John Aaron Wellness

For most of us, it’s easy to get enough fruit in our diets. They are generally portable, snack-able and sweet – what’s not to love about that? Add bananas, berries, or dried fruit to breakfast cereal, slice a juicy melon for a cooling after dinner dessert, and crunch on an apple for a quick mid-day snack and you’ll probably meet the typical daily nutritional guidelines of 2 cups. The REAL challenge is to get enough vegetables in a variety of colors into your day. That’s why I’ve listed some easy ways tips that I personally use to insure I add the recommended 2½ cups into my daily menus: Start the day with ½ cup of vegetable juice (low-sodium of course). Enjoy a spinach salad or other main dish salad for lunch. Add vegetables instead of meat to pasta dishes, pizzas, soups, and stews. Spoon salsa onto a baked sweet potato. (The spicy-sweet combo is delicious) Keep bags of organic, pre-cut, pre-washed carrots, snap peas, bell peppers and cherry tomatoes on ...

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...

My daughter likes to grocery shop with me. Actually, I think she just like the opportunity to be wheeled around a store that has an unbelievable amount of food all within arms-reach of her. In fact, if I am not careful, she has been known to toss a few “extras” into the cart without my noticing it.   So, it’s a good thing I always compare what’s in my cart with what’s on my list. Not only can I be certain that I will have the supplies I need for my week, but I generally save money by not purchasing items I haven’t specifically planned for. It wasn’t until I noticed what was in the shopping carts of other fellow shoppers that made me feel good about this decision. The next time you go grocery shopping find someone shopping with a list and compare carts with someone who doesn’t have a list. You may be surprised to see foods that are higher in fats, salts, sugars and processed preservatives in the one without a list. Why? Well, it’s because the store knows these products...

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...