John Aaron Wellness

There is nothing like completing a three-hour marathon workout to make you feel like you’ve just conquered the world, but it takes regular exercise to get your body in good shape. So, realistically, who has THAT kind of time? The good news is that you can still make incredible progress in less time than you think. Need a little more convincing? Read on to get a few reasons why a short routine may be the best way to get and stay strong. It's Easier to Maintain The thought of a prolonged workout may be intriguing at first, but getting to the gym the third and fourth time for an equally long workout won't be easy. Nothing is as easy the second or third time - especially if it involves draining yourself of all energy with hours of nonstop exercise. Do yourself a favor by going for the short, the sweet, the manageable. It Fits in Your Schedule Along with a short routine being easier to maintain, it also fits into your schedule with greater ease. This means that while you may th...

We have all grown up being told that getting too much sugar isn't good for you. As an adult, capable of making your own decisions concerning sugary treats, you may have tried to skirt this issue by opting to go for the artificial stuff, expecting it to be healthier for you. But are the manmade sweeteners really better than the natural sugar choice? Well let’s review the options. First, compared to artificial sweeteners, real sugar has more calories. So, when consuming products containing real sugar, it may be difficult not to exceeding your daily calorie count thereby making it easier to gain weight. However this doesn’t give you free license to consume unlimited amounts of foods made with artificial sweeteners, either. One reason people who primarily consume artificial sweeteners wind up gaining more weight than their real-sugar-eating counterparts is because they rely solely on the fact that an artificial sweetener has fewer calories. As a result, they mistakenly believe th...

Alright, I’ll admit it. It’s cold outside. School is closed. The gym is closed, too. The sky is overcast and I am really tempted to stay inside by the fire with a warm cup of tea and a good book in my lap. However, my little girl reminds me that heading out the door for some cold-weather workouts will reap great rewards (mainly my sanity from having to handle a two year old that has a mild case of cabin fever). So, I feel confident that all will be well for a brisk outdoor walk as long as we take care to stay warm and safe. Dress Right. You might not be tethered to a toddler, so running (rather than walking) may be an option for you. However, running and playing in the cold requires you to be very thoughtful about your wardrobe. Obviously, you can't take off in a t-shirt and shorts. Instead, you'll want to wear layers of clothing. As you begin to sweat, remove a layer to keep your sweat from causing you to get cold later. Then put your outermost layers back on when you ...

Are there answers to the great obesity debate? For a long time, there was no question regarding the cause of obesity. It was accepted that people who did not watch what they eat and never got physical exercise were putting themselves at great risk for becoming overweight or obese. And then medical science stepped in, evaluated the various cause of obesity, and found that some people may be genetically disposed to becoming overweight or obese. So what is the real answer? Is obesity brought on by genetics or what the individual eats and how much exercise he or she gets? Nature Much ado has been made recently over the finding of what has been politically incorrectly named the "Fat Gene." Supposed to indicate an individual's likelihood to wind up obese, the fat gene is at once a major scientific breakthrough and the cause of heartbreak for everyone found to have inherited this seeming inescapable fate of obesity. However, this new finding isn't the only known reason for...

A human study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition shows findings that a purified extract of green tea may increase energy expenditure and increase fat oxidation by 33%. The World Health Organization estimates that by 2015, there will be more than 1.5 billion overweight people adding to healthy costs above $117 billion per year. This is just in the US alone. Green tea has been studied intensely for a little while now and the focus has been on the compound epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). The three ways they are studying EGCG to help with weight loss is with increased energy metabolism and fat oxidation, inhibit fat cell development, or reduce lipid absorption and increase your fat excretion. Some scientists have reported that caffeine must also be present for EGCG to be beneficial to weight loss. Research that was performed in collaboration with researchers from the University of Medicine Berlin confirm that there is a link between caffeine and EGCG. ...

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...

It sounds impossible and has daily challenges, but if you put your mind to it, your smoking days can be over. If you smoke, going a day without a cigarette may seem nothing more than a pipe dream. However, that dream can become a reality if you're willing to fight for your good health. Need a little incentive to help you along the way? No problem. Like any good or bad habit, cigarette smoking is not a free endeavor. In fact, it can be extremely expensive. On average, a pack of cigarettes runs approximately $4.80. Smoke a pack a week and you're looking at $250 down the tubes. Smoke a pack a day and you're losing about $1,750 a year. While $1,750 doesn't seem like too much to spend on something you enjoy, you should know the costs don't end with the cigarettes and lighters. Ever tried selling a car that you've used as your own private smoking cabin? How about selling a home you've smoked in? No one wants to buy something that is permanently stained wit...