John Aaron Wellness

As much as we hate to admit it, there are times where death seems inevitable. Whether it’s a severe terminal illness or the body slowing down with old age, certain conditions can make death unavoidable. Preventable death, however, is different. Just as it sounds, preventable death is any kind of death that we actually have the power to avert. Sadly, although these deaths are preventable, and therefore largely within our control, they still occur at an alarming frequency. For more information on preventable death, check out this infographic by Katherman Briggs & Greenberg. Top Causes of Preventable Death Smoking If you’ve ever thought about lighting up, you might want to think again. Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death, causing 467,000 deaths in the U.S. annually, and it’s the culprit behind 1 in every 5 deaths. In addition to causing cancer, heart disease, stroke and lung disease, smoking can shorten your life span: smokers die on average 10 years earlier tha...

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...

During the summer, you have a lot of things to do. You've got to stay well hydrated, soak up some sun to get all that precious vitamin D, build a few sandcastles, and catch some waves. However, if you don't take advantage of the many great foods that grow in abundance during the warmer months, you're missing out. But, if you are like some of my clients and friends, you may need some convincing in order to go off and buy those summer foods. In that case, try out these reasons to see how they taste. They're Colorful: Nothing says summer like bright, fun colors! With that in mind, remember that color is the part of the vegetable or fruit that holds phyto-nutrients and antioxidants in abundance. In fact, if you want to boost your diet's health rating, you should be looking to ass a wide variety of colors to your meal. Aside from being pretty on the plate, they’re pretty healthy for your body & mind, too! Speaking of Healthy: Because fruits and vegetables grow in s...

The summer season is here and it’s time for cool citrus drinks, but don’t rely on only a summer of lemonade. Instead, step up to the tartness of grapefruit, and gather an array of additional health benefits. In the health world, few words get as much applause and attention as "antioxidants." You’ve read enough of my posts and Recipe Rx’s to know that. Well, what do you think gives a grapefruit its’ pretty pink and red color? It’s the antioxidant lycopene. Grapefruit juice contains some of the highest levels of antioxidants (along with grape, apple, and cranberry juice), and regardless of whether you eat or sip on your antioxidants, getting plenty of grapefruit in your diet gives you an advantage over a number of cancers. Still can’t handle the bitter tart taste? Try a little honey on top. It'll be sweet and sour and loaded with health-boosting perks! Another benefit of grapefruit is a type of fiber found in it; pectin. Pectin's main benefit isn't keeping you r...