Improve Your Health through Exercise and Healthy Food Choices

Dr. John Spencer Ellis is known internationally as a fitness expert and health guru. From guiding the “Real Housewives of Orange County” through an exercise boot camp regime on Bravo TV to serving as the CEO of the National Exercise & Sports Trainers Association (NESTA), John is “dedicated to human excellence.” TriActive America has partnered with John to provide the JSE Signature Series, which are fitness packages designed to achieve a variety of exercise goals. Visit the JSE Signature Series section of the site for details.

As someone who truly practices what he preaches, John views exercise as “essential” in overall health and well-being. Although a fitness program, including “weight training, cardio training, and flexibility,” are key elements of good health, John notes that “eating well, getting quality sleep and managing stress are all equally important.”

Your exercise frequency and level depends on the quality of your health, John emphasizes. “If a person is free from illness and physical limitations, they should exercise 3 to 6 days per week. I give a large range because there are many variables to determine your frequency of exercise. Start slowly, listen to your body and add volume and intensity slowly.”

John advocates the value of outdoor activity. “There is nothing more rewarding that getting outside and exercising in the fresh air. Gyms can get boring, stuffy and even unhygienic,” he says. “Get outside and have some fun. I also work with the ladies of the TV series Real Housewives on the JSE Signature Series in town. Remember to make your workout as symmetrical as possible. If you perform a pull, do a push. If you extend, then flex too. If you lean forwards, bend backwards. You get the idea. Start slowly, listen to your body and be consistent.”

In a culture where new diet fads seem to appear on a daily basis, John avoids recommending specific percentages of different nutrients because “we are all unique. For a diet to assume we all need 40/30/30 or "fat free" is bad advice. In general, people eat too many refined sugars, processed foods and fast foods. This leads to diabetes and even cancer. We all can benefit from a good amount of Omega 3 fatty acids in our diets. These are found in cold water wild fish such as salmon, as well as some plants like flax and even hemp. To slow the ingestion of food sugars, always eat a protein each time you eat a carbohydrate, and eat as much fiber as your body can tolerate,” he suggests.