An ancient proverb says, “The eyes reflect the inner illumination; the gaze reflects the soul.” This holds true in all cultures. A woman’s eyes are regarded as a true reflection of her inner harmony, her inner beauty. Of all our features, our eyes are the most expressive.
It’s no wonder that women collectively spend small fortunes every year on mascara, shadows, and liners, not to mention the miracle creams that promise to remove wrinkles and firm the skin around our eyes. Then, when this “magic in a bottle” fails to deliver as promised, we spend an even larger fortune on surgical procedures to repair the damage caused by life and aging. All this fuss over our eyes, yet we seldom stop to think about the health of our eyes.
As a fashion model, I have to admit it: I love makeup. And facials, steams, treatment masks, and massage not only make me feel good, they make me healthy. I’m certain that this delight in the most feminine of all activities influenced my decision to develop the products and programs that have evolved into my day spa. Still, simply using the right makeup and skin-care products to enhance appearance is not enough.
I know that I’ve said it again and again, but internal well-being really does have everything to do with beauty, even with the beauty and health of our eyes. As I discussed on this page, all facial senses and features tell a story about what is happening inside us.
Almost from the very beginning, traditional Chinese herbalists linked the appearance and condition of the eyes with the functioning of the liver, maintaining that the chi of the liver nourishes the eyes. Acupuncturists say that the liver meridian passes straight through the eyes, directly affecting the condition of the eyes. As you know from the chart on this page, the liver and eyes are both related to the element wood. Western physicians learned that jaundice—when the whites of the eyes appear yellow and the skin takes on a yellow cast—can be traced to liver malfunction.
In most cases, problems affecting our eyes result directly from either excessive hot or yang chi or deficient nutrition in the body, particularly in the liver. Common eye conditions include inflammation, pink or red eye, eyestrain, and puffiness around the eyes. In addition to internal malfunctions and imbalances, stress can take a definite toll on our eyes, creating crow’s-feet and fine wrinkles. Weakened chi in the kidneys and liver interrupts function of these vital organs, resulting in dark circles under the eyes.
Try the following acupressure techniques for eyestrain and resulting headaches:
• Gently massage the acupressure points on both sides of the bridge of your nose, next to your eyes. You may notice that you’re already doing this unconsciously when your eyes are tired—this is a simple example of how your body can be sensitive to its needs and directs you, through your intuition, to meet those needs.
• Gently rub the pressure points above the bridge of the nose (the “third eye”), the outside of your eyebrows (next to your temples), and on either side of your spine at the base of your skull. You’ll be able to identify these points, as they will feel slightly tender to the touch. Use a steady pressure and rub in small circles.
• Press the thumb and forefinger of one hand into the web between your thumb and forefinger of the other—you’ll know that you have the right spot because it will feel a bit tender to the touch. Press steadily and hold for several seconds, then repeat the process, pressing into the web of the other hand.
These are important acupuncture points that stimulate the flow of chi throughout the body and release endorphins that ease pain. You can use a drop of aromatic oil—rose or lavender, perhaps—or a massage oil, such as Shiling oil or White Flower oil, as you massage these points. The latter two oils, which are sold in Chinese herbal shops and many health food stores, are mildly camphorated, so take care that you don’t use them too close to your eyes. They help speed energy through the body to clear the wind energy that can cause tension and headaches.
Whenever there is anything wrong with our eyes, we are less than beautiful. And it takes more than a new shade of shadow or under-eye concealer to make everything right. Start by providing your body with nourishment. This brings the liver, as well as the kidneys and gallbladder, into balance. By diet, we can do much to improve the condition of our eyes.
Try to reduce the fat in your diet and limit alcohol consumption to take stress off your liver and encourage the flow of chi. You can also reduce liver stress and strengthen both the liver and gallbladder by eating four or five small meals a day; stop eating several hours before bedtime to give these organs time to rest and regenerate. Incorporate as many foods for healthy eyes as you can from the following list.
FOODS THAT PROMOTE HEALTHY EYES
Fruits and nuts: apples, blackberries, dates, figs, grapefruits, grapes, lemons, melons, oranges, papayas, pears, pineapples, plums, Chinese red and black dates, tangerines.
Vegetables: adzuki beans, bean sprouts, beet roots and tops, bitter melon (wild cucumbers), broccoli, carrots, celery, chicory, cucumbers, dandelion greens, garlic, ginger, green beans, lentils, black beans, lima beans, lotus root, lotus plumule (the green sprout in the seed), onions, spinach, split peas, water chestnuts, watercress.
Grains and seeds: barley grass and grain, black sesame seeds, brown rice, millet, sweet rice, wheat germ, wheat bran, whole grains.
Proteins: clams, fish (especially low-fat white fish such as cod, haddock, flounder, and scrod), tofu.
Herbs: cinnamon bark, chrysanthemum flowers, honeysuckle flowers, licorice root, Oolong tea, nettles, peppermint, wolfberries.
FOODS TO AVOID
Black and white pepper; cheese and other dairy products; mustard greens; star anise; processed sugars, sugary foods and drinks.
Puffiness around the eyes is a dead giveaway that you’re doing something wrong. When I was modeling full-time, flying around the world and working around the clock, I learned several tricks to help solve this problem; the most common trick is to lie on your back for ten minutes with a slice of cucumber over each eye. Many makeup artists kept alcohol-free toner in the fridge with cotton balls at the ready to use as compresses before they worked their wizardry with concealers and toners to make the swelling invisible before the camera or on the catwalk.
Here are some other ways to reduce swelling around the eyes:
• Curtail your intake of water and other liquids at night to help reduce eye puffiness. Yes, water is superimportant to your overall health and beauty, but it is best drunk in the morning and afternoon hours.
• Sleep with a large, fluffy pillow. While any type of pillow—firm, medium, or soft—will do, I prefer a full-loft goose-down pillow. Some of you may want foam instead of feathers; others will simply want a fuller, firmer pillow, in which case a traditional buckwheat pillow is fine. But, in general, the more expensive the pillow the better. Believe me, finding the right pillow is money well spent. Nothing beats a good night’s sleep, so it would be wise to consider carefully what pillow you want to buy. After all, we spend more than a third of our lives sleeping, so where we lay our heads is important.
• Make a cup of either chrysanthemum or green tea, let it cool, then dip cotton balls into the tea and place them on your eyes. Both chrysanthemum and green tea help rest the eyes and reduce puffiness.
I remembered some things my mother always did to make sure that she awoke refreshed and relaxed … and decidedly not puffy. My favorite—and probably the most effective—of these measures is the herbal pillow. These pillows have been used in China since ancient times, and I recommend them highly!
Here’s how to make your own:
These fragrant blooms are known to provide energy to the liver, helping the flow of chi. Chrysanthemum is also known to improve vision, decrease puffiness around the eyes, help blurred vision, and even lower your blood pressure! You’ll wake up with a clear head and clear eyes. You can also make the pillow with Oolong tea leaves. This aromatic tea is known to help brighten the eyes, deepen sleep, clear the brain, and even cure a hangover. I recommend this highly to anyone who is under a lot of stress. It will help you get a good rest with a short amount of sleep.
Makes 1 pillow
1 pound dried chrysanthemum petals (see NOTE)
2 small (11 by 14-inch) pillow cases, or 1 zippered pillow cover and 1 pillowcase
Check the flowers to make sure there are no stems and that they do not clump together. Pour the dried flowers into a clean, fresh pillowcase. Smooth out the petals so the pillowcase is even—don’t overstuff it or the pillow will be too hard—and either stitch the pillow shut or zip the pillow cover shut. Put the flower-filled bag into another pillowcase that can be washed.
When selecting your cases, be sure that the cotton is thick and tightly woven; you don’t want little bits and pieces of flowers in your bed. About every two or three months, open the inner pillow, take out the flowers, and replace them with new, fresh ones. Place inside a clean pillowcase.
You can use this pillow on top of your “real” pillow or roll it up and use it as a neck roll. When you make your bed, slip your herbal pillow under the covers to keep the aroma strong.
NOTE: Dried chrysanthemum petals are available at herb shops and health food stores or from the mail-order Resources listed on this page.
One of the best foods to eat to detoxify the liver and rebalance its chi is bitter melon (also known as wild cucumber). It can be found in any Chinese market and increasingly in gourmet vegetable stores. It is quite bitter, which may make it an acquired taste. Personally, I love it, but most of my Western friends—and even some Chinese—do not. To remove its bitterness, wash and slice the bitter melon and soak it in boiling water for two minutes. Drain and then submerge in cold water. Drain it again and place in a glass bowl. Sprinkle salt over the slices and let them sit for fifteen minutes. Rinse in cold water to remove the salt and drain on a paper towel. You can use bitter melon in salads, soups, or in the popular dish on this page, Bitter Melon and Beef in Black Bean Sauce.
If bitter melon is not to your liking, ordinary cucumbers can also be helpful in improving your eyesight; they also detoxify the liver. Remember: the liver “rules” the eyes, so the foods and herbs that help the liver will also help your eyes.
To remove the oil in cucumbers that makes them hard to digest for some people, peel and slice the cucumbers and place them in a glass bowl. Cover the cucumbers with ice cubes and pour a quarter cup of salt over the ice. After fifteen minutes, pour off the ice and water, then rinse the cucumbers under cold water to remove excess salt. Drain cucumber slices on paper towels, then toss them into a salad or use them in soups or any other recipe you choose.
Chrysanthemum flowers are valued for their antiseptic properties and are used to provide a cooling energy that not only eases inflammation and reduces swelling but also clears up eyes that are bloodshot from too much alcohol or smoke. You can also drink this golden liquid as a healing tea. Just add a bit of honey and enjoy.
Makes 3 treatments
3 tablespoons dried chrysanthemum flowers (see NOTE)
Bring 3 cups of water to a boil. Add chrysanthemum flowers and stir to distribute them in the water. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until liquid is reduced to 2 cups.
Cool to lukewarm. Pour 1 cup into a small bowl and pour the rest into a glass bottle or jar for future use. Stored in the refrigerator, this will keep for 1 week.
Using either a small glass eyecup or cottonballs, soak your eyes for 2 to 3 minutes. Do not reuse eyewash.
NOTE: Youcan substitute honeysuckle flowers for this refreshing concoction. Both are available at herb shops and health food stores, or from the mail-order Resources listed on this page.
Pearl powder may be exotic to you, but it is a special component of the beauty bag of tricks for most Asian women. Pearl powder really is made of ground-up pearls! This frothy drink helps nourish both the eyes and the skin. It is especially helpful for anyone who suffers from excessive mucus in the corners of their eyes. It’s a lovely bedtime drink.
Makes 1 serving
8 ounces hot milk
¼ teaspoon pearl powder (see NOTE)
Honey to taste
Pour hot milk and pearl powder in a glass and mix well. Add honey to taste.
NOTE: Pearl powder is available at Asian markets and some health food stores, or from the mail-order Resources listed on this page.
A popular Chinese dish, this intensely flavorful meal helps to cool excess heat energy in the body, especially in the liver. It uses a well-known detoxifying food, bitter melon, to stimulate the flow of chi to the liver. A delicious way to sharpen your eyesight, this dish is not recommended for people with digestion problems.
Makes 4 main-dish servings
1 medium bitter melon (see NOTE), cut in half lengthwise, seeds removed, and cut into ½-inch slices
2 tablespoons salt
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 to 4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
3 tablespoons fermented black beans (see NOTE)
2 tablespoons flour
1 pound lean beef (flank steak or top round sirloin), cut into 1-inch slices
2 tablespoons dry sherry
3 scallions, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Put melon slices in boiling water for 1 minute. Drain. Sprinkle with the salt and toss to coat slices with salt. Let sit for 15 minutes, then rinse in cold water to remove salt. Drain and set aside.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in wok or large heavy skillet over high heat. Quickly stir-fry garlic and fermented black beans. Sprinkle flour over beef and toss to coat. Add 2 tablespoons oil to wok and quickly stir-fry meat for 3 to 5 minutes, until browned. Add sherry and continue cooking 1 minute. Add wax melon and scallions; stir to mix.
Stir in ¼ cup water and soy sauce. Reduce heat slightly and continue cooking.
Dissolve cornstarch in 2 tablespoons water and pour into beef-melon mixture. Stir until blended. When sauce has thickened, turn off heat and serve immediately.
Serve over rice, if desired.
NOTE: You can use 1 large regular cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cut into spears, if unable to buy bitter melon (available at Asian markets and some specialty grocery stores). Fermented black beans are available at Asian markets and health food stores.
This wonderful dish helps brighten the eyes and strengthen the liver, spleen, and stomach. In fact, according to Chinese thinking, it helps nurture the body as a whole and stimulate the spirit. Chinese yams and wolfberries both promote kidney and liver function, making them two of the most commonly used ingredients in Chinese households.
Makes 4 main-dish servings
2 teaspoons dried wolfberries, soaked in warm water for 5 minutes and drained
½ pound lean pork (pork loin or tenderloin), cut into 1-inch strips
2 medium pieces dried Chinese yam (see NOTE)
¾ cup rice
1-inch piece ginger, peeled and cut in half
½ cup chopped scallions
1 tablespoon soy sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
Bring 6 cups of water, the wolfberries, pork, dried yam, rice, and ginger to a rolling boil in a 4-quart enamel soup pot. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 25 minutes. Add the chopped scallions and stir. Add soy sauce and return to a boil for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
NOTE: Dried Chinese yams, known as shanyao, are sold in herb shops and Asian markets by the piece. Unlike sweet potatoes and the more familiar golden yams, these tubers are white.
Wolfberries and carrots are probably the most important foods we can eat to improve our eyes. And we already know that chicken is not only tasty, it’s a natural stomach healer. This is one of my family’s all-time favorite soups. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it, too.
Makes 4 to 6 main-dish servings
One 2- to 3-pound chicken, or 4 whole chicken breasts
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
6 to 8 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1-inch piece ginger, peeled and cut in half
3 tablespoons dried wolfberries (see NOTE)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
Remove skin from chicken and cut into 1-inch pieces. Remove meat from bones if you prefer; however, chicken cooked with the bones is more nutritious.
Place chicken, carrots, onion, garlic, ginger, and wolfberries in a large enamel soup pot. Cover with 6 to 8 cups of water, making sure that all ingredients are submerged. Bring to a boil, reduce temperature to medium, and cover. Cook for 45 minutes to an hour, until chicken is tender. Add soy sauce, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir to combine.
NOTE: Dried wolfberries are available at Asian markets and health food stores, or from the mail-order Resources listed on this page.
The long list of ingredients belies the fact that this is a very easy soup to make. Not only is it exceptionally tasty but it is among the most nutritious soups you can make. The liver and garlic both work wonders for the eyes.
Makes 4 main-dish servings
Seasoning Mix
½ teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch
½ pound lean pork loin, thinly sliced
½ pound pork liver, thinly sliced
3 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
2-inch piece ginger, peeled and sliced
1 pound spinach, washed carefully and tough stems removed
Salt to taste
Combine Seasoning Mix ingredients in a large bowl. Add pork and liver, and toss gently to cover. Cover bowl and set aside.
Heat a large, enamel soup pot, add the oil, and stir-fry the garlic and ginger for 2 minutes. Add 6 cups of water and bring to a boil. Add pork and liver; boil on high heat for 10 to 12 minutes, until meat is thoroughly cooked. Add spinach and continue cooking for an additional 5 minutes. Add salt to taste.