DrCarney.com Blog

Vegans have lower body weights as well as cholesterol levels, according to a recent study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition and reported by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine:   "Those who consume vegan diets have better cholesterol levels than people who eat meat, fish, dairy, and/or egg products, according to a...

Olive oil is as American as baseball and apple pie. Its monounsaturated omega-3's have long been touted for being "heart healthy." But if olive oil ready did protect our hearts from heart disease, then why do one out of every three Americans die from it? Perhaps it doesn't really protect our hearts after all. Clever...

According to a study published in the American Journal of Public Health, overweight adults have a significantly higher incidence of premature death and CVD (cardiovascular disease). "Compared with normal-weight adults, obese adults had at least 20% significantly higher rate of dying of all-cause or CVD. These rates advanced death by 3.7 years (grades II and...

This is a very interesting article written by Kristin Wartman from The New York Times. She explores several reasons why it's important for parents to feed their children healthy food right from the start....even while in the womb. Children quickly learn and develop different taste preferences and emotional attachments to the food that they are...

If someone were to offer you a plain baked potato or a bag of potato chips, which would you choose? If you chose the plain baked potato, hooray for you! Most people however, would gobble down the entire bag of potato chips, lick their fingers, and look for more. The popular 1960's potato chip advertising slogan, "Betcha can't eat just one" was right; we can't eat just one. Many of us have probably tried, but failed. What compels us to gulp down the entire bag of chips, instead of the baked potato? Dr. Joel Fuhrman has the answer:

"The science on food addiction has now established that highly palatable foods (low-nutrient, high-calorie, intensely sweet, salty, and/or fatty foods - those that make up the majority of the Standard American Diet) produces the exact biochemical effects in the brain that are characteristic of substance abuse."
According to Dr. Fuhrman, "Junk food is ubiquitously available, legal, cheap, and socially accepted; therefore, it becomes the drug of choice for many of us."

Let's pretend it's lunch time. You're in a meeting and it won't end until 2:00, two hours past the time you're used to eating. How do you feel? Are you experiencing "stomach grumbling, headaches, light-headedness, irritability, fatigue, and inability to focus?"

At 1:00, are you now hoping no one will notice your nervousness, confusion, shaking, and anxiety? Most of us would assume that these uncomfortable symptoms are associated with hunger, since eating relieves the discomfort. Dr. Joel Fuhrman explains in his article that conventional wisdom would agree these are hunger symptoms, but Dr. Fuhrman disagrees. He says, "People are consistently led by these symptoms to consume more calories than they require and this widespread overeating behavior has led to an epidemic of obesity and a continual rise in preventable chronic diseases. Understanding the motivation behind overeating behaviors could be a key factor in reversing these trends."

Dr. Joel Fuhrman has written an excellent article regarding our culture's obsession using rich, disease-promoting foods for celebrating special occasions, especially for Halloween. Dr. Fuhrman states in his article, "As parents we must protect our children from harm and give them the best opportunity in life to have a happy and healthy future. Science suggests...

Many fad diets come and go, but one diet in particular has stood the test of time.  Anyone familiar with the Mediterranean diet will most likely tell you that by pouring olive oil over your salad and including a glass of wine with your dinner will transform your present diet into a "heart healthy" Mediterranean...

We hope our recent blog on the Forks Over Knives documentary will encourage you and your family to watch the documentary together. The above five minute video gives a brief overview of why the film was made and the background of the scientists and doctors that were featured in the film.  It's never too late...

Despite new advances in medical technology, and U.S. healthcare costs exceeding that of other countries, Americans are sicker than ever before. It's estimated that 80% of adults are overweight, and more than 70% of office visits involve prescription drug therapy.

Tens of thousands of patients die every year due to unintentional drug overdose, drug interactions, or from the side effects from these drugs. The majority of today's office visits reflect lifestyle driven diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. Tragically, these degenerative diseases are the leading cause of death, yet can largely be prevented through dietary excellence. 

Grocery store aisles are filled with products labeled as "all natural," "heart healthy" and "organic." It's easy to be attracted to these products, since they claim to be so healthy. Since it's organic, all natural, and good for our hearts, we would be crazy not to purchase it, right However, when we take a closer...

If you enjoyed my blog posts regarding food addictions and how dieting doesn't work, you'll also enjoy the below ten minute video clip featuring Dr. Joel Fuhrman. Dr. Fuhrman discusses in detail why eating less and exercising more doesn't work. Most people try dieting, only to fail after a few weeks. After several attempts and numerous weight loss strategies, many people feel hopeless and give up.