Dr. Ann

It’s my standard advice to forego a mid-morning snack, especially for those who want to lose weight, and a study supports this is a sound recommendation. In a twelve-month weight loss study involving 123 overweight adults put on caloric restriction diets, those who reported regular mid-morning snacking lost 40% less weight than study subjects who avoided this […]

Everyone loves dipping, especially kids. Done right, dips add yummy flavor and texture while boosting the nutritional quality of your diet. And let’s be honest-carrots and broccoli taste better dipped! Here are my top-rated dips for boosting health and pleasure, all conveniently found ready-made right in the grocery store. Hummus and other bean dips Guacamole Salsa Baba ghanoush All […]

Eating for pleasure and eating to make your heart healthier tomorrow than it is today can go hand in hand. Here are 7 easy ways to do it: Extra Virgin Olive Oil– This highly flavored, for real make-me-healthier fat provides four separate benefits to your arteries – making it hands down the very best oil for your […]

Always include fresh fruit at your breakfast – make this a compulsive act. Frozen berries are especially healthy and easy at breakfast. Always include a piece of fresh fruit as your afternoon snack or as part of your snack. Eat a big colorful salad as part of a meal or as a meal entrée every […]

We all know what it’s like to get that mid-afternoon hunger strike. If you get hungry, be sure to grab (guilt free!) one of my top 10 favorite snacks! A handful (1 ounce) of nuts – any variety, packaged or bulk fresh Fresh veggies (carrots, bell pepper strips, celery, cherry tomatoes, broccoli florets) dipped in hummus, […]

The foods present on your kitchen counter may have a decisive impact on what you weigh! That was the eye-opening upshot from an intriguing new study lead by the Cornell’s famed eating behavior scientist, Dr. Brian Wansink. For this study, Dr. Wansink and his colleagues photographed 210 Syracuse, New York kitchens and then compared the […]

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. […]

Thoughtful, strategic snacking can be a tasty and valuable weight control strategy. Here are 4 perfect options. Dry Roasted Edamame  (“soy nuts”) Raw or Roasted Almonds (other nuts awesome too, but almonds arguably tops) Dried Chic Peas (available now at most grocers in all sorts of yummy flavors) Any Raw Veggie Dipped in Hummus   […]

A generous handful (1 oz.) of mixed nuts – I love the Kirkland’s Extra Fancy Mixed Nuts® from Costco. 2/3 of a cup of Greek plain yogurt with ½ tbs of almond butter and 1 Tbsp. of blackstrap molasses (I use a ramekin) A large, fresh carrot dipped in hummus Food Should Taste Good® brand […]

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

Snacking is as American as Apple Pie – a culturally reinforced behavior that is simply hard wired into our food environment. And while traditional snack choices have largely been nutritional disasters, typically low in the good stuff, like fiber and nutrients, and high in the bad stuff, like excess calories, bad fats, salts, sugar and […]

Considering the fact that every ingredient in this heavenly concoction can stand alone as a superstar food for cardiovascular health – of course hummus will keep your heart happy and humming. Whether you use it as a spread, a dip, or in your sauces and salad dressings, each time you indulge you are feeding your […]