Dr. Ann

A healthy HDL level (>50) is associated with less risk of heart attack, stroke, Alzheimer’s and colon cancer. Follow these simple strategies to raise your HDL (good) cholesterol level. (Mine is 93!) Lose weight, if overweight. Engage in at least 30 minutes of moderate aerobic activity (brisk walking) most days of the week. (Talk to […]

Thanks to a remarkable report, “no time for exercise” may be a poor excuse. In follow-up to an earlier study that found very brief bouts of high-intensity exercise were just as effective as much longer periods of moderate exercise – scientists have now shown that this method, dubbed HIT for short, doesn’t even have to be […]

Fiber’s reputation as a nutritional hero continues growing. In fact, fiber may be the real fountain of youth. That was the upshot of an Australian study that followed the diets and health statuses of over 1,600 adults for a ten-year period. At the beginning of the study all of the study subjects were age 49 or older and […]

Inflammation is now widely recognized as a primary driver for most all chronic diseases and it appears that losing even modest amounts of weight can effectively douse the damaging inferno of excess inflammation in the body. For this one year evaluation, 438 women were placed on a weight loss program through diet or diet and exercise. […]

October 25, 2020 • Brain Health

Why Fish Is Brain Food

I already consider regular fish consumption a “brainy” health habit, and I am happy to share a study that lends even more support to the wise selection of fish as one of the smartest protein choices you could make. Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh sought to compare brain size as measured by MRI relative to […]

In a groundbreaking new study scientists have identified a quick and easy way to lift mood and improve outlook—simply smile, even if it is a fake smile! For this study scientists had study subjects induce a fake smile by holding a pen between their teeth, forcing their facial muscles to move as they would in a real smile. The […]

Revered for its stunning color, unique texture and savory flavor – eggplant is brimming with healthy goodness.  It’s a great source of fiber, especially soluble fiber that can lower cholesterol and stabilize blood sugar, along with several other key nutrients including potassium, manganese and B vitamins.  It is super low in calories (only 27 in […]

If you want to reduce your risk of strokes, shunning soda, both regular and diet, appears to be a wise move. In the first large study to evaluate the relationship between soda consumption and stroke risk, researchers determined that relative to study subjects that did not drink soda, those consuming a single serving of regular or diet […]

In what was arguably the most resounding scientific affirmation of the phenomenal power of healthy living to keep chronic disease largely under wraps, researchers reporting in the Archives of Internal Medicine (August 09) found that adhering to 4 lifestyle practices slashes the risk of developing our biggest killers. Based on this powerful study, people who… avoid […]

There is perhaps no other food that has received more spin than soy!  Here are the facts based on my understanding of the science: Whole soy foods have an exemplary nutritional profile, i.e. they are very, very nutritious. o       Provide high quality, (“complete”) inexpensive vegetable protein that is naturally low in saturated fat and cholesterol-free. […]

Whole grains have already reached blockbuster status as foods that provide broad-spectrum disease protection and a powerful study adds to many others touting this wholesome food group as a powerful defense against type 2 diabetes. In a study that followed the diets of over 5,000 adults over an 8-10 year period, those consuming the most […]

Kale has earned an all-star reputation in recent years, however, most people don’t know how to turn this nutritional hero into a delectable salad. Join me in my kitchen to learn the essential (and easy) step to making a perfect kale salad. Your body will thank you. Your taste buds will applaud. See the whole recipe below. I […]