John Aaron Wellness

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 ...

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...

The summer season is here and it’s time for cool citrus drinks, but don’t rely on only a summer of lemonade. Instead, step up to the tartness of grapefruit, and gather an array of additional health benefits. In the health world, few words get as much applause and attention as "antioxidants." You’ve read enough of my posts and Recipe Rx’s to know that. Well, what do you think gives a grapefruit its’ pretty pink and red color? It’s the antioxidant lycopene. Grapefruit juice contains some of the highest levels of antioxidants (along with grape, apple, and cranberry juice), and regardless of whether you eat or sip on your antioxidants, getting plenty of grapefruit in your diet gives you an advantage over a number of cancers. Still can’t handle the bitter tart taste? Try a little honey on top. It'll be sweet and sour and loaded with health-boosting perks! Another benefit of grapefruit is a type of fiber found in it; pectin. Pectin's main benefit isn't keeping you r...

Almost every day I speak with a new prospective client regarding their recent blood-work and their concerns over their high cholesterol scores. While a certain level of cholesterol is necessary to keep your body functioning properly, too much can be dangerous, in fact, excessive cholesterol can be deadly. So what do I tell these individuals about fending off high cholesterol? I say, you’ve come to the right place. Put on your exercise outfit and let’s get to it! : ) Through the exercise process, your body does two amazing things. It reduces the amount of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol in your body and increases the high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol in your body. Why does this matter? Well, getting rid of LDL is a good thing because in the eyes of your physician, LDL is bad cholesterol. It is most responsible for the artery-clogging affects cholesterol is known for. HDL, on the other hand, is actually beneficial to your body. Researchers believe that this kind of ...

Let it be said that you can beat the odds and maintain a healthy figure throughout middle age. Gaining weight during middle age is only natural, right? Wrong... If you dread the pounds of midlife, cheer up! With the right attitude and an appropriate diet and exercise regiment, you may be able to keep your youthful figure and good health for a healthy start to your silver and golden years. It's a matter of weighing your responsibility. Midlife weight gain is unfortunately very common. There are definite factors working against you as you age. Besides fluctuating hormone levels, your metabolism begins to slow down. This means it takes more work to burn the calories you consume. Another problem is that most adults lose between 30 and 50 percent a pounds of muscle each year. The smaller your muscles are, the fewer the calories you are able to burn. Weight gain during your midlife is also a danger to your health as it increases your risks for a range of serious medical conditio...

If you don't understand everything about cholesterol, you're not alone. Cholesterol can be confusing. There's good and bad cholesterol and numbers that go with each. To actively manage your cholesterol, you need to know about the different kinds of cholesterol and the different ways to reach your cholesterol goal. Know the Basics Cholesterol is a fat that your body needs. But too much of it can build up as plaque along the walls of your arteries, which can reduce blood flow and increase your risk of heart disease. The Good and the Bad LDL is called "Bad" Cholesterol because it builds up in your arteries. HDL is known as "Good" Cholesterol because it helps remove the Bad Cholesterol from your body. Food and Exercise Some foods, such as egg yolks and fatty red meat, increase LDL "Bad" Cholesterol levels. Regular physical activity can help raise HDL "Good" Cholesterol levels. Following a healthy diet and exercising ...