John Aaron Wellness

Have you recently switched to a vegetarian diet? Well good for you! There are many studies that show that the vegetarian and vegan lifestyles are a great way to lower your risk of diabetes, stroke, obesity and early death. A vegetarian diet, though, is only healthy if you know how to go about it. If you follow a vegetarian diet that is traditional in some culture somewhere in the world, you’re probably safe since traditional diets are usually well-planned to include all the essentials. If a regular omnivorous western diet is all you've ever known and you are simply cobbling a plant-based diet together, though, you face a whole range of health risks. That said; make sure you avoid making the following mistakes Simply eliminating the meat from your diet doesn't guarantee that you will be healthier. You need to replace the meat with vegetable-based foods that are rich in all the nutrition types that you need. You also need to be careful about unhealthy vegetarian foods – lik...

In case you didn’t know – I’m a big fan of massage therapy. Since stress can kill, and living in today's modern world means stress is a constant companion, massage has become a major part of my wellness program. But here is a stress control technique that surprised me... Recent research suggests that eating 'friendly' bacteria could help reduce anxiety. In the journal Neurogastroenterology and Motility, a study found that giving a probiotic known as Bifidobacterium longum to mice with infectious colitis helped reduce their anxious behavior. [1] And, in another study, researchers at Ireland's University College Cork, gave mice a probiotic known as lactobacillus. They found that doing so resulted in reduced anxiety and depression-related behavior. [2] So what do these studies mean? Well, to me it confirms my belief that food is a natural medicine, and like all drugs you can use it to better your health or damage it. Perhaps the benefit of “good” intestinal flo...

It’s the weekend and I must first apologize if the title to this posting set your heart aflutter. The truth of the matter is; easy weight loss is a myth. Sorry… Unfortunately, many diet and weight loss gimmicks have preyed upon the American obsession with thinness. It is the very promise of FAST results that has spawned a grand multibillion dollar industry and a plethora of fat-fighting strategies. The question is, “Do they work?” Well, yes…, and, well, no. Take for example, Liposuction. It is t he process of suctioning fat out of specific areas of the body. This procedure requires t ubes to be inserted in half-inch long incisions in areas such as the thighs, buttocks, upper arms, abdomen or hips, in order to “vacuum” out the fat cells. It’s a brutal procedure leaving the patient bruised, sore and in support bandages upwards of six weeks after surgery, and contrary to popular belief, liposuction is not recommended for obese individuals. In fact, many docto...

Often I am asked about supplements and their role in a healthy diet. My take is that while vitamins and minerals are essential to life, the human body cannot self sustain this requirement. Therefore, it is imperative that we eat a well-rounded, low fat diet in order to obtain an adequate variety and supply. Unfortunately, Americans have become infatuated with supplementation. Mega-dosing has become a common practice for both athletes trying to improve their performances and the “average Jane or Joe” trying to compensate for inadequate nutrition. Research indicates supplementation is ineffective in improving athletic performance in a well-nourished adult. That’s to say if you are eating well, taking additional doses of supplements won’t give you an edge. In fact, excessive amounts of fat soluble vitamins (vitamins A, D, E and K) may prove toxic since they are stored in the body and not easily excreted. Even some water soluble supplements such as vitamin B-12 have been shown to cause...

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...

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, this really isn’t rocket science, I know… Most of you are more than likely already incorporating summer foods into your diet without needing any assistance. But sometimes getting a little reminder on how you can add a few more fresh summer fruits and veggies into your favorite meals really helps. The key to remember is that a little goes a long way. I used to think that bringing home a container of berries meant that I had to eat the whole carton in one sitting to get the benefits of the fruit. However, if you spread your intake from breakfast to lunch to dinner and beyond, you can add some fresh summer foods easily. In the morning, grab your favorite fruit and toss it on top of your cereal. Only have half a banana left over from the fruit smoothie you made last night? Great: toss it in! But you don’t have to stop there. Other good choices are blueberries, strawberries, and even raisins or dried cranberries. For lunch you can try a fresh tomato and cucumber sandwich served with hum...

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...

This is a quick and delicious wrap that is loaded with healthy monounsaturated fats, vegetables, protein, and quality carbs. You can make this in less than 5 minutes! Ingredients: 1 cooked chicken breast, chopped and seasoned to taste 1 sprouted-grain or whole-grain wrap 1-2 large handfuls baby spinach 1/4 cup chopped cucumbers 2 tbsp basil Olive Oil pesto 2 tbsp guacamole 1 plum or other small piece of fruit Directions: Evenly spread pesto onto wrap. Lay spinach on top in an even layer. Then lay down chicken breast on top of spinach. Spread guacamole on top of chicken breast and toss in diced cucumbers. Enjoy with carrots and hummus or other produce of choice. Makes 1 serving for men, or 2 for women. Eat good – and Live Life Well! John Aaron Villarreal johnaaron-massage.com facebook / twitter The content and information on this site is not intended to diagnose, cure, treat or prevent disease. Please consult your physician prior to starting any exercis...

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...