Make It Happen Monday

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Your weekly dose from the The Healthy Living School®

*Don't miss the two delicious recipes included below!

🌱 Plant Protein a Game-Changer for Heart Health

A groundbreaking study from Harvard scientists reveals that eating more plant protein and less animal protein can significantly protect your heart. Over 30 years, researchers tracked the diets and health of nearly 203,000 adults to assess how their protein choices influenced their heart disease risk.

Key Findings:

• Those with a plant-to-animal protein ratio of 1:1.3 were 27% less likely to develop heart disease compared to those with a ratio of 1:4.2.
• The most impressive results came from individuals who consumed 21% of their daily calories from protein while maintaining the highest plant-to-animal protein ratio. This group saw a 36% reduction in heart disease risk!

Why Plant Proteins Win: Plant proteins—found in legumes, nuts, seeds, and whole soy foods—offer benefits that animal proteins lack. These include:

• Fiber: Essential for gut health and lowering cholesterol.
• Phytochemical antioxidants: Protect the cells that line your arteries from damage.
• Essential nutrients and healthy fats: Support overall health and superior circulation.

Your Action Plan: It’s simple: Swap animal proteins (especially red and processed meats) for heart-healthy plant proteins. For example:

• Add beans to your salads or soups.
• Snack on nuts or seeds.
• Incorporate tofu or tempeh into your stir-fries.

What works for me? I limit animal foods to one serving a day, with small exceptions for fermented dairy foods or the occasional egg.

Take the Challenge: This week, aim to replace one animal protein meal with a plant protein alternative (see below for 2 delicious options).

❤️ Your heart will thank you! (1)

2025: Your Year of Health

2025 is off the ground and running. Are you doing Dry January? Do you have any New Year's Resolutions? Do you have any health goals?

As you know, my mission is to facilitate people's commitment to making healthy living a permanent fixture in their lives.

That said, it's a lifelong practice and the start of a new year is a beautiful opportunity to hold one another accountable, get in the right mindset, and say yes to what we know is good for us.

For this reason, I'm hosting a 30-day health challenge in tandem with one of my most popular courses:

Dr. Ann's 3-Step Solution (In 30 Days)

The course starts as soon as you enroll–it's open now!

(Be sure to join before our first live meeting to get 30% off.)

Live Zoom meetings will take place on Mondays at 5:15 pm ET:

February 27

March 3

March 10

March 17

March 24

This experience will provide you an opportunity to hold yourself accountable for adopting the best healthy eating strategies known to science. We'll cover the powerful practice of Time Restricted Eating.

We'll dive into the healthiest way to eat, giving you the tools to know how and why. You'll understand how to nourish your gut microbiome and you'll get access to special recipes that you can download and keep forever.

As a bonus, I'll be talking about the benefits of limiting or eliminating alcohol. All students will receive a printable checklist to mark the 30 days without alcohol and we'll encourage one another on the journey!

Watch my brief videos on the benefits of cutting back on alcohol here:

​Skipping My Nightly Wine (Part 1)​

​Skipping My Nightly Wine (Part 2)​

​Dry January Encouragement​

*Forward this opportunity to friends who may want to join!

Are you in Columbia, SC?

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Join me on Saturday, January 25th at the HERColumbia Conference!

I’m going to be talking about one of the hottest topics right now–brain health! 🧠 Whether you're looking to hit the reset button on stress, sharpen your focus, boost your happiness, or tap into your full vitality, this talk is packed with inspiration and tips you can put into action right away.

You’ll leave feeling motivated, entertained, and ready to take control of your brain and body health.

And that’s not all. I’m also hosting a Lunch and Learn where I’ll dive into the game-changing science of the microbiome–it’s the key to unlocking your best health and healing. Hope to see you there!

🍫 The Sweet Truth: Best Chocolate for Diabetes Protection

When it comes to chocolate, your choice matters more than you might think.

A recent long-term study has revealed a striking difference between dark and milk chocolate regarding type 2 diabetes risk and weight management.

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In this groundbreaking research, scientists followed the health and dietary habits of over 192,000 adults for more than 30 years. Of these participants, nearly 112,000 specifically reported their intake of dark and milk chocolate.

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The findings? Those who consumed at least five servings of dark chocolate per week had a 21% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

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On the other hand, milk chocolate consumption showed no such benefit. In fact, higher milk chocolate intake was linked to long-term weight gain—a trend not observed among dark chocolate lovers.

Why Dark Chocolate Wins

Dark chocolate is rich in powerful plant compounds called flavanols. These remarkable compounds provide a host of health benefits, including:

• Supporting the growth of anti-inflammatory gut microbes
• Activating longevity pathways
• Enhancing insulin sensitivity, a crucial factor in metabolic health

My Take

Dark chocolate is a delicious, health-boosting treat that supports your body in numerous ways. By making dark chocolate your go-to indulgence, you’re treating yourself to a win-win for your taste buds and overall health. (2)

1) The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2024; 120 (6): 1373 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajcnut.2024.09.006​

2) BMJ, 2024; e078386 DOI: 10.1136/bmj-2023-078386

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