Dr. Ann

Healthy Eating & Nutrition


Recipe: Incredibly Tasty Black Bean Burgers

I worked for a few months tweaking this recipe until I nailed it. This wholesome bean-based burger is everything you are looking for – delicious, filling, super-healthy and easy to make.

Healthy Eating & Nutrition, Healthy Living


Fermented Foods Score a Huge Win

This is really big! In an elegantly conducted clinical trial by one of the world’s most esteemed microbiome scientists we find that stepping up the intake of fermented foods is a quick and effective way to boost gut microbial diversity AND decrease damaging inflammation—even more so than stepping up your intake of fiber-rich plant foods! […]


Foods Highest In Flavonoids, Flavones, & Anthocyanins

These remarkable compounds have been linked to powerful health protection and are especially known for their anti-inflammatory and gut microbiome-enhancing properties. Flavonoids Dark Leafy Greens Onions Apples Berries Cherries Dark Chocolate Soybeans Coffee Red Wine Freshly Brewed Green and Black Tea Citrus Fruits  Flavones Parsley – fresh best Apples – organic best; eat the skin […]

Events/ Retreats


Upcoming Wellness Retreats at Plum Hill

NOW BOOKING three new retreat dates! Scroll down for details, schedule, pricing, and to sign up for the date that works for you. I am so excited to open up three brand-new retreat dates at Plum Hill, my family’s property on the Combahee River in Yemassee, South Carolina. If you’ve been wanting to spend a […]

Soluble fiber is great for you! This indigestible form of plant carbohydrate has many health benefits including: lowering cholesterol, stabilizing insulin and glucose levels, promoting satiety, and protecting against belly fat accumulation. Here are the foods that provide the most soluble fiber: Beans (any variety) Peas Barley Flax seeds Chia seeds Oats Oat bran Avocado Carrots […]

I consider dark leafy greens the healthiest food on the planet and the easiest way to “feel” the power of healthy eating. Make it a dietary dictum to eat some form of dark leafy greens (raw or cooked) every day. Sautéed Beet Greens Serves 2-3 Don’t waste the greens on your fresh beets – saute […]

In an “enlightening” scientific study, scientists found that people much prefer the golden glow imparted by eating lots of carotenoid-rich vegetables versus sun-tanned skin.  It is well-known that the yellow/orange/red carotenoid pigments found in produce like sweet potatoes, carrots and tomatoes can build up in your skin if you eat them regularly. In this particular […]

CLICK TO ACCESS: Dr. Ann’s Boost Your Immunity Handout

An evaluation undertaken to assess the impact of diet patterns on the development of hip arthritis found fruits and vegetables were generally protective with the allium group of veggies showing the most effectiveness. The study included a careful assessment of the dietary habits of over 1,000 subjects along with x-ray analysis of their joints.  The […]

Nuts Dark leafy greens Berries Avocados Dark chocolate Extra virgin olive oil Freshly brewed tea Beans Oily fish (mostly salmon) Tomato paste We are thrilled to announce the upcoming launch of my next e-course, Sleep Better, Forever. Enrollment opens July 13th! Click image below for details.

The science linking diet to brain function is growing by the day and totally captivates me. Thanks to a new double blind, crossover clinical trial, we have evidence that even a single meal high in saturated fat can compromise focus and concentration. For this study scientists carefully monitored the focusing ability of 51 women fed […]

Drinking as little as one sugary drink a day may significantly boost the risk of heart disease. That was the conclusion of an analysis of 106,000 women, healthy at enrollment, who reported on their intake of sugary beverages and had their health monitored for the next 25 years. Known as the California Teachers Study, here were […]

Dietary fiber has garnered a stunning list of health accolades over the past 25 years and thanks to a powerful new review study, this rock star nutrient can proudly shine even brighter. For this report scientists combined the results of 42 previously published, high-quality studies looking at the effects of increasing dietary fiber in those with […]

It’s my standard advice to forego a mid-morning snack, especially for those who want to lose weight, and a study supports this is a sound recommendation. In a twelve-month weight loss study involving 123 overweight adults put on caloric restriction diets, those who reported regular mid-morning snacking lost 40% less weight than study subjects who avoided this […]

The type of fat in your diet has a profound impact on the structure, function, and health of your brain. Enjoy Omega-3 fats in abundance. They can be found in oily fish (salmon, tuna, mackerel, herring, and sardines), walnuts, canola oil, flaxseeds, omega-3 eggs, wheat germ and small leafy greens, make up the majority of […]

Maintaining a healthy and abundant ecosystem of bacteria in your gut is paramount for all aspects of good health, particularly gastrointestinal, metabolic, immune, and brain health. And the surest way to get there is to consume plentiful amounts of fiber-rich, plant-based foods because these are the foods that feed them. Beneficial gut bacteria are especially fond of […]