Dr. Ann

As even small amounts of excess body fat (especially if deposited in the belly) can boost your risk of a laundry list of deadly diseases – awareness of simple strategies to power up your metabolism can be very healthful.  Simply stated – your metabolism is how many calories you burn for the production of energy […]

Want a delicious way to lower your blood pressure? Enjoy some walnuts! Thanks to researchers from Penn State, we now have yet another reason to go nuts for walnuts. For this study researchers placed a group of 45 overweight, adult study subjects on one of three study diets. All of the study diets were low […]

Almond Oatmeal Pancakes Topped with Yogurt and Fresh Fruit Serves 4 Yep – this is a 100% healthy pancake recipe that is delectable. Ingredients 1/2 cup almond flour 1/2 cup oatmeal 2 omega-3 eggs 2 egg whites 4 ounces plain yogurt pinch of salt cooking spray For topping: 2 cups frozen blueberries or berries/fruit of […]

With the exception of occasional, modest use in diabetics, I do not use nor do I recommend artificial sweeteners.  Even though they will not elevate blood glucose or fructose levels like “real” sweeteners, they may indeed have other untoward effects in the body.   Although science supports their safety and lack of toxicity  (exception saccharin and […]

Minimize consumption of saturated fats. Fatty cuts of beef, pork, and lamb, poultry skin, whole dairy products (milk, cream, full-fat cheeses, ice cream), palm and coconut oil. Saturated fat is the primary dietary culprit that elevates your LDL (bad) cholesterol. Follow these simple strategies to raise your HDL (good) cholesterol level.  Lose weight, if overweight. […]

Blueberries owe their deep, blue color to a class of phytochemicals called anthocyanins. Like lycopene, anthocyanins have potent antioxidant power, but they are also true workhorses when it comes to fighting inflammation. Science is now telling us that excessive inflammation plays a major role in the development of a broad range of diseases, including heart […]

  Chocolate and dessert lovers rejoice! I have a recipe for a healthy chocolate sundae that will have your mouths watering. Simply take 2 scoops of “Purely Decadent” brand coconut milk ice cream (vanilla bean or coconut flavor) and smother it with 2 ounces of melted 72% (or higher) dark chocolate (I like Ghiradelli’s “Midnight Reverie”), and […]

The data on vitamin D and health just keeps pourin’ in.  Here are some highlights: For teens living in the “sunny” south, low vitamin D levels were common, including 56 percent with insufficient levels and 30 percent with full-blown vitamin D deficiency. (Pediatrics, June 2010) In a study that followed 531 women over six years, […]

An eye-popping report adds to growing evidence that diet drinks may be working against us in our efforts to lose weight. Researchers who followed 474 people over a 10-year period found those who used diet sodas experienced a 70% increase in their belly circumference vs. those who did not drink diet sodas. For frequent diet […]

If burning fat is one of your goals for working out, you may want to skip your post-workout snack.  Reporting in the Journal of Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism (2007), investigators found that after a 1-hour walk on the treadmill, study subjects experienced a 40% boost in insulin efficiency (which translates to a faster metabolism […]

Perhaps one of the most eye-popping and important scientific developments on the health front has been the recognition that prolonged sitting is definitely hazardous to our health.  Regardless of the amount of “exercise” you get over the course of the day – sitting for long segments of time comes with a host of adverse metabolic […]

Scientists already determined that eating chili peppers (and other hot foods) can boost mood by triggering the release of the brain’s natural feel good chemicals  – and thanks to this lab study, we have another happy reason to eat them. Scientist determined that the chemical capsaicin, which provides chili pepper’s spicy hot kick, can boost the activity […]