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Ann Shippy MD

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Austin, TX
Ann Shippy MD

Functional Medicine information and tips to improve your health She is Board Certified in Internal Medicine and Certified in Functional Medicine.

Dr. Shippy practices functional medicine, a method that addresses the underlying causes of disease, not simply treating the symptoms. Her unique approach combines the art and science of healing to address the care of the whole person. She integrates conventional and complementary therapies to promote optimal health and to prevent and treat disease by addressing contributing factors. Dr. Shippy is dedicated to providing proactive and personalized medicine for her patients.

12/29/2025

Do you suffer from chronic migraines? 😑

Migraines affect millions of people and can be deeply debilitating, often involving throbbing head pain, light or sound sensitivity, nausea, visual disturbances, brain fog, and fatigue that interfere with daily life.

What’s often at the root? Histamine.

Histamine is a powerful inflammatory messenger. When it builds up faster than your body can clear it, your migraine threshold drops.

How can you develop a histamine buildup?

There are many factors that increase histamine:

➡️ Chronic stress – increases histamine release and slows clearance

➡️ Gut issues - H. pylori, SIBO, parasites, and Candida can increase histamine production and reduce DAO (the enzyme that breaks down histamine)

➡️ Environmental toxins- mold and chemical exposures activate mast cells, which release histamine

➡️ Food allergies/sensitivities – gluten, dairy, and high-histamine foods (aged cheese, fermented foods, alcohol, leftovers)

➡️ Hormonal shifts - estrogen amplifies histamine signaling (common trigger around menstruation)

➡️ Mitochondrial dysfunction & methylation issues – impair histamine breakdown

When we address these root causes, the migraine threshold rises, inflammation calms, and many people experience fewer, less intense migraines, or they disappear completely.

👉Swipe through for details on the histamine-migraine connection, and comment “Guide” for my Low Histamine Diet Quick Start Guide.

Dr. Ann

12/24/2025

Epigenetics teaches us something powerful: your genes are not your destiny.👏

While you can’t change your DNA, you can influence how your genes are expressed and help shape your longevity and healthspan.💪

One of the most powerful ways to do this is through nourishment.🥦🫐🥩

The nutrients you consume communicate with your DNA, shaping inflammation, repair, metabolism, and aging.

When you eat highly processed foods, those signals tend to push gene expression toward inflammation and metabolic dysfunction, pathways linked to chronic disease. ☹️

In contrast, whole, nutrient-dense foods send signals that support repair, resilience, and long-term health.🥰

However, even the healthiest foods today are often less nutrient-dense than they once were due to soil depletion, industrial farming practices, and environmental exposures, making it harder to fully support healthy gene expression through diet alone.

And it’s not just about food.

To meaningfully influence long-term health and longevity, it’s also important to reduce toxic exposures, support detoxification, and manage chronic stress, all of which play critical roles in whether genes linked to inflammation or repair are turned up or down.

This is where supplements can play an important supportive role.

Supplements don’t change your genes, but they can help fill nutrient gaps, lower toxic burden, and support mitochondrial and cellular repair pathways, creating the internal environment that supports healthy gene expression over time.

This matters because genes associated with inflammation, metabolic dysfunction, autoimmunity, cardiovascular disease, neurodegeneration, and infertility can be activated or quieted based on the biological environment you create.

Refer to the slides 👆for key supplements that help support epigenetic health and longevity.

Comment “DNA” and I’ll send you the link to my Epigenetics Bundle that includes many of the supplements on the list.

Dr. Ann

12/23/2025

The holidays are a time to nourish the people you love, including yourself.🥰

I’ve put together 18 of my favorite recipes that are gluten-free, dairy-free, deeply nourishing, and absolutely delicious. No compromise on flavor, no energy crashes, no guilt.👏

From festive main dishes and warming soups to satisfying sides and holiday treats, these recipes are designed to help you feel your best throughout the season.💪

You deserve to celebrate AND feel amazing doing it.
Comment “RECIPE” below, and I’ll send you the link to all 18!🤗❤️💚

Dr. Ann

12/20/2025

I recently sat down with Dr. Phil to share what most people don’t realize: today’s fertility crisis has less to do with age and far more to do with toxins, inflammation, stress, and our modern environment.

For decades, women have been told their fertility is on a countdown clock. But the science shows that the 3–36 months before pregnancy can profoundly influence a child’s lifelong health.

I’ve worked with couples well into their 40s who dramatically improved their egg and s***m health, reduced miscarriage risk, and gave their future children a stronger foundation, through targeted preconception care.

This isn’t about fear. It’s about power. Small changes today may change the trajectory of a child’s life before they’re even conceived.

Comment Phil, and I’ll send you the link to watch the full video.

Dr. Ann

12/17/2025

I sat down with Dr. Phil recently and discussed how the months and years before pregnancy shape a child’s lifelong health and why today’s fertility crisis has less to do with age and far more to do with toxins, inflammation, stress, and our modern environment.

Comment “Dr Phil” and I’ll send you the link to watch the full interview.

Dr. Ann

12/15/2025

Could your anxiety be triggering an autoimmune disease? Or is your autoimmune condition causing your anxiety?

The answer: BOTH.

Research reveals a powerful bidirectional relationship between anxiety and autoimmune disease.

Chronic stress can trigger autoimmune conditions through immune dysregulation, while living with autoimmune disease doubles your risk of developing persistent anxiety and depression.

Here’s the most striking finding: 80% of autoimmune patients reported significant emotional stress BEFORE their disease onset.😳

This creates a vicious cycle where each condition feeds the other.

The holidays can make it worse with amplified stress from traveling, extra commitments, finances, and disrupted routines.😑

But when you understand this connection, it is the first step to breaking the cycle.💪

In the slides above, I review the science behind the anxiety-autoimmune connection and share strategies to help calm anxiety and inflammation, plus tests that can help identify root causes to both anxiety and autoimmune disease.

Comment “DIY” and I’ll send you the link to functional medicine labs tests that you can order for yourself. 😊

Dr. Ann

12/12/2025

Want to know the secret to fertility that most doctors don’t talk about?

It starts way before conception. 👏

I’m doing an in-person book signing at LongevityFest 2025, partnering with the Health Business Growth Collective, and I’d love to see you there.🥰

I’ll be at Booth #3098 on Sunday, December 14 from 10:45-11:15am signing copies of my new book, “The Preconception Revolution.”

Come get your book signed, ask me your burning questions about fertility and preconception health, and let’s have a real conversation about setting up the next generation for success.💞

Looking forward to connecting in person. Who’s coming?

Dr. Ann

12/08/2025

Magnesium deficiency is incredibly common and often overlooked.

When you’re low in magnesium it can contribute to a wide range of health concerns, including migraines, anxiety, sleep issues, muscle cramps, heart conditions, fatigue, hormonal imbalances, and more (see slides).

Checking magnesium status is one of the things I look at as a root cause of symptoms and also because addressing a sub optimal level before it becomes a deficiency is ideal! 👏

But the type of test matters. Most doctors only test serum magnesium, which reflects just 1% of your body’s total magnesium stores.

This means deficiency is routinely missed. You can look “normal” on a standard test while being severely deficient at the cellular level.

Instead, I’ll order an RBC (red blood cell) magnesium.

This measures what’s actually happening inside your cells, where magnesium does its most important work.

It’s far more accurate and catches deficiencies that conventional testing misses.

See slides above 👆 for early warning signs of deficiency, root causes and risk factors you may not have considered.

Even if you’re eating a diet with foods rich in magnesium, modern factors like soil depletion mean our food contains far less magnesium than it did decades ago. Add in stress, poor gut absorption, or toxin exposure, and your body’s magnesium demands are greater.😬

Many people benefit from targeted magnesium supplementation, and there are several forms to consider (see slides for a breakdown).

If you’re not sure where to start, magnesium glycinate is the most gentle and effective place to begin. It’s a highly absorbable form that supports restful sleep, eases muscle tension, calms anxiety, and optimizes cellular function.

Comment “MAG,” and I’ll send you the link to buy.

With the right testing, targeted supplementation, and addressing root causes (more testing), restoring optimal magnesium levels can make a remarkable difference in how you feel.

Dr. Ann

12/06/2025

If nothing you do for histamine intolerance works long-term, mold might be the reason.

Mold toxins and histamine intolerance are strongly connected.

When mold is at the root and it’s not addressed, it can create a cycle that keeps your body stuck in inflammation and keeps symptoms coming back.😩

Here’s what the research shows:
👉 Mold triggers mast cells to release large amounts of histamine. A 2018 study confirmed that mold toxins directly activate mast cells, causing the release of histamine and inflammatory cytokines, which can lead to headaches, nausea, brain fog, asthma-like symptoms, and profound fatigue.

👉 Mold damages the gut lining. Mycotoxins inflame and injure the intestinal lining, lowering your natural production of DAO, the enzyme your body relies on to clear histamine. When DAO drops, histamine begins to accumulate.

👉 Mold drives chronic inflammation. Your immune system stays in defense mode, mast cells continue releasing histamine, and your damaged gut can’t keep up with breaking it down. Symptoms persist and often worsen.

👉 This sets up a repeating cycle of mold exposure, mast cell activation, histamine release, inflammation, and reduced DAO. Until mold is addressed, this cycle continues.

A low-histamine diet can help, but it won’t resolve the problem if mold is still triggering your systems.👏

See the slides 👆 for a list of common symptoms and the key steps that actually help break the cycle.

If your histamine symptoms have never fully improved, it may be time to consider mold as part of the picture.

Comment MOLD, and I’ll send you the link to download my “Could It Be Mold?” fact sheet, along with a resource page to help you begin addressing toxic mold.

Dr. Ann

12/03/2025

Are you consuming seed oils? Canola, soybean, corn, sunflower, safflower, cottonseed, and generic “vegetable oil” are highly processed and extremely high in omega-6 linoleic acid.

These fats are highly unstable, meaning they oxidize easily during processing and cooking, creating inflammatory compounds that stress your cardiovascular system, metabolism, hormones, skin, and brain.

Over time, this ongoing inflammation can contribute to a variety of health conditions, including:

👉 Cardiovascular strain and arterial inflammation
👉 Chronic, body-wide inflammation
👉 Insulin resistance and metabolic dysfunction
👉 Brain fog and cognitive decline
👉 Stubborn weight gain (especially abdominal fat)
👉 Immune dysregulation and autoimmune activity
👉 Hormone imbalances (including cortisol and insulin)
👉 Cellular and mitochondrial damage
👉Mood and neurological effects
…And more (swipe to see the full list)

If you’re currently using or consuming these oils (they also hide in other processed foods, salad dressings and mayonnaise), consider swapping for more stable, anti-inflammatory fats like olive oil, avocado oil, or coconut oil.

If you are dealing with inflammation or one of the health conditions listed above, or you want to be proactive with your health, consider taking omega-3s.

Comment OMEGA, and I’ll send you the link to Omega Active PRM, the formula I recommend most often. As always, discuss any new supplements with your healthcare provider before starting.

Dr. Ann

11/30/2025

Restorative sleep isn’t optional; it’s the foundation of your health.😴

Every night, your body undergoes critical repair processes that determine how you age, how you heal, and how you feel.

Sleep isn’t just “rest,” it’s an active, biological reset that impacts every major system in your body.

See the slides above 👆 to learn how.

And here’s what most people don’t realize: even ONE night of poor sleep can be harmful.

A single night of non restorative sleep can:

👉 Elevate inflammatory markers
👉 Impair insulin sensitivity and blood sugar regulation
👉 Weaken immune function
👉 Increase cardiovascular stress
👉 Disrupt hormone balance

Chronic poor sleep accelerates aging at the cellular level, increases your risk of chronic disease, and undermines every other healthy habit you’re working on.

Quality sleep is truly non-negotiable for your health. 👏
It’s the repair window your body depends on to function optimally.💪

Want to improve your sleep quality?

I’ve created a comprehensive guide to help you optimize your sleep.

Comment “SLEEP,” and I’ll send you my Good Night’s Sleep Checklist, and start sleeping better tonight!!

Dr. Ann

Address

6836 Bee Cave Road # 114
Austin, TX
78746

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5:30pm

Telephone

+15127329975

Website

http://www.annshippymd.com/

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