John Aaron Wellness

I know there are times when our schedules get so out of hand that we can barely find time to bathe let alone eat well. In fact, most of the busy clients I work with are just like you. They are very smart and knowledgeable when it comes to what a healthy diet and lifestyle looks like. The real challenge is to make it happen in their hectic and over-committed lives. Right? So, for the busy folks I work with, I tell them the key to implementing healthy dietary changes is to think it through and make a plan. Planning smart is key to eating smart. If you make healthy choices available to you when you need them, chances are you will make better decisions. I’ve listed a few tips that I apply to my life to hopefully help you develop you own “smart eating plan” so that you can start eating better and feeling better, too: Plan for the week ahead – It sounds daunting, I know, but planning out your meals for the upcoming week will keep you on track with your health and wellness goals. Tak...

Although it is more common in older people, osteoporosis is a serious health condition that can affect people of all ages. It’s characterized by brittle or fragile bones that easily break or fracture. To date, I've not broken any bones but as I age I am well aware that bone mass naturally reduces as we get older. Thus, the risk of developing osteoporosis can also increase. Add certain health conditions, medications and a lack of certain nutrients, and your risk can go even higher. Fortunately, I've put together a recipe of things you can do to help protect your bones and reduce the risk of osteoporosis. Calcium Remember being told to drink your milk to get strong bones? As it turns out, there is some truth to this; some truth. Calcium forms around forty percent of the mineral mass of human bones. So as we get older, in order to keep bones healthy and prevent degenerative bone conditions like osteoporosis, it is essential to ensure adequate calcium intake. However, while ...

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...

It’s true. It’s Edison’s fault. While technology has advanced our species it has also impacted eons of evolutionary progress. Few people understand the connection or how the process of invention can have a negative effect on our health, but I can’t help but sense their related connection. For example, “circadian rhythm” is a term used to describe the internal clock regulating the activities all living creatures perform throughout a 24-hour day. While this internal clock may differ, some animals are nocturnal while others are active during the daylight hours, the circadian rhythm reigns supreme over everything within the body like temperature, appetite and energy level. It’s the reason why some people can regularly wake up at a specific time without the use of an alarm clock. Before Edison’s miraculous invention came about, our human circadian rhythms were closely matched with the 24 hour cycle found in nature. We got up with the Sun and slept when it went down. By nature, and ext...

“Daddy! It’s a spider! It’s a spider, Daddy! Kill it, KILL it!!” These were the words my soon to be four year old shrieked at me from the bathroom where she had been preparing for her bath. She was standing naked and pointing at the tub as I assured her that things were going to be alright. Warily looking into the tub, I saw no spider. I saw no kind of inset anywhere! “It’s right there, Daddy! Kill it!” she pleaded. I sighed and picked it up with my bare hands despite her voiced concern for my welfare. To her embarrassment, she blushed when I revealed that the vicious and deadly “spider” was nothing more than a tiny, tangled bit of her own hair. She bashfully giggled and entered the tub and I chuckled at her expense. She had truly seemed terrified, though. The funny thing is that we are all scared of something; whether it’s spiders, disease or financial loss. We all suffer from this emotion repeatedly. We never out-grow it. Fear is a “survival instinct,” an emotion that is na...

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...

Want something to keep you warm and lean on a cold winter's night? Here's a simple yet tasty alternative to potato leek soup. Great for those watching their carbs or calories, or just looking for a different vegetarian soup that tastes delicious.  I'll admit, I served it with hearty, toasted pumpernickel bread, but I made up for the caliroes by omitting the "optional" heavy cream in this recipe. Ingredients Needed: Makes twelve servings 2 tablespoons olive oil 3 tablespoons butter 3 leeks, cut into 1 inch pieces 1 large head cauliflower, chopped 8 cups vegetable broth 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 1 cup heavy cream (optional) 1. Heat the olive oil and butter in a large pot over medium heat, and saute the leeks, cauliflower, and garlic for about 10 minutes. Stir in the vegetable broth, and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 45 minutes. 2. Remove the soup from heat. Blend th...

Let’s make one thing clear: family is first. Your family plays an important role in your lifestyle change process. Unfortunately, they may not want you to disrupt their status quo; they may prefer that their responsibilities, routines and "you" all remain the same. Or they may want to support you, but may be unsure exactly how to help. By anticipating specific comments and reactions before they happen, you can prepare your family for the changes you're making that may also affect them. Tell them what specific things they can do to show their support and use the following guidelines to create an environment that is conducive to change: Introducing low-fat foods: The internet is filled with menus and recipes that are so similar to the “regular” foods most families eat. As such, you can introduce low-fat foods that your family may never even suspect as “good for you.” However, if they insist on eating "the old way," you still have two choices: k...

So many of my clients who make successful lifestyle changes have a strong network of friends, family members or colleagues they can rely on. While it is not necessary to have lots of people to support your fitness endeavors, it is essential that your supporters accept the actions you're taking unconditionally. This kind of connectedness with others can help you live healthier in two ways. Scientists have discovered that most risk factors decrease and longevity increases with individuals who have stable and supportive spouses, friends and co-workers. A while back, in the small town of Roseto, Pennsylvania, researchers were astounded to learn that there was a very low incidence of heart disease among the residents even in the presence of a moderately high fat diet. After all other causes were finally ruled out, the "health serum" turned out to be the close family ties of this traditional Italian community. And as the families have drifted apart over time, th...

We all know it. Even if study after study hadn’t showed that exercise makes the difference in being fit, fat, or naturally thin; we know it intrinsically. Our bodies were made to move. So what does this mean for you? It means that sticking with your regular exercise routine - no matter how difficult it may be at times - isn't just a good idea for your good looks. It makes all the difference in your good health and well-being, too. “But how hard do I have to work out?” is a question my clients often ask. Well, the answer is that it depends on your goal. I know is sounds like a cop-out, but it’s true. Previously, I wrote about studies of individuals that were put on exercise routines that burned off 500 calories for men and 400 for women each day. However, these were overweight individuals who could safely lose a substantial amount of weight. If you're already at a healthy weight and want to take your overall fitness to the next level, you may need to step things up a bit to bu...