John Aaron Wellness

A study published by scientists at Stanford University has pushed the debate on whether or not organic foods are more nutritious than foods grown conventionally. In short, they say no. There is one exception though: organic milk. A few years ago media focused on a growing concern on childhood puberty. On average, it appeared that girls were reaching puberty at a much earlier age while boys were reaching their stage of puberty at a slower than normal one.  This gave rise to growing concerns over bovine growth hormone. BGH is commonly used to stimulate milk production on conventional dairy farms. Because the hormone occurs naturally in cows, and the Food and Drug Administration has argued that the additional BGH injected into cows does not change the milk. However, this is debatable. To maintain milk’s “organic status,” organic dairy farms are required to allow their cows to spend a certain amount of time grazing on natural grasses. It is believed that this in combination ...

It's becoming more than a movement. It's a way of life. What is "slow" food? It's learning to cook your own food using fresh ingredients. It's knowing where the vegetables, meats, and fruits you eat come from, and meeting your local farmers if you can. It sounds like some sort of Utopian view of eating, and maybe it is. Known as the Slow Food Movement, this new view of an old way of life is garnering lots of attention from food lovers across the globe. But is there something you can learn from this slow-and-steady approach to mealtime? Well, the main "take away' is that good things take time. While the Slow Food Movement may have only recently become a household name, it's been around for quite some time. In fact, according to the web site for Slow Food International (slowfood.com), it all started in 1989. Just remember this the next time you're frustrated with the amount of time it takes to cook a meal the old-fashioned way. Or when you...

"A new study from California finds high levels of lead in common foods and drinks our children consume. 125 out of 146 products tested at the EPA - Environmental Protection Agency, were found to have high lead levels. "Lead exposure among children is a particular concern because their developing bodies absorb lead at a higher rate and because children are particularly sensitive to lead's toxic effects, including decreased IQ," says toxicologist Barbara G. Callahan, PhD, of the University of Massachusetts. Lead was found in apple juice, grape juice, packaged peaches and pears including the baby food peaches and pears. Some items were labeled as organic. Many products have enough lead in one serving to warrant warning labels under California law, says the San Francisco based Environmental Law Foundation, who did generate the study. "Scientists agree that there is no safe level of exposure to lead," according to the foundation. "Lead accumula...

So, maybe you’ve heard that there is a food related weight epidemic in America. You might have even read that, according to the U.S. Government's Weight-control Information Network (WIN), over one-third of Americans are considered to be obese. But, there is more that affects Americans (and essentially the world) than just over consumption and poor food choices. It’s the fact that our eating affects our eco-system. I recently learned that the food processing systems usually used to produce & preserve many favorite foods are responsible for up to one-third of all greenhouse gas emissions, and that an average 73% of all fruits and vegetables tested by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) were positive for pesticides. It is for more reasons than those mentioned above, that I suggest this: If you are going to be vigilant about what you eat (whether it’s to assist in weight loss or simply to contribute to your overall health), why not contribute to a healthier environme...