DrCarney.com Blog

Ear infections (otitis media) in children are one of the most common reasons to be seen by a doctor. It's hard on any parent to watch their child struggle with ear pain. However, most ear infections, whether viral or bacterial in nature, typically clear up on their own, without the use of antibiotics. Over treating every...

Childhood obesity is the number one health concern today, and obesity rates continue to climb. Obesity statistics don't surprise Dr. Joel Fuhrman. He says that less than 2% of children's diets come from whole fruits and vegetables. The majority of calories consumed comes from meat, dairy, and heavily processed foods which are fiber and micronutrient...

Over 8 percent of children are affected by asthma which involves inflammation and narrowing of the airways. I used to be one of them. As a child I suffered from recurrent asthma that occasionally had me going to the hospital. I was sure it was just the luck of the draw. I had inherited some...

Eliminating nutrient-deficient foods from our kitchen is a good way to begin making the transition to a health-supporting diet, but we must not stop there. In order to achieve optimal health, we must also replace those foods with whole, nutrient-dense, plant foods. These foods contain a symphony of micronutrients, antioxidants, phytochemicals, vitamins, minerals, essential fats, phytosterols,...

Heart disease, osteoporosis, autoimmune diseases, obesity, and breast cancer are some of the common conditions that affect the lives of women. However, in his Women's Health article, Dr. Joel Fuhrman states that, "These conditions are largely preventable with healthy lifestyle measures." I have to agree. For this reason, I frequently blog, write articles, and give presentations regarding Women's Health. Would you...

Research indicates that eating red meat increases the risk of death from cardiovascular disease. This is consistent with the results from the Nurses' Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-up study, that involved 120,000 people. It was estimated that "each serving (100 grams) of red meat raises the risk of cardiovascular death by 18 percent." The...

Hectic schedules, working overtime, extracurricular activities - all the reasons why fast food restaurants are so appealing. We've become so accustomed to eating on the run, that preparing a sit-down, hot meal with our families almost seems peculiar. What we don't realize, however, is that these fast foods not only promote childhood obesity, diabetes, and the beginning stages of heart disease, they are now suspected of negatively affecting school performance and learning.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), mothers choosing to breastfeed their baby is a trend on the rise. This is very good news. There are many health benefits associated with breastfeeding for both mother and baby. There are also some very important pre-pregnancy and pregnancy factors to consider. An article by...

The Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health published a recent study that followed the diets of nearly 4,000 children from birth to over eight years of age. The study found that "Toddlers who ate a nutrient-rich diet full of fruits and vegetables had higher IQ scores when they reached 8 years of age compared to the toddlers who consumed processed foods full of fat and sugar. The foods that the toddlers ate had a dramatic long term effect on their brain function."

Autoimmune diseases afflict more than 23 million Americans, and is one of the leading causes of death for women under the age of 64. Prescribing drugs that suppress the immune system is the most common approach used for treating autoimmune conditions. These powerful drugs, however, come with serious side effects. These drugs can increase the risk of lymphoma, leukopenia, cancer, liver disease, and fatal infections. Thankfully, studies have shown that nutritional excellence can be used as an effective and safe treatment for autoimmune conditions, without the side effects from potentially dangerous drugs.

Soy has been a controversial topic, especially on the internet. Much of this inaccurate information "lacks responsible scientific integrity," and has been generated by the president of a popular foundation that promotes lard, organ meats, raw milk, and butter as being healthy, nutrient dense foods.

"In the Western world, we have extended access to unhealthy food – nutrient-deficient processed food seems to be everywhere we turn. In such an environment, it is almost inevitable that we will become addicted, progressively gain weight, and suffer the health consequences. Only by removing the toxic, addictive foods from our diets and replacing them with health promoting foods can we break the cycle of toxic hunger and achieve excellent health."