DrCarney.com Blog

I was an 18-year-old college student with a big problem. Gas. The issue started seemingly out of nowhere. But the quiet potency of the problem soon had me extremely nervous about any social situation, including my classes. Normally, a college-age woman might be embarrassed to talk to a doctor about such a delicate issue, but...

Headlines today proclaim that the average American's weight has increased at least 15 lbs in the past 30 years. Are you at all surprised? I personally was surprised that the number was only 15 lbs and not any higher. Unfortunately I have not yet been able to find the actual study, just a lot of press...

We often hear the term "lifestyle diseases" bandied about. But what are these diseases? Lifestyle diseases are defined as those negative, chronic health conditions which are brought on by our choices about food, exercise, and the use of substances like tobacco, alcohol, and drugs. We all know there are dangers associated with substance use and...

The classic Viagra commercials feature rugged, good-looking men with a tinge of silver in their beards facing potentially dangerous situations. In one, the rigging holding the main mast of a lone sailboat breaks free. No worries. Our capable, middle-aged man calmly rips a strap from a life vest in the hold and ties the sail...

Generous consumption of fiber-rich foods brings many health benefits, including maintenance of healthy weight, blood sugar levels, cholesterol numbers, and bowel movement function. Now a study published in the Canadian Family Physician Journal has added another reason why we all should create more space for fiber-rich whole-plant foods on our ...

”... the rich ate and drank freely, accepting gout and apoplexy as things that ran mysteriously in respectable families ...”  English novelist George Eliot penned this line in her novel, Silas Marner, published in 1861. More recently, the United Kingdom's Daily Telegraph is reporting that gout, a painful joint condition associated most closely with Victorian era...

Metabolic syndrome is a term often mentioned these days when public health is discussed. We hear about it on the news and see it mentioned in blogs and articles. But have you ever wondered, "Exactly what is metabolic syndrome?" You're not alone. By definition, a syndrome is a rather slippery thing. It doesn't exactly fit...

By the age of 85, nearly half of all Americans have developed Alzheimer's, says Neal Barnard, MD. This progressive disease of the brain steals memories and breaks the connections to the important people in our lives. Dr. Barnard understands the devastating effect of Alzheimer's better than most. His parents and all four of his grandparents...

Let's talk about trends. If you're a banana, a carrot, or a head of lettuce, the future isn't looking too bright for you right now. The Produce for Better Health Foundation (PBHF) commissioned a study and found that fruit and vegetable consumption has been trending down. According to the report, if the 50+ crowd doesn't...

"It's more about your daily choices than it is about your genetics," says Rosane Oliveira, DVM, PhD. Now the Founding Director of Integrative Medicine at the University of California Davis, Dr. Oliveira is a long way from where she started. A native of Brazil, Dr. Oliveira completed her master's degree and her PhD working with dairy...

Designed to protect us, our immune system is the superhero of the body, deploying white blood cells to battle the illnesses and infections trying to undermine our well being. To support our amazing immune system, we need optimal nutrition. But other lifestyle factors makes a difference, too. Choices such as lack of exercise, late bedtimes,...

Holidays come and go, yet the effects from eating poorly, even temporarily, have adverse consequences on our health. We may rationalize that "It's just a few meals, how harmful could they be?" You may be surprised to learn that the majority of heart attacks occur during the holiday season, covering the weeks of Christmas through...