Ann Shippy MD

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.

Most people think of estrogen exposure as coming from plastics or personal care products, but grains are another source ...
01/22/2026

Most people think of estrogen exposure as coming from plastics or personal care products, but grains are another source to consider.

Many grains (like wheat, corn, rice, and barley) are commonly contaminated with mycoestrogens, estrogen-like compounds produced by mold that grows on crops.

New research found:
👉Mycoestrogens were detected in 84% of placentas studied.

Higher levels were linked to:
• Lower placental efficiency
• Heavier placentas but smaller babies
• Lower birth weights, especially in certain babies

In simple terms:
The placenta was working harder, but transferring nutrients less efficiently❗️

Some babies may be more vulnerable…
The effects were strongest in infants with a common genetic variant that reduces the placenta’s ability to pump toxins away from the fetus.

Where are these mycoestrogens coming from?

Primarily from grain-based foods, including:
• Bread, pasta, cereal, baked goods
• Corn-based products
• Foods contains gluten, rice, oats
• Processed foods made from grains

These mold-derived estrogens are heat-stable—they aren’t reliably removed by cooking or processing.

Why this matters…

Preconception and pregnancy are periods of rapid cellular programming.

👉 Reducing exposures that interfere with hormones, mitochondria, and placental function is one of the most powerful ways to support:

• Healthy fetal growth
• Long-term child health
• Future fertility and metabolic resilience

If you’re planning a pregnancy or are already pregnant, focusing on clean, low-mold, whole-food nutrition can make a meaningful difference.

If you want to learn more about how toxins impact pregnancy comment ‘Toxins’ and I’ll send you the link to my free report.

Dr. Ann

Bone health isn’t just about calcium. It’s also about mitochondria.Research is revealing that your bone health is direct...
01/19/2026

Bone health isn’t just about calcium. It’s also about mitochondria.

Research is revealing that your bone health is directly linked to your MITOCHONDRIAL health.

Here’s why this matters:

👉 Your bone-building cells (osteoblasts) and bone-regulating cells are some of the most energy-demanding cells in the body.

👉 When mitochondrial function declines, your bone formation slows, bone breakdown increases, and fracture risk rises.😬

Mitochondria help regulate:

✅ Cellular energy (ATP) needed to build bone
✅ Oxidative stress that damages bone cells
✅ Calcium handling and mineralization
✅ Cell survival vs. cell death in bone tissue

When mitochondria are under stress (from aging, inflammation, hormone changes, metabolic dysfunction, or toxin exposure), bone health suffers❗️

This matters because strong bones aren’t just about avoiding fractures.

👉Bone health is foundational for healthy aging, mobility, independence, balance, and long-term vitality.

Loss of bone density is closely linked to frailty, falls, and accelerated aging.

👉 See the slides above for a breakdown of supplements that support bone health, including key nutrients and mitochondrial-supportive supplements that help protect bone cells, support energy production, and reduce oxidative stress.

Bone loss is NOT inevitable. Supporting your mitochondria is one of the most overlooked strategies for protecting your bones, and your future. But supplements are not the only solution. Lifting weights,

Comment Bone, and I’ll send you the link to my most recommended supplement for bone health.

And an important reminder: supplements are supportive but they’re not the whole solution.

Strong bones also need:
✅ Resistance training / weight lifting
✅ Adequate protein and a nutrient dense diet
✅ Hormone balance
✅ Quality sleep & stress regulation
✅ Lowering toxin exposure

Dr. Ann

01/15/2026

I joined Tudor Dixon for an in-depth conversation on the powerful connection between gut health and fertility.

And how a healthy microbiome is important for both partners.

Comment, Tudor, and I will send you the link to watch the full episode.

Dr. Ann

01/15/2026

I joined Tudor Dixon for an in-depth conversation on the powerful connection between gut health and fertility.

In this episode, we talk about how the gut microbiome health of BOTH partners can impact fertility.

We also discuss how environmental toxin exposure, and nutrition influence hormonal balance, immune signaling, and reproductive outcomes.

Comment, Tudor, and I’ll send you the link to watch the full episode.

And if you’d like to learn more about what you can do to support your fertility naturally, click the link in my bio to get your copy of my new book, The Preconception Revolution.

Dr. Ann

preconception

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) deficiency is more common than people may realize, and it’s connected to many health issues.For sta...
01/12/2026

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) deficiency is more common than people may realize, and it’s connected to many health issues.

For starters, CoQ10 is essential for mitochondrial energy production (it’s a key player in how your cells actually make ATP, the energy currency your body runs on).

Your heart, in particular, depends heavily on CoQ10 because it’s one of the most energy-demanding organs in your body.

When your CoQ10 runs low, you can experience symptoms like fatigue, brain fog, muscle weakness, poor exercise tolerance, migraines, fertility struggles, and cardiovascular strain (see slides👆 for more).

And unfortunately, as we age, our CoQ10 levels naturally drop.

Plus, our need for it goes up when we’re stressed, inflamed, dealing with chronic illness, or struggling with metabolic issues.

Low CoQ10 is usually a sign that your mitochondria are under stress.

In the slides above, I break down:

👉 Health conditions linked to low CoQ10
👉 Early warning signs to watch for
👉 Root causes and risk factors
👉 The differences between CoQ10 forms

You can check your CoQ10 levels with a simple blood test. Some advanced cardiovascular panels (like those from Boston and Cleveland Heart) include CoQ10 testing.

Comment “MITO” and I’ll send you the link to my most recommended form: CoQ10 Ubiquinol.

I also carry MitoQ and a Liposomal CoQ10, especially helpful if dealing with malabsorption or leaky gut.

Dr. Ann

Many foods considered “healthy”, like spinach, almonds, kale, beets, and others, can actually cause health problems.Espe...
01/10/2026

Many foods considered “healthy”, like spinach, almonds, kale, beets, and others, can actually cause health problems.

Especially when you’re eating them in high doses!

These foods are high in oxalates, naturally occurring compounds that can bind with calcium (and other minerals like magnesium).

When oxalates aren’t tolerated well, they can form sharp calcium oxalate crystals. This is what drives kidney stones, painful, yes, but oxalates can also contribute to joint pain, headaches, bladder irritation, fatigue, and histamine-like flares.

In more severe or long-standing cases, excess oxalate burden has been associated with chronic inflammation and other health conditions (see slides). Emerging research even suggests the heart and blood vessels may be affected in susceptible individuals.😳

What’s important to understand is this: it’s not always just about the food.

When someone reacts to high-oxalate foods, we have to look deeper at why.

👉 Mold and fungal exposure is one big piece. Certain fungi (including Aspergillus) can produce oxalic acid, increasing the body’s oxalate load and compounding symptoms.

👉 Gut health matters too. Antibiotic use, dysbiosis, leaky gut, inflammation, or fungal overgrowth can increase oxalate absorption and reduce the gut’s ability to break them down.

This is why cutting foods alone often doesn’t always solve the problem.

A functional approach looks at:
• Gut and microbiome balance
• Mold or fungal burden
• Mineral status and hydration
• Using targeted supplements and probiotics that research shows can support oxalate metabolism in some people

See slides👆 to learn more oxalates, and comment “LIST” and I’ll send you my High Oxalate Food Guide.

Dr. Ann

01/08/2026

I recently joined Debra Atkinson on the Flipping 50 Podcast to talk about my new book, The Preconception Revolution—and why it’s about so much more than getting pregnant.

It’s really about setting up the healthiest foundation for the next generation, starting well before conception.

We explored how fertility struggles often point to underlying health imbalances rather than just being about age or chance.

I discussed the ways environmental toxins, gut health, nutrition, and lifestyle factors in both partners influence fertility, pregnancy, and even a child’s long-term health trajectory.

This episode will particularly resonate if you have adult children who might start families someday.

If you’ve caught yourself thinking “I wish I’d known this earlier,” or you’re curious what your adult children should understand about preconception health, this conversation breaks down the science behind it.

Comment “flip” and I’ll send you the link to the full episode. Pass it along to someone who might benefit from hearing this!

Dr. Ann

01/07/2026

I recently joined Debra Atkinson on the Flipping 50 Podcast to talk about my new book, The Preconception Revolution, and why it’s about so much more than getting pregnant.

It’s really about setting up the healthiest foundation for the next generation, starting well before conception.

We explored how fertility struggles often point to underlying health imbalances rather than just being about age or chance.

I discussed the ways environmental toxins, gut health, nutrition, and lifestyle factors in both partners influence fertility, pregnancy, and even a child’s long-term health trajectory.

This episode will particularly resonate if you have adult children who might start families someday.

If you’ve caught yourself thinking “I wish I’d known this earlier,” or you’re curious what your adult children should understand about preconception health, this conversation breaks down the science behind it.

Comment “flip” and I’ll send you the link to the full episode. Pass it along to someone who might benefit from hearing this!

Dr. Ann

Once you’re pregnant, most parents do everything they can to protect their baby.You stop drinking, take prenatal vitamin...
01/01/2026

Once you’re pregnant, most parents do everything they can to protect their baby.

You stop drinking, take prenatal vitamins, and become more mindful of your health.

And once your baby is born, you baby-proof your home, use a car seat, and focus on nourishing them as well as possible.

We instinctively protect our children from the moment they arrive.🥰

But what many people don’t realize is this:
You can begin protecting your child’s health even before they are conceived.👏

What you and your partner do in the months, and even years leading up to conception helps shape your child’s future health and resilience.

This period, known as the preconception window, is one of the most powerful opportunities you have to influence your child’s long-term health, yet it’s often completely overlooked.

Environmental toxins, nutrient deficiencies, chronic stress, metabolic dysfunction, and gut imbalances don’t just affect fertility.

They influence epigenetic programming (which genes are turned on or off in your future child), shaping development, resilience, and lifelong health.

Swipe through slides👆 for 6 ways to optimize your health before conception and create the strongest possible foundation for your future child.

Whether you’re planning to conceive soon or simply thinking ahead, these steps matter for both parents. Once pregnancy begins, this powerful window of opportunity has already closed.

Comment “BOOK,” and I’ll send you the link to purchase The Preconception Revolution and learn how to apply these empowering steps before you start trying to conceive.

Dr. Ann

Do you suffer from chronic migraines? 😑Migraines affect millions of people and can be deeply debilitating, often involvi...
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

Epigenetics teaches us something powerful: your genes are not your destiny.👏While you can’t change your DNA, you can inf...
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

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

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Ann Shippy MD posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Practice

Send a message to Ann Shippy MD:

Shortcuts

Featured

Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on LinkedIn
Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share via Email
Share on WhatsApp Share on Instagram Share on Telegram

Category