John Aaron Wellness

Are you one of those people that just doesn’t see what the big deal is about eating breakfast? Despite the fact that nutrition experts and health professionals have always said how important a hearty breakfast is, I continued to skip breakfast on a regular basis. I know I’m not the only one to do this. A large percentage of us who avoid eating regular breakfasts say it’s because they don’t have time to eat in the morning. A similar proportion say they don’t eat breakfast because they just don’t feel hungry when they first wake up. Whatever your reason for avoiding breakfast, I’m here to say I no longer plan on missing out on the whole range of health benefits this one little meal can bring. Benefits like; Better Concentration Eating a breakfast with complex carbohydrates has been shown to increase concentration and brainpower throughout the day. High-quality carbohydrates that release energy slowly, such as those found in wholegrain breads and cereals, are far more nutrient-rich...

Starting a new exercise routine can be tough. I know. I’ve been there, too. The biggest obstacle I faced was fear. I was never athletic as a kid. Always told I was too skinny or weak, I found myself believing that. Maybe you have a similar story. What I can tell you is this: you are more than you think (in every way). I got over those fears with a friends encouragement and a plan. First, and this is important, if you haven’t already been told to exercise by your physician, it would be wise to make an appointment to get approval before you begin. You never know what you may have done to yourself in the years of neglecting your body… When I first began exercising, I wasn’t aware of pacing myself. I was so out of shape that I literally got nauseous after only a few minutes of exercise. So it is from experience that I encourage you to begin your exercise program slowly and with thought. There is truth to the cliché “Rome wasn’t built in a day.” My body had years to learn it’s seden...

So you already know you should be incorporating a variety of fresh fruits and veggies into your menu, but are you having a hard time trying to figure out which ones you should add to your diet? Well, something that I have done personally is to plate my food with color. Different colored pigments in fruits and vegetables have different and varying phytochemicals. In fact, research has shown that these components can not only help prevent cardiovascular disease and cancer; but, exciting new studies show that they are also extremely important in protecting the delicate cells of the nervous system (something very important as we age). For a better handle on what you should eat for improved health in specific areas, try the following “color” tips. Orange foods , as well as yellow foods , are jam-packed with lycopene, vitamin C, flavonoids, beta-carotene, and potassium. These are helpful in countless ways, including lowering your cholesterol levels. Blue and purple foods contain vitamin C,...

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...

Okay, so you don't want to go completely “crazy” over your cardiovascular routine, but if you are looking to improve your health and energy levels (maybe even shed a few extra pounds), you'll probably need to alter the amount of cardio you subject yourself to on a regular basis. How much cardio should you be getting each day? I usually say “shoot for an hour, but get at least 30 minutes.” If you are in a part of the country where the summer heat can be overly oppressing, try doing your walk indoors at your local gym, shopping mall, or church recreation hall. While you may want to push yourself to your limit the entire time, you may be surprised as what alternating between fast and moderate-speeds can do for you. Try doing this; walk as fast as you can manage for about one minute (pretend you’re playing a race with someone – but don’t run!), then walk at a more relaxed rate of speed for up to two minutes. Doing this will not only increase your energy, cardiovascular strength ...

Maybe you’ve been working really hard at losing those last 10 pounds. You’ve done everything you can think of from cutting back on the amount of calories you eat, to working out twice a day. You’ve even sworn off desserts! So why do those extra pounds hold such a stubborn grip on you? Well, if you’ve read a couple of my most recent posts, you could be sabotaging your efforts by neglecting your sleep. As I’ve been saying, your ability to maintain a healthy weight can directly correlate your ability to obtain adequate quality. The interesting thing is that the two benefits are symbiotic in that losing weight is a good way to improve the quality and quantity of your sleep. Why? There are a number of reasons. For starters, a significant number of overweight people tend to suffer from sleep apnea. This is a condition which commonly causes snoring. However, the snoring is severe enough to obstruct a persons’ breathing for prolonged periods, as he or she sleeps. However, there are recorded...

So we've reviewed a bit of what metabolism is and the benefits of improving it, but are you really serious about getting the most out of your metabolism? The saying really is true. Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day! If you think you can have a high metabolism by skipping it and fasting until your afternoon meal, you are dead wrong. Not eating break-fast, puts you at a higher risk for slowed metabolism. I know, you say I don't have time, or that you're just not a breakfast kind of person, but without this meal - you are limiting the amount of progress you can make toward a better body and greater health. In fact, here are a few ways skipping breakfast will do the body bad. 1. It makes you hungrier at lunch and other times than you should be. When this happens, you don't make good choices - and you know it! 2. It gives you nothing to start with. When your stomach is empty, your body is doing everything possible to hang onto the calories at i...

"And what is a man without energy? Nothing - nothing at all." - Mark Twain Coffee is my number one “gotta have” in the morning. And, while I’ve been known to make a quick Starbucks run in the afternoon, I don’t necessarily rely on caffeine for my energy boost. Instead, I can get all the energy I need three times a day: breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Carbohydrates: You may remember the world-famous Atkins diet has caused countless people to stop eating breads and pastas in order to lose a few quick pounds. Unfortunately, carbohydrates are essential when it comes to boosting your body's energy levels. Don't eat enough and you won't be able to push your body to its limits in the gym. Instead of starving your body of fuel, eat smart carbohydrates, such as whole-wheat bread, cereal, and brown rice. Magnesium: If you're looking for energy, you should consider it. Magnesium has unique properties that turn sugar into something useful: energy. In other words, you can g...