonna have you wear them over this, and I’m gonna have no,
02:08
okay, I’ve got it. I’ve got.
02:10
So this is a plus 50. And I just want you to wear it over Are you minus six? Like, are you
02:16
are you so I’m actually I’m not minus six. So this one here minus 375 minus 175. Sell. So spherical equivalent is about a five ish, and then left is a minus five. So a lot of so here, zero so
02:33
so we’re going to try a couple of things. So put the plus with these over the glasses. Okay, so what do you feel? Comfortable? Some people what’s the difference?
02:48
Yes. So definitely more clarity, but I also feel more center not as peripheral. And then when I put these on blurrier, but I feel more open and peripheral things are a little bit bigger.
03:04
Now with your right hand, right, that one I think the pluses of the one okay
03:08
over well this might be minus blurrier How does it feel mentally emotionally? I feel almost like a tingling right here. My nose bridge. Okay. Maybe a little bit of nausea.
03:31
So the nausea is now we’re actually much more peripheral. Okay. So now compare the, the right the left hand and also you can look at your print through
03:57
the plus 50 is a lot easier to adjust to
04:01
Okay. You think you could work in this thing? And what about the point of it is just be clear without with a
04:13
much more relaxing and vigor with the sun.
04:16
So I think number one, I would cut back on half that’s too much. Okay. So I would I would have a prescription made up and just reduce it to happen a child can use it indoors but only use
04:35
it for use it for weeding is if the only time you need those would be for long distance driving. And I think that could be a game changer. That will definitely move you out of this. Unnecessary. Unnecessary presbyopia like as a as a mio item I think you can always under correct yourself. And you can always have a second prescription if the three way driving. But I think you’re over a minus two.
05:18
And so that would be the number one thing now. That’s first. Alright, so now this makes it a mind or the bottom makes it a minus three
05:34
just for the hell of it. Take the glasses off so now we’re balancing you with Miss cylinder in the right way the issue was this that’s going to be blurry on the right. And it’s going to be blurry on the left for different reasons. What’s it like to have symmetrical lenses with most soldiers?
06:01
Almost feels like you know, when you go to a fair and you go to that room where all the mirrors are, and you know, distorts the way that your body looks. It might Okay, looks distorted,
06:14
I want you to get up carefully get up and I want you to just walk a space that Be careful walking. And so what how is this reader?
06:32
It feels shaky, almost like my ground is shaking.
06:39
And so shaky say more.
06:42
I also feel a little bit you know, hesitant, insecure with my vision. Okay,
06:49
no problem. So how can you bring more proprioception in the walk way more maybe feel more grounded and Kirk receptively that cannot help you or is it
07:07
helps breathing and paying more attention to my feet on the ground?
07:14
Or now just stand there and take those and put your glasses on? Tell me who you become Who do you become who you become identified with a part of yourself and put those on?
07:34
Appeal like I identify more with my type a side.
07:40
Definitely detail and control. So just think about the love in your life, your relationship relating to that person through that lens and then taking it off and putting on the minds to 50s.
08:05
The softer, softer, you will be more receptive.
08:12
Definitely more understanding
08:16
will be important. Last two are
08:27
just says more of my relaxed side of
08:31
the table. So what how would it serve you to be more openness?
08:38
I would definitely feel less anxious
08:42
and get in less arguments with my husband. When I put on the glasses again. Why are your wife there’s no arguing with you. You have the right answer.
09:05
This is a very cool exercise.
09:10
Okay. No, it’d be really interesting for you to get a pair of minus 250s. Okay, no cylinder and start how often I would wear it, maybe just at home when you’re when you want to chill out and when relate to your husband because what’s going to happen is your energy is very different than most minus 350s His energy is going to change and you guys are gonna have a much more loving connection.
Yeah, exactly. You know, this prescription is it really puts you into a space of okay, I’m going to get things done, like you say type A. And so if you go plus 50 on these, and then the minus 350s I don’t care if it’s distorting or your, what it’s doing is it’s showing you what what is what the world is like without the war. And the work is just in your right side that a stigmatism. So it’s going to move you in a direction of more integration, it doesn’t matter that you don’t see things as clear that that’s irrelevant, because you’re gonna use them in spaces where you don’t need that requirement.
And I don’t want to if you start feeling nervous or frustrated, I can’t see then just put on your other losses. That’s going to be your signal. But who knows, like in six months, you could be in like a minus 350 in each eye. I mean, it could be, but just look at how different you are, energetically and relationally.
Need to have these. It could change how you relate to patients, you might get more intuitive insights. Because it’s hard to get the intuitive insights through those. I’m not saying you can’t, but I know I was in that world. You’re very structured and organized. And that’s that’s Optometry.
I mean, you know, that education, it’s very detail on through it. But I think in vision therapy, there’s an intuitive side to things right that you kind of feel okay, this is what this person, especially since you guys are doing the therapy. I love that you’re going that’s the way I was trained too.
Thank you for listening. I hope you learned something from the EyeClarity podcast show today. If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to subscribe on iTunes or Spotify and leave a review. See you here next time.
Today, I want to share three inspiring case histories, including my own. And in doing this, it may give you some inspiration and hope. Enjoy the show.
If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com.
If you have any questions, submit them to hello@drsamberne.com or you can now text me! Text ‘Join’ to 1-844-932-1291 to join the community and ask your questions!
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
eye, cataract, patch, doctor, reduced, nearsightedness, prescription, work, started, years, teaching, vision, sat, gave, progressive lenses, surgery, optometry school, program, circle, process
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting-edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberene.com. Now to the latest EyeClarity episode.
Hey everybody, it’s Dr. Sam. And I want to welcome you to another EyeClarity Podcast. Today, I want to share three inspiring case histories. And in doing this, it may give you some inspiration and hope. And so here we go. This is patient number one. And this is a gal who I met when I was teaching a month long program at the Esalen Institute in Big Sur, California. I was on the faculty at SLN, for about seven years, and I started off teaching the staff and the the interest in what I was teaching really grew to the point where I was then offered to be able to teach something called the legacy program, this is a month long program where people would come and pay.
And they would be residents of SLN. So they would work on the grounds during the day. And then they would take healing classes and there would be two teachers per month, who would offer you know, their healing modality, whether it be nonviolent communication, or you know how to become better at acting or creativity. Of course, mine was how to improve your eyesight and vision. And this was the first year that I taught the legacy program. And the first night when we got together, we got a big circle, there must have been about 25 people in my class, and you get them for the month. So you you have to design different, you know, different processes when you meet every night. And then there’s a halfway point where you actually do a one day intensive during the day so that every other everybody gets, you know, the day off from their daily activities and routines and work commitments.
So we were sharing in the circle, and there was a woman who had a patch on. And I said well, that’s very interesting. So we got to her and she said, Well, I was in a car accident about 12 years ago. And I really hurt my I went to a number of AI specialists. And nobody seemed to be able to help me. And the last doctor I went to said the best thing that you could do would just be to wear the patch full time. And that was about 12 years ago. So I went over to her and I sat down crossed to her and I said, Would you like to take that eyepatch off, she said, You know, I’m kind of afraid to do it. very self conscious. I haven’t taken it off in front of people in a very long time. So I said, Okay, you don’t have to take it off right now. But I’m going to give you the invitation that I want you to think about taking it off. And we’re going to do some different group processes to create some safety in this group so that you’re, you’re feeling safe. And about two nights later, we were doing a process. And I called on her and she said Alright, I’m ready to take the patch off. So she took the patch off. And that I was pretty much swollen shut. I mean, she could barely see out of it.
And she said, Here I am. Wow, this is very scary. It’s very revealing. And a few days later, I gave her a private session and actually what was happening is part of the eyesight, the clarity started to come back. And you know, I gave her some color therapy and some other eye exercises to begin to introduce that, that I that had been bought behind the patch to come back to life. And at day 29 You know, we were down at the end of our our time together. We all got to share, you know what we learned? And so she said, you know, by having the permission to be able to take the patch off And to be told that actually I could improve this I was life changing for me. And, you know, we all just kind of gotten a circle, we hugged her. And, you know, anyways, we ended the program, I went back home. And I got a email from her about three months later, saying that her eyes were now balanced, that this eye that had been behind the iPads for 12 years, she had brought it back to life with my help, and with the group’s help. And to this day, we communicate on Instagram. And it’s always really uplifting to hear from her because she’s doing great. She got a job that she really likes, she found a relationship. And so the moral of the story on this one is that,
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you know, when we’re told by the eye doctor, well, you’ve got this condition, and there’s really no help, you know, it’s only going to go one way, which is backwards. Again, we have to remember that the brain does have a certain plasticity, and part of vision is in the brain. And if we do certain, stimulating things to our vision, and we start to say, well, I’m going to do another course, I’m not going to listen to these doctors. Guess what, you have a chance to regain your vision. Alright, let’s go to case number two. This is a woman who lives in Santa Fe. And about four years ago, she made an appointment to come to see me and she’s in a wheelchair to 80 years old. And we really are not set up for, you know, handicap people. Because I’m in a home office now. And it’s a it’s a rural office. So it’s, you know, a lot of dirt. And you know, you have to kind of find your way to my geodesic dome, those of you that have seen me in my videos.
Anyways, her husband pushed her up the path. I helped her out of her wheelchair, brought her into the office, sat down and she said, you know, my doctor said that I have a cataract. And he tried to schedule me for surgery while I was sitting in the eye exam chair. And I think that I can heal this. And I think you’re the man that can do it. And I said, Well, let’s give it a try. So she was she had a cataract in both eyes actually was worse than the right eye than the left eye but I could see where the the eye doctor would say it’s time for surgery. You know, the rule of thumb for surgery, really is if it’s interfering with your daily seeing. She loves to knit she’s actually I found out later world class master knitter. She actually taught knitting and, but she was still able to do her knitting. Even with these cataracts forming, she had very thick glasses, very very farsighted, lots of astigmatism. She was in progressive lenses, you know, the invisible bifocals, and she said, I really want to work with you. So I said, Okay, so we started, she signed up for a series of six sessions and her husband would push, you know, the wheelchair every week and she would come rain and snow, sleet and ice, sun. Sunny weather. She She was dedicated. I saw that. And I gave her a nutritional protocol. We did eyedrops, we
09:09
did supplementation, we did physical vision therapy. And about a year later. She said to me while she was still coming as a patient,
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I think my cataracts are going away. And I also think the cataract in my left eye might be completely gone. So I did my exam on her and she was correct. The Left Eye had completely healed itself. The cataract was completely gone. The right cataract had reduced by about 75%. And to boot the glasses that she was wearing. She said you know they’re not working anymore. I think they’re too strong for me. And she was right.
So we can’t work We kept working and you know, fast forward. Four years later, she just turned 84. And the cataracts are completely gone. And the other thing that’s really amazing is that she’s out of the progressive lenses. So she’s not using those anymore. And her computer prescription and her reading prescription, the magnification power keeps reducing, like every three months, she’ll say to me, no, these glasses are too strong for me. They’re too strong for me. And so I’ve had to change the prescription, about four times. And she’s at the point now where her prescription is reduced by about 60%. This is unheard of for people over the age of 40, who are in bifocals. Nobody reduces their magnification. I mean, unless they’re working with me, but it’s an anomaly. And so here we are at 84. She sees 2020 a distance and 2020 at near. She’s reducing her prescriptions. She’s out of her progressive lenses. And she’s just, she just keeps going. So I’m just really amazed by that. So that’s case number two. That case number three is my story.
And many of you have heard that I’ve, you know, in bits and pieces, I’ve talked about it. You know, when I was eight years old, I was diagnosed with a learning disability and I was not reading. And I grew up in a family where intellectual academics was stressed reading, writing, conversing, you know, going to professional school, you know, those were things that my parents really on a value system, instilled in myself and my brother. And when I couldn’t read, my mom tried everything, bless her heart, and we ended up going to an ophthalmologist. And I ended up getting some nearsighted glasses and my eyes kept getting progressively worse. And I became a memorizer. That’s how I got through school. You know, I became adept at looking at a lot of different cues and signals from my teachers what I needed to do to, to get the grade to get the answer. And, you know, I made National Honor Society, and I never was very, very good at it taking tests. But I got better at that as well.
You know, I could figure it out. But by the time I was 28 years old, I graduated optometry school, I was significantly nearsighted to the point where I needed my lenses all the time. And I met an eye doctor who was a holistic eye doctor and I started to go to him as a patient. I paid him and I went to him. And he said two things to me said number one, the reason why you have a learning problem is that your left eye wanders out, and you’re not able to use your two eyes together. This was news to me, when I’m not when I was in optometry school. All the optometrist who, you know, examined me would say your eyes are healthy, and you got myopia. So the second thing he said is that he thought that the nearsightedness, the myopia that I had in my eyes, was just all based on tension that I had an effort, I had a way of effort seeing that he felt if I went through physical therapy, I could reverse all of it. So I started on a program with them. Six months later, my two eyes are working together. And I really started to love to read. Second thing that happened is my nearsightedness went completely away. And it started me along a path of helping people do the same thing. And what’s great about this is that I definitely have experienced it. So by experiencing it, when people come to see me,
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either in the workshops or in the, you know, in the private sessions or whatever, that I’m walking my talk that I, I’m in total belief that you can change your prescription, you can reverse your eye disease, you can reduce your learning problem. And so there’s a lot of really great attributes that come from being able to go through that process. So, that’s my story. I’m sticking to it. And that’s our show for today. I want to thank you for your participation, your contributions and most of all, spread the word. The more people that know about this, it’s going to help a lot and you know, you don’t have to live out your doctor’s diagnosis. All right, ladies and gentlemen, until next time, take care.
Thank you for listening. I hope you learned something from the EyeClarity podcast show today. If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to subscribe on iTunes or Spotify and leave a review. See you here next time.
I had the pleasure of interviewing Ed Justus, the owner of Talk Story Bookstore in Kauai, on my show ahead of my book signing this Friday, April 7th from 5-7 pm. Ed and I talked about how he started his store and what it’s like to run a small book store in Kauai. Enjoy the show!
Be sure to check out Talk Story Bookstore on Instagram.
If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com.
If you have any questions, submit them to hello@drsamberne.com or you can now text me! Text ‘Join’ to 1-844-932-1291 to join the community and ask your questions!
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
books, bookstore, authors, story, kawaii, friday night, business, customers, talk, started, book signings, generally, thought, sell, hobbies, debt, meeting, david bach, podcast, friday
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberne.com.
00:01
Hey everybody, it’s Dr. Sam and I’d like to welcome you to a special EyeClarity podcast today. So we have on the line, the owner of talk story books in kawaii gentleman’s name is Ed Jjustice. And I am doing a book signing at the bookstore this coming Friday. And well, I was curious about having it on and you know, as an independent bookstore, there are not as many of those I would like to see. But anyways, let’s bring Ed on to the program. So Ed, tell us a little bit about yourself and how you started the bookstore and give it give us your story.
00:52
Sure, thank you for having me on Dr. Berne. Why I’m originally from Virginia, actually, I came to Hawaii in 2002, just for a visit. And then when I got here, it felt more like home than any place I’ve ever been. So I just decided to stay. And I started over with a few $100 in my suitcases, and just took it from there. And month to month, I started going around to garage sales and picking stuff up and reselling it on eBay to make a living. And that’s after two years of doing that, that’s how it sort of became the bookstore. I never actually planned to open a bookstore, it just sort of happened. So there was a landlord couple in the town upon a paper they who I got to meet when I moved to the west side of kawaii and they, after talking with them for a little while they to make the story short, they actually offered me a space free per month to start a business.
And at the time, I didn’t have any background and books or retail or business. So I it just seemed like a good way to get the eBay, eBay product out of the house. And I figured it customers would walk into the shop maybe I might sell more the eBay product. But it seemed obvious once I removed all the stuff into the shop that it seemed like a bookstore and Curiosity Shop because I had about 3000 use books and a variety of Watson ends.
And that’s basically how it got started. And I I also didn’t know what to call it either because I didn’t want it to have a name that would be kind of typical, like paradise books or something boring like kawaii bookstore. I thought okay, what can we call it? So I put it out to the community to ask them, What would you like the store to be called. And eventually somebody came back with a name talk story. And it just fit it just felt right. And talk story is a local colloquialism, which means to chat or to shoot the breeze or to share his story. And that’s how talk story bookstore began back in 2004.
03:10
Yeah, I love to hear those stories, you know, has a because you’re, you’re an entrepreneur, you know, in some ways, and I know the magic of kawaii sometimes you go to a place and you never think you’re gonna stay there. And then all of a sudden, you become a pillar of the community. So what has been some of your most interesting, you know, authors and books that have come through your bookstore?
03:39
Well, every Friday night, there’s a hunt. There’s the 100 Pip, a Friday night festival in Artwalk. And that’s been going on for about 20 plus years. So when I started the store in 2004, of course, naturally, we decided to participate in doing Friday nights. So we had an open invitation for authors to come and do book signings on Friday nights. So we do actually get a fair number of local authors who would come in and have their books, be out front of the shop, do a signing, get the talk story with the customers. And we’ve had a wide variety of people from not only across the islands, but also across the state and across the country.
And also, even from other countries doing book signings as well. I mean, there’s more way more known authors, I would say, We’re nationally known authors who come and done book signings, like, let’s see Chelsea came, there was Wanda Brunstetter, and then there was a few other people been nationally recognized. So there’s a variety of people and the thing is, is we have an open policy so whatever your book is about or like Sure, go ahead do it. You know, We don’t really censor what is going to be presented. And we leave that up to the customer to make up their own mind. So it’s kind of fun for people to see who might show up on a Friday night.
05:12
You so this, this art event that you have every week? Do you have a, you know, kind of a regular following of people that they come every week and, you know, meet the authors, you know, how does that work?
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So the town’s event draws hundreds of people on its own. So our business is predominantly tourism, we probably about 80 to 90%. Tourism on Friday night is a huge drop, but it brings both locals and residents I would say probably at about a 6040 ratio. The cool thing about that is for residents, they get to come across new authors. But I wouldn’t say we have like a regular following those people who follow her on Instagram, and we post about which authors is going to be there, it’s of interest to them, they show up. But for the visitors, it’s like always unexpected. It’s I have no idea who’s going to be there. And they’re even surprised there’s an author out there in the first place. So it’s kind of this interesting synchronicity and people meeting meeting authors that they didn’t know they were interested in this subject, or sometimes they discovered, well, I was just thinking about this, and you happen to have a book about this. This is amazing. This actually happens a lot in the shop.
06:27
That’s great. So what would you say? Do you have a specialty of? You know, is it mostly fiction, nonfiction? You know, what? What do you specialize in?
06:38
Our focus is in being as diverse as possible, we try to have something for everyone, we try to carry every subject we possibly can. Sometimes the stranger the better. We generally, like I said, we don’t censor what’s in there, we just leave it up to the customers to decide what’s interesting to them. Because the truth is, if we only carried books that I liked, or I agreed with, wouldn’t have that many books to sell.
07:04
So true, yes. And what what have been your most influential books that you’ve read maybe one or two, that personally have really affected you?
07:21
Yeah, it’s interesting. There’s, there’s actually quite a few I’ve read that I really enjoyed. But I’d say, in thinking of the books that have made the biggest impact on me, that actually changed my life. One of them, believe it or not, is a book called Automatic Millionaire by David Bach. And this book is gives just such simple, no nonsense advice about how to help not only pay down your own debts, but also to build savings. And I was at one point $75,000 in debt. And because of the principles that he put in this book, I actually have no debt now. And I have a sizable savings. That was all accomplished within about five years.
And the cool thing about this is, it’s not like you have to go focus on money all the time. It’s because I don’t like that I just would rather live our lives and do what we do. And it’s just these little automatic things that you have set in place. And once you’re set in place, you just kind of set it and forget it and does its own thing. And so like I gave this book to a young man who graduated high school, about 10 years ago, and now he actually owns two homes.
Well, I mean, it’s crazy how simple this works. And it’s like, I wish every kid in high school could have been given this as a graduation gift, because they think it would have changed the economic situation as a whole. But yeah, simple advice to it’s not like crazy stuff. It’s just easy. Yeah, I was done. I didn’t, I thought I wouldn’t be in debt forever. But you know, it’s interesting.
09:00
It’s amazing how those books you know, kind of come in. It’s, you know, I’ve read a few of those myself. And you know, some of it is just so simple. And these authors just come up with such great ideas. And so they have a venue to come to you, which is really, really cool. So what do you do outside of the book, business? What are some of your hobbies? In quite?
09:30
Well, I don’t get out and hike as much as we would like to. I mean, it’s like kind of funny. You know, the beach is only about 15 minutes away. And since we’ve been down a lot of people think, Oh, if I moved to Hawaii, I’ll be in the beach all the time. Well, I maybe it feels like a surfer. It’s like your passion and hobby. But you know, as with all of us, life just kind of keeps going on but generally My own personal hobbies is I actually enjoy writing. I’ve been working on a multi part novel series for the last 20 years, starting to approach agents with it. And then on top of that on my other helping my wife with her graphic design business that’s turned into her full time business, stickers and artwork that she does is wholesale merchandise across the island. So that’s, that’s cool, elaborating and creating with her.
10:36
So do you use much social media in your business?
10:43
Um, not a lot. I mean, I would say most of our interaction with customers comes from people just walking in. And I’d say walk in customers is about 95% of our business. We do have social media presence, like Instagram. And generally my wife Uniko is the one who is more savvy with all that. So she’ll take photos and videos and do posts, stories and things like that. And that seems to be where we get most of our attraction for local residents who are following us to see what’s the news things we’ve got in number who’s going to be stopping by to do a signing, it’s, it’s kind of interesting, I just don’t have the time for it. Most of the time. I’m just so busy. There’s so many things to do at the bookstore. I always tell people, if you want to read for a living don’t have a bookstore.
11:33
I actually have some friends that don’t the bookstore in Humboldt County in California for many years. And they sold it and they retired here to New Mexico and they said the same thing. It was just so you know, involving to try to run a bookstore and manage employees and everything like that. So well, I I’m really looking forward to visiting you and sharing my information. Again, I will be there this Friday from five to 7pm. And I look forward to meeting you in person and thank you for your time to come on the podcast and I’ll definitely send you a copy of it. And, you know, thank you for for hosting me and and doing what you’re doing.
12:22
No problem. It’s our honor to have you and we’ll look forward to seeing you on Friday.
Thank you for listening. I hope you learned something from the EyeClarity podcast show today. If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to subscribe on iTunes or Spotify and leave a review. See you here next time.
So today, I want to help you effectively navigate the eye care system. I will walk you through how to find an eye doctor you are compatible with, help your eye doctor help you in the best way possible, and navigate surgery if the need arises. Enjoy the show.
If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com.
If you have any questions, submit them to hello@drsamberne.com or you can now text me! Text ‘Join’ to 1-844-932-1291 to join the community and ask your questions!
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
eye, doctor, prescription, eyedrops, holistic, stay, surgery, glasses, side effects, friend, functional medicine doctor, strong, stave, recommend, give, biological dentist, naturopath, tik tok, retina, fanciest
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting-edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberene.com. Now to the latest EyeClarity episode.
Hey, everybody, it’s Dr. Sam. And I want to welcome you to another EyeClarity podcast. So today, I want to help you navigate the eye care system. So we’re going to take a few minutes, I’m going to talk about ways that first of all, you can find an eye doctor, that you can maybe be compatible with number two, how you can help your eye doctor help you in the best possible way. And number three, if in fact, you do need surgery, what’s the best way to navigate? Alright, so let’s go to number one, how to find an eye doctor? Well, you know, the best way to do that I think is first of all, go on Google, and type in holistic eye doctor. Now you may or may not get somebody in your area, you may not even get a holistic AI doctor, you may get a holistic naturopath or functional medicine doctor or a biological dentist.
And so at this point, I would contact whatever comes up on the Google. And I would contact that office and ask them for a referral is there anybody they know. And maybe it isn’t quite a holistic II doctor, but somebody maybe who’s a little older, maybe who’s a little more gentle, little more middle of the road. It’s kind of hard to find holistic eye doctors, because in school, we’re not really trained to look at Vision holistically, only allopathic Lee, but many times there are doctors that at least are you know, they’re more reasonable in their attitude. And if you can find somebody like that, another way to do it is through your friends through your community to ask around, you know, who’s somebody that I have a holistic philosophy in my health, is there somebody that at least isn’t totally extreme, you know, that’s going to really, you know, just recommend surgery since I walk in the door. And there are doctors eye doctors out there like that. And that may be the best you can do in your area. So that would be number one.
The number two, when you go for your eye exam, I recommend taking a friend or family member and have a certain intention or focus on what you want to achieve. It could be, you know, I want you to check my health. I want you to give me a prescription for my glasses if that’s what you need. But I don’t want you to overcorrect me. And the way you do that is when he starts flipping the lenses, feel it in your body, feel it in your eyes. And you’re wanting to stay as close to the current prescription as you can. And you know, you need to stand up for yourself here. And you need to say I don’t want a super strong prescription. And most of the time, even if they don’t believe in you, or believe what you’re saying, if you are committed, because you know, the stronger the prescription you get, the faster it is going to weaken your eyes. So you want to stay in the area of something that’s more in the middle so you don’t have something that’s so strong that you know it’s going to make you dizzy, nauseous, or give you headaches.
All right. Now in addition to that, I would be very careful about going into things like progressive lenses, or bifocals. Especially if you haven’t done it before. You’re much better off getting two pairs of glasses, something for distance something for near. You want to stay away from things like mono vision, where they’re correcting one eye for distance, one eye for an ear. And you want to be conservative in what you’re wearing. You know these newfangled things that these these guys and gals want to prescribe. They end up in disaster. I mean, people come to me and they go, you know, I should have never gone down this road. I just had a guy yesterday. And he said, You know this is the busiest fanciest Ice Center in Santa Fe. And every time I come out of there, I get these glasses. I cannot see out of them. I keep going back and they just say get used to and I’ve gone to them three years in a row.
I am fed up. And so for the exam what I did is I reduced his prescription by about 70% He tried it on and he goes, Oh, my goodness, this feels great. I love this. So it takes an empowerment on your, you know, in your world to be able to say, I don’t want something too strong. And don’t give me all these bells and whistles. I’d even be careful about staying away from a lot of tints. A lot of coatings, because it ends up smudging the lens, it’s cloudy. And you know, the lenses just don’t last as long. And they’re expensive. So stay with, again, middle of the road. All right, number three surgery. So, first of all, if a doctor is recommending eye surgery, I would consider getting a second opinion, I would definitely do some research, consult with me or somebody like me. And before you enter into any surgery, you want to know what the side effects are, you want to know what the success rate is? You want to know, you know, what, what can I expect from this? And in some of the side effects, you want to know things like well, is this going to create dry eye? Is it going to create floaters?
Am I going to have a retina issue? What what are some of this and really, you know, if you can’t get those answers from your doctor, then you find a doctor who can who can tell you these things. And I would enter any surgical procedure very, very cautiously. Because, you know, there are side effects, especially to laser procedures, and, you know, procedures that are invasive. So that being said, you know, as long as the condition is not site threatening, and you’ve got even if you have four to six weeks, what I would say is start doing some of my protocols, and many times you can stave off the pattern and eventually turn the tide. So this is something again, where you go with a friend with an advocate and you don’t let them bully you into something or scare you into something until you are completely informed on what’s going on.
And this even includes pharmaceutical eyedrops. Things like eyedrops for Restasis steroid eyedrops antibiotic eyedrops a lot of times, there may be alternatives that you can use. And this is where you get the information and then you find somebody like me, and then there are ways that you can go I mean, acupuncture can be really helpful. cranial sacral therapy, lymphatic drainage, herbal remedies, plant any plant based medicines, natural eyedrops eye exercises, there’s so many things that you can do and you know another one that we don’t talk that much about because change your diet, you know, take a look at the diet that you’re eating and go more plant based, more rainbow vegetables.
Really good for your retina and vitreous and cornea and eyelids and eat an anti inflammatory diets using intermittent intermittent fasting, do a cleanse, you know, find a functional medicine doctor to help you because a lot of times these eye problems are based on either a functional problem in the eyes themselves. You’re wearing the wrong prescription or both eyes are working together. Or you have a biochemical or an endocrine imbalance that a good naturopath or a functional medicine doctor can help you with replenish yourself with these nutrients and then your eye tissue heals. So if you have any questions, feel free to email me hello@drsamberne.com appointments@drsamberne.com. Check me out on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube TikTok, Twitter and clubhouse. I’m here for you. That’s our show. Take care everybody.
Thank you for listening. I hope you learned something from the EyeClarity podcast show today. If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to subscribe on iTunes or Spotify and leave a review. See you here next time.
LASIK surgery is becoming more and more common. So today I want to talk about an article that came out discussing the side effects people have when they get LASIK and weigh the pros and cons of the surgery with you. Enjoy the show.
If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com.
If you have any questions, submit them to hello@drsamberne.com or you can now text me! Text ‘Join’ to 1-844-932-1291 to join the community and ask your questions!
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
Lasik surgery, eyes, prescription, Lasik, tik tok, refractive surgery, talking, nearsighted, blurred vision, people, procedure, eyesight, quick fix, experience, laser surgery, article, play, post, vision, put
00:01
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberne.com.
Hey everybody, its Dr. Sam, I want to welcome you to another EyeClarity podcast. Well, today, I am going to be talking about the pros and cons of lasik surgery. This is a surgery. It’s called a refractive surgery, the surgeon reshapes the cornea, and it helps you get rid of your prescription. Now, the reason why I’m talking about this today is that I recently put a post up on the platform tic toc. And I came out against LASIK surgery in this video. And the reason why I came out against it was due to 1000s of patients that I’ve seen over the years that had difficulty adjusting to this refractive surgery. And so I shared my point of view, which was that there are two types of prescriptions that we deal with the prescription that’s in our eyeballs. And the prescription in our brain, our mind our body that creates the prescription in the eye. Another way to say it is that we want to blame faulty vision on the eyeball. But it’s not the eyeballs fault. It’s the programming that we’re doing to our eyes, that causes the prescription to begin with. Well, the firestorm that I created on Tik Tok was amazing, I would say 95% of the comments, were so negative against what I had to say. And he was great, because it really got people to think.
And, you know, they, they talked about why they loved LASIK surgery and why it works so well. And how can I, you know, say such a thing, when when they had such great results. So some of the things I might say in this broadcast, might be a little offensive to you, as it was to the Tick Tock community. And my apologies. It’s not the reason why I put out my content. These are direct experiences that I’ve had. And I get to see people who’ve had the mistakes who’ve had the problems. So I’m not making it up. Definitely, there was a segment of the the posts that really spoke truth, at least through my experience. So I want to address LASIK surgery a little more deeply. And you be the judge. I’d love your comments, you can email me at hello at Dr. Sam berne.com. And I’d love to get into a dialogue with you. You don’t have to agree with me. That’s not the point. I actually love different points of view. So when LASIK surgery, usually it’s done for people that have moderate to high amounts of myopia, astigmatism.
And there’s some things that can go on with LASIK surgery, such as eye pain, intermittent blurred vision, or recurrent of the the old prescription coming back in the eyes, where you need glasses or contacts, halos around lights, double vision. So these things definitely are part of the terrain of what happens in this elective surgery. But it is a quick fix. It certainly will get rid of the prescription in the eyes, at least for a while. Now in my Tiktok community. There were people that said, you know, they had the surgery a long time. And they had kept their 2020 perspective. And so I want to I want to talk about 2020 for a minute. Just because you have 2020 That’s a measurement of your eyesight. That doesn’t mean that you have good vision. Vision is how the eyes and the brain and the body work together we start developing our ability to process information and move our body through space when we started creeping and crawling, crawling and walking and talking and catching a ball and riding our bike and later learning how to play baseball or tennis or ski or draw. So it’s a very A dynamic skill set. And just because somebody sees it clearly, it doesn’t mean they know how to use the hardware properly. And in fact, whenever you do any eye surgery, in my opinion, I think that you should do some physical therapy afterwards to encourage your brain to be able to integrate the new input that’s now in our on the eyes, whether it’s cataract surgery, laser surgery, or lasik surgery. So, with LASIK surgery, yes, you do get that clear eyesight, at least for a time.
But what ends up happening is that sometimes the body prescription or the mind body prescription is stronger than the LASIK surgery procedure. And this is why the eyes start to revert back to the pre LASIK prescription. For others, they need reading glasses and that’s kind of odd for nearsighted people because the part of the visual system part of the visual experience for nearsighted people is their adeptness to be able to see well up close. So there was an article that was put out in the New York Times in 2018. And the title of the article is called blurred vision burning eyes. This is this is LASIK success. And I’ll put this link in the notes along with the TIC tock video that I did. And in this article, the author’s talked about how people actually had chronic issues with their eyes post LASIK, probably the biggest issues that they had were dry eye halos around lights. Some people had intermittent blurred vision. And there was an interesting quote in the article. And it was from a former employee of the FDA. His name was Morris Waxler, retired senior FDA official, who regrets the role he played in lasix approval over 20 years ago. And in fact, he and another lady Paula coffer have started an advocate, laser group. And it’s called Laser complications.com 10 reasons not to have LASIK surgery. So I think it’s, it’s fascinating when we get into these conversations, and people who spend money on this procedure, which it’s a pretty expensive elective process procedure, that they’re going to defend it.
And that’s exactly what happened on Tik Tok, and more power to you. You know, my goal here is to create a container and a forum for people to be able to talk about their eyes and vision. I know in mainstream I care, it’s really about correcting you with the best possible 2020 eyesight using a lens and telling you that your eyes are only going to get worse as you get older. And things like physical therapy for the eyes. Is, is something that’s not going to work for you. I get that. But I’ve devoted my whole career to this perspective, this specialty. And there is a very small but very interested group of people who are tired of the same old thing. And they’re tired of being treated just with symptoms. And by the way, laser surgery is another symptom based technique. It will give you the quick fix for a while and it works for certain types of people. But before you go into it, you want to know about the side effects, what the effects are, what it what it’s all about.
09:36
So I’m really open to the conversation. I’m not saying that I’m right. I’m not saying that I have the only point of view. But it is a point of view that I do think needs to have a voice and that was my point on Tik Tok and this podcast and my content that sometimes I put out information that goes against, say, the mainstream and what they’re promoting, but I definitely have a, a background in being able to support it, whether it’s through science or clinical experience. So, I’d love to hear from you. If you’ve had LASIK surgery if it went well, if it didn’t go, well. A lot of the patients that I see those are the people where it didn’t go so well. And no, that’s why I’m here. So I want to thank you for tuning in for today. And until next time, take care.
Thank you for listening. I hope you learned something from the EyeClarity podcast show today. If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to subscribe on iTunes or Spotify and leave a review. See you here next time.
I wanted to share a few lifestyle tips with you today that can help improve your vision and eyesight. They are really simple steps you can take to improve your eyes. Enjoy the show.
If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com.
If you have any questions, submit them to hello@drsamberne.com or you can now text me! Text ‘Join’ to 1-844-932-1291 to join the community and ask your questions!
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
palming, eyes, sunning, stress, glasses, neuroplasticity, vision, blue blockers, creates, minutes, wearing, tinted glasses, number, contacts, opens, talk, good, recommend, closed, screen
00:02
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberne.com.
Hey everybody, its Dr. Sam, I want to welcome you to my podcast today. So I’m going to talk briefly about lifestyle tips to help you improve your eyesight and vision. These are really simple things to do, maybe you haven’t thought about them, but I have, and these work. So number one, you want to use your blue blockers for evening screen time. Or if you’re under LED lights, so anytime after 6pm You should be wearing your blue blocking glasses.
And of course, I like the blue blocking filters, you know, the ones I’ve made, versus the blue blocking tint. And I go into a lot of different video blogs on why I recommend the filter over the tint. But basically, the filter blocks the blue light without darkening the screen or creating an imbalance of color that comes into your eyes. And we know that you know light and colors of food and if you start wearing a lot of tinted glasses for long periods of time, what’s going to happen is this creates an imbalance of color going into your eyes, which is going to deteriorate them. Alright, so number one, where are your blue blockers for evening screen time. Number two, don’t put your contact lenses or your glasses on first thing in the morning when you wake up.
So go without them for 15 minutes, 30 minutes an hour, you know, while you get your tea or coffee or you’re meditating or, you know, go without them. And notice what you see what you feel. This is so great. In terms of accessing neuroplasticity, you know, I did a course couple months ago, part one part two on neuroplasticity and one of the things that I recommended for people to open up new pathways and perceptions in vision is to take your habitual glasses and contacts off. In certain non demanding situations that opens up the brain, it opens up the vision. And yes, it’s not comfortable and there’s, you know, blur you’ve got to deal with or distortion or disorientation. That’s all really good stuff to see and feel as a way for you to move out of the reinforcing influence that the glasses or contacts have on you. And then number three, do three minutes of sunning and palming daily to get rid of ice stress.
You know, one of the things the eyes are really good at is absorbing stress. And for most people, they have no idea how to discharge, this stress that gets accumulated. I mean, if you think about it, you’re focusing on a screen at 20 inches all day or your phone and the muscles are gonna get fatigued because they’re working in one position for a long period of time. So the stress builds up, builds up and this lowers the circulation and creates compression and the tissue dries out the eyes does a lot of negative things. And so you’ve got to do some neutralizing and that’s why I like to go outside with my eyes closed point my face towards the sun. And I do my sunning for a few minutes, morning and evening outside eyes are closed. So you’re going to be protected from any damage from the sunlight by closing the eyes. And then the palming exercise.
You know, on my website, I talk about something called the poem hum, we’re actually putting sound into your eye tissue. While you’re palming, you can find that video readily available. So those are the things that help get rid of stress. So to summarize, wear your blue blockers in the evening. Number two, don’t put your contacts or glasses on first thing in the morning and number three, spend three minutes twice a day doing your setting and palming to get rid of your eyes stress. So I want to thank you for joining me today. Until next time, take good care.
Thank you for listening. I hope you learned something from the EyeClarity podcast show today. If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to subscribe on iTunes or Spotify and leave a review. See you here next time.
Here’s a quick history on how I created my Masterclass. Enjoy the show.
If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com.
If you have any questions, submit them to hello@drsamberne.com or you can now text me! Text ‘Join’ to 1-844-932-1291 to join the community and ask your questions!
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
master class, work, observers, vision, person, teaching, la jolla, cataracts, breakout groups, unlock, macular degeneration, gestalt therapy, esalen institute, afternoons, day, action plan, blocks, improve, good, month
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberne.com.
Good morning, everybody. I’m getting ready to teach my master class here in La Jolla. And it’s going to be a good day because we have some interesting people coming. And I’m sure between the Zoom observers and the in person observers, we’re gonna have a great time. Now, this concept of masterclass came about when I was teaching at the Esalen Institute, in Big Sur, and it came about when I was teaching my month long workshop there, we actually had the same people for the entire month. And we used to have breakout groups, few afternoons a week.
And this is where I got to work with each person individually, while people in the group could observe. And they did it with the Gestalt therapy that was offered at SLN. And I said, Well, why not with the vision work. So in a master class, I choose one person, they come up and they sit on the hot seat. And they share with me what they want to get out of our our mini session, and I started working on them. So if you’ve got cataracts or macular degeneration, double vision, you know, it’s not going to get rid of everything.
But it’s a good start, and being able to ignite and stimulate an action plan so people can start making changes, you know, in any vision improvement experience. It’s a process and it takes time to make the changes that you need in order to improve. But a lot of times, we can unlock some of the blocks and it can create an accelerated change. So I’ll report to you after the day. Let you know what we’ve come up with. But I’m super pumped with this group.
Thank you for listening. I hope you learned something from the EyeClarity podcast show today. If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to subscribe on iTunes or Spotify and leave a review. See you here next time.
Today we’re covering Salzman’s Nodular Degeneration. This is a condition that affects the front part of the eye. It’s a slow degenerative condition that tends to affect women more than men. One of the major symptoms is feeling like you have something in your eye even though you don’t. Enjoy the show.
If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com.
If you have any questions, submit them to hello@drsamberne.com or you can now text me! Text ‘Join’ to 1-844-932-1291 to join the community and ask your questions!
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
eye, condition, osteoporosis, affect, cornea, symptoms, call, functional medicine doctor, clarity, pharmaceutical drugs, msm, holistic, degeneration, dystrophy, blue blockers, spotify, podcast, give, addition, underlying
00:05
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberne.com.
00:45
Hey everyone, its Dr. Sam and I’m on my morning walk. I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast today. And I’m going to take a question from a listener. She’s got a condition called Salzman’s Nodules degeneration. And this is a condition that affects the front part of the eye. It’s a slow degenerative condition, and it affects women more than men. It tends to happen in both eyes. And some of the symptoms that you can experience would be things like when you blink, we call it a foreign body sensation. This means that you think or feel like you have something in your eye even though you don’t. But it is troublesome because there really isn’t any treatment for it except sometimes you can do some pharmaceutical drugs.
And so I want to give kind of a more holistic integrative perspective on this condition. So the first thing I want to say is that in some of the research that I’ve seen that there’s a connection between osteoporosis and Salzman’s Nodules degeneration. In addition, there’s a problem with what we call polysaccharides. And this seems to affect the connective tissue in the joints. So it can lead to things like arthritis. And again, osteoporosis is another issue that occurs. So there’s a systemic thread in what we see in the eye. I’ve also seen this condition come up around people who have some type of corneal dystrophy. And there are a lot of different ones out there. keratoconus is one there’s a superficial we call epithelial dystrophy. So in any event, as I said that pharmaceutical drugs are really the only thing that’s offered as a symptom approach. So I want to give some, some guidance on possibly some other things that you could do.
So first of all, I would recommend hydrating your eyes a lot more. You could do things like the MSM eyedrops, I would probably do the 5% I would do those four to six times a day one drop in each I remember MSM is a software molecule it’s also been called a collagen creator the cornea is made up of mostly collagen so it’s definitely going to sue the lubricate the cornea area and then in the evening I would definitely do some type of castor oil I massage on the eyelids you know I find that castor oil can be used like an ointment that actually can lubricate and moisturize not only the corneas but the eyelids so when you place the castor oil on the outside part of the eye, it will start to go into the eye throughout the throughout the night. I would also make sure you’re getting enough fats and oils. You know omega threes are really important for many different things but especially I hydration and reducing inflammation because I feel that there is an underlying inflammatory situation going on systemically.
So this is where you want to make sure digestive Lee you’re doing really well your microbiome is working and that you’re absorbing your nutrients really well. You might even consider if you work with a functional medicine doctor. Things like a ketogenic diet moving more in that direction or even doing some intermittent fasting but I wouldn’t take those on until you talk to your your general doctor functional medicine doctor naturopath also looking at things like you know, immune Health allergies, these are issues that can be, you know, underlying causative factors of why these nodules start to occur. And so it’s going to take both a systemic and probably even a metabolic analysis from a holistic doctor to really check in to see how much systemically this is affecting the eyes. And as I mentioned, with osteoporosis, you know, looking into that maybe getting some bone density testing, and seeing if there is a connection there.
Obviously, you know, when you eat a diet that’s moderate to high in carbohydrates, this is a red flag as well, not only for this condition, but for many others. And of course, we know that processed sugars affect the eyes profoundly. I don’t even consider the red light glasses, they could be very helpful as well. Again, in the Geoffrey’s lab, they found that red light helps improve the mitochondria function reduce inflammation, and they even talk about how it might reduce some of the dry eye symptoms. Speaking of dryness, if you use a screen, make sure you’re using blue blockers, especially after 6pm. But at the other side, make sure you’re getting 30 to 60 minutes of natural sunlight like I am right now, during the day. And these are all things that not only help your eyesight, but also your circadian rhythms and just just balancing your endocrine system.
And of course, on a functional level, you know, what kind of lens prescription are you using? Hopefully, it’s not monovision, or progressive lenses. And then in addition, you know, if you’ve had cataract surgery or LASIK surgery, I would really focus on hydrating the eyes even more, and maybe even doing some physical vision therapy to help get your two eyes to work together. So there’s no real answer to this condition. It’s really it’s one of these situations where if you can boost your eye health, a lot of times these diagnoses can fade into the background. So they aren’t really affecting you very much. And that’s how I work with this condition. So I really appreciate the question. Thanks so much for tuning in. And that’s our podcast for today. So I wish you very well and until next time, take care
07:46
Thank you for listening. I hope you learned something from the EyeClarity podcast show today. If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to subscribe on iTunes or Spotify and leave a review. See you here next time.
I wanted to share this session with you where I’m giving some advice to a patient facing cataract surgery. We talk about how to prepare for the surgery, the effects of blue light on the new intraocular lens that’s put into the eye, how to manage the cataract post surgery, and then some other things that you can do in terms of physical therapy for the eyes after the surgery. Enjoy the show.
If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com.
If you have any questions, submit them to hello@drsamberne.com or you can now text me! Text ‘Join’ to 1-844-932-1291 to join the community and ask your questions!
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
eye, lens, surgery, cataract surgery, blue, supplement, called, prescription, cataract, light, doctor, cranial, nearsighted, macular degeneration, eyedrops, lenses, exercise, dryness, gallbladder, hum
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberne.com.
Hey everybody, its Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. So today I’m giving some advice to a patient facing cataract surgery, how to prepare for the surgery, what are the effects of blue light on the new interocular lens that’s put into the eye, how to manage the cataract surgery post surgically. And then some other things that you can do terms of physical therapy for the eyes after the surgery, and also some other tidbits. So I hope you enjoy the show. Thanks so much for tuning in. So in terms of preparing for the surgery, there’s a couple of things that you can do to prepare yourself the first thing and this is being recorded for you, so you can go back and listen to it. Okay, is that when you meet with the surgeon, what you want is as follows This is what you want, not what he wants to do to you. You want to get a simple lens to put into the right eye that is going to match your left eye to be able to see well in the distance. So that the prescription that he’s going to put in there, as soon as he puts it in, it’s now working with the left eye. So some some things that they might want to do is say, well, let’s correct the right eye for reading.
01:43
Don’t do that.
01:48
Let your brain Yeah, you’re gonna regret that. Also, I wouldn’t get in a stigmatism prescription in the right eye, I wouldn’t get they have these fancy lenses, which they charge you a lot more for. So the thing is, is that you just want to match the right eye to the left eye for distance.
02:13
Yeah. Okay.
02:15
Now in terms of getting ready for preparation, using some hydrating eyedrops a couple of days before you go into the surgery would be helpful. So whatever eyedrops you have not the ocular Med, but you can do
02:33
terribly.
02:35
It’s actually got a preservative in it that some of my patients don’t like, and I’ve stopped recommending it, you know, there’s a real connection between the mind body and your eyes, you know, there’s a real mental, I know, right? So visualizing is great, you know, meditating. So you want to get yourself in a calm space. You know, I call that the parasympathetic nervous system, because the more you can be in that, you know, that theta brainwave, like I’m chilling, however you get there and be in that for you know, three days before the surgery, whether cranial work whether you get some acupuncture or whatever, you know, it’s less about the modality and more about the practitioner supporting your nervous system. And so and again, you know, I nutrients are helpful whether you do you know, colorful vegetables and the berry family, you know, the fats and oils, omega threes, you know, all you’ve been following this, whether you whether you do ice supplements, or you know, whatever you do, and, and so you get yourself into a state of consciousness that you can go in there, and because your system is so relaxed, you’re just gonna fly right through it.
And then after the surgery, you can use the MSM drops, you know, I wouldn’t use your phone intensely right after the surgery, and but you’ll find after about two or three days, and you’ll I mean, you’ll within an hour, when you walk out of there, you’ll go Oh, my God, you’re seeing like a jet pilot, because your right eye is no longer going to be cloudy. And I agree with Mayor Snyder, that with this amount of cataract, you will have a transformation and the healing right away and for you the healing is to do the surgery. You know for some people the drops work, but for you, the healing is I go through the surgery, I get this new lens in. And then once you’ve got that you’ll probably need To go to the drugstore and get yourself a pair of readers, maybe I don’t know, but the you might lose a little bit of your near vision from that, and blues. Well, in other words, it depends on if, if the doctor makes you farsighted it distance or keeps you nearsighted. So if you’re nearsighted, you have good near vision. So let me jump in here for a second.
You know, when you get cataract surgery, the deal is, is that you want to match both eyes for distance. And if you’re nearsighted before the surgery, it would be the best to be nearsighted after the surgery. So you still have some near vision, what happens sometimes is people that are nearsighted The Doctor makes them far sighted, and then they lose their near vision. And that way they would need magnification lenses. Now on the other side of the coin, if you’re farsighted and doctor makes you nearsighted, then you will be more apt to focus without lenses up close. But usually what happens is you become more farsighted. Once you’ve had cataract surgery. So the deal is, is that once you have had the surgery, you go for an eye exam. And at that point, you decide, okay, this is the prescription I need for the computer. And that one is going to be different than the prescription you might need for your phone or your reading. Now, the next issue is blue light. So I want you to listen to my comments about that. Because you can ask the surgeon is does the lens have a blue blocker in it? I asked him what he say. So let me explain. And you’ve probably seen this on my content. But yeah, our original lenses, at about age nine, develop some blue blocking capability, they can block a little bit of the blue light. But there’s definitive research now that says that blue light dries the eyes out, dries the tissue out. And in extreme cases, it can start to cause macular degeneration. So when you get the cataract lens put in, you’re vulnerable to the blue light exposure.
I’ve seen this many times with people after cataract surgery, about a year later, they start developing macular degeneration because they weren’t told to get a blue protect lens. So that is something that you want to do. And you know, it’s like after 6pm You know, the sunlight actually has blue light that’s healthy for you. And to get out in the morning light is really good. The research says if you get out in the morning light, it increases your dopamine levels. So your moods better, it helps you focus better, more concentration, it balances your circadian rhythms. And it just improves your vision. So it’s not that all blue light is bad for you. But when it comes off the screen and you’re doing a lot of it, you want to protect yourself especially at this point where that right lens is not going to have any protection. And there’s a difference between a tent and a filter. I don’t like the tent, because it dilates the pupil because it makes things dark.
So negative light is going to get in there from the screens. And it also creates a discoloration in your body. So you’re looking for a blue blocking filter. Now I’ve made one I sell them. And you know, you could contact us and you could tell us what prescription you need it in, that would be really good. And so my lens doesn’t have a tint, I put the filter on the back of the lens. It’s anti glare, UV protection. So you get very a clarity good clarity optics, but it protects you from the blue blocker. Now another thing you can do on your phone, is there’s a company that I’ve worked with called Oculus shield. I got that, okay, and that’s great to have that on your phone as well. In your case, I got on this screen too on the screen. So you’re you’re way ahead. And then the third third thing you want to make sure is that you’re getting about 16 milligrams of lutein, about four to six milligrams of xanthan, and about six to 12 milligrams of Asda Xanthine every day. Those three carotenoids protect the macula against blue light and ultraviolet. And so you can get those in your red, orange, yellow green vegetables or you can take a supplement.
You get the Astra xantham from Pink seafood. But if I were you, you know vide had cataract surgery I would be making sure I’m taking a really good ice supplement. And I would also do all the things you’re doing with the blue light protection, so that you’re protecting your retina and macula, from developing macular degeneration. So, however you want to do that now I’m going to bring something else in that I learned in functional medicine that I don’t see eye doctors talking about, and that is the liver and the gallbladder health because I’ve studied Chinese medicine.
And the liver rules the eyes, the liver produces bile, and the gallbladder stores the bile. And Bile is needed to help you absorb the fat soluble eye vitamins like vitamin A, lutein and zeaxanthin. And if you aren’t producing enough bile, you can take all those you know fat soluble vitamins but you’re not absorbing them. So you might consider taking some bile salts, that might be something if you if you feel there’s a problem with the liver and or the gallbladder. If not, then don’t worry about it, but you can kind of track it. Some other things about vitamin A, they like zinc. So make sure you’re you’ve got some zinc going on in your in your diet somewhere pumpkin seeds is a good source, or you can supplement with it. You can also do glutathione and vitamin C and that will protect your left eye you’re probably doing that already. Yeah. Then the glucose level. So there’s something that happens in the cataract formation called glycation, where a glucose molecule in the blood attaches itself to the protein molecule in the lens, and it creates a cataract. It’s called glycation. So you need to monitor your glucose levels, I actually created a supplement called Berberine which helps balance the glucose levels and I use it in my lens Health Formula. Alpha Lipoic Acid is also great for the lens and acetylcysteine and a C glutathione. Vitamin C
12:03
they get like many many bottles or no
12:06
you can get him through like with glutathione you can get that through your cruciferous vegetables, sulfur based foods, onions, garlic leeks, no, no, no, you don’t have to do all kinds of supplements. But you know vitamin C, you can get it through your citrus fruits, your berry family, very good for the retina. So in I would rather get get see you get it through your diet. And then supplements are just that they supplement. In these next segments I talk about some of the side effects that can occur from cataract surgery, the value of red light therapy, then I have a cool story, how I give a lecture to a group of optometry students. And they share with me what their professors have taught them. And it’s just an interesting juxtaposition to what I am sharing with them and where they’re at. And then I bring in the modality cranio sacral therapy, what is it? How do I use it and how does it work? So enjoy these next few segments.
One of the side effects of cataract surgery can be dryness. So if you got my castor oil eyedrop you can use it like an ointment in the evening where you put it lightly over the eyelids and it will seep into the eyes and they will moisturize and it won’t it has no negative effect to the lens. Since you’re used to castor oil I made this organic castor oil I drop which is wonderful for dryness. And the other side effect could be floaters. And if you start getting those then you want to just up your MSM eyedrops, I would get my 15% because they work well with reducing floaters or having some pineapple every day. Bro. Mylene helps improving your lymphatic situation also helps doing the liver detox also help. And then the last thing and you’ve probably seen me talk about this is the value of red light and how it improves the mitochondria in the retina. Have you seen my posts on red light? Do you know but I thought
14:29
you had designed these new red grid glasses. Yeah.
14:34
And what they do is they stimulate the mitochondria in the eye. So what is mitochondria? These are small organelles that produce ATP that get rid of toxins. Oxidative stress is and in the studies they took people who had no degeneration issues in the eyes, and they looked at the red in the morning for about 12 weeks and they improve their ability to read the eye chart by over 20%. It’s a huge improvement. So after about age 3540, we start to lose a little bit of our mitochondria function.
And, you know, once we hit, you know, 6070, we’re having some eye issues, this red light is a great rejuvenator, so to speak, in the blue light research, the manufacturers have not caught up yet to put the blue light. In other, there’s maybe one or two companies that are putting the blue light into it, but it’s not mainstream. And this is what happens in you know, the AI research is very, very slow. And so you have to be proactive. And, you know, this is what’s happening more and more in health, is you have to take more responsibility for your eye health, because the information you’re gonna get is, okay, kid, you got this situation, we’ll watch it.
16:06
Ya know, and
16:07
that’s insane. You know, I remember giving a lecture to a group of optometry students. And they were all in their white coats, you know? And I said, Okay, everybody, ladies and gentlemen. I and I went through case histories of all the eye diseases and how I reversed them. And I said, Okay, who here? What happens when you get a an eye diagnosis in your office? And they raise their hands and say, Well, we were taught to watch it. Well, would you like a more proactive way? Well not know, you know, our professors have said, we just watch it. And then when it gets bad enough, we just do surgery. That’s it. That was their mindset. Well, I wasn’t certainly going to try to talk them into something. But I did all this research on acupuncture. Oh, my God, Chinese medicine is great for the eyes, group of osteopaths got together. And they started to take a look at the circulation. Now the brain is made up of over 50% fat, but it’s swimming in cerebral spinal fluid. And that cerebral spinal fluid actually travels up and down the spine all the way to the tailbone.
And what they developed was a form of treatment, where you would lie down, and the doctor or the therapist would hold your head, and very lightly, they can start to feel the cerebral spinal fluid movement or lack of movement. Now the bones are part of that the fascia that connective tissue. And so the doctor could diagnose where there’s restrictions in that fluid body where the flow is not flowing. And so they would work with the patient to help them remove the restriction of the, of the flow, whether it’s, again, cerebral spinal fluid, or just what’s in the fascia, connective tissue, the bone movement. And it’s kind of like a respiration, like when you feel your butt, it’s called the cranial rhythm. But it’s a very subtle, kind of, if you look at my hands, this is the movement that your cranial system is making. So it’s the nerves, it’s the muscles, it’s the fluid. So you could go study it, and bow 25 years ago, I was working with an occupational therapist, they do a lot of work with autistic kids. And all these kids had birth trauma.
And she said, You know, I think it’d be good for you to go back to massage school, and learn cranial sacral therapy, you could help release the birth traumas. So I did and I went through an intensive training for many years. And then what I started to do with people, they would come in for their eye exam, and I would measure their eyes and then I would do an hour of cranial sacral on them. And then I would measure their eyes again, and their prescription was reduced by 3040 50%. And that’s what I would give them. They loved it. They loved those reduced prescriptions because their system had come back into balance. Then I started to work with people with astigmatism.
Now what that is, is it’s a twist in the body that shows up in the eyes and the eye doctors give you an astigmatism lens in the eye will logs the twist into the body. So what I did is I started to unwind the body, and then I wouldn’t give the astigmatism in the eye and guess what the astigmatism in the eye would go away. So a question I get a lot when people have had cataract surgery, do exercises help and If so what do they do? Well, yes, you know, when you get any kind of surgery, doing physical therapy afterwards helps you integrate the surgery. And in the eye care field, that’s not really recommended. And I find that after cataract surgery, the brain needs some integration with the new prescription. And so in this segment, I talked about the best eye exercises to do to integrate the eyes and the brain in the body after cataract surgery after the surgery, and it’s gonna go great.
Once you get that, and you know, you get the lenses, the glasses for reading if you need it, and don’t strain if you need a little bit of magnification, and you’re not sure then contact me. Okay. But the thing is, is that then, you know, you may need to hydrate your eyes, take a little better care of them, you know, post surgically if you have a little dryness, and then there’s an exercise on my website called the Yin. So it’s why I N young yng in yin yang peripheral vision exercise. And that is a good focusing exercise for you that makes you use your two eyes together. So it’s going to help your muscles have more flexibility. I did a video on it, there’s a chart you download and you print out. I would do that about three times a day as a physical therapy. So like you go into physical therapy after surgery, you’re going to do two exercises. The first is the Yin Yang, peripheral vision focusing exercise. And the second one is called the palm hum exercise. Now that palm hum exercise, I actually develop that from continual movement. And what it is, is that I took mer Schneider’s palming exercise, and I said, What if I put sound into the eye tissue. And so you rub your hands together, you cup it over the eyes, the eyes are closed, you breathe in through the nose. On the exhale, you make a humming sound, you make a sound, and your hands are like tuning forks. And the sound is going to go into your eyes and it’s gonna clean up any of the residue that’s there. And you do like eight hums. You know each cycle, inhale, exhale, do the hum. So you can really hear it.
So you feel the light in your face. And after those eight hums and you’re you let your hands come down and you slowly open your eyes, you will see things much more clearly. And your eyes will feel much more relaxed. So I’d like you to do that one three times a day as well. So in all it’s gonna take you maybe five minutes to do the Yin Yang peripheral vision exercise, and then the palm hum. And you do that for a month. And that will solidify the right eye, integrating with the left eye at a distance, it will relax your two eyes and your eyesight will be really, really clear on an end note here. If you have a ripe cataract, my suggestion is get it taken out. And you will have a great result. You know the success rate of cataract surgery is so high because they’ve done so many of them. So my suggestion is get the surgery, do these physical therapy things afterwards. Talk to the surgeon about the kind of prescription you want to have post surgically and you’re good to go. So that’s our show for today. I want to thank you so much for tuning in. Take good care.
Thank you for listening. I hope you learned something from the EyeClarity podcast show today. If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to subscribe on iTunes or Spotify and leave a review. See you here next time.
I get so many questions about retinal detachment, so here is a deep dive on the topic and I hope it helps. Enjoy the show.
If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com.
If you have any questions, submit them to hello@drsamberne.com or you can now text me! Text ‘Join’ to 1-844-932-1291 to join the community and ask your questions!
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
retinal detachment, retina, eye, carotenoids, omega threes, important, fluid buildup, prescription, surgery, talk, omega, stress, starvation, lutein, lens, eyeball, ophthalmologist, care, anti inflammatory agent, nearsighted
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberne.com.
Hello, everybody, it’s Dr. Sam and I’d like to welcome you to another EyeClarity Podcast. Today I’m going to talk about retinal detachment. And I bring this up because one of the students in my six week intensive, has been dealing with post surgery of retinal detachment. In fact, she had two surgeries. And I went over what can be done after you have had the surgery? And let me make no mistake mistake about it.
You definitely need surgery, if your retina detaches. Now, what causes retinal detachment? I get this question a lot. And there’s a variety of factors I think one of the factors is being nearsighted and and so if you’re moderately to high, nearsighted, have a near sighted prescription, I would say anything over minus four, you’re going to have a higher risk of developing retinal detachment because what happens in a retinal detachment is as the eyeball changes its shape. It can start to cause the retina to thin. And if the retina is already weak, and I’ll talk about reasons why the retina may be weak, then you’re definitely more at risk for developing some kind of retinal whole retinal detachment. In addition, I also feel that if you’ve had head trauma, if you’re under a lot of visual stress, if you suffer systemic inflammation these are some of the reasons why the retina comes away from the rest of the eyeball.
And my practice, one of the biggest reasons I see retinal detachment has to do with a fluid buildup behind the eye. And this has to do with conditions like what macular degeneration or hyper retinopathy is like diabetic retinopathy or hypertensive retinopathy. Whenever you start getting fluid buildup behind the retina, you definitely are more risk for part of the retina to break away or in terms of traction, pull away. And if that were to happen, you will start to see flashes of light, you might start to see a curtain come over your eye. And that is a sight threatening condition you want to get yourself to the nearest local ophthalmologist and get it put back in there are a lot of different ways now that surgeries are done. You’re going to need to go through a post operative period of rest. And once you get through all of the surgical procedures and you know all of that all of those situations.
My recommendation and is what I told this student of mine. It’s really important that you are taking the carotid noids lutein, z is Anthon and asked to Xanthine you know I talk about these a lot. These are the carotenoids that are pigments that protect not only the macula, but also the retina. The to plant carotenoids, lutein and zeaxanthin. You can get those from your rainbow vegetables. And the acid Xanthan is a marine carotenoids. So you’re gonna either have to get that through seafood, especially the pink seafood like salmon, or shrimp. And if you don’t want to go that route, you can do micro algae, acid Xanthine, supplements, omega three fatty acids, you know, there’s so many of my patients, I’ll say, Well, are you taking regular omega threes? And they say no. Well, yeah, you know, and so they, they do it for a while and they they stop but make no mistake about it. Omega threes are so important.
We don’t we don’t produce those in our body. So the DHA and the EPA part of the Omega three is so important for a variety of different conditions, dry eye. Glaucoma, cataracts. So in terms of prevention, also, Omega three is so important for brain health, our nervous system, and it acts as such a strong anti inflammatory agent, you have to consider omega threes. I also think things like vitamin C, bilberry, gingko, trans, resveratrol, saffron, curcumin, these are all things that either you want to include in your diet, or through supplementation. Again, you want to really boost antioxidants. The retina has one of the highest metabolic needs of the body. And for most people, they’re in a starvation state in Their eyeballs. And that’s part of why the tissue breaks down. And why we get all these, you know, eye conditions and eye diseases, because we’re just living in a starvation state and the dehydration state. So including these, they help improve circulation, they boost antioxidants. And it’s just a no brainer, yeah, have to take better care of your diet and nutrition. wearing blue blocking glasses or getting a blue blocking shield is so important. And if you don’t do that, it really dries out the retina. And if you do wear a prescription, you need to be careful, are you using a single vision lens, a progressive lens?
Again, I don’t feel using a progressive lens is the right optical system. If you’re doing hours of screen time, you’re better off using his single vision lens. And my eye exercises. I have seen time and time again, when people start doing my eye exercises regularly. Their eyes are moisture, they’re more moist, they’re seeing more clearly, they have less tension and stress. So it’s it’s really important to do these eye exercises. You know, if you think about how much time we’re on the screens, and we’re focused in one distance for long periods of time. We need to move and use our eyes in a variety of different ways. And when we do that, we create more flexibility and versatility in the eye brain connection. So retinal detachment is a scary syndrome. It’s a scary disease that can occur. Again, you can be proactive by, you know nutritionally taking better care of yourself reducing your visual stress, doing my eye exercises, being conscious of the kind of lens prescription you might be wearing. And if it does happen, there are things that you can do afterwards to reduce the aftershock. So it doesn’t happen again. So that’s our show for today. I want to thank you so much for tuning in. Until next time, take care
Thank you for listening. I hope you learned something from the EyeClarity podcast show today. If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to subscribe on iTunes or Spotify and leave a review. See you here next time.
Today I’m bringing you behind the scenes of a session I did with somebody who’s dealing with nearsightedness and presbyopia. He’s a bit frustrated with the reading glasses because they’re making his eyes worse. So, I unpack his visual situation and we get to the root cause of his visual issues. Once we get to the root cause, we can begin to work on his visual transformation and we can work toward getting rid of his glasses. Enjoy the show.
If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com.
If you have any questions, submit them to hello@drsamberne.com or you can now text me! Text ‘Join’ to 1-844-932-1291 to join the community and ask your questions!
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
eye, prescription, vision, blur, left, magnification, called, lens, wear, exercise, glasses, shankman, distance, optometrists, screens, pinhole, blurry, worse, noticed, therapy
00:05
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberne.com.
00:45
Hey, everyone, its Dr. Sam, and I’d like to welcome you to another EyeClarity podcast. So today I bring you behind the scenes, I did a session with somebody who’s got nearsightedness, and also something called presbyopia. So reading glasses up close. But he’s a bit frustrated with the reading glasses because they’re making his eyes worse. And so I unpack his visual situation, and we get to the root cause. And then once we get to the root cause, well, now he can transform his vision, and he probably won’t need his glasses anymore. So I hope you enjoy the show. Thanks so much for tuning in.
01:34
All right, so what what would be your goals and objectives today?
01:41
I’m
01:44
getting a little bit of a handle on whether or not and when I should be wearing these glasses. And whether or not is actually making my vision deteriorate.
01:57
Because I kind of feel like it has. And just kind of steps forward to stop what I’ve noticed to be the diminishment of my vision in the last few months by wearing these glasses more. I don’t know if it’s causative, or correlative or what, but
02:19
I’ve noticed a significant change and I’m wanting to kind of halt the change. And you know, hopefully
02:29
kind of reverse if possible.
02:35
You can do that, of course.
02:39
That was this your first pair of glasses. Yeah.
02:44
It is. Okay. And what prompted you? What prompted you going to an eye doctor to well
02:55
explore that. It was about
02:59
I think it was about this time last year. I was like, okay.
03:06
So it had been for a few years,
03:11
where
03:14
what I noticed the most dramatically was if I looked at my phone first thing in the morning,
03:21
and then, you know, for anywhere from a minute to four or five minutes. And then I stopped looking at it and I looked into distance, I’d be like, oh shit, like, I can’t see anything. It’s like fuzzy everywhere. And it was a dramatic, I noticed a dramatic difference between
03:40
not looking at my phone and going about my business, and then looking at my phone and going about my business. And I’m like, and then I would notice my eyes.
03:52
When I worked on screens a lot
03:55
i
03:58
i would have trouble focusing on like the words would get a little blurry on the screen. And then when I looked
04:07
in the distance, things were a little blurry as well.
04:14
And that got a little worse, like progressively a little worse over time. I had great vision most of my life. Sure you hear this all me?
04:26
And then
04:28
yeah, one is doing one thing and one is doing another as well. I’ve noticed
04:38
and so that’s why I originally went in is it just was getting a little bit worse. And I was like maybe I need something for working on screens and maybe that’ll improve things. And so that was the focus when I went in and talked to this guy and worked with him. And I’ve since moved in.
04:55
I started poking around. I had a friend that was a vision therapist.
05:00
Many years ago, I actually went to a vision therapy conference that she invited me to. And so I was like,
05:08
there is a whole other paradigm of looking at vision. And that’s why I sought you out was because you know, you have the,
05:19
the medical chops, and then you also have the, it seems like a more kind of outside of the box kind of way of approaching how to ameliorate
05:33
conditions, you know, and improve conditions.
05:38
Okay.
05:40
So I want to get a little more
05:43
clarity on this. I have your file from April 16, where you went to Dr. Christiansen, who is a developmental optometrist? And it looks like he gave you a prescription
06:00
for was it for distance or for reading?
06:05
Screens? For screens? Okay. All right. So and you got that prescription? It’s single vision prescription? And was that the prescription you’re referring to that created this? Okay.
06:21
And so you got this in April 2022. How quickly did you notice? Your eyes would get worse? Was it pretty immediate? Or? No, it wasn’t.
06:35
Because at first, I didn’t wear them as much. I use them as needed. Because some, it was like, until recently, some days, I’d wake up, my vision was fine. You know, okay. I don’t have any issues, I can see very well.
06:55
But then, three weeks ago, I went to an NBA game. I was in an arena. And for the first time in my life, I couldn’t see
07:06
clearly, you know, 200 feet away from me, like it was like, and it was how was like, it’s happening. You know, it was felt very disconcerting, but
07:18
yeah, I’m sorry, I forgot my original question was. No, that’s, that’s okay. So you didn’t get a prescription for distance? You just got this computer. Okay, yeah, I can’t see distance with these glasses. I have to take them off to see any sort of distance. So what do you do for distance? Looks like your right eye has got a little more myopia than your left eye? Do you just go without glasses in the distance? Yeah. And you can see,
07:49
I can see pretty good like, right now I’m looking at my window. I can see pretty well and like, you know, there’s some there’s a little blurriness on like, street time, but it’s pretty minimal.
08:04
It’ll get worse sometimes. But right now, it’s pretty good. Like, it’s, it’s not bad.
08:14
Okay, and then I have another report. That’s a CT scan looks like and
08:21
that was oh, that was also during the April Fool’s exam. Did he say anything about the SCT? That doesn’t look.
08:32
I gave it to me. He thought it looked fine, too. Yeah, that’s good. All right. So basically, what’s what’s happening is you’re questioning this prescription, because you’re noticing a market deterioration, it’s like made your eyes worse. And you want another direction, you want to be able to regain your iclk. You can, you can definitely do that. Because the strategies, you know, like, sure.
09:03
I’ll give you the whole thing. Sure. Absolutely.
09:07
So when you went to this vision therapy conference, was this in was this at Pacific University and near Portland, OR?
09:18
It was in Oakland, and I mean, it was literally like 20 years ago, maybe a little under 20. And so this woman, she’s been doing it, she’s like, always been sort of on the cutting edge of healing. And so she’s been doing professionally for I don’t even know how many years now. She’s, she’s much older than me.
09:43
Okay, and she worked closely with Meyer Schneider. I know that. Okay, cool. Yeah, my Schneider is wonderful Bates teacher in the western part of San Francisco. I’ve known him a long time. So sure.
10:01
Well, the first thing I would say is that, you know, when you get any prescription from an eye doctor,
10:08
usually what’s happening is they’re reinforcing the imbalance that you’re coming into the exam with. So,
10:18
you know you’re destined to when you wear it, it’s going to
10:24
it’s going to weaken your eyes. And what you have going on in your, your eyes, at least according to the prescription you sent me is that a distance you’re showing about five times more myopia than the left eye, that may not be your experience, and you’re also showing a small amount of astigmatism, and each
10:51
astigmatism means the eye shape more like an egg or, you know, it’s twisted in some degree.
10:57
And then up close, it’s kind of interesting. The doctor in the right eye is giving you some farsightedness, not much a little bit, but then he doubled the prescription in the left eye.
11:11
And so it’s reinforcing a couple things. When you wear plus lens, a farsighted prescription, you lose your focusing flexibility. So like a minus lens tightens up the muscles, and a plus lens makes the muscles low responsive, like they become flaccid. That’s why anybody that wears magnifying lenses, their eyes are gonna get worse because they’re disconnecting from their eye muscle. Yeah. resiliency. Right, right. And real quick. Like one question. Sure. I just want to share something and see if this confirms what you’re saying. I did this this morning, I and I noticed left my left eye is way more blurry up close than my right.
11:59
So that’s why he made a stronger prescription on my left than my right. Is that right?
12:08
So he’s made, so it’s more blurry on the left side than the right side is?
12:14
When I’m reading up close.
12:18
Yes. So your, your right eye, your right eye, the strength of the right eye is seeing well up close. And the strength of the die is seeing well at the distance. Right veteran? Okay, just want to say,
12:36
Yeah, we’re
12:38
so optically, what’s happening with your brain is you kind of drop out with the right eye at distance, and the left eye is doing more of the work. And then up close your right eye is doing more of the reading, and your left eye drops off. That’s a lot of magnification, they keep your left eye
12:59
as it relates to
13:02
your overall situation, you’re a bit into what we would call in the direction of what we call mono vision.
13:12
So the definition of mono vision is the right eye, in this case is your reading I and your left eyes, your distance side.
13:22
And so any prescriptions you put on over at the try to compensate for that are just going to make things worse.
13:30
I see.
13:32
Right? So this is probably a two step process. Two steps, maybe
13:41
the first step is what I would do is I would
13:49
possibly give you some support of some slight magnification up close, but not nearly as much as what you’re currently wearing.
14:02
And I would also take the astigmatism out because I think that’s interfering with you.
14:10
And the other thing I’m going to say about this mono vision setup is when you prescribe similar or the same prescription in different eyes. So if the eyes are different, but you prescribe the same prescription. It’s like a vision exercise. And it would encourage both eyes to start to work together. It’s going to move you in a direction of better collaboration. Now, it’s not going to be
14:40
so like you’re going to be what?
14:45
It’s not going to be perfect eyesight clarity in the left, right.
14:51
But
14:53
it’s going to be more comfortable, and it’s not going to weaken your eyes. So I’m thinking this
15:00
If
15:01
I would send you a prescription that would just be a
15:05
point 5.50
15:08
And each I
15:10
know a stigmatism
15:12
and you would use that. When you feel you need some support up close. I mean on on your.
15:22
Again what’s going on as your right eye is taking over at the reading position. Right and so we need to engage the left eye but not give it so much magnification and so much a stigmatism that it weakens just stops working. So it stops working. And that’s that’s part of what why that’s why you’re like seeing this drop off. Yeah, exactly what you’re wearing is making it worse. I want to confirm that I want to validate. Thank you.
15:56
Not crazy. And, you know, even this is my beef with and I’m going on the record here, but this is my beef, because I used to be in those organizations with behavioral optometrists, developmental optometrists. But they don’t all practice at the same level, or have the same level of understanding. And it’s why I left the groups because I was going I can’t refer to these people because I was referring to them, but then people will call me up and see whether or not doing what you’re saying. We’re doing. And I had the good fortune. I had the good fortune. When I was in my early career. I was in the northeast and Philly. And there are about five really old developmental, behavioral holistic optometrists. And one of them was my actual optometrist. I went to him, I was almost three times the amount of nearsightedness that you are measuring. And I went to him for six months, and I completely dissolved my myopia. Wow. And I haven’t worn glasses in 30 or 30 years. I see Well, up close. I see well in the distance, and his name was Dr. Albert, a Shankman SHA en que ma N. He wrote a book called Vision enhancement training.
17:23
And Dr. Shankman when I met him, he was in his 70s. And he was semi retired but he was teaching young optometrists and we had a whole class of younger eye doctors like myself, and we went through his vision therapy program, but it was very holistic was very whole body was very mind body. Butter. Shankman was a yoga teacher and a meditation teacher, like a spirit
17:54
component to it. And it was the most potent thing I ever did. Because by dissolving my myopia completely. I had the courage to leave my practice in Philadelphia and moved to New Mexico in the early 1990s. I could have never done that if I was still in my myopia prison cell. Right. Yeah.
18:20
And the other thing that happened is I affiliated with a holistic developmental optometrist that was a a contemporary of Dr. Shankman. His name is Ella settlement. Dr. Adelman. And so I worked with him for five years I became a partner in his practice, but I apprenticed with him. I didn’t make a lot of money at that point. But I apprenticed with him, and I learned how to manage lenses really well.
18:53
And so it was Dr. Adelman. It was Dr. Shankman. There was another old timer I met Dr. Albert a Sutton Su Su TT o n. You could Google him. And Dr. Sutton was an expert in
19:12
well, developmental problems and children he practiced in Colorado for many years. And then he moved to Miami Beach where I met him and he was a professor at Berry College and he taught OTs and psychologists how to do vision therapy, because he knew the the optometrist couldn’t understand what he was saying worked with the vestibular system. When your mind body worked with nutriton. You work with primitive reflexes. Right. And we affiliated with a group of optometrists in Denmark and Sweden, who are way ahead of us. Yeah.
19:51
And so the their methods and then there there was a meeting in in Denmark we would go every year called the Sutton meeting. They
20:00
I’m honored Dr. Sutton for that. And he passed away a long time ago. But in any event, the optometrists in Denmark and Sweden get it because they were doing a lot of holistic things. So it is difficult even in California because I was trained in California and vision therapy. In one of my internships, I spent three months in a very busy vision therapy office in San Diego. And the doctor’s name was Bob Santa, Dr. Robert sanit, was one of my first mentors. And I was going to stay in California, but I decided I wanted to come back to the East Coast. And I enrolled at a place called the gazelle Institute, which where I learned about child development and, you know, vision problems as a whole body situation. And so bottom line is that, I wanted to give you an upgrade in this whole situation, because even though this person was a is a developmental type person, and what I would say is, let’s do plus 50. In each eye, I’ll send you the prescription that you’re paying for this appointment,
21:16
medically licensed, so you can go somewhere in Portland and just get the plus 50s. And you’ll you’ll like that, that’s going to be a nice prescription for you and the left eye is going to be a little funky, it’s gonna go well, I don’t have all the magnification I need. Now, it’ll feel more comfortable, and it’s not weaken your eyes as much. And also, some other tricks to the trade would be at least on screen time, make things a little bigger, if you want to, you know the font on your end. So you don’t need to wear it all the time. But just wear it part time or wear it some of the time. And then we’ll go into B, which is I’ll teach you some vision therapy exercises. They talk to you about nutrition, and maybe some other techniques so that you can move remove this situation because you see you’re nearsighted. And even though the right eye is more than the left, nearsighted people usually don’t need to wear reading glasses.
22:22
Because nearsighted they became nearsighted. Because they see well up close.
22:31
And so that’s a lot of magnification for you to be wearing. I would say too much. Yeah, and need that we need to change course here because
22:44
and that’s what
22:46
it felt like,
22:48
you know,
22:50
it felt like a heavy hammer to me, like, Oh, my God.
22:57
Totally, like about a heavy hammer.
23:02
That’s just too much for you. Yeah. So when we’re done with our session today, I will email you a medical prescription. It’s good anywhere, it’s got all my licenses on numbers and all that
23:18
to be a plus 50. We’re taking the astigmatism out, because you got to get rid of that. We don’t need that.
23:25
Okay, now, part two, there’s a couple of different paths that you can take. And what I like to do with people’s we’re partners in this partners in crime, like some things you might say, No, I don’t want to do that, or, you know, that resonates with me, because we I have so many tools in my toolbox. And you might say yeah, okay, so let me give you the the landscape of what’s possible. One of the techniques that can work really well, to help your reading up close,
23:59
instead of using a magnification lens, is to get yourself a pair of pinhole glasses.
24:08
Have you ever heard of them? I have Yeah.
24:12
I’ve done a fair amount of just kind of poking around. Looking at all.
24:19
Yeah, let me just close this
24:24
in pinhole glasses, I don’t know if you can see me. There we go. Let me sit down again. So these pinhole glasses, if I were to pick up something to read, I would see things really clearly. Because it’s making me focus through the holes. And when you wear a plus lens, it diffuses your focus. And basically what it’s doing is just giving you bigger size. But the price you play pay is you can’t you can’t bring things into focus anymore. Right right. So
25:00
And
25:01
you’re Yeah, so your muscles to do other things. While they’re, they’re just getting flaccid and again the size of things, put your eyes to sleep, you know, any plus lens rates a magnification effect. So why bother? Oh, no, it’s so. So another way instead of you going for magnifiers, if you want to, which is kind of like an exercise is to read with the pinhole glasses, it’s gonna make your eyes move through these
25:36
through these holes that have to see it, you can even move your head a little like I’m doing. Yeah, but bring things into focus.
25:47
Okay, so that’s a that’s a technique, if you don’t know. So here’s the deal. Every prescription in the optometry or ophthalmology world is approved by the FDA. So it’s a prescription. It’s like a drug. And it’s got side effects. And one of the side effects plus lenses and magnification is you’re going to weaken your eyes.
26:14
You guys are just gonna get weak. That’s one of the side effects. Interesting. And I’d say that
26:22
well, the pickles will give you another option, if you don’t want to,
26:30
you know, even wear the magnifier. Now is that something that you would use while on the computer while reading and then you don’t wear them otherwise?
26:43
Exactly. And you can.
26:46
So So part of this process, this can be the hard part or the easy part. You decide. Use your intuition. Trust how your body feels with it.
27:01
And follow that.
27:03
So there isn’t a hard and fast rule or cookbook. But let’s say you put them on and you’re at the computer and go man, I’m working really hard here, I gotta get my work done, then either the font bigger, or put on the plus 50s
27:20
No problem, it’s not going to weaken you. Let’s say you’re on your phone, and you’re like, I’m gonna do some exercise here on my eyes. So yeah, you know, I like this. It’s good. You know, I’m kind of nice to do. I’m working my eyes out. Right, you get to choose how long you want it. And
27:44
so that’s, that’s the pinhole situation. Okay.
27:51
All right now, next.
27:58
I think you need to do some work with each eye separately. Yeah.
28:05
There’s a couple of ways that you can do this.
28:10
We can be creative here. So one of the things I learned when I was studying physical light therapy is a process called hormesis. HRV MES is, it’s really big in the fitness industry. And what it is, is that when you challenge your body, you actually get stronger.
28:34
So if you’re near sighted, in more so in the right eye, you would patch the left eye.
28:45
And you would I would probably just go to the drugstore and get the strongest magnification lens you could find
28:54
plus 250 plus three, and you bring it home. And you take a baseline of the right eye with a patch. So you have to buy a patch at the pharmacy. Take a baseline with the right eye no no prescription and then you put that plus lens on
29:13
and you get to go more into your blur
29:17
and the the practices for one minute, can you relax into the blur?
29:23
That’d be curious to know what the belief system is around blur for you.
29:30
Like, oh, if it’s blurry, I could get hurt. I’m gonna miss something, I’m afraid.
29:38
And whatever mentally you start thinking about when you put that heavy blur on and you’re looking in the distance. That’s probably some of the issues that were happening when you got your first prescription.
29:54
And you might see some mental hypervigilance going into the right I say
30:00
I don’t like this blur amount of control.
30:03
I can’t resolve anything, right?
30:07
So what you’re doing there is you’re desensitizing, your mental reaction to blur. And that’s what causes you’re in myopia.
30:16
hyper vigilance.
30:19
And for some reason, in the right eye, you chose to make your right eye, almost five times more nearsighted than the left eye. That’s why I have a theory about that. And my theory is, is that you like everybody else went to school. And you are asked to perform, you got to read Quinn, you got to write, you got to get an A, you got to whatever it is. And so because now I’m assuming your right eye, right handed, maybe the right eye connects to the left hemisphere of the brain,
30:59
which is your rational analytic? Yeah. And it doesn’t win, get it? This is the deal.
31:08
So the right I said, Look, I’ll just take it on.
31:12
I’ll be the workhorse here. And the price I pay is I’ll just become nearsighted.
31:20
That’s really interesting, because
31:23
that, that really rings true for me, just based on like,
31:29
the onset of it getting worse really coincided with the beginning of this highly stressful, highly technical job where I had to, you know, make 100 page documents and reports, technical reports, everything had to be perfect, you know, and it was way more screen time than I was used to, it was basically be going from a field biologist to go into the office,
32:03
and doing tons of long technical reports with deadlines.
32:11
So that’s very interesting. Yeah, so you know, that might line up. But the exercise is going to release
32:22
that pattern of the right eye having to do it by itself, the workhorse.
32:29
And so when you put on that, that high magnification lens, it’s an exercise lens, that’s about can I relax into the blur.
32:41
So I’m giving you a lot of things here. But when you look through blur, your eyes going to be more receptive to the world. And what it sees, it’s not going to get hung up on, I got to resolve everything I got to make, I got to see the detail. There’s a very creative, intuitive aspect of blur, it’s softening.
33:05
And I want you to find that when you do that exercise over the right eye, and you’re going to do it three times. So you put it on for a minute, process your resistance or whatever, take it off, do it again. Take it off, do it again, take it off. By that third time, your right eye is definitely going to be seeing things more clearly.
33:29
And take the patch off the left eye. Now the left eye is going to relate to the right eye very differently, and you’re going to see more brightness, more clarity.
33:45
Now,
33:47
with the left eye
33:51
this is a little trickier.
33:55
So you’re gonna patch the right eye and because the left eye is now caught in the presbyopia, or farsighted world with that plus lens up close, you’re gonna take if you have, I don’t know if you even have distance classes.
34:14
Do you do you have any distance cold distance glasses, you want to have the left foot through the minus lens up close.
34:26
So when when the left eye is in it’s presbyopia, or farsightedness and when you do a minus lens, you do the same thing. But you’re now
34:40
you’re going to be dealing with on the minus level, it’s going to be blurry, but it’s going to engage the muscles more we’re on the right side the plus lens. It’s about relaxing the muscles. Right? Well, yeah now, if you if you don’t have
35:00
Have an old any minus lens prescription will work. If you don’t have anything, I do sell on my website minus lens, the blur,
35:10
because I doctors won’t maybe you know they’re not going to prescribe. Right?
35:16
Right. So you could get that minus lens.
35:21
And here’s the deal with this, you could work with both eyes in the distance using the plus lens. And you can use the minus lens with both eyes for the reading distance.
35:37
So, you know, you could do the plus lens on the left, I wouldn’t have to be in the distance, because it does have a little nearsightedness.
35:48
And
35:50
it’d be interesting with the right eye because the right eye is the reading I
35:55
to give it the minus lens up close. It’s not gonna like that. Yeah. Yeah. And so it’s basically it sounds, it seems to me and correct me if I’m wrong, but this is like
36:10
tricking the eyes or whatever you want to call it into correcting their
36:18
compensations.
36:21
I would say in another way, okay. Say that, what we want to do is we want to give each eye a much wider or broader visual experience, so that you get to see your subconscious reactions to learn Enos, so it isn’t so much tricking, but we’re, we’re offering a wider experience, so that you would develop more versatility. So in that hormesis example, we’re challenging the, the eye
37:06
in the area that it doesn’t want to go.
37:14
Where you see if you can have a wider both emotional psychological experience around your eyes, that has been elicited by looking through a lens that’s not habitual,
37:34
you’re gonna have to make a problem, you’re gonna have to solve a problem with that.
37:40
Intuitively, this is one of the things with Dr. Shankman that I learned when you were, you know, lenses that are outside your normal way of seeing.
37:52
You can’t rationally figure it out.
37:57
And you’re going to be confronted with the subconscious reasons why you’ve set your eyes up this way.
38:07
Right, you’ve adapted to something.
38:10
And the pattern is what’s leading the the deterioration, and that guy you went to in California, he did his best. But
38:26
you need to unpack what you’re bringing what you’re bringing to Him? Because he’s only again, reinforcing what He’s measuring. Right?
38:38
Yeah, and that’s,
38:41
this could change everything for you. Because you’re like a, you’re like a two headed being. Yeah, you know, astrology, they talk about Gemini, it’s like,
38:53
that’s you, you are one person with your right eye, and you’re another person with your left eye.
39:02
Right.
39:04
So this goes far beyond Well, my eyesight is deteriorating, well, good. Got your attention.
39:12
So that’s one set of exercises that you can, you know, immerse yourself in. I would do something every day in that kind of interaction, because the more you interrupt your habit, the faster you’ll see change, the more free you’ll become.
39:33
Now, there’s another exercise that you can do with the eyepatch called the eye dialogue, where you cover the left eye and you ask the right eye some questions. And I’ll send you a
39:47
kind of a questionnaire that you can ask.
39:51
And that’s going to that’s going to give you information on your inner vision or what’s behind the eye.
40:00
It’s gonna make you more aware of what you’re projecting out into the world through your right eye. I call it the inner vision exam.
40:10
And then you do the same with the left eye and I bet your right eye and left eye are having a marriage problem.
40:18
That’s one of the questions masking.
40:22
Right? It you know, you’re married to the left and the left, do you know you’re married to the right. And so you need to bring that into the light on the discrepancy between your two eyes. Because like I said, your right eye, and your left eye looks in the distance.
40:38
I sleep in separate bedrooms. Yeah, you know, so. So that would be the second thing that you would do. And then the third thing that you would do is introduce an exercise, which I’ll send you the link to. It’s called the Yin Yang, peripheral vision exercise. It’s called the Yin Yang, because the first
41:00
set of images on this piece of paper that I have is two images of a yin yang symbol. And you have to focus with both eyes to make a third Yin Yang symbol. And when you make that third Yin Yang symbol, now your left eye is engaging with the right eye simultaneously.
41:21
Okay, and so the more you do that kind of exercise, which puts you both of your eyes into the same functional sphere, then your left eye is going to help your right eye in the reading. And your right eye is going to help your left eye in the distance, then you won’t need glasses at all.
41:47
That’s the goal. So So yeah, so you know, look, if I can do it, you can do it. I was taught in optometry school, you can never improve your vision. That was our first year. Yeah, Jesus. And when I did it, and I went back to the school, they said, Well, that’s nice kid is anecdotal. You know, you’re on your own. They’re not. They’re not invested in that. I mean, in a regular eye doctor’s office, you go for an exam every year, and they keep making the glasses stronger. So they get to sell you more glasses. Yeah. And it gets worse. People just Yeah. And people are like, yeah, here’s a new prescription, a new prescription and a new prescription. And it gets worse and worse and worse. My girlfriend wears contacts all day,
42:37
every day. Exactly. You know, and then she takes him off at night, and then she can’t see
42:43
it.
42:45
So
42:49
have her go a day without her lenses that will change your life. Right? Do it as you and as a vision retreat. detox. So you know, there’s no demand on her and have her track our emotional
43:04
response to
43:07
not using them.
43:09
You know, it needs to be in a kind of a retreat, kind of. Okay, home today. But
43:17
yeah, but for you, I think working with these opposite lens prescriptions to give you more flexibility and versatility and understand mentally, what you don’t like about blur?
43:33
Because you blurred out that right eye in the distance. So you could function better up close.
43:39
But you didn’t the left. I didn’t do that. And the left eye is your intuitive eye. It’s the bright brain
43:47
shot. It’s like oh, I’ll see you I’ll do the distance viewing and you do the near viewing. And so you split yourself.
43:57
Yeah, right. So we’re gonna give you the same lenses in each eye the plus 50 and then we’re going to ask you to do the plus lens, the blur
44:08
and the minus lens, the blur
44:11
and the eye dialogue and the
44:16
Yin Yang chart. Work those for three months and then let’s see where you are. Okay.
44:25
Some other things I would make sure you’re doing
44:29
Get it Get Enough Healthy Fats and oils in your body daily.
44:34
That is for you. What does that look? Do you know the brain? What kind of amounts does that look like for you? I’ve been taking a fish oil
44:47
I also eat lots of nuts and seeds. So I feel like I’m that’s that’s definitely there but
44:55
probably 15 to 2000 milligrams a day would be good.
45:00
Okay, in that in that realm, and then just brightly colored vegetables, you know, as best as you can they, especially the red, orange, yellow, green, you know, berries are the good. And,
45:18
you know, I think, take care of your liver, because liver and eyes go together from acupuncture.
45:27
If you’re into cranial sacral, you can go get some cranial work that would unwind any astigmatism pattern in the body,
45:35
if you’re so inclined to do that.
45:38
And, yeah, that’s basically,
45:43
you know, just just eat well, and try not to do too much processed foods and processed sugars and,
45:51
you know,
45:53
try to get good dental care and
45:57
take breaks from screens when you can, I mean, you know, in this research, they say, you should be
46:05
getting 10 to 30 minutes of far away gazing, you know, a day
46:13
to offset the computer focus.
46:18
Even if it’s cloudy, where you are getting out into the, to the sun, sunlight in the morning.
46:28
I wouldn’t worry too much about the blue light. But, you know, again, if you’re at least stop if you can doing screens, a half hour to an hour before bed.
46:41
If you do if you want to with this plus 50 You can get you know, the blue, blue protect on there. Okay.
46:51
But that’s kind of up to you.
46:53
And that’s that’s basically it. I mean, for you. It’s more functional. Psychological.
47:00
There’s insight here for you about healing something between your right in your left. Yeah.
47:10
That’s really what this is about. I mean, I think another thing is the right is probably working. Speak much more speedier than the left.
47:20
It’s tighter. Yeah, yeah, definitely not going to
47:25
like that blur as much either. Yeah.
47:30
And there, it’s funny this is
47:33
now that I have a little more perspective on this, it just based on my life, like, there really is an always has been a very
47:44
I’m, I’m
47:47
an interesting combination of very creative, and then mixed with a lot of scientific training and work. That involves very logical, pragmatic thinking. And so I think that my eyes are kind of like, well, you do this, and then I’ll do that, you know, and somehow they’ve divided along the way. And I think,
48:19
you know, this is just a thought. But when I started going really hard on all of this
48:26
cognitive work that required a lot of precision, things kind of went south.
48:35
Well, you’re lucky, because you don’t really have very much. Yeah.
48:44
You know, I had a similar thing. Because I was, you know, I was a memorizer. And, you know, I was able to my right eye was like a three eyeball. Actually, both eyes were like a three. So, you know, the amount of tension that I created
49:07
was
49:10
off the charts. Yeah. Yeah.
49:18
So, do you have any questions about what we’re gonna do?
49:24
Um,
49:27
no, not really. I mean, it would be nice to have sort of, I imagine you have some like descriptions of the exercises you recommend that you can send me and so what I’m going to do Quinn, when I send you the recording, I will send you directions to the following
49:43
my slides to blur
49:46
and my link if you want to order the minus lenses, the plus lens to blur
49:54
my dialogue,
49:56
and I’ll send you the Yin Yang chart and I’ll send you the
50:00
The directions. So it’ll all be right for you when you have the recording. Great. And the way and I’ll send it today. Okay, and that way,
50:11
you know,
50:14
I’m going to share something with you when I when I was a patient with Dr. Shankman.
50:19
I spent probably 15 to 30 minutes every day doing I therapy.
50:28
And so the more you devote to this,
50:33
the more you’ll get out of it. That makes me it’s gonna. Yeah, right. And using the exercises are just prompts for you to understand, oh, this is what’s causing this, or this is why I’m still doing this, because you get something from it.
50:54
Yeah, by paying a big price, which is why you contacted me because you don’t want this. Yeah.
51:06
Exactly. And I feel like, there are other solutions that just, I refuse to believe that there’s nothing that can be done. Like, I think that’s where I’m at, like, oh, yeah, well, that’s, that’s absurd. I mean, that that’s coming from, you know, people who, you know, haven’t explored out of the box. And, you know, my profession is pretty conventional. Yeah. And they’re not, they’re not really
51:36
open to these ideas. And it’s the way they train the doctors. And, you know, it’s a common story. It’s not, it’s in every form of medicine until our breaking through. So good for you for finding me on the internet. And that’s why I do what I do. Because,
51:58
you know, we’ve, yeah, we just need to bring more awareness to it. And, you know, this isn’t for everybody. Right? Yeah. Yeah. I acknowledged that I never tried to talk anybody into this. Yeah, they have to come to me and they will, they have to be eager to want to do the work. Because it’s,
52:18
you know, it’s, it’s a pill, you know, you’re gonna meet with some resistances you’re gonna meet was, like, really? And
52:29
I forgot one more thing. I’ll send you the prescription also. Okay, great.
52:34
That you can fill that anywhere.
52:41
Okay, so anything, any other questions before we end today? If I if questions come up, can I email you?
52:51
Sure can. So when you the email with the recording and the links to all the exercises and the directions?
53:00
Just respond to that and say, I have a question. And I’ll, I’ll do my best.
53:06
right to you. Yeah. You know, keep a diary or a journal, you know, so you’re keeping track of your awarenesses. And basically, it’s going to be a self discovery, you’re on a self discovery vision quest.
53:20
And you can’t go wrong. You know, whatever comes out for you, comes up for you. I mean, if you said to me, Well, tomorrow, I woke up and I had this dream, blah, blah, blah. I’d say, Okay. Or, you know, like, you decided to change jobs or you know, I mean, there’s a lot of kinds of stuff that people go through. Yeah, it’s all fair play. You know, it’s just what you’ve been storing in your eyeballs. And now it’s, it’s coming out.
53:54
Alrighty.
53:56
Okay. So good luck. Thank you drinking the Kool Aid now.
54:03
You’re so welcome. I look forward to your testimonial. When you throw your glasses away.
54:12
I need to I see 2020.
54:15
And I’ll ask you for a testimonial. But until then, do your work and you’ll you’ll get you’ll get results. All right. I know it. Great. All right. Thanks so much. I appreciate it.
54:27
Bye bye.
54:34
Thank you for listening. I hope you learned something from the EyeClarity podcast show today. If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to subscribe on iTunes or Spotify and leave a review. See you here next time.
Today I am sharing 3 common myths I hear about our eyes. These are super common ideas that I hear all the time, so let’s debunk them. Enjoy the show.
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SUMMARY KEYWORDS
eyes, glasses, prescription, lens, doctor, myth, lenses, genetics, wear, eye exam, myths, neutralize, contacts, reversing, genes, clarity, cataracts, magnification, vision, improve
00:01
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberne.com.
Hey everybody, its Dr. Sam and I want to welcome you to another EyeClarity Podcast. Today I’m going to talk briefly about three myths that you might hear from your eye doctor that actually aren’t true. So here’s Myth number one, the eyes can only deteriorate as you age. Well, I think that this is a real disservice, that’s done to people. Because a lot of times when people start developing eye problems, especially over the age of 50, the company line by doctors is, well, it’s just age, your eyes are only gonna get worse. And clinically, you know, being in practice for over three decades. I have a lot of patients in their 60s 70s 80s and even early 90s that are improving their vision, things like reversing cataracts, reversing macular degeneration, neutralizing or reversing glaucoma. Those are the main ones, but even reducing their dependency on glasses, you know, I have an 84 year old right now, who’s gone from a really strong progressive lens magnification prescription, wearing it full time to now she’s just using her computer glasses and a reading glasses. But her prescription keeps going down, it’s kind of funny, because every six or eight weeks, she comes in and says, you know, I can’t see out of these glasses.
And when I do an exam on her, I go, Wow, your eyes are actually getting better. And we have to keep reducing the magnification. She’s 84 years old. And I have hundreds of people probably at this point 1000s of people who’ve been able to improve their vision as you get older. So there’s this myth that’s perpetuated that the eyes only deteriorate as you age. Hey, it’s not really true. Alright, here’s Myth number two genes are the only factor that affect eye health. Well, you know, in the mainstream, epi genetics, has really become popular with a lot of functional medicine doctors, holistic physicians, scientists. And what epigenetics really says is that the environment can change the way your genes express. So this idea that well, because your mother or grandmother or great grandmother had XYZ condition, that certainly doesn’t mean that you’re going to get it now.
There’s some tendencies there. So you can be proactive, you can change your lifestyle, your diet, your stress response, your sleep. And in doing those things, you can change the way your genes express themselves. And I’m speaking specifically about your eye health, but it could be throughout your entire body. So when the doctor says, Well, you’ve developed cataracts and runs in your family, it’s all genetics. That’s false, that’s not really true. You There are many, many things that you can do just eat better, more antioxidants, wear blue blockers get out in the natural sunlight, you know, there’s so many things that you can do to neutralize genetics. So that’s number two. And then Myth number three, I love this one, the doctors will say, Oh, Ma, you have to wear your glasses, all the time, or your eyes will get worse. Well, that is just not true. Now, there are circumstances that you need to wear your glasses or contacts, like when you drive, that’s, you know, sensible, you should do that. Or when you’re reading or when you’re on the computer or when you’re, you know, measuring something and you need to see more detail. It’s not an all or nothing, it’s not black and white.
But when you start taking your lenses off, in non demanding and non threatening situations, something happens and what it is, is the your eyes, your mind and your brain start to see the world without the filtering system, meaning the lens that blocks or reinforces the symptoms and the visual problem that you’re going to the doctor for. And so by taking the glasses off, starting off, say don’t put them on right and when you wake up, you know, go downstairs and make your tea or coffee, do your meditation, maybe do your yoga practice without your lenses and and be mindful. Notice what you see and what you feel what you think there’s a real connection Between wearing your glasses, or your contacts, and what you think. And we did this all the time in the eye exercise where half people were opposite lens prescriptions, I know some of you go what opposite lens prescriptions. But in a therapeutic setting, when you wear an opposite lens prescription, it opens up your vision, it relaxes your mind, from having to keep your eyes in a straitjacket of seeing clearly at all costs. And you’re really stressing your eyes out. You know, when you’re fighting the blur and resisting the blur. Of course, you start this like locked in your bedroom on your meditation cushion, where there’s zero demand. That’s a rule a principle that I go by, if you’re going to, you know, take your glasses off or your contacts off.
And just notice what you see what you feel what you think. And you’re going to find over a period of time that your eyes are going to start to improve and you’re going to get flashes of clarity without your lenses. And this is the start of you then being able to go back to your doctor for your yearly eye exam. And he’s probably going to say something like, Wow, your your eyes are getting better. This happened to me all the time, when I used to do annual eye exams on people they would come in. And they would say, Doc, now this prescription is not working for me. And most people go to the idea that oh, my eyes must be getting worse, because the glasses don’t work anymore. And I would say to them, well, actually, your eyes don’t need as much prescription. And they will be shocked and appalled. But they would try on the weaker lens and they’d go wow, I can see all the way down to the bottom row of the eye chart. So this idea that if you don’t wear your glasses, your eyes will get worse is a total myth. So those are my three myths. I want to thank you very much for tuning in today on this short podcast, and I wish you the very best take care.
Thank you for listening. I hope you learned something from the EyeClarity podcast show today. If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to subscribe on iTunes or Spotify and leave a review. See you here next time.
I wanted to share some trends I am seeing in holistic eye care that I think will grow in 2023. Let’s jump in! Enjoy the show.
If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com.
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SUMMARY KEYWORDS
eye, prescription, people, called, studying, vision, doctor, creates, mitochondria, therapy, nearsighted, reduce, read, lens, glaucoma, intermittent fasting, patient, red light, wear, visual
00:05
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberne.com.
00:46
Hey, everybody, I wanted to introduce this podcast, it was a State of the Union that I gave on how I see holistic eye care in 2023. I touch on a number of different subjects. And I wanted to share with you so I hope you enjoy the show, take care, what I wanted to do is I wanted to start off and give kind of a State of the Union of how I see holistic eye care in 2023. And I’m going to weave in everybody’s sharing so that it’s more appropriate for you individually than just kind of spilling off because I could go in a lot of directions. So in 2023, one of the things one of the trends that I see in Well, overall holistic health is that people are wanting to take more responsibility for their health and wellness, not just their eyes. But I think this was accelerated through the COVID period. But even before that, I think people were exploring, you know, things like herbs and aromatherapy. And, you know, just finding professionals who would listen to them and not just see them as a number. And you know, one of my sayings is, whenever I evaluate a person, I don’t just look at the numbers, but I look at the person behind the numbers. And I remember when I study Chinese medicine and acupuncture, one of the things that really blew me away, as I learned how to read pulses was that a lot of times on the surface, people would have certain symptoms. But if I treated the cause, then the symptoms would go away. And I think all of the people in this class today are seeking that, or if they’re, you know, if they haven’t experienced it, they’ve experienced it with me, by finding me online.
So one of the one of the things that I see changing is that people are going to be more say, self directed and empowered to work more in partnership with their doctor. And, you know, over the past six months, patients have said to me, they’re really happy that I create an environment where I’m not just the authority, and that I have I’m the only one with the answers, but that we work together even if it has to do with certain prescriptions that they’re looking through. Because by doing that, it creates a more healing environment instead of saying some of the ophthalmology experiences that people have had, where the doctor says, Well, if you don’t have this procedure, you’re going to go blind, or in children if you don’t get this really strong glasses prescription and wear it full time. You know your child is going to lose his or her eyesight. So that’s that’s one trend that I see going on. Another trend that I see going on, is that people are starting to talk about mitochondria. This seems to be a buzz, and not only in eyecare although I don’t know how many eye doctors are actually thinking about mitochondria. There’s a few but certainly in the functional medicine functional nutrition world. Mitochondria is a conversation and one of the reasons an eye care it’s such an important conversation is because the retina has one of the highest numbers of mitochondria. In the retina specifically the cones we have our rods and cones. The cones are
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the In the area called the macula. And I’m getting more and more people, we have somebody here today with the right eye and retinal detachment, that more and more research has come out. This morning, I was down at the beach and I shot a couple videos on some research that I found, where red light, as an example, has actually reduced the degeneration in both the macula and retina areas. And not only I’ve talked about Glenn Jeffries in his work at the University College of London. But there’s also been some ophthalmology papers that have come out. One is there was a study done by the investigative ophthalmology and visual science journal. And they did a really cool study where they exposed people to blue light, and it’s the artificial blue light that we get from our screens. And then they gave them red light therapy. And without a doubt, they saw that the mitochondria function, the retina function, their visual performance, increased or improved, or it neutralize the negative effects of what the artificial blue light does to the retina, not only the retina, I think it also affects every part of the eye and even the brain and the body. So that was really cool to see. And there have been some other studies that I’m going to be reporting on in social media over the next couple of weeks, which talk about the value of red light as a way to reduce inflammation, oxidative stress, macular edema, macular degeneration, and even people with retinal detachments. So I get a lot of emails from people and direct message on social media on hey, I have this retinal detachment, I’ve got scar tissue.
You know, the doctor says there’s nothing you can do about it. And I’ve been giving them red light therapy. I also recommend a certain digestive enzyme, a protease enzyme one’s called serrapeptase, which actually helps reduce scar tissue in the eye. And then adding the MSM eyedrops, which I’ll talk about MSM and the castor oil eyedrops. And by doing all of those things, you’re hydrating, your lubricating your, you’re creating more collagen. And then with the red light, you’re actually changing the mitochondria. And so the mechanism in the eye around mitochondria is that as we age, I would say after age 40, our mitochondria function definitely starts going down. And as a person’s mitochondria goes down, their ATP goes down, that’s the the energy that’s needed to get rid of, you know, toxins and oxidative stress and so on. And so as the ATP goes down, there’s another substance that goes up called reactive oxygen species, R O S. So as that RLS goes up, and the ATP goes down, what happens is it just creates oxidative stress, poor circulation scarring. And this is, you know, then leading us down the path where eventually, the eye doctor is going to start picking up different eye conditions and pathologies. And of course, the toolbox of regular eye doctors is pretty limited because it’s pharmaceutical drugs, and or surgery, which are pretty invasive. And not to say that sometimes you do need those. But if you can be more proactive, or you can start doing these things to feed the eyes, then you’re going to prevent or, you know, eliminate the inevitable so they say, so the mitochondria conversation is really coming into play in 2023. And there’s another ingredient I want to bring in, which is something called nitric oxide. So this is my third trendsetter.
Nitric oxide is an ingredient that’s evasive. dilator and there have been some papers, especially in the glaucoma world that nitric oxide can actually slow down the progression of glaucoma or other vascular diseases, even things like optic neuritis, papilla edema, these optic nerve issues that are pretty unexplainable and regular eye care. It’s just you know, you’ve got this situation There’s not much we can do. Well, nitric oxide is one of those ingredients that I actually put into my optic nerve formulas a glaucoma protocol. And that coupled with Alpha Lipoic Acid, gingko biloba, bilberry, taurine, and of course, the good fats. Those are things that kind of build the optic nerve, and it protects it, even if you have some challenges in vascular disease. And it just so happens, the red light also contributes to the production of nitric oxide as well. So this idea of being able to increase the circulation in the eyes is really important. Okay, another trend that I see going on, and maybe it’s because I’m getting enough, following now enough traction, that people are questioning their contact lenses and glasses prescription, especially if it’s a really strong prescription, and they don’t want to wear it. And, you know, I can’t tell you in the last couple of weeks, I received very disturbing emails from parents where their children are wearing prescriptions like plus 10
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plus 12. Now, this is extreme, and of course, they’re dilating, you know the and doing a cycloplegic exam. But that’s crazy to give a child plus tan or plus 12. I mean, it just doesn’t fit and what we’re doing. And then on the other side of the spectrum, we have adults who are dealing with the monovision condition, monovision situation, or one is corrected for distance in one eye is corrected for near, whether it’s in LASIK surgery, cataract surgery, or, generally speaking, even in a contact lens, this is very disruptive for your depth perception, your balance your orientation. And so I’ve been really having to put out a lot of fires, because people are not happy with what they’re being given. And the eye doctors are not necessarily open to the negotiation of saying, Can you give me you know, reduce prescription. And you know, one of the funny things I say to people is, you have one pair of shoes, you probably have more than one pair of shoes, based on your condition, you’re also going to need more, maybe the more than one set of lenses, contacts or glasses, based on the circumstance or the experiencing experience that you’re doing. So people are really getting tuned into that.
And they’re really excited that they can actually start reducing their prescription and moving more into a direction of at least wearing something part time, that’s not quite as strong for them. And so that’s, that’s another trend. And then I would say last but not least, I think people are getting more and more conscious about the relationship between diet and their eyes. And I’m going to take it a couple steps deeper. Because in studying functional medicine, one of the most powerful practices that helps everything, but really helps your eyes is the intermittent intermittent fasting program. And I suggest that if you don’t know about intermittent fasting, it’s something that you want to start studying. Because in a lot of research out there, even this is people like with cancer and chronic disease, chronic inflammation, pain, the intermittent fasting somewhere between 12 and 18 hours, doing that a few days a week, resets the body. And it actually reverses the aging process in the cells. And this is very potent. And in terms of the eyes, there’s actually I’m going to start posting a couple of studies that I have found on the relationship of intermittent fasting and improving your vision. And so if you’re dealing with cataracts, for example, and this is another trend that I see in the biochemistry lab work and we’re going to actually go into a lab report today one of our participants had some lab work done and I’m going to go into it in great detail. But the point of it is is the glucose glucose molecules, they attach themselves to the vitreous which is causing floaters and eventually PVD or the glucose molecules attaching itself to the lens, which is creating certain types of cataracts.
We call this the glycation process. And because we’re eating so many carbohydrates these days, this glucose, insulin level in our body is wreaking havoc, no. And so when we eat carbs, our body is going for the for the energy through the glucose molecules. But when we go into intermittent fasting, it starts to go to the fat molecules. And so it’s, it’s a whole different dynamic in terms of our oxidative stress or inflammatory situation. And certainly you want to check in with your doctor before you do it. If you’ve got, say, diabetes, or hypertension, or you’re on medications, definitely check in with your doctor. But one of the things I’ve noticed about intermittent fasting is it creates more resiliency, in your, in your health, in your neurological health, in your cognitive health, in your immune health, and in your digestive health. So that it’s It’s another tool that I feel will even grow as we move into 2023, especially if I keep talking about it. And there are a lot of great functional medicine doctors who I’ve studied with, who talk about both the intermittent fasting and also the ketogenic diet, and the keto diet. If you’ve got a condition like diabetic retinopathy, or some very intense retinopathy situation, I would certainly consider the possibility of moving more into a keto diet, but certainly work with a functional medicine doctor where you can get a baseline of certain, you know, certain blood markers, one of the ones I look at is homocysteine. So homocysteine is one of those markers when I see a high, a lot of times, it’s going to show me down the road that there’s going to be an eye problem. So that that’s a marker that’s creating an inflammatory situation that we’re picking up. And so and there have been some papers written on the relationship between high elevated levels of homocysteine and eye problems, just as as one example Now today, we’re going to actually do what we call a hair mineral analysis. And everybody on this call, if you do want to do a hair, mineral analysis, contact Monica appointments at Dr. Sam berne.com. And we can certainly arrange a hair mineral analysis.
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I want to give you an example of and Dr. Bailey will relate to this very well. We had a mom who and her daughter they live in Austin, Texas, and they did one year of vision therapy. And there was absolutely no change in the binocular vision. And that’s kind of weird. I don’t know, you know exactly what’s going on. But one of my mentors taught me this when I was studying with him and his name was Dr. Albert a Sutton. I don’t know if you heard of Dr. Sutton. And Dr. Sutton was a really great developmental optometrist he practiced in Miami Beach, Florida. And one of the things that Dr. Sutton taught me was the value of if you’ve got a difficult developmental case, that doing a biochemistry test, to find out what’s going on on a cellular level, and giving more nutrients. And you did that first.
Then when you did the vision therapy, the child would be more available to make the changes they needed to make, you know, because if they have a developmental delay, or they’ve got something going on, it takes a lot of energy to change. And if we’re in a depleted state, if our adrenals are out of balance, if we’re in a calcium shell, where we push our calcium away as a way to protect ourselves, because we’re overwhelmed, if we’ve got heavy metal toxicities, if we’ve been exposed to mold, if we’re not metabolizing, our protein, we’re gonna get into this today, then the vision therapy is not going to work as well. And we did so one of the first things I did with his family is we did a hair mineral analysis with on this 12 year old and the the imbalances were off the chart. They were off the charts in terms of you know, the struggles she was having. And so as we repair that, and then we did some very specific primitive reflexes, vestibular therapy, yolk prisons and some other things. Now there’s improvement happening and it’s happening pretty quickly, because she’s got the energy Now to do it. And this is one of the key things that Dr. Sutton taught me around, don’t ignore the nutrition, don’t, don’t ignore that, ask about it, see what’s going on. And if you can get a biochemistry test, do so one of the places I work in Albuquerque is called Kidpower. And Kidpower is an institution that works with autistic kids. It’s a really cool facility, because it’s like this big warehouse. It’s kind of like this office, but it’s about four times as big, and they have these huge ceilings. And it’s a group of OTs, who are very progressive, I mean, they’ve studied primitive reflexes, they’ve studied so many different things. And so they brought me in, in the vision therapy party, because my job is to help connect the eyes to the brain and the body. Because these kids, their visual system is just not connected. And the level of eye care in ophthalmology there is all about giving strong glasses, and forgetting about writing these kids off. But what what I’ve instituted in there is biochemistry testing.
And you can do it a lot of different ways. You can do a urine test, you can do hair analysis, you can do bloodwork, you can do muscle testing, I, I’ve taught them now they’re doing muscle testing, and we have a whole list of things that they test for. And I’ll tell you, it’s made a huge difference in the overall community of the kids in the parents. And these are kids that are in wheelchairs, Down syndrome, minimal brain dysfunction, severe autism, I mean, it’s a wild time, when I go there, I’m basically on the floor the whole time doing my exam. And it has nothing to do with reading the eye chart. But you know, it’s more about I give them prisms and walk on a on a two by four and ask them to, to I watch their posture, and we diagnose based on what we see, based on their, their posture and their movement and those kinds of things. So vision is a whole body experience. It’s not just in the eyeball, and your you know that that’s why you’re with me. Alright, the last thing I’m going to say, and then we’re going to we’re going to move more into kind of specifics where I’m going to work with people here. And that is that if you are in a vision improvement process, and we have two people in zoom, who are in that blurred vision is a big issue for them.
And they can’t really find a prescription that corrects them completely to 2020. And I’ve recommended some prescriptions for them that are reduced, and they’re still not happy, it’s still blurry. So this is something I say this on social media a lot. And that is is that it’s very difficult to wear a reduced prescription without doing the vision therapy. First. You have to make the changes. So your visual system can adapt to the new prescription. If you try to wear or reduce prescription without doing the work. It’s cheating. It’s trying to do a shortcut. And it doesn’t work. And I know this in my own case. Many of you I don’t know whether you know this, but when I was a child, I was diagnosed with a learning disability. And my mom bless her heart. She took me to all kinds of professionals. And we ended up at an ophthalmologists office. And the ophthalmologist said, Well kid, you got myopia, and let’s put you in some lenses. And so I got these lenses. And I remember years later, it’s like, wow, I got this strong lens. I see things clearly, but I’m feeling weird about this. So what ended up happening is I became a memorizer. That’s how I got through school and I got A’s I did well, in school. You know, I was in a family that really emphasized education. And so I had to get good grades. I worked really hard. So but but every couple of years, my myopia got worse and worse. And so when I started optometry school, my prescription was a minus 275 and each eye with three quarters of a diopter of astigmatism at 90 degrees. And I was in contacts. I was in glasses and I was even going up a little higher. Because in optometry school, of course you’re doing a lot of studying and reading and so on.
Well, when I got out of optometry school and I, I worked at the Gizelle Institute, and then I opened up a practice with another doctor in Philadelphia. I met a developmental optometrist in Connecticut. His name was Dr. Al Shankman. I’ve to two out I was in my life. Albert a Shankman was an optometrist who wrote a book called Vision enhancement training, and the optometric extension program and they also psycho behavioral vision enhancement. And he did a course for a year where you would go up to His place, His his house in Stratford, Connecticut, and I became a patient of his vision therapy. And so as I did my vision therapy every day, and within six months, my prescription went from minus 275, to about minus one, I couldn’t believe it. In fact, I remember he gave me a reduced prescription. I was working in my office. And after about a week, my, my staff said to me, you know, are you are you on medication, when you seem more relaxed, your, what’s going on with you, and it was the prescription, I had reduced my prescription. So the lenses that I was looking through, were not as intense. So I wasn’t as intense, I was less reactive, I was more in flow. So I kept working with them. And I eventually completely dissolved my myopia. I think today, I’m probably the last time I measured myself, I was probably about a minus 50. But I still see 2020. And what’s great about being a little nearsighted, as you get gray hair is that you can still read without needing reading glasses. So it’s kind of perfect for me, you know, if you’re going to be nearsighted, be a little bit in near sight. And so if you get cataract surgery or LASIK surgery, tell the doctor keep me a little nearsighted. So that I can still read when I get old. And so the whole, the whole thing of it is that, I think that
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about a minute, let me just lost my though, the whole thing of it is that, you know, when you get a prescription like I did, and you were it, it reinforces the imbalance that you have. And so the the goal for me was, as I did my vision therapy, things were blurry for a while. And I was okay with that. So those of you that I’m working with, that, maybe aren’t seeing quite as clearly as you want to be, do the vision therapy, and then your visual system, and you will finally adjust and adapt to the reduction. And that’s kind of how it is you’ve got to be patient. And here’s the deal. If you need to see clearly, then put on the strong lenses, I am not in the blur when you’re driving on the freeway, no way that’s not part of the deal. What I want is in a non demanding and a non threatening situation, I would say were something less. And those of you that have worked with me, we do opposite lens prescriptions. And we’re going to do that today. So that by giving somebody an opposite lens, there’s a term in physical therapy called hormesis. And what it is, is that you challenge the body in a way that makes the body stronger. And so envision, if you’re nearsighted and we give you a farsighted prescription, like we’ve done here with with my patient, which we’ll get to in a little bit. When you take it off your visual acuity is going to be better. It’s like you have stepped into a broader sense of mental psychological, visual possibilities, or if you’re far sighted, so we’ve got two people on the call that are farsighted. On the zoom that those people wearing minus lens, the blur and pinhole glasses, that’s very positive. To get an experience first of all with the minus lens that’s going to give you a blur and in the other direction. And then the pinhole glasses are great for reading so you’re not falling into the trap of what a farsighted lens is going to do to you. Because a farsighted lens really creates less responsiveness in your eye muscle flexibility. And so the more magnification you wear, the weaker Your eyes are going to become. So those are some ways that you can interrupt what these lenses are doing to you. So I would say be patient. I like to balance the prescription so that both eyes are beginning to work together. We can also reduce the astigmatism some but it’s a process and you were the Vision Improvement prescription in the you were the Vision Improvement prescription in the time that you know it’s safe for you when there isn’t a demand.
30:01
Thank you for listening. I hope you learned something from the EyeClarity podcast show today. If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to subscribe on iTunes or Spotify and leave a review. See you here next time.
I am covering a questions I’ve received a lot lately in regards to Red Light Therapy. People are wondering what kind of light they should use with the glasses. The short answer is, there isn’t one answer for everyone. So tune in to hear how you can learn what works best for you. Enjoy the show.
If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com.
If you have any questions, submit them to hello@drsamberne.com or you can now text me! Text ‘Join’ to 1-844-932-1291 to join the community and ask your questions!
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
brightness, light, red light therapy, red light, bright light, self regulation, wattage, natural sunlight, glasses, light source, therapy, spotify, eyes, handle, fact, tune, frequency, therapeutic, stress response, people
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberne.com.
Hey, everybody, its Dr. Sam. And I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast today. So I’m going to take a question from a follower on my red light therapy. So with red light, the question that comes up for a few people has been, what about the light source? What about the brightness? And I think this is a valid question. Because if you get a more commercialized, light device, they always talk about the source of the light, is it an LED light, it needs to be a certain wattage. And since I’ve been doing this color therapy for a long time, I’ve had a lot of different generations of experimenting and researching and using different light devices. With the overall strategy of how do we get therapeutic light into the eyes. And so with red light therapy, what I’ve designed is a pair of glasses with the frequency, that 670 nanometers, this is the red light that is needed to stimulate the mitochondria in the retina.
And once we increase the mitochondria function, we have the chance of reducing oxidative stress as the ATP goes up. So the first thing is the frequency. And then the second thing is the brightness. The wattage. Well, the people that are doing the red light therapy. They’re suffering pretty serious eye conditions, things like cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration. And a lot of times, they’re pretty light sensitive to begin with. So to do a bright light, as a source, it’s just not going to work. In fact, we all have what we call a, a reflex against bright light. All of us do, now we have different thresholds of how much brightness we can take.
But I know in my community, a lot of people are suffering light sensitivity. So the last thing you need is a bright light source. As you’re trying to get this therapeutic light into your eyes. So it really doesn’t matter that you need a bright light. In fact, the best approach is to use a dim light. And you as the person who’s receiving the red light therapy, get to choose how much brightness you can handle. So it’s an individual choice, which is why I don’t put the exact wattage that you need, because everybody is different. And I know there’s some geeks out there that want to know, well, it should be this level of brightness, this low level of wattage, but honestly, it doesn’t matter. And in fact, what I would suggest is if you are going to embark on this on these red light glasses, is you get to regulate the brightness. And I’m a big believer in in terms of your health, to be able to develop better self regulation, I talked about this all the time, as it relates to your stress response, how you handle certain situations. And, again, everybody is different based on their lifestyle, their diet, their relationships, you know, it’s a whole body thing. And what I love to do is empower people to learn this self regulation skill.
So in the red light, what I can say is the light source does not matter. And I know I’m gonna get arguments from scientists and people that maybe think they are in the know. But, you know, I’ve been a clinician for 40 years, and I’ve watched 1000s of patients receive color and light therapy into their eyes. And by watching their response. It has taught me what their threshold is. And what is the best therapy With brightness, in order to be able to get the maximum benefits, and what I’ve come to, is that it’s all dependent on how much how much light you can take, without having that reflex come in and shut you down. You know, as we go outside, and this happens all the time with people, they go outside and they go, Oh, it’s really sunny, the glare, or let’s say they’re skiing, or they’re at the beach, what do we do, we have to reach for our sunglasses. And even though natural sunlight is really good for you, and I’m a strong believer in natural sunlight, it’s also very important that we tune into ourselves. And we we know how much is enough.
And I think that’s the takeaway of this red light therapy. And those of you that ask the question about the brightness, should it be led, you know, should I look directly at the Sun. So all of these things really are dependent on what you can handle. And in my community, the especially the elders that are dealing with, you know, pretty serious eye conditions, and they already have light sensitivity, that using a dim light source while they look through the red glasses, is really the you know, the skill set that I want them to get, so that they maximize the benefits of the red light therapy. So I really appreciate the question. And that’s gonna be it for today. So keep tuning in, leave some some remarks or feedback for me on Spotify or Apple or my website. I love hearing from you. And otherwise, have a great day.
Thank you for listening. I hope you learned something from the EyeClarity podcast show today. If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to subscribe on iTunes or Spotify and leave a review. See you here next time.
Today I am sharing a session I had with someone who has been diagnosed with The Big Four: Glaucoma, Floaters, Dry Eye, and Myopia. We spend the session mapping out a plan of action and discussing the difference between the authority model and the empowerment model in medicine. Enjoy the show.
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SUMMARY KEYWORDS
eyes, glaucoma, blur, msm, optic nerve, ophthalmologist, prescription, glasses, called, vision, eyedrops, people, reduce, doctor, exercise, myopia, drops, cranial sacral, gallbladder, vascular
00:05
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberne.com.
00:45
Hey, everybody, it’s Dr. Sam and I’d like to welcome you to another EyeClarity podcast. So today I’m giving a session to somebody who’s been been diagnosed with glaucoma, floaters, dry eye, and myopia, the big four. So in this session, I map out a plan, a plan of action. And one of the key things that came out in the section in the session is the difference between the authority model and the empowerment model. And one of the things I learned many years ago was that when a patient comes to see me, we’re partners in their health journey. And even though I’ve got some knowledge and expertise and so on, it’s really we need to work together. And perhaps they’re things that I might recommend, but a person says, you know, that’s not going to work for me. And so I learned early on that this partnership model empowering patients to develop their, you know, their style of how they need to apply either the physical therapy, exercise recommendations, and the nutritional guidelines and other things that I suggest that they have a say in it. And that comes out very strongly in this session. So I hope you enjoy the show. Thanks for tuning in.
02:17
So, I’ve read over your detailed history. I’ve also looked at the things you’ve sent me.
02:27
What would be your ideal goals and objectives today? Like what do you want to get from me that you haven’t gotten from the other doctors? You know, based on your glaucoma, and some of the other things around your optic nerve and visual field, your astigmatism your myopia. Where would you like to start? And what do you How can I help you?
02:54
Yes, so I would like to see one ascertain the diagnosis.
03:00
Based on what you’ve seen, to to
03:07
heal it, I want I want to I want to say treat it by heal it naturally. I really had a call with the eyedrops they’re giving me and I did not like the energy of it, how it was very
03:24
frightening. And you know, the possibility of being blinded or blind
03:34
with a glaucoma. And yeah, so this is there’s a lot of heavy energy around my eyes, obviously. So I would like to clear that I would like to Yeah, improve my eyesight and certainly, I mean, is it possible to heal glaucoma? So when do I have it?
03:56
It was almost like the first guy was on the fence until I said my brother has the diagnosis and I don’t even want to say I have it. i There is a diagnosis. I don’t want to own it. So, yes.
04:14
So why don’t we start with glaucoma? This is a very
04:19
How can I say it’s a very difficult thing to actually diagnose.
04:28
And when I was in my internship, I went to school in Philadelphia and one of our rotations was with Hahnemann medical. And so I at that point, I was ghosting these, following these ophthalmologists who were specializing in it and every day I would hear them say, you know, we’re just not sure we’ve got this situation. We’ve got that situation. It’s very difficult to diagnose. That’s why they call it
05:00
Glaucoma suspect he sounds like a criminal, right? I’m a suspect. And so I fast forward and I took a pretty deep seminar on December in San Diego, and it was three days on glaucoma. And these are the world renowned international experts on glaucoma. And again, you know, with all the testing that they have, and all the different tools, what they said was that, you know, it’s very difficult to diagnose this. It is certainly a condition that affects the circulation in the eyes. Specifically, it’s either that we’re not producing enough fluid that’s able to be circulated or there are some obstacles and transport system, they call the one of the systems is called the trabecular meshwork.
06:05
And when I read your story about from 20 was a 2019. You had in parentheses, low pressure glaucoma diagnosis, and, but they’re not really sure. Well, the one thing I can say to you is that with your current prescription, at that level,
06:33
the tendency functionally and I’m speaking functionally about how you use your eyes, is you’re using your eyes
06:43
in a way that would mimic glaucoma. Meaning that when somebody is that nearsighted, what do they do? They tunnel their vision. And when they wear such a lens like you do, they begin to exclude their peripheral vision habitually. So it’s almost though subliminally, your myopia is like glaucoma. Now that isn’t really talked about in the medical circles, because all they’re doing is they’re just looking in a moment a snapshot of the structure of the eye.
07:27
And they’re not looking at holistically how the eyes Connect. Say, for example, I saw you did a gallbladder cleanse liver gallbladder. Well, in Chinese when I studied acupuncture many years ago, in our early classes, we learned how liver gallbladder affect our eyes. And then when I studied functional medicine, I found that people that didn’t produce enough bile in the liver produces the bile and the gallbladder stores it if they didn’t produce enough of that. There’s no way they could absorb the very important fat soluble vitamins like vitamin A, for your eyes, lutein and zeaxanthin, fat soluble, so that we when I started to prescribe things like bile salts, and or pancreatic enzymes, they’re dry went away, their night vision got better. So things kind of happened based on the relationship between the liver and the gallbladder just as a as an example. So they’re all these connections, like you do Reiki, okay? So energetically, the eyes are the organ of light. That’s how we, you know, it’s how we see based on the light coming in.
08:48
And you may have seen on my social media content, I’ve been following an ophthalmologist in the UK named Glen Jeffries, Jeffrey’s lab, and he did a study on red light on retina on the retina of people who had retinal degeneration, all kinds of retina issues. And he found that the red light actually improved. The subjects visual acuity by 22%. That’s unheard of. We’re talking about a red color. But what happened was is that the red actually stimulated the mitochondria, which live in a very high concentration in the retina. And you know, mitochondria are those energy producing cells that produce something called ATP.
09:41
And when a person normally ages, their mitochondria starts reducing its function after about the age of 40. And so less ATP, more oxidative stress and inflammation. And so
10:00
This red light flipped the switch. I don’t hear ophthalmologist talking about that.
10:08
Even at this meeting, I was, I was thankfully and we let me say this one more thing. And then because this is related to glaucoma, there’s actually a very good study that’s done that was done on meditation and bringing high pressure down.
10:23
Now, in your case, I don’t know that you have an eye pressure issue, but it definitely reduced the glaucoma pattern or again, the suspicion of it.
10:34
So I interrupted you there, what would you like to say, based on some of my early or opening remarks? Sure. It’s just when I was a child, we went to the eye doctor, and this was back in Taiwan. And I remember, they would have a sit in front of red lights afterwards, and I thought, oh, so yes, I that did connect for me when you posted about that. So I just wanted to say that. Okay, yeah, that’s, that’s interesting. Yes.
11:06
So, so So the question here, what we have to do is we have to come up with a strategy
11:13
to increase the vascular health and robustness in your retinal vessels. You know, the another thing that came out in this Jeffrey’s lab study, which you probably already know, is that the eyes have the highest metabolic and energetic need in the entire body.
11:35
And when I read that, and then I talked to some other neuroscientists there, they’re like, Yeah, that’s obvious, because there’s such a high concentration of blood vessels in the retina.
11:47
And these micro capillary blood vessels, they need a lot of nutrients.
11:54
So the strategy here is
11:58
how can you increase your vascular health in your eyes to your eyes, that’s lined up with you.
12:12
And that is natural and integrative instead of using synthetically made pharmaceutical drugs.
12:20
Because you’re not the only one that’s chemically sensitive. Those eyedrops I’ve tried them, and they make my eyes red. They make them dry. They burn headache.
12:34
Headache, I actually in one of the glaucoma meds, I felt nauseous. I felt like I was gonna throw up. I had heart palpitations, I never get those. So you know, those eyedrops are a court of last resort, and they don’t even really work that well, honestly. No, so they’re just not it’s not lined up with you. So so the thing is, is do you have glaucoma? I’m not sure. You’ve got some symptoms and signals, but you also have this myopia thing going on. And as I said, it is, in some ways, it’s another form of a type of glaucoma, because myopia definitely tightens up your eyes. It’s a tightening
13:28
experience. And when you wear a prescription from an eye doctor, guess what happens? It just gets reinforced. Yeah, it’s like this
13:38
exam. Do it’s like right now, on a practical level, you can’t just throw your glasses away.
13:51
I would love to because I see that your story? Yes. Yes. But then, but then if you just throw them away,
14:01
how would you drive? How would you know function in the world? And that’s an important part to this. Like, we want to do this in a grounded way.
14:11
And submit in spaced way,
14:15
you know, as well, yeah. So what I wanted to lay out, this is how I’d like to work with you. I would like to make some recommendations.
14:29
Your job is to say that doesn’t feel right to me. And I’m gonna go Okay. Here’s five other things. And you might say I like number one and number three. Okay. So there’s so many different ways to increase your vascular health in your eyes. And it’s kind of sad that in the medical I know that offices you go to because I trained in those. There isn’t a lot of room for
15:00
Our exploration of more holistic type therapies.
15:06
But I’ve been at this almost four decades, and I’ve gone back to massage school, I do cranial work, I’m an acupuncture, herbal, there’s some great herbs for vascular health, you know, and also, there’s some physical things that you can do, we can talk about maybe some type of vision improvement, physical therapy type exercises to help reduce your myopia. You know, by the way, the dry eyes and the floaters, they’re all part of the same family, which is, you’re not getting enough mitochondria action,
15:51
you need to get more hydration, and oxygenation.
15:56
And if you do those things, then all of this could shift. And one of the ways I think about glaucoma, whether you have it or not, is that a lot of my patients, what they’ve done is because their vascular health has gotten so much more robust. That particular, it’s kind of like a software program that’s kind of running in the background, but it’s not really having any effect on the system. So that because your vascular health gets so robust, and you make such a leap of improvement, that, you know, the ophthalmologist is probably going to say, Well, we’ll see you once a year, things are stable, you know, they never admit that things get better. But if they say the word, well, I’ll see in a year or two or you know,
16:54
it’s not changing, then you know, that from their perspective, you’ve, you’ve made some big changes. And I’ve had 1000s and 1000s of patients, over the years go back to their ophthalmologist, and they go well, you know, has it gotten worse. So we’ll let it go for now.
17:18
So what I wanted, what I want to do is I want to go through
17:24
your list of things that you have been taking, or what you’re doing.
17:35
So I would say that
17:40
number one, the first thing you did, which was very positive as you switched yourself out of progressive lenses. Yes, so these are 20 years old. Yeah.
17:51
Now, the thing is, is that just like you have more than one pair of shoes, Mm hmm. Really having more than one pair of glasses, based on the distance you’re focusing at is going to be another possible helpful remedy. So what I’m saying is, is that
18:19
this, this prescription is 20 years old, okay? How does that relate to your ability to drive if you’re still doing that looking in the distance, and if you are seeing well in the distance, that prescription needs to be checked, because it may be too strong for you for your 20 inch experience, or your 14 inch experience. And there’s a really cool vision improvement process in myopia, especially, where whatever prescription you’ve got for distance, you reduce it by 20, or 30%. And that becomes your indoor prescription, that eventually, because it’s less than the distance, it will relax your vision and open it up, because it’s a softer prescription. And it may eventually become your distance, which then you can reduce again.
19:22
So
19:25
you know, I’m happy if you want to stay with the prescription 20 years ago, it would be good to know what that baseline is. And is it too strong for you for your computer and reading or you know what it is and so I I don’t know what’s in those glasses. But that might be something for you to to explore if you want to or you might say I’m happy where I am. Let’s move on. So what are your What are your thoughts on that? Um,
20:00
So I can drive with these. And they seem to be okay on the computer. And I would say that, but if I’m reading fine print, like the TV Guide, that’s where I have to do this, pick them up, or actually knows what the map so I can see a little better.
20:22
So be what might be nice is to figure out what the numbers are in that prescription.
20:30
Okay, and then see if you could get something less as a second pair. And when you said less, how much less? Like one, maybe 20, maybe, maybe maybe 20%? Less? Again, our Do you think it’s still around minus 10? Do you think it’s less than that, the other thing I would consider is I would get the same inscription in each eye.
20:58
And I would get no astigmatism in the lenses to allow your vision to have more space, and flexibility and versatility. So I’ll make it deal.
21:11
If you can go to an optical place, and just have them figure out what’s in that prescription and you send it to me,
21:21
then what I can do is I can take the numbers, and I will reduce it by say 20%. And I’ll balance it. So both lenses are the same.
21:35
And I’ll take the astigmatism out. Wow. And this will be like a vision exercise for you. Because as I said, any lens that you wear reinforces what’s already in the eyeball. And probably no eye doctor is going to want to do that for you. Because they’re into correcting you for the smallest letter possible. So that would be an option for you. If you want to do that, again, we work we’re working together in a partnership. So if you want to do it, I would recommend it. It was very helpful to me to have my doctor prescribe something much less. And you know what, when I was when I started to wear it to work, you know, it was practicing. After about a week, my staff, I asked them if I was any different. And they said you know you’re softer, you’re more relaxed or a little more open. You’re not as stressed. So it changed the energy. Mm hmm. Yes.
22:40
transfers energy into the body through the eyes. Yes. So I like to try that. Yeah, how do you go about, so go to the optician, then I don’t need to go to optometrist. Right. So go to a go to like, maybe even, you know an optician or like a peripheral vision. Or you could go to one of the chains. And you could say, You know what, I know this prescriptions old. My optometrist just wants to know what’s in these glasses. I know the prescriptions expired. Can you at least write it out for me and I’ll, I’ll fax it to him. And they’ll do that for you just go to an optical place. You don’t need to go to an eye doctor. Right?
23:26
Yeah, no, no, then they’ll write it out for you, you know, in the language, I understand it, and then just email it to me scan it and email it to me. And then I will take it and I’ll come up with something that’s much less that’s balanced. So a technique that I learned was that by correcting both eyes for the same starts to encourage both eyes to work together, even if one eye is more blurry than the other.
23:58
Okay, okay. Yeah, there’s a little bit of blur on this. I don’t know if the floater thing um, Can I also add I have like varicose veins, so that’s a circular issue too. So I’m resonating with the whole circulation issue. And digesting fat is an issue for me too. So
24:21
there’s two things you can do on that. I’m going to be releasing in about a month, two products, one that’s going to support the gallbladder and include bile salts, and also pancreatic enzyme as well. And I think that those two things would be really great for you and you take them after a meal, get dry once a day and just see how that is. But we need to get more nutrients into your eyes. That’s that’s one thing that I when I reviewed your everything you sent me
25:00
Eat. That was the first thing that came to me is that we need to somehow get more nutrients to your eyes. So you’re absorbing them. Mm hmm.
25:10
So you’ll look for those one is a pancreatic enzyme and the other is a gallbladder support. It’s all herbal. And
25:21
I’ve been in research and development for a long time with it. So it’s going to work. So if you can wait, it’ll be up in a couple of weeks, we’re just getting our labels done and
25:34
final stages. But in the meantime, the prescription so you’ll get that to me. Okay, then there’s an eye exercise I’m going to recommend for you, and you may have seen it online. It’s become kind of famous now.
25:54
But it’s an exercise where in a
25:58
very safe environment like locked in your bedroom. That’s the only place you can do this exercise
26:05
you get, you go to the drugstore. And you get yourself a pair of what we call plus lenses. So you wear minus lenses near sighted people where minus farsighted people wear plus.
26:21
And you go to the drugstore, and you get the strongest pair of plus lenses, they’re called magnifiers. But you’re going to use it as an exercise lens
26:31
you buy.
26:33
And also while you’re there, get an eyepatch
26:37
come home. Okay, you come home, you sit in your bedroom, take off your regular glasses, and you patch your left eye. It’s going to be really blurry for you. And you just look through the right eye. And you get a baseline This is how I see for the right eye. No judgment, this is it, it’s blurred. And then you take that magnification lens and you put it on over the right I
27:06
put it on. And for the next minute, I want you to process and observe mentally, what comes up for you, when you look through that level of blur. Let me give you some examples. I put on the blurry glasses, I’m feeling afraid. I’m out of control.
27:29
I don’t like blur because I like detail that gives me comfort.
27:34
I don’t like this blur because I could get injured, I could get hurt. So whatever your story is, you’re gonna see it. And that’s what you keep telling your eyes 24/7.
27:49
And that hyper vigilance that you’ve put through your eyeball is part of the reason why your eyes are letting you down. That’s a lot of red alert.
28:03
I got to be on on guard all the time.
28:07
And say that for a minute. And here’s where I would like you to go with it during that minute. Can you begin to relax into the blur.
28:19
Here in the present moment, nobody’s asking you to do anything, except be in the present moment.
28:28
And you’re gonna find after that one minute, you take those blurry glasses off and your right eye is gonna start to see more clearly.
28:36
You’re gonna say, Well, I think things might be a little clearer.
28:40
And you do it, you do it three times, on off on every minute, three minutes, each time you take a measurement. And by that third time, when you’re done, you put the plus lenses down. And then you take the patch off the left eye and you’re gonna notice immediately things are brighter, clearer and you’re better peripheral vision.
29:05
All the things that neutralize what they say glaucoma does to you. It makes it dark, it’s tunneled. You know, it’s duck dough, it’s dim, but whatever.
29:18
What you just did there as you created a new pathway in the brain, and also in the eyes because the eyes are really just the outer part of the brain. I mean part of the eyeball is brain.
29:32
So right there, you created new pathways, and you created more light coming in and more relaxation.
29:41
And you patch the right eye and you do the same thing on the left. Same thing three times. And you know your left eye might experience is completely different than the rain. I don’t know.
29:53
You do that exercise every day for a month
29:57
and you’re wearing my reduced
30:00
prescription full time, you will have reduced your myopia, your astigmatism, and created much more relaxation and better circulation in your eyes. Because mentally you’re more relaxed.
30:18
Okay, so I have
30:21
Yeah, that sounds.
30:23
So do that daily for a month. And yep. So in terms of those glasses, it doesn’t matter how
30:32
high the magnification is, it’s whatever that’s available, because I’ve seen 2.53 Maybe, and,
30:41
okay, it’s not gonna matter, it’s not gonna matter. Just get the highest number they sell. If it’s a 2.5. It’s not about the number. Anything in the range is going to do the job. We don’t we don’t need to be precise. Okay, not gonna make any sense at all. Okay, it’s more for you to experience, learn,
31:05
and get comfortable in the blur.
31:08
Because I would predict
31:13
that if we unpacked mentally, your relationship, the blur somewhere deep inside of you, you don’t like it?
31:26
I can tell you right now.
31:29
Go ahead, tell me. So it just so happens that intuitively I download images. And but when I get confused, that’s the first thing that goes away is the blur.
31:46
Or I don’t know how I’m rolling out my practice, for example. So when that vision idea of vision is blocked,
31:55
I get really confused. And I’m very clear person. So yes, that mentally is a thing for me, as well. So what this is going to do is it’s just gonna reset it so that your poor eyes don’t have to get that level of
32:15
communication because it’s not helping you. It’s hurting you. Yes. I, I would say that, you know, whatever these doctors are picking up glaucoma. Noga who knows, right? But from an empowered point of view, if you can really handle and shift that,
32:37
then whatever they’re saying is irrelevant, it doesn’t matter anymore. Because you are now in control around how you’re going to relate to your eyes.
32:55
In the present moment. And this isn’t so much about getting rid of glasses. I mean, you could. But that’s not the goal, the goal is for you to develop much more care and conscious relaxation into your eyes. Because, you know, I’ll say this, you could take the fanciest vitamin, you could use those red glasses, you could, you know, whatever you could do. But this is a lynchpin that could really open up your circulation.
33:34
Okay, I can’t tell you how important it is for you to mentally get a handle on this level of,
33:45
you know, angst that you have put into your eyes. And I’m here to say on the other side of it is
33:54
I want you to see clearly, no doubt, I want you to see, I don’t want you to be walking around in a blur. But what I want is for you to have more awareness, mentally on how you relate to your eyes, and the blur. So another thing that you can do in the in the spirit of this exercise is to
34:20
in non demanding situations, take your glasses off a little bit. Maybe you’re already doing that. Again, I want to emphasize non demanding non threatening situations. So if you take your glasses off, and you start feeling anxious, or you start getting frustrated, that’s your signal, put the glasses on and do what you need to do.
34:45
You know you practice Vision Improvement only in safe situations. Because again, if I dug deep enough with you, I know that there’s something around your nearsightedness
35:00
And you not feeling completely safe.
35:05
And we don’t need to name it and go into, you know, deep trauma therapy. I’m just saying,
35:14
you know, on a Sunday, if you don’t have anything going on right away, do a little vision retreat where you take your glasses off and experience your life through the blur, and use it as a as a spiritual teaching. Oh, so I noticed without my glasses on.
35:42
I’m more intuitive. Or
35:46
I’m thinking about things that are more creative, or I like the flow. I liked the song. softness, there’s a lot of positive things about being in blur. Mm hmm. It relaxes your vision? Yes. Well, what does that relaxing do to your blood vessels? It’s gonna open them up. That’s true. Right? Yes, you know. So relaxation is a very high priority for you around being able to, again, improve your vascular health. And we were gonna get to some other things like the MSM drops, I’m going to look at your, you know, your supplements and other things. But in this particular scenario, I wanted to start here, because this makes the world go round.
36:49
Okay, you do this one, then all the other things that I’m going to suggest are just going to work better. And you’re going to find very quickly, your eyesight is going to improve and your vision is going to get better. And that’s going to feel so empowering. Oh, yeah. No doubt your God.
37:09
Right? Because you go to these people, and they tell you something, and their whole world is fear that it’s a disease to death. And I just like
37:20
your and your thing is it’s not even your fear. It’s their fear that they’re projecting on you. That’s the the insanity of it. Because I’ve never seen people improve their vision.
37:33
Okay, I want to move on, because there’s many other things we can get to. So it doesn’t sound like I pressure is the issue for you. Is that? Is that true? I just want to confirm that because there were a couple of different threads that I saw you wrote that.
37:53
I
37:54
said, Oh,
37:56
yeah.
37:59
Yeah, it was like a 10 or nine or some something. I don’t know. Second guy said. And in fact, I just read the records yesterday, they sent me and the quote, severe. Like, I lost a lot of sleep over that. So I’m gonna let that go. This is super helpful.
38:18
Right? So So here’s the here’s the next thing. Yeah. One of the keys in improving your vascular health in the eye is protecting the optic nerve. Because the optic nerve has these nerve fibers that connect to the retina from the retina to the brain. And there’s like a communication link. Okay, so this is all evidence based science based what I’m gonna say, and you may be doing these things, so we’re just checking the box off. I’m not I’m not saying you need to do these, you’re already doing them. But I’m just gonna go through the list of what improves optic nerve health. Omega three clearly is helpful. gingko bilberry, and taurine, feed the optic nerve. Now the good news about that I saw you have some other vitamin you might consider when you use that up or to see if they have that in there is to switch to my whole health I vitamin because I’ve put taurine, gingko and bilberry in those that either you can use my omega three or which is designed specifically for the eyes or you know, make sure you’re getting enough good fats and oils. Okay, though, those things feed the optic nerve. In addition, there’s something that I’ve developed called optic nerve formula. And it has something that’s an ingredient called nitric oxide. And this is getting a lot of press in glaucoma right now, at least in the you know, some of the medical journals now
40:00
Trick oxide is a vasodilator. It does exactly what we want it to do for glaucoma and gives you better blood vessel circulation. So I would consider the optic nerve formula. I’ve also put alpha lipoic acid in it, which is going to clean up your vitreous, which is where those floaters are because it’s a very concentrated antioxidant. It’s good for the lens of the eye, and many other things. So optic nerve formula is something else. Okay, so I’m hearing Yeah, so I’m out of this and was prepared to take what you want to do my whole health I vitamin I would also add the Astra Xanten as the Xanthan is a marine karate Noid which, again is very helpful for read the circulation. So you would do the vitamin as to Xanten and the optic nerve formula.
41:00
In addition, in addition, I want to make sure you’re getting at least some Tumeric in your diet. Or you can get my supplement curcumin studies have shown that Tumeric curcumin curcumin in turmeric has been very helpful for reducing glaucoma.
41:24
If it’s inflammatory, so somewhere in there I want you to cook with it or just get my capsules and curcumin, then the MSM eyedrops, because of your dryness, I would use them during the day, maybe one drop each eye three to five times a day, that’s going to help the floaters and then in the evening, you can use my castor oil drop and the way I’d like you to use that as right before you go to sleep. Take a drop and put it on the outside part of the eye on the eyelids and then lightly massage it around the eyelids in the eyes.
42:08
Castor oil is a great anti inflammatory agent and heals the skin. It reduces dryness and it’s great to use before bed on the eyelids because it will slowly penetrate in while you sleep. So when you wake up, your eyes are going to feel moist. Okay, I’ve been studies that show that castor oil reduces inflammation in the eyelids something called meibomian gland dysfunction. A group of ophthalmologists did a study and found that
42:43
Castro eyedrops, reduce this meibomian gland dysfunction instead of having to use pharmaceuticals. So it’s it’s really good. I’ve been using it a long time. Okay, so those would be the remedies. Yes, please. So I got the 5% MSM drops and I was using them but they made my eyelids feel warm inside. So I stopped.
43:11
So
43:14
there’s a couple things about that the MSM contains a molecule called sulfur.
43:19
Sulfur is the third leading trace mineral found in the body and it’s kind of like sticky flypaper. Yeah. So that whatever toxins are in the eye, the sulfur molecule is going to flush it out. Oh, okay. So detail now. Exactly. Now, the thing is, is that another way you could do the MSM is get a cloth, a soft cloth, wash cloth or something wet in wet it, put a couple of drops on the MSM on the cloth and just use it over the eyes. And try that and see if that’s better. Or maybe you just need to space it out or use less MSM.
44:09
I think you’ll just have to figure out, you know, what is going to be the best dosage for you around, you know, because you don’t you don’t want to have any symptoms. Although I will say that the whatever you’re experiencing in the eyelids is not a bad thing. But your eyes are very sensitive. And at the very beginning, it might be better for you to use less and space it out and get an experience where there’s no problems.
44:48
Okay, where you’re not a nice thing to do people get used to it. That was Yeah, I was wondering if I use it over time. Would it like come down or is it more
44:59
like
45:00
What is your experience?
45:02
Well, calm down. I don’t think that’s the goal here. I think you might not be warm anymore. Like not feel warm reclamation, warm is not a negative, you’re perceiving it as. But I think that
45:20
you know, because of your sensitivity.
45:24
I mean, I don’t know what all that you’ve put in your eyes and all the things I can tell you with the amount of myopia I have. It’s a high risk,
45:35
high trauma situation. So whatever you use, you may need to use less and spread it out. And we’ll just have to see, this is not a cookbook, each person is different based on what they’re bringing to the table. So what you have to become adept at is how much can you take?
46:01
Okay, probably for you, because of your sensitivities. I would err on the side of less is better than more, we don’t want any symptoms at all. Right? So maybe the MSM once a day or, or every other day, or every third thing, you’re gonna have to figure it out. I can’t tell because I, you know, you I don’t know, you know what your tolerance level is. So
46:32
I think for you right now, you don’t want any reactions.
46:38
Because any reaction is going to be Oh, my God, this is overwhelming me. And just,
46:45
just worrying that blurry vision prescription, that’s going to be very provocative, I’m sure, huh, okay. Okay. So, bear with you. You’ve got to be your own therapist here. Okay. And I may go back to my therapist will help
47:04
to lessen the hypervigilance actually, with a chemical sensitivity. So the but when my eyes feel dry, so right now I’m giving the uptake the bio, Ron, you know, uptake a homeopathic drops?
47:20
Doesn’t doesn’t give you some relief. I mean, some but right now, as I’m talking it’s, you know, feeling kind of Sandy. So, so should you’ve got a chronic dryness going on here. Yes. Yes. It may be many things, you may have to increase your fats and oils, you might have to try the castor oil at night. I mean, I don’t have that answer. You’re gonna have to experiment and see what the what the formulation is. I mean, certainly that is a nice, I dropped maybe use more of it.
47:55
You know, use that with
47:59
me. Is that what the MSM? Well, you have to try? I don’t know. Okay. I don’t know what.
48:07
That’s, that’s what I’m wondering. It won’t contradict each other. No, they won’t contradict each other, but just don’t do one right after the other, maybe do one and then next time you do? I mean, you’re gonna have to be your own doctor here. Okay, that’s fine. No, you’re gonna have to listen, though, I can tell you this. This is a key point. You know, when I teach workshops, the people that make the most improvements. Yeah.
48:37
Use their intuition. Okay, I could do that.
48:44
I think you must do that. I think that’s a requirement of you to get the room that you’re looking for. Because I don’t know, you know, each person is different.
48:55
I’ve got fully use the MSM and they go within an hour there, floaters have gone away. Now, I’ve got other people that use the MSM, and it burns like hell. This is the 5% and they can only do it like once a week.
49:12
Also,
49:13
okay, no, I don’t know, you know, this, you know,
49:20
okay, you’ve got this, listen and follow. And if you get some response, and you know, okay, I can go that way. Or maybe I need to try something else, because I’m not gonna be there with you. And I know these things work, but they work differently for different people. So you’re gonna have to see for that.
49:43
Okay. Okay, great. Thank you. I appreciate it.
49:48
Appreciate the Empower empowerment perspective, rather than the authoritative.
49:57
Yeah, energy. So this feels much
50:00
better and more, I’m relieved.
50:03
Yes, there’s help and that this is not like, you know, already,
50:09
like a train wreck
50:11
and can’t be reversed. Not only is it not a train wreck, but you can turn this whole thing around pretty quickly and empower yourself to,
50:25
to just know how to take care of your eyes. And then you know, every now and then you go visit a doctor and you just get the data, and then you know what to do with it. You don’t have to take commendations. Yes, they they love the, you know, the toolbox that you and I are talking about. I mean, this isn’t fallen from the sky. I mean, Chinese medicine has been working with eyes for 1000s of years. This is not new meditation. You know.
51:00
Another thing that can help you is finding a good cranial sacral therapist, that helps the cerebral spinal fluid come into the optic nerve, and a much softer, more balanced way that actually came out in the glaucoma seminar. They didn’t say cranial sacral. But they said cerebral spinal fluid in the brain. If you can change that, you can change glaucoma. So amazingly, they didn’t know. I don’t think they knew exactly what they were saying. But
51:30
it’s true. Yeah, I had one. Yeah, my the cranial sacral. Guy this back in Massachusetts. I’m out in Colorado now. He said this think noise? Bone.
51:44
Yeah, so. Okay, so there’s that question for you how? So I’ve avoided doctors for the last three years.
51:56
Because of
51:58
so do you have someone a contact or someone you like in Boulder that has this kind of approach?
52:06
No. Okay. So just go to them for the diagnostics. Right.
52:13
I don’t I don’t, you know, there’s so few and far between. I’ve talked to a lot of the younger graduates, but there’s so medical, they want the technology they want the you know, they want what what you’ve experienced, so, I don’t know anybody.
52:30
Okay.
52:32
less of them are doing it now. Because of
52:38
I don’t know, you know, because of the medical model. I see. Okay, so optometrist, I probably don’t need to go to ophthalmologist because though,
52:47
tests,
52:49
just go to an optometrist and but I think right now just focus on the healing part, and see where you are in three months. And maybe, you know, we can do another session in three months or so. And see where you will see where you go. Okay. Meanwhile,
53:09
prescription to get the prescription to me and I’ll, I’ll send you a valid prescription, then you can go anywhere to get it filled. Yeah, that will be great. That would be great. Yeah. Okay. Thank you very much. It was very nice to meet you. Very welcome. Nice to meet you. Yes, we are into empowerment, the authority model is trashed. And you can do it. Okay, that sounds so I’ll go to your website by the different vitamins.
53:42
And then
53:44
we’ll see we’ll take the next steps. And again, just listen to your body, be intuitive. And you’ll be able to break through a lot of great things and learn a lot about your patterns. Just by being intuitive and and just listening. And remember less is more you may not need the entire dosage. Maybe you need less so just you know you can do that. Okay. Take them for thority
54:16
Okay, the last question the Astra the Zen
54:23
do I get that from your website also?
54:28
Great. Absolutely. All their one shot one drops. Okay. So nice to meet you. Good luck. Keep in touch. I will give you a testimonial someday. Yes, absolutely. Okay. Take care.
54:50
Thank you for listening. I hope you learned something from the EyeClarity podcast show today. If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to subscribe on iTunes or Spotify and leave a review. See you here next time.
Here is an awesome success story that I wanted to share with you all. This patient was worried about passing his driver’s test and can to me. This is the follow up to his initial appointment. Enjoy the show.
If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com.
If you have any questions, submit them to hello@drsamberne.com or you can now text me! Text ‘Join’ to 1-844-932-1291 to join the community and ask your questions!
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
vision, lighted, left, eye, improving, clarity, awareness, aware, myopia, prism, santa fe, visual, spotify, blurry, test, zeaxanthin, blocked, motor vehicles, field, blurriness
00:05
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberne.com.
00:46
Hey, everybody, it’s Dr. Sam and I want to welcome you to another EyeClarity podcast. So if you have questions, you can always email me hello at Dr. Sam berne.com. Or you can now text me your questions 1-844-932-1291. So in today’s show, I do a short session with a patient who was diagnosed with high myopia more in his right eye than his left eye. He’s had some retinal problems in the past, and this is in the right eye. And he’s worried that they’re going to come back and he’s concerned about passing his driver’s test for motor vehicles. So he came to Santa Fe and we did an intensive with him. And this is a follow up zoom appointment before we do the masterclass in San Diego. And so you get to hear some of the great things that have changed for him now, in this process that I laid out. You know, when I work with people in this way we do it in a very individualized fashion. And you know we did the basic things like boosters crowd noise, lutein, zeaxanthin Astaxanthan, get them on vitamin D. Get his vitamin A to absorb better. He also did some things with our Veda and gi eyedrops. So I had him do the red light therapy, and we also did some special yoked prisms, which stimulated his left eye. His peripheral vision is much different. He’s got more visual awareness, and he’s just more connected to his eyes. So enjoy the show. Again, this is a short session but a little bit of a testimonial and things that he is accomplished in doing the work.
02:57
Hello, Dr. Ben, how are you? How are you? I’m good. Can see me okay. Yes, I can. Okay.
03:07
All right. Give me an update on your vision and
03:15
since I saw you in Santa Fe in November, I think we’ve made November 23 week of November. I have I think the the key difference I see is as I see more and more of us more and more of the prism glasses that you had sent. I see my left eye vision improving quite well. It stabilizes I can when I’m driving around I can see more of the street signs that I use not I usually just rely on my you know, maps are the navigation but now we can see the signs. It’s definitely improved my vision on the left I that’s one I do get moments of either they are under emotional stress or under some other stress. Like for example if I go to a crowded room or a mall situation or like a store, my right eye vision suddenly becomes more blurry I kind of sense that blurriness that discomfort that blur and I just become aware of it and you know just trying to see what’s going on definitely there is an emotional component to it I feel to the right type there. I am doing the the left. Blue color and right eye red color and also the positive glasses And the I think the key difference, as I seen is that that over the last one month, it’s been triggering, which is my sort of if the source is not is lighted, meaning the source of the object is lighted, for example, it’s, you know, something like lights at night or, or bombs in the distance, or just like, you know, I, my clarity through my right eye has definitely improved. But if it is just me staring at a, like a mirror, for example, if I’m just looking at myself with my right eye at the mirror, that that’s not a lighted object, or just like us, you know, more faintly lighted, like, for example, looking at you on my computer monitor here is still blurry, but the light portions appear more, more well defined, well formed, but the the low light detail at the Apple central portion of the vision, that still fuzzy, right, it’s just like, almost okay, you know, mostly I can I know the edges exist and all that, but, but I can like see you or your face, unless maybe I do this close. And then I can so but from a distance. Secondly, I have noticed that maybe it’s my meditation practice or something else. But when I become aware that I have to access the entire field of vision.
06:59
When that awareness comes to me, and using awareness or attention to that entire field of vision, suddenly I see that oh, I was even wasn’t even seeing this area, it was not even seeing this area like, and then suddenly, when I observed that my vision clears up, because suddenly, I think that that tunneling stops, because aware of my entire vision field, and then I look at science, everything clears up, especially, obviously, the vision clarity is sharper through the left eye. So any differences I perceive more through the left eye, is I can actually see and read using that. But that awareness as a tool as an instrument of improving vision, I think I’m sort of tuning into that more and more, while I’m driving just, for example, if I want to take a left turn, I see here, right. And then I noticed though, I’ve blocked myself from accessing vision in this field, when I turn my left, or turn my right or go up, right, look up, and then I say, Oh, my vision. So that awareness or the lack of awareness, I started to observe that and then access it, meaning, once I am aware, then I can say, Oh, I’ve blocked myself here. So let me be an observer and say, Okay, now I can see the entire field of vision, again, but I do notice, when I’m using my dynamic vision, that there are areas in my visual field that certainly just, you know, don’t blank out, but I’m not aware of them. And that, I think, is like the tunneling I’m trying to use that made it sort of like a mid daily meditation, you know, just to improve. And I think it’s improving my vision a lot, that that one thing
08:58
so as you can hear, there’s a lot of great stuff going on. And I do think that in our vision to be able to heal it, we have to bring the mind body connection, and what we think affects how we see. So when we continue with him on the class, certainly we’ll be evaluating where is his present, visual, processing his myopia. And then we’ll build from there and I’m confident that he’s going to be able to pass his motor vehicles test. So that’s our show for today. I want to thank you so much for tuning in. Until next time, take care.
09:50
Thank you for listening. I hope you learned something from the EyeCarity podcast show today. If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to subscribe on iTunes or Spotify and leave a review I’ll see you here next time
Today’s a little different. I am going to share a session I had where I worked with a patient who was struggling with emotional trauma that was affecting her vision. I will share how we worked together to figure out the best course of action for her. Enjoy the show.
If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com.
If you have any questions, submit them to hello@drsamberne.com or you can now text me! Text ‘Join’ to 1-844-932-1291 to join the community and ask your questions!
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
eyes, sinuses, movement, called, trauma, fluid, continuum, meridians, cranial sacral therapy, self regulation, vision, sound, acupuncture, bones, affect, talk, cranial sacral, starts, part, body
00:05
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberne.com.
00:44
Hey, everybody, it’s Dr. Sam, and I want to welcome you to another EyeClarity podcast. So today’s show is a little out there. I gave a patient this session. And the reason why she contacted me is that she was having some trauma, emotional trauma related to her vision. And a little back story about her she took one of my workshops was an online workshop during COVID. And I use one of the modalities I used was continuum movement. This is a movement modality, it was started by my mentor Emily Conrad, she’s not alive anymore. Anyway, it’s a really profound therapy, I would say what’s closest to it is cranial sacral therapy. And those of you that don’t know about cranial sacral, I would go on my website, and I would look at some of the videos I’ve done on cranial sacral. Basically, it’s working with the fluid body.
And you know, as adults, we’re 70% fluid as infants were 90% fluid. And one of the reasons why we go through an aging process on a cellular level is that we lose our fluidity. Why we lose our fluidity Well, it’s diet, stress, inflammation, oxidative stress, and repetitive movements, repetitive thinking. So in this session, which I cut out my patients part of it because I wanted to respect her privacy. But I talk about how trauma affects our vision. And we go at it first of all from a Chinese medicine or acupuncture perspective. And in the first part, I talk about the relationship between our internal organs, and our eyes, the meridians and how each part of the eye anatomy is affected by certain organs. Another thing I go into is the relationship between the eyes and our bones in the face our fascia. She had a concern about her sinuses. That’s one of the reasons why she contacted me. So I talked about the relationship between cranial sacral therapy and vision. And then I give two practices, physical therapy exercises that help improve the visual system and also stimulate the acupuncture meridians and the cranial sacral system. It’s kind of a all in one. It’s something that I learned as I was going through my continuum movement training. So it’s an interesting show.
There’s a lot of different ideas that I talk about. So I’m putting this up as a podcast just as a kind of a context, philosophically, some of the bigger macro things that I think about when I’m either teaching or working with a patient. So I hope you enjoy the show. Thanks so much for tuning in. So with the terror. The main meridian is the kidney meridian as it relates to the eyes, actually with the eye on kidneys. It’s also the pupil, the pupil is the part of the eye that is the gatekeeper that allows light in and out. Okay, and with your acupuncturist, there are a couple of points I would have them, you know, check the first would be the kidney. The second would be the lungs. So in the in the eye, the lungs are related to the white part the covering of the eye called the sclera. Okay, and a lot of times the kidneys in the lungs may go to Gather, the lungs are more related to grief. But, you know, there may be some of that around your grandmother. And you know, just that, that was a challenging relationship. So what I’m referring to here emotionally is that grief is very connected to our lungs. So if you’re grieving or you’re sad, it is going to affect your respiratory system, at least from a standpoint of Chinese medicine.
And in this relationship that she was referring to, we were talking about the kidneys, which is fear, and we’re talking about the lungs, which is more grief. And these are things that her acupuncturist could help her release. So that’s what that references. So I finished up the Chinese medicine, acupuncture discussion, by talking about the relationship between other organs systems, and the cornea, the retina. So this is an interesting relationship part of the podcast. And then with the cornea, that’s the clear surface of the front of the eye, we see through the window. And that’s, that’s the first place we meet others, it’s a very vulnerable, intimate place. So the cornea and the colored part of the eye, the eye Iris, that’s related to liver, the liver meridian. So you would want to have the acupuncturist, check the liver. And then finally, the red retina, which is the back part of the eye, the two organs that most influenced the retina or the kidney, and the liver. So those would be some places where I would consider starting as it is with with the, you know, with the meridians as it relates to the eyes. So do you have any questions?
Or do you need me to elaborate more on the outer I’ll talk about the sinuses in a minute. Okay, so let’s go to the sinus area, and I’m going to bring in cranio, cranial sacral therapy. So in the in the eye, the main eye bone, which we talked about before is the sphenoid. And there it’s a kind of aspect that is behind this is all behind the eye. And there are a lot of bones that sit in front of the sphenoid bone. But the thing about the sphenoid bone is that it has this freedom of motion, where it can go into a flexion and an extension. And what this does is this starts to affect the sinuses and facial bones, okay, and what are the most famous bones in the floor of the eye orbit is called the maxillary bone. And when this is locked in, it compresses the eye tissue. And it starts to affect the cheekbones, we call that the zygomatic it also will stop the movement of the of the sphenoid and it starts to press in on the sinuses. And this is very much related to trauma. So what’s happening is that there are these nerves that are right there where the bones are we have the cranial nerve three cranial nerve four, and cranial nerve six, all those three nerves, they control the eye muscles,
09:08
their sixth eye muscles and what the what the compression of the sinus does is it interferes with those cranial nerves being able to move the eyes and it creates almost like a eye strain. That will it can show up in the sinus and can show up in the eyes. And it can show up in the jaw sometimes. But the best way to relieve that is to get some some cranial work that brings more movement to the sphenoid the maxillary bone and then ultimately, the facial bones and that’s going to Release those three cranial nerves to work better with the eye muscles. And it’s also going to help with your sinuses so that you see if you stay in this kind of locked down pattern, it’s going to lead to inflammation.
And it’s going to affect your breathing, it’s going to affect your eyesight for sure. And eventually, it’s going to affect the brain. So that you know can cause things like brain fog, dizziness, kind of starts to affect our our orientation and our spatial understanding. So it’s so interrelated. And then what happens is if it gets frozen there becomes this twist in the face and that’s the beginning of a stigmatism which I have, yeah, I do have you have a little bit of that, okay. So that that astigmatism is a is a twist either in the body, which informs the eye, twist, or it’s in the eye, and it informs the body of course, then, when you wear a prescription that has a stigmatism, this can lead to things like blurry vision, double vision, and, you know, eye strain, eye pain, stuff like that, so and so then you bring in the breath work. And that’s a way one way for you to begin to interface with it. I’m going to show you a practice today. However, that can be very helpful in getting the sphenoid bone moving, and also the cervical spine. We didn’t talk about the neck, but the cervical spine when the bones back there get compressed, it starts to create II stress. And of course, that’s going to the sphenoid. And
12:17
let me just tell you to like 10 years ago, I don’t know if I mentioned this last time we spoke but I started getting trained in Alexander Technique. Very good. And so since sighs with that training, I had a lot of hands on on myself. And so I also released a lot of muscle tension patterns with that training, the neck everything, you know, and I’ve also, I’ve also had three car accidents. So every time I’ve had one, I’ve gotten deeper into my body. So
12:52
sure, exactly. So the the thing here is that I want to make sure all your constant questions are answered. And then the key thing is the self regulation, how well can you regulate yourself. And that’s going to be something that I want to teach you today. And because if you can develop that self regulation, then it’s almost like you can do cranial sacral and acupuncture on yourself. Okay, so I’m going to show you two processes today. And the first one is very simple. It’s going to involve some type of light touch, we could call it Reiki, and we’re going to combine that with sound. So you’re going to be making some sound. Now sound is one of the best ways to loosen up the sphenoid the sinus, it works with sound works very well, especially when you yourself is directing the sound and your hands are going to be like your tuning forks. So the sound is going to travel through your hands to the eyes and around the sinuses. And that’s going to also improve your breathing are going to make the breathing deeper and longer and slower. So it’s a really it’s a regulation regulating practice.
So it’s called the palm hom and we’re going to do it together. So you can take your glasses off, you don’t need to see me clearly. And I’d like you to just take your tuning forks which are your hands and I want you to rub them together for about 10 seconds. You’re only going to do this one time. And then you’re going to take the palms and you’re going to cover your eyes and your eyes are closed. And what you’re going to do is you’re going to take a nor irmo easy breath in through your nose. And on the exhale, you’re going to keep your mouth closed. And I want you to make a low, pretty loud, humming sound so I can hear you. So when you’re ready, I think you did one knows but just keep your hands over your eyes with your eyes closed. And let’s do one together. Okay, ready, so rub your hands together. I’m going to do it with you. Cover your eyes, your eyes are closed, you’re gonna take a normal, nice easy breath in through the nose. On the exhale, keep your mouth closed. So you’re containing the sound into your face
16:00
do it again. Same thing
16:13
again, makes me cry.
16:20
Okay. So if you want to stop you can and you can just drop your hands but keep your eyes closed
16:34
and just track inside of yourself. Something some you’re sensing something you’re noticing, keep your eyes closed. And maybe give it a name or give it a description as you as you feel into it. Alright, this next exercise I talk about is the tongue clock exercise. This is on my website, part of my 90 day I clarity bar program. And I talk about the tongue clock or doing two meridians, the Governing Vessel and the Conception Vessel. And we’re also talking about how this exercise can stimulate the cranial sacral system, the cervical spine. And so it’s kind of a very efficient way to stimulate both acupuncture and cranial sacral may explain the tongue exercise. So I’m glad this is being recorded because when you take your tongue and you put it on the inside part of the upper lip, you are activating an acupuncture Meridian called the Governing Vessel. And that’s a young meridian that runs between your two eyes, Up the nose, around the back, all the way down through your perineum, your first chakra and then up into the kind of below the belly button Hara center. So that’s a that’s a acupuncture point.
That’s very primary. So you’re activating your young Meridian when you place your tongue there and you make that humming sound. At the same token, when you take your tongue and put it on the lower part of the, of the lip, the lip, that’s called the Conception Vessel. That’s the Yin meridian. And that one runs right down the middle of your body through your, through your respiratory system, your digestion, and then meets up with the Governing Vessel. Okay. So you’re you’re doing some acupuncture there where you’re opening the meridians, the major meridians of the body the governing young conception Yin, when you place your tongue there and you make the sound. So instead of using a needle or a acupressure, you’re doing kind of acupressure with the sound, it can activate and open both meridians. The other thing that happens is when you press on that upper lip, inside part of the upper lip, you are spreading cervical spine 123 for the bones in the back. So that’s the cranial sacral part of this.
So the upper lip is C one to C four and the lower lip is C four to see seven. So when you press both spreading the cervical bones which is great for your sinuses in your eyes, you that’s gonna bring more circulation, like you say it’s going to bring more color. So let’s say you decide that you want to do that tongue exercise, I like to do upper lower, upper lower upper lower, I like to do three rounds of it. And then I like to rest, I go into what we call open attention. So after I do it, I just kind of sit and or you could do it lying down. And I just follow my sensations I follow if my body wants to move, shake, whatever. And this would be one of those self regulation exercises. Now, the first one we did the palm home, that was very emotional for you, because I think it really started to move some of your energy.
What I’d like you to do with that one is to do six hums on the exhale. And then again, with your eyes closed, you can just drop your hands, you can go into a open attention again. And that could be a way for you to release trauma can be really good for you through the eyes. In this next excerpt, I talk about my friendship with Emily Conrad, the founder of continuum movement, quite a visionary. And when I was training with Emily, we talked a lot about how the eyes relate to the body. And of course, we’re working with the somatic awareness, body awareness. So I share a little bit of what I went through in developing my current treatment modalities. When I when I studied with Emily, she was intrigued by the vision process, she was very big on it, because the eyes are one of the earliest tissues that starts developing. So it’s very primordial. It’s also because it’s so connected prenatally, it brings us back to that, you know, that nine month experience. So there’s the primordial anatomy, then we have the cultural anatomy, that’s all the stuff that we have to do to kind of fit in the culture. And then there’s the cosmic anatomy, which is related to our species inclusivity. In other words, the more slow down our system becomes, the more it spreads, I’m talking to tissue, right.
And when the really spread like that, and slow down, a lot of times those traumas release, and instead of referring to our history, as a way to orient, we are much more connected to the bigger, whether it’s I’m connecting to the trees, the flowers, the animals, the cosmos. And it’s it’s a way that trauma can be released from the body. And one of the scientists is now working very closely in continuing movement is a man named Steven Porges. And Dr. Porges, came up with something called the polyvagal theory. And in that particular discovery that Dr. Porges has written about, he talks about the evolution of our nervous system. There’s many aspects of it, and the vagus nerve polyvagal vagal. And it’s a very complicated theory, but part of it has to do with the we start off with a reptilian type response. And then we might move into a mammalian responses, our nervous system evolution. And then finally we move into empathic response. And the eyes, from my perspective, are one of the most primary senses, especially as an infant making icon. We’re bonding. Gestation, birth and bonding are three imprints that really affect our visual development. Now, when we talk about vision, we’re really talking about the brain because the eyes are the only part of the brain inside of the cranium, we talked about cranial sacral. And there have been a number of studies that show that the more you’re able to get the cerebral spinal fluid activating, that’s going to help the eyes and the sinuses. I mean, there’s so many angles to it.
But Dr. Porges worked a lot with Emily’s now working still with Continuum movement, because he has done a lot of things in trauma. And then how do you how do you heal the trauma? There are lots of ways, but continual movement is one of those possible modalities, because you’re regulating yourself, okay, like, you did two sounds, and you said, you know, it’s getting emotional for me. That’s enough. We did went into open attention, and you’re able to integrate that stimulation. That’s the beat, Yeah, but you’re not depending on some authority figures saying, Do this, or do that, or come and do my, you know, my method, and they’re blind to your responsiveness. But, you know, as you become more adept at regulating your responsiveness, you’re going to able to navigate through this trauma. And I do think a lot of the ice stuff is a place where you’ve internalized it, absolutely, but it’s coming out.
26:30
And so the poem arm and the tongue clock worked very well, for the eyes, and also to help you learn about self regulation. And it isn’t just the nervous system, but it’s the fluid body, it’s what comes before the nervous system in our evolutionary development. That’s why, you know, I work with a lot of traumatic brain injury, when I work with rehab therapists, they they’re very much in the nervous system model. And I have to kind of remind them that we’ll know let’s go to continuum or cranial, because the fluid system arrives much sooner, and that’s where sometimes those imprints are. So if you work in the nervous system, level, you’re not going to get to the deepest core trauma patterns. In this next excerpt, I talk about ways to organically be able to release trauma in the body. And it’s the way we move the way we think. And it’s outside our normal mainstream ideas. So the ways to kind of begin to unfreeze it would be to think and move like an octopus. In other words, spiral movements, wave motion, pulsating movements, anything that’s not repetitive, that gives your body the freedom to go into its impulse I want to shake here, I want to move here. And you know, obviously, during the day, when we’re in our fetch wood, carry water, you know, environment, it’s a little harder to do, but to set time aside for you to start to do some sound.
And notice your breathing, follow that and maybe eventually in invite, and it’s a slow movement, it isn’t necessarily fast. It’s slow. And also some of the movements can be micro movements, okay? So it doesn’t need to be big movements, but it can be big and slow. But things spiral, think wave motion. Think pulsating. That’s what that’s what the language that fluid thrives. And you know, you’re right about, we’re all frozen in our fluid body. I mean, digital time. Religion, health care, family origins, you know, tribalism, all of those things have reduced our ability to stay in our fluid body. It’s becoming harder and harder to do. You know, I used to take people on retreats where we would do dolphin swims first in Bimini in the Bahamas, and Hawaii. And the dolphins were continuum.
We would go in the water and we would do continuum with them. You know, we’re from the, the ocean, that’s where we originate. But life on land, we had to learn to stabilize, when we walked, and this creates that, that structure, but the structure becomes inhibiting, and it shuts down our fluid body. You know, in the eye world, a lot of the reasons why people have eye problems is their fluid in their, in their eyes, has gone away. And so, so sound is important. The breath is important. And the movement is important. It needs to be whole body movement, and it needs to be movement that’s not choreographed, like an uptown, in our so, you know, if you have been exposed at all to the continuum movement philosophy, it’s a fabulous philosophy to live from,
31:03
just for you. I never heard of it before you
31:07
have before me Oh, wow.
31:09
I was I participated in one of your vision weekends a couple of years ago.
31:16
Okay. All right. Cool. Well, the thing is that, you know, it’s, it’s a bit esoteric, it’s a, it’s a little bit outside the norm, because, you know, even things like yoga, to some to some degree, and some have even those modalities. It can get kind of, you know, up down in out, even Pilates, you know, and I do Pilates, but I have to bring my continuum consciousness. As you know, you work with springs, and you’re back and forth. And that’s good. It gives you some flexibility, but you need to come flexible complexify that movement, in a way that is how can we say, enriching that’s thriving, that’s, you know, it’s giving us more nutrients, you the, the more you connect to your fluidity, that’s the medicine. So in this last point, the fluid is the medicine. If you think about our blood, our cerebral spinal fluid, the fluid in our fascia and our connective tissue, that when we return to our fluidity, we can thrive. And that’s the point that I was making. So that’s our show for today. I want to thank you so much for tuning in. Until next time, take care.
32:54
Thank you for listening. I hope you learned something from the EyeClarity podcast show today. If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to subscribe on iTunes or Spotify and leave a review. See you here next time.
Visual Snow Syndrome is a neurological imbalance that’s in the eyes and the brain that causes you to constantly see static when you look out into the world. It’s a scary condition that is often overlooked because you can still see clearly, but you’re looking through a static like screen. So we’re going to dive into this condition. Enjoy the show.
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If you have any questions, submit them to hello@drsamberne.com or you can now text me! Text ‘Join’ to 1-844-932-1291 to join the community and ask your questions!
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
visual, eye, snow, syndrome, improve, work, condition, brain, therapy, clarity, vision, inflammatory, remedy, holistic, neurological, prisms, called, health, feeling, podcast
00:05
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberne.com.
00:46
Hey, everybody, its Dr. Sam, and I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. So today I’m going to take on a subject I talked about maybe a couple years ago, and the syndrome is called Visual snow syndrome. So this is a neurological condition that seems to be growing in numbers. And it’s classified as a neurological imbalance that’s in the eyes and the brain. So if you’ve got visual snow syndrome, some of the symptoms could be things like static, when you look through your eyes, you know, like the old TV sets where you had static on the TV. That’s how it is when you look through your eyes, and you look out into the world. And you may think that you’re crazy, because you see the static all the time, it’s there 24/7 with your eyes open or closed. And the kicker is, is that you go to a traditional eye doctor, and nine times out of 10, they’re gonna say, Well, you see 20/20 on the distance eye chart, and your eyes are very healthy. So there’s nothing wrong with you.
Even though you might be feeling anxious, you might even be feeling a little depressed. So this visual snow syndrome can be accompanied by something called traumatic brain injury. So this could be something like, you know, you fall down, you are in a mild car accident.
If you’re playing sports, and maybe you have a whiplash or you you know, you just fall down. Sometimes this is the triggering factor, I find another aspect of visual snow syndrome is it’s related to your systemic health, specifically, your inflammatory situation in your body. So in other words, if you’ve got a high inflammatory level in your brain and body, this may be another contributing factor to visual snow. Now, some other symptoms that people have reported to me would be things like dizziness, nausea, tinnitus, that means a ringing in the ears. Also being sensitive to light, having night blindness, and having overall eye fatigue. I’ve had some patients say they feel like they’re on drugs.
And if you have done psychotropic drugs, you’ve might experience something like this. People have trouble sleeping, so they have insomnia. They also might be, let’s say in a brain fog state. And as I said, sometimes this visual snow syndrome will occur after some kind of head injury, brain trauma, concussions. And so the relationship between our brain health and our eye health is once again spotlighted even though if you do some kind of a brain scan, you’re probably not going to find anything. Now I have a theory on visual snow syndrome.
I’ve studied a lot of neurological health and I’ve worked with neuroscientists. And there’s a part of the brain called the thalamus, which may be partly responsible for where this visual snow syndrome occurs. And also it may also be related to a place in the brain called the superior colliculus and also the posterior colliculus. The superior is part of our visual and the posterior is part of our auditory where there is a strong visual auditory connection with visual snow syndrome. And this plays into how do we remedy it? Well, the first thing I do is I order our some kind of a lab test, you can do a blood test urine test hair mineral analysis, because I want to get a baseline on what’s going on with the digestive health, any inflammatory issues going on. And that’s a key thing. Because if you’re under stress, you’ve had trauma, you’re probably going to have some inflammation. Of course, this is based on what you eat.
And so it starts with your diet and nutrition, I would definitely up your omega three fatty acids, I would move more into an anti inflammatory diet, lots of plant based antioxidant type foods, I’d work on your gut health, I might explore any toxicity levels, like heavy metals, or any kind of toxicities in your body. And then I would start doing some cranial work some cranial sacral, because I want to get more circulation to the brain. And there’s no question when you improve the circulation in the brain, it’s going to have a very positive effect on your eye circulation, and your eye health.
And then I would employ vision therapy. And in the vision therapy, I would focus on primitive reflexes. Those are those early movement motor patterns that are governed by the brainstem. That’s our reptilian brain. And then they would do some things to help integrate the visual vestibular system. So improving our orientation, our spatial understanding, are ways for you to begin to occupy your eyes and vision better, and this would be the next step and healing this condition.
I would also do some three dimensional work in terms of improving visual coordination, peripheral vision integration, I would really check out what kind of lens prescription a person is wearing, you know, if you’re doing things like progressive lenses mono vision, or you’re over corrected in your lens prescription, this is going to contribute greatly to this visual snow syndrome. I also like doing color therapy, so we would do regular color therapy, I would probably also do red lens therapy. And I might even prescribe a tint. There’s a type of fluorescent type tint that you can get for for fluorescent lights, but this could work really well. For the visual snow condition. We might even do some things like yoked prisms, these are special prisms that we use in both eyes that improve our spatial awareness and IQ. And it takes about three months to remedy this condition. So if you are one of those people or you know somebody that suffers visual snow syndrome, you’re not crazy.
And if the doctors you go to don’t understand what you’re doing, then keep looking for a holistic integrative physician, somebody who can understand you as a whole person. Also, if you can find somebody like me, where you can do things like color therapy, and have a sensitivity around improving the visual system, not just the 2020 eyesight, because a lot of these conditions are missed, because people see 2020 on the eye chart, but they have this condition. So that’s our show for today. I hope this is helpful for everybody. Thanks for tuning in. Until next time, take care
08:51
Thank you for listening. I hope you learned something from the EyeClarity podcast show today. If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to subscribe on iTunes or Spotify and leave a review. See you here next time.
I’m going to take a question from a follower. He’s got a condition called Central Serous Retinopathy CSR. This is a condition where there’s a fluid buildup behind the retina, it can look like a blister, it also can turn into a retinal detachment. Enjoy the show.
If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com.
If you have any questions, submit them to hello@drsamberne.com or you can now text me! Text ‘Join’ to 1-844-932-1291 to join the community and ask your questions!
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
retina, retinopathy, improve, vitamin, light, melatonin, retinal detachment, milligrams, intermittent fasting, health, integrative, nitric oxide, exposure, condition, carbohydrates, zeaxanthin, omega, absorption, called, clarity
00:06
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberne.com.
00:45
Hey, everybody, it’s Dr. Sam and I want to welcome you to another EyeClarity podcast. So I’m going to take a question from a follower. He’s got a condition called Central Serous Retinopathy CSR. This is a condition where there’s a fluid buildup behind the retina, that sometimes it can look like a blister, it also can turn into a retinal detachment. Sometimes the choroid, which is the layer behind the retina, which is also filled with blood vessels is part of the reason why the fluid builds up in the retina. The first thing to notice the retina has one of the highest metabolic needs in the entire body. And this means that it needs lots of nutrients to stay robust. It also comprises of about 50% of fatty acids. This is the fatty part of the body, where of course we talk about things like Omega three, DHA, DHA, specifically, also EPA, those are the things that make up Omega three, and we don’t produce Omega three, we have to get it from outside sources.
But there are other reasons why sometimes we might develop this condition. And it could be things like systemic inflammation, endocrine imbalances, exposures to things like glyphosate, which is found in the fertilizer, round up, which creates a lot of inflammatory disease. Also, if you’ve been taking corticosteroids if you’ve suffered head trauma, and central serous retinopathy tends to trend more in men than women. There’s also a glucose level relationship, meaning that if you’re pre diabetic, if you have difficulty processing sugars, or you’re eating a diet that’s either high in processed foods, or carbohydrates, you might have a higher risk. I even think secondary things like being exposed to chronic blue light from artificial light like screens. Blue light in itself can create more of an inflammatory situation a more drying out situation. But the bottom line is, this is a very serious condition.
Sometimes you need to get some laser surgery, especially if there’s a retinal detachment. If it’s in the early stages, there are some integrative things that you can do, I’m going to go into that in just a moment. It’s important to stay connected to your eye doctor to get frequent retinal exams to make sure you’re not suffering a retinal detachment. And if you do that, then you can start using some of these integrative methods. So if you’re going to embark on my path, which is more integrative, I would start with the red lens therapy, the red exercise lenses. I’ve talked about this in many other video blogs and written blogs, posts on my social media. This goes back to the Geoffrey’s Lab, which discovered that five minutes of exposure to a morning red light in the 670 nanometer range, and you can do that five to seven days a week. This can actually help improve the mitochondria function, which improves the ATP function and reduces things like oxidative stress something called the reactive oxygen species, which tends to go up as we age in the retina as the ATP goes down. This is an everybody.
So what the red lens therapy does is it gets rid of the oxidative stress and improves mitochondrial function. In addition, I would definitely boost your omega threes. I’m looking at maybe 2000 In 3000 milligrams a day of a really high quality Omega three, I sell one but there are other companies metagenic sells a good one. And of course things like vitamin A is really essential for retina health. Zinc helps in the absorption of vitamin A and one of the issues that happens with poor vitamin A absorption because it’s a fat soluble vitamin is the health of our liver, liver and gallbladder. So let me explain the liver produces the bile that helps us break down the fat soluble vitamins like vitamin A, and also I would add the lutein and zeaxanthin those would be other things that you want to take. But if you’ve got a problem with liver gallbladder, then you want to substitute or add bile salts and or maybe pancreatic enzymes to your after meal supplementation. This will help in the vitamin A absorption.
Vitamin A is critical for retina health and a lot of people have difficulty assimilating vitamin A and of course lutein and zeaxanthin, I would add the marine carotenoid asked to Xanthine. So in terms of milligrams, you’re looking at about 16 milligrams a day of lutein, about four to six milligrams a day of Xanthine. At about six to 12 milligrams a day of acid Xanthine, I would consider adding things like bilberry, taurine, gingko, these are all great as building blocks for retina health, I would consider nitric oxide and Alpha Lipoic Acid again, I sell something on my website. That’s called optic nerve formula. But it’s not just for the optic nerve. So nitric oxide is one of those ingredients that helps in the vasodilation the dilation of the blood vessels in the retina. You know, studies are showing that nitric oxide can help reduce things like eye pressure. And so I would consider nitric oxide as another supplementation. And then, you know, this is get this gets very interesting. But you want to make sure you’re protecting yourself from the damaging blue light. So using blue blockers, and also you want to get maybe about 30 to 60 minutes of natural sunlight every day. Now I know there are you know mixed arguments about sunlight and it being bad for you and ultraviolet being bad for you especially, it could cause things like cataracts or retina problems. But the studies show that sunlight is critically important balances our circadian rhythm, it improves our mood, our concentration, and attention. And it’s just really important for our retina health so you can go out in the morning light, that’s the best time that kind of resets your circadian rhythms. And by the way, not all blue light is bad for you. In fact, when you get blue light exposure from the sun, that’s actually very positive.
And it helps in the reset of your circadian rhythm. Where blue light becomes a difficulty is if you’re using screen time after 6pm and it can affect your melatonin production. And by the way, I want to bring in melatonin as well. I’ve done a written blog on melatonin and how it can actually improve your eye health. So adding say five milligrams of melatonin can spotlight the retinal cells in a way that increases your eye health. So I could I would say include that as well. And then finally, I think that carbohydrates and sugars are your enemy. So you might even consider moving in the direction of a ketogenic diet. This is where I would consider working with a functional medicine doctor. I find whenever there’s some really serious retinopathy is whether it’s diabetic retinopathy, or hypertensive retinopathy, in this case, central serious rep retinopathy. I would consult a functional medicine doctor and see about moving more into a direction where you’re reducing or eliminating carbohydrates, and also, you, you’re moving more into the Keto world of proteins and fats. I also liked the intermittent fasting process. Some of the preliminary studies I’ve seen with intermittent fasting is that they can actually support and improve eye health. It reverses aging in the cells. So again, working with a functional medicine doctor having that doctor monitor you either with some blood work or some other kind of biochemistry Chemistry testing to see if you’re a candidate for intermittent fasting. I think that would be another option if you’ve got this condition. So I hope that that’s helpful to you. I appreciate the question. And that’s our show for today. Thanks so much for tuning in.
10:17
Take care everybody.
10:25
Thank you for listening. I hope you learned something from the EyeClarity podcast show today. If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to subscribe on iTunes or Spotify and leave a review. See you here next time.
Today, I want to share this virtually session I had with someone who is struggling with Retina Coloboma and Myopia Reduction. Enjoy the show.
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If you have any questions, submit them to hello@drsamberne.com or you can now text me! Text ‘Join’ to 1-844-932-1291 to join the community and ask your questions!
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
eye, vision, prescription, glasses, retina, lens, blind spot, doctor, nearsighted, myopia, astigmatism, ophthalmologist, blur, boma, people, feel, lenses, hear, visual, months
00:05
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberne.com.
00:46
Here it it’s actually 50 degrees.
00:53
Oh, nice.
00:54
And it’s gonna be it’s a little weird. We didn’t get any snow this year. In Manhattan? No. We just didn’t get any snow, which was a little bit bizarre. But it’s
01:13
cool. Hopefully you’ll have a wet spring, you’ll have a wet spring and good flowers and maybe everything will bloom. Yeah. So I read your history. And why don’t you give me your goals and objectives today. And I can I can speak a lot about your diagnosis. But I want to hear in your words what you want to get out of our time today.
01:39
Yeah. So I have retinal coloboma. And basically, what it like, in this, I have a blind spot. So okay, it’s like, the middle, there’s a spot, I can see what’s on the sides of me, but I can’t see what’s in the very center, like, there. Okay. And then I can see fully with both eyes open, because just like they’re working together like that. It’s possible that I have some blind spots in the left eye, but my brain blocks them out. So I see a full picture. And oh, I didn’t mention in my thing that when I was 15, I did have the muscle corrective surgery in the right eye. Because I was crossing.
And so yeah, so my prescription was quite high. I kept getting over prescribed, they were my doctor who did a really good job with me as a baby, but he kept making my prescription higher and higher and higher. So I’m 24 years old, I’m now 31 But I’m 24 years old with negative 7.5 and a negative seven and astigmatism lens. So that’s quite high. And then I got a prism installed in this lens because then I met a doctor that was like let’s put a prism in there. So now it was even stronger because I didn’t realize a prism men stronger. A couple years ago, I met an eye doctor that now retired but he works with Dr. He was a colleague of you know, that guy that does the light stuff. Jacob Lieberman. Yeah, with him, I started doing color therapy with sin tonics. And that helps me a lot. And he retired. And I’m not really doing I have this and tonics here at home, like I can use them when I want to, but I don’t. I’m not on a protocol with them at the moment. And I also have a red light therapy device, which I use a lot as well. I’ve gotten my prescription down.
Now I’m in a negative 4.5. In both lenses. I still have these magnetism and this lens and I want to get that gone. I also want to I’m not 100% clear in these glasses. I’m like 90% clear, when I’m dehydrated or hungry, my vision will get blurrier. And I’m curious about that about like, what do you think is possible for me as somebody with coloboma? I don’t really like to think of myself as that but like somebody just like with retina missing. I also want to know what you know about that. And if you’ve worked with anybody like that, and you know, I hear a lot of conflicting things from my doctors that make me feel really bad about myself. Like I hate when they look at my when they do the back of my eyes, and they’re like, Well, I can’t believe you see, as well as you see, that’s unbelievable. And it makes me feel really bad about myself because I’m like, Well, I do so am I supposed to feel like I’m somehow not as good you know, like, not capable or whatever. because I have this here and yeah. Okay, I want to hear what you have to say that’s kind of where I’m at. Yeah. Okay.
05:09
So when were you diagnosed with a coloboma? Was that something you were born with? Or?
05:15
Yeah, when I was born, the doctors, the interns that like, give birth to the hospital. They looked at me and my pupils didn’t dilate, right. So they told my mom that I was blind or legally blind. And my mom said, That’s impossible, also terrible time to tell a mother that something might be wrong with their child like that, like right when they gave birth. Then I was diagnosed when I was a baby, they had some people come to my house and take, they were giving me eye exams as a baby where they would have me touch different things to see what I could sense and grab. And I disqualified for the program because I could touch things that were too small. So they disqualified me. I must, I think I was diagnosed at like one or two. But the eye doctor said to my mom, don’t freak out and assume that she can’t see things wait until she’s old enough to tell you what she can see in what she can do. So that was helpful. I have a lot of pictures of myself and memories of myself when I was little, like four or five, riding bikes and doing everything without glasses. And so I intuitively knew that that was better for me. I have no idea what prescription I started up. Yeah, it was like one or two that they diagnosed me. Okay.
06:44
Well, is the coloboma more in the macula area, the optic nerve area, the retina area, where is the coloboma? Exactly? Do you know? What part of the retina Yes, but is it? So the macula is the part of the retina where you we see detail. And it’s kind of a very small part in the retina if you don’t know it’s okay. Because I do think it’s the macula, okay. Well, there’s a lot of upside, there’s a lot of upside here. I mean, there’s a lot of really great potential for you forget what the eye doctor say, because, and I was trained this way as well. I doctors are trained in the disease based model. So they’re always looking for what’s wrong. And they never study any ways to improve one’s vision. It’s just part of the medical training, because then it’s pharmaceutical drugs and surgery. So when you go to them, it’s kind of a downer, because their environment is such where they they’ve never seen people who have improved. But because of my background, I don’t know if you know my story, I became very nearsighted at about eight years old diagnosed with a learning disability. I went to an ophthalmologist, they put strong glasses on me, I couldn’t learn, you know, I was a memorizer. And when I was 30 years old, I met a holistic developmental optometrist who was semi retired. And I was from the East Coast. So he was up in Connecticut.
And I started to go to him as a patient. And within six months, I completely dissolved my myopia, 100%. And my learning problem went away because I had an eye turn that went out. And so I was in double vision a lot. And so I experienced this amazing shift where I didn’t need my lenses anymore. And fast forward. Many years later, I don’t need prescriptions for distance or near. And so I experienced this healing in my vision. And so I devoted my app devoted my career into helping people improve their vision, instead of just, you know, making it worse. And so I can give you a lot of things to help you continue your journey of improvement. That’s easy. There’s a lot here for you. And the great news is, you’ve already done some things, the fact that you even know about some tonics. I was very early, you know, very involved in some tonics in the mid 1980s, knew Jacob really well, and developed my own light and color therapy, protocols and so on. Also study Chinese medicine and acupuncture and saw the relationship between the liver and the gallbladder and our internal organs in our eyes. So when you talk about dehydration, there’s a relationship.
I also studied functional medicine. So when they go on with the functional medicine, doctors, they’re thrilled that somebody’s talking about improving their vision because The gut and the eyes are super related. Yeah, emotions, energy. I’m also a cranial sacral therapist. So get the muscular skeletal connection between the eyes and the body. And there was a study I wanted to just share with you research study University of Rochester, where researchers found that 50% of vision is in the brain, I think it’s higher. And so even if you have a something going on in the eye, wherever it is cornea, vitreous retina, you can start engaging your brain more, and that can kind of help your eyes kind of fill in the missing parts. And, you know, I’m actually really excited that you’ve gone from minus seven or minus 750. down into the 450. Can you get rid of a stigmatism? Absolutely, yes, I mean, I’ve got some great ideas for you on that. And you know, the sky’s the limit. There’s so many things here that are going to be at your fingertips.
And the thing is, is just the people you go to, they have a limited view, so you’re not going to get much for them from them, but it’s not really the whole picture or the truth. So we’re gonna dig into some really specific things that you can do to take your vision to the next level. Even though you’ve had this call a BOMA, and the strabismus and so on. There’s still so much you can, you can do see, the eyes are the outer part of the brain. They’re the only part of the brain that’s outside the cranial vault, you know this, and prenatally. The eyes are one of the oldest tissues, you know, they start growing outside the brain very early, prenatally. So every part of the eye is brain. And there is a neuroplasticity capability. You know, this huge red light study out of the University College London, Glen Jeffries lab, he’s an ophthalmologist show that using red light on the eyes, the retina increases the mitochondria function which improves vision. Without a doubt reduces drusen gets rid of dry eye. So you know, you’re really I can show you and tell you about some things I’ve developed in research around color and light as well. So that’s my, my opening statement.
12:22
Yeah. Things that I’ve done is the color therapy. And the red light was the last thing I got because I couldn’t tolerate red at first because it’s so stimulating. At first I was doing the blues and purples. And then I’m into red. Okay, amazing. Also, what do you know about like, what sometimes? Okay, it’s okay. Sometimes I feel like a my Do you know if if there’s retina missing? What’s in this space? That’s not there? Is it scar tissue?
13:05
Well, in a call a BOMA, what’s happening is part of the the tissue is not there. And so usually what’s in its place is some kind of scar tissue. And some kind of kind of tissue that’s not transparent. It’s a it’s a kind of a bleak type of thing. So there’s usually a darkness and it can be either tissue that’s hasn’t been stimulated, or it can be dead tissue. You know, it’s kind of hard to tell. But the fact that you’re able to see out of the right eye and there’s some visual field deficit, there are very interesting techniques that you can do to stimulate both that area and also amplify the area around it. So works better. So like for example, when I work with scar tissue in the eyes, there’s a digestive enzyme called serrapeptase. Syrup.
Yeah, are natto kinase. Both of those have been shown as a proteolytic enzyme to sometimes be able to reduce scar tissue in the eye. Just as an example, my MSM, eyedrops, MSM is a collagen creator. So when you use MSM, it’s rebuilding collagen. It works great for you know, floaters and dry and inflammation, even things like my castor oil. So castor oil is a very powerful substance that really rebuilds the skin and I was able to make it into an organic eyedrops. So it’s very moisturizing and lubricating. So the key thing is Developing even more circulation in the retina. And you can do that by supplementing with things like nitric oxide that dilates the blood vessels, or red light, specifically on the retina. There are also some other antioxidants that you want to make sure you’re taking, which I’m sure you are like lutein, Xanthine, and Astra Xanth and vitamin A, just as a few of them bilberries another one. And you can do that either in a supplementation or just through food. So I don’t know if you can see me right now. These are 670 nanometer read glasses. Okay, now, in some tonics,
15:46
I need that. Yeah, I think looking at them, but I need those, I can just tell when I’m looking at them.
15:54
You know, when I, when I discovered the research, and I went to a couple of places, what happened was is that I didn’t know where I could get these. And there was a company in the in the UK, but they never responded to me. And since I’ve developed light machines, color machines, and I’ve worked with color for 35 years, I went to one of my manufacturers, and we matched this frequency at 670. That’s what you need. And so after, you know, several tries and prototypes, I put these up on my website a couple of months ago. And so what you would do with this is this is a morning treatment, and about five minutes. And you do it, you know, five days a week. The thing is, is you don’t need a bright light source. You know, our eyes have a autonomic reflex that when things are too bright, that we you know, we move away from it. So in light therapy, what I’ve learned is that, you know, you could use an indirect light source, you could use a dimmer BrightSource. Right now I’m talking to you and I can look out my window. And it’s kind of a dim day, so this would be great for me. To do it this way. I don’t need to look at a bright like the sun or some real bright light. And because of your color, BOMA, you need to be very careful about your light exposure. I don’t know whether you do have light sensitivity or not. But you don’t need you don’t need a bright light. Sometimes I’ve worked with a lot of people with color, BOMA and the pupil in the iris.
And the UV, which is kind of the internal lining and the retinas. So I’ve seen it a lot. When I was in practice in Philadelphia, I was affiliated for a little bit with the Low Vision Center, find Blum Center, and PCO. And, you know, those people saw a lot worse than you, I mean, you, you’re actually at the very high end of the situation. But I think that, again, there’s some things that you can do actually reducing your myopia and astigmatism will give you more vision, and it could reduce the blind spots. So I want to start with the myopia and the astigmatism. So one of the things that I discovered as a kind of a physical physical therapy eye doctor because I worked with a lot of physical therapists. And what I wanted to do was challenge the visual system, so we get stronger, it’s kind of a technique I learned in fitness.
So as a as a nearsighted person, you were minus lens, you’re well versed the you know, you were minus, and what a minus lens does is it actually immediately compresses your vision into this kind of narrowing, tightening, compressing, it makes things smaller than they really are. If you compared an object with the lenses on and with them off when you put them on immediately. It makes things smaller, and with a stigmatism, it creates a warping. It’s a twist, it’s a warp. So when you wear a prescription, unfortunately you’re not wearing the 750 anymore. It reinforces that tightness and compression. So for nearsighted people what I developed as I say go wear plus lens, and I developed this exercise called plus lens, the blur you might have seen it on my website. So what you do is you go to one of the drugstores any drugstore, and you go to the area where they have the magnifying glasses. Now I’m on the right,
19:40
I have a bunch here actually I’ve
19:43
run to get the the highest plus lens that you can. So that would be like a plus three plus 350 Something like that. And while you’re there, if you don’t have it, get yourself and I catch up Hey, we’re gonna work with each eye separately. So you come home and you’re in your bedroom or somewhere where there’s you’re safe. And you do what I’m doing here, you cover your left eye, and you take your regular glasses off and you look out six 810 feet, and you get a baseline on some blur. You’re gonna have some blurriness without your glasses on. And then you get these plus lenses, and you immediately put them on. And you watch mentally, what your responses. Now it could be anything like oh my god, I could get hurt. This is scary amount of control. There’s a mental vigilance, hyper vigilance that our mind tells our eyes as a nearsighted person. That’s why we became that way. But the goal is for you to mentally relax into it and embrace the blur like you didn’t like the red light. Now your job is to kind of embrace the blur and you do it for a minute. And then you take the glasses off, and you get a second reading of the acuity right now, my eyesight has gotten much clearer, just by relaxing my mind and eyes into the blur. So then I do it again. Second time, same thing. Now I’m really tracking myself emotionally, psychologically and mentally.
What am I thinking? What what are the memories? What comes up for me? What What is it showing me? It could be I want to get rid of this. I don’t like it. It’s scary. It’s you know, and the primary emotion around fear. Myopia is fear. I don’t trust what I see, I gotta tighten up and pull in, it’s a defense strategy, my sympathetic nervous system is overworking, everything’s going to dry out because I’m fight flight freeze. So the What the Plus lens is doing is it’s stimulating my parasympathetic nervous system. So I do it for a minute, I take it off, wow, even clearer, amazing, then I do it a third time. So I’m layering the experience, each time I layer it, layer it, I get to go deeper into my eyeball. Okay, because the programming behind the eye is what is causing the myopia. It’s an I’ve internalized something in my vision. And then I got a nearsighted lens, so there was no way I could ever release the energy I internalized. Alright, after the third time, now it’s really clear, damn, this is clear. And then this is a big part right here, I take the patch off, bang, my left eye is seeing so much more. Because that patch has disrupted, the two I patterning my peripherals better, I have more light coming in my two eyes now have to readjust. And I think with the blind spot in the right eye, this is really great for you, because what the plus lens does, it spreads the light out into areas of the retina that you’re not accessing. When you wear your minus lenses. When you wear your minus lenses, all the light is focusing in a very tiny part of the retina, it focuses the light like this, a plus lens does this, it also makes the muscles in the tissue more more fluid more relaxed, there’s more flow minus lens, there’s no movement, you’re just stuck. So then you do the same thing.
You cover the the other eye and you get a baseline of the left eye. And then you do the same thing you put now this is different on the side. Wow, it’s not as blurry for me. I don’t feel as tight. One minute on, get a second baseline. So I do it three times for a minute, boom, boom, boom. And then I take the patch off. And already my visual acuity my video, you’re gonna notice things are better for you, you’re gonna go Oh, my God, this is like really great. Now, because you’ve got the astigmatism in the left eye, it’s going to start to unwind that warping. And one of the things I’d like to offer you is I’d like to send you a prescription. And I want you to get something made up that has no astigmatism in the left eye. Yeah, and you’ll find if you start with, you have it already.
24:20
No, I feel that I’m ready to go there. So totally ready.
24:25
So I’m licensed to do this. You can go anywhere in New York, and you can take them to prescription, and they’ll make it up for you and what we can negotiate. I’m thinking Let’s reduce the prescription to make it a Vision Improvement type situation because one of the techniques that my doctor did with me and my myopia reduction, as he gave me something less than what I normally wear, and I used to wear it indoors. And after about a month I could actually see As well out of that prescription as I did my strong lenses, and you know, the eyes and the brain will adjust to whatever you put in front of it. Right? So I’m thinking maybe 250, something like that. If you have a number that you want to go to, we’re negotiating this, we’re partners in this. So I’m, I’m happy to take your input, if you don’t think 250 is right, what do you think?
25:28
Well, let me tell you what I did. So I was at a negative in both of my eyes. And then my firm who replaced my guy that I liked, she doesn’t understand me. And she wouldn’t give me a lower prescription. Because she said, Why would you do that, you know, whatever. So I went online, and I started to make my own glasses. Because you know, there’s web sites where you can do whatever you want. So that’s how I came to the negative five, I ordered, like three different pairs, and I found the pair, they gave him a middle line of blur. Left, like, I could see a little bit where my knee relaxed, where I was going to head next with my, that’s, yeah, that actually was like a very good move for me. And then I would wear them at home, just working and being at home. And then now I wear them out all the time. I don’t feel 100% Clear on them yet. But I kind of just go with the flow with it. Because I know that’s a part of it. I was gonna go next to negative three with no astigmatism, but do you think I could do negative 2.5? I’ll do negative 2.5. Because I because I’m gonna do this stuff that you’re saying. And so I think negative 2.5 could work.
26:53
So if you’re gonna do negative 2.5, I would start by just wearing it, where you live inside, I wouldn’t necessarily go out in the city. And yeah, my we do, that we’re doing a place where you feel safe. But there’s a couple things I want you to look for inside of yourself when you do the 250s. And you’re probably doing this already. But what you need to track when you put the 250 on is what you feel what you feel in your nervous system. What you feel emotionally, in other words, it’s going to be it’s going to create some volatility.
27:36
Now, that’s good. That’s what’s nice about
27:39
Exactly, exactly, you need to get out of the fixation that the myopia gives you. Now, if you can track your nervous system, muscularly awareness, I mean, you’re gonna definitely feel more open and relaxed, as long as you don’t have a strong demand on you. You know, that’s why, you know, I wouldn’t walk in time script and Time Square with this, or odd on the street until that’s not that you want to do it in a very safe environment. Because, again, at some level, and this is what you know, I’ve helped over 10,000 people with nearsighted, this, the big thing for nearsighted people is feeling safe. At some point, I didn’t feel safe. So I had to defend my myself. So my bubble became much closer to me.
So Vision Improvement, really is going to get better when you start in a safe environment. So you can have the space to feel the vulnerability. And then once that releases, then sure 250 is probably going to feel great for you. And don’t worry that you’re not getting the same acuity. If you want that acuity for that particular circumstance, put something on a you need to have that that specific clarity. It’s like you have more than one pair of shoes, you need more than one pair of glasses. Yeah, especially in your in your process. I think that’s going to bring more circulation, it could reduce the blind spot a little, it could give you more peripheral, it’s going to relax your nervous system. It’s going to do so many positive things for you by doing the plus lens and then doing the 250. And you’ll find initially that okay, maybe the left eye is a little blurry. But if you wear it, the astigmatism now will have a direction to unwind itself. I mean, it’s a shame these eye doctors are so out of touch with the fact that she wouldn’t even write you a prescription. She has no concept. She’s a technician. That’s looking for disease and seeing a million people and could care less. That’s not a good person for you. Right because you know you end up getting But what’s the point? The other thing that
30:03
she had said to me, and this isn’t really where I’m at right now. But she was, like I said, I want to lower prescription like, I’m not, I’m not going to wear them in the city. I want them for at home, and I’m a beginner body worker myself. I’m in training. So I work on clients. So I’m up close, and I don’t need to be far away from anybody. And and I don’t really work on the computer. And oh, did it freeze? No, it’s okay. And she said, Francis, I don’t think that it’s realistic for you to think that you’re gonna be seeing 2020 with no glasses on. And I’m not really concerned with never wearing glasses. Again, that’s not where I’m at. But I want to like what do you think is possible? Because also, I’m curious about the blind spot because something about my blind spot doesn’t make sense to me. Where it’s not making sense in that I don’t understand if other things in my body can repair, regenerate make new cells, why can’t my blind spots, but you’re telling me something different, which I’m excited about.
31:12
So look, when I put these on, my retinas are getting a lot of mitochondria stimulation. So what’s happening is my ATP is increasing. My reactive oxygen species, which is another molecule that’s created when you have aging in the eye goes away. So the RLs goes away, the ATP goes up. And so my cells, my retina cells are working, like a 20 year old. You know, there’s no question that aged 40 or so we start developing some, you know, retinal reduction. Now, the tricky thing about this is that, as they call it, BOMA are the cells completely dead. You know, they’re they’re different layers of the retina. And we don’t know, unless we kind of did a biopsy or something. Are those cells getting some kind of stimulation? Or is it just trauma? That happened very early on, and those cells never got the stimulation? I can’t answer that. But what I can say. Yep. But what I can say is that, that blanket statement that’s like, oh, you can never regenerate your vision. Well, that person is completely uninformed. Have you ever heard of the term neuroplasticity? Have you ever heard that there is a way that you can regenerate and create new pathways, and since the eyes are brain tissue, the retina is brain to make that statement is ignorance there that is totally wrong. And you’ve got ophthalmologists in the UK, who are doing the damn research, it’s not some optometrist. In Iowa, that’s, you know, in a garage. Glen Jeffries, he’s a very well respected in the field of neuroscience. At Stanford, I mean, it just just getting two to 10 minutes of morning sunlight changes your dopamine levels, it makes you more alert it, it improves your vision. There’s studies that show this. So that person, what they’re saying, they have no idea what they’re talking about. They’re technicians. Yeah. And I hear this 10 times a day, every day on social media, from all my followers, and something needs to change in the AI profession, because they’re turning off all these people. If I ran my business that way, I’d be out of business. True.
But you know, it’s a, it’s a cartel, you know, they’ve got this thing going on there. And it’s a monopoly. And the thing is, is they don’t even want to hear there’s any improvement. So the bottom line for you is, there’s a couple of things you might want to consider. For example, this nitric oxide situation, I sell something called an optic nerve formula, which has alpha lipoic acid and nitric oxide in it you might consider or your own situation. Number two, I definitely want you to get to get a pair of these read classes, I think they’re going to be really helpful. Number three, I want you to do to the plus lens to blur and the eye patch. And now I want to get to the next subject which is a hard subject for me to bring up for you. And that has to do with the strabismus surgery. Oh yeah. However you get strabismus. You know, that that creates more confusion in the brain eye Communication. So you can still heal that. But it’s another interference that was put on you that let’s just say it’s not serving you. So what I want you to do is with that eyepatch, I want you to do a month of eye dialogue. Now this is a psychological emotional exercise, where you’re going to ask each eye some questions. So you’re going to have to go internal here. And one of the big questions I want you to ask yourself with each eye, is how’s the marriage between your two eyes? How does the left eye feel about the right eye? How does the right I feel about the left eye? Because on a psycho emotional, spiritual level, now we’re talking more energetic? If your two eyes have some disharmony between them inside themselves, there is no way you’re gonna get the depth perception and the visual coordination. I mean, it could be that part of that blind spot is an emotional shutdown that has nothing to do with the coloboma.
36:11
Sometimes I feel like I go on, sorry. You may
36:18
not. And the reason why I say this is because your vision is to evolved. And it’s actually so good. I’ve worked with a lot of people with coloboma, they’re like disabled, you know, they can’t function.
36:37
And they don’t act like
36:42
you’re, you’re working at such a high level, that I’m even what I wondered about that as soon as I met you, I was like, Really, retina? Really? I’m suspect of that. So whatever, whatever’s going on there. It could have been some kind of birth imprint. So another thing that I learned in vision development is one of the three most important
37:14
okay, go on. Just had to get it out. I know you understand?
37:20
Yeah, absolutely. So
37:23
it’s so difficult to feel like you’re handicapped, even though I don’t feel like I am. And it’s that thing that you understand if your whole life, you’re being told that something is wrong with you. And for that reason, you’re not going to live like a normal person. Like I have a driver’s license, I stopped, I stopped driving, because I became so afraid, behind the wheel. And my mother, trying to encourage me to drive again, like I drove when I was in Florida with her, but I was scared out of my mind, and I used to drive. It’s just things have gotten out of hand. Okay, go on. See,
38:03
as you you empower yourself around your vision, that that would probably be a great thing for you to do, even if you do it in a parking lot. Yeah, and God, I don’t even like driving in midtown Manhattan, honestly.
38:18
No, I drove in Florida. No, I wouldn’t drive.
38:21
Nice, you know, yeah, as long as you stay off at 95. But in any case, I actually think you have much better vision. And part of this so called Disability is what these doctors put on you, because they didn’t really know how to, you know, handle you. And I think this person you went to around the Sun tonics was probably one of the first person doctors who at least got it to some degree. So in any case, in any case, I want you to do this dialoguing. It could get emotional, you can do some, you know, dialoguing with it. And so whenever there’s a blind spot, we call that suppression. And I can say almost every person I’ve worked with who’s got some kind of visual suppression, there’s a thread of some psycho emotional block that they they had. So what I was about to say was in your development, gestation in utero, your birth and bonding, you made some decisions visually, and you can make these decisions gestation only believe me, and that those imprints formed a certain pattern in your visual system. I mean, I can tell you, I work with a lot of infants and there is no way in hell that I ever put any You prescriptions on them. Even if they come out, super far sighted, I mean, most kids come out farsighted.
And I’ve I’ve counseled so many parents, where the ophthalmologist doesn’t get to where like A plus seven plus eight plus 10 Are you out of your mind that completely stunts the visual growth of visual development. So in your myopia at minus one or minus two, at that young age, all that says to me is that your visual system is still trying to form that it’s lagging behind possibly your overall development. So the last thing you want to give somebody is a minus lens at that point, that’s just gonna lock down visual development. And then when they do the strabismus surgery, they’re trying to force the eye that’s turning in into looking straight cosmetic, but there isn’t a functional improvement. So the two exercises I want you to do in physical therapy for your eyes. Number one is the eye dialogue. This is for this for business. And number two, I want you to get yourself something called the Magic Eye. There’s a lot of books out there. Okay. Now, when you get the magic iBook you can try this, it’ll work really well with your 250s. Okay. Okay, so I have the Jelly Bean fiction, there’s a million of these, oh, this is
41:30
crazy, I can’t do those are like, wait a minute,
41:33
wait a minute, okay, you’re gonna learn to do them. And that’s going to help your driving. So this is how you do it. You put it up to your nose. Okay, the book is on my nose and mentally, I am now imagining myself looking through the book. Imagining, imagining, imagining, imagining, and I’m looking through it, I’m looking at the spaces. And all of a sudden, I’m starting to see the jelly beans floated. And when they start to float, now your right eye and left eye are communicating with each other. I think part of the reason why you haven’t been able to see 3d is because you have the strabismus surgery, it gave you some kind of cosmetic improvement. But functionally, you don’t connect with the right eye as well as the left eye. Like I’ll be really curious. When you get into the dialogue, how your right eye sees itself married or not married to the left eye.
I wouldn’t be surprised if the right eye says married I don’t know. Or the left eye or something. Some there’s some disharmony between your internal vision and that needs to be brought into the light. So you have several things today that I want you to bring into the light, the plus lens the blur, the eye dialogue, the NOAA astigmatism prescription the magic eye the red light therapy, possibly, you know making sure you’re adding you know boosting your nutrients and you know you might consider in my supplements, do my formula. Do the past Xanthan. Do the nitric oxide get the MSM eyedrops.
Maybe the castor oil eyedrops, if you’re going to do MSM during the day and you can do castor oil before bed. Right on the eyelids. It’s kind of like an ointment. So those would be some things that I’d like you to work with that for somewhere between a month and three months. And then we can do another session. Okay. And see, we’ll see just what’s come out what’s come up. So what this is like, is this is like your rebirthing. Okay, you’re in the birth canal, you’re now going to come out of the birth canal. And you’re going to do these things, and it’s going to be informative for you. And we’re going to let go of this 2020 Without glasses, this the blind. So in other words, the more you let go of the result. In my case, I was very focused on 2020 Without glasses, and my doctor said to me, Sam, give it up. Give it up. You have to let go of the results of seeing 2020 I said Dr. Shankman, I cannot do that. He says Well, that’s what it’s going to take.
And I went back to Philadelphia, and for three months, I stood in it I was doing my exercises. And one day I woke up and I forgot to put my contacts and I was late to go to the office. And I’m on the Schuylkill expressway. And I’m like, oh, there’s my ex, oh my God, I don’t know my context. And it was a complete surprise. So what whatever what’s going to happen? We don’t know, I can tell you some really good things are gonna happen. But you can have the intention. Okay, I want to see 2020 without my glasses, could you do that? Absolutely. There’s nothing in your way. So you have the intention, and then let it go. And say I gotta go inside, develop more self awareness, more somatic connection. Whole body seeing, I’m seeing with my whole body, not just through my eyeballs. When you’re nearsighted. We just become very eye centric, very macular centric, actually. And we cut everything else off. objectify got to see it, I got to see clearly I gotta identify it.
I got to think about it. I got to analyze it, I got to judge it. That’s what myopia is. And so the more that’s why the blurred vision is great for you, because it’s kind of like ah, space. But I only want you to do that locked in your bedroom. And then you can come out to your bedroom after that. And you go, man, I see things pretty clearly without my lenses. Yeah. So that that though, these are my suggestions and recommendations, I would burn everything that all those other eye doctor said to you, because they got it wrong. You know, and one of Jacobs books he says is book taking off your glasses. And C says, wearing nearsighted lenses is like living in a maximum security prison.
46:55
Mm hmm. Yeah, I feel that way. about it. Yeah, true.
46:59
Right, exactly. So when you go to the doctor, they are they’re reinforcing your prison stay. So you know, the Stockholm Syndrome, the door swings open, you can now come out No, no, I feel more familiar in the cell. Well, I’m saying, hey, come out, I did it. I’ve had 10,000 people do it, you can do it too. And I’ll step off be with you every step of the way. And actually, you’ll have a much easier time. You know, in optometry school, they told me in the first year, you will never improve a person’s prescription. And if you run across the Bates method, eye exercises, put it out of your head. I remember that professor. And I was in the back with one of my friends saying that’s what I want to go into dates. Because I knew it was bullshit, what they were saying, you know, it was so medical, that I knew there was other things out there. And I even went back after I reduced my myopia. And they said, Well, I anecdotal. You know, we can, what do you want me to do? Good luck, you know. And that’s why I’m not really into the professional situation, because it’s like, it’s a different tribe. And so, we’re coming, we’re coming down towards the end. Any questions about anything I’ve talked about? I think you got a lot of upside here.
48:35
I think I do too. I’m gonna do all of this stuff. It’s all totally doable, achievable for me. The other part of the coloboma that I do have is the pupils. I do have the full pupils. Do you know anything about that?
48:53
Is it in both? Yeah. Is it in both eyes? Or is it just right? Okay. So what so you don’t have light sensor? You don’t have light sensitivity? Is that correct? Yeah. Okay, because that’s, that’s usually a symptom. When the color BOMA is in the pupil and the iris. So if you don’t have light sensitivity, let me ask this question. How is your focus up close? Like can you see print as clear as you want? Is there any inhibition or interference?
49:28
I’m a terrible reader. I
49:29
hate Well, that’s not that’s not that’s not that so much to call a BOMA. That’s the strabismus and the strabismus surgery. Okay. And so I don’t think you’re using their two eyes together on a functional level. That’s why I want you to play around with the 3d. The magic is stuff. I think right now. It’s kind of like a birthmark for you. It’s kind of like, okay, this is what I got kissed. By God, and these these places, but I don’t really see it being an inhibitor, and you going all the way? It’s more of like, you know, a badge of honor than it’s affecting you functionally? Yeah, so I don’t I don’t, I don’t think it’s a big deal. I just think, you know, like, I’ll look at somebody’s retina and I’ll say, Oh, I see Neva. So I’ll see mole, I’ll see this, I’ll see that. And, you know, we’ll rule out cancer and other things. And it’s just a mark that’s there, you know, like you can have in any part of your body. I really don’t think it’s a big deal. And I’m sorry to say, I think there was so much emphasis by these doctors on this call a BOMA conversation that I think it inhibited. What truly your essence is around your vision. And I wouldn’t be surprised if most if not all of your myopia was just created as a way for you to have some kind of a safe haven. I think so. And that most are just, you know, it’s old. You know, myopia is about being caught in the past, it’s a past way of seeing. And when you get the lens, it keeps that past still, you know, stored in your eyeballs. That’s why I think the plus lens and the i dialog is going to be extremely helpful for you. And bringing your eyes forward to a much more pleasant state of, of consciousness. So there’s so much more here, there’s so much more than I want to share with you. But that’ll be for our next time. Yeah, I want to bring more of your brain into stuff. We’ll do your movements. We can do things like essential oils and sound healing and color and light. But I think right now you’re your best friend
52:04
is the red. Great,
52:07
this is really going to get a really target the retina, which, you know, the research is pretty bulletproof. It’s really good at that it’s doing something positive. So, all right, any final words? I think you’re so open and so ready to crack this open that? Yeah. So do you need a written prescription for me? Or can you just go online and get the 250s
52:38
I’m just gonna make it myself. No problem. I’m going to make them right. Okay. The other amazing news,
52:43
any support? Go ahead.
52:47
Oh, no, it was just silly that the lower my prescription is the cheaper the glasses ours, that’s also less
52:54
likely. I mean, that’s why it’s such a great business model. I remember a CPA saying man, you’re in a good profession because every year you make the glasses stronger they gotta come back the thicker the lens the more you charge them. Yeah. When I when I said but use my prescription i i get people with he said you’re in the wrong profession. He was he was a CPA guy he was saying that’s why the eye doctors do you know Cohen’s optical and all those places in New York. I mean, you know, they keep you coming back. So I know you’re gonna you’re gonna defy the norm, which is fabulous.
53:31
Yeah, I’ve already been on this path. I’m, I’m so excited that we talked today. This is brilliant. You’re like, you have so much going on. This is brilliant. I’m so excited. I knew somehow that you were gonna have something for me that I hadn’t thought of or knew about yet, because I felt like I had learned everything I could on my own. And this is brilliant. Um, the the farsighted glasses is brilliant. I cannot wait to do that today. Much I feel so much hope. Oh, you’re welcome. Okay. Yeah.
54:08
Yeah, well, it’s not false hope. It’s like you’ve got so much here. You’re not accessing. And you’ve just been given the wrong information. So I mean, it’s going to be Yeah, of course, it’s going to be that. Okay, well, I’m gonna go so keep in touch with me. We’ll send you a copy of this. And let’s plan to talk somewhere in a month to three months I’ll leave that up to you. When you’re ready. And you feel like you want to number jolt. Please contact me you know, well, we’ll get some more rocket fuel, your, your healing,
54:43
amazing. If I for whatever reason, need the written prescription. I’ll just call your office.
54:49
No, you just call me I’m happy to get it to you. I’ve got you know, my licenses on here. And you know, that’s why I keep getting my license renewed. I have to Gotta do these medical courses that are not my thing, but I go so I can continue to be legal to help people like you. Because as you found out most of these people, they’re not going to do it for you. And that’s too bad. You know, it’d be Yeah, I
55:16
know. I know. There’s major issues in that world. So thank you so much. I’m very,
55:23
pretty dysfunctional. Okay. Well, I wish you well, good luck. I look forward to hearing all your great successes.
55:30
Thank you. We’ll talk soon in a few months.
55:34
Okay, bye bye.
55:36
Bye. Thank you.
55:44
Thank you for listening. I hope you learned something from the EyeClarity podcast show today. If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to subscribe on iTunes or Spotify and leave a review. See you here next time.
How often should you get an eye exam? There isn’t a one size fits all approach here. I typically recommend that everyone goes at least once every two years, however depending on your age and general eye health, you might need to go more. Enjoy the show.
If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com.
If you have any questions, submit them to hello@drsamberne.com or you can now text me! Text ‘Join’ to 1-844-932-1291 to join the community and ask your questions!
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
eye, vision, visual, eye exam, cataract, eyedrops, infant, vitreous, doctor, kids, macular degeneration, reducing, bilberry, developing, check, clarity, exam, problem, dry eye syndrome, tic toc
00:05
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberne.com.
00:46
Hey, everybody, it’s Dr. Sam. And I’d like to welcome you to another EyeClarity podcast. So I’m going to take a question from a follower from tic toc. She’s asking, number one, how often should she get an eye exam? And what type of eye exam should she get? Well, this is a great question. And I get this one, probably a few times a month. So generally speaking, if you’re an adult, it’s good to get a comprehensive eye exam every two years. A lot of it depends on your genetics, your lifestyle, how old you are. And these factors play into whether or not you should get more frequent eye exams, especially if the doctor finds something. Now obviously, if in your day to day activities, you start developing some blurred or distorted vision, you want to get to an eye doctor asap. Now, if you follow my stuff, you know that being proactive is everything.
And there are ways that you can reduce your visual stress, you can eat better, you can take care of your eyes when you’re working on digital screens. And even the prescriptions that you might be using are important based on you know, keeping your eyes healthy. Now for kids, it’s a little different. Now, my perspective is that, you know, for children, the kind of eye exam I like to get, at least with kids, is to get one that is more than just reading the distance eye chart. You know, I used to consult with a lot of schools and school nurses used to ask me what would be the best screening device to see if a child has a vision problem. And their thinking was that a lot of vision problems were missed, because they all saw the distance eye chart at 2020. Now remember, 2020 is like seeing a 1/3 inch letter at 20 feet. That’s only one aspect of your vision.
And it’s very static. And a lot of folks see 2020 vision eyesight, and yet they have vision problems. So in kids, one of the best screening devices is giving them a book or you know, something to read up close, and just to observe their reactions, responses and behaviors. So for example, in the kid, if you see them covering an eye closing an eye, bringing their reading material much closer, they’re squinting, you know, these are all signals that there’s probably some type of visual focusing problem. Now again, in my training, I look at the visual system from a developmental perspective, meaning that when I test a child, I’m comparing their chronological age to their performance age.
And I’m doing all kinds of tests in the areas of first of all their primitive reflexes, their gross motor and vestibular health, their eye movements, their eye focusing the visual coordination and even their perceptual skills, like visual memory or you know, other perceptual skills related to learning. You can even add things like your auditory processing, and you know, you’ve got a more comprehensive picture on what a child’s visual system is doing before you might prescribe any lenses. So with adults, you want to look for an eye doctor who is doing more than the bare minimum of checking your eye health and doing a distance acuity check. At least can you you know, have them check your near visual acuity and possibly things like your visual coordination, your peripheral vision and And you know those visual skills that are essential for optimal vision, visual health and wellness.
Now on the eye health spectrum, again, if you can either supplement with the very important nutrients like lutein, zeaxanthin, esta Xanthine, bilberry, vitamin A trace minerals, zinc and chromium, maybe adding bilberry making sure you’re getting enough fats and oils in your diet. Those at the very least, you know, eating a healthy, well balanced diet with a lot of plant based antioxidants. And we call it the rainbow method, taking care of your gut health, reducing your stress, you know, getting out into sunlight every day, you know, being very mindful that you’re not going to do things like monovision or wear progressive lenses all the time. You know, these are all factors that will keep your vision humming at a high level. So that you know if there’s a visual problem that starts to occur, you have some tools to improve your vision. And you’re just getting the report from the eye doctor. Now if say cataracts or glaucoma, or macular degeneration, run in your family, you want to have those things tested, you want to get a good retinal exam, good high pressure, check visual fields testing, you know, macular testing, these are very important to do.
And even if you start say developing a cataract, you can start looking at my protocols. And as long as it’s an early cataract, you have a great chance to neutralize the accumulation of oxidative stress that can occur in the lens of the eye. And another problematic area, of course, is in the vitreous where we get those bothersome eye floaters and you want to try to avoid things like posterior vitreous detachment, I would refer you to my YouTube video on posterior visual detachment your most people do get that in their life. And part of the reason is, is the collagen breaks down in the vitreous. So you want to make sure you’re using you know, natural eyedrops, maybe even my castor oil eyedrops in the evening.
You know, people with dry eye syndrome, it’s another issue where you want to make sure you’re getting enough of your fats and oils, reducing inflammation in the eyelids and also systemically taking good care of your endocrine health. And, you know, making sure that you’re hydrating your eyes with really healthy eyedrops. And not the stuff that you get in the drugstore, which which are chemically based, and they’re just going to dry your eyes out even more. So there’s a lot to this. But generally speaking, you know, if you go for an eye exam, and the doctor find something, that’s where you can plug into all my content, and you can start exercising and doing things that will help improve your vision, even though in traditional eye care, they say nothing can be done. Well, I’ve helped over 10,000 people and that that number is growing exponentially since social media. So there’s a lot that you can do. And it’s amazing, you don’t even have to do that much. And you’ll start to see improvement and that will, you know, prove to you that you can actually do it.
You know, even back to the kids conversation, even if these are moms and dads that have newborns, I consult with, you know, parents who’ve just had, you know, infants and they started having a cross die, or an eye wandering out, there are some very excellent things that you can do to interrupt those things. And you know, the last thing you want to do is start putting glasses on an infant, or a toddler just makes no sense. There’s so many different brain body stimulating things that you can do to help encourage the infant or toddler to learn how to use their eyes together. And then at the other end of the spectrum, with our elders, you know, you hit age 70 And maybe you’re starting to develop macular degeneration.
There are a lot of great protocols that you can employ to preserve your vision. So don’t give up. Don’t lose faith. You know, you get your vision exam, and then you take that data, and you can apply my things to help you. So every two years, get an eye exam. For kids, I would get the exam probably maybe three, four years old, I would look for a developmental type evaluation. And, you know, if you do those things, I think you have a super great chance to preserve your vision for A lifetime. So that’s my show for today. I want to thank you so much for tuning in. Until next time, take good care
10:15
Thank you for listening. I hope you learned something from the EyeClarity podcast show today. If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to subscribe on iTunes or Spotify and leave a review. See you here next time.
Here is a great interview with Jenna Hua who is the Founder and CEO of Million Marker, the only mail-in body toxicity test for BPA, phthalates, parabens, and other hormone-disrupting chemicals. Jenna talked about the dangers of BPA, phthalates, and other plastic chemicals. And how can these chemicals impact our hormones? Enjoy the show.
To contact Jenna, you can DM her on Instagram @million_marker or visit her website: https://www.millionmarker.com/
If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com.
If you have any questions, submit them to hello@drsamberne.com or you can now text me! Text ‘Join’ to 1-844-932-1291 to join the community and ask your questions!
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
people, exposures, chemicals, product, bpa, test, plastic, fragrance, paraben, marker, environmental exposure, phthalates, big, offer, impact, expose, hormone disrupting chemicals, important, conceive, hormone
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberne.com.
I’ve got a couple of great workshops coming up in March in Southern California. I’ll be in San Diego March 5, LA March 7, and Santa Barbara March 12 doing my famous masterclass. I’m back doing that again in person. This is a great way to work with me one on one, if you’ve got an issue that you haven’t been able to solve. Register Here.
And I’ll be doing some book events. As you know, my new book, Vital Vision is coming out the end of February, we’re in a pre sale right now. So if you want to order the book, you’ll get a discount. And there are also some events happening. You can sign up and we can do an online workshop that’s going to be happening in April. Also, you can get some coaching one on one sessions with me if you buy the book, and I’ll be doing a gathering in Santa Fe in September. This is gonna be a small group at my geo-dome. So if you’d like to register for that, we’d love to have you.
Preorder the book here OR learn about my book events here.
So you are in for a special treat. Today, I’m going to be interviewing a really powerful, wonderful person. Her name is Jana Wah, she is the founder and CEO of million marker. And I’m gonna let her tell you what she does. But she is very transformational. And I was on her podcast not too long ago on Instagram. And I wanted to have her on, I wanted to introduce you to introduce her to you. So Jenna, welcome to the program. Tell us a little bit about yourself which what you do how you got there. And I’m going to turn the microphone over to you.
00:55
Thank you so much, Dr. Sam. It’s a pleasure to interview you and learning from you. I’m extremely honored to be on your podcast. One of my biggest goal, at least one of the mission familiar marker is to disseminate the information and get the public educated about environmental exposures. So my little bit about my background. As Dr. Sam mentioned, I’m the founder and CEO of million marker, and million marker we do we offer a direct to consumer endocrine disrupting chemical, environmental exposure testing, allowing people to understand their exposures and do something about it. How I came to balancing Milan marker, there’s the long history, a little bit of my background, I studied in nutrition and environmental health, during undergrad and graduate school, I was getting really frustrated that we don’t know we don’t really have a personalized way to understand our own exposures. While I’m saying is that your environment, closures is actually accounts for more than 70% of your chronic disease risk.
One of the quotes that we learned is, you know, genetic loads of gun, but environment pulls the trigger. So your environment is extremely important in terms of your chronic disease development, your well being, and there isn’t really a personalized way for people to understand that. So professionally, that’s what I ran into during my research. So I really want to create a tool for people to understand, you know, what’s going on inside of us. Because, you know, given you and I have the same exposure, because we have different genes, we would respond very differently.
And there’s no way of knowing that. And personally, I also I had a lot of fertility struggles myself, and then a lot of the chemical weed tests today, we call them hormone disrupting chemicals, which we can go into later. And these chemicals really impact fertility, they impact metabolism in the impact pretty much every aspect of your wellness and disease causing processes, particularly chronic disease. And I was very frustrated, because when I was going through my fertility struggles, the doctors were just telling me, you know, good luck next time. And because I know I hadn’t, you know, no family history, and we did any tests possible. We couldn’t find out, you know, what’s going on with me. And I asked the doctor, can I do a environmental exposure test? This could be triggering whatever symptoms I was having. All they told me is that good luck next time, and there’s no such tests available. But I know you know, we literally because I studied this, the CDC have been monitoring people’s environmental exposures and chemical exposures. In the last 4050 years. However, the service is not available to the public. So I figured, you know, in academia, since nobody’s reading my papers anyway, I should do something different.
03:57
So you brought it more into the clinical and you’re going right to the consumer and offering different kinds of toxicity testing, is that is that correct?
04:08
Right now we offer mainly just the hormone disrupting chemical test is one only one test but for this test, we cover 13 chemical metabolites.
04:21
And so when a person gets the results, then what’s the call to action? Are you able to support them and navigating the detoxification process?
04:32
That’s our goal compared to a lot of the direct to consumer test which you just get a laboratory report just some numbers. We really want to make sure that our test is actionable. What we do is we ask people to complete an exposure journal before you submit your urine sample, which we asked about their your lifestyle, what food Have you eaten, what kind of packaging material you have use, you know, your food packaging, how many times you’ve eaten out and also what are the products you’re using, what are your household cleaning products?
What are your personal care products, anything that you put on your body in the last or put in your body? In the last 24 hours, we ask for that, because this will help us to personalize where you exposures are coming from, and the pair this information with your testing results, then we’re able to pinpoint, Hey, these are the possible exposures. And, for example, you might want to like swap out some of your personal care products use a fragrance free product, which will limit some of your exposures. So we will also audit not only the chemicals that we test, but if we see any other problematic ingredients in your personal care or household product, or any other behavior that can contribute to your overall environmental body burden. And we also let you know, so then next time, you know, when you purchase a product, you can purchase a better product, or you can start changing your behaviors and then reducing some of these exposures.
06:02
So in your opinion, how much of this is genetics? And how much of it is environmental? Like what is the difference if two people are exposed to say BPA or paraben parabens? How come one person, you know reacts differently than another. This is depending
06:22
on people’s genetic. So you know how we’re detoxing a lot of these have to do the P 450. system, and then that’s determined by your genetics. So some people will be much more susceptible to these exposures versus others. But we haven’t done like, we don’t have enough research, we have enough research showing there’s a difference. But we don’t have enough research to show, okay, people with this genetic mutation or genetic susceptibility, that over what level of these exposure would oppose an impact. The bottom line is that these chemicals have no business of being your body, they only do harm and then they don’t do any good. So the rule of thumb is you should always reduce these exposures as much as you can.
07:15
So the difference between women and men, what are the big symptoms that women have are the big issues that trigger them to want to contact you and then men what are their issues and why they would want to contact you.
07:30
So a lot of our clients right now are people who are trying to conceive or experiencing unexplained infertility because a lot of a huge part of the research around these chemicals are around fertility. Now we have seen actually more and more research coming out suggesting that these chemicals are not only obesogens, meaning they cause obesity, they’re also diabetes origins, meaning they’re also linked to diabetes. The other thing I think like because pregnancy when people get pregnant, this is like a very special period of people start thinking about what they’re eating, whether exposure are and it was you know, compounded if people are doing IVF which we have seen a lot more and more people cannot couples cannot conceive naturally. So they go through IVF and then people started looking to okay, why am I not being able to conceive? Because we have seen research that these chemicals are linked to fertility issues. So you’re talking about, you know, your regular period in women and PCOS that’s has been linked and any men it’s just dramatic decline of sperm quality.
08:45
Got it? What’s IVF tell us what that is.
08:48
Oh, IVF. So that’s IVF in fertile, infertile. In Vitro Fertilization. Okay, good.
08:58
So, what should we Pete What What should people be aware of in terms of the kind of products they use? This is good for education being proactive.
09:12
Yep. The biggest one, I think like if you put in a big category plastic, would it be number one, I know we have this really complicated relationship with plastic, but I think people need to be more aware. Especially if you’re using you know, plastic Tupperware to store your food or drink your water. Please ditch that and never ever microwave plastic because a lot of these chemicals that we are testing are present in plastic. We also call them plasticizers like BPA and phthalates are one of the two of the major plasticizers have been used today. Some plastic actually contains up to 80% BPA or phthalates. And then you know we can go into a little bit about BPA and phthalates. So BPA is pretty much the poster child off environment chemicals, it’s a actually mimics your estrogen and Thalys blocks testosterone. So, and the that’s why we call them hormone disruptors. So they mess with your hormone. And for anyone you know, who don’t really know what hormones functions are, they’re like the literally like your body signaling system.
Everything or every bodily function is controlled by these hormones. And they act, it’s like such a tiny amount. We’re talking about, you know, one drop of water in like 25 size, the Olympic swimming pool. That’s how much we’re required to, you know, cause an impact. And they work, you know, hormone work seeks is kind of like a lock and key. And they have to match. And they weren’t kind of your whole body kind of work as a symphony. So you don’t want your key to be out of sync. What happens when he’s hormone disruptor comes in, they mess up your lock and key, and then you can think about all the downstream impact. You’re talking about, you know, your fertility, you’re talking about your sleep, your metabolism, and you know, your chances of developing diabetes, obesity, all of these is an autoimmune conditions. All of these are, are linked. That’s why we don’t want people to expose to them. And plastic is a big one because of BPA and phthalates, which are like, pretty much the most well studied, endocrine disrupting chemicals.
11:28
So what are some other hormone disrupting chemicals that people should be aware of besides the plastics,
11:36
so there are many, but I, when we touched on, I think it’s really important for people to know that they can do something about it. It’s actually actionable. There are chemicals that we don’t have a lot of control off, we call those persistent chemicals. It makes avoiding persistent really important, but at the same time is we should really, we can do something about these transient chemicals. So what we’re talking about BPA phthalates. There are others like paraben, which is a common also a hormone disruptor and a common preservatives used in personal care products. Another one is oxybenzone. All of these are really well studied oxybenzone has been putting sunscreens and sunblock is a chemical UV blocker. Hawaii actually banned oxy benzene or bends on phenol because it kills coral reef. Just remember, you know, like anything kills the aquatic life. It can’t be good for for humans. But we actually call these transient chemicals, which means that your body actually have the natural detox system to get rid of them if you eliminate your exposure.
However, there’s a whole class of other chemical We call those persistent chemicals people might have heard about peep us the Forever chemical that’s in your Teflon pans, that’s your like nonstick pans or in your waterproofing outdoor clothing. That’s a harder one to deal with that one, you can only prevent your future exposure. But once you expose to those things, they actually stays you know, body for a long time. So you can’t get rid of them. Like you know, if you screen like our if you test your blood and my blood today, both of us we’re still have DDT showing up. DDT is a pesticide that has been banned for more than 30 years. But because it’s persistent, it just lives in your body. So you basically just like don’t want your body burden load to keep growing. That’s why you want to avoid these exposures. And then you definitely want to avoid transient exposures, because that’s something that we can do about
13:37
it. Yeah, I mean, I think there’s so many people who I deal with that have autoimmune disease, and the inflammation is off the charts. And just to get them to have an awareness that they may be exposed to these hormone disrupting chemicals is is a big, big task. So your detect and detox test kit, tell us about that. Yeah, that’s
14:07
the urine we call it detect and detox the tech. Part of it is obviously help you figure out you know, what are your levels and how you compare with others. And then the detox part is wanting you we want you to change your behavior, start reading labels, start using better products, because these are things you can really really control. Because a lot of these products are in our everyday products we use for example, BPA is being obviously plastic we talked about right so in plastic water bottles, if you use plastic Tupperware, change that to glass to change that to stainless steel. And also never ever touch we see your grocery store we see your gas station received that email to you because the coding of that receipt actually expose you to BPA and also canned food and canned drinks.
You know canned food now you can kind of see like a BPA free on your, on your kin, but drinks is something that people don’t really think about. You know, if you drink a ton of like carbonated water through or beer on that kid, you will get that exposure. And what’s more is that even though BPA has been banned in baby bottles and some of the other products, manufacturers started using BPA alternatives, so you could get VPS VPS, they’d can literally swap a letter, change it from BPA all the way to BP Z. And it would have the same impact but not more. So this makes avoidance really important. So if you can, you know, use your glass water bottle, use your ceramic cup, stay away from anything plastic and never ever microwave and stay away from Camp food if you can’t. So that’s, that’s BPA. So for Thalys. There are two kinds of Falaise one of the fat eights using plastic that actually makes plastic really flexible. So think about your saran wrap, right so we see people using saran wrap like a cupboard on everything. And then sticking to the microwave. So anything contact with that wrap, heated up, you’re gonna get exposure that’s gonna leach into your into your food. And the sound is the other kind of value.
We call them low molecular weight value that’s using a lot of personal care products. The biggest like most useful strategy we always recommend people to do is read your product label and ditch that fragrance. Anything anytime you see fragrance in your ingredient, you can look up or your product you flipped it over. Anytime if a fragrance in your product, ingredient label probably 99% of the time it is going to have valleys. And also don’t be fooled by you know, people will say okay, I’ll I’ll buy like unscented, unscented is actually a scent. So make sure you go fragrance free. Sometimes manufacturer will also label like aroma. That’s that’s exactly the same thing. So don’t get fooled. And I also want people to pay attention on you know natural fragrance because a lot of people use essential oils and other thing. We basically have no control over the supply chain, we don’t know what product is contaminated versus not.
So we always recommend people to go fragrance free to avoid that Thalys exposure. So always read your label go is fragrance free. And then when it comes to paraben, it’s the same thing. So many products will label paraben free. The only place that we haven’t seen there aren’t a lot of good products is these over the counter creams and ornament. So hi, we have a lot of clients using hydrocortisone cream for their eczema or for rash. That’s one area that we have not seen that a product formulated without paraben. But there are, you know, many different kinds of parabens so they’re not all created equal. So if you see in your ingredient label, if there’s like a methyl paraben versus like say, a butyl, paraben ditch the butyl, because that’s a lot more toxic than the metal. And then same as you know, oxybenzone Filipino, like, make sure you read your ingredient label and not having that ingredients in there.
18:14
Got it? So it sounds like not only do you offer product recommendations, but do you also do counseling as well? Yes. So
18:23
what we’re trying to do is sometimes people you know, just the report is enough, but many times people want a little more hand holding. So we always offer additional counseling to help them you know, for example, go through your report or if you have any questions about the product you’re using, you can always reach out to us. We don’t do like say room by room, we can refer you out, you know, if you want to audit your entire home. We don’t have the capability of doing that. But in general, we will help you go through a product and then help you understand your exposures and also what are the steps that you should be taking to reduce these exposures?
19:01
Okay, this is such great information. So Jenna, how do people get in touch with you? I will definitely put your contact info in our podcast notes. But what’s the best way that people can start to connect with you? Yeah, people
19:17
can message us on our Instagram we’re pretty active. That’s why we invite you to like you know, talk or Instagram live because we think you know, it’s it’s a whole it’s has to be a holistic you can’t just like detox, right? Like, detox is not the only thing there are so many aspects like eye health, you know, gut health, all of these things are really important. So people can DM us on Instagram, they can sign up to our newsletter. We also have a lot of resources on our website, where we because education is really the key. You don’t even have to buy a test but definitely get yourself educated to start avoiding these exposures. Yeah, sign up to our newsletter. We will always want to bring the latest free Research to people. And if you have additional questions that fill out the form on, on our web page, we’ll get your question answered.
20:09
Okay, well, everybody, I want you to follow Jenna, what is the name of your Instagram page?
20:18
We are million under score marker. Yeah, check us out. It’s a bit of a mouthful. But I think once people, you know, kind of understand like, what, why we named ourselves right? Like, then then it’s a little bit easier to remember.
20:34
Well, you do a great job marketing, and I love your, you know, the guests that you have, and, you know, just the passion and mission that you’re putting out there. And I’m also a firm believer in the toxins that we are exposed to. And, you know, in our, our where we live, we built a straw bale house in the early 1990s. And we don’t use any cleaning products at all would have any toxicities. And, you know, we shop at farmer’s markets, and, you know, we’re very awakened aware about it, but still, plastic is everywhere, and even water bottle or, you know, your deodorant or your shampoo. So we need to awaken because this plastic issue is just killing us. So, I’m so glad you’re, I’m so glad you’re doing this. Any final words you want to share with us before we end,
21:35
I also want to let people know, you know, when you start purchasing good products, it’s not only good for you, it’s actually good for the environment, because a lot of these chemicals that we don’t want you to use, they also really badly environment. And he’s you know, especially for people who have, you know, trying to conceive brain the next generation or having, you know, grandkids, like, you’re really doing good for the next generation by stop using these chemicals. And the same time, you know, we want people to become conscious consumers, you can’t actually vote with your dollars by getting good products. You’re also sending a signal to the manufacturer and to the policymakers that hey, we actually want Safer Chemical policy, we want a better product because ultimately I kind of feel that I wish we don’t exist, that we don’t really need to make this product, this really shouldn’t be the burden of the consumers. Like the when a product is being being sold in the market. It should be safe and yet like we have to be worried because we right now we don’t have a lot of safe product.
22:40
So true. And so what value you’re creating for humanity. So I want to thank you so much for sharing your your expertise with us and I know we’ll get together again. Keep up the wonderful work and I’ll see you down the road. Thank you so much for having me. You bet.
Thank you for listening. I hope you learned something from the EyeClarity podcast show today. If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to subscribe on iTunes or Spotify and leave a review. See you here next time.
Here is a session where I worked with a mother with a 12 year old who had one year of vision therapy with another clinic, and she wants a second opinion because her child still has eye fatigue and eye pain after reading. Enjoy the show!
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SUMMARY KEYWORDS
therapy, vision, test, primitive reflexes, eyes, point, cellular level, reflex, hair, moro reflex, absorb, morrow, visual, bilateral, stress, problem, adaptive responses, motor, big, burned
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberne.com.
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Hey everybody, its Dr. Sam, and I’d like to welcome you to another EyeClarity podcast. Well, today, I’m going to give you a bird’s eye view into a session I gave to a mom who’s got a 12 year old. And the dilemma is that she’s got some vision problems progressive myopia, a visual coordination problem called Convergence excess. But the big thing is, she has been doing physical vision therapy for over a year with some other doctors. And she still has the symptoms of her eyes getting really tired, sometimes her eyes feel painful, and she’s exhausted by the end of the day. So when I talk to the mom, you know, we go through things like the prenatal period, the pregnancy, the birth, the first three years bonding, and everything seemed to be pretty normal. And yet, here we are at age 12. And there’s still unresolved vision problems. So what do you do? So in this session, I bring in the whole body, and I talk about cellular biochemistry, and how we need more energy to be able to absorb any therapy that we might receive. You know, one of my mentors, was a world known developmental optometrist, he was practicing in Miami Beach professor at Berry College. And I studied with him for a long time.
And one of the things that he taught me, which I still use today, is the fact that before we start with any child, in any kind of physical therapy program, we want to get an assessment of their nutrition. And if we can order a lab test, where we can see what is the nutrient absorption, like, Are there any heavy metal toxicities. And in figuring that out first, that is number one, if you can improve the energy and the biochemistry on a cellular level, then the child is more available to receive the therapy and make the changes developmentally that we’re asking that they need to do, because it takes an incredible amount of energy to go through any kind of therapeutic process. And if you’re depleted, you’re just not going to get very far. So in this session, I talked to the mom about some different ways to go about, you know, helping her her child. And for any parent out there who’s got a child and they just don’t know what’s going on, this could be really helpful. So I hope you enjoy the show.
Thanks for tuning in. I see it is that especially in children, and learning in school, we have the sensory motor systems. And there’s a developmental arc where we as kids, kids, we learn through movement, how to integrate our sensory motor development, our eyes or ears or proprioception, you know, and then that leads to spatial decision making. And, and then some of the cognitive skills, you know, executive function, memory, and, you know, spelling and math and all that stuff. And it does start with the primitive reflexes, those are kind of the foundation. And, you know, there’s the morrow and the fear paralysis reflex, they tend to go together. And then you have the TLR and the spinal gland.
There are about five or six of them that profoundly affect vision development. And so there there’s that piece, the reflex work, the vestibular work the the bilateral integration, which you talk about. And so when there are eye problems, at some level, on either primitive reflex or gross motor, level, vestibular as well, there’s some delay, there’s some developmental delay, it’s interfering with the visual development to really click in and it sounds like she’s got some of the visual skills. But if she’s still having the, you know, the visual symptoms, then at some point, the fan Additional motor, whether it’s reflex or gross motor, are not really solidified. So there’s that piece of it, that’s happening. And so things like convergence excess or myopia, are muscular and stress reactions, adaptive responses, because the demand that’s been placed on her is too high based on her skill set. Right. So she’s got a, she’s got to compensate in some way. And so what vision therapy is supposed to do is help fill in the gaps of where the motor development maybe is as missing, and then to improve the visual skills, so that the vision is effortless.
And that allows the brain to then absorb the information, and there’s going to output and there you go. There’s another part of it that has to do with cellular function, and I’m talking about systemic metabolic, that, at some level, if the energy is draining out, and it’s partly visual, there’s still a lack of resiliency on a cellular level of being able to absorb nutrients even better. And the better the nutrients, the more energy, the better the detoxification pathways. And without having that really strong cellular health, then all the therapies that you can offer all the physical therapy, vision therapy, they don’t work as well, because the person doesn’t have saleable energy to learn what they’re needing to learn. So the cart before the horse, you want to really make sure the cellular energy is working at a high level before you present, you know, physical therapies, occupational therapy, vision therapy. So there could be partly a cellular over lack of nutrient absorption, it’s not what you’re feeding her, but it’s just she is she absorbing as well as she could be? Is there an autoimmune thing? Is the digestive system, you know, is there inflammation? Obviously, stress is going to bring more of that. And you know, the gut and the eyes, the gut and the brain are very interrelated in a lot of ways, and then you can bring in the nervous the nervous system, you know, Is she more sympathetically nervous system focused? Again, if you’re spending more time in the sympathetic nervous system, you’re gonna, you’re gonna burn out faster? And so where’s the parasympathetic nervous system? Part of it, you know, sleep, relaxation, digestion. And so if the, if the adrenals are involved, then you know, they’re sympathetic overdrive. And now again, there’s this whole syndrome of too much overload in the system. And then, and then there you go, it creates some obstacles in in the reading and learning. The thing is, at this point, she’s done so much vision therapy, she’s probably kind of burned out from it.
08:37
Yeah. And say,
08:40
Here’s more, you know, well, we won’t really have a willing participant, you know, it’s like, she’s not going to buy in very easily, because she’s done so much of it. And so we have to bring that into the, into the equation, because for me to say, okay, here are more exercises to do. This is what you need to do. I don’t think you’re gonna get a button from her. So the question is, how do we solve the problem? How do we inspire her to move to the next level, in her development, her performance, reduce the stress, have her learn more self regulation? You know, it’s all those things. It’s a part of part biochemical, probably. So that’s going to be how do we figure that out? Right. And you and I are going to work together and brainstorm that. And we’re going to navigate the least resistance. So that’s kind of how it’s what’s happening.
But we have to be very careful and artful about what we might present. Because she’s Oh, overloaded she’s, you know, all that vision or be with think you have more results. And that’s where on a cellular level, something still is not clicking. So one of the tools, and again, there’s lots of different ways to the top of the mountain. So when I present stuff, you get to veto it, you can say, yeah, no, I’ve done that. One of one of the things that we could consider is doing some kind of a lab test. And what I would opt for at this point is something like a hair mineral analysis, okay? And the reason why is that in a hair mineral analysis, we get to see on a subtle level, the mineral ratios, and what a hair Hair test tells us, the internal representation that the person is going to show us in a hair test is how they deal with external stress, like their life, and their lifestyle that they’re living in. The hair test is going to show you their adaptive responses on a trace mineral level, on a digestive level on a heavy metals level. It’s not 100%. But it’s a subtle enough test that gives you a broad enough snapshot that you’re going to get some information, like, for example, I would probably predict that, number one, she might have some kind of sensitivity to carbs.
And when she has carbs, that kind of depletes her even more. And that would show up in the calcium magnesium ratio, or the sodium potassium ratio would tell us about her adrenal health, or phosphorus, that trace mineral tell us, okay, how is she absorbing or protein, she’s getting enough protein is she absorbing it. And then we can look at some other trace minerals like Chromium, which is sensitive to carbohydrate metabolism, or heavy metals we could see as she’d been exposed to, you know, and any of that. And there are other indicators as well. Now, if you don’t want to do a hair mineral, and maybe you have access to that you could do through me, I could send you a pocket. And it’s very non invasive, you just cut some hair from the nape of the neck, and you fill out a health history. And then you send it into my lab, and then we get a result. But it’s it’s a roadmap to some degree, we’re not guessing what is needed. She’s probably at some level on a cellular level when depleted for a while in the regular pediatrician world. Unless it’s a I have friends and colleagues are there women, they’re holistic pediatricians, they’re not in your area, they kind of get that. But in a regular ethics situation. It’s not something that they’re focused on, they’re focused more on, you know, the big diseases and, you know, blood and stuff like that.
13:17
Yeah. Anyway, that kind of stuff. But no, I mean, that sounds that sounds great. I
13:22
think we ought to start there. Because whenever, whenever I see somebody who’s done any kind of therapy, occupational therapy, vision therapy, and they’re not getting the results, then there’s a problem on a cellular level, where the person’s energetic availability is not there to absorb the level that they need to to make the changes. Because at some, at some level here, even if it’s a small situation, there’s some she’s not connecting, what to do with her body and how to use it in a way that really allows her to work optimally. Like this left side, right side thing, this is, this is a pretty big issue. And it may be she’s using more of her right side or her right eye using more for left brain. So in other words, you know, if we were going to do any vision therapy, that’s a big if probably, the two things that I would focus on would be maybe doing the Moro reflex integration. I don’t know when the last time you did that, though the morrow that I do is called the Moro starfish. Does that ring a bell? Does that ring a
14:51
bell? Doesn’t ring a bell? No.
14:55
Okay, so so just a little background from Me, I had a wonderful mentor from Florida who was a, he was a fantastic developmental optometrist. And we went to Scandinavia, he and I. And we studied with those eye doctors, who had been doing the primitive reflexes since 1975. And we really learned the importance of the reflexes as it relates to vision. And it’s been slow to distill that information into, you know, the vision therapy practices, I think it’s happened. I mean, this is 25 years ago. But I work with a lot of OTS. And so primitive reflexes are a whole part of the whole thing. And I work a lot with something called the prisms and other other things as well, color therapy. So I’m going to demonstrate the Moro reflex, because this is being recorded. And then the other one that you might consider would be doing some bilateral movement things in an obstacle course. Okay, now, have you guys done any bilateral movement in obstacle courses.
And what I mean by that is, you know, chairs and pillows and right and having her way through the world, she could kick a soccer ball, she could dribble a basketball, and then having her do say maybe some skipping, but where I want her to go with this is develop her back body, and learn to hop and skip, backwards, backwards, it’s the Yeah, it’s the going backwards, that stimulates that back body, which makes the whole brain work in the Vision Center is actually in the back part of the brain. So when we do we do a lot of motor stuff, I, in fact, I don’t even do like eye movements and things until much, much later. And we do very little of it, we do some of it. But we really spend time with kids in the reflex world in the vestibular stimulation world, and in the motoring, through spaced with having them visually guiding and directing their movements, so that they’re connecting their vision with their body as they’re moving. And with things like hopping and skipping and galloping, they have to get as proficient going backwards as they aren’t going forwards.
And in fact, if I, if we were in person, I would probably ask Evelyn to see what her skipping backwards is. And, you know, I, this may or may not be true. But it may be difficult for her to skip backwards, I don’t know, backwards, how I would be. And so that really develops the whole brain. So this obstacle course situation, you can do it with a bike. But it needs to be slow, you know, turning, you can do with a soccer ball, like, you know, kicking around different things, because we want her to get better at using her vision to move her body through the world. That’s really what the definition division is. And I wouldn’t worry as much about the reading and the handwriting and the academics, because she is operating in a different time space than, say other kids. And we have to honor her rhythm. And at some level, there might be too much demand on her I don’t know. And
18:52
there was quite a bit and then we had to pull
18:55
back. Yeah, we need to pull back on that. Because that actually does more harm than good. I’m very sensitive to that. She may be an incredibly creative individual, that that was just operating at a different rhythm and timing,
19:15
very creative, and always, always very, very creative.
19:19
So with the creativity, what I would do is that I would spotlight that one because that might actually give her some, some more juice. So what I’m going to do here is I’m going to demonstrate the Moro reflex and then I’ll send you some. And you know another thing is you’re not that far at some point. Come up here. And you know, we could do like a two hour session. I mean, I gotta tell you this point when I work with people, it’s six sessions. Okay, now I’m doing the vision therapy But going as long as you there’s crawling, there’s galloping. So this would be galloping. This will be skipping the sea, I’m really getting my upper body and my lower none of this coordinated really go. Okay, and there’s hopping. And so the key is you would be setting up an obstacle course somewhere. Again, pillows, chairs, whatever. Maybe you do it first, and then she does it. And I really want her to motor backwards, like that’s, and so she’s motoring backwards. And there’s a real engagement of the bilateral integration. So, that would be you know, if you can get her to buy in with those things, that would be that would be great.
21:04
She likes to do that. And soccer,
21:07
basketball? No, does she play tennis?
21:12
She does not play. We do play basketball and ride bikes. And so
21:23
you know, things like badminton, like getting into an eye and she say she’s good at I hand. But I’ve ever used her opposite hand.
21:30
Yeah, I was like, it’s good. I had on, you know, dominant. But
21:36
so we want to engage that left side more. So, so have you guys ever used these?
21:46
Oh, yeah, we have lots of
21:49
parquetry lofts. So one of the things that I learned, I worked with a guy named Dr. Wax wa chs. He’s not alive anymore. And I studied with Dr. Wax. He was from Pittsburgh, and he was a really great developmental optometrist. And he worked a lot with the PGA method.
22:10
But
22:11
with the blocks, I’m going to send you kind of a sequence. So let me just explain like you and she would each have the same four blocks. And you would sit back to back and you would build a design, and you would have to explain to her how to make the design, but she couldn’t look at yours, she’d have to do it from it’s very verbal. And then she would do the same thing, she would make a design. And then she would explain, describe to you how to make it. Another way to do it would be the blind folder. And I’ll send you the directions on this. I’m just giving you the highlights blind folder. And you would scotch tape, like four blocks down on a piece of cardboard, she would feel yours. And then she would make hers based on feeling yours. Visual medmen. Yeah. And so there’s a couple of ways that we can, you know, we can use those those blocks. But that would be there’s like four or five ways that are really great that you could interact with her, that might be slightly different than what you’ve been doing with the park country. And it’s very cognitive driven. But it’s also visual auditory motor. So it’s like, it’s really good. So and I would say those would be no the highlights for now, and then let’s get the hair test. And I think it’s going to be okay, we’re going to find some deficits, and then we’ll have to decide, what’s the best way to supplement here? Would it be in a morning smoothie drink? Would it be, you know, she is starting now with capsules, but there are a lot of different strategies and great companies that, you know, it’s like she almost needs like a really big boost in the morning.
24:14
Yeah, like a big boost or something. And I definitely can see that it’s, you know, deficient in something. It’s just hard to tell what
24:22
well, this is where the hair mineral analysis, we’re gonna get a test of all the minerals, and the minerals or the sparkplug of the of the cells. And it’s a much more subtle test. So we get to see things that are like a little deeper than say on bloodwork as a 24 hour snapshot. And unless there’s a you know, a huge deficit, everything is fine. Yeah,
24:43
I mean, to me, that’s really fascinating, since her dad does have Addison’s, which, you know, since it’s such a rare autoimmune disorder, I think there’s always a root cause. So that was something too. I wanted to make sure whatever she might be deficient in, doesn’t end up in something like that later on. So now that’s very interesting.
25:02
And you can put that in on the health history when I send you that, you know, Father has Addison’s. And of course, some of my patients that do the best with the autoimmune, or when they really cut out the inflammatory foods. That’s seems to be such a. Yeah, and dairy, dairy gluten and high glycemic sugar stuff. So, you know, if you think there’s a hint of auto immune, I’m not sure that there is, but
25:36
I’m not sure something is, but there’s Yeah, I’m not sure what that’s No, you’re really,
25:41
she should be farther along based on the vision therapy that was presented to her. And that’s why I think the hair mineral test is probably will will help us with some of the missing links. And then what I would like you to do, if you could email me what the computer reading prescription is, like, what is she using? And also
26:07
other readings? I do. Oh, okay. What is it? It says, oh, d plus, point five, zero in the sphere. Okay. Oh, s plus point five, zero. Okay. And then in the notes just says try Vax only no polycarbonate and blue light blocker.
26:31
Okay, that’s,
26:32
that’s a good prescription. You know, with that prescription, it tells me that they are worried about the myopia.
26:42
Because at a plus 50, if she had more
26:45
myopia than that prescription would be much different
26:50
from it seems like she seemed more concerned with the size of the eyeballs, the eyeballs the size of them,
27:03
that could well be concerned with. So size, so there’s two parts, there’s structure and function. I tend to lean more towards function like what’s the functional health as opposed to the structural health? You know, as long as the pupils are responding to light? She’s not light sensitive. You know, unless, yeah, unless the eyes are like bulging, and that would suggest some kind of a thyroid issue. I’m not, I’m not sure about that. I mean, certainly, any, no,
27:44
I haven’t seen any bulging or anything like that. You know, I’m more
27:49
interested in the balance between the two eyes, and being able to come into visual midline. And that’s where that Morrow starfish could relax that, that, you know, because IT Convergence excess, and myopia is just the muscling, I’m over muscling, the compensate, because I either don’t have the skill set, I don’t have the energy, or you’re giving me too much, or the demand is too much. So that that tells you, okay, we is what we’re giving her we need to regulate that kind of watch her nervous system, so that we’re not overwhelming her to the point where she’s completely stressed out. And
28:38
that’s kind of where we are.
28:42
Okay, so what I’ll do is I’m going to send you, I’ll send you written directions on the morrow, and this bilateral movement thing and the parquetry. And we’ll get the recording, and then you’re, I’ll mail you the hair packet. And that’s pretty self explanatory. But if you’ve got any questions, just give me a call. So we’ll, we’ll take care of that. And then maybe let’s talk again, I don’t know, after the hair test comes back. Once I get it, I can contact you. And then by that time, you might have a little data on, you know, introducing the morrow and the bilateral meter, how that mountain where it’s going, and we’ll get there. We’ll get there. Yeah, I think it’s more at this point as we need to tweak subtlety, like there’s been a lot of little the good news about the vision therapy you’ve done is there’s a really strong foundation and basis of what you’ve done. And so now, what we’re going to do is be as efficient as we can to kind of tie it up so that she’s fully integrating and absorbing what you know what she’s been doing. And part of that might be biochemical, as well,
30:02
but I?
30:06
Yeah, yeah. And, you know, we can see about the color therapy, there are ways that you can do the color therapy very inexpensively. I’ve been doing color therapy for a long time. So I’ve developed, you know, you don’t necessarily have to get some big light and like, but that could be helpful down the road also. But
30:29
I’m definitely open to all the different, you know, light therapies and stuff like that, I always find a lot of that very fascinating. Like I said, though, but after a year, I was like, I don’t, I’m a little suspicious that we’re throwing that into like, it’s, you know, but
30:43
I think at that point that see, again, what the way I would see it is, I would do the biochemistry first, before you start, that covers the base, and I would do the color therapy first as well. Or what the color therapy does is it, it balances the nervous system, and it can open up the peripheral vision and relax the brain. Okay, so you know, that energetic healing can be really great. It’s just, you know, weigh in, when it was introduced was kind of like, I would have done it a lot sooner. But I don’t, I don’t do long processes anymore, because it doesn’t take that long, it’s like we kind of get to the root and we just go for it. And then some of the regular vision therapy practices. It’s a lot slower, either, I don’t know, if the doctor was in the room, or the doctor does the therapy or, or she he or she hires vision therapists, and then it becomes this whole business model. So
31:46
the business model is makes me nervous. Sometimes.
31:50
We’re staying away from business.
31:54
I, I do appreciate that I do. as
31:58
well. As parents, it’s a you know, you got a lot of expenses. So anyway, let’s let’s go this direction. And then hopefully, they email me any questions you have. And again, I’ll send this stuff to you by the end of the day, and just start exploring it you know, when you can don’t push too hard. You can do it every day, every other day, every third day, you know, you just you’re gonna have to negotiate the I totally, she’s burned out from the whole,
32:27
the whole scenario burned out. And, you know, they require, you know, homework and stuff. And that’s been a big burden. You know, because she’s at an act and Academy and they don’t require homework. It’s all very, you know, no shoes play.
32:41
Homework during stressful. There’s this next next level of division where we want to, to be more playful,
32:50
absolutely. No more
32:52
more fluid, more flow, more whole body. Let’s, let’s make it creative. Well, I’ll tell you what, if your back, you might actually take 10 steps more later on. That’s,
33:05
I’ve noticed that standard school and we took, you know, one step back, and then I looked like leaps and bounds ahead. Once I pulled her from that setting.
33:16
Yes. So that’s really what you’re looking at. She’s going to do it her own way. Oh, yeah, we’re unique. And we kind of have to just nurture that, that trajectory, and not impose so much onto it, because she’s just gonna, she’s gonna pull back she’s not going to be available. Yeah, so this is a key point, you know, before we end the podcast, there’s no cookbook approach. And sometimes when you go into these busy physical vision therapy offices, where, you know, they program you, and you go twice or three times a week, and you’re working with a vision therapist, sometimes there isn’t room to improvise, and you know, meet the child where he or she is, and in this particular case, to get to the bottom of it, it’s going to be a combination of doing some primitive reflex integration. And working with the bilateral movements with visually guided, you know, obstacle courses to help her integrate her eyes and vision with her body.
It’s amazing to me, the number of kids I’ve worked with is when I help them reconnect their eyes to their brain and body through movement that they just take off. But the first thing we’re going to do is the biochemistry and see what her body is adapting to in terms of stress. And then from there are going to do some kind of a support supplementation and or diet to see if we can really boost cellular energy. And then we’re going to do some very targeted specific physical vision therapy things. We may do light and color therapy as well. We may do a little cranial sacral therapy, we’ll just see. But anyways, thanks for tuning in today. And that’s our show and until next time, everybody, take good care.
Thank you for listening. I hope you learned something from the EyeClarity podcast show today. If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to subscribe on iTunes or Spotify and leave a review. See you here next time.
In this session, I work with a child who really struggles with her farsighted vision. I worked with the mother and child and then came up with a plan they will implement to help her out. It was a great session! Enjoy the show.
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SUMMARY KEYWORDS
prescription, eyes, glasses, exercises, moving, primitive reflexes, foot, vision, motor, arms, development, body, magnification, head, called, wear, crawling, stimulate, obstacle course, balance
00:05
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberne.com.
Hey everybody it’s Dr. Sam and I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. Before we get to today’s show, you can always text me your questions 1-844-932-1291 Or send me an email hello@drsamberne.com.
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00:46
Hey, everybody, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. So we’ve got a great show today. It’s a very interesting session that I gave to a mom and her daughter. And she’s inquiring because her daughter went to the eye doctor, and she’s wearing a very strong, farsighted prescription. So the higher the number, the stronger the lens, and so she’s wearing like a plus 7.25. That’s a lot of magnification. So as you’ll be able to tell from the session, I asked a lot of questions, especially early on, you know, I think the three most important times in a young child’s life is the prenatal period, we call gestation, the birth, and then the first three years of life where there’s exploration and motor development, and so on. And there’s an aspect of the child’s development that really explains why she’s got this really strong prescription.
And so for any parent out there, and you go for an eye exam, you know, take your child for an eye exam, and you end up getting really strong glasses, that is such a symptom approach. It doesn’t get to the root cause. And basically, it’s just reinforcing the pattern that’s happening. And when I start looking at vision as a developmental process, and it’s influenced by our motor development, our emotional development, our nutrition, our traumas, things like that, we start working in a way where we’re treating the whole child and not just the eyeballs. And so you’ll get to see some very interesting things in the way I analyze, diagnose, and then a series of physical therapy exercises that I think are going to really contribute to the family. And so I was really grateful that they they gave permission that we could show this video. So I hope you enjoy the show. Leave your comments, and thanks for tuning in, guys. Got it?
03:11
Now too bad yourself.
03:12
Very well. Thanks. Good luck. Let us know up there.
03:17
Now really, it’s like there’s no snow. Oh, that’s terrible. Yeah, I know. I want some snow.
03:28
All right, well.
03:32
Give me a little background on what you want to work on. And we’ll we’ll get to is
03:37
up. We’re just trying to see if there’s any way to improve her nearsightedness bow. A year and a half ago, when she started preschool. I see a lot of what they preach before preschool when she first got the glasses. Um, we had her checked out maybe like two months ago. And it got like, a little bit a little bit worse, but it wasn’t that much of a difference. So I’ve seen some of your videos so and I know that there’s certain things that you can like help to improve it.
04:19
So do you did you send me the numbers? RX? Or do you know what
04:24
they are? I sent her we’re trying prescription it was through a document her profile.
04:33
Okay, let me look here. Hold on a minute.
04:44
Here we go. Yeah, I see it. Okay, so Wow, that’s a lot of farsightedness there. Plus 7725 Now, plus plus seven. Yeah. So that’s a lot of farsightedness. Goodness. Has there been any eye turn or anything for Addison?
05:11
No.
05:13
So what precipitated this first appointment? They preschool? Was she having any symptoms at all? Was she squinting? Or, um
05:25
we were just notified by her teachers and then just for like a yearly exam by the school officials to get her eyes checked out. And they said that she needed to be up close to certain things to see certain some things and like after realizing that we did notice that she would stand really close to the TV when she was watching TV.
05:49
Right? That’s that’s a really high prescription. I mean, that’s, that’s out of bounds to me that’s really high for a child. You know, these, these prescriptions sometimes are calculated wherever eyedrops given first and then the prescription was
06:09
No, I was just always the eyeglasses. Okay.
06:17
Give me a little history on Addison’s. What What the what your birth? The birth experience was like? Gestation like gestation and birth any stresses going on any difficult birth experiences?
06:37
For her personally? No. I know. The piece of Splenda got stuck in me. So I was rushed to the O R. That was for me, though. After she was delivered, they did notice a hit click. So she was in a harness for about three to six months. And then after that, she was out of there. Everything’s been good. She also got lip tie surgery done.
07:10
Lip tie, you say? Yes. Okay. And so developmentally many challenges with reading or handwriting, or,
07:25
um, she does. She is in, like, kind of like speech for IEP. She has certain like, letters she gets mixed up with and like, certain phases or stuff like that sound the same?
07:42
All right. And so what grade is Addison in right now? Presently? She’s in kindergarten, kindergarten, kindergarten? No. Right. And so is that an all day thing? Is it a half day?
07:58
Front? Yeah, from like eight for eight to four.
08:01
Okay. And so what was her experience with creeping and crawling? Was that all pretty normal? Did she jump away from crawling, not spending enough time or what was what was the motor development.
08:20
Um, I mean, since she had the harness, there was a little delay in the crawling. But once she had the harness off, she was pretty good. Like, timeline wise.
08:34
And so the purpose of the harness was to do what,
08:39
um, to position the hip back into place. Because I guess like when the socket for the hip, it was like, not all the way fully and yet, that’s what they saw. So they had to like hold it up in place to like, keep it there for a while. Put it back in place.
08:54
I see. So she basically had no real movement. She was just kind of laying around is that
09:03
I mean, it was she was able to move it was just a Harley at click. There was just Yeah, I don’t know the whole reasoning behind it. But yeah, shows that for three to six months,
09:15
okay.
09:17
And so, have you this, this is probably if this is you haven’t, that’s okay. But have you explored any kind of alternative therapies whether it’s OT or cranial sacral or anything like that?
09:39
For her eyes or hips or for which one?
09:44
Anything sensorimotor
09:49
after we got her out of the harness, she does see a chiropractor, rug regulate.
09:55
Okay, and what does the chiropractor do? Just as
09:58
adjustments To make sure that her hips are still aligned correctly and yeah.
10:05
Okay, this is like a hard adjustment. Is it a soft adjustment? What
10:09
is soft adjustment?
10:12
And how often does she go? Once a month? Okay.
10:17
So are these glasses worn full time or
10:21
district? Pretty much other than like when she is sleeping or swimming or something like that?
10:31
Okay, so she doesn’t go without them. And what do you notice behaviorally? When she wears them versus when she doesn’t wear them? Is there a big difference in her behavior? Or her energy when she doesn’t wear them?
10:48
Um, behavior wise? No. I mean, she does complain, like when she does take them off. She sees double vision. And it’s a little hard for her to see.
11:00
double vision. Okay, so when did that start happening? Um,
11:07
maybe a couple of months ago, a
11:10
couple months ago. Okay, and can I can I look at her eyes. Can I Can you just have her? Just look without her glasses on? You you’ve got a beautiful face. Okay, great. All right. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you. So it looks to me like some of the time her left eye might be turning in a little bit. Is that Is that ever been as the eye doctor ever picked up on that? No. No, not picked up on that. Okay, and is the double vision all the time? Is it just some of the time when
11:54
she’s only said that when she has her glasses off?
11:58
When she has her glasses off? She goes into double and I can we do this? Does their book around or something up close? Can you have her hold a book and have her take the glasses off? And show me where she’s got to hold the book where she sees the print clearly.
12:25
Right, have her hold the book? And let’s see where?
12:30
All right. So hold the plug is like as close to where you can see it. Right. Can you see the print on there? Fine.
12:44
So you see the see the distance that she’s holding the book? Yeah, he’s uh, clearly that doesn’t match up with the amount of prescription she’s currently wearing it’s too much okay, let me ask you this. When she’s asked her when she’s looking at the prints without her glasses, is she seeing anything double there
13:12
all right, when you hold this up, you see anything double?
13:18
Is anything that won’t come easy anything in the room double
13:26
my phone
13:31
so is it more like distance things that she sees?
13:36
Some, it’s probably like a lot of further objects that are double or further objects.
13:41
So is it double like horizontals? A double, like diagonal is a double vertical.
13:51
Do you see the other phone over here or up here? Up here. Okay. So it’s like more? Yeah.
14:02
To me
14:06
and then have her put the glasses on and look at the phone and tell me about the double. Good. Okay, all right. I want her to do some some motor things with me. So first thing I’d like her to do is see if she can balance on one foot stand up and like yoga G balance on one foot.
14:33
Well, your your toy and stuff
14:40
without without jumping around, okay, can you let go?
14:45
Yeah, okay. Okay, now stand on the other foot.
14:51
Okay, now do it with eyes closed.
15:01
And now the other foot eyes closed
15:08
Okay, all right. So now is there a way you can create a little space? I want her to do a kind of walking
15:17
for me. Okay?
15:21
That sounds familiar toys out of the way.
15:23
Throw the toys out of the way. And I’ll explain what I want her to do. All right, so she’s gonna lock. This is this is the one she’s got to do. So I want to see your whole body while she’s doing this. I want her to put her feet out like a duck. So not just spread them out, but the feet have to be pointed, like toward her towards her ears.
15:54
Like that.
15:57
Okay, so let me see.
15:59
There we go. All right. All right, and I want her to walk. Maybe take about 10 steps. Sure her heels don’t need to touch they can be spread out a little bit and see if she can walk.
16:15
Like a duck. Go ahead. Okay.
16:23
Okay, stop. Can you roll your sleeves up on your shirt? So we can see your hands or your stays up? Come I want to see your arms. Okay, the other side. All right.
16:40
All right, go back to the door and try it again. Okay, so feet out. All right, go. Let your arms go to the side. Let your arms hang down. Okay, very good. Come on, you can do it. Get those feet spread out.
17:02
Okay, now walk backwards. Get those feet spread out like a duck. Let go of your dress, let go of your dress with your hands. There we go. Okay, now I want you to put your feet in like a pigeon. So toes are pointing in. Spread your feet. Spread out and then put your feet on.
17:35
Point your toes to each other by toes towards
17:39
Here we go. Now let your arm let your arms fall to your side. There we go. Thank you. All right, now go ahead and walk
17:53
Yeah. You then walk backwards. I’m gonna do something. Okay, bear in mind.
18:02
Okay, all right. Now is there enough room? Can you show me your hopping on one foot? Can you hop on one foot?
18:14
Here we go. Come on. We’ll hop forward your hops
18:17
towards this. Yes Okay.
18:22
Hop backwards. Oh. Got it. Where are you
18:37
okay, backwards
18:44
backwards
18:47
and now the other foot forwards, not backwards
19:04
can you ask her to gallop so one foot is always ahead of the other and she’s galloping.
19:09
Yeah. And then go backwards.
19:18
Okay, and then put the other foot forward.
19:22
Do the same thing. And then go backwards.
19:28
Now skip, can you skip
19:33
his hip backwards
19:41
Okay, now let’s have her lie down on the floor on her back in the middle of the room, so we can see her get away from all her toys. So she can move her arms and her legs.
19:56
Yeah, that’s okay. That’s all right. Do we want her to do a slow so she starts with her feet together and her arms down to her side
20:14
and now wants to do like an angel in the snow. So your arms go over your head and your feet go out at the same time. Okay, so So start with your arms down to your side. Okay, and your feet are going to spread out at the same time your arms go over your head, and go really slow, slow as you can.
20:42
Okay, now bring them all in together. Okay, do it again.
20:49
Good. Oops, get your get your legs out. Get your legs out. There we go. Now bring them all back together. So they land at the same time what your feet got there first.
21:02
Got to do timing. One more time, one more, then we’re done. One more, and we’re done. Okay, and then. And then back.
21:17
Okay, your, your legs got there, though. Before your your arms. We got to get them all there at the same time. Okay, no problem. You’re doing great. No problem. Yet one more time. So get the feet to touch when your hands touch. Oops, there we go. Good. You figured it out. Okay. All right. I want to talk to your mom a little bit. So we’re three? And maybe we’ll bring you back later. Right?
21:49
Even though, if you want, are you saying
21:54
overstay some time? All right. Okay. All right. So the information I’m going to give you is a little different than what you’ve been getting. And this is being recorded. So you can, you can kind of digest this. So let me start here. The the eyes originate from the brain very early in utero, so every part of the eyeball is brain. And learning to use your eyes is a process that starts occurring in utero, and birth and the first three years of life and one of the most important things that helps you develop your eyes and vision is the ability to move your body through space. And if there’s any restriction in moving the body through space in those first year of life, it can interfere with the development of the eyes as it relates to the brain and the body. So movement stimulates vision. And so in this, in this particular case, the eye doctor is measuring this this condition called farsightedness. And what farsightedness means is that the eye muscles are not responding very well to objects. So what the person needs then is a high magnification. And so what the lens is doing is interfering with the eye muscles developing so that they can learn their own focusing responsiveness when they look at objects.
And usually, the prescription if they’re gonna give one is the small, the smaller the number, the less magnification. So when we’re at seven, that’s a very high magnification. So we wonder why is she measuring that? What is the cause of that. And I would say part of the cause is that early on when she was in that harness, there was a bit of restriction in her ability to learn to move her body through space. Specifically, getting the right side of the body, the left side of the body to start working together, the front of the body and the back of the body working together and the top of the body and the bottom of the body working together. So the way that we work with kids is that we assess their development as it relates to where their eye exam is. And instead of giving strong glass says, there are some physical therapy exercises that stimulate the eye muscles. So that that farsightedness goes away. Right now, the glasses that are being worn, are basically interfering with the visual muscles developing. And it’s creating this distorted magnification that is, is interfering with her development.
25:34
So this is much more than an eyeball
25:38
problem or an eyeball situation, the eyes are very connected to the brain in the body. And in kids, there’s a certain developmental arc that all kids go through in their movement that helps them expand their vision. So for example, when I had to do the duck walk, and the pigeon walk those tests tell me is that her motor system is not connecting to the visual system, and that the motor system is also developmentally behind, as well as the visual system being behind so that we that’s a, that’s a way that we can assess it. And there’s a certain series of movement patterns that all infants go through, called the primitive reflexes. Occupational therapists know about this.
But I studied with a group of eye doctors in Scandinavia who are kind of ahead of us. And what they found is the kids that have had some kind of developmental interference in their, in their childhood. These motor patterns new when you do them, they release the eyes, and they help stimulate the eyes to develop better. So these eyeglass prescriptions start to go away. One of the most famous primitive reflexes you might have heard of, is called the startle reflex, Moro reflex. And these primitive reflexes are important, because they help the early infant adjust to being out of the birth canal. And they help guide the child to learn the more complicated movement patterns, like creeping and crawling, and hopping and balancing and skipping and those kinds of things. So these primitive reflexes, they were signaled to me that they haven’t been fully integrated, because the duck walk and the pigeon walk are not being done quite easily. You know, it’s, it’s hard for her to put her feet out. And you may have noticed she was turning her hands in, or when we were doing the pigeon walk, her shoulders were kind of going in. And so that is a signal that there’s a developmental delay in our sensory motor skills. And it takes a certain kind of therapist, if it’s an O T, who has studied sensorimotor integration, to understand that there’s a developmental influence here and why number one, she’s got such a strong, farsighted prescription.
And number two, without those lenses, there’s a bit of a double vision and it’s a vertical double, or her two eyes are not aiming together, they’re not working together. And then the other thing that suspect here is that without her glasses on, she’s actually holding the book where you should be holding it. So that says, To me, the amount of magnification that she was given, was weighed too much, that she, she could probably get away with at least half as much. But the stronger the prescription, the more it interferes with the muscle muscular development and the visual development. So I know you’re calling me about her glasses and her eyes, but this is a whole body situation and the way out of it, if you choose to go that route would be number one, I would give you some physical therapy exercises. That would include doing some primitive reflexes to integrate those to do some gross motor things related to the eyes, working with the vestibular system, which is the inner ear. So one of the ways we tested that was having her balance with her eyes closed. When she balances with her eyes closed. Her inner ear is doing all the balancing, and she fell over pretty quickly. So she’s really balancing her body most With a vision, and we need to bring the vestibular and the visual into it, so that our eyes aren’t stressing as much. So I can give you some exercises today, if you choose to do that, it could help her with the reversal situation, it might prepare her for her reading better or handwriting. And by the way, at her age, the reverse things is normal. It’s not out of the norm. But what’s happened in the school situation is they want kids to learn their letters earlier. But developmentally, they may not be ready to do that. And so the reversal is this big signal like Oh, my God, something’s wrong. Well, nothing’s wrong.
But there’s still a confusion in her own right, left body sense, when there’s a confusion in the right left body sense, when you put a symbol out their letters, they’re going to just project that confusion onto the symbols. And so they’re going to make the reversals. So when you develop a better body sense of integration, then the reversals will automatically go away. But I have kids that are eight, nine years old, that are still working that out, especially in the Waldorf situation. So I want to give you some exercises, and I want to make a recommendation possibly about getting maybe reducing this prescription. And she’ll actually see better. But it won’t have the side effects of that really strong magnification. That prescription is an optics, correction, but it’s, it’s interfering with visual development. See, they’re not, they don’t look at the eyes as part of the whole person. They’re just looking at the optics of the eyeball, and they’re trying to correct that. But they’re not looking at what the side effects are of that. Yeah. So I’m gonna pause here, because there’s a lot a lot of subjects I brought up, I’d like to hear your feedback. And, and also, this, this idea that this is kind of a Global Developmental kind of challenge that goes way back to that harness situation. And, you know, hear your point of view on what you think about that.
32:34
No, I believe that I mean, that’s why I reached out to you. I know there’s a lot of things that are more like that the actual eye doctors don’t really tell you. I figured there had to be more to it. Um, I didn’t know everything, like what you just said. Um, but I mean, how would I actually go about like, decreasing her prescription?
33:02
Okay. Well, first of all, I’m going to teach you. So I’m going to teach you some exercises that you can do with her, which will really help many, many levels of her of her life and her vision. And then in terms of the prescription, because I’m licensed to practice in 50 states of the US I am fully licensed, I can send you a reduced prescription. And so you’ll have the prescription, you can just go to an optical place anywhere in your town, and they’ll fill the prescription. Okay, so it’s, I have a medical license to do that. And, you know, I have all my medical licenses and all that on my prescription. So that’s easy. No, that’s not a problem. And what you can, what you can decide here is that if she likes the frame, you can just have the lenses, the new lenses put in and you can keep the old lenses tell the optical place, we’ll keep these and I’m going to I think she should be she’s at seven and a quarter. I’m going to recommend a 3.5. Okay, I think we can come down a 50%. And there’s some other things I’m going to recommend around her when she wears the glasses and so on. But there’s also some astigmatism in that and I’m going to reduce the astigmatism. So astigmatism means the eye is misshapen, it’s like a
34:42
stigmatism
34:44
and she’s got enough of it where I don’t want to take it all the way from her. But I’m going to balance these astigmatism and reduce it a bit. So I will send you a medical light of medical prescription. And then you can go anywhere, you know, any optics store any place like that, and they’ll fill it for you. And we just keep the old lenses, you know, and she’ll probably there won’t be any negative effects from it, it’ll just be positive. So I’ll do that, you know, at the end of the session today, okay? Okay, so now let’s talk about the exercises. So, as I said, in farsightedness, the muscles in the eye become unreal, unresponsive when they look at objects. So in other words, for you and me, you put an object out there and you focus. And you can tell the details, you can tell maybe you need lenses or not, but still, there’s the ability for the brain to go, oh, there’s an object out there. Let me focus the muscles on it. But in farsightedness, there’s a lack of responsiveness.
And that’s a global situation many times. And it’s also, I think, related to the fact that she wasn’t able to have freeform movement. When she was young, I mean, there was some movement, but it’s pretty restricted. And that’s, that’s a tough one, I don’t know if I would have gone that route. Or I would have, I would have maybe had an addendum around it, where, because it’s too much stabilization, and not enough exploration and freeform, I understand they’re trying to form the hips. But also, it really restricted this, this exploratory thing that the kids need when they’re really really young. Okay, so that, so that is, we can still fill in the gaps. All right.
So the first exercise I want you to do with her is the startle reflex, the Moro reflex, and I will send you written directions on it. And let me just say about these, these activities. This is not like going to the gym, and you have to do it perfectly. What this is about is giving the brain new experiences through the movements. And basically we want Addison to just explore the movements, but it’s going to encourage her to have to use her whole body and coordinate her body in very specific ways. But it doesn’t need to be exact, it doesn’t need to be perfect, it doesn’t need to be completely literal, to what you might read on the page, okay? Because what we’re doing here is we’re building new pathways in the brain. And again, I want to emphasize the eyeballs are just the outer part of the brain. It’s all it’s all brain, but but the eyes are just the outside part of it. All right. So in this Moro reflex, we it’s called the starfish exercise. And what it is, is that she is going to be I’m going to change the screen here. Okay, so what it is, is, you can see my arms, she’s going to be moving her arms in like this, and the head, and she’s also going to be moving her her legs, so the ankles cross.
So I’m moving my arm or my right arm is over my left, and my right ankles over my left ankle, and my head goes from up to down. And then I open up and now I do left over right. This is probably going to be hard for her to do so you might have to help her. So she does this line on the back. And she’s got a pillow under her head. And she does five in each position if you can, maybe she anywhere between three and five. And this helps integrate that startle Moro reflex. So that one should be done every day. Now. It doesn’t need to be perfect. But if she’s moving the right arm over the left arm, I don’t want her left ankle over her right ankle. Yeah, lean right over left. It’s got to be globally through the upper body in the lower body. And by moving the head, it stimulates that inner here. So anytime you’re moving the head. So the Moro reflex is like this response that the infant is on the floor and they’re doing this this is the startle and so the head is moving the arms are moving.
The reason why this this reflex is so Important is that it when a child understands the limbs, bringing them in to the middle, the midline, there’s a visual midline in the body midline, she starts to understand something called bilateral integration, getting the right side and the left side, working together on a gross motor level, big muscles, big body. And the brain starts to understand, well, if I get really good with the big body, big muscles, then my eyeballs, which are the small muscles have a pattern quality. And so, exercise one you’re going to do this for about two weeks is going to be the Moro starfish exercise, and I’ll send you written directions. But again, I want to emphasize, just see if you can get her to get the arms and the legs to come in and go out. But she’s paying attention to which side is on top, and which side is on the bottom and alternating that and then moving the head that those are the key things with the morrow. Sometimes you can do it sitting up lying down. So that’s basically what we want to do for the first two weeks. That’s the Moro reflex. Okay, okay. All right, exercise number two, is going to be to get her to start balancing, see if she can balance with her eyes closed. And the goal would be, what I would do is have her put her hands on her bellybutton, and her eyes are closed and see if she can balance with her eyes closed for maybe 10 or 15 seconds without jumping around or falling falling over. Now, if she can’t do it on one foot, you could put one foot ahead of the other, she could do it heel to toe. But get her to do the balance with eyes closed.
And that starts to stimulate the inner ear to go Oh, wow, there’s some other ways that you can stimulate the inner ear is by doing some kinds of movements like spinning, rocking, swinging. There’s a lot of ways that there are a lot of ways to get that inner ear activated. So if you’ve got any ideas on how to you know, spin and roll, and like one of the things we’d recommend is you could use a physio ball and big exercise ball, and you put her tummy on the ball and you roll her back and forth. That’s a way to get the vestibular working, or get her on her back and have that ball rolling. So I’m going to leave it up to you, you can even another way to stimulate the vestibular you may not want to do this is having her jump up and down. And so you could hold her hands, she’s jumping on the bed, or on a rebounder? And in addition to that, can she do that jumping on one foot, so I want her to work with our hopping. So the hopping would be either in place on a bed or a rebounder, or can she hop forwards. But this is where I want you to create an obstacle course. So that she visually has to guide herself through and around objects. And I want her to do these without her glasses on. Okay, so the morrow is without the glasses, the balance with eyes closes without the glasses, the hopping. And the galloping and the skipping are motor exercises.
But you’re setting up an obstacle course. So that she’s got to visually guide her body through space. This is what was missing in her development. And the other thing is, I want her to be able to motor backwards, as well as going forwards. Going backwards, she can look over her shoulder, that’s fine, she can do that. But I want her to start to understand her spatial world with her body and her vision. That’s really what vision is. Understanding where I move through space. It’s not about reading an eye chart. That’s not vision. That’s eyesight, and it’s a very static measurement.
44:27
Yeah, another thing you could do in the motor moving with the obstacle course. And again, I’ll send you some ideas would be bear walk, where she’s moving the right hand and the right foot at the same time. Left hand left foot and then alternating doing right hand, left foot, left hand right foot, but that’s also obstacle course so she could do that bear walk. And she could also do it crawling. If you could get her to crawl. She can also do marine crawl All while she’s on her belly. So there’s something really important about tummy time when you’re young, because it teaches you about neck control. And then eventually eye control because you have to lift your neck and your head.
So it would be possible marine crawl, regular crawling, airwalk, hopping, skipping, you can even do it with a ball where she soccer ball or ball to bounce that may be hard for. But in other words, I want you as much as you can to bring her vision into the equation when she’s moving her body through space, and you want to create challenges. So she’s got a look, before she moves in her eyes, and I don’t want I don’t want her glasses on when she’s doing this. Okay, so you got lots of things there, you don’t have to do them all every day, you did all all of them in one day, you can pick and choose, she could even now that room is kind of small, but I think she could roll like a log. So you’d have to have a bigger room.
But can she be lengthwise roll like a log and move her body through space. That’s really what she needs to learn here. So learn to move her body through space. And she also needs to get better at bilateral integration. Okay. Now after the two weeks, you’re going to stop the Moro starfish. And I’m going to give you the second exercise where she’s going to be on her belly, and her legs need to be straight, and her thumbs are going to be on her nose, lift her upper body is going to turn her head to the right, and push the thumb out and look at her thumb. And then bring it back to the middle and then do the left. This is called the T L R tonic labyrinth reflex. And it’s good for eye tracking the stimulus stimulation and you’re on your tummy to do is probably going to be a little bit of a challenge. And her legs need to be straight, she’s gonna want to bend her legs, so she can push her legs into the floor. But she’s got to lift like her upper body to do it. So that’s the second two weeks that you’ll substitute for the starfish. Again, I’ll send you directions and and then some other things that you can do would be see if she can get a ball and see if she can bounce and catch the ball to a metronome. Now most smartphones have an app where you can get a free metronome.
48:04
So the metronome is clicking.
48:07
And she’s got to bounce the ball every time she hears the metronome, that’s going to be hard for her.
48:14
And the metronome is going to be at 40 beats a minute.
48:22
Now she can use two hands, I’d like her to try to do one hand and catch it the other hand and catch it and go from right to left, left to right. So she’s bouncing and catching. But it’s got to be on the beat, it’s going to be an interesting process for her to coordinate listening and coordinating the above the bouncing ball big, fairly big ball, not a tennis ball, but, you know, kickball or a soccer ball or something that’s easy for her to bounce and catch. Now once that becomes easy, you can add the second step in it, which is I’m going to send you a chart of letters. It’s called the heart chart. You’re going to put that up on the wall and she can stand you know, two feet away. My preference would be to have her to do this without the glasses, but you’ll have to see if there’s double vision then she should wear the glasses. And if there’s no double vision, then have a reader without the glasses. You just have to see. Here’s the deal. The letters are in rose. She starts in the upper left corner of the first letter. The metronome is going she bounces the ball and at the same time she reads a letter. Then she reads the next letter bouncing the ball. So she’s got to coordinate bouncing and catching and tracking. One bounce one letter per beat To see if she can read the whole chart or part of the chart. Now, another way she could read it is the column. So one day, you could do the rows left. The next day, you could do left to right, you could do down to up so you could do the columns or up, down. So you can, I’d like you to vary the chart,
50:23
bounce, read the letter,
50:27
she’s got a bounce it and read it all to the Mets and ticking the metronome.
50:36
So again, you get to choose, you know, if you can spend 10 minutes a day, you might just get two of the exercises done. That’s okay. It’s more of the consistency they every day is going to be her physical therapy for her eyes. Our primitive reflexes part gross motor obstacle courses, hard ball ball bounce, those kinds of things.
51:08
Well try it all.
51:11
Yeah, so I’m
51:15
gonna stop here. Is this like, so really overwhelming for you? Is this what you not expected? Or, you
51:23
know, I’m up for it, I’m always up for um, alternative stuff. Um, I kinda like more alternative stuff, and actually going into the fiscal Doctor nowadays, because they just don’t figure anything out there. So
51:38
I think this is going to work well. And I’d like you to observe, you know, any behavioral changes emotional. Like, for example, some things that might change could be, she picks up a book and wants to read more of it, or her writing or drawing gets different, or she gets attracted to doing new activities, or socially, she’s better or she her, or athletics gets better, or, you know, in other words, we’re really creating different patterns in the brain to help the eyes start to grow and develop. I think there’s been a bit of interference in her visual development. And that prescription reflects a very early time in her life, that she’s still back there. And so these activities are going to invite her to move forward in growing and developing. So they’re going to, they’re going to have a much bigger influence beyond just the prescription of secondary, and then I’ll email you the prescription and go get that I don’t think that there’s nothing negative about that. And you can email me, let me know how you’re doing if you’re frustrated, or you have questions, or you’re not sure. It could go either way, you know, she might just take off. Or she might resist, I don’t know, she looks like she she is hungry for this stuff. And I also would say, It’s okay for her to take her glasses off some of the time. If she’s home. I would encourage that
53:29
he does here and there.
53:32
Especially, you know, in the indoor world, if there’s double, then we’re gonna have to address that maybe in round two, you know, that can’t do it all at once. But the double was another signal that she’s not getting her two eyes working. And that’s an integration situation. So we’ll we’ll just kind of stay in that. They stay tuned to that. So I’m gonna send you a bunch of handouts. And, again, you have any questions, but this is the prescription. She’s needing to neutralize the early beginning that she had. So it gets her to start. It’s going to be a catalyst for her to move her forward. And she’s I can tell just working with her briefly. She’s super smart. She super tuned in. And she doesn’t need all this around her eyes to function at a high level. In fact, it’s it’s holding her back a bit.
54:43
Yeah, no, she’s pretty fast learner and everything. Yeah,
54:47
she’s great. Yeah. I I love working with her. So any any questions? This is the time conversation wise and I will send you the recording and also but any other questions or?
55:05
Ah, no, I think I’m all set. I’m pretty happy with everything. Okay.
55:10
So please keep in touch. You know, now I’m, I’m very interested in and helping you move forward now that I have more of the history. And this is a very common story, what you went through with her. And that’s why I asked those questions because it’s, we want we want to expand the movement experience. And we need to do that that movement is so important in this equation. And we don’t want restriction. I mean, we want stabilization. Sure. But we also want an kind of mastery of being able to move the body and bring all the senses into it so we can understand where we’re going in space where we’re going in our environment. Master that learning is great relationships are great sports, emotions. I mean, it’s all related. And we want to bring those things forward. That would be a way that I would send me Okay, all right. So look for the email, send you the prescription. I’ll send us some of these other things. And then please stay in touch. I want to hear from you. All right. No, I will for sure. Okay. Sounds good. All right. Good luck.
56:31
All right. Thank you. Bye. Bye. Nice.
56:40
Thank you for listening. I hope you learned something from the AI clarity podcast show today. If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to subscribe on iTunes or Spotify and leave a review. See you here next time.
Thank you for listening. I hope you learned something from the EyeClarity podcast show today. If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to subscribe on iTunes or Spotify and leave a review. See you here next time.
In this podcast episode, I was interviewed by Holistic Vision Coach Claudia Muehlenweg. Claudia is a Natural Vision Improvement Coach and Founder & CEO of Holistic Vision. We had a great conversation and dug into some key points in my upcoming book, Vital Vision. Enjoy the show!
Contact Claudia Muehlenweg
Email: support@myholisticvision.com
https://www.myholisticvision.com/
If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com.
If you have any questions, submit them to hello@drsamberne.com or you can now text me! Text ‘Join’ to 1-844-932-1291 to join the community and ask your questions!
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
eye, vision, people, astigmatism, prescription, lenses, questions, cataracts, claudia, optometry, lens, doctor, book, optometrist, primitive reflexes, blur, eyedrops, child, shankman, learning
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberne.com.
Hey everybody it’s Dr. Sam and I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. Before we get to today’s show, you can always text me your questions 1-844-932-1291 Or send me an email hello@drsamberne.com.
I’ve got a couple of great workshops coming up in March in Southern California. I’ll be in San Diego March 5, LA March 7, and Santa Barbara March 12 doing my famous masterclass. I’m back doing that again in person. This is a great way to work with me one on one, if you’ve got an issue that you haven’t been able to solve. Register Here.
And I’ll be doing some book events. As you know, my new book, Vital Vision is coming out the end of February, we’re in a pre sale right now. So if you want to order the book, you’ll get a discount. And there are also some events happening. You can sign up and we can do an online workshop that’s going to be happening in April. Also, you can get some coaching one on one sessions with me if you buy the book, and I’ll be doing a gathering in Santa Fe in September. This is gonna be a small group at my geo-dome. So if you’d like to register for that, we’d love to have you.
Preorder the book here OR learn about my book events here.
Hey everybody, it’s Dr. Sam and I want to welcome you to my EyeClarity Podcast. Today is a recording of an interview that I gave recently to one of my colleagues. She’s a wonderful holistic vision coach from California. Her name is Claudia Muehlenweg and I was on her podcast. So it’s a great show the beginning I talk about my story, and then my philosophy, and then we do a really cool q&a at the end. So I hope you enjoy the show. Thanks for tuning in. Leave me comments. If you like the show everybody. I think we are live on YouTube. I’m Claudia Muhlenberg. I am a nationalist improvement teacher and the founder of the Natick division method. And this is our weekly clear vision Wednesday show and today I have a guest that I couldn’t be more excited about. And I will share this a little bit of before I bring him on. So Dr. Sam Berne is a holistic optometrist. He has been in practice for over 30 years in New Mexico has written a new book that we’re going to talk about, and I had the luxury of attending a workshop with you, Dr. Sam, actually, let me bring you on to stage then when he can see you. Hi, welcome. Hi.
01:20
We did you work with primitive reflexes? And you know, and you discovered you gave me some kind of glasses that, because I noticed that my right hip dominant side, I was more aware of that than the left. And so that was so so fascinating, your approach. So I know I jumped right into the deep end.
01:42
So our topic today, you know, and that’s kind of the title of your book, vital vision clear eyed solutions for midlife and beyond. So tell us a little bit about like, Why buy this book? And like why you felt like yeah, what? Why did you write this book?
02:00
Well, first, thanks for having me. And everybody. Thanks for joining in. So that’s a great question. Why did I write this book? I’ve written several other books. And I’m pretty active on social media. I have a Facebook live show. And for a couple of years, people would ask me really good questions. So what we did is we took the transcripts of the shows, and we had a ghostwriter who helped me and we created a book based on what were the most popular questions. And so each chapter is my hot take on first of all, what is the condition? And second of all, how can you help, you know, help this condition in a more integrative holistic way? So that’s how the book came about. And, you know, we’re in a pre sale right now with the book, but it’s, it’s going really well, a lot of interest and happy to share it and any other insights today. Yeah, I’ll put all the links, by the way, in the show notes, where you can pre order the book and all that. But I want to read I want to read a quote on that kind of tags into what you just said, from the book. And I didn’t get to read the whole thing yet. But I did read quite a bit of it. And I love this quote, you said with a dominant belief that prescriptions and surgery are the only options.
People can often feel bullied into accepting a certain procedure or treatment method, even if they would prefer another option. If this is you pause before accepting anything and first seek out a second opinion from a novelistic perspective, and have quote, right, and you are a trained optometrist, you’ve, you know, been doing this for 30 years, and I think you have now telemedicine practice. But yeah, I love that you said that, because I hear that from my clients a lot. And I know you probably do, too, that I didn’t understand what the eye doctor was saying, and I shouldn’t do this procedure or, you know, so tell us a little bit more of what you would tell people to do. Well, I really advocate for patients. And I know what it’s like, because I’ve been on the other side of that, where an authority figure thinks he or she knows better, but it’s your body. And there needs to be options and alternatives. Especially if you know pharmaceuticals and surgery are the only two options. I mean, come on, you know, we know the eyes are so related to our you know, systemic health or metabolic health or our emotions. And I love your posts. You talk about a mind body connection. Exactly. Or you’ve had Mark Grossman on he talked about Chinese medicine, and acupuncture and how that’s so relates to our vision. So you don’t always have to rush into the surgery. And look, that’s the way the eye care field makes their money but it’s your body and I’m here to advocate for patients.
04:56
But tell us like why did they and I don’t know you
05:00
Hold back on while you’re doing traditional optometry of behaving optometry, and then did you then switch and what was your big aha in terms of hey, what optometry school might not be the whole story? Well, I remember my first year of optometry school, I was sitting in the back with a friend of mine. And the professor was saying, and by the way, if any of you hear about the Bates method, put it out of your head, it’s total quackery. And my friend and I turned to each other, and we started laughing. And we said, we want to go into that. That’s very interesting.
05:32
So I was always, you know, Renegade. And actually, what ended up happening I did an internship in California, you know, it’s from the East Coast. And I did an externship at a behavioral optometrists office, Dr. Bob Sanat, in Lemon Grove, San Diego. And he was my one of my first mentors, and he was running 60 patients a week through his vision therapy practice. And he was so satisfied with what he was doing. And I think that was my aha moment moment. And then I went back to the East Coast after I graduated optometry school, and I enrolled at the Gizelle Institute. So I spent a year learning about child development and learning. And then I had I was very myopic. I was about minus 275 With with a stigmatism and I met a holistic behavioral optometrist, Dr. Al shank Shankman, the Albert a Shankman and went to him for about a year and vision therapy and completely dissolved my prescription. So after those things, I mean, it was a no brainer, I was just going to devote my career to helping people improve their vision instead of just, you know, the company line of making things worse every year. So that’s, that’s amazing. And I’m so you actually with vision therapy? And for those of you listeners that might not know the difference? Can you just really quickly explain to us, so we have traditional optometry where you get your contacts or glasses prescription measured, usually verbal acuity gets measured sometimes. That’s perception. But what is the difference of behavioral I think sometimes they call them developmental on your chest?
07:16
On some, so I think in behavioral or developmental optometry, we recognize that vision is more of a brain and body process. And depending on the level that behavioral optometrist is training, we look at things like visual skills and eye brain processing. You know, if we go into child development, we look at things like the primitive reflexes, obviously, nutrition and diet, but that’s like even on the surface, you know, I I dove into things like Functional Medicine. I’m a cranial sacral therapist, I’m an aroma therapist. I’m a somatic therapist. So I did a lot of really deep studies.
Because I found that my patients there was a real psycho, emotional, psycho spiritual part of vision, you’re nodding your head, because we’re very simpatico and what we believe. And so, in behavioral optometry, a lot of times it’s eye exercises, or you’re doing a vision therapy type approach that’s more high ball related. So you’re not really getting into, you know, mind body or so I love what you’re doing, because it’s so integrative. And that’s what I feel is needed, especially when you have people with pretty complicated vision problems. And then if they’ve had surgery, or they’re on drugs, you know, it just becomes very complicated. That’s why you have to suss it out, and there’s no cookbook, you know, I often say that I don’t have a cookbook approach. I look at each person individually and we go from there.
08:53
That was so interesting. There’s several things that you said that I want to piggyback on. So I just did the recording for the better eyesight magazine podcast with Nathan oxen Feld and Fernanda lighter from Brazil. And we talked about how Dr. Bates back then had this free clinic and they were helping people for free and Emily, Liam and who became a second wife, she was somebody who cleared her vision.
09:17
We know people trusted her and she was empathetic and she was really about helping people and getting to know them and even though she had this free they had this free clinic and it was only like five minutes you know just like a regular doctor five minutes people like there was all about connecting with them on an emotional level and seeing what works for them and not the cookbook approach and and then adopt to this story this this month. Episode was about there was a doctor was like why don’t you just give them lots of context and be done with it? Why are you wasting your time and don’t even get paid? Helping these people? So I think that was one thing that just came to me as you were talking how we really see the whole person right we really see the whole person and look at all the things on the emotion
10:00
terms. So, you know, to the whole journey to when we really work with them versus just giving them like, here’s this protocol of like doing this or that which behavioral optometry, in my opinion at least does something to improve your vision. But like you said, it’s very mechanical, like the pencil push ups and those kind of a process. So but you I, you said if I understood correctly that you improved your myopia and astigmatism, but vision therapy. So tell us more about that. Well, Dr. Shankman wrote a book called Vision enhancement training. And he was actually also a yoga teacher and a meditation teacher. And the things that we did with Dr. Shankman were very whole body oriented, we did not do, you know, traditional vision therapy. And every practice that he would give us, he invited us to use the practice as a mirror to understand and learn about our habits and conditioning. And so I would spend 30 minutes a day doing all his practices, and they were very much involved with movement. And we used an eyepatch a lot. And, you know, a lot of different things. But in the end, I realized for myself that I developed myopia, because I had a learning problem. And when I was eight years old, I was diagnosed with a learning disability. And we ended up at an eye doctors office, and I ended up getting minus lenses. And so I became a memorizer.
And Dr. Shankman found that my left eye tended to wander out, so I had difficulty with convergence. And so once we repaired all of that, I didn’t have to carry that tension anymore. And my reading and learning, you know, really came up to where it should be. So I have a soft spot for for kids, I work with special needs kids. I know my books about middle age, but I actually do a lot of work with special needs autism, cerebral palsy Down syndrome, so I can relate to those kids really well. And this type of vision work is really profound and getting them to turn their light bulb on, and really engage and connect their eyes to their brain and their body. And it’s it as you know, it’s so satisfying and rewarding, because you’re not just doing something rote. You’re you’re really helping a person change their life and contributing to them. And when I started to get on social media in 2016, that just really opened up even more, because that was a real hard thing for this kind of vision approach is that nobody knows about it. So people like you, and Nathan, and you know, few others.
They’re adept on social media, so they’re able to, you know, get the word out and get more because people are struggling, they want an answer. They just don’t know there’s an answer out there. So that’s where we come in and work together to bring more awareness that there is a possibility for help. Well, and I’m so grateful for, you know, because you’re a trained eye doctor, and there aren’t as many eye doctors, you know, you mentioned Dr. Mike Crossman, and, you know, Dr. Ahmed caught me reading this that many out there that are, you know, going and we had talked to her and so on. And so there’s a few people that are, you know, looking Mabi way beyond that the spectrum, and I think you’re right, it’s still shocks me that, you know, Bates would probably turn around and scrape and 100 years later, it’s so so unknown, right? It’s so so unknown, people still say, especially in the traditional ikat field, that this doesn’t work when we know that we see that business 90% range and just an eyeball, and they only I would say the only, I always say 100% The problem is that 100% of their attention is under 10%.
13:56
So true. That’s the eye exam. The exam is on that 10%. So what’s going on there? Yeah, exactly.
14:04
So when you work with focus, Nashville, and I’m looking at questions also coming in, but when you work with children, because I do I get a lot of requests for children, and I haven’t I haven’t been working with children anymore since I gave up my physical, you know, in person practice. So when you work with children, I know it’s a little side detour. But how do you work with that? Do you Do I know you do impressive workshops, right? You do.
14:28
How do you work with children mostly? Well, it starts with a really detailed developmental history and the three most important early time periods, gestation, birth, and bonding. So I ask a lot of questions in that time zone because if there’s any kind of interference, there’s going to be an obstacle and vision development, sensory motor development, and also studying the primitive reflexes. I have a group of optometrists in Scandinavia, who I studied with they’d been doing the reflexes
15:00
In 7019 75, the primitive reflexes directly affect vision development. So that’s another piece. I also do cranial sacral and nutrition counseling. But it starts with a developmental history. And then from that point, I teach parents how to work with their kids. From gross motor level, we do a lot of bilateral work, a lot of balancing a lot of rhythm and timing, reflex work, color therapy sometimes works well, nutritional counseling, and then advising them on lens prescriptions. Because, again, it’s a total disaster what eye doctors want to do when you first of all, when you dilate an eye or you put eyedrops in, you’re paralyzing the focusing muscles. So how can you get a accurate measurement on a prescription you’re overcorrecting every child that I see that’s been to some other person, I’m reducing the prescription by 60 to 80%. Because that is really interfering with their visual development that the way lenses are taught to be prescribed is horrible. And so it’s all of those things, I do consult at a place called Kidpower. In Albuquerque, I go down there once a month. So I do evaluate kids there and just through telehealth or workshops or whatever, but the pediatrics is very effective. And strabismus, you know, if you’ve got strabismus, I don’t recommend eye muscle surgery and lazy I don’t recommend wearing a patch eight hours a day. That’s insane. Again, you treat the whole person, like you said, this is what we learned it Gizelle a vision problem is more than in the eye, it’s in the whole person. And the last thing I’ll say I just saw this parent yesterday with a 12 year old who did a year of vision therapy and still has exactly the same symptoms. So what’s missing is that we’re going to do some biochemistry testing. Because I think there’s a problem in cellular absorption. She’s re admitted she’s depleted. And one of the key things I learned is, you start with building up the cell first so that there’s an energy, and then you can do your vision therapy or whatever you’re doing along with it. Now the child has more energy to make the developmental gains we’re asking him to make. But if you ignore the dietary nutritional part, sometimes they come in and they’re so depleted to begin with, it’s hard for them to make changes. And that was the essential piece yesterday with this family. So you know, we just look at a lot of different things and and then go from there.
17:37
That sounds fantastic. So with because of the little children, you have to work in person pretty much like when they get older. So yeah, I mean, I’ve got I have so many questions. I don’t even know where to start. But let’s, let’s so yeah, we’ve since you just talked about nutrition. So what is something when you said somebody is nutritionally like even at trial, right? You know, I always say when we get older, all the bad stuff catches up with us are the age related eye diseases are just like too many chemicals, too many toxins, leaky gut years of not eating proper nutrients, you know, that just basic at some point, hey, that, you know, hits the fan. But when you talk about a 12 year old, like how can that so nutritional impact division? What is the thing that you advise this family, for instance, to change? Or you probably heard this statistic because it’s floating around the eyes and the brain may to make up 2% of the body weight and use 25% of the food intake. You’ve heard that I’m sure anyway.
18:39
You know, we find out first of all, what, what are they eating? And what would they be attracted to eating if you let them. And then from there, you know, we talk about the rainbow diet, we talk about the microbiome, we talk about healthy fats and oils. I do a different kinds of lab tests. One I like to do with kids is a hair mineral analysis, because it shows us about the mineral ratios and the minerals or sparkplugs on cellular health. So we can see are they absorbing carbohydrates, proteins? Do they have heavy metal toxicity? You know, what’s going on in an inflammatory response? What are their adrenals doing? What’s their thyroid health? So through a hair mineral analysis, that’s a great way to get a snapshot on what’s going on. And then again, it’s very individualized but it’s somehow getting more amino acids and proteins into their body in the morning even if it has to be a smoothie and really cut out the sugar gluten and you know the processed foods. And then the challenge is their textures. You know, some don’t like to swallow pills. Some don’t like powder. You know, some are finicky eaters. So we have to dance with them on that and a lot of times we do the best we can that’s why sometimes doing like a morning, kind of a protein shake
20:00
Eat something, there’s some good ones really good ones out there, or something that where we can get a lot in them early, and then really try to reduce the sugar consumption and just go from there. You know, it’s, we’ll see we’re doing a hair mineral analysis on this child, but her mother immediately said, She’s depleted, I know it. And I said, bingo, right there. So vision therapy is not going to be the answer until we do something that support her energy better.
20:30
That is so interesting. And I think it don’t, wouldn’t you agree that it’s also about educating the parents, because sometimes, at least in my practice, when I used to see children will be like, Here, help me fix my child.
20:41
So I’m working with you first. First of all, you got to be working, you know, working with your child and making into games. But also you need to understand what the it’s not their cage when you go in the corner and do some priming.
20:53
So let’s switch gears, so to show the middle aged population, because I would think that a lot of the things you said would be similar applicable, right, like doing your hair mineral analysis and figuring out like, is there any nutrient deficiencies? Or where would you start with somebody?
21:10
That’s like, in their, let’s say, 50s? Common things that, you know, you probably hit to this cataracts, floaters, like, where do you start with somebody that comes with let’s maybe a beginning of cataracts or something like that? Okay, well, I may see it differently than other people. But when somebody is complaining about, you know, a whole laundry list, there’s really a similar thing going on, which is, they’re not getting enough nutrients in the eyes, the eyes have the highest metabolic needs of the body, the mitochondria not working well, in the retina, there may be some kind of glycation process going on either in the vitreous, or the lens, meaning a glucose molecule is attaching to either the collagen molecule on the vitreous or the protein molecule on the lens. So that’s creating cataracts. There’s congestion, visual stress, maybe wearing the wrong prescription. And then, you know, liver, are they absorbing vitamin A? are they producing enough bile?
22:12
You know, so there’s a lot of different questions that need to be asked as you probably do, I think one of the things that happens is that we have the biochemical aspect of the eyes. And then we have the functional aspects. And this is where I doctors fail, because they’re not really looking at the functional aspects, function changes structure. So the way I use my body is going to affect the anatomy especially. And so if my two eyes aren’t working together, I don’t know how to relax my eyes, or I’m not getting enough daily sunlight, you know, or on my computer too late at night. You know, these are all lifestyle things that I’m advising people to do. And some change and some don’t some get worse, some get better. A lot of it depends on you know, their body and their psyche. And, you know, things we don’t even understand.
23:07
And I know you have protocols for different visual conditions, and you have you talked about the oils that you’re recommending, and so it’s like a really holistic approach. Let me look at some questions because I feel maybe we get we got some good viewer questions that would be helpful.
23:24
So xinda is saying on YouTube, I’m on a low fat plant based diet is a very red and dry. Do you think it’s the low fat I was trying to avoid it because of the high cholesterol?
23:37
Well, you know, certainly fats and oils have been shown to you know, lubricate the eyes better. It could be also allergies, functional. Eyelid health is such a key thing right now because a lot of people with dry eye, they’re having difficulty the the oily part of the tears are drying out too quickly. And so the tears are evaporating. And so that’s why I developed a castor oil I dropped that you can do in the evening that replaces the oily part of the tears. And somebody wrote me about MSM eyedrops, so I should talk about them a little bit. Those are sulfur based eyedrop that I created. And it’s very good for reducing inflammation, improving circulation. And, you know, sometimes, you need to use some natural eyedrops, you need to increase fats and oils, maybe you need to protect yourself from blue light. Maybe your two eyes aren’t working together. But most of the research and most of my clinical experiences we do need a good amount of fats and oils, the retinas 50% fatty acids. I know our brain needs a lot of fatty acids. So you know those could be some things and then maybe finding some natural lubricating drops to support your eyes before they you know before they go downhill like they are right now.
25:00
Well thank you so much and we do want to make sure that everybody knows this is not medical advice with this as an educational show here and even Dr. Sanders
25:09
excuse me Doctor it’s still like you know we’re not telling you because you’re not diagnosing just want to make sure that we are
25:15
but so I podcast I have a customer I’m acid I put about my ash
25:22
into my eyes, and I use organic castor oil. But tell us a little bit because I’m curious about the to the oil that you use that you can put in your eyes and said anyway different than regular organic castor oil or? Well, it’s, it’s made in a way that you can that it’s pretty comfortable in your eyes. Now I’ve tried many different kinds of castor oil that is organic. And the issue sometimes is it’s very thick. So you get like this blurry vision. And if you use too much of it, it’s sometimes it can clog up your eyelids that meibomian glands. So you have to be careful about that. But, you know, like what you’re doing with the mask is beautiful. I’ve watched that video. And I love that because what you’re teaching, there is a way to help people get empowered about moisturizing their eyes. And how cool is that? Because the other thing is Restasis or steroids or god knows what you know all these pharmaceuticals. So I think you got to see what your body does with it. Some people love it. Some people, they don’t do well with it. So I think you need to find a brand that you like there are a lot of good ones out there. And if it’s something you want to try, start easy. Just use a little bit use it on the outside of the eyelids, maybe this mask that you have. That sounds like a great idea and see how see how it lands in you. And if it’s positive castor oil, as we both know has so many great benefits. Why not for the eyes?
26:58
Yeah, thank you and I will try to so somebody was asking if you have jobs in the to the Zoom chat is a darker sound. Yeah. Yeah. So that’s you have a straw there too. And I’m going to try your I’ll tell you what, I’ll send you a bottle. Don’t Don’t buy him. I’ll say I was sure about it. But I the castle. I do use for that. Oh, that’s okay. Yeah, sometimes a little bit gets I just put it a
27:25
little bit gets into the eye, but I use it only at night. So you’re exactly
27:30
right, just use it at night. And you’re, you’re safe with that. So next question Karen’s asking was wearing my context for myopia astigmatism and motor vision during work hours negate everything that I’m doing
27:46
during off hours of off work hours, which is glorious teachings and bearing with us classes. So she’s doing my programs. Even just class virginity. She was a contract with a full correction and also monovision, which is something I advise against, but yeah, so so your your advice, Claudia, is that she shouldn’t do the monovision Yeah, yeah, yeah. So the monovision is going to split your two eyes and you’re gonna have different focal distances. So it does, it’s like going three steps forward when you’re working with Claudia and her methods, and then four steps backward when you’re doing the monovision if I were you, I would I don’t know if this person nearsighted or farsighted.
28:28
She says nearsighted.
28:31
So what you could do is ask your eye doctor to just make up a pair of computer glasses, that would be reduced prescription that’s a great technique to relax your system and open and that’s what I did personally. And I just wear that for work but at least both eyes are doing the same thing at the same time because your brain is going to suppress the other eye you know that that is not an acceptable setup I think that that creates so many problems so if you stop the monovision you might find what you’re doing with Claudia you will you’ll increase and improve much faster so that would be my endorsement.
29:09
Well thank you so much for that Dr. Sam and I you know I usually tell if people work on the computer all day I usually advise them even if they need contacts with some of these advisors classes
29:20
them you know for the two feet distance and if needed for driving you can just stick a pair of monitors and
29:27
then on the other computer Why wear glasses that correct you are contacts that correctly for 21 of the business become one of those convenient fake fixes like progressive glasses and that let me look at my questions my own but I want to make sure everybody’s here was watching live we have a lot of people watching live
29:48
comments. Okay, so that was somebody who’s saying cataracts eating Diabetes Eating please. We already talked about cataracts and diabetes is a whole different topic. That’s obviously stressful essentially.
30:00
Do your diet. But um, let’s look at other questions right now. So Vince is saying strong minus seven minus eight prescription getting worse according to optometrist every few years plus astigmatism Should I ask for no astigmatism correction?
30:18
I’m sure you get this question a lot.
30:22
Well,
30:24
it depends what your astigmatism is. I mean,
30:28
the deal is, is that you know, if you if you get a prescription without a stigmatism, it’s going to be distorted, it’s going to be a little blurry for you. So you would want to start using that and non demanding and non threatening situations. You know, when you were in a astigmatism lens, it’s warping your vision, you have a warp you have. So when you have no astigmatism, you’re used to the war, but it’s like now there’s no warmup. Well, how do I deal with that there also may be some postural adaptations that you’ve made with the astigmatism. And so
31:04
you know, you got to negotiate this, most doctors won’t go for that. But you know, if you can, yes, I would say get a non correcting astigmatism prescription. I like to do symmetrical lenses, because that encourages the two eyes to start to know where to position together. So it just depends on how open your eye doctor is to be able to do that. But I I’d say go for it, where something reduced, you know, for indoor stuff. And if you’re nearsighted, do my plus lens to blur that’s where you wear a high farsighted prescription. And if you’re farsighted, you can get a minus lens to wear for certain vision therapy exercises. Those work great for getting you out of your current habit or pattern. Remember, any prescription you get from the doctor is reinforcing what you’re coming in with, it’s not really treating anything, it’s just making it tighter, more compressed, even just going without them. Some sometimes in non demanding situations, is a great thing to do. And notice your emotional response, your mental response when you take them off. We play this game with people where we say alright, I’m taking your lenses away. Tell me what you feel. Tell me how you think you would, you know, be in the world and they go, Oh, my God, I’m paralyzed. That’s it, you know, and, and so we get to see how addicted we are to the way that we see. And, again, the work the Bates work, or Claudia’s doing what I’m doing Nathan, Mark Grossman, this is a few and far between, but we’re offering a new way of seeing that is really freeing, I mean, you really come out of prison. And I remember reading a quote,
32:47
take off your glasses and see Jacob Lieberman, one of my colleagues, and he said wearing a full prescription is like being in a maximum security prison. That’s very interesting. But it is like the, you know, the whole thing where you get used to a certain way of seeing like the Stockholm syndrome, and all of a sudden you start taking the lenses off, emotions are going to cut things are going to come up for you that you’ve been internalizing, and if you’re if you’re up for that, that journey, it can be incredibly freeing and healing for you. And that’s why Claudia and I do this because we love to see the transformations that people make.
33:27
Well, that was I have never heard Jacob say that but that is that was this great advice really. Thank you for highlighting that emotional response and whether astigmatism especially how that you know, like I had a client who had a pretty high I think he had a minus three or four astigmatism and we basically I don’t have this optic similar to the sphere and he said for the first two weeks everything felt like squished and then he got in that that relaxed, open up. But you have to be like what Dr. Sandra said, I love what you said you have to be willing to you know, the emotions that come up and for some people that’s stronger than for others, but you have to be willing to be a little bit you have to be comfortable with being a little uncomfortable maybe initially and just really connect to that right so I that was a great example and tell us a little more because I when I first started I got these flippers from repair now the stories are the
34:23
good so that that approach is definitely coming from optometry I personally don’t use that but tell us a little bit more I’m just curious. So you know basically you make let’s say you have the minus seven and you would put some plus lenses on like readers maybe are okay you make your vision let’s say you pro class readers three readers on right as an example that would make him like look like a minus 10 that what right explained to us that idea that you’re putting the opposite lens. Okay.
34:54
So for all the listeners out there you can Google Plus lens to blur Dr. Byrne
35:00
minus lens to blur, Dr burn all my exercises and all my content is free. So you can just go to my websites all that I don’t charge anything for that. Alright, so let’s, whatever amount of myopia you have, you go to the drugstore and you get the strongest readers you can buy while you’re there, get an eyepatch come home, take your lenses off, lock yourself in a room, cover your left eye, take a look out at 1015 feet and notice how blurry it is without any lenses, then put on the plus lenses. And immediately notice what you start thinking what you don’t like about the blur, I’m out of control, I could get hurt as a scary. So you start to see the mental
35:44
messaging to the eyes, which is a hyper vigilance. That’s what myopia is. I have to keep it clear, survival wise no matter what. So you put that on for a minute and you relax into the blur as best as you can. You take off the lenses. And you notice that now your eyesight is more clear. And you do it again, you do it three times. And every time you put the blur on, it’s spreading the light into parts of the retina that you normally are not accessing with your regular lenses. So it’s going to give you a lot more peripheral vision. You see, blur is about receiving more, it’s about relaxing, it’s about being more intuitive, creative, flexible. It’s not a negative thing, but we are associating it with a negative thing because the eye doctor says oh, it’s blurry, we’ve got to get rid of it. So then after you’ve done it three times on the right side, you then take the patch off, and you’re gonna notice how much clearer and brighter it is, with no lenses, it’s gonna amaze you. And then you do the same with the other eye. If you do that for 30 days, I can tell you your current distance prescription will start to reduce, you will put on your regular prescription and you will start to get a headache. And that’ll show you that you’re unwinding your vision. Now on the far sighted side, it’s a little harder to get the lenses, I actually sell them on my website, because because I want people to access it, I usually go with like a minus two. And so if you’re hyperopic, you plug your work magnification lenses, you do the same thing except through the minus lens. And you’re gonna get the same kind of openings around
37:22
not needing as much magnification. So the whole idea is you’re challenging your vision, your mind, your brain, your eyes, your body by wearing something that’s a lot more diffused. And you see, one of the things I’ve learned in health is, the more we can become dissolute, so we have resolution and dissolution. Inhale, exhale, we’re always holding our breath on the inhale. So in this week, we develop a wider range on our neurological health by resolving, but then dissolving and the more comfortable we get in the playing in that that band. That’s going to give us more flexibility and versatility. And it’s going to slow down the aging process. So it’s a winner, and you can do it. You don’t need to go to an optometrist to get these glasses. They’re out there. So you just get them and you start doing these exercises. And your eyes will improve.
38:23
I love that. I will I will try that. I mean, this would be great. But that’s always could always be made improvements. Yeah, so that’s fantastic. Yeah, I get I used to get the club flippers and it’s basically Yes, it is a little stick and then I have has the same plus and minus and then you can kind of flip them around. And I don’t know why you would go to your your whatever. If you’re I’m fast. My background is farsightedness. So I don’t know why I will do the plus. But that’s a great way. And if you have a link that we can put in the chat, that’s great. Otherwise, we just Google it, but maybe we can find a link. Thank you so much. That’s a great way to explore that. Because what I teach sometimes too, is what I’m reading, like if you’re farsighted, I have presbyopia the old age. So really smart print and looking at it. So close. And then you relaxing your eyes and you’re just moving attention you notice the opposite movement.
39:12
You know, and then and then after that you look at them small print and suddenly, like what was super blurry before, you know so you kind of getting into that zone of making it worse and the way by and then relaxing into that because now you’re like okay, now there’s no point in making an actress because you know, and then I love that. So that’s a really great practice of thing that people can explore. It’s free teaching for free. Thank you so much offering you can give me a spot like at the Dollar Stores. If you’re nearsighted or farsighted, you can order them from the SAMSA website so you don’t it’s not you know, it’s very inexpensive way to try this out. Exactly right. You got let’s see what else is it possible to get rid of floaters or were they to slide down? After six months? I don’t know what that means.
40:00
Download. So you know, you know in this new book vital vision
40:04
the number one question it’s my first chapter is what do I do with these friggin floaters? Because as you know, there’s so many different reasons. I mean, some people, they swear by my 15% MSM eyedrops, oh my god After three days they got rid of that’s a tough one with cataracts because, you know, it’s pretty locked in there. And by the way, the cataract surgery works very, very well. There are ways that you can navigate it, so that you come out with a positive result like no monovision don’t do a lot of complicated bifocals, and astigmatism corrections, just do the simple correct both eyes for distance. And, you know, you’ll be good to go and protect your eyes from the blue light because those lenses may not protect you from the artificial emitted blue light. But in the earlier stages of cataracts, glutathione and vitamin C are essential. And then you can add some other things like you know, the Corrado noids, lutein, zeaxanthin, Asda Xanthan, there are eyedrops out there that you know people use can see ocular mad cineraria. So you know, you can try those, I tend to work with it also systemically so you know, improving my my glucose processing, so reduce my sugar or eliminate that lot of good antioxidants. And, you know, just see where the the chips fall. And, you know, in early stages, you have a good chance of neutralizing the development in the later stages. It’s not that the results are not quite as good.
41:41
So, I mean, we are 100% on the same page, because I say the same thing. And I know my mom had cataract surgery and I asked her like what kind of lens are you gonna use this in? Oh, whenever the doctor would come in, I’m like, No mom, you like, this is like drives me nuts. I did like hours and hours of her explaining, you know that she and she did get the distance lenses, but she was like, whatever they do. And I’ve heard stories that people have the surgery. And then the two weeks later, everything was blurry because they didn’t do the emotional processes. They didn’t do the preparation. And so I always say the work that you do are the ones that I do in combination with the surgery so that you really address like the root cause, like did you have diabetes, there’s like 60%, higher risk of cataracts when you have and you don’t have to have diabetes, it could just be pre diabetes, you know. So, you know, addressing all those things at the same time is important, but also the emotional component. So awesome. Let’s see if we have any more questions. What if I have one is seemingly facile and one is seemingly nearsighted?
42:45
You know,
42:49
nationally that, yes, so So the exercise I like to do is called a dialog where I, where I’m actually talking to each eye, and I’m asking about the marriage of each eye. That’s another kind of big exercise that you could find, and working with the patch a lot in my lifestyle to kind of really understand who am I through my right eye? Who am I through my left eye, and farsightedness, we’re pushing the world away and nearsightedness we’re pulling the world in. So you’re in a push pull what’s what’s the collaboration, or the marriage like and then maybe doing some bind ocular exercises like the Brock strain or the magic I see if you can get yourself into a situation where you are processing simultaneously work on bilateral integration with your body you know, get better with your bilateral ality you know, these are these are some of the things that you’ve got to help the brain can what Claudia said 10% is in the eye and 90% is in the brain. Let’s tap that 90%. And then you could probably have a little more collaboration or cooperation between the differences.
43:58
Wow, this is like we already 45 minutes. And so we have to come to a close. But I definitely want to bring you back because this has been amazing. So what So you already I put all the links in the show notes. So how can first of all on a couple of questions. So you have your social media channels, I put them all in there. But how can people find you? How can they get the book? How can they work with you if they want to you know, do you even do private sessions? I don’t know how you work with clients outside of what you already shared. Yeah, I still do a little bit of private sessions through telehealth, you can text me your question at 1-844-932-1291 or you can email me hello@drsamberne.com and I’m on all this channels Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Tik Tok and Twitter.
Thank you for listening. I hope you learned something from the EyeClarity podcast show today. If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to subscribe on iTunes or Spotify and leave a review. See you here next time.
Here is a session I did with a patient who is struggling with Myopia. It’s a great session where we work together to create a plan that works for her. I answer questions on the plus lens to blur and eye dialog exercises, so I wanted to share it with you all. Enjoy the show!
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If you have any questions, submit them to hello@drsamberne.com or you can now text me! Text ‘Join’ to 1-844-932-1291 to join the community and ask your questions!
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
blur, wear, prescription, feel, lenses, nines, sevens, eyes, put, driving, people, exercises, softer, clarity, energy, world, nearsighted, fear, child, relate
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberne.com.
Hey everybody it’s Dr. Sam and I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. Before we get to today’s show, you can always text me your questions 1-844-932-1291 Or send me an email hello@drsamberne.com.
I’ve got a couple of great workshops coming up in March in Southern California. I’ll be in San Diego March 5, LA March 7, and Santa Barbara March 12 doing my famous masterclass. I’m back doing that again in person. This is a great way to work with me one on one, if you’ve got an issue that you haven’t been able to solve. Register Here.
And I’ll be doing some book events. As you know, my new book, Vital Vision is coming out the end of February, we’re in a pre sale right now. So if you want to order the book, you’ll get a discount. And there are also some events happening. You can sign up and we can do an online workshop that’s going to be happening in April. Also, you can get some coaching one on one sessions with me if you buy the book, and I’ll be doing a gathering in Santa Fe in September. This is gonna be a small group at my geo-dome. So if you’d like to register for that, we’d love to have you.
Preorder the book here OR learn about my book events here.
Hey everybody, in today’s show, I did a session with somebody with myopia, some of my best stuff. So I hope you enjoy our session. Take care, you want to tell me about the plus lens to blur the eye dialog, your prescriptions, your vitamins, I draw my god, I had to do so many things. So, any changes, things getting better or worse?
00:27
I haven’t been getting better. I’m hoping it’s not getting worse.
00:35
Okay.
00:39
I’ve been pretty consistent with the plus, plus lands to blur, whatever, whatever that one’s called.
00:49
Lessons. The blur? Yeah.
00:51
Yeah, I’ve been pretty consistent with doing that.
00:55
Okay, well, let’s forget about the results for now. Let’s, let’s put that aside, even though that’s why you’re, that’s why you’re here for results. You learned anything about your habits? Anything about your relationship to blur? And like, Do you like it? Do you hate it? Are you checking out? Because it’s really, the best way for you to make change is to understand what the exercises are showing you. Maybe you’re not that kind of person where you can be reflective or go inside.
01:46
Yeah, I think I am that kind of person. I,
01:49
I do. So, yeah. Okay, so then, what are three things that you’ve learned about yourself? And the blur? I mean, what? You’re, you’re looking through the blur? Does it make you happy? Does it make you sad? Does it make you you know what? You know, getting? What? What’s it doing to you?
02:13
Yeah, suggesting you use the word. Sad because I have felt like, Okay. I feel like I’m doing okay, I don’t feel I don’t feel frustrated with the blur. But I have found myself feeling sad. Because, like, especially I love the view my view of the mountains out here and I know I’m missing things. And I’m sitting here with my children. You know, I’ve gotten used to it how it is I’m using the I’m mostly just using the
02:55
seven is it seven seven? Yeah.
03:01
With that I can drive my children to school go to town. It’s okay. But definitely, I definitely feel some sadness over. Just missing things.
03:20
Sadness over missing things. Yeah.
03:23
And like at church, I can’t like when people are singing and I love to listen and see everything and and I think that affects it might affect my confidence a little bit with going to meet people in a crowd. Okay, but I would say I feel okay. Like I don’t feel really frustrated with everything.
03:55
So looking out
04:04
and see if it shows up here. I gave you minus seven and a contact or minus seven and minus six. Do you remember what you used to wear?
04:17
Or did you wear anything?
04:20
Well, it was like my original prescription when I came to you, wasn’t it minus nine and minus 10. Okay.
04:33
So um, have you tried to put on your minus time nines or minus 10s?
04:39
I’m just I wore them for my my boys did a Christmas concert thing and I put them on for that because I really wanted to see for that.
04:58
So here’s the 5050 $1,000 question, see if you can get this one, right. And this is a very hard question that I’m going to ask you. So you may or may not have an answer for it. But
05:14
the question is,
05:17
how do your eyes feel when you wear the minus nines? Versus how do your eyes feel? When you wear the minus sevens, now I’m going to talk about it’s blurry. So I feel bad. I’m not talking about the experience. I’m talking about the actual body muscular feeling. But yeah, nines.
05:52
Um, I definitely felt CAD, I think I wore them two times. Another time was when I was driving into the city, and I wasn’t sure what to expect. So I put on my old contacts just for about 30 minutes as I was driving in, and I quite quickly wanted to take them off, I felt quite a strain. I didn’t feel comfortable with emmalin anymore.
06:21
Okay, so then I’m curious when I when I asked you at the very beginning. Have you noticed any changes? And you said, No. In fact, I think things might be worse.
06:35
So do you want to still stick to that answer?
06:40
Or do you want to put in the column? Hmm, at least I’m a little more awake in my eyes that I know that the minus nines are doing that, to me, that’s entirely up to you. But that might be an indicator that things are beginning to loosen up for you. I mean, what do you think about that?
07:05
Yeah. Yeah, I think I think when you ask it that way, I think I could say that. That I feel them relaxing.
07:17
Maybe, okay.
07:21
So then there has been some change. Yeah. Huh. Okay, I’m just checking in I you know, you can certainly say no change, things are getting worse. It’s your your eyes. But when I hear you talk about it,
07:40
you’re certainly allowed to change your answer if you if you want to. Yeah. I find that curious.
07:52
Do you actually believe you can change your eyes? Is there a part of you that’s just like, really like, Oh, this isn’t gonna work?
08:01
You can be honest.
08:05
I mean, just based on your first statement, Well, nothing’s changed. And this word may be worse. You know, because you’re doing the exercises. So I mean, you know, unless you’re flatline. While you’re, you’re just, you know, being mechanical about it. If you are they say that you are the kind of person that goes inside and feel stuff. Then, you know, can you go a little deeper, instead of just saying the blurs, okay. You know, if you went for a psychotherapy session, and you say to the doctor, hey, how you doing? Well, I’m okay.
08:47
What are you feeling? Oh, I’m okay.
08:51
Probably not going to get much out of the session. And so, you know, I’m just, I’m just reflecting back to you. Like, give yourself some credit, maybe, that maybe there are some things that are changing, that. Maybe they’re not on your radar screen, or you’re not aware. But otherwise, that would just say, go have a party and put on your minus nines and forget all this. Right. I don’t think you’re I don’t think your eyes would like that.
09:26
Yeah,
09:29
yeah, that’s what you used to live in before you met me. Right? So something must be changing for you. If if you don’t want to wear your minus nines anymore, right. That was that was what your friendly eye doctor gave you, I guess. Right? You’re worthy. Yeah.
09:56
So
10:00
Have you tried the minus sixes at all?
10:04
Yeah, I have. I did more at the beginning. Okay. And I guess, yeah, it would be a good time to try it again. Because I, I did. And then I realized, you know, for getting out and driving, I felt more comfortable with the seven.
10:26
Okay. So
10:31
I may have said this at the last session,
10:36
but
10:39
you only should wear reduce prescriptions in situations where you don’t feel sad for not seeing it clearly. Like if you’re trying to wear a reduce prescription in the situation, where you want to see more clarity, then it’s probably like shooting yourself in the foot. It’s not going to really help you. Yeah. So I’m not with you every day, so I can’t help you. So the the, the guidebook says only where the reduce prescription in situations. It’s a very situational time, you can’t expect to wear a reduced prescription in a situation where you’re not seeing clearly and you want to that you’re you’re defeating the purpose if you try to do that. Okay. And that’s a big mistake that people make. They go, Oh, I’ve got this reduced prescription. I’ll start wearing it. And I can’t see anything. Yeah, so much mean, things are getting worse. This thing doesn’t work. Oh, wear right. Yeah. So you’re wearing it in the wrong context.
12:20
That’s not the place, you should be wearing it.
12:26
So that’s a really important fact. I mean, you want to wear the reduce prescription, where you feel comfortable, where you’re not being demanded upon to see things clearer than, you know, you want to see that the myopia reduction or myopia improvement actually doesn’t work when you try to do that. So you since I’m not with you every day, you have to be your own parent, your own guide to say, is this the right circumstance? Or is it not the right circumstance? If I’m frustrated, then it’s the wrong circumstance. So take them off and put on my other ones. Because nearsighted people are addicted to something, you know, what they’re addicted to.
13:37
Seeing things clearly, when they base their improvement on whether it’s clear or not.
13:55
I’m just writing when
13:56
they, when they base it on that they’re missing 99% Of all the other reasons why they became nearsighted. Let me give you the dirty little secret. The very last thing that’s going to improve for you is seeing clearly out of those minus sevens. That’s the very last. That’s the last thing that’s going to change. And the more you can go into high relaxation, and that’s what that blurry prescription is actually asking you to do. completely let go of the need to see things clearly. So look, you got to do it. At a time in your day. When you’ve locked the door to your bedroom and you’re sitting in a chair and there’s no demand on you. That’s the only time you can do that exercise. You Yeah, and probably with the minus sixes, if you’re going to venture into that, that’s a big jump from minus nine.
15:09
Oh my God, that’s almost 30% Of course, you’re gonna see things more blurry. But if you’re gonna beat, you’re improving improvement on.
15:23
I’m wearing minus six or minus seven. And it’s not really, I don’t really experience a clarity change. Oh, I’m so I’m so sorry. Because you’re way off on a tangent. Because I bet there have been things that have changed. Otherwise, you would have just gone back to your minus nine and forgot the whole thing. Instead of I don’t think I want to wear these much anymore because they they’re doing something to me and I do have more i relaxation, the more I relaxation, you can you can dig into the faster you’re gonna see more clearly in the minus seven.
16:12
And along with that, are you saying just the more acceptance of the blur? Like
16:19
only it’s only in situations where
16:26
you don’t need that clarity?
16:30
Yeah, yeah, the acceptance is your mind telling your eyes. I don’t have to be so hyper vigilant. And keeping it clear. Because your prescription. Here’s the narrative. Here’s the story. This is your story, Rebecca. You may not even know your story. But here’s your story, or one part of your story.
16:56
I am scared and fearful. Because it’s not super clear for me. I could get in trouble. I could get injured.
17:12
I could miss something. So what you do unconsciously, mentally, as you say to yourself, I’m going to put so much hypervigilance into my eyeballs to keep in clear no matter what. That I’m going to strangle those eyeballs. I’m going to cut off my breathing. I’m going to be in such a hyper survival state. And I’m really clever because I’ve buried that really deeply in my system. So I can’t even get in touch with it. And this is darker. It says we’re minus seven. Well, I can’t see the mountains. I’m sad. I bet if you went deeper in the sadness, I wonder if you can get in touch with the fear. Because myopia nirsa is what you’ve got, you know what the major emotion is?
18:11
Fear, fear.
18:13
It’s not sad. It’s fear. If you could dig very deeply into your emotional body and you can actually own very honestly, what is your biggest fear about not seeing it clearly?
18:46
What is it you’re asking me what my biggest fear is about not seeing clearly.
19:04
Believe me and minus nine, very deeply in there. There’s fear.
19:09
Yeah, I believe you. That’s not no.
19:14
Bleed me or, you know, I’m just here as a mirror. The more honest you can be with yourself. And the more deep deeply you can go and excavating that answer. The faster you’re going to be able to see things more clearly in the minus seven. I wonder if you’ve got a real defense going up because another thing that the minus nine says is that you are an expert at deflecting and defending Now, I only know this because I’ve had 10,000 Minus nine patients tell me that. Yeah. So we’re in sacred space. This can be a very powerful time for you because you’re talking to me. I’m gonna ask you the question again, what is your biggest fear of being in the blur?
20:30
My first thought is missing the beauty.
20:34
Okay, missing the beauty. Give me a couple others as it relates to survival, like what would happen, but if I said, Okay, you can’t have any correction anymore. I’m taking it away from you know, minus nine NO minus seven NO minus six.
20:55
What’s up, bring up for you. One thing is you’re not going to be allowed to drive. Right, you’re gonna lose some independence.
21:12
So the more you can get in touch with that, the faster you’re going to get
21:18
in touch with that core fear of the blur?
21:23
Well, fear of core fear.
21:27
The core fear of not having your minus prescriptions anymore. What would that look like for you? What would your life be like, if you couldn’t have those prescriptions anymore?
21:38
Yeah, I I feel like I wouldn’t be able to do much.
21:48
Right. Exactly.
21:53
Exactly. You wouldn’t be able to do much. There’s a paralysis. There’s a frozenness. There’s a trauma associated with it. That’s where you need to go.
22:14
Not that. You know, it’s okay. I’m doing okay.
22:21
Forget it. Stay with the minus nines. So, do you do you think you’ve got any resistance to penetrating that understanding about your fear?
22:41
I feel very open to the idea I can it it actually makes sense to hear you say that? Because I’ve felt it and seen it. I know. I know. It’s there. I know. There’s something uncleared to me. There’s something going on. You’re holding me back.
23:08
Here’s a thread for you. How old were you when you went to your first eye doctor?
23:24
Got my first script in glasses around grade, third grade.
23:30
Okay, so let’s go back to third grade. What was happening in third grade?
23:47
Well, I would have been around eight, eight years old.
24:01
Pardon me it might
24:02
be to write about that. To write about that time. What was it like to be?
24:08
Yeah, like I can think of a lot more just in general, my general childhood. Like, I know that I felt very unseen and unheard by my father. He was a very busy, very busy man and the community making a big difference. And he came home and yelled at me and I felt very sensitive and it was a very busy household. Yes.
24:44
So I’m gonna throw some ideas at you. People that are nearsighted tend to make themselves smaller and invisible. And they retreat into their mental world. Because the outer world is not meeting them or seeing them or validating them. We think that we think that that vision is just in the eyeball. But you’re absorbing energy when you’re a child, and a lot of times you’re absorbing it through the eyes.
25:36
So when you were minus nine, that’s a lot of layers that you put over the eyes, to insulate you from the world.
25:48
That’s a lot.
25:55
So are you, you may not know this, but when you start wearing a lens, a minus lens, it makes the world a lot smaller. It compresses things, it tightens things.
26:16
So usually,
26:20
you can go to that first eye exam, and at the very first eye exam that can give you an indicator on what was the cause of what you did to yourself to survive.
26:41
And
26:45
you know, this point at minus nine, you got a lot of layers of lens between you and yourself, and you in the world. That’s why we take the labor of love, or if we fled to, okay, you know, you can’t wear your prescription. That’d be interesting to do that for part of a day. Yeah. And just to notice your emotional awarenesses forget about, you know, um, let’s see in the mountains, and nothing’s changing. And all that stuff is just distraction. Basically, when you get a prescription and you wear it, it basically in that prescription is your conditioning. It’s your habits. And all the lens is doing is putting a container over
27:46
your your reactions. That’s all it’s doing.
28:01
So, so any questions, or does this make sense? Or is this not make sense? Or give me some feedback?
28:15
Well, it’s interesting to me and I, if I think it makes sense to me. I, I wish I knew how to get more in touch with that core fear.
28:30
Well, one of the ways that you can do it is just by maybe writing about your childhood, writing about your father. Because you’re then getting it out onto a page. So you’re expressing instead of internalizing it,
28:50
right.
28:53
And what you’ve become really good at as it is internalizing stuff. That’s what your minus nine is showed you. Yeah.
29:03
Yeah, I can see that in my energy. I can see that.
29:11
Right. Exactly. That’s why when you take the lenses completely off, your energy is unbounded. It’s you’re out of control. At that point, you’re not as controlled.
29:34
You know that with your lenses off, your energy is much more open to your child. And when you wear your lenses, your energy is much more closed to your child. It’s harder for you to feel the beauty, energetically. When you wear those lenses, even the minus seven Yeah,
29:59
try it out. Try it out.
30:03
Why in the world? Do you want to wear something that tight? In connecting to your child? Why in the world would you want to of course, you don’t want to do that, right? It’s almost as though
30:20
the seeing clearly shouldn’t be part of this process.
30:29
In other words, if you’re in a state of working, doing driving, whatever, you just wear where you need to wear to be your safest, highest level of clarity. And then the times when there’s no clarity demand on you, that’s the time that you start exploring no lenses, and relating energetically to your child. You’re going to be much more free, you’re going to be much more embodied. You were the lenses, you’re in a compartment
31:23
you got a nice, neat and tidy up. World tied up in it’s nice and neat. It’s clear, it’s organized. There’s nothing wrong with that. Nothing at all. Remember, you called me I didn’t call you. You called me. Calling me. I’m the I’m the guy that says, well, the less prescription you wear, the more uncomfortable you’re going to feel. I have a psychologist friend, he says, Oh, you’re the guy that puts people into their, their uncomfortable feelings. When they reduce the lenses I go look, they they want it. Yeah,
32:13
I’m not. We’re not?
32:16
No, I’m not trying to sell you something. Anything. I’m trying not to sell you something. So I wouldn’t. I would just caution you I wouldn’t use
32:31
the clarity
32:37
the clarity as the measurement of whether things are getting better or worse, I actually think you’ve made some huge changes. The sad thing for me is that you’re not really recognizing it. That’s the That’s the sad thing. For me. It’s like, wow, you’ve done all this work. But you’re not even seeing how much improvement you’ve made. Yeah. Right. And really the improvement as very little to do with seeing clearly. You want to see clearly put your minus nines on Yeah, but you got to you got to spend some time in that softer vision. So that you become softer.
33:28
So any any questions or comments about this?
33:38
Very interesting to me. I’ve written down as much as I can. And I’m getting a recording, right? Well, I’d like my husband to listen to it and help me sort it out and help me see,
33:55
like, yeah, like what would it be like, in a safe environment where there’s no acuity for you to take your lenses off and relate to your husband and your child. Just think about that for a minute.
34:11
I am okay with that. Like I go every night I go to bed, my husband without contacts on and I’m fine with him in my bedroom and I’m I’m fine with it.
34:23
Yeah, so okay and fine. Is on this on the superficial level. I’m not gonna get any. Yeah.
34:34
I’m learning I’m learning from you keep talking.
34:39
Yeah, that’s not gonna. That’s not gonna cut it. Again, you go to your therapist. How you doing Rebecca? I’m okay. Everything’s fine. Okay, well, why are you here? I’m okay. You gotta you gotta have some depth there. There You got to be willing to dive in to? How’s my energy different? What do I think about what am I? How am I relating to these people in the blur? What does it make me feel? Not okay or fine?
35:20
I mean that you’re gonna be okay and fine, forget it. You gotta go deeper. Like
35:32
I feel more free I feel more afraid I am confused. I’m, I feel more of a heart connection. I’m less judgmental. I mean, I don’t know. Those are the kinds of things you’re going to need to start bringing into your awareness if you have any hope of connecting to your improvement. Yeah, I mean, you are improving. But you’re just not seeing it. Yeah, your eyes have gotten much better. Otherwise, you’d be wearing your minus nines for this session.
36:14
Yeah.
36:17
So, yeah, it’s up to you. It’s your choice. Nobody’s forcing you in the end. Right. But you know, maybe you need to get a list of adjectives that you can go on the internet, say, give me a list of adjectives, on
36:43
sensations, emotions. So that you have a broader kind of
36:53
resource to choose from instead of, I’m okay and fine. Yeah. That’s kind of very, that’s very white bread. You know, wonder bread, milk, you know, it’s narrow. It’s like, okay, I’m sure you don’t eat that way. I’m sure you probably have a broader range of what you eat. So you got to get more rain. You got to get more rainbow into you. Yeah. Because your mind is nine is made you kind of the same.
37:29
Narrow? Yeah. So.
37:34
So I’d like you to spend some time, you know, maybe, whatever, once a week or something. And if you go to church, you should be wearing your full prescription so that you can see what you’re doing. That’s not the place for you to be doing Vision Improvement. Okay, it’s the wrong. It’s the wrong place. Why? Why do we want to do our deepest exercise, or therapy or healing? When we’re in situations where it’s the most, it’s the busiest and we have to be external, or whatever. And people, oh, I’m doing my exercises while I’m driving on the freeway at 80 miles an hour? Really? How can you even track yourself while you’re driving? So I don’t know where you got the idea of, you know, wearing reduced prescription to church and then not being able to see and relate. That is totally the wrong place to be doing that.
38:52
Like, where did that come from?
38:54
No, I just Well, because I don’t want to strain my I don’t want to wear the astigmatism correction and pull my eyes anymore. And I’m okay, like I can visit with the people close to me. So I can still interact. I’m like, I feel I can enjoy people.
39:16
Okay, so I think I think the thing you have to you have to track in yourself is when you feel frustrated. That’s the wrong experience. Like if you have any critical complaining, frustrated, frustrating ideas, when you’re in a situation where you’re not wearing full prescription that’s on you. Yeah, you have to take responsibility here. It’s not going to hurt your eyes to wear the full prescription in those
39:50
in those moments, right.
39:53
That’s gonna be you. I mean, I’m not saying whether you should or you shouldn’t. What I’m saying is, you got it Check into your frustration level. Oh, I’m not seeing the mountains I’m not, you know, well, that’s on you quit complaining, just put on what you need.
40:14
You got to take full responsibility
40:15
for what you wear. And when you wear it, do you have more than one pair of shoes? Yeah, wait, imagine you need another pair, or different pairs of lenses based on what you’re doing. It isn’t one lens for everything.
40:41
It’s, you know, wearing,
40:48
wearing something that is, meet me to where you are. And, you know, I think accepting the blur is, is okay, I’m using the word, okay. But
41:06
if you
41:07
know you’re missing stuff, then it’s not okay. You know, if you’re wearing your minus six, and you can’t see the mountains and you want to, then you got to do something about it. So this is more of a lifestyle
41:28
process,
41:31
not just doing some exercises in some isolated time during the day. But I’ll tell you, I would write about that time period when you got your first prescription. To me, there were three or four things that you said, that could be some causes on why you changed your vision. Your sensitive child, your father couldn’t give you the attention.
42:06
You are seen and heard.
42:09
We don’t know what was going on in school. I mean, that’s the time when you’re learning to read, reading to learn. Who knows, maybe you had some pressure there. And so you made a decision, I’m going to separate myself from this chaotic world. And I’m gonna pull it in, make it blurry out there. And then what the doctor does is he reinforces your decision. Hey, canal, let me give you this, you’ll be back in six months, I’ll give you more, give me more give you more. So you got reinforced into no emotional reaction that you took, because you weren’t getting your needs met.
And you get to see now if we took your lenses away and said, Okay, now live your life. You’re like, whoa, I’m not sure I could. So there’s probably a paralysis, there’s certainly a separation between you and the world. There’s certainly a tightening compressing survival energy and fear so so if you really connected in with those things, my prediction is you would use the sevens to drive and the sixes for your cooking and indoor stuff. But just the fact that you’re able to tolerate the seven from the nine with with the astigmatism and all that that’s a huge jump and a couple months most people would freak out unless they were working with me. So something has definitely loosened up for you. Yeah, just clarity level. That’s the last thing that changes like when you get when you totally surrender to relaxing into the blur. Then mentally you go I can just stop and into this
44:44
does it make sense?
44:47
It does.
44:48
Yeah, it’s it’s kind of can be like, you know, cod drinking cod liver oil. I don’t like that taste.
44:57
What was that?
44:59
I said it It’s like drinking cod liver oil. I don’t like the taste of cod liver oil. But it’s the medicine and amusing a metaphor for you.
45:15
Slow down, go more inside, I think it’d be, it’d be a great exercise for you one day to relate to your family through your minus sevens. And then take your lenses off, and energetically relate to them without and ask them. How am I different? Without my lenses on? I mean, one thing I would think, yeah, to one thing I would, oh, sorry. Yeah, one thing I would say is, you will be softer, you might be more slow down, you might be more receptive. He might be more relaxed. So you gotta get deeper than the okay and fine place if you want if you want to, you know, really make some changes. So you see you try that. And what happened when you try to?
46:31
Join try not to use the word Okay.
46:35
Well, well, like you seem tuned into energy. So how’s the energy different? How’s the energy different in you? That would be a question.
46:55
Yeah, yeah, I’d like to do it again, like you’re suggesting because I did. I, I did that. Like it might have even been before I met you the first time. I was just looking into this all so I just wanted to try going without any lenses. So I would do that when my family and I were sitting together in the living room in the evenings. And I think I think I could say that I could feel softer to. And so
47:30
what would that do to your son? If you were softer in your energy? How would that affect him?
47:43
Well, I’m sure it would soften them.
47:47
Exactly. And there’d be more love and beauty. More heart connection. I think the softer you are the safer you feel. Less threatened you feel, it means a lot to that softness. Another thing is when you put your minus sevens on your doing machine, there’s no space for you to receive because all your energy is directed externally out
48:31
makes sense?
48:34
At least okay. So you know, health is about can I receive Can I receive as well as give it isn’t just give, give, give, but can I receive no, my, my we’re coming down to the end of our session. My assessment is you’ve made huge changes. Keep going. Maybe let’s talk in another three to four months. And see if you can bring this new focus to your to your vision. And that means writing about your childhood a little bit, getting into the core fear going without your lenses, some relaxing into the blur more. And do it throughout the day. Do it as part of your daily routine and you have full permission to wear strong lenses when you need to see clearly and that’s not going to affect your movement
49:54
even even if you wear them when you’re driving and they feel tight. You’re like gonna wear them for a bit and then you’ll take them off and you put on and you’ll go ha. Now these minus sevens are a relief. Yeah. And that’ll be good for you to feel that contrast. And the more you feel that contrast, eventually the minus seven, you’re going to feel comfortable to drive in them.
50:28
The minus six you mean?
50:30
minus whatever you got, I think again, you 716
50:38
Yeah, driving, but I might get to be workable with the six that you’re saying. Okay, you can go
50:59
all right, any last words before we sign off?
51:04
Um, I’m interested in essential oils. I use them a lot. And I noticed that you recommend them. I had a friend just tell him he thinks frankincense and Copaiba. Would would help. Open up that.
51:28
Yeah, both of those. The both of those could do the one. Where do you feel comfortable applying them?
51:36
I’m, well I have been doing that ASCII. Since she told me about it. I’ve been doing a job underneath my tongue. And then I just, I just, I’m okay with putting it away. I do. I just thought of that, like in the last couple days. So I just started that if you put it or
51:52
if you put it around the eyes, put it at the forehead above the eyes up here. So you can put them here and then put them on the side of the eyes kind of by the years.
52:07
So um, amen. Bob. Forehead in here.
52:12
Yep. And don’t get them close to the eyes. You don’t need to because there’s a lot of blood vessels that will allow it to indirectly go in. So it’s not getting near your eyes. Burn. So, here, here and here.
52:35
Oh yeah,
52:35
that’d be good news. Both of those. Okay. All right, kiddo. Keep up the good work. I’ll talk to you maybe in a couple months. Okay. I’ll send you this recording. Okay,
52:52
thank you so much.
Thank you for listening. I hope you learned something from the EyeClarity podcast show today. If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to subscribe on iTunes or Spotify and leave a review. See you here next time.
In this episode, I give a lecture on how traumatic brain injuries can affect your vision. I discuss a variety of techniques that reduce trauma including vision therapy and color therapy. We also cover how to navigate your eye disease diagnosis and how screen time affects your vision. Enjoy the show!
If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com.
If you have any questions, submit them to hello@drsamberne.com or you can now text me! Text ‘Join’ to 1-844-932-1291 to join the community and ask your questions!
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
eyes, symptoms, vision, trauma, diet, retina, deterioration, people, prescription, creates, screen, eyesight, topic, oxygenation, lens, doctor, brain, improve, disease, health
00:06
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberne.com.
Hey everybody it’s Dr. Sam and I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. Before we get to today’s show, you can always text me your questions 1-844-932-1291 Or send me an email hello@drsamberne.com.
I’ve got a couple of great workshops coming up in March in Southern California. I’ll be in San Diego March 5, LA March 7, and Santa Barbara March 12 doing my famous masterclass. I’m back doing that again in person. This is a great way to work with me one on one, if you’ve got an issue that you haven’t been able to solve. Register Here.
And I’ll be doing some book events. As you know, my new book, Vital Vision is coming out the end of February, we’re in a pre sale right now. So if you want to order the book, you’ll get a discount. And there are also some events happening. You can sign up and we can do an online workshop that’s going to be happening in April. Also, you can get some coaching one on one sessions with me if you buy the book, and I’ll be doing a gathering in Santa Fe in September. This is gonna be a small group at my geo-dome. So if you’d like to register for that, we’d love to have you.
Preorder the book here OR learn about my book events here.
00:44
I want to start off with a couple of topics. These are questions that people have emailed me. And then definitely, I want to get to you bring you up on stage. So I want to start off, and the first topic I want to speak about is trauma, trauma and the eyes. And this is a topic that in my profession, unless you’re doing some kind of rehabilitation, therapy, for vision, a lot of times you get symptoms that you don’t really even know they’re connected in a way where the trauma is connected to your vision. And, you know, for almost all of us, we’ve had some kind of a, you know, trauma, car accident, fall, it could be even emotional or spiritual psychological trauma.
And because of the relationship between the eyes and the brain, it’s very common that a person can suffer vision problems when they have trauma. But because the trauma is usually absorbed in the soft tissue, it’s hard to pick it up and say on MRI or any kind of scanning device, but you know, you’ve got the symptoms. And some of the main symptoms would be things like blurred vision, double vision, actually problems with memory, so cognitive issues. And then the other one that’s really common is balance, having difficulty with either your inner ear, vestibular system, and your eyes, or just a sense of nausea, dizziness. And, you know, most eye exams are just based on reading the distance eye chart, and they’re checking structural health font, you know, your health, but they’re not really looking at the functional connection between how the eyes enter act with the brain. And there’s certain very essential skills that help us with our reading or focusing our depth perception, our motoring. And so these particular symptoms can really start to confuse people because they all go and the doctor says, well, everything is, is normal, your eyesight is 2020, your eye health looks good.
But then there are the symptoms that keep, you know, keep surfacing. So the process of rehabilitation through physical therapy, physical therapy for your eyes, is something that’s really helpful. And it’s helpful for anybody. But it’s really helpful for people who have suffered trauma, because it helps them rework and re educate, how to use your eyes as it interfaces with the brain. And you can do things like color therapy, which is very helpful for releasing trauma, relaxing the eyes, balancing the nervous system, and also just some of the physical exercises that can begin to help you integrate, you know, the skills as it relates to your functional vision, how you’re using your two eyes, in relationship to the body. So the second topic that I just want to just really briefly touch on and then if you folks have questions we can go right to that is the process of how do you actually reduce your prescription and improve your eyesight because this is not something that is readily talked about in our you know, in our profession, we’re trained to be in a disease based system and so when a person and has a certain symptom and they come in, what the doctor is doing is trying to treat the symptom reacting to the symptom, but in doing that, it creates a further deterioration. And yet, if you can interject some positive influences, you can actually stop the deterioration and regenerate or create an improvement. So the technique is really pretty simple.
And it has to do with being able to be flexible. And understanding that whatever prescription you get reading the distance I chart is probably going to be too strong for you, in your daily routines, aside from maybe driving, or, you know, looking at a TV screen across the room. So by beginning to wear some kind of a reduce prescription and and this is where you have to, you know, be adept at negotiating with your eye doctor or following my content and understanding Well, you know, if I can get a prescription that say is slightly less than, maybe like 20% less than what I normally wear, and you start wearing it, whether it’s in contacts or glasses, you’re going to find that as long as you use it in a circumstance that doesn’t make you want to squint or get frustrated. If you start wearing that over a short period of time, your eyes and your brain are gonna flex into the reduced prescription. And eventually, you will be able to see in the distance with that prescription. So any lens that you look through, again, contact lens or glasses, your your eyes adjust to what the lens is promoting. And the stronger the lens, the lens is promoting more tightness, less flexibility, and ultimately more deterioration. Another technique in the process of re retraining your vision. And this is very much a mindset. It isn’t just in the eyeballs. We think faulty vision is just an eyeball problem.
But it’s actually the source of it comes from our thinking, our moving our posture, our diets, our stress, our toxicity, there’s so many factors. And because the eyes originate from the brain in embryology, very early on in the prenatal period, every single tissue of the eye of the eyeball is actually brain. And so when we’re talking about the eyes as it relates to the brain, we are now including something called neuroplasticity or neurogenesis. And so by introducing new stimulation to the visual system, and so the second technique is to just take your lenses off, and start going without them in non demanding and non threatening situations. And if you do that, over time, you’re going to become much more comfortable in your mental setup of going, you know, actually see more than I think I do, and your eyesight is going to start to improve. And then the third piece in being able to improve your vision I think is what kind of foods you’re eating. You know, early on in my practice, before I became more adept at understanding the nuances of vision and wellness from a more naturopathic perspective, is they just used to counsel people about their diet and so the diet is so influential on our eye health. And what I mean by diet is very simple things to check off the list eliminate sugar reduce or eliminate gluten, increase your fats and oils, eliminate fried foods, processed foods, you know, fill your diet full of
09:23
green leafy vegetables, even the rainbow diet and you’ll find that if you are going to eat more of a plant based diet with a lot of organic, non GMO, non, you know pesticide based foods, your liver is going to be really happy and the liver is related very closely to the eyes and Chinese medicine. So once you start boosting your antioxidants, your eyes are going to be really happy and they’re not going to be frozen in that certain position. That was measured when they went to the eye doctor, so, nutrition diets so critical, those are the three things that I would, I would suggest. And the third topic that I keep getting lots of questions about. And this has to do with disease, eye disease. And what’s happening in our culture is because of the increase in our digital time. And of course, this was happening way before the COVID 19 pandemic. But since the pandemic, because a lot of kids are online with their school, and you know, people are working from home, the number of eye symptoms based on staring at a screen has been exponentially magnified. Because we’re basically in a visual confinement situation, when we’re staring at our screen all day. And the staring of the screen we have, first of all, from a, from a more physical level, our eyes are basically positioning in one place one distance, throughout the entire day. And this repetitive positioning creates a deterioration in the physical structure of the eye, the eye muscles, there’s less circulation, less oxygenation, more stress.
And so people are getting this computer vision syndrome, where they’re just so stressed out on their screen time. So that’s just the physical ramifications. But then, on top of that is the blue light that we are learning about right now. And in some circles, especially in the science research area, researchers are studying the effects of blue light on our health, and our wellness and our vision. And some of the preliminary data points to the fact that blue light could in fact be very detrimental to our eyes, and certainly could affect our sleep cycle and our circadian rhythms. So doing something to protect yourself from the blue light is important whether you get a screen protector, or whether you invest in a pair of blue blockers. But something to deflect some of the high intensity, blue light, the chaotic frequency that we know comes off the all the screens, LED lights, and it doesn’t affect us as much during the day.
But the critical period is after 6pm. So after 6pm is when you want to really pay attention to being able to protect yourself. And then I think the third thing I would say about eye disease and just overall eye health. And this is a little bit of aside from the screen time is that many of the eye diseases that doctors diagnose macular degeneration, glaucoma, cataracts, dry eye, just to name a few really have their roots in a accumulation of oxidative stress, better known as metabolic waste or free radical damage in the very sensitive areas of the eyes. So in the cornea, it’s the dry eye issue the eyelids dry eye with the lens of the eye, it’s cataract formation. In the vitreous, it’s those darn floaters that we get in the retina could be macular degeneration or other retina conditions that create light sensitivity Night, night vision challenges, or just a retinopathy, whether you suffer diabetes or hypertension.
So across the board, if you want to preserve your eyesight, it’s important that you think about how can I get more oxygenation hydration into my body, and that the eyes are one of the first sensory systems that is affected because of the sensitivity of all the blood vessels that are living in the eyeball. You know, the retina has one of the highest metabolic needs of the body. And the macula has the highest metabolic needs of the retina. And the retina is made up of a tiny blood vessels called micro capillaries. And in these micro capillaries, they help in the ability for our retina To do couple things, first of all, to absorb nutrients, number two, to be able to detox, metabolic waste. And if they’re not able to do either or one of those things, then what starts happening is inflammation. And so with inflammation, this creates the beginnings of the oxidative stress and the deterioration. So in the regular paradigm, it’s it’s pharmaceutical drugs and at surgery in my community, we know that there are eyedrops that actually can improve lens health. There are eyedrops that might even be able to read reverse or reduce some of the floaters. We know that for the retina, if we boost our nutrients are carotenoids as to Xanthine, lutein and zeaxanthin, that we might be able to slow down or reverse some of the retina degeneration that is, you know, increasing, especially with people over the age of 50. And then you’ve got more serious conditions that are vascular based like glaucoma, which is related to our ability to hold on to our peripheral vision.
And if we’re not able to do that, we begin to shrink that. And it’s a silent disease, we don’t even know that we have it unless we get some tests that measure what is happening in our peripheral vision. So bottom line, you can improve your vision at any age, you can reverse certain eye conditions as long as the the cells are not dead, you know, if they’re just in a starvation mode, there are things that can be done on a exercise level, color therapy level nutrient level that could in fact reverse some of the degeneration. And the eyes are interrelated and interconnected with our entire body on a metabolic level on a says just a general systemic level, our digestive system is very connected and energetically through the acupuncture meridians. So I think that why don’t we I’ll take a pause here.
17:35
I want to thank you
17:36
for joining us today. And if you liked the show, let us know. Send your comments to me. And thanks for tuning in. Take care.
Thank you for listening. I hope you learned something from the EyeClarity podcast show today. If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to subscribe on iTunes or Spotify and leave a review. See you here next time.
Most people use Melatonin as a sleep aid, and that’s it’s main purpose, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t affecting other parts of your body. So I wanted to take a moment and talk about how Melatonin works in your eyes. Enjoy the show.
If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com.
If you have any questions, submit them to hello@drsamberne.com or you can now text me! Text ‘Join’ to 1-844-932-1291 to join the community and ask your questions!
Sources:
[1] Stefanova NA, ZHdankina AA, Fursova AZ, Kolosova NG. (2013). Potential of Melatonin for prevention of age-related macular degeneration: an experimental study. Adv Gerontol. 26(1):122-9.
[2] Yi C, Pan X, Yan H, Guo M, Pierpaoli W. (2005). Effects of Melatonin in age-related macular degeneration. Ann N Y Acad Sci. Dec;1057:384-92
[3] Mehrzadi S, Hemati K, Reiter RJ, Hosseinzadeh A. (2020). Mitochondrial dysfunction in age-related
macular degeneration: Melatonin as a potential treatment. Ther Targets. Apr;24(4):359-378. ↩
[4] Alkozi HA, Navarro G, Franco R, Pintor J. (2020). Melatonin and the control of intraocular pressure. Prog Retin Eye Res. Mar;75:100798. ↩
[5] Gubin D, Neroev V, Malishevskaya T, Cornelissen G, Astakhov SY, et al. (2021). Melatonin mitigates disrupted circadian rhythms, lowers intraocular pressure, and improves retinal ganglion cells function in glaucoma. J Pineal Res.May;70(4):e12730
[6] Abe M, Reiter RJ, Orhii PB, Hara M, Poegeler B. (1994). Inhibitory effect of Melatonin on cataract formation in newborn rats: evidence for an antioxidative role for Melatonin. J Pineal Res, Sep;17(2):94-100. ↩
[7] Rosenstein RE, Pandi-Perumal SR, Srinivasan V, Spence DW, Brown GM, et al. (2010). Melatonin as a therapeutic tool in ophthalmology: implications for glaucoma and uveitis. J Pineal Res. Aug;49(1):1-13. ↩
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
melatonin, talk, retina, light, study, improve, glaucoma, march, inflammation, eye, ciliary body, optic nerve, produce, vision, artificial light, exposed, receptor, uv, conditions, developing
00:00
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberne.com.
Hey everybody it’s Dr. Sam and I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. Before we get to today’s show, you can always text me your questions 1-844-932-1291 Or send me an email hello@drsamberne.com.
I’ve got a couple of great workshops coming up in March in Southern California. I’ll be in San Diego March 5, LA March 7, and Santa Barbara March 12 doing my famous masterclass. I’m back doing that again in person. This is a great way to work with me one on one, if you’ve got an issue that you haven’t been able to solve. Register Here.
And I’ll be doing some book events. As you know, my new book, Vital Vision is coming out the end of February, we’re in a pre sale right now. So if you want to order the book, you’ll get a discount. And there are also some events happening. You can sign up and we can do an online workshop that’s going to be happening in April. Also, you can get some coaching one on one sessions with me if you buy the book, and I’ll be doing a gathering in Santa Fe in September. This is gonna be a small group at my geo-dome. So if you’d like to register for that, we’d love to have you.
Preorder the book here OR learn about my book events here.
Alright, today’s show, we’re going to talk about melatonin. You know, most people think melatonin is asleep aid. And that’s basically it. But today I want to talk about how melatonin influences our eye health. So just a little backstory about melatonin. It’s a hormone that’s produced in the pineal gland in the brain, it helps regulate our body’s sleep wake cycle. But you know, it’s also present in the eyes retina. And it’s pretty interesting when you have melatonin in the retina.
And also, it’s also regulating our circadian rhythms, as well as protecting the retina against oxidative stress and inflammation. Those are some of the reasons why we start developing retinal conditions. Because we are accumulating oxidative stress or free radicals, we start developing inflammation. And here we go that we have another ingredient melatonin that might help us. So there have been some studies that show that melatonin can act as an antioxidant in the retina helping us protect against, you know the the damaging blue light that we get from artificial light from our screens. And that melatonin can protect us against certain types of retinal degeneration. I’m going to talk about some specific research studies in a few minutes. But melatonin is another ingredient that may help stave off age related macular degeneration. So we know that the let the retina is a light sensitive tissue that captures the photoreceptors or captures the light, the photoreceptors capture the light, turn it into an electrical impulse, and then it goes back to the brain where we begin to access, vision and perception. And so when these receptors of course, in the retina, what they can do is they can actually increase our connection to our morning, afternoon and evening cycles.
Of course, melatonin is used sometimes as a supplement to improve our sleep. It’s also been known to help improve our immune system. But the bottom line is that melatonin can help us with reducing oxidative stress in the retina. Okay, I’d like to talk about one study that combines melatonin, zinc and selenium before you go to bed. And in this study, it actually helped improve age related macular degeneration and I will put the research paper in the notes so that you can look it up. In another study, researchers found that there’s a strong correlation between mitochondria function and our maquilas. Now we know about this through the red light research done by the Jeffrey’s lab but in this specific incident melatonin actually helps improve mitochondria function in the macula. So I want to talk about glaucoma and melatonin. So first let’s just say this that in glaucoma This is a vascular disease. And in open angle glaucoma for example, the eye pressure is very high. So at night, the eye pressure tends to reduce. And in correlation with the melatonin, the melatonin is at the highest level in the evening. The ciliary body is the part of the eye that helps produce the fluid and the aqueous flow. And so in glaucoma, either you’re not producing enough fluid, or there’s obstacles in the fluid flow.
Well, in this study, by taking melatonin, this increased the receptors in the ciliary body to work better. So this, in fact, could help lower eye pressure. So bottom line, increasing your melatonin might reduce your eye pressure. Okay, let’s talk about night vision. I get a lot of questions on night vision night blindness. And there was another research discovery which showed that there’s a relationship between melatonin and glutathione. And that if you increase melatonin, you actually increase glutathione levels. Now, this isn’t known very well, but glutathione actually can also help improve nightvision we know it improves lens health, because I’ve talked about the relationship between cataract formation and low glutathione levels. But now the discovery is when we increase our glutathione levels, we can see better at night. And some other studies that condition UV itis which which is an inflammation of the UV, that’s the mostly the middle part of the inner eye. A lot of times UV itis is connected with autoimmune disease, or just chronic inflammation and infection. But the studies show that taking melatonin may reduce UV itis.
It also may reduce the diabetic condition that we get called diabetic retinopathy. And the third condition that melatonin may be able to help is optic neuritis. So the optic nerve is the disc that’s in the back of the retina where all the nerve fibers connect into the brain. We’ve got conditions like glaucoma, which affects the optic nerve we also have conditions like Ms. optic neuritis papilla Dima, anything that that causes inflammation in the optic nerve. The studies are showing that adding melatonin can reduce the inflammation of the optic nerve. So aside from supplementing with melatonin, you can actually get melatonin from certain foods. So I’m going to go through a list cherries, cage free, organic eggs, grapes, walnuts, strawberries, bananas, barley, lentils, mushrooms, green beans, coffee, sprouted soy beans, tomatoes, and oats. Alright, let’s talk about one of my favorite subjects.
And that’s blue light. I’m talking about the artificial light that’s emitted from all our digital devices. So studies show that when you’re exposed to blue light, especially after 6pm, this can suppress melatonin, and it affects your sleep, it’s a good idea to stop using your digital devices two hours before you go to bed. So you allow your body to reset and be able to produce the melatonin that it needs. Now later in the broadcast, I’m going to talk about the Healthy blue light that we get exposed to during the day from the sun. And that’s a very positive aspect and influence on our vision and our health. So stay tuned for that. So this last point is interesting. It’s related to melanopsin, which is a type of photo receptor that’s in the retina. And this particular photo receptor is very helpful for a couple of things. First of all, when we get light stimulation and I’m talking about sunlight or natural light, this actually can improve our memory, our mood, our concentration, and our peripheral vision.
09:50
In one study I read The researchers found that spending two to 10 minutes being exposed to natural sunlight in the morning would help your alertness, your concentration, your memory, and your mood. This is why it’s very important to get outside, especially in the morning and get that hit of natural sunlight. And the sun also puts out a type of blue light that’s very helpful in activating and balancing our circadian rhythms.
This particular blue light stimulates the melanopsin cells which are in the retina, which help us develop better circadian rhythms and connections to ourselves during the day. So bottom line, it is essential for your biology and your psychology to expose yourself to outdoor sunlight. And even if it’s cloudy, you still get the benefits two to 10 minutes a day without sunglasses, preferably in the morning. This is very important as a way to not only improve your vision, but have a very strong effect on improving your health and wellness. So that’s our show for today. I want to thank you so much for tuning in. Until next time, take care.
Thank you for listening. I hope you learned something from the EyeClarity podcast show today. If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to subscribe on iTunes or Spotify and leave a review. See you here next time.
I wanted to share this session with you where I work with a patient who is struggling with her myopia. She has a much stronger prescription in one eye than the other and so I work with her to create a plan for her to begin to bring her eyes together. Enjoy the show.
If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com.
If you have any questions, submit them to hello@drsamberne.com or you can now text me! Text ‘Join’ to 1-844-932-1291 to join the community and ask your questions!
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
eye, prescription, lens, nearsighted, glasses, floaters, blur, astigmatism, exercise, left, eat, called, computer, diet, wear, vision, mentally, food, jelly beans, people
00:00
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberne.com.
Hey everybody it’s Dr. Sam and I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. Before we get to today’s show, you can always text me your questions 1-844-932-1291 Or send me an email hello@drsamberne.com.
I’ve got a couple of great workshops coming up in March in Southern California. I’ll be in San Diego March 5, LA March 7, and Santa Barbara March 12 doing my famous masterclass. I’m back doing that again in person. This is a great way to work with me one on one, if you’ve got an issue that you haven’t been able to solve. Register Here.
And I’ll be doing some book events. As you know, my new book, Vital Vision is coming out the end of February, we’re in a pre sale right now. So if you want to order the book, you’ll get a discount. And there are also some events happening. You can sign up and we can do an online workshop that’s going to be happening in April. Also, you can get some coaching one on one sessions with me if you buy the book, and I’ll be doing a gathering in Santa Fe in September. This is gonna be a small group at my geo-dome. So if you’d like to register for that, we’d love to have you.
Preorder the book here OR learn about my book events here.
Okay, let’s jump into the show. And I’ve had an opportunity to read over your history. Thank you very much. I’m curious about the difference between your right eye and your left eye. Yeah, there’s a pretty big difference. Tell me about that. What’s the history of that?
02:13
Okay. I think it was like that. Ever since I was a kid. So yesterday, actually, two days ago, I went to the optometrist, and he said that this though the good eye, it’s staying the same, but the bad eye, the one with the myopia is getting worse. So that just tells me that it’s kind of genetically bad. I would assume. So. I’m not sure what what’s causing it to be worse. Like four or five? Yeah.
02:57
So you’re are you at like 5.5 or five, and then I
03:05
5.2 5.25? Let’s
03:09
see here. You wrote it out for me. 5.25, no cylinder, and the left eye is 1.5 with a little cylinder. Okay. So I have a different theory. Okay. And here’s my theory. I think that yes, there is probably some genetic influence. But what I’ve observed is that it’s how we use our eyes that crease the prescription. And in this particular situation, I feel that the reason why your right eye is showing so much more is that it’s the eye you are using mostly for your near work and computer. And you’re working really hard, however, that right eye and the prescription is a reflection of the tension that you carry in that eye. Okay. So it’s a little different take because what I have found is the way you use your eyes of the structure and the anatomy, okay. And so one of the things in our, in our plan today is to stop that, or at least make it harder for the right eye to do more of the work. See, for example, for example, if you had your lenses out Oh, yeah, you took your lenses out. And I had you hold a book. You’re right. I would hold the book here. Yeah. And your left, I would hold the book out here. Yes. Yeah. So your gear fronts, and where your two eyes are focusing in optics, they call that the focal distance. But what it means is that your right eye is focusing much closer to you than your left eye.
05:29
Yeah, exactly.
05:33
So I’ll share a little bit of a personal story about my own myopia. And maybe you saw this on Instagram or something. But when I was a child, I came very nearsighted. So my, my readings are about 3.25. And as that as well, yeah, I had more astigmatism than you might or there was. So I was really, you know, dependent on my context. Okay. And I, of course, went to elementary school. Yes. And when I got after that program, I actually met a holistic. He’s called developmental optometrist.
06:25
Okay.
06:27
And he had a physical therapy program. I bought, and took me about six months, and I completely dissolve my prescription. Yeah, that was 35 years ago. And I don’t wear any lenses for distance. I don’t wear any lenses for near I see 2020. And it had very little to do with my eyeballs. And it had everything to do with my brain. My mind. My tension, my stress diet. Yes. And in optometry school, they taught us that you could never improve your prescription. Yeah, they told us that. Yes. So time. And they said if we started to study that stuff, we would get expelled.
07:31
Oh, wow. Why?
07:34
Because they threaten their, their model. There are no, you go, you, you’ve probably been to eye doctors, and maybe you’ve said something to them and to that effect. And they will say, Oh, that doesn’t work, or you’re, you know, it’s aging or genetics? Yes, absolutely. They say that. You never meet anybody who’s open minded. So I had to deal with that programming that I got from the school as I was healing my eyes. Yes. But if I can do it, you can do it.
08:20
Well, and so it would be nice to say again, even a tiny bit of improvement would be nice.
08:29
Well, I think you could actually do more. But we’ll we’ll we’ll talk about what’s the best avenue for you. Okay. So I’m assuming you wear context. All the time is that
08:47
No, actually I don’t wear it. outside the home, I don’t wear anything but I do wear block blue blockers at home.
08:57
So so if you don’t wear anything, how are you able to see the screen? You just make it really large?
09:04
Oh, the screen I can see pretty well. As long as it’s not I actually work glasses with the screen.
09:14
Okay, and are you wearing kind of a similar type of a prescription?
09:19
Yes. But that this one is like five years ago? Five years.
09:24
And so what what is that one?
09:28
I don’t really remember but it was the right one was the left one was the same but the right one? It used to be four minus 4.25 4.25.
09:40
Okay, and what was the left I
09:47
left was 1.25 or something. Yeah. Or 1.5.
09:54
Okay. All right. Well, And when you’re looking at the screen, yes, and you’re getting that older prescription, which actually is very wise to do. Because when you go for your exam when you you might yesterday, yeah. And you’re sitting in the chair and then going across the room, probably at the chart and the doctor is, you know, calculating what your prescriptions are. That prescription that he gives you for the distance is going to be too strong for you to use at your computer, because the prescription is calculated at 20 feet, or 20 feet 22 inches. Okay. So, when you’re nearsighted, yes, you’re wearing a prescription for distance, you want to wear something less for your computer. So in this case, you’re wearing an old prescription, that’s probably pretty close to what you should be wearing at the computer.
Okay, because if you are wearing, say, five and a quarter, and one and a half, again, I don’t know what your left eye is in the glasses, that’s going to make you that’s going to make your eyes even worse, okay. But probably, what you’re going to have to do lose a couple things is you’re going to have to maybe outside of the computer time, or your work time to interact with your eyes in a process to encourage them to change, okay. In other words, the improvement is going to be much faster. If you can do some kind of a, I don’t know, I don’t know, I wouldn’t call it an exercise because we’re not exercising the eyes, but to help you expand your awareness, okay, and your vision. So an easy way to do that, yes, would be would be to do the following practice. Okay, so I’m gonna lay it out for you. What I want you to do is, I want you to go to your local drugstore, pharmacy drugstore in Victoria.
And I want you to go into the section of the store, where they have the magnifying glasses, reading glasses, yes, they sell those. And what you’re going to do is you’re going to get the strongest magnification lens you can find so the number is going to be somewhere around a 3.0 or 3.5. And you’re gonna see in front of the number is a plus sign. Plus, so, nearsighted people were minus, yes, you’re gonna, you’re gonna buy a pair of plus lenses. And they’re going to become your they’re going to become your, your vision, fitness, your vision exercise glasses. Okay, I’m going to show you how to exercise and, and use the plus lens to reduce your myopia. So you buy the glasses, when you bring them home. And I want you to pick a time outside of your normal, you know, normal things that you’re doing, okay?
And I want you to sit in a chair and you’re going to you’re going to have no lenses on no contacts, no goals. Okay. And the best thing to do if you can as while you’re at the pharmacy, see if they can sell you an eyepatch. Okay, okay, because we’re going to work each eyes dit separately. So you can’t you patch the left eye? Yes. And you look across the room, if you’ve got a window you can look out of or you look across the room, and you take up subjective measurement on how blurry it is. I would imagine the right is pretty blurry. Look out to the distance. Yeah, you’re just measuring this As the blur, I am observing this. And then you take that plus lens and you put it over the patch and over the right eye, and you begin to look out of out of the right eye. And you’re gonna notice that it’s even blurrier. Okay. Okay, yes, the next minute. While you’re wearing that plus lens, yes. Your intention is to see if you can mentally and emotionally relax yourself and accept the blur as it is. Okay. Now you’re laughing. How come?
15:49
I don’t know. Yeah, I’m not sure if I can do that very well. But
15:54
well, here’s the thing. It’s, you just need to show up. Yes. And notice your resistance. Notice what you start thinking about when you go into this level of blur? Yes. So what is your what is your definition of blur when, when you have blurry vision? What does it mean to you now? just day to day? What is? What is it something you like? Is it something you don’t like?
16:28
I don’t like it, because it’s why don’t
16:31
you like it? What is it about it that you don’t like?
16:37
Not being able to read or see things clearly?
16:44
And if you can’t see things clearly, what’s the worst thing that could happen?
16:50
run into things or,
16:53
okay. That herd can run into things. Okay, I understand. So, here’s why you’re nearsighted. are one of the reasons mental mentally, yes, you have developed a perspective that you if it gets blurry, you can’t function well. So your, your mental attitude is your going to be hyper vigilant. Okay? And is that hyper vigilance, that’s creating your myopia. Okay. And it’s not that I want you to go around in the world and blur I don’t, but I want you to mentally begin to be in choice. When you need to have it clear, and be more comfortable in the softer vision. Okay. So, this, this time that you’re sitting and you have the patch, and you put on the plus lens for a minute, you’re going to surprise yourself because you’re going to wear that for a minute, you’re going to take the plus lens off, and then you’re gonna measure your, your clarity, your eyesight, and you’re gonna notice by just mentally relaxing into the blur, yes. your right eye is now seeing things more clearly.
18:31
Oh, wow. Okay, that’s amazing.
18:35
And you’re gonna do that three times.
18:38
Okay, three times in a row or
18:41
in a row. So, so the sequence is, patch the left eye, look across the room, take a measurement, but the plus lens on for a minute. Yeah. mentally relax, take it off. Take a second measurement. Okay. Put it back on for a minute. mentally relax into it. Take it off, take a third measurement. Okay, one last time, put it on. One minute, mentally relax, take it off. Take a last measurement, and you’re gonna go wow, my right eye is seeing it clear.
19:23
When you say take a measurement. What do you mean by that?
19:28
Subjectively compare if your eye is seeing things more clearly than you previously. All right. So we’re not going to use an eye chart. Just just like subjectively look to see if the lamp is clear the books or get a window or something and then take the patch off the left eye and notice how much more bright and clear, your eyes are seeing.
And it’s gonna surprise you how clear and bright it is without any prescription. So what you what you’ve done just there is you have stopped the habit that you’re constantly you doing to your eyes mentally? By under no circumstances are you going to allow yourself to be in blur? Oh, wow, okay. Okay, yes. So your eyes are gonna get a level of relaxation because mentally you’re now not having to put that much fear into your eyeballs. 24/7 then you patch the right eye, and you do the same sequence, take a measurement, put the plus lens over the left eye. And you’re probably going to notice that at least mentally and emotionally, your right eye relates to the blur very differently than the left eye.
It’s like having a two headed person on you. You’re right. And so if you did this, say every day or every other day, for a month, yes. Your eyes would definitely feel more relaxed. And your your older prescription you actually might start being able to see better in to the distance.
21:43
Okay, so, um, I or I ordered glasses from you, and they’re waiting for the prescription. Okay, yeah. All right. All right.
21:58
Well, let’s, let’s, let’s talk about that. Okay. First of all, what are you planning on using these glasses for,
22:09
for computer time and for iPad?
22:15
And so right now? The doctor measured five and a quarter and then the 150 in the left? Yes. And yet you’re using the older prescription?
22:31
Yes.
22:34
And you’re wondering what prescription would be good for the computer?
22:48
Well, a question for you. It’s not super important, but your old glasses? Yes. Do you happen to have the numbers of that? prescription? If you don’t, that’s okay. But just ask.
23:05
But um, yes, it’s in my email. But I do have to do a search
23:10
to your email. Did you send it to me? Yes, yes. Okay.
23:16
Does it have to be right?
23:20
Doesn’t have to be right. No, no, no, it doesn’t. It might not. Say again. Does it have to be now? We’re gonna I’m gonna do a quick search. Okay. Let’s see. See if I can find it.
23:50
Well, I’ll tell you why. The emails that I’m looking through that you sent are more about the scheduling and the the instructions on our appointment, it’s not showing me oh, let me look at one more place. Hold on a minute. You see here
24:25
I’m not seeing it attached to the charm account. I just have. I would just be curious to know. I would say right now, the prescription that I would recommend for you. If you’re five and a quarter for distance in the right eye. I probably give you a four and a quarter. One a quarter for 4.25 for the computer for the right eye. Does that make sense? So I would reduce it by a diopter have, because that would be where he would need. The left eye is interesting because your distance is 1.5 with the cylinder, yes, I could reduce it by one. So be the same as the left. So it’d be point five. But maybe it would be, it would be nice information to know, in that old prescription that you were which is 4.25. In the right. What what are you actually looking through with the left? Probably? Go ahead.
25:43
Oh, really? Not much. There is? Definitely I think I can find it. If I log into this website. It’s the clearly website. So I can pull that up for you. Sorry.
26:00
That’s okay. When again, we could do it outside this time if need be. So no worries.
26:14
Oh, also, I had some questions about diet as well.
26:19
We’ll get to those. Sure. So the plus lens exercise I think would be a good one for you to start to slow down and even reverse this nearsighted progression. I think that would be a really good one for you. There’s another one also, we can do in a minute, but
26:48
actually talk to her and I found I found it.
26:54
Okay, so let me write it down. Okay.
27:06
Okay, I’m ready.
27:08
So it’s negative 4.25. Okay. And then the other one was negative 1.50. Really?
27:19
Okay. So they didn’t reduce the left I? Just, so that’s interesting, because with the left eye let’s, let’s try this for a second. When you look at the computer, if you cover the right eye, do you see it better? Do you see the computer better? Without no lens over the left eye? Or with the old prescription over the left eye? What’s more comfortable? And where do you see things more clearly?
27:59
They try it out or
28:00
not? Right right now.
28:03
So with right covered, I am the same as almost the same as when I don’t have it. Not covered. So,
28:14
okay, do you see that it’s a little harder to see it without the glasses on the left eye? Yes, yes. Okay. So that’s good. So here’s what I’m gonna suggest we do 4.5 4.25 In the right eye, and we do minus point five in the left so so basically what I’m going to do is I’m going to take your, your current distance prescription and the mind I’m going to reduce it by one diopter on each side. Oh wow. Okay. So you would wear 5.25 a distance we’re going to make it 4.25 In the left eye You’re 1.5 Now we’re going to make it a point five and I’m also going to take the astigmatism out because it’s not very much and if you start using a lens without a stigmatism these astigmatism goes away
29:18
because it seems like a did another test last year and she was a bit quick. So there was a lot of like astigmatism. And she recommended to have progressive lenses for the computer.
29:37
Are you kidding me? No. So you know in a progressive lens, you’re tunneling and narrowing your peripheral vision even more.
29:46
Oh, she has it for her kids. She said. They’re really young kids.
29:52
So in a progressive lens, the only part of the lens that’s usable is right down the middle. So everything on the side To the lens you can use. So it’s confusing for the brain to have the focus through each compartment of the lens, it makes your eyes work harder in a progressive lens, and the only part of the lens that you’re going to use for the computers a very tiny part in the middle. And so when you’re near sighted, you’re already tunneling your vision. So if you’ve got a progressive lens, yes, that’s going to commonly teach you to tunnel even more, you’re just going to become more nearsighted.
30:36
Okay.
30:37
So that advice for you doesn’t line up with what you want. She just given you something because she, you know, she believes in progressive lenses, so everybody gets it. And but for you, that would be a disaster, especially for nearsighted, you’re much better off to have one lens to give you more peripheral. Because that interferes with your habit of wanting to tunnel it. And also, because your two eyes are so different, it’s gonna be very complex for your brain to have to aim your eyes through one of the compartments of the lens. So do you understand why the progressive lens is the wrong way to go?
31:28
Yes. It’s just covering the symptom, I guess.
31:33
Well, it’s gonna make your it’s gonna make your eyes worse. You’re not, you’re not using the whole lens for one function. Right? You’re trying to do multiple lenses. So here’s the concept. The smaller the window are, the smaller the, the glass you look through, that’s going to induce more nearsightedness. So I would probably throw out all her advice. Because if you had done that might be wearing a six or a seven in the right eye now.
32:20
Wow, that’s not that’s not good.
32:24
And then children that’s really aiming it’s like putting you in a straitjacket? Yes. They that’s how they think they think in a very mechanical way. Yeah. And they they don’t understand that what you look through is going to induce more of the same. Okay. And, you know, for some people that aren’t asking questions, that’s fine. But that would be a disaster for you to go and plus you it just is not. It’s not. So why would you do it? That would be good. Yeah. So anyway, back to the astigmatism. Astigmatism means the eye is a little misshapen. It’s like an egg. Yeah. And so when you look through us and astigmatism lens, the word is reinforces it reinforces what you already have, right? So the amount that you have is, is not much. And it actually might give you more relaxation to not have this to deal with it.
33:36
Okay, that’s perfect, then.
33:40
Yeah. So I’ve got it. So what I’ll do is I will convey this to my web store manager,
33:49
okay. Or I can send it by email, too.
33:52
Okay. All right. So we’ll both do it. I’ll do it too. So I’m going to send send them the prescription with the PD, that’s perfect. And that’ll work well for the computer. Okay, great. But I want you to do this plus lens exercise. Yes. Because I think it will really help you mentally and emotionally start to understand the habits around how your right eye is processing with the left eye. Okay. Okay. All right. I do want to get to your questions and we will but I want to I want to do a screen share with you so I’m gonna let me just find the picture that and the reason why I’m doing this is because I also Oh, feel that for you to really help your right eye? Okay, so this is a picture of jelly beans. Okay, now it’s in the vertical. But when you print it out, you’re gonna hold it horizontally. Oh, no, it’s vertical. And here is the why the exercise is so important. So you’re going to do this without any glasses. Yes, you’re going to take the picture and you’re going to hold it right up to your nose. So that it’s right on your nose. And then mentally, this is important this part mentally, you’re gonna look through the jelly beans.
35:48
Yes.
35:51
And you’re going to start pushing the Jelly Bean picture away from your face, and start looking at the spaces between the jelly beans. Okay, and what’s going to happen when you get out to about 10 inches from your nose, you’re going to notice that the jelly beans are going to start floating in space. Okay? We call that 3d. Okay. So this is probably the most important thing I’m going to say to you today. Okay, when you see 3d, your left eye and right eye are working together. So the for the quarter in the right and the half diopter in the left, that has gone away, you are now using them together.
Okay, and the eyes and the brain do have the capability to change and improve. So if you do that jelly beans exercise and you get it out there 1012 inches, you move it a little bit to the left and to the right, and up and down, do it for maybe 30 to 30 seconds to a minute. You do it like three times a day, that will make sure that your two eyes are starting to work together. Wow. I know. That’s why it’s so profound. Because right now, as we said at the beginning, your right eye is focusing a lot closer and your left eyes focusing much farther away. And there’s no opportunity for you to change that. And the glasses that you wear, just reinforce the difference. Okay. Because eventually what I’d like to do maybe in a couple months, is making up a prescription where both eyes are actually the same prescription.
37:52
Oh, wow, that would be amazing. And
37:55
to have you do that and wear it as an exercise will reduce the reinforcement that’s happening with your current glasses. Because every time you go, they are measuring the difference. And they’re giving you the difference. So it’s going to reinforce the difference. Okay. So the steps to be able to receive or get used to the same prescription each eye, the steps would be to do the plus Lens Blur exercise. And also the jelly beans exercise so that you’re beginning from an inside out place from an internal place. You start to use your two eyes together. Okay, and then you can get the glasses to help you with that.
38:54
Okay. Does that make sense? Yeah, that’s amazing.
38:58
Okay, hold on one second. So any questions about that, I will email you the jelly beans exercise with the directions. And then I will send you some directions about the plus lens to blur. And then on the only thing you’ll need to get will be the eyepatch and then the reading glasses, which you’re using as a vision exercise.
39:25
Okay, yeah. Oh, yeah. Perfect. Yeah, thank you.
39:29
And then number three is I’ll email my web team, to this prescription that you’re going to get and I think it’ll work really well for the computer.
39:40
Okay, great. Yeah. Thank you so much.
39:42
So let’s go to your questions.
39:46
Okay. So I ordered your MSM drops the five and the 15. So, is it okay to drop them in inside the i because I’ve been Doing the massages?
40:03
Yes, it’s perfectly acceptable to put them inside your eyes. They’re very good at lubricating and moisturizing, they also can really soften your high tissue. I think just start off slowly, you know, maybe do it twice any anywhere between twice to four times a day. If you use too much of it, at first, it can overwhelm your eyes. Okay, so sometimes there can be a little bit of blurriness or something like that. But that goes away. But yes, you can use them throughout the day, that’s a very good support for your screen time to have those ups there. And the 15th, the 15th may burn a little. That’s okay, that’s good. That’s just opening up the circulation. And you can do the 15. And then if it burns, you can put the five in right after, and that’ll take the burn away. Okay. You can see how you want to do that.
41:08
All right. It’s because I have floaters one. There are a lot in the worse I the one with the mic.
41:19
Yeah, so let’s talk about floaters for a minute. So the 15% would be the ones that are going to help you with the floaters although both of them are good, but But there may be some other things that at least you should know about with with what causes floaters. So first of all, with floaters you can consider the relationship between your liver health. In Chinese medicine, you’ve heard the connections between the lower and the eyes. Yes, and no you can do a liver detox that might help if the MSM doesn’t do it, okay. So you could do a an herbal formula that includes milk thistle, yes. And maybe do two or three week liver cleanse. Another thing that helps the mu getting rid of your floaters is lymphatic stimulation lymph. About with the eyes. One of the exercises we do that improves the floaters in the limp is something called Long swings. Okay, this is an exercise where I’m going to
43:02
let’s see here. So it’s basically swinging like this, okay. This is really good to do for your because when you start moving your eyes, and the body that stimulates the lymph, that can also help the floaters move out. By the way, that plus Lens Blur could also help your high lymph as well. It could be something like walking rebounder, you know, those kinds of things can be beneficial. So limp is one another one that sometimes helps floaters is eating a little bit of pineapple. There’s something called Brahma lean. And some of the studies have shown that brambling can actually reduce floaters, right. So you can look at that.
44:12
Do you know are the floaters actually stuck in there? Like is there a way for them to move out?
44:19
Yeah, so the eye is made up of mostly fluid. And the the gel of the eye it’s a gel sac called the vitreous is made up of mostly collagen. And when you start getting floaters, the integrity of the collagen either becomes dehydrated it shrinks. In some cases, small number of cases you can actually get larger but most of the time it’s a dehydration issue. An imbalance in the collagen. So the protein breaks Soph and these little specks are floating in the gel. The way that they discharge out of the eye is through the lymph system through the circulation, really. And so by moving the length by doing the MSM, because MSM is collagen supporter,
45:22
I see because another person on Instagram, he’s into help. He was saying like be do fruit cleanse fruit diet to move it out of the lymph system. So it’s not Well,
45:37
I think one of the things that you want to be careful about in a fruit diet is the glucose levels. So glucose is the enemy of the eyes. Okay. And so, you know, if you’re doing a fruit something in a fruit family, yes, more low, lower glycemic index. You know, I to me, if you’re going to do some kind of a cleanse like that, I would also add things like ginger road Tumeric road, so it’s anti inflammatory, I’d add a little bit of kale spinach or something. Celery is another good one cucumber, so they’re anti inflammatory. And then a little citrus, like maybe a little lemon or lime. And then of course, you could do berries. You know, I would stay away from things like bananas, because they’re very high glycemic index. And they they also it’s a damp food. So sometimes, that’s not great. If you want to sweeten it, you could add a little you could add a date or a little cinnamon. Cinnamon is good because it doesn’t spike your your glucose levels. So sugar is a big enemy for the eyes. Even. Okay, so just doing a fruit something again I would check into it check into your, your glucose tolerance.
47:19
Because all these Sorry, sorry, these floaters came out after like a juice fast and then like a lot of digital time. So I don’t know, which caused that it’s probably the digital time but
47:36
well I do think that what happens with floaters is that there’s a there’s a change in the collagen integrity and the fluidity in the vitreous. And certainly computers Dry your eyes out quite a bit. Stress. Yes, yeah. Stress. Also, you know, makes things more acidic. And your system. Yep. You know, you want to make sure you’re getting enough healthy fats and oils in your diet. Oh, really? Okay. So you shouldn’t be taking? Are you? Are you vegetarian or vegan? Or do you? Are you more of a full menu?
48:32
I want to ask you about your diet because do you eat dairy? Or eggs?
48:40
I do eat cage free eggs. I don’t eat dairy. Because for me, it creates too much mucus. So I do very low or no gluten, and no dairy. My sugar is again very low. I think for each person. One has to decide what they eat. Does it feel good? Okay. I have patients that are very strict, raw vegan. They live in climates that are warmer it’s kind of hard in Europe, your climate to do RAW, you better off doing cooked food sorry,
49:36
it feels like if I do eat more raw food. It’s more hydrating and I can see better with raw food.
49:43
Okay, so, by the way, I went to a really good vegan restaurant in Victoria. Oh, which which, which one? Which one? I’m gonna see if I can find it. We went several times and it was so good. You You might or might be be love. Let me see. Let me look it up on Oh, no. Have you been to be love? Yes, yeah. Do you like it?
50:10
Yeah, it was awesome. Yeah.
50:13
I think that might have been. We kept going back there. I mean, I I love the vegan a lot of vegan stuff I find because I live where we live, we get a lot of snow, it’s cold. I have to have like soups and stews and Kittery. And let’s see, Victoria.
50:39
People in a colder climate they need to eat more warming foods.
50:43
Yeah, exactly. See? Yeah, that’s a be love. Yes, yeah, it’s
50:52
still around.
50:54
That was really I mean, I really just loved it, it was. So that’s the kind of food I like, I mean, I’m very clean. But I think you have to decide, you know, certainly plant based is the way to go. I don’t eat processed foods, I cook my own food. And we have a co op. Here where we in farmers market. You know, another thing to look at is your microbiome, your probiotics. And, again, that could be through fermented type foods. If you feel like you want to take a probiotic supplement, I tend to use, I’m able to get something called a coconut based yogurt, which has a lot of probiotics in it. So I would say eat the joy diet, what makes you happy? What makes you feel good? Try to eat as natural, chemically free foods. Yes, the closer to the earth, the better plant based, you’re going to do you know see food wildcard know if you can. And but fats and oils are really important to make it threes are very important. That’s why I was asking. Because if you’re vegan or vegetarian, you can do like an algae based Omega three, or you know, flax or chia seeds or walnuts, you know, just depends. If you
52:35
you recommend
52:38
which we’ll say again,
52:40
Which brand do you recommend for omega threes?
52:45
Well, metagenics mdta Ge N ICS puts a good one out. Another one is Nordic Naturals. And I have an Omega three than they just put up on my webstore. But the thing is, is that shipping to Canada can be a little challenging. Yes. So inexpensive. So you know if you can shop locally for it, by all means. Oh, yeah,
53:18
border Europe, red therapy glasses as well
53:23
as you like to? Yeah, so the red glasses might also help you, you’re definitely going to bring more energy to your eyes. Okay, because it addresses the mitochondria. So I don’t know that it’s gonna heal all of your myopia. But from the computer use, it might actually help your eyes by just looking. Basically, you need a dim light source, you don’t need a super bright source. And you just look at the glasses three to five minutes a day. And you don’t want to be reading or working or it’s kind of more of a meditative experience. Do you allow the red to come into your eyes? But yeah, it’s very good. It’s very good. Very good for sure. Do you personally use it annoying or? I have Yes. Yeah, I think I think the red is very good. So for sure. I think it’s red light is very good. Okay. So what other questions do you have?
54:38
Oh, well, I guess that’s it. So do you recommend doing those two exercises both jelly beans and the
54:52
lens blurry. I would say do the plus lens exercise if you can do it three to four times a week. Okay. Um, it’s going to really relax your eyes and allow you to see things more clearly. However, it could be emotionally challenging for you. But in the end, your eyes will feel more relaxed. What’s driving a lot of this is your mental decision about blur. Okay, now your right needs more control than the left. That’s why more nearsighted and, and then do the Jelly Bean, just have a buyer your computer and just do it a few times a day is a break. Yeah, it’s good to incorporate that use the MSM a lot. Do the ILM and the lymph stuff. Diet wise, you know, you decide what feels good in terms of cleanse or, you know, liver and try to eat as healthy as you can. Okay, and then maybe let’s talk in about three months.
56:02
Are you Will you still be doing the telemedicine sessions?
56:07
Yes. Okay, perfect. Yep, I will. Okay, if you live closer, I would invite you to one of my master classes. I’m doing it on California. I used to teach I used to teach workshops in Vancouver.
56:24
Oh, okay. That’s not too
56:27
far from you. So we’ll see if that comes back. My organizers retired, I used to teach at UBC. That’s really close. Yeah, it is close. It is close. We used to get people from Victoria. And you can come to the masterclass because that’s a really good, really good thing. Anyway. Oh, keep in touch on that. But in the meantime, I will email the prescription to my web team. And if you have any questions, just contact me.
57:01
Okay, now. Is it okay to post this on Instagram? Like, what? Like I had a session with Dr. Byrne. Kind of gorgeous.
57:11
Yes. Please do. That’s all it’s a please. Yes. You’re really
57:18
famous. And the holistic health realm.
57:23
Thank you. Yeah. Well, thank you for that. I am on a mission to help people because I know what it’s like to go for an exam and not get helped. Yes. You can imagine. Yeah. So I’m, I’m putting out counter information, because people have nowhere to go. Right. That’s kind of a deal. So. Okay, well, I wish you the very best have fun up there. It’s a beautiful place to work to.
57:58
Please let me know if you’re coming down coming here. Well,
58:01
I will it to know for sure. I wish you well.
58:06
You too. It was an honor speaking with you today.
58:09
Okay. Well, thank you and I’ll send this stuff to you out in the next little while.
58:15
Okay. Yeah. Thank you so much. You’re welcome.
58:18
Bye bye.
Thank you for listening. I hope you learned something from the EyeClarity podcast show today. If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to subscribe on iTunes or Spotify and leave a review. See you here next time.
Here is a presentation I gave on how I built my social media community. I shared this with a group of entrepreneurs from Score who are interested in building a social media community. Score is a national organization I’m involved with that helps entrepreneurs build their businesses. So you get to see me in action, sharing some of my secrets about how I built my brand. Enjoy the show.
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SUMMARY KEYWORDS
people, podcast, post, brand, create, linkedin, question, products, social media, content, TikTok, money, business, interested, called, happening, facebook, instagram, building
00:05
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberne.com.
Hey everybody it’s Dr. Sam and I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. Before we get to today’s show, you can always text me your questions 1-844-932-1291 Or send me an email hello@drsamberne.com.
I’ve got a couple of great workshops coming up in March in Southern California. I’ll be in San Diego March 5, LA March 7, and Santa Barbara March 12 doing my famous masterclass. I’m back doing that again in person. This is a great way to work with me one on one, if you’ve got an issue that you haven’t been able to solve. Register Here.
And I’ll be doing some book events. As you know, my new book, Vital Vision is coming out the end of February, we’re in a pre sale right now. So if you want to order the book, you’ll get a discount. And there are also some events happening. You can sign up and we can do an online workshop that’s going to be happening in April. Also, you can get some coaching one on one sessions with me if you buy the book, and I’ll be doing a gathering in Santa Fe in September. This is gonna be a small group at my geo-dome. So if you’d like to register for that, we’d love to have you.
Preorder the book here OR learn about my book events here.
00:46
everybody, it’s Dr. Sam and I want to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. So today is a presentation that I gave recently, to a group of entrepreneurs who are interested in building a social media community. In I’m involved with a group called score, which is a national organization that helps entrepreneurs build their businesses. And I was recognized for all the great things I’ve done in my own brand. And so you get to see me in action, sharing some of my secrets, and how I built my brand. So I hope you enjoy the show. And thanks for tuning in. So everybody, I’m really excited to be here just a little bit about myself. You know, I grew up in a middle class, family, and we emphasized education. So I ended up becoming a doctor, I was always interested in natural healing. So I combined the two. And I started to private practices, one I sold, the other I still have. So I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit in me. And in 2016, I started my brand on the internet, and I’ll talk about that. And actually in 2020 is when I launched my E commerce right around COVID.
So I’ll go into more details about that. And I’ve been a client of score for the past three years. So here we go. So when I started, I began to think of myself as a media channel. And the key thing in if you’re going to do social media, in my opinion, is to create value for your audience. And what I did early on is I gave away my best information, like everything for free. And it’s kind of like this idea of give, give, give. And then you can ask, okay, this is a really important aspect in building a brand, and is very different than, say being transactional. And I’ll kind of go into more detail on that in a minute. But if you are going to do social media, my advice would be start with your strengths. Are you better at writing? Are you better at talking? For me, I loved videos, so I loved doing video. I also love doing audio.
And I actually started this. This process called morning walks with Dr. Sam and so I would I love to hike. So I be hiking in the national forests. And somebody would ask me a question. And so I would stop and go. All right, let me give you the answer here. And it became a huge way to build my following. Another thing that I did was I created four to eight content pieces a day and I posted them across all the social media platforms, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Tik Tok and Twitter. If you’re independent trust, you could do that. You could also do Snapchat. But I was very disciplined about creating content and posting them and people ask, Well, what do you do for content? What’s the best thing? And I would say storytelling. I would also say documenting. So like for an example, in my own case, you know, how did I get to the place of developing my products? How did I get to the place of you know, I might share a story about a client or a patient who had a success story. In terms of documentation. Recently, I did I love whitewater rafting. It’s one of my passions. And I use it did a trip in Central and South Southern Utah. And I documented the whole trip, video audio and then I posted that and so this is another piece.
Your content doesn’t just have to relate to your business. People might want to get to know you. Like for example, you know, let’s say people aren’t interested in my health and wellness brand, but they’re interested in whitewater rafting. So I ended up getting some people who were from now following me, but it had nothing to do with my profession, my professional brand. It had to do with my, you know, personal interests. So you could put your children on if you’ve got animals, I mean, you know, you can just think about not just posting about your business, but doing some personal things as well. So I feel that we are living in a golden age. And what I mean by that is that, you know, if you think about, say, 20 years ago, the kingmakers were the celebrities that we saw on TV, you know, the actors, the sports, celebrities are the people who wrote best selling books. But now the internet is the kingmaker. And what this means is that we can use the internet as entrepreneurs to build our business. And the other thing is, you don’t need to spend a lot of money in creating content. In fact, when I first started, I was the only one in my company I did the videos, I did the editing, I did the posting, I did the same thing when I would write a blog. So I learned how to do all of those things. And if you’re starting out, and you don’t have a lot of money, you don’t need to spend a lot and especially the way the economy is right now, it’s kind of soft, we may be in heading towards a pretty deep recession. You don’t want to go into debt. But you can do all of this on your own.
And as the internet using the internet and social media, you can start to build your community. So as I said, social media reduces or eliminates spending money on ads, and, you know, hiring social media agencies, I don’t recommend any of that. But the thing that you want to consider is whatever product and or service you would like to sell, using organic reach is easy and possible for all of us. And this next point, social media is underpriced attention. So what do I mean by that? Well, when I started, my philosophy was I am going to give, give, give, I’m not going to ask for anything in return. I’m going to create value for people, I’m going to answer their questions. I’m going to, I’m just going to give away the information and start cultivating a relationship. And as I did that, people started to follow me this was the underpriced attention, I wasn’t paying anything except my sweat equity. And in doing that, over time, what ended up happening is, I started to grow my social media. I remember when I started my facebook live shows I would do those every Wednesday night. And for the first three months, nobody tuned in. It was very humbling to me. And so I would write out questions.
And I would say, Oh, hey, Johnny asked this question. Let me answer it. And so that’s how I started. And then after a few months, a few people started trickling in. And one of the aspects of give, give give is that number one, you’re going to have more retention of your customers as opposed to hitting them up. And you know, asking them to buy something right away. And the other thing that happened is word of mouth on on social media. This is really amazing. In fact, I just did a a post. This is very interesting because I was up in the mountains on Saturday, and I was hiking in the deep snow and I had this idea. Oh, well. Let me do this video pulled up my phone. 20 seconds. I I shared my idea. I posted it on Tik Tok Saturday night, and I just looked on Tik Tok and I have 300,000 views of this 22nd video that I had. I didn’t prepare for it. There was no script. It was just something that came to me. That’s the underpriced attention. It can happen. You can go viral in a nanosecond and that’s what’s exciting about this for all of you.
09:52
Okay, in this webinar, I want to share the following. Number one, how to build a social media community Number two, how to integrate selling products and services using social media. You know, in my case, I spent about three years, just cultivating my community, I didn’t sell anything. And it was actually at a mentor meeting, a score meeting that I had in March of 2020. And one of my mentors said, Well, what do you think about starting your E commerce business? And I went, Oh, that’s a great idea. So I actually launched it June of 2020. And it exploded. And of course, it is so robust now just like a year and a half, two years in, but I have the community first, and then I launched my products. And this is also another key point, people will come to me and say, Hey, I wrote the best book, I’ve got the best product. And I’ll ask them, Well, how many followers do you have? And they go, why don’t really have any followers? I said, you know, it’s kind of in reverse, where Why don’t you spend the time building the community first. And then you can launch your product or service. So it’s just a another way to think about it. Alright, number three, is, in this webinar, I’m going to share what it takes to obtain results. And number four, what are the time management things that you may need to do in order to make this work for yourself?
Okay, so in building a social media community, I get these questions. What are the tactics? You know, how do I use YouTube or Facebook? And you can go on Google or YouTube, and you can google how do I post on Facebook? Or how do I start a podcast, it’s all there for you. It’s free. You know, you spend 10 to 15 hours doing that, and you’ll find that you become an expert like me, and you’ll be able to do these things quite easily. Now, in creating ideas for content, I talked about storytelling, I talked about documentation. Another thing that I like to do is, depending on the social media platform, I make content based on who’s the customer who’s following. So let me give you an example, on LinkedIn, which I think that for some people that are doing b2b business to business type of things. LinkedIn is the place where you want to be posting, if you’re more business to consumer B to C, then you want to be focused on say, Facebook, or Instagram. And so I’m creating different content based on the social media platform. So in LinkedIn, I like to talk about, well, here are the new industry discoveries, or, you know, I might get in a conversation with another business owner or somebody in the health and wellness blant brand, I might even invite them on my podcast, and have them talk about themselves. And then we cross pollinate. So there’s a lot of ways that you can create ideas for content.
In the end, I’m going to leave my my links for all my social media. Just as an example, you can look at some of the content pieces I’ve created. And by the way, our q&a will be at the end. So hang in there, you can put your chat in the chat box, and I will get to your question. Okay, now, when you create ideas, create a schedule or a calendar for creating and posting, so you’re organized about what you’re doing every day, there are scheduling programs that you can get, which can automatically post your content, so you can actually schedule for an entire week. And then finally, study the different social media platforms and create appropriate content based on their platform. That’s kind of what I was talking about. And then finally, just get yourself a phone, a good phone with a camera and a microphone, start there. You don’t need to go out and spend a lot of money on fancy microphones, or you know, other things like that. Get started and save your money. You know, in my social media content, it’s so interesting because a lot of my videos are raw, you know, it’s just like I’m in a car. I’m in a public space, and I have a great idea and, you know, I shoot the video, and it goes viral. That’s kind of what happened for me with Tik Tok last weekend. So don’t over don’t worry about overproduces They are doing post production that can come later. But for the beginning, people will love it that you’re more authentic, you just come on. And either if you don’t want to do video, then just do audio, or write, but you don’t need to spend a lot of money initially getting started. Okay, this is a big one, how does integrate selling products or services.
One of the things that really worked for me and continues to work is in this community where I’m giving and giving and giving, I’ve established trust with people. And so now when I launch a new product, and I’ve launched a lot of new products in the last three months, what has happened is because people trust me, they actually will buy my products or services, because what they’re actually really buying is my expertise and my experience, but we have developed a relationship with each other. So they trust me, and I’m not hugging them, I’m not, you know, selling them on a transactional way. What’s happening is, I’m developing the community. And then I can start, you know, talking about my, my workshops. And by the way, if you want some help on how to do online workshops, they are so lucrative, because in the online workshops, there’s no overhead. And with COVID, I did a ton of online workshops, and they were really well attended. And I made a lot of money from them, they were really a great way for me to sustain my my process. So it’s all about brand. And that takes time.
16:57
Okay, I want to give you an example. So I’ve written books, five books, I just wrote a new book, it was an interesting idea, because what I decided to do was take the transcripts of a lot of my q&a on my podcasts and Facebook Live. And I had them. So I had the the transcripts written out. And then I had a ghostwriter work with me to write the book. And so basically, the book is based on what people are asking what they want. And so I had an idea, well, maybe I should do a book tour. So I hired a publicist, and nothing was happening.
First of all, the bookstores are in big trouble for a lot of different reasons. And so for a self published published author, they’re not really you know, interested in taking the risk of maybe doing a book tour or hosting a book tour. So I dropped that idea. And instead, I emphasize my brand. And I put out some workshops, and bang, everything went the other way. So I had some amazing sales from it. And so I shifted out of my transit transactional idea of selling the book. And I brought in my brand, and attached the book to that, and all of a sudden, things really took off. In another example, I look at a lot of research and, you know, the love of my customers and patients, their eyesight is deteriorating, they’re in the 50 to 75 age range. And so I’m always looking for things to help them regenerate their eyes. And there was a study that came out of the University College of London, the scientists discovered that if you look through red glasses, for so many minutes a day for so many weeks, there was a 22% increase, and a person’s ability to see clearly, that was amazing. So I was looking for a way to to, you know, refer people, so where they could buy the product, and the only place you could buy the product was in the UK and the people that were promoting it, they were a little flaky.
And so I went back to the drawing board, I talk to my manufacturers, and I develop my own red tinted glasses. And the thing is, is I made a couple of posts on Instagram. And the whole thing went viral. And my fulfillment team, my webstore manager, I mean, they were really upset. They called me and said, What are you doing? You know, give us some advanced notice if you’re going to do this, and I said, I have no idea. I had no idea that this was going to go viral like this. Fortunately, my manufacturer got right on it. And we were able to fulfill our orders within a week. And so another example it was because of my brand, that people trust me, they looked at the research, they went, Oh, I want to buy these. It’s going to really help and I want to make another point that’s not on this Slide.
And this is really important for small businesses. And I learned this the hard way. You know, in small businesses, one of the things that we’re always battling is cashflow. And if you have products that you are going to be selling, one of the best techniques to use is something called a pre sale campaign. So I’ll give you my example. Recently, what we started to do is bundle our products together. And each each eye condition was based on the bundle, okay, and it was going to be a ton of inventory that I was going to have to buy, and I didn’t want to tie up all that cash. So what I did was I said to my customers and my community, I’m gonna do a pre sale here, you’re gonna get 15% off all my products, if you take advantage of the pre sale price. So I did that for about two weeks. And I got the number of orders, and we got the money up front. And then I called my manufacturer and I said, Okay, this is the amount of inventory I need. So it saved my cash flow, I actually made money by doing the pre sale. And I would recommend this for any small business who has to pay payroll, who’s got personal expenses, by doing pre sale, you’re not tying up your your money on inventory, especially if you don’t know what the sales are going to be.
Okay, let’s talk about results. Because results were very important for me, very important for, you know, my colleagues and people that who are interested. So the number one thing I’m going to say here, this is probably the most important thing I’m going to say today is patience. If you can be patient financially, and emotionally, you are going to make better decisions, not only in your business, but also it’s going to help you have a better work life balance, you know, without having that pressure of, you know, whatever, you know, I need to have it now, if you can have patience. Look, this is a marathon, it is not a sprint. And so as I shared my story in 2016, I just started posting, I didn’t have products to sell. I was like, Well, let me see what happens here before I, you know, start investing hundreds and 1000s of dollars into products. And I actually built my community for almost four years before I launched my products. And that’s why I’m doing so well. Now, the other thing is persistence. You know, this can sound kind of glamorous, you know, I’m saying well, I’ve went from this zero to 120,000 followers, but it was a lot of hard work. It was a lot of daily just following through.
And, you know, continually doing the consistent posting, answering questions from customers that they would write me questions based on the post I would do. So patience and process persistence, stay the course. Another thing I want to say and you know, I’m guilty of this, too, is that the focus should not be on how many views you have, how many followers you get, whether you go viral or not create daily content that gives people value that you’re helping them. This is not about you, or me, this isn’t about my Well, I made this amount of money, and I drive this kind of a car, and I buy this kind of a watch. You know, that’s a real turnoff. And I see that a lot on Instagram, especially. My whole thing is how can I serve my community? And this is also with my employees as well. You know, one of the things I think about with the people that work for me is I’m actually working for them. And I listen to them, listen to their what are their needs, what do they want, we have regular communication, because they’re part of the fabric of whether this is going to go or not for me. And so the whole idea is creating value. And once you create the value and you give, give, give, then you have the leverage to begin to ask people, Hey, I’ve got this seminar, I’ve got this book, I’ve got this product, you have leveraged yourself where you’re going to have a greater success. Last but not least, I am going to say this very humbly. Be willing to make course corrections. If something doesn’t work. Try new things you Learn from it, and you keep going. And even if there’s money involved, and you’ve lost money, and believe me, I’ve made many mistakes financially, I’ve made many errors and judgment, but I just do a course correction. And I learned so much from it. And that’s going to be part of the process for you.
25:22
Okay, another thing that that people asked me is about time management, because a lot of people maybe are working full jobs, full time jobs already. And this may be a side hustle to start off with. But the thing is, is that if you organize your time, you can do this. And so you have to take a look at maybe the morning time is when you post, or maybe it’s on a Saturday, you create your content. So you have to figure out when you’re going to do this. And there are also some interesting things to note about optimal times to post where you can get the most attention. And I’ve created this, this chart here, which talks about the different social media platforms. So one of the things that I did early on when I started to do workshops, is I created a private Facebook group. And this is a group with your fans, that you might give them premium information or content. And I post on my private groups all the time. Now the duration of how long it is.
So we’ve talked about duration and posting times, probably the best times to post would be either in the morning or in the evening, where you’re going to get the most traction. But the thing about social media is, it’s a 24/7 cycle. And I have a very big international following. So people in Australia and New Zealand people in India, so that even doesn’t matter as much. But you can notice that these are the times when it’s best to post. And then these are the duration times. So let me go through this a little bit. Facebook private group, you know, that could be just your premium content. Something that’s come out of Facebook right now is something called Facebook reels, which are small, short, kind of like tick tock, where you can post something for 18 to 30 seconds, maybe an idea, and it can go viral.
This is happening on Facebook reels. It’s also happening on YouTube reels. So you know, the attention is still there on Facebook and YouTube. But it’s a little harder to get that kind of virality that you can still get on tick tock and LinkedIn. So the reels are the short videos, and on YouTube, you can post anytime on Facebook again, morning and evening or grain, tick tock. This is ever changing tick tock is is kind of amazing in what’s going on with it. Because even though I right here, durations 18 to 30 seconds, my best videos are about 22 seconds, because I’ve done enough of them. If I do a little longer, sometimes I start losing people, I have to really hook them to keep them engaged and tick tock, the attention span is not not so good. However, what’s happening with tick tock is now some of the longer videos are getting traction. Again, these are the times when you can post LinkedIn. Again, this is more of the b2b. If you’re talking to professionals, or you’re marketing to other, you know businesses.
Again, I do a lot of LinkedIn posting, even though my brand is mostly B to C, every now and again. It surprises me when I get a business owner or somebody that contacts me who found me on LinkedIn. And so under seven minutes is is what you do with LinkedIn. Again, I do maybe a one to two minute video or audio or even posted one of my written blogs. So these are some of the things that you can start to do. And when you start, you know posting, okay, brand versus selling. Selling is transactional with no long term growth. There’s also a very low or no retention time, and there’s probably not going to be a lot of word of mouth referrals. Whereas in building a brand, it insulates you from competition and the ups and downs in the economics. Again, it is like playing the long game be patient. So my talk about building brand through social media is the key Now when you create your brand, you want to be able to define your brand and about two sentences. So I’ve put my mission statement up here and my brand. So you can take a moment and read that.
30:26
So I’m going to go back to this one, creating a website that expresses your mission statement and your brand. So if you go to my website, Dr. Sam berne.com, you will see that my brand and message are lined up with the website. And you don’t need to spend a lot of money on a website, you can get somebody to help you, you can even do it on your own, just get maybe a landing page or two up. Again, I’m very concerned about you spending money that you don’t have or going into debt. In starting this, you don’t need to do that. So start small, and get yourself a nice website, you can see what I’ve done, there’s other people as well. And that’s a way that you can really support your brand and message.
So as I said, building brand takes patience and persistence. When you’re starting avoid debt, keep your expenses low, go slow and steady. Your mentors of score can really help you looking at the finances. There are amazing these are such successful business people, that they can help you in these areas, so that you have the time to start building your brand on social media. So one of the things that you could think about is which social social media plan platforms, do you frequent? And the second question is, what is the best way you’d like to receive content, audio, video, or written? I know for me, I love podcasts. So when I’m driving, I’ll download a podcast. I love that. In the evening, sometimes if I’m on YouTube, I’ll look at some videos or tick tock, I get some great information from that. And I also love to read. So sometimes if there’s a written blog that I really like, that’s also really helpful to me, and I can go back and refer to it. So for you what is the best way you like to receive content.
And then when you’re posting, learn about the different platforms again, you can go to Dr. Koop Google and that will that will kind of guide you on the duration when the post how you know what kind of content works the best. And then the other thing you can do is you can get a podcast going, and I’ll talk a little bit about that in a minute. But I think each and every one of you, at least in phase two should start a podcast, and then you can put it up on Apple, Spotify, Amazon. And once you start rolling, you will begin to see engagement. So working with score, I have found every business is different when discussing social media. And this depends on the following key elements. Your current use of social media, which social media platforms, you’re comfortable posting content, how much time do you have available to create content and up up date and upload your social media platforms? And you know, you can base that on? First of all, are you on social media now? And if you are, which social media sites do you frequent and if you don’t, why now there’s all kinds of political reasons and people have, you know, personal things against Facebook or Tik Tok, or whatever. And so I appreciate that. But basically what I’m doing is I’m using the internet to promote my business and I’m using them. I’m in control of what I’m posting what I’m doing. And it’s a way that creates a kind of a balanced playing field. Because it used to be, I could never do something like this. So that’s why if you’ve got some feelings about social media, like I’m not sure, see if you can figure it out, so that you use the social media platforms to further your passion, your dreams and your business.
Now One of the things that I emphasize when I talk to people is podcasts. And I love podcasts because you can multitask, you can listen, while you’re walking your dog or while you’re driving. And I would encourage each of you to see if you could start a podcast. And again, I’ll talk about that in a minute or two. But for now, take a look at how you digest content. And then you can start creating content based on what you’re digesting. Now, the following table will help you determine your skill and comfort zone level and time to invest when you’re building your social media community. So for example, on the website, and by the way, I learned how to use WordPress, so I could actually upload my podcasts, my blogs, my videos, and that saved me a lot of money at the beginning. And so I used to do that one hour a week. And then with Facebook, well, I would spend about three hours a week.
Now sometimes with podcasts, you know, again, you can grade yourself, and then how many how much time you think you need to be able to get on these different platforms. Now, based on your responses, you’re gonna get a questionnaire that Lou Sprecher and I came up with, and you can work with your mentors to help you focus on how to get started, because it can be kind of overwhelming. You know, I’ve given you a lot of information today. And you go, Well, where do I start? Well, maybe I would start with your website, and maybe start with Facebook. Okay, you kind of have to look at your customers and your community, the age of your customers. I know for me on Facebook, my age range is between 50 and 75. And there’s a lot of those folks on Facebook. So that’s why I chose Facebook Live, because I was going to get the most engagement. Now another thing that I also did when I was doing q&a on Facebook and also posting, sometimes I would do some paid advertising. So you can do both the organic. And then later on, you can learn about how to do advertising on Facebook or Instagram. And now with my products, when I’m doing a sale, like a Christmas sale or a Thanksgiving Day Sale, I am running both organic content, I’m doing advertising, and then I have my newsletter. So the next thing that you can consider is can you collect emails. By collecting emails, you have somebody you have somebody who’s really interested in what you’re doing. And then either through MailChimp, or Klaviyo, or any one of those, you can then send out a weekly newsletter. I do that all the time. And that’s one of my best selling my my return on investment. On my newsletter, when I’m doing a sale for products is through the roof. It’s amazing.
Another thing that I’ve started is texting that you can actually have people send you texting with questions. And that’s another way that I am now getting collection of email addresses phone numbers. And so you could look into that later on. So not only am I you know, getting questions from my web, my email, but I now getting questions from texting, and texting is one of the things that you can receive. And it’s a great way to start to build your community. Okay, now in stage two, you might expand your platform you might bring in LinkedIn, you might start talking about Instagram and your personal interests. And again, I want to emphasize, you know, the things that you’re passionate about the things that you’re interested in that may be beyond the regular business, that’s going to help you draw a wider audience, who then may discover your products or your services, but they never would if all of your posts were just based on your business. And Instagram is a great platform to do that. You’ve got Instagram Stories, Instagram reels. One of the things I was interested in was having a podcast. And my content was created by asking the community to send me their questions. Now there are a lot of apps available where you can record right on your phone and upload to your podcast pay Ah, that’s what I did. At
40:01
the very beginning, you don’t need fancy audio equipment, you don’t need, you know, the high end things, I wouldn’t recommend that. But by starting a podcast, there’s so many different ways that you can go, you could have, say, say in Santa Fe, your your business was restaurant, the rest of your restaurant owner, what you could do is you could actually invite other people in the industry to come on your show. And that would help you cross pollinate, they get to know about you, you’d get to know about them. Again, it’s part of that giving, where you’re not asking the guests for anything, but you let them talk about themselves. And so they have their audience, you have your audience. And this is how you start building the podcast. And at this point, I’ve got a very large download monthly download, you can get analytics from it, and a very high retention rate where people want to listen to the entire podcast. So I’ve had some interests, interesting guests on. I’ve done a lot of q&a podcasts. And then you can also look to be on other people’s podcasts as well. So there’s a lot of different advantages to being to having a podcast, because it’s that audio channel. And it’s another funnel for you to start to get.
Followers. One of the things I do with my podcasts is i Sometimes they’re very short, they’re five minutes, or they’re three minutes. And I say, hey, everybody is Dr. Sam and I clarity podcast. And you know, I have this great idea, blah, blah, blah, and I’ll talk about it for a few minutes. Well, that’s our show for today. Thanks for tuning in until next time, so I’m posting maybe four to six podcasts a week. And also another thing that you can do is you can take excerpts from the entire podcast, and you can post those on your social media sites. So I do that all the time. I just did a interview with a doctor and we took the podcast, and we split it up into maybe 32nd sound bites, and we posted those on Facebook and Instagram and LinkedIn. And it doubled the amount of people who actually ended up downloading the entire podcast. So there are different techniques that you can use.
You can even record a pre recorded intro and an outtake at the very end, you know, some something like if you have questions, you can text me, or you can send me an email, or here’s my upcoming online workshop. So there are ways again, that you can use the podcast the audio channel, as a simple, free way to start building your community. Another thing you can do is you can go on Facebook, or Instagram or tick tock or YouTube and you can do a live show q&a. And this is amazing. When you start doing this on a regular basis you will get you will get interactions with other people. And they will get to know you. And this is another great way to develop your brand. Looks like there’s q&a, we’ve got a few questions. So let me let me start with this one. I’m intrigued by the idea of four to eight content pieces per day, but can’t imagine how to do that and still have time to do my other work. How do you budget time for that?
Well, I would start off with maybe pick one of the social media sites that you know you’re most attracted to you maybe can look at where you think most of your customers are. And maybe post one a day or two a day, I think it’s going to take some time management organization. You know, I always say if you’re really passionate in what you’re doing, you will find the time to post maybe, again, you can get one of these scheduling content programs. And you can take all of your pieces and put it in the scheduling program and you can do it that way. But pick one of the social media sites that you like, and just maybe post one a day or if you can do two a day and see how that goes for a while. And then you know, you might then at that point, if you’ve got the the the budget, maybe you hire somebody to help you in the posting, I mean at this point, I do have employees that are doing my editing and posting, but I’m making enough money now that I can do that when I started doubt, I was doing everything and I was full time in my practice. But I knew that this was the ticket for me to be able to create a brand. And it would create a legacy for me that I could then maybe let go of some of the other things that I didn’t like doing, because I so enjoyed the creative process. So start slow, and just see what happens. All right, can you recommend who to find someone to help with Google and updating a Blogger blog?
Okay, so there are two sources that I use that I tap to great get great talent. The first is Craigslist. The second is a platform called Upwork. And Upwork is a platform, the where there are a lot of freelance people. And you can actually create a post on Upwork, it won’t cost you anything. And I have gotten some of my best talent, I got my bookkeeper, I got my website. People that are that are managing my website, my web store manager, my person who organizes my posts, so upwork.com would be a great place for you to look, if you can’t find anybody on Craigslist. But my goodness, there’s so many writers out there, maybe you can find somebody at one of the at the community college. And that way, you won’t have to pay as much maybe a student, somebody who’s a good writer. So there are ways that you can figure this out. Writing is is hard for me. And one of the things I’ve started to use now is an artificial intelligence
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platform, or actually tell the artificial intelligence, this is what I’m interested in, tell me about this process, in my you know, in my industry, and they will, they will come back with some outline, and you know, it’s pretty good. And so then I just fill in the pieces and make it more personal. Artificial Intelligence is definitely increasing, impinging on our lives, whether we like it or not. But that’s a way that sometimes if I need to do a quick blog, I’ll do it that way. But there are a lot of avenues there. Try those and that should help you. Okay, next question. My business is focused on city management and municipal government. I have been writing monthly newsletters on LinkedIn, and in one year have 315 subscribers. Some mayors and city managers are on LinkedIn. However, City Councillors tend to be on Twitter. And I’m hesitant to join. What’s your experience with Twitter? Can I direct people on Twitter to my website where I can repost my 25 articles from LinkedIn? Well, you know, Elon Musk is really wreaking havoc with Twitter right now. And there’s all kinds of things going on with Twitter that I can really understand where a lot of people have mixed feelings about it.
I post every day on Twitter, I probably do five to seven posts on Twitter, you can interact with people, it’s a great way to have conversations with people in your industry, you know, you could actually spend time looking up, say, in your situation mayors and city council’s or city managers who are on Twitter, and you could engage with them. And then maybe at that point, once you engage with them, if there’s some communication back and forth, you can definitely direct them away from Twitter towards your website. But I, I would say this, that the more you diversify your content, the more followers you’re going to get. And you know, the same goes with LinkedIn, where if you can interact with people by having conversations with them, communications with them. This is another way that I’ve, I have developed my LinkedIn LinkedIn following. It takes time. But I wouldn’t give up on Twitter.
I think that again, you can use it for the highest good for yourself and you can direct people away from it, so that you then put them into an environment where you’re more in control, and they’re going to be more interested in what you’re writing about. Alright, next question. Don’t podcasts require paying for service and editing ability Well, the answer to that is it depends on the service. It depends on how many podcasts you are posting. But if you start at the very beginning, you can get the free part of the service. Now, in my case, because I’m posting so much at this point, I pay about $40 a month. Okay, that’s not a lot. But that’s what I pay.
And editing, again, you could get on GarageBand. And you could have that audio file on GarageBand, I actually hired somebody to help me learn how to cut, you know, where I said, Ah, um, or, you know, if there was, you know, space in there that I didn’t like, and within five minutes, I could edit on GarageBand. I uploaded it to Dropbox, I now had a link that I could then send it off to my, my podcast service. So there are ways to do it. Maybe you find somebody that you hire, just maybe one or two times to show you how to do it. But it’s so easy to do off your phone, if you look at apps where you can do the podcast. And you know, again, you don’t have to over over produce or over edit it. Okay? Don’t worry about that. I know somebody who’s an actress who she spent $1,000 on one video. And I said, What do you do? And she says, Well, it has to be perfect. I need to get the script, you know, I need direction I need production. That’s the wrong way to go. In my view. In my, my posting, the more raw it is actually, the more views I get. Because I’m authentic. I’m not making some stuff up or I’m, you know, creating something that that’s not who I am.
So in your audio podcasts, we just want to hear what you have to say. And you can figure out a way to use a service at the beginning where you don’t have to pay for it, or it’s a minimal fee. All right, next question. Do you take videos with your phone without a microphone, wondering whether the quality is acceptable for Instagram and YouTube? Most definitely. So this video that went viral on Tiktok 300,000 views. I had no microphone, my microphone was my phone. I basically press play, I put the camera in front of my face, I had a great background of the snow. And the microphone I used was the phone’s microphone. I put it up on tic toc. And there you go. So the quality will be acceptable. You know, again, if it’s really windy, or it’s really loud, you might consider again. Okay, I don’t want a lot of sirens going on in the background. Now, I will say at this point in my sophistication. I do have wireless microphones right now. I’m simulcasting this and I’m recording this on my phone, and I have a wireless microphone that I use. That’s excellent. And I have other microphones also, as well. But I’ve been at the six years. I’m making money, I can do it. I want to invest back into my business. But the short answer is just start recording. Don’t worry about it. You can play it back, if you can hear it, it’s going to work fine for your social media posting. Okay, how do you set up a podcast page?
Do you have to pay a service? Or do the post cat podcast page options? Well, again, depending on how many podcasts you do, the answer to that is you could actually have the podcast set up in a way where you don’t have to pay for service that kind of just depends on how many podcasts you’re going to do. Again, if you don’t know how to do this, you could go to Google, and Google will show you how to set up a podcast page. And you could just do Apple or Spotify or Amazon. It’s so easy. And once you have you know the podcast name, and you have maybe a picture of yourself, it’s really easy to upload, there’s nothing to it. So I would go on Google and figure out okay, how do I set up a podcast page? And then you can look at the different options. Again, start slow, you don’t have to do what I’m doing. But just start putting the podcast out. And then you could put the link say on Facebook and say hey, here’s my podcast, or on Instagram or LinkedIn or whatever. And that’s a way you can start getting traffic to people to listen to your podcast. Okay, I have an Android phone does the apple podcast site work for Android? phones? I don’t know that answer, but I’m sure the doctor Google could help you with that. Again, my feeling is because so many people have Android phones, I think that the podcast services will work based on the app you’re using to record the podcast, if you have a sonic kind of like a voice memo, or some kind of an audio recording app. I think it’s very universal at this point, because so many people are doing podcasts. Do you use your email list to make product offerings? Or is that only social media itself?
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No, I actually use my email list to make my product offerings. And the way I do it is I create a newsletter, where part of it is education. Part of it is I’m you know, uploading, like my blogs, or my latest videos, maybe that relate to the product. And then I send that out as an email blast. And then I just watch the sales come in. It’s amazing, it works. So well. Now you have to be careful that you don’t send too many emails out. And sometimes I’ll send a newsletter out where I’m not selling any products, or I’m just educating people. And I use two newsletter services. One is MailChimp. And the other is one called Clavijo. You might not have heard of it. Klaviyo is a little more sophisticated, it’s allowing me to receive text messages for q&a. It also gives me a little more analytics. And it’s expensive, you know, both of those probably run about $500 a month for each. But the return on investment on that is probably 50x. So when I do an email, I know that I’m going to make several 1000s of dollars during a weekend sale, and I’ll you know, give a discount. But even with the discount because of the volume, I’m making really good money from that. How do you handle hostile responses online, I really get this on my business page. But that is a contained group so far, I do encounter it in bigger groups, okay, I get this a lot. So they’re always people, you know, they, what they do is I think about their life must be really miserable for them to take the time to be judgmental of me.
Okay, and so I, I definitely have compassion for them. And either I might engage them and give them an answer if they’re, you know, asking a legitimate question. Otherwise, I just delete and block them. And the social media sites now at this point, are very, very protective of people. And it’s very easy for you to delete and block those people. Now, if you’re in a group situation, you need to talk to the facilitator and let them know what’s going on. Because I know in my groups, usually the people that are in my groups, they love me, they’re not going to badmouth me, I’ve never had that happen. But if you’re in, say, a mixed group, if that’s going on, sometimes I just say I don’t want to be part of the group. But you as the influencer, have the ability to block anybody. And you should not take any grief from anybody. You just delete them, block them, don’t engage them and move on. That’s the best thing to do. In in my experience, Okay, another question. Using your method, when product is a technology license licensing opportunity. For example, We are finalizing a technology and are in need of funding. So this is an interesting thing, because in 2018, I actually got a financial partner, I needed some capital, because we were going to do some products. And it was a nightmare for me because I lost leverage in the brand. And so we ended up dissolving our partnership, but it’s it’s a very interesting thing to start to want to get funding. And then what is the relationship and you need to be very careful that you’re keeping control of the brand, because you don’t want to lose leverage, like what are the strings attached?
Because if you get involved in a partnership, and somebody is giving you money, they’re gonna want results they’re gonna want you know, probably some of the profit and so you have to be very clear if you’re going to go that route route now in and technology, you do need a lot of money, there’s no question about it. And this is where perhaps your score mentors can direct you in places where you might be able to get funding. But you can get it in a way where you don’t lose control or leverage of the brand of what the product you’re trying to put out. It’s not an easy road, but you can do it. And sometimes the upside is really amazing. So that’s how I would answer that. If I’m not comfortable, comfortable with video content, what are some of the options beyond blogging that utilize written word content? Well, one of the things that you could do is you could either speak into your phone, or, or talk into your phone, and you can get a transcript of what you have said, and you can edit it. And you can use that as your written blog. And I really get it a lot of people that I work with, they don’t want to do video, it’s hard. And they even don’t want to do audio, they’re shy. So there are ways that you can get these programs where you can actually get a transcript. And then you can post it that way. One of them that I use is called otter.ai. That’s a good one for transcription. And so that way you can stay away from the video and the audio.
And you can just do your blogs that way. If you want to dive into artificial intelligence, you can actually go on some free artificial artificial intelligence websites. And you can say, Okay, tell me how to bake a cake. And they AI will come up with a written narrative, which then if that’s your interest, or that’s your brand, you could take that AI information, and then you could make it your own. So that would be another way that you could get ideas for your blogs. Another question, you mentioned, programs for scheduling your social media postings, what would I recommend? Will they allow you to post across multiple platforms? So second question first, definitely, they will allow you to post across multiple platforms. I haven’t used them in about three years. So the one that I use, I’m not sure I would recommend for you. Again, that’s something that I would Google and then they have great customer service. So you could you know, inquire what would be the best social media scheduling program for you, based on what platforms you’re using? When you want to post? What are the duration of the of the of the posts and things like that. So that’s readily available on Google, and the support system, the support team there, we’ll be able to help you figure out what’s the best way to go.
You’re very welcome. Your audiences 55 Plus, what platforms do you recommend? All of them, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, tick tock. Now, some people will say tick tock is just for kids. I gotta tell you, I am so surprised. With the Tick Tock response that I’m getting. There are people that are 55 and over that are now on Tik Tok. Twitter is another one as well. So I would do all of them. All of them. And I would create a podcast as well. And target those 55 Plus, is it mostly women? Is it mostly men? What what a geographical location? Are they living in? You know, do you want to start reaching people on an international level? I would say yes. So learn your audience learn who’s interested, you know, in my audience is about 70% women, 30% men. And again, some of my biggest followers are in Australia, Germany, India, the UK. And so you know, it’s very surprising to me, but you can get analytics from that. And then you can target your advertising based on those locations and the socio economics and the type of person listening and why watching. Next question, does your wireless microphone connect to your cell phone? Yes.
And the type of wireless is called the road. I love it. I actually did an interview in a restaurant that was super loud. And it was amazing. Using how that microphone worked on my phone, the person was videoing me. And the other thing is, I’ll hike in the in the mountains, and I’ll put my tripod out. And I’ll be, say, you know, 75 feet away, and I’ll be walking towards my phone. And that microphone is great. So it’s called the road, wireless microphone I highly recommended. It’s maybe three or $400. It’s great. From your experience, what should you not do in social media marketing, or via podcasts?
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Talk about yourself and brag and make everything about you. I wouldn’t do any of that stuff. I would make it about how can I serve and create value for my audience? How can I educate? How can I document and create stories that will inspire them to want to come back for more, and I wouldn’t ask them for anything at the very beginning, you know, you’re dating them, you’re just getting to know them. And they may be shy, so you have to prove yourself. And the way to do that is by offering really good value. And that kept my community coming back, coming back coming back. They tell other people wow, this guy is like he’s giving us really good information. That’s how you do it.
Okay, next question, I’m concerned about mixing my personal and professional life. If I did a video, my feeling is that I would need to be dressed in formal attire, that does not fit with sharing a daily story. During my real life. Well look, as long as you’re authentic, and you do what feels comfortable to you. One of the things that when I do personal posting, I get to control what I am talking about. So for example, my family is off limits, there is no social media, that includes my family, that’s private. Some other things that I’m doing are also private. But there’s some things that I’m really excited about might be activities, and might be interests you get to choose. And I gotta tell you, when you mix the personal with the professional, you’re going to get a wider audience of people who are then may be interested in your professional life. But you get to choose that. And in terms of dressing formally, well, look, I’m a doctor, and all of my posts, I’m not wearing a white coat. Okay? Because that’s not who I am, I gave up that white coat.
Many years ago, in fact, I did a, I found a picture of myself in my white coat when I was doing my internships. And I’m actually giving a lecture to some of the residents. And I have these very funny glasses on, and I have a beard. And it was kind of funny, you know, people love that. So I don’t use a white coat, I don’t wear a tie. I’m out there. And when I’m hiking, Dr. Sam, and you know, I’m on my morning walk, I’m wearing a sweatshirt, I’m wearing a baseball hat. So the thing is, is that you decide what you’re comfortable with. And just be authentic with yourself, the more authentic you can be, the better your brand is going to go. That’s how I would say it. All right, next question. Do you have an easy video editing tool recommendation? Well, if you’re going to do it on your computer, I would probably do iMovie. And if you’re going to do it on your phone, if you have an iPhone, you can do iMovie right on your phone. So a lot of times when I’m doing a video, if I’m in a rush, I’ll just take the video on my iPhone, and I’ll just do the iMovie editing on it and ready to go. So you don’t have to get fancy software. I mean, I movies gonna come or if you’re, you know, on a PC, you’d have to figure out what is the editing software, but I don’t do a lot of editing.
I do some. For example, with tick tock, a lot of times the rhythm of tick tock, I’ll share an idea. I’ll stop the camera. I’ll share another idea. Stop the camera, I’ll share another idea and stop the camera and then I’ll weave those three separate videos together in a very fast way. So again, if you go on my tic toc site, and you can look at one of my last videos again this one that went viral. You can see that the ideas that I get IV, boom, boom, boom. So that’s tic tock on my podcast, it’s a lot slower, you know, people need time to digest. So I’m speaking more slowly. So again, you’ll know based on the social media site, what part of you you’re going to bring. But don’t worry about that. It’s got to look perfect, or a sound perfect. Just start posting. Okay, my last thing I think I’m going to say is that you can do what I’m doing that because of the internet today, this is a great time to start developing a brand. Remember, it’s a marathon, not a sprint, and be patient financially, be patient emotionally. And if you can do those things, and you give, give give, you will then have the leverage to be able to present your services or products in a way where you now have a relationship with your community. They’re gonna go for it
1:11:24
Thank you for listening. I hope you learned something from the EyeClarity podcast show today. If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to subscribe on iTunes or Spotify and leave a review. See you here next time.
Using science-based research, I’ve developed my own collection that will boost your eye health and wellness. I’ve organized these into different bundles based on different aspects of your eyes and vision and, of course, your interests. So I wanted to dig a little deeper and share more about this new offering. Enjoy the show.
You can find Dr. Sam’s Eye Health Bundles here.
If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com.
If you have any questions, submit them to hello@drsamberne.com or you can now text me! Text ‘Join’ to 1-844-932-1291 to join the community and ask your questions!
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Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberne.com.
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
optic nerve, health, vitreous, cataracts, msm, formula, people, lens, eye, vitamin, castor oil, zeaxanthin, questions, helpful, eyedrops, retina, number, nitric oxide, bundles, berberine
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberne.com.
Hey everybody it’s Dr. Sam and I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. Before we get to today’s show, you can always text me your questions 1-844-932-1291 Or send me an email hello@drsamberne.com.
I’ve got a couple of great workshops coming up in March in Southern California. I’ll be in San Diego March 5, LA March 7, and Santa Barbara March 12 doing my famous masterclass. I’m back doing that again in person. This is a great way to work with me one on one, if you’ve got an issue that you haven’t been able to solve. Register Here.
And I’ll be doing some book events. As you know, my new book, Vital Vision is coming out the end of February, we’re in a pre sale right now. So if you want to order the book, you’ll get a discount. And there are also some events happening. You can sign up and we can do an online workshop that’s going to be happening in April. Also, you can get some coaching one on one sessions with me if you buy the book, and I’ll be doing a gathering in Santa Fe in September. This is gonna be a small group at my geo-dome. So if you’d like to register for that, we’d love to have you.
Preorder the book here OR learn about my book events here.
So a few announcements, my new book is coming out vital vision clear eyed solutions for midlife and beyond. This is my newest offering. And I’m very excited about the release, it will be released February 28. And there are different ways that you can participate in buying the book, you can just buy it and you get a discount. You can also buy the book and you can receive some zoom telemedicine sessions from me. And also, if you buy the book, you can also participate in my Saturday, April 29. online workshop, there are only 20 slots available. This is an exclusive workshop where you get some one on one time with me. So if you’re interested in that, and then finally, if you want to join me live in person here at the geo dome in Santa Fe, I will be doing a live event. The dates will be September 16 and 17th 2023. Again, this will be limited the 20 people are going to have it here on my property. So you can look for that we’re in the plat, we’re at the platinum level. So you can go to my website and look for that we have silver, gold and platinum.
This is the platinum level where you get access to me for two days, we’re going to do some very interesting things cutting edge things and energy medicine workshop that’s related to your vision, your brain, your health, we’re going to talk about red light therapy. Oh, that’s a hot topic right now. And so if you want to participate, just go to my website and look under the vital vision picture and you can click on that and see what the offerings are. I’m also going to be offering a few masterclasses I haven’t done this since 2018. And of course, with COVID, I had to discontinue the live master classes. So this is a really exciting event. I’m going to be doing one on Sunday, March 5, in San Diego, march 7 in Los Angeles. And I’m going to be doing one, probably March 9 or 10th. We’re figuring out the the venue up in the Santa Barbara area. So in Southern California, I probably will be doing it in other places as well. But I only take six people for this, and you get zoom sessions, you get one on one session live with me.
And it’s really a great way to take your vision and health to the next level. So again, you can look on my website and look under classes, and you’ll be able to sign up if you’ve got any questions, you can contact our team. hello@drsamberne.com. So I’m getting a lot of questions about my bundles. And so I thought I would spend today’s show talking about this new aspect that I’m bringing in. And this has occurred because I’ve gotten so many emails from people that say, okay, you know, I’ve got macular degeneration, how do I improve my macular health? What do I need to take? What do I need to do or somebody that wants information on how to improve their lens health if they’ve got early stage cataracts? I also get other questions on glaucoma and how to protect the optic nerve. I get tons of questions on blue light and how it’s affecting our vision from being on screen time. And then of course, the last one is floaters. That’s probably the biggest question I get. So what can you do to improve vitreous health? So I’m gonna start on that one. And you know, I’ve talked about The importance of collagen health with the vitreous. And as we get older a lot of times the vitreous chamber the gel sac loses its collagen integrity. So it either shrinks, that’s usually what happens.
Or sometimes it hydrates too much. There’s an imbalance between the water, the amino acids and the collagen in the vitreous. And this is creating the floater situation that so many people are frustrated with. So I came up with a package only three items you need to get one is our 15%. MSM eyedrops, they speak for themselves. And if you’re not sure, you can actually go to my MSM, customer review section of my website, and you can read the customer reviews. My whole health I vitamin is really off the charts in terms of having everything in it that you need to support, eye health and better eye circulation. Things like taurine, gingko, bilberry, vitamin A and zinc, lutein and zeaxanthin just to name a few. So that’s a very important formula for you to take for anything but it’s really great for vitreous health. And then number three is the vitamin E.
And, you know, I’ve talked about in other podcasts, the value of the toe Katrina’s This is a new form of vitamin D, it actually is sourced from an annatto tree, and a Natto is the richest source of tocotrienols that we can get. And there have been numerous studies done on the value of this new form of vitamin D, in supporting our eye health. And so those are the three aspects, the three products that I would suggest for your vitreous health. Alright, let’s move to optic nerve, so the optic nerve is in the back of the eye. It’s such a critical part of the connection between the retina and the brain. And when we have problems with eye pressure, specifically glaucoma, but we can also have things like inflammation of the optic nerve, which is very serious. The key point is that the optic nerve reflects our peripheral vision, our visual fields, and when we’re diagnosed with glaucoma or any kind of optic nerve issue, there are things that we can do to protect our optic nerve.
And I’m going to go through those, there’s four things that I suggest number one, my omega three, Omega three has been shown to be super helpful for brain health, eye health. In fact, 50% of the retina is made up of fatty acids. So the Omega three is critical for protecting your optic nerve. Number two, back to my home health I formula. This is again, very helpful, especially because of the taurine, gingko bilberry that’s in this formula. I’ve also put in things like curcumin, green tea, lipoic acid, vitamin A, and these things are really good building blocks for our optic nerve health. And then the vitamin E again is very important studies have shown Vitamin E is super helpful for optic nerve health, retinal health, especially in the form of the Toka Trino. But my number four all star is the optic nerve formula and it has something in it called nitric oxide. You can Dr Google nitric oxide, and you’re gonna get a lot of research articles and information on the value of nitric oxide in relationship to cardiovascular health, muscular performance, overall circulation, including eyes circulation. So nitric oxide is one of those ingredients that dilates and relaxes the blood vessels. And since our retinas and our optic nerves are a sea of micro capillaries, that tiny blood vessels that are in the eye. Nitric oxide works very well at supporting proper blood vessel dilation. There’s some research out there that actually points to the value of nitric oxide, even for conditions like open angle glaucoma.
09:56
So if you’re concerned about glaucoma, if you’re concerned about your eyes circulation, the optic nerve package is really super helpful. Alright, the next one I want to go into is your lens health. Now we know that the lens of the eye is in a vascular structure, there’s no blood vessels that run through the lens. So it’s very vulnerable, susceptible to getting oxidative stress. And this oxidative stress free radical damage is the beginning of cataracts. And the percentage of people that are going to get cataracts is probably 90%. And so, through my research and you know, working with people over the years, I came up with a protocol that’s going to work really well and improving lens health. So my number one again, is the whole health I formula, I highly recommend that my number two is MSM, the 5%. MSM eyedrops will, which will lubricate and moisturize your eyes. My number three is vitamin C, this is a formula that I’ve put together, and it tastes really good. It’s high concentration, it’s got things like quercetin and roots roots in in it, natural bio flavonoids, you know, in the studies that that are out there reported, if you have low levels of vitamin C, you have higher a higher risk of developing cataracts.
My next all star is my glutathione synergy. And this is again in a powder form. And glutathione is the master antioxidant in the body. And it’s helpful for so many things, detoxification, cardiovascular, immune health, and of course, lens health. So the glutathione synergy is really, really important. And my number four, you may not have heard of this is called Berberine. And Berberine is a plant based formula, I have also put alpha lipoic acid in it. So there is a relationship between our blood sugar levels, our insulin metabolism and cataract formation. In fact, if you’re pre diabetic, if you’re diabetic, you have a much higher risk of developing cataracts. So in this Berberine formula, this particular supplement is very helpful in balancing your glucose levels, maintaining healthy insulin levels. And this is going to reduce your risk of developing cataracts. In fact, the type of cataract you get when your glucose levels are high, is the cortical cataracts, and I talked about this in some of my video blogs, you can look at those. But the bottom line is this when the glucose molecule binds to the protein molecule in the lens, this is called glycation.
And this is a very common scenario when people develop cataracts. So in this particular formula, this kind of is full circle in being able to support your lens health in a way that it really addresses so many different aspects of what causes cataracts. And so this lens health package is really great for supporting lens health. And last but not least, is Macula so the macula is the center part of the retina. It has the highest concentration of cones, and macular health is the name of the game these days because more and more people are developing macular degeneration. Now in the macula formula, I basically put in three things, saffron, my whole health and my asters Anthon. So saffron has been shown to be a very potent antioxidant that protects your Macula as his Anthon is a micro algae that’s part of that. lutein, zeaxanthin conversation. The current noids are so important in protecting macular health. So again, saffron asked to Xanthan and my whole health I vitamin, pretty simple and straightforward. All right, I’ve saved the best for last. This is about blue light, blue light protection. So if you’re on your screen, you’re getting exposed to blue light and it’s a chaotic frequency, and especially after 6pm it can dry your eyes out As it can affect your sleep cycle. And I even think in maximum exposures of blue light over time, it can start to change some of the tissue health. So in my research, what I decided to do is create a specific blue blocking vitamin.
This is really hot, because the blue blocking vitamin has lutein, zeaxanthin and Astra Xanthine in it, and it’s designed specifically to combat or deflect the damaging effects of blue lights. So that’s my number one in this blue light formula number two, I find that dry eye is a big issue. So I’m combining in the daytime. Getting the MSM eyedrops at the 5% and then getting the organic castor oil. Those of you that don’t know about my eyedrop castor oil should check it out. You know, there was a study I published on castor oil that it actually helped in reducing meibomian gland dysfunction. And the reason is, is because we’ve got our meibomian glands in the eyelashes and the meibomian glands produce the lipid part the fatty part of the tears, and in this study castor oil was a great replacement of that lipid formula and the lipid part of the tears helps the tears from evaporating. So you do the MSM drops during the day. I like to do one drop each eye four times a day and at night do the castor oil you can do the castor oil I massage or you can put the castor oil right in the eyes. So again to repeat the blue blocking vitamin, the organic castor oil and the MSM eyedrops, and if you want to throw in the blue blockers that we sell, that would also be really, really great, but it’s not a requirement. So that’s kind of a recap of the bundles. We are in a pre order stage. So if you order now you get 10% off and check it out. It’s it’s a really great collection of supplements that will support your eye health and wellness. So that’s our show for today. I want to thank you so much for your support and tuning in. I look forward to a great 2023 with you. Take care everybody.
Thank you for listening. I hope you learned something from the EyeClarity podcast show today. If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to subscribe on iTunes or Spotify and leave a review. See you here next time.
Today, I want to share my newest and best information about dry eye. Many people suffer from some level of dryness throughout their life, so I want to share steps you can take to alleviate and prevent dry eyes for yourself. Enjoy the show.
If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com.
If you have any questions, submit them to hello@drsamberne.com or you can now text me! Text ‘Join’ to 1-844-932-1291 to join the community and ask your questions!
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
eye, castor oil, eyelids, dry, vitamin, progressive lenses, work, eyedrops, gallbladder, imbalances, toxicities, producing, today, absorb, sam, bile salts, mountaineering, liver, lutein, podcast
00:05
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberne.com.
Hey everybody it’s Dr. Sam and I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. Before we get to today’s show, you can always text me your questions 1-844-932-1291 Or send me an email hello@drsamberne.com.
I’ve got a couple of great workshops coming up in March in Southern California. I’ll be in San Diego March 5, LA March 7, and Santa Barbara March 12 doing my famous masterclass. I’m back doing that again in person. This is a great way to work with me one on one, if you’ve got an issue that you haven’t been able to solve. Register Here.
And I’ll be doing some book events. As you know, my new book, Vital Vision is coming out the end of February, we’re in a pre sale right now. So if you want to order the book, you’ll get a discount. And there are also some events happening. You can sign up and we can do an online workshop that’s going to be happening in April. Also, you can get some coaching one on one sessions with me if you buy the book, and I’ll be doing a gathering in Santa Fe in September. This is gonna be a small group at my geo-dome. So if you’d like to register for that, we’d love to have you.
Preorder the book here OR learn about my book events here.
Hey, everybody, it’s Dr. Sam and I want to welcome you to my podcast today. I’m doing some mountaineering up in the snow.
We just had a great snowfall. And I want to talk to you about dry eye. And again, we’re 2023 and this is my newest information. I’ve been working with dry eye for over three decades, tried a lot of different things. And today, I want to give you my newest and best information. So the first thing to know about dry eye is that most people do suffer some dryness. And they have suffered some dryness, either because of endocrine imbalances, or just extended uses usage on screen time. Our digital devices today are drying us out and couple that with environmental toxicities, stress and our speeded up lifestyle. This is affecting our adrenals our cortisol levels are off the charts. More and more people are having thyroid imbalances, estrogen imbalances, testosterone imbalances, all of these things contribute to dry eye. Now I know when you go to your eye doctor, he’s looking at your corneas. He’s made looks look at your eyelids, and that’s kind of where it stops. And there are some fancy procedures like lip of flow or getting on the eyedropper stasis and those work. Okay, it’s more of a symptom approach.
And you know, my perspective is not for everybody. It’s not a quick fix. I also would say that in dry eye, there are definitely systemic and mid metabolic reasons, as well as AI reasons. So I’m going to talk on the micro. And then I’m going to talk on the macro. Alright, so first of all, one of the keys in reducing dri is reducing any inflammation in and around the eyes. And the place where we can get inflammation is the eyelids. And around the eyelashes is a set of glands called My Bohmian glands. These are the glands that produce the oily part of the tears that keep our tears from evaporating too quickly. One of the diagnosis diagnoses that you’ll hear thrown around in the dry clinics is something called meibomian gland dysfunction. Another one you’ll hear is chronic blepharitis. So in both of these conditions, you got a problem with the eyelid and there’s inflammation going on the could be just locally because the eyelids are inflamed. Or you also may have some secondary conditions going on in the body. And I’m going to bookmark that. I’ll come back to that later. So the first thing is there’s an eyelid problem, not producing the proper tears that you need. And then second of all, you may not be getting enough healthy omega three fats and oils into your body. And this has an effect on producing the proper tiers. Number three, if you are on screen time, I would strongly consider a not using progressive lenses, you want to use a single vision lens that’s specifically and exclusively for the computer.
If you’re using progressive lenses, for your computer time, you are stressing your eyes out. And again, you can look at some of my other video blogs, on the pros and cons of progressive lenses. But if you’re doing long term focusing through a split lens, you’re asking for trouble. In addition, if you’re wearing a prescription that’s calculated either for distance or for reading, that’s going to weaken your eyes more, and your eyes are going to get more stressed. All of this is going to lead to dry eye. Another factor is and this is more of the functional aspect of your two eyes. Are they working together in a balanced way? I find when I test people, if they’re right handed, their right eye is doing 80% and their left eye is doing 20%. And in some cases, the brain is actually shutting off the left eye. So you have to get tested for visual coordination, depth perception, you have to ask your eye doctor for this type of test. And then finally, the eye nutrients that are missing vitamin A zinc, the B vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin E, especially the tocotrienols. Those are the new forms of vitamin E that I’ve discovered to be much better for your eyes than the old time vitamin D. And then you’ve got things like bilberry, lutein z is Anthon acid Xanthine you need to be getting these in into your diet.
09:03
Now in terms of eyedrops there are a lot of eyedrops on the market and
09:12
I have gone through extensive research and also I’m very fastidious about what I represent what I recommend in terms of eyedrops. So to start off with if you’ve got really bad dry eye You’re just not hydrating enough consider artificial tears. Oasis symbolizing has a new eye drop out that you could use it’s more in the homeopathic world. I like that one that’s very good. or and or my MSM eyedrops, and I would start with the 5% I might even consider the 15% I missed that works very well for or, again, calming down the eyelids and you can use that during the day. And then in the evening, I’ve developed a castor oil eyedrop. And I’m going to pause here and talk a little bit about castor oil.
There was actually a study that was done on the relationship between the meibomian gland meibomian gland dysfunction and dry eye and the researchers used a castor oil eyedrop as a substitute instead of using other eyedrops because of the oily nature of the castor oil. It substituted from the lack of oiliness and the inherent tears that people would produce. And they found that the meibomian gland dysfunction went down significantly. So in the evening, I would start using the castor oil I drop before bed. And again, start slow start easy. Sometimes if you use too much too fast, it creates a it triggers a detoxification experience, your eyes can even swell up, they can get puffy, they can get red, and we think it’s the eye drop. But actually the eyedropper is just trying to help you get rid of toxins in the eye.
So if you’ve had any kind of eye surgery, if you’ve been exposed to heavy metals or mold, or pesticides, the eyes are very vulnerable place where we absorb and we receive and internalize those toxicities. And since the eyes have the highest metabolic need in the body, you start using some natural products that’s going to trigger the release of these toxins. Now, in terms of systemic things, I think you need to get your thyroid checked, I think you need to get your estrogen levels, check your testosterone levels, your cortisol levels get an endocrine testing done. Because a lot of times, if you’ve got a metabolic imbalance, it causes the eyes to dry out. Okay, my last point, and this is one I’ve made quite a lot, but you may not have heard of it. And this has to do with the relationship between the liver, the gallbladder, and vitamin A. So, in order to be able to absorb vitamin A, it’s a fat soluble vitamin. And I’d also add lutein and zeaxanthin those plant based carotenoids, you need bile, which is produced in the liver and stored in the gallbladder to be able to absorb your vitamin A. And I can’t tell you the number of patients I’ve had over the years with dry with floaters, who have a challenge in their liver. And there could be a variety of reasons why. But in any event, if the liver is not producing enough bile, and it’s not stored in the gallbladder, you can have as much vitamin a and beta carotene.
If you’re not absorbing it, then it’s not helping you and vitamin A is critically important to improve dry eye syndrome. So the answer is to supplement with something called bile salts, that you would do this after a meal. And the bile salts will help you be able to absorb the vitamin A, and the lutein and zeaxanthin your fat soluble vitamins. And this could be a game changer in terms of your dry eye, especially if nothing else has worked. Now you could go to a Chinese medicine doctor and have them test your liver meridian, they can read your pulses, your gallbladder. And if you’ve got any issues going on, then I would definitely boost your liver health, your gallbladder health. And also I would consider maybe a few months of the bile salts after after meals.
So again, my approach doesn’t work for everybody. I tend to try to treat the cause and not the symptoms. And I know there are a lot of people out there that are just in such excruciating pain, and they just want some symptom help and I get that. But if you want to join my train, and you want to try to figure out what the cause is and treating the cause my approach works really well. Especially it lasts, it’s long lasting things don’t come back. So give it a try. Well, that’s my show for today. I’m going to continue up the mountain. I want to thank you so much for tuning in. Take care
14:57
Thank you for listening. I hope you learned something from the EyeClarity podcast show today. If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to subscribe on iTunes or Spotify and leave a review. See you here next time.
Cataracts are a growing concern among people young and old, so I wanted to update you all on how to prevent and reduce cataracts holistically. I will cover the cataract basics and then jump into what’s new. Enjoy the show.
If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com.
If you have any questions, submit them to hello@drsamberne.com or you can now text me! Text ‘Join’ to 1-844-932-1291 to join the community and ask your questions!
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
cataract, lens, eye, eyedrops, msm, glutathione, called, vitamin, podcast, people, recommend, vision, book, protocol, occurs, cataract surgery, day, antioxidant, surgery, berberine
00:05
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberne.com.
Hey everybody it’s Dr. Sam and I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. Before we get to today’s show, you can always text me your questions 1-844-932-1291 Or send me an email hello@drsamberne.com.
I’ve got a couple of great workshops coming up in March in Southern California. I’ll be in San Diego March 5, LA March 7, and Santa Barbara March 12 doing my famous masterclass. I’m back doing that again in person. This is a great way to work with me one on one, if you’ve got an issue that you haven’t been able to solve. Register Here.
And I’ll be doing some book events. As you know, my new book, Vital Vision is coming out the end of February, we’re in a pre sale right now. So if you want to order the book, you’ll get a discount. And there are also some events happening. You can sign up and we can do an online workshop that’s going to be happening in April. Also, you can get some coaching one on one sessions with me if you buy the book, and I’ll be doing a gathering in Santa Fe in September. This is gonna be a small group at my geo-dome. So if you’d like to register for that, we’d love to have you.
Preorder the book here OR learn about my book events here.
Hey, everybody, welcome to my podcast. today. I’m doing some mountaineering. And in fact, I’ve got some, I’ll show you my shoes. So I got some cleats here. So I’m going to be heading up the mountain. But I wanted to get this information out. So here we go. So I’m calling this podcast series, the new vision 2023. My latest information on how to work on different eye conditions. The first one I’m going to talk about today is cataract lens management. So the number of people that are getting cataracts is growing by exponential proportions.
A day doesn’t go by wear I don’t receive a question on how to either manage my cataract surgery, or how can I improve lens health. So this is my latest information. You know, I’ve been at this over three decades, I’ve tried many different things. And here is what I’ve settled on. Now in former content, I’ve talked about how lens health is related to our glutathione and vitamin C. That hasn’t changed. But the delivery system and the the way you need to work with these and other essential ingredients is something new. So I wanted to let you know what I’m thinking. Before I do that. I want to talk a little bit about what is a cataract. It’s basically oxidative stress that it begins to collect in the Transparent Transparent tissue in the lens of the eye. Now, we think that cataracts are related to age. And I hear this all the time that people say well, I’m 65 years old.
I’m starting to get cloudiness. Experience glare when I’m driving. It’s a cataract. And it’s because of age. So I’m here to say it’s less about age. It’s more about the size of the cataract and the location. You know, kids can get cataracts. We have the congenital cataracts that occur at birth. We also have cataracts we call juvenile cataracts that can start to occur. As a child, those are a little bit unusual situations. But they would fit into the category of what I’m talking about when we speak of the cataracts that people get, say, over the age of 55. So, as I said, cataract is an opacity that begins to develop, because the lens is not able to get rid of its oxidative stress fast enough. There’s no direct blood vessels in the lens of the eye, which makes it very vulnerable for getting the proper nutrients. And if we couple that with things like poor diet, stress, and we we start to see cataracts forming in almost everybody. So, a couple of things about types of cataracts. I’ve talked about nuclear cataracts, which are probably the most common, and that’s kind of in the center and the front of the lens.
That’s the one where you’re really going to get a diminishment in your visual acuity quite quickly. The second type of cataract is the one that’s around the edge of the lens. And this is called a cortical cataract. This is related to diabetes or glucose issues. The third type of cataract is called a posterior subcapsular cataract. And this occurs, again, because there’s a problem with getting rid of oxidative stress this occurs in the back part of the lens. And this is where people will get halos, glare on headlights, they can also get that in the cortical cataract, but they tend to get it a lot in the posterior subcapsular cataract. Okay, so
07:34
another thing that happens with cataract, is that you can actually get the surgery and you develop what we call a secondary cataract. Now, it’s not really a cataract, but some of the cells from your original lens start to grow over the inter ocular lens. And what the doctor can do at this point is something called a YAG laser where they can burn off the cells that have grown over the intraocular lens. And it’s a procedure that that’s very quick works well. So if you’ve had cataract surgery, and you start getting this situation, I would definitely opt into getting the YAG laser procedure. Now in cataract surgery, it is by far the best surgery out there in terms of eye surgeries, because they’ve done so many of them. And the success is very, very high. And when people get diagnosed with a cataract, a lot of times they get surprised because it just kind of is a sudden onset. And really the cataract has been there for quite a long period of time.
But it’s grown enough where it now begins to come into your awareness. And what you have to decide whether you want to do the surgery, or you want to work with me is how much time and energy do you want to put into it? You know, in cataract surgery, you get the surgery, and within a few days, you regain your eyesight. It’s pretty miraculous magical and it works really well. Obviously, there are some side effects like dry eyes the possibility of getting floaters. I don’t recommend mono vision where you’re correcting one eye for distance and one eye for near eye. Be careful about getting a astigmatism, contact lenses or multifocal lenses, and make sure to ask your doctor if the lens that he or she is putting in the eye has some blue blocking protection. But if you match the eyes for distance, and you get a single vision lens, you know Medicare cover covers it. It’s it’s pretty much a slam dunk. Now my community, people are really into mind body, they’re into healing. They’re into eating well. And you can do do all those things. And my approach still doesn’t work. In fact, I did a podcast not too long ago, why my protocols don’t work. And I would listen to that if you are challenged by my protocols, and they don’t seem to be working.
The best chance of success in the ER is in the early stage cataracts. Once you get into the more moderate or the chronic cataract, the right cataract, I would probably opt for doing the surgery. But that’s up to you. Now, in former videos, I talked about eyedrops, and I have been trying them for a long time. And I’m actually here to say that I don’t recommend the cataract reversing eyedrops anymore. And I don’t want to mention names or manufacturers because I like those folks. I think they’re doing a good job. But in my community, I have found that those eyedrops don’t work, so I’ve dropped it, I’m not using them anymore. If you want to try them, that’s entirely up to you. But I don’t endorse or recommend them, because the success rate is too low. And since I’m really into success, my metric is what can I use to help people improve lens health as quick as possible. So the only eyedrop that I recommend for this process and it doesn’t, it’s not going to get rid of your cataract is my 5% MSM eyedrops. I like those for a variety of reasons. First of all, MSM is moisturizing, it’s lubricating, it’s a collagen creator. And you know, the lens of the eye is made up of partly collagen and protein and amino acids.
So what I can say about MSM is it’s going to lubricate your eyes, it’s going to soften them, it’s going to whiten them, it’s going to get rid of the circulation stuff that might be going on which is part of the cars. And I would use that MSM maybe one drop four times a day, as some people also like my castor oil, I dropped this as a good one for nighttime. And I’ll talk more about the castor oil I drop in my dry eye podcast. But I think that if you wanted to get your eyes to be moister, more lubricated, and better circulation, I think these are the two drops that I would recommend and I forget the other ones. And then systemically you see I feel that a lot of cataract causes are due to systemic imbalances.
And there’s a few key things that you want to consider number one, and I talked about this at the beginning. Glutathione is an essential antioxidant that helps improve one’s health. So five, four to 500 milligrams a day would be optimal. You can also get your glutathione from cruciferous vegetables. Make sure you’re adding selenium is a trace mineral that helps you in the absorption and the creation of glutathione. So that’s number one. Number two is vitamin C. Again, studies have shown that when a person is developing cataracts, a lot of times they’re they have low levels of vitamin C, I would recommend about 2000 milligrams a day of vitamin C. Next is a product I developed called Berberine. And Berberine is fabulous for helping you balance glucose levels. So there’s a mechanism that occurs in a cataract formation where the glucose molecule binds to the protein molecule in the lens, and the process is called glycation.
Now when this happens, this starts the growth of the cataract. So Berberine helps balance the glucose levels in the blood in the body. I’ve also put in alpha lipoic acid, which is a super fantastic antioxidant for the lens of the eye. This helps address the glucose part of the cataract formation. And I have found that working with us systemically is better than trying to use some kind of an eyedropper. And then last but not least, I would recommend things like lutein, Xanthan acid, Xanthan vitamin A zinc, bilberry, taurine, gingko. You see these are essential not only for retina health, but also for lens health. So I would recommend again my vitamin has all this in there And I just want to say a word about supplements. They’re just that supplements, if you can get your sources of antioxidants, and I’m talking about glutathione, vitamin C, and all those I nutrients through your, your vegetables, your rainbow diet. One of the diets, I find it’s very good for Eye Health is the Mediterranean diet, because you need to also have healthy fats and oils.
That then the supplements become just that they’re supplementing all the good antioxidants that you’re getting in your body. And I think this particular protocol is more effective and will get you to the finish line faster. And you’ll have better results than playing around with different kinds of eyedrops that have been purported to help. But in my experience, they actually have not helped, so why bother? The last thing I’m going to say about cataracts is that you want to take care of your eyes by protecting yourself against, you know, excessive blue light, especially after 6pm. You want to keep your eyes hydrated, you want to make sure you’re getting enough fats and oils. And if you do those things, you have a fighter’s chance to improve your lens health again, it works better in early stages, cataracts than moderate to end stage.
However, I’ve had people in moderate to end stage who’ve been able to slow down the progression, and they’ve been happy, because they haven’t wanted to get the cataract surgery, I’m gonna leave that up to you. So in all of these things, remember, everybody’s body is different. Everybody’s bringing something different to the table. And you’ll know in about three months, if things are getting better than you can stay the course. For most people, they have to be on this kind of a protocol for three to six months. And remember, sugar is your enemy. So any foods that you’re eating, you want to make sure you’re staying more in the low glycemic index areas, you want to reduce inflammation. I like things like Tumeric curcumin, and ginger root things that reduce inflammation, because this also can create an AI imbalance.
17:27
So if you have any questions, feel free to email me or text me. I’m happy to do that. And that’s our show for today. I want to thank you for tuning in. Until next time, take care.
17:45
Thank you for listening. I hope you learned something from the EyeClarity podcast show today. If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to subscribe on iTunes or Spotify and leave a review. See you here next time.
Macular Degeneration is the leading cause of blindness and I’m seeing more and more people diagnosed with a more serious kind, so I wanted to take some time to provide you with the latest information on how to prevent and reduce Macular Degeneration through a holistic lens. Enjoy the show.
If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com.
If you have any questions, submit them to hello@drsamberne.com or you can now text me! Text ‘Join’ to 1-844-932-1291 to join the community and ask your questions!
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
macular degeneration, macula, red light, retina, wet macular degeneration, eye, nearsighted, lutein, reducing, dairy, vision, talk, coming, milligrams, fluid, omega threes, check, podcast, part, book
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberne.com.
Hey everybody it’s Dr. Sam and I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. Before we get to today’s show, you can always text me your questions 1-844-932-1291 Or send me an email hello@drsamberne.com.
I’ve got a couple of great workshops coming up in March in Southern California. I’ll be in San Diego March 5, LA March 7, and Santa Barbara March 12 doing my famous masterclass. I’m back doing that again in person. This is a great way to work with me one on one, if you’ve got an issue that you haven’t been able to solve. Register Here.
And I’ll be doing some book events. As you know, my new book, Vital Vision is coming out the end of February, we’re in a pre sale right now. So if you want to order the book, you’ll get a discount. And there are also some events happening. You can sign up and we can do an online workshop that’s going to be happening in April. Also, you can get some coaching one on one sessions with me if you buy the book, and I’ll be doing a gathering in Santa Fe in September. This is gonna be a small group at my geo-dome. So if you’d like to register for that, we’d love to have you.
Preorder the book here OR learn about my book events here.
Hey, everybody, welcome to my podcast today. I’m doing some mountaineering. And in fact, I’ve
02:27
got some I’ll show you my shoes. So I got some cleats here. So I’m going to be heading up the mountain.
02:37
But I wanted to get this information out. So here we go. Hey, everybody, it’s Dr. Sam, and I’d like to welcome you to another podcast. So today, I want to give you the latest information on how I’m working with macular degeneration. And macular degeneration is the leading cause of blindness I’m seeing more and more people diagnosed with a more serious kind of macular degeneration, which is the wet. But if you get this diagnosis, it can be kind of a wake up call that you need to do some different things with your eyes and with your body with your health. And I want to give you the newest and the best information. So a little anatomy lesson. The macula is the center part of the retina. It has the densest part of cones, where we see detail and color vision. And for people that are say over 6570 This is when macular degeneration can start occurring. But it’s probably been hovering around for quite a while. And this now has reached the the part where it’s now coming to your visual awareness. So the first thing to note is there are a lot of things that you can do. I know more and more doctors are talking about the air IDs and the air IDs to formulas. This is from the NIH study back in 2001 and 2006.
And whatever brand you go with, if you start taking things like lutein Xanten as to Xanthan, I think that that would be a good step in the right direction. Now dosage, I would recommend somewhere around 16 milligrams of lutein, about six milligrams of xanthan, and about four to six milligrams of acid Xanthine daily acid Xanthine is the marine current Noid and so we talk about foods. Think red, orange, yellow, green mean vegetables, this would be for your lutein. And your Z is Anthon. And you know, this time of year, wintertime, you can do things like sweet potatoes, and squash. Also kale and spinach. And of course, the cruciferous vegetables are really important as well. Avocados are high on my list. Also, if you eat cage free eggs, there’s a lot of good lutein and eggs as well. So however you want to get it, you want to start in on the lutein, zeaxanthin and ask the Xanten. And another key factor here in your macular health, is to recognize that about 50% of the retina is made of fatty acids. Therefore, the omega threes are so important. And you’re looking at taking probably around 2000 milligrams a day, you can check in with your doctor, get a good high quality Omega three, and start taking that making sure you’re reducing inflammation.
One of the things that the Omega threes do in all fats and oils, healthy fats and oils, is they can be helpful at reducing inflammation. Now another thing that people talk to me about is blue light. And it is true that blue light, over a period of time, can dry out your eyes, it can damage some of the cells, the tissue. And so getting some kind of blue protect lens, at least for part of the day, especially late in the day or into the evening is a good idea. I don’t want you using progressive lenses. You know, when you split lenses and use bifocals and trifocals you’re actually putting more stress on the macula is to do more of the work. And when I share that with people, it becomes such an epiphany to them, that the optical system glasses that they’re looking through, is actually creating more stress on the macula.
They they have a wake up and they go Alright, I need to use a single vision lens, whether it be for distance, whether it be for the computer, and or reading now, it’s going to depend on whether you’re nearsighted or farsighted. And if you’re near sighted, you might be able to read without any glasses, depending on how nearsighted you are. And you can also get a reduced prescription and a reduced distance prescription and use that for the computer. Your eye doctor could prescribe that for you. nearsightedness teaches you to focus exclusively on the macula. It’s like a tunneling of your vision. So I would start working on reducing your myopia through my eye exercises, and engaging more peripheral vision. That’s the name of the game. So you’re not relying on your Macula to do everything.
Remember, the macula is or less than 1% of the real estate of the retina. And yet if we’re used using bifocals or trifocals, or we’re nearsighted, we tend to be very Macula centric. And 99% of the real estate is what you need to engage with. Okay, last but not least, I’m going to bring in my colleague Glen Jeffries, the Jeffrey’s lab and his research on red light. If you don’t know about this, you should. Dr. Jeffries and his team did a study with people with retinal degeneration problems and drusen. And he had them look at Red Light daily, morning dose of red light over a 12 week period. And he found that there was a 22% increase in their visual acuity after 12 weeks. Why red light because red light helps stimulate the mitochondria and the mitochondria live in every cell in the body but they’re in a very high concentration in your retina and macula. Think of it this way.
The retina has the highest metabolic need of the body and the macula has the highest metabolic need of the retina. Let me say that again. The retina has the highest metabolic needs of the body and the macula has the highest need metabolic need in the retina. So what this red light does, when you sit and receive the red light and you only need to do it about five minutes a day and you want to do it in the morning. You have a good chance of increasing mitochondria function which produces ATP, which gets rid of oxidative stress and inflammation. And it gets rid of something called our O S. And this reactive oxygen molecule will increase as you age. And it’s one of the issues that occurs in all retinal degenerations. Another part of the study, which was fascinating to me is that this red light, reduce drusen drusen are those fatty deposits that accumulate in the retina. And if they start impinging on the macula, you’re going to have some issues with macular degeneration.
So I would check out the red light. All right, last but not least, I’m going to talk about the more serious kind, wet macular degeneration, where you get edema and fluid behind the eyes. And this is a very serious condition. The only way to really work with this from an allopathic point of view is to get monthly injections, which can help dissipate the fluid temporarily. And it works. But there are side effects. So if you are diagnosed with wet macular degeneration, stay connected to your eye doctor, stay connected to the injections, and then you can start instituting some of my things if you choose to. But it’s the long game if you’re going to do that. So a couple of things to check out would be are you diabetic, or pre diabetic, people with what macular degeneration tend to have issues with glucose, they’re not metabolizing it very well.
Number two, with wet macular degeneration, there may be some underlying either inflammatory disease in the gut, or heavy metal toxicity exposure, pesticide exposure or mold exposure. Now this gets a little heavy, because now you’ve got to seek out a naturopathic doctor or a functional medicine doctor and do some additional testing. But I want to make a key point here. Your gut health is directly directly related to your eye health. And if you’ve got any kind of digestive issues, it’s going to affect your eyes. And one of the most vulnerable areas is the macula.
12:22
The last thing I’ll say about what macular degeneration I’ve actually done a written blog, nine things you can do to reduce wet macular degeneration, you can Google that it’s on my website is the relationship you have with dairy. Now, this doesn’t apply to everybody. But think of it this way. When you develop what macular degeneration, there is an imbalance in the fluid in your body, specifically in the eye. And dairy, for most people creates more mucus, and it heightens more congestion. And I’ve had a number of people where they’ve gotten off dairy. And this has reduced the wet macular degeneration. So I’m only sharing it as an observation. I know some people love their cream their milk. And so maybe you need to start looking at more coconut based things. There’s a wonderful coconut based yogurt that I love using where I can get a lot of probiotics that way, and I don’t have to do dairy. So that’s something to check out. So keep following me. And if you’ve got questions, you can always text me or email me. I’m happy to help if I can. And I want to thank you for tuning in today and coming on this great walk. Take care of everybody. Until next time
13:50
Thank you for listening. I hope you learned something from the EyeClarity podcast show today. If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to subscribe on iTunes or Spotify and leave a review. See you here next time.
Glaucoma is what we call a silent thief. It’s a silent disease. So today we are going to cover steps what Glaucoma is and then I will go over the latest steps you can take to either reduce the Glaucoma you have or work to prevent it. Enjoy the show.
If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com.
If you have any questions, submit them to hello@drsamberne.com or you can now text me! Text ‘Join’ to 1-844-932-1291 to join the community and ask your questions!
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
glaucoma, eye, optic nerve, circulation, improve, breathing, talk, eyedrops, book, coming, work, health, red light therapy, podcast, peripheral vision, diagnose, march, bilberry, antioxidants, glutathione
00:05
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberne.com.
Hey everybody it’s Dr. Sam and I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. Before we get to today’s show, you can always text me your questions 1-844-932-1291 Or send me an email hello@drsamberne.com.
I’ve got a couple of great workshops coming up in March in Southern California. I’ll be in San Diego March 5, LA March 7, and Santa Barbara March 12 doing my famous masterclass. I’m back doing that again in person. This is a great way to work with me one on one, if you’ve got an issue that you haven’t been able to solve. Register Here.
And I’ll be doing some book events. As you know, my new book, Vital Vision is coming out the end of February, we’re in a pre sale right now. So if you want to order the book, you’ll get a discount. And there are also some events happening. You can sign up and we can do an online workshop that’s going to be happening in April. Also, you can get some coaching one on one sessions with me if you buy the book, and I’ll be doing a gathering in Santa Fe in September. This is gonna be a small group at my geo-dome. So if you’d like to register for that, we’d love to have you.
Preorder the book here OR learn about my book events here.
02:24
I’m doing some mountaineering. And in fact, I’ve
02:27
got some I’ll show you my shoes. So I got some cleats here.
02:33
So I’m going to be heading up the mountain.
02:37
But I wanted to get this information out. So here we go. Hey, everybody, it’s Dr. Sam and I’d like to welcome you to my podcast today. I’m up in the mountains doing some snow shoeing and some hiking. So I thought I’d bring you along I wanted to talk about the latest things that I’m working with in terms of glaucoma. So Glaucoma is what we call a silent thief. What I mean by that is that it’s a silent disease, you don’t know that you have glaucoma, it’s a vascular issue in the eye could also be in the brain as well. And it begins to damage the optic nerve which
03:23
stops your peripheral vision from working and creates visual field loss and you don’t even know it.
03:29
There are a couple of ways that you can diagnose glaucoma. First of all, you need to do a really thorough examination of the optic nerve number two of visual fields test number three an eye pressure test. And, you know you need to you need to realize that sometimes it takes a while to diagnose glaucoma. You know, I attended a symposium on global glaucoma in December. And people weren’t really talking about integrative medicine or functional medicine and glaucoma was more of the you know, the nuts and bolts of this is how you diagnose it. This is the trends. These are the trends. This is the condition of glaucoma and this is how you treat it. And the things that are offered are eyedrops pharmaceutical eyedrops, and also sometimes procedures if the pressure is really high. So I’ve done a lot of videos on different types of glaucoma, I’m not going to go into those today. There’s open angle, there’s narrow angle, there’s secondary, there’s pseudo exfoliation.
There a lot of different kinds of glaucoma, and you can follow my videos to learn about each kind but if you get this diagnosis, the number one you need to be thinking about is how do you protect the optic nerve and I’m going to talk in a more functional medicine type of way. Some key things that the optic nerve needs omega three fatty acids, I would probably Go for about 2000 to 3000 milligrams a day of omega threes gingko bilberry taurine are also really helpful for optic nerve health. In addition, you want to make sure you’re getting enough of those great antioxidants vitamin A bilberry. The bee complex is good zinc, selenium. And lutein, z is Anthon and acid Xanthine. So again, I’ve done a lot of videos on the phytochemicals and the, the antioxidants that are super great for your eyes. When you have glaucoma, it is a vascular issue. So asking the question, how can I improve my oxygenation hydration and circulation. One of the key ingredients that’s coming out in some of the research now is a new ingredient called nitric oxide. This is evasive dilator you can find it in certain foods like celery and other plant based foods. There’s a supplement that I’ve created called optic nerve formula, which is comprised of two things that I think are really important for optic nerve health. Number one is the nitric oxide and number two is glutathione. Now in other broadcasts, I’ve talked about the value of glutathione.
As the master antioxidant in the body, it’s really important that you get both of those as a way to improve both your circulation and your detoxification pathways. If you’re dealing with any kind of inflammation, either in the eyes or the body, you could certainly use things like my castor oil eyedrops in the evening, and my MSM eyedrops during the day. He’s a great at lubricating and moisturizing your eyes, and they’re definitely a no brainer. I’d also look outside regular medical care, things like cranial sacral therapy, and acupuncture can work very well at helping you regulate your eye pressure, your circulation. You know, I’ve done video blogs on the value of limp health and glaucoma. There have been studies that show if you jump on a rebounder 10 minutes a day, you can actually bring your eye pressure down, if you learn meditation, you can bring your eye pressure down. So these are things that you can do is a way you’ve got to think about it. How can I improve my circulation and vascular health? You know, one of the books I really liked was a book called breathe. And in that book, the author talked about nose breathing versus mouth breathing. Now this is something very simple, simple. But nose breathing, by far is much more oxygenating for your brain, for your eyes and your body. I work with biological dentists and they can actually test you to see how your breathing is especially when you’re sleeping.
Now if you snore, if you have sleep apnea, this is a red flag where you need to improve your breathing. So the book is called breathing the author’s James Nesbitt, I would highly recommend taking a look at that book. He’s done a lot of great research on the effects breathing has on our health and wellness. So some other things you can do if you’ve been diagnosed with glaucoma, make sure you’re wearing the right lens prescription. You know, if you have nearsightedness, that actually induces more eye tunneling. And so you want to start reducing your myopia through my eye exercises. I wouldn’t wear split lenses, bifocals, or progressive lenses. Because that’s going to induce peripheral vision loss, you’re going to start excluding more and more peripheral vision, which is part of what Glaucoma is. So functionally, how you use your eyes is going to change the structure of the eyes and affect the anatomy and the physiology. So you need to be very aware of how you’re using your eyes, and what you’re using them for, and what optical system you’re using. And then the last thing I’m going to talk about is the value of red light as a way to help in some of the regeneration in retina issues. Now, I want to make a do a disclaimer and say that if your retinal cells are dead, they cannot be regenerated. Okay, so I just want to be clear on that.
But if your retinal cells are damaged, red light therapy has been shown to help improve the circulation through the mitochondria, ATP increase, reducing oxidative stress. And there was a study out of the University College of London. The Jeffrey’s lab did a study on how red light actually improved. People’s declining eyesight. And the best results were the age group between 40 and 72. So I would definitely check out the red light therapy. And I’ve done a lot of blogs on them a lot of content so you can learn more about it. See if it’s for you. It’s a very easy way to perhaps bring more energy and health to places where your retina has degenerated. And in glaucoma, sometimes, if there is a circulation issue, it does begin to affect the optic nerve health and your visual fields. So there’s a lot you can do here. There’s a lot to unpack. I know when you get the diagnosis from your regular doctor and he might say, well, the only thing that’s available are the pharmaceutical eyedrops and or eye surgery. I’m here to say there’s a lot more out there. And so walk through my door. And there’s a lot of information that could be beneficial both to you and your family. So that’s my show for today. I want to thank you all for coming along on this great hike. And until next time, everybody, take care
11:25
Thank you for listening. I hope you learned something from the AI clarity podcast show today. If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to subscribe on iTunes or Spotify and leave a review. See you here next time.
Thank you for listening. I hope you learned something from the EyeClarity podcast show today. If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to subscribe on iTunes or Spotify and leave a review. See you here next time.
Here is a session I held recently where I walked through steps you can take to reduce and get rid of floaters. There are so many variables, so we cover a lot of options. Enjoy the show.
If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com.
If you have any questions, submit them to hello@drsamberne.com or you can now text me! Text ‘Join’ to 1-844-932-1291 to join the community and ask your questions!
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
eye, floaters, vitreous, msm, people, bromelain, months, ophthalmologist, called, health, add, castor oil, gallbladder, acupuncture, good, antioxidants, issue, important, therapy, heavy metals
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberne.com.
Hey everybody, its Dr. Sam, and I’d like to welcome you to another EyeClarity podcast. So before we get to today’s show, I want to give you a way that you can send your questions to me through texting. The text number is 1-844-932-1291.
00:26
So does anybody out there suffer from eye floaters. So in this telemedicine session, I bring it all to this patient, and I don’t hold back.
00:42
These are things that can work really well for reducing floaters in the eye.
00:49
So I hope you take notes, a
00:52
lot of great content here. And thanks for tuning in. Enjoy. And what are your goals and objectives?
01:02
Yeah, so I’ll give you a few minute overview. And then we can kind of like go from there, depending on what where you want to take it and what sort of questions to ask so.
01:13
So I mainly set up this time to talk about the eye floaters that I’ve had for about six months or so now started earlier this year.
01:24
And so I’ll start with the intro there and then give a little bit of history about other medical history about me, and then we can kind of chat from that. So that’s the main kind of thing that’s really been bothering me for a while, and I’ve tried and trying to get rid of but haven’t been successful yet. I’ve got several kind of floaters in my left eye that appeared solid suddenly about six months ago. And I’ve been very bothersome since that time, especially because I’m a I’m a software engineer. So I look at a screen all day. And it’s like very hard to read. While things are flying around my vision, it’s especially in the center of my my left eye, there are some dark floaters that are that are excited to show up very clearly when I’m reading and are kinda like flying, you know, around my vision. I saw a ophthalmologist several times over the ER earlier and after like month two and three, after they first appeared. And he did extensive examinations did like, you know, looked in my eye himself did oh CT like digital scanning, and didn’t find anything he said to me he’s like, looks great.
02:33
He’s it if you didn’t tell me that you were seeing floaters. He’s like I tell you your vision was perfect. He’s like, You got 2020 vision, he doesn’t see anything retina looks fine. From everything that he could tell the eye health looked great. Which was you know, not the may be somewhat encouraging that it wasn’t a serious issue, but also didn’t totally solve my problem because I clearly am still having you know, an issue. So excuse me, He also noted that
03:01
you he did not see a PVD and either I so the there’s no kind of vitriol, that detachment in either the left or the right eye.
03:12
And that’s kind of as much information that I got from it from him. He told me like, look, we could do a vitrectomy said, I do not recommend it. Because it’s such an invasive procedure. When he’s like other than that, there’s basically nothing you can do then just live with it.
03:27
So that’s kind of how I ended up here through the process of researching what other options I have in order to try and kind of work on resolving that this, this problem.
03:38
Other Other than that,
03:41
well, maybe I’ll take a break there. And that’s kind of like the main the main place to start.
03:46
Okay, so nothing in the right eye, just the left eye is where you have the floaters. Yeah, that’s right. Nothing, nothing in the right eye, just the left, right eyes like totally clear. If I you know, kind of cover this iron or close it. I don’t see anything in the right eye. The left I’ve got to sort of loosely connected black spots that are almost in the center of my vision that are the by far the most troublesome, as well as in a few other more strand like
04:13
floaters also all on the left eye, but especially like I said, right here in the center. Is the zoo is what’s really causing me the most trouble. Okay.
04:23
Do you wear prescription at all? No.
04:27
Okay. And this has been this has came up over the last six months or a year. That’s right, about, say about six months. Okay. And if you tried anything, alternatively, to get rid of the floaters
04:44
somewhat, from what I was able to kind of find via, you know, just researching any sort of natural remedies I’ve been.
04:54
I did maybe a few of the more, you know, straightforward things kind of early on sort of do
05:00
Make a lot more water I got more kind of exercise like cardio exercise more regularly running a few times a week and
05:09
also made some some diet changes to try and have a more antioxidant diet with fruits and veg, green vegetables, that sort of thing. So I did that pretty early.
05:20
And also have been taking a few other supplements which I added in to after maybe the first month or so, as well. Kind of like a general multi day it almost started again like multivitamin. Also flaxseed oil and a like a proprietary blend of i i related supplements. I don’t know if you heard of the brands called vitro cap is the name of it. It’s a and I’ll say, are you familiar with it? Or I can tell you what’s in it.
05:54
I am a little bit tongue but tell me your experience with it has it for you? No, it hasn’t done anything for me. It kind of caught my attention because it’s Butoh is sort of marketed as being specifically for Eye Health. And very specifically for floaters as well. The fact that like vitamin C, lysine, zinc grapeseed, and a few other items in there as well. I’ve been doing that for about five months now and haven’t noticed any any change.
06:22
So those are the main things I tried. Actually, I should mention, there’s one other thing that I that I tried a little bit for a few weeks or a few
06:31
a few eye exercises to do on a daily I’m read maybe three, two or three times three times a day. Yeah. That was
06:42
how would you describe it? Were there a few different they were like? Yeah, I mean, it was like pressing on your eyes, like kind of like rubbing using like exercises to kind of like, rotate your eyes from one state from like, one side to another. And then like, and really just kind of like a prime applying pressure. And, and
07:03
yeah, I massage type stuff like that. That was I don’t know, it was like two minutes a day for three times for two or three times a day. Yeah, so I tried that for about a month or so. And can I kept up with it and also didn’t see any improvement.
07:16
That was another thing that I tried.
07:19
Okay.
07:21
All right. And how did you discover me?
07:24
Um, ah, I don’t actually remember precisely how somewhere on the internet. I’ll put it that way.
07:31
Okay. All right. All right. Well, so you have a pretty good understanding of what floaters are from the south gemologist. Did he give you an explanation? Or? Yeah, yeah, he did, I think I got a pretty good understanding, I am think I have a pretty good understanding of what they are. I mean, in my case, in particular, one thing that it’s a little hard for me to be certain of is, is what actually the floaters are and what’s causing them because he was able to confirm that I don’t have like a vitreous detachment, which, as I understand that’s most common cause of floaters, especially in older people, as the the vitreous detaches from the retina, and it kind of breaks up a little bit. And that’s where floaters come from. So that’s almost certainly not what I’m experiencing, given the fact that the ophthalmologist in his examination said Well looks like both of the eyes from his from the CT scan. So it looks like both of the eyes, the vitreous until the TAT, or sorry, attached to the back. So that leaves me with like, a hit me and him honestly a little bit of uncertainty about precisely what I’m experiencing, given the fact that I’m younger, it’s not from a detachment, it’s not sort of like an obvious specific type of fluid or like a Weiss ring or something like that. So I generally am familiar with with with with floaters and the different types, but for my case, in particular, because the the ophthalmologist couldn’t directly see it in any particular way. I can’t say with total certainty what I’m experiencing. Well, and I think like another piece that’s a little bit interesting is just like in the past several years, you’ve had a variety of ongoing health issues that that could and all on like the left side of your body, too, that have kind of led to B to being like, is this something that’s tied to other issues? Or is it is it all of a sudden I floaters just popped up at an hour?
09:23
Okay, yeah, that’s fair. I have you maybe. Go ahead. Give me just give me a little macro picture of the health. Yeah, yeah. I’ll give you a little bit of an overview because I’ve had a sort of a strange recent medical history.
09:42
Right now currently, other than the eye floaters. I wouldn’t say I’ve got any specific medical issue that I’m concerned concerned about. However, about four years ago, or or three or two and a half or so in 2019. I got I had a vasectomy and had and the dead
10:00
veloped ongoing chronic disease testicular pain from that almost immediately, tried medication didn’t help physical therapy didn’t help. I ended up getting a vasectomy reversal a year later, or about a little over a year later.
10:13
And that resolved that chronic pain, mostly about 90% resolved from getting a reversal surgery. However, one of the reasons I mentioned that is because I ended up over that span between that times over the last few years, I’ve had a few other medical issues come up that I previously had never experienced. So you know, about six or so months after that surgery, I developed lower back pain, I saw a chiropractor for that for about six months, and it’s mostly resolved now. Then shortly after that, I also developed neck tightness and neck pain, I had trouble turning my neck, it was it was very tight. So a physical therapist for that. That was mostly mostly resolved within a couple months. So for both my back and neck, I got a few sort of regular exercises that I do that if he did have generally resolved it, like I said, currently, in this moment, I would tell you, I feel fine.
11:10
For instance, in terms of like that, that any kind of chronic pain or back or neck issues seem to mostly be resolved. However, it’s been sort of like a strange last three or four years or so of like a few different things. Not technically related to each other, necessarily, but they kind of come up in order, which in some ways, sort of like, As Jenny mentioned, feels like maybe there’s something else going on.
11:34
Okay. And have you done any old besides chiropractic, any alternative therapies?
11:43
Either massage or acupuncture? You know, herbs? Um, yeah. So, in addition to the physical therapy and carob, chiropractic therapy that I had earlier for other things recently, actually, just this week, for the first time, I did go to an acupuncture therapist that that’s nearby here, specifically for this kind of eye issue, which I hadn’t done before. So I get I’m starting to give that a try and be like said, I just went for the first time this week. So I don’t know where that’s gonna go. But yeah, I have I have started to explore that, too.
12:22
Okay.
12:23
And tell me about your dental health. Do you have any mercury amalgams? Have you had any root canals? Anything?
12:32
No, not that I know, not that I know of. I had, I had wasted my wisdom teeth removed six or seven years ago or so.
12:42
And I have a few fillings from when I was younger, but they’re not metallic. As far as.
12:48
Okay.
12:50
All right. Well, let me give you kind of some some, like direct, possible ways for you to get rid of the floaters like these are really direct. And then I’ll kind of step back and give you kind of a bigger picture of what the floaters could mean. And so, you know, you can plug in where you want to the first thing I would say that the vitreous is made up of mostly collagen.
13:21
And there’s protein in the vitreous, it’s a gel sac. And when we start developing floaters, there’s a change in the integrity of the collagen, where it either the vitreous can shrink a little bit, it can get a little bigger. But there’s a problem with the hydration in the collagen material. And so the protein begins to harden, and sometimes it breaks off. And that those are the specs that you see floating across your line of sight, that they’re at some level, there’s a collagen issue. And, you know, there are other factors like
14:09
blue light exposure,
14:12
dry eye, and then you can even bring in things like a liver and gallbladder. It’s interesting when somebody has neck pain, that can be an issue with the gallbladder, like stagnation of the gallbladder. And I bring that in because the liver produces something called bile. And the gallbladder stores the bile, and we need bile to absorb many of the fat soluble vitamins like vitamin A, and some of the other ones like lutein and zeaxanthin. Those are antioxidants that are really great for the retina. But um, I would say that the number one thing to try would be my MSM eyedrops, so Ms.
15:00
Sam is a sulfur molecule. Sulfur is the third leading trace mineral that’s found in our body. And the sulfur molecule is like sticky flypaper, and it’s a detoxification agent. So when you use the high percentage of MSM,
15:18
it can get rid of floaters. And if you were to go on my webstore, and you looked at the 15%, MSM, in the customer reviews, you would see some people who have used the MSM and the floaters have gone away.
15:35
I wish I could guarantee it. But MSM is really helpful for the eyes, because it’s anti inflammatory, it boosts the collagen, it moisturizes the eyes, and it can get rid of floaters. Now, the understanding about the 15% MSM is when you first put a drop in your eye, it’s going to sting. And the stinging is actually a good thing. It’s not a bad thing. But you have to see what your tolerance level is around, you know, putting the 15% in. But I would start maybe like twice a day, morning and evening. And that could reduce the floaters. So that would be my number one thing for you. Since there isn’t a lot of secondary things going on, you’re not nearsighted, you haven’t had other eye surgery, your dental health is good.
16:35
You know. So it’s, it’s a very direct way to see if we can dissolve those protein particles, and the MSM will flush it out of the eye. The second thing that can work really well, and this is based on research. Maybe you’ve heard of this, maybe you haven’t, that they took a group of people with floaters and they fed them pineapple. And I have a percentage.
17:05
Yeah, a high percentage of them reduce their floaters. So the key ingredient in it is bromelain bromelain. So you could either supplement with bromelain, or you could start eating some pineapple if you wanted to do that.
17:20
But that has also helped some of my patients. Yeah, I mean, to ask about that, if you find I have I have
17:30
I have heard about that. But like was not able to find much information online about the kind of background from it as In addition, except for like, if there’s a single study from somewhere, I want to say South Korea, it’s not. You know,
17:47
what I was I wanted all that to say I wanted to ask you to like directly about it. As of Have you seen success with that in your practice and kind of patients that you’ve seen, you know, enough to like you obviously, don’t get me wrong, like you said, you can’t guarantee it. But like, I’m interested to know if you’ve actually seen any positive effect from that.
18:03
I have seen positive effect. And I’ve seen nothing change.
18:08
The thing about the bromelain is that it’s an anti inflammatory agent. And it’s, it’s actually they’ve used it in sports injuries
18:20
to help reduce inflammation, they’ve also done that with MSM. So, you know, some of the things that bromelain has done is it reduces
18:34
let’s see,
18:36
sinus issues are STI osteo, arthritis,
18:43
inflammatory bowel, so digestive issues. And it’s,
18:51
you see, the research on it is very limited, and especially in the AI world.
18:56
The worst thing that can happen is nothing. And that’s the that’s the thing about floaters is that there can be a kind of an impatience and a frustration, because it is irritating when you have the specs coming across your eyes. And so you would have to be the judge if you wanted to, you know, if you wanted to do that, but certainly there’s some really good health benefits of bromelain
19:26
that that is positive, whether it’s going to get rid of your floaters. I mean, it’s a it’s a coin flip. I mean, you could start with the MSM. And there’s some other things that I can suggest I have a whole list of things that you can try, because with my patients, one thing works. Many things don’t sometimes something works that I didn’t think would work. So I’ll go through the list. And you know, your question is a good one does bromelain you know, what are the
20:00
What are the, you know, what’s the track record, I have a very small group of people, and I’ve maybe put 50 people on it. And I would say 25 got better. So there is a 50% improvement. But you know, MSM, there’s about a 70% improvement. But there’s that 30% where it doesn’t work. So let me continue to go down the list.
20:24
So then the next thing that you could consider would be to improve your lymph health. So the eye has a big lymph kind of presents fluid circulates, you know, throughout the eye, and the vitreous is a big body of fluid sac. And in terms of the eye exercises that I would do, I would probably do things that are more in the area of eye movement, eye body movement. So two of them that when you’re moving the eye, which stimulates the limb, the first one is really simple, you just cover an eye and you have your thumb out there. And you pick an object, like I have my window here, and I’m, I’m looking at my thumb, but my thumb is tracking the window. So I’m moving my eye, by tracking the thumb, and I’m moving it, you know, in a lot of areas of gaze, just by moving the eye, you’re gonna start to get better circulation in it. And then you know, of course, for your case, it’s the left eye. But it’s basically a thumb tracing exercise where you’re picking an object, you’re looking at your thumb, but your thumb is tracing, and your eye is following your thumb. So I would get into more kind of eye movement, then you know what you’re doing, if it hasn’t worked. Another one, that’s, that’s good. It’s from the Bates method, which is what we call long swings. And that one is more of like a Chi Gong exercise. So I’m moving my head, my eyes, or my body.
22:09
So again, it’s the movement that’s going to flush the floaters out floaters up tend to exist, where there’s not enough fluid movement, there’s a stagnation, we bring in kind of acupuncture type lingo.
22:23
So that would be another one that you could consider. If that, you know, if you feel that your lymph system is maybe a little sluggish, even things like jumping on a rebounder is really good for your eyes. That’s been shown to bring high pressure down, to reduce floaters to improve, you know, eyesight. So you could, you know, you could look at that one. Another one that’s very good as red light therapy. So there was a study that was done at the University, University College of London, where they took a group of people, and they had high degenerative conditions. And they looked through with actually looked at a red light, six 670 nanometers. And they did this over a 12 week period, they basically looked at the light one day a week in the morning. And they found the subjects had a 22% increase in their visual acuity by just looking at the red and what the red is doing is it’s stimulating the mitochondria in the eye. So the eye has one of the highest concentrations of mitochondria, producing ATP, which flushes toxins out of the body. So the red light increases the detoxification of, you know, whatever is, is congested in the eye. So that could be another possibility. And you can either get some red glasses from a company in England, I’m going to be
23:58
releasing my red red therapy glasses in a few weeks. So you can get those, they’re not expensive. And then you got to do the the color in the morning. It’s about three minutes, you just put the glasses on and you’re looking through the red, the red light, and red light has been shown to reduce inflammation in the body. There are people to get red light boxes.
24:19
There’s a company called Red rush 360, which sells red light and it near infrared light. It’s great for inflammation, circulation, so you know if that interests you of light therapy. So then the next thing would be maybe talking to your acupuncturist and doing some kind of a liver cleanse. Since the liver meridian goes right to the eyes. I’ve had people that have done, you know, liver cleanses or intermittent fasting. And you know, when you start cleaning out the liver, it’s going to clear up your eyesight for sure. So that would be another
25:00
or possibility. So right there, you’ve got, you know, a few things to do, you know, if you’re on the screen all day, I would consider maybe getting kind of a blue protect either on the screen, or you could get a pair of blue protect glasses, blue light at that nanometer range for 405 to 455, which is what’s coming off our screens is like going, you know, for
25:28
a tanning salon, so it’s basically going to dry out all your tissues. And so, by protecting yourself from that blue light, you know, bombardment, that can be another thing. And then last, and this would be if we didn’t really touch on this, but if you have any dryness in your eyes, I created an organic castor oil, I drop. Castor oil is great for the eyes, and it’s great for the tears.
26:01
And again, it’s another one of those detoxifiers that can work. If you you know if you want to try that. I didn’t really hear that you’ve got dry eye. Do you guys ever get dry from all your maybe a little bit probably in 10 days that I looking at a screen for longer than I than I should be? I would not maybe normally I’ve said it was an issue. But I think my eyes could probably be better in that regard.
26:31
drops for their castor oil based like directly into eyes. I mean, I’ve heard about using, like eyelashes and I drove, I made an eye drop. It’s 100% certified organic, and it’s safe for the eye. And you just put a drop in because it’s going to make things a little blurry momentarily. But there’s a great study that ophthalmologists did with eyelid inflammation which caused dry eye and they applied castor oil and what the castor oil did is that replenish the part of the tears that keeps the the eyes from evaporating the tears from evaporating. So the part of the tear that that keeps our cornea wet is a lipid type of situation. So the castor oil was used on patients with M meibomian gland dysfunction. And there was a significant reduction in dry eye by applying that castor oil eyedrop because it replaced the the lipid layer of the the tears that people can’t produce. Because part of the reason why we get some dryness is the the tears evaporate too quickly. So if we’re not blinking enough for work, and we’re on screens all day, we’re staring, there’s a tendency for the dries the eyes to dry. And that’s going to set up a climate in the eyeball where you might get the floaters again, it’s very important to keep the vitreous in a certain fluid liquid level. And when it starts to change, that viscosity, collagen hardens up and some of those flakes break off and they float in that gel sack. And that’s exactly what you’re experiencing. Now in the more extreme case, the vitreous then attaches from the retina. And that’s the PVD that usually happens with people in their 50s and 60s. So
28:30
you know, you’re kind of being proactive in hydrating the eyes more, especially during the day. Now another thing you could look at would be getting some homeopathic eyedrops, and these would be the two companies I use are the types one is called sim Eliassen readily available like at Whole Foods, or Optique.
28:54
That’s another homeopathic either one, but those have you know, things in it that will hydrate your eyes, and it’s not going to make your eyes drier and it doesn’t have all the chemicals that like say vising or sustain or your stasis has. So the more you can hydrate your eyes. I think that sets you up for being able to flush the FLIR floaters out of your left eye. Can I use those in a routine like along with like a few of your recommendations being eyedrops if I’m using the MSM? Good I also be able to use say the castor oil eyedrops, and these other you’re mentioning like at different times of day or yes, okay, so you would use the MSM in the day you would use the castor oil in the evening. That would be the ideal. And you know, you could even throw in the symbolizing or the homeopathic drops with the MSM. So like what you might consider so this is the topical confrontation. Take the next month and say okay, I’m going to commit on hydrating more. I’m going to use
30:00
As the MSM, I’m going to use the homeopathic or just to use the MSM, but trying to get that in my eyes three or four times a day and see if I can get some traction and being able to get the floaters reduced. I think that combining with some eye movements and lymph situation, and improving your liver gallbladder health, I think those would be kind of the things I would see if you can get rid of. And then you know, I don’t know where you land with trying to do red color therapy. That’s a little more esoteric, even though there’s some good research about it. That could be another thing as well, because it’s improving the energy centers in the eyes. And then you know, I looked at that formula you’re taking and there’s a lot of things missing in that I see where they’re trying to address the vitreous but I actually think
30:59
what would be better would be getting yourself an AI formula with vitamin A in it. And
31:06
also, you could do lutein and zeaxanthin and Astra Xanthan, those are the carotenoids that are really important for retina health. And also vitreous health. bilberry. taurine is an amino acid, like my Iveta vitamin, if you’re not getting relief in like a month, then I would say it’s not going to work for you
31:32
will think you need to change the supplementation, and just do it for three months. And, you know, adding those nutrients. Look, another thing that you could do would be
31:47
I don’t know whether you do smoothie formula smoothies, you know, like for, for example, I’m not talking about like carrot juice, or, you know, like a sugary smoothie I’m talking about, as an example, use a ginger root tumeric root, little kale, spinach, cucumber, celery, maybe a little lime, maybe thrown a date, you could add some medicinal mushrooms, if you know about those, I can talk to you about those, use a mushroom tea or a green tea as a base, because it’s cold where you are. So you want a warm drink that has so many antioxidants. And that’ll cleanse your digestive system and give you a lot of, you know, antioxidants. I do smoothies like that every day. And you know, things like cucumber, and celery are great for the eyes, in terms of alkalinizing. So another thing about floaters, they like to live in more acidic environments. And so, you know, adding in ginger and Tumeric are also great for the eyes, and then you’re adding your kale spinach, some kind of green vegetable. And you know, I would stay away from things like bananas and
33:04
you know, sugary things. So you need to watch your glycemic index, which sugars, your sugars are really toxic for the eyes. No doubt, unless you’re doing like a really nice level 70 to 80% cacao, you could do a cacao drink.
33:21
You know, we’re getting a little more, you know, into doing smoothies and things like that. And I would say getting a Vitamix would be the way to go. So you’ve got a three speed type of thing. But and then the other thing is your your own gut health, your microbiome in the gut, how well you’re digesting and,
33:40
you know, sometimes low back stuff can be related to digestive issues.
33:46
So, you know, should you be doing some probiotics?
33:51
You know, those kinds of things, the gut health in the eye health are very connected. Just so you know. And, you know, this is where you get into maybe a naturopath or a functional medicine person.
34:06
You know, have you experiment exposed to heavy metals or pesticides, agricultural, you know, things like Roundup and that kind of stuff can cause really weird things happen to happen with the eyes. So I’m just throwing out a lot of things that we’ve had to deal with and helping people get rid of flutters. Most of this may not relate to you. I mean, you’re young, you’re healthy. But something is is creating some kind of toxic load on the left eye and the left side. You know, if we look at it more psychologically, that’s the feminine side. That’s the right brain. So what’s happening with the right hemisphere and the left hemisphere of the brain? Are you dominating more with the right eye and not using the left eye?
34:52
So you know, you would know that more than I do, if that’s an issue, so I’m just throwing out a lot of things and see what’s
35:00
sticks are lands. And if you have questions, or we can go into more depth, but these would be the ways to really deep deeply confront the floaters. And there’s a lot of ways to do it. But it’s just what’s the right formula for you? Is the question. Yeah, the, I mean, all those sound like great, great directions to explore and try. I have a question about,
35:25
about heavy metals in heavy metal detox. I saw the A, I saw you had at least one blog post about this. Maybe there’s there’s been more. And I asked specifically about that, because in the research I’ve done online about eye floaters. I’ve at least found several situations like anecdotal evidence of people saying like, Hey, I had eye floaters, and it turned out to be a heavy metal toxicity issue.
35:47
I, my question about that is like, under like, what circumstances would you recommend I explore that avenue? And like, how would I know if that was right for me, or if there’s or if that’s a road, I should actually go down because it seems like a shot in the dark. But also, I’ve got reason to believe it is a cause for some people.
36:06
So what you could do, you could do the test yourself, you could order the kit, you could consider a hair mineral analysis. And what the hair mineral analysis will do is it will, when you cut the hair from your head, and you send it off to the lab, what it’s going to do is give you a readout on different mineral ratios. And for example, there’s a mineral ratio that will tell you how well you’re metabolizing your carbohydrates. There’s another ratio that will tell you your adrenal health. There’s another ratio that will tell you how well you’re absorbing your proteins. There’s another section that will show you Are you high in lead, mercury,
36:54
arsenic, you know, those kinds of things that will look at trace minerals like chromium and selenium, which we need, like, for example, glutathione is a very important master antioxidant for the eyes in the body. A lot of people that I treat, they’re low in glutathione, they’re low in magnesium, and are low in selenium. So these are important for the detoxification pathways. But you could order this test, I think the company is called doctors data, you could go online and Google, how can I get a home hair test, they’ll send you a packet, you they’ll show you what kind of hair to cut, how much to cut, send it off, you know, it’s about 65 to 70% accurate, it’ll give you a kind of a bigger snapshot than, say, a blood test that’s gonna give you a 24 hour reading. And unless your your heavy metals are completely off the charts, the blood test isn’t going to show it, the hair mineral analysis is more subtle. So it’s going to show imbalances and what the hair analysis shows you is how you’re adapting to external, your external world, it’s going to show you your stress patterns. And I think that there’s some value to that test. And you would get some information on the heavy metals that you know without going to somebody and there’s more extensive tests like a urine test.
38:22
There’s, you know, there are different blood tests that you could do. But this would be a nice screening that you could pay 45 bucks, and you get the report, and it’ll you know, give you a roadmap. And then based on that, you could do something as simple as say a milk thistle
38:40
two week program, get yourself some milk thistle herbs, and that’s a great liver detoxification. goldenseal would be another one you could do so you’d have to look around and there’s some herbal stores or herbalist around there, they could help you with that, and just do something gentle, you know, something that will induce your liver, getting rid of, you know, anything that or anywhere in your body. And you’re right, there is a correlation between toxicity levels and eye health, specifically, the floaters. So, you know, you’re onto it. I think that, that certainly if you’re curious about it, there’s probably something there. That’s where again, the lymph stimulation naturally moves out the toxicity. And I don’t know about you, but you know, we sit so much. What I’ve started to do is I actually have a desk that I you know, I can I stand and I and I move around a lot so I’m not sitting anymore, because the sitting is like death. You know, it’s you’re not getting any limp function when you’re just sitting all day. So you need more movement. That’s where you have these kinds of adjustable desks where you can stand or you sit on a physio ball. Like you need to get more movement in your body while you’re staring at the screen.
40:00
trying to, you know, get your work done. So that that would be my suggestion for the heavy metal exploration, but it’s gonna give you some good info on, you know, like your sugar levels like, are you really absorbing your carbs? What are the source of carbs you’re using? Are they? Because Because even carbohydrates, if they’re not complex carbohydrates that can affect your eye circulation as well. So your glycemic levels and your glucose levels can affect your your eye circulation.
40:35
Yeah, that’s really helpful. Can you read the questions I asked of you? Um, no, I’m interested. I’m interested in the liver piece, you talked about a? What do you like a liver cleanse or intermittent fasting? What is what does that look like? I’m just interested in
40:52
both of those. So with intermittent fasting, the theory is, is that
40:59
let’s say you eat dinner at six o’clock,
41:02
when you stop eating for, say, a 12 hour cycle, or a 14 hour cycle, it does a couple of really great things for your health. First of all, it stimulates the anti aging part of the cells. So it reduces inflammation, it’s a detoxification, so you’re drinking water, but you’re not eating anything. So the the minimal would be, say you eat at six o’clock, don’t eat again, until 8am, that would be kind of an easy way to get into it, and then maybe make it to 10am. And then maybe make it to 12 Noon. And that’s a great way if you go from like 6pm to 12 noon the next day, that’s pretty great in terms of resetting your cellular health, and detoxing the body, it’s great for restoring your glucose levels, it’s great, you know, for you, you don’t have to worry about you know, weight loss, it’ll probably give you more energy, it’ll probably even improve your cognitive health more. So it’s something that I, I would definitely check into just that amount, you know, just don’t eat for 14 hours, I would say the sweet spot spot would be 12 to 18 hours. So you could try that. And if you get hungry, and you want to eat and do, I would hydrate, it’s important to drink water if you you want to. And that would be a good start. And then once you get used to it, say do that two times a week or three times a week or on the weekend, then you can do it multiple days. And then maybe you do a 24 hour intermittent, you know, you can kind of see what feels good, but it’s very healthy to take a break from eating. And I’m just personally a couple times a year I do, you know, pretty deep cleanses where I might do a water fast for 48 hours or, you know, some kind of a intermittent fasting for at least 24 hours. And it’s just a great reset. So that would be
43:16
something to do now in terms of the liver cleanse. Again, you could start really simply with an herbal formula called Milk thistle, you can get that online anywhere and you get it you can get in a liquid and just follow the directions. And it just becomes like another supplement, you can put it in water, and you drink it. And that will kind of cleanse the liver in a very gentle way.
43:42
Since we’re talking about the liver, I probably should bring this into it. And that is this I talked about I think maybe I talked about how the liver produces something called bile. Bile helps us absorb are fats. And if there’s some challenge in the liver, and the gallbladder stores the bile, if there’s some challenge, then all the eye nutrients we’re getting, they’re not getting absorbed into the eyes and in the body. So if there is a challenge in the gallbladder or the liver, then we recommend some bile salts as a gallbladder gallbladder support, so that you absorb your fat soluble vitamins like vitamin A, that’s a big one, and your lutein and zeaxanthin. And I don’t know that that’s a problem for you. Maybe your acupuncturist when he or she is reading your pulses. You could ask them, how’s my gallbladder? How’s my spleen? How’s my kidney? Another thing that I didn’t mention is sometimes floaters are caused by kidney Qi stagnation. So the western model kidneys, good. But it’s when you you palpate the the pulses. The kidney meridian if it’s low, the kidney lung
45:00
that because they go together the kidney in the lungs that could create a congestion in the eyes which could lead the floaters. So again, doing some acupuncture, you think of acupuncture. This way it redistributes the energy along the meridian. And there are a lot of energy meridians that run from the eyes, throughout the entire body, liver, gallbladder, spleen, large intestine, colon, lot of connections there. So when the acupuncturist is placing the needles distally, they’re not around the eyes, but just somewhere around the body. It opens up the meridian and it redistributes the energy. And so with floaters, there’s a congestion of energy in the vitreous, you’re trying to, you know, redistribute that energy. That’s where acupuncture can be valuable. In that redistribution, the floaters start to go away. And so, you know, you could talk to your acupuncturist. I mean, it’s, it’s very well known that the liver rules the eyes. In Chinese medicine, every acupuncturist knows that. And when I studied Chinese medicine, I couldn’t believe all the meridians that go to the eyes like some effect cataracts, some affect your eye. For example, if you’ve got eyelid issues, the upper lid is the spleen, the lower lid is the stomach. So if somebody has an eyelid issue, instead of treating it with steroids, I treat it with acupuncture where I improve the spleen function, and the large intestine or the stomach, guess what the lid issue goes away. It’s amazing. So that’s all the connections going on. And what the ophthalmologist is good at is he can zero in on the floaters, the vitreous the retina, but he’s not looking at the the connections. And there’s some huge connections with the eyes in the body.
46:56
You know, and your thyroid health would be something else I would be curious about your adrenal health, those things are also if they’re out of whack. Just as an example, if your testosterone level is high or low, that can create dryness in the eyes can create inflammation.
47:20
So you know, with your surgery that you went through, you know what’s happening with your testosterone level right now, I’d be curious, there’s a saliva test that you can do. Again, it’s a kit that you can buy online, and that can test your endocrine health, it’s pretty accurate. So you could test your testosterone, you could test, you know, your cortical, you know, your cortisol and things like that. So that would be another thing that if you wanted to test your metabolic health, you know, because it sounds like you might need a little tune up. And,
47:59
you know, finding the right if you could find a naturopath or you know, somebody who’s, you know, like me just kind of open minded and say, Okay, let me just do a few things and we tweak it. Some of these people, they have their system and it’s 1000s of dollars, I don’t recommend that you need to do that. But like me, either maybe this acupuncturist or somebody that can kind of read into your systemic metabolic health a little bit and tweak you with a few things. Another red flag is I would consider a full spectrum Omega three with DHA and EPA instead of the Flexi.
48:42
It will give you a higher concentration of Omega three, which the eye sorely needs, you know, the retinas about 50% fatty acids. And omega three is really important where flax has some of that omega three, and if you’re vegan or vegetarian, okay, you know, you can’t do fish. But either you could do my omega three, which I test which is really good, or metagenics has a really good one as well. And you’re looking to take about 2000 milligrams a day of the have a really good Omega three, and you’re looking for that DHA, EPA, those are very important ingredients.
49:25
And your magnesium level, you know, are you taking a magnesium supplement I would consider in the evening maybe doing that as well. Magnesium is so important for like 300 cellular functions, and most of us are deficient in magnesium. It’s really important for your eyes. So for me when I hear your story, I go you know there’s some imbalances going on systemically that’s triggering this. And so I think it’s a
50:00
combination of, okay, let me do the topical stuff. Castor Oil, I miss them. And it’s worth for you to try the 15% MSM. And when it burns just think of me thing. Yeah, he said
50:14
that’s good.
50:17
And just try once a day, you know, see how it feels, see what’s happening. And again, look at my patient or customer reviews. So you’ll see some people say, Yeah, this actually helped. I had a lady it got rid of her floaters in like three days. And you know, I can’t guarantee that for you, but it’s a good eyedrop and it certainly won’t hurt you. And with your screen time that you’re doing, you need some you need more support than what you’re giving yourself. Yeah, right. That makes a lot of sense. I got a quick question and then can you get yours?
50:55
Are you rented it as one of the things that I that I interested in as you talk to some of the the Lipsett symptom scuze me lips, was the word system support as hard to say. I mean, like I body movements and some of the exercises you mentioned, there were sound 10 Great.
51:12
When reading about some some of that online, I’ve seen like some people recommend also including, like cold therapy, some recommend warm therapy. I don’t know if you have had any positive experience with either either one or if it also I’m thinking it in along with say like castor oil or the MSM drops are kind of any of the other things that you had mentioned, if any kind of like temperature therapy is useful one way or another or if it’s not worth my time.
51:41
Well, I think the temperature therapy is awesome, especially cold therapy. And I would point you to this, this guy you meet you’ve probably heard of him. His name is Wim Hof. Yes, who I am.
51:59
And so Wim Hof has a program where you combine your breathing,
52:05
breathing practice, and you start with cold showers. And then you start doing cold plunges. And the research is pretty definitive on the cold temperature in improving your immune health, your cellular health, it’s kind of similar to what happens with intermittent fasting. It reverses aging and breathing in the breathing. You know, it’s very important to do nose breathing, because nose breathing increases something in the in the blood called nitric oxide. And nitric oxide is a molecule that acts as a circulation improver vasodilator. And when you do nose breathing, it increases your nitric oxide quite a bit. In fact, in your sleep. If you think you’re a mouth breather or you snore, you can either get some kind of
53:05
mouthguard. There’s a company called snore RX, where you could get an app and it’ll actually ignite it’ll, it’ll measure how much snoring you do. That’s mouth breathing. Yeah, my wife is smiling as our dentist recently recommended that we tape our mouths at night for exactly the reason you’re mentioning for mouth breathing. That’s why she’s so that the oxygenation one of the things also that with floaters, is they tend to live in an anaerobic state, you’re not getting enough oxygen to the eyes. And so I you know, there’s a book called Breath by
53:49
James, I forget his name, but anyway, a couple of years. Lester, James Nestor. Yeah, might look at that book. It’s really good.
54:00
And the nose breathing for sleeping. In fact, what’s interesting, we do an exercise called Palm hum. Or what we do is we have people rub their hands together, cut them over their eyes, with their eyes closed, and they hum like this. Um, and they do six or eight of those homes on the exhale. That is very relaxing for the eyes. But when I read nesters book, he said humming actually increases the nitric oxide, like by 15x
54:35
Oh, yeah. Okay. So just by humming, you’re getting more of that nitric oxide in your bloodstream and in your brain. And you know, you can either go to a dentist you again, you could check out this app snore RX, and you could track it and see okay, are you really snoring what’s the but that also plays into the
55:00
I circulation from an oxygenation level, the more you can do nose thing
55:06
you know, so you’ve got that. And then you got the Wim Hof system, which is also really good. And the cold therapy is excellent. But he has like, a specified protocol and schedule. So you kind of enter it,
55:22
you know, slowly, I’ve done that probably three or four times, I love the cold therapy, it’s really good. So you just have to see, you know, we can’t do everything by just see where you plug in. And, you know, the sleep. And the cold therapy, again, might be some things you want to consider. Yeah, caffeine, and you want to ask about you had it was
55:47
a little caffeine is fine. I think that caffeine tends to dry things out. And so you need to be careful about, you know, too much caffeine. I think green tea is actually really good for your
56:03
there has been really good studies on that. So you could do some green tea,
56:08
you know, as part of your, you know, the drinks that you’re having, but it’s fine to have a little cat you know, I, I don’t think you need to go like super strict here. I think you just need to do a few tweaks and you’ll be fine. You know. So
56:25
you might want like a month. My only other question is I need to understand how you make hot smoothies. So you may because I hope
56:35
Okay, here’s how I do it. I brew up a green green tea. And it’s it’s hot, it’s hot tea, I add all my vegetables. And then I add that hot tea to my my Vitamix. Okay, and that’s my thing. And then I then it’s a it’s a warm to hot drink, because I’m using hot tea, but I’m using Matcha Tea Green Tea, mushroom tea, so it’s hot, and then I apply I add it to the VitaMix. And that’s how it’s it’s a warm drink. I’ve never thought of a husband and that’s why we got to try that. Yeah, because I don’t like them in the winter because it’s so cold so that’s cool to know. Okay. Yeah, we use the base of a really nice tea like I use Jasmine this morning.
57:21
It’s so good to do. It’s great for your skin. It’s great for your digestion, it’s you know you’re getting all these enzymes and antioxidants all at once. I mean it’s a no brainer you can add a date if you want a little sweeter a little cinnamon, if you want to do that. But really look at the rainbow vegetables and celery cucumber are really good with spinach, ginger root tumeric root just a little bit and a citrus you know lemon lime, you can add the pith to the lemon or the lime or the grapefruit and a nice hot tea blueberries you could add those that’d be fine. And believe me that’ll that’ll just set your day up really well take a look at medicinal mushrooms you know good company is fungi perfect die and they have a lot of anti cancer effects
58:19
you know a lot of antioxidants phytochemicals another company I like a sun potion. So, start getting into medicinal mushrooms we add those to the to the drinks out a little maca little ashwagandha you know good for immune system good for you know, and there you go a little coconut in a little coconut water or something like that.
58:43
But you know, I would do it but get a Vitamix. It’s a great it’s a great thing for your health. I think having a Vitamix is super great.
58:52
And you know, you read a really chew it up and then you know you drink it. It’s great.
58:58
So I’m up against the next patient, I’m going to need to go so I’ll send you a copy of this recording. And if you’ve got any questions, please send me an email and keep in touch. Let me know how you do. I will delete. I think you know how it goes. I appreciate your I’ll send you I’ll send you info on what I tried and what what worked. Okay.
59:23
Thank you very much. All right, guys. Take care.
Thank you for listening. I hope you learned something from the EyeClarity podcast show today. If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to subscribe on iTunes or Spotify and leave a review. See you here next time.
In today’s episode, we are going to catch up with some of those who attended my Vision Sanctuary Retreat and see how they are doing a while after. There is time for them to ask questions and update me on the progress they’ve seen. Enjoy the show.
If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com.
If you have any questions, submit them to hello@drsamberne.com or you can now text me! Text ‘Join’ to 1-844-932-1291 to join the community and ask your questions!
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
astigmatism, eyes, people, floaters, vision, computer, unwinding, stigmatism, relaxation, glasses, helping, prescription, sharing, intuitive, pineapple, feel, hear, oils, drinking, talk
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberne.com.
Everybody, good evening. And we lower the Well, it’s good to see everybody. And glad to be here. And I hope you are. So I want to find out how has it been going. And we can either do this like popcorn style, where you can kind of talk when you want to, or I won’t call on you because you can, you can always write some things in the chat, if you want to do that. But you’ve had a good chunk of time to do the practices. And I’d love to hear if there’s been any movement, any change in your in your process. So when you want to jump on, just unmute yourself, and we can bring you up on stage and you can talk I can go can I go? You sir? Can you got the floor?
01:26
Is it me? Or? I don’t? Yes, you. Okay, thank you. Let’s see a lot has gone on. It was interesting hearing about the Sharon talk about the the oils, because those have been really helping me. And sharing my husband didn’t like the smell of him either. And then I started putting them on him. Like if he said, I’ll have a headache. I said, let me try something on you. And then I would rub it on his temples. And now he likes them. So because it helped him and somehow I don’t know, psychological or whatever. But I do them. Especially when I’m working on the computer and I’m feeling tense. At work. I’ll remember, okay, I have my oils, and I’ll just I’ll really like the spray. And I’ll just spray it on my lids. And it just does wonders for me. I am what I am no longer wearing my progressives. I went and just got readers in the different ones for when I don’t even need them when I drive anymore. By the way, when I’m on the computer. Really, that’s the only time I need my glasses.
I was at work today and didn’t realize I didn’t have them on like, nearly all day and we had an event and it wasn’t needed. I’m finding that I’m really only needing them for the computer, which is great. So I’m so grateful for that because those progresses, were making my stomach hurt. And it just didn’t feel right. It was something it was doing to my head. My boss had been doing the color therapy that’s been helpful to me. And I do it when I go on walks. Because I had actually listen to one of your, your podcast, where you close your eyes and look at the sun, you know, and I tried that and that seems to really help. My floaters have decreased. I only have one little one now every now and again. And when I close my eyes and look toward the sun, I can I can kind of see it. I changed my my diet. I’ve always been a vegan but now I’m trying to do more anti inflammatory. Eating and I think that’s helping. My goal is to get where I can look at the computer without the glasses. I know it’s going to take a process it’s gonna take some time, but I’m seeing some progress. The only time I get a little blurry I find is when I’m stressed. When when I’m stressed out, then I just remind myself No, you know, the blur is okay. And I calm myself down and then it’ll it’ll go away. And I was at my son’s karate competition. And one of the men was saying I need to get my classes. I can’t stand looking out here in the in the in the blur? And I was like, I know I know what I know what do you what do you mean you know
04:23
what to do? So you got this whole group here and some people are challenged and struggling and not making any progress. What is the secret sauce? What what is it that you feel unlocked the improvement and what can you convey to these people, Sharon and you who are really struggling because you’re all doing the same practices. They’re all there for you. So what has been the key for you to unlock this ability to improve and maybe it’ll help your fellow retreatants what would you say?
05:02
I think it was my mindset. I’m just getting out of my head trying to control everything. And just doing what felt intuitively Right. Like, if I felt that those jobs, were helping me the oils, then I would, I would use them. And I’m not a creature, I’m not trying to make a habit out of it, because I’ve done that in the past where you just do something, and then it just becomes my new because I just barely started the eyes at the Sun maybe a week ago, because I know, it was time for me to put on something new. I think it was just trusting the process. Trying what works. And if it didn’t work, I let it go. And I didn’t judge myself on that.
05:50
Right? So I want to emphasize this, that the more intuitive you can be, and the more you can trust, and the less you ask, Well, why? And what’s the cause? And why isn’t it? The more you get into those questions, the further away you’re gonna get from improvement questions, you’re being very intuitive around it. And you know, with the essential oils, the essential oils work the best when you’re intuitive with them. And same with the color therapy, you know, vision is a very intuitive sense. And the sad part of it is because of school and culture and the structures that we’re living under, we’ve lost the intuitive nature of vision, it’s become very linear, mechanical, left brain. And you’re regaining it, because you’re allowing your intuition to come in and guide you, and you’re not blocking it, by going into the fear of asking all these questions. I mean, when somebody is asking, well, what’s the cause? And what’s, you know, oh, it’s that’s fear. And I get it fears, you know, we all got got fear, everybody’s got fear. And you just have to say, Hmm, what’s my intuition? Say? How can I be guided in this? And that’s exactly I so appreciate you sharing that. And that’s why things are working so well. And my prediction is, yes, you will be able to see the computer without glasses someday. And getting out of those progressive lenses. Your vision went from being so narrow, to you’ve got a wide view now. And you probably didn’t realize I did,
07:40
Sam, when they gave me those progressives. I didn’t, it didn’t feel right. But it didn’t feel right. It didn’t. And I kept going back, and they tried to make me feel bad, you can’t see out of them, will you just do this, and it was like, they were belittling me, and then I realized that’s not for me.
07:59
And you just have to know that, you know, whatever you decide, trust your feelings, you know, and trust what feels right. And, you know, the, the information I present is not for everybody. You know, when I was at this glaucoma meeting, I was talking to some of the other doctors, they’re not intuitive, they’re not interested in, you know, the healing part of it, they have their ways, which is, you know, it’s a necessary part of the process, if you’re in that world. But if you can get into that wider, intuitive, interesting. The sky’s the limit. So I really appreciate you coming on and sharing your experience. Because I think, for all of us, it’s very beneficial to hear, hear it from somebody else, the more you know, when we get into a group, somebody is going to say something. And the other person’s Oh, wow, yeah. And it’s not necessarily going to come from me. That’s why I like about the group work because I can say it, and sometimes I feel people are deaf, they just don’t hear what I say. But if you say it, then they hear it. So there’s a different broadcast. So anything else you want to share? Or do you feel complete? Anything else you want to say?
09:22
Thank you, I’m going to continue. I’m going to say yes. And then wheeze that twisting and twisting of the body. That’s the next one. I’m thinking that I’m I’m feeling like, I need to talk about that. Yeah, figure that out. Because they’ve been telling me that for a long time, so it’s like, okay, I’m bowling. So I’m thinking maybe it might have something to do with that.
09:43
Very much. So, watch on my website. I’m gonna be putting out a blog I just wrote on a stigmatism and I really, I tackle it in a different kind of a way, twisting, turning and talk about ways to reverse the stigma to Islam. So watch for that, but keep going. You’re you’re on it and trust the process and you will surpass why you took the retreat to begin with. So thank you. Thanks for sharing. So much. Got it. Okay. All right, who else wants to? Can I go? And Dr. walkingstick, please? Yes, please.
10:23
Um, so I’ve been doing that in home, since you’re when you taught that for the end home. Yeah. And then you know, and then I do that for a couple of minutes. And after that, I just do continue bombing. And it’s kind of like a meditative thing, meditation. Meditation, work also. And I began using magnifiers. Net, plus 3.5, several times a day for two minutes. It was like, it’s just really relaxing to my eyes. I love it.
10:56
You’re nearsighted. So you’re near sighted, so you’re using the plus lens. And that’s exactly what it does. So anybody that’s near sighted out there, using that plus lens as a way to relax, you know, we’ve even had people jump on a rebounder while they’re wearing those blurry glasses. So when you bring movement to the blurry glasses, it activates even more of the retina, okay, and more of the vestibular system and more of the relaxation. So movement even stimulates a more if you want to do that. But I’m so glad to hear you’re using that as a way to regulate or self regulate your vision. And that’s the ultimate, you know, the ultimate is doing what you’re doing, which is like, okay, how can I relax my eyes? Because certainly, you know, the doctor is going to that experience is the opposite of relaxation, stresses you more. So, what else? What else have you been doing and what else is going on?
11:53
I haven’t gotten to the patching one I would use in the main class, but I will get to that. And also I scheduled okay. Yeah. I just scheduled to a couple of cranial sacral therapy sessions for January. I mean, apparently there are enough specialist there. She’s booked like five out. It’s insane. Yeah,
12:11
yeah. It’s good work. And especially in this time, people are looking for that kind of release. And so that could be very helpful in supporting your vision, to stay in that, you know, relaxation, state to this morning, I had a colleague work on my own cranial cranial session, and we’re at or work on my eyes. And I do that every four to six weeks, just because of the tension that we’re constantly under with the screens and everything. And so I think that’s, if you find a good therapist who like sounds like this person is awesome. It’s very beneficial. Again, those of you that are struggling, maybe you need to get some outside input from somebody who’s going to come like from this angle, that you haven’t figured it out. And that’s going to just open things up for you. So wonderful. I’m glad you’re doing the cranial sacral. Anything else?
13:10
Well, the reason you mentioned that is so I’m hoping to, like help alleviate some of the stigmatism in my prescriptions.
13:18
Okay, I think you can, again, with the with the astigmatism, when you start unwinding the body, the prescription in the eye changes. And I’ve measured that where I’ve, I’ve done I’ve done some unwinding in the body, and then I remeasure in an eye exam. And what happens is, I can’t find the astigmatism or too much less. And the thing is, is you unwind the body, but then you put the strongest astigmatism lens on the eye, well guess what happens? You don’t maintain that, that unwinding, you start to revert back because the eyes are so dominant in our daily, you know, our daily activities. And he may be considering if you haven’t already getting a non astigmatism correction that you would know you would use in non demanding situations. And that could support your body to you know, really absorb that treatment in a way that, you know, this twist and warping is going to go away because when you’ve got a warp in your eye, it is really altering your perceptual decision making in your spatial understanding. Because once that warp goes away, and you start seeing things without that warping. It’s amazing how much freedom you have in your visual system this again for everybody. And it’s not talked about in eye care because all they’re doing is measuring the astigmatism and then reinforcing The warping, that’s basically what they’re, they’re doing and they think they’re doing the right thing. But it’s if you’re interested in getting rid of it, then then you’ve got to look outside of that. So I think you can get rid of the astigmatism. And, you know, just monitor that closely, I think using the eyepatch. Today I was doing a session with somebody I said two minutes, just do the eyepatch two minutes each eye. And it will change how the two eyes are collaborating with the brain just two minutes and do each eye equally, it can be very profound because it’s it’s interrupting the habitual way that your two eyes are in the world. And that’s where the patch comes in. Because you block the eye, and then the other one has more vision, and then you unblock the eye. And then that the two eyes come back together in a very different relationship. If you keep doing that, that neuroplasticity access is really is really the thing. So right on, right on. Yeah, please fire away.
16:13
Are you still willing to write us like prescriptions that we request, like you can email it to us? Is that Yeah, email,
16:18
email it to me. And just tell me what you want? And yeah, I can do that for you. Sure.
16:24
Okay. And also, is it good idea to get a prescription for like computer close up glasses without astigmatism it? Not for just
16:35
Yeah, I don’t think that’s the next step. I think the first step would be just get non astigmatism and start working with that one. The issue that I see with people when they asked for that, is that they’re still straining at the computer. Because the astigmatism does give you a level of clarity that you will need on the screen. So the sequence would be get the get the exercise glasses, wear them for a while, and then maybe say after three months, if you’re feeling really good about when you wear that, because you know, when you go from wearing in the astigmatism to a non astigmatism, it’s very disconcerting for people, because it’s so different. You’re you’re stepping into a non warped world. And that’s weird, you know, it’s unfamiliar. So I think you got to take it in steps. But I do think yes, down the road, you could get a computer prescription without the astigmatism. Okay, so when you say first
17:48
distance, distance without prescription without astigmatism first,
17:52
okay, yeah, that’s right. Okay. Okay.
17:55
And the last question, so I also started acupuncture. Yes. Yesterday and, and, and the acupuncturist said or suggested a drink, go to an herbal store and drink chrysanthemum tea to help with floaters. Do you know anything about that? I floaters.
18:15
I haven’t found chrysanthemum tea to be the answer. Some other things that you might try would be the 15%. MSM, eyedrops, oh, I have this and that. I have your five. Yeah, the 15 is really, and what you could do is go on, go on my customer reviews of the 15% look at what people are writing. And that could help you. And you need to use it probably four to six times a day. If you’re going to do that. Another thing you could do is if there’s a study that came out about pineapple, eating daily pineapple, Bertha bromelain it’s an enzyme that actually helped get rid of floaters. Okay. Number three to really exercise your your I’ll get to you in a second, Felicia. That the lymph system moving your lymph, especially in the eyes, like the eye tracing might be good. You know, we did that with the thumb. So the eye movements can be really helpful for again, flushing the floaters out. The you could try the prince chrysanthemum I have not had that kind of success, but maybe this person has. But those would be the things that I would focus on with the floaters.
19:47
Okay, thank you, Dr. Ron.
19:49
Okay. All right. I think Felicia, do you want to Yeah. Hi.
19:58
I’ve been doing it. Yeah, I’ve And drinking
20:02
pineapple juice. Oh, pineapple. Okay, yeah,
20:06
I, I started what happened after we did this? Okay. And I wonder if that’s the connection with the floaters? I don’t know, maybe maybe not. But when you just said that I’m like, I feel
20:19
like, there, there actually is a connection. And so, you know, it’s, it’s in the research. I mean, there’s science around it. So it’s so yes, yes, yes. Different things work for different people. You know, for some people, it’s a limb. For other people. It’s liver detox, I was working with a lady today would have the head trauma that triggered the floaters. And that 15% MSM was helpful to her. But it’s floaters are tricky, because there are many reasons why we develop them. And you have to stay the course be patient, be willing to try different things. And but I’m thrilled that you discovered the pineapple, and it seems to be working for
21:07
you. Maybe I’ll keep drinking it. Oh, cool. Yeah, keep
21:10
drinking it. It’s good for you. Right on. Okay, anybody else? brave enough to come on good, bad or indifferent? I’m so glad we’re getting these mixed results because the people that are, you know, getting some results. It’s good for us to hear because, you know, then maybe you’ll hear something like, oh, well, maybe I’ll try it this way. Or maybe I need to have a mindset like this.
Thank you for listening. I hope you learned something from the EyeClarity podcast show today. If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to subscribe on iTunes or Spotify and leave a review. See you here next time.
Here is a session I held where we discussed this mother’s child who is struggling with double vision and her eyes freezing up. We talked through what the likely causes were and came up with protocols for the upcoming months. Enjoy the show.
If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com.
If you have any questions, submit them to hello@drsamberne.com or you can now text me! Text ‘Join’ to 1-844-932-1291 to join the community and ask your questions!
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
eyes, person, color, called, therapy, virus, stress syndrome, child, lenses, nervous system, glasses, cranial, stuck, stress, dairy, learning, reflexes, regulate, wear, physical therapy
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberne.com.
All right. So
00:05
there’s a lot to unpack here. You’re doing some great things. But where are you? What’s the status, say today or this past weekend? In terms of Melanie’s eyes? She’s seven years old. She’s been through a lot
00:23
on many levels. So give me an updated status report on based on where we are? Sure. I think to be honest, since I caught there is there is no, I think at this point, there’s no doubt in my mind that I’m dealing with some kind of inflammation.
00:44
And I think I wrote in the notes that they said in the beginning, she was allergic to dairy, wheat and eggs, but they told me oh, there is no, you know, impact, just give it to her because we don’t see anything. I don’t know if that was the right wrong thing to do or not. But when we removed dairy.
01:02
And the other thing that I saw made a big impact was the oat so we removed Oat. And I think it got a little bit better. Now. It’s also eight months since she got that whatever virus it was, I don’t know, did that go through a phase. And now, maybe if there was inflammation because of the virus that’s getting better? I don’t know that part. But I would say in the last two weeks, by being very careful with her diet.
01:35
We made some improvements. I can see Sorry. I can see things get worse based on food. Like one day, she had French fries, and there was canola oil the day after her eyes were horrible. So I feel like I am finding a pattern but I don’t know what it is right there was there is no doubt there was a strabismus at the beginning like I and that’s still there, right? Because when we go, they can measure it. And that’s very, very limited. But again, that was completely not not completely under control. Because I think I saw you you saw the report from Dr. Green for the visual development. So that one there’s obviously things that was not working very well with her via tweet, reading, or I could see patterns. So that was there impacting the brain. But when she got sick, right, that was the biggest thing that suddenly in May. It was diplopia 5060 times a day, I will take her shirt off, the eyes get stuck. Like I would put her pajama on the eyes would get it was like non stop. That’s the part that concerns me right? It was okay, I do the visual therapy for this threat hospice, right strabismus, I can’t pronounce it properly. But what happened with that virus that she went from, at least being able to function daily, to the eyes getting and when they get stuck, she tells me my eyes get stuck. And she sees too. But the eyes are in the middle. I don’t see the shift when she’s tired at night. And I see that left eye drift. When she from the time she got that virus. When she tells me my eyes are stuck. And that means I asked her what does it mean when you say the eyes are stuck. She says I see too. But I see them right in the middle, I don’t see a drift at all. And she has to physically touch for the eye to get fixed. Now we’re working on Okay, don’t touch your eyes, close your eyes and tell your eyes where to focus. And that seems to help.
03:38
But
03:40
that’s the part that suddenly was a big change since the month of May.
03:45
Okay.
03:48
So let’s talk big picture for a second and then we’ll go into more specific things. So what your daughter is experiencing is something we used to see a lot when I was in my training at a place called the gazelle Institute. And the gazelle Institute was a very well respected Research Center affiliated with the Yale study center in New Haven, Connecticut. And it was started in the late 1940s by developmental physician, Arnold gazelle, and a psychologist friend Francis illage.
04:28
And it was a place where there was research done on the experience that children
04:37
went through in their sensory motor development. And a big emphasis was on vision and vision development. And I attended that institution in the mid 1980s. It was a year long program. And one of my teachers his name was Dr. John strength he’s no longer alive and
05:00
And we used to shadow him when he would evaluate kids and kids like Melanie. And he developed a type of syndrome called, or he called it the strep syndrome. And what it was is that children’s eyes would get stuck in a certain position. And that could be diplopia. It could be
05:28
having difficulty reading the eye chart, and there was no glasses, regular glasses prescription, that would fix the problem. And what it was, was a shutdown, and a very extreme stress response in what we call the sympathetic nervous system. So our nervous system is got two
05:52
expressions. One is the active state called the sympathetic nervous system, that’s our active state, we’re actively doing things our adrenals are working our endocrine system is on. And it’s a normal active state. And then the second aspect is called the parasympathetic nervous nervous system. And that’s our relaxation state, important for digestion, for sleep, for rejuvenation. And so in this stress syndrome, or another term that he used was called the non malingering syndrome, like
06:33
str, E, F, F. Yep. John strep, you can look them up and non malingering syndrome, which would be the same thing, meaning these kids would come in for the evaluation. And the regular eye doctor said, well, there was nothing wrong, you know, they’re there, they see. They see, okay, there’s no prescription needed. They’re faking it. No, there’s just, they’re lazy, something like that. But it Gizelle we realized that these kids were under incredible stress. And one of Dr. Straps, amazing discoveries was that he would prescribe a pair of learning lenses learning glasses, what are learning glasses, learning lenses, they are a very tiny, tiny, tiny, tiny, low powered magnification lens. You can’t get it in a drugstore that you know, like when a 40 year old needs reading glasses. That’s a very strong magnification. This is not that this is this is like,
07:42
I don’t know if you’re familiar in homeopathy, but we talked about potencies. And the very, the smaller the potency of the of the homeopathic, the stronger the effect it has on the person. Because like treats like It’s like stimulating a part of a person’s own immunity, or nervous system reaction or whatever. So this low plus lens, what we observed over and over again, is we give it to the child. And within a few days, the stuckness would go away. And the peripheral vision would open up and the visual acuity distance would go back to normal. And so then they would just wear these lenses under, you know, visually intensive activities like reading and writing and those before computers, but
08:37
he discovered that this low plus lens was helpful for these kids where their eyes were straight. But they saw double where they couldn’t focus their eyes would stick in place. Because the way the lens worked is when you put it on, it immediately stimulated the parasympathetic nervous system of the body. So the eyes are an entryway, which tell us what is the state of our nervous system, like light sensitivity means that our sympathetic nervous system is over overworking. And the reason we know this is because when you’re sympathetically over in overdrive, your pupils tend to dilate more, even in bright light, and they are not able to reflexively constrict, like, what happens if you and I go out and into the sun, the pupils get smaller and so we’re able to regulate our response. But when somebody is in overwhelm about their sympathetic nervous system, they’re going to be light sensitive, and their visual field is going to start to go like this. And of course the eye muscles you’re not going to connect to them. So when you wear this lens, what it’s what’s happening optically, is the light is coming into the eyes and it’s spreading the light
10:00
To into areas of the eyeball and the retina, that the child is not able to access, because they’re in a fight flight freeze response, they’re stuck in their fight flight, freeze sympathetic, they just can’t get out of it. It’s kind of partly trauma, it’s partly stress. And they can’t regulate themselves, it’s almost like they get stuck. And what happens, the sad thing that I see in the practitioners and I don’t mean to be critical, is that each, each specialty is looking at it through the lens of the specialty that they were trained in, and they’re not seeing the whole person.
10:44
And this is very disappointing, even in the vision therapy doctors, and not all of them are like this, but it becomes even, that’s an eyeball situation, an eye muscles situation. Well, first of all, it’s the brain, this directing the eye muscles. And it’s the brain that’s the Traffic Director in teaching a child how to use their eyes in relationship to their brain and body. And what I learned Gizelle is there are developmental motor patterns that are foundational that need to be integrated before you can use the specific muscles of the eyes. And one of the treatment modalities that is important in all kids is something called the primitive survival reflexes. These are movement patterns that every infant goes through in their quest to understand how to use their body in space. And it’s related to their vestibular, their ears, it’s related to their eyes, it’s related to their oral motor, their speech, and eventually their cognitive skills. But it starts where these movement patterns occur in utero. And then at birth. More of these primitive survival reflexes emerge, and the purpose of these reflexes is to help a newborn adjust to being out of the birth canal. And I can tell you based on what you wrote me, is that Melanie is still very immersed in her Moro reflex. That’s part of the issue here, where she has not integrated the Moro reflex. So the morrow is our startle reflex, it’s our ability to adjust to new experiences, so on and so forth. So in our protocol
12:45
number one, I think these learning lenses would be valuable to you and I can send you a prescription and you can go locally anywhere to any optician and get them. And I’ll explain to you when the wear that when she wears them and so on. The second thing I want to show you is the Moro reflex and how she can work with integrating that because she stuck in a fight flight freeze response.
13:12
Number three, I think that color therapy on her eyes would be beneficial that will relax her eyes. You know, there’s a group of eye doctors called syntonic sy n to and I see optometrists if you heard of them, I was reading about them and we right now we give her blue glasses and green glasses. Okay, so we’ll talk a little more deeply about the color therapy. And you know, I was I used to teach the color work through them and so on brought it to Denmark and Mexico. I’m not part of that group anymore. But I because I’ve developed my own methods but I do think that the the color therapy because it’s nonverbal, could also be helpful to her. The next thing I would take a look at and I am a therapist in this so I know about it is cranial work cranial sacral I have an appointment with that tell me if this is the same I have an appointment. We haven’t done it with the
14:26
Osteopath. Yes.
14:31
Yes. So as long as the Osteopath is, you know, we’re doing cranial sacral to me, if she was my patient, I would be doing a lot of cranial work to help her move out of that fight flight freeze response, see part of what’s going on for her and we’ll talk about the virus and some of the other allergies and so on. Because those are contributing as well, is that we need to give her some relief and space
15:00
and being able to regulate herself so that she’s not getting stuck in the fight flight freeze situation. And unfortunately, the doctors that you are going to are only looking at the symptom in the eyeball. So you know, you’re not going to get this this macro picture of you know, when we’re working with a child we’re working with a whole child, not just the eyeball, and the strabismus. The strabismus is only a symptom of this confusion of, you know, a mom, I’m scared, I don’t know what’s going on. And the cranial sacral, again, is another very effective tool that can penetrate the defenses that the child might, you know, adapt to. And it will bring a calm and a sense of spaciousness, so that there can be more understanding of what it takes to regulate so that you can move out of that, I’m not as concerned about the strabismus and I think that is going to take care of itself. There are some supportive things that one can do. But there’s a bigger thing going on here in the nervous system. And now let’s move to the virus and the allergies, and so on. So in your history, one of the things that
16:24
jumped out at me is the allergy to dairy, I saw that immediately, which you picked up on, because of the ear infections.
16:37
Because of my studies with developmental delays, and kids, and functional medicine, I learned very early on that when kids get a lot of ear infections or ear issues. If we cut out the dairy, then a lot of times things would get better. And if you start using, you know, multiple antibiotics, it affects the microbiome in the gut. And of course, with the gut is kind of tied into our immune health, the stronger our immune health, the more we can handle different kinds of environmental things and food things. So underneath all this, you’ve got some kind of either, you know, malabsorption, digestive interference going on there. And these allergies that you’re discovering, you know, it’s kind of helping you get clear with Well, what kind of diet can we really do. And the other thing about it is because of the digestive stress, if we did a test like, say a hair mineral analysis, we would probably find a profile of perhaps sensitivity to carbohydrates, perhaps low mineral trace mineral levels, we might even find some exposure to
18:09
heavy metals or things like that. And so even if you give the best organic food out there, you’re behind the eight ball because Melanie has a problem on her cellular level in terms of
18:29
absorbing nutrients, which are helpful in producing energy, which would help her regulate herself more. And then the second part of that is the detoxification pathway. If she does, if she is confronted with
18:47
toxins or inflammation, that her body is able to repair itself and move through it. So there’s a lot of levels and layers here in this. And each child is really different in how they’re going to respond to these different
19:09
you know, approaches. And you have to be kind of an alchemist, alchemist, meaning that, you know, one size does not fit all. And it may be you do this for a while, and then you switch to that. And so then we’re doing the learning lenses, and then maybe we’re doing the color therapy and you’re gonna find the cranial work to fit in there, and the color therapy. And so we’re going to have to kind of find the right combination. But I think that this more we say integrative global approach is going to meet Melanie better than some of the things that you might be doing right now but in the big picture.
19:58
The explanation is
20:00
Is that her system is overwhelmed. And her sympathetic nervous system is overworking. And she’s not absorbing her nutrients very well. And there’s probably some developmental challenges going on that goes back to those primitive reflexes.
20:22
And so you’re going to need to employ many of these different things that we can go into more details on exactly what you should do and when you should do it. But I wanted to give you kind of the big picture, the terrain, on how I see it based on, you know, reading the history, the profile, and so on. So what I’d like to do now is I’d like to get your questions, comments, if you’ve heard these things before this kind of a perspective or not. And then once you understand what I just said, then we’re going to go into the practical side. All right, give me the give me the, the practical things, what do I need to do here to help my daughter so she can, you know, go back to a normal life? So I’m going to turn it over to you and see what your questions or comments are. And then and then we’ll go on to the practical solutions. So at first I have to say I’m, to be honest, until now, every time I went to a doctor, and she would say my eyes get stuck, they were like, Oh, she doesn’t understand. You’re the first person that you’re even mentioned the name of the syndrome. Now I need to write it down. Can you write it down? Stress Syndrome?
21:37
Yes, Stress Syndrome. Another term for it is called the non malingering syndrome. No, and,
21:45
yes, just one second, right? Because when it happens to her, like, when you were talking about the glasses when it happens, I mean, the eye, she’s like, the eyes don’t be sent to me, they get stuck. And then she has to do her, I guess she has to the reason I couldn’t understand why she has to touch it with her hand is because maybe she needs that extra stimulus by hand. Sure. I mean, it’s a functional problem. It’s a functional problem, that she’s not able to control and direct her eyes, where she wants to she it’s like there’s a disconnect. So you can do it manually. It’s like she needs some kind of feedback. Because her system just it’s basically a lockdown. Okay. Okay. So
22:35
go ahead, should I take it out of it, it’s the nerve and the eye communication gets disconnected is that would be a way to say it, you could say it that way. The nerves are disconnecting from the muscle. And where’s the source of the nerves, the brain, the brain is your your certain your nervous system. And there, there’s so many nerves and muscles that go to the brain. And so there’s a shutdown, there’s a lockdown between the nerves and the, and the eyes, and the source of the nerves in the brain. So what’s affecting the brain is the stress.
23:15
And part of that stress is the developmental delay, the Moro reflex, in reflex is still going out going strong and in the eye. Because the the eye is not able to function. Normally, the pupils stay dilated, which is a signal that the person is under a lot of stress, and they can’t regulate themselves. So what the low plus glasses do is she puts it on and it changes the input into the into the eyes and the brain, like the light is coming in very differently through those lenses. So that’s going to create a change in how she’s processing. And that’s what we want to do, we want to help her create a change in her processing. And once she starts going, Oh, I’ve got more periphery. I don’t have to try as hard. There’s more relaxation, then the system can kind of relax. And then if we combine the Moro reflex, talk about the color, do the cranial, maybe do some dietary biochemical things. Now you’re doing five or six things that are supporting her to become better regulated and reconnect the eyes to the muscles and to the nerves. Okay, okay, I am it’s very helpful to go over that. Can you help me understand one part please? I think the part that I still cannot connect the dots is whatever virus that was right. What what did that trigger? What did the that cause an inflammation in her? What did that trigger to create all
25:00
These things
25:02
suddenly even more, right? What was that? Like? Is it that? Is the virus still in her? Is the virus in her liver? What am I also dealing with that aspect?
25:16
Well, we are exposed to so many pathogens in our body daily, you know, hourly,
25:23
every second. And the point is, is that in order to build our immunity, our body needs to be able to coexist with pathogens. And when a person is in a
25:42
vulnerable state with their immune system to begin with, like, I don’t think the virus was the first thing, I think that she’s probably been this way for a while, where her immune health is not strong. So then a pathogen comes in, it’s going to create something in the body, where the body says, Okay, I’m going to create a normal inflammatory response. But again, if the immune system is not working, well, then the inflammatory response gets stuck, or it gets larger, and she’s not able to move through the next stages, this creates blockage in the energy, and it doesn’t allow
26:31
nutrients, absorption, you know, inflammation creates an acid climate.
26:37
And so she’s not absorbing, she’s already under stress from a sensory motor perspective, and then she gets this virus, well, it’s kind of like a domino effect, where she, she was already overwhelmed before the virus came in. And now the virus has put an interference in her cellular health or ability to produce the energy to ward off the virus. And so everything shuts down the digestive system, the endocrine system, the nervous system, the fluid system, you know, everything is just kind of like, whoa, I’m overwhelmed. There’s nothing I can do. So she doesn’t have a lot of resiliency, or resource or resources to deal with this pathogen that has come in. So, you know, the question is, Does she still have it? Probably not. But she’s dealing with the the remnants of it, after the fact, because your system doesn’t have the resiliency to bounce back, she’s still dealing with possibly inflammation or oxidative stress, or, you know, a lot of different things, but it’s putting a, you know, a fatigue in her. So, well, we have to what we have to address is indirectly and we’ll kind of unpack this a little more, what can we do to boost her digestive health and her health, and that’s gonna be a process of doing and trying different things, staying away with certain allergy reaction foods, and maybe maybe doing something else we’ll we’ll kind of see. But
28:35
you know, it’s kind of like,
28:37
a person is already overwhelmed, because their sensory motor system and the stress is affecting their brain and then you’re exposed to a pathogen, your system is already in a low resistance. So that’s just going to, you know, piling on. And then the the things with sugar and dairy, which have absolutely, especially the sugar has absolutely no nutritional value.
29:04
She’s basically running on empty running on a depleted state. So even if you do physical therapy, or whatever, you know, one of the secrets is your number one, build the cellular health. And then the person has enough energy to absorb the physical therapies that you’re giving them. Well, that’s the sequence a lot. One of the mistakes is you don’t think about or worry about this cellular energy, and you just apply the physical therapy and the person doesn’t get any better, or just gets a little better. And then what happens is, you kind of go well, the physical therapy didn’t work. Well, it didn’t work. Because on a sequential level, you need to start by increasing the health on a cellular, cellular level, body throughout the entire body. And if we just talk about the eye
30:00
They have the highest metabolic need of the body. So, you know, you’re not going to get anywhere with the physical therapy stuff, because she doesn’t have the energy that we’re asking her to make the changes. So we need to give her the energy. Okay, thank you. Now I’m ready to hear that. Okay, so here are the action steps. For me number one
30:25
thing for this, since you mentioned,
30:29
the action steps are number one, I’m going to send you a prescription, which will be the prescription that I learned from Dr. Stress, by the way, I would Google the stress syndrome, I just did it right now. And you’ll see there’s a lot written on it. And what it is, and so these low plus lenses, you can go to an optical place, you get a frame, they’ll fill the lenses. And she should start wearing them, I would say
30:58
as much as she can initially during the day, but she gets to take them off if she wants to. So like if she’s playing if she’s you know around the house,
31:09
that would be a good time for her to wear it. And then just watch her eyes, watch her behavior, watch what happens
31:18
in her vision. And I would say she can wear it, there’s a range, she can wear it an hour on an hour off, she can wear it, you know, two hours on an hour off, or she might just want to wear it, she might put them on and go, Wow, these feel good, I like these. So she can wear them, they’re not going to weaken her eyes. Definitely she should wear them for close work and you know, reading and computer, she probably doesn’t need them as much if she’s socializing or playing outside or, you know, things like that. And it takes somewhere between three to seven days of wearing these learning lenses where you may start to see a crossover, or the eyes don’t feel as frozen. And you know, you’re just gonna watch the symptoms, the double vision, and the straightening of the eyes, the eye focus the light sensitivity, and see if there’s any change. And the purpose of wearing the learning lenses is to change the relationship in the eyes and the nerves and the brain. So it’s going to change the processing because the light is going to be spreading more equally throughout the two eyes. Now after that, say seven day period, and if you start to see you’re getting better, you can ask her you know, you can wear these a little less if you want to and she may not she may she says I like these these are these are I feel more relaxed with them. But where you really want to target when she’s wearing them as more of her arm’s length. 14 inches that that would be the best position. So these these are something that she’s going to use for a while, you know, could be six months or a year. And we can check in, you know, in a month or two and then you can email me and say this is what is happening. But this is this is number one. Okay, number two would be I’m going to send you directions on how to do the Moro reflex integration. So this is called the starfish and she basically lies on the floor or she lies, she can view the beanbag chair even sitting up and the position is her her arms are out like this, her head is tilted back and her legs are are spread apart or bending the knees. And what she’s going to do is she’s going to bring her arms and her legs in like in a fetal position and the head is going to go to the chin.
34:04
And then she’s going to uncross everything. And notice I put my right over my left and right foot, a right ankle over the left ankle and the right arm over the left arm and we’re coming into midline. So in strabismus in the eyes. If this is my left eye and this is my right eye, this is what I’m doing. Okay, so we’re gonna use the body as a way to help the eyes understand I can be in divergence, and then I can come into convergence my midline.
34:37
The memorial also helps integrate the vestibular system with the visual system. The moral also helps relax the fight flight freeze response. So the morrow does a lot of things. So we do one cycle where we come in with the right over left, we uncross and then we do the left over the right, left ankle over the right ankle
35:00
And that’s one cycle. And then we open it up, and then we do right over left again.
35:06
Open up, left over, right, so we’re gonna do a total of five cycles. So right left is one cycle, and I’ll send you a handout on it. So that you know you understand it. And it, it would be something that you’re going to do every day if you can,
35:25
as part of her, you know, I therapy. And so, after one month, you can stop, I want you to stop and just let her integrator, just kind of take a break. And then maybe we’ll talk again, if you feel you need more input. And we can go on to some of the other permanent different reflexes. But for now, it’s going to be the learning lenses, the Moro, reflex. And then with the color therapy, those colors are good, the green, the blue. So basically, you can do it in a way where she’s wearing them, but she’s not doing something she’s just kind of hanging out, maybe you read to her, maybe she’s listening to music, you can use a dim light source, it doesn’t need to be bright light. And she can spend anywhere between a minute to five minutes looking through each of the colors.
36:22
And you can also ask her, you know, when you look through the color, how does it feel? No, do you like it? Is it relaxing you? And so what is it like, she doesn’t like it, she doesn’t like the green or she doesn’t like the blue? I think you know what it is maybe it’s the glasses, but in general, she’s very sensory. And you know, she so I had to tape on the glasses to make them softer. But like it’s not that she sits down and she’s relaxing. It’s, it’s, she doesn’t want to do it, I have to force her to do it. The frame frames that are uncomfortable to okay, maybe
37:02
cardboard. Okay, so there’s a couple of things here, you’re going to need to be very, very careful when you choose the frames for the learning lenses
37:14
that it’s light, it’s a good color, she she’s got to get on board with it, you don’t want to have to force her to do it. So instead of the
37:28
another way that you could do the color therapy would be I can send you some colored cellophane gels. Okay. And what you can do is you can put them
37:42
the two ways to do it. She could wear it over the eyes, but she might be sensitive sensory, like I don’t want to have this. But it’s there’s no frame it’s basically just a gel that she just puts over or the other way you could do it is you could put that light or you could put that gel on a low dim light bulb and have her just look at it. I think that may be the best because anything that gets close to her eyes.
38:14
The clothes they get stuck. Yes, exactly. So so I’ll send you those jails I’ll mail them to you and
38:24
and then you can use them I’m gonna send you a couple of other colors too. I’m actually going to send you a set of colors which also are red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet and magenta. And I want you to play this game with her where you can actually take a flashlight and you can put it on through the gel so that when she looks at the color she sees the color so the flight is out here and play the game where number one you go through all the colors. You can do read for you know and you can get her to track her eyes. So oh here it is. I want you to follow it, follow it follow it. That’s a nice way for her to get into some tracking and find out what color is her favorite.
39:16
And maybe spend more time with that you know it may be intuitively what I’m picking up is that maybe what she needs is more of the red, orange yellow colors. She might she might like those better than the green and the purple. Or the blue. I don’t know. But we call it the rainbow method. Where give them all the colors. You can ever sitting you can ever standing you can have her lying down and so very the illumination in the room dim a little brighter, and also her positioning.
39:54
You can also have her do with each eye so you can cover I know you went through patching and as
40:00
Big mistake, it’s very dramatic. And if that doesn’t, if that doesn’t work for her, then then don’t have her do it. But
40:10
to be honest, that left the mark with the hole? Of course he did. Yes. But anyway, you want to get her to use the colors and move her eyes. So you’re using a flashlight that you’re putting through the color, and it’s moving so that she gets to she gets to do it? Do I need to go a specific order for the colors does it matter. So the order is, is important, and it’s not important. So it’s important from a standpoint that when you first started, I would either start with the red, and then go orange, yellow, green, blue, violet, or start with a violet, and go backwards to the red. So that organization is is helpful. And then maybe pick a day where you put the colors out and you say, okay, Melanie, choose your favorite color. And let’s just do that one.
41:04
So she’s got some saying that, and you might be surprised what color she chooses. So you might say, What’s the color you don’t like? That you hate the most? That you don’t like? So maybe do a little bit of that one and then say, All right, let’s do now your favorite color. There’s something in the color therapy that the color you don’t like is the one you need for more balance. Okay, just like you’re allergic to that color. Okay. Okay. So that’s, that’s kind of a better way, a more creative way, a more individualized way to work with the color based on her age, and what she’s doing.
41:50
Okay,
41:52
and ask me a question regarding since you’re talking about color, yeah, the glasses they give one is red, and one is green. And they have to do like she has to follow. She doesn’t like it. And quite honestly, I was like, You know what, I’m going to try it myself. So at least I know what it is why she doesn’t like it. I felt dizzy when I was using it. Are those red and green glasses and following is that a good concept. Or if she’s, she, I mean, I understand she says she’s not comfortable. I was feeling dizzy after it. So here’s the thing, here’s the thing. She’s she’s at stage one. And stage one is we need to stop the bleeding, we need to get her nervous system more relaxed. And her vision more relaxed. The red green glasses are step number 10.
42:46
So it’s it’s not the right time to present it because she’s already in a in a strobe like situation, that goes really back to a very early developmental imbalance. So it’s the wrong time to be doing red green, because she’s not ready to handle it. And so this is this is the issue in practitioners, they’re not tuning into the person.
43:15
Right? If you’re tuning into the person, you realize, well, this, this person is really in a fight flight freeze response, I’m not going to give them something that’s going to trigger more of that. More disorientation. That’s the last thing that she needs. So we need to start at stage one, which is gentle and slow. I think the cranial work could help. Maybe doing the color therapy this way remember out alchemy is I’ve got to try different things and use different different things in different amounts at different times to create that effective balance. And you know, I would be very, very careful about the learning lenses in the frame that she chooses. That’s going to be the the name the key of it. If you get a frame that she doesn’t like, then you can’t use it.
44:11
So she’s got to be really part of the process. Of I like this frame mom, I like the color is kind of cool. I like the shape. It feels good. She’s got to choose it. She’s got to we’ve got to get her
44:26
you know on board here.
44:29
That’s
44:31
why for the osteopathic cranial work, is there anything because I’ve not gone yet? Is there anything specific I should ask for or avoid?
44:45
Well, I think how I would say it is, is just asking a question. Can Can we do the cranial work in a way where
44:57
it’s calming for her? It’s rare
45:00
laxing for her,
45:02
and to explain to the person, my child is hypersensitive right now. And what we really want to try to do if we can, is get her to feel some calmness to introduce something that’s relaxation and not get too complicated or overwhelmed.
45:24
And hopefully the person that you chose is able to tune in. And, you know, offer that. Is there anybody you I have to be honest, it has been really hard. It’s finding people like you is really, really hard.
45:44
What area are you in? Where are you? I’m close to DC. I’m in McLean, Virginia, we’re like 20 minutes from DC. Okay. Well, how did you choose in this person? Was it a referral? Or from the vision therapist? Okay.
46:02
Anything?
46:04
Okay?
46:07
Well, here’s the thing you can try, you can try it, I don’t, I don’t know, there are two websites that you could go to. One is called the Upledger. Institute Upledger Institute, and they have a international directory of cranial sacral people. And you probably can find somebody in your area, you’re looking for somebody who’s really well trained and who’s maybe got some experience working with children, because working with children takes a higher intuitive sense. Another organization you could look at would be the bio dynamic, cranial sacral therapist biodynamics, they focus more on the fluid body, they also have a pretty robust directory of people. And, you know, I know your area is a little more based in medical, but I’m finding in these more medical areas, that there are these other alternative therapists, and they could be in the form of physical therapy, occupational therapy, or massage or just cranial or like this person, an osteopath. So I think, you know, you just have to experiment, and you’re looking for somebody where there’s some attunement, that’s like, the most important thing. Like, let me tune in. And I’ll start slowly. And, you know, again, we want to create a safe in a relationship, like a report. Because, you know, whenever somebody lies on a table, and somebody comes over them, it’s like, whoa, that’s, that’s scary. So, as a practitioner, I need to be sensitive to the person’s, you know, trauma or whatever. So I need to enter the space very, very carefully, anyway.
48:08
So I don’t have a specific person, I don’t know anybody in that area. But I would look at those two groups if this person doesn’t work out.
48:19
Okay, we have about 10 minutes left. So I want to go into the biochemistry piece. And there’s a couple of things that I want to say about it. Number one, is
48:34
one of the ways to improve the gut health is through
48:39
improving the dietary absorption in the gut. And there’s a couple of schools of thought there’s some functional medicine, people that say, take a probiotics supplement. There are others that say eat fermented foods. And one of my colleagues that lives in Southern Virginia, I want you to look up his thing. And the product he has is called ion i o n. And it’s kind of a precursor to probiotics. And it’s very, it might be a good product for your daughter to take. And of course, whatever you take, you need to start off with a just a tiny bit.
49:29
Because if you try to give the full dose, it’s going to be too much for her. But the doctor is Dr. Zack Bush, MD, and he has come up with a really, I think, scientifically proven way to help heal the gut. And I want you to look at his website and look at his product. It’s called ion IO n. And that might be something as a way to prepare the gut
50:00
For for a healthier time. Another thing to consider possibly would be to do
50:09
some type of either supplemental morning drink that has a lot of vitamins and minerals in it, you know, sometimes it’s called a smoothie, sometimes it’s, and this gets tricky because kids are freaked out about texture and taste and all this kind of thing. So it may not work. But
50:37
there might be, say, a product that you guys are using, that would immediately give a lot of really good nutrients. And I’ll suggest a couple in an email to you. And you can see if you know, she’s, she’s amenable to it, again, it might be tricky might be something you have to sprinkle on some oatmeal or, you know, I again, texture and taste is always tricky. With kids and working with a lot of special needs and developmental delays, one has to be very creative. And in doing that, but I like that approach because it gets a lot in early in the morning.
51:24
Generally speaking,
51:28
omega threes are recommended, and we don’t produce those in the body. So a children’s Omega three supplement again, I can recommend a couple of companies, that’s good for the brain, it’s good for inflammation, and you know, you can’t really get it from food. So that would be something to consider. And then
51:55
for the muscles, the eye muscles, there might be some kind of a deficiency in magnesium.
52:03
So again, I’ll make a recommendation where you’re getting some of that in the body, and then just dietarily probably staying a little bit away from the carbohydrate family and moving more into some level of protein, fats. And, you know, antioxidants, just generally speaking, as a way to begin to move a person more into strengthening their, you know their energy. But keeping it very simple. And just seeing what what are the foods and rotating them anti inflammatory, low glycemic index if you’re doing more in the sweetening world.
52:53
And that would be just kind of a general broad brush, especially if we can find an early morning, kind of all purpose supplements that she could take that she likes, that could give her quickly a good boost, and maybe working with that ion product to help heal the gut. These would be just some general things, you know, without doing extensive, either blood tests or urine tests or biochemistry. So how does all that sound to you? Is that sensible? Is that something you feel you can do? I think it makes sense. I was interested, you said the hair testing? Do you think I should do? I know? I mean, I do you think I should do hair testing to see what’s going on at a deeper level as well or? No? Well, we could do that for you. I mean, I could definitely do that. So yes, I think that would be a really good thing to do, because it would give us a roadmap on what we’re actually seeing in terms of deficiencies and, and possible toxicities. You know, what a hair mineral analysis shows us is a reflection on a person’s body’s adaptive response. So whatever the hair mineral test shows, we’re gonna get mineral ratios. So it’s our internal representation of how we’re dealing with the external world. So when we start seeing imbalances and lack of absorption and things like that, it’s probably going to validate what I was saying about the stress levels. And, you know, probably, you know, the protein and fats are going to be better to do than, say carbs, and we’re probably going to see that in the mineral ratios, that there’s a sensitivity in the carbs, but we’ll probably see some other things as well. We look at, you know, the potassium level, the phosphorus level, sodium, the sodium level calcium,
54:57
and again, trace minerals and things like that.
55:00
So I’ll send you a packet. And then we can get that test done. And then I can send you the results, email the results to you. And then it’ll probably just validate what I’m saying. But yeah, it’d be good to have that as a profile baseline.
55:18
One quick question. I know, we’re almost out of time for the stiff Centrum. Do you in general, is that something that you see people be able to get under control? Or is that something that is hard? In general, and it’s a constant battle? Okay, two answers to that, I think with these interventions, the stress syndrome will be neutralized. So you’ll definitely see improvement. But until we really create a deeper, stronger core, there’s going to be a little bit of a weakness there. So when that stress comes back, it could resurface maybe not as strongly. But until she gets really strong in herself, that’s going to be a weak point, it’s like when the eye turns out some of the time. Again, it’s not doing that much, that usually happens when a child is fatigued, and stressed are getting sick. So in those three areas, that’s where we can begin to see the stress syndrome come back. But the thing is, now you know what it is, and you know how to help her regulate it. I mean, it’s a big time out for her. When the strep syndrome comes in. We used to see it right around the first grading period in November.
56:38
And we could predict when kids would start to show that based on what was happening in school. So I do think these interventions are going to interrupt that. And the stronger she gets in her regulation ability, that’s where it’s going to eventually dissolve away. But you know, there’s going to be, again, I’m back to that word alchemy, we’re going to have to do some different things to be able to,
57:10
to really push through. But this is the, this is the strategy. So I will send you the recording, the moral reflex, I’ll mail you the colors, and also the hair, mineral packet. And then maybe let’s end the learning lens prescription. And then let’s plan on maybe talking sometime in mid January, and you can email me and just keep me abreast on what’s happening.
57:41
And then we’ll just take the next steps. She’s going to tell us what we can do and what we can do based on her responsiveness.
57:51
That’s how we have to kind of go with this. So again, it’s not a linear X, Y, Z, it’s probably going to be x to be the wider w you know, it’s gonna be we’re gonna have to dance with it for a bit until we get her on track. Thank you so much, doctor. I really appreciate all your help. It was wonderful. Okay, talk to you soon.
Thank you for listening. I hope you learned something from the EyeClarity podcast show today. If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to subscribe on iTunes or Spotify and leave a review. See you here next time.
You’re in for a treat today! I was interviewed by Jenna Hua, the CEO of Million Marker. This is a company that helps people determine what toxicities they have. She is a registered dietician, environmental health scientist, and she’s done a lot of research focusing on the environmental impacts on our behaviors and health. So we had a lively conversation on Instagram, and I wanted to make it available to you. Enjoy the show.
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SUMMARY KEYWORDS
eyes, people, floaters, vision, patients, problem, msm, reduce, improve, brain, castor oil, helping, physical therapy, blue, health, cataract, retina, light, create, trauma
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberne.com.
Hey everyone, its Dr. Sam and I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. You’re in for a treat today I was interviewed by Jenna Hua, who is CEO of million marker. This is a company that helps people determine what toxicities they have. And she is a registered dietician, environmental health scientist. And she’s done a lot of research focusing on surrounding environmental impacts on our behaviors and health. And she’s interested in eye health and what I have to say. So we had a lively conversation on Instagram, and I wanted to make it available to you. So I hope you enjoy the show. Thanks for tuning in.
00:47
The holistic optometrist was a private practice in New Mexico. And his Instagram page has so many great tips about nutrition, I therapy and other ways to promote better vision. So we’re going to dive deeper into natural eye health today. So I see she just sent me a request.
01:13
Hello, hey. Hi, Jenna. Yeah, my pleasure. How are you today? Good, good. How are you? Doing? Great. Really? Well.
01:23
Tell us a little bit about your background and how you became an optometrist.
01:28
Yeah, it started when I was about eight years old. And I had a learning and reading problem. And my mom took me to an ophthalmologist and I got some nearsighted glasses. My eyes got progressively worse, I became a memorizer in school. And when I graduated, optometry school, I met a holistic eye doctor. And I started his physical therapy. And he said to me, the reason why you have a reading and learning problem is your left eye drifts out. And I can help you improve that skill. And also, he said, Because you’re near sighted, this is all related to stress and tension. So about six months later, I said goodbye to my contact lens prescription, and I see 2020 distance in there, and my reading problem went away. And so it inspired me, at that point to open the practice in the Philadelphia area, specializing in helping people improve their vision, and many twists and turns to now studying a lot of natural therapies, acupuncture, cranial sacral, functional medicine, aromatherapy, energy medicine, and I’m based in Santa Fe, New Mexico and discovered the internet in 2016. And started to post on social media opened an e commerce Store. And so, you know, I’ve got a nice following, and here to help people, that’s my mission to help people realize there’s another answer besides, oh, your eyes are gonna get worse when you get old. And you’re going to need bifocals and cataract surgery and you’re gonna go blind, no way, my my patients are getting better as they get older. So I’m here to share any information that your audience wants and what your questions are. And here we go.
03:26
Wow, this is so awesome. Because like natural, functional medicine based eye care, we have, like, not a lot of people are aware of that. So like, what’s the difference between the conventional and this holistic approach,
03:41
the conventional, the conventional approach is very medical based. So the first thing out of their toolbox is of surgery or pharmaceuticals, and it’s more of a symptom based disease based type care, you know, you go to your eye doctor, and he or she may spend five or 10 minutes with you at the most, which lens is clear one or two, and you get number two, and you wear it and your eyes get worse. And, you know, you ask, are there any things I can do and so the conventional doctors to busy and just treat symptoms, in my field, I’m looking at the root cause I spend an hour with each patient, sometimes more. And I’m evaluating their vision, not just their eyesight. So that’s a distinction, I say to seeing. 2020 vision is how the eyes and the brain and the body work together based on a set of skills. And the brain is very involved with this, the body the balance, the nutrition, and stress. So I look at all these different factors, and then come up with a treatment plan that will address the cause. And then the eyes get better. The vision gets better. It’s pretty simple. And it’s so effective. I’ve been doing it 35 years, and every week I get a testimonial my eyes got better. My cataract reduced my macular degeneration has gone away. And so I’ve got a lot of success stories of people who have been hitting my protocol and have improved their, their vision.
05:17
I know you’re seeing private patients, but you also have a book coming up which will be available to many, many more people. I know it’s going on pre sale on December 12, called Vital vision clear I’ve solution for midlife and beyond. So ending this book, you had a great quote, instead of accepting your diagnosis as a life sentence and smothering it with drugs and surgery, your regenerative capacity can create new healthy pathways. So how does this work? What does that mean to you?
05:50
Well, the retinas are the only part of the body where we can actually see the brain, you know, the, the the eyeball originates from the brain. So every part of the structure of the eye is brain tissue. And there is a neuroplasticity potential in the eyes. And if we give it the proper nutrients, blood supply circulation oxygenation, that the eyes will get better. Case in point, there was a study that was published last year on having a person look at Red Light for three minutes, once a week for 12 weeks. And their retinas got better as their visual acuity improved by 22%. This was a group in in the UK University College of London, that prove that you can actually change your vision by looking at color therapy, the retina is made up of photoreceptors of mitochondria. And when you feed the eyes with light or different antioxidants, it starts to improve it gets better. So that’s what I was saying. Because patients are so frustrated, if they have even something as simple as pinkeye. And the doctor wants to give them steroids, well, no steroids is going to raise your eye pressure, it’s going to possibly cause a cataract. But you could use an eye bright compress, you could use a castor oil massage, you could use some natural homeopathic eyedrops and avert the pinkeye, without the side effects of the pharmaceutical, which is only going to, you know, keep the problem in place. So that’s what I was talking about entity even with contacts and glasses, you know, a prescription in contacts or glasses, it’s approved by the FDA, it’s a prescription, it’s got side effects. And one of the side effects when you wear lenses is it’s going to make your eyes worse, it’s going to make them tighter, more relaxed, more tight, less relaxed. And so by doing some physical therapy, you can reduce your dependency on your lenses like I did, if I can do it, you can do it. And by by doing that you are you are going back to your ability to see things without all this stress and blurred vision and eye strain, that more and more people are suffering today. And you know that that’s the space I’m holding.
08:23
That’s amazing. So you mentioned a little bit about brain health too. So what role does it play in brain health and vice versa?
08:31
Well, in our visual processing, we take in the information, we process it in the brain, and then we have an output. And our brain is so interconnected and interrelated to our to our eyes, as I said, the eyes are kind of the external representation to the brain. And whether it’s, you know, feeding your brain with more omega three fatty acids, or paying attention to the neuro chemicals, like dopamine and serotonin, all of these things that are going on in the brain, affect our eyes, just our mental thinking. If we have chaotic thinking in the brain, that’s going to affect a chaotic experience in our eyes and vision. And so the eye brain connection is super important, because our eyes navigate us through the world. It’s our GPS system. And our brain is processing that information. It’s helping us with our depth perception, our memory, our visual reaction time. So when we do physical therapy, we have to include the brain in the equation, when we’re improving our eyesight and vision.
09:47
That makes sense. So what are some like daily practices that we can do to train our eyes to be stronger?
09:54
Well, number one, I think get at least 30 minutes of natural sunlight every day. Get out in to nature. Number two, it’s important that you eat a rainbow diet of vegetables, and including a few fruits, but be very careful about the sugar because so you want to reduce the high glycemic sugars, because that is a real poison for your eyes. And number three, I would take frequent breaks from your screen time, when we’re focused for long distances at a screen, it’s going to create eye strain, and it’s going to lower our circulation. And then last but not least, I think it’s important to talk to your eyes. I know this sounds kind of strange. But for many people, when they come and see me, the first thing they do is they tell me everything that you know, they’re worried about their eyes, they’ve got this problem, they’ve been told that it over time, to be able to converse with your eyes and start sending messages that I embrace my blur, I love my blur, I love my vision, I can improve my vision at any age, because what we say to our eyes, eventually starts to affect the physical structure of the eyes. And I’ve seen this over and over again. And fear is probably one of the worst emotions around our eyes, because we’re all afraid we’re going to go blind. And so getting a handle on that exploring, for example, there was a patient I had yesterday and I gave her some flower remedies to help her with her fear. And this morning, I got an email, she said, Boy, I have a new lease on life. I’m, I’m not as fearful around losing my eyes. In fact, I’m embracing my clarity today. So that was a whole shift. So it’s a mind body experience. Stress is part of it. So being aware of stress reduction, and, you know, being mindful and taking care of your eyes and not abusing them by just forgetting about them and saying, Well, I’m going to work all day and night and not take breaks, not drink water, not not eat the proper foods. These are all things that that build up. And the deterioration of our eyes.
12:11
You actually hitting on some of the questions that our audiences ask is anxiety and eye health. And also obviously, all these tips are playing to how to combat with dry ice as well. It’s all your lifestyle and diet.
12:26
Yeah, so you know, dry eye is a very interesting syndrome. Because with dry eye, there’s usually some low grade inflammation going on perhaps in the eyelids, when we’re under stress, our sympathetic nervous system is overworking. So that’s our fight or flight freeze response. So that’s going to dry us out. And sometimes there’s an inflammation actually in the eyelids, that prevents us from producing the tears that keep our eyes from evaporating. It’s the lipid part of our tears. And one of my exciting things that I’m doing now is I’ve just created an certified organic castor oil I drop. And people are loving this because it actually replaces the lipid part of the tears. So there’s less evaporation, it also addresses the inflammation in the eyelids. Another thing we’re finding is that sometimes there’s an endocrine imbalance and why we get dry. Now it could be a thyroid problem, it could be actually too much or too little testosterone as an example. Of course not getting enough omega three fatty acids is another piece of the puzzle puzzle. And we’ll we’ll talk about this later. But the ill effects of blue light on our eyes, when they’re admitted from screens can actually create a drying effect on our eyelids and cornea. So we have to be kind of a detective in figuring out what are the causes, and then start giving some things that are treating the cause not just the symptom.
14:02
Right. There are many things everyone can do immediately, right. You mentioned about diet and lifestyle. So what are some like key nutrients? That’s important for Eye Health?
14:12
Well, there’s beta carotene and vitamin A. There’s lutein and zeaxanthin these are the plant Corrado noids that we find in the red and orange family of vegetables. Vitamin E is very important vitamin C has been shown in high levels that will prevent or reduce the risk of cataracts and floaters we can talk about floaters later. Z. Zinc is a very important trace mineral that helps the vitamin A get absorbed. Also things like bilberry so you know berries, blueberries, strawberries, those are great for retina health. And glutathione is another one makes a master antioxidant where do we get that in our cruciferous vegetables in the trace minerals selenium so you know to navigate by eating the rainbow type of diet and making sure we’re non GMO organic. If we’re going to do meats, grass fed or organic as best as we can, make sure you drink enough water daily, even things like ginger and tumeric. Curcumin is very supportive for the eyes. Saffron is a spice that’s also excellent for Macula health. In fact, I’m so high on it that I made it into a supplement. And we use it as a prevention for macular problems, macular pucker, macular degeneration. So think colorful vegetables, and that’s a that’s a good start.
15:50
These are all actually pretty much criticized. All the tip of we also recommended to our user for detoxing. It’s, it’s really amazing that all these things just connect totally. So now we we briefly mentioned about floaters. What exactly are floaters and then why do we get?
16:10
Well floaters occur in the vitreous gel sack which is a gel that sits between the retina and the lens of the eye. It’s in the posterior two thirds of the eye and it’s made of mostly water collagen proteins. And the many reasons why we develop floaters it can just be age related where the vitreous gel sack begins to shrink. And in that case, it can pull away we call that a posterior vitreous detachment and a lot of people get those. Another reason is if you’re highly nearsighted, that can be a cause. Also, if you’ve had cataract surgery, or vitrectomy, those eye surgeries can trigger floaters. Even certain medications can trigger floaters. heavy metal toxicity is another reason head trauma. So there’s a lot of reasons why we develop floaters. And the good news is there are some things that you can do to reverse them. And I’m going to go through my list number one, back to vitamin C, you want to make sure you’re getting enough vitamin C daily, I would recommend about 2000 milligrams a day, highly erotic acid, you can actually get that in an eye drop. It’s called high low tears. It’s by a company called Higher Logic. My MSM eyedrops are fabulous for improving vitreous health, either the five or the 15%. The MSM works great. And then adding those nutrients in as I talked about beta carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin, a C and E, protecting your eyes against the damaging blue light. And one of the things that you’re interested in and the you do is the liver, the liver detox so liver and eyes go together and acupuncture. Also, if there is a problem with floaters, I would recommend having your kidney meridian checked many times there’s a kidney Qi stagnation related to having floaters. So and by the way, acupuncture can work very well. For many eye conditions, including eye floaters. The biggest thing is be patient. There may be that you need to apply more than one thing to getting rid of the floaters and it takes time. It’s not an overnight change. But if you add many of these things that I’m recommending, you will reduce your floaters and take a look at your stress level and your screen time. Because a lot of times as you move away from the stress and the screens, your floaters disappear oh one more. This is the most important one lymph health. So when we sit all the time in our lymph gets stagnant the I knee has its own lymphatic system. So even doing some eye exercises where you’re doing eye movements that can help reduce the floaters and a new one that just came on the radar is pineapple. There was a study that people who ate pineapple it’s the bromelain in the pineapple that also showed some positive results in reducing floater so have your daily dose of pineapple or bromelain. So here we go. I just named a dozen things that people can do to reduce floaters and you don’t have to live it out as again you go and the doctor says we got floaters there’s nothing you can do. And Harry here I’m giving 12 things that can work really well. So that’s that’s the story on floaters.
19:34
That is amazing. So what does a consultation with you look like? Because I think people want this personalized treatment.
19:43
They do want that well you know since COVID and even before COVID I was doing a lot of telemedicine and not everybody can travel to New Mexico. And so we if we do a telehealth or telemedicine I get the records there, the eye records beforehand and I study those. And then when we have our session, we have some action steps that we want to take with the patient around what are their goals, we take a look at their prescription, and make some recommendations. I like to get people away from progressive lenses, at least part of the time, balancing the lenses reducing astigmatism. And now my in office patients, of course, in the vision exam, we’re testing things like visual coordination, depth perception, visual reaction time, the health of the vestibular system, as it relates to vision, that’s our inner here, they’re very intertwined. Some things in visual memory and other perceptual tests, and coming up with a lens prescription, where they experience relaxation, with good acuity. And that’s the difference. The lot of times the prescriptions that people get are way too strong. And so by getting a prescription that’s balanced, and that you feel relaxed in your eyes in your body, that’s going to keep your eyes healthy, and you won’t need stronger lenses, if you follow that, that way of proof that method of prescribing. So there’s a lot of things sometimes I’ll do, you know, biochemistry testing, we can do urine analysis, hair analysis, because I really feel strongly about how nutrients affect our eyes. And, you know, sometimes we do a visual fields test and you know, other things, but it’s very individualized, based on what the history is, you know, what, what are people struggling with? What are they dealing with, and then based on that, another area that I’m specialize in is traumatic brain injury. And this came about when I was starting my practice in Philadelphia, I couldn’t get any patients. So the very conventional place where I was practicing. So I went to the local hospital, and I volunteered to work with the outpatient people who had suffered traumatic brain injury, they had double vision, they couldn’t balance. And within three months by applying my physical therapy, they were home, they were back at work they were. And so the hospital realize this, this was very unheard of that somebody like me could do this. So they gave me a contract in like three hospitals around Philadelphia. And that’s how I built my practice. Because I was working with all these TBI patients sports, concussions, car accidents, people with stroke, and, you know, brain problems. These particular physical therapy techniques that I learned are so effective in helping people regain not only their eyesight, their balance, their vision, their focus, their driving their reading. And so TBI is another area. And then the last area I really like to work with is the spectrum disorders, autism, to add work with a lot of special needs kids. I consulted a facility nearby here in Albuquerque, and have worked with special needs kids for years. And I tell you applying the physical body, physical eye body therapy with them. I mean, it’s life changing so many success stories, helping kids who have been struggling, and were written off as special needs, whether it’s Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, or just kids who have developmental delays. So it’s a wide ranging net of being able to help people because vision is such a dominant sense, sense. And, you know, the way it’s being treated now is statically. And I treat it as a very dynamic skill set that you can improve. And so that’s that’s kind of the contrast of what regular eye care does versus what I do.
23:57
That is so amazing, because you’re also not only just improving the individual’s quality of life, because everything you described that’s has so much to do with the person’s quality of life, but also the family’s quality of life.
24:09
Because the vision Yes, exactly.
24:13
And you mentioned about the castor oil. eyedrops. I know you have many different types. How do you know which one to use?
24:21
Well, through trial and error and clinical training over many, many years, you know, I was a chemist in college, and so when I got out of school, I knew that MSM as a sulfur molecule help reduce inflammation in the joints. People were always taking the MSM powder. So I was able to create an MSM in an eye drop, and I started to give it to my patients and their red, red eyes would go away. Their dryness would go away their floaters went away. And I knew that during the day, this was a really sad All right, I drop that didn’t create the deterioration, it actually supported the eyes to lubricate and moisturize better. And then at night, people were complaining that my eyes are dry, I wake up with them stuck together. You know. And so this is where I had studied castor oil on the body, you know, you’ve probably heard of castor oil packs for digestion. So I was able to get an organic castor oil. And through different trial and error, we started to have people massage it on the outside part of the eyes, the eyelids, and everybody was coming back saying My eyes feel more moist. My dryness is going away. So then I created this eye drop. And so you because when you do the eye drop at night, it kind of works its way through the eye in the in, you know while you sleep, so it’s a little thicker. But people wake up and their eyes are moist, and they’re clear. They’re white. And so the MSM and the homeopathic eyedrops daytime, and then the castor oil more towards the evening. And then when I started to look at herbal medicine, things like akinesia and goldenseal, on eyebright, we made these into compresses for people, and they would put over the eyelids. And that also helped the dryness, the redness, even certain types of pinkeye and styes. And I would compare that by using steroids or antibiotics. And I always came back to the herbs, they seem to work better. People would get better faster, they wouldn’t have the side effects, and they wouldn’t have reoccurring conditions. So it was a no brainer that plant based medicines work well. And so I started to incorporate those into either during the day or in the evening, based on the severity of the condition, the symptoms, and what people were, you know, open to doing. And so today, I’m always looking for new things to help people support their eyes to get better, and not just take a drug or do the surgery right away, because there are side effects to those and they’re not really getting to the root cause.
27:10
Right. We have one question for the audience men said you mentioned helping patients improve vision that had had a brain trauma. Have you seen improvements in patients that have had eye trauma?
27:25
Yeah, definitely. You know, with eye trauma. This is a very interesting scenario, because the eye is mostly made up of soft tissue, connective tissue, and it absorbs a lot of the traumas that may be occur indirectly other places. And of course, you know, I’ve worked with football players and boxers and people who have just had eye trauma. And it takes time, you can do things like color therapy works, well, cranial sacral therapy, I am a cranial sacral therapist, if somebody has had a trauma, immediately go get some body work, get some cranial work, and that will get rid of the trauma, it’ll release it. So then the circulation improves. So it’s dependent, you know, it’s it’s partly, perhaps energetic medicine, it’s partly nutrients. It’s partly maybe body work. But even with eye trauma, you can begin to release it. And maybe over a period of weeks, you can return to your regular routine. But absolutely. Physical vision therapy is great for TBI and vision problems.
So what are what are your three blockers? So this is an interesting question. Because about about five years ago, people started to they would come into the office, and they were really complaining of computer vision syndrome. And you know, my eyes are getting tired, I’m having difficulty sleeping. And you know, my eyes are always red. And so I started to dig into the literature and I started to take a look at the the lower frequency of the the blue light like 405 to 455. And there were some studies that said that this chaotic blue light could damage tissue in the body. So I put two and two together. And I said, you know, I bet that if we could come up with a blue blocking filter, something that deflected the blue light, that some of these eyestrain symptoms would go away. So I worked with my optical lab and we came up with something. And at first we use the tints but people complained that it was too dark. And then I realized the pupils will dilate when they would wear this dark tint. So I went back to the drawing board and they said well, let’s just make a filter on the back of the lens. There’ll be UV, you know, block the UV and then we’ll To reduce the glare, and it will get rid of most of the blue light. And that’s the one I’ve stayed with. And so I’ve used it on 1000s of patients. And then when I opened my ecommerce store, I said, Well, I want to make it available to the masses. And so the blue blocking filter does not change the color, but it does block the damaging blue light. Now it’s not 100%, but it blocks enough of it, where it reduces the symptoms, and probably the critical time is after 6pm. Because blue light does affect our melatonin or can affect our melatonin production. Sleep. And so that’s when we really focus on it. But there are two other points I want to make that people might not know. If you’re scheduled for cataract surgery, you’ve had cataract surgery, many times they don’t put the blue blocker in the new lens, see our current hardware, our current lenses, your lens and my lens has a filtering capability of some of the blue light, but in the inter ocular lenses and cataracts. They they usually don’t and so you’re very susceptible to developing retina problems afterwards. I’ve seen too many of those.
And so if you’re scheduled for cataract surgery, number one, ask your surgeon if the blue blocker is in that lens. If it’s not, then you need to get some blue blocking protection after the surgery, because you’re going to be wide open to the blue light exposure. Also make sure you’re you’re supplementing with lutein and zeaxanthin, 16 milligrams a day of lutein, four to six milligrams a day of xanthan, those two are like sunglasses, they’re pigments that cover the macula, that will deflect the damaging blue light. And then number three natural sunlight does have blue light. But that blue light is good for you that blue light is is helping your circadian rhythms hook in. So not all blue light is bad. But if you’re on artificial devices, and it’s after 6pm Even with kids yesterday, I had a child is that eyestrain and I said we need to get blue blockers on this fella. He’s a video gamer. And I you know, so I think the blue protect lens is really good. And it blocks the damaging blue light. But it allows you to see the screen clearly. And it’s going to give you more resource and a longer viewing time without causing deterioration, which that’s what I’m what I’m most concerned about.
32:33
I know we’re a little bit over. But I actually have one last question. I’d love you to talk about your book, because it’s coming up.
32:40
Yeah. So this is really interesting, because in the book, what we did was, we went through all the social media questions. And we listed in when I wrote the book, what is the most asked question, what’s the second most asked question? And so we took my transcripts of my answers on Facebook Live and Instagram and tick tock, and I created this book. And it’s very interesting, because the number one question is the question you ask, which is about eye floaters. So many people ask about that. Anyways, it’s a really good read, it’s got a lot of helpful suggestions. Everything from nutrition to energy medicine, explains the eye condition and what you can do. So I’m really excited about the release of it. And we’re gonna have some fun things around the access to me if you you know, by by the book in it for a certain price, you can actually come to one of my my events, my live events next year, come to an online workshop, you know, masterclasses so we’re making it kind of fun and interesting to people. So people can, you know, participate. And we have an audio book and an ebook as well, that we’ll release early next year. So thanks for asking. I’m really excited about it. And bottom line, I think it’s going to really be a great resource for people. If they have a condition, they can look it up and say, Okay, this is what I, this is what I need to do.
34:09
We are excited to we’ll make sure we promote so people can get you know, they just they can buy it on your website.
34:16
Yeah, there’ll be able to buy it from my website. We’re just getting it right up today. I was I was working on it. So I’d say by next week, or December 12. You’ll be able to buy it. And we’ll give you a nice discount if you if you do pre sale. So that’s another perfect day. 1212 12 Yeah, exactly. Good numbers. Right. Right. Right. So
34:36
thank you so much for all this great information today. And we’ll make sure we promote and we’ll also have your website, your your bio, everything linked to this Instagram. Post. Thank you so much. You’re welcome. Thank you.
Thank you for listening. I hope you learned something from the EyeClarity podcast show today. If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to subscribe on iTunes or Spotify and leave a review. See you here next time.
So today I’m going to invite you into a session I gave recently to somebody who has been diagnosed with glaucoma and myopia. I give some interesting insights into the causes, and also a really great treatment plan. Enjoy the show.
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SUMMARY KEYWORDS
eyes, lens, progressive lenses, prescription, glasses, glaucoma, blur, optic nerve, cataract, msm, myopia, drops, reaction, preservative, supplements, pressures, retina, people, vision, wear
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberne.com.
Hey everybody, its Dr. Sam and I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. Before we get to today’s show, I want to let you know that you can text me your questions now. And the number is 1-844-932-1291. That’s 1-844-932-1291. So today I’m going to invite you into a session I gave recently, somebody who has been diagnosed with glaucoma, myopia, and give some interesting insights into the causes, and also a really great treatment plan. So I hope you enjoy the show. Thanks for tuning in. Why don’t you give me a thumbnail sketch on what your goals and objectives are today with our session?
00:59
Sure. My biggest concern is a year ago I got diagnosed with glaucoma, which kind of just you know, upset my world. And I very myopic as you probably saw, like a negative 10 his left eye and then the right I had a huge myopic shift in last year, year and a half and I have gone to glaucoma specialist and eye doctors and they said well you got to start with a cataract is probably due to cataract. So that was another concern of mine. And this huge shift in my eye I don’t know you know, maybe it was a cataract or not. And but the glaucoma is the biggest thing and I have a very intolerance to the drops I have also have mast cell activation syndrome and so that you you’re intolerant to a lot of things that other people are tolerant to plastic put as you know a lot of those nasty preservatives and I’m so I’m gone preservative free and even a preservative free ones don’t seem to work. So finally I am on one called there’s all my from infamous, which is a pharmacy which is just pure in that so far I’m tolerating it. However, it’s not bringing the pressures down.
So I don’t have controlled pressures. And so I’m not controlled. So that’s a big concern of mine. And I’m on a battery of supplements, as you see right here, you know, to try to do this naturally along with you know, traditional medicine. And I also have an eyecare chronometer I got about two months ago to check my pressures. Ironically, it’s like most pressures are supposed to be high at night, my pressures are more 1718 Not bad at night when I wake up. And when I get up, they go up to like 2324 25. And it baffles me as to why the pressures are going up. And I guess big swings and pressures that I’m seeing big swings are not good for glaucoma. So Glaucoma is my biggest concern, which you know, of course, I don’t want to go blind. And I just end up going to Will’s eye on Monday to Dr. Myers there. And he said it’s moderate in the left eye, I have some vision loss from the visual field and mild in the right eye. And the other problem is I have such intolerance to drops is that my eyes are just so dry. And then I had the gland disorder, especially in the right eye where I’d wake up and I found the yellow pause. So I have not used any eyedrops in my right eye for the last month to try to get that to heal. Because my eyes are just so dry and fry. And again, I’m using all I don’t know if you can see my table here. Everything under the sun up to you know, one of these things I don’t think I even tolerate even though they say they’re preservative free. And it’s I don’t know, I’m trying combinations after combinations. And actually, I do have the Optima which I was afraid to use because it has propylene glycol in it, so I never really used it that I did start trying this bio true, which two nights ago so far so far I tolerate that but a lot of the other things like refresh the stain, the night gels in Epi seems like it even makes it worse even though they’re preservative free. So that that’s in a nutshell, what I’m struggling with, I want to get my pressures down. And so I can minimize, you know, visual field loss.
04:37
All right, you call the right person.
04:40
Oh, good. I hope you can help me. Dr. Sam. Yeah.
04:45
We’re work through this. Okay, so what I’m assuming that your nearsightedness has been corrected by glasses, you’re not wearing contacts,
04:54
because I tried to have contacts but because of the COVID I didn’t go out much and then after that that with the drops in the dry I have contacts which I would like to wear, but I only wore him when I used to go out. Yep. So yes, correct. The 2020 1120 25 the right.
05:12
No, is this a single vision correction? Just like one lens or
05:15
no, it’s progressive.
05:17
Progressives. Okay. Although I’m,
05:21
I have reading glasses which are single, you know? And
05:28
but pretty much you’re using progressive lenses would you say most of the day?
05:32
Oh yes, yeah.
05:36
Okay. So you’ve been following me on Facebook? Yeah, I think we’ve communicated on Facebook. Oh, yeah,
05:46
I think yes, yes. So I’ve heard a lot of your commentary and you know, the things to do, but I just thought it’d be nice to have a session like this.
05:58
Okay, very good. So, the first thing is the, the eye pressure is only one aspect of diagnosing glaucoma. And, of course, you probably know this, but the key one of the keys in glaucoma is how you can cultivate a healthy optic nerve, because that’s the place that is most vulnerable in the glaucoma diagnosis. Because it affects the circulation. And it’s, it’s a vascular challenge. This is now I
06:43
interrupt for a second one second. The other thing is that my blood pressure at night goes very low. It’s it’s sometimes under 9060. Sometimes it’s bad numbers 54, which is a concern of mine. And I tried to do salt to the point where my feet were swollen, so i can’t i and that didn’t help. So I do feel like I don’t have enough circulation to my brain. I have a buzzing in my right ear. And when I wake up, or actually it’s during the day, but I feel like I don’t have enough circulation in my brain to the fact that I’m actually having a Doppler transcranial test. Yes, in two weeks. By the urging of my GP, he set me up for that. So I’m sorry to interrupt, but I do feel like I don’t have enough blood flow in the brain. Yep,
07:31
yep. Sure, sir, of course. Now, by by saying that, you know, you you again may know that when you’re near sighted nearsightedness on an anatomical or physical level, compresses all the tissue in and around the eye. Were you aware of this? Then myopia really? No. So myopia is a tunneling of your vision. Okay. And so it’s kind of a precursor for glaucoma, especially at the stage you’re at, that the myopia is really already beginning to tunnel you. And then there’s something else I’m going to share, which is progressive lenses is Like pouring kerosene on a fire to really induce more glaucoma. Really, the reason is, is because the only part of the lens that you can use as a tiny thread down the middle. And so you’re splitting the lens into, you know, three layers, three main layers, but none of the side of the glasses is usable, you have to tunnel your, your whole visual system through these tiny windows. And so that is also inducing more circulation problems, and ultimately, pressure issues. Because the optical system you’re looking through is inducing more compression. And this is not well known in traditional eye care, because when they prescribe progressive lenses, it’s a convenience thing.
And when you don’t have the line, well, I don’t have to worry about my aging. But on a functional level, the usage level. It’s one of the worst things that you can do to create an obstacle in your visual circulation. So the principle is, the bigger the window you look through, the more of the peripheral vision you’re using. And when you were up progressive lens on top of the amount of myopia you have, you might as well kiss it, goodbye, okay, in terms of, you can take all the supplements from here to, you know, South America, you’re not going to you’re not going to make much progress. And then if you’ve got low blood blood pressure at night, and you know some of these other things, we need to turn the ship because the people you’re going to are also extremely myopic in their treatment of you, and then they don’t see you as a whole person. Right? They see as glaucoma. Yeah. And so their approach is eyedrops and, and something like iridectomy, or vitrectomy. And all of those things are very invasive. And the glaucoma medications are going to dry your eyes out even more. Now, we bring in the nervous system here so that we’ve got to two main parts of the nervous system, the sympathetic nervous system, which is our active state, it can also be our fight flight freeze state. And then we have our parasympathetic nervous system, that’s when we rest that’s a relaxation part. And somebody who is nearsighted you know, I’ve worked with over 15,000 patients so I can safely say this is that there is a mental hypervigilance running mentally in you may be unconscious. But that mental hypervigilance is you’re putting all that energy through your eyeballs. And that hyper vigilance is fear based lack of trust, a tightening of defensiveness. A you know, a reaction to lack of safety. A lack of security. And I know we’re working with glaucoma, but these are exactly the same emotions that happened in glaucoma that happened in myopia. They’re parallel to each other. And especially the
12:31
I am an anxious person, kind of nervous and anxious. So yeah, you’re spot on, it seems and I felt like there was something going on. When I wait, what my pressures can be 17 laying down when I first get up, and then an hour later, they’re like 2324, and I feel relaxed. I’m retired, but there’s something going on this.
12:53
If we rewind for a minute, let’s let’s take the macro picture, macro. So in the macro picture, let’s go back. And let’s examine for a minute, if you have a memory, or a general memory, how old were you when you got your first prescription? Like 10 years old? Okay, so you’re 10 years old? The next question comes, was there anything in your life, maybe aged age nine, age 10, that could have been something as simple as somebody is making fun of you. I’m having difficulty learning in school, we moved, I was close to my grandmother and she died. In other words, there were something around that time period, that you made a decision around your vision. And you said, I’m going to pull my visual world in. I’m going to blur it out there, I’m going to pull it in. And mentally I’m going to I’m there’s chaos or I’m I don’t understand something. And then the doctor that you go to, because it’s blurry in the distance is going to give you the lens that is going to reinforce the reaction that you’re doing to yourself. I know this sounds crazy. But this is how this amount of myopia starts happening. You know, the, the average amount of nearsightedness is two to three to four diopters. And we can’t just blame this on genetics,
14:34
or something. But my parents had no glasses. They didn’t have wear glasses until they were older. And then they did it for reading. So their vision was fine. And as my brother and myself, I’m far worse than he is we both were myopic.
14:49
So again, it may be at this point, you don’t know. Yeah, I don’t know, in touch with, but at that 10 year old zone, and that’s, you know, That’s an age where we start learning to read something again, you might look back on it now and say, Well, I wasn’t really a big deal. Like, in my own case, I was eight years old, and I started to develop nearsightedness because I was diagnosed with a learning disability. And I didn’t really have a learning disability, but that’s what I was diagnosed with. And I went to the eye doctor, and he kept increasing my prescription. So I became a memorizer. And by the time I graduated optometry school, I was very nearsighted. And at that point, I happened to meet a holistic eye doctor, and he had a physical therapy program that he offered. And within six months, I completely dissolved my prescription in my eyes, no, wow. 100. And, you know, three decades later, I mean, you see me I’m not I don’t wear anything for distance, or here, I don’t need it. So there was a mind body, a mind body connection that I made around what I was doing to my eyes, which was extreme tension, trying, getting it right, being perfect, being afraid to get it wrong, you know, all of those things.
And so my prescription fixed, not only my prescription, but it also fixed my emotional, my psychological, my energetic perceptions on what the profile of nearsightedness is, and I bring this up, because, you know, I can start I, there are some techniques that you’re not doing that could actually really benefit you. And we’re gonna get to those. But before we do that, I at least want to travel in the arena of the causes of your myopia. And I’m going to give you an exercise to do, that’s going to create a crossover mentally and emotionally, to get you to start to open your vision up on a physical level. And this may appear a little scary for you to to enter this domain. But I can tell you, if you enter it, and you do this particular process for the next month. If nothing else, it will develop a more loving, gentle, caring relationship with your eyes. And they will be really happy that you’re doing this. Now, it may also reduce your myopia prescription, it may also get rid of the cataract, and it also may reduce the glaucoma. So there’s a lot of upside to this particular exercise if you want to do it, so let me explain what I’m asking for. You were what we call a minus lens, you know, minus, blank blank.
Yeah, it’s called a negative lens. We take on more negativity. Another thing about honest lens is it makes things a lot smaller than they really are tighter. If you compare glasses on and glasses off, and you put the glasses on and you look at an object, you know, close by, you’re going to see that, wow, that object really got small. So your whole world is about being smaller, being tighter. And in some cases, even being invisible. Now, one of the things I’ve learned and I’ve developed over the years, is challenging people’s status quo. What I mean by that is challenging their current eyeglass prescription, and the way I do that is by having them wear the complete opposite prescription. So that would be a plus lens. Now a plus lens is opposite and a minus lens. It makes things bigger. It spreads the light into areas of the retina that your current prescription is blocking. Your current prescription is thick on the edges. And if I took your nearsighted lens and I put it on an overhead projector projector, you would see Eat that there’s darkness around the edge of the lens, there’s no light getting out into your peripheral retina. All the light is being focused on a very tiny area of the retina and then on the progressive lens, that bull’s eyes even smaller, because you can’t access it through the progressive lens, because that’s blocking the light as well. So what I’m going to ask you to do is go to the drugstore, and you’re going to go to the section where they sell the reading glasses, the magnifying glasses, and that’s going to be your vision, exercise cheaters, you talked
20:42
about the cheaters.
20:44
Yeah, you’re gonna get a full lens, not a lie. But you’re not going to call it a cheater, you’re going to call it your vision improvement prescription. You’re going to use the lens to change this glaucoma pattern by cultivating and increasing your peripheral vision, or how are you going to do that? Alright, so you go there, and you get like, a plus 3.0 or plus 3.25, whatever they’ve got, you don’t need to go, they don’t have it much higher than that. That’s good. Something in that plus three range. And while you’re there, get a get an eyepatch. If you don’t have one, I bring it home. And I want you to lock yourself in your bedroom or some safe place where you won’t be disturbed. Okay, and you sit in a chair, and you take your glasses off. And you cover your left eye, naked, no, no prescription, and you look out into the room or out into out the window, and you get a baseline on the blur. You cover the left you look out the WoW is blurry out there. Yeah, you know, and you kind of remember that, and then do the same with the other eye. So you’re getting a an initial baseline measurement of your visual acuity. Then what you’re going to do is take the patch and cover the left eye. And you’re going to take your vision improvement prescription the plus lens, and you’re going to put it over the patch and over the right eye. So you’re now looking through it.
22:32
So I’m looking through one eyes past and I’m looking through,
22:37
you’re looking through the right eye through the Vision Improvement pluck lens. And I want you to notice what your thoughts are immediately. What am I thinking here? When I looked through this blur? Wow, this is excruciating. This is the best experience there is. Or Holy cow. This is really blurry. I’m uncomfortable with this.
23:03
Probably the latter.
23:06
Yeah, exactly your your your reaction is probably going to be I don’t like this very much. And here’s, here’s the deal. You’re going to spend about a minute. And your intention, mentally is to say, can I relax into this blur? Can I accept it? Can I embrace it? Now remember, you’re sitting there, there’s absolutely no demand on you. Now your mind go it might go into what if? What if I saw like this all the time. So notice that how you project into the future, your anxiety. You know, you’ve heard the the spiritual work be here now, the power of now. And that’s exactly what I want you to do. I want you to put the lens over the right eye. And I want you to as best as you can mentally relax into it. After that minute you take the lens off, and you look through the right eye and you take a second measurement. And you’re going to note that your eyesight has gotten clear. Because mentally, you are now beginning to let go of the need to grip your right eye and keep it clear and strangle it to the point of compression. You do it again. You put it on a second time. Whoa, I gotta do this again. But now you get to go deeper in your experience. Maybe you’ll get short of breath. Maybe it’s anxiety attack. Maybe it’s who knows but what it doesn’t matter what it is. It’s just self awareness. As you’re bringing to the surface, what’s behind the eyes, the programming, and then you do it a third time. And the goal would be to eventually I love the blur.
This is beautiful, I get to see form without shape. Wow, look at the shadows. In other words, I’m a baby again, I’m curious. Because there’s no demand, I’m not asking you to identify anything, but look at your addiction, around needing it to be clear, needing it to be a certain way. Mentally, when you put that energy through your eyeballs, you’re strangling them. Okay, once you’ve done it three times, this is really the next thing, you then take the patch off, and you look with both eyes, and you’re going to notice something, it’s much clearer, and it’s much brighter, and you have more peripheral vision. So what you’re practicing here is neuroplasticity. In the eyes, you’ve just created a new brain pathway. By experiencing this blur through the right eye while the left is covered, and then bringing the left back into it, the left has to now readjust to the new experience that the right has just had. That’s going to open up retina cells, brain cells. So you’re now counteracting the current downward spiral that you’re in, which is compression, tightness narrowing, and so on. Then you cover the right eye. And you do the same thing you get a naked reading first time with the left eye, compare it compare how you feel differently, looking through the left eye versus looking through the right eye. You might say with the left eye Oh, this is easy. I don’t know. But I want you to note the relationship. And then you put the blurry glasses on three times the minute each take a measurement in between. And then take the patch off the right eye after the third time. And you’re going to notice, wow, things are brighter, things are clearer, I feel more relaxed, I’m seeing better. I’m going to offer that to you three times a week to do that. Practice. You can do it every day if you want. But the plus lens is going to reawaken the retina that has gone asleep because of the progressive lenses and the glasses that you wear every day. And you’re going to start to have an opening so any comments or questions about this exercise? Okay.
28:24
The three plus, I mean, I’m blurry as it is it’s gonna make me even blurrier. Right.
28:31
So you write this down, write this down. The way you get clearer eyesight is by going into your blur. In other words, embracing your blur. And without your glasses. That’s not enough, we actually have to do steroids on you. And the plus blur is much more informative, and therapeutic for you to make the quickest changes. Okay, all right.
29:15
I’ll try it.
29:17
Does that make sense? Well, here’s the thing. It’s your mental reaction to your blurb is hurting you. Let’s do this right now. Fill in the blank. I want you to fill in the blank. My blurry vision means blank. My blurry vision means
29:48
irritates me.
29:50
It irritates me. Yeah, it irritates me. Can you go a little deeper? What else
30:00
I want to fix that it’s I don’t like it.
30:05
Right? And what is it that you don’t like about it?
30:10
What is it that I see things?
30:14
I want to see things, but your definition of seeing things is very narrow. It isn’t just about seeing things clearly. It’s about including your peripheral vision, which will soften your eyes
30:42
because if you if you want to see clearly, you just put your glasses on and do the things you need to do. This exercise is done outside of that, that time. I’m not asking you to go without your glasses all day. No, no, not when we’re driving. I’m asking you to do an eye therapy exercise, so that you can learn about the mental programming that is causing the circulation issues. I mean, where do you think this is coming from? It’s not, it’s not falling from the sky. We can’t just say, you know, your myopia is part of the cause of the glaucoma, and probably the cataract. And if you can get that all the supplements and things you’re doing will help you better. But right now you’re in a fight flight freeze response in your eyes, you can’t receive any anything, your eyes are so irritated and inflamed. And you you said it? If I’m in blur, I’m irritated? Well, you know, part of the part of the game here is in your exercise time, can you relax and embrace and accept the blur? Just in that just in that five to 10 minute? Just doing it, then we’ll make a shift in your eyes getting more relaxed. So try it on if it’s not your cup of tea, no problem? No, I definitely will do it. But the point here is that the reason why I have you do it is because I want you to learn more about the habits that you’re bringing to your eyeballs. And the first time you do it, and you have the your acuity which is blurry and then you put them on, and you go through the exercise and you take them off, your eyesight is going to be better. And that might prove to you oh, maybe he’s got something here. Now the next thing that would be good for you would be to get a single vision pair of glasses to wear part of the day. So that the whole lens is there for you to use. Instead of the tiny progressives. I can’t emphasize enough how much the progressive lenses are making things worse for you. I don’t I don’t know how I can convey that to you. And it’s funny I do. I’ll do video blogs on progressive lenses. I get the angriest comments from people. You don’t know what you’re talking about. What do you mean I love my progressive lenses. And all that is fine. You know? I’m not saying to throw them away. But common sense is the bigger the window you look through the more of your retina you’re going to engage.
34:35
Well, I mean I can get new glasses.
34:38
Here’s here’s how I would suggest. First of all, keep your progressives and wear them in the circumstances when you need them. Maybe for you it’s well I get in the car. I drive to the store. I need to see the labels you Your progressive lenses, but perhaps getting a single vision lens, I could even write the prescription for you. And you could get it locally there, you can either get a distance prescription, or you could get a computer prescription. Now, the computer prescription is interesting. Remember how I talked about a few minutes ago, how I was very nearsighted. And I was able to completely. So one of the techniques my doctor did for me, is he gave me about a 60% strength of what my distance prescription was. And he said, I want you to wear this indoors. And I remember I was in my office at that point, I had a conventional office, I had about nine staff members. And after a week, they came up to me and they said, Something’s really different about you. Are you on medication? Are you what? What’s changed? And I said, Well, what are you observing, and they said, you’re more relaxed, you’re not as uptight, you’re more receptive, because I was wearing that reduced prescription, and it changed the energy into my body. And then about two months later, that reduce prescription became my distance prescription. So it was like a Vision Improvement lens, when I wore it, my eyes adjust to the relaxation. And then I went back and put on my strong distance glasses, and I got a migraine and a half hour,
36:52
I have reading glasses, which are single, you know,
36:56
well, the reading glasses are going to be if you look at my hand, they’re made for here. And so you’re going to be dealing with blur anything beyond that, right? And what I’m hearing from you is that blur is something that you’re going to have to wrestle with that. So I suggest, in the middle part of the lens is kind of the 22 inches, 24 inches, that’ll give you a little more clarity to work with indoors. Now, if you’re beyond, say three feet, and you start squinting, then you just put on your regular glasses, this has to be done in a low demand situation, so that you can get used to more open vision, more relaxation. But it’s not going to give you the pinpoint resolution that you currently have in your distance. That’s not when you wear it again, if you think about with me in the office, everything was within three feet. But my whole staff came to me because they thought I was crazy. How did you change so quickly? That’s how it’s potent, the lenses on your energy and your psychological, emotional.
38:21
So if I wanted to do that, I guess my reading glasses wouldn’t work, get computer glasses, get computer glasses, wearing them around the house?
38:32
Yes, you could do that. Absolutely. And I would encourage you to have a very forgiving attitude. This is not about seeing the fly at 50 feet away. This is about getting you to open your vision and relax yourself. And I know you say you’re relaxed and all that I’m not gonna argue there. This is this is old stuff. This is stuff that’s very deep in the eyes. And if you’re at that number in your myopia, again, I got 15,000 people that I’ve worked with that have all said to me, yeah, it’s hypervigilance mentally, which is creating my myopia. I’m not making this up. This is what 1000s of people have told me. What is hypertension? You maybe ought to look it up. Okay. So you’re in your house. Now, let’s say somebody breaks in, they got a gun and they say, all right, girlfriend. Give me all your money. What’s gonna happen to your nervous system? Oh, yeah. Fight or flight? Yeah, that’s okay. Okay. What What can I do to protect myself? It’s, it’s, it’s like protection and defense is my first impulse instead of freedom and relaxation. Your prescription is like wearing a straitjacket on your eyes. I mean, I’m not sugarcoating it here. No, please don’t. You’re in a maximum security prison with your, with your prescription. And the progressive lenses make it even solitary confinement. So now you’ve got this information.
Work with it, see what happens. And you may find that this computer prescription, you might be able to start driving with it. Like, wow, that’s interesting. And then you’ll put on your old glasses, and they’ll start hurting you. And that’s when you’ll realize, Oh, my goodness, there is a relationship between myopia and glaucoma. Okay, I want to move on. So if you need some help with prescription, just email me, your eye doctor probably would be thrilled to sell you another pair of glasses. If you went to him and said, Hey, I need a single vision computer prescription. They’ll make it for you in a New York minute. But the thing is, is that you’re using him to get something that’s that’s reduced, which I doctors never do. I get so many emails from people. I went to my doctor, I wanted to get a reduced prescription he wouldn’t do it. So you’re gonna get him to do it. But you have another agenda going on? Right? You no more? No? Okay. Now I want to talk about your cataract for a minute. In my opinion, I think the early cataract development is related to the myopia. And some things you can check off the box here to boost your lens health would be vitamin C, and glutathione. Those have been proven to us when they’re low. That’s when the cataract starts forming. Glutathione you can get from your cruciferous vegetables, sulfur foods. Vitamin C, whatever form you can get in it. If you don’t want to do supplements, that’s up to you. Oh, I
43:23
don’t want to do supplements. I’m sorry. No,
43:26
I’m saying if you don’t want to do
43:29
Oh, okay, I did some vitamin C. Okay.
43:33
Okay, environment, so that’s good glutathione. Again, you can you can do a supplement, or you can just have foods that contain cruciferous vegetables and add the trace mineral selenium that helps in the absorption of glutathione. I think it’s actually better served for you than using the ocular med. I’m moving away from that because of the preservative in it. I don’t like it. And you know sometimes there is a little bit of preservative in the natural eyedrops. I mean full disclosure when I was creating my MSM eyedrops, I had to put I had to put a trace amount of EDTA in a yes,
44:34
yes, that’s why I bought and yeah, and I looked that up and I didn’t like
44:41
so here’s, here’s the thing, and I could send you
44:46
research doesn’t have this is liquid MF MSN which does not have any preservatives in it.
44:52
Yeah, but it’s it’s diluted, it doesn’t work. Okay, so let me explain about it. The EDTA is it’s such trace level that the benefits of the MSM work better with it, I couldn’t do it without it. If the I dropped just wouldn’t, it wouldn’t work. And I think if you focus on these miniscule things you could lose the benefit. But, you know, I started I started carrying the MSM on Amazon. I don’t like Amazon, because the liquid Amazon that the lumen msmu bought, I tested it. It’s no good. It has nothing as no Chi in it. Okay, it’s not. I mean, it’s not therapeutic, it’s bullshit. And the thing is, is that I wanted to have a conversation with them, you can’t even you can’t even talk to them. So I don’t even know who’s making it, what they’re doing, what’s their transparency. Anyway, I want to tell you about a research study that was done by ophthalmology. So ophthalmology did this study. Here’s the study, they took people who had meibomian gland dysfunction, like what you have made?
Yeah, and they gave them one drop of homogenized castor oil I draw. And they found that there was a significant reduction in the meibomian gland dysfunction by using the castor oil. That was from ophthalmology, they said it was one of the reasons is is because the meibomian gland produces the lipid part of the tear. When you have MGD, you don’t produce it, so your tears evaporate really quickly. And if you want to reduce your glaucoma and cataract you need you must hydrate your eyes 1,000% more than you’re doing right now. Because right now, the dehydration is creating a climate in the eyeball that’s inflammatory that feeds oxidative stress and reduces circulation. And, you know, you may need to use some natural things where you get some reactions, and you may be misreading the reaction. And the reaction is that your eyes are carrying a lot of toxicity. And when you put something natural in it, your eye is trying to detox. It’s not that you’re allergic to it or whatever. So you’ve got to start hydrating your eyes more. And you need to pick the eyedrops that number one you react the least to. We can also talk about ways to get the drops in your eyes to reduce the reaction. But you’re going to have to start embracing some way to hydrate them or you’re gone you’re going to just you’re going to be set up for an eye surgery. You have to hydrate more. So a couple of ways that you can do this would be if you don’t like the MSM, don’t use it. If you want to try the Amazons MSM, if you like that better and the Optique a way that you can do it is get a wet washcloth a wet cloth, put a couple of drops on the cloth and place it over the islands. A couple of drops a couple of times. Well you choose the Optique is a good eyedrops the MSM is a good eyedrop those would be the two I would suggest
49:32
er your eyes.
49:34
Yeah, I mean, forget the other MSM. What are you doing there? This is not going to get you there. I mean, get over it. That’s fine. No, there’s going to be it’s kind of like what are you going to do? live in a bubble. You know, I love these people that that go oh, I can’t go here and you got to start challenging your immunity. In your eyes. We call it the ocular. microbiome. Well,
50:01
let me say let me try. Let me start using your MSN and hopefully the preservative won’t fall. Here’s
50:06
the thing. Here’s the thing, you may get a reaction where they burn a little. They may make your eyes red. They may, you know, I don’t know you’ve got a lot of toxins in your eyeballs. So I would maybe start with putting them on the cloth and putting it over the eyelids. And what you’re looking for is no reaction. Okay, no reaction is a good reaction. Because your eyes are in a very hypersensitive state, anything you put on it is going to shake them off.
50:49
So the one watch clock just room temperature, water warm, cool. Yeah,
50:54
room temperature, room temperature, you know, don’t overthink it. It’s not going to it’s not going to make that much of a difference, whether it’s 75 degrees or 74.5 degrees.
51:08
Things right now I use warm to try to loosen up the oil
51:13
actually walk with pretty more irritation in a lot of ways, your eyes are giving off a lot of heat if they’re inflamed, so I’m not sure about that. If you went and did a thermogram, which is measures that the temperature in your body I bet your eyes would be bright red. I bet the temperature in your eyes would be super hot. So I’m not sure about hot or warm, I would just do for now room temperature experiment with it. Okay, be cool is butter. I don’t know how long washcloth on use your intuition. Okay, you know, a minute, two minutes, whatever feels good. In other words, listen to your eyes and your body. So you could do that application today.
Well, so your eyes are so dry right now. You could be those eyes once an hour. That’s how dry they are. So once a day come on, that’s not going to cut it. I would do three or four times a day and then in the evening you could either take the plunge and try my organic castor oil I’d drop or you could just go to the health food store and get some organic castor oil and you could massage the castor oil on the outside part of the eyelids just a drop or two before bed. So on the outside part of the eyes and the islands read up on castor oil, it’s anti inflammatory, it’s great for the skin. So that’s up to you. You know find something that you can tolerate some other things that you could do if you want would be like chamomile tea, tea bags on the eyes or eyebright Tea Another one is red raspberry leaf these are herbs that you could get as a tea brew it up and do a cool compress over the eyes. In the evening it’s herbal so you choose you know your eyes and your body better than anybody use your intuition and start feeding it with plant based things instead of synthetically based like all these drugs you’re taking if you’re using the drops, the pharmaceutical drops wait about 15 minutes before you start doing these natural remedies and they won’t compete
54:13
so you know I’d like you to to enter the eyedrop world carefully cautiously. And if you start getting reactions back off, do less you know what the word titrate means? Yes, it means that I can’t use as much so you need to find your level but I would say hydration is number one for you got to start hydrating more your eyes that may help the dryness. Okay, next is there’s a There’s a molecule in the body, which you’ve heard of called nitric oxide. And they’re now using it as a way to treat optic nerve issues. I just I’ve been developing a product, which we’re just, it’s five minutes to 12 We’re getting ready to put it up on the Web Store. And it’s my optic nerve formula, and it has nitric oxide in it. Because the studies have shown people with glaucoma when they start taking nitric oxide, it dilates the blood vessels. It’s a natural vase of dilator. We’ve heard of this. Yes. Okay. So you know, at this point, because it’s going to be out so soon, you might look at my optic nerve formula. When is it coming out? Well, it right now. It’s being put up on the Web Store. Oh, yeah. So it’s, it’s, it’s very close. Okay. So supplement. Yeah. And it’s called optic nerve formula. You can you know, you can always email my customer service. Talk to Kat ka t. And that’s Hello, Dr. Sam berne.com. And you can email her and say, hey, when when are these going to be when can I order this. But it’s we had to go through a lot of research and things like that. So it’s all done. It’s everything is labeled, and it’s good. Anyway, that would be probably the best thing for you to take. And then I don’t know if you’re taking my vitamin, but my vitamin has things in it like gingko, taurine, bilberry, but it hasn’t all together. And so that really also, those three things really helped the optic nerve. I don’t want you to take him separately, because it’s too many things. And then the last thing is, and I think this is in my optic nerve formula, you should be taking about 2000 milligrams a day of Omega three.
57:25
That’s all I do take that. And
57:27
that’s good for your optic nerve, and many other things. All right. Last thing, because we’re almost out of time, is red light therapy. Red light. So red light when you look through a red lens, and it’s got to be a special lens. And you do it for three minutes in the morning. The studies showed that there was a 22% increase in visual acuity with people who had eye diseases. This is a study done in the University College of London. Just so happens, I’m again, right at the very end of releasing my red light classes, which you could use as a way to treat the retina, which could improve the mitochondria function in the retina. And it can improve your retinal degeneration. And when Google red light, red light therapy eyes, UCL and you they will take you to the study and you can read about it.
58:41
And when will your glasses be
58:45
probably you know, in the next next couple of weeks. There is a company you could maybe buy it in England, but God knows when they would ship it. So that’s that’s the problem. That’s why I’ve been developing it through my lab, because I have so many patients that would benefit from it, but read the study and see if it’s for you. It’s using color therapy. And so I’d like you to do these for about three months, and then maybe we can set up another session. Sure. But in the meantime, I want you to work on your the things I talked about today the plus lens, the eyepatch, start the hydration and let’s see if you can turn this thing around. Get the computer glasses and go easy. Go easy. This now is giving you several things to do that are going to aggressively change is the course.
1:00:01
So everything we talked about do those consistently for the next three months till we talk again? Yes,
1:00:06
yes, yes, consistently. Okay. All right. That’s the key.
1:00:12
When I say, I do have desired or do you think that’s any good to take?
1:00:19
Well, when you take it, what happens?
1:00:22
I just, I just started it a couple of days ago, and so far I tolerated
1:00:28
you tolerate it. Okay. Well, you know, I think for now, take it. And, you know, let’s aggressively start doing these other things and see if you can get off of that. I mean, I have a lot of people that go back to their doctor, and they go, Wow, your optic nerve is healthier or your eye pressures are stabilized. I don’t know what you’re doing. And then, okay, you don’t need the drops anymore. Come back and see me in a year. That’s, that’s what happens. Okay. But you got to do the work. You got to do the work. So you got it in front of you. It’s right there. It’ll work if you do it. And so I’ll send you the recording. And let’s talk in about three months. Okay.
Thank you for listening. I hope you learned something from the EyeClarity podcast show today. If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to subscribe on iTunes or Spotify and leave a review. See you here next time.
Today, I want to talk about scaring on the eye. Scarring is a natural healing process that occurs after surgery or injury. And there may be a process that you can go through to reverse scar tissue that forms in the eyes. Enjoy the show.
If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com.
If you have any questions, submit them to hello@drsamberne.com or you can now text me! Text ‘Join’ to 1-844-932-1291 to join the community and ask your questions!
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
eyes, red light, inflammation, reduce, scar tissue, essential oil, tissue, work, castor oil, scarring, msm, mist, eyesight, research, call, process, question, corneal, zoom, jeffries
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberne.com.
Hey everybody, its Dr. Sam. And I’d like to welcome you to another EyeClarity podcast. So if you want to send me your questions, you can now text me 1-844-932-1291. That’s 1-844-932-1291. So I’m going to be in California, Southern California. In early March, I’m going to be doing a few of my very popular master classes. I haven’t really done these since COVID. But this is an opportunity where you get direct access to me one on one, and you get to work through your vision problems. It’s a great opportunity, because you’ll get a few zoom sessions with me before and after. And then you’re going to get a one on one meeting with me during the the actual masterclass. So I’m going to really get to know you, I’m only going to take six people, I’ll be doing it in San Diego, Los Angeles and Santa Barbara.
So check the dates. Again, that’s my masterclass 2023. My new book vital vision is coming out in February, we’re in a pre sale right now. So if you want to order it, a lot of ways to get that book, if you just want to buy it, you can get a discount, I also am offering different tiers as a way to interact with me, I’m going to be doing an online zoom workshop in April. And I’m going to be doing a in person event here at the geo dome in Santa Fe in mid September. So if you want to come to that you can do so again through my webstore and the portal of buying my book vital vision. Are let’s get to today’s show. And I’m going to take a question that I get a lot. So before I go into the content of this, I want to do a disclaimer. And the disclaimer is that what I’m about to talk about is educational only.
And it is not a substitute for going to your medical doctor working with him or her for the diagnosis and treatment. This is purely educational information. And this is my opinion in some of the things that I recommend for people, there isn’t a whole lot of science behind it. I do have a lot of clinical experience. But I’m not making any claims or guarantees, you must use your intuition and your research to make your own judgment. Okay, that being said, I’m going to take the question about eye health and scar tissue. So the question I get a lot is can you reverse scar tissue in the eyes?
Well, to answer that question, I have to say a couple of things that scarring is, in some ways a natural healing process that occurs after surgery in injury, inflammation and all of the above. And in terms of the eyes, what I’ve seen is that there may be a process that you can go through to reverse scar tissue that forms in the eyes. And I’m referring a lot to the eye surgeries that are done today. And the laser procedures. So the the eyes, as you know are part of the brain. They’re basically the external representation of the brain. And very early in our prenatal development. The eyes start to form as optical vesicles and some of the material that the eyes are made of wood be things like amino acids, collagen, water, and many other things. And when I think of the retina. It is the internal lining of the eye. It’s kind of like the internal skin. It’s a very, very sensitive tissue. And it requires one of the highest metabolic needs in the body.
The cornea is another tissue that’s vulnerable, where you can get corneal scarring from a variety of different ways. Injury, trauma, again, surgery, certain corneal dystrophies Okay, so I’m gonna get to the protocol that I recommend. And again, you’ve got to do your own research on this. This is based on my clinical experience, and again, it doesn’t work for everybody. So number one on my list is M S M eye drops. You know, MSM is a collagen creator, it is anti inflammatory. It’s very moisturizing and lubricating. In the higher concentration. MSM can improve your vitreous health, which is the gel sack that has the problematic floaters in it. So MSM eyedrops would be number one on my list. For scar tissue, the prescription is somewhere like one drop four times a day. My number two is my castor oil, eyedrops. Castor Oil has been shown to support blood flow, soften adhesions and scar tissue and also reduce inflammation. Again, I like to start with one drop in the evening before bed. If it’s a positive experience, you could do it morning and evening. But castor oil would be my number two. One of the things I like about castor oil is it tends to penetrate deeply into your tissue. And I have seen it in certain cases, begin to break down scar tissue adhesions and reduce inflammation.
My next all star in this process is the essential oil, Helichrysum italicum. So Helichrysum is an essential oil that has antibacterial properties. It’s really supportive for encouraging wound healing and reducing scarring. And now we can’t put Helichrysum directly in our eyes, but you can use what we call a hydrosol. This is a mist, which has Helichrysum italicum in it. And when an essential oil is steam distilled, there’s part of the the essential oil that goes directly to the oil and part of the essential oil that is carried by the water vapor. And so the Helichrysum is in this water vapor and it becomes this mist slash spray, and we call it a hydrosol. And so you spray the hydrosol initially holding the bottle, say four to five inches away from your eyes, you can do it with your eyes closed. You can also do it with your eyes open once you get used to it. But you’re looking at the prescription of doing the mist probably six to eight times a day. My next all star and scar tissue is red light.
09:20
So I’ve done a few blogs and posts on the exciting research of Glen Jeffries and his team, the University College of London on the benefits of red light on our eyes. And you can reference both my blog and his research article. But basically red light supports mitochondria function. It reduces what we call our O S which is the aging molecule that tends to increase because our mitochondria decreases But what happens in red light, is the red light stimulates the mitochondria. So it increases ATP and reduces the aging molecule, our O S. So with red light, eyes would suggest fire five minutes looking through the red light five days a week, for at least three months. And again, red light improves the mitochondria function in the eye. And if it works, it works.
But according to Dr. Jeffries, it’s, it’s a wonderful non invasive way to restore declining eyesight. And then finally, there’s a digestive enzyme that I’ve used for a long time and it’s called serrapeptase. And little backstory on it. It’s an enzyme that’s isolated from bacteria found in silkworms, it was used a lot in Europe and Japan to reduce inflammation, pain and trauma. Fact, if you read up on serrapeptase dentistry uses it. Especially following minus minus surgical procedures, such as tooth removals, reducing pain and swelling in the face. And serrapeptase may be able to dissolve scar tissue or non living muscle tissue, which makes it ideal for reducing scars.
Now, serrapeptase, also as an enzyme dissolves debris, and this could be even in the eye tissue. So conditions like macular edema I write us UV itis might be able to be helped by supplementing with this protein proteolytic enzyme. That’s what it’s called. In fact, in some studies that I’ve read serrapeptase works better than non steroidal anti inflammatory drugs, and it has less side effects. I’ve seen serrapeptase used in arthritis, neurological disorders, especially Alzheimer’s, heart disease, respiratory issues, muscle inflammation. It’s pretty amazing with serrapeptase, because they can decrease swelling, and reduce the formation of scar tissue, reduce excess mucus, break down excess proteins, and control the histamine response that occurs in inflammation. So dose would be somewhere between 15 to 30 milligrams a day, my suggestion would be to take it on an empty stomach, usually first thing in the morning or between meals.
And if it’s going to work, you’re going to see some changes in about three months. So again, I want to say that removing scar tissue from the eye is a possibility. These are things that I use agents that support the eyes without the side effects of pharmaceutical drugs. And if you’re going to embark on this process, be patient doesn’t happen overnight. It could take up to six months or a year and you’ve got to charge your eyesight improvement and stay with it. Be persistent, be disciplined, and be patient. So that’s our show for today. I want to thank you so much for tuning in. Until next time, take care!
Thank you for listening. I hope you learned something from the EyeClarity podcast show today. If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to subscribe on iTunes or Spotify and leave a review. See you here next time.
I had a great chat with Margaret Romero that I wanted to share. She’s a functional medicine consultant specializing in things like lupus, thyroid, and GI issues. So we have a nice discussion about some of the things I’m doing especially in holistic vision care. Enjoy the show. If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com.
If you have any questions, submit them to hello@drsamberne.com or you can now text me! Text ‘Join’ to 1-844-932-1291 to join the community and ask your questions!
Learn more about Margaret Romero Instagram | Podcast
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
eyes, people, pinkeye, compresses, floaters, red light, microbiome, retina, health, vitreous, eyedrops, msm, inflammation, castor oil, reduce, called, ocular, age, helpful, study
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberne.com.
Hey everybody, its Dr. Sam and I’d like to welcome you to another EyeCarity podcast. So today I want to share an interview with Margaret Romero. She actually interviewed me on Instagram Live recently. And Margaret. She’s a really cool person. She was Columbia trained as a nurse practitioner. She’s a functional medicine consultant, specializing in things like lupus, thyroid, GI issues, she’s got a podcast called The sacred medicine podcast. So we have a nice discussion about some of the things I’m doing especially in holistic vision care. So I hope you enjoy it. Enjoy the show. Thanks for tuning in.
00:43
So I’m excited to talk about some of these AI issues. I see them constantly, constantly at the urgent care and I worked there when one day a week so why don’t you just give us a quick, like, snippet on who you are and what you do.
01:00
Okay, so my name is Dr. Sam Berne, and I’m a Holistic optometrist. I’ve been in practice over 35 years, and have a lot of great methods to help people improve their vision, especially as we get older, I work with infants, elders, everybody in between. And my belief is you don’t have to live out your doctor’s diagnosis. And you can improve your vision at any age. I love it. So we’ll leave it at that
01:30
so much for being here and sharing your wisdom with us today. So one of the things that I see so much of and tell me why this is, is pinkeye. Every, every week that I’m at the urgent care, people come in with pinkeye. And I know, you know, conventional medicine, you know, it’s just a bacterial infection, and you give tobramycin or whatever bacterial drops for it. And that’s it. And I want to know why I see this so much more in the winter. And it what can we do to prevent it? Is there something we can do that does not require antibacterial drops?
02:15
Sure, so pinkeye, or better known as conjunctivitis is super contagious, and especially with kids, you know, you just rub your your eye a little bit, and all of a sudden, if you’ve got a bacteria, and you know, this is this is related to something which I call the ocular microbiome. So we have a microbiome in the body, but we also have an eye microbiome. And so when our eyes dry out, yeah, there’s I did a, a, an article in mind body green about ocular microbiome and I can send you the link. Anyway. So if your contact lens where if you use like eyedrops that have a lot of preservatives and chemicals in them, or you’ve had eye surgeries that reduces your immune health in the eyes. You know, if in Chinese medicine, the upper eyelid represents your spleen Health, and the lower eyelid represents your stomach health. So that’s more from an energetic point of view. So I like to go for herbs and compresses and natural eyedrops as a way to, you know, treat the cause. And so for example, you could do compresses like burdock or golden seal or akinesia or eyebright. Those are great to do a few times a day for able to do that. Finding eyedrops like homeopathic eyedrops are really good.
So symbolizing Optique by boron, those are Homeopathics that keep the eyes more hydrated, symbolized and actually has a little eyebright in it. So that would be something to do say four times a day. My MSM eyedrops work really well that’s a sulfur molecule, and that reduces inflammation. And also things like Colloidal Silver, if you can get a really good organic Colloidal Silver, that works really well at nipping pinkeye in the bud. If you’re open to that, and also organic castor oil, if you massage a little bit on the eyelids, that’s a great anti inflammatory agent and a little commercial here I just created a certified organic castor oil I drop and it’s great as a lubricator moisturizer anti inflammatory agent, you know and for people out there they use makeup a lot of times they have to check what’s in their makeup skin deep as a website we use to to analyze well what’s actually Leanne I make up, that can be an issue, if your contact lens where you know.
And you know, being on the computer all day I stressed the blue light dries your eyes out. And the thing is, is that with pinkeye, there’s some low level of inflammation going on. And so again, there could be systemic and metabolic and endocrine reasons why that it starts to affect the eyes and their functional reasons how you use your eyes together, are you focusing? Well, this is why exercises that I recommend could also help. So there’s a functional perspective in this as well. And the bad news is when you use antibiotics, it reduces your ocular microbiome, it treats the symptoms for a little bit, but usually, it doesn’t get rid of the cause. And that’s the conundrum that people get into. When it’s a staph infection and they start taking a lot of antibiotics, I would definitely do some secondary things to boost your immune system and including your ocular microbiome, with natural eyedrops and things like that.
06:07
So the eyedrops that you just mentioned like the eye Brite, for example, can that help restore the I microbiome, someone has been on tobramycin? Like, often?
06:20
Yes, exactly. You need, you can use those pharmaceuticals, you know, initially for a few days to help with the symptoms. But you got to take it further than that if you’re on tobramycin for anything longer than a week, it really does have effects the pH in the eyes, and that reduces the ocular microbiome, that’s where the homeopathic eyedrops are really important. And then doing something in the evening like castor oil eye drop or doing some of these compresses, you know, goldenseal or eyebright, or akinesia, as as I compresses are wonderful as a way to restore the ocular microbiome and reduce inflammation. And when you do that, then then a lot of times the the bug goes away. And during the period, you have to be careful from a contagious standpoint, don’t share wash cloths or towels or, you know, I’m sure you counsel people on that. But unfortunately, the pharmaceutical world is a symptom based and it drives the cause further in so it doesn’t it’s not really the answer. Yes,
07:25
I wholeheartedly agree. So with something like golden seal, when you say compresses, are you saying like open up the capsule in in warm water? And then
07:36
yeah, so you you can either Sure. So you can either do a capsule form or if you have an herbalist, or you can get, you know, some some tea either way, but yes, you put it’s a warm compress, and you place it over the eyes, it’s very soothing, you know, red raspberry leaf is another one. So whatever you can get in your local herbal store, you know, I brights pretty array available, you can even drink the eyebright as a tea and also you can use it as a compress. That’s wonderful for pinkeye. And, you know, if it’s still not going away, I would look into getting some kind of inorganic Colloidal Silver formula, and then you can use that as a compress as well. So there are a lot of different directions, you can go pick your favorite herb, camera meals, another nice one, you could use your kimberbell tea bags over the eyes. Over the eye. Yeah, so
08:36
that sounds great. So that was all of this. So styes Okay, same thing, like is that like inflammatory process is, you know, there’s the upper and lower lid also is did you say the upper lid is spleen in the lower stomach? Correct?
08:55
Right, so you can get some acupuncture, and a lot of times that will redistribute the congested energy in the eyes. But his style is a little different because usually that’s on the eyelid. And if our you know, our eyelashes get clogged up, because there are meibomian glands that are those are the glands that produce the oily part of the tears. So then that can lead to things like meibomian gland dysfunction and dry eye. So that’s more of a condition where it’s affecting the outer part of the eye. And then if it’s away from the eyelashes and you start to get bumps, that’s called a chalet. Zijn and so that’s, that’s like a lumpy congested formula condition, but it’s similar there, you know, there’s usually there’s could be some antibiotic, anti bacterial, bacterial and viral and sometimes even allergic reactions. That’s another one or the makeup contact lenses. Those are all issues that can cause the meibomian In glands to get irritated and again, finding ways to reduce the inflammation. I find the castor oil is really good for my Bohmian gland dysfunction. And you can either put it in the eyes or massage it on the eyelids. MSM eyedrops symbolise and eyedrops. So I tried to get people away from what’s in the, you know, the regular pharmacies because those eyedrops have a lot of preservatives, they have a lot of chemicals in them. And we’re back to the ocular microbiome again. But it’s similar, you use the same kind of compresses and minnows, so it’s a similar situation as the the pinkeye. But it’s more external. And it’s more on the eyelashes, or the pinkeye is more internal, it’s more on the inside part of the eyelids. But, you know, if you’ve got conditions like auto immune Rosacea is an issue, I see a lot of ocular rosacea, UV itis, those conditions, where there’s an auto immune situation, and you know what to do there. You you talk to people about improving that part, the gut health and the eye health are very related in my, what I’ve seen sound surprising. Yeah. So. So there, those two are pretty similar in how you would treat it.
11:22
Okay. And, I mean, so basically, I mean, there are some people who gets dies, often, they get them several times a year, and there are people that don’t get it at all. Would you say that the reason being mostly is either low level inflammation, gut issues, microbiome issues?
11:42
Yes, I would say those things. And I would probably add things like visual stress, their contact lens, where what’s their eye makeup? Like? Those kinds of things? What is their eye history? Have they had eye surgeries? Have they taken a lot of pharmaceuticals in the eyes, you know, those are all secondary factors that reduce the resistance in the eyes. Because we need the good bacteria and the healthy pH if we don’t have that, and there’s dryness and inflammation, then it’s a Petri dish for, you know, viruses and bacteria to get into the eyes, we don’t have the immune health and our eyes to to, you know, reduce the causes of it. So you have to be a detective there. I would ask them about their, you know, their visual stress, you know, do you get eyestrain? Do you get eye fatigue? How many hours a day are you on the screens? You know, those those are factors that we’re seeing more and more computer related visual stress, because kids because of homeschooling, and then adults that are on their phone and screen 1012 hours a day. And you know, we could talk about the nutrients that are really important, like vitamin A. That’s, that’s super important. But if people have a challenge with their liver and gallbladder, they’re not producing enough bile and they’re not storing it. Bile helps us absorb the fat soluble vitamins like vitamin A, lutein and zeaxanthin. And those are critical for eye health and many other things. So supplementing with bile salts after a meal can be helpful. So I’m always asking about liver gallbladder health. That’s a big one and more and more people either have their gallbladder taken out or they have toxicity levels, a toxicity issues in the liver.
And then Chinese medicine the liver rules the eyes. So that’s another factor. But vitamin A, lutein, zeaxanthin, hydrating your eyes getting enough healthy fats and oils, especially omega threes. And you know, there are other things as well. But those are the those are the main ones. I mean, if people are under such high stress and they’re getting chronic styes or conjunctivitis, I would put them on a comprehensive eye vitamin for a few months and you know, really check in with their diet around getting enough antioxidants and stuff. Because the nutrients in the eyes have one of the highest metabolic needs in the body. And the retinas especially. And right now we’re discovering red light therapy, if you look through red light three minutes in the morning, that has been shown to regenerate certain eye conditions. So that’s at 670 nanometers. This was a study published in the UK University College of London, Dr. Jeffrey’s team did a study on red light and people over 40 and three minutes in the morning. I did it over 12 weeks once a week. And they found that a 22% improvement in visual acuity is doing the red lights and non invasive so the red light is it Addressing the mitochondria in the retina, and ATP, so the ATP goes up the RLs, the reactive oxygen species goes down, because that gets higher when your eyes are aging and you’re getting more inflammation and oxidative stress, it also works great for Drew’s and anybody out there who’s been to their eye doctor and those cholesterol vessels that are growing in the retina, the red light has been shown to shrink the drusen as well. And you might read this study and make your own determination. But there’s so many great things out there that are that are helping us and we need to get away from just treating the symptoms. And I know you’re doing that, too. So it’s exciting to
15:43
see other three minutes once a week. And that’s, well,
15:47
that’s what the studies show now it has to be in the morning, my protocols, I have people do it three days a week. And it’s about three minutes in that you want to do it in the morning, at least three hours after, you know, I mean, no more than three hours after you waking up. But the the great thing about it is is that this red light seems to be affecting the mitochondria health and the ATP out. So that’s Yeah, but it’s, it’s, it’s pretty phenomenal to have that kind of an improvement in a study. And what they found is that between 40 and 70, those age ranges, they actually got more benefits than the people under 40 years old, which was kind of fascinating. I didn’t I didn’t quite get that. But that’s that’s what they found in their study. So
16:40
okay, that’s, that’s a really cool study. I’m, I’m happy that they did that with the red light. Because yes, I feel like red light therapy is is becoming more and more popular thing, which is
16:52
very accessible to people can figure it out how to get that kind of red light in their eyes, I’m putting out a new pair of glasses, that’s going to be red light. So it’s just a pair of glasses that you wear that will have that read in it. And so, because I want to make it available to people and and yeah, so that’ll be coming out soon.
17:16
So let’s talk a little bit about floaters. Yes. It can start as early as like and correct me if I’m wrong, but I read this somewhere and then it can start as early as like in your 20s or even I don’t know if any sooner. Okay, these floaters and and I always thought there was something that like people that were older got, but that is not true.
17:39
Well, age related is certainly one one factor but also if you’re nearsighted if you’ve had cataract surgery or another kind of surgery called vitrectomy, which are used to reduce high pressure. Lasik surgery, laser surgery can also trigger floaters. Even certain medications non inflammatory steroids, steroids, Na is the like ibuprofen, those kinds of things can trigger floaters. So the bit yes. And so the big the big thing here is that the vitreous is the gel sack that sits in front of the retina. And it’s made up of mostly water and collagen proteins. And as we age, it tends to shrink a little bit. So if if you’re in a situation eye wise where you’re dehydrating the eyes, then what happens is the vitreous starts to pull away from the retina. And that’s called a posterior vitreous detachment. and a high percentage of people will get that over 50 60% of people over the age of 60 will have that PVD and some other reasons why you might get the PVD or vitreous floaters could be again too much screen time exposure to blue light. And just a general low grade inflammation also could be heavy metal toxicities, liver issues can also create the floaters. But the good news from my perspective is there are things you can do to at the very least neutralize the floater. So I’ll go through my list, one of the top ones and this was a study that was done, people that that a pineapple, the bromelain and reduced floaters. So you can either take a bromelain a supplement or you know you can have your daily dose of pineapple. Another thing that you could do is make sure you up your vitamin C. So looking to get maybe 2000 milligrams a day of a good vitamin C. Hyaluronic Acid is another two large molecule that helps kind of with the collagen levels of the college and health of the vitreous There’s an eye drop called Hyla tears. And it’s called, it’s from a company called Hyo logic and that has highly erotic acid and and it’s made for the eyes. MSM eyedrops also work well. So you can do either a lower or higher percentage of MSM. And that’s helpful, you can do some kind of a liver cleanse, that can also be helpful.
And another interesting connection is the lymphatic health. So, if we’re sitting a lot if we’ve got a sluggish lymph system, and we start activating our lymphatic health, and we do certain eye exercises where we’re moving the eyes, this helps also get rid of the floater. So limb fell, and reducing floaters kind of go together. And, you know, if you’re, if you’re scheduled for something like cataract surgery, there’s a little bit of higher risk that you might be getting might get some floaters after the surgery, diabetes, eye trauma, so, concussions or you know, car accidents, food allergies, yeast infections, these are all things and then from a Chinese medicine model, what we’ve learned is it’s kidney congestion. So if you get some acupuncture and you get more chi into your kidneys, that can also be helpful. And so those are the, those are some of the main things that can be frustrating. And I counseled people to be patient, because, you know, they may do something like highly erotic acid or MSM, and it gets rid of some of them, but then okay, they need to do a liver cleanse, or they need to, you know, protect their blue from the blue light blue blockers. So there’s a lot of detective work again, that needs to be done about eye floaters. You don’t want to do any kind of surgery or laser with the floaters. I’ve had too many car accidents with that where people have had those laser surgeries, and then it’s creating a cloud or more blurred vision. Oh my god. So you don’t want to do that. I think the red light is also helpful. So you bring back the red light therapy would be something I would I would do. And again, visual stress, you know, what kind of prescription are you wearing? Do you wear progressive bifocals. Maybe you need to wear a single vision lens for your screen time, so you have more peripheral vision. And so those are the main things I’ll add one more poor dentistry. So if you’ve had a lot of mercury amalgams, or got TMJ, or root canals, these are things that can again, because it’s right near where the eye is, seek out a biological dentist and get better teeth, dental health from a more holistic perspective. Yeah, I’m sure you do. That.
22:58
Totally makes sense. Yeah. So can floaters you know, doing a lot of these things? Candy? Have you seen people really get rid of majority if not all of them?
23:09
Sure. Of course. Yeah. I mean, if you go on my website, my web store, look at MSM. I’m not allowed to write these things, because of the FDA. But people will write in and say, you know, I’ve been using these MSM drops, and within three days my floaters are gone. And so, you know, I’ve had a lot of success stories with it. And for others, it’s just been a slow improvement. And for others, they get better, and then they come back a little and so there’s a stress component in it, you know, adrenals thyroid, but definitely, you know, adding all of these things and more nutrients to your eyes, better antioxidants, you have a good chance of neutralizing and in some cases, reversing the floaters. Yeah, absolutely. And improving vitreous health. Yeah. Yeah, that’s definitely
24:01
taking oral and then antibiotics taking oral probiotics can then help with the eye microbiome.
24:12
I would say a little bit indirectly. You know, there’s the school’s out on how much oral probiotics work, you know, are you doing fermented foods? You know, there’s lots of conversation about where we get our probiotics and so on. But I would say that, here’s, here’s a statistic, the eyes and the brain make up 2% of the body weight and use 25% of the food intake. So 25% of what we eat is going into this area. So whatever you’re doing to reduce inflammation, improve dietary absorption is going to have an impact on your eyes. I mean, I I read this statistic that the retina has the highest energy and metabolic need in the body because of the concentration of blood vessels. And it makes sense to me because we can look in the eyes and we can see early stages of hypertension, diabetes and so on all these conditions. So I would say that you know, whatever you’re going to do to improve your digestive health your GI health. I know you do this a lot. Yes, I think it can clear up your eyes doing a liver cleanse could clear up your eyes to kidney taking a break from screen time can clear up your eyes. So there’s there’s a lot of connection and collaboration between your gut health and your eye health.
25:45
I love that. I mean, you just you gave us so much today. Because really the only thing we ever do for pinkeye incises antibacterial you know medication. So I love all of these recommendations and using some castor oil and the castor oil, can you you said that you can put it inside the IV you can also massage it on the lids as well.
26:12
Definitely, that’s a great thing to do before bed to just take a little bit of castor oil, and very lightly just massage it over the eyes it will penetrate and absorb during the night. And people that have excruciating dry in the morning. When they do that castor oil massage before bed. It is really moisturizing and hydrating. And then you’ve got your symbolizing or MSM or uptake, eyedrops by your nightstand put a couple of those in, you know, you just have to feed your eyes more hydration, until you get to a loading dose where the eyes then revert back to producing enough tears and they’re not evaporating. And there’s not that inflammation or infection that’s affecting the tear production. But absolutely the castor oil massages, it feels good and it works. So it’s I highly recommend it.
27:06
So someone just asked, Can someone use red light therapy with or without glasses,
27:12
you can do it without glasses, I would actually recommend without glasses, you don’t have to see anything, it’s basically you want to receive the red into the eyes. So you sit in the chair, you don’t need a bright light source either. So you don’t have to look into the sun or bright light, just just a mellow light. That was what showed in the study, they didn’t use a bright red light, it was more dim. And you know that it’s too bright. If you start squinting or straining, then that’s the you’re either too close to the light source or it’s too bright. So follow that response if it’s if you’re getting that kind of reaction. But do it without contacts and glasses. So there’s more of a chance for the red to get come into the eyes. This is where we want to receive the food this way coming in. So we don’t need to see clearly or need lenses. So take them off and just use the red lens during the treatment.
28:08
Is there a red light therapy that you company that you like or that you personally use,
28:14
or that there’s a full there’s a full body light panel, I have no business relationship with this company. It’s called Red rush 360. And I like this company because it’s also it’s a red light box and also near infrared, near infrared. And that’s also very helpful for your body and your eyes. And so the other thing is it’s low EMF. And with that light box, it’s pretty bright. So again, you want to be maybe two feet away, if you’re going to be keeping your eyes open. I start with the eyes closed because the eyelids, which are like window shades, so some of the light is still going to get in but you’re not going to have that brightness. But red light on the body is great for inflammation, immune health, cardiovascular health, and many other things. I mean, you can look at the literature. So that’s a whole body light box that that works well that people have responded to and it runs somewhere six to $700. So that that would be, you know, an option if you want to get the whole body into the red light.
29:28
Okay, I do have a question here. Someone that’s had MS has blurry vision, any recommendations?
29:37
Well, one thing is on my YouTube channel, I did a very extensive video blog on the relationship between Ms and vision. And so you might check that out. But just simply stating, there are some things that you can do. And it’s related to that Don’t want to get too into this, the relationship to your vitamin D levels. And Ms. And there have been some studies that show that high. If you do a high dosages of vitamin D, that you can actually start reducing some of the MS symptoms and, and things like that. On an eye level, color therapy, light therapy is very helpful. eye exercises are also really good. And the first thing to do is get an assessment of the optic nerve because many times MS affects the optic nerve, which is related to how well our peripheral vision is. So getting a baseline of that and then you can do either some you know nutrient support, things like taurine and gingko and Omega three as a great for the optic nerve. And then some eye exercises can be helpful. But check out this video blog I did I think it’s about 10 minutes long. So I really delve deeply into, you know, the biochemical aspects of MS and how it relates to the eyes and the body.
31:05
Very cool. And then for our last question, can these recommendations help an 80 year old woman or eight year old sorry, doesn’t say women with diabetes? Oh, it says in her eyes. So eight year old woman with diabetes can tell.
31:22
I would say that anything that you can do to calm down the retina circulation is helpful. So the red light therapy would be a place I might start and also taking a look at some very simple gentle eye exercises could also help. You know on the on the diabetic level getting you you can do some things like bilberry that’s wonderful for retina circulation. The carotenoids, lutein zeaxanthin and Astra Xanth and they’re great for retina health and retina circulation. Those are gentle, you know, antioxidants and carotenoids that if somebody has diabetic retinopathy, they want to be feeding their retina with these kinds of antioxidants. And they’ll slowly start improving their vision and support their retina circulation better. That’s a no brainer. So I think there’s a lot of upside for anybody at any age that’s got diabetic retinopathy.
32:28
Amazing. Well, thank you so much, Dr. Sam, everyone who’s listening today, if you want to follow him, he is an amazing resource for Eye Health. It sounds like you also have a YouTube channel. And you’re always on Instagram. So I see a lot of your posts and your reels and all that, which is amazing. So
32:49
thank you. Thank you for having me. And I wish you the very best. And we’ll speak to you again sometime in the future.
32:56
Sounds good. I’ll have you back for other other eye topics. That’d be great.
33:00
I really good. Well, that was a great interview. I really enjoyed being with Margaret. You can check out her Instagram at Margaret Romero. She’s got some excellent content on functional medicine, gi health and many other things. So if you want to text me your questions, you can do so at 1-844-932-1291 or you can always email your questions to me hello@drsamberne.com. So that’s our show for today. I want to thank you so much for tuning in. Until next time, take care
Thank you for listening. I hope you learned something from the EyeClarity podcast show today. If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to subscribe on iTunes or Spotify and leave a review. See you here next time.
In this throwback episode, I am interviewed by Travis Zigler, OD on The Dry Eye Show. I discuss Colloidal Silver, MSM, and offer tips to improve your vision and health! Enjoy the show.
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SUMMARY KEYWORDS
msm, eye, colloidal silver, people, vision, healing, therapy, field, drops, doctor, dry, called, sulfur, optometry, improve, inflammation, alternative therapies, energy, talk, support
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberne.com.
Hey folks, it’s Dr. Sam and I want to welcome you to another EyeClarity podcast. We are the 118. Today I was interviewed by Travis Ziegler, who’s an optometrist, he has a show called the dry eye show and give my perspective on things like MSM, colloidal silver, and we talk about a lot of different things. So, enjoy the show. Here it is.
00:26
So, dry eye syndrome sport community, we have a special treat for you today. I have Dr. Sam Berne on today and we’re going to talk everything regarding Colloidal Silver, we’re gonna be talking about MSM drops, and then we’re also gonna be talking about how to use your mind, body and your spirit to help with not only blepharitis, and just healing in general. So Dr. Berne, thanks for being on the show.
00:50
awesome to be here, Travis.
00:55
So before we get started in our topics for today, why don’t you just tell people who you are, where are you from, and then what you do for a living.
01:04
So my name is Dr. Sam Berne, you can call me Sam. I’ve been practicing behavioral vision therapy, Optometry for 35 years. I’m based in to seeking in Mexico, which is just north of Santa Fe. And I’m very passionate about helping people heal their eyes and Vinit vision. So work in more natural medicine, complementary integrative, I’ve studied a lot of different modalities, and really excited to be here and sharing this with you.
01:38
So for the viewers that don’t know what is behavioral optometry and vision therapy, well, we
01:43
go for a regular eye exam. And the doctor, you know, gives you a prescription for distance, lenses, what He’s measuring is your eyesight. That’s not vision, vision is how the eyes and the brain and the body work together. And so there’s a whole series of tests you can do to measure things like visual tracking, focusing, visual coordination. And if those skills are below normal, you can offer something called vision therapy, which is a form of physical therapy that re educates the eyes and the brain back to a high skill set. And it really affects your, you know, your visual processing your learning. And it also has an impact on your behavior. That’s why they call it behavioral Optometry. There’s an aspect of it that’s developmental. Many of my colleagues and mentors took a look at vision from a kind of a developmental child development perspective. And so I bring that into it. And then I studied things like nutrition and bodywork and even some of the shamanic healing things. And so that’s where I’m at today with adding all those things to the mix as an alchemist, and helping people improve their vision and health.
02:59
And we’re gonna get into all of that today in just a couple of different topics. And I love behavioral optometry and vision therapy, because it’s something that we were truly passionate about, we actually started a pediatric clinic. But then God had other plans for us. And they sent a geriatric clinic our way. So vision therapy kind of went out the window for us. And we started more on the dry route, which led us to here. So thank you for what you’re doing. And if you’re watching this, and you’re wondering, like is vision therapy for me? I went to revision therapy, I had convergence insufficiency. And the reason I hadn’t done is because I was having trouble with reading. I was skipping lines while I read, I had trouble remembering what I read. And I was just having trouble with reading in general and this is optometry school. And then I had convergence insufficiencies. Then I started getting vision therapy and kind of healed that that part of my my journey. So if you have children, or you yourself suffer from struggling with reading, or you fall asleep while you’re reading or anything like that, this is just one of the many things that Dr. Burns says. But it’s just one of those things that you don’t really think that it could be vision or eye related. So make sure you go see an optometrist and just typing vision therapy near you to go go check out somebody that is a behavioral optometrist. So let’s jump into the topic at hand today. And I first want to discuss colloidal silver. So for the viewers, can you just talk about what Colloidal Silver is and what kind of uses it has?
04:21
Yeah, this is kind of an ancient remedy. And it’s a very popular alternative therapy, especially people that don’t want to do antibiotics or steroids. So basically what Colloidal Silver is it’s a liquid that contains these tiny particles of silver suspended in a liquid. And actually before modern antibiotics Colloidal Silver was used as an all purpose remedy for various infections and illnesses. And it’s kind of made a revival. Where you know, there’s some claims that that it’s better than antibiotics, it treats viruses and fungal infections. And there have been, you know, few cases where Colloidal Silver actually helps in tuberculosis, Lyme disease. Even things like HIV AIDS, it is classified as a dietary supplement. And people do apply it directly to the skin and their different strengths, you know, based on the size of the particles. But the thing to know is that one needs to be careful about using Colloidal Silver, obviously, the sources of it are important. But if you use too much of it, it actually can turn your skin blue and that, that can get kind of scary. But for the eye so the eye has what we call microbiome healthy bacteria in it actually did a blog on mind body green a few years ago, which I could give you the link, and it talks about the good bacteria that’s in the eye. And so what Colloidal Silver is helpful for would be things if you have conjunctivitis, if you have chronic eyelid inflammation, and you’re not getting any results from it, that if you use a high quality Colloidal Silver, it can actually reduce some of the symptoms. And if what they say that it’s anti my microbiome, anti bacterial, viral, and fungal that it may actually even reverse those conditions. None of these have been approved by the FDA. So one needs to be, you know, cautious and careful about what they’re going to use, but it definitely has its place in alternative healing.
06:49
Do you have anybody that you would not use it on?
06:53
Yes, I think that, you know, people that have not been introduced to alternative therapies, and they’re just coming to me for the first time, or they have really severe acute symptoms, I would start off using it very tiny amount and watching what their response is. I think it’s an individual by individual case. But you know, if you have a robust immune system, if you’ve had a lot of experience using other alternative therapies, that I think as long as you look for a, you know, a trusted source of Colloidal Silver, I think it’s a good option if you want to go that route.
07:37
Yeah, and that’s what we always talk about in the community is that even when you’re just taking things like supplements, supplements should be monitored by a physician. And if you’ve never worked with a functional medicine doctor, or an alternative doctor before, then you should definitely go see them. Because even though you think you’re taking the right supplements for dry, quote, unquote, it may not be the right supplements for you. And so that bloodwork those blood panels are really going to help tell that and so that’s the same thing with any alternative therapies, make sure you know how to use it, before you use it and make sure that you need something like that. So Colloidal Silver is just like anything else, that’s over the counter. It’s not FDA regulated, like Dr. Burns said, so you have to be very careful with it. And just make sure that if you’re using it, you’re using it as prescribed by your functional medicine doctor or your alternative doctor that, that you’re seeing anything else to add about colloidal silver at all?
08:27
No, I think that you you hit it really well, in terms of the disclaimer, I agree with you that people should get a biochemistry analysis I can my office, we do a hair mineral analysis, just about on every patient. And then we get a baseline on biochemistry and that gives us a roadmap on what they should be doing or not doing. Because if you just go on the internet and research something and you don’t know what your personal biochemistry is, it may not be maybe the wrong thing for you. So getting that baseline biochemistry test lab test is super important before you enter you know, what are you going to put into your body?
09:10
Let’s jump into MSM drops, can you go over just briefly what an MSM drops are what MSM is, first of all, and then what MSM drops are for and what the benefits are.
09:20
Okay, so Ms. M stands for methyl sulphonyl methane, MSM. It’s an organic sulfur molecule naturally occurring. It’s actually in nature. One of the places that MSM is present is in the oceans. It’s in the soil, it’s in the atmosphere. And some of the history of it, it’s it’s been eaten by animals it’s it’s been around and it’s a sulfur molecule and sulfur is the third leading trace mineral found in our body. And it didn’t really get much press in terms of nutritional benefits until like the 1980s there was Researchers name is Robert Herschel. And he started to research the benefits of MSM. And then complementary physicians like holistic physicians started to use MSM in their practice. And they saw reductions in pain, inflammation, improvement in college and health. And then there was some things in the literature that MSM might actually even help things like cataracts, glaucoma, RetinA problems. And so I looked at all this research of MSM, and about 10 years ago, I finally got somebody to make it for me. And I was getting really excellent results, when I would compare it to using you know, traditional eyedrops both on the pharmaceutical world, and even even the things in the in the pharmacy. And so I developed to percentages, I used it on 1000s of patients. And then a few years ago, I put it up on E commerce and it just exploded. And it’s a fabulous eyedrop as a support for improving. Well, let me just say it this way, it moisturizes it hydrates, and it brightens your eyes. I’ll just leave it as that and then we won’t get involved with the FDA that it actually treats things but we can talk more about MSM and ice stuff, but I just want to say it that way.
11:26
Yet so who would this? Who would MSM drops be good for? Like if a viewer is watching, they’re like, would this be good for me? What would you give it to? I know, I know, you can’t say exact conditions. You said it helps moisturize the eye. Yes. Is there anything else that has been shown to do?
11:43
Well, one of the one that we just leave it at that yeah, one of the trends I’ve seen with floaters because that is a boy is that a gnarly subject we could get into. When I have people use the high percentage the 15% MSM, I would say there’s a little over 70% of my patients will report back to me after using the 15% MSM drops after two weeks that they’re floaters or less. And I think the MSM actually supports vitreous health better. And it’s really hydrating the collagen. So, floaters Of course, as a support system, it can help dry eye eyelid inflammation. You know, there’s a technique that I teach actually two one is called the eye bath and the other is called Eye massage, where we actively put the MSM on the outside part of the eyes. And we have people massage the MSM into the eyelids and the eyelashes. And then the eye bath is where they just squirt the into the eyes. And they’re getting six to eight drops in. People will report to me when they’re on digital time that it takes the strain away the fatigue. So as a support system, we know MSM is anti inflammatory, it improves collagen health, it improves the circulation. So what I’ve seen is that MSM is one of those sulfur ingredients, that as a detoxification agent, that’s another function of it, it seems to help improve the eye length and just create more resiliency in your eye tissue.
13:35
So who would you not use MSM for?
13:38
Well, you know, it’s interesting, I get this question a lot of people will will write me and say well, I’m allergic to sulfur. So I have to go into the distinction between sulfur and sulfur drugs. They’re very different. We have sulfites, we have sulfates and then we have the trace minerals sulfur, but you know, if somebody has had some kind of an allergic reaction to something like that, I might say at the beginning, put the salt put the MSM on a compress and put it on the outside part of your eye. So that would be you know, one way around if you got some fear around that. I think again, if you’ve got a cute really painful, dry blepharitis MGD I would use the lower percentage MSM and just try it on the eyes because it could sting and burn and just see how you can enter MSM carefully. I think if you’ve had cataract surgery, all you need to do is wait three days and then you can use the MSM eye drops. If you have glaucoma. Just wait 20 minutes between using your glaucoma meds and using the MSM eyedrops in children or you know toddlers and infants Again, reduce the dosage and just see how your eye responds to it. But it seems to help my young patients, the infants, all the way to the elders, and they love it. The other thing that’s really cool about MSM is that it pushes other eyedrops more deeply into the eye. So one of the cataract protocol techniques is I use MSM first and then they use a glutathione vitamin C i dropped called ocular med. And so MSM has that DMSO quality, which improves the absorption of the other eyedropper into the eyes. And so that’s another technique that one can use to push that glutathione vitamin C drop into the lens. Also in the PEMF world, the beamer vascular therapy, if you put the MSM first you can then put a pad over the eyes. And that pushes the MSM more deeply into the eyes as well. That’s a pulsed electromagnetic field device and there is an application for the eyes. So I’ve used that as well. But almost everybody could use MSM. It just depends on where you’re going to enter it.
16:21
And one of the common misconceptions that I see with MSM drops is that most viewers are most people that are using eyedrops expect that kind of instant relief like a sustained lubricating drop gives and you’re not using MSM for the same purpose as sustained drop is just for lubrication, it doesn’t do any healing. It’s just there for symptoms. Whereas an MSM is more similar to like autologous serum, where you’re using things that are found in the drop to heal the surface of the eye to heal parts of your body. And so that’s going to take time. And so you may I’ve never actually taken MSM drops, but do you get any lubricating effect, you said Can stink some people, but do you get any of that lubricating effect from the drop itself or use?
17:00
Yes, definitely, definitely, it can be lubricating, there’s a small percentage of people that it actually can dry your eyes or create a cloudiness. And part of what’s going on there is because the detoxification pathway in the eye is so shut down, that it overwhelms the detox system. So you have to cut way back on it. But if you are using the MSM and you’re massaging it into the eyelids, and you’re doing the eye bath, it will have a secondary lubricating effect, but you you hit it on the head, it’s a therapeutic agent. And so it’s different than treating symptoms, we’re really aggressively and proactively treating the causative factors. And, you know, I really feel that it can regenerate and rejuvenate collagen. I think that that’s one of the science proven benefits of MSM, so to be able to get it right on the eye tissue. Like for keratoconus, Corneal dystrophies, I also have had great success in supporting people to have clear acuity. I’m not saying it reverses corneal dystrophy. That’s a tough one. But in those more difficult corneal dystrophies, MSN seems to support people to see more clearly have less distortion and have less dry eye.
18:32
Yeah, that’s great. So let’s switch gears just a little bit. And I want to talk about the mind body and spirit for treatment and dry. No, this is something that you’ve actually written a book about. And it’s something that I think is one of the most overlooked things of any treatment of any disease. Is that mind body spirit connection. So can we dive into that a little bit? I’m just going to leave it broad like that and just kind of let you take it where you want to but okay, what is your book about and then let’s talk about that a little bit more.
19:04
Well, basically, it’s it’s looking at health from an energetic perspective. So I’ll give you two brief history perspectives for me personally, when I first moved to New Mexico, I met a naturopathic eye not an eye doctor, naturopathic chiropractor, and her name was Dr. Hazel Parcells. And when I met her she was 103 years old. She was just starting retreat center. And I wanted to interview her for my my first book, creating a personal vision on nutrition. So I went out to her retreat center, and I saw all these machines in her laboratory said, What are you doing? And she said, You know, I’m healing people by sending them frequencies and vibrations, but they’re not in this same geographical location. I said, That makes no sense to me. Anyways, I became a student of hers, and I learned something about the non local field. and this has actually been researched by a physician, Larry Dossey is one of many people, Joe Dispenza talks about it. Gregg Braden, these are thought leaders in the field of consciousness that actually, you know, we live in a cloud. And based on our, our local energy field and the global energy field, when we connect those things, it actually can improve our health and wellness.
So I still was skeptical about it. So about 10 years later, I met this, this doctor who was from Russia, his name was Constantine Korotkov. And he had this machine that actually could measure your energy field, your chakras, your acupuncture meridians, in a scientific way. So I bought the machine and I started to do research, using the machine measuring people’s energy fields before and after. And so I would take a look at different eye conditions like glaucoma, macular degeneration, dry eye, and you could see in the configuration of the energy field, where there are holes in the field or disharmony in the field. And so we would do energetic healing using homeopathy and essential oils and cranial sacral color therapy.
And I worked in groups and I worked in you know, in my practice, and I came to the conclusion that I disease starts in the in the energy field, and then if it’s not handled there, then it moves in the physical body. So now you’re at your question about dry eye and the mind body spirit. So with dry eye, usually what’s going on there is there is a, there’s a stagnating energy in the entire eye, and we see this in the energy field. But you also could figure it out. pain, inflammation, oxidative stress, you know, we do have the physical symptoms, and it’s great to be able to reduce, you know, someone’s pain, whether we’re going to use your protocol or my protocol. But on a more energetic level, if people are open to it, there’s usually a psycho emotional, or even a spiritual reason why the person is having the dryness to begin with. And one of the techniques I use is called Eye dialogue, where we actually have people wear a patch, and they dialogue with each eye. And that’s very interesting.
When you start talking to your eye. And you ask the age, the marriage between the eyes, what is the eye need, and you start tapping into the body’s bio intelligence for healing. And unfortunately, most pharmaceutical drugs take you further away from that biological intelligence. And then of course, all the digital time that we’re on also creates this repetitive movement in the eyes, which is going to shut down the circulation and, again, reduce the nutrient absorption, those kinds of things. So inflammation comes in. So when you start connecting on a psycho emotional level, talking to the eyes, maybe adding color therapy to the eyes and, you know, helping people understand what what’s the inner vision, like, what’s the internal programming that causes the physical eyes to deteriorate? You know, one of my taglines is we want to blame faulty vision on the eye. But it’s actually the programming behind the eyes, that causes the eye tissue to deteriorate.
And that’s very powerful to acknowledge that because then the patient takes back their power for healing. Instead of being told, Oh, you have this diagnosis, it’s only gonna get worse. You could go blind, you know, you all the things you and I probably confront on a daily basis. So bottom line is, is that if you start asking those questions on a psycho emotional or psycho spiritual level, you might recognize that at a very early age, these imprints actually start in gestation. At birth, that’s a very important important imprint, and even your bonding time, prenatally pre verbally, that these are the places where the eyes start to lose their potency. And it becomes a really interesting journey for people to include the psycho emotional aspects, they seem to get to the finish line of healing their condition, when they bring that component in, if they’re open to it. So I hope that gives you a broad brush. We can go into more detail if you want to. I know this is kind of out there. But if you’re asking the question, then obviously you have an awareness about it. So I’m, I’m happy to talk with you. You know, with regular eye doctors, I don’t even go there because you It’s just not in their wheelhouse. And, you know, imagine
25:03
this being a CT lecture at an optometry convention and no way back that you’d receive from it. But no, it’s I’m actually in the middle of Dr. dispenses book right now. Okay, becoming supernatural. So it’s something that I’m open to. I see a Reiki healer that she does acupuncture and acupressure on me. Yeah, every two weeks. And so it’s something that I’ve opened up to in the last year. And I told you your story before we started, or told you my story before we started recording. But for those that are very skeptical about this, because skepticism is natural for this type of energy healing. I want to tell you our story again. And most of you guys know this, but my wife and I, back in 2015, decided we wanted to try to have kids. And we six months and we knew something was wrong, because we couldn’t get pregnant. And so we started seeing Western medicine doctors. Just to remind you, Dr. Byrne, myself, my wife are all Western medicine trained doctors. And now we’re getting more trained in the Eastern medicine side, you’re more trained than I am. But I’m just starting my journey. But we went down the western medicine route for three years, we did everything they asked us to Metformin, Clomid, we did everything but IVF. And the morning of our IVF appointment, I looked at my wife and I said IVF is not for us. It’s not what we’re supposed to do. Let’s see if there’s other options out there. And so we found an acupuncturist in our area that specializes in fertility and opening up energy fields. And so my wife started seeing him we took we changed our diet just a little bit.
As most of you know, we’re mostly vegetarian, gluten free and dairy free. But we changed a couple more things, we had more high, high quality fats. So we added avocados, organic olive oil, organic coconut oil to our diet. And then after three and a half, four months of this, of acupuncture and just a little change in our diets, we were pregnant with jute and jute is now three years old. And so what we did there is we address the energy field around my wife, and something that was stagnant and causing her to be infertile. And so opening that up lead to pregnancy. And so going back to present day, we’re having our third son in two months. So it’s something that once we’ve got to unstuck and use that energy field for the better, just really opened up the floodgates, so say, and now we just need to stop them. But on my case, I’ve had lower back pain my entire life. And every time I go more than a month without seeing my acupuncturist or getting my kind of energy straight again, I have trouble. I have lower back pain. I’m a little tweaky right now, because I haven’t seen her in a month. But something you can do at home every day is meditation. Can you talk a little bit more about some at home things that people can do to kind of increase the energy field to heal themselves a little bit more?
27:51
Well, one of the modalities that I discovered it’s a combination of using sound, and breath. So it’s a form of meditation. It comes from the work of continual movement, invented by my teacher and friend Emily Conrad, and this is on my website, it’s called the palm hum. And basically you rub your hands together, you’re doing a palming, but then you do humming. And the humming is like this.
28:22
Um,
28:27
so the sound is vibrating into the jaw, the face the eyes. And these are like tuning forks, so it brings the sound into the eyes. And if you do eight or 10 of those, you are going to feel much more centered, your eyesight is going to be much clearer. And it’s such a simple way to interrupt the stress pattern, because it’s going to return you to that circulation process. Another exercise I use is the tongue clock exercise. And this comes again from my work in cranial sacral. Because the mouth and the jaw have a huge impact on the eyes. And you take your tongue and you put it around the inside part of the the lifts, and you do a humming sound on the exhale. If you did that you’re going to get so activated here. It’s going to again, increase the circulation, you’re going to feel a sense of calm, peace, relaxation, openness, your nervous system is going to be slowed down. So these are all pattern interrupters, that that people can do during the day during their you know, digital time. And those are just two really basic simple things. They’re on my website, I clarity, exercises, they’re free video blogs.
So, you know my own personal life I meditate every day, probably 30 or 30 minutes a day. I I’m out in nature, I try to be out in nature everyday as well. And balance is something that I’m really looking at with my partner. So, eating right, having healthy relationships, lifestyle, diet, you know the things you’re talking about. And then that spiritual connection, whatever that means to you, it makes a huge difference in your health and wellness. And I think in 2021, and then with this whole COVID thing, I think we’re being asked to go on a personal retreat that’s part of this quarantine, to really understand, okay, what is it that I really need personally, to develop a better health and wellness inside myself?
30:42
Yeah, I love that. And don’t be intimidated. If you’re watching this, that Dr. Berne said he meditates for 30 minutes it meditation doesn’t need to take that long, especially when you’re just getting started, you’ll work your way up to that, because you’ll realize how great it is. I used to do less than five minutes a day. And sometimes I only get five minutes a day, because I have young children. But you can build your way up to it right now where I’m at around 15 to 30 minutes a day. But just start out with less than a minute a day, just take that time through that exercise. He just he just said and even something as simple as the 2020 20 rule is something we talked about all the time, you know, every 20 minutes of Up Close work, just take 20 seconds to walk around or just to look far away. Because again, relax is that that area of your eye, but if you want to take it up a notch, go over the exercises that he just went over as well. Well, Dr. Byrne, this was a fantastic interview. Yeah, I loved everything we went over. Is there anything else that you wanted to discuss with our viewers?
31:39
Well, if you want to get in touch with me, I do classes. I’m doing a class February 20th. really inexpensive price point. I’m also doing an advanced workshop in March. I’m on Facebook Live every Wednesday 6pm mountain time you can ask your questions. It’s all free. And I want to applaud you, Dr. Ziegler, you and your partner for the great work you’re doing you know I discovered you a few years ago as well and keep going I we need to bond together because we’re definitely in the minority. So thank you for what you’re doing. Thanks for having me on today. And we’ll do it again sometime.
Thank you for listening. I hope you learned something from the EyeClarity podcast show today. If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to subscribe on iTunes or Spotify and leave a review. See you here next time.
Today I wanted to re-share my conversation with Kim Konte.
She is the founder of the national non-profit Non-Toxic Neighborhoods (NTN) and a Director of Jane Goodall’s youth service program, and former City of Irvine Community Services Commissioner.
In November 2015, Kim helped launch a campaign to raise awareness to protect her children and other Irvine, CA residents. On 11/23/2016 the City of Irvine adopted a historic organic and regenerative land management policy. Since then the City of Irvine has successfully and organically maintained all pest pressure from weeds to rodents, on more than 570 acres of community and neighborhood parks, athletic fields; over 6,000 acres of open space, over 800 acres of public right-of-way, including street medians and parkways; 70,000 trees; and nearly 1.5 million square feet of facilities.
Kim and her team have now assisted over 200 cities, counties, and school districts to ban glyphosate and take organic and regenerative land management policies and legislation online. NTN has proven that you can have beautiful parks, athletic fields, and open space without the use of harmful and synthetic pesticides.
Non-Toxic Neighborhoods and our advisors believe that it should be a basic human right that our children are protected from environmental harm where they live, learn, and play!
Kim was awarded the City of Irvine’s Civic Leader award in 2017 and was added to the Wall of Recognition.
Non-Toxic Neighborhoods to work towards having every child have protection from exposure to harmful and synthetic pesticides. Since 2015 Kim has now assisted over 200 cities, counties, school districts, and New York State ban the use of glyphosate and adopt organic and regenerative practices. Kim is currently working with Assembly Members and Senators to author a Bill banning Glyphosate from California’s schools and parks as well as many other states.
Kim and NTN are currently working to have city leaders around the county adopt the Children’s Environmental Bill of Rights.
SPOKANE, WA: With our partner group, Non-Toxic Neighborhoods, the Center for Democratic and Environmental Rights (CDER) developed and is releasing a new model ordinance, the Children’s Environmental Bill of Rights. – https://www.centerforenvironmentalrights.org/news/childrens-environmental-bill-of-rights-model-law-launched.
The model ordinance, intended for passage by cities, towns, counties, and other municipalities across the United States, is focused on protecting children from environmental harm. The model ordinance recognizes the right of children to clean air and water, to be free from synthetic pesticides and toxic chemicals, and to be healthy. Enjoy the show!
If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com.
If you have any questions, submit them to hello@drsamberne.com or you can now text me! Text ‘Join’ to 1-844-932-1291 to join the community and ask your questions!
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
pesticides, glyphosate, city, children, organic, impacts, negative health impacts, parents, connect, utilizing, test, point, people, protect, roundup, nontoxic, work, policies, system, safe
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting-edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberene.com. Now to the latest EyeClarity episode.
Hey, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, and I’d like to welcome you to another EyeClarity podcast. Well, as promised, I’ve been invited many different guests on my show. And today we have somebody very unique. Her name is Kim Konte, and she is the founder of the national nonprofit, nontoxic neighborhoods. And she is an amazing person who I really admire. I met her on her Instagram posts. And she has assisted over 200 cities, counties and school districts to ban glyphosate and take organic and regenerative land management policies and legislation online. So she’s trying to clean up the environment in all these common lands, like parks and golf courses, and places where people congregate, and we don’t realize how toxic these places are. And she is supportive for of course, parents, pet owners, schools and universities, landscape and professional manager, city managers, government officials. So Kim, I want to bring you on. Thank you for joining us today. Tell me your story on how you started these non toxic neighborhoods, and how it how it’s come about.
01:56
Sure. And thank you so much for having us. And it, it found me my backgrounds in traditional advertising. And I had no idea kind of this is where I would end up. But it happened, just by wanting to be able to protect my children and feeling like as a parent, I had failed them. You know, we have our kids, we love them, we want to enjoy them and make sure they’re in an environment where they’re able to thrive. So when we were living in Bermuda, Bermuda, as a country had been glyphosate, due to its negative health impacts, and back in 2013. So when we moved to California, after we left Bermuda, we just assumed California be organic, and everybody’s surfing and living this healthy lifestyle, only to find out that my son’s elementary school is using roundup to show the children were to run in a circle on, you know, on the tour for the running club. And, you know, that was my aha moment. And I guess, the feeling part came from not finding out about this until my boys have played baseball. And you know, since they were old enough to run basically. And, you know, finding out that it’s, unfortunately, still common practice to utilize both roundup and to 4d, which is, you know, the scariest herbicide most people don’t know about. And it’s 50% of what makes up Agent Orange is used where they play. It’s used, you know, in the fields at schools, it’s used, you know, by your roundup living neighbor. So, yeah, we just want it to work to fix this. So we worked with the city of Irvine, and Irvine Unified School District back in 2016, to adopt organic land management. And in the beginning, a lot of it was trial and error, you know, we had to make sure that these policies were sustainable, or it would have gone back to utilizing harmful pesticides. And, you know, children and pets, we’re, we’re big animal lovers and children and pets interact with our environment. So aggressively times, you know, they’re lower to the ground, how to handle math behavior, that, you know, dogs are even eating the grass that potentially has been treated with two four D, which is actually applied directly to the turf. And it’s, it’s something that we just need to let other parents become made aware of. And, again, I just felt like I should have known that, you know, we do all of these things to try and protect them. But for my third grader, you know, Mike was in third grade before we found out about this. So all of those years of exposure we can’t undo. So our goal is to basically not be needed in 10 years and work to get every ball field Park and city free of these harmful pesticides.
05:13
Yeah, that’s such an inspiring story. And you know, you’re right. People don’t recognize or realize the toxic effects of these pesticides. I mean, from my side of it, because I’ve worked with, you know, autism and ADHD for many years, I see a lot of the well, biochemical imbalances, and I’m testing them, that I go, Oh, my gosh, this is just horrible. You know, you ask parents will, where were you playing with your kids, and, you know, they’re playing baseball, they’re at the park. And then the pets too, you know, our dogs and cats. So, you know, you came on my radar. And, you know, I was really interested in how you navigate this, from a political point of view, what’s the process that you actually go through? In creating this awakening?
06:11
I honestly think that the process has been a lot easier to fine-tune once, we just decided to stay solutions based. So we’ve all been marketed to us that roundup and these other, you know, harmful pesticides are safe. You know, it has EPA registration number, Environmental Protection Agency. So you just assume that the EPA wouldn’t allow these toxins into the market unless they’ve been proven safe to do so. And I think humans are trusting we trust that if a city park is utilizing something your playgrounds or school district is using something that has been proven safe. And the more we looked into the EPA, the more that we learned with our advisors that we’re so grateful for, you know, they helped explain how broken our regulatory system is. So the EPA doesn’t even test the inert ingredients, which can make up to 98% of the total product is never tested. Right, and they have a cumulative impacts synergistic impacts. So we know how they harm us, we share with city staff, school district policy influencers, you know, kind of the bad news upfront share, we share the negative health impacts, but then really, the focus is then to just see what they’re currently utilizing, and how we can support them to break that system, you know, to stop this game of pesticide whack a mole where, you know, as city, we worked with ban glyphosate, all glyphosate based products, and they were it was a great step forward, only to find out the distributor, pushed life husana, eight active ingredient of Cheetah pro on that does not view improving health and safety in any way. So we stay solution spaced, and we have the goal of making sure that nobody has to reinvent the wheel. So again, we learned through trial and error, what works, what doesn’t work, and working with city staff, and just, you know, we don’t recommend going to an elected official, unless you’re stonewalled by the city staff, then it’s then you kind of have to increase the pressure a little bit.
08:37
Yeah, you need to have the leverage, I guess, to be able to go to the politicians, because it’s so invasive in terms of the pesticide use, and it’s just normal, natural, that that’s what they do. And again, from my perspective, and holistic medicine, functional medicine. I’ve seen what these pesticides do to the brain what they do to the immune system, and people having chronic inflammatory diseases. And you know, you can’t be helped by that. And of course, with children. This is a really essential thing that we take these pesticides out of our public spaces, to protect our children. And I feel that in a lot of ways our public health system is broken. And the way you’re going about it is brilliant. Because you’re you’re doing it more on the grassroots local level. And it’s built momentum. I mean, here you have over 200 cities, counties, school districts that have awakened around this, this problem. So we talked off air and there’s a project you’re working on right now that you’re really passionate about. Could you share with the audience? What you’re what you’re doing?
09:55
Sure. So you know, in this work, trying to do move towards organic and regenerative land management. It’s just one piece of the puzzle, you know, you remove a delivery system of harm and city parks, and then we find out that it’s only replaced with a cell tower. Something else that potentially can negatively impact our children. And the body burden on them is, you know, something where they don’t have really many spaces to escape from these exposures. So we worked with our partners that center for democratic and environmental rights, cedar for short, and we drafted a model ordinance for children’s environmental bill of rights that will bring back the power that our local elected officials need, you know, they take an oath to protect public health and safety, but in many ways, industry is so powerful with their lobbying and, and just being able to kind of control the system that we we saw the need for this because once you work to get an organic policy adopted, then we’re helping cities get a moratorium for synthetic turf installations, you know, there’s lead in the bleeds, the infill is an issue. So this way, we wanted to be able to holistically protect children and empower elected officials to be able to do that.
11:31
You know, that’s really great. Another problem that I see with all this pesticide exposure is how it gets into the water. And once it gets into the water, and you’re drinking it, game over. And so, you know, being proactive and going after these, these different pesticides, and going into the communities is really fabulous. And so my listeners are going to be piqued by this. And so how can they get involved? How can they connect with you, and what can they do in their local community to create change.
12:13
Simply request a meeting with city staff, we will provide talking points, meeting materials, our advisors have been great. They will work to get peers of theirs who are based wherever the community city is to testify in support and in share the health impacts because a lot of our pesticide applicators and city staff are unaware of the true negative health impacts and consequences. And to your point with a watershed, we’ve had so much activation in Florida, as a result of the red tides, you know, we just are getting out of a really bad one that impacted St. Petersburg and we’re working with St. Pete’s who just purchased a foam stream machine which uses foam and technology to eradicate weeds and weed seed beds in place of chemical use. So it’s just it’s, it’s a no brainer. Like we we need all of these cities to adopt this type of Land Management because again, to your point, it’s not just impacting our, our children, it’s impacting our watersheds, it’s in our rain. We’re working with a researcher in Florida, he’s the one that did the study on the sea cows, manatees and that 58% of all of them had glyphosate in their plasma below, we need to just break the system and we share all of our organic toolkits. So if you want to start your dialogue with your neighbor who lives roundup or if you want to take this on where your child goes to school, we have specific things and tools that you can utilize, we learned that the principal of any school has the power to ban pesticides. So if it’s an immediate issue where they’re announcing we’re going to apply roundup and then you know, next week, then there’s a letter that’s already been drafted, that you can personalize and share with your principal. So we just try to attack it from every possible angle that people are dealing with and working in pesticide production.
14:26
Yes, this is really good news. And I would imagine another thing you’re thinking about is just the whole agricultural industry. Because Monsanto has really moved into at least regular agriculture. I know in the organic world and farmers markets. That’s one of the things I promote shop locally, cultivate local farmers, how do you see it in terms of you know, changing this in the agricultural industry?
14:55
Well, when you touch on AG, I think it also goes back To the accumulative and synergistic impacts on our children. So they’re getting dermal exposure, inhalation exposure. And if they’re eating foods that are contaminated with either GMOs or pesticides, it does accumulate in their bodies, and I’m sure you’re familiar with them. But we, we now utilize Great Plains labs. And unfortunately, it is not yet covered under insurance. So parents have to pay for it out of the bucket. But when children are showing or presenting autistic like symptoms, a lot of times the pediatricians now are, are requesting that parents go to Great Plains. And we have a little four year old girl in orange, California, that her parents had a lot of trouble conceiving. So when they finally had Lily, they were so excited, they admit to being helicopter parents, they just want to keep her safe. And she was on a strict organic diet. And with all of this, her four year old checkup, the pediatrician ordered the lab work, and we found out that Willie was at the 95th percentile of glyphosate in her system. And she was literally off the charts with to 4d in her system. And that is simply from just playing in a city park. So then you take a child like Lily and have her, you know, eating conventional food, and it’s just the the body burden is too much for kids. And I think, you know, we’ve seen it, we have friends that have been unable to conceive, and their dream is to always have children, we have children in the in the school system that are needing assistance, because of all of these, you know, learning disabilities and other situations. I mean, we’re we’re in a society that’s sick right now.
16:57
Yeah, Great Plains lab is definitely reputable for testing for glyphosate. And again, from my perspective, you know, I’ve been in private practice over 30 years. And test for it quite frequently when I see these really strange behaviors, and it’s so affects our neurological functioning or sensory motor or developmental I don’t use your auto immune is another very common thing that I see. And it’s they call it idiopathic, we don’t know what is causing it. What is causing it is that you’re laced with these pesticides, and you’re eating GMO foods. And, you know, the toxic load, especially in children is such that, you know, they just can’t overcome the toxicities, and it affects their behavior, their brain, their development, and even parents who want to conceive exactly, that’s a that’s a big issue that’s going on and even in the air, you know, we we get exposed through Eric’s, but, you know, through the air particles, and, you know, I constantly talk on social media about how we can boost our microbiome and our immune system. And, you know, if we can do that we take more proactive approach. And we’re not just treating symptoms, we’re not just using pharmaceutical drugs. But we’re looking at it holistically. And you said this a few minutes ago, and I love that, that you’re looking at this from a holistic perspective. And you’re solution based and I think that’s effective as a strategy. So, Kim, how can people get in touch with you What what are the channels that you prefer for us to, to connect with you?
18:54
Sure. So through Instagram, that’s how you found us through our website, we have a section where, you know, if you’re a pet, parent, parent, golf course, superintendent, there’s different areas where you can connect with us and then the team will immediately work with you to support your efforts from the first step of pulling the pesticide usage report so we get an idea of what your city or school district is currently utilizing. So then we can work to get solutions and organic alternatives. One thing to be cautious of is the greenwashing that’s happening right now. We require that all of our pesticides and or inputs are both Omri listed, and Washington State Department of Ag certified because we have products that on the product themselves claimed to be organic when they are not and they even have ingredients like feather meal and other items that are on Prop 65. So We’re not working as hard to again, just play pesticide whack a mole, we really have to work to build soil health. And that’s, you know, to your gut biome. Zack Bush, one of our advisors, you know, is really helping people understand how we are in this crisis moment and how we have to work on protecting our gut biome and how important it is for an entire system. You know, I don’t think people really understand the importance of that and that glyphosate is a registered antibiotic, which was fascinating to learn. So it’s just our guts are off balance or watersheds are impacted our soil, our air. So it’s just I think the best path forward is just to start the dialogue to start the conversation. And other than Newport Beach, California and orange, California, every other city that we’ve worked with has adopted organic land management, Sarasota, Florida was one of the top three but even Sarah soda ban glyphosate, and they’re working to bring forward organic land management city What?
21:12
Yeah, that’s very inspiring. And just a point, I’ve heard Dr. Bush talk about the the Earth’s biome and the soil and how we need to replenish it. And I can tell you, in my patients, when I do hair, mineral analysis, they’re all depleted in their trace minerals. And this is another issue that the trace minerals are our spark plugs that make our cells go and the mitochondria producing ATP that’s able to create a healthy detoxification pathway when you’ve got glyphosate and other pesticides. It just clogs up the SIS system and with the inflammation, you’re building oxidative stress, metabolic waste, and then of course, you know, it really wreaks havoc on your your cellular health and your your biome. So I’m glad he’s an advisor. I didn’t know that. So
22:03
yeah, he’s he’s great. We we connect connected in Houston, actually, we spoke in it on a panel together, and to your point about agriculture. And he he started farmers footprint, and they’re also partners of, of non toxic neighborhoods is that it’s all connect, like the soil is connecting all of us, you know, when when I started this journey, working to protect my children, when they’re on the baseball field or at school, I had no idea how much it’s about soil health, you know, and not everybody is ready to discuss that or learn about it. But again, if if we can build soil health, it means that we’re getting everything else, right, just like if we could effectively protect our children, then we get it right for everything else, you know, it’s in to your point with the air, we’re dealing with many issues of environmental injustice, and communities that don’t have access to air that safe to breathe because of their zip code. You know, so it’s working to get those protections in place. And we were so excited that United Nations invited us to be on their North American panel for children’s environmental rights. So we really hope that these major influencers can do more than have these very insightful meetings.
You know, we’re past that point. We need the United Nations, we need our elected officials from the city level to the state level to the federal level, to get policies online with teeth, you know, we can’t have them watered down. We’re not we really are a crisis moment right now with the planet. So that’s one thing that COVID-19 has done for us is it’s really highlighted how important our green spaces and how it’s directly connected to our overall health and well-being.
24:12
Right on, well, if there’s anything I can do for you, please just call on me and I’m going to thank you so much for your generosity. And speaking with us today, and I’m sure we’ll connect again. Thank you, Kim. Thanks for coming back there. Thank you.
Thank you for listening. I hope you learned something from the EyeClarity podcast show today. If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to subscribe on iTunes or Spotify and leave a review. see you here next time.
Today is a throw back to when I sat down with Christian Yordanov, host of the Connecting Minds Podcast. I answer questions ranging from Autism, Vestibular Health, Amblyopia (lazy eye), Computer Vision Syndrome, and other topics. Enjoy the show.
So in today's show, I'm going to talk about a research study that was actually done testing castor oil for a very painful condition that many of you write me about called Meibomian Gland Dysfunction. I want to go over this research article and and talk about what happened when researchers applied castor oil eyedrops. It's very interesting. Enjoy the show.
I want to share this session with you where I counsel parents who's two year old son's left eye has started crossing in. They were referred to me by a holistic pediatrician and you'll hear how I take the parents through a journey and offer different protocols and exercises that are going to get the child back on track. Enjoy the show.
I received a question from a follower that I wanted to answer today. Can an increased prescription cause double vision? The short answer is yes. Listen to the episode to learn why and what you can do about it. Enjoy the show.
Here is a session I gave a patient who is working on getting rid of their myopia and astigmatism. We go over my myopia protocol and strategies to begin the journey to reduce your dependency on glasses and/or contacts. It's a great session. Enjoy the show.
Today, I’m answering your questions. This is a Facebook live I did recently where I answered questions I’ve received from you! Enjoy the show.
Here is a demonstration of how I apply essential oils. We're going to be applying Laurel Leaf in this episode. Enjoy the show.
I sat down with Buzzfeed for a quick interview. We dive into my story and how I have worked to help patients and my social media followers over the years.
So today, I'm going to share part of a presentation I did recently at the Vision Sanctuary Retreat on light and color therapy, how to do it, what's the science behind it, and much more. Enjoy the show.
You can now text me! Text 'Join' to 1-844-932-1291 to join the community and ask a question!
This is a follow-up telemedicine session I did with a gentleman who has a history of retinal detachment and myopia. In this session, we touch on many different things, including what would be the best prescription for him, how red light therapy would benefit his retina, eye nutrients, eyedrops, and physical therapy exercises. Enjoy the show.
You can now text me! Text 'Join' to 1-844-932-1291 to join the community and ask a question!
Do the eyes have the capability to access neuroplasticity? Neuroplasticity is the ability of the neural networks in the brain in the nervous system to change through growth and reorganization. I'm giving you about nine minutes of really interesting information on the relationship between neuroplasticity and your vision. Enjoy the show.
You can now text me! Text 'Join' to 1-844-932-1291 to join the community and ask a question!
Today, you're in for a treat. I'm giving a presentation on essential oils that I wanted to share with you. So enjoy this deep dive into how to use essential oils and aromatherapy to best support you. Enjoy the show.
You can now text me! Text 'Join' to 1-844-932-1291 to join the community and ask a question!
Today, I'm answering your questions. This is a Facebook live I did recently where I answered questions I've received from you! We cover topics like Orthokeratology, wet macular degeneration, and cataracts!
You can now text me! Text 'Join' to 1-844-932-1291 to join the community and ask a question!
So we have an interesting show today. I'm going to be counseling some parents who have a 16-year-old son who was diagnosed in his left eye with a condition called Keratoconus. Keratoconus is a bulging of the cornea. It's one of the most common corneal dystrophies out there. This creates a distortion of light that comes into the eyes and blurred vision. Enjoy the show.
You can now text me! Text 'Join' to 1-844-932-1291 to join the community and ask a question!
Today, I'm going to give you a bird's eye view of a session I gave to a woman. She's 52 years old, and she has been diagnosed with the trifecta: cataracts, floaters, and astigmatism. During the session, I will talk about the causes and solutions, and I will give you the action steps on what to do to improve the situation. Enjoy the show.
You can now text me! Text 'Join' to 1-844-932-1291 to join the community and ask a question!
Sixth Nerve Palsy affects the lateral rectus eye muscle and can affect the person’s ability to track their eyes horizontally. This can cause issues with reading, copying content, and double vision. So today, we will walk through what Sixth Nerve Palsy is and how it might be treated holistically. Enjoy the show.
You can now text me! Text 'Join' to 1-844-932-1291 to join the community and ask a question!
Sam joined Heidi Townshend to discuss the meaning of love on her podcast So, What Were You Wearing. Sam shares a vulnerable time in his life that led him onward with his search for true love. He was on the leading edge of his personal growth as he sought a love relationship that could last a lifetime. Listen in to Sam’s unique and fantastic story of fierce dedication to relationship and love, plus his own words of wisdom.
I had a great trip white water rafting on the Colorado River, and I wanted to share my experience, reflections, and some of the things I learned with you. Enjoy the show. You can now text me! Text 'Join' to 1-844-932-1291 to join the community and ask a question!
If you have been exposed to glyphosate, listen to this show! Glyphosate is found in weed killers like Round-Up, and it’s very harmful to your health. This episode takes a look at this chemical and why you should avoid it. Enjoy the show.
I’m answering your questions today! I had a listener reach out to me and ask how much he should reduce his myopia prescription at a time and how long it would take to see results. So, I decided to focus on walking you through my Myopia Protocol so that you can do it yourself! Enjoy the show.
I’m answering listener questions! We cover sulfur vs. sulfa, the benefits of MSM, cataract surgery pros and cons, how to increase lutein, zeaxanthin, and more. Enjoy the show.
Today I want to talk about what is the mindset that you need to really improve your vision. Enjoy the show.
I've spent years working on growing my social media following so I can share my protocols and information with you. Today, I want to share my story of how I got started and provide some tips for those looking to do the same. Enjoy the show.
Here is a Q&A I did for my summit earlier this year. I got some great questions and discussion points, so I wanted to share it with you. Be sure to send any questions you have for me to hello@drsamberne.com. Enjoy the show!
I had the pleasure of interviewing Megan Ramos in this episode. She is a Canadian clinical educator and expert on therapeutic fasting and low-carbohydrate diets, having guided more than 14,000 people worldwide. She is the co-author of the New York Times Bestseller Life in the Fasting Lane. Enjoy the show!
There isn't a quick fix when it comes to treating the root of the problem in eye care. It takes time to fix something that's been developing for months or years. I treat the causative factors, not the symptoms, so my practices take work and patience, but it's worth it. Enjoy the show.
So today, you're getting a sneak preview of a session I gave recently to a patient who was recently diagnosed with Glaucoma. Glaucoma is a disease that affects the circulation in the eye, specifically the optic nerve. We will go into what Glaucoma is and steps you can take to mitigate it. Enjoy the show.
Here is an excerpt from a class I help earlier this year. We covered everything from how to negotiate an eyeglass or contact lens prescription and Color Therapy to the visual-vestibular connections. I led the class in The Berne Method®, helping to improve your vision and health. This unique blend of holistic vision practices was experiential, and we had some great discussions. Enjoy the show, and keep an eye out for more from this series.
If you suffer from dry eye syndrome, part of the reason could be either you're not getting enough healthy fats in your diet, or you're not absorbing the fats in your diet. So in today's show, I want to talk specifically about Docosahexaenoic acid, better known as DHA. And it's a very important component that's found in omega threes. Enjoy the show.
Here is an excerpt from a class I help earlier this year. We covered everything from how to negotiate an eyeglass or contact lens prescription and Color Therapy to the visual-vestibular connections. I led the class in The Berne Method®, helping to improve your vision and health. This unique blend of holistic vision practices was experiential, and we had some great discussions. Enjoy the show, and keep an eye out for more from this series.
I had the pleasure of sitting down with Nathan Oxenfeld again. He is a Natural Vision Teacher and founder of Integral Eye Sight Improvement. He teaches people natural alternatives to glasses, contacts, and surgeries and how many common vision problems can be prevented and decreased with simple and natural practices that retrain the eyes and mind to function more optimally. Nathan combines the Bates Method, Yoga, Meditation, Breath Work, Emotional Work, Diet & Nutrition, and other vision training techniques to explore a more holistic approach to eye health. He teaches classes and also is very active on social media. He completed a documentary in 2020 on Natural Vision Improvement. Enjoy the show.
Here is an excerpt from a class I help earlier this year. We covered everything from how to negotiate an eyeglass or contact lens prescription and Color Therapy to the visual-vestibular connections. I led the class in The Berne Method®, helping to improve your vision and health. This unique blend of holistic vision practices was experiential, and we had some great discussions. Enjoy the show, and keep an eye out for more from this series.
So you're in for a treat today. I'm teaching a one-hour workshop to a group of health vision practitioners. I'm talking about the Cheiroscope. This is an instrument that measures binocular vision, and the projection of the visual pattern of focusing. We'll cover what it is and how it can help. Enjoy the show.
Here is an excerpt from a class I help earlier this year. We covered everything from how to negotiate an eyeglass or contact lens prescription and Color Therapy to the visual-vestibular connections. I led the class in The Berne Method®, helping to improve your vision and health. This unique blend of holistic vision practices was experiential, and we had some great discussions. Enjoy the show, and keep an eye out for more from this series.
I had a great discussion the other week with my followers on Facebook. We had a bit of a rapid-fire question session where I covered topics like cataract surgery protocols, floaters, lazy eye, and more. Enjoy the show.
Here is an excerpt from a class I help earlier this year. We covered everything from how to negotiate an eyeglass or contact lens prescription and Color Therapy to the visual-vestibular connections. I led the class in The Berne Method®, helping to improve your vision and health. This unique blend of holistic vision practices was experiential, and we had some great discussions. Enjoy the show, and keep an eye out for more from this series.
A Retinal Hole is a very serious sight-threatening condition. The retina is a very vulnerable tissue in the back of the eye. Because of its vulnerability and integrity, there are many reasons why we need to take really good care of our retinas. So let's take a look at what causes retinal holes and what you can do about them. Enjoy the show.
There are no blood vessels that grow or come near the macula. But in the case of macular bleeding, if the macula is starting to starve from not getting the nutrients it needs, then it starts creating its blood vessels. This is a very serious situation that should be looked at by a doctor. Today we are converting what causes Macular Bleeding and how to prevent it. Enjoy the show.
Here's another great conversation I had with my Facebook followers the other day. We covered everything from hallucinations to angiogenesis. If you have questions you would like for me to answer, be sure to email them to hello@drsamberne.com. Enjoy the show.
Learning lenses or performance lenses help activate the relaxation response in your nervous system. They activate the parasympathetic nervous system allowing us to begin to come back to balance. Learn more about these lenses for kids in this episode. Enjoy the show.
I had a great conversation with Dianne Koehler, the Executive Director of the Nutrition Therapy Institute. Dianne graduated from Nutrition Therapy Institute in 2007. Since graduating, she has become a teacher and active community speaker. She has continued her education through additional training in holistic health, high level wellness, herbal therapeutics, functional blood chemistry analysis and functional endocrinology. She has been an instructor at NTI for more than 10 years and became Academic Dean in 2017. As the Owner/Director of NTI, her passion for learning about and teaching nutrition informs her desire to make NTI the choice for nutrition education. She is profoundly grateful to have the opportunity to share NTI’s vision with our current and future students – Choosing to Create Optimal Health Through Nutrition Education – it’s not just a tagline, it’s truly what NTI’s students do, and Dianne is proud to be at the helm, driving expectations and making changes in the field of nutrition education. Enjoy the show.
Today's show is about a 10-year-old child who's been diagnosed with a condition called strabismus. So this is for all you parents out there who are frustrated when you go to the regular eye doctor and are looking for alternatives. Enjoy the show.
I sat down with my Instagram followers and answered a bunch of questions I've received recently. We talk about how to get the most out of your eye exams and how to get the prescription that's right for you. If you have any questions for me, be sure to email them to hello@drsamberne.com. Enjoy the show.
Here is part two of a class from a while back where we talked about cataracts and essential oils. I share how to effectively use essential oils, and we dip our toes into vibrational healing. Enjoy the show.
Here is a class from a while back where we talked about cataracts and essential oils. I share how to effectively use essential oils, and we dip our toes into vibrational healing. Enjoy the show.
Navigating a vision exam can be hard, depending on your doctor. So I want to share some tips on how to make the process work for you. I'll share what to look for in an eye exam and how to slow down the process, so you know you're getting the prescription that's right for you. Enjoy the show.
I had a great conversation with my followers on Facebook live the other week that I wanted to share with you. We covered everything from cataracts and peripheral vision to eye exercises. If you have any questions for me, be sure to email them to hello@drsamberne.com Enjoy the show. If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com.
I received some great questions during this Facebook Live, and I wanted to share them with you. We cover everything from floaters and flashing lights to balancing vitamins and ensuring their absorption. Enjoy the show.
I got a question recently about corneal infiltrates. It's a serious condition that can be due to bacterial, viral, or fungal infections. I cover ways to prevent and mitigate this eye disease. Enjoy the show.
This is a presentation I gave to a group of occupational therapists on how vision relates to our nervous system, trauma, and our consciousness. Enjoy the show.
I had a great time talking to everyone on Instagram Live the other day, and I wanted to share the mini-workshop I did there. We cover topics like cranial sacral therapy, eye care in children, ocular melanoma so much more. If you have questions you want answered, please email them to hello@drsamberne.com. Enjoy the show.
Dry Eye Syndrome is something that more and more people are combating. With an increase in screen time, the blue light is a major contributing factor to what's drying out your eyes. So today I am sharing some tips on what you can do to protect your eyes and alleviate dry eyes. Enjoy the show.
Today I am sharing a telehealth session I sis with a young man who works on his computer all day. He's made some progress so far, so today, we are covering the next steps to reduce myopia, floaters, and eye stress. Enjoy the show.
Macular Degeneration is a growing problem that more and more people are dealing with. So, I wanted to share this session I did recently where I share my protocol for dealing with Macular Degeneration and how you can build up your macula health to help mitigate problems down the road. Enjoy the show.
Ocular Melanoma in the eyes is a very rare but serious form of cancer that I want to discuss today. It develops in the cells that produce pigment. Today I will cover how it forms, what to look out for, and what steps you can take to treat it. Enjoy the show.
I wanted to share this Facebook live I did with you. I had some awesome questions from my followers and attendees. We covered everything from my practices to my protocols for improving your vision. It was a great session! If you have any questions you want answered, please email them to me at hello@drsamberne.com. Enjoy the Show.
Cataracts affect a growing number of people, and many factors can contribute to this. I have found that adding certain specific antioxidants can reduce cataract formation and, in some cases, eliminate it altogether. But they don't work for everyone. So today, I wanted to talk to those who aren't seeing results with my approach and discuss why this might be and how you can move forward. Enjoy the show.
Today I'm going to play an excerpt from a session I gave to somebody diagnosed with shingles in the eye. This left her with scar tissue that she's been dealing with for the past six years. I share how hydrosols can help her and lay out my eye protocol. Hydrosols are part of the essential oils that are the mist that you can actually spray on the eyelids and in the eye. And it's a very effective way to improve eye health. Enjoy the show.
LASIK surgery is becoming more and more common. So today I want to talk about an article that came out discussing the side effects people have when they get LASIK and weigh the pros and cons of the surgery with you. Enjoy the show.
Today we are going to cover my heavy metal detox protocol using essential oils. I don't think that toxicity levels have ever been higher. We can get exposed to heavy metals through our environment and our immune systems are obviously getting really challenged. These are causing symptoms like headaches, sleep problems, digestive issues, anxiety, hypertension, depression, memory issues, kidney problems, muscle weakness, anemia, impaired fertility, tinnitus, and light sensitivity. I find that there are some tests that patients can do that are helpful. So I'm going to go through very briefly, the tests that are possible, and you get to choose. Enjoy the show.
Fuchs' corneal dystrophy is a fluid build-up in the cornea that's the clear window in the eye. And what happens in Fuchs' dystrophy, which is genetically passed on from generation to generation, is that the cornea begins to swell, it thickens and this leads to a lot of blurry cloudy vision. But there's a new drug treatment on the horizon. And it's called a ROCK inhibitor. A ROCK inhibitor in some of the latest research is beginning to show some benefit For Fuchs' dystrophy and some of the clinical trials in this ROCK pathway. Enjoy the show.
So today I'm going to take a question from a listener, and she wants to know if there's a relationship between osteoporosis and vision? In my somatic training, I learned that bone health is related to so many things in our body. When we talk about bone health, we talk about the relationship between our ability to have weight-bearing exercise, whether it's lifting weights or doing functional fitness, that's a very important factor in keeping your bones healthy. But this connection between the eyes, and osteoporosis is not really talked about very much, even though I've seen it in my practice for a long time. Enjoy the show.
Atropine is what we call an anticholinergic drug, which means that it blocks acetylcholine. And when you block acetylcholine, it can cause temporary paralysis in the focusing system of the eye and it also dilates the pupil. So this particular technique is used by some eye doctors in low doses, to see if you can slow down school-aged myopia. My feeling is that Atropine therapy is really another symptomatic approach. It's not really getting to the cause of what myopia really is. So let's talk about the cause of myopia. And then I can offer some protocols that maybe go a little deeper than just treating the symptom. Enjoy the show.
I've gotten a number of questions about the relationship between our eyesight and vision, and our sports performance. So today I wanted to talk about my experience with sports and how I have worked with athletes. Enjoy the show.
Nitric Oxide is a molecule that's produced naturally by your body and it's important for many aspects of your health. One of the most important functions of nitric oxide is something called vasodilation. This means that the inner muscles of the blood vessels begin to widen and this increases your circulation. I want to talk about how this can be beneficial for you. Enjoy the show.
Today, I'm going to give you a bird's eye view of a session I gave recently with somebody who was diagnosed with macular degeneration. Macular degeneration is the number one cause of blindness today. And it is increasing by epidemic proportions. And in this session, I lay out the cause and the treatments for Macular Degeneration. Enjoy the show.
Today we are talking about Amblyopia also known as Lazy Eye. It's been a common idea that this can only be treated in childhood, but today we are going to look at research and discuss how it might be treated as you get older. Enjoy the show. If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com.
I have spent years developing my internet platform and I love using my social media platforms to educate my followers. The internet is a way for us to connect with each other and I enjoy that connection we can build and the information we can share without having to travel. I've been asked how I built this and where I am going. So, here is my story. Enjoy the show.
Double vision is something that affects a number of people, no matter their age. it can lead to issues with concentration and balance. Today I want to share how yoked prisms can help you with double vision and share where you can find this help. Enjoy the show.
Black Cumin Essential Oil has some truly amazing benefits. It's an ancient plant that has been shown to be able to help support our immune health and much more. Join me to learn more about the benefits and how to use this essential oil. Enjoy the show.
Dark under-eye circles are a common problem. There are multiple reasons why people developed these dark under-eye circles, so we are going to take a look at why they developed and some remedies that I've used to reduce the darkness. Enjoy the show.
Your liver can affect the rest of your body, including your eyes. There are many ways to build that relationship that I want to share with you today. Enjoy the show.
I had some really great questions from listeners during my Facebook Live the other week, so I wanted to share this with you. Enjoy the show.
Charles Bonnet Syndrome is a condition that's triggered by vision deterioration that causes visual hallucinations. It isn't well known and can be hard to diagnose, so we are going to look deeper into this eye disease today. Enjoy the show.
Best's Syndrome is macular dystrophy involving part of the retina. So today we will cover what it is, what some of the symptoms are, and how you combat it. Enjoy the show.
Cataract surgery is great for those who need it and I often suggest it for patients in conjunction with my eye protocols. MSM Eye Drops are safe to use after Cataract surgery and can be very helpful. Enjoy the show.
Retinal detachment is something a lot of people struggle with. So today I am covering my tips for working with and preventing retinal detachment. Enjoy the show.
Screen time is inevitably a part of our daily life, so I am sharing a few of my tips on how to protect your eyes while using screens and a few things you can implement to protect your vision. Enjoy the show.
I am answering a few questions I've received recently on this Facebook live and I wanted to share it with you. If you have any questions be sure to email them to me at hello@drsamberene.com or attend my weekly Facebook live.
Lesley Rubinoff joined me on the podcast and we had an amazing chat. She digs into hydration and structures water, the benefits of Silver, and Fulvic Acid. This episode is packed with amazing information, so be sure to listen and follow Lesley for more information. Lesley is a dynamic holistic practitioner who's branded herself as " The Holistic Bitch"™ the meaning: be in total control of him/herself health.
Today I want to talk about Vitamin E. You know, Vitamin E has been regarded as one of the most beneficial nutrients to support eye health. So joined me as we take a deeper look into how it works and how it can benefit your eye health.
Here is a deeper dive into my Heavy Metal Detox Protocol using essential Oils. We know that toxins are in our air, our foods, and our water supply. And I wanted to offer a simple way that works really well to remove these from the body.
Today, we're going to talk about the pharmaceutical drug Xalantin, better known as latanoprost. It's a glaucoma medication used on those that are at risk of developing glaucoma or have been diagnosed with glaucoma to help with ocular hypertension or open-angle glaucoma in bringing the pressure down. I am going to walk through the side effects and some more holistic approaches you can take to help with these issues. Enjoy the show. If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com.
Today we are going to look at the benefits of Red Light on your eyes. We will look at why it is helpful and how you can get it and the best practices when incorporating it into your everyday life. Enjoy the show.
lenses due to their oily tear ducts. The oil causes a film to appear on the lens after a few hours. So, I am going to address what causes this and how to choose the right contacts for your eyes. Enjoy the show.
As I began to learn more about the holistic approach to eye care and worked with teachers in developmental optometry. They taught me how to prescribe lenses in a way that would help people improve their vision. One of the principles that they taught me, which works very well, is to actually wear the same power of the lens in each eye, even if one is slightly blurrier. So today, I am walking you through that process so you can work with your eyes instead of just fixing the symptoms. Enjoy the show.
I'm involved a lot with the autistic to ADD spectrum disorder community, I actually consult at a place called Kidpower. Recently, I gave a presentation on the exercise that helps improve our three-dimensional vision. 3D vision is so important because it helps us with our ability to make decisions to problem solve to see more deeply into situations. So, I wanted to share this talk with you all. Enjoy the show.
What can you do for Blepharitis and Demodex Mites? These things cause eyelid inflammation and on top of that, you've got these Demodex mites living in the hair follicles. For an integrative and holistic approach, I would think about tea tree oil. I'll share how to use this essential oil and some other steps you can take. Enjoy the show. If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com and if you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberene.com.
Join me today as I answer questions during this Facebook Live. We cover everything from cataracts to drusen to dry eyes and halos. If you have a question, feel free to email me at hello@drsamberene.com or attend my Facebook Live every Wednesday at 5PM EST. If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com.
Today, I want to share some inspiring case histories, including my own. And in doing this, it may give you some inspiration and hope.
Digital time is inevitable in life, but today I am sharing some tips on how to use your digital devices while staying healthy.
So today, I want to help you effectively navigate the eye care system. I will walk you through how to find an eye doctor you are compatible with, help your eye doctor help you in the best way possible, and navigate surgery if the need arises.
Walk through these three physical eye therapy stretches with me. They are great for refreshing your eyes and building up that muscle.
Here is a peak into a session I had recently where we talk about how to proactively protect your eyes and vision. Starting to take these steps early can help you in the long run. Proactivity is better than reactivity when it comes to your eyes.
Today is all about Lemon Essential Oil. It's a great starting place if you are looking to start using essential oils. I am going to cover the basics of how to use it and the amazing benefits of Lemon Essential Oil.
I wanted to share this conversation I had about how to alleviate your dry eyes throughout the day.
Join me as I walk a patient through a few eye exercises. Improving your vision is all about consistency and dedication. Small steps make big differences.
Today, I want to share three inspiring case histories, including my own. And in doing this, it may give you some inspiration and hope.
Today I am talking about dry eye syndrome. It's something that affects so many people and I want to share a few things you can do to help alleviate your dry eyes. Enjoy the show.
Today as we talk about the benefits of Cacao or dark chocolate. Cacao has many different health benefits, aside from just being a fun treat.
If you suffer from conjunctivitis (aka Pink Eye) or red eyes, I want to give you some solutions that might be able to help you today. Enjoy the show.
Sam joined Heidi Townshend to discuss the meaning of love on her podcast So, What Were You Wearing. Sam shares a vulnerable time in his life that led him onward with his search for true love. He was on the leading edge of his personal growth as he sought a love relationship that could last a lifetime. Listen in to Sam’s unique and fantastic story of fierce dedication to relationship and love, plus his own words of wisdom.
Lately, I've been getting a number of questions about MS and how it affects our eyes. I want to take a moment today to address these questions and provide some solutions. Enjoy the show.
I get all kinds of questions about astigmatism, so I am going to answer a couple here on today's show. Let me know if you have any questions you want me to answer and keep an ear out for the answers. Enjoy the show.
I wanted to share some questions I got during a recent class I held. These were some great questions and we got into the benefits of infrared and red light therapies.
Today I am walking you through the eye patch protocol and the eye dialogue questions that go along with that as well as the lens to blur exercise. I highly recommend doing both of these regularly.
We are wrapping up my list of the top 10 practices that are going to give you success as you work toward improving your eyes.
Now we are going to move on to my list of the top 10 practices that are going to give you success as you work toward improving your eyes.
I am wrapping up my list of 10 mistakes that people make in the process of reducing their myopia and astigmatism and how you can avoid making the same mistake.
This week we are continuing down our list of 10 mistakes that people make in the process of reducing their myopia and astigmatism and how you can avoid making the same mistake.
Over the next few episodes, I am going to discuss the 10 mistakes that people make in the process of reducing their myopia and astigmatism and how you can avoid making the same mistake.
Today, we are looking at what is really blocking your vision? Stress? Fatigue? Or something else? It's important to the process to dig deep and really understand what's affecting you.
This eye exercise I am going to walk you through today uses sound and vibrations to create calm and clarity in the body and the eyes. Feel free to follow along.
I am sharing my experience and how I started with the Continuum movement and what it's taught me. I have learned and benefited from the things I share with you.
Today we are talking about color therapy. What is it? How did I get started with it? How can it help your eyes? Color therapy can be so beneficial in so many ways.
Here is a peek into my latest Intensive Session. I work with attendees one on one to help them craft their own visual journey. In this session, I work with attendees on how to use the animal eye chart. I talk about where it came from and how it helps your vision over time.
Here is a peek into my latest Intensive Session. I work with attendees one on one to help them craft their own visual journey. In this session, I talk with one attendee about how his myopia and cataracts might be working together and we look at the steps he can take to alleviate both.
Here is a peek into my latest Intensive Session. I work with attendees one on one to help them craft their own visual journey. In this session, we talk about blue blockers and how to work on reducing your cataracts.
Here is a peek into my latest Intensive Session. I work with attendees one on one to help them craft their own visual journey. In this session, we talk about the eye dialogue and how it can help your eyes work together.
Today I'm going to take a question on ocular migraines which can affect our eyesight and vision. I will talk about what scientists believe causes this and what you can do to help alleviate your symptoms.
So today, you're going to hear a recording of a session that I gave recently and we covered a variety of different topics. My take on floaters, cataracts, monovision, progressive lenses, blue light, myopia, and astigmatism.
Today we are covering posterior vitreous detachment, better known as PVD. It's a common issue that affects upwards of 75% of people over 65. And I'm here to say that there are some things that you can do to reduce some of the symptoms and in some cases, maybe neutralize the damage that has happened.
Retinal Detachment is something that affects a lot of people and requires surgery to deal with. Today we are covering what retinal detachment is, what causes it, and how to recover post-surgery.
Today we are talking all about dry eyes. What causes dry eyes, what can you do to alleviate the symptoms, and how can you work toward getting rid of dry eyes.
Today we are talking about a condition called Sjogren's Syndrome. I am answering a listener's question about this syndrome. We will cover what it is and what you can do to treat it.
LASIK Surgery has been a hot topic in my world lately and so I wanted to take some time and explain my view on this elective surgery. In this episode, we will dig into what LASIK is and why I don't suggest it to my patients. While it works great for some people, it just treats the symptoms and focuses on fixing your sight, not your vision. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions, I would love to hear from you.
Today we are talking about Night Vision. What causes it and how to improve it. Struggles with night vision can cause a lot of disruption in one's life. People tend to stop driving at night and don't feel comfortable going out in the evening. This isn't something that you have to just accept and live with, so today we are going to address some basic things you can do to help improve your night vision.
In this episode, I am answering a question I received about Horner's Syndrome. It's a condition that affects the pupils of the eye and the eyelids and sometimes even the muscles in the face.
Today we are talking about the effects of cosmetics on your eyes. Whatever we put in and around our eyes, can really affect our eye health and vision. I have been doing more and more research into this topic and so I wanted to give you a sneak peek today.
Here is a post Whole Health Summit Q&A I held recently. We covered everything from dry eyes to eye health to whole health. Be sure to listen and keep an eye out for the next time I go live to get your questions answered.
I had the pleasure of interviewing Megan Ramos in this episode. She is a Canadian clinical educator and expert on therapeutic fasting and low-carbohydrate diets, having guided more than 14,000 people worldwide. She is the co-author of the New York Times Bestseller Life in the Fasting Lane.
At age 25, Dr. Glen Swartwout was the top student doctor at his school when he discovered that he had glaucoma. Starting at such a young age, he learned that he would most likely be blind by age 50 if he was treated by conventional medicine and surgery. In his quest for a cure, he found that he was also suffering from mercury poisoning and would almost certainly not survive past his 30s.
Lisa Dymond is a Registered Speech & Language Pathologist in Private Practice with a passion for supporting the integration of speech/language skills into conversational competence that supports relationships & social-emotional well-being.
Today, I interview one of our sponsors and speakers for the upcoming Whole Health Summit. For over 38 years Virginia Joy aka V.Joy has been teaching.
Dave Gibson is a sleep coach and offers a sleep course Sleep Coaching for a Perfect Nights Sleep in 4 weeks tailor-made to you individually, available online or offline Corporate Workshops. With 30 years of continuous sobriety, along with helping solve sleep problems, he helps clients with addiction, stress, food, and underlying self-esteem issues, and more. He has found that once our life is in balance we sleep better too.
Alexandra Defacio is a holistic therapist, reiki master, licensed colon hydro-therapist, lymphatic drainage masseuse, and modern shaman, trained in the ancient Ayurvedic medicine and initiated in the Amazonian shamanism.
Dr. Seb Lomas is a Biological DentistBiochemist - Natural Integrative Health Reduction in Inflammation, Removal of Infections, Metals & Increase Structural Function & Airway Expansion U.K.
Dr. Bhanote is a quintuple board-certified physician and published author with expertise in Integrative Medicine and Anatomic & Clinical Pathology, Cytopathology, and Culinary Medicine. Dr. Bhanote has additional training and certifications in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, Plant-Based Nutrition, Ayurveda, Yoga for Cancer Recovery, and as a Yoga Medicine Therapeutic Specialist where she applies a whole-body approach to healing.
Dr. Jess is a visionary for the future of healthcare. She is an expert in the field of stealth infections and infectious disease, biologics and regenerative medicine, cannabis, ozone, and environmental toxicities.
3 Lifestyle changes you can make to improve your vision and overall health. Remember, our body is a whole system and all the parts work together, so it's important to consider a holistic approach when improving your vision or any other aspect of your health.
I go over 3 simple tips to improve your eye health. These are easy, everyday changes you can make to improve your overall physical, mental, and eye health over time.
Joshua Townshend-Zellner has been involved in the entertainment industry for all of his adult life and has coupled his protocols with work in the yogic, shamanic, and esoteric worlds creating a nature-based approach to the creative process and storytelling.
Gabrielle Buresch-Teichmann, a pioneering Holistic Color Consultant and Color/Light Therapist, internationally known speaker, and facilitator for over 30 years.
Dr. DeWittt is a Licensed Naturopathic Doctor and Acupuncturist with a focus on Mindbody Medicine. Dr. Kierstin uses her 3 step Holistic process to help people feel more connected to their mind and body, allowing them to move from stressed and overwhelmed to self-aware, empowered, and resilient.
Today we have a special guest, Emma Destrubé. She is a licensed acupuncturist, herbalist, and physician of East Asian medicine, as well as a somatic movement therapist and Continuum teacher.
Description: Here is a Facebook live I did recently where I answered questions from my patients and listeners. I go live on Facebook at 5 pm every Wednesday, so be sure to tune in and get your questions answered. Or you can email them to hello@drsamberne.com.
Here is a Facebook live I did recently where I answered questions from my patients and listeners. I go live on Facebook at 5 pm every Wednesday, so be sure to tune in and get your questions answered.
I want to bring you into this session I did recently with a parent, she's got a child with a condition called alternating esotropia. That means the two eyes don't work together. And she received a surgical console from a doctor who wanted to cut the eye muscles to try to straighten the eyes. And so she contacted me, and I'm going to play some excerpts from the session. And so if you're a parent, and your child has strabismus, this would be a good one for you to listen to.
I answer some questions about the exercises I've been releasing over the past few episodes and we talk about how this translates into the bigger picture. Our bodies contain the intelligence of billions and millions of years of a planetary process that we have absorbed that we are part of and if we get out of the way, and if Western medicine gets out of the way, our bio intelligence can come in. We know what our body needs, we have the medicine, to heal ourselves. It's why I'm much more interested in natural approaches rather than surgical or pharmaceutical approaches. Because those don't work with body intelligence.
We are preparing to take a moment to breathe and walk through some of the exercises I have been talking about for the past few episodes of the podcast. Use this episode as a jumping-off point to make space for yourself.
Here is another exercise that I walked my Neuroplasticity class through. We talk about the importance of making each exercise your own so it fits your needs. Follow along with us.
I want to share this piece from the neuroplasticity course I did recently. Follow along as I want the class through combining sound and movement and be sure to keep an eye out for upcoming episodes that will expand and add to these movements.
Today I'm playing some excerpts of a session I gave, somebody had a motorcycle accident, they fell off and they hit their head, they were concerned about trauma in their eyes.
Today we are continuing to talk about neuroplasticity, but we get into how working with colors can help stretch the brain and increase your focusing mechanism, mind, eyes, and body and you bring in both hemispheres of the brain. You can follow along as I walk the class through this exercise.
Today we are exploring the history of neuroscience. I introduce you to a few neuroscientists whose work has shaped how we look at the brain and we talk about how their work has led to the way we are talking about neuroscience today.
This is the introduction I gave for my latest Neuroplasticity class where we explored how the brain, eyes, and body can all work together to improve our eye and overall health. Take a listen to the introduction and keep an eye out for more sneak peeks into the class coming soon.
This episode is all about Neuroplasticity. It starts very early in life, infants contain a whole web of wired connections and as children's brains grow certain brain maps get activated, while other brain maps begin to disappear if they are not developed or cultivated. This is how neuroplasticity begins to develop. With this understanding, we can start to learn how we can utilize neuroplasticity to better ourselves today.
Today, we are talking about the brain. I go over some key ways to increase your brain health and we talk about how that affects your eye health. You can use this information to increase your brain, eye, and overall health naturally. Enjoy the show. If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com.
SUMMARY KEYWORDSneuroplasticity, talk, eye, parasympathetic nervous system, patients, brain, work, nervous system, sleep, research, started, plasticity, period, treating, improve, hospitals, access, physical therapy
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting-edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberene.com. Now to the latest EyeClarity episode.
So another piece to neuroplasticity is the health of the nervous system, we're going to talk a lot about the nervous system today. There are two main components of the nervous system, the sympathetic and the parasympathetic. The sympathetic Nervous System is our active state. The parasympathetic nervous system is our passive state. It's our relaxation. And for most people, we're spending so much time in the sympathetic nervous system, that there's no time in the nervous system that we're in this rest or settle, period. And of course, when do we heal, we rejuvenate. And we rest in that parasympathetic nervous system state. Okay.
All right, so let's talk a little bit about some of the research that has been done over the years. And they need to bring in these researchers Hubel and Wiesel, David Hubel, Torsten Wiesel, they came from Harvard, from Johns Hopkins. And they did a lot of research in the area of neuroplasticity and vision. And they had some very interesting results. These studies showed how the visual system and the visual information processing would be affected by impeding an eye patching an eye and they work with kittens and how they did this study. And what they did was, they would suture one of the eyes, and they found that there was a significant drop in the visual development, which affected these kittens throughout their entire life. And they also said that, as the cells are responsible for processing, visual information, they were raised distributed to favor the eye that was unimpaired. And this was a this particular aspect, the critical period was something that I doctors, you know, they practice and they said, This is why you have to get, you know, the cataract removed in kids very early, or if you have a lazy eye, after a certain period of time, you can improve it. And there was a lot of debate in that particular area. But then, in the early 90s, there was another PhD, neuroscientist, Greg record wrecking zone.
And he actually did some research which showed that you can change the eyes, you can change the adult brain, and that this critical period isn't really true. And this is what we're going to access today. Where, you know, if you have a certain condition going on, even in the adult brain, you can improve it. And I think that, you know, again, if you go to certain ophthalmologists, they might say, well, once you reach age seven or eight, you're out of that you're in that critical period. You can't get any better. Dr. Rick unsewn said no, no, no. And you can actually change even into old age. Now there's some things that you have to do in order to set the conditions but it can be done. So here's a research paper that I published back in 1990. And it came from the work that I did at some of the hospitals where I treated patients with severe traumatic brain injury. It's an interesting story because I attended after I graduated, got my degree in optometry, I spent a year at a place called the gazelle Institute. And the gazelle Institute was started by Dr. Arnold gazelle,
This is a bit from a class I did recently on Neuroplasticity. We talked about how to increase your brain health naturally, even if you work in front of a computer all day. We also connect that increase in brain health to an increase in eye health and longetivty. Enjoy the show. If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com.
SUMMARY KEYWORDSneuroplasticity, brain, eyes, structure, bifocals, brain cells, function, neurons, important, exercise, called, working, modulators, blink, optometrist, oxygenation, macula, aspect, degeneration, rehabilitation
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting-edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberene.com. Now to the latest EyeClarity episode.
No one knows for sure, but the latest estimate is that our brains contain roughly 86 billion brain cells 86 billion. Now each neuron can transmit 1000 nerve impulses per second, and make as many as 10s of 1000s of synaptic contacts with other neurons. All brain cells are not alike. There are as many as 10,000 specific types of neurons in the brain. And in class number two, I'm going to go into some of the most important modulators in brain function. Other two that are really important for neuroplasticity, one is called acetylcholine, and the other is called epinephrine. So how do we stimulate those through our diet? Through natural methods, there are ways that you can certainly increase through pharmaceutical sources, I'm not really into that I'm not really in the pharmaceutical drugs, I only say take them when you need them. But because of the side effects and the synthetic nature of pharmaceuticals, how are there natural ways that you can increase these brain modulators. And we'll talk about in class number two. Another fast fact about the brain is that the brain needs a constant supply of oxygen, as little as five minutes without oxygen can cause some of the brain cells to die. And this can lead to brain damage.
So we need to really think about how we can improve our breathing practice get more oxygenation, flowing, throwing in flowing into the brain, and throughout the entire body. Now I'm going to talk a little bit about the development of neuroplasticity. And for those of you that are parents out there, you can attest to the teenage brains are not fully informed. And what I mean by that is that the teenage brains are not developed until we reach about age 25. Now, once we hit 25, our access to neuroplasticity changes. So how do we maintain that accessibility? Because most of us are over 25 in this class? How do we do that, and I'm going to show you ways that you can access the neuroplasticity even as you get into your 60s 70s and even 80s. Last, last thing I'll say about the brain is that the brain can process an image that your eyes have seen for as little as 13 milliseconds, less time than it takes to blink. And we're going to work with our eyes today and our brain with a focusing exercise that's going to help you with things like visual memory, attention, focus. And these particular aspects, especially through the eyes, is one of the best ways to activate your neuroplasticity. And I'm going to share some research that I did, working with trauma patients around this particular practice. And we're going to move to the next slide. And this is an important concept here for you to get and that is called the eye brain connection. And that is this that the eyes originate from the brain prenatally. So every structure of the eyeball is brain tissue from the eyelids, all the way back to the optic nerve. And so when we're working with the eyes, we're working with an extension of the brain. So what is the definition of neuroplasticity, you can go on the internet.
Nathan Oxenfeld joins the EyeClarity podcast today! He is a Natural Vision Teacher, and founder of Integral Eye Sight Improvement. He teaches people natural alternatives to glasses, contacts, and surgeries and how many common vision problems can be prevented and decreased with simple and natural practices that retrain the eyes and mind to function more optimally.
Here is a peek into my recent class where we explored the science around neuroplasticity. This was our introduction to what kind of topics we would be covering. Keep an eye out for more clips from this class to come.
Today I want to share this somatic eye meditation with you. It's based in the Continuum Movement and allows us to work with the eyes while working with the whole body. When we learn to dissolve, become dissolute, our resolution becomes stronger, our vitality becomes better, our resiliency becomes much more, and this creates more thriving. Enjoy the show. If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com.
We all have so many responsibilities, it can be hard to take time for self-care. It's super important for your health, including your eye health, to take time and unplug. We are going to talk about some strategies for getting the most out of a self-care day. Enjoy the show. If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com.
Let's talk about blue light. It's something that we all need to be mindful of during our digital time, especially prolonged or late-night digital time. We will discuss the benefits and harms of blue light and what you can do to protect your eyes. Enjoy the show. If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com.
re talking about eye nutrients. The lens is an avascular tissue, it relies on nutrient absorption indirectly. So, therefore, we have to make sure that we are getting enough of the proper nutrients and making sure we're targeting it to the lens of the eye. Enjoy the show. If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com.
tated that 50% of what we see is in the brain. So we take time to break that down and understand what it means for holistic eye care. Enjoy the show. If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com.
I wanted to share this portion of a recent lecture I gave with you all. It's important to really understand how our body functions as a whole, rather than just treating a symptom. This is the case for eye care as well and today we are going to look at how you can bring this holistic care into your eye treatments as well. Enjoy the show. If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com.
Here is a snippet from a recent class I led where we talk about color therapy and I take questions on the process and benefits of this kind of therapy. Enjoy the show. If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com.
Today I am sharing a class I did recently where we mediated with Ylang Ylang. I go over how to apply the essential oils and walk you through a meditative process. Enjoy the show. If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com.
Today we are talking about color theory and vibrational healing and how the two work together. I take a few questions about the process and really dig into the benefits of this therapy and how it can work for you. Enjoy the show. If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com.
This episode is all about essential oils. We're digging into laurel leaf, saffron. frankincense, carrot seed, and so many more beneficial essential oils. I am so excited to share this information with you. Enjoy the show. If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com.
We are continuing our deep dive into essential oils and herbal medicines. We discuss the benefits of Essential Oils and how to use them and how to grow in your essential oil practice. Enjoy the show. If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com.
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
essential oils, oils, fennel, frankincense, carrot seed, burning, eyes, tree, laurel leaf, health, clarity, talk, carrier oil, essences, antiviral, smell, hot, put, holistic, improve
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting-edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberene.com. Now to the latest EyeClarity episode.
Alright, I want to talk about the word adaptogenic you see it here adaptogen. This means that based on what's going on in your body, the essential oil is going to bring you a set of balance and harmony based on what you need. And so tonight, you know we've got a full group of people, each person is dealing with a different aspect in health and wellness. So when you use the essential oils, it's going to work individually based on what you need. And with the Laurel leaf, which is one of the oils you have in your that I recommended, it has something in it call it's hydrophilic which means that what you can do with this Laurel leaf is you can put a couple of drops on the lymphatic area like around the neck, the heart and then take a shower or a bath and the water pushes the essential oil more deeply into your body.
So this is a way that you can actually get more or more amplification of the benefits of the essential oil. Now you would only want to do this with certain essential oils because some oils are really hot. And I'm going to talk about how you use those very differently than say the middle-of-the-road essential oils like lavender or Laurel leaf or Frankincense. But there are ways that you can use hot essential oils like coal essential oils so that you don't burn yourself. A lot of Kima types so I'm going to move on here. There's a new nutritive value to all the essential oils they have vitamins minerals, you know, for example, we've got the tree essences like cedar woods in the furs, very grounding the citruses which are very uplifting.
The Eucalyptus is which are helpful for respiratory and immune health. Ginger, which is great for your digestion. So a lot of versatility in these oils. Now I want to say that not all oils are antiviral or antifungal or break the blood-brain barrier. Here is a list of antiviral essences so lemon or lemongrass, the sages rosemary, cinnamon bark, oh my goodness, that's an amazing, so hot essential oil. But you can put a little bit on your tongue or get a hot mug of water and put a couple of drops of cinnamon bark in the young mountain to save you savory. So there's a lot of this is a long list of essential oils that are antiviral, if you want to go that direction as a prophylactic to improve your health. Now some of the essential oils are created by the flowers. Some of them are created by the leaves. Some of them are created by the furs, some of them by the peel.
So you want to know well where is this essential oil coming from? Because where it comes from, is going to speak to how it's going to inform you. Let me give you an example. Let's say we compare the jasmine essential oil with say the for tree and maybe we're even using like ponderosa pine as an example, that's a pine tree but we could use you know maybe like a Tamarack or something in the tree family spruce. There's a big difference. The jasmine because it comes from the flower. It's going to be softer. It's going to be gentler. It's going to be more In feminine, whereas the, the tree essence is going to be deep in the roots.
05:09
Sustainability,
Today we are talking about how and when to use essential oils. Essential oils have really helped me over the years and I have spent a lot of time understanding them and understanding how they work with our bodies and I am excited to share that with you. Enjoy the show. If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com.
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
essential oils, peppermint, aromatherapy, anointing, apply, oils, clarity, talk, a little bit, organic substances, put, cotton ball, coming, plants, wet, tamarack, Spotify, intuitive, mechanical equipment, energy
00:05
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting-edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberene.com. Now to the latest EyeClarity episode.
So when you use essential oils, there's something we talked about cool, called anointing this goes back to a very ancient practice, when you take an essential oil, and you apply it to your body, you are cleansing your energy field, you are penetrating your energy, and you're coming into the physical body. So this is a sacred act, whether you anoint yourself, or whether you have somebody anointing you applying the oils, you know, in some of my aromatherapy intensives, we would have people in the class and there would be on the last day you would partner up. And one person would be giving a treatment, and one person would be receiving treatment of the essential oils. And I would have maybe 200 essential oils up on my table. And people would go up to the essential oils, and they would intuitively say, you know I need a little bit of Neroli I need a little bit of ponderosa pine and eat a little bit of Tamarack.
So it'd be very intuitive, they would learn all the basics the first two days. But on the third day, there is a very strong, intuitive nature related to essential oils. And they would choose those oils and they would be treating their partner by doing some kind of a massage. And this is the power of anointing I used to see it at every class, that anointing was super healing, you first have the essential oil, but then you have the anointing factor, putting it on your partner's body, your friend's body, your child's body, massage, massaging it in, and getting a lot of benefit from that level of care. Now, in some aromatherapy circles, they talk about applying one single essence. That's another term for essential oil. Or you can layer the essential oils, one on top of the other. And there are different ways that you can apply them to the skin. There's certain ones that you can drink, the certain ones that you can put in a diffuser and spray in the air. And there are actually some that you can apply internally.
Now, since this is for many people, a beginning for them. Where do you start? How do you work with it? Well, before we get to that, it's important to know where do these essential oils come from? You know, the companies I work with, they practice wildcrafting and biodynamic farming, they put a lot of power and resonance into the essential oil. They're not using mechanical equipment to harvest they're doing hand harvesting. They follow the natural rhythms, the full moon, the new moon, they don't do machine pouring but they hand pour it. So when you hand pour, you are putting your energy into the bottle. This makes a difference. This is why I was saying some of these big corporate companies, they're doing machine pouring. And the two companies that I recommended for you both do can porn. And since we're working with vibration and energy, the whole idea is the higher the frequency, the healthier we're going to be
05:02
Now in my, in my exploration, I like to look for local farmers, small font families that maybe generationally they've been in the business,
Today we are talking about prescription medicines. I received a question about terazosin and its effect on the eyes, so we go into that and the importance of using pharmaceuticals minimally to maintain your optimum health. Enjoy the show. If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com.
In this episode, I give you some insights into what happens if you're diagnosed with cataracts. I talked about different exercises, like my plus lens to blur the eye dialog, and I recommend some helpful nutrients. We also explore the difference between my approach and a disease-based model approach. Enjoy the show. If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com.
Today we are digging into color therapy treatment for your eyes, specifically for cataracts. It's a great tool to use for your eye health! Enjoy the show. If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com.
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
color, therapy, oils, colored glasses, companies, essential oils, aromatherapy, eye, Tuesday, give, buy, therapeutic value, experience, traumas, sprays, topically, adulterated, journaling, terms, carrier oil
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting-edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberene.com. Now to the latest EyeClarity episode.
All right, well, while you might be typing your questions, there have been a number of inquiries about aromatherapy, and color therapy. And we're going to be doing color therapy on Tuesday. And I have developed the way through zoom, that we can do the color therapy online, and you don't need any colored glasses. And my suggestion at this point would be to just wait on buying the colored glasses, we are going to be using all the colors, the main colors of the visible spectrum. And I'm going to teach you how to use color therapy to heal not only cataracts, but the eyes in general, and how color therapy can improve your health.
So you can experience this color therapy treatment at our next session without having to buy the glasses. Now, once you've experienced it, and you understand how we're utilizing the color therapy, then you can decide, okay, I want to get the colored glasses, are there other ways that I can do this color therapy? So I would say if you've got a question about buying the colored glasses, and you're not sure, and you're not sure which colors to buy, and all that, just wait, it's not a problem. And you can use this program that I'm going to send you where you can actually do the color therapy on your computer or your phone. And I'll talk about the pros and cons of using colored glasses color gels versus having the light projected at you, we can do it both ways. And so this particular technique can work really well at improving your eye health.
So let's hold off on getting the color glasses if you're concerned. Now in terms of aromatherapy, not all essential oils are manufactured equally, there are some companies out there that because of the volume of manufacturing of the essential oils, you still get the fragrance but you may not get the same therapeutic vibrational value. It's why you don't necessarily like using companies that do multi-level marketing, and really big companies. Now, that's not to say that Young Living or doTERRA are, are not good oils. They are I actually I there's some central oils I've used in both companies. And I'm just making some suggestions about these more boutique companies where the essential oils are higher vibrationally.
And they definitely have a higher therapeutic value. So I'm going to leave it up to you if you are comfortable with the essential oils you work with. And you'd rather just use those, that's totally fine. You know, I'm not financially invested in where you buy your oils. I'm only looking at the companies that give you the highest quality, they test their oils, they're not adulterated. They're honest.
And they're therapeutically valuable in terms of making the changes. So you know, if you want to get the oils, I recommend you just go to these websites, and you order them. And if you would rather stay with the companies you like, by all means, do that. And let's see if we've got any questions. It's best to do color therapy without contacts. If you have.
04:22
Let's hold on a second. It's let me go through these questions one by one and I'll answer him for him. How do you help the AI that is troubled and needs love? Well,
Another peek into the cataract course I am currently hosting. Here I go over ways to help your eye health and prevent or possibly reverse cataracts in the eye. We talk about eye drops that are beneficial and the importance of reducing oxidative stress build-up. Enjoy the show. If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com.
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
cataracts, glutathione, vitamin c, eyedrops, dmso, MSM, sublingual, eye, give, protocol, increasing, vitamin, drop, iv glutathione, contraindications, boosting, ophthalmology, severe, anti-inflammatory agent, collagen
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting-edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberene.com. Now to the latest EyeClarity episode.
Okay, so this was a research study done in the UK. I actually did a video blog on this and it was one of my highest watched videos because people couldn't believe that the American Academy of ophthalmology, actually was reporting on a study that said that if you increase your vitamin C, you reduce the risk of developing cataracts by 33% 1/3, just by increasing vitamin C. And I have a couple of really good sources of vitamin C so that you would take it systemically and there's also an eyedrop that has vitamin C in it, which is amazing. They would actually come up with an eyedropper that has both glutathione and vitamin C in it.
So I'm going to give you that company in a little bit. And is probably one of the best eye drops out there for reversing cataracts. Alright, I'm going to stop my share now. And let's see if I can go back to full screen. So any questions or comments? Somebody is asking what should the levels of glutathione in the body meaning what range and a blood test? Well, you're looking somewhere between three to 500 milligrams a day of lithium. I mean, if you want to get really aggressive about it, you can do both like, you could do an IV glutathione, although the glutathione doesn't stay in the body quite as long when you're doing an IV glutathione. And in terms of the eye drop, you're getting one to two drops in your eyes three times a day.
So I think a combination of a sublingual glue to tie on and increasing the glutathione that you get from foods is really helpful. Now in terms of vitamin C, the recommended dose is somewhere between one to 2000 milligrams a day. And you can either use a buffered vitamin C or again you can use a sublingual liposomal. And we know that both glutathione and vitamin C are great immune boosters and in the current climate around this virus, boosting vitamin C levels and glutathione levels make really good sense as a proactive preventative way of boosting your overall immune health. Somebody is asking Will you continue to use the cataract eyedrops forever or until cataracts go away?
Once cataracts have gone away, you can discontinue using these eye drops. Usually, I find that this is about a three-month intensive treatment cycle that you go through in being able to reverse the cataract. Can you use the eye drops while you're using contact lenses? The answer to that is yes. However, if you're going to do the eye drops three times a day and if you've got moderate to severe cataracts I would definitely do three times a day and I would do both eyes. It's better to have the contact lenses out because more of the eye drops is going to penetrate into the eye without the contact lens in. Now one of the historical forms somebody had asked their doctor would the doctor prescribe something called dm so
04:02
and dmso is an ingredient that can improve the absorption permeability of anything you put into your eye or into your body. Well, it just so happens that the 5% MSM, which I've created acts like a dmso agent,
One question I get asked all the time is, 'can you reverse cataracts.' The answer is convoluted and isn't the same for everyone, but here is a little bit more about my process and some steps you can take that might actually help prevent and reverse cataracts. Enjoy the show. If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com.
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
cataracts, eye, eat, disease, doctor, more sophisticated techniques, improve, ocular, lens, Harvard medical school, age, regenerate, patients, scientific principles, artificial sweeteners, Edelman, surgical procedure, eye exam, integrative, regenerative
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting-edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberene.com. Now to the latest EyeClarity episode.
So let's talk a little bit about, can you actually really reverse cataracts? You know, I get this question every day on social media. So you can tell from my gray hair. I've been doing this a few years. And when I first started out in practice, my first practice was in the Philadelphia area. That's where I grew up in Pennsylvania. And I affiliated with a holistic eye doctor, in Philadelphia, his name was Dr. Ellis Edelman. And I started working in his practice when I was 28 years old, he was 62 at the time, and I began counseling patients when they would come for an eye exam, and I would see their cataracts.
And I would just offer them some very basic dietary recommendations. You know, like, reduce your sugar, eat more vegetables, have some berries in the summer, stop eating artificial sweeteners and processed foods. And within three months, when I'd had them come back, I find that a high percentage of people had reversed their cataracts. And so I was 2829 30 years old, just getting into practice, way back then, I saw that just by changing your diet a little bit, you could improve your lens health. And of course, today, if we fast forward, I have a lot more sophisticated techniques. So, therefore, my percentage of helping people reverse cataracts is even higher. But when I go into the literature, because I know some people like the science, Harvard Medical School, actually has a specific program called the ocular regenerative Regenerative Medicine Institute.
And they're doing ongoing research on developing methods to regenerate eye tissues from a variety of diseases from glaucoma, macular degeneration, corneal disease, and even ocular cancer. I know most of you found out about cataracts, and you may have been surprised when the doctor told you you had cataracts because you ate pretty well, you had a pretty healthy lifestyle. And then when you ask the question, well, are there any integrative things that one can do to improve lens health, either from a preventative place or proactive place, you're probably met with a pretty terse, know that we're just going to watch the cataract ripen, I like to use that word ripen. And once it right ripens, we will take it out. And it's all because of your age. So I'm going to show you a lot of ways to tap into your regenerative abilities. Now, when I lecture to regular doctors, a lot of times they start laughing when I use the words, eyes, and regeneration in the same sense sentence. But there are some scientific principles that you can't argue with. The first is that you are not destined just by your DNA.
I often say this, that you don't have to live out your genetic destiny. Just because your mom and dad had XYZ disease. That doesn't mean that you're going to get it. I've had 1000s of patients who've told me that their parents, their grandparents, all had cataracts. And yet here they're 75 they're 80 years old. And they don't have cataracts. I can think of a lady right now is 82 years old.
Here is another sneak peek into the cataract classes I am leading. We look at the eye and the lens and get a better understanding of what cataracts are really doing to our lens health. Enjoy the show. If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com.
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
vitamin e, eyes, vitamin, lens, cataracts, castor oil, reduces, eyedrops, improve, called, health, eyelids, nutrients, blood vessel, talk, study, gut health, glutathione, cornea, ocular
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting-edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberene.com. Now to the latest EyeClarity episode.
So this is how your lens should look, there are little ligaments here where my arrows are. And this helps in the curvature of the lens. So the lens gives us our most focusing power and the cornea. The light comes in through the cornea. And so that's one type of lens. And another type of lens is another type is the Sorry about that, this just distracted for a second. Another type of lens is the lens itself, and this is the primary refractive mechanism. And these muscles start to affect the curvature of the lens of the eye, which helps us with focus. Now when we start developing a cataract, usually the nuclear cataract is either in the front or in the center, the cap post capillaries in the back and the cortical is around the edge. But whichever one you have, there is we use a similar approach. And this is what I want to share with you right now.
01:33
So the protocol for reversing cataracts, generally speaking, is a two-prong approach, we use a topical and we use a systemic strategy. And in this particular strategy, there are several things that we're going to recommend. Now, because I've worked with 1000s and 1000s of patients at this point, I have experimented with different eyedrops and different protocols. And at this point, these seem to work the best for people. So topically, we're going to do this I drop regimen, one drop of the 5% wait 10 seconds, and then one drop, and this drop is called Oculus. Oculus. I put it up here in the chat. And you can get it from a company called college pharmacy.com. And this particular ocular man has got glutathione and vitamin C in it. It's got some other great things which I'll talk about. The MSM supports our collagen health, and it's a detoxification agent. And because of its dmso properties, it pushes the ocular med more deeply into the lens because it increases the permeability on a corneal level
03:25
back here now, I also recommend and we'll go into more depth with this. My eye vitamin the asked is anthon a glue to thigh and sublingual, a liposomal vitamin C, these would be the starting points. I'm going to go into a form of vitamin D, castor oil, physical therapy, color therapy and somatic ICT therapy. So we're going to talk about these things. Let's start with the castor oil. So some of you may have used castor oil for other things you know there's castor oil packs, and castor oil is one of my go twos for reducing inflammation in the eyelids, improving the skin health around the eyelids and it also can be used secondarily for cataracts. So there are on the market there are eyedrops out there that are organic hexane free. I've seen Amazon sell them I've seen Walmart sell them believe it or not, as long as are organic castor oil and it doesn't need to be for the eyes. You can get it for the eyes if you want to. What you're going to do with this procedure is in the evening after your contacts are out. before you go to bed, you're going to take one drop of the castor oil after you've washed Your hands and you're going to lightly massage it into the eyelids. And what this is going to do is really moisturize the eyes.
Here is an excerpt from a class I recently led on cataracts. We dig into the different drugs that can lead to cataracts and tips on how to prolong your sight and prevent cataracts. Enjoy the show. If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com.
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
cataracts, lens, drugs, light, glycation, process, eye, proteins, blue, blue blockers, zeaxanthin, pictures, anti-inflammatory agent, acid xanthine, cortical, create, part, protein molecule, oxidative stress, lutein
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting-edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberene.com. Now to the latest EyeClarity episode.
Alright, causes of cataracts drugs. So I did a video blog you can go to that article, but I'm going to give you the bullet points. So these are the drugs that can cause cataracts, steroids, primarily used as an anti-inflammatory agent for things like asthma, arthritis, lupus, we include in the family glucocorticoids corticosteroids, prednisone, a lot of people have been on prednisone, hydrocortisone, cortisone. These are other top drugs, top photosynthesizing, birth controls, antihistamines. sulfa, drugs, tranquilizers, antidepressant depressants, oral and anti-diabetic drugs, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, things like Advil, ibuprofen, Motrin. These can contribute to the oxidative stress we find in cataracts. Okay, let's take a question here.
Do those blue light glasses and apps work for using digital devices? Yes, they do. I think it's a three-prong process. I think it's the blue light blue filter glasses, the ones that I sell. I've researched the blue light industry. And what I decided was putting a blue-blocking filter on the backside of the lens, so it's closest to your eyeball will cut out the most amount of blue light. Now in terms of apps, I am working with a company right now, where I'm going to be probably putting it up on my web store. That is a shield that you can put over your computer or your phone that can add an additional effect of blue blockers. So stay tuned, it's probably going to happen fairly soon. I've been talking with a company for a while. That's going to make it for me. And number three, the supplements lutein, zeaxanthin, and Xanten are very important for macular health and help block the damaging blue light they deflect it, also the ultraviolet light. So my vitamin has those. Again, lutein, zeaxanthin, and astaxanthine are also important for your lens health. So yes, you should start taking those.
Another question is Lyme disease with Bell's Palsy can that cause cataracts? I would say secondarily, but there's usually something going on in the metabolism of your nutrients in the lens in the eye and I'll go into that mechanism in a few minutes. That's creating oxidative stress. And it's the oxidative stress that is creating all these cataract situations. Alright, let's come back here. We've talked about these kinds of drugs. Alright, so the mechanism of cataracts, let's go into this. As I showed you the lens is a transparent tissue. It helps the light pass through the lens to the retina. And the lens is comprised of water, a mix of proteins, and collagen. And cataracts start forming partly because the proteins begin to clump together. And as the proteins consolidate, it causes the lens to go from a white color to a yellow color, and eventually a brown. Now another mechanism with cataracts has to do with something called the glycation process of the lens. This is where a sugar molecule binds to the protein molecule in the lens of the eye and the protein molecules are altered. And there's a clumping together which creates a cataract on the outer edge of the lens and I'll show you what it looks like.
Hey everybody, it's Dr. Sam and I wanted to give you a glimpse into an evaluation I did making recommendations with a seven-year-old, autistic child. Now many of you don't know, but I have specialized in working with children along the autism spectrum. We call it ADD on one end and autism on the other end. And I consult at a facility in Albuquerque called KidPower. You may have heard in some of my other podcasts, where I do trainings with the therapists, and I have extensive education and experience in working with these kids, I love these kids, they're so awesome. And my kind of eye exam is really different than most eye doctors, we spend most of this time on the floor, believe it or not, because I'm really interested in their sensory-motor development. You know, one of my teachers used to say that when a child comes in for an evaluation, you're evaluating the eyes and the vision, but you're really evaluating the total child, the whole child. Enjoy the show. If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com.
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
eye, called, primitive reflexes, reflex, focusing, hands, left, board, knees, legs, brain, crawling, test, glasses, vision, evaluation, pencil, put, child, position
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting-edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberene.com. Now to the latest EyeClarity episode.
Hey everybody, it's Dr. Sam and I wanted to give you a glimpse into an evaluation I did making recommendations with a seven year old, autistic child.
Now many of you don't know, but I have specialize in working with children along the autism spectrum. We call it the add on one end and autism on the other end. And I consult at a facility in Albuquerque called kidpower. You may have heard in some of my other podcasts, where I do trainings with the therapists, and I have extensive education and experience in working with these kids, I love these kids, they're so awesome. And my kind of eye exam is really different than most I doctors, we spend most of this time on the floor, believe it or not, because I'm really interested in their sensory motor development. You know, one of my teachers used to say that when a child comes in for an evaluation, you're evaluating the eyes and the vision, but you're really evaluating the total child, the whole child. And so we're looking at it from a developmental perspective. We're looking at it from a nutritional and biochemistry perspective. And we're looking at it from Well, a lot of different facets beyond reading the eye chart, you know, most eye exams, you read the eye chart, they check you for eye health, they give you a pair of glasses, and you're out the door and unfortunately in the pediatrics world, they put eyedrops in children's eyes and it paralyzes the focusing muscles and then they end up giving these really whacked out prescriptions, which are too strong they're too distorted because when you use eye drops, you are paralyzing the focusing muscles inside the eye. So in this boy, he came in with a very imbalanced prescription one eye was a lot more farsighted than the other in terms of the glasses, and he has a condition where his eyes are diverging so when I stray while the other eye wanders out, and then every once in a while he'll alternate in the wandering eye will come in and fixate. So we call this an alternating exotropia or a divergent strabismus, and he's had two eye muscle surgeries. And whenever you do eye muscle surgeries, you're disconnecting the eyes from the brain, it is one of the worst surgeries you could ever do. And it really has a very low success rate. And it's very eye centric, you know, let's try to fix the, the strabismus by straightening the eyes through cutting the eye muscles ...
In this episode, I work with a patient via telemedicine and we talked about the 15%, MSM, and the two ways you can apply it. Then I talked to her about her prescription. She went to another eye doctor who gave her a really strong prescription. Finally, we talk about the differences in eye exams between just doing it mechanically and doing it in a way where you include the eyes, the brain, and the body. It's a very interesting comparison. Enjoy the show! If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com.
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
eye, MSM, eyelids, lens, warp, eyeball, cataract, doctor, called, massage, give, prescription, readout, drops, eyedrops, lying, treat, wellness, refraction
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting-edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberene.com. Now to the latest EyeClarity episode.
Hey everybody, it's Dr. Sam and in this episode, I give a bird's eye view with a patient we're doing telemedicine and I talked to her about the 15%, MSM and how to use it, there are two ways that you can apply it. And then I talked to her about her prescription that she went to another eye doctor who gave her a really strong prescription with astigmatism. Remember I call astigmatism a warp. And we talk about the differences in the eye exam between just doing it mechanically. or doing it in a way where you include the eyes, the brain, and the body. It's a very interesting comparison. So I hope you enjoy the show. Thanks for tuning in. There are two methods. One is called the high massage. And the second is called the eye bath. So the number one eye massage is done in this particular fashion, you wash your hands, make sure they're really clean, you have the bottle in your hand and you lie down on your back, so that you let gravity do the work in terms of aiming the eye drop in and towards the eye. So you're lying down, you open the bottle cap, and you put a drop or two in the corners of each eyes while the eyes remain closed. And while the eyes are closed, you then spread the drops along the eyelashes and you make spirals. massaging the MSM into the eyelids, both the upper lid and the lower lid. The massage is a very light massage. And when you use a spiral movement, that it's like a vortex, it's like higher energy. So you're putting more energy into the eyelids in that spiral movement. You can even do a humming sound while you do it, that would be the more advanced but that would amplify the MSM penetrating into the eyelids and then eventually into the eyes. And the reason why you're targeting the eyelids is because it's one of the most vulnerable places of the eyes, where we carry inflammation. And if we do carry inflammation in the eyelids, it's the place where the glands that produce the tears that coat the cornea and hydrate all the other eye tissues. And if you're developing something like cataracts, which we'll get to in a few minutes, cataract has to do with a frozen waterfall basically, that's the metaphor, the waterfall is not flowing anymore in the eye in the lens of the eye and the lens is made up of mostly protein material. And just to bring in another thing around the the protein in the lens. Glucose sometimes will bond to the protein molecule in the lens in this creates a very specific kind of cataract. And that's called the glycation process. Now, if that's the case, by doing this MSM massage of the 15%, you're starting to touch into that, that negative bonding of the glucose molecule to the protein molecule in the lens of the eye. Now that's the first method that you can use. The second method is called the eye bath. So in this particular method number two, again, you prepare in the same way you wash your hands, you lie down,
Here is a Facebook Live I did the other day. We talked about how to prevent and improve cataracts, and I got to answer some amazing questions. If you want to learn more about cataracts, be sure to sign up for my class on September 11th, called How to Reduce your Cataracts Naturally. Enjoy the show! If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com.
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
eye, glaucoma, optic nerve, macular degeneration, curcumin, cataract surgery, health, question, cataract, important, prescription, called, milligrams, day, people, heaviness, Facebook, carotenoid,
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting-edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberene.com. Now to the latest EyeClarity episode.
Hey folks, it's Dr. Sam and I want to welcome you to another EyeClarity podcast. Today we are simulcasting with Facebook Live. And so I really hope you enjoy the show. We've got some great q&a. Yeah, so stay tuned. Hey, everybody.
00:29
Welcome to Facebook Live. And I'm happy to be back on the air. So we've got some really good questions tonight. Before I do that, I want to make a special announcement. This is a special one, my upcoming class on how to heal your cataract. That's right, instead of doing cataract surgery, you can take my class and learn how to reverse cataracts and improve lens health. So this is a two-week intensive, it starts on Saturday, September 11. And it runs for two weeks we meet about every other day. So it is intensive, it's a deep immersion. Even if you don't have cataracts, this would be a show that I would recommend. Because in this workshop, you're going to learn how to be proactive with not only your lens health, but your overall eye health and probably your wellness as in addition to that, so if you want to sign up, you can do so through my website, Dr. Sam Berne calm. I also have an announcement on Facebook, and it's in my bio on Instagram. If you have questions about it, you can contact me at hello at Dr. Sam berne.com. So I want to start off the show. And I want to take a question from an active patient of mine. And she writes and says I had the second cataract surgery on the left eye on June 15 of this year. Well, let me give you a little backstory. This is a person who I have when working with envision therapy for many years and helped her finally navigate the surgery maze and she had cataract surgery on her right eye, which was super successful. So you know, sometimes folks, you do need cataract surgery, and there are ways that you can navigate it so that you have a very successful, successful positive outcome. So that's a little backstory. So her right I was already done. It's about her left eye. So she had the surgery, and she went back for an immediate follow-up. And while reading the eye chart, she noticed that something was not there before, not ever. And what she noticed was that when she read the chart with the left eye, that's the eye that she just had the intraocular lens put in, that there was a blank spot. And she found this, of course, very troublesome. And this seemed to happen when she was reading the smaller letters of the eye chart. And basically, the ophthalmologists then did octal on her and found that she is in the beginning signs of macular degeneration. So let's get this straight. She had cataract surgery in the right eye, everything went well. She had cataract surgery in the left eye. And the next follow-up. They diagnosed her with macular degeneration. So, of course, she's very concerned about that. So I want to address that issue. She also said that another issue she has with the left eye is that this is the eye that she had the surgery on that her eye feels heavy since the surgery and it makes her tired.
Today I give you a view into a session I did with some parents. This is a child who has been diagnosed with his right eye being very nearsighted, and his left eye being very farsighted. And he's gone through a lot of learning challenges and developmental delays. I've been working with him for over two years and he's made some incredible changes. So I thought I would give you some insight into how we did that. Enjoy the show! If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com.
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
eye, ball, motor, sighted, walk, vision, left, body, read, develop, memory, piece, prisms, spatial, important, swing, visualization, motoring, world, distance
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting-edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberene.com. Now to the latest EyeClarity episode.
So, you know, if we go back to his like, his exam, that is right, I was nearsighted in his left eye was farsighted. And so if he's actually seeing clearly at the distance with his right eye, that means his near sight in this has reduced. He's not as near Well, according to Dr. Slotnick, she speaks Okay, so he's, we've released some tension in his right eye, because myopia is a lot about tension. And so through vision therapy, his right eye is engaging. Now, what's interesting about the left eye, yeah, that's farsighted, he should be able to see pretty well in the distance. And you'd have more difficulty seeing up close with the left eye. So that's kind of odd. That he can't see things with his left eye. So I'm not sure I'm up close. So his right eyes had historically his right eye is the reading on his left eye is the distance high, just based on nearsighted, farsighted, so the right eye was nearsighted, that's the eye he reads with the left eye is the far-sighted eye, that's the eye, he looks into the distance. So he's gonna have difficulty reading with the left eye, and he's gonna have difficulty looking into the distance with his right eye. So it doesn't quite match up with the fact that his right eye sees really well. So he's got less nearsightedness. But I don't know about the right or the left eye. You know, if I look at one of Dr. slot next earlier prescriptions, it was, even more, this is the prescription with the prism, the right eye was a 2.75 with prism. And the left eye was a plus 5.25. With prism. Well, that was crazy. So then we 350 went from a five to a 350. And, or a 275. To a, oh, he actually went up in his myopia II, and he went down as far-sighted i. So I didn't know we're getting kind of mixed signals there. It'd be interesting to have more of the patch, and read with each eye and see how he does with that. Like patches left eye and give him a book to read. Or give him an iPad. And see if he has to hold the iPad close. Or can he see it is you know, Harmon distance that's knuckled to the elbow? And then can he read with the left eye? You know, really the best eye screenings are to test how a child reads the print up close. That's a better telltale signal than reading a distance chart.
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That's not a very good screening device, honestly. Because a lot of kids have their struggle with reading. And yet that's not tested at all. So a lot of kids fall through the cracks. You know, when they're screened, right, so, and the other thing you can do is when you give him something to read, watch his behaviors. You know, watch how he holds his posture, his body, his neck, his facial expression, you know, is he struggling to see it? Is he able to read it easily? I think those are gonna be really good indicators observationally on how he's going to do with his, his vision, with or without glasses. And if we do prescribe something, it's going to be on the minimal side.
I got a question from a listener who has been diagnosed with narrow-angle, glaucoma and wants to know if it's safe for her to use my MSM eye drops. Quick answer, yes, but listen to find out how to effectively use them. Enjoy the show! If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com.
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
MSM, eyes, angle glaucoma, sulfites, glaucoma, eyelids, narrow, type, sulfa drugs, supportive, lubricating, sulfur, soft cloth, wet, compress, spirals, interfere, perfectly, eyedrops, molecule
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting-edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberene.com. Now to the latest EyeClarity episode.
Hey folks, it's Dr. Sam and I want to welcome you to another AI clarity podcast. We have a very interesting question today and this is from a listener who has been diagnosed with a very serious condition called narrow-angle glaucoma. And she wants to know whether she can use my MSM eyedrops, even though she's got this condition. So a couple of things about narrow-angle glaucoma, it's a very serious type of glaucoma, there's an attempt anatomical impediment inside the eyes, which interferes with the aqueous flow and this can drive the eye pressure up rather quickly. And what's interesting about narrow-angle glaucoma is one of the causes can be using sulfa drugs now not sulfur sulfa drugs and there can be drug allergies from that. Now, what is some examples of sulfa drugs this could be the antibiotics family could be the diuretics family. Now another allergic reaction to narrow-angle glaucoma would be a whole body of what we call sulfites. And these are a group of chemicals. We find them in certain foods, things like vegetable juices, now this is all nonorganic, it could be GMO. So this is not what you find in your natural Co-Op. But these foods might contain the type of sulfites that we do have sauerkraut, olives, pickles, jams, grape juice, so this would be like if you go into the mainstream grocery store, you have a lot of these sulfites in these products. These can create an allergy and also trigger narrow-angle glaucoma. Now soft on the other side of the spectrum is a very important trace mineral that's found in the body and no one is allergic to sulfur by itself. In fact, some of the benefits of sulfur compounds You know, there's been research done on glucosamine sulfate, which is a type of sulfur molecule. And for MSM, MSM is inorganic, my MSM is an organic sulfur molecule, which at the very least is lubricating, moisturizing brightening. Now, when you take systemic MSM, it can actually boost collagen health, it's anti-inflammatory, it's very supportive for our joints. And so, bottom line is that MSM is perfectly safe to use if you have narrow-angle glaucoma. Now one of the ways I would begin introducing it would be to wet a soft cloth, take a couple of drops of the 5% only so we'd only use the 5% MSM, I wouldn't move to the 15% MSM, I put a couple of drops on a soft cloth, wet it, put it over your eyes with your eyes closed and lay down for five minutes with the compress. After you're done. Take it off, and notice how your eyes feel, and watch the reaction of your eyes for the next hour. See how you're doing. If that works, then you can actually do that compress twice a day we putting a few drops of the MSM on the washcloth, the wet washcloth over the eyes over the eyelids. So you're titrating the MSM into the eyes very gently. Now if you're taking glaucoma medication, I would wait 15 minutes before you do this type of treatment with MSM and you'll be perfectly fine there's not going to be any interference in the glaucoma medications. Now, if you pass that test after a few weeks, the other way that I would instill the MSM into your eyes wou...
In today's episode, I'm answering a great question from a listener. She has an eye issue that she's been managing since April, She's been diagnosed with a condition called Episcleritis and has iritis corneal abrasion and she wants to know what to do. So we're gonna jump into that. Enjoy the show! If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com.
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
eye, cornea, eyelids, health, eyedrops, sclera, inflammatory disease, autoimmune, part, disease, moisturize, reducing, MSM, massage, connective tissue, compresses, improve, talk, called, refrigerator
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting-edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberene.com. Now to the latest EyeClarity episode.
Hey everybody, it's Dr. Sam and I want to welcome you to an AI clarity podcast. Yes, we are taking questions and I have a great question today. This is from Heather. And she writes, I've had an eye issue since April. I've been to several AI specialists. I finally got a diagnosis this week from an ophthalmologist. He said I have a large abrasion on my cornea. But I also have a condition called epi sclerosis. And also I write us. I did some googling, and they say it's an inflammatory disorder. There are also perhaps some autoimmune influences. Can you give me some help? So the sclera is the part of the eye it's the white part of the eye that is made up of mostly connective tissue, amino acids, proteins, and water, and it's the protective part of the eye, you can look into the mirror, and you can see the white part of the eye that's called the sclera. It's a very strong connective tissue, it's got a lot of blood vessels running through it. And if you are suffering from an inflammation of the sclera Yes, there could be some secondary inflammatory disease going on in the body, and also possibly some autoimmune issues. The second thing you have is called eye righteous. And now the iris is the part of the eye that's the color part, you know, where you look into the mirror and you go in my eyes blue or they Brown. It's the muscle part of the eye that regulates the pupil, the pupils, the gatekeeper, which allows the light in and out of the eye. And when you have a rightist, it's a very serious inflammatory disease, it can be painful, blurry vision, also that with Episcleritis it can be painful. And if you then have a corneal abrasion, you need to be careful that you're not exposed to either bacterial viral infections, so that's a good thing to check out. You know, the cornea is the clear window of the eye needs a lot of hydration. When you scratch your cornea, you are irritating. The nerve endings love the nerve endings on the cornea. So when you blink, because like you've got gritty, Sandy in your eyes, and basically what you're doing is every time the lid rubs on the cornea, you're irritating the nerve endings. Now, some of the systemic reasons why you might develop either sclerites epi sclerosis or I write us would be suffering conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, Crohn's disease. And the classic way of treating these eye inflammatory diseases would be corticosteroid eyedrops, artificial eyedrops nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen, Advil, or Motrin, and then maybe doing some things in the autoimmune area, whether you take medications, again, you know, in the conventional model, there isn't a whole lot they can help, you're more really managing symptoms. So I want to give you first of all some things that you can do to maybe get out of this situation from an integrative holistic perspective. And then maybe talk briefly about what you can think about from an immune system and inflammatory situation that may be going on in your body.
In this session, I help a person with chronic eye spasms in both eyes. She also has dry eye. I offer many suggestions, and there is a big change within the session time. Enjoy the show! If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com.
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
eyes, eyelids, part, trauma, sympathetic nervous system, exercise, spasm, called, worked, fingers, state, glasses, irritation, gut, absorbed, blur, put, homeopathic, lens, castor oil
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting-edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberene.com. Now to the latest EyeClarity episode.
So just a couple of notes. When you're blinking, when that comes in, and you're doing all that blinking in your nervous system, there's a part of the nervous system we call the active state, which is the technical term is called the sympathetic nervous system, that's when you're awake, you're working you're doing. And then when you close your eyes, that is called the resting state or the parasympathetic nervous system. So there needs to be a balance. Another way to say that would be in Chinese medicine, there's the young y and G, which is the more active state and the Yin, which is more the relaxation state. And so generally speaking, your sympathetic nervous system is really working hard, you know, there's this blinking going on, and it partly is reflexive, is partly probably habit. It's partly, probably, I don't know what the fuck to do.
So I'm just gonna do something. And you're kind of stuck in the sympathetic state unless you do something really radical, like closing your eyes. Or Botox, which is kind of like a paralysis to like, cut the channel for a while. And so the sympathetic nervous system is really turned on at a high level. Now, some interpretations of the sympathetic nervous system would be somebody that's in a fight or flight, state would probably add, freeze, do that fight flight freeze, like, Oh, my God, this is like, really, I'm in a, almost like a trauma state. It's like this is high alert. And there's no blame, there's no judgment on my part, I'm just kind of looking at your system and going, Man, that's really odd. They that you're sitting, your eyes are choosing this spasming, which you don't like anyway, it's very annoying, but it's your kind of your, your default. And you have to do something really strong, to begin to interrupt it. And even when you interrupt it, really, you gotta like Close your eyes.
And so why, why are you in this? What are the causes that are creating this scenario, in your vision, which is a connector to your whole body, because it's not just happening in the eyes, we're just seeing it in the eyes. But there is something in your nervous system, that saying I need to do this. And so here are some of the causes. I'm not saying they're your causes. I'm just saying there's some of the causes. One cause is that there is an eyelid irritation, and inflammation that is interfering with the normal function of the eyelids, which is to comfortably protect your eyes from the outside world from going, you know, like wow, there's so much out there. Another function of the eyelids is that it's made your major lymphatic system of the eyes, part of your immune system, part of where the glands are housed, that produce the tears that cover the cornea and lubricate and moisturize your eyes. Now, if there's any dryness in the eyes, at some point, that is due to the eyelids not being able to produce the proper tears, either due to irritation, inflammation, something going on in an imbalance in the eyelid area,
04:13
if we just kind of focus topically on the eyeball and the eyelids. And when when we have a heightened sympathetic nervous system.
Today I'm going to take a question from a patient who is dealing with farsightedness, astigmatism, and wearing progressive lenses. And she asked the question about her new progressive lens prescription. Enjoy the show! If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com.
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
astigmatism, progressive lenses, prescription, lens, eye, farsightedness, progressive, wear, glasses, vision, computer, remember, warping, drive, moving, screen, chose, intermittently, hear
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting-edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberene.com. Now to the latest EyeClarity episode.
Hey folks, it's Dr. Sam and I want to welcome you to another EyeClarity podcast. Today I'm going to take a question from a patient who is dealing with farsightedness, astigmatism, and wearing progressive lenses. And she asked the question about her new progressive lens prescription. And you'll hear my response. Hey Leanna, I wanted to respond concerning your new prescription and what you're experiencing. So there's three aspects to the new progressive lens prescription that I want to report on. Number one, in this new prescription, it is very different than your old progressive lenses. First of all, the lenses are balanced so that each eye has the same prescription. And this is revolutionary for you. Because you're all prescription had very different prescriptions in your right eye and left eye. And whenever you wear a different prescription in each eye, what it does is it actually reinforces that difference. So by getting the lenses to be the same, it's a vision exercise to encourage both of your eyes to collaborate better, and that's what we're aiming to do. So it's moving you in a direction of integration.
The second aspect of the progressive lens prescription is that I completely took out the astigmatism correction. So when a person wears in the stigmatism prescription for a long period of time, what it does is it creates it creates a warping in their visual perception. And so when you take the astigmatism out, it can be really weird because the warp is gone, but it's what you've been used to. So you go wow, this is like is it more magnified? Is it what's going on here. So it's introducing a way for you to reduce the warping in your eyes, in your mind, in your brain and in your body. Now, that's going to be a process of unwinding. It's not like an instantaneous. W
ow, I don't have the astigmatism, I really get it. Now we did introduce the computer prescription remember, that was the single vision prescription, and that had no astigmatism in it. And in my notes, it looked as though you really liked it that there was no problem in adjusting to it. But with the progressive lenses, that's a whole other animal because remembering the progressive lens, it's splitting your vision into three different levels, and it's cutting out I would say 70 to 80% of your peripheral vision. So the non astigmatism progressive lenses, I could see where that might be an adjustment for you. Okay, now, here's number three. When I created the new prescription, one of the things you wanted was some help in the distance with your farsightedness. So I gave you that. And then the middle part of the lens is the same exact prescription as your current computer glasses that you chose. And remember, you went to the drugstore, and you tried on different magnifiers and you chose the plus two. And that's what I put into the center of the lens. Now below that is the reading prescription, which is about plus 2.50.
And it's really dangerous. I'm saying dangerous. If you plan on using these new progressive lenses for your digital time, I know that most people love using their progressive len...
We have a very interesting question today. And I've been getting this a lot. So this is from a gentleman who is suffering, what we call mano vision. Now, there are different kinds of monovision. You know, if you go get LASIK surgery or cataract surgery, and the surgeon fixes one eye for distance and the other eye for near, that's surgical intervention. But this gentleman and I get other questions like this has organic or inherent monovision, which means there wasn't any surgery, it's just the right eye has become nearsighted and the left eye becomes farsighted. Enjoy the show! If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com.
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
eye, exercises, nearsighted, nearsighted, farsighted, work, glasses, left, lens, brain, images, prescription, reduced, separately, distance, vision, movement, bilateral, lasik surgery, call
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting-edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberene.com. Now to the latest EyeClarity episode.
Hey everybody, its Dr. Sam, and I'd like to welcome you to another AI clarity podcast. We have a very interesting question today. And I've been getting this a lot. So this is from a gentleman who is suffering, what we call mano vision. Now, there are different kinds of monovision. You know, if you go get LASIK surgery or cataract surgery, and the surgeon fixes one eye for distance and the other eye for near, that's a surgical intervention. But this gentleman and I get other questions like this has an organic or an inherent monovision, which means there there wasn't any surgery, it's just the right eye has become nearsighted and the left eye is become farsighted. So let's break this down for you. Because definitely you can improve the condition. So the first principle I teach from is that any eye problem has its roots in the brain, and even in the body in terms of our movement and posture and, and moving through space. So let's say for example, let's say the right eye is near sighted, what this means is that the person can see well, up close, that's the reading eye. So think right eye reading I and then left eye, which is far sighted, left eye distance eye. So when a person is trying to read basically, the right eye is doing all the work. And when the left eye is looking into the distance, the left eye is doing all the work. And, you know, to try to correct with lenses is difficult. I mean, with glasses, it's nearly impossible, you can kind of do it. But because of the optics of the lens in the glasses, usually doesn't work very well, because the key word is fusion getting the two eyes to meet in the middle. And when you're in glasses, that just doesn't happen. Now with contact lenses, that's another story because of the reduced distortion in a contact lens, you can actually wear one lens for nearsighted. And one lens for farsighted and eye doctors do this to, you know, eliminate the need for reading glasses, or maybe just reduce the need, but it actually splits the brain. So when we're dealing with monovision, that the thing we have to know is that we want to try to move in the direction of collaboration, where both eyes can start working together, at least somewhere in the middle, you know, it's kind of like the husband and the wife are really fighting and there needs to be kind of a re remediation, you know, in Chinese medicine, the right eyes, the father in the left eyes of the mother, in terms of the awareness and consciousness of each eye. So the The goal is to try to bring the eyes in a collaborative way together. So here are three ways that you can do that. Number one, in my physical therapy program, I have a lot of exercises where you're working each eye separately, like the animal I chart,
I've been getting a lot of questions about the benefits of fasting lately, so that's what we're going to talk about today. We cover the benefits of fasting, how it works, and who should do it. You might be surprised to know that it can provide more benefits than just weight loss. Enjoy the show! If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com.
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
fasting, eyesight, ketones, eat, fast, called, alternate, reduce, liver, eye, doctor, process, medication, health, replenish, heavy machinery, studies, diabetes, benefits, improve
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting-edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberene.com. Now to the latest EyeClarity episode.
Hey, folks, it's Dr. Sam. And I'd like to welcome you to another EyeClarity podcast. So in today's show, I've been receiving a number of questions on the relationship of fasting, and improving your eyesight. So fasting is something that people do, primarily as a way to lose weight, that's usually the primary goal. But one of the aspects of fasting that I really like, is how it can show you your eating habits. And when you start a fasting process, you're eating fewer calories, and this will definitely help you lose weight. But it also has a very positive effect on many of your internal glands and organs, and specifically, the liver. And in studying Chinese medicine, I realized very early that if you have a healthy liver, you're going to have better eyesight, less floaters, less deterioration in your eyesight when you go to the eye doctor. So they're not going to keep increasing your prescription every year, reducing the risk of other eye conditions like cataracts, and glaucoma, or macular degeneration. So, fasting is definitely a procedure that has gained popular popularity, because it's a way that you can take more responsibility for your health and wellness, without using pharmaceutical drugs, and or surgery. So I'm gonna do a
02:03
caveat here, which is that a before before you do any kind of fasting process, I want you to go to your doctor, and make sure that he or she gives you the go ahead to do the fasting. So this particular information that I'm sharing is for educational purposes only. And it's not a substitute for your medical care. In fact, certain people shouldn't be fasting, you know, if you're pregnant, if you have diabetes, or high blood pressure, or neurological conditions, or you're just on medications, so you want to make sure that your doctor gives you the clearance. But I'm going to give you a couple of common ways that you can enter the process. And these are just examples. There are many ways to the top of the mountain, that's a saying I use in terms of different procedures and processes. So let's look at four ways that you could fast. The first is time restricted, which means that you eat for a limited number of hours and you fast for the rest of the day. And a common window of eating is between six and eight hours, probably the best known as 16 eight, where you eat for eight hours, and you fast for 16 hours. And this is a pretty safe process in entering the fasting procedure. So that would be the first option. The second option is called the alternate day plan. And as it says, You eat every other day because this means different days, week to week, you are fasting so like one option would be to follow it Monday through Saturday and take a break on Sunday. So the alternate day fasting would be number two. Number three is called the five colon two. And it's similar to the alternate day, but instead, you pick two fasting days during the week. So let's say Monday and Thursday. And or you could do two days in a row, whatever you know, works for you.
Today I'm answering listener questions. Jonathan sent me this question recently:
"I was diagnosed with inherited AMBB (Anterior Basement Membrane Dystrophy) and dry eye. I know what to do to try to treat the dry eye and general inflammation, but I was interested in any alternative approaches to AMBB, especially any opinions about what may cause it other than “genetics”. My doctor is having me do Muro and Xiidra and outlined a series of progressive treatments. I wonder if serious fasting to trigger autophagy might help rebuild the cornea instead of a resurfacing procedure if it comes to that. I am also using Avenova or equivalent and various dry eye drops, as well as hot compresses and omega-3s. But I think my main problem is air conditioning, dry climate, and excessive screen time for work and entertainment. What do you recommend?”
So let's dive in. Enjoy the show! If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com and if you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberene.com.
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
cornea, corneal, eye, eyelids, inflammation, MSM, health, dystrophy, eyedrops, collagen, tears, diagnosed, systemic, dry, natural, lymphatic, support, helpful, imbalance
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting-edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberene.com. Now to the latest EyeClarity episode.
Hey folks, it's Dr. Sam and I want to welcome you to another AI clarity podcast. Today we have a very interesting question from a gentleman, and it has to do with his cornea. But before we get to that, I want to announce my upcoming course on how to reverse cataract. This is an opportunity for you if you've been diagnosed with cataracts, to learn holistic methods to improve lens health, and possibly avoid surgery. I'll be offering some of my techniques that I've developed over three decades, things like physical life therapy, nutrition tips, energy, medicine, and many other things. So if you would like to sign up, go to my website, Dr. Sam Berne calm. I'm also on Facebook and Instagram, or you can send me an email Hello at Dr. Sam berne.com. So I'm going to take this question today from Jonathan. And he says that he has he has been diagnosed with an inherited, it's called anterior basement membrane dystrophy. And he's also been diagnosed with dry eye. And he says in his email to me, I know what to do to try to treat the dry eye in general inflammation. But I was interested in any alternate approaches to this corneal dystrophy which he calls a MBB. And he wants to know if it's caused by genetics, or are there other reasons why we might develop corneal dystrophies right now he's using muro, eyedrops and xiidra. eyedrops, and he's not really getting much of a change. He's also using avid Nova which probably helps reduce the dry eye. He's also using hot compresses and omega threes. He says his main problem is air conditioning, dry climate and excessive screen time for work and entertainment. Alright, Jonathan, fasten your seat belts. So first of all, when we talk about this particular condition called interior basement membrane dystrophy. This is also can be known as map dot fingerprint, corneal dystrophy Coogan's microcystic dystrophy. And it is an inherited disorder that affects the corneal surface and it can create a erosions blurred vision distorted vision. And what happens with these certain corneal erosions is they tend to reoccur, especially when you wake up in the morning, you know, the driest part of your eyes usually occur between when you go to bed at night and when you wake up in the morning, and it is probably the most common corneal dystrophy. You know, I've read studies were two to 3% of the entire population has been diagnosed with this corneal dys...
In this episode, I had the pleasure of interviewing best-selling author, Dr. Lynn F. Hellerstein. We talked about her new book: Expand Your Vision: How to Gain Clarity, Courage, and Confidence.
Dr. Hellerstein is a pioneer in vision therapy and author of the award-winning book, See It. Say It. Do It!: The Parent's & Teacher's Action Guide to Creating Successful Students & Confident Kids (HiClear Publishing, LLC, 2010), has utilized vision therapy with children and adults with learning-related vision problems, vision perception deficits, or brain injuries, as well as enhancing visual performance for athletes. She has inspired thousands of people to improve their vision and enhance their lives. An international speaker, Dr. Hellerstein has published extensively on vision-related topics and is a faculty member at several optometry schools. She serves as a consultant to schools and rehabilitation facilities.A Fellow of the College of Optometrists in Vision Development (COVD) and American Academy of Optometry, Dr. Hellerstein is Past-President of COVD.She is a co-owner of Hellerstein and Brenner Vision Center, P.C., a full-scope optometry practice in the Denver, Colorado area.
Her books are available on Amazon!
Her contact information is: DrH@LynnHellerstein.comhttps://www.lynnhellerstein.com
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
vision, visualization, learning, field, optometrist, people, burnout, therapy, patients, visual, optometry, book, brain injury, called, reading, life, problems, doctor, school
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting-edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberene.com. Now to the latest EyeClarity episode.
Hey folks, it's Dr. Sam and I'd like to welcome you to another EyeClarity podcast. So we have a very interesting guest today one of my colleagues, I haven't talked to her in quite a while her name is Dr. Lynn F Hellerstein and let me give you a little background about her. She is a pioneer in the field of vision therapy. And she's an award winning author. She's written several books, and she has a new book out. I want to talk about that. And the book is entitled, expand your vision, how to gain clarity, courage and confidence. So, Dr. Hellerstein is really an amazing optometrist she is. Well, she's a leader in the field of behavioral optometry, developmental optometry, and I certainly have had a great deal of respect. Watching her over the years in her career. She has utilized vision therapy for both children and adults with learning related vision problems, brain injuries, as well as helping athletes enhance their performance. At this point, she is helped 1000s of people improve their vision and enhance their lives. She's an international best seller. And I'm so excited to have her on Dr. Hellerstein. Welcome to the program. How are you doing today?
01:44
I'm doing great, Sam. It's so great to be with you. It has been ages since we've actually talked. So it's it's delightful. And I appreciate the invite.
01:54
Yeah, I want to introduce my community to you. They're so hungry for another approach. And I care. I mean, I feel like I'm a voice out there, especially in social media, where, you know, it's great to be able to bring on other holistic optometrists and have them speak about their perspectives. So let's start with this. How did you get into the field? What What was your What was your starting point?
02:23
Sure. Well, my dad was an optometrist. And actually, my grandfather was an optometrist in the early days where jewelers double up and took a night course and learn how to prescribe glasses. And so, so I'm really a third generation apologist and my family, also the third woman in the state of Colorado, to be an optometrist. So, you know,
In today's episode, we look at what foods and exercises can help you reduce your myopia and improve your eye health. Enjoy the show! If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com.
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
eye, called, retina, supplement, foods, glutathione, vitamin, bilberry, myopia, blur, magnification, sublingual, prescription, health, glasses, ocular, lens, cataracts, body, nutrients
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting-edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberene.com. Now to the latest EyeClarity episode.
In terms of the supplementation that you're taking the, the things that you want to make sure you're doing really come down to about four ingredients. The first would be a form of vitamin A. And again, this you can get an A, you know, any kind of an high vitamin nutrient, vitamin A, vitamin E. Vitamin E that is very let's just say simpatico with the retinal vessels. There have been studies that show how the Toka Trina which is the new form of vitamin E, actually is very beneficial to improve retinal health. And they've done studies with glaucoma. They've done studies with macular degeneration. And the bottom line is, is that taking a supplement that has a token tree nalt tocotrienol formulation in it. And one of the ones that I recommend is a company called designs for health. And they put out a very high quality took a train all the time, very good for the eyes. And what I like to do is I like to rotate my eye nutrients in either supplementation, and or foods, and I could run through the list with you have you know, we know we know things like the the lutein and zeaxanthin and the Astra Xanthan are really important, karate noids those are super critical for protecting your macular health. But they also have been shown to help your lens health. And I think that you're getting those so you know, that's not something we need to spend a lot of time on. But the dosage looks good. The you know, the variety looks good. So I think I think you're covered there. Do you have any questions about either the sources of vitamin A, or the lutein zeaxanthin harasses anthon?
03:12
My main question is, are you referring to using eyedrops for the eye to get the vitamin A and the other supplements are you referring to taking capsules?
03:24
I'm referring I'm referring to taking capsules. I think that when you when you put it in the eye, you're not getting near enough of the of the supplement that you need. However, however, I'm going to add a couple of things that would actually help reverse your cataracts. And it's an eye drop. And the eye drop is called ocular med and it's spelled OCLU m Ed. And it has two very powerful antioxidants. One is called glutathione and the other is vitamin C and to be able to put those into your eyes directly is really awesome. Great. And so I would use the ocular med for three months. And actually the best way to put the ocular mat into your eyes would be to use the 5% MSM drops first and the MSM prepares your eye to absorb the ocular med better. So it pushes the ocular med more deeply into the lens of the eye. Okay, and you have your Give me the dosage is for both? Yes. So the dosage for both is one drop of each drop three times a day. So one drop of MSM, wait 10 seconds, one drop of ocular mid morning. Repeat that midday repeated again. before bed.
05:44
Okay. And then Should I eventually increase the MSM from 5% to a higher percentage?
05:52
Not for cataracts. This is a good it's a good sweet spot for the cataract. Okay, okay, so you'll just stay with the 5%. You now you get the ocular med from a pharmacy in Colorado. And the name of the pharmacy is called college pharmacy.com. I remember during one of your classes,
In this podcast, I give a person the same power of lens in each eye without the astigmatism correction. This is done as a vision exercise. I also discuss some of the causes of farsightedness, how to get the most out of your physical eye therapy, and what are some tips to improve your vision! Enjoy the show! If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com.
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
eye, contacts, vision, energy, reflexes, prescription, left, minutes, called, glasses, cranial, create, stay, warp, feel, contact lenses, clearer, titrating, recoil, healing
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting-edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberene.com. Now to the latest EyeClarity episode.
You can get out of this, this hole, because you're basically in a hole. What I would love for you to be able to do in your process would be to go, Well, what is the mirror here? What am I learning about my habits, and, you know, my mental makeup around this new experience. And I certainly hope you weren't trying to drive or write a book with these contact lenses, because that would be a big mistake, not at all. So, you know, like, you go for therapy and the therapist, you start talking, or maybe it's even the cranial, but maybe not so much. And part of it is getting out of your comfort zone. You know, and yes, things are really different. But it's supposed to be moving you in a direction of much more open an open system, maybe we should talk about that for a minute. So I care is based I care is basically a closed system. And what is a closed system, a closed system means I do the same thing. Every day, I get up, I have my coffee, you know, I have my whatever for breakfast, my donut, I go to the office I come on. And so there's very little movement away from the status quo, you basically, that's why we call it a closed system. And closed systems create amazing deterioration. Amazing. It's just like, wow, over and over and over again. And with the contacts, what I was trying to do with you, is instill an idea of something called an open system, which means we need to take your vision really, really far from your status quo. And you got to be open to doing that. I mean, you, you know, it can't be well, I did it was so weird. It was so surreal. I did a few times, and I stopped. Why would you failed in that process was? What did I want? What is it bringing up for me? What am I learning from it? And can I stay the course. Now? Well, let me finish. The thing is, is that in order for you to really shift out of this? Yeah, it's, it's, it's definitely going to take us staying the course. So what I'm saying is, you need to bring your vision into an open system, because what drusen loves, is for you to do the same thing over and over again. And unfortunately, taking the fanciest Tommy out, but the fanciest vitamins I'm taking more vitamins is not going to cut it for you. And the reason why it's not going to cut it, because you're still not getting to the causes of what what has caused this to begin with. And so the the supplements, the diets though, homeopathy that all the things you're doing on a cellular level, unless you shift really deeply, you're not going to really be able to absorb what those fantastic antioxidants are giving you. And this is a big point here. You know whether it's a make or break point for you, because what you've done in your eyes is you've done two things. you've pushed the world away and you warped it, pushing it away as farsightedness and warping, warping it is your astigmatism. Perfect, perfect. And what's really cool about it, is you've done it about 20 times more in the right eye than the left eye. At least according to your prescription. Maybe not maybe I'm sorry,
Today we are coving Strabismus. Enjoy the show! If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com.
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
eyes, midline, adaptive response, tapes, left, turning, divergence, child, glasses, alternating, internalize, working, activities, eyepatch, internalization, part, fixating, paralysis, straight, lens
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting-edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberene.com. Now to the latest EyeClarity episode.
Hey everyone in this podcast, I talk about strabismus, that means the two eyes are working together. And this therapist presented a case to me where the child has one eye that straight and one either wanders out, and there's an alternating situation. And she said that a doctor recommended that the child get some dimestore glasses, some magnification glasses, and put some scotch tape on the outside part of both sides of the glasses, the right lens and the left lens, and you'll hear my response.
And what I recommend in terms of helping anybody who's got the two eyes not working together. The question is the eyes or one or both eyes are turning out we call that either alternating exotropia or just exotropia is that it's an over divergence, it's like, not able to converge. So if you're using dollar store glasses, and you're trying to tape, the person is going to have no reference point on why you're doing that. There's no learning, there's no reason why Why are you doing that to me. And so they're probably going to just do more of it, or they're going to find another compensating adaptive response.
It starts ultimately I feel with developing more of the midline. So and I would even take it to more of the Moro reflex, that midline development is really the key in the eyes feeling safe enough to coming in. So you know, whenever there's strabismus, we start off and we do some of the activities just during the activity if we can include one of the eyes. So we give each I chance, whether it's the marzen ball, the ball bounce, I mean almost anything, even vestibular driven activities with the eyepatch. So in other words, we want to allow each eye to grow in their processing. And then the reflex work.
So again, this is where what I'm learning about the fear paralysis reflex, that maybe that's the place to start, because the I'm turning away from life. So the metaphor is the left eyes The mother eye, the right eyes, the father I which I am I fixating more with Is it the right or the left it you know, she usually uses the right one the left. Okay, so so the left is the mother, I'm turning away from the Mother, I'm turning away from my creativity. And I'm looking more with my father I masculine. So you can kind of I was joking with one of my 86 year old patients the other day, and I said I can look at the child's eyes. And I can pretty much tell what the parents relationship is. It's in the child's eyes in their reactions and how they're aiming their eyes. Because what children do is we internalize the primary relationship. But we don't know what to do with that internalization. And a lot of times we internalize it through the eyeballs. And so when they start doing some output things, you see the reflection of what they're living in.
So I think that this divergence situation, I don't think, if anything, what I feel works better with the divergence is putting the tapes on the inside part. Now you might say, Well, that makes no more than it brings the midline awareness. And it really, what's what needs to happen in strabismus is that there's an inability to understand your middle, whether it's your visual metal, your body, metal or both. And by putting the tapes in the middle, you are disrupting the habit of one is straigh...
In this episode, we jump into how various eye massages can help a myriad of eye problems. Enjoy the show! If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com.
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
astigmatism, eyes, vitreous, macula, vestibular system, pucker, ophthalmologists, prescription, macular, lens, vision, doctor, collagen, massage, dizziness, people, patients, eyelids, peripheral vision, disorientation
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting-edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberene.com. Now to the latest EyeClarity episode.
So I don't know whether you know this, but whenever you wear a progressive lens, it the only part of the lens that's usable is a tiny thread down the middle of the lens. And the lens is designed so that your sweet spot is right in the middle of the lens and everything else is either distorted or blurry. So what that is doing to your eyeballs is that it's forcing your vision into you having to only use your maquilas to see.
So I want you to get the gravity of that for a minute that you are using an optical system that is creating more stress into areas that are weak for you. The first is the macula. And the second is when you don't use your peripheral vision, your inner ear stops working Yeah. Oh my god. Okay, so well, this is great, because, you know, there's lots of solutions here. And I probably have 100 things I can give you today. But these two things are simple, and they could be a game changer for you. So here's what I'm going to suggest that we can talk kind of theoretically for a minute. And then I can follow it up with practical, practical solutions. So theoretically, what it is, is that the distance or the the circumstance, where you feel like you're using your eyes, the most might be the first place for you to get a prescription that is a single vision prescription. Now, that could be so like, just, for example, for driving, the only part of the lens that usable for driving is probably the top fourth of the lens.
So you're basically having to cram all of your vision through that top part when you're driving. Or if you're on a computer or you're playing the piano, there's only a small part of the middle lens that you're able to use. And again, it's the maquilas that are getting stressed, because that's the only part of the retina you're able to access with that tiny window. Now with the reading, it's the same you're reading, it's the same thing if you're reading a book, or something like that. And, you know, I doctors think that, well if we increase the prescription, that could help but actually when you start increasing the prescription, you're tightening your eyes even more. And in astigmatism. astigmatism means the eye is shaped more like an egg. And it creates a warp in your vision. And if anything, you want to pull back from the astigmatism correction, because that actually could reduce some of the warp and distortion that your macula is are trying to look through. So here's an interesting experiment that you could do without the astigmatism, and it won't cost you a lot.
And what it is, is this when I look at your your distance prescription, you have a little bit of nearsightedness hardly at all. And then you've got some astigmatism in each eye more in the left than the right. And then you've got your your magnifying part in the in the bifocal. What if just for the heck of it, you went into the drugstore, I mean, my suggestion would be to get a plus 2.00 with no astigmatism, and see how you read with it. You know, you could take your reading material in with you. At the same time when you go there, maybe take some music
04:48
and put on a weaker prescription may be a plus 1.25 or a plus 1.5.
In this episode, we continue talking about the importance of resting and stillness as part of any procedural process. Enjoy the show! If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com.
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
stillness, space, body, happening, session, vestibular stimulation, therapeutic, sensation, imprint, talk, interventions, stimulate, settle, birth trauma, healing, process, shoulds, cranial, technique, structure
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting-edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberene.com. Now to the latest EyeClarity episode.
Hey everybody, its Dr. Sam. And in this podcast, I talk about the importance of stillness is stillness overrated, or it's underrated? Well, I think in a therapeutic setting, stillness is super important in the overall healing quotient that people can gain when we give them the space to relax, to soften, to rest and settle. You know, when I do a session with somebody, and we do a lot of stimulating things, I always build in at the end of the session, some time for them to have some stillness, and I hold the space for them, I'm tracking their nervous system to make sure that everything is okay. But most of the time, when they spend time in stillness, it is a game changer in the therapeutic process.
So here's a short presentation on why I like stillness, something that I've learned about the stillness, that I teach people how to listen to their bodies responsiveness, and follow that, instead of overriding it with the shoulds, oh, I shouldn't really go there, I shouldn't really do that. And yet, within a structure, so I have to be careful that they just don't go off. But within that structure, can they follow, there's bought their bodies impulse, and it's in mostly in the area of sensation.
I don't necessarily support the emotional part, if it's a new kind of emotion, maybe, but I don't want them to, to re stimulate the trauma. So it's more of the sensation. And you know, it's not so much for me, this is my opinion, it's not so much about the trauma, but it's what we do afterwards. It's like, okay, we have had a birth trauma. But then what's there for us after to, you know, integrated process it? And part of the PTSD that goes on going? is there's nothing, there's no support around? Well, what do I do with this? What do I do with his imprint? And when they go in the stillness, there is the opportunity for those imprints to surface in a safe way.
And then that's where alumni come in and do some cranial, or, you know, some of the other techniques you're talking about. But it's like, it's a call and response. And the call would be the vestibular stimulation, okay, now, what's the response, and let the body have its release, unwinding, one of the things that I get frustrated with in the rehab model is that there's no space for the integration or metabolism and metabolism. And so I've learned that if I can hold the space of stillness, and allow the body, the nervous system, the fluid body to express that it will resolve on its own, but it's outside of my own time, space, you know, expectation, and sometimes the session continues after the formal time it's over. And I knew that was going to happen with with Caitlin, that the session would go on. And this is my prediction, I didn't want to say it out loud.
But then all of these things would start happening. And I did it because I got out of the way, because I could have stopped it and, you know, try these interventions or whatever. So and I think the more you know, the more you can trust it. And the more secure you are in yourself, then you can hold that space. And then if you see something like oh, again, I bring back that boy that I spoke about a few minutes ago.
Today we are chatting with Kim Konte.
She is the founder of the national non-profit Non-Toxic Neighborhoods (NTN) and a Director of Jane Goodall’s youth service program, and former City of Irvine Community Services Commissioner.
In November 2015, Kim helped launch a campaign to raise awareness to protect her children and other Irvine, CA residents. On 11/23/2016 the City of Irvine adopted a historic organic and regenerative land management policy. Since then the City of Irvine has successfully and organically maintained all pest pressure from weeds to rodents, on more than 570 acres of community and neighborhood parks, athletic fields; over 6,000 acres of open space, over 800 acres of public right-of-way, including street medians and parkways; 70,000 trees; and nearly 1.5 million square feet of facilities.
Kim and her team have now assisted over 200 cities, counties, and school districts to ban glyphosate and take organic and regenerative land management policies and legislation online. NTN has proven that you can have beautiful parks, athletic fields, and open space without the use of harmful and synthetic pesticides.
Non-Toxic Neighborhoods and our advisors believe that it should be a basic human right that our children are protected from environmental harm where they live, learn, and play!
Kim was awarded the City of Irvine's Civic Leader award in 2017 and was added to the Wall of Recognition.
Non-Toxic Neighborhoods to work towards having every child have protection from exposure to harmful and synthetic pesticides. Since 2015 Kim has now assisted over 200 cities, counties, school districts, and New York State ban the use of glyphosate and adopt organic and regenerative practices. Kim is currently working with Assembly Members and Senators to author a Bill banning Glyphosate from California's schools and parks as well as many other states.
Kim and NTN are currently working to have city leaders around the county adopt the Children’s Environmental Bill of Rights.
SPOKANE, WA: With our partner group, Non-Toxic Neighborhoods, the Center for Democratic and Environmental Rights (CDER) developed and is releasing a new model ordinance, the Children’s Environmental Bill of Rights. - https://www.centerforenvironmentalrights.org/news/childrens-environmental-bill-of-rights-model-law-launched.
The model ordinance, intended for passage by cities, towns, counties, and other municipalities across the United States, is focused on protecting children from environmental harm. The model ordinance recognizes the right of children to clean air and water, to be free from synthetic pesticides and toxic chemicals, and to be healthy.
Enjoy the show! If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com.
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
pesticides, glyphosate, city, children, organic, impacts, negative health impacts, parents, connect, utilizing, test, point, people, protect, roundup, nontoxic, work, policies, system, safe
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting-edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberene.com. Now to the latest EyeClarity episode.
Hey, everyone, it's Dr. Sam, and I'd like to welcome you to another EyeClarity podcast. Well, as promised, I've been invited many different guests on my show. And today we have somebody very unique. Her name is Kim Konte, and she is the founder of the national nonprofit, nontoxic neighborhoods. And she is an amazing person who I really admire. I met her on her Instagram posts. And she has assisted over 200 cities, counties and school districts to ban glyphosate and take organic and regenerative land management policies and legislation online. So she's trying to clean up the environment in all these common lands,
In this episode, we talk about the importance of resting and stillness as part of any procedural process. Enjoy the show! If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com.
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
proprioceptive, person, prisms, vestibular system, auditory, tracking, dizziness, settle, open, craniosacral, broadness, feeling, exercise, give, metabolizing, sensory-motor, proprioception, sensory overload, overload, breathing
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting-edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberene.com. Now to the latest EyeClarity episode.
Hey, everyone, its Dr. Sam. And in this riff, I am talking to a group of therapists and giving some advice about when you give a technique, an exercise a procedure, it's very important to build in some relaxation time I call this open awareness or open attention, you know, in a lot of different rehabilitation models, they go from one exercise to the next exercise, and there's no time for digestion, and metabolizing, the stimulation that you receive. And I consult with a clinic, where I work with a lot of special needs kids, and so they have a very high sensitivity of sensory overload. And so in this conversation, I give some examples on why I like to take breaks, and go into something called rest and settle. So enjoy. Well, like anything that I do, it's not a cookbook as not, like that's absolute.
And sometimes in the cake mix, you need to actually do both. And it kind of is dependent on the person where they're at in terms of their nervous system modulation, and the age and where they are in terms of Do they have a sense of their proprioception or not? So one of the things that I think about in the head of the open attention after the vestibular processing is sensory motor overload. And so I have to read the person to see whether or not they actually want more employment, or do they just want to rest and settle and integrated within themselves? It is certainly a more advanced practice, to say, okay, after we've done the vestibular system situation, let's, let's just go into rest and settle and open attention. But I'm tracking the person's breathing, I'm tracking how much of the person's body is contacting with the ground, I may need to add some auditory instructions, you know, are you aware of your breathing? Are you aware of your body? Do you want to move your arms or legs? How are you feeling? So I'm checking in with them, I'm not walking away.
02:51
And so in my energy on an intentional level, is I'm I'm with the person energetically and tracking them as if I was doing some craniosacral on them, except I'm just sitting with them. So I think you'll have to read the person and decide, okay, do they need some proprioceptive feedback? Do I need to do that? Or can I just guide them in a more passive way and let their body kind of figure it out. In this particular instance, this gal was in a sensory-motor overload. And she was in the space where she was really feeling some dizziness, and it was the first time she felt dizziness through her vision. So the prisms were able to awaken the vestibular system in a beautiful way.
And so what I thought was, intuitively, let's see how she does with it. And as I was tracking her, she seemed her breathing seem to get longer and deeper and slower. So I didn't need to add the proprioceptive. However, she might come for a session here and she may be in a different place with her nervous system. And then it would be appropriate where you would add some of that proprioceptive feedback, which is perfectly great to do. It could be from everything from you know, joint compression to a weight to putting a weighted vest on her are doing craniosacral with her.
In today's episode, we talk about diabetic retinopathy and cataracts. I dig into what causes this and how to mitigate the effects of such a disease. Enjoy the show! If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com.
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
retina, cataracts, eye, vitreous, msm, diabetic retinopathy, blood vessels, health, retinal, inflammation, neuroprotective, lens, body, tiny blood vessels, work, call, suggest, acid xanthine, taurine, eyedrops
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting-edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberene.com. Now to the latest EyeClarity episode.
00:02
Hey everybody, its Dr. Sam and I'd like to welcome you to another EyeClarity podcast. I'm going to take a question today but before I do that I want to make an announcement for my upcoming course on improving lens health. So anybody that's concerned that they're developing cataracts they've been diagnosed with cataracts are thinking about cataract surgery. This is a class for you. So this is a two-week extravaganza, and it starts September 11. And it will run for two weeks, you will get a lot of information on how to improve your lens health like one piece of advice I would give to anybody who's suffering cataracts is eliminate sugar from your diet. research studies have shown that if you are having difficulties with managing your glucose levels, if you eat foods that have refined carbohydrates, or sugars, you run a higher risk of developing cataracts. Let's say that you are having difficulties with dietary absorption and you suffer inflammation in your gut.
This actually can start to affect your eye health, especially the lens of the eye. So a cataract is basically metabolic waste that starts to accumulate in the a vascular structure we call the lens Why is it a vascular? Because there are no blood vessels that run directly to the lens of the eye. So what this does, this sets up a situation especially as we age that you lose the ability to as we say, Get rid of the trash in the recycling bin and it builds up and this is the oxidative stress that creates a cataract. So I highly recommend this course this for everybody. If you want to prevent cataracts and keep your lenses clear and healthy. You can sign up on my website drsamberne.com on my Instagram bio, on Facebook, a lot of ways to get in touch with me. You can also email me at hello@drsamberne.com. Yeah, and if you have to miss any of the classes, they will be video and audio recorded and you will have access to them. 60 days after the last class you also will receive 10% off on all my products on my webstore so check it out. Alright, today I want to take a question from Kara.
And she is writing me from Instagram. Now it's interesting because in this this gal she is suffering diabetic retinopathy and cataracts. So the retinopathy part of it, of course, is in the retina. And diabetes really attacks the retina. She says that she's having bleeds in both eyes, and they've made her way to the vitreous, which is kind of the posterior two-thirds of the iPad sits in front of the retina. And she's been getting injections for the bleeding. Avastin is one and Lucentis is the other. These are common pharmaceutical drugs that are used, especially in wet macular degeneration, but any kind of retinopathy. These are the pharmaceutical drugs that are used that can slow down the degradation of the blood vessels. So she's really feeling compromised, and she's been on the ketogenic diet for a few years. But only recently has she gotten her blood sugar in control. And she's guessing that the damages from previous years have poor poor blood sugar, and mitochondria health. And so she's asking about supplementation.
Today we have a special guest, Emma Destrubé. She is a licensed acupuncturist, herbalist and physician of East Asian medicine, as well as a somatic movement therapist and Continuum teacher.
Beginning in her teens, she apprenticed under somatic movement pioneer Emilie Conrad, founder of Continuum. Together they researched and developed fluid movement/sounding protocols for neuromuscular compromises and other therapeutic applications of somatic movement and breath work practice.
Emma holds a private holistic health care/healing arts practice in Los Angeles, where she helps to cultivate vitality with patient-empowering, poetic medicine including acupuncture, herbalism, somatics, and energy work. Her patients are a broad mix of creatives, celebrities, athletes, artists, activists, meditators, and even children.
She also teaches weekly online classes called Soma – a Continuum-based subtle movement, breath, and embodied meditation practice that sources somatic inquiry in the wisdom and poetry of Taoist medicine.You can follow her on Instagram at @emmadestrube or check out her website: https://www.emmadestrube.com/aboutMy last name is pronounced DES-true-bay. We can practice together!Credentials: Licensed Acupuncturist, Masters of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nationally-certified Diplomate of East Asian Medicine, Registered Somatic Movement Therapist and Educator.Enjoy the show! If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.comSUMMARY KEYWORDSsomatic, body, rhythm, people, feel, broaden, world, Emily, create, tissues, question, support, life, slow, head, move, medicine, speak, connected, hierarchical structures
00:05Hello, everyone, it's Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting-edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberne.com. Now to the latest EyeClarity episode. Hey, folks, it’s Dr. Sam and I want to welcome you to another EyeClarity podcast. So today we have a very special guest. She’s a colleague of mine and a friend. And she’s got a lot of great information and wisdom. Her name is Emma, that’s true Bay. And she is a physician of East Asian medicine. She’s also a red registered somatic educator. And she’s also many other things. She’s just an amazing person. Just a little background about her. She’s an herbalist. She also has studied somatic healing and continuum. So she’s a continuum teacher. And we share that in common. We both studied with Emily Conrad, and I’m going to ask her to speak about Emily in a minute. So, Emma, I want to bring you on. And I want to thank you for joining us. And my first question is, how did you get hooked up with Emily and continuum?
01:59Thank you so much, Sam. It’s great to be here. So I came to continuum as a teenager, I was living in Montreal at the time, and I was really ill, I was struggling with the effects of a genetic condition which Western medicine had pretty much no course of action for. And I was at a place where I was really facing my own mortality. And I had come from a background of gymnastics and acrobatics, and circus art. So I was someone who was very physically oriented and identified, and what that that that part of me my body was sort of disintegrating. And so I was looking for some way to engage my self, my body into move, that would feel good and supportive, as opposed to draining and straining, and painful. And so through that I kind of haphazardly through the recommendation of a choreographer friend, was recommended to continue on. And so I started practicing it there with an amazing teacher, Linda, Raven, and Montreal. And it sort of became my lifeline. It was like the one thing that made sense to me, it was the one thing that felt good in my body that that reduced my pain levels that made me feel a sense of vibrancy or aliv...
Today I'm answering a question from a listener. We dig into Myopia and Cataract Surgery and how to utilize a reduced prescription after the surgery. Enjoy the show! If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com.
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
lens, cataract, eye, light, intraocular lens, blue, astigmatism, cataract surgery, prescription, correct, surgery, myopia, MSM, class, xanthine, surgical, glasses, reduce, figure, metabolic waste
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting-edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberene.com. Now to the latest EyeClarity episode.
00:01
Hey, everybody, it's Dr. Sam and I want to welcome you to another EyeClarity podcast. Before we get to our question today, I want to make an announcement offering a course on how to reverse cataracts. And it will start on September 11, it's going to run for two weeks. So if you've been diagnosed with cataracts and told, well, we'll just watch it ripen. And you want to be more proactive and you want to figure out well, what can I do to improve lens health and reverse the metabolic waste that's accumulated in my lens, then this course is for you. If you'd like to register, you can go to my website, wwwdrsamberne.com, you can also register by accessing the link on my Instagram bio, also on Facebook.
So a lot of ways to get in touch with me, you can also email me at hello@drsamberne.com. If you can't make the classes live, they will be video and audio recorded and available 60 days after the last class, we just finished up our class on myopia and astigmatism, which was phenomenal. And getting great reviews on that people are making amazing changes. So I predict the same thing with his cataract course, you know, this is after three decades of you know, trying different things and figuring out what is needed to improve the mitochondria function in the lens of the eye to reduce cataracts to empty your recycling bin. So this so to speak, how diet plays a role in it eye exercises, blue light, and many other things. So if you're interested, please sign up. I look forward to seeing you we start September 11.
All right. My question today is from Sally. And she's writing in she says I will be having cataract surgery pub probably in a few weeks, My vision is about minus 12. So she's very nearsighted. And she's concerned about the lens replacement, that is going to be a really high strength. Because she knows when she wears a full-strength myopia prescription she can get headaches, she does have strong contact lenses. But she thought maybe going down to minus nine would work better. Any thoughts, especially for driving, and so on? Alright, Sally, well, first off, when you go for your surgical, you know, your surgical examination, actually pre-surgical, they do measure the length of the eyeball, and they figure out what's going to be the best prescription that's similar to the one that you have. My first piece of advice would be to make sure you're correcting both eyes for distance.
Because when you correct one eye for distance and one eye for near, you set up a split in the brain in the eyes. And although you will be able to read without glasses, most likely, it sets up a split and it's going to interfere with your depth perception, your focus, and it creates a lot of confusion in the brain. So you want to tell your doctor, please correct both eyes for distance. And yes, the best approach especially for people that are nearsighted would be to have him undercorrect you. So let's say that, you know, minus 12 connection corrects you for 2020 I would probably come down to like a minus 10 or minus 1050. I mean, somewhere between minus nine and minus 11 would work for you.
In this week's episode I answer two big questions:
Question 1 from Sergio: “I have a question, I was diagnosed with lattice degeneration. I have small retina holes, mainly at the bottom of my eye. They have been treated with laser to strengthen the retina on my left eye so far, I go in a month to treat the right eye. The question is, can I still use 15% MSM drops to treat the floaters? Will the MSM drops weaken the retina? Or will it help the retina? What else do you recommend to help with my situation? I’m about to turn 40. I’ve had floaters since I can remember, but now they're more noticeable.”
Q 2: "Five years ago I was diagnosed with binocular diplopia in three directions: bottom, left, and right (Two images separate horizontally). I started practicing eye exercises for one and a half years with the help of an optometrist and my double vision improved but was not completely cured. I met many ophthalmologists and endocrinologists but no one understood the reason for the disease. It wasn't until a few months ago that I was diagnosed with MG and my neuromuscular result showed “borderline neuromuscular dysfunction.” Now, my neurologist has prescribed 100 Mestinon tablets for 33 days as a trial therapy for the following month and if it fails, I really don’t know what to do because I want to avoid taking strong medications or having thymus surgery. I believe I have to heal myself and I just can’t expect doctors to do everything for me. Anyway, I just saw your website and I was thinking about doing your 90-day diplopia exercises. Do you have any recommendations?"
Enjoy the show! If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com.
SUMMARY KEYWORDSMSM, eye, myopia, question, degeneration, health, eyelids, lattice, reducing, retinal, drops, floaters, retina, doctor, muscles, inflammation, vision, thymus, systemic
Hello, everyone, it’s Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting-edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberene.com. Now to the latest EyeClarity episode.
00:01Today we're going to do q&a format. I've got two questions that are really awesome and I'm going to go into some depth. Before I do that I want to announce my upcoming intensive course, if you suffer cataracts, and you don't want to do cataract surgery, this is a class that will teach you how to improve your lens health. There are so many things from a nutrition perspective, energetic medicine, plants and herbal remedies, and of course, my physical therapy exercises. They'll even be part of the course that if you do decide to do cataract surgery, I'll be able to guide you and navigate you through the maze of having a successful surgery and you know, cataract surgery is the most successful surgery there is I recommended it for my father when he was in his mid-80s. And he was able to continue to drive at night. So I'm not against surgery. I'm not against cataract surgery. But if you've just been diagnosed, and you want a protocol on how to reverse cataracts and improve lens health, this course is for you. It starts on September 11. It goes for two weeks. And if you want to sign up, you can go to my website www.drsamberne.com. Right now we're in the midst of our myopia course myopia and astigmatism. And people are getting really amazing results. They're unlocking their causes on why they became nearsighted to begin with why they developed astigmatism. And it's been a great course so far. We have one more session left this coming Saturday. I'm sure I'll be offering it again. I also make recommendations on how to navigate your reduced prescriptions with your eye doctor. So let's get to the questions today. The first question is from a listener who was diagnosed with a condition called lattice degeneration.
Here is a lecture I gave on CLubhouse a while ago. We cover Ketosis and the glycemic index. Enjoy the show! If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com.
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
ketosis, patients, eyesight, glaucoma, glycemic index foods, disease, metabolic flexibility, blurred vision, sam, retinopathy, macular, blindness, flexibility, eyes, metabolic, macular degeneration, glycemic index, inflammation, vision, carbohydrates
Hello, everyone, its Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberne.com. Now to the latest EyeClarity episode.
I'd like to say something about ketosis and eyesight, Dr. Sam Berne. And I'm a holistic guy, doctor. And one of the things that I've noticed with ketosis is that it actually protects the retina cells against diseases like glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy. And particularly in glaucoma, that is a very serious vascular disease that attacks the optic nerve. And it can cause blindness, that what I've observed with my patients, and actually, this was validated by a study done in the Journal of Neuroscience, which said that when people go into the state of ketosis, there's a lower risk of developing glaucoma. And also, I've seen this in certain retinopathy, these, especially diabetic retinopathy. But I want to say one more thing about ketosis and eyesight is that some of my patients that go into ketosis will call me and they have blurred vision. And this blurred vision will fluctuate for a while, and then all of a sudden, they will get much clearer eyesight, and their glasses don't work as well. And when I do a re exam on them, I find their eyes have improved. But that initial blurred vision sometimes throws people because they don't understand the relationship and what is happening. And I love what you're saying about metabolic flexibility, neurological flexibility, and I'm going to bring in visual flexibility in this conversation. I'm Dr. Sam, and I'm out. here I'd like to say something about the glycemic index because I've also tracked with my patients, the number one disease for blindness, macular degeneration. And there was a study that was conducted at Tufts University, which made a correlation between people who eat you know, these foods like bread and pasta and rice, and how it affects their macular health, especially the wet macular degeneration, that's where you need to get the injections. And I call this a very serious mitochondria disease. And I'm always talking to my patients about, you know, eliminating carbohydrates, looking at their glycemic index foods. And again, in terms of the eyes, the macula has one of the highest metabolic needs of the body, and what you're saying about stress and inflammation, the blue light from screentime, you know, we're on screentime, all day. All of these things together are a disaster for people's vision and they lose their ability to see things clearly. So I'm glad that you're bringing that up about the glycemic index. We need to really educate people on what they're eating and move them away from all these carbohydrates. Thank you. I'm Dr. Sam, and I'm out.
Thank you for listening. I hope you learned something from the EyeClarity podcast show today. If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to subscribe on iTunes or Spotify and leave a review. see you here next time.
Here is a lecture I gave a bit ago. Don't miss it! Enjoy the show! If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com.
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
eye, visual, pupil, child, sensitivity, defensiveness, add, midline, vision, double, vestibular, reflex, therapy, prisms, practitioner, kids, response, patching, light, alternating
Hello, everyone, its Dr. Sam, I’d like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberne.com. Now to the latest EyeClarity episode.
I think visual regard is a very important observational assessment tool. And the reason why I say that is because we get to see the child in their time space environment, you know, they're outside of that clinical assessment, even, even when,you have an environment, that's very supportive, but you're doing like tracking stuff, and, you know, some of the more visual visual tests, it's a whole different thing when you're observing them as as it relates to their, you know, to their eye body coordination in space in real space. And that's why in the testing, my eye exam is really all about, okay, how does this child move through space? What's their proprioception capability, like the vestibular potential, and that's why we put the prisms on and we watched them walk, and I'm really observing. In fact, visual regard that might be another interesting thing to add is to have them where the prisons and watch you know where what's happening with their posture, their their feet, that's always a big one. And you know, many other things going backwards. That's, that's a big one in my in my perspective. But I think that visual regard, I was so happy to see this in your, your testing. But like, for example, over focus child compensates with vision to coordinate body movements and move through space. So we do in our workshops, we actually ask the participant to over focus, please over focus, so we can watch you please. What's under focus? What do you do when you under focus? And then the additional observations that you have here? Like, yes, putting the metronome on and having to bounce the ball to the metronome? Do they have a regard for their auditory processing? Or are they completely oblivious, and will even ask them, did you hear the metronome? No, you know, and just yesterday, I had a couple of assessments, where each child was unable to track the auditory part of the metronome while they were doing a visual motor task. And so that really showed me a lot around their, you know, their visual information processing. Also with the Marsden ball, like we'll have them just hit the ball and then we'll play the Simon says game, we may add the metronome to it. And it will see them fragmenting falling apart. Emily even I was working with a four and a half year old yesterday, it was a telemedicine and we were testing the Moro reflex. And we were doing the starfish and this boy, no matter what could not coordinate his arms with his legs and his head. And his diagnosis was moderate, a stigmatism in the eyes. And he they've been to two different eye doctors and they got these huge astigmatism corrections. He's having no visual symptoms. But you could see how he was fragmenting things and how one side of the body was really different than the other side of the body. And I pointed out to the mom, this is where the astigmatism started. And of course, he was a forceps delivery. The the cord got wrapped around his neck, and he was really twisted up at the very beginning. And so now fast forward to four and a half. And they they put drops in his eyes, and they came up with this farsighted astigmatism correction. So we're just going to do learning lenses with no astigmatism, and I think it's going to go great.
Learn to improve your eyesight with these eye exercises. Today we talk about what LASIK surgery does to you eye and how to improve your vision overtime without surgery. Enjoy the show! If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com.
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
eye, mental, blur, glasses, muscles, prescription, exercise, clarity, lasik surgery, lasik, wear, stressing, astigmatism, clear, surgery, lens, principle, vision, bursts, ready
00:05
Hello, everyone, its Dr. Sam, I'd like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberne.com. Now to the latest EyeClarity episode. The progressive lenses are basically going to tunnel your your vision, I mean, that's you're looking through a small compartment. And that's going to strain your eyes and strain us. If I'm here, if, if I heard you say, Oh, I wear the computer glasses, you know, I'm still school straining and squinting, I'm not seeing the the digits on my spreadsheet clear enough, then I would consider giving you the astigmatism. But when you stop wearing the astigmatism, the eye tends to revert back to its organic shape of being round. vantage of that is that there's less overall accumulated tension radical around LASIK surgery because there's a mental component to how your prescription develops, like it just doesn't develop because you turn a certain age. And it doesn't just develop based on your genetics. But it develops based on what your mental setup is around your high balls. And with farsighted ness, which is what you you've got, there's a loss of ability of being able to focus with the muscles. That's why you need the magnification. And once you start wearing the magnification, the muscles become even weaker in the eyes. And then you get to a point where the muscles just get stuck. Because you the magnification makes things bigger. And when you do the LASIK surgery, you're just changing the shape of the very front of the eye. The problem comes in because you change the shape of the eye but you still have the mental programming that caused the farsightedness to begin with. So now you've got two things to manage. You've got the the mental, which has caused the situation. But then you have this band aid that you've put over the eye with the surgery that says well I know I'm not really that way anymore. And over time, the mental is stronger than the surgery, the LASIK and so that's why with a lot of people over time, they lose the benefits of the surgery. Now some other side effects of getting that surgery is there's a tendency to have difficulty with dry, dry eye because you're messing with the cornea. Already. You already have that. And then on top of that night vision usually gets very distorted with some bursts or light bursts from the headlights. So initially on that, yeah, really bad initially. Initially, the LASIK works, okay, you're still going to need reading glasses unless they split one eye for distance one eye for near, which is a real nightmare. Because now your brain ignores one of the eyes to focus on the other eye. So is you if you as you as a candidate, I would say that's a road I don't think you should go down. Now, the other option which requires some daily or every other day, visual hygiene through an exercise, but now you're entering into a process that's gonna take some time to change the current prescription. It's not an overnight success. So what you have to what you have To decide, in your heart of hearts, do you have it in you energy resources to say, yeah, you know, it's like somebody saying, Okay, I'm ready to go on the South Beach diet,
05:15
I'm ready to do ketogenic I'm ready to do a fast, I'm ready to start doing daily yoga, are you ready to, I mean, truly ready to say, all right,
Today we dig into a protocol to help with floaters and vision spots. Enjoy the show! If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com.
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
eyes, glaucoma, floaters, vitamin, msm, important, drops, eyelids, called, spots, clarity, massage, reduce, optic nerve, lutein, eggs, inflammation, red pepper, improve, health
00:05
Hello, everyone, its Dr. Sam, I'd like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberene.com. Now to the latest EyeClarity episode. So I see here you've got some floaters and spots. The first thing I would suggest in terms of the spots and the floaters would be to try the MSM drops, the MSM eyedrops are drops that I have created that can sometimes help reduce spots and floaters. Now the thing is, is that there are two percentages, there's a 5%, and there's a 15%, the 15% stays, and the 5% doesn't stain, but it doesn't work quite as well. It just depends on your tolerance level, if you feel like you want to, you know, go for the 15%. If you want to do that, when you put them in your eyes, they're going to sting for a few seconds, and then it goes away. And the reason why the the drops staying is because it's opening up the blood vessels a little more. If you truly want to get rid of your floaters, the 15%, MSM would probably be the way to go. And I can coach you through how to reduce the burning, so that you get the benefits of the 15%. And you're able to manage the burning and it's not bad. But it does sting a little bit when you put it in your eyes. If you don't want to do the burning, then we could start with the 5%. So what do you think you would like in terms of where you'd like to start,
02:28
I guess
02:30
5% 5%. Okay, so now I'm going to give you some directions on how to get the most out of the 5%. And you know, you may need to watch this session again. So I'll go into that, the first thing you want to do is, when you're using the 5%, it's important to wash your hands and make sure your hands are clean. And then you're going to lie down. So you're like gravity do the work, and you are lying down and we take the drop, or you put a few drops in the corner of each die. So you wash your hands, you lie down, you take the bottle, and you put a drop in the corner of each eye, the eyes remain closed, and then you spread the drops along the eyelashes. I don't know if you can see that. And then you massage was circles around the eyes, eyelids, and then you open your eyes. So you do have maybe about five to 10 seconds, you just put one drop in each eye. Yeah. And then you spread it. Okay, and then you open your eyes. And you do that before bed and in the morning when you wake up. And then there's another technique you can use called the eye massage. Now this one's a little different. You first wash your hands lie down again, your eyes are closed. And this time you run the drops along the eyelashes back and forth a few times. So you're gonna get like a puddle of MSM and the eye sockets. Now the second option, the one I just shared with you, you're going to get a lot more eyedrops into your eye than the first one. The first one helps reduce inflammation in the eyelids. And it also improves the health of the eyelids so that the glands are able to work better and produce the tears that you need to lubricate the eyes. So the massage can be done once or twice a day. And then the third Well, I would say those are the two the eye The eye bath and the eye massage. The massage is number one on the eyelids. And the eye bath is when you put a number of drops in the sockets of the eyes, some other things that you want to do to help the spots. And the floaters may be as follows. This isn't a requirement,
This is a presentation I gave to a group of occupational therapists on how to evaluate the visual system of spectrum disorder children. I discuss topics like lazy eye, strabismus, neurological imbalances, glasses prescriptions for children, and color therapy which are modalities that I use to help children reach their potential. Enjoy the show! If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com.
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
eyes, pupil, reflex, vision, therapy, prescription, kids, stigmatism, dullness, prisms, color, visual, relates, gestation, state, means, pupil size, arousal, farsighted, number
00:05
Hello everyone, its Dr. Sam, I'd like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions you can send them to Hello at Dr. Sam Berne calm. Now to the latest EyeClarity episode. First of all wears glasses and when what you might want to expand upon there is actually what is the prescription? And where that would be valuable to me would be you know, are they farsighted? Are they near sighted do they wear prisms? Are did they have astigmatism? Do they wear bifocals? And why that's important is that over time? What I would like to teach you is the behavioral manifestations of what does it mean to be farsighted? What does it mean to be near sighted in terms of behavior, spatial understanding posture movements, emotional responses. So just as an example, if somebody is near sighted, they tend to be very defensive. And it can be physically defensive, it can be emotionally defensive. There's usually a trauma related to nearsightedness. And you could also put on there you know, when they got the first prescription, was it at infancy was when they were a toddler because the earlier they get the prescription, the more the the eyes have taken on some pre verbal imprint. What I've seen is the higher the number, the earlier the vision problem has occurred. And this can even go back into gestation you know this, this opens up a whole other conversation, say somebody who's highly farsighted or highly near sighted, I asked questions about well what happened in gestation, you know, so, and then it comes down to on the reflex level, the fear paralysis and the morrow, it just gives you information. And then you could get into things like strabismus and amblyopia could also be part of that as well. For example, I was working with a child the other day that amblyopia in the left eye and we discovered in gestation, that she had been laying on her left side. And, you know, there was ended up being a breech birth and I associates wanted to do surgery on the eye because there was a bit of a esotropia as well. And I said, No way, we're not doing that. There was Tor to call us. So there's, there's things to understand about that prescription. On the other side of it farsighted. You know those, those folks tend to push the world away. So they want things a lot bigger than they really are and their tonicity their arousal is usually lower. So by being able to insert the prescription, then at one of our classes, we could go into how the prescription relates to a person behaviorally. And so on. The third condition, the stigmatism is a twist in the body. And this sometimes is related to neck issues, cervical compression, some spinal issues. And so, again, knowing that there's a stigmatism and how that might affect postural Lee, that might affect some of the other reflex things that you're doing. Based on the handout that you You gave me I've been studying that and seeing how myopia hyperopia and astigmatism would relate to those reflexes and where you might want to jump into it. And then prisms are kids wearing prisms, a lot of the eye doctors prescribe you know prism in one eye, which I don't agree with and we usually take the prisms out and Then w...
Dr. Kierstin DeWitt is a Licensed Naturopathic Doctor and Registered Acupuncturist practicing community Acupuncture at a non-profit Community Acupuncture Clinic in Ann Arbor, Michigan as well as providing NADA protocol and guided meditation for addiction rehabilitation facilities.
Dr. Kierstin is also a virtual Naturopathic Consultant where she utilizes her Naturopathic, Traditional Chinese Medicine, and training in mind-body medicine to empower her clients through the reconnection of the self in mind, body, and to the world around us. This allows for whole-person healing and long-lasting changes towards health.
Where to find Dr. DeWitt:
Instagram: @vibrantly.well
Website: www.vibrantlywell.com
Facebook: @vibrantlywell
Enjoy the show! If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com.
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
people, resiliency, behaviors, important, self regulation, pathak medicine, body, health, mind, connected, awareness, patterns, starting, dewitt, gaining, self awareness, talk, acupuncture, naturopathic, life
00:05
Hello, everyone, its Dr. Sam, I'd like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions you can send them to hello@drsamberene.com. Now to the latest EyeClarity episode. Hey everybody, it's Dr. Sam and I want to welcome you to another EyeClarity podcast. We have a very interesting guest today. She's a friend of mine. I actually met her on clubhouse. And I was on her Instagram show and she's an amazing healer. Her name is Dr. Kierstin DeWitt. She's a licensed naturopathic doctor registered acupuncturist and she is based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, that's a beautiful place. She is in a private practice. She's got a virtual naturopathic practice that where she utilizes things like traditional Chinese medicine, natural empathy, training and Mind Body medicine. She's also done a lot of things in the mental health world. She just hosted a health summit. And I'd like to bring her on. Dr. DeWitt, thanks for joining us and I want to start in and I want to ask you, why is it important to begin to address the mind mental emotional component to health early on?
02:00
Hmm Yes, thank you so much for having me on Dr. Sam, it's so great to see you again and to be able to chat with you it's always a pleasure chatting with you. Um, so I for me what I kind of discovered as I began working with people with nature Pathak medicine is that if you if we don't address the what I call the inner self, or that mental emotional component of the self, it's really challenging to be able to stick with something right. So often with nature, Pathak medicine, we're, we're counseling people on how to make those lifestyle changes that are going to help them in the long term. And that takes work, right, it takes you have to have the mindset to be able to make those changes, right, because often we've developed these behaviors and these patterns really early on our environment can influence those, right, there's a lot of external factors. So we need to have that internal or intrinsic drive to want to make those changes. And so if the mind isn't on board, right, it's really hard to get the momentum to have the body on board as well. And so it's really important to start with the mind to start with that inner self, so that we can connect with that part of ourselves, and have a deeper drive to want to make those changes in a deeper understanding of ourselves. So that we can, we can really see why these changes are the right changes for me, right for the person as an individual. Because I think often what we're seeing, especially now there's so much information, right? Everyone's inundated with just so much information, and we don't know what's right for us. And so it's really important.
In today's episode, we discuss how to improve your eyes through things like light therapy and reduced prescription. Enjoy the show! If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
eye, prescription, vision, blur, lens, wear, brain, myopia, eyesight, people, light, lasik surgery, colors, developing, adaptive response, gestation, reduced, doctor, creates, programming
00:05
Hello, everyone, its Dr. Sam, I'd like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting-edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to Hello@drsamberne.com. Now to the latest EyeClarity episode.
So I'm a firm believer in reduced prescriptions, I think you're right on, I completely agree with everything that you say. And one of the aspects of a reduced prescription is it starts to activate your parasympathetic nervous system, which is a more relaxed state. But the key is, is that you use the reduced prescription and a non demanding non threatening situation if you start squinting or getting frustrated, then change the circumstance or change the lens. So you wear the full lens. But to wear like a 2040 lens prescription, you know, all of us would say that in wearing a reduced prescription in, especially in myopia, wearing something less, especially when you're on digital time, you know, when you wear a lens that's 2020 a distance and you wear that for screen time, it's going to induce more myopia, it's going to accelerate your myopia. So you need to ask your doctor for a computer prescription and don't get a split lens where you're wearing bifocals, you want to use a single vision lens, so that you're engaging more peripheral vision. But that's a great point that you bring out. And anybody should ask their doctor for a reduced prescription. That's one of the best things you can do to improve your vision.
01:58
One of the ways that we use light therapy is like homeopathy. And what I mean by that is that when we provide the different colors, the visible color spectrum to patients, we ask them what color or colors they don't like. And the colors they don't like, are the colors that are going to give them a deeper balance. And it's interesting how the colors match certain memories, certain subconscious or unconscious blocks that we may have, you know, in the eyes are one of the main ways we get light in the body. I mean, we do get it through our skin as well. And light is a food and it affects our endocrine system, our nervous system, you know, you were saying about the pineal gland, so right on about that. And what we're told is to be afraid of the light well, or being afraid of ourselves, it's kind of like we're developing our own auto immune disease, which is we're afraid of light, and we wear our sunglasses way too much, we need to get 30 to 60 minutes in natural sunlight every day, that's a natural way to produce the the vitamin D that we need. So color and light therapy is a major medicine that can heal our eyes and vision. And some of you probably use this as a way to access the cycle motional psycho spiritual aspects, because for me, if we get cut to the chase, every vision problem has some kind of spiritual disease, I'll just add a few things. You know, we have our inner vision, and we have our outer seeing. And when you start dilate, dialoguing, you're really accessing your inner vision. It's kind of like an inner eye test or an inner eye assessment. But you who are doing the dialogue, you're getting to really express what's behind the eyes. Because we want to blame faulty vision on the eyeball, but it's not the eyeballs fault. It's what we say to the eyes. It's our programming. And a lot of the times that programming starts in gestation, it starts very early in the pre verbal state, and we absorb, as you know, infants,
For today's episode, I had the pleasure of talking with Cherionna Menzam-Sills, PhD a prenatal and birth therapist.
She began teaching Embodied Embryology through somatic movement in 1997 as part of her doctoral studies in Pre- & Perinatal Psychology, which led to her teaching at Naropa University and the Santa Barbara Graduate Institute. She has taught and facilitated Pre- and Perinatal Psychology/Therapy, Continuum, a mindful movement practice, and Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy globally, often with her husband, Biodynamics pioneer Franklyn Sills. Biodynamics involves perceiving and augmenting embryological forces to support health and well-being throughout the life span. Her background includes extensive study with Pre- and Perinatal Psychology pioneers William Emerson and Ray Castellino, and Continuum founder, Emilie Conrad, who authorized her to teach Continuum in 2007. Cherionna has also facilitated therapeutic movement and body awareness for over 40 years as a Dance/Movement Psychotherapist, Occupational Therapist, Massage Therapist, and Prenatal and Birth Therapist. She has authored two books, The Breath of Life: An Introduction Craniosacral Biodynamics and Spirit into Form: Exploring Embryological Potential and Prenatal Psychology. Cherionna is committed in her work & life to embodied presence.
You can learn more about Cherionna and her work at:
www.birthingyourlife.org – Cherionna’s website
www.resourcingyourlife.org – online school of Cherionna and Franklyn Sills
Enjoy the show! If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
book, emilie, eyes, continuum, perinatal, people, psychology, ray, babies, embryology, resourced, body, embryo, midline, present, called, franklin, fluid, teaching, sherry
00:05
Hello, everyone, its Dr. Sam, I'd like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to Hello@drsamberne.com. Now to the latest EyeClarity episode. Hey, everybody, it's Dr. Sam, and I'd like to welcome you to another EyeClarity podcast. Or do I have a special guest today she's one of my colleagues and I'm so excited to bring her on. Her name is Cherionna Menzam-Sills PhD. And let me give you a little background on Cherionna, she is immersed in pre and perinatal psychology led her to teaching at Naropa University in Boulder, and also the Santa Barbara Graduate Institute. She is a biodynamic craniosacral teacher, along with her husband, who Franklin sills. He's one of my heroes have his books actually right there. And I, I refer to his writings quite a bit. Sherry Anna also has studied with William Emerson, Ray caster Leno. And Emilie Conrad, we're going to talk about our connection with continuum. And she's a wonderful teacher movement and body awareness therapist, dance movement, psychology. I mean, she's just done so many, many things. And she's also an author, and she has a new book out. This is why we're bringing her on. And the title of the book is called spirit into form exploring embryo illogical potential, and prenatal psychology. And I have it right here. I've actually turned a lot of people on to her book. And so she's so generous to come on today to share riona Thanks for joining us. And my first question is, why the book? What's behind it? Give us give us some some background?
02:52
Oh, well, thank you. First of all, thank you for the lovely introduction makes me smile. And I didn't know you were a fan of Franklin's. So that's really sweet to kind of bring him into the room. And he's certainly an influence in in my work on the book. So why did I write this book, big book, you know, 560 pages. It took me 17 years to write this book. I realized that I started taking notes on it. About 17 years ago,
Today's episode explores how prenatal experiences affect our eyesight and vision. Enjoy the show! If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
eye, gestation, clarity, midline, nearsightedness, tissue, vision, myopia, vagal, spotify, compress, part, brain tissue, developed, visual cues, podcast, episode, absorbable, father, twist
00:05
Hello, everyone, it's Dr. Sam, I'd like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting-edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions you can send them to hello@drsamberne.com. Now to the latest EyeClarity episode. The eyes originate very early in gestation, some say 17 days, you know, we see the optical vesicles starting to grow out from the brain. So every tissue of the eye is brain tissue. And it's such a an absorbable part of us, and yet it's not really acknowledged in a lot of ways. One of the things that you described this not wanting to be seen and pulling in is something called myopia, nearsightedness. And we're at an epidemic around nearsightedness right now because of our near focusing. And the main emotion around myopia is fear. I don't trust I pull in I tighten up I compress and then fast forward to an adult and this is why people are developing all these eye diseases because their tissue is compressed Emily is to talk about, you know, the eyes or one of the most unrealized tissues of the body. And astigmatism is a twist a body twist. So when you come out of the birth canal, and your body is twisted, this is astigmatism that makes more strabismus where one of the eyes is crossing. In Chinese medicine psychologically the right eyes, the father eye, the left eye is the mother eye. So the right is turning in the infant is turning away from his father. Now, there could be a lot of reasons why that might occur. Then there's lazy, you know, one eye that he's not seeing as clearly as the other eye again, you can look at the mother father relationship and the children absorb through their eyes, their parents relationship. There's the midline problem where the two eyes are not tracking together. And there's a underdeveloped midline that goes way back to you know, gestation. So there are a lot of visual cues and signals that maybe don't get developed. I'm in the process of writing a blog right now on the somatic eye, and I am bringing in some of Dr. porges. His work on polyvagal and how it affects the vision we know affects speech language, auditory, right, but that vagal experience what happens with the vision piece.
03:37
Thank you for listening. I hope you learn something from the EyeClarity podcast show today. If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to subscribe on iTunes or Spotify and leave a review. see you here next time.
For today's episode, I got to talk with Dr. Monisha Bhanote.
Dr. Monisha Bhanote is a quadruple board-certified physician with 20+ years in health care. She has expertise in Integrative Medicine, Internal Medicine, and Anatomic/Clinical Pathology. She is a sought-after health and wellness expert providing both speaking and written commentary to multiple news media outlets and publications. Known as a health and wellness expert, she has been featured in publications such as in “Shape magazine,” “Mind Body Green,” “Martha Stewart Living,” “Popsugar,” “Bustle,” “HealthCentral,” “Insider,” “Prevention magazine,” and “Healthline,” amongst others. She is the founder of the Holistic Well-being Collective and continues to practice, write, and teach.
Her mission is to support a holistic approach to well-being, health, and happiness by empowering health coaches and wellpreneurs with confidence, clarity, and community through evidence-based knowledge.
Instagram: @drbhanote Website: https://www.drbhanote.com/
Enjoy the show! If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
people, pathologist, diagnoses, body, individuals, eating, practice, anatomy, cellular, doctor, board-certified physician, called, medicine, microbiome, incorporate, integrative medicine, happening, important, training, years
00:05
Hello, everyone, its Dr. Sam, I'd like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting-edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions you can send them to Hello@drsamberne.com. Now to the latest EyeClarity episode. Hey everybody, it's Dr. Sam and I want to welcome you to another EyeClarity podcast. So we have a very special guest today. She's a physician. Her name is Dr. Monisha Bhanote, and I met Dr. Bhanote on clubhouse and was very impressed with her information. So I wanted to bring her on. But a little background about her. She is a quadruple board certified physician with over 20 years of healthcare experience. She has expertise in integrative medicine, internal medicine, and something I'm interested in because I studied this in optometry school, anatomic and clinical pathology. I'm very excited because she just shared with me she has a new book that's going to be coming out in the fall called the anatomy of well being. She also is training holistic health coaches. And we'll talk about that as well in many other subjects. So Dr. Bhanote, I want to welcome you. And my first question is, what drew you to researching and studying anatomic and clinical pathology? I'm really curious about that.
01:58
Yeah. So thank you, Sam, for having me on your podcast today. And yes, it's been great meeting you on clubhouse and connecting since then. So I think what drew me to anatomic and clinical pathology is my training where I did my medical school training, I actually trained in Europe, and they are very grounded in the basic sciences. So I had extensive background in anatomy, histology and the functioning of the body. And, you know, when I came out of medical school, I did, I did what I thought was a traditional route of going into internal medicine and taking care of patients, however, that the system that I was working in did was not quite working for me in the sense of I felt like I was helping people. So I actually then explored other opportunities and went into pathology because it's such a complex study of the human body. And there's so much to know that I knew that I was not only not ever going to be able to learn everything, but at the same time, I was still going to be able to help people by giving them definitive answers. So people don't really know that pathologists are actually physicians working with other physicians, they're the physicians who actually have the answers in the sense that they make the diagnoses off of...
In this episode I talk to a mother who is concerned about her daughter’s strong farsighted prescription. She says her daughter is not having any symptoms and she is functioning at a high level. She asked for a second opinion from me.
Enjoy the show! If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
eye, vision, person, wrong, clarity, dilated, exercises, visual, glasses, learned, developmental, eye strain, gazelle, test, drug, eyesight, podcast, episode, distance, difference
00:05
Hello, everyone, it's Dr. Sam, I'd like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting-edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to Hello at Dr. Sam Berne calm. Now to the latest EyeClarity episode.
Well, what I see here is that there doesn't seem to be any developmental delays at all. So the sensory-motor system has developed? Well, it doesn't seem like there's any interference or impediment in the developmental motor process, because that's where you begin to start to see some, you know, some disconnects. And the visual acuity for distance is really a poor measurement of vision. Because the distance acuity is basically just your eyesight. It's not really vision, vision is how the eyes and the brain work together. And so when they're referring you, it's kind of the wrong referral. Because the eyesight is clear, they don't, they're not really getting what vision is. So vision would be things like visual tracking, shifting focus from near to far, depth perception. And there are some eye exercises, I can show you, that could help the visual tracking, visual focusing, and visual coordination, which would strengthen the visual system. So in lieu of getting glasses, which is really going to weaken the eyes, especially what they're promoting, it actually makes no sense why they would want to promote that because it's only going to weaken the eyes. And there's nothing really wrong here. So your intuition is correct, in that you don't really want or need to go down that road. First of all, you'll get the glasses, she's not going to wear them. And second of all, it's just going to make her eyes work when they're looking at an eye chart. I mean, the best way to really tell if there's a vision problem is give a person something to read, have them read it, and watch what they're doing to their face, if they're covering one eye, if there's eye strain, things like that. There are some eye exercises that kind of support depth perception. And I can show you those. And then I know you could take it from there. But I don't think there needs to be a lot of intervention right now. And the glasses would be going down the wrong road. So one of the things you can do is you can test by having her look at something through her right eye and then having her look through something through her left eye and get a report. Is there a difference between the eyes? Now today, when I asked Hazel to do that, I didn't really hear that there was any difference between the eyes. So if she's not objectively observing a difference, then there's really nothing to worry about. If we want to be more proactive, about the eyes working together. Again, there are one or two eye exercises that I could show you that could strengthen the coordination. And I think I should show you those. But aside from that, subjectively, just keep testing her to say well, how do you see it through the right eye? How do you see it through the left eye? It sounds like her two eyes are seeing it fairly similarly. When we tested it out, and I think you know if you're driving, do it. If you're, you know, looking at the computer screen, say well look through your right eye and look through your left eye. Do you see any differences or that kind of thing?
05:00
Does it make sense? Okay.
Today we have a special guest, Emma Destrubé. She is a licensed acupuncturist, herbalist and physician of East Asian medicine, as well as a somatic movement therapist and Continuum teacher.
Beginning in her teens, she apprenticed under somatic movement pioneer Emilie Conrad, founder of Continuum. Together they researched and developed fluid movement/sounding protocols for neuromuscular compromises and other therapeutic applications of somatic movement and breath work practice.
Emma holds a private holistic health care/healing arts practice in Los Angeles, where she helps to cultivate vitality with patient-empowering, poetic medicine including acupuncture, herbalism, somatics, and energy work. Her patients are a broad mix of creatives, celebrities, athletes, artists, activists, meditators, and even children.
She also teaches weekly online classes called Soma - a Continuum-based subtle movement, breath, and embodied meditation practice that sources somatic inquiry in the wisdom and poetry of Taoist medicine.You can follow her on Instagram at @emmadestrube or check out her website: https://www.emmadestrube.com/aboutMy last name is pronounced DES-true-bay. We can practice together!Credentials: Licensed Acupuncturist, Masters of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nationally-certified Diplomate of East Asian Medicine, Registered Somatic Movement Therapist and Educator.Enjoy the show! If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.comSUMMARY KEYWORDSsomatic, body, rhythm, people, feel, broaden, world, Emily, create, tissues, question, support, life, slow, head, move, medicine, speak, connected, hierarchical structures
00:05Hello, everyone, its Dr. Sam, I'd like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting-edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to Hello at Dr. Sam Berne calm. Now to the latest EyeClarity episode. Hey, folks, it's Dr. Sam and I want to welcome you to another EyeClarity podcast. So today we have a very special guest. She's a colleague of mine and a friend. And she's got a lot of great information and wisdom. Her name is Emma, that's true Bay. And she is a physician of East Asian medicine. She's also a red registered somatic educator. And she's also many other things. She's just an amazing person. Just a little background about her. She's an herbalist. She also has studied somatic healing and continuum. So she's a continuum teacher. And we share that in common. We both studied with Emily Conrad, and I'm going to ask her to speak about Emily in a minute. So, Emma, I want to bring you on. And I want to thank you for joining us. And my first question is, how did you get hooked up with Emily and continuum?
01:59Thank you so much, Sam. It's great to be here. So I came to continuum as a teenager, I was living in Montreal at the time, and I was really ill, I was struggling with the effects of a genetic condition which Western medicine had pretty much no course of action for. And I was at a place where I was really facing my own mortality. And I had come from a background of gymnastics and acrobatics, and circus art. So I was someone who was very physically oriented and identified, and what that that that part of me my body was sort of disintegrating. And so I was looking for some way to engage my self, my body into move, that would feel good and supportive, as opposed to draining and straining, and painful. And so through that I kind of haphazardly through the recommendation of a choreographer friend, was recommended to continue on. And so I started practicing it there with an amazing teacher, Linda, Raven, and Montreal. And it sort of became my lifeline. It was like the one thing that made sense to me, it was the one thing that felt good in my body that that reduced my pain levels that made me feel a sense of vibrancy o...
Today we are talking about our eye prescriptions and how getting the right prescription can not only improve your vision but your mental health as well. Enjoy the show! If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
eye, prescription, wear, blurry, clarity, contacts, vision, feeling, nearsightedness, work, lens, holistic, optics, improvement, give, number, restrictions, blur, doctor, technique
00:05
Hello, everyone, it's Dr. Sam, I'd like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting-edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions you can send them to Hello at Dr. Sam Berne calm. Now to the latest EyeClarity episode. So in my story is, is that I went up to like minus three/minus three and a quarter. And I met a holistic eye doctor in my late 20s. And it took me about a year, and I dissolved my prescription completely. And it's been that way ever since. But it was very much a mind body healing. It wasn't just an eyeball healing. But I had good teachers along the way, who taught me how to, you know, prescribe contacts and glasses that would support the vision improvement. And what the eye doctors are doing to you is what they've been trained to do, which is make the eyes worse. And there are definitely techniques just on a prescription level, that can begin to reduce that pattern so that you're starting to feel improvement. And you know, it's a process, but I definitely can give you a lot of pointers and tips. The reason why I asked that is that the prescription that you are wearing is calculated at 20 feet. And when you wear that 20 foot prescription at 20 feet, for your computer, you are making your eyes tenser, and making your eyes worse. And so one of the techniques that you could use with contacts is to wear a weaker prescription for the computer. And that would stop the deterioration in the distance. And over time, that prescription could actually become your distance. The other technique that works really well is to wear the same prescription in each eye because then you're training the eyes and the brain to focus together. But when you correct one eye differently than another, it keeps the separation in place. It doesn't allow for the two eyes to work together. So let's say, for example, one experiment I'd like you to do would be to actually start wearing the minus four in the left eye, the right eye.
03:20
And it might be a little blurry for you. But it may not be. And you may notice that your body feels more relaxed and your eyes feel more relaxed. When you wear the same prescription in each eye. The first thing I'd like you to experiment with when you were your contacts is where a minus-four in each eye. Okay, and so now you're on a you're on a kind of a journey of exploration, exploration meaning, okay, now we're going to start experimenting with reduced prescriptions and balanced prescriptions. And how do my eyes respond to that, how's my brain respond to that. So that's number one minus four in each eye, then I'm just guessing here, but I'm thinking that for your indoor computer work, I would consider like a minus-three in each eye. Now, one of the ways that you can confirm that or check that out, is you could go you could take like your tablet, you probably could even take your laptop to the drugstore. And you could wear your minus fours and then you go get the magnifying lens which is like a plus 1.25. That's the lowest one you would get. And you have the screen at the distance you work at and then you put that plus 1.25 over the minus four. And you see how that feels, it should be really clear, it should be actually more relaxing. So that's and then and then we could say, you can either wear that so that if you are going out, you don't have to switch contacts.
Open Attention. In this episode, we explore how to honor our limits and the art of Self-Regulation. Enjoy the show! If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com.
SUMMARY KEYWORDSbody, exercise, breathing, dissolving, exhale, work, feeling, breathing pattern, dissolution, self-regulation, inhale, nervous system, stress, dissolve, system, attention, giving, clarity, healing, lasers
00:05Hello, everyone, its Dr. Sam, I'd like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting-edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to hello@drsamberne.com. Now, to the latest EyeClarity episode.
You go into something, the resting is called, the term that I use is called Open attention. Now open attention is a practice where you are listening to your body's response to the stimulus that you just gave it. So if you're making the sounds, and you're moving, and you're doing what you're doing, when you're finished, to build in this open attention, where you start listening to your body's response, this does some very positive things for you. Number one, it helps your body absorb the really good things that you did, in making the sound and making the movement. It's like a digestion. It's like a metabolizing. And one of the problems that people have where they don't embrace their health, is they don't build in this rest and settle. They're doing something, they go on to the next, they go on to the next. You know, about a year and a half ago, I was my friend invited me to a yoga class. So I'm in the yoga class and the instructor is this young man, he's, you know, super exercise guy. And he's putting us through these different postures one right after the other, after the other, after the other. And my own system said, I need to, I need to rest I need I it's too much input. And so I started to lie down and I rested. The lady next to me says that's a good idea. I'm going to do that to the guy next to her. So the teacher comes over says we can't have this. And I said, Well, my nervous system can't keep up with the barrage of asanas that you're giving me. He says no, no, no, that's not. And that's the mentality of the exercise world, the fitness world. I even think it's like that, in pretty much everything. We don't spend time being able to integrate. And your system, when I say your system, I'm including your neurological system, your endocrine system, your digestive system, your nervous system, your fluid body, your fragile. You don't need a million things coming to you all at once that you had that before you started working with me. And I've been very vigilant about only giving you a teaspoon at a time a little bit, letting you chew on it, letting you figure out okay, what's enough for me. I felt beginning remember, remember the beginning we had the light sensitivity? And I said go get sunglasses? And you did and it helped you it was a resting for the eyes. So this open attention in your practice is a way for, number one, your body to metabolize, number two, for you to track or keep track of. Well, what are my sensations after doing all this sound? Gee, I'm feeling something in my throat. That's interesting. Let me put my awareness there. Oh my god. Now it's the energy is moving up to my eyes. I'm feeling some warmth. That's interesting. that triggers a memory. Oh, I remember when I was a child. And my mother took me to the beach and we had such a great time. Oh, now I'm feeling this in my solar plexus. There's a tightness there. Let me breathe into the tightness. So you're unwinding your body by Putting your attention on how your body is talking to you.
05:05It's the art of self-regulation. So I'm going to define self-regulation as the ability to regulate yourself in moments of stress. And if you can master that skill,
In this episode, I discuss the relationship between the kidneys, liver, adrenals and different eye conditions. This was a presentation I recently gave on Clubhouse. Enjoy the show! If you want more, sign up for my newsletter at: www.drsamberne.com
SUMMARY KEYWORDSeyes, kidneys, stagnation, cataracts, retina, parasympathetic nervous system, holistic, sam, clarity, fact, retinopathy, important, lens, adrenals, person, omega, acid xanthine, hypertensive, stimulates, podcast
00:05Hello, everyone, its Dr. Sam, I'd like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to Hello at Dr. Sam Berne calm. Now, to the latest EyeClarity and so when I evaluate a person, I've studied traditional Chinese medicine and natural empathy, homeopathy, one of the things I know is that the kidneys are very connected to the dryness in our eyes, and dry eye and kidney chi stagnation are things that go together. In fact, in the major eye diseases, macular degeneration, Liberty stagnation, kidney cheese stagnation, we know the liver opens the eyes so that's one of the main organs that innervates the eyes, but kidneys are really involved in macular degeneration as well. cataracts, kidney chi stagnation, the water in the lens, there's an opacity that's forming. I think the word for cataract is waterfalls. So there's an imbalance in our water and one of the reasons why we develop cataracts also oxidative stress and not getting enough hydration in the eyes, glaucoma. That's also lymphatic issues and kidney ci, stagnation, and myopia, nearsightedness, that umaine emotion is fear related to kidneys. So there's so many connections with the kidneys and eyes and some of the things that we use in our practice is colyton color therapy. If you look at different colors, like the green, blue, green blue, that stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, it calms you down. If you wear a lens prescription, that say based on your focusing, we call it a homeopathic lens prescription that stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system. You know, in fact, when the adrenals are working harder, you're going to have more light sensitivity because the pupils are going to stay dilated, we call the Alpha Omega response, and almost all my patients are coming in in their sensitive delight. Their cortisol levels are off the charts, their adrenals are overworking. So some of the foods and ingredients that I recommend would be things like lutein, zeaxanthin, acid astaxanthin, these are the carotenoids. They're so important in feeding the retina, goji berries, green tea extract, the omega three fatty acids really important glutathione, vitamin C. So I guess in my perspective, I use the eyes as a barometer on what's going on in the internal organs, the kidneys, the liver, the spleen, the gallbladder, and then I treat accordingly. One last point, the retina is made up of a sea of micro capillaries, and folks have been talking about blood pressure. And so we can see in the retina very early on, if there's vascular disease, hypertensive retinopathy, diabetic retinopathy, and then we can apply holistic ways. I don't like to use pharmaceuticals or surgery as a way to rebalance a person using the eyes as the entry point. I'm Dr. Sam, and I'm out.
04:36Thank you for listening. I hope you learned something from the EyeClarity podcast show today. If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to subscribe on iTunes or Spotify and leave a review. see you here next time.
Glaucoma! Blindness! Pharmaceutical eyedrops! Laser surgery! In this episode, I offer 3 new complementary, integrative strategies to neutralize this vascular disease.
Also, please sign up for my newsletter to stay up on all my latest offerings! https://www.drsamberne.com
SUMMARY KEYWORDSglaucoma, resveratrol, optic nerve, ingredients, protects, retina, eyes, coleus, ai, important, clarity, called, herbal remedy, abnormal blood vessels, Spotify, shortlist, wanting, mitochondria, reduce, organ meats
00:05Hello, everyone, its Dr. Sam, I'd like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to Hello at Dr. Sam Berne calm now to the latest I clarity episode. Hey folks, it's Dr. Sam and I want to welcome you to another AI clarity podcast. So today's show I want to talk to you about glaucoma. And we know that glaucoma is a silent disease. We don't even know that we have it unless we go to our doctor and he or she measures our pressure looks at our visual fields and examines the optic nerve health. Now in many other video blogs, I've talked about important ingredients that help neutralize some of the glaucoma affects you know, like omega three fatty acids, Tarin, bilberry, gingko. These are all important for optic nerve health. The key in glaucoma is protecting your optic nerve health. But today, I want to give you three ingredients that maybe are not on your shortlist. These are all natural, that could be added to your glaucoma regimen. So the first is called coleus forskohlii II. Now, this is an herbal remedy, not many people know about it. So it's plant based. And in some very small studies that have been done, it can bring your eye pressure down three or four points. I've been using it for years as a support mechanism to help people bring their AI pressures down. So it is one that I would highly recommend for you. Again, it's called coleus forskohlii ai. Alright, my number two, little bit off the radar is something called resveratrol. And this amazing ingredient can help with the blood circulation, especially in the tiny blood vessels in the retina. It helps reduce oxidative stress. And there's one other thing that it does, it's helpful and that it reduces this tendency for the growth of abnormal blood vessels. And these abnormal blood vessels that sometimes grow in the retina. do so because the retinas so starved. So the retina is trying to produce these blood vessels, but they're so weak, that creates a lot of hemorrhaging. It creates a lot of edema. And we see this a lot in wet macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy. And the medical term which you may have heard of is called angiogenesis. So resveratrol can help reduce the angiogenesis This is powerful, especially if you're dealing with wet AMD. And you're not wanting to do the injections anymore. But it's also helpful for glaucoma because it helps with the ocular flow. Remember, glaucoma is a vascular disease. In fact, there's some research that says it starts in the brain, and then it moves into the eyes. So whatever it is, things that you can do to boost your oxygenation and your hydration in those tiny micro capillary blood vessels. And resveratrol does that.
04:02I recommend about 150 milligrams per day of resveratrol if you're going to try it. Alright, and my number three potent ingredient for glaucoma is something called co q 10. Most of you have heard of this. And it is a neuro protector protects the nerves, the nervous system or neurological health, which of course our eyes our retina or optic nerve is part of so when you take co q 10 you're doing something else that's positive and that is you are supporting mitochondria function. And we know in mitochondria function, the better the mitochondria working, the more it produces ATP,
If you have been diagnosed with cataracts and are contemplating surgery, listen to this episode first!
SUMMARY KEYWORDScataracts, glutathione, thistle, clarity, liver, ingredients, spice, Spotify, melatonin, anti-inflammatory agent, holistic, glutathione levels, antioxidants, podcast, number, health, milk, macular, Sam, boost
00:05Hello, everyone, its Dr. Sam, I'd like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to Hello at Dr. Sam Berne calm now to the latest I clarity episode. Hey everybody, it's Dr. Sam and I want to welcome you to another AI clarity podcast. So today I'm going to talk briefly about what are some say unusual ingredients natural that you could use to boost your lens health. So let's say you've been diagnosed with a cataract, and you're doing some of the things I've suggested like glutathione and vitamin C. And lutein, zeaxanthin, astaxanthin may be wearing some blue blockers using the eyedrops. What else is out there? So I'm going to go through three ingredients that maybe you haven't heard of as it relates to lens health. So let's jump in. Number one on my list is melatonin. In fact, melatonin helps increase glutathione levels. Now another broadcast video blogs, I've talked about the importance of glutathione as it relates to lens health. In fact, there was a research study done that says low glutathione levels, higher risk of developing cataracts. So taking one to three milligrams of melatonin before bedtime can help increase glutathione levels. My number two ingredient is milk thistle and milk thistle contains antioxidants. It's an anti-inflammatory agent and it also helps boost glutathione now another aspect that I love about milk thistle is that it can help as a liver cleanser. And we know in Chinese medicine, the liver rolls the eyes. When you clean up your liver, your eyesight clears up. So doing a week or two I like to use a tincture of the milk thistle. Number one it's going to help the glutathione on levels and number two more importantly, it's going to clean up your liver. Alright and my last superfood for cataracts is the famous spice called saffron. This is a golden colored, pungent spice. It is filled with antioxidants. And it has been shown to be helpful for retinal circulation, macular health but it's also great for diabetic retinopathy and cataracts. So that's my show for today. I want to thank you so much for tuning in. Until next time, take care.
03:38Thank you for listening. I hope you learned something from the EyeClarity podcast show today. If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to subscribe on iTunes or Spotify and leave a review. see you here next time.
In this episode, I lay out a strategy on reducing your dependency on your reading glasses. Here are additional resources to help you!
Video 1: https://youtu.be/62n0DEWZbBwVideo 2: https://youtu.be/LtNcWAFfKQoVideo 3: https://youtu.be/1UY13IA3arM
Animal Eye Chart Directions: https://www.drsamberne.com/animal-eye-chart/Chart:https://www.drsamberne.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Animal-Eye-Chart.pdfYin Yang directions: https://www.drsamberne.com/yin-yang-peripheral-vision-game/Chart: https://www.drsamberne.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Yin-Yang-Eye-Chart.pdf
Minus Lens To Blur: https://www.drsamberne.com/minus-lens-to-blur/Order: https://www.drsamberne.com/minus-lens-to-blur/
SUMMARY KEYWORDSeye, lens, ocular, glasses, exercise, prescription, cataracts, number, magnification, lasik surgery, important, vitamin, wearing, called, reading, glutathione, clarity, protect, superfood, improve
00:05Hello, everyone, its Dr. Sam, I'd like to welcome you to my EyeClarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to Hello at Dr. Sam Berne calm. Now to the latest I clarity episode. Hey, everybody, it's Dr. Sam. And I want to welcome you to EyeClarity today, we have a very special show, I'm broadcasting from 11,000 feet, and brought my production crew up here, the engineer, and we have quite a view, the snow is still melting off the mountains. But it's a beautiful sunny day blue skies. And I wanted to take some questions today as part of our podcast. So let's begin with a lady who is suffering from the need for reading glasses. She's in her 40s. And she wants to know if there's anything that can be done to alleviate or avert the constant need for the plus lenses?
01:39Well, you know, when we start wearing plus lenses for reading at age 40, the first thing that happens is our eye muscles lose their resiliency and flexibility. And we start getting dependent on the glasses. In fact, if we keep wearing them, usually six months or a year later or reaching for a stronger power. So in answering the question, the first thing I want to say is that when you've had LASIK surgery, you have changed the prescription in the eye, but you haven't necessarily changed the prescription in the brain. And so you're dealing with that overlay. And this is again, where the physical therapy exercises can be helpful at bridging the LASIK surgery to the body's prescription or the brains prescription. And so the exercises and the and the advice I'm going to give will help in both instances. So number one, where the magnification that you need, but it should be the least amount without squinting or straining. And by the way, if you try to strain or squint, you know by saying I'm not going to wear reading glasses at all, that's not going to help you start wearing the least amount and go take your reading material to the drugstore, find the lowest number 125 150. And that would that's what you would use for reading and only use it for reading. Don't use it for distance, don't use it for the computer. Because whatever you need for reading, you need less prescription for the computer because it's farther away. And remember, with all your digital devices, you have the option of making the font larger, so you don't need the magnification. So that would be another strategy. Remember, the weakest amount that allows you to see with ease, don't wear too much don't wear too high of a prescription. That's number one. Number two, start in with the eye exercises. And the three that I recommend are the animal eye chart, which is an eye stretch, the yin yang peripheral vision exercise, which is a bi non ocular vision exercise, and the minus lens to blur. I'm going to put those on the notes for the podcast so you can get the links and you can download the directions and the cha...
Are you suffering floaters, macular degeneration, cataracts? Do you feel frustrated that your eyes are getting worse every year? In this episode, I give a presentation during my recent intensive workshop, and offer solutions to many of the vision problems that people are concerned about!
SUMMARY KEYWORDSeye, called, lens, cataracts, vitreous, vision, glaucoma, macula, talk, starts, cloudiness, important, moro reflex, people, lymph system, brain, optometrist, reflex, nervous system, prescription
00:05Hello, everyone, its Dr. Sam, I'd like to welcome you to my Eyeclarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to Hello at Dr. Sam Berne calm. Now to the latest I clarity episode. I like this picture of the eye because it's a picture of where we're entering this black hole, which is called our pupil. And the pupil is the light regulator, it allows light into our eyes. And based on our sympathetic parasympathetic nervous system, that's the part of our nervous system that regulates our stress levels. The muscles around the pupil are called the iris. And based on again, our stress level, this pupil can get dilated. And the bigger it gets, the lighter it allows in. The smaller it gets, the more regulates less light getting in. And I'm going to talk a little bit about stress, and how this pupil response changes based on our stress level. So the whole my whole purpose of this class and my overall 37 years this is going on my 38th year, devoting my entire career of offering a new direction and vision care. And today and tonight, and this month, we're going to talk about different strategies, protocols, exercises that can help you reach your goals. So first off, I'd like to talk about the teachers who've had a major impact in my life. And many of these teachers, who came before me, developed this whole body of work called holistic optometry, developmental optometry. And the first person on this list is a guy most of you don't know there are a few optometrists taking the course. His name was am Skeffington. He was a doctor who was a physician and an optometrist. He started behavioral, developmental optometry in the 1920s in the Midwest. And he started to talk about the eyes as a whole-body system. That's not talked about today. You know, when you go to an eye doctor, the eyes are separate from the body and we're just looking at it as a mechanical camera. And it only gets worse with age. Well, Skeffington started to teach optometrists how to think of the eyes as it related to the body. Number two, Dr. Albert Shankman, he was my optometrist, and he was a holistic doctor. I met him in his mid 70s. I was in my late 20s. And he was the doctor I went to, that helped me completely dissolve my myopia, and astigmatism. And he took a very global Mind Body approach. He incorporated yoga, meditation, and he wrote a book called vision enhancement training. I'm not even sure you can get it anymore. But it's a book that talks about the mind body connection as it relates to the eyes and many of the philosophical things that I present or based on my work with Dr. Shankman. The next optometrist, Dr. Albert Sutton, was one of my dear mentors. He was a world-renowned developmental optometrist did a lot of research in child development. He also was very holistic he worked with nutrition. And he was one of my dear friends who was instrumental in many of the different things many of the different things I do today.
05:01Number four, Dr. John Streff’s and Dr. Dick Apell. These were holistic optometrists. And I studied with them when I went to the Gesell Institute. So the Gesell Institute, which was affiliated with Yale University, was started by Dr. Gesell who was a physician in 1948. I went there in the mid 80s.
One of the most effective treatments I have developed is called: The Eye Protocol. I use a series of essential oils that help improve a person's circulation, oxygenation, and detoxification processes in and around the eyes . In this episode, you get to hear a part of an Aromatherapy presentation that I taught during week 4 of my Advanced Vision Exploration Seminar.
SUMMARY KEYWORDSessential oil, fennel, eyes, supports, vision, laurel leaf, oil, warmer, burning, hydrating, temples, put, feeling, clarity, carrot seed, part, seed, tissue, work, carrier oil
00:05Hello, everyone, its Dr. Sam, I'd like to welcome you to my Eye Clarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to Hello at Dr. Sam Berne calm. Now to the latest I clarity episode. So tonight, we're going to work with five foundational essential oils. If you have them, that's great. If you don't have them, you can just listen to the presentation, you're part of the field, you're going to get it anyway. So, what I'm going to do is I'm going to go through the kind of the informational part, and then I'm going to do a demonstration. So, the first one we're going to work with is called sweet fennel. This is part of my I protocol that I've developed, and fennel or sweet fennel, we get it from the seeds. So, if you think of a seed, it's the beginning. It's the birthing, it's it’s the start of something new. And so, the fennel, when you apply it, the opportunities you're going to get the energetic of, of new birth, death, rebirth, death rebirth, let's say you're exploring your vision because we're going to be working around your face and eyes, that the fennel is the first oil that you are going to apply that hopefully is going to open your vision. It's a warm and I kind of classify the oils as young which is hot, and yen which is cool. This would be a yen plus you're going to put it on and you're going to feel a little warmth, but it's Hardy. It has feathery leaves. It's an ancient herb. They've used it back in Rome, Greece, India, Egypt. One of the main ways phenol has been used as it helps support digestive and stomach health. It invigorates the kidney and spleen. It helps with our self-expression. So many times, when we use these essential oils, they don't only affect us physically, but they may affect us spiritually. And this is the number one essential oil we're going to use in the eye protocol which I'll show you in a few minutes. Essential Oil number two is called carrot seed. carrot seed is great for the skin. It's also from dried seed parts. So, you get two seeds here. Change, newness beginnings, birth. It's a muscle relaxant. It's a blood purifier. It supports the gallbladder. This one is slightly warmer than the fennel and I'll explain to you how to apply it but it's essential oil number two. Essential Oil number three is Frankincense. And this comes from the resin of a small tree. For many of you, you know that it is ancient. It's been talked about and read about in the Egyptian the Persian, the Hebrew, the Roman, the Greek civilizations, and it supports a balance of your nervous system. It's also a major visual opener. It helps stimulate stagnating energy, it's uplifting, it's freeing, and it's yet there's no plus to it. So, it's a little cooler than the first two and its application number three. Number four is Laurel leaf. This comes from an evergreen shrub or tree, and it comes from the leaves and branches. Those of you that have been to Greece, there's a place where you can go where Apollo was. LAUREL leaf was dedicated around the temples for poetry for prophecy. I call it the queen of the lymph system. It really supports our lymphatic health. It's very uplifting and sparks our inner vision. It is also very in, and I'll talk about where some of the best places...
Do you ever suffer dizziness, double vision, sea sickness, or balance issues? In this episode, I discuss the relationship between the vestibular system and the visual system. They are so intertwined! If you want to learn more how the the brain, the eyes, and the vestibular system play together, please enjoy this presentation.
SUMMARY KEYWORDSvestibular system, eyes, vestibular, brain, cerebellum, important, peripheral vision, called, astigmatism, seconds, stigmatism, head, inner ear, movements, boost, underactive, balance, create, part, week
00:05Good evening. Good. Good afternoon. Good morning, wherever you are. I'd like to welcome you to week number three. And it's great to be here. I hope that you find tonight's class. Well, let's just say informative, exciting, and eye opening. So, adventures in Gravity, this is a very important topic. And I want to spend some time discussing the connection between our inner ear and our eye, the ear eye connection or better known as the vestibular visual connection. So, the vestibular system is part of our, our ear auditory anatomy, and specifically, we're talking about the inner ear, the inner ear is critically important in our ability to orient in the world. And it is very connected to our eyes. And a lot of the situations that you have going on, could be at some level connected to the vestibular issues that we all go through. So, in this first slide, I define the vestibular system as the inner ear, and it's made up of the like little stones or bones. In the inner ear, we have the labyrinth, and we have the ear receptors. And it's these ear receptors that send information via the auditory nerve to a part of the brain called the cerebellum. And the cerebellum is also known as the little brain. And the cerebellum is responsible for our coordination, our precision and timing of movements, as well as motor learning. And if you watch the video that I sent you, on week three, there's a bilateral integration, where you're moving your arms and your legs and your head in your eyes. That is activating the connection between your vestibular system and your cerebellum. Now, part of the receptors that send information from the auditory nerve also go to another part of the brain called the survival brain now the survival brain. We touched into that in week one with the Moro reflex, the starfish, the morrow is part of our startle response. And the brainstem is the part of our brain that helps us navigate the fight flight freeze response. And you may recall that in the hierarchy of brain function, we start off operating from our reptilian brain, the survival brain, then we move to the cerebellum. And then finally, we move to the frontal brain called the cerebral cortex. So if we move on the receptors in these two brain centers, meaning the cerebellum and the brainstem actually then send information both to the eye muscles and to our cerebral cortex, now the function of the cerebral cortex. It's been known as our higher brain center, and it's designed for things like perception, sensation, memory, associations, thought, and voluntary physical action. Some have coined it the executive brain function, but you can see how involved the vestibular system is
04:45in our overall brain health. Now the vestibular system is a sensory system that is responsible for providing our brain with information about Motion, head position, spatial orientation, that's our depth perception. It's also involved in other motor functions that help us stabilize our head and body during movement. It's also important in our balance and our posture. That's the vestibular system is essential for our normal movement in equilibrium. And just a side note here, because some of you have asked questions about a stigmatism that a lot of times a stigmatism occurs when there is an irregularity in our posture, or head position, so let's say we, we might tilt our head to one side or the other,
In this episode, I am giving a presentation on how to heal your eye diagnosis. I offer many tips in the area of eye exercises, nutrition, and much more. I hope you enjoy the show!
SUMMARY KEYWORDS:
eye, cataract, lens, msm, called, vision, prescription, astigmatism, vitreous, eyedrops, reduce, creates, eyelid, inflammation, people, retina, wear, important, myopia, glaucoma
00:05Hello, everyone,
00:06Hi everyone! Its Dr. Sam, I'd like to welcome you to my high clarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me if you have questions, you can send them to aluminum calm. Now, for the latest high clarity. All right, so I'm going to welcome you to my office. And I know many of you who've had eye exams have not been happy with your eye doctor. So hopefully today's visit will be more uplifting better. You know, it's interesting about when you go to an eye doctor. Usually you keep going every year, and he or she keeps saying things are getting worse. And there's never a talk that things are getting better. If you think about it, if you went to a misuse or a chiropractor, and you kept going to them and they kept saying, well, things are getting worse, or you felt they were getting worse. You probably wouldn't go back. I mean, why would you want to, but for some reason, and I care. Not only is it the norm that you go back, and things are getting worse. But there's never any talk that things could get better. And you've heard me on many of my video blogs where I talk about how people go for an exam and they're told they have the whole list here. floaters retinal holes, eye aches, that night vision issues, light sensitivity, blepharitis, glaucoma, progressive myopia, whatever it is, and you ask the question, Doctor, is there anything that I can do to make it better? We got down, thank you, let's make sure
02:25you make sure you're on number,
02:28get some time,
02:30which we are receiving.
02:36Okay, make sure you're on mute so that we aren't distracting each other. It's really important. All right, we're going to continue. So anyways, you're you're at my office. And in our office, what's kind of cool is people will come in, and they'll have blurred vision or some kind of a symptom. And I'll do my exam. And I'll say something like, you know, you're actually Your eyes have actually gotten better. And your prescription has gotten less, or your cataract is going away, or whatever it is. And people are shocked. Because we never ever think that if we do have a symptom, that it means that things have gotten better, we always go to the place. Oh, my goodness, things must have gotten worse. Well, in my office, most of my patients got better, and still get better. And so, I asked them, well, what are you doing? And they might say something like, well, I'm doing counseling, I'm getting acupuncture. They're doing some consciousness expanding experience. And so, they then put it together that well if I if I do my healing on my body, on my mind, on my spirit, that I can improve my eyesight. So that's why my approach being a whole-body experience is super important. Alright, so the big question I get all the time. I get this all the time. Why do our eyes let us down? I have a whole list of feedback from your questionnaires. Nobody on their said Well, I'm really happy where my eyes are. I just want to be proactive. Everybody has a diagnosis. So, what's going on. So, the eyes need a lot of oxygenation and hydration. They're made of tiny blood vessels all the back of the eye is a sea of micro capillaries. So, at some level, you're losing the oxygenation and the hydration in the eye tissues. I'll say more about that in a moment. And this creates a starvation and a lack of nourishment. So, we can talk about things like visual stress, wearing the wrong prescription getting eye surger...
In this episode I take two questions. The first is from a 63 yer old who is seeing a pulse in her eye. It does not affect her vision. She is a transcriber and sits in front of a computer, hours a day. What do I think? The second question is about floaters. I revisit this topic and offer some new suggestions.
SUMMARY KEYWORDSvitreous, eye, collagen, health, floaters, msm, vitamin c, called, red light therapy, ingredient, ginseng, eyelids, helpful, improve, develop, part, vision, macula, patients, day
00:05Hello, everyone, its Dr. Sam, I'd like to welcome you to my I clarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to Hello at Dr. Sam Berne calm.
00:29Now
00:30to the latest I clarity episode. Hey, everybody, Dr. Sam is here and we are at 127. Wow. So it's great to be here today. We've got a couple of questions. I want to talk about the condition of floaters because I'm getting so many questions about that. I want to start off with a question that I receive on Instagram. This is from a lady who Well, here it is she's 63 years old and she's seeing a pulse in her eyes. She's worn glasses. Since she was in the third grade. Along with now she's got hypo thyroid disease. She's developed the sharp pain behind the left thigh five years ago and has excessive tearing. She recently noticed that there's a pulse that she sees in the left eye comes and goes. It doesn't affect her vision. She doesn't smoke or drink alcohol, but she's a transcriber. She spends all day on the computer. She wants some my thoughts and advice. First of all, the information that I'm going to be sharing is educational only. And it's not a substitute for going to your ophthalmologist or optometrist. That being said, the first thing that comes to me is eye fatigue, eye strain. You know, sitting in front of a computer all day every day is really damaging. We've got first of all visual confinement because you're sitting in one position staring in at one distance. That's like trying to run marathons. And over time, that is just going to stress your eyes out. And this can lead to you know, lowered circulation, oxidation issues not getting enough hydration. So this visually related stress on the computer is one aspect. The second aspect, which isn't really being talked about very much is the blue light. And I've heard some doctors actually say that blue light is a neurotoxin. And as a neurotoxin, it actually is creating damage to the eyes. And you need to have some protection in the form of blue blockers, blue blocking filters over the eyes, that there are certain screens out there that you can get that will deflect some of the damaging blue light by blue light is definitely another reason. Now, we can go a little deeper here and I always recommend getting a physical exam once a year, you know, go to your doctor check in because we have so many blood vessels running in and out of the eyes. My concern is is that you know we need to check just our overall blood pressure. And you know what's going on just on our heart level. The carotid arteries, you know, at 63 years old, you know you're wanting to make sure circulation wise there's no possible embolisms or aneurisms or things like that, and I'm not suggesting this at all. However, it's really important to check in with your doctor get some blood work. You know, the, the kind of doctors I like to go to a functional medicine doctors or naturopathic doctors and they tend to do you know, testing that's a little more valuable, whether it's maybe a 24 hour urine panel for heavy metal toxicity, hair and hair mineral analysis, and they're different blood panels that you can do. They can give you more information on you know, what's going on in your systemic health. You mentioned hypothyroidism and the thyroid is so interr...
In this episode, I give the listeners a glimpse into a private session I offered to a patient who has reduced her myopia and astigmatism by 50% and wants the advanced set of vision therapy exercises to be able to reduce her prescription completely. Yes, you can reduce your dependency on your contacts and glasses! Here is the transcript for the show. Enjoy!
Podcast 126
Fri, 4/23 4:08PM • 36:59
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
eye, metronome, eyepatch, chart, practice, beats, left, arm, leg, letter, exercises, vision, limbs, clarity, micromanage, glasses, read, myopia, moving, walk
00:05
Hello, everyone, its Dr. Sam, I'd like to welcome you to my I clarity podcast. This is a show that offers cutting edge information on how to improve your vision and overall wellness through holistic methods. I so appreciate you spending part of your day with me. If you have questions, you can send them to Hello at Dr. Sam Berne calm. Now to the latest I clarity episode. In today's show, I am going to present a session that I did with a patient recently who is reducing her myopia and astigmatism. And I'm giving your more advanced exercises today that include the eye brain body, and they're going to require her to be able to focus in a more expanded way. So I hope you enjoy this session. Take care when I enrolled in vision therapy, so I was in your shoes, I had a similar prescription as you did, was even stronger. And the doctor that I went to see made me commit for a year. And he gave me some practices, some vision practices that I had to do every day. And they were very much two things whole body. So how to use my whole body engage my whole body with my vision. And the second part is that the exercises were all done with an eyepatch. Okay. And his theory, his thesis was that by using an eyepatch, when the eyes were good when the eyes are so different. So mine were different to like yours, the eye patch disrupts the normal functioning of how the The eyes are different. And you kind of get flatlined when that happens. So the patches of this pattern interrupter, the other thing is you're doing the practice, at the you're doing the practice the same amount of time with each eye. Even though you might think one eye is stronger, like the right eye or the left eye is weaker whenever, what because you're basing it on clarity, and blur. But each eye gets the same amount of time. And you're then on a journey. When you do these practices, because they're not mechanical at all. They're very much Mind Body oriented, and there's a mindfulness. So it's an open ended practice, where you're using the practice, to deepen your self awareness around your habits, patterns conditioning, as it relates to the mental, emotional, energetic and physical parts of your eyes. So it's going to be very informative, if you take that attitude. And so just to finish with me, I went down this, this track with him. And it took me about six months. And one day I woke up, and I started driving, and I could see the road signs. And I remember right before that I had shared with him I was really frustrated. Because I wasn't reaching my goal of getting rid of the need for my glasses. I was the reason why I went to him. And he told me that with that attitude, I would never get there. And he he said that the only way that I might have a chance would be to completely let go of the goal of getting rid of my glasses. And I couldn't do that that was very hard for me because I was very goal oriented and most people that are near sighted have that goal oriented streak.
04:38
And so it was it became a real practice a real metaphor to be detached about the goal. Like I can have the goal and then let it go. Have a go Let it go up. I'm sure you're well aware of that, that practice. So in this set of exercises that you're going to be doing. The clarity and the balance between the two eyes is something that's going to sneak up on you. It's going to surprise you when they when you least e...
In this episode, I am interviewed by Christian Yordanov host of the Connecting Minds Podcast. I answer questions ranging from Autism, Vestibular Health, Amblyopia (lazy eye), Computer Vision Syndrome, and other topics. I hope you enjoy the show!
In this episode, I give my current State of the Union using integrative/holistic modalities to improve vision and wellness. Some of the topics include: the debate on genetics versus epigenetics as it relates to eye disease, emotional responses connected with myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism. The effects craniosacral therapy, chinese medicine, and homeopathy have on a person's eye health. Enjoy the show!
In this episode, I give a lecture on the following topics: Topic 1: Traumatic Brain-Injury and Vision. I discuss a variety of techniques that reduce trauma including vision therapy and color therapy. Topic 2: How do you go about reducing your prescription and improving your vision? Topic 3: How to navigate your eye disease diagnosis? How does screen time affect our vision? Enjoy the show!
In this episode, I answer 3 questions: Question 1: Joe asks: “What can I do to prepare for my upcoming cataract surgery?” Question 2: Gladys asks: “Are there other alternative therapies to reduce my glaucoma?” Question 3: Barry asks: “What is your essential oil protocol to improve your vision?”
Here is the link to the research study I quoted about Glaucoma and Mindfulness Meditation: https://www.aao.org/eye-health/news/mindfulness-meditation-may-help-fight-glaucoma
And the link to my upcoming Advanced Vision Exploration Workshop: https://www.drsamberne.com/advanced-vision-exploration/
In this episode, I interview visionary artist and workshop facilitator, Jan Salerno on the Big Island of Hawaii. We discuss our collaborations with the dolphins, whales, and the creative/healing process! Jan can be reached on Facebook through Dolphin Whisperers Hawaii or Jan Salerno Art and Design. Enjoy the show!
If your prescription keeps getting worse year after year or if you are becoming more dependent on your reading glasses, listen to these tips on how to stop this downward spiral. Any eyeglass or contact lens prescription is like a pharmaceutical drug. There are side effects like less eye muscle responsiveness, more blurred vision, and an increase in your prescription every year. Dr. Sam offers ways some simple ways to improve your vision and reduce your dependency on your glasses.
In this episode, I offer my State of the Union on the future of eye care and health trends for 2021. This was a post-Vision Summit I presented to a group who took the seminar. I wanted to also make available to my community at large. I hope you enjoy the show!
In this episode, I am interviewed by Travis Zigler, OD on The Dry Eye Show. I discuss Colloidal Silver, MSM, and offer tips to improve your vision and health!
In this episode, Dr. Sam is interviewed by Marsha McCulloch, a blogger who writes for Vitacost. He talks about the effects computer use is having on our eyes, vision, and wellness. He offers many tips on how to take better care of your vision while being on screen time.
In this pre-Vision Summit podcast, I had the pleasure of interviewing two of the featured speakers who are presenting at the Summit : Maria Karakosta-Humpich and her partner Marc Humpich, Continuum Movement Teachers and Somatic Educators. They share their philosophy of using the inquiry of movement to facilitate creativity, and the fullness of being alive. They can be reached through their website: www.thelivingbodyacademy.com
In this pre-Vision Summit podcast interview, I have a conversation with Crystal Hadnott, a Certified Integrative Nutritionist, Functional Wellness Coach, Health Educator, speaker, and author. She will be a featured speaker on my Vision Summit Online Seminar talking about the relationship between the eyes and the gut. She can be reached at: https://www.instagram.com/crystalhadnott/
In this interview, Dr. Sam talks with Annie McDonnell, a New York State licensed acupuncturist with a focus on relieving stress-related ailments and strengthening emotional resilience. Annie is one of the featured speakers at Dr. Sam's upcoming Vision and Whole Health Summit which will be held January 15-17, 2021. Annie will be speaking on Chinese Medicine and Eye Health. She offers both telemedicine and office appointments. She can be reached at: joyalchemyacupuncture@gmail.com.
In this interview, Dr. Sam talks with Alexandra Defacio, a holistic therapist, licensed colon hydro-therapist, lymphatic drainage masseuse and modern shaman. Alexandra is one of the featured speakers at Dr. Sam's upcoming Vision and Whole Health Summit which will be held January 15-17, 2021. Alexandra can be reached at: www.greenstarwellnessnyc.com or through Instagram: @greenstarnyc. Enjoy the show!
As part of my pre-Summit interview series, I have a very informative conversation with Andrea Rossi, a practicing nutritionist, community herbalist, and founder of the business Dirt and Bones. She helps people who suffer anxiety, overwhelm, burnout, and chronic health challenges through nurturing the nervous system, individualized nutrition therapy herbal support, and nature-experience programs. Andrea is one of my featured speakers for the upcoming Vision and Whole Health Summit, which will be help January 15-17, 2021. Andrea's presentation will be on: "Herbalism and Eye Health." She can be reached through her website: www.dirtandbones.com Enjoy the show!
In this special pre-Vision Summit Online Seminar which will be held January 15-17th, 2021, I am interviewing all the presenters for this event. To sign up for the Summit visit: https://www.drsamberne.com/summit/. Today, I interview Donnalea Van Vleet Goelz, PhD, executive director of Continuum Movement. We have a very interesting conversation about a variety of topics on health! To learn more about her classes visit her websites: www.continuummovement.com or www.cobaltmooncenter.com. Enjoy the show!
I had the pleasure of being interviewed about my philosophy and work by Gael Rosewood, who is a representative for the Rolf Institute. For those of you who don't know about Rolfing, it was invented by the visionary pioneer, Dr. Ida Rolf. It is an effective body work modality that helps reorganize the connective tissue that supports the muscles, bones and nerves. Enjoy the show!
In this podcast, I give a presentation on the testing that can be done if you suffer dizziness, vertigo, and orientation problems. What is the relationship between the inner ear and the eyes? Here are some answers for you.
In this episode I was interviewed on the podcast: The Matter of the Heart by Carol Olivia Adams. I discussed many topics related to the Power of the Eyes. Enjoy the show!
In this podcast, I present a lecture on the health of our 3 diaphragms: the maxillary sinus, respiratory, and pelvic diaphragms. This is a workshop I recently gave to a group of teachers at a teacher training for a modality called Continuum Movement. I hope you enjoy the show!
Podcast 106 NotesQuestion 1: Rhonda: “Can I use MSM eye drops if I have been diagnosed with glaucoma? How do I use MSM eye drops when I am taking glaucoma eye drops?” Question 2: Gary: “I have had cataract surgery. Can I use MSM eye drops?’ Question 3: “Can you talk about the physical eye therapy exercise minus lens to blur?”
Question 1 from Bruno: “How does caffeine affect the eyes?” Question 2 from Gayle: “Please describe the difference between probiotics and prebiotic fiber?” Question 3 from Bob: “I am currently receiving Avastin injections for my wet macular degeneration. Are there any holistic alternatives.?” Program Note: For Question 3 What is VEGF? This is referred to as: Vascular endothelial growth factor. It is a protein that causes a growth of abnormal blood vessels found in conditions like wet macular degeneration or diabetic retinopathy. Aside from pharmaceutical drugs, natural methods such as increasing lutein, zeaxanthin, astaxanthin, bilberry, the tocotrienol form of Vitamin E, Omega 3 fatty acids, and glutathione may be helpful in neutralizing some of the abnormal blood vessel growth. If you are a smoker or former smoker, do not use beta-carotene as this may lead to a higher risk of lung cancer.
Question 1: “Hi Dr. Berne, what can I just had a stroke in the optic nerve. Can you offer some advice?” Question 2: “I have recurring eyelid cysts. What are your thoughts on causation?” Question 3: “What can I do if I get broken blood vessels?” Link to 2013 article that I mentioned which was published in Clinical Ophthalmology on subconjunctival hemorrhages in the eye. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3702240/
Question 1: “Regarding HDL levels - is there a correlation between higher levels and macular degeneration? I’ve read only about the risk of Non-HDL levels. Do you have an opinion about this?” Question 2: “Dr Berne, what do you think about syntonic phototherapy? Is it helpful? If yes, can it be done at home? I came across a great practitioner but it costs $15k to undergo the vision therapy & syntonics program.” Question 3: “Dr. Berne, there is much talk about how Nitric Oxide helps so much in circulation not only in the body but our eyes! Is there any way to have this naturally through certain fruits and vegetables?”
Question 4: Is there anything adverse about using these with implanted contact lenses (ICL’s)? I have had ICLs since 2010. Now I was diagnosed with beginning stage of cataracts, and also my eye pressure runs slightly high.” What do you think?” Question 5: “What is Superior oblique myokymia?”
Please note, if you have listened to the podcast, you qualify for a 10% discount on all products on Dr. Berne’s Webstore.When you check out, enter the code: Eyes1 Link to webstore: https://www.drsamberne.com/our-products/You also receive free shipping for orders over $50Question 1: “I saw your post on homeopathic glasses. Can you go into more detail in what you mean by homeopathic lenses?” Question 2: “Your post intrigued me about optic nerve health and energetic interference. Can you elaborate?”
Question 1: “I have a question for you... I have a baby daughter (just turned 1), and she goes cross eyed sometimes. It seems like she is playing, because she kind of zones out for a few seconds smiling and laughing often when doing it, and then her eyes go back to normal. We haven't thought anything of it (and figured it will be something she just grows out of). But I wanted to check with you. (Note: She does not appear to have any visual struggles, or any signs of any developmental issues -- she is healthy, happy, moves well, sees well, hears well, etc.) From googling, it looks like intermittent accomodative estropia.” Q2: “What advice do you have for lattice degeneration?” Q3: “Hi Dr. Sam! I enjoyed your Vision Sanctuary Retreat. You talked about Mugwort as a tea that can help the eyes and body. Can you elaborate?”
Question 1: How does the diagnosis Nystagmus affect my vision? Question 2: Why do I include green tea in my eye vitamin? 3. What are the best things I can do to prepare for cataract surgery? And what are the best things I can to heal after the surgery.
Question 1: “I've been dealing with dizziness and a loss of a sense of balance for over two years. I feel like the eye doctors don't look beyond eyes and the other doctors I've seen don't look at eyes at all. I have hyperopia and amblyopia which resulted in esotropia as a child. I haven't had any surgeries. I've been experiencing double vision more often lately so I've assumed this is related to the dizziness. I'm 31 now and noticed an increase in double vision about 3 years ago. I've seen 2 ophthalmologists and 3 optometrists in the last 2 years. I did 32 weeks of vision therapy to try to correct the strabismus. After vision therapy was unsuccessful I was prescribed 1.00 base out prism glasses. I didn't like the 1.00 prism glasses since they were combined with a pretty strong progressive prescription that made me feel like I'm looking through a fishbowl and I found them disorienting. I have resumed wearing non-prism lenses just because they feel more comfortable. My first physical therapist's diagnosis was pressure on my occipital nerves. Since I've had the eye alignment issues all my life it's hard for me to not keep thinking that's where the problem is. I'm hesitant to have my neck operated on for obvious reasons but definitely because I don't know if it will fix my dizziness and balance issues. My uneducated theory on this is that I've had eye strain for so long from my strabismus and perhaps even from straining through my hyperopia that it's crept down to my neck. This theory is due to the fact that the neck issues are on my left side which is my good eye that does most of my seeing. I also think the weakness in my eye muscles from strabismus may be why I've failed the VNG tests. Does this sound plausible?” Question 2: “Hi Dr. Berne, I was dx with age-related macular degeneration (dry) 3 years ago. I go to my eye doctor every 6 months and he says things are getting worse. I have complained that I see better out of my naked eye than his glasses. I wear progressive lenses. My only complaint is I don’t see well at night when I drive. Otherwise I can see clearly when I read. What do you suggest?”
Question 1: Betty: “Can you suggest some natural remedies for cataracts? I have developed a cataract in my right eye.” Question 2: I have been diagnosed with Open Angle Glaucoma. I don’t like taking the drops. What can you recommend? Link to study on Coleus and eye pressure: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4487936/ Question 3: “I have been diagnosed with vertigo and vestibular insufficiency disorder? Can you help me?” Question 4: I would like to ask, do you suggest a strabismus operation? I am 56 years old, have myopia major congenial, strabismus. I have never had any eye surgeries. I suffer esotropia. Thank you so much in advance.”
Q 1: “Dr Sam, I have a Glutathione and B12 deficiencies which I think has caused my eyefloaters is this possible?” Q2: “Is there a cure for freckles in the back of the eye?”
In this episode I answer questions on eyelid blisters, how to negotiate a reduced astigmatism prescription with your eye doctor, and what to do to improve a corneal condition called Keratoconus.
In this episode, I interview Dr. Dee Blanco, a holistic veterinarian and we discuss COVID-19, Vaccinations, and holistic pet health. Dr. Blanco can be reached at www.drdeeblanco.com
In this episode, I interview Joshua Townshend-Zellner. He has been involved in the theatre, film and the entertainment industry for over 25 years as a writer, actor, producer and director. He has trained with many luminaries of the International Theatre scene including; Ron Sossi, Yoshi Oida, George Shandoff, Osentinsky, Ryszard Cieslak.
Joshua has blended his worlds of Theatre & Improvisation Training along with his studies in the yogic and shamanic traditions to create experience based techniques and skills that will take you on a deep dive into the creative process. His background as a cultural creative, director, acting coach and phenomenologist will support your process as you are guided through the labyrinth of writing and performing your creative art. He has a very popular podcast called Notes On Your Notes, and can be reached directly at: joshuatz@me.com.
Question 1: Arlene: “What is your opinion of Lipo vision drops?” Question 2: “What is the relationship between dyslexia and vision?” Visit Dr. Sam’s Videoblog link: https://www.drsamberne.com/?s=dyslexia Question 3: Ben: “I’ve been experiencing dizziness during these long Zoom meetings following the Coronavirus social distancing. I’m a graduate student and an intern, and I’ve started using reading glasses two years ago. I also struggle with high blood pressure. Any suggestions?” Question 4: “So yesterday after I did the eye exercises with the string my double vision seemed improved for a while, but then when I went for a walk about 6pm my double vision was worse than ever and I couldn't look out in the distance or I would get dizzy, only at the ground in front of me. This morning I am trying the exercise and I get to the 3rd bead--the farthest away and one string disappears completely and I can't get it back. I try un-focusing until I see 2 beads and then bring them together, but as soon as they start to overlap the string just disappears (my left eye). And then I get dizzy. So, seems like things are definitely changing, but just wanting to make sure that this makes sense and I should keep trying...Thanks,” Question 5: “What do you think of sungazing?”
Question 1: “Hi Dr. Berne! I have followed your podcast and have loved everything you have said. I had a concussion when I was little and never understood why I had a hard time reading. Now, I am doing vision therapy but I also have OCD. I was wondering if you know anything about OCD and the eyes. I am always worried about having tension in my eyes and I am constantly aware about it giving me anxiety. Like I try to do everything without tension in my eyes but I’m not sure what’s going on.I am also scared about getting double vision. Do you have any advice?” Question 2: “Dr Berne, I'm hearing the COVID-19 virus enters mouth, nose and eye. How does COVID-19 affect the eyes?" Question 3: “Would rebounding suffice if someone can't get out to walk?” Question 4: “How does acupuncture open the eye meridians?”
Question 1 from Kristy: “Hi Dr. Sam, I am a 43-year-old female who has been dealing with floaters for the past 3 years. I had been working with a functional medicine doctor for 2 years prior to developing floaters in order to regulate low thyroid after the birth of my second son. Since developing floaters, I also have additional issues such as seeing black and white objects, sparkles when looking up at the blue sky or seeing bright spots in my glasses when the sunlight hits them, etc. I have been to numerous eye doctors, as recent as a month ago, and they all say my vision is perfect.
With that said, I do think I have genetic predisposition for macular degeneration, but I have read some things from doctors who say fish oil and high dose vitamins can hurt your vision. And others say they will help your vision. There is SO much confusing evidence out there. So, with that background:
When working with a functional medicine doctor to heal gut dysbiosis, is it ok to take high quality supplements, protein powders with high doses of vitamins, to get the gut healed without worrying about negative eye effects? What are your thoughts as I know you often talk about healing the gut being critical to eye health. So, what are your recommendations on working with a functional medicine person in relationship to eye health and taking high vitamin doses, etc.? Any factors to consider? (All supplements are prescribed based on high-quality testing).All functional medicine doctors want to give high doses of fish oil, and I have read contrasting info that fish oil can even be dangerous… what is your take on these supplements in relationship to eye health?Also, how can you incorporate mindfulness into eye healing so that someone can "believe" that they can heal? There are so many negative diagnosis and doctors who say you can't do anything… so it is easy to believe that you can't heal especially if you have tried for many years unsuccessfully. What would you say to someone about how to find hope and practice mindfulness in the midst of a society that tells us we can't heal?What are your thoughts on having a vision teacher to get out of glasses? Any recommendations around the country that you trust? I have recently started your eye exercises that you have posted online, so wondering if this is enough or better to work with someone locally?Also, if you practice eye exercises, is it better to wear glasses lower than your prescription -- like Bates said to not wear your glasses again… this is hard to do in today's society. What do you recommend? Thank you so much. Link to my protocol for macular degeneration: https://www.drsamberne.com/?s=macular+degeneration
Question 2 from Kathryn: “I am interested in reducing the level of pressure on my right eye. It was recommended that Kaiser pierce my eye with a laser to reduce the pressure, and I did not. also, can you make recommendations for reducing the dependency on glasses or contacts.”
" I tell everyone about you because holistic eye care is very foreign in NECT and this tri-state area. My cranial nerves have been greatly affected by acute and chronic lyme and mycoplasma. I even required early cataract surgery before I self tested positive for lyme as traditional testing is <50% accurate and manipulated. I used a home phlebotomist and Vibrant Wellness, CA testing. I now see a ILADS member LLMD in Ashford, CT. I am using a botanical biofilm busting protocol along with antibiotics.
I am interested in any information that you share or have shared with regard to the global vector/tick-bourne disease epidemic as it relates to our eyes. I am currently not returning to my eye professionals due to their apathetic attitude, ignorance, and lack of progress and common sense. Cranial/peripheral… nerves and microbial biofilms need to be addressed in this dense population which continues to insidiously grow.
How are you addressing biofilm, reversing nerve damage and combating microbials in your practice? "
Question 1 from Allyson: “I have had dry eyes for a few months with some trouble driving at night. I also have astigmatism in my left eye. I think some of my symptoms improve with beta carotene, like carrot juice. What else would you recommend that I can do from home? I'd like to rely on diet as much as possible. I am working on whole body detox with magnesium baths, sauna, and red light therapy. Lately, I've found the sauna a little drying to my eyes, so I haven't done it as much.” Question 2 from Margaret: “Can you talk about biofilm? Can it affect my new lenses from cataract surgery? I just had lavage today on my eyelids, wonder how to prevent, what causes it, how to treat, etc.?” Link for article on Dr. Berne’s article on the Ocular Microbiome: https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/everything-you-need-to-know-about-your-eye-microbiome Question 3: “What is visual snow? How do you work with it?”
Question 1: What are your thoughts on Hypochlorous Acid? Question 2: I have droopy eyelids and want to know if there is a non surgical way to lift them. I have used products and actually egg whites to try and lift them but no success. Do you recommend laser technique to be able to tighten that skin above my eyes or is surgery my only option. Thanks for your input which I truly appreciate. Question 3: What can you do for the Posner Schlossman syndrome?
In this podcast, Dr. Sam gives a presentation on Eyes, Vision, and Somatic Movement at a Continuum Movement teacher's training in Florida. This is part 3 of his presentation.
n this podcast, Dr. Sam gives a presentation on Eyes, Vision, and Somatic Movement at a Continuum Movement teacher's training in Florida. This is part 2 of his presentation.
In this podcast, Dr. Sam gives a presentation on Eyes, Vision, and Somatic Movement at a Continuum Movement teacher's training in Florida. This is part 2 of his presentation.
In this podcast, Dr. Sam gives a presentation on Eyes, Vision, and Somatic Movement at a Continuum Movement teacher's training in Florida. This is part 1 of his presentation.
In this special podcast, I give my friend a session over lunch. She is suffering presbyopia, which is a vision condition where we need reading glasses to see the print clearly. But as we unpack the session, some of the deeper reasons come out on why she needs to wear reading glasses in the first place. I also bring in the philosophy of Continuum Movement, a healing movement practice that helps us improve the fluidity in our body. Since we are 70% fluid, being able to continually revitalize our fluid body is important in maintaining proper eye health and wellness. Enjoy the show!
Question 1: Karen from North Carolina, 0-12:25
Hello Dr. Berne. First, I want to thank you for all of the wonderful, hopeful and extremely helpful information you give out to all of us who have eye disease. I look forward to listening to every one of your podcasts. Six weeks ago I was diagnosed with an eye virus and Meibomian gland dysfunction. (I had a cold for 2 weeks and also got something in my eye which I rubbed and should not have). I was prescribed a combo steroid/antibiotic eyedrop one drop q.i.d. for 10 days. This did not seem to help as the clear little bubbles were still in my eye and my eye was pink. A month later I went for a second opinion, and was diagnosed with 2+ nodular episcleritis and conjunctival lymphangiectasia. I was prescribed Prednisolone 1% one drop t.i.d. for 7 days. This helped as I did not feel like I had something in my eye anymore and the redness went away. I had a one week follow-up appt and the inflammation was much improved, but still have the lymph bubbles. The eye doctor told me to continue the Prednisolone one drop b.i.d. for another 2 weeks. Personally, I do not want to continue with the Prednisolone drops for another 2 weeks. I have lattice degeneration, myopia, cataracts, dry eye, ocular migraines, vitreous syneresis, and photopsia. I take every one of the supplements you recommend for eyes along with ones to support the liver and eat a good diet. I have been rebounding, using eye compresses, drinking eyebright tea and using eyebright homeopathy pellets, and putting lemon essential oil on my neck to try to help the lymphangiectasia. I use Similasan eyedrops as well. Today I am going to start with hexane free organic castor oil eye drops. I wanted to know if you have any further recommendations to help get rid of the little clear lymph bubbles. Also, of note, they do seem to get smaller and move around just a little, look as though they are going away, and then they pop back up again. There are usually 3-4 of them. Thank you SO VERY MUCH for your consideration for answering my questions. God Bless You For All That You Do!!!! Question 2: Tracy from California, 12:30-24:23. Dr Berne I have an ocular immune disease I was shocked to read on the pemphagus site that spirulina as well as well as echinacea actually increases the autoimmunity I was drinking a green powder from a reputable company and noticed spirulina was an ingredient Also I was told by my doc not to have more than 500 mg vitamin c as that can also have an adverse reaction I am of course doing an integrative approach but after consulting with functional doctor and I don’t need medication. What do you suggest?
Question 1: 0-19:25 Marge from North Carolina “Hi Dr. Berne! I'd love to ask if you have any comments, advice or ideas on how to help with Tinnitus? I've had severe anxiety for 35+ years now and have tried so many things over the years, including the Alpha-Stim device. Started using the Alpha-Stim in July of 2019, and by early August, I had developed Tinnitus! Immediately stopped using the Alpha-Stim. They have no explanation as to why this happened, but it has. Now I don't know what to do about it. I was also wondering if you had some ENT expertise along with eyes…? Coclear Nerve Inflammation is what I read causes it, is this bunk or true? Would appreciate any feedback. So much whacky stuff out there, supplements, hearing aids and stuff! Thanks for all you do!” Question 2: 19:26-25:53 Ray from Tucson, AZ asks: “I suffer from dry eyes, Pterygiums and Floaters. What can you offer me?”
In this podcast, I have a conversation with colleague, behavioral optometrist and doctor of oriental medicine practitioner, Dr. Marc Grossman. We touch on a variety of topics including mentors we share, how to heal trauma in the eyes, and Dr. Grossman's new book, Natural Eye Care.. You can reach Dr. Grossman directly at: drgrossman2020@gmail.com
In this episode I have a wonderful conversation with Rudrani Banik, M.D. a Functional Medicine Doctor and Ophthalmologist who practices in New York City. We discuss macular degeneration, glaucoma, cataracts, blue light, and nutrition. She can be reached at: https://rudranibanikmd.com
This episode answers questions about how refractive surgery and chemotherapy from breast cancer affect lens health, how to improve a large prescription discrepancy between the two eyes, how to help with optic neuropathy, and what can be done to reduce Fuch’s dystrophy. Question 1: “Years ago I had RK. As a result, I have high eye pressure and astigmatism. Then, because of breast cancer, I had chemotherapy. Now, I’m told I have cataracts. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!” Question 2: “My vision in the left eye is-1.75 and in my right eye it’s -5.00. What do you recommend?” Question 3: “How do you stop eye neuropathy?” Question 4: “What is your advice for Fuch’s Dystrophy?”
This episode answers questions related to preparing for cataract surgery, reducing myopia, and using statin drugs for treating glaucoma. Question 1 from Barbara: “I went for my eye exam and the doctor recommended surgery for cataracts. I wish I had met you sooner, but I feel I need the surgery now. How can I best prepare?” Question 2 from Ron: “I have a question regarding myopia. I have a problem with myopia, that has increasingly become worse, especially in my left eye. I work on my computer a lot, and this has probably contributed much to the myopia. I purchased glasses with a diopter reading of -2.5, and this does help some. but I'm worried that using these glasses while at the computer may just be worsening the myopia. I would like your opinion on this. Thank you very much.” Question 3: Mark: “I read where statin drugs can be used to reduce glaucoma. What do you think?”
This episode answers question related to retinoblastoma, a form of eye cancer, visual tracking, and myopia and contact lenses. Question 1 Julie 0:29-6:49 Hello Dr. Berne Do you have any experience with Retinoblastoma? Our daughter was diagnosed at 2 years old, she is now 7 and has some issues. The first challenge is that she has a cataract in her blind RB eye, the second issue is she may be having some reading challenges (she is very bright and well-adjusted in 2nd grade). We use a holistic eye doctor at home but I just saw your name and if there is a way you can offer some help, I would appreciate it. Question 2 Debbie 6:50-10:42 What is visual tracking? Question 3 10:43-14:21 Can you discuss how you reduce myopia through prescribing contact lenses?
This episode answers questions related to scleritis, traumatic brain injury, and preservatives in eye drops. (0-33) seconds. Question 1 (34 seconds-6:01) from Christine: “I have been diagnosed with scleritis, have had this for 10 years now. It flairs about every 3 months and I cannot figure out a trigger after all this time. Will MSM help?” Question 2 (6:05-9:44) from Nicole: “I suffered a TBI (it was actually my 3rd. I’m 50 years old. I have two other TBI’s at ages 22 and 47. I went through cognitive therapy. I was hoping you can offer me some help. I do craniosacral about every 2 months. I also did brain mapping. Several years ago, I did vision therapy. My eyes are always tired. Hope you can help.” Question 3 (9:45-12:15) from Barbara: “What is your take on the Benzalkonium chloride as a preservative, and it’s safety?”
This episode answers questions related to antibiotic alternatives for eye ulcers, dry eye syndrome, light therapy, astaxanthin, and essential oils. 0-25 seconds
Question 1 (26 seconds-3:40) from Linda: “Hi, I have been using your products, for a long time. I am on antibiotics now for an ulcer on the back of my eye. My doctor said the was caused by an infection. Do you have any resources for me to read or comments? Thank you!” Question 2 (3:41-7:05) from Breah: “Hello Dr. Berne, I have worn contacts since 1996. Recently, my eyes started getting itchy, red and dry. I increased my omega intake to 2000 mg a day, took bilberry and lutein, I have removed gluten and dairy from my diet. My eyes got to the point where my contacts were blurry and left a film when I blinked. The feeling reminded me of the eyelid inflammation I had when I was a kid. The doctor prescribed me steroid drops, wear glasses for a few weeks, and switched me to daily contacts for dry eye. I put contacts in today after a month of wearing glasses and my eyes are so dry and irritated! The doctor mentioned I am allergic to my own eye proteins which sounds like a nice way of saying I have an eye autoimmune disorder. Is there anything you can advise to help my eyes? I hate wearing glasses. Any help is much appreciated!” Question 3: (7:06-11:24) Tahara asks: “ Have you written or is there a book you can recommend on syntonic light therapy?” Question 4: (11:25-13:45) Jennie asks: “Hi Dr. Sam, what are the benefits of astaxanthin?” Question 5: (13:47-19:00) Bob asks: “Can you talk about your use of essential oils?”
This episode answers questions on using the medication Acthar to treat uveitis, using colloidal silver to treat cataracts, does Minoxidil affect eye pressure, and information on the “N Palm Hum exercise. Introduction 0-28 seconds. Question 1: Chad 29 seconds-10:01
I have spondylitis and am somewhat prone to uveitis. My eye doc has prescribed "Acthar" for me. I am debating whether or not to get the medicine. Is it a good idea? Does it work? What do you suggest? Thanks. Question 2: Jan 10:03-15:16, Is colloidal silver spray good for relieving cataracts? Question 3: Cheryl 15:17-18:01 A few months ago the ophthalmologist said I have high eye pressure and placed me on drops. The drops help some but the eye pressure still fluctuates. (I own a self-tonometry device and monitor my eye pressure all throughout the day). I'm a female and have used topical Minoxidil drops daily for the past 5 years for alopecia. Do you think Minoxidil contributes to high eye pressure? Question 4: 18:02-23:00 What does the “N” stand for in the Palm Hum exercise?
Introduction: 0-0:47 seconds This episode answers questions related to MSM eye drops, something growing over the lens after cataract surgery, what is a Krukenburg Spindle, can fulvic acid help our eyes, and how does mold affect eye health?
Question 1: 0:48-6:54 Cindy asks: “Since you stopped carrying MSM eyedrops, where can I get them?”
Question 2: 6:55-9:55 Linda asks: “You have helped me in the past. I had a macular hole and then a detached retina, and I had cataract surgery which is causing something growing on my lens. What can I do? I also have eye lashes that grow in the wrong direction. What do you recommend for that?”
Question 3: 9:55-16:05 Susan: What is a Krukenburg Spindle?
Question 4: 16:07-19:43 “I have heard the fulvic acid is good for the eyes and body. Can you comment?”
Question 5: 19:44-25:30 “How does mold in the body affect eye health?”
This episode answers question on MSM and floaters, neuroplasticity, the value of detoxification, color therapy, and progressive lenses.
Introduction: 0-40 seconds Question 1: 41 seconds- 10:56 “What can I do for floaters now that the MSM drops are discontinued?” Question 2: 10:57-19:08 “Can you define neuroplasticity and can it help my eyes?” Question 3: 19:09-24:44 “What do you think of detoxification?” Question 4: 24:45-30:11 “Can you talk about the benefits of color therapy on my eyes?” Question 5: 30:12-34:50 “I’m still confused. If I don’t use progressives (which Dr. Berne advised I stay away from) what is the alternative? Going around half blind or carrying 2 or 3 pairs of glasses so I can see all distances? Right now I’m doing ok with things blurry but I still don’t believe that’s great for my eyes, regardless of what my eye doctor says. I would appreciate your help.”
This episode answers questions related to retina health, drusen, what to do about night vision?, and how to reduce my nearsighted prescription while doing Dr. Berne's vision therapy program? Question1: Charlene: 16 seconds-9:11 “On May 1, 2019, I had retinal surgery to re-attach my retina. I had a full detachment that came off the macula as well. I had a very successful surgery including a scleral buckle. I am now able to see, however, I have a wrinkle (not sure if it is in the retina or the macula) and my vision is a little blurry. When I look at straight lines, they appear wavy, and everything leans to the right. I was recently released from the surgeon as he said he would not consider additional surgery to fix this issue. I am taking all the supplements as recommended by Dr. Sam as well as using MSM eye drops. I have randomly performed the eye exercises, but plan to get more consistent. Are there other things I could be doing to correct this issue? Anything else I could do to support my eye health going forward? Thank you! Question 2: This is an Instagram question from: Opticnervedrusen 9:12-14:06 “I have a few questions. What is drusen? Why do doctors say the drusen does not trigger pain? Is there a connection to the trigeminal nerve?” Question 3: Manuel: 14:07-17:26 What can I do to improve my night vision? Question 4: Janet: 17:27-20:58 “I am confused about how to reduce my prescription. I have been diagnosed with myopia and the doctor keeps increasing my prescription every year. I am frustrated and tired of this trend. Please help!”
The podcast offers questions about light sensitivity, glaucoma, nearsightedness, cystoid macular edema, blocked oil glands, and corneal health.
Introduction 0-33 seconds
Question 1: Ellen 34 seconds-7:58
"I have been reading your newsletter (or listening to your videos) for some time. I am wondering what are your thoughts in extreme photo sensitivity."
Question 2: Serena 8:00-12:25
"Hi Dr. Berne!
I have a question about MSM powder. Does someone get the same benefits for eye health taking it internally? Would it help my mother who has glaucoma?
Also, would it help me as I am far and nearsighted in right eye, nearsighted in left."
Question 3: Alyci 12:26-16:13
"Hi I'm 57 I have blocked oil glands in my eyes and there always feel like they have sand in them I was wondering what eye drops I should use of yours?"
Question 4: Jul 16:14-21:16
"In May 2019 I have accidentally instilled a drop of alkalizer
into my right eye, after emergency visit with my regular eye surgeon, he found swelling behind my eye and sent me to an retina specialist. After extensive testing he diagnosed: cystoid macular edema with a great deal of inflammation in that eye. He prescribed steroids to help reduce the inflammation.
As of today, my eye still feels weak sometimes painful.
and my vision is greatly diminished.
I do not want to have my eye injected, per protocol. or take more steroids.
What treatment do you recommend?"
Question 5: Jacob 21:17-25:58
"Hi Dr Berne. I love how you educate us of our eye health. I'm a fan and a student. But I'm struggling with a eye issue of corneal erosion. Is there something I can do?"
This episode answers questions related to optic nerve damage, bright color rays in vision, brain injuries, hyperbaric oxygen treatments, and what to do for eye health as it relates to reading.
Question 1
0:48 - 7:39
My husband has optic nerve damage due to Thallium intoxication that occurred in May 2006. His vision blurs out after a certain distance, and he can not guess who is waving to him from far off.
He is leading a normal life and does everything as he can to see things very near to him and read. But nowadays his eyes are getting stressed after long hours of reading and working on the computer (he is a scientist).
His eyes become red, and he gets severe headaches frequently now on one side of his head. He has also been diagnosed with iritis and is prescribed steroid eyedrops. I want to know if his optic nerve can be regenerated? Can we treat him naturally avoiding any steroids and pharmacological drugs?
Question 2
7:39 - 11:00
My left eye randomly has a vision with bright color rays and lasts a few minutes. It has only happened three times in the last 2 years. My eye appointments are annual and they don’t find anything other than the nearsighted and astigmatism prescription which I have worn for decades.
I was hoping you would be okay suggesting what I should be aware of or do. Thanks in advance!
Question 3
11:00 - 16:14
I am a 17-year-old teenager who was formerly healthy until I received a closed brain injury in October. Ever since I have been going downhill and both my mom and the doctors don’t understand how sick I feel.
I found you on brain recovery coach and like your holistic approach. Can you give me some tips on how to get better? I believe your work can educate my parents and doctors on brain injuries.
Question 4
16:14 - 19:21
I attended a lecture recently where the speaker was speaking highly of hyperbaric oxygen treatments. I am chemically sensitive and also have cataracts developing, a lot more rapidly in the right eye.
I just received my eye drops and supplements from you yesterday and will start on them. I was wondering whether it would be a good idea to try hyperbaric oxygen treatments or whether they stand a chance of worsening cataracts.
Question 5
19:21 - 22:50
Dear Dr. Berne, I am 53-year-old female, practicing general dentist for over 13 years. I have worked 8-5pm Monday-Thursday for many years. Lately, I have noticed that by the time I am at home and ready to relax it is hard for me to read multiple pages of the actual book or a Kindle edition.
At work, I am wearing loops of 2.5 magnification and using (UV (curing filling) light all day long. I have purchased your MSM drops and am using them every morning. Is there anything else that I should be using for my eyes to be able to enjoy reading again?
This episode answers questions related to wet macular degeneration, dry eye syndrome, the side effects of Cataract surgery, what to do about melanoma in the eyes, and what to do if a retinal detachment surgery went wrong.
Question 1
0:42 - 12:40
Dear Dr. Berne, I’m 78 years old male residing in Denmark. About four years ago I underwent cataract surgery in both eyes. Since then I’m troubled with oversensitivity to light and diminishing peripheral vision - especially the left eye, which was always my “weak” eye.
The sensitivity to light is so strong that I need a long time, instead of some seconds, to adjust to the shade of the staircase after coming in from the sunlit street. Now the reduction of the peripheral vision is, according to the eye doctor, caused by mild glaucoma and setting in of macular degeneration.
I’m not very convinced because the pressure in my eyes has stabilized a year ago and is perfectly normal now, but the reduction of peripheral vision continues – though at a slower pace.
My question to you is whether you can recommend, besides MSM drops, something designed specifically to counter the loss of peripheral vision.
As for oversensitivity to light, it can be toned down with sunglasses, so of course, it’s not as important as slowing down of the loss of the peripheral vision. Thank you!
Question 2
12:40 - 18:23
I have a dear friend that has melanoma in her eye and while she has done the radiation treatment, she is also looking for something natural that might help. What would you recommend? Thanks so much.
Question 3
18:23 - 26:00
My Mom (80) has never had eye problems. She just had cataract surgery in both eyes. The day after the left eye was done, she was alternating closing eyes to see how much better she could see and noticed a blind spot with her right eye.
She went to a specialist yesterday and was diagnosed with wet macular degeneration. She is now getting monthly injections.
Would supplements help? Should she wear blue blockers? What do you suggest? Thanks in advance, from Kansas!
Question 4
26:00 - 29:46
My 17-year-old daughter has severe dry eyes as well as convergence and accommodation problems. Everything is getting worse. What do you recommend? Would your eyedrops help?
Question 5
29:46 - 35:48
Good Morning Dr. Berne! I developed a retinal detachment 1 1/2 years ago. Unfortunately, where I went to get care was not ideal, and a resident performed the surgery accidentally cutting a vessel. I now have a hole in the macula.
No matter how corrective the lenses on my right eye (my dominant eye) I see a clear blurry. And now I have a severe cataract in the affected right eye. Any holistic treatment for this?
This episode answers questions related to natural ways for controlling the pupil, what to do when you have several eye conditions, what to do if you have cataracts and autoimmune disease, Central Retinal Vein Occlusion, and what to use instead of the MSM drops.
Question 1
0:44 - 10:18
Do you have exercises or other natural ways of healing for the pupil of my right eye? It does not close and too much light comes in now. Thank you!
Question 2
10:18 - 17:49
I'm a little stumped about how to proceed. I have about 5 different eye issues and had combined the programs to try to do them all. I ended up getting sick and was unable to continue while being sick. I decided that was too much so I am starting with dry eyes and Sjogren’s disease.
I also can only focus one eye at a time, I have astigmatism, I wear reading glasses, and I have been diagnosed with cataracts. Where should I start? With his exercises, I have been challenged by his yin yang exercise because my eyes don't work together since a surgery at age three. How do I make it work for me?
Question 3
17:49 - 23:51
Good morning Dr. Sam. I have been following you for a while. I have an autoimmune disease, and I am experiencing dry eye problems, plus I feel a cataract starting in my right eye.
My current eye doctor wants to give me medications but I had a reaction to it. I had two optic auras in the past 2 evenings without headache. Should I go back to the eye doctor? I also carry the prothrombin gene mutation for clotting disorder. I take an enzyme for that. Are there side effects to the MSM drops that I am taking. My history includes that my dad had glaucoma. Thank you for any advice you can give me.
Question 4
23:51 - 27:38
I have been diagnosed with Central and Branch Retinal Vein Occlusion. Will Krill oil help?
Question 5
27:38 - 31:39
I was using your MSM drops, but they have been discontinued. Do the cataract eye drops with cineraria replace it? Can they be used if you don't have cataracts? I have dry eyes and have been trying to find a healthy eye drop. Also, I take L- glutathione (3000mg) in a gut supplement although that won't be forever. Is your glutathione the same as L-glutathione? Would it be safe to use both?
This episode answer questions related to black arc in the eyes, hemifacial nerve spasm, dry eye syndrome, double vision, and cataract surgery as it relates to releasing intraocular pressure.
Question 1
0:31 - 11:00
Hello, Dr. Berne! I’m a bit concerned. I started seeing a black arc in my right eye that comes and goes. Mostly if I look up quickly, it looks like an eyebrow. It’s not flashing but it is instantaneous. I don’t think it is a floater.
I’ve been checking with your videos but not seeing this specific thing. Would you be so kind as to have an idea for me? Thank you!!
Question 2
11:00 - 15:55
I have some questions about hemifacial nerve spasm. What is it? What can I do about it?
Question 3
15:55 - 22:42
I have dry eye syndrome mainly tearing. I am going to a dry eye specialist. He recommends the treatment Lipiflow, thermal lid treatments, supplements, eye wash, and tree oil with a moist compress. I prefer to use your drops. Thank you for your advice!
Question 4
22:42 - 28:33
Hi, Dr. Berne! I have been on your mailing list for some time now. I take several of your supplements, and I regularly view your videos. I am grateful to you for the helpful information.
I am referring to a specific video, where you talk about double vision and therapeutic prisms. I am 66 years old. I've had high myopia all my life. Recently I have developed double vision. The doctors have cleared me of any neurological issues. I'm told I have esophoria, and he recommended surgery.
However, I'm not keen about surgery. I am interested in learning more about your therapeutic prisms. I'd appreciate your advice.
Question 5
28:33 - 35:44
I have small vessels in my eyes that are too narrow and are building up pressure, in addition to cataracts. My Ophthalmologist wants to do a pinhole technique to relieve the pressure (my brother had the same thing done years ago with success).
He said the cataract surgery would solve both issues with only one procedure. I would rather try the cataract drops. Would they help in my case? And would you expect any improvement by the end of May, when I am scheduled for the surgery?
In my eye history, I have also had RK done about 30 years ago before lasers were invented. I wish I could have an office visit, but I live in Illinois. Thanks much for your help!
This episode answers questions related to fluctuations in vision after RK surgery, farsightedness, astigmatism, and macular degneration.
Question 1
0:38 - 5:10
Fifteen years ago I had RK surgery. I just had cataract surgery with a Toric lens replacement. I have fluctuations in my vision which my eye doctor says is because of previous RK. Is there anything I can do to improve at this point?
Question 2
5:10 - 8:27
I would like more info on the yin yang chart than the video on your website supplies.
Do you ever do the other symbols or just the top symbols? Once you see the 3 images what do you do? Keep staring at them? For how long? Then just out the paper down and move on?How often do you use the chart every day?
Many thanks!
Question 3
8:27 - 14:02
I am a Craniosacral Therapist (and retired physical therapist.) A woman is coming to see me for CST for early-stage macular degeneration. I am writing for the best advice on how to treat it.
I appreciate any advice. Thank you.
Question 4
14:02 - 17:39
Hi, Dr. Berne. I have been doing the farsightedness and astigmatism protocol for a month now. I first want to let you know I notice my vision improving. Thank you so much for these free protocols. I do have a few questions on whether I am doing exercises correctly:
Figure 8 eye massage: Do you apply any pressure around the eye with fingertips?Plus lens to blur: Should I perform in my right eye? I can see clearly because I am farsighted. Which brings me to another question.Can I use reading glasses to see distance?
Thank you!
Question 5
17:39 - 23:07
I had cataract surgery 6 years ago and was diagnosed with Mac Tel Type 2. What can you tell us about this condition? This condition is not fun, and no known cure.
Question 6
23:07 - 26:32
I am wondering what you can tell me about Dacryops. Is there anything I can do to help prevent more cysts on the lacrimal gland?
This episode answers questions related to underdeveloped optic nerves in children, Central Retinal Vein Occlusion, Dry eye syndrome, and how to perform the plus lens to blur eye exercise.
Question 1
0:44 - 11:51
I am seeking information about underdeveloped optic nerves in children. My 9-year-old daughter just visited the eye doctor for the first time, and we were told she has an underdeveloped optic nerve.
After reading about how this condition can affect the pituitary gland, a lot of dots have been connected as to what has been going on with my daughter. She can’t handle hot weather, she gets dehydrated, she has low blood sugar issues, and she has fainted a few times, and she has low energy.
Our pediatrician always just said they’ll keep an eye on these issues but never recommended seeing a specialist. I’m looking for some guidance as to how I can help my daughter so she can function as a normal kid in the summer and not have to worry about fainting or getting lightheaded. Any information or direction would be greatly appreciated.
Question 2
11:51 - 18:01
I appreciate your podcasts and supplements. It all makes a lot of sense! I have a question about the plus lens exercise. My eyes used to be very near-sighted at -7.25 and then I had PRK about 20 years ago. My left eye is nearly 20/20 but my right eye didn't heal right, the PRK was redone and now it's +4.00.
My question is about using the plus lens exercise. Does that make sense for one eye or both? Would they both use a plus lens for this exercise or would the right eye be better with a minus lens? Thank you!
Question 3
18:01 - 24:50
I have been diagnosed with Central Retinal Vein Occlusion. What can I do to help this condition? My doctor does not give me much hope.
Question 4
24:50 - 30:41
I feel I have benefited these last few years from your supplements and drops however still dealing with dry eyes. Clearly this is related to computer use. How do the fats in the ketogenic diet affect eye health?
This episode answers questions related to Visual Snow, the uses of glutathione, Idiopathic Juxtafoveal Tillandsia Ectasis, Lattice degeneration, Vitreous syneresis, Myopia, dry-eye syndrome, ocular migraines, white dot syndrome, and floaters.
Question 1
0:37 - 6:55
What is visual snow? Can eye drops or any of your eye exercises help?
Question 2
6:55 - 12:59
Dr. Berne, has your glutathione drops ever given someone a chronic cough? I read where it is sometimes given to asthma sufferers to clear their passages. Maybe I am allergic to glutathione? Thank you!
Question 3
12:59 - 20:06
I have a rare retinal disease called Idiopathic Juxtafoveal Tillandsia Ectasis.
I was wondering if you ever heard of it and are you treating people with it? I've had this condition for about 10 years. I am not interested in laser or eye injections. Thank you.
Question 4
20:06 - 24:51
Hello, Dr. Sam. I have listed all my eye diagnoses below. What do you recommend in terms of supplements, eye exercises (I don't know which ones to do), or essential oils.
Lattice degeneration in both eyesVitreous syneresis of both eyes. Dry eye syndromeMyopia (Right sphere -1.0 and left sphere -2.0)Ocular migraines caused by bright light with zigzag and flashes.1+ nuclear sclerotic cataracts in both eyes.
Thank you SO VERY MUCH in advance for your help and also I LOVE your email articles and podcasts!!
Question 5
24:51 - 32:08
Hi! I had Lasik surgery when I was 18 years old and now I'm 30 years old.
Within the past 2 years I developed white dot syndrome in my left eye and I wanted to know if this diagnosis is related to the Lasik surgery? Is there anything I can do save my vision in my left eye?
I have also had an increase of floaters in both eyes and just recently have developed strain where I can feel it in the nerves and muscles of the eyes.
On top of all of that I've had dry eyes ever since I got the Lasik done. My question is there anything I can do? I'm still very young and don't want my vision and these feelings to get worse. Thank you!
This episode answers questions related to cataracts, myopia, MSM Drops, eye protocols for children, and herpetic keratitis.
Question 1
0:47 - 9:55
I want to know if I am on the right track.
It is strange that my left eye can't focus close up and is blurry. My right eye is blurry in the distance but clear up close. I just had some dental work on the right front teeth. Could dental surgery and eyesight be related?
I keep myself fit by lifting weights, practicing Yoga, and I have improved my general health dramatically. But then I was told I have the beginnings of cataracts.
After a great deal of research, I am interested in taking an DMSO eye drop to dissolve the cataract. Do you feel DMSO is safe to use on the eyes used like this and what would you suggest?
Question 2
9:55 - 16:08
Hello, Dr. Sam! I found your videos and thought maybe you can help me too, specifically my child who has high myopia and is only 12 years old.
Can you please advise me any way to slow down or stop it? Also, what do you think about acupressure or acupuncturist for that purpose? Thank you.”
Question 3
16:08 - 19:21
Can you please tell me if your MSM drops can enter the anterior chamber of the eye in humans? Thank you.
Question 4
19:21 - 29:42
I would like to know if the protocol you list on your website for nearsightedness is advisable for children?
My daughter's condition is alarmingly increasing; she was diagnosed -1.75 at six years old and now that she is eleven and she has just been measured at -6 and -7. We followed the advice of wearing ortho-k lenses at nighttime to stop progression, but it has not worked at all, and she now refuses to wear them.
We have several books about yoga for the eyes, and others, but I cannot find clear protocols to follow. Could you kindly advice about your protocol and how could it practised to get sound results? Thank you very much.
Question 5
29:42 - 36:52
When I was 5 years old I had herpetic keratitis which left on the center of my pupils on the left eye a small cicatrice (blister, scar tissue, wound).
When years later been in military services in Romania because of rough outdoor exposure, the herpetic keratitis returned, and I was treated by a doctor who specializes in corneal transplants.
Maybe you know something about it because all the time my vision with the left eye was disturbed. I will appreciate if you can email to me a suggestion! Thank you.
This episode answers questions related to Yag laser surgery, color blindness, NIR light treatment, eye pressure, and the connection between seeing and hearing as it relates to myopia.
Question 1
2:26 - 7:22
I have corneal scarring from an injury 20 years ago. I recently had cataract surgery in that eye, but now I have to get Yag laser surgery to remove a secondary cataract.
What can I do to minimize haziness that has worsened, if Yag does not help? Can I ask for a contact lens?
Question 2
7:22 - 10:17
I've been searching your website for any tips for color blindness or color deficiency. Maybe there is nothing? Thanks!
Question 3
10:17 - 18:25
I have dry AMD - the left eye is very severe, and the right eye better but seems to be getting worse. I had NIR light treatment recommended but feel a bit uncertain about using it.
What is your opinion about NIR light for AMD? I am following all your recommendations regarding diet, supplements, and MSM eyedrops. Thank you!
Question 4
18:25 - 25:53
In September 2018 I quit eating sugar, because I read it can cause Alzheimer's and now I've read it can deplete a person's eyes of nutrients. Do you believe this?
Two weeks ago I had a stent put in my left eye which worked, but then the skin pulled away on one side, and it was taken out and overnight and the hole closed up, and pressure shot up to 70.
The doctor stuck my eye 3 times in one day to get it down to 16 and my eye hurt so bad that I started throwing up when I got home. In the morning I see her again. She is talking about more surgery. What do you think about surgery?
Question 5
25:53 - 32:24
Hello Dr. Sam,
Please explain the seeing and hearing connection. Are their exercises and/or lifestyle changes to stop hearing loss? I’ve had hearing exams and certain pitches don’t register. I am fearful of getting started with hearing aids. I’ve been told they last a few years then it’s time to get a stronger pair. This strategy sounds too much like getting prescriptions changed on eyeglasses. Please share any insights/directions
How do we encourage new eyelash growth?
Thank you so much!
Question 6
32:24 - 39:09
Dear Dr.Berne: My right eye power is -4.25 and left eye power is -3.25. I'm 16 years old and I am asking if I can get rid of myopia totally by these eye exercises? Should I take off the glasses when I am at indoor and seeing nearer objects? Will my eyes get worse if I don't wear glasses at seeing far objects? Thank you.
This podcast answers questions related to epiretinal membrane, the difference between sublingual glutathione and liposomal glutathione, and fluid production in the eyes when diagnosed with glaucoma.
Question 1
0:00 - 14:01
Hello Dr. Berne, I was diagnosed with ERM in late October (53-year-old female). At my last visit in December 2018, my vision was still at 20/40. I have been going for acupuncture treatments as well as using supplements.
The risks of vitrectomy seems too great.
I know that ocriplasmin is not the go-to for this, but I do wonder if it would be a logical next step? What else can I do? Thank you!
Question 2
14:01 - 18:48
Dr. Berne, I would like to know if taking EDTA once per week can help dissolve cataracts? Thank you.
Question 3
18:48 - 25:08
I was wondering how the sublingual glutathione differs from the liposomal glutathione?
Question 4
25:08 - 29:31
Hi, Dr. Sam. In December of 2017, I was told that I had signs of low-tension glaucoma.
How is it determined if I need to 1) increase the fluid drainage out of my eye, or 2) decrease the production of fluid in my eye?
Would it be best to start with your MSM 5% drops or your MSM 15% drops? How many drops in each eye should I administer?
I plan on telling the glaucoma doctor that I am taking your MSM drops in both eyes. Should I first take your MSM drops for a couple months to see if my pressure drops before I begin any other medication?
This episode answers questions related to Cataract surgery and cornea detachment, fungal infection of the cornea, side effects of injections and the ocular microbiome, lazy eye, epiretinal membrane, the uses of MSM eye drops and Central Serous Chorioretinopathy.
Question 1
0:00 - 10:51
Hello, Dr. Berne. I heard your podcast on Wellness Mama and I wanted to seek your advice.
My mother who is 74 had cataract surgery which caused a cornea detachment. The doctors re-attached it, and also did a partial corneal transplant.
This second procedure led to a fungal infection to the cornea. The doctor then used steroid injections to treat the fungal infection, but it wasn’t getting better.He said they were going to have to remove the eye.
I found another doctor who gave us a second opion. He found that her eye had chronic swelling, and her best corrected visual acuity was 20/80 in that eye.
She has coming back to his office every 10 weeks for further injections. The doctor now says that it may take 2 years to stabilize the eye.
Can you comment on the negative effects of injections and the ocular microbiome? What recommendations can you give us? Thank you.
Question 2
10:51 - 22:24
Good afternoon! I follow you via email and Facebook. You offer wonderful interesting articles.
I am a 63 year old, female who has dealt with lazy eye all my years. Either eye will turn in depending on situations like stress, position, etc.
I have never been able to get corrective lenses that aren’t too strong since the doctors cannot get accurate prescriptions because of the muscle/focusing problems.
You are the first doctor that has mentioned about what I’ve learned, that I have no peripheral vision. Wow! How can you help? I need to strengthen the eyes to work together and have just found your exercises for this.
Night time driving isn’t possible and I suffer very tiredly after a trip in big box stores that use fluorescent lighting. Help!! You mentioned a certain lens in one of your posts. Can you tell me more about them?
Question 3
22:24 - 29:26
Good day! I have been diagnosed with an epiretinal membrane on my right eye. Can you suggest a natural approach to cure this? Do you think your eye drops will help?
Question 4
29:26 - 36:08
I have a question about my son. Almost 2 years ago, he suffered a moped accident. He broke two neck vertebrae, right occipital bone, left interior temporal bone as the impact was on left side of face.
He’s a miracle. He was in a neck brace for a long time to stabilize his neck. His left eye wouldn’t voluntarily close for many weeks. He’d have to tape shut.
He was seen by a neurologist and he could not find the cause. Over time he could then close eye at will. My question has to do with tear response when he eats and also, he shows a slight eye twitch.
Should he be using the MSM drops faithfully? Thank goodness his eyesight wasn’t impaired. A doctor had used some color therapy and eye exercises in the past but now he is attending medical school, and it is almost impossible for him to make appointments until this season is over. Would you have any other recommendations?
Also, we are now using the red light/near-infrared light therapy once a day. Thank you so much for the tutorials and teachings you’ve shared.
Question 5
36:08 - 41:23
What is Central Serous Chorioretinopathy? Can your methods help this problem?
This episode answers questions related to pathological myopia, neovascularization, dry eyes, optic neuritis, glaucoma and epiretinal membrane.
Question 1
0:00 - 12:52
My 15-year-old daughter has had pathological myopia since before 5 years of age. She's been wearing corrective lenses and recently was diagnosed with neovascularization. She had her first Lucentis injection, and her eye cleared up leaving a small scar.
My husband and I want a holistic approach for our Angelina to aid as a preventive and overall eye health solution rather than have her get shots for damage already done. We appreciate any advice or suggestions for us to be able to preserve Angelina's eyesight.
I've been giving her Omega 3 foods like Salmon, nuts, and cod liver oil, citrus fruits, and leafy green vegetables. Thank you.
Question 2
12:52 - 21:01
I would like to order some supplements and need suggestions on what might be helpful. I am 67, and the blue headlights are hurting my eyes at night. I also have dry eye syndrome, and my eyes are tired.
Can you tell me about photobiomodulation as a treatment modality? I try to do use this modality every night now for sleep. What do you think I should be doing?
Question 3
21:01 - 26:30
Hi, Dr. Berne! Your site is great! Thank you for all of the educational info that you provide. I was wondering if you could do a blog post or a video about Optic Neuritis?
I was diagnosed with this in my left eye a couple of years ago. I lost partial vision in that eye. I've not been able to find any information about what the root cause could be.
I had an autoimmunity test done to make sure that I do not have M.S. and I don't... it was negative. The doctor called it "idiopathic" which seems ridiculous. I want to be proactive to prevent this from progressing further and from occurring in the other eye.
Do you have thoughts about what else someone with Optic Neuritis should be tested for? Heavy metals, parasites, viruses, etc.? I certainly appreciate your help! Cheers.
Question 4
26:30 - 29:39
Hi, I am 58 years old. I have been diagnosed with glaucoma. I suffer anxiety, and I am receiving some mental health counseling. What can you offer me?
Question 5
29:40 - 37:01
I have recently been diagnosed with epiretinal membrane pseudo-hole. What supplements would be good for that?
I’m considering some kind of drops, and I would also like a supplement with Lutein in it. Also, I am wondering about the best eye exercises.
I am using the Amsler grid chart every day to monitor the macula. Thanks for any help you can offer!
This podcast answers questions related to the treatment of Herpes simplex 1, astigmatism, corneal polishing, floaters, glaucoma, chromatopsia, cataracts, light therapy, and how to choose a blue-blocking and UV lenses.
Question 1
0:00 - 9:17
Have you discovered a holistic approach for the treatment of herpessimplex 1 in the eye?
Question 2
9:17 - 14:03
I am wondering where you suggest I purchase blue block and ultraviolet block glasses? Do you have a favorite brand/company?
Question 3
14:03 - 18:35
I was listening to a previous podcast with Dr. Sam and (I can't remember the name for certain), Ari and Dr. Sam mentioned kits that he sells for improving eye health, exercises etc.
I am using his MSM eye drops, ACG, and cataract drops, but would beinterested in any additional things that would help.
I am suspect for glaucoma and want to do all I can to help this. Also, Dr. Berne mentioned blue blocker lenses to use. Is there somewhere that I can purchase these? Thank you very much!
Question 4
18:35 - 24:10
My son has a -2.75 astigmatism. I heard you on The Green SmoothieGirls blog talking on how certain eye conditions can be corrected or improved.
Is it possible to improve the vision on someone who has astigmatism?
Question 5
24:10 - 28:13
Hi, I am 52 yrs. old with open angle glaucoma. I have now developed a cataract which is affecting my vision.
I have a bleph drain for glaucoma which I had surgery 24 years ago. I am afraid to have the cataract removed.
I only have one good eye which has all the problem as my other eye is a lazy eye. Do you have any suggestions? Thank you.
Question 6
28:13 - 34:38
Hi Dr. Berne: My ophthalmologist has suggested corneal polishing (scraping) to clear up distorted vision from Map dot fingerprint dystrophy.
Do you ever recommend this? I'm not sure it will fix the problem long term and I am afraid it will alter the corneal layers permanently.
Over the last few years, the distortion has moved into my central vision in one eye. I have watched your Fuchs video and try and incorporate many of those suggestions.
I have been using your MSM drops during the day since I last emailedyou in December 2017. It has helped reduce the appearance of my many floaters and helped reduce eye discomfort. I have also started taking your eye vitamins. I tried and occasionally still use the Vitamin A ointment, but it makes the white part of my cornea very mushy especially where I have a pinguecula, and so I am not sure if I should continue with it. I typically use Muro 128 ointment at night.
Should I add the homeopathic eye drops you mention on Facebook? Do you sell that? Thanks for offering natural solutions to eye issues.
Question 7
34:38 - 39:20
My husband David, who is 65, was born with achromatopsia. (no cones in his fovea). Three of the 4 children in the family he was born into, have it.
He's been seen for over 40 years by Dr. Gerald Fishman at the ChicagoEye Infirmary, and currently at The Chicago Lighthouse. The only thing that has improved is that he sees slightly better with amber sunglasses.
Can you help this condition? Also, he now has cataracts. Thank you. Your help is greatly appreciated!
Question 8
39:20 - 45:01
I’d like to know about light therapy, microcurrent and other forms ofenergetic therapy to correct cataracts, and a whiplash. I also have a history of concussions.
This episode answers questions related to dry eyes, 6th nerve palsy, nearsightedness, floaters, parasites in the eyes, polarized lenses and NAION.
Question 1
0:00 - 8:39
Dear Dr. Berne, please let me know if the MSM eye drops would help to ease my dry eyes, as well as my left eye, slightly swollen inferior eyelid. I have a discharge from my left eye that is white and sticky. I also have daily sinus headaches.
Question 2
8:39 - 15:43
I was diagnosed with 6th nerve palsy. This has been the hardest challenge that life has presented me with. It's been more than 3 months since my diagnose. My doctor told me it would take 3-6 months to heal. I've started the healing process, but I am wondering if there is anything I can do to help with it. Please advise.
Question 3
15:43 - 23:59
I've seen your videos on your youtube channel, and I wanted to ask about nearsightedness. I wear -0.75 diopters in the right eye and -1.00 diopters in the left eye.
I came across your video on how the use of plus lenses can cause a very strong myopic defocus. I tried it today, and I did see a very temporary improvement. What else do you recommend? Thank you very much!
Question 4
23:59 - 28:32
I have Iritis in my right eye and floaters in my left. Can/Should I use these MSM drops in both eyes?
Question 5
28:32 - 34:00
What are your thoughts on parasites in the eyes? Do you have a protocol to remove them? I'm on a parasite cleanse. I'm having Giardia, Cryptosporidium, and yeast. Every month my eyes will get styes that are huge and half side of my face will become swollen. It can take up to a month to disappear, and I'll end up with a marble size hardball on my eyelid.
The strange thing is I've never had a stye until I started this parasite cleanse.
It's like they are migrating to my eyes. I've been to 2 ophthalmologists, and they say I have dry eyes, and that I need to take antibiotics. I love your videos, but I've not seen you cover this topic. Thank you for your time and thoughts!
Question 6
34:00 - 38:57
Can you tell me about the issue with polarized lenses?
Question 7
38:57 - 44:57
Do you have any experience with people with NAION?
This episode covers questions about slowing progression of cataracts and glaucoma, anisometriopia, glaucoma medications, marfan syndrome, and accommodative esotropia.
Question 1
0:00 - 10:37
I have been told that I have an early cataract developing, due to head trauma from a car accident years ago. I also have high eye pressure, but not high enough to use prescription glaucoma eye drops. Both conditions are in left eye only.
What products and advice would you suggest to prevent progression?
Question 2
10:37 - 19:59
Dear Dr. Sam: I was recently diagnosed with Anisometropia and wondered if you had addressed this in any of your podcasts?
I see double on horizontals, more than verticals, but I am not sure if that is from my astigmatism? Many thanks!
Question 3
19:59 - 25:28
I would like your insight into glaucoma and the medications that are prescribed for this condition. I am concerned how the glaucoma medications interact with asthma medications. Thanks for your help.
Question 4
25:28 - 32:04
I am dealing with glaucoma in both eyes. I am 72. I am currently using Pilocarpine 2%, Combigan and Travatan in both eyes.
I did two mono-fruit fasts this past year using red grapes. My pressure reduced by 7 points, enough to ward off the surgeon who wanted to install stents in my eyes.
I presently do intermittent fasting and use a totally balanced green shake for one of my meals.
Do you suggest anything that could reduce my use of the three drugs in my eyes? I am physically active and not overweight, so that is in my favor!
Question 5
32:04 - 40:50
Hello Dr.Berne: I was wondering if you have any experience with the eyes of patients with Marfan syndrome - particularly with dislocated lenses? Thank you.
Question 6
40:50 - 51:56
My 41-year-old son was diagnosed with Accommodative Esotropia.
One of his complaints is that he is seeing double. The local eye doctor says my son shouldn't wear his eyeglass prescription, but I notice that his cross-eyed .condition appears worse after glasses are taken off.
Do you have any suggestions? Thanks for any advice.
This episode answers questions related to cataracts, glaucoma, eye drops, NAC, and astigmatism.
Question 1
0:00 - 4:53
What do you think about IV chelation, coconut charcoal, and urine challenge testing for cataracts and glaucoma? I am having trouble because most doctors will say I have to have surgery. Thank you.
Question 2
4:53 - 9:10
Is there some way I can get some information about the cataract eye drops? I need to know if they are compatible with "N-Acetyl Carnosine" eye drops. I would like to use your cataract eye drops and the MSM eye drops if they would work with the above. I would appreciate your answer very much. Thank you.
Question 3
9:10 - 14:41
I have cataracts and will be needing surgery next year. Do any of your products contain lutein? Thank You.
Question 4
14:41 - 18:43
I already have had cataract surgery on both eyes. My doctor said I had dry eye and macular problems. What can I take for these? Thank you so much.
Question 5
18:43 - 21:56
Hi Dr. Sam: I have a question for your podcast. I hear you talking about how having long sight in one eye and short sight in the other on prescriptions can be bad. But I have that naturally. Could that cause problems in the future?
I am 60 yrs old. I find it useful because I can go without my glasses a lot of the time but I get headaches if I go all of the time without glasses. I also have astigmatism. Thanks!
Question 5
18:43 - 21:56
Is it usual for vision to get more blurred before it gets better, with cataracts?
This episode answers questions related to dry eyes, floaters, astigmatism, myopia, eye exercises, floaters, flashes, recovering from corneal surgery, and the importance of iron for eye health.
Question 1
0:00 - 5:48
Hello, I'm wondering... is there a set of exercises you recommend if someone like me has multiple conditions? I have Dry Eye, Floaters, Red eyes, Astigmatism, and Myopia.” I wonder if doing everything suggested each day for each exercise would be a bit too much for me to get into the habit of doing.
Question 2
5:49 - 11:57
Hello, my husband has these little pallets or bumps on the corner and one on his eyelid. He went into the eye doc and he gave him a steroid shot in the area. (NOT FUN) They went away but have returned. We really try and do things holistically but do not have a holistic eye person around us. Is there something else he should take internally to try and clear this up?
Question 3
11:57 - 16:05
Hello Dr. Berne.... I thank you for your response to my last question. I hate to bother you again but I went to my cornea transplant specialist. He says that the transplant is losing cell count and I am wondering if using the MSM drops as you suggested will help fix that in any way? If you have any other suggestions please let me know I appreciate it.
Question 4
16:05 - 20:38
Hello, Dr. Berne!
Firstly, I’d like to say that you’re doing a great job. I watched your videos and found for myself very interesting information.
Also, I’d like to ask your opinion about the iron. I’ve heard that normal level of iron in the body is one of the most important things for vision. Could you please share your thoughts about it?
Question 5
20:38 - 26:43
Dr. Berne, I have flashers when looking into the light. This is from cataract surgery/infection, I had on Aug 24th of this year. I still cannot read with that eye due to debris/floaters. WHY flashers? Is there a chance they will stop? I must wear a patch now to avoid the constant interruptions of flashers.
This episode answers questions related to reversing early-stage cataracts, dry-eye, how long it takes to see eye health improvement, retinitis pigmentosa, and blue-light. Question 1 0:00 - 9:07 My questions are this: I have allergies in my eyes. There's the itchiness but what's even worse is what I call, stringy things that must be mucous that get stuck in my eyes and I am desperate to know if there's something that can reduce this?
The other question is regarding cataracts. I have them in both eyes and I am needing surgery although am putting it off. I eat organic foods that are great for eye health. Is there any of Dr. Berne's products that can reduce cataracts and eliminate the need for surgery? Question 2 9:07 - 14:51 Hi Dr. Berne: I am looking for some eye drops to improve my dry eye. I just found out about the MSM drops. How long should I use them to see improvement? My left eye is the only one that gets symptoms of dry eye. I wear one day contacts and have issues with dry eye when I have them on. Are there contacts that you recommend? Thanks so much! Question 3 14:51 - 20:57 My daughter was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa about a year ago. She is 18 years old. We're interested in doing everything we can to stop progression. What supplements of yours would you recommend? We don’t have the results of her genetic testing yet, so I am hesitant on Vitamin A therapy. She currently takes lutein, turmeric, krill oil and can-c eye drop. I'd like to get her on a really solid protocol, as directed by someone with knowledge of all of this though. Thanks for any help. Question 4 20:57 - 22:27 I have a question sparked by one of Dr Sam’s videos: When he says to use blue blocking glasses when using a computer, etc., does he mean all the time, or just at night?
Most of the people who recommend this say that you need blue light during the day. I forget which hormone it stimulates, but I think it could be melatonin. Therefore, you use blue light blocking glasses or the app I have on my computer & iPhone that takes the blue wave out only at night.
But, he sounds like he means all the time. I’d like clarification, and an explanation would be welcome, too. Thanks. Question 5 22:27 - 26:27 Hello, I’m 66 and have been diagnosed with early-stage cataracts. I have Hashimoto's, SIBO/IBS, MCS, fibromyalgia, etc. Any recommendations?
This episode answers questions related to nerve damage, lasik surgery, salzmanns' nodules, nearsightedness in children, and 6th cranial nerve palsy. Intro: How do we know if our eyes and vision are actually getting better? 0:00 - 4:41 Question 1 4:41 - 12:34 Hi Dr. Berne! I have nerve damage in my eyes and I was wondering if it's possible to reverse it? Question 2 12:34 - 20:01 I have Salzmanns’ nodules. I have had surgery to remove off both eyes but they came back on the left eye, which is causing my astigmatism to go up and have shadowing. Will your drops and exercises help? All my doctor offers are pressure to go back into glasses. My right eye is very strong at distance and overcompensates for what the left does not see. What do you know about this disease and treatments for it? Thank you. Question 3 20:01 - 28:27 Hello Dr. Berne,
I have farsightedness and had Lasik surgery 9 years ago. Suddenly my eyes started deteriorating and my prescription seems to have gone back almost to what it was before Lasik, which was a +3.25 and a +4.50. I cannot pass driver test with or without glasses. I started doing the 90 days exercise, but still feel my eyes are getting weaker and weaker. I bought myself a +1 glass and that is what I use sometimes. Question 4 28:27 - 33:19 Good day Dr. Berne, my little cousin has 7 diopters of prescription, and she is so young at age 8. What could she do to get better her vision? Question 5 33:19 - 39:50 Hi Dr. Sam, I’d like to get your opinion on interventions that may help with a sudden onset 6th Cranial Nerve Palsy affecting my right eye that occurred September 5, 2018, and resulted in double vision.
As background, I am a 66 y.o. Caucasian male in excellent health. I've had a complete workup performed at Thomas Jefferson Wills Eye Hospital here in Philadelphia. There are no risk factors in my health history that might be causative and the medical team at Wills Eye found nothing suspect. On follow up, the doctors have said that I would just have to wait it out and that my eyesight would return to normal in 3-6 months...maybe. I've read some papers on the NIH website and discovered there was some limited, level 1 research that indicated acupuncture might be of some help.
So, I've been trying that for the last 3 weeks with no change as of yet but the acupuncturist happened to be a former patient of yours and recommended I reach out to you. Thanks in advance for your consideration and apologies for the long-winded e-mail.
This episode answers questions related to retinal disease, double vision, cataract surgery side effects, and ocular occlusion. Question 1 0:27 - 5:43 Is there help for a retinal disease with methylation problems, no gallbladder, and gut issues. I’ve already had cataract surgery and then vitrectomies. Question 2 5:43 - 10:32 Can your eye exercises for double vision help with an isolated/idiopathic 6th cranial nerve palsy? It came on suddenly, in the right eye, with no related medical or psychological factors contributing to diagnosis. All blood work, MRI's, HTN, DM etc are normal. I am a 66-year-old male in excellent health. Thanks for the consideration. Question 3 10:32 - 18:51 My husband had cataract surgery earlier this year and now his eyes water constantly. Any idea why this would happen? Thank you for your thoughts. Question 4 18:51 - 22:54 My fiancee's cataract has been diagnosed with a traumatic cataract. Is there anything additional or different than the conventional options we were recommended? Question 5 22:54 - 29:01 Can you address what it takes to heal my ocular occlusions?
This episode answers questions related to retinal detachment, eye infections, nearsightedness, Usher syndrome, and blepharospasm. Question 1 2:55 - 10:45 Dear Dr. Berne: Do you have any information about recovering from surgery after a retinal detachment, I want to avoid the formation of cataracts from vitrectomy. And how do I dissolve pigment stuck behind retina? I have ordered eye drops and am curious if they may help with these situations. Question 2 10:45 - 15:12 The only way I can describe what is going on in my right eye is it is as if I somehow got an oily substance in my eye. I can barely see through it. I had an eye exam done but the eye doctor could not see anything. Would the MSM eye drops help with this? Question 3 15:12 - 21:44 I came across your podcast as I am looking to stabilize my nearsightedness. I have -8.0 and -8.5 lenses and only 41. At this point, I don't think I can improve my eyesight but I want to be able to stop dropping even lower. I read some books and am listening to your podcast trying to find natural ways to stabilize my vision. So, I started with a weaker prescription (-7.5, -7.25) and it is absolutely wonderful. My eyes are no longer tense and I even started to drive with these glasses. This is the best advice so far! I will start your recommended 90-day eye exercise soon. I noticed that my eyes focus better after eye massage or cardio workout.
I wanted to ask a few questions. My eyes are super sensitive to sunlight. I practically have to wear sunglasses on a cloudy day. Do you have any supplement or exercise advice to reduce sun sensitivity? What causes eye sensitivity?
And my second question is about prisms. My eye doctor put prisms in my last prescription as she tried to put reading and distance functions into one prescription. That last prescription took a big toll on my eyes increasing my blur. Can prisms contribute to the problem?
Thank you. Question 4 21:45 - 25:30 I read your Success Story on Sam C that he was born blind and now he has 20/20 vision.
I have a son and a daughter born with Usher syndrome (the disease that they eventually lose their vision as days go by), now they are blind in their 40s, is there anyway you can help them regain their vision?
I'd appreciate your response to this matter.
Thanks Question 5 25:31 - 30:31 Dr. Sam, what do you know about blepharospasm and what recommendations might you have for me? I am currently on Botox shots that somewhat help me keep my eyes open, but it makes it complicated to blink all the way or close them tight during my sleep. For that reason, they often dry and tear. What do you recommend I do? I am watching my diet and doing a liver cleanse, just wondering what else you might advise me to do?
Thank you so much.
This episode answers questions related to ocular immune health, optic nerve health, clogged tear ducts, and hemorrhaging in the eye. How to Improve the Immune System in Our Eyes 0:00 - 6:58 Question 1 6:58 - 10:40 I am writing to ask if you are aware of any link between periodontal disease and macular degeneration. I recently had surgery on my left eye for a macular hole and was told that I now have macular degeneration in both eyes. Recently my left eye has been developing a blockage, it's on the top of my eye going about halfway down. I also was diagnosed with the periodontal disease last year and had laser surgery on my top teeth. I had a crown made mostly of gold put on my back upper left tooth. I feel a connection is possible between the two diseases. I have talked to my dentist and my eye doctor about this matter and they insist there is no connection. Please let me know if you can give me any insight or information. Thank you! Question 2 10:40 - 14:52 My son is 58 years old and he has a swollen optic nerve in his left eye and has lost most of his sight in that eye. The specialist said there was nothing more he could do to help him. Is there anything you could recommend? He has had this problem for over 3 years. Question 3 14:52 - 18:52 Dear Dr. Berne: I started to notice that my eyes burn and my tears smell like ammonia. Also, my tear duct seems to be clogged. What can I do? Question 4 18:52 - 24.54 I have a friend whose eyes are hemorrhaging and they have ruled out diabetes and other known causes. They put her on steroids, but she has seen no improvement. What else can she try?
This episode answers questions related to dry eyes, glaucoma, improving nearsightedness, UV lights, and blurry vision. Question 1 0:39 - 8:53 I have some questions for you regarding my mom’s eye issues. She has had a cornea transplant in her left eye and is having issues with it. She is on two medications: Simbrinza 1% and Systane (both eye drops are taken twice per day). Her right eye is getting very dry. I bought her the MSM drops you offer on your website. She is using them several times per day in her right eye but says they don’t seem to be relieving the dryness. I tried to speak to her doctor about using them in both eyes but did not get a nice response. I now have my mom taking the oral MSM along with the eye drops but she keeps having issues. Question 2 8:54 - 12:59 What would you suggest if I'm already on medication for the beginnings of glaucoma? Should I use with or taper over to MSM? Please advise because I fear this medicine I'm using may be harmful. Thank you. Question 3 13:00 - 18:17 Many health gurus are adamant that sunglasses should never be worn especially ones with polarized lenses. I do sun exposure without sunglasses early and late in the day but find I am more comfortable with sunglasses in the middle of the day and when I drive. Is there a particular problem with polarized lenses? Question 4 18:18 - 25:51 Hey Dr. Berne! I'll get right to the point: my vision is terrible (6.5 in the left eye and 7.5 in the right eye) and I'm only 23. I want to improve my vision, maybe even get it to 20/20 if that's possible. I want to downgrade the prescription of my glasses a bit, as you've advised, to get my eyes working more, but I'm currently dealing with posterior blepharitis in my left eye, so my vision's blurry in that eye. I know I can reduce the prescription for my right eye and be okay, but I am not sure what to do for the left eye since the vision's blurry regardless. I've been doing your dry eye exercises at least 1-2 times per day. Any tips on what I can do? Question 5 25:51 - 30:21 I had cataract surgery on both eyes in June. Apparently, both of the implanted lenses were cloudy on the back. I have to wait until November to have a laser treatment to clear that up. However, I have what appears to be “blinders” on the outside edge of my vision. I was told there is nothing that can be done about it and that is from the incision. I am told it should go away in time but no one knows how long. Is there anything I can do to help this heal/go away? Question 6 30:21 - 36:27 Have you heard of Microsporidia Fungus growth causing blurry vision and dry eyes? My recent GI Mapping results show significant Microsporidia. (I have no idea why, unless it is because I have well water. None of the other causes are relevant.) I have asked several doctors about the intermittent blurry vision I have been experiencing for 7 years or so, and my recent Optometrist said I have severe dry-eye which is not improving with the use of Restasis for the past year. Thank you!
This episode answers questions related to cataracts, glaucoma, dry-eye syndrome, recovering from cataract surgery, improving learning disabilities, and how to use pinhole glasses to improve vision. Question 1 2:57 - 11:50 How did you cure your learning disability holistically? Question 2 11:51 - 15:38 I have just been put on Restasis. Can I take MSM 15% drops also, at least 15 minutes apart? Question 3 15:39 - 19:44 I just watched your video on cataracts & other great informative videos...thanks! What can patients do who have already had cataract surgery to nourish their eyes? Also, I now suffer from 'dry eye' and & have glaucoma in one eye......HELP! Question 4 19:44 - 20:47 Is it safe to use MSM eye drops in an eye that has had cataract surgery? Question 5 20:47 - 24:07 Six years ago I had an eye aneurysm. My retina was not damaged but I still have a lot of blood debris/floaters. I was offered to go through a procedure to remove the vitreous of my left eye and replace it with some liquid. I don't know the name of this procedure. To be honest I am not thrilled about that. Could you please give me some input on my condition? Thank you very much. Question 6 24:07 - 28:05 I bought a pair of pinhole glasses. I remember seeing a podcast or a YouTube video where you explained how to use pinhole glasses, could you discuss and elaborate?
This episode answers questions related to dry eyes, contact lens solutions, eye-health supplements, and deteriorating near and far vision. Question 1 0:21 - 6:36 Do you have an opinion on LipiFlow for dry eyes, complicated by meibomian gland dysfunction? Thank you!" Question 2 6:36 - 12:06 What do you recommend for contact lens solution? Question 3 12:06 - 17:42 Which supplements do you suggest for my daughter who has had surgery (with oil ball inserted along with the 'eye belt') for a detached retina? She also has had dry eye syndrome for years and wears contact lenses. It's been 2 months since the retinal surgery. Question 4 17:42 - 20:55 I have bad dry eyes and my eye doctor just gives me eye drops and says deal with it. I wake up in the middle of the night and wake up with my eyes glued shut. Is this condition treatable? Question 5 20:55 - 25:20 I have noticed my eyesight is getting more blurry both when I see up close and at a distance. I am wondering what things I can do, or what foods that would truly benefit me. Is there anything that I can do to make it better?
This episode answers questions related to dry eyes, contact lens solutions, eye-health supplements, and deteriorating near and far vision. Question 1 0:21 - 6:36 Do you have an opinion on LipiFlow for dry eyes, complicated by meibomian gland dysfunction? Thank you!" Question 2 6:36 - 12:06 What do you recommend for contact lens solution? Question 3 12:06 - 17:42 Which supplements do you suggest for my daughter who has had surgery (with oil ball inserted along with the 'eye belt') for a detached retina? She also has had dry eye syndrome for years and wears contact lenses. It's been 2 months since the retinal surgery. Question 4 17:42 - 20:55 I have bad dry eyes and my eye doctor just gives me eye drops and says deal with it. I wake up in the middle of the night and wake up with my eyes glued shut. Is this condition treatable? Question 5 20:55 - 25:20 I have noticed my eyesight is getting more blurry both when I see up close and at a distance. I am wondering what things I can do, or what foods that would truly benefit me. Is there anything that I can do to make it better?
This episode answers questions related to color blindness, diabetes-related vision loss, uveitis, dry and wet macular degeneration, Irwin Gass Syndrome, eye inflammation, eye drops for dry eyes, and eye drops for glaucoma.
Question 1 1:00 - 4:51 In all the newsletters I’ve read from you, I’ve never seen color blindness addressed. Would you please do something about that condition? My stepson just tried the Enchroma glasses to see if they could help his color blindness at all, which they didn’t. Not being able to determine color has affected what jobs he can undertake.
Thanks so much! Question 2 4:51 - 11:30 My husband has diabetes he has lost vision in one eye. His other eye macula is swelling now has a cataract in his eye the one that is swelling. What product do you think will help his eyes? Question 3 11:30 - 19:31 Is there anything you can do for Uveitis? My daughter has the one that is in the back of the eye. She has it in both eyes but one is affected more than the other. Question 4 19:31 - 26:53 My left eye has gone from dry macular degeneration to wet, I am taking all related supplements, + Acupuncture have had my 1st eye injection.
Do you have any additional thoughts or suggestions? Thanks. Question 5 26:55 - 33:23 Tell me more about treatment for Irwin Gass Syndrome. I had cataract surgery on right eye May 22 and left eye on June 5. My eye surgeon and my retinal specialist tells me this is self-limiting and will go away. They both recommend a NSAID eye drop three times a day and a steroid eye drop twice a day. The retinal specialist says it is difficult for the drops to penetrate to back of eye and the surface of retina. He suggested low dose NSAID tablet daily. I take warfarin tablet daily for atrial fib. so, I would prefer not to use NSAID tablets. I am a retired pharmacist and believe in functional medicine and nutrient therapy. I use your MSM eye drops 15% twice a day, and take an eye vitamin with a formula like yours.
I am thinking about Glutathione liposomal oral therapy to aid in healing. I have used the Carnosine drops prior to my eye surgeries for two years. I have some left but stop using after the surgery. I follow the post cataract eye exercises and sunning exercises daily. Thanks for your suggestions. Question 6 33:25 - 38:25 I have Graves’ disease, since 08/2017, and thyroid eye disease (TED) since 02/2018. I've had double vision which has greatly improved and little to no eye pain, I do have inflammation / puffiness under both eyes which fluctuates from day to day; and that puffiness is softer / not as firm now. For the TED I was on a 12-week round of prednisone, 500 mg for 6 weeks and 250 mg for 6 weeks; and just completed a 16-day taper of 10 mg prednisone. That surgeon wants me to get radiation therapy and / or bone removal surgery from behind my eyes; neither of which I'm interested in. What eye drops and / or supplements would you suggest? Thank you. Question 7 38:25 - 42:50 I am on restasis for dry eyes, can I use the MSM drops also? Thank you. Question 8 42:50 - 44:00 Are there alternatives to the prescription drops I am using for glaucoma?
This episode answers questions related to glaucoma, macular degeneration, scar tissue, retinal detachment, macular wrinkle, and macular hole.
Question 1 0:20 - 6:36 I have been diagnosed with Pseudoexfoliation Glaucoma in both eyes. The pressure is high and they have prescribed Lumigan .01%...dosage 1 drop in each eye before bed. I will go back in 2 weeks and possibly have Laser. Do you have any recommendations? Question 2 6:37 - 10:02 I have an elevated eye pressure of 28, and I am stressed out.
I must lower my eye pressure naturally, and the research I find is not satisfactory, and its always eye drops, laser, or surgery. There must be a way for our body to make this adjustment. My eye health is normal with no damage, and I want to desperately keep it that way other than the pressure. I would love your help, Question 3 10:02 - 13:41 My ophthalmology appt yesterday shows nonexudative AMD, bilateral, early dry stage. Epithelial ingrowth was something new. Apparently not unusual following Lasik surgery but, mine was in 2000.
My personal plan is to use far red light 4 or 5 times a week, increase consumption of egg yolks and dark leafy greens, continue a high-quality eye supplement and do your exercises. I go back in 6 weeks. Should there be a difference/improvement in that time? Am I missing something?
I’m in Minnesota or I would be in your office ASAP!
Thanks for any help or encouragement you can offer. Question 4 13:41 - 17:39 I have a lot of scar tissue on my left eye, causing blindness-I have had this since 2001-had a detached retina. Would you know if MSM eye drops (or any of your other ones) has the ability to disintegrate, cut up, kill off, delete and/or any other word you would like to use, to get rid of scar tissue? Question 5 17:39 - 19:11 Is there anything that can be done to get rid of scar tissue after retina replacement? Question 6 19:11 - 21:39 My mother in law has Macular Degeneration. Going blind but not there yet. In mid-seventies. I believe the body heals itself given the proper environment including nutrients. I'm not sure I can teach an old dog new tricks like new eating habits. So where shall I begin? Love to bring her to you, but she's in South Bend IN. Question 7 21:39 - 24:20 I have been diagnosed with a macular wrinkle in one eye and a macular hole in the other that causes double vision as the axis of the waviness intersect. Prisms aren't correcting the problem. Is there anything else available to help with this problem?
This episode answers questions related to nearsightedness, prescription lenses, releasing trauma, pinguecula, horror fusionis and double vision.
Question 1 0:35 - 5:16 “I just listened to a recent episode in which you discuss the steps to heal nearsightedness. As an EFT practitioner, I especially appreciated step 2, where you ask people to assess what was going on in their life when they first got a prescription. We take this perspective in EFT (tapping) as well - by asking clients what was going on in the 3-12 months before a health decline or the appearance of an emotional problem. My question relates to eliminating nearsightedness. The steps seem to assume that you wear glasses. If one wears contacts, do you also ask for a prescription that's 20-25% less than what you have now? And rather than get a box of contacts for a year, do you ask for a 3-month supply? Or something else? Also, to complicate the matter, what do you do when you currently wear mono-vision contacts? Should I ask my doc to correct both eyes fully, but at 20-25% less than needed (e.g., so I'm 20/40)? I'd love to hear this on a future podcast! Thank you!” Question 2 5:16 - 8:42 “Today our 6-month-old granddaughter was diagnosed with nystagmus. Her parents were told that there was nothing that could be done. Have you experienced any luck with treatments for this condition?” Question 3 8:42 - 13:00 “To improve my balance, gait, (and recover from myriad other related symptoms) from a past concussion (horse fall), Lyme disease complicated by heavy metals, viruses, mold, glyphosate, presenting also with Parkinson’s symptoms. Debilitating fatigue, not relieved with sleep.
I hoped your eye exercises would help in some way. When I wrote to you about a week ago about this you recommended the 90-day program. I also ordered your supplements you recommended. Another thing is I think I have emotional/past traumas that I’m trying to figure out how to release. Please comment on this.
Thank you!!” Question 4 13:00 - 17:37 Dear Dr Sam: Firstly, a big thank you for making your work available to the world! Apart from giving really useful information, you give hope.
Secondly, I have questions - far too many! - but here are a couple:
I get a lot of 'gunk' in my left eye which clouds my vision no matter how many drops of MSM + silver I put in. Could this be related to the pinguecula I have in that eye?
Also, I wonder if my eyesight is improving even though the blur/double vision seems to be getting worse. Is that possible? I don't want to delude myself! I can have moments - if I wait long enough - where I have, very briefly, 20/20 vision. It disappears as soon as I blink but it makes me feel that I might one day retrieve my vision if I knew how.
I realize you may not have the time to answer these but I send them with huge gratitude anyway. And many blessings from Edinburgh, Scotland.” Question 5 17:39 - 19:44 I am 57 years old and started wearing glasses at 43 for reading. I now use that first pair of specs for distance. I have always had poor circulation and am currently being treated for various infections: EBV + various protozoan parasites. Can you offer any advice? Question 6 19:44 - 24:57 Hi Dr. Berne, I was diagnosed with Diplopia / Horror Fusionis. I have not had much hope seeing different specialists over the years. The double vision continues to get worse and worse for about 8 years now, making it difficult and almost unsafe to drive. Any insight on vision therapy or hope for Horror Fusionis? “
Question 1 0:18 - 7:31 I am at the age where I need bifocals and I wear contacts. I also have astigmatism. What can I do to improve my eyesight? Question 2 7:36 - 12:44 I am looking for information about how to improve retinitis pigmentosa holistically. What do you recommend? Thank you. Question 3 12:44 - 16:26 Is flash photography dangerous for newborns, babies or pregnant woman? Question 4 16:26 - 24:34 Good afternoon, Dr. Berne. I am a 32 year-old Caucasian male. I have always had extreme myopia and was diagnosed with pigmentary dispersion syndrome at about 25. I have been to glaucoma specialists who have given me medically aggressive, yet highly unreliable procedures to treat it. I have attempted some natural treatments for this including eye-washes, juicing carrots, and various herbs. None have been successful. I am currently on meds, yet fear that I am developing a tolerance and I will need to continue to increase in amounts and strengths endlessly. From what I understand, this disease is fairly rare, and is not treated the same way as regular glaucoma. Have you had any success treating it? Can you offer a natural, holistic way to manage it, without needing to be a lifelong meds user? Thanks so much.
Question 1 0:30 - 10:38 My 88-year-old mother is blind in one eye and is challenged in her good eye. She had severe inflammation and had cataract surgery about 20 years ago. She uses alpha glaucoma medications and steroid eye drops. She used to take acyclovir for a herpes infection due to the steroid use. Currently, she takes a multivitamin supplement that contains a probiotic. She recently had a stent to lower the pressure in her good eye. Her eyes do not dilate well and she has difficulty going from dark to bright and vice versa. Would you recommend any of your eye drops for her? Any other suggestions would be welcome. Question 2 10:39 - 18:09 I have been borderline glaucoma for 5 years but eat fairly clean and organic food. My pressure throughout the last 3 years ranges from 15-16 up to 18-21. I'm farsighted and began wearing glasses 4 years ago. What else can I do? Question 3 18:10 - 23:54 About 2 years ago I learned that I had an autoimmune issue - hypothyroidism/Hashimoto’s. Around that time I noticed more floaters in my eyes - particularly my right eye. That is when I finally decided to stop opting out of using the dilation drops at my regular yearly appointments and they discovered I had retinal lattice and due to my prescription was at risk of detachment.
What dos and don’ts, exercises, or supplements do you recommend? Question 4 23:54 - 28:10 My optometrist diagnosed my right eye with beginnings of cataract some 3-4 yrs. ago. The following year the left eye was also diagnosed with cataract. They told me my only options are surgery.
I've read a lot of things on the internet in terms of aloe vera juice, castor oil, natural teas, and other holistic ideas.
Have you heard of these 3 methods? Question 5 28:14 - 37:23 I’m having trouble with any small print. I also have white flashes-floaters & was hit in the eye last fall. Is there anything I can do for these issues? Question 6 37:23 - 42:23 I went to an eye doctor 2 years ago due to pink eye. During the examination, they pressed very hard to stretch my eyes while examining and using numbing drops. It left my eyes with a coating, swollen and paralysis that made them weaker, unable to focus, adjust to brightness well, and dryness. These symptoms have remained. These symptoms were not the case for me before I saw the doctor. How can I help my eyes?
This episode answers questions about addressing early-stage cataracts, eye supplements, healing from cataract surgery, and retinal vein occlusion. Question 1 1:11 - 10:45 I was considering ordering the eye drops but before I do have a question about them. I am using 2 eye drops: Lumigan and another for my glaucoma diagnosis. I also have been diagnosed with a cataract in the right eye, which is pretty advanced, and the left eye has the beginning of a cataract. I was considering using your MSM in the left eye. Please note that I hate using the prescription eye drops, aka drugs in my eye, but that's the way it is I guess. The pressure in my eye is a lot better now since using the prescription drops. My question is should I order your drops for my "good" eye? I am 79, no other health problems that I know of? I take Taurine, Lutein with Grapeseed and Bilberry combo plus other vitamins. What do you think? Question 2 10:46 - 17:40 Hi Dr. Berne! I now have a little hope that relief may be possible for my eye discomfort. After cataract surgery 2 years ago, my left eye developed a lump in the soft skin tissue under my eye. Also, some scar tissue has been removed from this eye but it grew back. Do you have any products that may help me? My eye doctor doesn’t seem to recognize this as a significant issue. The lump does not hurt, and isn’t cancer, but looks like a black eye! Thank you. Question 3 17:40 - 27:41 My husband was diagnosed with a retinal vein occlusion. He now is adding MSM eye drops to his other eye medications for circulation. The doctor performed laser treatments but my husband had to quit because they were too painful. He is now experiencing some eye pain. One of his eye doctors said the pain will get worse, another said his eyeball will begin to wither and get smaller. Do you have any suggestions? He has read about surgery to open the back of the retinal vein. Do you know about that? Thank you!
Question 1 1:15 - 5:17 Have you written anything on the holistic management of diabetic macular edema? I am trying to help my father with this condition. I am so grateful for any direction you can provide! Question 2 5:17 - 9:39 I have a condition of swelling of the eyeballs. I have not been given a diagnosis during the 16 months I've had the condition. What would you suggest I need to do? Question 3 9:40 - 14:00 Dr. Berne,
Sometimes, I experience disoriented vision. Last time in the office, I looked at the computer screen on my left side by turning my head toward the left. All of a sudden, I experienced double vision and disorientation. I felt to have lost the control of my left eye resulting in a double vision. I remembered I tried to regain focus but I couldn't. My vision was blurry for a while until it recovered by itself. It seemed turning my head so hard to the left might have caused a down-regulation of blood flow to the brain affecting the vision. Another morning, I got up and found myself experiencing nausea. Again, I had a disorientation and a blurry vision while standing next to my bed. Today as I was standing up to watch TV for a while, then my left eye suddenly lost control and I felt disoriented. My vision was blurry for a while because I seemed to have lost control of my left eye. In the end, my left eye recovered focus naturally.
What caused the disorientation, double vision, or blurry vision in my case? Question 4 14:00 - 17:45 I had a stroke on July 29, 2017, and lost my vision on the right side. My vision hasn't got any better in approximately 10 months ... is there help for me?
Question 1 3:49 - 8:50 My 23-year-old daughter contracted Shingles in June 2017. She had it on her scalp, forehead, ear, etc. It went into her right eye. She is on her 3rd eye specialist and the inflammation and pressure are not normal. She does have a few autoimmune diseases. Any suggestions? Question 2 8:55-12:88 Hi there, Dr. Sam: I’m hoping you can give me some advice on keratitis. I have severe dry eye & today was diagnosed with keratitis. I’m scared to go to sleep because I am afraid I may tear my cornea again.
Regular eye drops irritate with no benefit. Should I use warm or cold compress? I started steroid drops while waiting to see a cornea specialist.
Thank you for your loving outreach to those of use with these unexpected eye complications. You are a blessing. Question 3 12:89 - 16:01 Hello Dr. Berne,
I would appreciate if you could talk about detached vitreous and tell us what you know about surgery for a detached vitreous. I have been reading articles that the surgery can cause cataracts, retinal detachment, bleeding and infection among other things.
Thank you.
Question 1 Hi, I have just been diagnosed with a problem where there is bleeding in the eye and I have type 2 diabetes. The eye doctor told me I should wait and see, and then get a new appointment for 10 months. BUT, I don't want to wait and do nothing during that time. I am terrified and I want to do all I can to stop this and hopefully be able to reverse it. Please, could you help me with some suggestions? Question 2 Hi, I have optic atrophy. I am the third generation in the family with that visual problem. Most of the eye doctors have said there is no cure for optic atrophy. Currently, I am having a problem with visual focusing. What can I do to improve my visual focusing? Question 3 I have had painful eyes for nearly a year due to dry-eye syndrome. I keep going back to my eye doctor, but nothing is helping. What can I do? Question 4 My 11-year-old daughter is wearing progressive lenses, and after listening to your interview on the healthy mom’s podcast, I know I need to get her out of those glasses. What would you recommend I do for her since she currently needs two different prescriptions?
0:00 - 13:05 What is the protocol for reducing a nearsighted RX? Also, how much should I ask for in terms of a prescription reduction and how long will it take to improve my myopia.
13:05 - 18:13 How do I improve Optic Neuritis?
18:13 - 22:05 Hi Dr. Sam, I am wondering how you feel about infrared saunas and their impact on our eyes.
0:00 - 3:20 My husband and I recently listened to the WELLNESS MAMA podcast that featured Dr. Berne. We were both very interested what was discussed and were wondering if Dr. Berne and his office have any other optometrists that also follow a holistic approach to eye health that they would refer who practice near our area, Chesapeake, VA or near Akron, OH (where we frequently visit family). Thank you! 3:20 - 9:00 I learned about Dr. Berne from a blog with the Wellness Mama. I have had a bad year with 'large' floaters and cataracts in my left eye and now recently with floaters and a very slight cataract in my stronger right eye. I am nervous about trying the MSM drops and wondered if I should address the floaters first and foremost or work on cataracts. My 2 siblings have had cataracts and my 68 yr old brother was diagnosed with glaucoma when he was my age. My father had cataract surgery when he was 45 yrs old and had 3 detached retinas in his left eye by the time he was 75. 9:45 - 10:50 I was treated with Lasik in December 2017 and have an astigmatism. Can it be treated naturally? 10:50 - 17:04 What can be done for eye issues resulting from an occipital stroke? 17:04 - 19:36 My husband just had cataracts removed from both eyes, one in March, and the other in April. He is three weeks down from the last operation. He had a detached retina 9 years ago and has struggled with glaucoma for the last 15 years. Overall the glaucoma operation successfully lowered eye pressure and his vision is good, but his eyes have become very dry. Would the MSM Eye Drops help lubricate his eyes without jeopardizing the various issues he is challenged within his eyes? Thanks for considering these questions. 18:05 - 21:21 I have had astigmatism problems all my life due to the extreme football shape of my eyes. I had cataract surgery due to medication-induced cataracts and floater removal surgery due to sloughing of the interior of both eyes after cataract surgery. I have tri-focal glasses and I wear a prism which makes life better, but the multiple image vision from my eye shape makes seeing and reading very difficult. I use CBD oil to relax my brain so my brain doesn't shut down my right eye, and as an unexpected byproduct, my extreme dry eye has mostly resolved itself. I am very careful about keeping hydrated because that makes a huge difference in my vision. I do eye exercises that were given to me by a vision therapist and they really help as well ( I have since moved out of state and am on my own). I have switched over to a plant-based diet and nutritional supplements. I ordered your MSM drops and look forward to seeing what they do for me. Is there anything else I can do to reduce multiple images, or is this as good as it gets? 20:40 - 24:39 I was told by my eye doctor yesterday that I have Pterygium. What natural protocols would you recommend for this? 25:12 - 27:07 Hello, my daughter is 11 and was prescribed nearsighted glasses. What can I do to prevent nearsightedness?
0:00 - 3:23 Hi, I found your page from an interview you did with WellnessMama. It is so refreshing to hear there are things that can be done naturally to improve eyesight. You mentioned in the interview that eye doctors use drops to paralyze the eye before the exam and then you end up with the strongest RX. I have an upcoming eye exam, and am wondering ----- Should I request the exam with NO drops? Thank you. 3:23 - 8:30 It is ironic at the very least, and possibly an answer to prayer that your page popped up on my newsfeed today. I have a cousin who had chemical burns to her eyes one week ago because someone was spraying lawn chemicals close to her home on a windy day. She went to a local eye doctor approximately two days after the incident and he confirmed signs of chemical burns. Steroids of some type were prescribed, but because her eyes seemed to feel worse. She stopped applying them to her eyes. A relative suggested a boric acid wash, and she is currently using that. She is quite fearful about damage to eyes and so concerned about treatment. I have been praying for help from a holistic approach. Any suggestions would be so incredibly appreciated. Thank you. 8:33 - 11:24 I have a partially clogged tear duct. My doctor prescribed Prednisolone Acetate. Used drops as directed (3 times/day for 2 wks). About two thirds of the way through I could finally taste the med in the back of my throat which meant my doctor did not have to probe the duct. However, about one week after discontinuing the drops, my symptoms of tearing returned. My doctor stated that if the symptoms returned that he would recommend surgery. Do you have any suggestions? 11:24 - 16:14 I am an adult with amblyopia 36 years old. I’m interested in learning how to correct the vision in my right eye. I wore patches for years and got my vision to 20/30 allegedly when I was 7. Currently, my vision is very poor in my right eye and my eye doctor told me there was nothing to do. I heard your podcast with Ari Whiten and you have given me help. 16:14 - 18:01 Hi Dr. Sam, I first found out about you through Ari Whitten's podcast. I have been enjoying your videos and blog on your website. I have noticed since the longest time that I tend to use my right eye for like watching TV and things at a distance as it focuses better and my left eye for reading. Should I be worried about this and is this condition called? Any specific exercises I should work on? Thanks a bunch! 18:05 - 21:21 I have had astigmatism problems all my life due to the extreme football shape of my eyes. I had cataract surgery due to medication-induced cataracts and floater removal surgery due to sloughing of the interior of both eyes after cataract surgery. I have tri-focal glasses and I wear a prism which makes life better, but the multiple image vision from my eye shape makes seeing and reading very difficult. I use CBD oil to relax my brain so my brain doesn't shut down my right eye, and as an unexpected byproduct, my extreme dry eye has mostly resolved itself. I am very careful about keeping hydrated because that makes a huge difference in my vision. I do eye exercises that were given to me by a vision therapist and they really help as well ( I have since moved out of state and am on my own). I have switched over to a plant-based diet and nutritional supplements. I ordered your MSM drops and look forward to seeing what they do for me. Is there anything else I can do to reduce multiple images, or is this as good as it gets? 21:21 - 25:12 I have been using your MSM drops since my cataract surgery in Nov. and am extremely pleased. My 76 yr old sister has been diagnosed with Downbeat Nystagmus. She is highly allergic to sulfur and cannot use the MSM drops. Can you suggest other options? 25:12 - 27:53 I watched your video about your eye history. I'm curious what the MSM eye drops might do for mine or what you'd recommend otherwise. My two eyes are very different.
0:00 - 5:40 How do you work around being intolerant to "sulfurs"? 5:42 - 7:65 Dr. Berne, thank you very much for valuable content and sharing your knowledge! You're helping people so much!
I have a quick question. Your recommendation to ask your doctor for a weaker prescription for nearsighted reading or use of digital devices. How much weaker do you recommend? 7:70- 11:91 I recently listened to you on a podcast on Ari Whitten’s site and was impressed with your approach. Perhaps you can give some guidance.
I had a thrombosis in one eye about a year ago. Since then the treatment has been a series of anti-angiogenesis injections directly in the eye, plus several rounds of laser procedures on the retina. All of this done at the eye clinic in Luzern Switzerland where I live. That clinic is reputed to be the best in the country, however, the condition has now reached a stage where there is still some edema near the macula and it is not dissipating. I am growing weary and worried about continuing with these interventions. Do you have any suggestions about an alternative approach/treatment? 11:95 - 15:22 I recently heard about you on a podcast and now intend on finding a holistic eye professional. I have been experiencing spontaneous eye-watering. It has only been happening in my left eye for several weeks now and occurs every few minutes. As of Monday, it is producing what looks like mucus which is both annoying and irritates the skin surrounding my eyes. Sometimes the tears sting my eyes but sometimes not. There is also a slight pressure around the eye which is especially felt when I have to blow my nose. I currently have a headache...
What are some possible reasons this is happening? I have Hashimoto's thyroiditis and idiopathic intracranial hypertension and I want to tread very carefully with regard to any meds, supplements and other treatments recommended. I have a preference towards any holistic approaches. Could it possibly be a blocked tear duct and are there any natural approaches to this problem?
Any guidance you could please provide? Also, what is the best way to find a well trained holistic eye professional?
0:00 - 5:17 My daughter had Lasik surgery several years ago and now her vision is deteriorated again. The doctor told her the eye is flat. She cannot wear contacts and can only wear glasses. Can you recommend an eye program to help her? Thank you. 5:18 - 8:57 I'm a 28-year-old male and I started getting floaters in 2012. Recently I've noticed more floaters. My eyesight is 20/16started getting a couple more floaters.
I've noticed that a correlation with my eyes burning and sugar consumption, dehydration, and when I spend long periods of time on digital devices.
What should I consider? 8:59 - 12:03 Hello Dr. Sam. I am a 22-year-old male from Wichita, KS. I have blue eyes that recently had two injuries. I had my first on my right eye about a year and a half ago, and my second one about five months ago. Both impact hits. I developed very bad floaters in both my eyes. It has taken over my life. I didn’t notice them after my first injury, but my doctor noticed a floater on my left eye after my second injury, and then all of a sudden I got bombarded by them weeks to come.
I don’t know what to do. I’m too young to be a candidate for surgery. Then I stumbled across you, which I consider my last hope. These floaters have made me incredibly depressed. I purchased your MSM eye drops, with hopes that they actually do something. Is there any proof that they do anything for floaters, or actually remove them? I bought the pills you included, and also started coordinating more probiotics into my lifestyle. I am changing my diet, as hard as it may be. Do I have any hope, Doctor? Or is my life ruined as I know it? Thanks for taking the time to try and help people. 12:07 - 15:54 My eyes were fine until I reached my mid-forties and began to need reading glasses for computer work and reading. I am already eating a diet as recommended by you. What products and exercises do you recommend to help me improve my vision? 15:57 - 19:39 Hi Dr. Berne, (fellow Taos skiing lover 😉)
I would love it if you could talk about Presbyopia in one of your talks. I'm new to your community and haven't seen any eye exercises that address that issue. I use about 2.5 reading glasses, but unfortunately, my long-distance sight has gotten blurry too 😟 😟 I would love to be able and work on that! Thank you!
0:00 - 6:18 Dear Dr. Berne,
I subscribe to your emails and am a huge fan. Thank you for all you do and especially, thanks for your out-of-the-box thinking. I hope you can direct me somewhere for help with my eye problem.
My left eyelid twitch came on while was eating lunch back in 2016. It felt like there was something in my eye, but I couldn't get it out. It went away later in the day. By now it's become a frequent problem, especially when I read. And it occasionally involves the left side of my face, which has become lined although the right side has not. Ophthalmologists say that something is pressing on a facial nerve and there's no solution except botox and unadvised surgery. I think it may be related to either mercury in dental fillings or a chronic sinus infection.
My question is, have you ever heard of this problem and is there a natural way to fix it? If so, do you deal with problems like this or know of physicians who do? I don't know where else to turn. 6:19 - 12.03 Good evening Dr. Berne,
I watched your podcast with Ari and I have been struggling with my vision all my life, but especially in the past three years. I was born with a lazy eye and was told by my fourth-grade teacher I had a reading comprehension issue, so I also learned through memorization. And three years ago was diagnosed with Nystagmus and Central Serous Retinopathy. I have progressive lenses and my ability to see things close up is near impossible...completely blurred. I do experience floaters as well. My eyes do not work in harmony. I think my biggest issue is sleep and stress. I am a personal trainer and eat well but do need to increase my greens.
Can you help direct me in where to start? I have been praying for the restoration of my vision, for my eyes to work in harmony and to see 20/20. My glasses are so thick particularly in my right eye and stick out of the frame. It's always been an insecurity for me. Any advice would be a blessing. Thank you so much! 12:04 - 15.10 Dear Dr. Sam Berne,
I have diabetes and now my vision is blurry, especially when in the son. I am vegan and my blood sugar is under control. What should I be considering? 15:12 - 18:28: I saw an eye specialist in Boston a couple of years ago regarding a film I have in my right eye. They tested it and said there are not much to do other than surgery and that the surgery is not always successful at removing the film. Any suggestions? The information presented is intended for educational purposes only. The information presented is in no way intended as a substitute for receiving professional medical care.
Question 1: 00:00 - 8:56: I have macular pucker and have tried your MSM drops. I am concerned about my eyes. What should I do? Question 2: 8:56 - 18:58: My husband is a police officer and was hit by a fleeing suspect's car while working on his bike in October. He had a craniotomy on the right side and in December had the bone flap put back in place, but then needed a shunt inserted, and subsequently had two seizures. Right now he's doing really well considering the severity of his injury. He communicates with us, asks tons of questions about the accident, time, etc., laughs, jokes around, is starting to stand with minimal help. He can't process information about the accident quite yet, but his short-term memory has not fully recovered yet. Vision is a huge part of this. He has a blood clot in his right eye which makes it very hard to see from the right side. He can see from a specific point on the left side, but his peripheral vision is pretty much non-existent. I came by your talk with the TBI coach and was just fascinated by your work and was wondering if there are any exercises/therapies you would recommend for my husband and could communicate through a distance. We're also having our first baby in the next week so I would love for my husband to be able to actually see him! Let me know your thoughts when you can.
Question 1: 00:00 - 10:00: I just listened to your podcast with WellnessMama and I have a four-year-old daughter who has been in glasses since she was two. They diagnosed her as farsighted and with accommodative Esotropia and now they have started patching her strong eye (left eye) to strengthen her right eye. I was wondering if you knew of any other holistic eye doctors who practice closer to me, I’m in Alabama. Also, are there any certain recommendations that you have as far as trying to strengthen her eyes and get rid of the glasses? Thanks in advance. Question 2: 10:00 - 19:45: Do you have any info/ help for strabismus? I'm at 8 degrees again so they're saying time for surgery. I also have central vestibulopathy.
Question 1: 00:00 - 6:40: What protocol do you recommend for trauma-induced cataracts? Question 2: 6:40 - 8:40: How long does it take to get ride of stage 1 cataracts using MSM drops and cineraria eye drops? Question 3: 8:40 - 11:40: Can you share a couple studies that show you can heal cataracts naturally?
Antioxidants may slow progression of cataracts: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1857154/ Vitamin C reduces risk of cataract: https://academic.oup.com/jn/article/132/6/1299/4687914 Lutein and carotenoids protects against AMD and cataracts: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3708350/
Question 1: 00:00 - 6:20: Is there anything I can do to lower eye pressure? Question 2: 6:20 - 9:00: I have had three conditions for years and have been treated with Lotemax drops and prednisolone ointment until I developed Glaucoma. The doctor who did the laser for glaucoma said it was the steroids that caused the high eye pressure. I had reactions to 4 high eye pressure eye drops. What do you recommend? Question 3: 9:00 - 14:30: I was just diagnosed with bilateral narrow-angle glaucoma. I also have dry macular degeneration and cataracts. Is it safe to use MSM eye drops?
0:00-2:14
"I have been diagnosed with early drusen in my retina? What foods can I eat to avoid getting macular degeneration?
2:14-14:32
I am a medical doctor and I have been suffering double vision for a few years. My neurologist ruled out tumors and Parkinson’s disease. And my ophthalmologist said my eyes were healthy. I noticed the double vision occurred when I was given progressive bifocal glasses about the time I started to see double. I am very nearsighted. I also wear contact lenses where my right eye is corrected for distance and my left eye is corrected for near. I saw one of your videos on double vision. What can I do?
Hi, I am a young woman of 24 years and I have suffered from multiple sclerosis for the last ten years. In the last year, I began to notice that I had vision loss, particularly in the left eye. After looking into the problem further it became evident that I had a lesion on my brain that has caused the whole left half of the left eye to go blind as well as the peripheral vision on the left side of the right eye. I have been told that there is nothing to be done about this condition, because it originates in the brain and not the eye. But after listening to your podcast and hearing how you've helped others with similar issues I began to wonder if there was anything that could be done? "I have issues seeing distances as well as close. I am unsure which eye exercises would be most beneficial for me. I would love to have a protocol that spells this out. Thank you so much!" "Hello. Ive had some light sensitivity issues past two years. I have been to optometrist twice and past two years and they found no issues. I get eye strain or aches from time to time. I'm not quite sure if its an allergy or something else. Any advice would be great." "I had a CRVO in my left eye back in 2015 and had five eye injections of avastin (I believe). This seem to correct the problem but I still go in once a year for follow-up. Do you have any information I could review regarding this problem and what steps I could do to make sure it does not happen again? I enjoyed your interview with Dr. Perlmutter very much and would like to learn more about nutritional protocols for wet and dry macular degeneration. I have one stable eye, 20/20 vision. The other is not so good and treated with Eylea once a month. I practice gluten free, strict blood sugar control, and take your ACG and MSM drops. Being 87 years old I am physical very active and enjoy hiking just like you. What can I do? I wanted to ask you about cataracts, I recently have been told at the eye doctor that I have stage 1 cataracts and am wondering what I can do? Is there a way to reduce night glare while driving? I heard you on Wellness Mama's podcast. Fascinating stuff, really refreshing to hear. I searched your site for info on two conditions: visual snow and blue field entropic phenomenon in the field of vision. I seemed to see minor versions of both. Are these reversible? Am I hyper focused on them and should just ignore? I am just starting to get cataracts, I have a allergy to shellfish and in the past had several episodes of herpes in one eye. What do you recommend? Love what you are doing. Heard you speak on WellnessMama's podcast. I know you can't treat someone online, but I do have a general question. For someone like me, who has had PRK in left eye and Lasik in the right eye back in the late 90s. My left seems to be set up for distance and my right for near. I still don't need reading glasses and can see close up just fine, but my distance vision is getting considerably worse (assuming my right eye). I do spend a lot of time on the computer. How do exercises that you propose for myopia work in someone's case like me?
"Can I use MSM eye drops after cataract surgery?" "I was diagnosed with cataracts. I want to use MSM eye drops and Cataract Dissolving Homeopathic Eye drops. How do I instill both of them?"
“Dr. Berne, I have been diagnosed with an eye disease and I want to develop a plan from a more holistic perspective. Can you help me design a strategy to help me improve my eye condition without using drugs or surgery?”
"Why am I developing floaters, a cataract, and macular degeneration? My eyes are letting me down. What can I do?"
"My daughter has been diagnosed with crossed eyes and was given strong glasses? The doctor is also recommending eye muscle surgery. How is your approach different?"
"I’ve been told that my eyes work fine but not working well together. When I look straight ahead of me I get double vision and it gets worse the higher up I look. Looking down I get no problems. My eye muscles are working too hard in the upper region so they eye specialist suggests to do a surgery by cutting the muscle to weaken it. I prefer not to go down that route without trying something else first. I’m looking for alternative ways of correcting this, is there something you would recommend?" "My husband has TBI from many concussions. I am interested in the prism glasses to treat him, or any exercises you might suggest. I did not need glasses until I was almost 40 and needed readers. This progressed to needing glasses for far vision as well, so now I'm in glasses all the time, which I hate. email. Hoping you can help us to improve things. I enjoyed your podcast on WellnessMama." "I am 60 and female and very aware of and practice healthy eating and avoiding pharmaceuticals. I have to wear glasses. I have been diagnosed with meibomian gland dysfunction, the inflammation of the eyelids. My eyes are always red and have been all my life. At least now I know why. What do you suggest for this condition? Also, I'm sure I have inflammation in my gut due to diverticulosis and -itis. I am trying to fix this."
Recommended: How to treat blepharitis naturally
"My daughter has been diagnosed with amblyopia and has had glasses since 4 years old. My son was born with an eye that crossed, farsighted with amblyopia, and has eye alignment issues. He has had glasses since 6 months old and recently underwent muscle surgery. He is now in bifocals. I had asked about eye exercises and was told there was nothing. He is a good eater and I am currently doing a gut healing diet. I have also done phototherapy with infrared light and red light. Now that I know you I will start these exercises. I can do these things in my home but due to the severity of my son's eye issues, I feel like I need professional guidance. What would you recommend I do?" "I have a very quick question for you regarding my 9-year-old daughter. She has been recently diagnosed with myopia (-0.25 and -0.50) and given prescription glasses to wear only when in school. I was wondering if you could recommend any specific eye exercises that can be done for her age?" "I have a 6-year-old son with intermittent exotropia. I have had him in vision therapy for 1.5 years and since the demands of school and reading are increasing we are scheduled for 2-3 sessions of therapy per week, which is about $4700. I am holistic in everything that I do and is why he is in vision therapy; however, I have always wondered if it is a deficiency or health-related. His health is great and eats many vegetables. I was curious if there is something I can do?"
How can you increase lutein and zeaxanthin? What's the difference between a sulfa allergy and sulfur?
A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine reported that Omega-3 Fish Oils are not beneficial for dry-eye syndrome. Dr. Berne shares his thoughts. Community Q&A questions on how to eliminate floaters are answered and Dr. Berne explores disease-based vs wellness-based eye care.
How does MSM help reduce oxidative stress? Does MSM help with floaters? Does MSM help with cataracts? Does MSM help with glaucoma? What ingredients should you look for in MSM eye drops? How does sulfur help produce glutathione? What foods are rich in sulfur?
In this show, Dr. Sam Berne takes a question from a listener who suffers from a corneal condition called Keratoconus. He addresses what the causes of cornea problems, including conditions like dry eye syndrome, corneal dystrophies, and Keratoconus. He offers holistic solutions in preventing and reversing corneal problems.
What is a Posterior Vitreous Detachment (PVD) and what can you do about it? What is a 4th nerve palsy? What can be done to reduce double vision? How do you reduce the intraocular pressure that is built up in the eye (glaucoma)?
How does dairy impact macular degeneration? What should we know about steroidal eye drops? What is the ocular microbiome?
In this episode, Dr. Berne dissects the causes of floaters and how you can get rid of them. Recommended: Eye Floaters: Causes, Symptoms, and Natural Solutions
In this episode, Dr. Berne explores the causes of ADHD that may be rooted in visual problems.
Dr. Berne explores how to reduce the effects of glaucoma using natural methods that support better oxygenation, circulation, and detoxification within the eye.
In this episode, Dr. Berne explores how you can retrain your eyes and brain to work together using vision therapy and nutritional protocols, instead of surgical treatments.
In this episode, Dr. Berne discusses how progressive lenses affect the eye-brain connection, and ultimately our vision and health.
Dr. Berne explains how to you can address the root causes of the macular degeneration and avoid the standard approach to treatment - monthly injections of pharmaceutical drugs.
In this episode, Dr. Berne discusses his innovative protocol designed to equip you with the tools to help prevent and reverse dry macular degeneration.
In this episode, Dr. Berne discusses the rising epidemic of cataracts and how you can prevent and reverse cataracts through nutritional and lifestyle modifications.