John Aaron Wellness

It’s true; you really can fight fat with food. All you need to do is to make the right food choices. And, the best way to do that is to focus on the best foods to eat. The foods that help promote fat loss. Take carbohydrates for example. I know, recent diet lore would tell you that carbohydrates are enemy #1 but that’s wrong. Carbohydrates are the primary source of fuel for the body throughout evolution. However, the carb problem is two-fold; we choose the “wrong kind” and we “over indulge” in that choice. The carbohydrates that should be off your list are the ones that come from things like candies, or cake. The processed snack crackers, cereals and chips. These will get you fat. Instead, choose carbohydrates like whole-grain pasta, brown rice, oats, sweet potatoes, peas, & corn. While you may think these are vegetables, they are actually categorized as starchy carbohydrates. The less they are processed, the better. Choosing the right proteins is also important...

Want something to keep you warm and lean on a cold winter's night? Here's a simple yet tasty alternative to potato leek soup. Great for those watching their carbs or calories, or just looking for a different vegetarian soup that tastes delicious.  I'll admit, I served it with hearty, toasted pumpernickel bread, but I made up for the caliroes by omitting the "optional" heavy cream in this recipe. Ingredients Needed: Makes twelve servings 2 tablespoons olive oil 3 tablespoons butter 3 leeks, cut into 1 inch pieces 1 large head cauliflower, chopped 8 cups vegetable broth 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 1 cup heavy cream (optional) 1. Heat the olive oil and butter in a large pot over medium heat, and saute the leeks, cauliflower, and garlic for about 10 minutes. Stir in the vegetable broth, and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 45 minutes. 2. Remove the soup from heat. Blend th...

Ok. If you've been keeping up with my posts then you know that there are certain fats needed in order to maintain a healthy active body. But when it comes to designing your nutritional program, how much of this stuff do you really need? Most dieticians and government regulated nutritional organizations suggest that 20 to 30% of your total daily calories should come from “good fat” sources. To help you, here are a couple of tips on how you can accomplish this: Try adding 2 tablespoons of extra Virgin olive oil to your meal by roasting your vegetables in it. I love this! Place a peeled sweet potato, beets, carrots and celery (all cut into chunks & wedges) in a large bowl. Add the olive oil and toss with a little salt, pepper and roast on a rimmed baking sheet in a 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes (or until vegetables are at your desires tenderness). However, do NOT add oil to a meal if you are already planning to eat a fish like salmon which is already rich in goo...

There's no doubt about it; your body and mind are directly linked. What you think about has a clear effect on your health and vice versa. In fact, there’s a fascinating study that suggests that the mind-body connection is quite powerful. Publishing their findings in the online journal Health Psychology, researchers at Yale University focused on ghrelin levels in the body to determine how thoughts affect the body's response to food. Ghrelin is also known as the "hunger" hormone. It sends a signal to your brain that makes you want to eat. If your body's ghrelin levels are high, you'll tend to overeat... even if you are already feeling full. Likewise, low ghrelin levels are associated with feelings of satiety and not needing to eat more. Typically, ghrelin levels increase before meals and decrease after eating. The researchers recruited volunteers and divided them into two groups: Group 1 - received a milkshake that they were told was a 620-calorie ...

This recipe is simple, great tasting and makes enough to serve four. You can even save leftovers for a deliciously healthy lunch the next day Give it a try tonight! Supplies Needed: 1 cucumber - peeled, seeded and chopped 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley 1/8 cup chopped red onion 1/2 cup chopped yellow bell pepper 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1/8 teaspoon chili powder 2 tablespoons olive oil 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts 1. In a medium bowl, prepare the relish by mixing together the cucumber, parsley, chopped onion, bell pepper, and red pepper flakes. Set aside. 2. In a small bowl, mix the cumin and chili powder with the olive oil. Rub the mixture onto the chicken, and place in a shallow dish. Marinate in the refrigerator at least 1 hour. 3. Prepare the grill for medium heat. 4. Lightly oil the grill grate. Grill chicken 8 minutes per side, or until juices run clear. Serve with cucumber relish. Prep: 15 mins /...

No muscle in your body works harder than you heart. That's why you should always strive to take good care of it! But - What's the best way to do that? Well, I'm sure you've already had it pounded into your head that working out and eating right are the first two major steps to protecting your 'ticker,' but here's something you probably haven't heard: A simple essential mineral can practically "bulletproof" your heart against disaster (and disease). I'm talking about magnesium. So what exactly can this commonly overlooked mineral do for you? A study in the American Heart Journal found that magnesium is incredibly effective at slashing the risk of sudden cardiac death. In fact, the researchers found that folks with high amounts of magnesium circulating in their bloodstream are 41 percent less likely to die of a sudden heart disaster. [1] But that's not all... A study published in the Journal of Hypertension links low mag...

So most fitness trainers believe that the only way to make certain you were eating the "right amount" of food was to count calories. And, in some respects (like competitive bodybuilding) this is true. However, it is not just the quantity of calories that is important, it's the quality of those calories consumed that really matters for overall health. The old adage "a calorie is a calorie" isn't true. A gram of fat yields more than twice as many calories as a gram of carbohydrates or protein - that's not new. What is new is that studies now indicate that calorie for calorie, fat is more fattening (duh). In one study, two groups of people were fed the same number of calories per day but with different amounts of fat. After several months, the group that was fed a larger percent-age of the calories from fat gained more weight than the group on the lower fat diet. The explanation has to do with metabolic efficiency. Since dietary fat is already fat, i...

So you may already know that a healthy diet contains 30 percent fat or less, but how can you apply this guideline when grocery shopping? Well, the choices you make at the grocery store are an integral part of your lifestyle.    And, like I mentioned previously, reading labels is the most helpful tool for determining the fat con¬tent of foods you see on the store shelves. However, food labeling practices have been inconsistent, leaving many consumers confused and frustrated. The components of food labels are required to include the following: Serving sizes that realistically reflect the amount an average person actually eats. Previously, a manufacturer could reduce the portion size to make a food qualify as low-calorie.   The number of calories per gram of fat (including a breakdown specifically for saturated fat), carbohydrate and protein should be listed as well as the number of grams of fiber.   The "% Daily Value" shows the consumer how thi...

Last time I wrote about the importance of using a grocery list to help you avoid the temptation for less than nutritious foods while grocery shopping. Today, I want to mention the importance of using a simple tool like foods labels to help you make informed decisions on what your product actually contains. Free: Generally means that the food contains no (or negligible amounts of) fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, sugar or calories Lean and extra lean: This is a term used to describe an item that has limits on the fat content of certain meats, poultry, seafood and game meats Light: Marketing that uses the term "light" or "lite" mean that the products' calories have been reduced by at least a third or the fat by at least half from original product Percent fat free: This is easily the most confusing term of the lot. Describes the percentage of a food's weight that is fat free; now this term may ONLY be used on foods that ar...