Dr. Ann

Mounting evidence has shown that prolonged sitting is a massive driver of chronic disease risk. In a study that included over 63,000 adult males – those who sat for more than four hours a day were much more likely to have diabetes, heart disease, cancer, or high blood pressure than those who sat less than four hours […]

An eye-popping report just shed some powerful and compelling light on how quickly physical inactivity can harm the body, and I want you and everyone you love to know about it. Researchers had a group of healthy moderately active young adults reduce their daily physical activity by 50% and carefully monitored their blood sugar (glucose) […]

If you want to have healthy cholesterol levels I would recommend that you include some green tea with your repertoire of cholesterol-lowering foods. Sipping on green tea is one of my most cherished daily rituals so I was particularly inspired by a report that provided strong evidence that this is indeed a heart-healthy habit. For […]

Chocolate Banana Oatmeal Serves 1 This recipe is decadently delicious and great for you. It is my breakfast of choice on a chilly winter morning. Kids will love it too. Ingredients A single serving of quick cooking steel cut oats. (now available in a few brands from the standard grocer) ½ large ripe banana or […]

Awesome avocados just received yet another health victory. Past studies have shown that avocados can lower “bad,” LDL cholesterol so scientists were curious if it could reduce the most ominous form of LDL of all —“oxidized” small, dense LDL’s. To perform this study, the scientists had 45 overweight study subjects consume a series of three […]

Exercise most days — If you don’t accumulate at least 30 minutes of moderate aerobic activity most days of the week you are virtually guaranteed to accumulate belly fat. And the more the better! Eat an abundance of non-starchy veggies and fruits. Enjoy beans daily. Avoid the “Great White Hazards” — white flour products, white rice, white […]

In an exhilarating new study, scientists found that simple changes to diet translated to big improvements in mood. For this three-week, clinical trial, 76 university students with poor diets and moderate to severe depression symptoms were randomly assigned to one of two groups—either the “diet change” group or the “regular diet” group. The “diet change” […]

  Your weight status in young adulthood appears to have a significant influence on your future risk of several major cancers. That was the conclusion of an illuminating, new study published in the International Journal of Epidemiology. For this study, scientists followed the body weight (BMI) and cancer status of over 220,000 adults for an average […]

When it comes to blood pressure and stroke risk, even “a little bit above normal” may be deadly. Strokes are the 4th leading cause of death and based on a review of 12 previous studies, folks with blood pressures in the upper prehypertension range (130-139 systolic and 85-89 diastolic) had a 79 percent greater risk […]

Eat more beans! I consider beans the most underutilized and under-appreciated economical superfood. Here are some tips to help you succeed in eating more of them. Keep them “top of mind” with the goal of including a serving each day. Know that canned beans are just as nutritious (and often more convenient!) than dried, fresh […]

Dark leafy greens are one of the healthiest foods (arguably THE healthiest) on the planet and thanks to this study, their disease-busting credentials is even bigger.  Based on a review of six studies including over 220,000 people, eating more leafy green vegetables can significantly reduce the risk of getting type 2 diabetes (1).  There is such […]

In a review of 11 published studies including 247,510 adults, researchers concluded that consuming potassium rich foods was associated with significant stroke prevention.  People who consumed 1.64 grams or more of potassium a day (equivalent to 5 servings of fruits and veggies) were 21 percent less likely to have a stroke than those getting the […]