John Aaron Wellness

Did you know that cranberries protect brain cells from free-radical damage that impairs cognitive and motor functions? Well, recent studies seem to support the notion that cranberry consumption can actually improve function in age-related declines in working memory, reference memory, balance and coordination. In fact, when it comes to preserving brain function, cranberries are so powerful they can even reduce impairment following a stroke! In a 2003 study, researchers discovered that by exposing neurons to a concentration of cranberry extract, there was a 50 percent reduction in brain cell death. So take the following recipe prescription to heart (and mind)! It makes a great breakfast or mid-day snack and is not only healthy for your brain, but it’s good for your heart and waistline, too! Ingredients • 1 cup flaxseeds 250 mL • 1 cup each all-purpose flour and whole wheat flour 250 mL • 1 cup natural bran 250 mL • 1 tbsp baking powder 15 mL • 1 tsp each baking...

No, it’s not a curse word or acronym for something dirty, but for some, it can be considered a bad word. It’s a fat. There, I’ve said it: the “F” word… Hear me out, though. MUFA isn’t just any fat. It’s a GOOD fat. It’s the kind of fat you want to get familiar with. The acronym stands for monounsaturated fatty acid. Are all fats equal? Absolutely not, and that’s why I want to inform you on this essential nutrient! Monounsaturated fats (MUFAs) are a type of heart-healthy, disease-fighting "good" fat that should be part of any healthy eating plan. Used responsibly and in moderation, monounsaturated fats can help reduce bad cholesterol levels in your blood and lower your risk of heart disease and stroke.  What’s more is that they also provide nutrients to help develop and maintain your body’s cells.  And, since your brain is comprised of about 60% fat (no I’m not calling you fat-head), early research indicates that consuming this type of fat might help preserve cognit...

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 ...

It’s no secret that those who run, bike or play sports for fun benefit from regular sports massage to help ease muscle soreness and tension.   In fact, when I work on my clients I like to add stretching to their massage session. Not only does this feel good at the time, but it helps them to maintain flexibility - an essential for injury prevention.   Many of my clients regularly play recreational golf, tennis or racket ball. Some run marathons or weight lift regularly. So, depending on the client’s goal, I tailor the massage to their specific needs. Some research even suggests that there is a benefit to designing different massage treatment routines for before and after physical activity or competitive events.   For example; a 2008 study published in the North American Journal of Sports Physical Therapy looked at the impact of massage prior to competition. It found that clients who received Swedish massage before an event "experienced the greatest reduction in blood ...

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...

I’m on a self imposed diet: a technology diet. I don’t know what we ever did before cell-phones, text messages, email and GPS or how we ever survived before we were able to instantly contact each other! However, I suspect we had an easier way of taking charge of our lives and resting our brains. We were able to “disconnect.” Today we practically sleep with our technology. I know at least one person who never goes to bed without taking his iPhone with him. Perhaps you do the same? Is it no wonder why we can feel drained of energy and rapt with stress? It’s Pavlovian the way we MUST respond every time the phone dings, rings or vibrates! I’ve decided: not me. I’ve at least decided to turn off my phone before going to bed. What about emergencies you ask? Well, emergencies always happen and most of the time there is nothing you can do about it at the time – except worry. Besides, I am much better at handling a crisis when I’m well rested. As for email, I’ve decided to stop letti...

I like stress. Stress is good. Stress can cause you to grow, become faster, and more keenly aware of your surroundings. It sets off all sorts of hormones that can get your heart beating and your body pumping. After all, that which does not kill us can only serve to make us stronger, right? True - except for when that something is stress. The fact remains; too much stress actually CAN kill us. When we experience an overload of stress for too long, our ability to live in grace and balance may be challenged. As a result, our health can be severely compromised. The great thing about therapeutic massage is that it is a stress buster that actually works with little or no effort on your part and has become well known as one of the best ways to deal with the overload of stress so common in today's world. Therapeutic massage can give you a break from the buildup of stress and can help trigger the "relaxation response" (a natural function of the nervous system tha...

For today’s post, I thought I would make it short and present a bit of information on dietary fiber. Media and marketers have been beating the drum on this component of nutrition, but when I ask some of my clients what they know about fiber, the response I most frequently receive is a blank stare. Lucky for us, it’s not too complicated. So, here we go… First: fiber has two forms - soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber is absorbed in the large intestine where it slows the movement of food and allows organ plenty of time for the absorption of nutrients. As a result, fiber can also help in avoiding drastic swings in blood sugar. Its primary sources are fruits, vegetables, legumes and oat bran. Insoluble fiber (aka., “roughage”) is what most people think of when they think or fiber. In any case, insoluble fiber absorbs water during digestion, creating a “fuller” feeling and thereby increasing fecal bulk and speeding its move­ ment through the digestive tract. Sounds a bit vu...

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...

I’ve often been asked, “How many times a week should I exercise?” Well, the truth is that we should be doing “something” physical every day. This is especially true for us forty (and older) year olds. The great thing about your body is that it was designed to move, whether or not you're in the gym. One great exercise to improve the strength of your lower body is to perform wall sits. With your feet about a foot from the base of a wall, push your back against the wall and let your body slide down the wall until you are in a sitting position (like you’re on an invisible chair). Be sure to stop when your thighs are parallel to the ground. Hold this position for as long as possible. Some of my clients have made it to a full 3 minutes! Another smart way to stay in shape is to skip the elevator and escalator and go for the stairs when shopping, making your way through an airport, or whenever the opportunity presents itself. And, a good third exercise would be to begin sitting in a chair,...

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 ...

Maybe you’ve been working really hard at losing those last 10 pounds. You’ve done everything you can think of from cutting back on the amount of calories you eat, to working out twice a day. You’ve even sworn off desserts! So why do those extra pounds hold such a stubborn grip on you? Well, if you’ve read a couple of my most recent posts, you could be sabotaging your efforts by neglecting your sleep. As I’ve been saying, your ability to maintain a healthy weight can directly correlate your ability to obtain adequate quality. The interesting thing is that the two benefits are symbiotic in that losing weight is a good way to improve the quality and quantity of your sleep. Why? There are a number of reasons. For starters, a significant number of overweight people tend to suffer from sleep apnea. This is a condition which commonly causes snoring. However, the snoring is severe enough to obstruct a persons’ breathing for prolonged periods, as he or she sleeps. However, there are recorded...

I love the morning. It’s my favorite time of the day. So, naturally, it’s also my favorite time to exercise. Likewise, when clients ask me what is the “best” time for them to exercise, I recommend “first thing in the morning.” Actually, exercising during any time of the day is proven to help you obtain and maintain a healthy weight. But, recent research seems to back-up my theory that exercising in the morning gives you an “edge” to your pursuits, a little more “bang” for your effort. Anyway, I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking, “You’re full of it, John. You’re just trying to trick me into leaving the warm comfort of my bed for the cold steel of a weight room!” While that may not be far from the truth, hear me out because I think an early morning workout can improve your life in several ways all at once. First, you’ll notice that working out during the first few hours of the day helps you sleep better at night. Typically, working out in the evening can increase adrenaline, and...

Over the past century, life expectancy has grown tremendously to nearly 80 years of age. This increase has led to a surge in interest on the best methods of maintaining our youth, and age as gracefully & healthfully as possible. This is probably due to the fact that we now die less from infectious disease, and more from chronic, degenerative diseases. People don’t want to live longer with a poor quality of life; we want to live longer while maintaining a high level of functional capacity and high quality of life. This is where eating a balanced diet rich in real, whole, minimally processed foods, exercising regularly, minimizing stress and supplementing appropriately comes into play. There is an absolute boatload of information out there on how to maximize your nutrition, exercise to improve your health and steps you can take to minimize stress. But what about proper supplementation? Unfortunately there is also a lot of hyperbole and misinformation on supplementati...