Dr. Ann

I consider beans the most underutilized and under-appreciated superfood.  Here are 8 reasons to include them in your diet every day. Beans have megawatt nutritional power.  They provide a vegetable protein, more fiber and folate than any other food, potent antioxidants, and several key minerals. Beans fill you up without filling you out.  Their high […]

Inflammation is a key driver of most chronic diseases and the anti-inflammatory power in ginger is off-the-charts.The potent inflammation busters in ginger are called xanthines. These valuable agents are also work horses for boosting immunity and fighting viral infections. For optimal results, include ginger, powdered or fresh, in your diet regularly – daily is best. […]

Over the past two decades, whole grains have garnered a sparkling reputation for broad-spectrum disease protection and a large review of past studies adds further credibility to this wholesome food group. For the review, the researchers selected studies that focused on whole grains and the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and obesity. When […]

Here are 6 great reasons to include edamame, green immature soybeans, in your diet regularly. Unlike most commercially grown soybeans, edamame are not genetically modified. They are one of the very rare forms of plant-based proteins that contain all of the essential amino acids. They are more readily digestible than varieties used for making dried […]

Eggs have always been a cheap, delicious and convenient source of high quality, low-fat protein along with B vitamins, vitamin E and iron. Thanks to modern food technology eggs are now healthier than ever.  Many egg producers now fortify their chicken feed with omega 3 fats (usually from fish meal) which means that this superstar fat gets […]

The right proteins are a powerful ally in your pursuit of optimal health and my standard advice for making the best protein choices just got a big boost on the healthy heart front.  After following the diets of over 84,000 women for 26 years, Harvard investigators determined that eating red meat and full-fat dairy products […]

Thanks to a lab study, the disease-busting credentials of the diminutive, yet all-powerful blueberry got even bigger.  Scientists fed a group of mice genetically prone to develop premature heart disease standard rat chow spiked with blueberry powder and a second group the same diet without the blueberry powder. After 20 weeks, the mice fed the […]

Learn to jack up the healthfulness and flavor of your meals using these quick and easy techniques! Here are 10 simple ways to dramatically boost the nutrition and flavor of your dishes in less than 10 seconds. 1.  Add 1-2 TBS of toasted wheat germ or shelled hemp seeds (hemp kernels) to your morning cereal, oatmeal, […]

Onions are an underappreciated nutrition superhero. Here are five great reasons to eat more of them.   Onions have an exceptionally high total polyphenol content. Polyphenols are a family of potent plant antioxidants that offer broad-spectrum disease protection. Onions are uniquely high in quercetin. Quercetin is one of the most potent anti-inflammatory, and thus disease-fighting […]

In an intriguing scientific twist that really grabbed my attention, scientists have uncovered new insight on how the “type of calories” we eat – in this case protein vs. carbs – can have totally different effects on special brain cells involved in wakefulness and metabolism. Housed in our brains are specialized neurons called orexin cells. […]

The health credentials of plant foods high in flavonoids just got a big boost, this time for promoting healthy aging. Researchers from the esteemed and powerful Harvard Nurse’s Health study carefully monitored the diets of 13,818 women from their late fifties through their mid-sixties. Women with the highest dietary intakes of flavonoids had the greatest […]

Trans fats – This truly toxic man-made fat provides a quadruple insult to your arteries – clogging them more readily than any other food ever identified. Trans fats boost LDL (bad) cholesterol, lower HDL (good) cholesterol, elevate triglycerides, and incite damaging inflammation in your arteries. Strictly avoid them by staying away from stick margarine, shortening, […]