John Aaron Wellness

One of the most significant things I learned from my studies with the Institute for Integrative Nutrition is the notion of “primary food” and that the food we eat is actually a secondary source of energy. Yes, consumable foods are important to our survival, but equally important are Primary foods. These are the non-food sources of nourishment, and they are what really fuel us. Some call it a thirst for life, others might associate it with a 'full' life; either way, we have all experienced Primary Foods without even taking notice of their importance to our lives. Lovers find themselves lost in their bliss and entrepreneurs are fueled by the passion for their work. Primary foods are what fill our lives with excitement and forward momentum which can feed us more completely than any food. Before the digital age I can remember playing outside with friends and being called home for dinnertime. My response would almost always be, “But mom, I'm not hungry yet!" Without g...

No, it’s not a curse word or acronym for something dirty, but for some, it can be considered a bad word. It’s a fat. There, I’ve said it: the “F” word… Hear me out, though. MUFA isn’t just any fat. It’s a GOOD fat. It’s the kind of fat you want to get familiar with. The acronym stands for monounsaturated fatty acid. Are all fats equal? Absolutely not, and that’s why I want to inform you on this essential nutrient! Monounsaturated fats (MUFAs) are a type of heart-healthy, disease-fighting "good" fat that should be part of any healthy eating plan. Used responsibly and in moderation, monounsaturated fats can help reduce bad cholesterol levels in your blood and lower your risk of heart disease and stroke.  What’s more is that they also provide nutrients to help develop and maintain your body’s cells.  And, since your brain is comprised of about 60% fat (no I’m not calling you fat-head), early research indicates that consuming this type of fat might help preserve cognit...

“We cherish too, the Poppy red That grows on fields where valor led, It seems to signal to the skies That blood of heroes never dies.”   - ‘We Shall Keep The Faith,’ by Moina Michael, November 1918 I've never fought in a war. As all humans, I have an innate fear of pain, of death. I don’t understand war, but for that matter, who does? Do soldiers? Do politicians? Self-preservation is an autonomic response; sacrifice, honor and personal conviction are not. The latter are the traits groomed into each soldier to strengthen character and resolve in the face of battle. In regard to war, I am weaker than I will ever care to admit, and for that reason I hold in high esteem those that fought in battle girding themselves in their hopes to preserve posterity. In their efforts, they wage a commodity more precious than imagination can hold. Like me, these brave, strong men and women were also afraid of pain and death, but managed to move through their terror to face an enemy th...

A lot of people want to change for the better. We've all been there. We take a vow to lose weight, exercise more or spend more time with our family. We start the year with great intentions, but then we quickly relapse into old habits. Well, no more! Here are some ways you can grow stronger as a person and make your positive intentions a concrete reality: 1. Write down your intentions and keep them in a visible place, like taped to your bedroom mirror or the dashboard of your car. 2. Get to the source of whatever is keeping you in a rut. Are you in a stressful relationship that causes you to eat a pint of Ben & Jerry’s every night? Are you stressed at your job and feel too tired to exercise after work? If you don’t tackle the root of the behavior, it will be much harder to accomplish your goal. 3. Be clear about what your life would look like once you achieve your goal. If you resolve to go to the gym more, how will this benefit you? Get connected to the result of yo...

Anyone who knows me knows I love my Joe…. err, “cup of joe” that is. In fact, I’m enjoying a cup as I write this post. However, as a wellness professional that little admission of guilt has gotten me a few sneers and looks of condescension. Caffeine is BAD for you, they say! Well, perhaps abusing caffeine may be “bad” for you, but ‘caffeine’ doesn’t necessarily mean ‘coffee.’ Despite this fact, coffee has gotten a bad rep over the years after a few health experts linked it (or rather, linked caffeine abuse) to several diseases. But is coffee actually that bad? Probably not; new research shows that drinking coffee in moderation provides numerous health benefits. Antidepressant It might seem a little odd to find that coffee could help with depression, but new research has shown that it does just that. Now, don’t go throwing out your prescriptions or quit counseling just yet though, coffee is not a cure for depression. Rather, the caffeine in coffee helps regulate your mood trans...

“When we love, we always strive to become better than we are. When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too.” This is a quote by Paulo Coelho in; The Alchemist. Love can be many things, but one of the things I find most important is that it can be an inspiration, the impetus needed to achieve greatness. However, the interesting thing about inspiration is that it is not eternal. Inspiration is a temporary thing. Unlike love,  a constant, an eternal principle; inspiration is fleeting. Think of inspiration as a glass of milk or fresh fruit. If left out too long, it becomes unpalatable and eventually - useless. So, it amazes me to meet clients with personal goals of losing weight, getting in better shape, gaining control of their health or their career, and then wanting to do it all starting next week or next month . My question is always, “Why not start now?” If you are inspired to start eating more healthily on a Friday evening, why wa...

So, as a mom, you worry and you multi-task (whether you like it or not). You work - very hard. You are ALWAYS on call. You cook, clean, tend to the wounded… etc., and you only get one measly 24 hour day out of the whole year to get appreciated for it. Lucky for you someone thought of giving you a massage to mark the occasion and to say, “Thanks. We love you, mom!” The problem is that as a mom, you've probably forgotten all about how to “shut off” your mommy response. So I've devised a few ideas and a plan for you to get the most out of your day and your special gift. Take time to be nurtured Remember: this is YOUR time. Whether it's therapeutic massage, reflexology, hot stone massage or something else, you can expect relief from tension and pain. But even more important, your bodywork session can be a nurturing and much needed “time out” just for you. Take this opportunity (for once) to do absolutely nothing! Relish your “me” time by following these two simple steps...

Happiness feels great! It makes everything in life a little easier to handle, the bad moments don’t seem quite so bad and the good moments feel much better. Your mood gets a boost and your relationships with friends, family, and coworkers seem light and easy. Yep, there’s no doubt about it; being happy will make every part of your life a little bit better. So, it’s hard for me to believe that there are people out there who don’t know how to be happy or are waiting for happiness to find them - but it’s true. They are content to just sit around and wait in limbo or misery. Well, to them I say; happiness doesn't just “happen!” Like anything else, it is something that you, at the very least, look for. You have to put effort into being happy. Understanding this is one of the key things to do to becoming happier. With that bit of knowledge, anyone can be happy. Yep, that’s right, you don’t even have to be rich or famous or beautiful to be happy. In fact, studies have found th...