Heather Follows After Her Husband's Success

As of July 2013 I will have been a patient of Dr. Carney for two and a half years. We were looking for a new doctor since we had just moved to Texas, and Dr. Carney accepted our insurance. My husband needed to find one quickly since he had problems with his blood pressure.

My husband returned from a visit with Dr. Carney. She told him that his health would would benefit from going on a Vegan, plant and nutrient rich diet cutting out all foods that derived from an animal. He had looked at her like she was nuts and had no plans on doing it. Dr. Carney ordered a panel of blood tests to be done on my husband. When results came back with a lot of unhealthy numbers my husband decided to take the doctor's advice and try a plant-rich diet. If your husband got news like that, and you were a smart woman you'd decide to join in for support. I knew I ate too much, but always tried to steer myself towards healthy options. My husband was perfectly adhering to Dr. Carney's diet recommendations, but I was not so disciplined.

It took me a while to decide to go in myself, but I too had blood work done by Dr. Carney. The proteins in my blood work were high. I had difficult periods, was always tired and had trouble losing weight. As I began to adhere to a plant based diet more and more, I began to lose weight and started feeling better. If you are someone who is sluggish, just try taking a few things like steak and cheese out of your diet, and see what happens? I know you will feel better too!

There have been life changes for us both. My husband is off medications for his medical issues that are gone due to our plant based diet. Our dispositions are even better which makes us a much happier husband and wife and companions! We feel better and we are able to be more active in taking our dog Dessa for walks and hikes together! The greatest benefits, besides myself and my husband feeling happy and healthy, are how empowered I am and how good it feels to be proactive in my own health destiny.

Not everyone understands why we eat plant based or "Vegan" and what that means. I explain myself a lot. I am a kindergarten teacher and a homebased business owner who has lots of potlucks, cupcakes, and snacks around me every day. I'm busy and on the go and it's easy and tempting to just grab what is fast and not always good for my body. I am challenged daily to make better choices, and I choose to go about my day prepared. I bring snacks with me in my car so I can eat what is good for my health on the way. You must be prepared like I have chosen to be if you want to lose weight and have healthy options around you all the time. This has been a journey, and one that I am glad to have Dr. Carney on as my guide.

Dr. Carney has seen almost everyone in our life group! I have hosted a plant-based soup nights for friends at which everyone takes away new recipes and meals. I share books Dr. Carney has shared with me and challenge my friends to read and learn too if they like. I have met up with people in the Austin area at Rip's monthly potluck, and I keep up with plant based eaters online. When you meet other plant based eaters, whether those just starting in that journey, or those that are far along in it, you make a connection and are ready to share and help each other succeed at it!

January 2016 Update from Dr. Carney's office:

Heather has done so well in her plant based journey that we felt like some 'After' pictures were in order. And, Heather being the compliant patient that she is was happy to oblige. The two photos that are included in the article demonstrate Heather's progress on her journey. We did not want to remove her 'Before' photo because we love that photo of her with her husband Paul. 

Not only has Heather made tremendous progress, but she is also bringing people onto this journey with her and has become a great support for many others. If you would like to meet Heather and her friends we invite you to join her Facebook group at Get Motivated2Wellness w/Plants.