Protecting Your Vision from the Sun

By Art Gib

Buying a pair of sunglasses does more than simply change your outward appearance. Sunglasses can be an easy and affordable way to protect your eyes from harmful rays of light enabling you to extend good vision for as long as possible. If you spend a lot of time in the sun playing, working or driving, a good pair of sunglasses would be a wise investment.

Types of Light produced by the Sun

Even though most people enjoy the feeling of warm sunlight on their skin, the sun does produce several kinds of light that can create chemical reactions inside your eye tissue and cause irreversible damage to your eyesight. Some of these rays are invisible while others are not.

UV Rays

Ultraviolet Radiation, which is also known as UV Rays, is the invisible light produced by the sun. Since UV Rays carry more energy than visible light, they also have more potential for damaging your eyes. There are two kinds of UV rays: UVA and UVB. UVB rays affect the cornea and the conjunctiva while UVA rays primarily affect the eye lens. This happens because different parts of the eye absorb different kinds of light.

Blue Light

Unlike UV rays, blue light is visible. One significant source of blue light is the glare reflected of snow and water. The retina, which is located at the back of the eye, is the section of your eye that is most impacted by blue light.

Choosing the Right Sunglasses

There are a lot of things to think about when you pick out a pair of sunglasses. In addition to being attractive and comfortable, sunglasses should provide the right kind of protection in the right amounts. For example, if you spend a lot of time on the water or snow covered mountains it would be wise to buy a pair of sunglasses that filter out blue light. Brown, grey and slightly green tinted lenses are especially adept at filtering out blue light. Unfortunately, nothing about price, color, or darkness can indicate how much UV protection a pair of sunglasses will provide. Consequently, consumers usually have to rely on labels for this information.

Durability is another factor to consider when selecting sunglasses. Most lenses are made of plastic because they are often stronger than glass but it is still important to go with scratch resistant material. A few seconds of wearing them can test for things like distortion and vision impairment too.

With this background knowledge you should be capable of selecting a pair of sunglasses that best meets your needs. Whether you go with cheap brands or a pair of Gucci sunglasses, find something that will make a difference to your eyes.

Article Tags: Gucci Sunglasses

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About the Author: Shop a huge selection of sunglasses online at http://www.sunglassesonly.com. Dozens of shades are available in brands like Juicy, RayBan, and Gucci sunglasses. With such a large variety of products to choose from, it will be easy to find a pair you love. The author, Art Gib, is a freelance writer.

Best Time to Train

By John Paul Catanzaro

What is the best time to train? First and foremost, when you can! However, research on circadian rhythms (your body's internal clock) indicate that the summation of several important (anabolic) hormones peak at 3 and 11 hours upon awakening. What does that mean in plain english? Well, according to science, if you wake up at 6:00 am, you are at your strongest at 9:00 am and 5:00 pm. And, according to Olympic Strength Coach Charles Poliquin*, your joints (specifically, the synovial fluid that lubricates your joints) require about 3 hours to reach an optimal level of warmth which will help improve performance while decreasing the likelihood of injury. Also, some people require a meal before training (remember to allow at least 1 hour for digestion) to maintain adequate energy levels throughout their workout particularly in the morning; others don't. However, there is a difference between ideal conditions and reality!

Reality dictates that we train when we can regardless of what time it is. The important part is to get your workout in. Today's lifestyle is quite busy and hectic. Many people have a tendency to jeopardize their workouts later in the day because other priorities get in the way. For these individuals, I suggest working out first thing in the morning and getting it out of the way. Actually, some authorities believe that training first thing in the morning on an empty stomach will facilitate weight loss. Greg Landry is an Exercise Physiologist who highly recommends exercise in the morning for the following reasons (for more information send a blank email to Morning@Landry.comor visit http://www.Landry.com):

* 90% of people exercise consistently in the morning

* elevates metabolism and makes you feel energized all day long

* helps to regulate appetite

* makes it easier to wake up; hormones and metabolism elevate while you sleep to prepare your body for exercise

* mental acuity is increased for 4-10 hours after exercise

While others believe that you should train at night because your strength will be higher since you have eaten during the day and energy levels should be elevated. Although, I would caution late night workouts as they may adversely affect sleep.

According to the opinion of Dr. Ann de Wees Allen, a Board Certified Doctor of Naturopathy, the above question should be rephrased: Are you a morning or night person? It's really that simple. She believes that we respond better during certain periods of the day and those are the times that we should train.

As stated above, this reflects our circadian rhythm - something that we are born with and cannot change. Subsequently, there will be times during the day that we are the strongest. This does not happen by chance. You must recognize those times and use them to your advantage. So, the answer, in her opinion, will have a big impact on your performance. Does it mean that you can't workout at other times? No! But, it is a good idea to train at the same time each workout if possible - your body will naturally adjust to that time and prepare itself. If you are forced to change your workout time ,though, to accommodate your schedule, then allow 3 weeks for your body to get used to the new time (especially if you are unaccustomed to training first thing in the morning.) It usually takes about 3 weeks to form a habit. Whatever you decide ... just make sure to train!

*Poliquin, C. "Question Of Strength." Golden, CO: Muscle Media 2000, Inc. December, 1996. (pg. 58)

John Paul Catanzaro is a certified kinesiologist and professional fitness and lifestyle consultant with a specialized honours Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology and Health Science. He owns and operates a private gym in Toronto, Ontario providing training and nutritional consulting services. For additional information, visit his website at http://www.BodyEssence.ca or call 416-292-4356.

Check out John Paul's new DVD, Warm-Up to Strength Training, for some powerful techniques to increase strength and improve performance! Discover some unique, cutting-edge methods like how to increase arm strength by up to 10% instantly! It has been recommended by many experts including Drs. Eric Serrano, Mark Lindsay, and Ken Kinakin as well as Olympic strength coach, Charles Poliquin. Visit http://www.StrengthWarmup.com for more information.

John Paul is a certified kinesiologist and certified exercise physiologist with a specialized honours Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology and Health Science. He owns and operates a private studio in Richmond Hill, Ontario. For additional information, visit http://www.bodyessence.ca or call 905-780-9908.

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