Dr. Ann

Needless to say, if you want to lose weight or maintain the healthy weight you already have, there are sound scientific reasons to avoid the wrong carbohydrates—those highly refined, quickly digested Great White Hazards. Aside from their white color, how can you tell which carbohydrates are quickly digested and which are slowly digested? Once again, […]

Dark chocolate and its cousin cocoa are teeming with potent antioxidant plant chemicals called flavanols that emerging science reveals protect the health of the cardiovascular system.  These antioxidant flavanols have favorable effects on the inner most lining cells (endothelium) of our arteries and have been found in numerous studies to: lower blood pressure,  decrease the […]

Extreme obesity is affecting record numbers of children including 7.3% of boys and 5.5% of girls.  Those hit hardest are teenage African American girls (11.9%) and Hispanic teenage boys (11.2%) (Journal of Pediatrics, March 2010).  As a parent, here are the most powerful steps you can take to protect your child from obesity.   Related:   […]

Most infants in the US are not getting adequate amounts of vitamin D.  Among those exclusively breast fed, only 5% to 13% met the guidelines for 400 IUs of vitamin D daily.  For those formula fed, only 20% to 37% did.  (Pediatrics, March 2010).  In children, low levels of vitamin D have been associated with […]

Plant-based diets scored another healthy victory thanks to investigators from Colorado State University.  After carefully following the diets of 34,028 Chinese women over 10 years, those who reported eating the most fruit, vegetables, and soy foods lowered their risk of developing breast cancer by 30 percent.  The cruciferous vegetables – broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, Brussels […]

In what was the most eyebrow-raising report I reviewed this month, Princeton University researchers found that high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is uniquely fattening relative to regular table sugar, and when consumed long term, leads to dramatic weight gain.  To investigate, researchers performed two separate laboratory experiments with rats.  In the first, male rats were […]

Even more heart healthy superstar foods for you to include in your diet regularly! Dark Chocolate Pecans – This delectable treat gives your heart the best of both worlds.  Dark chocolate is loaded with the antioxidant flavanols that boost blood flow while pecans are brimming with heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, like those in olive oil, that […]

One of the unhealthiest consequences of having excess body fat, or gaining weight in general, is how it affects the action of insulin, the body’s fuel-storage hormone. When we gain weight, especially in our abdominal areas, complex biochemical changes take place that alter how our cells respond to insulin. Specifically, our cells become less responsive, […]

Healthy eating is both easy and delicious and sharing the joys of living well with as many people as possible is a central theme in my mission. Read on to discover this for yourself as I share 10 simple ways to boost the nutrition of your favorites with great- tasting extras.  read more>>

As a woman, the daughter of a breast cancer survivor, and a proud member the board of directors of the Prevent Cancer Foundation , I want to share my top food picks for maximizing breast health:  read more>>

There is a fascinating and growing body of science supporting that what a mother eats during pregnancy can have a significant impact on the risk of her child developing various diseases.  A “first of its kind” study from the University of Netherlands looked at how eating different foods during pregnancy affected the risk of eczema […]

Communicate with your healthcare provider and directly convey to him or her that you are under financial constraints.  Ask about less expensive alternatives in regards to testing and therapeutics.  Make sure you know exactly what things are going to cost before you have them done or before you have to purchase them. Request generic drugs […]