John Aaron Wellness

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 you may already know that a healthy diet contains 30 percent fat or less, but how can you apply this guideline when grocery shopping? Well, the choices you make at the grocery store are an integral part of your lifestyle.    And, like I mentioned previously, reading labels is the most helpful tool for determining the fat con¬tent of foods you see on the store shelves. However, food labeling practices have been inconsistent, leaving many consumers confused and frustrated. The components of food labels are required to include the following: Serving sizes that realistically reflect the amount an average person actually eats. Previously, a manufacturer could reduce the portion size to make a food qualify as low-calorie.   The number of calories per gram of fat (including a breakdown specifically for saturated fat), carbohydrate and protein should be listed as well as the number of grams of fiber.   The "% Daily Value" shows the consumer how thi...