John Aaron Wellness

As I've gotten older I've realized that takes more than an apple a day to keep the doctor off your back. If you've got high blood pressure or cholesterol levels, the good doc is going to pester you about it—apple or not (and he should!). But don’t blame him - he’s trying to save your life. According to the American Heart Association, 105.2 million adults have borderline to high risk blood cholesterol levels. In addition, nearly one in three adults suffers from high blood pressure and these numbers grow every year. Even more frightening; 82% of those at high risk are unaware of their condition. Could you be one of them? Whether you've had your blood pressure and cholesterol levels checked lately or not, these conditions are deadly and sneaky—many people are unaware of the danger lurking in their own arteries. In fact, many firmly believe that what you don’t know can’t hurt you… They’re dead wrong. What’s so bad about high blood pressure and cholesterol levels...

Alright! The holidays are officially over… and Public schools officially resumed classes today. Yeah!!! (For those of you with kids, you know what I’m talking about…) Anyway, two weeks of vacation – holidays, family, food-food-food, flus and lots of late nights all came to an end this past weekend. Whew! Now I’ll bet I’m not the only one left to deal with the aftermath of all that less-than-healthy eating… Is your body puffy and bloated? Your joints are achy? Your clothes feel tight? Me, too… ;-) So to help us both through this “recovery” plan, I've outlined the 5 awesomely easy steps you’ll need to quickly and seamlessly get back on the fitness fast track. Step One: Get Focused. The holidays happened. You ate things from your “never eat these” list, you drank more that you should have, but now the party is over. Draw a line in the sand. The bad eating stops now. Today. Don’t beat yourself up for falling off the fitness wagon particularly if it was shared in the...

How’s it going? Have the holidays treated you well? Mine have been rather chaotic. First, I received late notice that my building was going to be closed on unexpected days, so I had to cancel a few client appointments for those days. Then, the AC/Heat went out in the building and I was forced to cancel more appointments. Then, my five year old got sick and I had to cancel out the last few remaining appointments of the year. Not to mention I had family in town, Christmas shopping (and wrapping) to get done, a dinner party to cook for, AND an office to move, too! I felt VERY out of control and uneasy. And, I don’t LIKE feeling out of control. Who does? Lucky for me, Lexi is a resilient child and felt better after just a few days (I think the thought of Christmas Day toys had a lot to do with it. LOL!), and I was able to take some time to chill, meditate and plan for my office move, and for the 2014 year. As 2013 comes to a close I’ve been reflecting on this crazy year. To me it...

It’s been a general rule of thumb; less salt = lower blood pressure. So, why is it so difficult to use less of it at the table and in cooking? My guess is that we’re afraid to miss out on flavor. So, to avoid salt without sacrificing flavor, I have listed some of my tried and true remedies for you to add to your pantry. However, don’t be afraid to experiment with making your own seasoning blends. Just be sure to share your favorite blends with me. Chinese five-spice blend for chicken, fish, or pork Combine ¼ cup ground ginger, 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon, 2 teaspoons ground cloves, and 1 tablespoon each ground allspice and anise seed. Mexican blend for chili, enchiladas, and tacos Combine ¼ cup chili powder; 1 tablespoon each ground cumin and onion powder; 1 teaspoon each dried oregano, garlic powder, and red pepper; and ½ teaspoon cinnamon. Mixed herbs for salads, steamed vegetables, or fish Combine ¼ cup dried parsley, 2 tablespoons dried tarragon, and 1 tablespoon eac...

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...

How was your Halloween? This year I took four children trick-or-treating; a five, a four, a three, and a two year old. Talk about work! And, dang it if one of them little boogers didn’t give me a head-cold! Anyway, Halloween swooshed by me like those kids chasing candy door to door. It was enough to make your head spin. What’s more, the coming holidays don’t seem to be slowing down for me either. Life can be a whirlwind at times, but it’s all good. It’s when things feel like they’re ‘literally’ whirling around you, that you may want to stop and reconsider. When you’re over forty, loss of balance can mean your health is out of whack. While some of us older folk will feel dizzy from time to time, the sense the surroundings spinning is called vertigo (yes, like the old Hitchcock movie). Your inner ear works with your brain to give you a sense of your body’s position. Your skin, joints, and muscles also send balance signals to the brain. If something goes wrong in any of these a...

It can never stressed enough how important it is that we know exactly what we are eating. With today’s marketing it is so easy to want to what the labels and brightly colored packages of convenience foods say to us, but approach with caution. While a packaged meal may be advertised as healthy, it’s up to you to find out if it really is before you simply buy into a few good words that may or may not be true. People get very excited when they see that convenience foods are labeled as “healthy” or “low-fat,” (I’ve been guilty about this, too) but some minor research needs to be done before indulging. The following are 3 ingredients that I recommend be avoided as much as possible. Trans-fats Trans-fats are found in so many foods that you probably eat on a regular basis. Trans-fats can be found in baked goods, microwave popcorn, fast foods, and frozen foods. These items are all convenient, but they’re not worth risking your health for. Trans-fats can cause an increase in bad choleste...

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...

“When we love, we always strive to become better than we are. When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too.” This is a quote by Paulo Coelho in; The Alchemist. Love can be many things, but one of the things I find most important is that it can be an inspiration, the impetus needed to achieve greatness. However, the interesting thing about inspiration is that it is not eternal. Inspiration is a temporary thing. Unlike love,  a constant, an eternal principle; inspiration is fleeting. Think of inspiration as a glass of milk or fresh fruit. If left out too long, it becomes unpalatable and eventually - useless. So, it amazes me to meet clients with personal goals of losing weight, getting in better shape, gaining control of their health or their career, and then wanting to do it all starting next week or next month . My question is always, “Why not start now?” If you are inspired to start eating more healthily on a Friday evening, why wa...

Happiness feels great! It makes everything in life a little easier to handle, the bad moments don’t seem quite so bad and the good moments feel much better. Your mood gets a boost and your relationships with friends, family, and coworkers seem light and easy. Yep, there’s no doubt about it; being happy will make every part of your life a little bit better. So, it’s hard for me to believe that there are people out there who don’t know how to be happy or are waiting for happiness to find them - but it’s true. They are content to just sit around and wait in limbo or misery. Well, to them I say; happiness doesn't just “happen!” Like anything else, it is something that you, at the very least, look for. You have to put effort into being happy. Understanding this is one of the key things to do to becoming happier. With that bit of knowledge, anyone can be happy. Yep, that’s right, you don’t even have to be rich or famous or beautiful to be happy. In fact, studies have found th...

Sooner or later, each of us will come in contact with people who will leave us feeling frustrated and depleted. I call them ‘soul suckers’ because of the kind of negative inertia they evoke that can pull us down and crush our spirit before we’re even aware of what’s happening. Oftentimes, these encounters can leave us in a similar sense of negativity, too. You may already know that much of what I write about involves proper nutrition, stress management, and physical movement. I even write about toxic foods and environmental contaminants, but the truth is that there are toxic people, and they can take just as much of a toll on our health & wellness! I’ve not been immune to these encounters myself which is why I want to teach you how to identify – and avoid – such people in your life, too. Just so you know, interacting with a toxic person always feels like a fruitless battle. You know the type; long on problems and short on solutions (because they aren’t really looking for sol...

You may remember me mentioning that I’m studying the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and getting my certification as a nutritional coach. Well, here I am at the beginning of my 2nd quarter of classes and boy-oh-boy have I learned a bunch! While some of what I’ve learned is a little mind-bending, some of it is common knowledge that we’ve all shared, but often have failed to address. For example; in the long term, dieting to drop weight — and keep it off — rarely works. We both know that, right? Then why do we get so down on ourselves when this reality comes to fruition? Study after study supports the fact that many people eventually regain the weight they lost — and then some — once they stop their diet. The proof is in the collective pounds Americans have gained despite the billions of dollars we dish out for diet pills and programs each year. Unfortunately, the number of obese Americans continues to rise and has now reached epidemic proportions. So, what should you do to ...

Today's post is short and sweet. So, I want to talk about stimulating your stamina and physical strength quickly. These are two tools you cannot go without if you want to have a life of purpose and fulfillment. To begin, let's discuss the key players; your muscles. Muscles are funny things. They respond to just about any type of training, as long as it's challenging and as long as it's not the same darn thing you've always done. That's the beauty of what's called "density training:" It's a whole lot of stuff you haven't tried yet. And best of all, you can work all your major muscles in a fraction of the time it takes to to 'traditional' weight training. Here's how it works: Instead of counting reps and sets, you'll focus on the total amount of work you can accomplish in a fixed amount of time. For example; let's use abdominal crunches or push-ups. Instead of doing a specific number and then stopping, try doing a...

The challenge of transforming your body is not a onetime event.  It doesn't happen magically in 6 weeks or less because you chose to purchase the latest gadget you found on TV in the middle of the night.  You can't buy it in a special box of food or in a program that doesn't include the three pillars you need for success - strength training, cardiovascular exercise, and supportive nutrition. The change comes through your constant pursuit of making yourself into a better, fitter, healthier and more balanced person every day. Each change you make, and every positive decision you choose, brings you a step closer to your goal and your vision. Here is a great example of this universal truth... Two recent studies published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism found that within 10 minutes of drinking about a pint of water, the metabolic rates of both men and women increased by as much as 24 to 30 percent.  Other drinks did not have the same effect. ...

Anyone who knows me knows that my favorite season is autumn. Something about its warm glow and harvest season just gets my energy up. Spring, however, would be my close second. After all, you can’t have a fall harvest without spring planning and planting. And, while MY idea of spring gardening usually involves “telling” Alex (that's my 'other half' in case you didn't know) where to plant this year’s greenery; I've discovered spring to be a perfect metaphor for reviewing my life and instituting changes for the future. It provides a clean slate, perfect opportunity to set clear goals, and watch them grow into reality. So, this spring I decided to copy the growth you see in nature. I want to see how it affects my own goals, perceptions and desires for self improvement. I’m not generally one to meditate. I always thought of it as an alien experience for me and I thought you might feel the same way. So, I thought I would outline my process to help you get star...

Monday sucked. I'd say that entire day just seemed to conspire against me for one reason or another and a ton of things I had planned on getting done didn't happen. Needless to say I was more than a little cranky by day’s end. If there is one thing I hate is the feeling you get when you think you aren’t making any progress. That feeling compounds when you feel overwhelmed. I wasn’t happy and with a full plate for the week, I wasn’t in the mood for it. Good thing for me that I have a great family and the loving, supportive network of close friends, and readers and fans like you. They say you gravitate toward those that share your views, interests and temperament. This is another reason I count myself blessed. Being a generally happy person, I have friends that freely share that trait. And, while negativity usually breeds negativity, I take solace that the same can be true about inspiration and happiness. If you’re happy, there’s a good chance that your positive feeling...

I’m sure I am not the only one to have ever taken their stress, anxiety, or depression out on a nice big bowl of ice cream or potato chips. Hey, when you hurt, you need comfort – right? Unfortunately, sometimes we forget why we have certain cravings and tend to go on auto-pilot when it comes to self-medicating with food. There are two basic thoughts about why we ‘crave’ certain foods: One is that our body is lacking in specific nutrients, the other is that we have triggers that activate our cravings such as habit, or emotional events. Whatever the cause, cravings are important to pay attention to and address. So what can you do to stop stuffing down your feelings with food? Well, there is the usual “fight the feeling” theory that holds some merit. But, just fighting the urge can be tough. However, I discovered that the brain can misinterpret the body’s need for water as a craving for food. Weird, huh? Try this, when you feel a craving, drink a full glass of water. Then “figh...

I've never been an extremely outgoing person. So, given my introverted personality, I tend to have a small and tight circle of friends. Imagine my surprise to learn that if you want to age well, having strong social relationships are equally important as having a positive outlook on life. The unfortunate thing for introverts like me is this: unless the circle of friends is replenished, their numbers reduce with time. Sickness, physical distance or death will inevitably make an impact on your social circle. So, in addition to planning for financial security, I’ve learned we must invest in the behaviors that can add not just years to our life, but life to those years. So I distilled three main points that I use as a ‘template’ to lead and live my life to those lofty, aged, senior goals. They are as follows: Despite being ridiculed, I often try to imagine living 120 happy, healthy years. No, that's not a 'type-o.' I plan on living at least to the ripe old age of...

When you look in the mirror do you like what you see? You should, but if you don’t, you’re not alone. Many people suffer from negative body image. The key to developing positive body image is learning to appreciate & accept who your are and what you've got. Love you. Love your body. And, treat it well, because -like it or not- your gonna be in it for life... To help; Keep a list of 10 positive things about yourself that don’t involve your appearance. Refer to it often. Think about everything that you could accomplish with the time and energy you spend focused on your body and your appearance. Start doing some of those more productive, more enjoyable activities. If you are concerned about being overweight, set a healthy target for your Body Mass Index based on expert recommendations, and don’t expect to get to your target any faster than one pound per week. Create a list of people you admire — people who have contributed to your life, your community, or the world. Ask...

“Snoring Sid snored so loud he kept the town awake.  Everyone would run and hide when the ground began to shake.  He tried to make himself quit snoring but nothing helped to stop the loud roaring.  SNNNNOOOORREEE rattle rattle  SNNNNOOOORRRREEE:”  ~ Excerpt from; Snoring Sid; Funny Children's Short Story, by Kimberly Vargas I got a kick out of reading this short story, mostly because my 4 year old daughter finds snoring to be quite funny. However, snoring can indicate the symptoms of something far more sinister. If you’re overweight and you snore, your size may have something to do with it. And if you’re snoring, your sleep — and overall health — may be suffering. Snoring is a symptom of sleep apnea — a condition in which a person stops breathing for short periods during the night. A person with sleep apnea may suffer from: • Daytime sleepiness • Difficulty concentrating • Heart-related issues The risk for sleep apnea is higher for peopl...