Centered Sunday July 2025 Recap

 July is National Healthy Vision Month!
​Vision isn’t just what we see with our eyes- it’s how clearly we view our life, our path, and our purpose.

• What are you seeing clearly right now- in your life, body, or spirit?

• It’s the midpoint of the year! Reflect on January goals
• What do you now see differently than you did in January?”
• What still feels aligned? What do you want to call in now?

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🧬 Eye Health & Vision Through a Functional LensEye Health Reflects Systemic WellnessHOLISTIC does not mean:

• Healthy (e.g., “a holistic snack”)
• Natural (e.g., “a holistic shampoo”)
• Organic or “non-toxic”
• Trendy wellness branding

These can be part of a holistic approach, but using the word that way waters down its true meaning.
Holistic refers to a whole-person approach. It's about looking at the interconnectedness of body, mind, emotions, spirit, environment, and lifestyle- not just physical health.

• It asks why symptoms occur, not just how to relieve them.
• It includes emotional well-being, relationships, spirituality, sleep, and purpose.
• It's common in functional medicine, Ayurveda, traditional Chinese medicine, and even trauma-informed care.

Considering the WHOLE body and how systems interconnect…vision issues are often a signal of deeper imbalances.
Vision is tied to:

• Mitochondrial health
• Blood sugar balance
• ​Oxidative stress & detox capacity

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👀 What Your Eye Symptoms Are Trying to Tell You
Yellow sclera - Liver/gallbladder stress
Puffy lids - Lymph congestion, toxins
Dark circles - Adrenal fatigue, dehydration
Dry/itchy eyes - Omega-3 deficiency, inflammation
Blurred vision - Blood sugar imbalance, screen overload
Red, irritated whites - Environmental toxins, histamine overload

Let’s dig a little deeper…

👁️ Whole-Body Clues from the Windows to the SouL
LiverThe liver filters toxins, excess hormones (like estrogen), and inflammatory compounds like histamine. When sluggish or overburdened, waste builds up and can present as yellowing of the sclera (bilirubin backup), itchy or irritated eyes (histamine), and even mood-related issues like irritability or anger -  emotions tied to liver imbalance in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Eye tissues are also highly sensitive to oxidative stress, which increases when liver detox pathways are compromised.

GutWhen your gut lining is ‘leaky,’ it lets microscopic toxins from bad bacteria sneak into your bloodstream. These toxins are called LPS (Lipopolysaccharides), and they fire up inflammation -  which can show up as dry or red eyes, brain fog, or even joint pain.  Poor gut health also affects nutrient absorption -  including vitamin A, zinc, and B vitamins -  all essential for ocular function. Gut imbalance often leads to histamine intolerance, which can worsen seasonal or environmental eye symptoms.

KidneysThe kidneys regulate fluid retention and waste excretion through urine. When underperforming, excess fluid can accumulate in tissues, especially around the delicate under-eye area, leading to puffiness or swelling. Poor filtration also means more metabolic waste circulating in the blood, which can contribute to dark circles, dull sclera, or lymphatic stagnation.
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Blood SugarGlucose spikes and crashes strain the tiny capillaries in the eyes, often leading to blurred vision, floaters, and eye fatigue. When blood sugar remains high over time, it generates oxidative stress and triggers a process called glycation, where sugar binds to proteins and fats in the body. This forms harmful compounds called AGEs (Advanced Glycation End Products) -  think of them as “sugar rust” that builds up on delicate tissues. AGEs stiffen blood vessels, damage the retina, and block the delivery of nutrients to eye cells. Over time, this contributes to diabetic retinopathy and age-related vision decline. Stable blood sugar helps prevent this process, protecting your eyes and preserving vibrant, sharp vision.

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🌿 Seasonal Eye Care -  Summer Wellness Focus

​Allergy Season- Eyes are itchy/watery due to histamine overload → often connected to gut dysbiosis 

• Quercetin, nettle tea, gut/liver support
• Saline rinses + cold compress
• Limit histamine-rich foods (vinegar, leftovers)

These foods either contain high levels of histamine or trigger its release in the body:

• Aged cheeses (parmesan, blue cheese, gouda), Yogurt, kefir, Sauerkraut, kimchi, Vinegar + vinegar-based condiments (mustard, ketchup, pickles), Soy sauce (including tamari), Miso, tempeh

• Smoked, canned, or dried fish (tuna, sardines, anchovies), Leftover meats/fish that sit in the fridge (histamine builds over time), Processed meats (salami, pepperoni, bacon), Shellfish (shrimp, crab, mussels)

• Tomatoes, Spinach, Eggplant, Avocados, Strawberries, Citrus fruits (lemons, limes, oranges, Bananas

• Alcohol, Wine (especially red wine and champaign), Beer, Black tea, green tea, matcha, Coffee, Chocolate and cocoa 
• Artificial colorings + preservatives

Note- some of these foods are wonderful, healthy foods, but during allergy season they can aggravate an already sensitive system.


Balance your diet with smart, low-histamine options like:

• Carrots, Coconut water, Cruciferous veggies, Pumpkin, Fresh watermelon (ok for most)

Chlorine & Pool Water- Can cause burning, dryness, and blurred vision

• Rinse eyes post-swim
• Apply coconut oil around eyes before
• Use goggles + up omega-3s
  
  

Sunlight & UV Protection- UV accelerates eye aging

• Wear UV sunglasses (wraparound)
• Eat lutein + zeaxanthin-rich foods

Stay hydrated + support collagen (vitamin C/E)

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⚕️ Why Eye Exams Matter
A comprehensive eye exam doesn’t just assess vision -  it can reveal early signs of:

• High blood pressure (tiny blood vessel changes)
• Diabetes (bleeding or swelling in the retina)
• High cholesterol (plaque deposits around the cornea)
• Autoimmune diseases (dry eye, inflammation)
• Neurological disorders (nerve damage, optic changes)

👁️ Alternative Eye Health Options
The eyes do far more than help us see the world -  they can reflect what’s happening inside our bodies. Two time-tested observational practices, iridology and sclerology, use the eyes as a diagnostic map to spot imbalances long before symptoms become disease.

🌈 Iridology – The Iris as Your BlueprintIridology studies the iris, the colored portion of your eye. Practitioners examine pigment patterns, fiber structure, and rings to identify constitutional strengths and weaknesses, showing genetic tendencies such as:

• Organ resiliency or sluggishness
• Predisposition to inflammation
• Emotional or nervous system imprints

Iridology doesn’t diagnose disease, but it does offer a functional snapshot of inherited patterns.

🧿 Sclerology – The Whites Reveal the Now Sclerology focuses on what’s happening right now. It examines the sclera, or whites of the eyes- reading red lines, cloudiness, color changes, and markings as indicators of active stress in specific organs or systems.

A skilled sclerologist might see:

• Yellowish tones (suggesting liver/gallbladder stress)
• Red spider lines (pointing to inflammation or toxic load)
• Darkness under the eye (linked to kidney/adrenal fatigue)

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🧠 Functional Wisdom Meets Visual Intelligence
Both iridology and sclerology can offer non-invasive insight into your health journey. While they don’t replace lab testing, they often complement it.  These practices are reminders that your body is always communicating -  even through your eyes. When paired with functional medicine, they offer a beautiful bridge between intuition and science, helping you “see” imbalance early and support healing before it’s urgent.

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🌍 Eyewear Donation Drive
​Several organizations clean up and repurpose donated prescription and non prescription glasses, sunglasses and readers for those in need.

• Lions Clubs International:  lionsclubs.org/recycle-eyeglasses
• OneSight / EssilorLuxottica:  onesight.org
  
  

For the month of July, we will have a drop box in the studio where you can leave donation glasses.  We will bring them to a drop off spot on  behalf of our community here at Centered Wellness and Yoga

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📚 Book Spotlight: Detoxify by Dr. Aly CohenDr. Cohen’s new book delivers a practical, empowering guide to lowering toxic load and protecting immune function.  
​
Highlights:

• 4A’s Framework: Assess, Avoid, Add, Allow -  a roadmap to lower immune-disrupting chemicals (IDCs)
• 21-Day Plan: to gently reduce exposure and activate natural detox pathways
• Detoxify Food Pyramid©: emphasizes nutrient-dense, cell-supportive eating
• DIY Low-Tox Swaps: homemade cleaners, body care, and household tips

Functional medicine insight: Detox isn’t about extremes- it’s daily, doable habits that protect your cells, energy, hormones, and vision.

Pick this book up on Amazon
BUY NOW

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